Finally, just when Raven thought she couldn’t handle the discomfort of the flight any longer, she felt him slowing and descending. She could see that they were approaching the outskirts of another small town in the middle of nowhere, and he must be planning to stop here for the night. She breathed a sigh of relief. She could hardly wait to get her feet on solid ground again.
And she hoped with all her heart that this small town didn’t harbor an army of bat shifters, like the last small town they’d been in had.
Chapter Seven
As soon as Owen had landed, and had set Raven down softly on the ground, he collapsed into a panting, aching heap. He did not even have the energy to shift back into human form right now. All he could do was lie there, breathing heavily and feeling slightly embarrassed that he was appearing this weak in front of Raven.
Of course, he should not have felt embarrassed at all. He had just flown faster than he ever had in his life, and for quite a great distance. He had thrown all his energy into getting as far away from Saul as he could, as quickly as possible. For the moment, at least, it looked like his efforts had succeeded. He was safe. Raven was safe. And, perhaps most importantly, the dragon amethyst was safe. He had no idea how long this feeling of safety would last, but he would enjoy it while it did.
He hadn’t realized until he stopped how exhausted he felt. As he looked around now, trying to take in his surroundings, he realized that everything looked slightly blurry. His eyes were too tired to focus properly on anything, and so he shut them. He knew that up ahead there was a small town. He guessed that they were somewhere in Colorado, but he couldn’t quite be sure. When morning came, he and Raven could regroup and figure out where they had landed.
The thought of Raven made him shudder with relief. There’d been a good stretch of time tonight, when he was fighting the dark wizards, when he’d thought he was never going to see Raven alive again. Remembering those moments made his heart feel like it was literally twisting into knots inside of him. He opened his eyes again for a moment, just to make sure that she was really there with him, really okay.
She was just shrugging out of the giant backpack that she wore, moving stiffly as she let it fall to the ground. Owen knew she probably felt exhausted, too, even though she’d only been a passenger on this flight. Rushing through the sky for hours while hanging from a dragon’s claws was not the most comfortable way to travel.
Raven did not complain, though. She rushed over to him as quickly as her stiff muscles would allow her to, and wrapped her arms around his large dragon head.
“Owen! Owen, are you alright? I was so scared for a while there. I think we’re okay now, though.”
Owen could not answer. All he could manage was a soft sigh, and then he closed his eyes. Sleep began to overtake him. He tried to fight it, but its pull was too strong and his exhaustion was too great. The last thing he remembered hearing before he lost consciousness was Raven’s voice as she cast protective spells over them.
“Magicae invisibilia. Magicae arma. Magicae…”
* * *
When Owen opened his eyes once again, the sky was lit up by a bright pink sunrise. He lifted his head, and was surprised at how heavy it felt. That’s when he realized he was still in dragon form. He blinked his eyes a few times, trying to shake off the disoriented feeling that filled him. It had been a long time since he’d fallen asleep in dragon form, over a decade perhaps. He couldn’t figure out why he was in dragon form at first, but then the events of the night before came rushing back to him. He lifted his head further, looking around for Raven. He curled his dragon lips up in a smile when he realized that she was curled up next to his dragon belly, her chest rising and falling as she slept peacefully beside him. He took a few moments to enjoy her beauty. The dawn made her skin glow with a warm, rosy tint, and her shiny hair fell around her face and shoulders in thick waves. He sighed, wishing that he could lie here with her all day, enjoying her company, instead of worrying about Saul’s army or the dragon amethyst.
But it would be some time before he could hope to have the luxury of a carefree day again. As slowly and quietly as he could, he scooted his dragon body away from her and stood. He walked a good distance away to shift back to human form, hoping that he was far enough away that he wouldn’t wake her when he shifted. But before his body was even done turning back into human form, she was standing to her feet, watching him carefully. He walked back toward her, shrugging apologetically.
“Sorry. I thought I was far enough away to shift without waking you.”
She smiled. “I think I woke up when you moved. You were so warm, and then you were gone and I felt chilled.”
Owen pulled her into his arms, nuzzling the top of her head. “Better?” he asked.
“Much,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest. They stood like that for a few minutes, holding each other tightly and wondering at the fact that they were both alive, and free, and still had possession of the dragon stone. After several minutes, Owen finally pulled away and started to dig in their backpack for some clothes.
“Any idea where we are?” Raven asked him as he dressed.
Owen shook his head no. “Have you looked at the GPS unit you stole?”
“The GPS unit I took with good intentions to pay later,” Raven said, giving him a cross look. “And yes, I’ve looked at it. We’re somewhere in southwest Colorado, it seems. You flew really far last night.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Owen said as he rubbed his upper arms. “I haven’t been sore like this for a long time.”
Raven sat down on a small rock and frowned. “I tried to contact Falcon Cross again, but there’s still no response. I’m trying not to panic, but I’m worried about everyone back home.”
