by Julia Mills
In the blink of an eye everything changed. Andrew pulled Kyndel’s head back, preparing to pull the knife across her neck. Devon looked at Royce who was standing on Rayne’s right and winked. Andrew was so focused on making sure Rayne was watching as he held his mate that missed the signals between brethren. Rayne knew to trust his brothers in arms, he focused completely on Kyndel, keeping Andrew from realizing what was happening right over his head.
Devon launched himself at Andrew’s head, Royce threw his considerable girth at Andrew’s side, effectively loosening the hand holding the knife and knocking him right into Devon’s falling body. What no one had planned on was that the force of Royce hitting Andrew in the side coupled with his hand in Kyndel’s hair would throw her into the air and she would land with a crunch against the rocks.
Rayne rushed to her side. He ran his hands all over her body, feeling for any broken bones or serious injuries. He was afraid to pick her up but longed to hold her and make sure she was going to be alright. He had no idea how hard her head had struck the rock but from the sound of it he knew she was in pain. He placed his hand on her forehead and slowly began to feel every inch of her head for injury. He stared at her gorgeous face, watching for any signs of pain, praying her beautiful emerald eyes would open. As he reached the underside of her head, he felt the warm stickiness of blood.
“Royce, get your ass over here! Let the others handle that lunatic. Kyndel's hurt!”
Rayne was hunched over his fallen mate as Royce rushed to them, “Commander, you have to move back. I need to take a look at the wound.”
Rayne moved around to the other side of Kyndel. There was no way he was moving farther than that. His place was right by her side. He would be there when she opened those beautiful eyes. She would see only him. He had to touch her, had to know she was still breathing. She had told him she would kick his ass if he died. Well, he was going to punish her for making him worry, but first she needed to wake up. He watched patiently as Royce bandaged her head. He prayed harder than he ever had.
“She has to be ok, Royce. Do whatever you have to but she has to be ok.”
“I believe she will be fine. I have her wound wrapped and the bleeding has slowed considerably. You need to get her to the lair. The Healer will be able to stitch her wound and make sure there is nothing I am missing. The laceration is not that long or deep, the best I can tell. Head wounds bleed more than any other so it looks worse than it is. It’s the way she hit that rock that I want Siobhan to look at.”
He could feel Royce’s worry for both of them. The older dragon shifter was a strong empath, so he was sure to know that Rayne was holding onto his sanity by the thinnest of threads thus the very formal and professional manner he was speaking to him with regards to his mate. He would focus on getting Kyndel back to the lair, she was all that mattered. “Lance, I need you and Devon to construct a makeshift stretcher that I can secure Kyndel to. I need to fly her back to the lair. We have blankets and ties in the med kit. Do what you have to do. I want to take off in less than fifteen minutes.”
He turned his head to find the twins on either side of their brother. “Aidan and Aaron, is the traitor secure?” He had to make sure they were seeing their brother’s crimes and not the young boy they had raised. It may be harsh but it would benefit them in the long run. Andrew would be judged at the Tribunal for his crimes against dragon kind and more importantly his mate. If they could remember the crimes their brother had committed against their kin, they would not have to suffer his loss a second time.
“Yes, Commander, he's secure. I’ll carry him in my talon and Aidan will fly beside.” Aaron answered. Rayne could feel the pure fury rolling off of him.
Aidan was obviously still in shock. Rayne knew his mind had to be on overload. He had been the first to see Aidan the night they thought they had lost Andrew. He had been inconsolable. Rayne had taken him to the healers and they’d finally had to sedate him. It took weeks before Aidan would speak and even longer before he let his dragon fly. All these years later they still took turns checking on him. Aidan had told the absolute truth when he said he lived with the loss of his brother every day. Gone was the happy go lucky trickster that had played pranks on all of them along with Lance. What was left was a hollow shell of the man they had all known for almost a century.
Rayne looked around at his Force, the men he was the closest to, closer than any blood relatives could ever be. They had been through too many battles to count, had nursed each other’s wounds, buried their dead together. These men had been there when his father had fallen and had helped care for his mother until she had ultimately followed his father into the heavens. They were all wounded from tonight’s battle but they were at the ready to assist him in caring for his injured mate. He would forever be indebted to these men.
