by Julia Mills
“Is that so?” Sadie growled, her tone thick with sarcasm and her right eyebrow arched high. “This is not my first fight with a tyrannical maniac.”
No sooner had the words entered Orion’s mind than Karura pulled two thin katanas from the sheaths on his thighs, swung them with deadly accuracy, and threatened, “I don’t want to kill you, my sweet, but I have no problem teaching you a lesson in obedience.”
“Obedience? Is that what you’re calling your brand of insanity these days?”
Karura took two long side-steps, swinging his swords in a series of overhead cuts that slashed X’s in the air in front of him as he growled, “Should not a warrior as great as yourself see the defeat before her and lay down her sword.”.
Sadie mirrored his movements then countered, “Honor until death. Is that not the way of the samurai?”
Her words struck a chord. The blades of Karura’s swords clanged together and his hands slid on the grips. Trying to cover his blunder with bravado, the maniac growled, “What does an abomination such as you know of honor?”
Stepping closer as she once again imitated Karura’s sidesteps, Orion was speechless at his mate’s complete lack of fear and incredible confidence as she scoffed, “An abomination?” She rolled her wrist, spinning her sword in a perfect circle then holding it at the ready. “Is it not this abomination’s blood you wish to drink? Bones you wish to ground into meal and feast upon?”
She stepped even closer, closing in on the maniac who still stayed the course; not advancing, simply posturing. “I see through your mask,” Sadie snickered, taunting Karura. “See all your men…well, saw,” She let a chuckle sneak out while sliding her eyes to the side, calling attention to the fifteen or so men who had met their demise at the end of her blade. “Those who blindly followed you on your ill-fated quest for immortality.”
Taking another step to the side, Sadie forced Karura to also move or be close enough for her to strike. Barking out a single laugh as the masked maniac almost tripped to get away from her, Orion’s mate went on, “What is it? Your momma not love you? Your daddy too tough on you?”
She pushed her bottom lip out in an over-exaggerated faux pout. “Have a big brother who bullied you?” Leaning forward as the air in the chamber was filled with the fiery scent of fury and the burnt aroma of vengeance combining with a strong overriding stench of fear that stung Orion’s nose like rotten fruit as Karura’s emotions began to get the best of him, Sadie taunted, “You know what I think, you masked freak of nature? I think you are just a scared little boy trying to prove he is not the washed-up loser everyone always said he would be.”
Karura’s battle cry combined with the echo of Sadie’s derisions as he rushed forward, slicing and slashing like a madman, screeching, “You dare speak of my family?” as he thrust his blade at Sadie’s chest.
Easily blocking his ill-placed strike, the dragoness lunged forward with her left foot while shoving her blade through the leather covering his right side. Pulling her blade back, she grinned as Karura wailed in pain. Although she’d missed anything vital, Orion still cheered as a crimson stain spread across the soft material of his armor.
“You over-grown lizard!” Karura spat, lunging forward and slashing with both blades, roaring as one made contact with Sadie’s mid-section and blood flowed from the slash in her leather vest.
“Sadie!” Orion bellowed, pulling at his restraints, the silver cutting through the muscles and grinding against his bones as he watched her fight back, thrusting and striking the armor-clad madman in quick succession, driving Karura back, step by doggedly determined step.
Orion saw the lines near her eyes and mouth from the pain tearing through her body, but still his dragoness battled on. Sadie was magnificent. She was spectacular. She was his…and there was no way as long as blood flowed through his veins he was going to let her fight alone.
With pure agony wracking his bruised and beaten body, the Guardsman continued to fight against the chains and shackles holding him back. He needed to get to his mate, needed to fight by her side…needed to save her, in order to save himself.
It was then that Orion remembered the inscription on the bottom of the Karura statue he had seen all those years ago… A Karura can only be killed by a dragon of pure heart wearing a Buddhist talisman and firing a Hōzen, a sacred arrow carved from a Yōryū Tree, into the center of the creature’s heart by the dragon’s right hand.
