Heart of the Dragon (The Lost Royals Saga Book 3)

by Rachel Jonas

  A sound behind us made my ears perk. Dallas didn’t hear it, but I was sure someone was out there.

  I stopped, turned, and felt my heart skip a beat when not one, but seven tall figures emerged from the trees. Tapping Dallas’ arm, I was grinning from ear to ear. Nick returned, but not alone. He brought Lucas, Chris, Beth, and all three of his brothers. Our odds had just increased tenfold.

  “You came back,” I choked out, only now letting myself feel the despair of what it would have meant for us if he hadn’t.

  “I gave you my word,” he reminded me.

  I nodded, letting it sink in that that still meant something. His word.

  Richie stepped up beside his brothers and aimed a thumb behind his shoulder. “We’ve got a couple trucks, loaded them with a few supplies and a ton of food for the ride,” he added, making my heart swell even more the next second. “And … thank you. For what you did for our brother.”

  Words of appreciation echoed among the group following Richie’s words.

  “We all thank you for that,” Chris chimed in.

  “Agreed,” Lucas added.

  “We’re gonna help you get him back, Evie.” My eyes lifted toward Nick when he spoke again. There was a sincerity in his gaze that I felt in my soul. “I won’t let you lose anyone else.”

  Dallas squeezed me around my shoulders and Beth clutched my hand. I looked around at all of them, these people who stepped forward when they owed me nothing … I was moved beyond words. It was impossible to say if we stood any chance against the Sovereign and his army, but we had something they didn’t have.

  Heart.

  And as for me, I was the most determined, willing to rush in with guns blazing because, as long as Liam was in danger, as long as I didn’t have him … there was nothing left to lose.

  *****

  We’d driven all night. Eight hours, to be exact. No one complained about bathroom breaks or stretching their legs, because the seven who chose to follow me into certain chaos understood time was of the essence.

  We parked and waited for the vehicle ferry in the small town of Charlevoix. It would carry us across Lake Michigan to the Upper Peninsula, and from there, it’d be a rough trek inland once we’d inevitably have to abandon the trucks to ascend Mount Arvon.

  And, hopefully, find Liam.

  Beth and I sat at the water’s edge, watching gentle waves lap against the dock. A lavender and coral sky had begun to replace dark blue as light flurries were blown from tree branches with each gust of wind. It would have been such a stunning sight, but here I sat, unmoved by the beauty surrounding me. It did nothing to lift my spirits as we waited, as we wasted precious minutes just … sitting here.

  “I’m gonna grab something to drink. Want anything?” Beth asked, her tone reflecting every ounce of her concern.

  She’d stuck close since leaving Seaton Falls. Insisting on riding with Dallas and I, she held my hand the entire way, knowing I needed the contact, the reassurance. And now, she was still at my side, being the friend I was desperate for.

  I smiled up at her. It was forced and weak, but it was a smile nonetheless. “No, but you go ahead.”

  It took her a moment to move, that sympathetic stare locked on me. But then, she stood, headed for the store across the lot. Of course, glancing back every few seconds like she feared I’d fall apart the moment she was gone.

  I faced the water again, breathing deep. I still felt Liam. The connection had weakened significantly, but … it was there. Every few minutes or so, I tried to communicate with him, to see through his eyes to get some idea of where he was being held, or what had been done to him, but there was nothing.

  Just darkness.

  It was hard not to think of what he’d gone through when the tables were turned so long ago, when I was the one who’d been taken from him. Every breath was painful, not being able to see or touch him, not knowing if this moment or the next was his last.

  I’d looked into the eyes of the Sovereign, saw the wickedness within his stare. There was malice in his heart toward Liam specifically, and I knew he intended to make good on each and every one of his promises. To torture and maim him until his end.

  Until death.

  My eyes blurred with tears and I blinked them away, focusing on that invisible thread that linked me to him. It was of little comfort, but it was all I had left. He took my place, put his life in the Sovereign’s hands to save mine, and I couldn’t comprehend that kind of bravery, couldn’t grasp how he could sacrifice himself for me.

