Her Dragon, His Demon (Dragon Guard Series Book 12)

by Julia Mills

  Carefully closing the book, Brannoc sat back against the arm of the couch and looked Rian dead in the eye from his seat on the floor. “You know the dragon they’re talking about is Kayne, right? And that Drago is gonna march straight into hell. There will be no stopping him... Oh! And Lance is gonna lose his shit. You...”

  “Wait. A dragon? Kayne? Like Kayne—he will be King—oops, he’s not King, he’s a Guardsman—damn, he’s lost maybe dead—Kayne? That Kayne?” Rory’s mouth hung open while his eyes darted from Rian to Kellan to Brannoc and back again.

  Royce stood staring at Rian with a questioning look, the buzz of his mindspeak conversation with his mate so loud it was like a hive of bees had taken up residence in the cabin.

  “Well, listen for yourselves and tell me who else it could be.” Brannoc read directly from the book. He was attacked, bespelled by evil wizards, separated from his kin, and then imprisoned in human form. It talks about the wizards and the river he’s buried beside, but then goes on to say he is one of royal blood and destined for greatness. He holds the power of his ancestors. Then it talks about him holding the true fire which is what the old guys always told us when we were barely old enough to sip their beer when our mothers weren’t looking.” Brannoc paused, following his finger until he started nodding. “Here is the part that makes me sure it’s Kayne. Once you have found him, you can only free him by calling his given name, a name only those closest to him know. You will be able to summon that information once the Focus Stone is near the dragon’s crypt.”

  “Okay, wait, what do y’all know that I don’t? We all just called him Kayne...” Rory left his question hanging in the air because from the look on his face, he wasn’t sure how to finish it or what he was really asking. Rian watched as the others looked around. He was hoping someone else would answer because he was really tired of being the only one revealing secrets in their little group.

  Giving in, probably because it was obvious Kyra was yelling in his ear, Royce explained, “Okay, here’s the big, deep, dark, dragony secret,” He wiggled the fingers of one hand in the air and grinned, “Which honestly sounds like less of a mystery since its hinted about in a hundred-year-old journal. Yeah, way to keep a confidence, guys.” He rolled his eyes and gave a sarcastic thumbs up.

  “But anyway, Kayne is the offspring of a very important dragoness, Adara—the princess of the Golden Dragons—and the Celtic Sun God, Lugh. Her true dragon mate was killed in battle before they were able to conceive a child. Until she met the Sun God, the princess thought she was to be alone for the rest of her life. The Universe saw the love that the dragoness and the Sun God shared and granted them one year together. If they were to have a child, the Universe deemed that child would be wholly dragon and as such, he was to be raised by his mother and her clan.

  “Adara was thrilled when she found out she was pregnant and when Kayne was born, named him something with a bunch a letters in the old language that has special significance to his birthright. All I know is only Maddox and probably Drago ever took the time to remember it; we all just called him Kayne. What’s important is that his given name means Son of the Sun.

  Now, Lugh was thrilled too, but knew he couldn’t live on earth with his true love and child. So, he gave Kayne the power to call upon, not only his dragon fire, but also the fire of the sun when it was in righteous defense of those he was sworn to protect or in dire consequences to save his life or that of dragon kin. Of course, there was a hitch, as there always is when the gods give anyone anything. If Kayne was in dragon form, had already called his dragon fire, and someone he had a blood bond with said his given name, well, our boy could go super-nova.

  “When he decided to abdicate his crown to become a Guardsman, his mom commissioned a white witch to mark his forearm with Lugh’s family crest then charmed that tattoo so that anyone in his vicinity was simply unable to remember his real name. I still have no clue how Maddox was able to remember but insanity never has made sense. The old dragon and Drago’s entire Force were thick as thieves, so maybe that’s it. But that’s a whole other can of worms I’m not opening tonight.

  “For now, my guess is Adram...whatever the hell you said that Demon Lord’s name was, knows about Kayne and his special birthright but didn’t know he was gone or that we thought he was dead. So putting all the pieces of the puzzle that we have together, I’m just guessing, that’s why he sent Audrey as a trap for you,” Royce pointed at Rian. “He thinks you know Kayne’s real name and the stupid bastard wants the fire of the sun.”