Lance jerked him from his thoughts when he yelled, “I have the gurney ready, Commander.”
“Good, let’s get her in it.”
Lance and Royce helped him for what seemed like an eternity getting Kyndel strapped in and secure. He had never witnessed his brethren be so gentle and caring. Everyone knew there could be no mistakes. Royce gave her an injection of herbs he knew were safe for her ensuring she did not wake while they were in flight. It wouldn’t be good for her first glimpse of her mate in dragon form to be while she was strapped to a gurney flying high in the sky.
“I will call forth my dragon. Lance and Royce secure the straps of the stretcher around my third and forth toe that way once I take flight I can wrap my talons around her like a cage.”
Rayne looked at his mate hurt and bleeding, wrapped like a mummy, secured to a makeshift backboard and sighed. He felt a pain in his heart a hundred times worse than any pain from any battle wound he had ever received.
“She will be ok, Rayne. In a day or two she'll be kicking all our asses and taking names.” Lance squeezed his shoulder.
Rayne turned and walked as far from his mate as possible and called his beast. Lance and Royce were right there with Kyndel. He lifted his paw and the men secured his beautiful mate for the flight to the lair. She would be alright, she had to be alright. He would accept nothing less. With that last thought, he took to the air leaving his men to dispose of the bodies and bring the traitor home.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lance and Royce burned all the dead bodies and readied themselves to return home. Lance worried over the toll he saw all of this was taking on Aidan. The man hadn’t been the same since he believed his brother to be dead and now, to know that Andrew had betrayed them all, seemed to take away whatever life he had left. He looked lost and broken, not something that would bode well for the man or his dragon.
Lance strode to where the twins were sitting. The anger rolling off Aaron almost overrode the pain coming from Aidan. “You guys all set for the trip back?”
“Yes,” Aaron hissed through gritted teeth. Lance tensed at the heat in his voice but really couldn’t blame the guy.
“Anything I can do to help?” Lance put his hand on Aaron’s shoulder and squeezed, showing him he was there if he needed him.
Aaron shrugged off his hand and glared, “This is my mess to clean up, Lance.”
“Look, Air, I know this sucks,” Lance tried to use the nickname from their childhood to lessen the hostility, “We’re all here for you. You guys don’t have to go through this alone.”
“I said I would take care of it,” he hissed. “They’re my brothers, no matter how fucked up they may be and I’ll handle this. Now do what the Commander told you to do for once and butt the hell out.”
Lance knew Aaron was just lashing out but damn that stung. He walked towards Royce, who was waiting to transform. “You know he’s just pissed because it’s easier than all the other things he could be feeling right now.” The big guy was always trying to keep the peace.
“Yea, I know,” Lance chuckled sarcastically, “Who would’ve thought I’d be the touchy-feely one this time? Isn’t that your job, big guy?”<
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“Whatever, asshole,” Royce slugged him in the arm. At least they could act like things were going to be ok but Lance was sure this was just the beginning of the shit storm.
With everything loaded, Lance and Royce went to the farthest edge and called forth their dragons. Lance knew Aaron would make sure he and his brothers got back to the lair but the Universe only knew what would happen after that.
CHAPTER TEN
Andrew knew they were taking him back to the lair. He knew he would face charges of treason and be brought to trial before the Tribunal. He had not survived all the abuse and torture of the wizards and then dealt with the idiot hunters for all these years to be put to death by the exact people that had failed him. He had to think fast. His brother Aaron wouldn’t even look at him. The fury rolling off of him was enough to suffocate anyone within a ten mile radius. He had secured his arms and legs with silver chains, the only thing that could contain a dragon shifter.
Aidan just sat there looking at nothing out of glazed eyes. He guessed he should feel sorry for all that his brother had been through but why the hell should he care? For days, weeks, months, he had lain in that dungeon, sure his real brothers and those he had thought of as brothers, would come for him. He just knew his brother would be able to feel that he still lived and would rescue him, but no one came.