  Then … I considered this mission, and realized I was willing to do the same.

  Rubbing both palms over my sleeves, embracing myself as I sat in the cold, I tried to keep it together. Crying and falling apart would do nothing but distract me. I had to keep a clear head.

  I prayed Liam had worn the ring from Elise, the one that would be my saving grace should he … should he die before I could get there. It had the same powers as the necklace that’d been used to bring me back, and finding it might be the only hope I had left. However, with how the Sovereign spoke of Liam, like he was some rare, classic car whose parts increased in value with every passing year, I couldn’t say for certain he wouldn’t remove the ring before finishing Liam off, adding it to his own collection, or selling to the highest bidder. There were just so many ways this could go from bad to worse.

  “Mind if I sit?”

  I glanced up at the sound of Nick’s voice and a warm smile came my way, one I thought I’d never welcome again. When I nodded, he settled into the spot Beth had occupied beside me. At first, he just rested there in silence, but eventually spoke, uttering the standard-issue question to ask someone in a situation such as mine.

  “How are you holding up?”

  I wasn’t holding up, was the honest answer, but I had to be brave, had to keep as clear a head as possible.

  “I’m just … anxious to get to him,” was the answer I gave, checking the time again. What felt like hours ticking away had only been a few minutes.

  Nick stared out at the water, thinking to himself before deciding to share out loud.

  “I hope everything’s okay when we get there.”

  I turned to face him, shocked by the kind words. It was no secret Nick and Liam were the polar-opposite of friends, but, as I took in the reflective expression Nick wore, I knew he was being sincere. Even if he only hoped for a favorable outcome for my sake.

  I breathed a soft, “Thank you.”

  He nodded and seemed kind of lost inside his head for a moment. “I know you don’t need my approval or anything like that, but … I get it. This thing between you and him,” he expressed. “I get that it wasn’t really a choice.”

  He was right about that; what I felt for Liam, was more of a need than anything else.

  “That means a lot,” I replied. “And I’m sorry if I hurt you in all this. If I’d realized how strong my bond to him was in the beginning, I would’ve been honest with you. I hope you know that.”

  He nodded again, this time before I even finished speaking. “I know,” he said dismissively, seeming to harbor no ill feelings toward me, no bitterness concerning our past. “The heart has a tendency to do what it wants.”

  I turned again, noting something else behind his expression, something that actually made me smile a little.

  “The heart has a tendency to do what it wants?” I said, teasing him a bit. “And … has your heart finally admitted it wants Roz?”

  At the mention of her name, his cheeks burned red, a sight that made my smile grow even more.

  “It’s … we’re exploring the idea, seeing where things lead,” he confessed, but when I nudged his knee with my own, he shared more. “She’s good for me. I can feel it. And I’ve never met anyone who can be a total sweetheart one minute, and bust my balls the next,” he laughed. “Which I can admit I kind of need.”

  I laughed too, loving how happy he seemed. That was important to me.

  “Have you told her
how you feel yet?”

  That redness spread even more. “Kind of,” he confessed. “Right before I met you at the reservoir.”

  Now I knew what the important thing was he needed to take care of. It was sweet that, the moment he was free, he went to her. It said a lot about how deep his feelings ran.

  “Well, I think it’s great that you two figured things out,” I stated. “She seems pretty cool.”

  “She is,” he agreed.

  We sat quietly for a moment, perhaps both thinking how things had seemingly come full circle.

  “And thank you,” he said next, causing my brow to tense with confusion.

  “For?”

  “Whatever you said to the Elders concerning my mother. You didn’t have to ask them for leniency.” His gaze lowered when adding, “I know she’s responsible for this, responsible for what’s happened to Liam.”