From one heartbeat to another, as his beast forced a massive surge of pure, white dragon magic into his veins, the Shadow summoned every ounce of strength and power both man and dragon possessed and forced his body away from the wall. With a mighty roar, he pulled the bolt and hooks holding his restraints from the wall. Tearing the chains and cuffs from his flesh, Orion bellowed into Sadie’s mind, “He possesses the spirit of the Karura. You have to have a Buddhist Talisman to kill him.”
Unable to answer, Orion saw Sadie continue to batter Karura with one crushing strike of her sword and dagger after another. Stepping over the pile of silver he had just removed from his body, the Guardsman saw the bird-like mask fly from the madman’s face. Watched as his dragoness cut away the huge metal breastplate from his armor and nearly jumped with joy as she jabbed both of her blades into his lungs.
Karura went down as Sadie pulled her sword and dagger from his body and stepped back, looking at Orion. But just as the Shadow had thought, the maniac was not mortally wounded. Bellowing his mate’s name as Karura jumped to his feet, Orion struggled to reach Sadie as the scene before him immediately began to play out in slow motion.
Karura lunged forward, slashing a bloody X across Sadie’s back. Ignoring her injuries, the dragoness spun to her left, kicked out with her right foot, and followed through with a thrust of her sword that perforated Karura’s chest, passed through his heart, and pushed out his back. Moving so quickly she was but a blur, Orion’s mate raced behind the madman, now on his knees, grabbed a fistful of his long grey hair, pulled his head back, and with deadly accuracy, sliced across his neck.
Dropping the dagger as blood spurted from Karura’s neck, Sadie roared with all the power of both woman and dragon and yanked the madman’s head from his neck, held it up, and turned toward Orion. Covered in not only her own blood but that of their enemies, his miraculous mate pulled a chain from under her ruined vest with her free hand and smiled. “Guess it is a good thing my father left me this,” as she threw Karura’s head atop his corpse.
Taking the last two steps that separated them as he looked at the opal pendant engraved with an Endless Knot hanging from her elegant fingers, Orion pulled Sadie to him, and as his lips touched hers in a passionate affirmation of their lives, he chuckled into her mind, “It is a damn good thing.”
Chapter Eleven
Lifting her lips from Orion’s, Sadie looked at the arrogant, headstrong, domineering, absolutely fantastic dragon hellbent on worming his way into her life and everything simply fell into place. Well, maybe not everything, but most definitely the huge piece of her heart and soul that had been missing for as long as she could remember.
It had taken almost losing him to face one basic fact. It did not matter one iota if she needed him in her life, she wanted him there…right beside her, every day from now until the end of all time. They were stronger together, better together, just more…everything when they were together. She had been forced to accept the future the Universe, Fate, and that old bastard Destiny had intended for her.
The realization that it didn’t make her weak or needy or any less of a woman, a person, a leader, or a warrior, hit her over the head like a ton of bricks the second she burst into that blasted dungeon and saw Orion chained to a wall. There had only been one decision. Fight like bloody hell to free him and never ever let him go again.
“What are you thinking so hard about, mo dragoness álainn?” Orion chuckled, kissing her cheek.
Waiting until he was looking her in the eye, Sadie coyly replied, “Well, if you must know, I wa
s thinking how thankful I am that you tried to return my blanket.”
Throwing back his head, Orion barked with laughter. “Now, how about that? Who would’ve ever thought?”
Doubling up her fist, Sadie pretended to beat her dragon in the chest as she teased, “You better watch it, bub?”
“Or what?”
“Or I might just make you hang out with me forever.”
Slamming his lips to hers, Sadie gasped as Orion sighed directly into her mind, “Deal, mo ghrá.”
Moments later, breathless and wanting nothing more than to leave the death and destruction of Karura’s underground lair, Sadie stepped back and looked around. “I guess we better get rid of all this.” She motioned at the bodies strewn around the chamber’s stone floor.
“Right you are, mo chroí.”