Owen walked over to sit beside her. “Don’t get too worried just yet,” he said. “Saul had quite a large army with him in Sandview, and I don’t think an army that huge could have gotten from Falcon Cross to Sandview so quickly. I don’t think there’s been an attack on Falcon Cross. My guess is they’re having some trouble with their lines of communication. Perhaps Saul is trying to keep our different groups of shifters and wizards from communicating with each other.”
“We shouldn’t even try to contact them, then,” Raven said, looking even more worried now. “If he’s hacked into their communication systems, he might be able to trace us whenever we call, and figure out where we are.”
“It’s possible,” Owen said. “Which is why we shouldn’t hang around here long. We should keep moving. If you called Falcon Cross this morning, Saul’s army might already be on our way to try to attack us.”
“Great,” Raven said, putting her head in her hands. “I should have thought of that. We aren’t much of a match for his army on our own, as you’ve seen.”
Owen shrugged. “No, we’re not. But we are faster than them. And I’m not sure whether they know that we have the dragon amethyst. If they don’t realize that we have it, they might not be that interested in chasing us down. There’s not much point in sending a whole army after two rogue soldiers.”
“That’s true,” Raven said. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if they did know we have the stone. If they caught up with the army retreating from the Redwoods, they would have realized that someone escaped with the stone in a different direction than the army.”
Owen and Raven were both quiet for a few minutes. Neither one of them wanted to think about the possibility that their friends had been caught by Saul’s army during the retreat from the Redwoods. But it was a very real possibility.
Finally, Raven let out a long sigh and broke the silence. “So what now?” she asked.
“Now, we make our way to Texas,” Owen said. “Our original mission was to get the dragon amethyst to the shifter protectors there, and I think we should continue to work toward that goal.”
“We haven’t been able to get a hold of the shifter protectors in Texas, either,” Raven said. “What if they aren’t there anymore?”
“I think they’re still there,” Owen said. “They’re just having trouble with their lines of communication, too. And, honestly, if they aren’t there any more, then we’re doomed. That would mean Saul’s army had managed to capture them despite the fact that they have both the dragon emerald and dragon sapphire.”
“True,” Raven said. “That does seem unlikely.”
She kicked at the dusty ground with her foot, and then let out another long sigh.
“Well,” she finally said as she looked up at Owen. “I guess we should get going, then. No sense hanging around here, where Saul’s army might be able to find us.”
“How are our supplies?” Owen asked.
Raven shrugged. “We’re alright for the time being, I think. We have plenty of food, and it should easily last us until we get to Texas as long as we keep flying at a relatively quick pace.”
Owen nodded. “I think we should go ahead and start flying, then. If we need to stop for supplies later, we can. But the most important thing now is to get away from here before Saul’s people find us. I would imagine they’re also not too happy that we discovered his little bat shifter project out in Sandview.”
“No, probably not,” Raven said. “Let’s eat a quick breakfast and get going, then.”
Owen and Raven both wolfed down meal bars, and then Owen started stripping off his clothes again in preparation to shift. He had just taken off his shirt when Raven looked up at him and gave him a sad smile.
“It kind of sucks, doesn’t it? Having to be on the run and worry about all this dark magic shit. I’d much rather go home and spend time hanging out with you, enjoying life.”
Owen winked at her as he started unbuttoning his pants. “Soon enough, Love,” he said. “Don’t give up hope just yet. Saul might have seen a few victories, but the war is far from over. We’ll beat the darkness yet, trust me on that.”
And with that, Owen tossed the last of his clothes to her, and began shifting into dragon from. It was time to get the dragon amethyst to safety.
Chapter Eight
Owen flew nonstop until dusk, but he kept his pace much slower than it had been the night before. For one thing, he didn’t want to wear himself out completely. He needed to save some of his strength in case Saul’s army did manage to find and attack Raven and him. For another thing, flying during daylight was more dangerous than flying at night. Keeping his pace slow allowed Raven to cast a more effective invisibility spell over them. So far, the spell seemed to be working, because they hadn’t been attacked and hadn’t seen any sign of enemy soldiers.
When darkness started falling, he decided it was a good time to stop and rest. He was hungry, and they had made good progress today. Owen felt he deserved a break, and he found a somewhat rocky spot to stop and rest. The scenery had once again become flat and desert-like, and there weren’t many well-sheltered places around. Hopefully, the darkness and Raven’s invisibility shield would be enough to keep them safe tonight, and allow them a good night’s rest.
“According to the GPS, we’re pretty much on the border of Texas and New Mexico right now,” Raven announced as soon as Owen had shifted back into human form. She had already spread out their sleeping bag, and was now pulling some of his clothes out of their backpack. She tossed him a shirt and a pair of pants, then sat down on the sleeping bag next to the backpack.
“That’s good,” Owen said. “We should be able to make it to the shifter protectors sometime tomorrow.”
“Assuming they’re still there,” Raven said.
“They’re there,” Owen said as he pulled on his pants. Raven looked at him skeptically, and he supposed he couldn’t blame her. He had no sure way of knowing that the shifter protectors, and his own clan leader, Knox, were all still there and alright. But he felt deep in his heart that they were, and that was assurance enough for him.
