by Brenda Trim
“Who is Akilam?” Mackendra inquired.
“Akilam is the leader of the Buggane and the reason for most of the problems in this realm. He is a tyrant and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Shit, he’d even sacrifice his own mother.”
“What exactly does he want?” Someone who was willing to sacrifice so much was dangerous indeed, Kyran thought. When you had nothing or no one to lose, you took more risks. Kyran knew what that felt like, that was, until Mack entered his life. Sure, he loved his brothers and sister and didn’t want to lose them, but he didn’t feel responsible for them and had accepted their loss was possible given the war they had been fighting for centuries. What he felt for Mackendra was a whole other ballgame.
“Akilam wants what all Buggane want, land.”
“We noticed the difference in the two sides of the island,” Mack observed. “They remind me of the oil tycoons back home who rob the earth of its precious natural resources, polluting as they go.”
“That sounds like Buggane. We fear they will completely destroy this planet if they have their way. The more land they take, the weaker we become. The Cuelebre have a symbiotic relationship with the land and are its protectors.”
“How many of you are there?” Mack asked, tickling Pip’s stomach.
“We number in the thousands, much less than we did before our king disappeared.”
“Who is your lost king?” Kyran asked, wanting an answer to the question that had been on his mind.
“Our king is Angus Callanach. No one knows exactly what happened to him, just that he vanished over a thousand years ago. We know he’s still alive because the Torch of Khoth still burns,” Nate said, looking up at the ceiling. Kyran wondered again at his distraction. “But, we have no idea where he might be.”
“I know a dragon shifter named Angus. He is slightly shorter than I am and has black hair with light green eyes.” Kyran watched Nate’s eyes grow wide with his description.
“Ballocks, Legette won’t believe this. Is his dragon charcoal?”
Kyran’s excitement rose with Nate’s. He had found Angus’ people. “Aye, and he has an accent like mine.”
“Shit, that can’t be our Angus. He didn’t have an accent.” Nate sat back, deflating before Kyran’s eyes.
“No’ necessarily. If he has been gone as long as you say, he may have picked it up along the way. I have always believed Angus had an air of aristocracy aboot him, despite being our majordomo.”
“What is a majordomo?” Nate asked, looking back at the ceiling.
“A type of servant in our realm.”
“The thought of Angus being someone’s servant is absurd. Although, when he lost Keira it destroyed him.”
“Who was Keira and what happened to her?” Mackendra asked, lifting the kippie up as it hung from her arm.
“She was to be his Queen. No one is exactly certain what happened to her. She disappeared one day and Angus followed shortly after. Most believe Akilam killed her. All we know is that shortly after they disappeared, the portal closed and hasn’t opened since.”
“Does anyone know how to make it work?” Mackendra asked as the kippie stilled and snapped its head to the ceiling. Kyran followed Pip’s body language and cocked an ear, listening. He heard wings in the distance, several pairs of wings, if he wasn’t mistaken.
He sat forward and pulled Mackendra to his side. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Hold onto me. We have to leave, now.” They stood up and without a word to their host, he sifted them, praying to the Goddess they made it to safety.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The world was spinning around her, everything was a blur and Mack was going to vomit. She had no idea what had happened. All she knew was that Kyran had leaned down to tell her to hold onto him. Obviously something was wrong, so without question, she stood up with him and wrapped her arm around his waist, clutching Pip with her other arm. After that, Kyran had moved so fast she was unable to track anything. She heard yelling, but had no clue what was being said.
All she knew was that this sensation was so different from going through the portal where it felt like she was freefalling. Of course, at that time, she had been hanging over Kyran’s shoulder, looking at his ass. She guessed he had used his ability to sift and somehow she imagined it would be like riding a motorcycle at extremely high speeds, but instead, it felt like they disappeared. One moment, she was standing in Nate’s living room, and the next thing she knew, they were gone.
She had no idea what had spooked Kyran, but she clung to him, trusting he’d keep her safe. The thought of trusting him brought her up short. Never before would she have trusted a blood-sucker. She had believed they all needed to be staked, but he was proving vampires could be allies. They stopped suddenly and she stumbled forward, but Kyran caught her before she could fall.
“Careful. The dizziness will pass soon enough,” he rumbled as he helped steady her.
“What the hell just happened?” she asked, catching her breath, grateful that her backpack was in Kyran’s hand.
“I had to get us oot of there. I heard several other dragons approaching his house and given that Nate didn’t see fit to share that he was expecting visitors, I wasna taking any chances.”
“So? I thought you said they were our best bet of getting home. Why would you take off just because you heard more coming?”
“I left because I doona trust them. They may be Angus’ people, but that doesna mean they willna hurt us. Nate was acting suspicious all evening. He was a little too friendly, welcoming strangers into his home, and I’m pretty sure the call he ended so quickly had to do with the dragons I heard. We were going to be ootnumbered and I didna like it,” he replied.
“I pride myself on my vigilance, but I totally dropped the ball on that one. A chance to get clean and the thought of food was all it took to lure me in. If it hadn’t been for you, I could be in a real pickle right now.” She shook her head. “Where are we?” she asked, glancing around.
