Dragos: The Complete Bundle (Books 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 4)

by Amber Kallyn

  Vibrations raced through the floor. Isa swayed, rubbing her temples. “We have changed dimensions.”

  “Dimensions?” Ty asked sharply, his worried gaze on his mate.

  Bree stared at Isa.

  “How many are there?” Trepidation filled Pete as he spoke the question out loud.

  Isa’s head snapped up and she looked at him, though it felt more as if she was looking through him. “Countless.”

  “Great,” Ty muttered.

  Garreth stepped toward Isa, scowling darkly. “And how did we move through dimensions. Isn’t that only a demon magic?”

  Hackles raised at the accusing tone, Pete barreled in between his older, bigger brother, and Isa. “She didn’t do it.”

  Garreth scowled harder. “I think she did. Here she calls our mates, our women, asking for rescue. We come, only to find the mage well prepared. Now, we’re supposed to believe we’re transported by demon magic, and the only demon around didn’t do it?”

  Pete scowled back, his blood warming, temper spiking. “She didn’t do it. Isa didn’t betray us.” He glanced at her. “Tell this stubborn brute you didn’t do it.”

  Isa blinked rapidly before dropping her gaze. “I did not take us here—wherever here may be—but I cannot deny the master knew of your arrival.”

  Garreth sneered.

  Anna gasped.

  The others just froze and stared at Isa.

  Garreth crossed his arms over his chest. “She’s a demon. You can’t trust a creature from the hells.”

  Serenely, Isa raised her chin. “Call me what you will. I am eons old. I have been named a goddess, a Djinn and a demon. Trust me not, for such a thing I have yet to earn. But ’ware my words. For if we do not work together, evil will triumph.”

  Something in Pete’s chest pounded out a painful ache he refused to give credence. “You didn’t tell him we were coming,” he stated with a certainty he didn’t quite feel.

  Isa looked up at him, meeting his gaze. Her eyes blazed with truth. “Never would I do such a thing.”

  “Yeah?” Ty flanked Isa’s right while Garreth moved closer to her left side. “Then how’d the monster know we were on our way?”

  Isa shrugged, still not breaking eye contact with Pete. “He just knew. There are some things he’s able to see, no matter how I try to block him.”

  Anna laid a hand on Garreth’s arm, nudging him back and moved to Isa’s side. She linked her arm with Isa’s, staring up at her husband.

  “She speaks true. The master, this dark mage, has powers which are unthinkable.”

  Garreth’s scowl softened as only Anna could make him do. “Fine. Then what about this dimension thing? How does he have access to demon magic?”

  Pete blinked, staring at his brother with a mix of amusement and exasperation. “Uh, gee. Let’s see. This dark mage is known for stealing powers from others. How could he possibly have access to demon magic?”

  Calla snorted at his sarcasm, then blanked her face as everyone stared at her. “Sorry. Blame it on the hormones.”

  Pete stepped into the center of the circle. “I don’t think how we got here matters all that much right now. Not as much as how we’re going to get out.”

  He glanced at Isa, hoping she had a plan, because he didn’t have a clue.

  Her lips curled upward at the corners a tiny bit. “There is only one way I know of to find out where we are, and to figure out a way back home.”

  “Yeah? And how is that?” Garreth asked.

  Pete didn’t need to ask. He knew, could tell just by looking in Isa’s eyes.

  “Dreams.”

  She nodded.

  “So how do we fall asleep?” Pete asked.

  “I can do it.” Isa shrugged. “It’s one of my abilities.”

  Garreth and Ty both looked like they wanted to say no, but their mates stopped them.

  Pete turned to his eldest brother. “Watch over her as you would me.”

  After a long moment of silence, Garreth nodded.

  Turning back to face Isa, Pete sat down with his back to the wall. Isa slowly took a seat next to him, then traced the top of his hand with her soft fingers.

  The pain at her touch was so light, it was almost unnoticeable. Before he could think about it further, everything went dark.

