by Crymsyn Hart
He slammed his fist against the wall and tried to push the dragon from his mind and lock him away. The dragon and he might be separate in many ways, but they were also closer in ways he hated to admit. Drake tried to rein in his anger as he felt the fire creeping up on him. He wasn’t going to let loose the dragon fire and burn down the guesthouse. It would give away his location. Now was not the time for the townsfolk to be swooping down on the mansion, see his grand transformation, and then fly right up into the storm. The eye was barreling toward them. He could feel it. The wind whipped around the house. One of the shutters slammed into the window and broke it. He jumped backward. The clouds were nearly black, and the only light was from the lighthouse. He wasn’t sure where the sky ended and the water began. Thunder rattled around him and it sounded like a gun shot.
A pain stabbed through his chest and he thought he heard the echo of a cry. Drake rubbed the spot where he felt the piercing in his skin. A voice exploded in his mind that wasn’t the dragon.
“No!”
It was Wyeth.
Drake looked toward the house.
“Did you hear that?” Meruke asked.
“Yes.” His bones vibrated the way that they did when one of the Blackmores was in trouble. Wyeth’s cry rang out again and then there was another one. This time it was female.
“Savanna. Something’s wrong,” Meruke roared.
Drake clenched his fists. “Yes.”
“You have to go to her. To them. It’s our duty.”
“No.” Drake was no longer beholden to the will of the human he had bound himself to.
The dragon raged in his mind, but he would stand firm. He tried to push out the burning pain in his chest. It was nothing. Something must have bumped into them to have them cause such distress. Meruke clawed at his brain trying to get him to go.
“If you go, I’ll shift our shape.” The desperation in the dragon’s voice was not something he expected. He was truly worried about the woman.
“You mean that?” Drake demanded.
“Yes.” He saw the dragon hang his head in his mind’s eye. “But go to them. Please, something awful has happened, and I know you feel it. You just want to ignore it.”
“It’s a deal.” Drake had to brave the storm. He grabbed one of Wyeth’s father’s coats and rushed into the gale toward the house. It seemed the storm tried to prevent him from getting there. He glanced up at the sky. It was darker than anything he had seen before. Waves crashed over the cliff at least eighty feet, and more were coming. The house was taking a beating. Several shutters had already been ripped off and others banged against the side of the house as the wind knocked them about. Several tarps whipped past him, torn from some other home. Leaves were shredded from the trees and blew in tornados around him. As he got to the front of the house, one of the trees in the back toppled over with a loud crash. The weight in the atmosphere pushed him down, and yet he sensed a magic so heavy he could taste it along with the salt in the air.
Drake made it to the front door and couldn’t open it at first. He slammed his shoulder into the wood and it burst open. Inside he found a pool of blood on the floor and a bullet hole.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen. I didn’t know it was loaded.”
He recognized Chastity’s voice echoing through the house. He followed the drops of blood and found Wyeth in the kitchen. He had Savanna in his arms. Her skin was pale. Chastity was curled up in a ball with the gun at her feet, wedged between the stove and the refrigerator rocking back and forth. Meruke raged against his mind. Drake pressed his hand against his temple to stop the approaching headache.
“What happened?” he asked, breathlessly.
Wyeth stared at up at him. Tears glistened in his eyes. “Like you care. All you wanted from Savanna was to use her so that you could get back home.”
Drake curled his fists together to keep Meruke back. Transforming in the house was not going to do anything. “I care.” He sunk down to her side and pressed his hand against her forehead. Savanna stirred and opened her eyes.
“What are you doing here?” Wyeth asked.
“Why didn’t you call the paramedics?” Drake demanded.
Wyeth glared at him. “I tried. The lines are down and I don’t have cell service. She’s dying.”
“She can’t be dying. She has to say the spell to get me back to my world. You’re well enough for that, aren’t you?” Drake asked.
“Do I look well enough for it?” she forced out.
“You have to be,” he said. “How else can I get home?”
