by Julia Mills
Screaming in his own mind, Rory knew the end was near. The warmth that seconds ago had spread throughout his veins now felt like the icy fingers of death. Pictures of his family and friends rolled through his single point of vision like a movie of his life, concluding with Claire’s beautiful face right before his body began to shake.
Uncontrollable convulsions racked his lifeless body. More hands than he could count covered his arms, legs, and torso, holding him to the table. Shouts of confusion and fear filled his ears.
“What’s happening?!” Rian shouted.
“Is he still breathing?!” Royce bellowed.
“You will not die!” Niall roared.
“Rory, you stupid son of a bitch. Don’t you dare,” Kell yelled.
“Let me near his heart,” Kayne commanded.
The youngest O’Reilly brother tried to make out the rest but one sound overrode all the others. The sweet, soft sound of his mother’s voice surrounded by the scent of the flowers she’d always grown in her garden...
“It is not your time, my son. Reach deep. Feel the power of our ancestors and of Lugh. Wake the dragon and live.”
No sooner had the words floated across his mind than light as bright as the sun burst into view, setting him ablaze from the inside out. Through the fire he felt tiny pieces of himself knitting back together. The chaos receded. He was able to draw a long, deep breath. His heart slowed to its normal cadence. His body calmed. Floating back to reality, Rory thanked the Heavens, the ancestors, and his mother for his life. A miracle had just occurred. It was something he would never forget. Sentimentality wasn’t his thing but in this case, he couldn’t help himself.
“Mam go raibh maith agat. Mo ghrá thú.”
He didn’t know how but he could feel his mother smiling down on him. With that all done, there was still one task he hadn’t figured out how to achieve – waking his slumbering beast.
As if hearing Rory’s call, a roar exploded through his consciousness. Fire filled his vision. The sparkle of royal blue and iridescent green scales came into view while pushing against the underside of his skin. His muscles flexed as the strength of his beast burst into his every cell. The talons of his dragon elongated, pushing against the nails on his fingers and toes.
White hot dragon magic filled both man and beast, attacking the inky black blobs of poison and chasing them from their system. Rory felt the taint drain from his body. It all happened so quickly he shook his head at all the hours he’d wasted lying helpless, but there was no time for lollygagging. His dragon roared again. This time more forcefully and infinitely more commanding. He was awake and demanding to see their mate.
Calm down tiger. I gotta get us off this table first.
Another roar, another flash of fire, and a chuff of impatience was all the preparation Rory got as an influx of power and endorphins flooded his system. The old boy meant business. The Guardsman’s eyes popped open. He gasped a huge breath of antiseptic clinic air and sprang into a sitting position, chuckling. “I hear y’all are planning a war without me.”
Stunned silence and shocked looks was the ‘welcome back to life’ he got. For three full seconds Rory stared at his friends and family as they tried to come to terms with his miraculous recovery. Along with his health had come his enhanced senses. He could hear their thoughts of disbelieve. Feel their hope that they weren’t dreaming or imagining that he was really sitting up and speaking.
Tired of waiting, Rory did the only thing he could think of to ease their fears...he cracked another joke. “Did you ever hear the one about the dumbass dragon who was bitten by a hellhound?”
Chapter Five
After the initial shock wore off, everyone had a good laugh. Rory must’ve answered the question, “you could really hear everything that was going on around you?” a hundred times. It seemed his brethren weren’t as cool with their touchy-feelies as they tried to act.
Yep! I’ve got enough ammunition for years of the best jokes ever.
After Niall shooed everyone out of the clinic, it took several hours before the old Healer and Calysta would deem Rory ready to reenter society. They were concerned about the huge red handprint Kayne had left on his chest while healing Rory with the power of the Sun or Lugh or whatever the hell it was. It seemed the demi-god didn’t know his own strength. The youngest O’Reilly brother tried to be upset about his new ‘tattoo’, which by the way, was over his heart and just under the head of his dragon marking, which took up the better part of his chest. But since it had saved his life he figured he could live with it.
