Shaking my head. “Perhaps. But if she dies, our human hearts, our humanity, will die with her.”
Rose’s gaze snapped up to meet mine. “What does that mean, Eli?”
I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Let’s just say, Miles and I have been living on borrowed time for centuries. Our father believed in the old magick of the Drakonae and we were bonded heart and soul to Diana when we wed. It makes for a stronger, more powerful bond. We’ve wondered for centuries why the Incanti brothers hadn’t killed her and ended our human lives.”
“You’ll die?” Her eyes widened, genuinely surprised.
“Only our human halves. The dragon will emerge to take its vengeance, killing everything in its path until the lost mate is avenged or the dragon is killed. That’s why there are stories from the Middle Ages of knights fighting dragons in caves.”
I frowned, remembering those dark times. “Those were the fallen, the ones whose humanity was lost when their mates died or were killed. They were cast out of the Veil when Kevan and Leif Incanti seized power.” Several of the fallen had been close family members. There was nothing to be done for them. A full-sized dragon could only hide on earth for so long.
“I had no idea,” Rose uttered.
I shrugged. “You were busy with your own problems. You found us shortly after and we never looked back, knowing they had all four daggers. It was either hide and wait to lose our humanity, or go with you and help as long as we could. We knew if we became like the other fallen, you were powerful enough to kill us.”
“So you never said anything?”
“After centuries passed, we suspected that they’d imprisoned her for whatever reason and didn’t plan to kill her. Then when the Sisters said she would return one day, we allowed a little of our hope to return. Plus, by then we knew Xerxes had one of the keys. Our eyes and ears around the world couldn’t get close to him, though, and he never removed the dagger from his person.”
Rose propped her elbows on the counter and leaned forward. “Just goes to remind me that after all these years, the world still has many secrets.” She sighed and then looked back at me. “I will find someone willing to connect with the Mason wolf pack running the Underground out of Ada. You and Miles have given your lives to help me protect the House of Lamidae. I hope you know I will do everything I can, short of letting you go after her yourselves. Miles just—”
“I know.”
A purple-haired pixie sidled up to Rose’s side and smiled at me. “Y’all done fightin' yet?” Maven spoke gingerly, probably afraid one or both of us would snarl at her.
“We’re good, Maven. Thank you,” Rose answered before I could.
“Good.” Her eyes brightened. “I don’t like it when family fights. Bad auras floating around are downers.” She flicked her wrist toward us and a cloud of iridescent pixie dust filled the air around our faces.
I snorted and stood from my chair. “Maven,” I growled. “I don’t like that stuff.”
“Your auras do. Both of you are already a brighter, cheerful yellow.” Her grin spread wide across her face.
Rose shook her head and smiled before walking into the kitchen.
The pixie turned her attention back to me and I held up a hand. “No more.” I could already feel the first dose seeping into my skin. Its magickal cleansing warmth spread across my skin and I sighed. For a supernatural, pixie dust was like a mega dose of dopamine. Stress would just melt away. “Thank you, Maven.”
The pixie darted from behind the counter and threw her arms around my waist. She was barely five feet tall, but packed a wallop if you pissed her off. I squeezed her shoulders gently and ran my fingers through her silky purple hair. It smelled like spun sugar and felt like the finest Asian silk.
She stepped back and I looked down at her sparkling blue eyes filled with love and compassion. I’d slept with Maven a couple of times over the years. Nothing serious, but we’d become friends. She’d always known my heart was taken.
Touching her hair made me remember Diana’s fine, white-blonde hair and her lilac-scented skin, but I couldn’t remember her face. It’d been so long. Those memories were cloudy. My hands clenched and unclenched. I took a deep breath and frowned.
“Diana is a lucky woman, Miles. Everything will be okay.”
“When she’s safe in Sanctuary, perhaps.” I answered, running my knuckles down Maven’s cheek. “Thank you for saying that, though.”