“Let me talk to her so I can touch her,” Meruke fumed.
“Quiet,” Drake said.
“Who are you talking to?” Wyeth asked. He dragged his hand across his nose.
“Meruke. He wants to be with Savanna,” Drake told them.
“Then let him. You owe her that much,” Wyeth said.
Savanna drew in a rattled breath. He could see the color leaving her. “You can save her. You know there is a way,” Meruke whispered to him.
He shook his head. He wasn’t going to go back to that.
“What is it?” Wyeth asked.
“Nothing,” he said.
“Tell them,” Meruke demanded. His voice was so loud. Drake was surprised the others in room could not hear him. “If you want to get home, this is the only way.”
“There’s a way to save her, but we have to act quickly,” Drake told them.
“What is it?” Wyeth asked.
“She has to come back with me. There are healers there. Because she’s bound to Meruke, being with him will help stop the bleeding. If she were truly his mate, he could lend her his strength. It’s something that happens between mates. It may help,” Drake suggested. “But you have to choose quickly.”
Wyeth looked at Savanna. “I’m not going to lose you.”
“I can’t go. I can’t leave you,” she whispered and tried to touch his face.
Drake’s heart hitched seeing how much Wyeth loved her even with the circumstances that had brought them together. Meruke clawed at his mind. His arms ached to reach out and hold her, but that was the dragon talking. The storm raged and shook the house. He wasn’t sure if the mansion could withstand the wind. If they were going to go, it had to be now, even if the eye wasn’t directly over them.
“You’re not going to leave me. I’m coming with you.” Wyeth stared straight at Drake. “Will that be a problem?”
“Your life is here. Everything you have. I can’t...” Savanna protested.
“If we’re going to go, it has to be now. What about her?” Drake gestured to Chastity.
Wyeth shook his head. “She’ll go down with the ship. Let’s go.”
Chapter Eighteen
Wyeth lifted Savanna and held her close, praying she would live long enough for them to get her to the other reality. They went out the back door and the wind hit him, stealing his breath away. The rain pierced his flesh, but anything was worth it to save the woman he loved. He would give up everything for her. When Chastity had shot her, even if it was an accident, he wanted to kill her, but he had to take care of the woman he loved. He had brought her into the kitchen to the nearest first aid kit he could think of. The bullet had torn through her shoulder, and he had tried to stop the bleeding. In his turmoil, Wyeth had lashed out and the link he shared with Drake vibrated with pain. Seeing him so distraught was not something Wyeth had expected.
Outside, Drake stripped off his clothes and stood against the wind naked to all the elements. He went to all fours as though worshipping the storm. Lightning lit up the dark clouds, and the beacon sputtered in the lighthouse. Savanna shook in his arms. He could feel her getting colder. Or maybe it was the wind. However, with the thread they shared he tried to give her his strength. He didn’t know if it worked.
Drake screamed, and his form changed until he was the large dragon Wyeth had seen before. He glanced at them and lowered his wing. “Climb on.”
; Wyeth maneuvered Savanna so that she was draped over Drake’s neck. He climbed on behind her and moved her so he could hold onto her and the dragon at the same time. “Are you going to be able to fly in this?”
“I have to. Get ready with the spell. If you are going to pass through the eye you must shed blood, and she must say the words.” The dragon lifted his wings and started to flap them, but he wasn’t taking any air with him. With a roar of exasperation, Drake ran. Wyeth hung on for dear life because they were close to the edge. Savanna was colder. He closed his eyes and thought about the link they shared. He had lent her his strength when she had crossed over into the other realm. He could do the same for her now. Drake had said that Meruke could do it if they were connected. He could do it, too.
Wyeth tried to forget everything around him as Drake got a running start, and then Wyeth felt he was falling. All he thought about was Savanna and willing her to live. It didn’t matter if he died. She had to live. He gasped, because he could feel the pain in his chest as though he had been shot. He cried out and held her tighter. He scarcely felt the weightlessness as Drake dived off the cliff. Wyeth buried his head into Savanna’s hair and held her tighter. “You can’t die on me. You have to hold on.”
