But then Aiden remembered his insurance policy. He gripped the tiny vial in his hand even now. Once the battle in the sky had ended, his course of action seemed clear. Under the guise of wiping his face, Aiden swallowed the poison and allowed knees to buckle. Then he fell at the feet of the wizard.
“Easy,” the wizard said, his voice low, meant to soothe and to deceive. “You’ve fought with honor and courage, but your efforts were needless. We mean you no harm. Why fight your sister dragons? They only want to protect you, to save you from this realm and bring you home to serve your true and noble purpose.”
“My true purpose? To be your slave, you mean? There’s nothing noble about that.”
The wizard smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Better me than one of the established rulers who take their dragons for granted, ignore and neglect them. I am kind to the dragons in my thrall and treat them well. You will want for nothing.”
“Except my freedom.”
“Freedom?” he scoffed. “None of us are free. We are born to our fates. I bear the burden of conquest and maintaining fair and just rule. You bear the burden of prophecy in the service of a ruler. It makes you coveted and vulnerable. You need protection. You need me. And I need a world to rule. Maybe two,” he said, surveying the landscape around him.
The poison coursed through his veins, blurring his vision as waves of dizziness threatened to overtake him. He had to act quickly before he lost consciousness.
“Show me,” he whispered, fighting to stay upright.
The wizard furrowed his brows. “Show you what?”
“Show me that you’re a just and wise ruler. You can share your visions with me if you so choose. I want to see what the future holds for me under your thrall.”
The wizard appeared to consider. He needed the wizard to use some of the magic he held. It was the only way to ensure that the wizard succumbed to the poison, too. They would be joined by magic and joined in death.
The wizard hesitated. He was no fool. He no doubt believed that Aiden would fight or flee if the vision showed conquest or abuse of power. Aiden would have to convince him otherwise, that his interests were purely selfish.
“Show me a vision of a future where I’ll be well-treated. Take a bit of the magic that I give you freely, Your Honor, and I will travel with you willingly. You have my word.” Dragon magic freely given was powerful, more powerful than that taken under the influence of a thrall crystal. It was a token of respect and fealty, as was Aiden’s solemn vow.
The wizard smiled in triumph as Aiden used the last of his strength to tear the armor from his body and then spread his arms wide, baring his chest. The wizard dropped to his knees and placed his hands against Aiden’s bare flesh and the tracery below. It weakened him further and he fought to remain lucid.
“Enough,” Aiden said, his voice a hoarse whisper. He caught a glimpse of his own demise, and the wizard’s, and smiled.
The wizard’s eyes flew open in alarm and he and clutched at his throat. Aiden laughed as red, blue, and gold flashed in his periphery.
“You promised,” the wizard gasped. “You gave me your word.”
“And I’ve kept it,” Aiden said. “I’ll travel with you…willingly…s-straight to hell.”
“Aiden!”
A voice cried out as gentle hands ran over his face, arms, and chest. How was that possible? He was dead. The icy fingers of the reaper had gripped him, slowed his heart to stillness, and stolen his breath. He couldn’t be alive.
“No!” he shouted, pushing the hands from his body. This was wrong. If he was alive, then the wizard was alive, and he was still a threat to Earth and all he held dear, including Gillian.
He sat up and immediately regretted the decision. Pain sliced through his skull with a pressure that made him fear his head might explode. Strange, the wizard ally who’d given him the poison hadn’t mentioned that.
“Aiden, are you okay?”
It was Gillian’s voice. She was here? He opened his eyes and the soft shades of golden sand and red adobe swam back into focus along with rich woods. He was no longer in the desert. He was in his home. How?
“Did it work? Did you get a vision?” Gillian’s beautiful face came into focus then, full of concern.
Vision.
It must’ve worked. He’d seen a vision. The magic within him had shown him the future and the way to stop the Tarakonan wizard.
And the heavy price he’d have to pay.