The bell on the door rang. Travis and Garrett McLennon walked in and nodded to Maven and me. I dropped my hand from her face and moved around them to the door, stepping carefully around the pile of broken glass.
Travis had lived in Sanctuary for years, but his brother, Garrett, had only recently arrived. The two guys said hi to Maven and sat at the counter where Rose and I had been. They proceeded to flirt and tease Maven while she served them each a mug of coffee.
Pulling open the door, I nearly collided with Erick Thorson’s little mate, Bailey Ross, or D’Roth as we found out during her Protector ceremony. Her Caribbean blue eyes sparkled with life and she flashed me a demure smile.
“Eli,” she said, “I’m so excited to hear about Diana. Rose sent me to get Travis and Garrett. She’s sending them to Ada to find out if the Underground has heard about her whereabouts.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Really?” For some reason, I’d assumed she would send one of the Protectors rather than Lycans. The sun-proof vampires could move fast during the day or night, making them nearly invisible to the human eye. Wolves were strong and fast, but no match for a healthy vamp.
“Yes, really. Erick and I offered to go, but one of the Sisters said that the trip would be more productive if Lycans went.”
“Why?”
Bailey pursed her lips.
“Is it because of Astrid’s vision?”
Her blue eyes widened in shock. “How did you know?”
The Sisters always kept them in the loop. They were their first line of defense and privy to everything that happened inside the Castle, whether it was related to something personal or magickal. Arlea, the current Oracle of Lamidae, was beginning to feel her age. The visions of a new Protector were the herald of her passing. I knew we would lose her soon.
“We know everything that happens in the Castle,” I said, rolling my neck to loosen the knot forming at the base. “Especially when it involves the impending loss of a dear friend.”
Bailey nodded and frowned. Her emotions were riding high. She knew Arlea was dying and it was hitting her hard.
“It’s time, Bailey. She has lived a good, long life. She’s ready to rest.”
“I’ve lost so many people. It’s hard to accept. I wish there was something someone could do. There seems to be a spell or magickal something for almost anything in this town.”
Truth be told, there probably was a spell that could save Arlea, but he couldn’t break Bailey’s heart and tell her the old woman was ready to pass on. She’d let go of the visions that would lead them to the next Protector. That was the first step in her ritual to step down as the Oracle of the House of Lamidae.
And Astrid had already picked up that mantle and was wielding it like a pro. She’d had two visions repeatedly over the last week—both about new Protectors. The entire Castle was abuzz with the news. Strangely enough, Astrid wasn’t the only one who’d been having visions. One of Astrid’s nieces had been having visions for several years already, but she was only seven and too young to take on the mantle of Oracle.
The Sisters hadn’t been this excited in centuries. With Bailey taking the fifth place in the spell that would protect them permanently from Xerxes’ advances, two more Protectors located this quickly had everyone’s hopes riding high. Perhaps, just perhaps, the spell to free the Sisters would be completed soon.
“Everything happens for a reason, Bailey. Arlea will live on in our hearts and our minds. Nothing will ever erase her shrill, nasally voice from my memory,” he answered, chuckling. “Or her dry sense of humor.
”
“This is true,” Bailey answered, a hint of a smile turning up the corners of her mouth.
“I know she would enjoy a visit from you.” The suggestion made her cheeks color slightly. She’d gotten better at hiding her emotions. Erick was doing an excellent job training her, but when something was really bothering her, Bailey was an open book.
She nodded and looked away.
He patted her shoulder and left her at the door. The little, gold bell tinkled as he closed the front door and stepped into the nippy, winter air. Yesterday’s rain had shifted the weather and now, instead of a steady southern wind, they were getting the first hint of the frost to come.
Winter wasn’t here yet, but it was coming soon.
CHAPTER NINE
DIANA
“Glad to see your dragon DNA speeds up the healing process,” Eira commented as I followed her down a narrow hallway. “You seem to be moving okay, which is good. The whole pack is about ready to move. We have several guests in tow besides you and need to get on the road, now that it’s dark.”