  He shrugged and took a drink of his bottle of water. “I mean it’s just a guess. I know you’re the Elder of the Clan and all that bigwig happy horseshit—but you weren’t the night Audrey came to you the first time—and it was just weeks after Drago and his Force had gone missing and no one knew but us dragons. Hell, I still don’t think many know we had no clue what happened to those guys.”

  Royce paused and Brannoc started. “Roy makes some good points, Rian. You’ve always had really strong magic. The Chancellor had to have felt it and somehow the bastard knew Audrey was your mate before even you did. That’s the only reason he would have to make a deal with her uncle to kill her father, then let the stupid uncle die and the land just sit and wilt away. I mean, demons usually want souls willing to do anything, and it sure seems like her uncle was just the asshole for that job. But Adramelech let the man be killed. It’s all been a plot to get to you and what you know and the shits and giggles of it all is, you knew nothing and still basically don’t.”

  Rian tried to find the bright side in what they were saying, looked for the humor, searched for something positive that would help bring Audrey home, but failed miserably. Then Kellan spoke, and for the first time since his mate had laid the book in his hands, Rian felt real hope. “Sounds like we have a bad guy to kill, a girl to save, and a brother to bring home. Anybody up for a trip to hell?”

  Not one to be left out, Rory added, “And then I get to kick some ass for getting left out of the loop, right?”

  Chapter Five

  His feet had barely touched the ground of the lair of his clan when out of nowhere, Rian was body slammed by an extremely pissed off, most definitely crazy-as-hell, Maddox MacQueen. The supremely angry dragon screamed like a banshee while sitting atop the Dragon Leader and bombarding him with punch after punch about the head and chest.

  “You worthless piece of donkey shit,” Maddox howled as his fist connected with the bridge of Rian’s nose. “I should run you through with a silver blade. You...you...”

  Maddox’s assault was cut short as Kellan and Rory lifted him off Rian while trying to avoid his flying fists. No sooner had the mad dragon’s feet touched the ground than he was once again lunging for the eldest O’Reilly brother, screaming obscenities and promising vengeance. Royce stepped in to help corral the crazy one and suffered a fat lip for his trouble. Rian got his feet; the remorse for his actions hurting far worse than the bruises he’d received from Maddox.

  Looking at his long-time friend and then the crowd that was gathering on the outcropping they’d landed upon, Rian knew he had a lot of explaining to do. Brushing the dirt from his pants as he retrieved his handkerchief to stem the flow of blood from his bloody nose, the Dragon Leader noticed movement in the bystanders. Pushing through the crowd were Stefan and Marcas, looks of confusion and disappointment etched into their expressions.

  And the hits just keep coming. Nothing I don’t deserve.

  “Take him to my quarters and have Niall sedate him if necessary. We’ll accomplish nothing with him screaming like a lunatic,” Marcas, the Elder in charge of the Guard, instructed Kellan and Rory.

  Then to Royce, he said, “See what you get for trying to be the hero. So like your father.” Shaking his head, he finally turned to Rian. “And you...why did you have to get all of Ronan’s bullheaded stubbornness. He couldn’t have spread it around, huh?”

  Not sure what to say, Rian simply stood and stared at the two Elders, waiting
for the other shoe to drop. After several long, tense seconds, Stefan spoke, but it was with the voice of an uncle, not an Elder. “I am guessing there’s a decent explanation for what has transpired. All I’ve heard so far is Maddox’s side and quite frankly, I only understand a quarter of it. He was ranting on and on, switching between English, Gaelic, and Latin so many times I was lost. Go clean up and we’ll meet you in the Cave of the Ancients in thirty minutes.”

  Rian nodded his understanding and turned to leave just as Royce spoke up. “Stefan? Marcas? I would request to join Rian.”

  “As would I,” added Brannoc. “Rory and Kellan would also like to be there, please.”

  Spinning on his heels, Rian didn’t hide his shock as he looked at his younger brother and then his old friend. Once again, he was amazed they were supporting his madness instead of kicking his ass.