“What is it?” she asked, pulling him into her arms. He held her in a fierce embrace, this incredible woman who’d given him so much. He’d lived more in the past week than he had in his entire life. He was grateful, and that more than made up for any regret.
Save one. The thought of leaving her behind was almost more than he could bear. But he had to be strong, to do what was necessary to keep her world safe.
“I need food,” he said.
“Are you sick,” she asked, putting a hand on his forehead. “You’re burning up. Is that normal?”
He smiled. “Dragons become weakened when a wizard drains our magic.” He didn’t mention the ague only happened when a wizard used all of a dragon’s magic, which wasn’t the case. “I guess using my gift of sight has the same effect. I need you to get me some food so I can recover and then we’ll put together a plan for the wizard. I know where he’ll be and when.”
She appeared skeptical. Of course she did. No matter how much magic she witnessed, no matter how many otherworldly, supernatural creatures she encountered, she’d always approach with scientific skepticism. It was as much a part of her as her witch nature. And it would serve her well, even if it didn’t serve his purpose at the moment.
She thought he was lying. And she was right.
“Please, Gillian,” he said, hating himself for his deception, for using her feelings against her, but there wasn’t much time. Judging from the long shadows cast outside his home, the sun was setting. Night was almost upon them, and tomorrow the wizard would strike. He needed to be ready, and he needed Gillian safely out of the way.
She didn’t look convinced, but her gaze softened and he knew he had her. Fates, he was such a bastard. He only hoped she’d come to understand in time, and to forgive him.
“Fine, I’ll drive over to Kokopelli and get a tanker truck full of chips, salsa, burritos, and sopapillas. Anything else?” Her sarcasm did little to hide her concern, and his heart broke a little more.
“That’ll work.” He stood on shaking legs and pulled her into his arms. “You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, Gillian Hohenwald. No matter what happens, remember that.”
She gripped him tighter and said, “Don’t talk like that. It makes me think your vision showed you something bad. Did it?”
His lady was too smart. He should’ve known better, but he couldn’t let her walk away without telling her how extraordinary she was, how special, how much she meant to him. Saying the three words he longed to speak would be a dead giveaway, so he simply placed his lips on hers and poured all of his love and gratitude into a passionate kiss.
“I saw hope,” he said. “Now, feed me, my lady, so that I may do battle in your honor.”
With a heavy heart, he watched his lady walk through his door. He memorized the contours of her body, her confident stride, the way the light breeze whispered through her hair and the moonlight illuminated her like a bright spot in the night’s gloom.
When the sound of her van faded, he rushed to his workshop to grab his armor and prepare for battle.
Chapter Twelve
Aiden was gone. That sneaky bastard had tricked her. There was no other explanation for it. After unloading mountains of takeout and searching his house, she’d found no trace of him.
Or the equipment she’d designed for him to use in battle.
She could’ve kicked herself. Every instinct had told her he was hiding his vision, the glimpse into the future. She’d assumed he would tell her after he regained his strength and then th
ey’d form a plan. Together.
Instead, he’d sent her on a fool’s errand so he could go off on his own, and with equipment that hadn’t been properly recharged, no less. Typical male. Foolish, stubborn, arrogant dragon male. Didn’t he trust her? She’d given him her trust, her magic, and her heart. Why would he leave?
Realization dawned as dread clawed at her chest and spine. He didn’t think she was incapable or incompetent. She couldn’t believe that. But if he’d foreseen something terrible that might happen to her, or to him, he would do anything to save her.
And he’d no doubt be more than willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.
She had to stop him.
Digging her phone out of her pocket, she dialed Rocky.
Please pick up, please pick up, pleasepickup!
“Where is he?” Rocky’s gruff voice sounded as anxious as she felt.
“I don’t know,” she said. “We tapped into his magic and he saw…something. Something terrible is going to happen and he wouldn’t tell me what. He sent me out to get food so he could regain his strength, but he lied, Rocky. He was gone when I came back and I don’t know where he went or what he plans to do.”