“I wasna sure if I was going to be able to sift while holding the two of you so I didna go too far. We are at the edge of the trees bordering Nate’s home.” He was still holding her close and she liked the feel of him pressed against her side. Her face was practically in his neck and she couldn’t help but notice his masculine scent. He hadn’t put any cologne on, yet he smelled like sandalwood and musk with a hint of something sweet. She was immediately addicted and wanted to drown in it.
Nate’s voice calling her name brought her back to the moment. Now wasn’t the time to indulge in what her body was begging for. Later, she promised, knowing full well that it was nowhere close to over with Kyran. “I think it’s time to get out of here,” she whispered.
“Aye, hold on and doona make any noise.” Kyran slipped her backpack over her shoulders and then grabbed her with both arms. This time she closed her eyes when he sifted them, and thankfully, that helped. When the world settled, she nearly screamed because she felt nothing beneath her feet. She cracked one eye open and saw that they were high up in a tree with the ground far beneath her. She yelped and began climbing up Kyran’s body.
“Och, as much as I like your body squirming against me, you’ve got to stop moving, lass,” he hissed in her ear. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment, suddenly aware of how their bodies were aligned. She nodded to him and opened her mouth to respond when he shook his head at her.
She heard the sound of the dragons approaching and looked up to see three circling above them. They were ginormous and immediately had her heart racing. It would be nothing for them to eat her in one gulp and she would have no defense. As many of them as they were, she was glad that Kyran had taken them out of there.
Kyran settled them both on the thick branch and pulled her under the canopy. The bark of the tree scraped her shoulder as she balanced herself. She craned her neck and tried to peer through the leaves, but they were like large paddles that obscured her view. Kyran had picked the perfect tree for camouflage, kee
ping them well-hidden from the dragon’s keen eyes. Kyran put his finger to his lips indicating she needed to be quiet. Pip chose that moment to begin chirping and Mack panicked.
Kyran pressed his lips against her ear and whispered, his hot breath fanning her cheek. “Doona fash over his noise. ‘Tis to be expected in this jungle and easily over looked.”
As the dragons moved closer, the wind created by their wings threatened to strip their coverage. She watched the dragons land in the field of flowers where Nate was still turning in circles searching for them. Each of the dragons had a holster across its chest with what looked like a weapon attached.
“They’re gone, Sire. The Nightwalker got spooked and took off. The jackwagon is fucking fast, I couldn’t follow him. He can’t have gone far though. He has his mate with him,” Nate rushed out the second talons hit the dirt. That didn’t sound good. Mack’s spidey-senses went on full alert. Nate had been trying to keep them there until these dragons arrived. That bastard! She was beginning to like him, too.
The slate-colored dragons shifted into three, very large, very naked men. It was odd to her that they made no move to put clothes on and weren’t shy or concerned with their nudity as they stood there talking. She wouldn’t be caught dead in a group of men, or women, with no clothes on, especially given her scars.
Maybe they were comfortable because they had flawless bodies. They had tattoos, but from her vantage couldn’t see the details. She realized that the weapon’s belt had resized with them as they shifted. The magic of it would have impressed her if she wasn’t terrified that there were armed men looking for them. She felt the familiar weight of her backpack and knew her blade was inside, but it was useless against these creatures.
One of the men turned and faced Nate with his hands fisted on his hips. “First, Caleb, Lorne and Blane failed to recognize our new arrival was a Nightwalker, and now, you let him go. You knew how important it was to keep him at your home. The last thing we need is for him to end up in Akilam’s hands. If that happens, we will never get Angus back.”
“I’ve failed, Sire. I feel like a scrote, he left moments before you landed. I know this area like the back of my hand. He has nowhere to go that I won’t find him,” Nate pledged, as he bowed to the obvious leader.
“I know I don’t need to remind you that the prophecy states we need a Nightwalker. Caleb and Blane will search, as well. I’ll send patrols to Blood-Alley. If he makes his way to Mt. Batia we will never find him. We cannot allow that to happen. Search on foot so you don’t tip him off and I want hourly reports,” the leader ordered. Mack’s blood ran cold hearing this guy mention a Nightwalker. It was Kyran they wanted. She may not be entirely sure about all this Fated Mate stuff, but she cared for Kyran and refused to allow anything to happen to him.
“Yes, sire,” the three men replied at the same time. The looks on their faces went from worried to determined, in a flash. Thank God for Kyran’s sifting, that was the only way they’d be able to escape.
“Don’t fail us. This is our chance to find Angus,” the leader ordered before he swiftly shifted back into a dragon. With a flap of his huge, leathery wings, he launched into the sky.
“Fuck! Of all the Godsdamn houses he approaches, it had to be mine. I’m already on Legette’s shit-list. Caleb, you take the south-west, and Blane, take the east. I’ll cover the north. Do you want some pants before you head out? Wouldn’t want your purple-headed warrior to be harmed, now would we, Blane?” Nate asked. Mack was surprised by the way Nate slid from serious to teasing in an instant. In some ways it was reassuring to see that Nate’s sarcastic and friendly demeanor wasn’t a façade.