  Thanking the Heavens for his good fortune, the Dragon Leader turned and started towards the Cave of the Ancients. He figured there was no reason to go down the mountain simply to turn around and climb it again for his meeting with the Elders.

  “You in a hurry to be told you fucked up?” Royce asked as he jogged up beside him.

  “No, just ready to get this crap over with and get to my mate. You heard Adramelech laughing when he pulled Audrey back to hell. He’s a sadistic son of a bitch. I wouldn’t put anything past him. It’s been just over twelve hours and I can’t imagine what he’s putting her through.”

  “I’m so sorry, Ri. I wish you would’ve let us help you.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. Hindsight’s twenty-twenty. You have no idea how many times I thought about telling at least you and Rory, but something always stopped me. Even with the book, I had no idea what or whom it was talking about. Neither did Eleanor and Elmer. It wasn’t until we found Drago and that bloody stone that it all started to make sense. I finally knew who the dragon was, where he was, and what a Focus Stone was. I was going to tell Audrey when I summoned her but then y’all showed up.”

  “Yeah, about that...”

  Rian could hear the regret in Royce’s voice, feel it in the air around them. So much so that he cut off what his brother was about to say. “You have nothing to be sorry about. This is all on me. Y’all we’re only doing what you thought was right. Besides, it happened too fast. Adramelech knew before you got there. It was bound to happen. I mean, Audrey’s kept it hidden from him for all these years. It’s my fault that I didn’t get her out of there soon enough.”

  Royce’s hand on his shoulder helped but his words meant so much more. “We’ll get your mate, Ri. Don’t you worry about that. Hell ain’t got nothing on the O’Reilly boys.”

  Chuckling as they reached the Cave of the Ancients, Rian added, “Well, first I have to survive this,” he motioned to the cave entrance, “and then there’s Maddox.”

  It took Royce a few seconds to answer, and when he did, Rian could only groan. “Yeah, and true to form, our younger brother has opened his mouth before engaging his brain. I just heard from Rayne. Lance is already in dragon form with Sam on his back. Guess they’ll be here by nightfall.”

  “And it just keeps getting better and better,” was all the Dragon Leader could say as he entered the Cave of the Ancients for what he prayed was not the last time.

  Three hours later and feeling like they’d been through the ringer, the O’Reilly brothers, Kellan, and Brannoc exited their meeting with the Elders. The questioning had been excruciating. They went over every detail multiple times in multiple ways to be sure Rian was holding nothing back. Turns out, they’d allowed Royce and the others to be there as character witnesses. Stefan wanted to be prepared. Thank the Heavens it was not necessary.

  As it stood, Rian was still the Head Elder of the Blue Thunder Clan; something he was sure several hours ago he would no longer have. Even better, he had the full support of the other three Elders and the entire Dragon Council to enter hell, rescue Audrey and Kayne, and kill the Demon Lord known as Adramelech.

  The five warriors walked along in silence until Rory said, “When you gonna talk to Maddox?”

  Never one to miss an opportunity to mess with his little brother, no matter what was going on around them, Rian answered, “Well, since you couldn’t keep your mouth shut, I guess I’ll wait for Lance and talk to them both at the same time. And while I’m thinking about it, how did Madman Maddox know I was coming?”

  “Who knows?” Rory was quick to answer. “I sure as hell didn’t tell him. I don’t talk to him unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

  “When he was just about to fall asleep from the sedative, Maddox said something about hearing a voice from below, but the old man hears voices all the time so your guess is as good as mine,” Kellan added, never looking up.

  Stopping, Rian shook his head. “Who knows? Who cares? He’s here and I have to deal with him. But first, I need to go see Drago. Unless, you saw fit to tell him, as well.” He punched Rory in the arm as they resumed their trek to the lair.

  “No, I didn’t.” Rory’s petulant tone reminded Rian of all the times he and Royce had caught their youngest brother tattling to their parents when they were kids.

  Rory went on explaining, “And telling Lance was well...kind of an accident. He hollered at me while we were corralling Maddox for Niall. Wanted to know something about Call of Duty, the game we play on Xbox Live...Anyway, it just popped out that the old fart was trying to kill you for stealing the Focus Stone and had to be sedated. I didn’t even think about it until Lance yelled. Then I kinda...well...I had to...”