  In truth, I nearly walked out of the Elder’s chamber without so much as a thought for the fate of Mrs. Stokes. It would have been so easy to leave that place and let her face whatever punishment she had coming, but I couldn’t. Not with a clear conscience. She may hold hatred for me I don’t understand, but she’d caused all this because she loved her family fiercely.

  I could relate to that and couldn’t say for sure I wouldn’t have done exactly what she had.

  So, before we left, I made certain they would only detain her until we returned, just in case this was a dead end and we needed more information, something she may have withheld.

  “You’re welcome,” I finally replied.

  Nick looked out on the water again, speaking his next thought aloud.

  “So, this tether thing with you and Liam, how’s it work?”

  I was surprised he asked me to explain. Considering our history, his with Liam. This was proof of how far we’d all come, how much things had changed over the past several months.

  “It’s like … we’re always together. Like we’re always holding hands, always linked,” I clarified. My hand went to the center of my chest as I became more aware of that thread. “I can always feel him.”

  Emotion clenched my throat, but I wouldn’t let it show on my face. The connection was becoming so weak, while it should have been growing stronger as we drew nearer. Something was happening, and I was too afraid to acknowledge what that something was.

  Liam was … dying.

  I was sure of it.

  It was a slow process from what I could tell, but he was slipping away from me.

  My eyes settled on my bracelet, the one that matched his—a physical symbol of vows we made. While I couldn’t remember saying the words, I felt the depth of our commitment at all times.

  I belonged to Liam, and he belonged to me, but our tie stretched far beyond ‘til death do us part’. We remained as one despite my death centuries ago, and I’d honor him with the same commitment.

  Should it come to that.

  I didn’t realize I was crying until Nick pushed a tear aside, and I didn’t realize I needed a hug until he pulled me to his chest. Our differences should have made us mortal enemies, but you never would have guessed it by the friendship we forged.

  It’s funny how things that once seemed so big can be made so small in times like these, when a life is on the line, when someone you love was snatched away. I’d put so much time and energy into hating Nick after what he did, but now that we were here, it hardly mattered. He was stepping up, being so brave right now, I couldn’t help but to let the last traces of resentment burn away.

  A sight in the distance made me lift my head from his shoulder as excitement filled my heart.

  “The ferry,” I blurted, getting to my feet the next second. Nick stood too, and I signaled to the guys and Beth to get ready. We filed back into the trucks and got in line behind the other vehicles that would be crossing this morning.

  Impatient, my fingers drummed against my thigh until Beth placed her hand on top of mine, calming me only a bit. I glanced at the clock on Liam’s dashboard every few seconds as Dallas sat behind the wheel. This only made time crawl ahead at a snail’s pace. Until now, I’d been hopeful it would slow down, but as we waited to board, it wasn’t moving fast enough.

  My other hand was clutched, and it wasn’t Beth this time. I glanced up at Dallas to find a gentle glare trained on me.

  “We’ll find him,” he said reassuringly.

  “Yeah, but … I’d prefer to find him alive,” I countered.

  Dallas hadn’t been there when Sebastian took Liam. He hadn’t seen the gleam in that monster’s eyes as he seized his new prize. It was one I’d never forget as long as I lived.

  The line crept forward and, soon, we were headed across the water—still at a painstakingly slow pace, but at least we were moving, getting closer to our target. However, as we trudged ahead … the tie got weaker. There was a strange sensation within me I couldn’t quite put into words. It was like … I sensed Liam’s light burning out, that flicker of his dragon’s flame within him that connected us. Closing my eyes, I held in another flood of tears. Even if it burned out completely, I’d still trudge ahead. Had to. I wouldn’t believe he was gone unless I saw it with my own eyes. And, if that was the case, this quest would take on a whole new purpose.

  It’d no longer be a rescue mission … my new focus would be to find and kill Sebastian De Vincenzo.

  We departed from the ferry and headed inland as we followed the hand-drawn map with the aid of the GPS on Dallas’ phone. The terrain transitioned from smooth, paved roads to a single lane of dirt and gravel, inclining steeply every so often as we climbed, nearing the highest point of Mount Arvon.

