by Chant, Zoe
Naomi coughed. She was still cowering beneath the bench in the alcove, hoping it would keep her safely out of sight of the fire dragon. But even though she was certain the flames from the tower couldn’t reach her here, she felt as if she was choking on the ashes in the air. Everything was gloomy, the cloud of acrid smoke blocking out the sun.
Fearfully, she searched the sky once more. Was that a shadow moving in the smoke? Was the fire dragon still circling the tower?
Is he searching for me?
Terrified, she inched further backward, even though she knew the wisteria and the wood of the bench wouldn’t provide any protection.
If I can just hide until Gregory arrives...
Her chest was hurting. It felt like there was a giant ball of fire where her lungs had been. It was difficult to breathe, but another fearful look at the sky showed her that the fire dragon was still circling the mansion.
I can’t make a sound now. I can’t! No matter what, I must stay silent...
She pressed her hand over her mouth. Something in her chest seemed to rattle when she breathed in. There was a stabbing pain in her lungs, as though she’d breathed in ash instead of air—and her body fought to expel that ash from her lungs.
I can’t! He’ll hear me, she thought in terror as her body convulsed, tears rising to her eyes from panic and lack of air.
And then instinct took over, her body so desperate for air that she lost control.
Hunching over, tears streaming from her eyes, she coughed, again and again, her lungs burning. At last, some of the tightness in her chest seemed to ease and she could breathe in again.
Everything was strangely silent. She could still hear the distant sound of the flames that were licking at the ruined tower. It was a strange, crackling sound, accompanied by the groans of stone and wood.
But something was different.
A heartbeat later she realized that she could no longer hear the distant sound of giant, beating wings. When had she last heard the fire dragon roar?
Maybe he’d given up and moved away, just in time before the coughing fit overwhelmed her...
Tentatively, she inched a little forward, just enough that she could get a view of the sky from beneath her bench. The sky was still dark with smoke.
Then, a heartbeat later, the clouds parted.
Out of the gloom, the fire dragon came diving straight towards her from the sky, jaws parted so that even from the distance, she could see the gleam of fire at the core of him.
Naomi screamed.
There was nowhere to run. She couldn’t outrun a dragon. She had no weapon with which to fight—and even if she’d had a gun and knew how to use it, it seemed impossible to kill this terrifying beast that was hurtling straight towards her.
Still, even so, she wasn’t going to go down without resistance.
There were only seconds left before he’d reach her, but she rolled out from beneath the bench where she’d been hiding.
Instinct had taken over. There was no time left for thought. She was running as fast as she could, her chest and her legs aching fiercely, but she knew she couldn’t stop.
Any moment now she’d feel the heat of his breath on her neck. But dimly, she remembered that somewhere before her, there was a small lake, filled with greedy swans and colorful, small fishes that had flitted back and forth when she and Ginny had tossed some crumbs into the water.
It wouldn’t be much, but maybe, if she could dive into the water, she’d at least be protected from the flames...
There was another roar. It was terrifyingly close.
It was so close that Naomi could now feel the air around her being stirred by giant, beating wings. Despite her terror, she twisted her head to look behind her, expecting to find the fire dragon’s jaws open, ready to close around her.
Instead, she was just in time to see the clouds opening again.
For a moment, it seemed as if the sun itself had come to her rescue. Then, a moment later, she saw just what had caused the cloud of smoke to disperse.
A storm had arrived. Grey storm clouds kept gathering in volume, and a wind had sprung up that drove the smoke away from the mansion. Then there was a flash of lightning and the boom of thunder. The clouds opened, a torrent of rain beginning to fall.
And out of the storm clouds a dragon shot forth, a beautiful creature of silver, lightning playing around the glittering scales that covered his body.
Gregory had returned for her.
He’d arrived just in time. Carried by the storm that he’d brought with him, he plummeted from the sky faster than anything Naomi had ever seen, aiming straight at the fire dragon who’d twisted in the air to meet him.
Chapter Fourteen: Gregory
Gregory had seen excitement and adventure before. He’d known panic—even terror, one day when he’d gone diving and there was a problem with his equipment.
But nothing could have prepared him for the storm of protective rage and fear rushing through his veins when he at last broke through the clouds of smoke that hung dark and threatening over his mansion.
There, somewhere on the ground below him, was his mate. He could feel her own terror pulse through the bond between them.
With all his might, he threw himself at the fire dragon, plummeting from the sky like a torpedo, aiming straight at the dragon who’d dared to attack his mate.
There was no time for thought. The fire dragon had defeated him before, but with his mate’s life at stake, Gregory had no time for elaborate plans.
With powerful beats of his wings, the fire dragon had turned just in time, ascending in the air to meet Gregory’s challenge. His jaw opened, revealing the flicker of lethal fire inside—but Gregory too had an element at his command.
A sudden gust of wind shook the fire dragon, just in time so that the fire that he spewed forth missed Gregory.
Gregory could feel the rush of heat. The fire had barely missed his left wing—but it had missed.
Making use of the second of surprise this gave him, he twisted. He was still plummeting straight at his enemy, but had turned upside down now, his legs stretched out.