“I’ll try,” she whispered.
He felt them falling and then the whoosh of air. A wave of water hit them head on and soaked them through. The cold bristled his skin and shocked him enough to open his eyes. They climbed higher into the air and around the lighthouse. Drake went into the wind and Wyeth could feel the dragon struggle. When he glanced back down, the mansion was small and the waves were crashing over it. It looked like the balcony had fallen in. The roof was not holding up to it. If they had stayed in the house any longer they would have died. Maybe this was fated to happen.
“Are you ready?” Drake shouted at them, the words were lost to the wind.
Wyeth listened to Savanna. “Can you do this?”
“Think so,” she slurred.
Wyeth trailed his fingers over the smooth scales of the dragon and then jerked his hand upward slicing it open. His blood flowed down the dragon’s scales. “What about you?” Wyeth yelled to the dragon.
Drake roared and Wyeth figured he had done something so he was bleeding. He touched Savanna. She was already bleeding, so that was not a problem. “Ready?” His strength waned as she straightened. The wind and rain seemed to go around them. His skin prickled. The energy rose, and when he looked in the sky the lightning bounced around the clouds.
Savanna leaned against him and pulled on his strength. “Worlds apart, bring together. Create the bridge for seen and unseen. Magic and words. Written, spoken, imagined. All those who feel the call, cross now into the abyss.” With the last word she slumped forward. The wind stilled and so did the rain. The lightning was frozen in mid arc and so had the wind. Before them a massive black hole surrounded by blue energy opened in the center of the storm. Drake swung his head around and stared at him.
“Go. She’s fading. I don’t know how long I can last with her. She’s pulling on my strength.”
His eyes widened, and Wyeth figured he was surprised. Drake turned back around and focused on the portal. A flutter of anxiety started in the pit of his stomach, but it wasn’t from him. He was in this for the long haul and realized it was from the dragon. Drake was nervous about going into the void. He didn’t blame him, but they couldn’t wait any longer. Wyeth kissed her head and prayed they would make it in time. Her breathing came in pants. Her heart was slowing.
“Please hold on. I love you.”
Savanna mumbled something, but he couldn’t understand it. Instead he held onto her and watched as the void got closer. The wind sucked them in and the dragon was having difficulty navigating in the void. The weight of it all pressed on him and he couldn’t breathe. His head grew light. He squinted to see what was ahead. Flying creatures circled around the portal. Some were larger than the dragon, but many were small. He dodged and weaved to avoid them. He shot streams of fire at them. Wyeth wanted nothing more than to get off the dragon and see where they would lead, but as they got further into the void, the more the weight of it pressed upon him and darkness descended.
* * * *
The mass of the atmosphere pushed on him. It brought him back to the night he was forced into the other world. Only this time, Meruke wasn’t supporting him. The dragon was wound as tightly as he could be around Savanna, siphoning the strength he could to keep her alive. Drake sensed Wyeth doing the same. He hadn’t realized the man had been able to do that. Maybe there was more to him than Drake originally thought. He pushed past focusing on the woman. She had held up her part of the bargain and opened the portal. Meruke had been true to his word and allowed Drake to take dragon form so they return to his world. He was a man of his word, and he would be sure that he got help for Savanna.
He flew faster and concentrated on Blaze Mountain. Drake prayed that the portal would bring him there. Energy crackled around him and the air was thinning. The clouds weren’t so thick, and a light shone through the curtain of darkness. He pumped his fingers faster until he broke through. Rain drenched him, but it was warm and light. The air was lighter and filled with an energy that he hadn’t felt in over ten thousand years. Once he breathed it in, he knew that he was home. Ahead of him was the mountain he used to call home. Drake saw the torches and one of the cliffs where he could land on as though they were expecting him. Maybe they were. He circled around and settled on the ledge.
“What are you doing here?” a young dragon said to him.