I wiped my forehead with my forearm and sighed. My arm did feel a lot better, but this fever would be the death of me. And every time a male passed, I had to hold myself back because the beast inside wanted to leap on him. Each one smelled so good—just enough musk and spice to make my legs quiver and my heartbeat race.
By now, I also wished I’d eaten that strange meal Chad had brought earlier. My stomach growled. I had no idea when my last meal had been.
Eira dug in her bag and produced a small, rectangular bar wrapped in paper. “It’s not much, but it should tide you over until I can find you something a little more filling.”
I took it from her and smelled it. The scent of honey and oats came through the paper and my mouth watered. I ripped the wrapper at one end and slid the bar out. It looked like horse feed, but it smelled delicious. There were little chunks of something brown in it that smelled sweeter than the honey. I took a bite and moaned.
“Don’t go making love to the granola bar,” Eira giggled. “We’ll find you a proper man to take care of those needs.”
I took another bite as we rounded a corner. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. The last man that touched me … his hand turned blue. I think I may have frozen it.”
“Note to self. Do not touch D without warning her first.” She pushed open a heavy, steel door and we found ourselves outside under a starry sky.
About fifteen people stood in the group. They were all wearing dark clothes and most of them had on heavy coats. Eira and I were the least-dressed of the entire bunch. Neither of us even wore sleeves.
I leaned closer to her. “Why aren’t you cold like everyone else? Does it have to do with the fact that you have no heartbeat?”
She chuckled. “You noticed that, huh? Yep, I’m a vampire. Blue eyes, fangs.” She flashed some sharp teeth and I gasped in surprise. “Don’t worry. I won’t drink your blood without asking. I was kinda wondering what a dragon might taste like, though.”
I took a step back. “You drink blood? Instead of eat? Are you a demon?”
She turned back to me sharply. “Not that I know of, but I can be bitchy if insulted enough.”
“I apologize.” I did not mean to insult the only person on this earth I considered a friend. “Please forgive me. I’m ignorant of this world and my surprise clouded my judgment.”
She sighed and pointed me toward the right side of the group. “It’s okay. I just need to eat and it will be a while before the group stops and I can hunt. They don’t really like to share with me.”
“Share what?”
“Blood, sweetie. No one in the group fancies getting bitten. But, there are farms along the way, so I’ll find something quietly later on tonight.”
“Strangers just let you drink from them?”
“No, I have to persuade them.”
I decided I really didn’t want to know how she persuaded them. But the fleeting idea of allowing her to drink my blood did cross my mind. I certainly owed her for saving my life out in the woods.
“Does it hurt?”
She paused in mid-step and turned back to me. Her blue eyes were ringed with a tinge of red now. “The bite?”
I nodded.
“A little. But it doesn’t last.” She stared at my neck and then back to my face. “I can’t take the chance, though. But, you’re sweet for even considering it. Your body’s defense system might kick in and deep freeze my face.” She patted her cheeks and smiled. “I like my face just how it is. Frostbite can be a bitch.”
The corners of my lips turned up at her colorful speech. I only understood about half, but I got the general idea. I couldn’t blame her for not wanting to risk it. Still, I felt bad because I really didn’t know how to control the power within me. I knew it was tied to my emotions, for the moment. Hopefully, I would be able to control it better in time.
“Stay in pairs and stay in sight of the pair in front of you,” Charlie’s voice carried across the still chilly air. We will keep a steady jog for as long as D can hold the pace. Then we’ll drop to a walk.”
Eira briefly touched my arm and we headed down the road away from the dark building. There were several pairs ahead of us and several behind. Everyone stayed about fifty paces apart. Strategically, it was smart. If something happened to one pair. The others would have enough time to assess the situation and either help or run.
I prayed to whatever god might be listening to protect us on the journey.
