And they stank of death magic.
One ate through a dragon’s shield even as he twisted and fought to escape. A heartbeat later, he and his rider burst into flame and fell screaming from the sky.
“Holy fuck,” Nineva whispered, chilled to the marrow as she looked away from the impact.
Kel jolted under her. “Arthur!” She had to grab for the harness as he suddenly went into a dive, plummeting toward the ground. She managed not to scream and conjured a crossbow with a magical bolt nocked in it.
They found Arthur squared off with an enormous Dark One. The alien looked surprisingly like a medieval wood-cut of a demon, standing a good nine feet tall on two hooves, its lower body covered with thick black fur. The rest of it was bright red, with huge clawed hands, tusklike teeth jutting from its lower jaw, and a pair of curving black horns. It hacked at Arthur with a huge axe it held in both hands. The axe rang against Excalibur as the alien tried to batter its way through Arthur’s guard.
It had apparently landed at least one good blow. A river of scarlet spilled down the vampire’s armored chest as he danced around his foe. It looked like far too much blood to Nineva’s healer’s eye.
The Dark One looked up and saw Kel plummeting toward him. The creature fired off a spell blast, forcing Kel to jerk to one side. Even as the dragon steadied under her, Nineva took careful aim with her crossbow and fired. Her bolt lodged in the Dark One’s massive shoulder, but he brushed it off like a mosquito.
Oh, she thought, that’s not good at all.
Kel slammed into the Dark One like a freight train, knocking the alien off his feet. There was a sickening crunch, and the dragon roared in pain. Nineva conjured another bolt and stood up in her stirrups, trying to see over Kel’s massive body. She saw nothing but a blurring impression of a lashing dragon neck and the flash of the Dark One’s magical axe. There was no way to get a shot at all.
“Kel!” she screamed over the howls of combat. “Dammit!” She vaulted from the harness. Landing on her feet, she scuttled around the dragon, narrowly avoiding his swinging tail.
Blood ran down Kel’s muzzle from a wound over his eye as he breathed a gout of flame at the Dark One. The blast boiled off the creature’s shield with such heat and power, Nineva could feel it from where she stood.
As the flames died, the Dark One charged, drawing back his axe as he aimed for Kel’s head.
Nineva fired her crossbow right into the alien’s eye. The creature toppled, its body bursting into flame as her spell tore through it.
Stunned, she dropped her bow and stared. She hadn’t expected that to actually work.
“’Ware right!” Arthur roared in her ear. She jerked around as Excalibur flashed, parrying a sword swung at her head by a Sidhe in black rebellion armor. An instant later, Kel’s flame rolled over the rebel, who fell from his saddle, shrieking as he died.
“Sweet Semira…,” she whispered, shaken by her close call. If Arthur hadn’t blocked that swing…“Thanks, Arthur!”
“What the fuck are you doing on the ground?” Kel roared. “Do you want to get killed? Mount up!”
“What part of me saving your life did you miss?” But she ran for his offered scaled hand and let him boost her astride his neck.
“Thank you! Now stay in that damned harness before you get stepped on.”
“That’s why I’ve got Gwen on a dragon,” Arthur shouted. “These bastards are a little too fuckin’ powerful, Kel. I hope to hell we can take them.” He took a deep breath and charged the nearest alien, bringing up Excalibur for a blurring swing. The creature bellowed as it whirled to engage him with a massive sword of its own.
Nineva scanned the battlefield as she conjured another crossbow bolt. Her heart sank. Here and there were dead demon bodies, true, along with a great many fallen rebels.
But there were entirely too many lying dead in Magekind or Two Kingdoms armor, alongside the bodies of their horses and dragon allies. Many of the corpses were so badly mauled and burned it was impossible to tell whose side they’d been on. But it looked uncomfortably as if the allies were losing.
“This doesn’t look good!” Nineva shouted as Kel took to the sky again. She aimed her crossbow and fired off a blast at a rebel. It bounced off his spell shield, and he kept hacking at the vampire he was fighting.
“I know.” Kel flew toward a group of rebels and blew a plume of fire down at them. Fireballs splashed against his shield as he climbed away.