  My heart raced as adrenaline surged. I felt the excess energy building in my hands as the dragon within sprung to life, readying herself to do whatever it took to find and rescue Liam. She, like I, was frantic without him.

  He told me once that I was never to run toward danger. Not even for him. He intended to spark an inward sense of self-preservation I seemed to be lacking at the time, but it never took. When it came to him, there was no task too great, no stretch of land treacherous enough to keep me from crossing it. He had to know his command would never hold up if his life was on the line.

  The idea of embarking on this journey with Nick being an integral part of the plan would have set Liam ablaze. In his eyes, Nick was my most clear and present enemy. But I didn’t care. As the biggest, strongest lycan I’d come across thus far, I needed him. If he was somehow triggered along the way, if he had one of his blackouts and ended up hurting me, I’d have to accept that. But what I could not accept was not doing everything in my power to save Liam.

  Not doing everything in my power to bring him home.

  Dallas’ engine went silent and I watched from the rearview mirror as doors to the vehicles trailing us opened one at a time. The others emerged. We’d gone as far as we could safely on wheels. According to the directions, the Council member whose estate we were in search of wasn’t too far away. Sebastian’s men could be nearby and there was no doubt they were being at least slightly more cautious, considering they were holding a prisoner they deemed so valuable. It’d be too risky to rush their camp with engines roaring, so we moved ahead on foot, watching our surroundings.

  Richie, Kyle, and Ben stepped forward with large, black hiking bags strapped to their backs. I stared, wondering if they misunderstood that we were only about an hour’s trek from the estate, not a day or two. Kyle noticed the inquisitive look I must’ve worn and flashed a grin.

  “You’ll thank us later,” he quipped, and I took his word for it. When he continued past me, I was about ninety-nine-percent sure I heard glass clanking against glass within his bag.

  “Sometimes, you just don’t ask questions,” Beth joked as we moved ahead.

  I’d warned of the witches, how they enabled the army to move through the woods of Seaton Falls undetected, unseen until they were good and ready to be seen. This was where the lycans in our group came in handy. Their sense of
hearing was better than that of a dragon, and even my own as a hybrid. Every time they sensed something amiss, we slowed our pace a bit, waiting to move on once we were given the signal—a single nod from Richie, his pack’s alpha.

  I went over every possible scenario in my head, how we would approach, how we would get past the army, how we’d find Liam with my tether to him now so weak. It all came down to one thing.

  Luck.

  That’s what this endeavor had been reduced to. I couldn’t rely on my senses; they were overwrought with emotion. I couldn’t focus a single thought without it somehow leading to how I wouldn’t be able to move on without him. Inside, I was allowed to be a mess. But on the outside, I had to be the picture of bravery.

  Liam taught me that.

  “The Chancellor’s sure this is where they took him?” Dallas asked.

  The question made me smirk. “We come all this way and now you ask if he was sure?”

  Broad shoulders lifted into the air and Dallas ran a hand through his sand-toned hair. “S’pose it just occurred to me to check.”

  Smiling as we trudged ahead, I nodded. “He was sure enough,” I answered. “And now that we’re close, now that I can feel him, I’m sure.”

  I kept to myself that if Liam were any further away, I wouldn’t be able to sense him at all. The connection was so splotchy.

  “So, we got a plan?” Dallas asked next.

  “As good of a plan as we could come up with on the drive here,” Richie answered. “Evie says there are roughly a hundred of ‘em, and there are nine of us, so … as long as we can each take out twelve or thirteen of his guys, we’ll be okay. It helps that we’ve got the element of surprise on our side.”

  “And Molotov cocktails,” Kyle added with a huge grin, revealing a hint as to what those huge hiking bags they carried contained.

  Bottles of alcohol.

  “Fire’s one of our biggest weaknesses,” he shared. “Figured today would be a good day for Nick and I to see, once and for all, which of us has the better throwing arm.”