***
Hours passed. At least it felt like hours. My legs felt like lead weights, but I refused to be the reason the group had to stop. My beast needed to figure out a way to keep going for me. All I received was an inner growl and the temperature around me plummeted instantly. The cold air soothed my overheated skin and breathed a new life into my aching limbs.
The ground around Eira and me started to frost over. The pine trees along the edge of the road began to sag under the weight of icicles.
“It’s feeling a lot like Christmas around here all of a sudden. You okay, D?”
“I feel much better now, thank you. My inner dragon is just helping me out a little. What is Christmas?” My heartbeat had slowed and my breathing was even and unlabored. The icy air invigorated me and once again, I was able to keep up with Eira’s long, ground-eating stride. She hadn’t slowed once since we started.
“Oh … well, nobody I know really celebrates it anymore. But technically, Christmas is in five days. It’s an old tradition that humans celebrated. We’ll be on the road still.” She sighed. “I used to really enjoy all the decorations during the Christmas season. That’s mostly what I miss. Anyway, it will take twenty days to get to Ada. We’ll run about eight hours every night and hole up in a hotel during the day. A big group of us traveling together in broad daylight is too suspicious. I have a ring, but I’m still way more comfortable in the dark and so are the wolves. We’re used to living in the shadows.”
“A ring?” That statement hadn’t made sense.
“Vampires can’t go out in the sunlight, unless they have an enchanted bit from a witch to protect them.” She flashed her left hand toward me and I caught the glint of something gold on her first finger. “I’m pretty good pals with a couple of witches in Ada and they hooked me up with this little charm. So no bursting into flames for me.”
“So you would burn in the sunlight?”
She nodded.
“That’s scary.”
“Not when you’ve been dealing with it for over a thousand years. I’ve only had the ring about a hundred. So, darkness and I are still best friends. I’m glad Charlie and the others choose to make their runs at night. It’s harder for the soldiers to track us in small groups on foot. We tried cars for a while, but it attracted too much attention in the towns. Too many video feeds.”
Again with the language barrier. Or time lapse … how long had I been in that cell? “What is a video feed?”
“It’s
a machine that captures a streaming picture.”
I shook my head.
“It’s hard to explain. Just think of it as eyes watching you from far away. I’ll point one out to you when we get into a town. Always avoid looking directly at the cameras. The governments can track you through them and the SECR is a kill-first-don’t-bother-with-questions type of place.”
We crested a hill and I saw a lake on the distant horizon. The road curled back and forth a bit before curving off to the left toward a group of sparkling lights.
“How are the fires so bright from so far away?”
“They aren’t made of fire. It’s electricity. Like the lights in the building where we were.”
“The white torches hanging from the ceiling.”
A soft snicker bubbled from Eira.
It might be funny to her, but it was frustrating to me.
“How old are you, Eira?”
“I’ve lost track. Maybe eleven-hundred.”
My mouth formed a surprised o-shape. “How old do you think I am?”
“From the way you speak, I’d have to guess at least eight- or nine-hundred. You really remind me of England, pre-Norman invasion. Plus that’s when most of the shit went down with the Drakonae taking over in the Veil. It would make sense that your impression of history would end there. But I could be wrong. Usually as most supernaturals age, our speech patterns change to fit where we live.” She took a deep breath. “Makes it easier to move on.”
I wondered who she’d lost, but now didn’t feel like the right time to press her with more questions. Instead, I focused on the road ahead.
A scream from behind jolted me from my thoughts and I almost tumbled to the ground. I still ended up on my bum after Eira pushed me off the road into some shrubs. She was gone from my sight before I could speak.
A loud crack, crack, crack in the distance sounded like the weapons the soldiers had fired at me in the town. My shoulder ached at the memory, but the beast within wanted me to stand up and fight. Something told me cowering behind plants was not typically my response. It had certainly gotten me out of that prison tower safely and then again in the town.
My Dragon Masters Page 5