“Damn, I was afraid something like this might happen. Did he give you any idea where the wizard was going to be?”
“No,” she said, blinking hard. Tears wouldn’t do her or Aiden any good. She needed to keep a cool head and think. The wizard had been spotted in Kokopelli and would likely stick close to Magic. She’d been able to get a description from Flo, so she could probably spot him.
Think, think, think!
“Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath and steeling her resolve. “If I were a wizard trying to capture a dragon and drag him back to Tarakona, I’d probably stay as close to the portal during my downtime.”
She ran out of the house and headed to Aiden’s workshop. He hadn’t taken everything. Her own enchanted glasses remained, as did the practice battle drones.
“Makes sense,” Rocky said. “After showing up in town, he’d expect Aiden to come looking for him since he probably found out that Nadia and Aiden are pledged to protect and defend the town.”
“And keep an eye on the portal, possibly try to close it, which would trap the wizard here on Earth,” she answered while clicking away on one of her computers. Clever dragon. He’d managed to disable the GPS tracking system so she couldn’t follow him. No surprise, but he couldn’t counteract any magical means she could conjure to find him.
“It would be less risky for the wizard to catch Aiden someplace remote rather than near the town. Surely he realizes he’d be outnumbered physically and magically by the people in Magic,” she said, splitting her attention between Rocky and reprogramming the drones, one to seek Aiden and the other to gather some handy allies.
“Yes, but—”
“So I’m going to the portal to find him or the wizard or both. And after we take care of the wizard, I’m going to strangle your son within an inch of his life or kiss him until he can’t breathe. I’ll decide later.”
“You’re just as foolish and stubborn as he is,” Rocky said, but he didn’t argue. “I’ll let the magical authorities know what’s going on. They can be backup so you two won’t be going at this alone.”
“I won’t be alone,” she said as she launched the first drone. “But I’ll send a message as soon as I get a location on Aiden. The town does needs to be prepared in case we can’t stop the wizard.”
The second drone exploded out of the workshop. She packed up the rest of her gear, chargers, and computer equipment and started the van. Rocky was still on the line but had gone silent. That couldn’t be good.
“What aren’t you telling me?” she asked.
“If Aiden can’t defeat the wizard and his dragons by combat, he’ll take the wizard out by poisoning his own magic.”
What? He couldn’t even tap into his own magic without her assistance.
“And how would he go about doing that?”
“There’s a potion. One that free dragons take if they…don’t ever want to be put in thrall by a wizard.”
Oh, dear God. “What would that do to him, Rocky?”
“It will kill the wizard when he uses Aiden’s magic, along with…” His voice broke and it took a moment before he could finish. “Along with the magic’s vessel. He knew the risks when he was in Tarakona trying to close the portal to keep Nadia safe, and he had to make sure he was never captured. He’ll use the poison if he has to, if he thinks there’s no other way to save Earth, and to save you.”
She backed out of the driveway, jerked the van into drive, and floored the accelerator. “Then there’s no time to lose. I’m not going to lose Aiden. I love him.”
“Hurry,” Rocky said. “I won’t be far behind.”
***
She spotted Aiden flying over the portal, banking hard to the right in order to evade two enormous red dragons on his tail. While her first instinct was to call her drones and send them after the reds, it wasn’t the prudent move. These dragons weren’t responsible for their actions. Enslaved by their thrall crystals, they were forced to obey the orders of their wizard master.
Aiden wouldn’t want them harmed. And it would be a strategic mistake to give away her presence and position yet. Fortunately, her tiny spies had arrived ahead of her. The blue pixies weren’t as visible in the midday sun, but they made their presence known by circling Gillian’s head and landing on her shoulders, speaking in their strange, incomprehensible language.
She pulled out her phone and concentrated. With any luck, she could enchant the voice recognition technology to translate for her.
