Zul loved his life here. He had lost his home once. He wasn't going to lose it again.
As he flew on, he realized that the landscape had become barren and desolated. Only some hardy, stubborn weeds tried to grow in this harsh environment.
He was far, far away from the city now. He looked down at the rocky, sandy landscape he was flying over. He started as a scene flashed before his eyes. He remembered the screams, the horrific crash and the stench of charred bodies.
More than seventy years ago, their ship had veered uncontrollably towards Earth and crashed into a desert. Zul and his brothers had tried to save as many civilians as they could from the burning wreckage before incinerating the remains of the dead. He remembered the rocks, the sand and the endless desert sky. He remembered that night clearly and he remembered everything about that desert.
This—was the desert.
Now, more than seventy years later, the Syndorians had chosen the very same landing site.
Irony? Or maybe it was fate.
Everything had indeed come full circle.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Zul flew higher above the desert and saw the Slayors standing in military formation in front of a large ship. The front of the ship bore the crest of the Syndor army, and the door of the impressive spaceship was sliding open slowly.
Lieutenant Yoflam, together with a dozen Slayor commanders, marched to the foot of the stairs extending from the ship and saluted stiffly.
Zul narrowed his eyes when he saw the Syndorian Emperor stop at the top of the steps and survey his troops. Emperor Lautass was a thin, tall male with wispy white hair growing from his scaled head. One side of his face was completely covered with shimmering scales. His slitted snake eyes glowed red as he stared at his soldiers with contempt and displeasure.
He had sent them to Earth to wipe out the Dracans. It was such a simple mission, and yet they still couldn't get rid of the Dracans once and for all. The Dracan King was still alive. He could one day build up a powerful fighting force and return to Korra. The Dracan Dragons were fearsome, fearless and loyal warriors and there was a chance they would return to reclaim their homeland.
Emperor Lautass flicked his forked tongue out as he descended the steps. He stopped in front of Lieutenant Yoflam and hissed, “Why haven't you completed your mission? If I have to do your job for you, then I don't really need you, do I?”
With that, Lautass pulled out a curved dagger from his side and sliced Yoflam's head cleanly off.
Lautass turned away and sheathed his dagger as Yoflam's body crumpled to the ground. He tapped his fingers on the bejeweled hilt and glared at the rest of his soldiers.
As Emperor Lautass moved out from under the large dome of his spaceship, Zul saw the perfect opportunity. The Syndorian Emperor was exposed right now. He could hurl a bolt of dragon fire at the Emperor and incinerate him where he stood.
This might be his only chance to take out the Syndorian Emperor.
Zul glided down from under the cover of a dense cluster of clouds and took aim.
Lautass turned around and looked up at that very instant. His red snake eyes glowed brighter when he saw Zul.
With a sly smile, Lautass hissed a command to the Slayors.
Zul spat a ball of white hot dragon flame at Lautass but Lautass shifted to a giant serpent in the blink of an eye and burrowed into the sand.
The Slayors shot their venom-tipped arrows into the sky, but they weren't aiming for him.
Rohan! Edriq! Look out!
Zul saw his brothers twist and spin in the air, trying to dodge the hail of arrows.
I'm going after Lautass! Zul roared.
No, he's mine, Rohan snarled and dived towards the sand. You cover Edriq.
Your Majesty! No! Edriq protested but Rohan was already making a rapid descent.
Zul spewed a stream of blinding fire to shield Rohan as he dropped to the ground and shifted to human form. With some satisfaction, Zul saw that he had burned a score of Slayors, and had set fire to the royal ship.
As some Slayors rushed to save the ship, others focused their firepower on Edriq and Zul. Zul narrowly dodged a bullet and cursed when he felt another bullet tear through his wing.
Shit! I've lost engine number one. Fasten your seat belts, folks! Zul cheerfully reported to Edriq.
Zul!
Zul shifted swiftly to human form. He dropped out of the air and landed in a crouch, his daggers already in his fists.
