Dragon Reborn_Dragon Point Five

by Eve Langlais

  A fierce-looking troop.

  The shapeshifters roamed restlessly, their furry minds eager for the chase while the humans among them fidgeted, their fingers sweaty on the stocks of their guns. The human governments had sent their soldiers to fight and never asked what they thought. They’d sent their fragile men and women to stand awed and honored among monsters of legend.

  It was a glorious army. A beautiful militia.

  And the whole world got to see it because some news network morons were actually standing nearby, broadcasting.

  “How has the human race survived this long?” Samael muttered.

  “They procreate like rabbits,” was Zahra’s reply.

  Can you both zip it? I’m trying to look menacing here. Remiel spoke in their minds rather than aloud, probably because a dark cloud on the horizon approached, the opposing army of darkness.

  Deka suddenly spoke to him. Wait, that would make us the army of light. I totally chose the wrong outfit for this.

  Her priorities were as skewed as ever. No surprise she’d chosen to join him in this final battle.

  As if she’d stay behind, when, in her words, “But this girl just wants to have fun.” She’d even sung that to him over and over and over until he agreed—the blowjob helped make her case.

  Having her here was actually a good thing. It meant Samael couldn’t fail. Because failure would mean her getting hurt, and he had made a promise to never let that happen.

  Plus, the caterers were waiting just over the dunes to set up and get the party going.

  Before this day ended, Deka would be his wife.

  Cocky muffin. I like it.

  Her encouragement wasn’t needed to bolster him, not anymore. He’d found his balls and yanked them free. But the praise did fire him hotter. Once this battle is over, I’m claiming my princess.

  Charge! Yeah, that was his impatient fiancée who yelled it in his head. He used magic to snare her before she could ruin his plan.

  Let me go, stud. I can take her.

  No, she couldn’t. None of them were strong enough to fight the witch. Not even Samael.

  Which was why this had to be done just right.

  The opposing army stopped yards away, and Voa stepped forward, her tightly fitted gown of red a slap to the Crimsons that she’d fooled and manipulated.

  She walked toward them, slow and undulating. Wasted. There was nothing attractive about her.

  Remiel strode forward to meet her, Samael two steps behind. The air already held hints of dusty heat, the acrid kind without a hint of moisture.

  That would change as blood was spilled.

  Think I can get a shot? Remiel asked without moving his lips.

  “A fatal one? Nope.” There was only one way to end this according to the Jabbas. The question was, did he trust them?

  They stopped while still several yards away from Voa. Out of physical reach but close enough to hear each other.

  “How nice of you all to gather in one place for capture.” Her rapacious smile held a hint of darkness.

  “Ditto to your army. It will make it easier for me to eliminate them.”

  “You think vanquishing them will make a difference?” Voa angled her head. “Do you really think I need these puny creatures to achieve my victory?”

  “Obviously, you need help, or you would have come alone. I guess you’re not that strong, after all.”

  Her lips flattened. “I see what you are doing. Thinking I’ll lose my temper and send them away.”

  “Please, don’t,” Samael interjected. “Deka’s been looking forward to this fight. She’ll be pissed if she doesn’t get to spill any blood.”

  His words drew Voa’s attention. “And there is the one who thinks he can beat me.” Her lips pulled into a sneer. “Your magic is but a tiny spark to my inferno.”

  “Sometimes you only need a spark to start a fire.”

  The laughter emerged discordant and false. “You’ll soon see what true power is. It will amuse me to have you both kneeling at my feet. Swearing fealty and then feeding me as part of your surrender.”

  “Blah blah blah. Can we get on with the fighting already?” someone yelled from the waiting army.

  “You heard my people.” Remiel shrugged. “They are raring to kick your ass.”

  “Today, the reign of dragons ends, and a new world order will—“

  The aim of whoever lobbed the egg was good. It hit Voa in the chest and splattered.

  As to why there was an egg?

  All part of the plan.