“Aiden is in trouble,” she said. The flat, robotic voice that normally told her where to turn in GPS mode emitted a series of strange squeaks and something akin to static. Those didn’t exactly sound like pixie clicks, but she hoped it would do.
The pixies became more agitated and swarmed around her. She pointed to the sky and marveled as the tiny creatures turned in unison to watch Aiden and the two red dragons swoop overhead. Thank goodness they had some cover. The junipers were just tall enough to shade her parked van, and she’d conjured a concealment spell using modified reflectors that she hoped would blend her into the landscape.
Now for the tricky part. Communicating a simple message like “danger” was easy and worked across many languages. Complex instructions were tougher. She hoped the visual would help. She waded through the flying swarm of pixies that had congregated around her under cover of junipers and said into her phone. “You can help Aiden. I’ll show you how. Follow me and watch the large screen.”
They followed but seemed confused, flying in all directions but failing to pay attention to her computer. Shit. They had no idea what a screen was. Pointing had worked before, so she did it again. The creatures turned their collective attention to the screen.
“Each red dragon has a magic crystal somewhere inside its body.”
A diagram of a dragon appeared on the screen, flashes of light blinking at random sites on the three-dimensional rendering. Would they understand?
She’d never know unless she tried. “Can you see magic?”
They seemed excited and spun around in formation, looping around her van, her phone, and her glasses. Then they aligned themselves to form an outline of a pixie while a few stragglers fluttered around the outline and blinked blue lights.
She cocked her head, wondering what they were trying to tell her.
This pixies dispersed and reformed in the shape of a stick. The pixies at one end lit up and glowed before bursting from the outline. What was that supposed to mean?
Oh, of course. It was a magic wand.
“Yes! That’s right!” she yelled into the phone, which translated her words if not her enthusiasm. “Find the magic crystal in each of the red dragons and take it out. Can you do that?”
The pixies seemed to be chattering amongst themselves. It was a lot to ask of them. Compared to t
he dragons, they were as insignificant as gnats in terms of size. But that would work to their advantage. The dragons were so busy pursuing Aiden, they wouldn’t notice some tiny, translucent creature sneaking up to extract a crystal.
Well, unless the extraction proved painful. Perhaps this wasn’t such a great plan. The pixies swirled around her face. She watched in awe as they formed a perfect outline of a red dragon. No, it wasn’t quite perfect. Two pixies had apparently linked legs to form a diamond shape within the outline of the hind leg. After a moment, the two linked pixies floated to the outline of the dragon’s head.
They understood.
“Can you do take the magic crystals out without hurting the dragons or yourselves?” she asked, waiting for the phone to translate and relay the message. She would do almost anything to save Aiden, including sacrifice herself, but she couldn’t risk these creatures.
She waited, wondering what their answer would be. All of a sudden, the pixies flew at her. Then they were gone. What had happened? She barely had time to wonder when a strange sensation filled her body, vibrating beneath her skin before settling in the back of her mouth. It didn’t hurt, exactly. It just tickled a bit.
Were they inside of her?
Before she could be horrified or scared for her life, the pixies emerged and swirled around her hand, tugging it until she placed her palm up. They dropped a shiny object into her hand. The oddly shaped smidgen gleamed silver in the sunlight. Wait a minute…
She twisted her tongue, running it over her back teeth until she found a gap that hadn’t been there before. It was previously occupied by a metal filling. Those little imps had messed with her dental work.
She thought about asking them to put it back but thought better of it. She’d go see a dentist if she lived through this. They’d made their point. The pixies were up to the challenge.
“Thank you,” she said into the phone. “Go save our dragon.”
They pixies flitted into the sky while Gillian donned her protective shielding and glasses. She scanned the area for signs of magic. The portal gave off the most powerful signal, but a smaller presence lingered nearby. The wizard was less than a mile away, but she couldn’t risk driving to him, nor could she fly. Tamping down on her sense of urgency, she began her slow, stealthy journey to intercept him.
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