Kayne apologized over and over. Rory laughed out loud at the look of surprise on the demi-god’s face when he said, “Instinct just took over. I had no clue what was happening. One minute you were convulsing and the next I was reaching for your heart. Guess dear old Dad really wanted you to meet Claire. She always has been his favorite.”
There’s a story there I’m gonna need to hear later...
As the Elder Healer and Grand Priestess checked him over from head to toe and inside and out more times than he was entirely comfortable with, Rory reached through their mating bond in an attempt to contact Claire. It surprised him how comfortable it felt; almost second nature to share his heart and soul with her. His dragon chuffed in agreement, adding to the power of their bond.
I swear if Slade has touched a hair on her gorgeous head I will make sure he dies slowly and very, very painfully.
“Are you sure you don’t have a headache? Any dizziness? Do you see or feel any residual hellhound toxin?” Calysta asked for literally the tenth time.
“Nope. Nothing. I seriously feel better than ever.” Rory tried not to sound irritated but all he could think of, besides Claire, was a shower and to change into his own clothes. Not to mention he was more than ready to kick some griffin ass and get his mate.
“I’m not surprised. I can feel how strong your dragon has become. Seems like Kayne’s jolt of power supercharged you both.” Niall was smiling but Rory could still hear skepticism in his voice.
“What are you not saying, Niall?”
“Nothing, not really. I just have no clue what, if any, side effects come from a jolt of god power. Be careful. Any sign of anything strange or unusual, please give me a call, or better yet, come find me.” Niall’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“You mean stranger than finding out I really do have a mate and she’s a phoenix, which by the way I never really believed existed. Oh, and let’s not forget that she was kidnapped before I even met her and we need to go save her because she was kidnapped while coming to save me.” He chuckled. “If anything stranger than that happens, you’ll be the first person I call, Niall.”
Looking like the surrogate father he’d always been, Niall raised his eyebrows and said, “You know exactly what I mean and don’t think I can’t or won’t still turn you over my knee if need be.”
Rory burst out laughing at the mental image of Niall punishing him. Not that he doubted the elderly dragon would try, it was just that Rory was a good six inches taller and outweighed the healer by at least sixty pounds of muscle.
Throwing his hands in front of him in a sign of surrender, Rory joked, “I got it. I’ll call if anything feels off. Now, can I please get the hell outta dodge.”
Attempting to hold back a grin and failing miserably, Niall chuckled, “Get out of here, you pain in the tail.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Rory turned on his heel, grabbed a hug from Calysta, and headed for the door hollering, “Thank you,” over his shoulder.
Running all the way home, simply enjoying the fresh air and sunshine he had been so sure he’d never see again, Rory raced in his house, straight up the stairs, and into the shower. The first of splash of warm, clean water on his skin was awesome as he stood under the spray and once again reached out to Claire.
Thick, dark fog and hazy, out-of-focus images straight out of the old B horror movies Declan liked to watch filled their link. Pushing throug
h her dreams, the cloying sweetness of medicinal herbs assaulted his senses. It suddenly all made sense. Slade was keeping Claire drugged to keep her from escaping. The strange mixture of aromatic plants was extremely strong. Just the scent of it had his dragon growling a warning, blowing smoke, and pawing at the ground.
Claire was right and truly pissed as well. Searching for its fire, her phoenix was unable to connect. From his own experience he knew it was the herbs and also knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that was Malick’s motivation for using them. Rory had little to no knowledge of the capabilities of a phoenix, but if the images of charred griffins and burning buildings floating through his mate’s mind were any indication of what she could do, he couldn’t wait to see her in action.
Claire? Can you hear me, mo banphrionsa fiery?
A flood of confusion and frustration was the only answer Rory received. He could feel her struggling against the sedatives and pushed pure, white, dragon magic through their bond. His dragon chuffed, pushing hard against the containment of the Guardsman’s mind.