Drake grimaced. “The king and queen are expecting me. Get me a healer and help the man and woman on my back.” He ordered. The other one jumped and ran back into the castle. Other men soon came out and helped Wyeth, but he wasn’t going to let anything happen to Savanna. Soon he relented and let someone carry Savanna, and they went into the mountain. Wyeth glanced back and Drake saw the hatred in his eyes. If Savanna died, Drake knew he would have hell to pay.
Panic had erupted around Blaze Mountain. The frantic energy crawled over his skin. He lifted his head and luxuriated in the feeling of being home. His form shifted back into a human as Meruke took away the dragon part. Drake was left naked and shivering on an overhang that he hadn’t walked on in over ten thousand years. He took a deep breath and looked around. Lightning struck all around the mountains, exploding rocks in every direction. Tornados were touching down in the distance, but nothing seemed to be harming the mountain. As he looked down, the glisten of water filled the valley below. He had no idea what had changed, but the one thing he did know was that the magic of the world was at his disposal once again. Drake felt stronger than ever except for missing the dragon. He would deal with that later.
“Meruke?” a very pregnant woman stepped outside.
“Who are you?” he barked.
“She’s the queen. I would show her some more respect,” the man said behind her. He was taller than her and stood with a regal glance.
“You’re the king, I take it.”
“I am. I’m Andrik. This is Kestrel. As you can see the storm has brought havoc. Those two who came with you, are they your mates?”
“One is the witch who cast the spell, and it’s complicated.”
“We have one of the healers looking after the woman. She was hurt badly. And you, I’m sure you have a lot of questions for us. It’s been a long time since you have been here, and there is much to discuss. About the storm,” Kestrel inquired.
Drake glanced up at the sky. “The storm is ending. It shouldn’t last more than an hour, and it will blow away, leaving a clear night. It’s the things that came through from the other realities you’re going to have to worry about.”
“Like what?” Andrik asked.
Kestrel slipped her arm around his waist. “How about we show him to a room and let him rest. Maybe even get some clothes. I’m sure that he wants to check on his two companions.”
“Right,” the king sneered. “Come th
is way, uncle. Technically, that is what you are.”
Drake followed them through the mountain. Not much had changed in the mountain. He sensed more people than before, and he got looks from all those who passed. Then again, he was naked, not that it mattered. They led him to one of the lower levels. Kestrel opened the door and led him inside.
“I’m sure you’re used to better quarters, but this is the best that we can do for now. Once things calm down, we can find something better suited for you and your companions. I’ll have someone bring you some clothes. Rest, and in the morning we can talk and take in the lay of things.”
Drake wanted to say a few things, but he realized they were doing exactly what they needed to do so they could worry about the storm. He glanced around the sparse room with a bed and wardrobe and nothing else. There were no windows, and the torches on the walls were not lit. He took a minute and touched the magic in him and the fire came out easily and they popped to life.
“Still with the theatrics, I see.”
Drake turned at the voice he recognized but never thought he would hear again. “Mother.” The woman before him seemed as young and as wise as ever, but her features had become twisted into something between dragon and human. He took her hands, kissing them, noticing they had the coolness and texture of scales for skin, and her nails were sharp-tipped like claws. “I thought you were in another cave woven with spells to keep you alive.”
She nodded and held onto the wall for support. “I am, but for this storm they thought it would be better for me to be here. I’ve made myself comfortable in the tombs next to your father.”
“Father’s corpse is still...” He was surprised that his father had not turned to dust after this long.
“He is, but I think he will crumble soon. The magic in the crypt will keep me until I can get back to my cave.”
“Why have you endured this long?” Drake led her over to the bed.
She patted his hand and gestured toward the wardrobe, avoiding his question. “Put something on dear, then we can talk.”
He opened the wardrobe and pulled out a black robe. It was soft and long enough for him to be covered and comfortable. He sat next to his mother, relieved to see her. She set her hand on his cheek, and her expression dropped. “What is it?”