With a roar of anger, the other dragon tried to twist out of the way—but it was too late. One of Gregory’s hind legs made contact, the claws of his foot opening a large cut all along the dragon’s side.
Quick like a snake despite the wound, the fire dragon’s head twisted and another gust of fire was breathed towards Gregory.
Gregory was too close to move out of the way—but fortunately he was so fast that it touched only the very tip of his wing. The burn smarted, and a roar of pain escape him—but even so, the wound wasn’t dangerous. It didn’t even affect his ability to fly.
Takes more than that to take me out, Gregory thought furiously as he kept plummeting from the sky.
The fire dragon was hot on his heels. For some reason, Gregory knew exactly where the dragon was, even though he shouldn’t know—the fire dragon was making sure to keep right in his blind spot.
And yet, as Gregory hurtled towards the side of the mountain that rose on the far side of his mansion, he could see it vividly. There was his own silver body coming straight at the mountain—and there, right behind him, angled so that even Gregory’s dragon eyes couldn’t catch sight of him unless he’d twist his head around, came the fire dragon.
But how...?
The mountain was very close. If Gregory didn’t turn now, he’d crash right into it. If the fire dragon wasn’t where Gregory thought he was, he’d have a perfect opportunity to hover above instead, waiting for that small window of opportunity to engulf Gregory with fire from above.
Yet somehow, Gregory knew that the fire dragon was still exactly where he’d been a moment ago, both now so close to the mountain that it looked like they’d crash right into it.
How...?
Be careful, the voice of his mate cried out in his mind.
Suddenly, Gregory understood what was happening.
Naomi!
He hadn’t known that it was possible. It shouldn’t be possible, not so quickly. But it seemed that in this one moment of danger, their hearts had been forged together.
They’d truly become one, seeing what the other saw, feeling what the other felt.
Despite the danger, Gregory sent a wave of reassuring love her way—and then the stark rock of the mountainside reared up before him. With all his might, Gregory twisted.
It was an impossible feat. No dragon, no matter how strong, could have turned in time. Not at that speed, and not with the mountain close enough to touch.
You will not harm my home! the dragon inside Gregory roared with fierce anger. You will not harm my mate!
He stretched out his wings and twisted his body. Inside his heart, the storm of protective rage for everything he and his dragon loved had built into a force impossible to contain.
With a roar to the air and the wind, which had been his beloved companions since childhood, Gregory released the storm.
Wind with the power of a tornado hit him, catching his wings from below. He shot up in the air, his claws striking sparks at they scraped along the cliffside.
Through the bond, he could see what it looked like from below, an impossible display of strength and power—and he could also see that just below him, the same storm that had lifted him to safety had grabbed the fire dragon and smashed him right into the side of the mountain.
Roaring with triumph, Gregory spread his wings and soared.
Storm clouds covered the sky. The air smelled of ozone. Power sizzled along his wings.
Gregory felt immeasurably powerful. He had truly become the storm. He was of the clouds, of the air, of the wind.
He was an element of nature: the anger of the storm, the caress of the breeze, the beauty of lightning.
Like this, he could live and rule. He would be immortal, feared by all, a dragon truly come into his power. A ruler of the element, vanquisher of anything that dared to meet him...
Gregory!
It was the sound of Naomi’s voice that called him back from the maelstrom of power that had taken him captive.
Gregory, she called out again.
A shudder ran through his body, rippling along the silver scales.
My mate, he thought, and slowly, little by little, the roar of power within him receded.
The power was still there—it filled his dragon’s heart, a silver essence alight with possibility. But it was calm now, like the smooth surface of a lake.
It beckoned to him still—but it was no longer wild like an ocean, threatening to carry him away like the storm.
I am your master, he told it firmly. I am the master of the air. And I am Gregory Drago, of Mountain View, sworn to protect my people—sworn to protect my mate with my life. This is who I am. You will obey me. I will not obey you.
A ripple went through the power within his heart, but it remained safely contained inside him.
In his mind, he could still see what Naomi saw: the fire dragon’s large body, hurtling towards the ground now after crashing into the mountain. One of the dragon’s wings was strangely bent, but even so he was already beating his wings once more, trying to slow his fall.
Gregory took a deep breath. And then, at long last, he opened his jaw and allowed the new power within him freedom.
The storm clouds above him darkened. They gained in volume, circling around the mountaintops.
Gregory exhaled. From his jaw, a shower of fierce lightning burst free.
Jagged lances of electricity hit the tip of the mountain. Thunder resounded, so loud that the rock trembled.
And then, at last, giant slabs of stone broke free as the mountaintop crumbled.
The fire dragon had no chance.
The avalanche of stone came hurtling towards him. Moments later, it carried him away. At the foot of the mountain, it finally came to rest in a heap of stone, dust still rising into the air.
Gregory kept watching from his vantage point in the sky for long minutes—but there was no sign of movement.
The fire dragon had finally been defeated.
***
“Are you all right?” Naomi gasped.
As soon as Gregory had landed and shifted, she was back in his arms. He embraced her as tightly as he could, his heart still pounding in his chest, and he didn’t let her go for long minutes.