  Voa screeched, and her face pulsed, her skin rippling and bulging as if something crawled under it.

  Something did. Darkness.

  Also known as a spell gone wrong. Over and over again. It appeared Voa had sucked dry one too many bodies. She bore the signs of a body overindulging. Yes, the souls made her strong, but they changed her, too. Changed her in ways that weren’t healthy.

  For them.

  While freaky and somewhat possessed, she was almost invincible.

  Almost.

  Voa lifted from the ground, her gown fluttering as she elevated herself, arms spread widely as she intoned in a deep voice, “Attack.”

  Kind of anticlimactic.

  Remiel, for his part, muttered for his mind alone, Ready, brother?

  As ready as he could be when pitting his strength against that of a psychotic, ancient sorceress.

  You can do this, muffin.

  While appreciated, her faith wasn’t needed. Not anymore. I will do this.

  As Remiel launched himself into the air, shredding his fine-stitched clothes, Samael kept an eye on the sun.

  The timing had to be just right.

  The roar of battle echoed over the desert sand as the armies raced toward each other, determined to shed blood. Those with guns got an early start, and the sharp crackle and pop of bullets being fired filled the air with noise and the acrid stench of gun smoke.

  Remiel played with Voa, who rippled into a perverted hybrid form, bloated beyond belief, and holy shit, there were tentacles coming out of the tips of her legs.

  Moving quickly, a gleam of gold zipping and twirling, Remiel kept out of reach of Voa while landing the occasional shot, the lobbed balls of golden energy that did nothing but make the mutant sorceress madder.

  A glint of silver overhead drew his attention as Deka met a smaller green dragon—one that subverted to the other side—head-on. They grappled in the air, his princess choking on the fumes the vapor dragon breathed. But her mother had protected Deka well. The potions Xylia had fed the army wouldn’t last long, but hopefully, it would be long enough to repel the poisons and vanquish those spraying them.

  The sky turned dark, and not just because of the bodies crowding it fighting for their lives. The moon had begun to cross over the sun. The propitious eclipse that would save their asses was beginning, which meant Samael needed to roll up his sleeves and start, too.

  He closed his eyes, shutting out the sounds of battle, dropping into the meditative zone the Jabba brothers had taught him—Clear your mind. Slap. Clear it means not thinking of a woman. Slap.

  It took quite a few cuffs upside the head before Samael learned to remove all distractions from his thoughts.

  The world outside disappeared, and he opened his inner eye to see the zinging lines of power that intersected everything.

  Bright spots of light for life, shiny threads for the power that crisscrossed the plain, and a pulsing dark spot for the abomination that was Voa.

  And then there was—

  Something knocked him out of his trance, and he hit the ground hard, the slavering jaws of a werewolf gone mad inches from his face.

  Before he could pulverize it with magic, the wolf was plucked from him and twisted. Crack.

  The limp body got tossed, and Deka reached down to haul him to his feet. Her silver dragon towered over his human shape.

  The other side of him yearned to join her, yet he couldn’t. For this spell,
he needed fingers.

  He also needed no more interruptions. The moon was almost over the sun. He needed to work the spell.

  Do what you have to, stud muffin. I’ll stand guard.

  And he knew she would guard him with her life. Because she’s my mate.

  Damned straight I am, muffin, so get going on the magic stuff so we can get to the wedding stuff.

  He knelt on the ground this time, his fingertips pressed in to the dirt, and shuttered his mind, quickly finding his place again, seeing the threads, insignificant strands.

  It was almost time.

  Ready yourself, brother. He shouted it mentally and hoped Remiel heard. As the moon fully covered the sun, he blinked his second set of lids and drew upon his othersight. It showed things in a different light. Illuminated the magic.

  A thick cord of red speared down to the earth, a bull’s-eye from the eclipse. He shoved his fist into the glow and tugged. He twirled the strand of magic in the dirt, swirled and twirled, wider and wider.