Sadie reached out as Orion stepped on his left leg and lurched forward. Looking down, she gasped at the huge gaping wound where he literally pulled the silver chain from his leg and the hole in his foot. “You need to sit down. I can do this.”
Gently laying his thumb and forefinger on either side of her chin, Orion turned her face toward his and shook his head. “We can do this…together.” He kissed her quickly as she started to argue, pulling back and adding, “Never alone…not anymore…deal?”
Smiling despite the situation, Sadie relented. “Deal.”
Wrapping her arm around her mate’s waist, she insisted he lean on her and together, as the couple she was truly beginning to believe they were supposed to be, Sadie and Orion called forth their dragon fire and incinerated the bodies of not only Karura, but also all his minions. Leaving the chamber, enjoying that she was able to help her dragon, Sadie burst out laughing as Orion pointed and in mock exasperation asked, “Did you have to kill them all? I heard someone mention something called Anger Management classes. Should we get you enrolled?”
Taking a step back, she played along by slamming her fists onto her hips and asking, “If the roles were reversed, you would have done the same thing. Don’t even try to deny it.”
Throwing his hands in the air in surrender, Orion laughed out loud. “Touché, mo stór. Touché.”
Burning the bodies on their way toward the steps out of the underground compound, the couple let the ashes of the dead blow into the foliage to serve as fertilizer. Sadie said, “Pretty much what they deserve,” while blowing warm air at the debris to help clear it away all the quicker.
Reaching the steel staircase, Orion stopped and turned on his good leg, looking back at all that Karura had built. “I believe we should leave this here. We are the only ones who know of its existence.” He looked up at her and narrowed his eyes as he thought for a second then added, “It may just come in handy. What do you think?”
“I agree.” She looked back as well, remembering her trek to save Orion. “I am sure my sisters would love to check it all out. Tinsley and Daphne, who you will meet in just a bit, and Phryne have learned quite a bit about electronics and computers in the past couple of years. Maybe we can turn this into something worthwhile. Do some good with what was meant to harm and hurt.”
Wrapping his arm around her waist, Orion pulled her close and grinning from ear-to-ear, said, “Well, I have been locked away for over a century, so I will leave anything and everything technical to your sisters.”
“I have not been locked away and I still leave everything technical to them. Just once I touched what the girls call a cell phone and it made so much noise, I swore never to go near it again.” Sadie snickered.
“A cell phone?” Orion asked in amazement. “I have so very much to learn.”
“Yes, but that will come later.” Sadie nodded. “Now, enough stalling. Let’s get you out of this hole and tend to your wounds.”
Attempting to take charge as she always did, Sadie moved closer and tried to wrap her arm around Orion’s waist at the precise moment he tried to do the same thing to her. Immediately correcting, the dragoness raised her arm to his shoulders, only to once again have her limbs tangled with her mate’s. Two more tries and more bumping of arms had the couple laughing until tears ran down their faces.
Stepping back, Sadie got control of her giggles and said, “Okay, look, you need to stand still and let me get my arms around your waist. That way you can lean most of your weight onto me and keep it off that leg.” She pointed to his still oozing wounds. “Once we get topside, Pearl will be able to help you and your dragon get the rest of the silver out of your system and you’ll be good as new.”
Orion was already shaking his head before she even finished speaking. “No.” The one word hung between them. “I should be the one carrying you out of this hellhole. It is bad enough that I was captured and you had to free me, but this is simply too much. I am the male. It is my duty.”
Staring at her mate, truly looking at the strong, defiant Alpha male the Universe had made just for her, Sadie wasn’t sure if she should laugh at him or yell. Taking a moment to get her thoughts in order, the dragoness finally closed the distance, laid her hand on his shoulder, and looked deep into his turbulent cobalt eyes.
