The MacLomain Series: A New Beginning Boxed Set (Books 1-4)

by Purington, Sky

  Protecting himself, the warlock directed some of his wrath at Sven’s dragon. That meant his full power wasn’t directed at them anymore. This, it seemed, was when Jessie intended to make her move.

  And what she did utterly shocked him.

  Hands flung in the air, she manipulated all four elements at once and created a magnificent manifestation. A display only intensified by her own newly discovered dragon magic.

  A monstrous wall of fire.

  A barrier of roaring flames, it expanded across the entire firth and went as high as the eye could see. Strategically placed between them and the warlock, it crackled and hissed, steaming the ocean though it didn’t put off much heat. Good thing because it would have likely turned the entire firth into one big boiling cauldron.

  Moments later, a wave far larger than any before it swelled behind them and carried the entire fleet forward. By manipulating the wind, Jessie kept the fire away from them. And by manipulating the Earth, she kept the ships from cracking apart under the pressure of a wave propelling them forward so quickly.

  Meanwhile, Bryce held on tight, braced his wings and kept them steady as they flew forward at an alarming speed. Men far and wide roared in what was likely a mix of terror, excitement and maybe even triumph.

  By all appearances, they were going to do this.

  They were going to make it.

  Or so he thought until they were minutes away from clearing the firth. That’s when his worst fear happened.

  Jessie’s strap snapped.

  Though she initially fell forward as momentum dictated, she must have used her magic to veer right and go overboard instead. He roared in denial and was about to dive after her when her sharp words slammed into his mind. “No, Bryce, see this through and keep them safe.”

  Infuriated because he was so helpless, he roared in denial again. She had used her dragon magic to order him. A magic so strong that his dragon literally could not break free from it. He became a puppet to her wishes.

  And those wishes about broke his heart.

  “Hell, no,” Christina said. “Hold on, Jessie. I’m comin’ for ya, honey.”

  He felt Graham’s distress as Christina suddenly went overboard, somehow managing to dive off the side of the ship despite its momentum. She had embraced her godly magic, glowing brightly as she vanished beneath the dark water.

  “Bloody hell,” Graham roared but kept steadfast and never stopped utilizing his magic. While terrified for Christina, Bryce sensed Graham’s faith in her superhuman strength. His faith that she would be all right and save Jessie.

  That, as it turned out, helped Bryce more than his cousin knew.

  Determined, refocused, he helped his cousin and Aðísla keep the fleet on course, riding a wave the likes of which mankind had never seen. It was definitely a ride for the ages for Angus and his men. One that finally lost its momentum as they, at last, sailed out of the firth.

  Half a breath later, the wall of fire fell, and a majestic stream of sunlight broke through the blackness. The rain stopped, and the winds died. Shortly after that, the wave dwindled down to nothing, dark clouds curled away, and the sun shone brightly.

  Roars of happiness rumbled through the ships as ashen-faced men unstrapped themselves, cheered and clapped each other on the back. Wide smiles and laughter abounded as they continued celebrating.

  Bryce wasted no time but tucked his wings and dove into the ocean, roaring Jessie’s name telepathically. Fear struck him anew when he couldn’t sense her at all. She was gone from his mind, leaving a gaping hole of intolerable emptiness. That’s when he knew how incomplete he had truly been before he met her.

  Though the ocean was calming down on top, the currents remained harsh underwater. Where were they? Despite his superior sight it was difficult to see through all the sediment being churned up from the ocean floor.

  “I’ve got her,” Christina said. “But I sure could use your help, sugar.”

  He noticed she didn’t mention Jessie’s status, but that was probably for the best right now. He needed to focus and get them to safety.

  “I’m coming, Christina,” he responded, his dragon senses homing in on the direction her voice was coming from. “Just keep talking.”

  “You got it.” He could hear the forced smile in her voice. “You and I were in a similar position not too long ago, eh?”

  “Aye, lass.” She was referring to when she had been kidnapped and taken to Stirling Castle. No one but Bryce could hear her then. “You don’t have to describe things this time. Just keep talking.”