  The ground underneath trembled.

  Impressive. The only magic he’d learned because, as the Jabbas told him, You don’t have time to catch up to her level of skill. So you need to trick her.

  The hole, once started, kept widening. Things fell into it. Bodies. Dead and alive. The screams haunting.

  A set of claws yanked him back before the earth at his feet crumbled away.

  Opening his eyes, he felt more than saw the hole he’d ripped open. Pure darkness lay over the land as the eclipse stole the light from the world.

  An ominous Ohm-ing sound came from the interdimensional rip, and he stumbled back with Deka.

  The time was here. He shouted, “Now! Do it now.”

  Despite the gloom, Remiel’s gold scales flashed in the sky, and all saw the golden fire as it emerged from his mouth and struck a very distorted Voa.

  She screamed as her flesh melted and reformed, and melted again to form again, the souls she’d imbibed keeping her alive. Kind of cool that she got to suffer over and over. Even better, it distracted her enough she didn’t know she was being pushed.

  But she wasn’t arriving fast enough. Time ticked. Precious time.

  Samael extended his hands and grabbed hold of her dark magic, feeling it slither through his hands, slimy and gross, yet he reeled it in, drawing her closer to the abyss he’d created.

  She paused in her struggle as she finally saw the hole. “Is that your plan? Shove me into another dimension? I’ll just come right back.” As if to mock him, she hovered over the hole, laughing.

  A tentacle covered in suckers with stingers in the middle whipped out of the rip and wrapped around her ankles. With a yank, it drew her down.

  Eyes wide.

  Mouth open.

  A short-lived scream.

  The massive kraken-like creature the Jabbas had told him about, the one that could rarely be summoned, who wasn’t content with just one witch.

  One witch isn’t even a snack.

  More tentacles whipped out and snared those closest. One even wrapped around Deka and began to pull.

  Without thinking, Samael slashed down with his hand, severing it with magic. Then and only then did he finally shift into his dragon and pull Deka away from the abyss.

  Go back. I think we can take it.

  We can’t go into that world. There is no way back. And the current passageway was about to close.

  The moon moved past the sun, and as light dawned once again on the land, the hole in the ground shrank. The tentacles shriveled as the rays of light struck them.

  With a piercing scream that shook the very air, the alien creature withdrew its appendages. The hole shrank and shrank.

  It was barely large enough for a person when fingers appeared on the edge, humanoid fingers that scrabbled for the sides.

  A silver dragon landed by the hand, looking for purchase. Zahra transformed and gave a haughty look to the digits before stomping on them.

  Crunch. Pop. The hand was gone, the hole, too.

  The dragons had won the day!

  Without their leader and the mind control, the other side collapsed. Running, wailing, begging for their lives.

  Cowards. Not worth his time. Samael ignored them all. He looked at his Silver princess and fluted a query. Ready to get mated?

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  It’s my wedding day!

  With Suzie sucked into another dimension that could only be opened during an eclipse in that exact location—which meant Suzie was fucked for a super long time, if she even managed to survive the tentacle monster—they could all relax.

  The world had been saved by dragons.

  In time, because history tended to repeat itself, the humans would resent the dragons for helping. Those short lived, fragile creatures hated being beholden, but at the same time, they couldn’t exactly declare war on a superior species. They could, however, cough up some serious cash and concessions. Already there were plans to form a group that would address the needs of dragons and how they could cohabit with humanity—so that they could eventually rule them. Part of the long-term game involved infiltrating all levels of government thus ensuring their protection and dominance.

  Deka really didn’t give a damn about the politics or repercussions of the battle that day.

  She was getting married!

  Samael had planned it all. Actually, what he’d done in man fashion was tell her mother.

  “I’m marrying Deka right after the fight. If you want her in a dress with flowers and shit, then make it happen because I’m not waiting any longer.”

  It was stupidly romantic, and a challenge no dragon mother could refuse. Mother was up to the task.