She stared down over one beating wing. It looked as if a couple of the rebels had fallen, but the Dark One who led them didn’t even break step. He flung himself at a Dire Wolf, and the two huge monsters started tearing at one another with claws and fangs. The Dark One tried to burn the werewolf with a spell, but the beast simply shrugged off the blast and kept trying to rip out his opponent’s throat.
“We could use a few more werewolves,” Nineva shouted.
“We could use a few more everybody,” Kel called back grimly. “The odds suck.”
Abruptly, flame flashed just above them. Nineva ducked instinctively, then straightened at the sound of a familiar mental voice.
Kel…
“Cachamwri!” The dragon almost tumbled out of the sky in his surprise as he stared up at the god. “You live!”
Barely. I need you, boy. I need you to help me recover from what they did to me. And it was apparent just looking at him that whatever spell the rebels had worked had cost Cachamwri dearly. Where before he’d blazed with colorful flames, now he appeared almost ghostly, his outline transparent.
“Whatever I have is yours,” Kel told him.
“What about Semira?” Nineva demanded. “Do you know if she lives?”
Aye, but greatly weakened. She still clings to existence within her sword, but if she is not freed soon, she will be lost.
For the first time since the battle had begun, Nineva felt a flicker of hope. “At least she’s alive.”
From the corner of one eye, she saw something shoot at her head. She hastily flattened herself over Kel’s neck as the fireball whizzed over her.
We need a moment’s quiet to do this, boy, Cachamwri told them, and pointed his muzzle toward the crest of the hill. Head over there.
Obediently, Kel flew over the battlefield, dodging blasts and arrow attacks as he went. “It’s not going well,” he told Cachamwri.
That’s putting it mildly. You’re losing. The Dark Ones are preparing to gate in more reinforcements.
Kel cursed as Nineva’s heart sank to her booted toes. “We’re screwed.”
Not quite yet, Cachamwri said. Not if we act quickly.
“We’ll do whatever we have to,” Nineva told him.
“Yes,” Kel agreed grimly. “Whatever it takes.”
They landed on the hill a moment later. Nineva swung down from the harness, her gaze straying to the battlefield. There was, thank the Goddess, no sign of more gates yet.
But even without fresh Dark One forces, it was apparent the allies’ losses were too great. Many lay dead or wounded, while those still standing were locked in desperate battle with the Dark Ones and the rebels.
Behind her, she heard Kel ask, “What must I do?”
Open your mind to me, the Dragon God said.
Guilt stabbed Kel again at the sight of Cachamwri’s pale, ghostly outlines. Despite what Nineva had said, he knew he was responsible for what had happened to the Dragon God, not to mention the imminent destruction of them all at the Dark Ones’ hands.
He’d been so sure there was a way to avoid sacrificing Nineva. And he’d been wrong.
Now he had to make it right.
Kel dropped the mental barriers that he’d always maintained to protect his magic and his thoughts. He opened himself completely to whatever the Dragon God cared to do to him, forced every muscle to relax in surrender. “I’m ready.”
Pale fire flashed as Cachamwri shot toward him. For an instant, the god seemed to take up his entire field of vision.
And then
Cachamwri hit him.
It was like being thrust into the heart of a sun—a blinding wave of heat and energy. Then came the alien memories, the mind so impossibly vast and ancient he could scarcely comprehend it at all. Kel found himself shrinking away from that massive consciousness in awe and dread.
Cachamwri may have been a dragon once, but he was something entirely different now. Something that might snuff Kel out like a candle.
Buck up, boy. I did not choose you as my host by accident. Relax and let it come, and you’ll find the strength you need.
Yes, Burning One. Despite his instinctive fear, Kel reached out to the great, glowing presence that filled his mind. Touched it.
And in that moment of contact, he sensed the surprising depths of Cachamwri’s love.
Then the god wrapped him gently in great, glowing wings. Understanding flooded Kel like a tsunami of light. He saw what Cachamwri needed from him, just as he saw how to save both Semira and Nineva. And he realized that his guilt was pointless, because this couldn’t have happened any other way than it had.