Niall hadn’t been kidding when he said his beast was stronger since Kayne’s healing. Thankfully, Rory had been on the receiving end of that jolt of power too or he had no doubts the dragon would’ve already pushed free and taken to the skies to save their mate.
Listening to the gentle beat of his phoenix’s heart as he washed the last remnants of herbs, clinic smell, and hellhound poison from his body, Rory realized his heart had slowed to match the rhythm of hers. He couldn’t help but smile. Their bodies were already coming into sync. It pleased him more than he could’ve ever imagined.
Stepping out of the shower and toweling off, he looked in the mirror, not surprised the see a goofy smile underneath five days of stubble. It was the same sappy grin he’d seen on each of his brothers’ faces after meeting their mates. Shaking his head, he laughed out loud as he grabbed his shaving cream and razor. “I’m never gonna live this shit down.”
“No, you’re not.” Royce chuckled.
“Holy sh... You sacred the crap outta me.”
“Off your game, little brother? Or was your mind somewhere else?” Roy leaned against the doorframe, grinning like the cat that ate the canary.
Deciding it was easier to just fess up, Rory laughed as he spread shaving cream on his face. “Yeah, I was a little distracted.”
“Mates’ll do that to ya’. Kell...” Roy’s words were cut off by the sounds of breaking glass and a booming ‘son of a bitch’, closely followed by a familiar feminine giggle that sounded like a schoolgirl, and “Glad it was you and not me,” coming from the kitchen.
Shaking his head and trying so hard to hold in his chuckle that his shoulder bounced up and down, Royce finally finished his sentence. “As I was about to say, Kell and Kyra are in the kitchen making you something to eat. I was supposed to keep you busy until they were ready.”
Before Rory could answer, Kell yelled, “Sorry about the plates, Ror.”
And Kyra added, “It was Kellan, not me,” just before barking out a laugh.
“No worries,” Rory called back before finishing his shave.
He could tell Royce had something he wanted to say, something that was obviously weighing on him. Even if they hadn’t been brothers and linked so tightly, they almost always knew what the other was thinking. His older brother’s pacing around the room behind him was a dead giveaway.
Needing to have clothes on before a serious discussion, Rory made his way to the closet. Without looking, he grabbed his favorite pair of tattered jeans and old blue T-shirt. It took less than two minutes for him to throw them on before returning to his bedroom to find Roy staring out the window.
Walking across the room, Rory stepped up to the window and mimicked his big brother’s actions. He could hear the grandfather clock in the hall tick away one minute then another and another before Royce finally spoke.
“I thought we’d lost you.”
His older brother shifted from one foot to the other and uncrossed his arms. “For the first time in a long time, I couldn’t feel you.” He paused and took a deep breath. “It wasn’t like when Rian cut our connection so he could hide out in the woods. This was different. There was just nothing...not an echo...not a shadow...just dead air...” Royce cleared his throat, widened his stance a bit more, and let his head fall forward before he finally added, “...like when dad was gone.”
And there it was. The real reason Roy was freaked out. Rory could relate but knew Ronin’s choice to leave the clan and die alone had been the hardest for Royce. The middle O’Reilly son had always been the closest to their father. The most like him in so many ways and the most devastated when he joined their mother and sister in the Heavens.
Laying his hand on Royce’s shoulder, Rory let the love and comradery he felt for his brother flow between them. Starting with a heartfelt response but ending with his trademark joke, Rory said, “I know bro, I know. But I’m still here and kicking. You can’t get rid of me that easy.”
“If anyone ever asks, I’ll never admit to saying this, but thank the Heavens you’re still around, little brother. Life would be seriously boring without you.” Royce looked up and Rory could see the honesty in his middle brother’s words but couldn’t resist the urge to give him a hard time.
Turning and diving for the bed where his belongings were still in the plastic bag from the clinic, Rory teased, “Oh hell, no! Let me grab my phone. Can you say that again? I’m recording that shit and playing it the next time everyone’s watching football.”
The brothers howled with laughter as the sounds of more visitors arriving drifted from below. “Sounds like the gang’s all here,” Roy called over his shoulder as he headed for the door.