  Pete found himself still in the walled chamber. Only Isa was with him.

  Jumping to his feet, Pete strode forward, wondering if somehow his family had been separated from them by another invisible barrier.

  But he reached the far wall without hindrance.

  Turning to face Isa, he asked, “Where are the others?”

  She stepped to his side, gently taking his hand and pressing it to her cheek. “They have not moved. But remember, this is no longer reality.” She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. After a minute, she looked at him.

  “I do not know where we are. This is not my place, but somewhere the mage must’ve sent us. It is a different, stranger dimension.”

  Chapter Six

  Isa bit her tongue as questions, and other words, tried to come. Now was not the time, nor the place.

  Instead, she walked around the walls, one hand out, searching for energy hidden within the stones. On the wall across from where they’d originally entered this trap, she found it.

  Magic.

  Strong.

  Warped, but something she could work with.

  She closed her eyes, concentrating harder, as Pete’s very presence, his scent and the energy always radiating from him, tried to distract her.

  Opening her eyes, Isa blinked rapidly.

  The wall in front of her was no longer merely stone, but instead a vision of colors. And where she felt the magic, the colors became a blinding light. Closing her hand into a fist, Isa drew back, then punched, throwing not just her weight, but her power, into the strike.

  The stone shattered into a dark tunnel leading from the room.

  “Let’s go.” She waited for Pete to reach her side, then stepped forward.

  He grabbed her arm, and pulled her close. “I’ll go first. Just in case.”

  Isa opened her mouth to argue, but he kissed her, hard and fast, then moved ahead into the tunnel.

  Bemused, she followed.

  Some time later—it was hard to keep track of time here—a light appeared at the end of the long corridor.

  They emerged into a gray place. The colorless area was a meadow of sorts, long grass swaying gently, dotted with flowers in different shades of gray. On a hill, towering above them, stood a tree. Isa couldn’t make out what type of fruit it bore.

  Only she and Pete had any color.

  Pete kept a hand on her shoulder as he glanced around.

  The wind caressed Isa gently. Though this place seemed safe, quiet, she didn’t trust it. But before they went any further, she had to say something to this noble man.

  “Thank you for defending me.” Isa smiled. “You didn’t know if I had betrayed you.”

  He placed his hands on her cheeks, thumbs near the corner of her lips. “Yes. I did.”

  Warmth blossomed inside her.

  Not the heat of sex as she was used to, but something different. Something she’d only ever felt with this man when they dream-linked.

  This time though, it filled her. Radiating from her chest, it spread to her limbs, flushed her face. She could not, would not, put a name to it, for once done, such a feeling… undeniable.

  Instead, she leaned forward, brushing her mouth against his. The stubble of his chin rasped against her skin.

  His hands stroked down her neck, gripping her shoulders and pulling her softly against his bare chest as he licked the corners of her lips, begging entrance.

  The heat expanded as her body took in the power Pete willingly shared. Magic infused her, his dragon strengthening her demoness. If she did nothing else, she would save this wonderful man and his clan. She would find a way to get them all from the mage.

  Then she would kill h
er master and be free once and for all, even if doing so meant she would have to break the link she shared with this man.

  Pete kissed her hungrily. Her nipples tightened, throbbing. Her thin shirt did nothing to dampen the feel of the muscled hardness of his chest pressed to hers.

  He slid his hands down her sides, grasping her hips and bumping his groin along her hot, throbbing mound.

  Pete’s fingers dug into her hips almost bruisingly. The pain filled her with even more power. More magic.

  More warmth deep in her heart.

  She nibbled his lips, traced along his jaw, then gently bit the tender skin on his neck.

  His groan filled the air. The scent of musk and brimstone surrounded Isa, wrapping her in a cocoon, the only place she’d ever felt any measure of safety for centuries.

  Slowly, she drew back, staring at the man whose eyes had bled to orange, the same color as his dragon’s scales.

  The warmth inside dampened as her thoughts spiraled. She would get him and his clan safe. Then she would have to let him go.