“Time to slice and dice!” he hollered and ran headlong into battle. “Woohoo!”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Zul was just a blur of furious, violent movement as he cut a swathe through the Slayors. He barked out an exuberant laugh as black blood splashed across his face. His blades gleamed and swished through the air, taking off a few Slayor heads with one graceful stroke. It almost felt like he was performing a gruesome, macabre dance as he spun and whirled, twirling and waving his weapons with utmost skill.
Zul yelled a curse and jumped back as a stream of dragon fire hit the Slayors in front of him. “What the hell are you doing?” Zul shouted at Edriq, as he beat at the flames on his sleeve. “Get your ass down here, before you kill me with your next shot!”
Edriq spat another ball of fire at a group of Slayors closing in on Zul and Zul rolled away just in time to avoid getting burned. He glared at Edriq as Edriq folded his wings and dived to the ground. Somersaulting in midair, Edriq shifted to human form and smirked at Zul as he drew his guns.
Zul heard Edriq firing rapidly with both guns as he cut a Slayor in half. Some of the Slayors had shifted to serpent form and Zul spun his knives like a maniacal chef and pretended he was helping Mrs Vomae dice the vegetables as he began to chop their long bodies into tiny bits.
When he was on the battlefield, Zul was an unstoppable, killing machine. The affable, lazy smile he always wore was completely wiped away. His eyes took on a determined, hard glint and his smile became a terrible, frightening thing. It was a crazed, remorseless smile, and it was usually the last thing his enemies saw.
Zul glanced over his shoulder and saw Edriq shoot ceaselessly at the Slayors. His aim was impeccable and the Slayors simply dropped like flies as Edriq pivoted in a circle. Guns were certainly useful and Zul understood why Edriq preferred his guns to his throwing knives. But plunging a blade into a Slayor's black heart and running a dagger right across the throat of a stinking snake was so much more satisfying.
A sharp, violent movement to his left caught Zul's eye. He turned and saw Rohan wrestling with a giant, silver serpent. Lautass's red eyes glowed malevolently as he hissed and tried to sink his venomous fangs into Rohan.
Zul roared in fury and fought his way to Rohan. Rohan was his brother, and his king, and he wasn't going to let a fucking snake inject its shitty venom into Rohan.
Stabbing and slashing viciously at all the Slayors in his way, Zul charged towards Lautass and screamed the most obscene, colorful insult at the Syndorian Emperor in Dracan.
He took aim and threw his blade straight at Lautass's head. He would have struck the huge serpent right between the eyes but at the very last instant Lautass twisted away and lunged at Rohan.
“No! Look out!” Zul gasped and dived towards his king.
He shoved Rohan out of the way and tried to scramble up. But quick as lightning, Lautass struck and plunged his fangs into Zul's leg.
Zul bellowed in pain and rage, and he crawled away as Rohan trained his guns on Lautass and squeezed off shot after shot.
Shit, he had gotten bitten again.
Did he look like a fucking snack to these snakes?
Zul staggered up, grimacing at the pain in his leg. The puncture wounds hurt but surprisingly, he didn't feel his body going cold and numb. He remembered very well how he felt when the venom invaded his body. He had felt so fucking helpless as his strength and consciousness rapidly seeped away.
Zul flexed his fingers, testing his reflexes.
He was still standing, and he was seeing, hearing and moving fine. Lautass's venom wasn't affecting him at all.
A grin spread across Zul's face as he realized what that meant. He was immune to the venom. By surviving the venom, his body had developed an immunity to the venom.
“Let me at him, Rohan!” Zul shouted. “He can't hurt me! But I can hurt him, and I will!”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Zul picked up his daggers and ran forward. Lautass had shifted to human shape as it was easier to dodge Rohan's bullets in human form. There was a look of disbelief and disgust on Lautass's face as he met Zul's blazing eyes.
“Weredragon warrior,” Lautass spat. “I will kill you. Then I will kill your king!”
“No you won't,” Zul snarled.