  So she did. About random things. Mostly how impressed she was with Graham. How well he used his magic. How happy she was to be with him. How she swore her unborn child helped them back there.

  That would not surprise him. Yet he felt for Graham as he considered it. Just knowing how he feared for Jessie’s safety before all this, Bryce couldn’t imagine how much worse it would be if he knew she carried his bairn. Naturally, that brought him straight to thoughts of sharing a child with Jessie. How very much the idea appealed to him. How, for that matter, he couldn’t conceive of it not happening.

  So without meaning to, he managed to upset both himself and his dragon even further about Jessie’s state of well-being right now. How she might be gone before they had a chance to experience the wonders of a child together. Infuriated at the injustice of it, he picked up his pace, eager to find her.

  Fortunately, it didn’t take long.

  Christina was closer to shore than anticipated and pulling Jessie right along.

  “Jessie?” he said into her mind. “Are ye well, lass?”

  Dead silence.

  Renewed terror filled him as he realized he was only detecting Christina’s and her unborn child’s heartbeat, not Jessie’s.

  “Hold on to her,” he roared into Christina’s mind before he swooped below them, then surfaced the water with them on his back before he lifted into the air.

  Thankfully, Sven was still alive and battling it out with the warlock on the craggy shore.

  “Can you save Jessie?” he pleaded into Sven’s mind. “Is she dragon enough?”

  Unfortunately, Sven’s magical abilities to heal only applied to fellow dragons.

  “Maybe,” Sven replied.

  Maybe was better than nothing.

  “Aye then,” he responded. “When I land, ye see to Jessie, and I’ll battle the bloody warlock.”

  Sven agreed. “He’s weakened a great deal but still very strong.”

  Good. He was up for some vicious fighting before he ripped him to shreds.

  The moment he deposited Jessie and Christina, he and Sven raced by one another. The Viking to save Jessie and Bryce to avenge his lass.

  The warlock was a pathetic looking thing up close, his inky black skin hanging on a boney frame. Bryce roared fire at him as the warlock deflected and taunted him. “You think you’ll ever truly get her, Scotsman? That my granddaughter will ever be free of us? Of me and all I created.”

  Bryce didn’t bother responding but kept attacking him in every way he could think of. He used his wings and tail as a battering ram, his talons as non-stop blade thrusts and always his fire. But it wasn’t enough. The warlock held him off, his raspy words challenging. “She will always belong to the darkness no matter what happens. You will never free her.”

  Like hell, he wouldn’t.

  He would free her if it were the last thing he did.

  For a warlock who was supposed to be so intelligent, he wasn’t very bright instigating a dragon. Especially one fueled by as much vengeance as Bryce felt.

  With fresh fury in his heart and an undying rage for all Jessie had been put through, he roared fire at him again. This time, the stream of flames was even longer and more powerful than before. An inferno of searing death that seemed to get past the warlock’s defenses enough to singe him.

  Or so said the steam rising off him as he staggered back.

  Bryce didn’t back down but kept com
ing at him with everything he had and everything he felt. This warlock contained the essence of her grandfather. The man who was responsible for so much pain and heartache. The man responsible for stealing Jessie’s life from her for so very long. Beyond angry, enraged, he roared fire again, and the ground shook.

  This time, it burned the warlock even more, and he stumbled and fell on his back.

  Yet still, he chanted, his voice weakening as he kept Bryce at bay.

  “No more,” a welcoming voice suddenly whispered from beside him.

  Relief flooded him when Bryce glanced down at his side to see Jessie looking up at him. She was alive. Sven had saved her. While he was beyond grateful, he couldn’t help but focus on something else.

  Her gaze.

  Better yet her eyes.

  After all, what reflected in them was the very last thing he expected.

  Chapter Eleven

  SHE KNEW, NOT ONLY based on the red haze of her vision but the flare of Bryce’s dragon’s pupils, exactly what he saw when he looked at her.

  Dragon eyes.