  The pain that pierced her at such a thought was debilitating.

  And she didn’t know if her own freedom was worth giving up this special man holding her in his embrace. Yet, he deserved so much more than who and what she was.

  Isa couldn’t give him anything.

  “What’s wrong, darling?” He brushed a lock of hair from her temple.

  She smiled, though it wobbled on her lips. “We must figure out where we are. Get your family to safety.”

  “Aye.” He nodded, leaning closer to kiss her gently.

  As he straightened, Pete placed a another kiss on her forehead.

  Startled, Isa jerked her gaze up. The same unnamable emotion filling her shone so bright and strong from his beautiful eyes.

  Hands shaking, Isa turned, unable to face him for fear the moisture building in her eyes might spill over. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she stared at the scenery.

  Hands in front of her, she called to her powers, trying to create an opening between this dimension and her own. Nothing happened.

  “Can you shift?” she asked.

  Behind her, Pete grunted, straining. “No.”

  “So we are still deep within the master’s place.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “My power is not working, neither is your magic. We must get away from here. Quickly. Try to find the barrier so that I can get us into my dream dimension.”

  He grabbed her hand, turning her to face him. “We will find a way.”

  The lump in her throat burned hotter, preventing her from speech. Instead, she nodded. After a minute, she was able to reclaim her voice, though it warbled. “Ready?”

  Pete’s hands caressed her shoulders. “Yes.”

  With a nod, Isa strode up the hill. Pete took her hand, holding tight.

  At the top, beneath the swaying boughs of the tree, she scanned around them. A dark, oily shadow pulsed far off to the left. To the right, gray began to bleed into color.

  Without a word, they began the trek toward the joining of gray and pastels.

  * * *

  After what seemed like an eternity, Pete realized lifeless grays no longer surrounded them. It had happened so subtly, he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when the grass began to turn green, the flowers becoming yellows and oranges.

  It just was.

  “Do you know where we are?” he asked, squeezing Isa’s hand.

  “Perhaps. I certainly hope so.”

  As they continued to walk, the wind picked up, whipping Isa’s hair around her face. The sky, which had turned a bright blue, now hid behind dark clouds swirling closer.

  “He is here,” Isa whispered, her eyes stricken. “We are still in his place. My powers are too weak.”

  The storm hit, violent wind gusts and freezing ice. A voice boomed with thunder. “Trapped. I have most of the Dragos clan at my mercy. Soon, I will have you all. But you, youngest dragon. Forever you will wander this realm, alone once I call my succubus back to me.”

  Isa’s fingers clamped down on Pete’s hand almost painfully tight. “No.” Her whisper was full of pain, of horror.

  Lightning slammed down, striking the earth around them. Large black charred circles remained, grass and flowers ashes on the stormy wind.

  Pete didn’t want to find out what would happen if the bright flashes touched him or Isa. A shudder ran down his spine at the very thought.

  “Come on.” Isa tugged him along.

  Breaking into a run, they raced on, the color around them changing from barely there shades of pastel to more vibrant, life-like hues.

  The storm chased them, surging forward, then dropping back. The mage, playing with them.

  Pete had no doubt the man could strike them down at any time he wished. But the man didn’t want to end the torture.

  Not yet.

  A blast of lightning hit close, the glare so bright Pete could see nothing but white.

  Stumbling forward, he pulled Isa closer, trying to keep her safe.

  Something hard stuck up from the ground, sending them both tumbling over the grassy earth.

  As the light faded, only darkness remained. The storm was gone. Shadows stretched out before them, hulking shapes in their path.

  He rose, pulling Isa to her feet. The inky blackness of night was complete. No moon, not even a pinprick of starlight, shone down.

  Isa said something in her strange language. A ball of purple white light rose to hover above them.

  At Pete’s feet lay a long, granite slab. They were surrounded by statues and headstones stretching tall into the sky. The ground was littered with dead leaves and grass, as well as chunks of stone.

  The wind moaned, whistling through the graveyard.