Running her fingertips along the strong line of his jaw, she smiled, “There is no denying that you are all male.” She waggled her eyebrows to lighten his disposition. Her smile widened when he grinned just a bit. “But we are in this together.” She dug her nails through his goatee, watching her mate’s pupils dilate as she continued, “Look, I tried to fight it, deny it, and run away from it, but I finally had to accept the fact that you are my mate. We are destined to be.” She let the hand that was touching his face fall to his other shoulder and leveled her gaze. “But if this is to work, we have to be a team. I am dragon. I am a princess. I have been trained to lead a clan since I took my first breath.”
Orion slowly nodded as she went on, “We have to be true partners. You cannot treat me like a little vibria just learning to flap her wings. I fight beside you, sword in hand, slaying our enemies just as you will do, or we end this now. We rule our clan together. We make all decisions as one. And if we disagree, which I have no doubt we will, often,” she chuckled, “we compromise. We are…”
Orion’s lips slammed to hers. All thought, not to mention her words, were obliterated as he opened not only his mind, but also his heart and soul completely to her. She felt the strength of his commitment combined with the love and adoration both man and dragon had for her and her dragoness growing by leaps and bounds. But most of all, she saw and felt his respect and unconditional belief in her and all that she stood for. And it was then Sadie knew beyond all doubt that this man, this dragon, would not only be her partner but support her in all things…just as she would do for him.
Pulling back from their kiss, breathless and starry-eyed, Sadie grinned. “Does that mean you agree?”
Barking with laughter as he hugged her close, she felt the rumble of her mate’s chest as he readily agreed, “Oh yes, Sadie, my love, I concur most wholeheartedly.” Leaning back, he waited until she looked up at him and then added, “And when those old insecurities and doubts come calling, because they will, trust someone who knows, all you have to do is tell me and I will be there to reassure you, love you, and remind you that there is no one in all the world who loves and adores you as I do.”
Holding back her tears of joy, Sadie could only nod. Pulling back, she cleared her throat, blew out a breath, and quietly murmured, “Thank you and…” She looked back up only to find him staring down at her. Taking yet another deep breath, she whispered the words that scared her most of all. “And I love you.”
Orion’s hands gently cupped her cheek and it was then she saw the unshed tears in his eyes as he smiled sweetly and said, “Oh, Sadie, my beautiful, beautiful dragoness, I love you more than I ever dreamed possible.” Laying his lips to hers, the couple confirmed with their kiss the true depth of their love and commitment.
Several long, glorious moments later, Sadie ended their kiss with a happy sigh and patting Orion’s shoulder, said, “Ok
ay, we have put this off long enough. Lean on me and let’s get out of this horrible hole in the ground.”
“Lead on, my princess, lead on.”
It took almost ten minutes for Sadie to help Orion out of Karura’s lair. Several times along their slow journey up those seventy-five steps, she thought about just picking him up and carrying him out, but then realized what a tremendous disrespect that would be to her mate. Not to mention that if he did that to her, she would be ready to kill him. So, she walked beside him, supported him when he needed, and stood by and let him do it on his own when he needed that too, just as she had said she would do. It was a big step for the dragoness and one that filled her with more joy than she had ever known.
Breathing in the fresh, crisp air of a new day, their freedom and an enemy conquered, the couple sat under the same tree where they had consummated their love less than a week before. Sitting between Orion’s legs, wrapped in the warmth and security of his strong arms, the strong, steady beat of his heart matching hers where her back touched his chest, Sadie’s eyes had just begun to get heavy when the sound of approaching footsteps had her jumping to her feet.
Grabbing her bow from where she’d hidden it before her descent to save her mate, the dragoness placed the arrow, pulled back her arm, and growled, “Show your face, intruder. Show your face now or you die.”
Chapter Twelve
Struggling to his feet, Orion immediately sensed the appearance of one of his own. Slowly turning to Sadie, he laid his hand upon the shaft of her arrow and calmly said, “It is all right, my love.” Then raising his voice so his brother could hear, the Shadow added with a chuckle, “I happen to know the decrepit old dragon approaching.”
Barking with laughter so loud that Orion heard the Assassin before he saw him, Drago yelled, “If I am decrepit then you are ancient.”