  Something had shifted inside Jessie as she embraced so much magic on the ship. A magnification of her power she never could have expected. Almost a birth of sorts. Something brand new was awakening inside her. A sort of strength and magic so much more powerful than what she possessed before.

  This wasn’t Erin’s dragon magic but her own. She might not be able to shift, but a dragon did exist inside her. Or remnants of one. She could sense it. Feel it. Much like a shadow, it was just out of reach but still there. Always a part of her though she could not embrace it.

  “Finish him,” she whispered as she touched Bryce’s haunch, began chanting within her mind then looked at the warlock. “It’s done. You have no more power over me.”

  Pain and blasphemous rage ignited in the warlock’s eyes as her magic overcame his and left him completely vulnerable to Bryce.

  “I know you’d like to make his death long and torturous,” she said into Bryce’s mind. “But I need this to end now. The sooner it’s finished the sooner I can move on.”

  Though she couldn’t be sure whether she compelled his dragon or if he simply abided by her wishes, Bryce did as she asked. Half a blink later, and a sharp slice of his dragon talon, the warlock was beheaded, and another piece of what had caused her a lifetime of torture came to an end.

  She stepped back as Bryce reveled in the kill and tossed the body into the pounding waves. Clearly still furious and needing to take his anger out on something, he roared fire and seared the head until nothing but ashes were left.

  She breathed deeply as the warlock’s tether to her snapped away and freed her even more. Having destroyed the most powerful of them, the weight that lifted off her this time was so much more noticeable. She almost felt like she was walking on thin air. That she might very well float away.

  Yet moments later, Bryce shifted back and pulled her against him, grounding her in a way she knew nobody else could. She pressed her cheek against his chest, more grateful for him than he could imagine.

  “Bloody hell, I’m glad yer all right.” Steam still rose from his skin as he stroked her hair. “Ye gave me a good scare, lass...many times.”

  “I know,” she murmured, pulling back enough so she could meet his eyes. “And I’m sorry for that. I had no choice.”

  He nodded. “I know, lass.”

  There wasn’t anger in his eyes but relief as he pulled her cheek back against his chest. It seemed for the moment he refused to have any distance between them at all. In agreement, she inhaled deeply, both comforted and aroused by his sweet yet smoky scent. It was a mix of him and his dragon she knew she would never tire of.

  “And though my dragon doesnae like to be controlled,” he continued, the emotion obvious in his deepening voice. “’Tis becoming verra clear that if anyone is going to do it ‘tis ye he wants. ‘Tis ye he respects.”

  “Well, I would hope so,” Christina said, grinning as she came alongside them.

  While Jessie would prefer to remain in Bryce’s arms, it was time to acknowledge how thankful she was to those that were there for her. Beyond grateful, she hugged Christina then Sven.

  “Thank you so much.” Her eyes went between them, as unexpected tears welled in a rush of emotion. Not just because they had saved her life but because they gave her a chance to stay with Bryce. Something that had nearly been taken away from her. “I’m lucky you were both here.” Before they could respond, a rowboat bobbing on the ocean caught her attention, and she managed a smile. “All of you, for that matter.”

  Christina waved and grinned as Graham and Aðísla drew closer. The ships had likely continued around the bend where they could anchor safely.

  “I saw caves and woodland not all that far inland,” Sven said. “It’s a nice enough area to take shelter for the eve.” His knowing eyes met Bryce’s. “I do not see why Captain Angus needs to know the warlock is defeated until tomorrow morning.”

  When Bryce’s eyes met hers in question, she nodded. She fully understood what that look was about. If she was able to harness so much power already, imagine how much more she might be strengthened if her and Bryce found their true connection. And that, as they all knew, would most likely happen once they came together.

  Suffice it to say, they weren’t doing too badly considering they had just defeated a warlock without the power of the ring. As far as everyone knew, that wasn’t supposed to be possible. But then none of them took into consideration that she had such a strong dragon lineage running through her veins. Something she fully intended to ask the Vikings about once they found shelter.