  Isa turned in a circle, a sharp cry coming on her heavy, quickened breath. Her silvery eyes narrowed with fear as her white-blonde hair whipped in the wind.

  She reached up, shoving a strand from her face as she met Pete’s gaze. “The master… I never conceived he could do such a thing.”

  She shivered and Pete took her hand.

  “H-he… has sent us to the first level of Hell.”

  Pete didn’t know where they were, some dream dimension or a much scarier place. All that mattered was that they were together and he would damn well keep her safe.

  Chapter Seven

  Pete drew her into his arms as fear shook her forcefully. “No. It’s just a graveyard. I doubt it’s even real. Just an imitation. The coward loves to play with illusions.”

  Hell.

  She’d not been here in so long, but Isa felt the hellish power around them. No illusion could do such a thing.

  An angry black fog covered everything in the distance. The ground beneath their feet was rocky, dark shards of sharpness that glinted in the bare light from her magic. They headed forward. The rocks shifted beneath their feet as if consciously trying to send them sprawling over the dangerous ground.

  Isa clutched at Pete. Together they kept one another upright.

  “We must get out of here,” she whispered.

  “We will.” His voice was strong, assuring.

  Yet tremors of a primal fear expanded through her stomach.

  A slithering sound forced the hairs on the nape of her neck straight up. Something she didn’t recognize from scent or sound moved around them, hidden by wisps of gray weeds tangled along both sides of a narrow path.

  “What is it?” Pete asked, his voice growly. His eyes flickered between blue and orange as his dragon tried to rise.

  Isa couldn’t help a slight curving of her lips. The man was so protective, even when he faced things not even a dragon could overcome.

  When nothing happened for long minutes, they continued on.

  “This is one of the last places I want to be, but at least the mage can no longer stop our magic,” she whispered.

  Pete blinked, then grinned. “Good. Then we’ll get out of here.”

  Isa didn
’t voice her doubts.

  They headed deeper into the graveyard as she tried to sense a way to get out of here and into her own, much preferred, dream dimension.

  Only there could she try to figure out how to get Pete and his clan to safety.

  What seemed like hours later, yet could have only been a few short minutes, the slithering sound came back. Something following them.

  Isa knew there was no point in running. There was no way to escape a creature of Hell when one was in such a wretched place.

  Pete stopped, facing the source of the noise while putting himself between it and Isa.

  “Why, I smell my Isabella.” A soft voice wrapped around her. Magic thrummed through her body, bringing her to a needy, fever pitch.

  Pete stumbled as some unseen thing tried to push them apart.

  He tightened his hold on her hand and drew her to his side, wrapping his arm around her. “What is that?”

  Isa couldn’t speak as her body convulsed, so close to an orgasm she desperately resisted. She did not want this.

  In front of them, the fog swirled. Damascus strode from the darkness, a wry grin on his handsome, scarred face. His eyes, black as the darkest night, were rimmed red. His wide lips spread to accommodate his long, sharp incisors.

  “Isabella, darling.” Damascus chuckled. “It’s been too long.”

  Pete drew her closer and the scent of dragon filled the air. It pushed back Damascus’ magic, freeing her from his spell.

  Body once more her own to control, Isa held her head high. “What do you want?”

  “You?” he answered, rubbing his hands together.

  Pete growled. “Who the hell are you?”

  Damascus turned his attention to Pete, raising an eyebrow. “Ah, such a cute pup. He your newest toy, or did you bring him for someone else? Your boss, perhaps?”

  “I have no boss, if you remember. Those chains were severed long ago.” Isa squeezed Pete’s hand. “And this man is no pup.”

  Damascus stepped forward, sniffing the air. His eyes widened. “A dragon? How… interesting.”

  Isa glared at the demon, thinking fast. He could either help, or hinder their progress. It would all depend on his mood.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, slowly building a blast of power deep within, shielding it from Damascus’ senses. Not that she’d be able to hurt him, but Isa had to try if things came down to it.