  “You had to spill your guts. Yeah, we know,” Royce finished his younger brother’s sentence.

  “Yeah, well...”

  “Shut up. Let’s go get something to eat. I’m starving. Then I’ll go see Drago,” Rian commanded with a smile on his face.

  “Aye, aye, Captain,” Brannoc chuckled while bringing up the rear of the group.

  Thank the Heavens Royce had called ahead to Kyra and she had every variety of breakfast imaginable cooked and waiting when they descended upon the couple’s cottage. Rian couldn’t remember how long it had been since he’d eaten, but the smell of food made his stomach growl and his mouth water. Brunch was his absolute favorite meal. They all ate like they hadn’t seen food in days, not stopping until every dish, platter, and plate was licked clean.

  “Guess y’all were hungry, huh?” Kyra laughed as she set the second pitcher of iced tea on the table. “I’m gonna have to go to the grocery again if y’all are gonna be around for dinner.”

  Rian laughed aloud as she asked a question without really asking and looked at her mate with raised eyebrows. Unable to resist the temptation to tease his brother’s mate, the Dragon Leader cleared his throat and teased, “You mean you cut off your mindspeak with your mate while we were with the Elders, Roy? Shame on you.”

  Backhanding his brother across the shoulder, Royce quickly answered, “You know damn good and well the Cave of the Ancients is warded so we can’t use mindspeak in there. Stop stirring up trouble, dumbass!” Then to his mate, he said, “Rian’s just being a jerk. I was waiting to tell you what happened in person.”

  “Well?” Kyra walked around the table and sat down in the chair next to Royce. “Spill.” She waved her hands in a hurry up motion, crossed her arms over her chest, and sat waiting, not so patiently from the tap of her foot on the tile floor that grew incessant with every beat.

  Smiling sweetly to his mate, Royce laid his hand on her leg and told the abbreviated version of what had transpired during Rian’s questioning. It was bittersweet for the Dragon Leader to watch the closeness between Royce and Kyra. On one hand, Rian was happy his younger brother had found the one the Universe made for him and that together they made an amazing couple. But then there was the envy he felt, the longing to have Audrey with him every hour of every day and to build a life with her just as Royce had done with Kyra.

  The tiny witch’s voice cut through his musings. “You want me to come with y’
all, don’t you, Rian? You know you need as much powerful white magic with you in hell as you can get and there’s none compared to mine.”

  Rian could’ve kicked his own ass for not paying attention to the couple’s conversation. He’d obviously missed something vital and was now being called into mediate. It didn’t take a brain surgeon to realize whatever answer he gave was going to piss someone off, so he did the only thing he could and took the coward’s way out.

  “This is for y’all to decide.” He motioned with his index finger between the couple. “Whatever you decide I’m good with.” Standing up, pushing in his chair and taking his dishes to the sink, Rian turned and headed toward the front door, adding just before he stepped out onto the porch, “I’ve got to go see Drago. Be back later to see what you’ve decided.”

  Rian heard Royce half yell, half chuckle, “Coward!” as the door opened and Rory, Brannoc, and Kellan appeared, looking as if they were running for their lives.

  The group busted out laughing as Kyra yelled while giggling, “Now whatcha gonna do, big man? They’ve all deserted you.”

  Still laughing as they crossed the white witch’s garden on their way to Alicia and Drago’s house, Rian was the first to regain enough composure to speak. He grinned and teased, “Y’all are afraid of that tiny little woman? She’s barely five-foot tall. I’m not sure you can handle the trip into hell with me after all.” He barely got the last words out of his mouth before he was laughing so hard he had to stop, bend at the waist, and brace his hands on the top of his thighs to catch his breath.

  “You’re such a jerk, Ri,” Rory said, kicking him in the butt as he walked by.

  Finally able to stand and speak, Rian jogged to catch up with the others. “Sorry, figured we needed a tension breaker. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m not looking forward to telling Drago what I’ve found out. Last time I talked to Alicia, she said he was doing better but wouldn’t stop talking about finding his men.”