“Hells no, we wouldn’t,” Blane replied, cupping his groin protectively. “The ladies love the General. And, get me some boots while you’re at it.”
“What? You have pussy feet now?” Caleb added. “Remember, the female is the Nightwalker’s mate, Blane. If you find her, do not seduce her. The last thing we need is him going Alpha on us. Although, it would serve you right, you fucking sket.” Mack rolled her eyes, thinking men were the same no matter what species they were. It didn’t matter if they were from a different planet. It was always about sex.
“Yeah, Kyran was very possessive, and I will say this, the two of them are explosive together. Mack is gorgeous and if she wasn’t mated I’d entertain the idea of being with her,” Nate chuckled. Kyran moved and Mack threw her arm out, stopping him. She shook her head and he glared at her. She glared back and they had a silent stare down, but eventually, he relaxed.
The sound of a door shutting drew their attention. When they looked down, the dragons were gone.
“We need to get oot of here while we have the chance,” he said. “Hold on to me.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck while Pip climbed to her back. “With pleasure, leech,” she murmured and brushed her lips against his then closed her eyes. She heard him drag in an unsteady breath before the world melted around her. She felt them stop and opened her eyes only to have him sift again. When her stomach revolted, she slammed her eyes shut again. “Tell me when you are done,” she called out to him.
He chuckled and the sound was close to her ear. “You went into an archdemon’s lair withoot a second thought, and yet, you are afraid of sifting? I thought you were fearless.” She punched him lightly in the arm and found herself smiling at his teasing tone.
After about thirty dizzying minutes, they stopped moving. Mack kept her eyes screwed tightly shut and focused on calming her nerves. “‘Tis alright, Mackendra. We’ve stopped. You can open your eyes.”
“Like I trust you not to take off again the second I open them,” she countered. It had become obvious during the past half hour that he would pull her closer, tensing before he moved and then he’d grunt and sway when he landed.
“I will geld you in your sleep if you take off again,” she warned, slowly peeling her eyes open. “Where are we?” she asked, noticing they were on the outskirts of what looked like a town. Concealed by trees, she looked around as best she could. She saw numerous houses that were similar in appearance to Nate’s jungle house, as well as, others that were older and made of stone or wood. The latter made her wonder if the homes had and modern conveniences.
“I suspect we are in Duamutef,” Kyran replied, keeping vigilance. Here the jungle thinned and Mack wondered how big this city was. The stone buildings reminded her of old town Seattle. The sight momentarily made her homesick.
“And, why exactly did you take us here? We just escaped four dragons and now you bring us to a city full of them?” she asked incredulous, glancing over at him, unable to stop from admiring how sexy he looked in the pre-dawn light.
“I came here because we need to know more. I hope to learn more information aboot whoever this Akilam is and why they doona want me in his possession. Also, what they need me for. Not to mention, I’m curious if there is another portal. I will be able to sense the magic if there is an active portal anywhere close.”
“Yeah, because that sounds like a good idea. Although, I have to say, that is a handy talent to have. Can all vampires do that?”
“Lesson number five, my pretty mate. All supernaturals can sense the magic of a portal. It used to be common to travel between different realms. Earth wasna always so isolated.”
“Given that you are older than dirt, did you used to travel to other realms?”
“Nay, portals were no’ in abundance during my stripling years. Most had already sealed themselves off.”
She wasn’t going to ask. She was already on information overload and didn’t think she could handle the next lesson. If he gave her a pop quiz right now, she’d fail miserably. She clamped her mouth shut, trying to shut down her interest.
“What are stripling years? The years when you go crazy and sow your wild oats?” The questions escaped, regardless of her desire to bury her head in the sand for the time being. She damned her curiosity to hell.
Pip nuzzled her neck and chattere
d softly. Kyran reached out and stroked its grey fur, laughing softly. “Lesson number six, lass. Stripling years isna what you’re thinking. That is what we call our young. We pass from stripling to adult when we fully mature, around twenty-five years old, and come into our immortality.”
As he spoke, she noticed that there were few people milling about the streets. Although, to call them streets was a vast understatement. They were narrow roads that reminded her of cobble-stone lanes from centuries ago, rather than the paved roads she was used to. She recalled the technology and modern features of Nate’s house and thought this rudimentary road seemed contradictory. Something else struck her as odd. “Where are their cars?” she wondered as they walked.
“I doubt verra much that they need such transportation when they can fly everywhere they go. Come on, lass. ‘Twill be sunrise soon and I need to be indoors before the sun comes up,” he said, looking to the lightening sky.
“Where are we going to hide until dark? You do realize that we will be caught in a minute if we try to seek shelter from anyone.” She panicked as she gazed around, seeing nothing but the houses on one side and the jungle on the other. There was no place that would provide adequate cover. He was going to fry in the sun and she was going to be stranded. Kyran dying was a far worse thought than her being stuck in this dragon world.