And instantly, everything became clear.
You had to allow the theft of the Egg, Kel realized.
Yes. Otherwise the Dark Ones would only have found another way to invade in another five years, the Dragon God told him . And I would have been unable to prevent them from succeeding. Billions would have been enslaved, and Semira and I would have been destroyed. By luring them here now, I may be able to kill their leader, Rakatvira, preventing his next attempt.
May?
Nothing is ever certain.
The Dragon God had taken quite a risk to save them, and it had almost cost him his life. The destruction of his Egg had gutted his power. To rebuild it, Cachamwri had to take physical form again in order to reconstruct his connection with the Mageverse. He was far too weak to create a body of his own, so he needed to borrow an ally’s.
Llyr had been an option, but his Sidhe form was too frail to survive the union. Kel alone had both a dragon’s sheer strength and power—and, most importantly, the love of Nineva Morrow, Avatar of Semira. Because it was that love that would enable them all to survive.
Unfortunately, they’d all have to go through hell to do it. Literally.
“Kel!” Nineva stretched out a shaking hand to touch her dragon’s head. When Cachamwri had rushed into him, he’d gone down like a felled ox. She’d feared for a moment he was dead, until she’d felt the breath puffing from his nose.
Suddenly those great ruby eyes sprang open and met hers, fierce with demand and determination. Magic burst around him, and he was human again. He rolled to his feet and reached out to take her cold hands in his warm ones. “Truebond with me.”
Thoroughly confused, Nineva gaped up at him. “What? Now? What happened to Cachamwri? I thought…”
“This is part of that.” Kel drew her closer, his gaze intent on her face. “We have to work the prophecy spell. It’s the only way to save Semira and power Cachamwri enough to repair the wards before the next wave of Dark Ones arrive.”
A shaft of cold dread struck her. For a wild moment, Nineva wanted to refuse—but in that instant’s hesitation, she heard the screams of agony and death from the battlefield. She took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”
“Not yet. The Truebond first.”
“But isn’t that like the Magekind version of marriage? Do we really have time?”
“We’ve got to make time, because it’s the only way any of us will survive it. I have to lend you my strength.”
“While I burn?” The implications were obvious. She drew back in horror. “You’d feel it, Kel. You’d feel everything.”
“Yes.” His ruby gaze was steady. “But I’ll also make sure you survive.”
“No. No way in hell.” The idea that he’d share the agony she’d known in her dreams was appalling. “I don’t want you suffering like that.”
“Do you think I want you to?” He released her hands and caught her by her shoulders. “Nineva, the spell will kill you if we don’t Truebond, and then none of this will work.”
“But…”
“Trust me.”
Gazing up at him, she smiled slightly. “Of course.” She took a deep breath. “How do we do this?”
“As Cachamwri said—open your mind to me.” He lowered his head.
Nineva rose onto her toes and gave him her mouth, letting her eyes slip closed. For a moment, it was nothing more than the familiar touch of lip on lip, exquisite and tender. Then she carefully lowered the mental barriers she’d learned to build as a child.
Kel’s thoughts brushed hers. She sensed his power, smelled the familiar wild musk of dragon scales…And something more than that. Something even older, even more powerful.
Cachamwri.
Uncounted centuries flashed over her. Faces, dragon and human, snarling and smiling and roaring in pain, voices howling and laughing. The clash of steel on steel reverberating through her body. Aching loneliness, the panic of being trapped and tiny in a cage of steel. Then the secure knowledge of Gawain’s steady friendship as he shared his soul to keep Kel sane.
Finally her own face, looking surprisingly fragile, illuminated in the pure light of his love.
Realization took her breath and made her eyes sting.
Kel truly loved her. Loved the sweet lines of her body and the unwavering sense of duty in her soul. He admired her intelligence and enjoyed her humor. Adored the hot skill of her mouth on his body and the tight clasp of her sex.
And he was absolutely determined that he would not lose her. He’d do anything to save her. Anything at all.
She only hoped she was worthy of him.
Oh, you are. And for a moment, he caught her up in a swirl of hot passion.