  Deka walked down the beach—after everyone went for a cleansing dip—in a lovely white gown, her feet bare in the sand, her hair woven with colorful flowers, and her smile so bright she could have been Elspeth’s sister.

  Samael had changed into a tux, but was also barefoot in the warm sand. His golden hair had a shade of something darker to it, and his eyes glowed, more red than green now. As for his forehead, maybe he wouldn’t notice the lumps in their wedding pictures.

  But she didn’t mind. He was special. And mine.

  Her cousins Adi and Aimee acted as bridesmaids, and, of course, Babette was the moping maid of honor—although that lip didn’t hang for long. Deka had seen a lovely pale blue water dragon giving her best friend the eye. If that could turn to tongue, Babette would soon be on the mend.

  Walking past rank after rank, she noted with deep satisfaction that the crowd was immense. Dragons and allies alike filling the sandy aisles, most waiting for the boring ceremony part to be done so they could eat. The smells from the barbecue pits wafted, making more than one tummy growl.

  Finally, she arrived, the heat and tingle of her muffin reaching out to wrap around her.

  Before she could go to him, her mother kissed her lightly on the cheek murmuring, “May you always be happy, or I’ll rip out his guts.”

  Deka sniffled. It was so beautiful. Looking up, she smiled at Samael. She couldn’t help the radiance. He looked so magnificent. I love him so much.

  I love you, too.

  At that point, once he said those words, aliens could have landed, and she wouldn’t have blinked.

  As it was, it was a good thing Samael took her hand and held it as they turned to face Remiel together. His brother presided over the ceremony, wearing an ornate crown and embroidered stole, his white suit threaded in gold.

  “We are gathered here today to join this dragon and this dragoness in a holy mating. And let me tell you, I never thought that would happen. My brother and I haven’t always had the easiest relationship—”

  Someone muttered, “Understatement.”

  “—yet, today I am filled with great joy and honor that we’ve managed to overcome our difficulties to vanquish a mighty foe.”

  “Did he say ho?” someone whispered.

  “Let today be the new dawn wher
e magic once again takes its rightful place instead of being banished. Let us work together for a future where dragons and cryptozoids no longer have to hide in shadows, and where our future heirs”—he cast a loving glance over at his wife Sue-Ellen, who sat in the crowd holding her rounded belly—“don’t have to fear being hunted. Today, we don’t just join this man and woman, we didn’t just defeat the greatest evil of our time, today dawns a new era. The era of dragons.”

  A roar of approval met his speech, and Deka clung tightly to Samael’s hand. Their wedding day would go down in history.

  Best present ever.

  “And now on to the ceremony. Do you, Samael D’Ore, take Deka Silvergrace as your mate? Do you promise to protect and hoard her until the end of your life?”

  “I do.”

  As for Deka, she couldn’t wait. “I do, too. Get to the good part.”

  Remiel smiled. “Before the eyes of all, let it be known that these two claim each other and should any try to tear them asunder—”

  “We’ll rip out their eyes and stomp on their guts.” More than a few voices shouted it, and Deka almost cried again.

  “Then, by the power vested in me, as king of all dragons, I pronounce thee mated for life. You may place the marks.”

  Samael drew her close and brushed her lips before sliding his mouth to her neck. An ecstatic gasp escaped her lips as he bit the skin, hard enough to break it and spill blood. She returned the favor, making his mark high enough to never be hidden by any collar.

  Let the heifers see he belonged to her. Let everyone see she’d claimed him.

  No longer did they have to hide the symbol of their mating from those who didn’t understand.

  A new era would dawn, and it would be glorious.

  So will the orgasm I give you later.

  Epilogue

  Orgasms could only happen so many times before they lost a little of their power.

  Despite her best attempts to keep Samael naked, even Deka couldn’t make their honeymoon last forever, especially after the most recent luxury hotel kicked them out for excessive noise complaints.