“I’m fine,” he said roughly. “I was so scared for you. I’ll never leave you again, Naomi. I promise. You’re my mate, and if you don’t like Mountain View, I’d be content in any human town with you, just so long as you’re by my side.”
“I don’t want to leave,” Naomi breathed. “I don’t want to leave this place, and I don’t want to leave you. Oh God, Gregory, I was so scared. When you hit that wall...”
“You helped me,” Gregory murmured into her hair. “Do you know that? All of a sudden, I could see through your eyes. All this time, I knew exactly where he was, even though he was hiding in my blind spot. Without you, this never would’ve worked.”
Naomi released a trembling breath, then rested her hand on his chest, right over his heart. “The bond. I could feel you through it, too.”
Gregory nodded. His voice was still hoarse when he spoke. “The mate bond. I think it’s fully in place now, or near as.”
“What’s left to finalize it?” Naomi asked softly. “Dragon marriage—how does it work?”
“All that’s left is to claim you, and to vow myself to you in turn.” Desire was sizzling through Gregory with the force of a storm, but he forced it back down, determined. “To make love again—not just skin to skin, but soul to soul. Then the bond will be unbreakable, as strong and as beautiful as diamond.”
“I want it,” Naomi whispered, and then her lips were on his. “I’m already yours. This place feels like home. I want—”
“Yes,” Gregory rumbled in return. “I want you to be mine. I want to love and cherish you, always. I want to make a home, a real home.”
“I’ve been happy here, right from the first moment. I could be happy here, with a family of my own, with friends and—” Abruptly, Naomi broke off. “Ginny,” she then gasped. “We got split up when the dragon attacked!”
Suddenly, the roar of wings filled the sky once more. At the same time, something large and furious broke through the bushes that grew to their left.
For one moment, the dragon inside Gregory rose up with protective fury—but just as quickly, Gregory pushed it back down. He knew the shifters that had at last arrived.
“Friends,” he told Naomi with a small smile. “Mine—and yours. Don’t worry.”
From the sky above them, the majestic figure of the griffin descended rapidly, just as a group of various large animals, led by the familiar wolf form of Sheriff Banner, came to a stop.
“Naomi is safe,” Gregory said, then nodded towards the rubble. “The fire dragon is somewhere in there—careful. He’s very powerful.”
Just then, a stone shifted and Naomi flinched.
But just as quickly, Jared came forward. The griffin shifter carried a phial of liquid that Gregory knew well.
Dragonsbane. If the dragon was still alive, contact with even a drop of the substance would keep him from shifting for several hours. Which would give them enough time to bring him to Sky Home in chains, to be judged by the council of elements for his crimes.
“We’ll search,” the sheriff said.
Naomi turned around with a little blush at the sight of the sheriff—who’d just shifted into his human form and so was completely naked.
“Oh,” Gregory said when understanding dawned. “I never told you about that little problem...”
“That’s a dragon thing,” Sheriff Banner called out helpfully. “We don’t get to shift with our clothes. Really sorry about that, Naomi, but we shifted and ran as fast as we could when Ginny told us—”
“Ginny? She’s
safe?” Naomi asked in relief.
“Said you got split up, and she came as fast as she could to get help,” Banner replied. “She’s back in safety in the town.”
“I’m glad,” Naomi sighed.
Gregory tightened his arm around her. With one eye on the sky above them, he gave the air a little nudge. Obediently, the clouds drew together above the still smoldering tower, and then the rain picked up, dousing what flames remained.
“Repairs will take some time,” Gregory said, “but I’m glad no one was hurt. It’s just stone—furniture can be replaced. No one’s been living in that tower for a long time. It’s just things.”
Quietly, Naomi wrapped her arms around him. She was warm, and when he gently rubbed her shoulders, she shivered.
Then she took a deep breath, straightening again. “Just things,” she repeated and gave him a tentative smile. “And the dragon won’t be able to attack us again. Ginny is safe. Which means that it’s all over now.”
“It is,” Gregory promised and pressed a kiss to her forehead, ignoring the ashes smeared all over her skin. Soon, they’d go home and shower. But first...
Gregory concentrated. In answer, the rain increased. A torrent of water came down right over the mansion, the wind singing to Gregory of the hidden places where wood still glowed like embers, and where steel beams gleamed red-hot.
The rain kept falling and falling, and little by little, the whispers of the air grew calmer. It told him of smoke, of blackened stone and the crumbled top of the tower that had collapsed. It stood starkly against the darkened sky now, like a broken tooth. Outrage welled up once more in Gregory’s dragon at this attack on his territory.
Just things. Just stone, he told his dragon again, and then pressed another kiss to Naomi’s hair. Our treasure is safe, right here in our arms.
With a nudge of the wind, the rain’s intensity ceased. Instead of the downpour that had doused the fire, it now turned into a gentle, warm summer shower that kept spreading out until it covered the gardens with wetness. It washed the ash from grass and leaves, clearing the air little by little. At last, the sun shone from a blue sky once more, and it was possible to breathe without sneezing from the ash in the air.