He rushed at Lautass and attacked the Syndorian Emperor like a man possessed. Behind him, Rohan and Edriq fought the Slayors, killing the commanders who tried to reach their Emperor.
Lautass was a skilled fighter, and he parried Zul's vicious blows easily with his sword. His forked tongue flicked out as he fought, and this made Zul impossibly madder. A snake sticking his tongue out at him? He wasn't going to stand for it!
Zul was in pure battle mode and there was only one thing on his mind. Destroy and crush the enemy completely. He was like an armored vehicle in human form. He just rolled ahead, pressing on, moving unthinkingly and unstoppably. He was a ferocious fighter, a formidable warrior, like his brothers. But Rohan and Edriq were more cautious and measured in their attacks. They planned and calculated their moves, whereas Zul simply moved.
Zul growled, his eyes fully golden as his dragon rippled just beneath his skin. His dragon was a powerful predator and right now, it wanted blood. It wanted to spill black blood all across the battlefield and burn the carcasses of its enemies to ashes.
Zul roared and lunged at Lautass, going for the jugular. His dagger glinted as he pressed forward, his blades gleaming as he slashed down. Lautass blocked his blow with his sword and staggered back, his red eyes locked on Zul.
Zul snarled and pushed forward. He could feel the strain on his muscles as he forced Lautass's sword towards his own throat. Lautass spat a jet of venom towards Zul's eyes and Zul turned away just in time. But he didn't release his hold on his dagger. He kept up the pressure, relentlessly pressing down on Lautass's royal sword. He would use Lautass's own sword to cut his throat.
A thin line of black blood appeared on Lautass's neck. Zul growled. So close, he was so close to victory…
“I surrender,” Lautass hissed.
Zul's eyes widened. He stared at the Syndorian Emperor for a beat. Then his eyes narrowed as he tightened his grip on his dagger.
“No.”
He wasn't going to let Lautass surrender. He didn't want to spare his life. He wanted to kill the snake!
“Zul! Stop!” Rohan roared.
The sounds of fighting had ceased. The Slayors had all heard their Emperor’s words distinctly.
I surrender.
Rohan's hand closed over Zul's. “Let go, Zul,” Rohan ordered.
With a sudden shuddering breath, Zul blinked and released his grip. He took big gulps of air as if he had just surfaced from the depths of a deep, turbulent sea and looked around.
Rohan held the dagger to Lautass's throat and forced the Syndorian Emperor to his knees. He faced the silent Slayors and said, “Your Emperor has surrendered. Under the terms of war, this means he has surrendered all the lands that he was won under this war as well. Draca is no longer under the rule of Syndor.”
There was a long silence. Lautass knelt on the ground and stared straight at his troops. Zul and Edriq stood behind Rohan and pointed their guns at Lautass's head. They didn't trust that snake. If Lautass even twitched a muscle, they would shoot him without hesitation.
Rohan stood in front of Lautass and looked him in the eye. “You want to rule all of Korra. Well, Korra is yours. The Dracans won't be returning to Draca.”
Lautass hissed in disbelief, eyeing Rohan with suspicion and hate. “You are lying, dragon king,” he said.
“I speak the truth. You have my word. My people will stay on Earth. Earth is our home now. It is a fair exchange. The Dracans stay on Earth, and the Syndorians stay away from Earth. And I will let you have Draca.”
“You don't want your country back? You are a king, the king of Draca,” Lautass hissed.
“A country is nothing without its people. And my people are here, on Earth,” Rohan replied. “Do you accept the terms, Emperor Lautass?”
After a pause, Lautass said, “I do.” Standing up, Lautass picked up his sword and sliced his palm. Holding out his palm, Lautass let his black blood drip to the ground.
Rohan dragged his dagger across his own palm and held his hand up. His blood flowed down his palm and dripped onto Lautass's black blood.
The blood of the Dracan King sizzled when it came into contact with the blood of the Syndorian Emperor. The red and black blood mingled and evaporated in smoke.