“Speaking of the gang, where’s Liam and Hannah and Drago and Alicia?” Rory asked as he followed his brother out of the room.
“Liam and all the McKennons are at my house across the pond, Drago and Alicia, too. They all went home with Lance and Sam. After rescuing the Assassin, a trip to Hell, and bringing Kayne back, besides missing the hell outta Melanie, Sarah Beth and the girls needed a vacation. So when Kyndel invited them over, it seemed perfect. Kyra is thrilled to have someone at our house who knows how to take care of her plants and it also gives her more time with her mom.”
“Cool, I just wanted to make sure everyone was okay. I thought we all made it home safe and sound but ya’ never know with this crew.”
“What was that about ‘this crew’?” Rian asked with his arm around Audrey and a goofy grin on his face.
With any luck that’ll be me in a few short hours...
“I was just taking attendance.” Rory winked at his oldest brother then leaned down to hug Audrey. “And how the hell are you? Sorry, it’s taken me so long to get around to a proper introduction.”
Kissing his cheek and whispering, “Thank you,” in his ear before leaning back into Rian’s arm, Audrey said, “I’m glad to see you up and about. I was worried.”
He could hear the teasing in her voice and appreciated the gleam in her eye. Audrey was perfect for Rian. So much so that Rory decided to give them a little respite before merciless embarrassment for at least a day or two.
“Ya’ got lucky there, bro. She’s a keeper,” Rory spoke directly into his oldest brother’s mind, not even bothering to shield their conversation from Audrey.
“Don’t I know it,” Rian answered while placing a kiss on the top of Audrey’s head.
“I’m thinking I did pretty well myself,” Audrey added with a chuckle.
Rory threw back his head and roared with laughter at Audrey’s cheeky response just as Kellan appeared at his side with a beer in his hand.
“Thanks, Kell.” Taking a long draw on his Tennant’s Super, Rory added, “Just what the doctor ordered.”
“I have no recollection whatsoever of telling you to drink beer,” Calysta teased as she tried to keep from smiling while poking him in the shoulder.
“Are you sure?” The youngest O’
Reilly brother chuckled, hugging and thanking her again for all she’d done to help him.
Making his way to the kitchen, Rory thanked everybody and took a good amount of ribbing from his brethren for getting bit and ‘lying about for four days’ before he finally made it to Kyra and the food. “Hey sis, what’s up?”
Sneaking a chicken wing and scarfing it down while the little witch’s back was turned, Rory almost spit out his food when Kyra said, “Don’t think I’m fooled Rory O’Reilly. I know you’re just here for the food...and I saw that,” as she was pulling platters of food out of his refrigerator.
Struggling to swallow and ignoring Kyra as she slapped at his hands while he reached over her shoulder to grab a sandwich, he asked, “When the hell did you have time to make all these goodies?”
“Mom and Audrey helped and if you promise not to give them a hard time, I’ll let you in on a little secret.”
Nodding with his mouth full, Rory winked as Kyra added, “All of this was Kell’s idea. He and Lenn made almost everything but the chicken wings and pizza. Well, and Mom’s famous chocolate cake, Audrey’s apple pie, and my peach cobbler.”
“Damn, those boys have skills,” he grinned as he grabbed a piece of pepperoni pizza and swerved just in time to miss Kyra’s elbow as it was headed for his midsection.
“Stop eating all the food,” she growled, opening the last pizza box and swatting him with a kitchen towel. Leaning closer, she asked conspiratorially, “Roy talk to you?”
“Yes, he did,” Royce answered from just behind Rory’s shoulder. “And I’ll thank you to not be telling secrets with my brother, mate.”
“Busted!” Rory teased as he scooted out from between his brother and the little witch.
“Don’t you ‘mate’ me, Royce O’Reilly,” Kyra growled in a low grumbly voice, imitating her mate.
Leaving them alone, Rory headed back into the family room and announced, “Y’all better get in there before Roy eats all the food.”