Raven shrugged and started digging in the backpack for some food. “I hope you’re right,” she said. “And I hope this is the last night for a while that I have to eat a meal replacement bar for dinner. I’m so sick of these things,”
“Me too,” Owen said. “But at least we have food and don’t have to try to sneak into another town right now. I think it’s better to keep ourselves as low profile as we possibly can. With any luck, we’ll be feasting on Texas barbeque tomorrow night.”
“Hopefully with a side of cold beer,” Raven said as she tossed Owen one of the meal replacement bars.
“Now you’re talking,” Owen said with a grin. He came to sit down by Raven, and the two of them munched hungrily for a few minutes. Owen looked up at the sky, which was almost fully dark now. The stars were already shining brilliantly, and he smiled as he watched them twinkling.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Raven said, following his gaze.
Owen reached his left hand over to rest on Raven’s right knee. “Very beautiful,” he said. “There’ nothing quite like looking up at a night sky when you’re miles away from any big cities. Well nothing except…”
He let his voice trail off, and Raven looked at him with one of her eyebrows raised in a questioning expression.
“Except?” she asked.
He grinned at her and then, in one swift move he pushed her over onto her back so that he was on top of her.
“Except making love under an open night sky, miles away from any big city.”
Raven rolled her eyes at him, but he could see by the moonlight the flush of excitement that was starting to creep its way into her cheeks.
“You’re ridiculous,” she managed to say, but her voice sounded breathless and full of anticipation. She wanted him. He was sure of it.
“Am I, now?” he said, then bent his head forward so that his lips met hers. He felt a familiar heat filling his body as he kissed her, and he closed his eyes so that he could fully enjoy the sensation. To his surprise though, Raven pulled her face away and tried to wriggle out from under him. He opened his eyes again to find her shaking her head at him.
“Owen, this isn’t a good idea.”
His heart dropped, and the hair on the back of his neck actually stood on end from the sense of alarm that filled him. He sat up slowly, trying to keep his breathing even.
“Why not?” he asked. He didn’t like the feeling of dread that her words gave him. He wasn’t used to being rejected by women, and especially not by a woman who less than a day ago had told him she loved him. A thousand different scenarios flooded across his mind, each more troubling than the next. Was their romance really going to be that short? Or was she trying to play one of those games women play where they act like they’re rejecting you just to make you want them more? Owen frowned and crossed his arms. He wasn’t going to play a game like that, and he would have thought Raven was better than that. Or maybe she just thought they shouldn’t be together because they were colleagues? Because he was a dragon and she was a wizard? Because their friends had all teased them that they liked each other and they had been vehemently denying it for months?
“Why not?” Owen repeated. His voice sounded strained and raspy, which surprised him. He was not in control of this situation, or his emotions, and he didn’t like that. But how could he be expected to control his emotions when the woman he loved was sitting there telling him that they shouldn’t sleep together? Oh, god. Was it the sex? Had she not liked the sex? He thought he’d done a good job of pleasuring her, but then again, some women were good fakers.
“Raven,” he said, hating the way the frustration he felt was so obvious in his tone of voice, but unable to stop himself from talking. Raven wasn’t looking at him now, though. She was scanning the sky, her eyes passing back and forth over the glittering stars with an intense focus.
“They could be anywhere,” she said. “Saul’s soldiers could be anywhere, and we don’t know for sure how well our invisibility shields are holding. If we start fooling around and stop paying attention, we’re giving them an open invitation to swoop in and attack us while we’re co
mpletely unaware and completely helpless.”
Owen felt his breath go out of him in a rush of relief. So that was all. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, or didn’t want him. She just thought it was dangerous to make love under the stars when Saul’s soldiers might be hiding in those stars, waiting for an opportune moment to attack.
She was right, of course. But he didn’t give a damn about safety at the moment.
He gave a low, hungry growl, and then pushed her back onto the sleeping bag. “If they’re watching, let’s give them something to watch,” he said. He reached to start pulling off her shirt, tearing it off her body so quickly that it was gone almost before she had a chance to realize what he was doing.
“Owen!” she squeaked out in protest. ‘This is a bad idea. The invisibility shield…”
“It hasn’t failed us yet today,” Owen said. He tore off her bra, and then her pants and then removed the clothes from the lower half of her body in a matter of seconds. His dragon was roaring within him, hungry and desperate. He had to have her. So what if they were in a risky situation? He’d spent his whole life living on the edge, but nothing had ever made him feel quite as reckless as Raven’s beautiful face. He jumped to his feet to take off his own pants, and in a few moments he was just as naked as Raven was.
“Owen,” she said, protesting again. But her protest was a little weaker this time. She looked up at him with wide, hungry eyes. Her naked body looked exquisite in the moonlight, and he saw a flash of silver as the moonlight shimmered off the wet spot that was now growing between her legs. Her mind might be trying to hold her back, but her physical body could not resist him.
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