  Upon Graham and Aðísla’s arrival, the Viking assured her any injuries Angus’ men suffered were minor. Nothing their ship physician couldn’t handle. So, though Angus was grateful for the offer, Aðísla and Jessie were not needed.

  That in mind, they began making their way inland. Though the storm had fled the air was still crisp and gusty. Luckily, Aðísla and Graham had brought enough supplies from the ship to get everyone through the night including blankets, and a change of clothing.

  “I’m ravenous,” Christina mentioned, eying Jessie as they walked. “Don’t you get hungry after using so much magic? Tired?” She shook her head. “Because you look pretty darn peppy.”

  Jessie shook her head and smiled. “I feel great actually. But then each warlock that’s destroyed makes me feel better and better.”

  “Oh, honey, I’m so glad to hear that.” Christina squeezed her shoulder and offered a sympathetic smile. “I just wish you hadn’t been repressed like that all this time.”

  “You and me both,” Jessie agreed. “But there’s no changing the past.” Her eyes went to Bryce who walked ahead with Graham. “Just the future.”

  Her friend nodded, her smile only growing wider. “So you two are really getting along well, huh?”

  “We are.” Jessie couldn’t stop smiling. “Much better than I had hoped.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me. Bryce is pretty great once you get to know him.”

  Jessie raised a brow at her. “Why just once you get to know him?”

  “Oh, I just had some unfounded issues with him is all.” Christina shook her head. “We got it all worked out though.”

  She nodded, sure she knew where this was going. “You mean about him trying to be with all of you at one point or another while he was promised to marry another.”

  “Well, yeah, that’s exactly what I meant,” Christina exclaimed, surprised as her eyes went to Jessie. “So you know about all that?”

  “I do,” she replied softly. “Remember, I’ve been with all of you one way or another since the beginning, so I’m well aware of Bryce’s actions.” She couldn’t help a small knowing smile. “More than that, I know he was never attracted to any of you nearly as much as he is me.”

  “Aw, look at you go.” Christina chuckled and winked. “I like the less repressed Jessie.” Then she grew a little more serious. “So I
’m dying to know a few things.”

  “I’m sure you are.” Jessie squeezed her hand as they walked. “Things like why you were abducted and brought to Stirling Castle by one of the warlocks? Or maybe why I showed up in the woods after you and Graham were intimate?”

  Christina nodded. “Yeah.”

  More than willing to share now that she could, Jessie took the time to explain everything to the best of her ability. For starters, how much influence Ainsley really had over Christina and Graham’s adventure because she was trying to protect her brother.

  “Convincing the warlock to take you to Stirling Castle was all me, though.” She flinched, well aware of the poor treatment Christina initially received. “And I’m so sorry. I just didn’t see any other way to keep things moving in the direction they needed to go.” She frowned as anger flared. “As it was, I barely convinced the warlock to spare Lindsay’s life.”

  Instead of being killed, Lindsay had taken a blade to the hand.

  “How did you manage that, anyway?” Christina asked. “We were shocked Lindsay was spared.”

  “A lot of manipulation,” Jessie said quite frankly. “As long as I kept convincing them we were working toward taking down an even greater threat, they played along.” She fought a wave of nausea as she thought about what the warlocks were capable of. “And it didn’t hurt reminding them they didn’t have much time at that particular juncture to enjoy killing Lindsay.” She suspected her eyes appeared haunted when they met Christina’s “Not the way they would have wanted to.”

  Their eyes held for a moment as her friend got the gist of just how bad it could have been.

  “Well, I know I speak for Lindsay and myself when I say all’s forgiven,” Christina murmured, gratefulness in her eyes as they went to Graham. “Because just look where I am now. All I’ve learned about myself. Who I’m with.” She put a protective hand over her womb. “What we created together.”

  Jessie pressed her lips together against yet another unexpected well of emotion. Not just happiness for her friend but the thought of having her own child. Something she most certainly never imagined would be possible. Bryce glanced over his shoulder and met her eyes. Just long enough for her to see the intense interest he felt at that particular thought.