And Nineva gave it all back to him—the love she had for his courage, for his kindness, for that beautiful, powerful body. She showed him how she admired his strength and his skill, his unflinching loyalty to his friends no matter what it cost him. The curiosity and fearlessness that led him to reach out when the rest of his people shrank away.
He was everything she’d ever dreamed of in her secret girl’s heart and her cautious woman’s soul.
And so for a moment they were one, curled together in their glowing cocoon of peace, sharing the love between them like a fine, sweet wine.
Until Cachamwri’s ringing voice pierced that instant like a chiming clock. There’s no more time. Shift, boy. Call the magic now.
Reluctantly, Nineva opened her eyes and found herself wrapped in his powerful arms. He looked down at her, and she saw the longing and regret in his gaze.
And the fear of what the next moments would be like for both of them.
She forced a smile and backed away, knowing exactly how much room he’d need to change. Oddly enough, the terror that had dogged her was gone. She knew he’d do everything he could to protect her—just as she knew he’d succeed.
Magic flared. The next instant, he loomed over her, blue scales glinting, his eyes glowing red. But she could still feel his mind, just as human, just as Kel.
Now, Cachamwri ordered, his voice rumbling in their joined thoughts.
Nineva felt Kel tremble as he took a deep breath and closed his glowing eyes. Through the Truebond, she sensed him reach into the Mageverse deeper than he ever had before, drawing power into his being. She felt it fill him, flooding his cells, foaming in his blood. More and more of it, more than he’d ever known how to tap before, more than he would have dared even if he had known. So much she felt it splash into her, until every inch of her skin tingled and Semira’s dead Mark came back to life on her breast.
Then Kel drew in even more.
He was glowing now, a shining brilliant blue that cast light across the frosty grass. Watching him blaze against the sky, Nineva thought he was the most magnificent thing she’d ever seen.
Varza swung her magical axe with ruthless strength. The Sidhe loyalist tried to duck aside, but he was too slow. The huge blade bit into
his enchanted cuirass as if it were no more than thin paper. Blood showered Varza’s face as he screamed. Teeth gritted at the savage pleasure, she drew the life force from his dying body and added it to her store of magic, then jerked her axe from his chest. He fell in a bloody heap as she turned away in search of new prey.
Smiling in satisfaction, she surveyed the battlefield. It was going well, but that went without saying. Every death on either side became fodder for the Dark Ones’ magic, making them still stronger. Even the dragons would eventually fall before them.
Slave! Rakatvira’s mental snap made her flinch in the anticipation of pain.
She whirled and hurried toward him, sketching a careful bow. “Yes, Master?”
“There’s something going on atop that hill.” The Dark One glowered. His eyes glittered yellow against the mask of blood that covered his misshapen face. More of it dripped from his clawed hands and smeared his massive chest. “Find out what it is and stop it. I like it not.”
She bowed again. “As you command, Master.” Turning, she caught sight of the hilltop in question. Rakatvira was right. Something was glowing up there, bright and blue, waves of living power building steadily. Whatever it was, it was obviously a threat.
Varza started toward the hill at a jog. Spotting Arralt and a group of his men finishing off a dragon and its rider, she raised her voice in a shout. “General! With me!”
He whirled and snarled like a wolf, obviously in no mood to take orders. Wordlessly, she pointed at the hill. Arralt followed her finger and lost the snarl. Shouting a command at his men, he headed after her as Varza began to run.
“Nineva.” Kel’s voice seemed to ring in her head like the sound of chimes.
Nineva drew herself proudly to her full height and faced him steadily, though he glowed so bright now, he made her eyes tear. She watched his jaws open. There, down in the darkness of his throat, she watched the hot shimmer of a flame ignite.
It was the last thing she saw.
Kel’s breath boiled over her in a savage sheet of fire like the blast of a flamethrower. The agony was worse even than her nightmares, a hell of white-hot pain, crisping skin, burning hair. Nineva shrieked, the sound blending with Kel’s roar of anguish. She shrieked again, flailing, blind, her eyeballs bursting, flaming flesh peeling from charring bone.
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