“A deal, sealed in blood,” Rohan said. “It will bind all Dracans and Syndorians, and our descendants for eternity.”
Emperor Lautass nodded and issued a command to his Slayors. Zul lowered his gun but kept his finger on the trigger. He wasn't going to let his guard down when it came to these snakes.
After the last Slayor had followed Emperor Lautass into the ship, the lights around the Syndorian ship glowed and the ship rose into the air. It hovered above Rohan, Zul and Edriq for a moment, then shot into the night sky. For a while, it glimmered among the stars. Zul and his brothers stood in silence and kept their eyes on the tiny glowing speck until the Syndorian ship disappeared completely.
Rohan turned to Edriq and Zul. “Let's clean up this mess and go home.”
They incinerated all the bodies of the Slayors and when they were done, there was no evidence at all that a great battle had just taken place in that desolate, barren desert.
Zul glanced up at the stars as he flew behind Rohan and Edriq. He would never, ever return to Korra and he would never see Draca again. But there was really nothing left of Draca on Korra. It was the land of the Syndorians now. It wasn't his home.
Home was here—with his people, his family, and his mate. The war had ended at last.
With a grin, Zul remembered that he had another war coming up. The greatest, most epic thumb war of the century would be happening this weekend. Ha! He was the giant Slayor-killer! A thumb war was nothing to him. He was going to win this one, easy peasy.
There was just no way he could lose.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Kate glanced at the woman sitting at the corner of the counter and noticed the woman discreetly dabbing at her eyes. The woman sniffed, picked up her phone and put it down again. “Asshole,” she muttered, throwing her phone into her bag.
Kate took the cappuccino from another barista and said quietly, “I'll do this one.”
When she finished, Kate took the cup and placed it in front of the woman. The woman gasped when she saw the beautiful latte art that Kate had done for her.
“Wow, did you do this?” she asked, looking up at Kate with red-rimmed eyes.
“Yes, I hope you like it,” Kate said.
“It's amazing,” the woman said, staring at the picture. “It looks so...real!”
“Well, dragons are real,” Kate deadpanned.
The woman stared at Kate for a beat. Her face brightened in a smile. “Thanks for cheering me up. I just got dumped, in the worst possible way.”
“I've been there,” Kate said softly. “But one night, I walked into this very cafe and my life changed. You'll be surprised at what a cup of coffee can do,” Kate added with a wink.
The woman smiled and sipped her coffee. “Thank you. You're a great barista.”
“My pleasure, and my name's Kate.”
The door opened and Kate knew even without turning around that Zul had just walked in. She heard him
before she saw him.
Zul called out to his staff and exchanged some jokes and pleasantries with a few regular customers as he made his way to the counter. He was wearing the same Blazing Beans crew t-shirt as her and she just couldn't help sighing as she stared at her handsome, jovial mate.
“Hey,” Zul said, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck.
“Hey, yourself,” she murmured and kissed him. “How did the meeting go?”
“Good, this supplier has pretty good cones. They're nice and hardy and quite delicious! So very soon, we can start serving coffee in a cone!” Zul grinned. “There'll be Blazing Chocolate Cones, Blazing Rainbow Cones...”
Kate laughed. “I'm sure you enjoyed the Rainbow Cones best. There's some rainbow sprinkles right there.” She tapped the corner of his lips.
Zul chuckled. “As I said, they're delicious!”
“All right, I'd better get to work. The place is always crowded on Friday nights,” Kate said, pushing him away gently.
She loved working at Blazing Beans, and she took her job seriously. She enjoyed the camaraderie with her colleagues and she loved upgrading her skills as a barista. She had undergone an intensive training course, and had enjoyed learning everything there was to know about coffee. It had come as a total surprise to her when she realized that she had a talent for creating original, beautiful latte art. She simply loved experimenting and coming up with new and wonderful latte art for her customers. Seeing the smile on their faces was one of the best perks of the job.
To Love A Dragon: Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance (Weredragon Warriors Book 3) Page 8