Months he had lain there starving, his dragon clawing to get out. He had called out in mind speak of their kin until his head throbbed and his vision blurred. Finally he had given into the madness. When he resolved that all hope of rescue was lost, he began to plan his survival and plot his revenge.
First, he had to convince the wizards they had broken him, make them believe he would do whatever they wanted. He played the part masterfully and those fools had bought his deception without a second thought. They were so focused on the spell to combine his power with the blood of the mage that had transferred the original dragons to their chosen; they paid little attention to him except to keep him clothed in silver chain mail to subdue his dragon magic. The pain was a small price to pay to be privy to their plans and learn magic he never knew existed.
He showed no resistance and slowly they lowered their guard around him. It was as though they forgot who he was. One day a young wizard had been sent to bring him his food and prepare him for another ritual to siphon more of his dragon magic. The wizard actually sat down and started to talk to him. He asked about Andrew’s past and told him of his. The young wizard relaxed. Andrew felt the magic they all used as protection when in his presence, slip away. That one moment of trusting naivety had cost the young man and ultimately all those of his coven their lives.
He took the opportunity to shed the chain mail and don the dead practitioner’s robe. He stole through their stronghold and joined the ritual already in progress. Because he was so much taller than the one that now lay dead in his cell he received many weird looks but no one dared to question him. He could recite the verses from memory after being present for so many of their rites. He chanted along while his dragon magic strengthened and flowed through him, fed by his anger and need to make the wizards pay for what they had done to him.
It came the time in their ceremony for his dragon magic. They looked for the young wizard. One of the elders headed for the door leading to his quarters. He threw the dead wizard’s robe off, letting his magic free with all the force of a Dragon Guardsman but this time fueled by hate and rage, as well as tainted by the black magic of the wizards’ rituals.
He turned their magic against them. The skin was torn from their bodies, their muscles melted from their bones and all the while he stood and watched. He had relished their screams of terror and pain. It fed the hatred that had taken up residence in his soul. There was nothing left of the noble, chivalrous Dragon Guardsman he had once been. He knew in that moment he had to destroy the Dragon Guard, the men with whom he shared a blood oath, each having sworn their fealty to the other. It was all lies. Everything he had been fed from a small child was bullshit and the only way to make the pain and torture he had endured not be in vain would be to watch them die, as well. But first he would settle his score with the hunters. He learned from the young wizard that the hunters had been instrumental in his capture, so they also had to pay.
He was shaken from his memories when Aaron yanked him up by his arms nearly dislocating his shoulders. “You’ll ride back to the clan with me. I’ll carry you in my paw. You try anything stupid and I promise I’ll run you through with my talon.” His older brother looked him square in the eye. All he found in those cobalt blue orbs was hate and anger. “No one would hold it against me. You are a pitiful waste of space. Had Rayne not ordered you taken before the Elders, I would end you myself.”
“Sorry to be a disappointment to the family, brother.” Andrew met his brother’s eyes and sneered.
“Don’t push your luck, asshole and don’t ever refer to me as your brother again. What you suffered is tragic but what you did after you were free is unconscionable. You could’ve come home. We would’ve helped you heal and handle those responsible for your torture but instead you chose revenge and now it will be the death of you.”
With no warning except the feel of magic in the air, Aaron called forth his dragon and grabbed Andrew. He tipped his large head to Aidan and in an instant there were two silver dragons looking out over the ledge preparing to return him to the clan he had renounced, to die.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
With a single flap of his wings Aaron was airborne. He looked over his shoulder and saw Aidan rising into the air as well. He straightened his long neck and turned towards the direction of the lair, dreading the return and the shame he felt on so many levels. He was flying along on autopilot, replaying the events of the day. Lost in his thoughts, he totally missed Andrew moving within his paw. It wasn’t until he felt something pierce the skin between his toes, one of the most sensitive places on a dragon, that he realized his younger brother was not giving up without a fight and he had been caught unawares.
Instinctively his paw flew open from the pain and Andrew fell from his grasp. Aaron called to Aidan. Together they turned and dove, trying to catch their brother. All thoughts of his treacherous acts were forgotten as they raced to catch him before he hit the rocks below.
Aaron watched as Aidan reached their falling brother first and maneuvered himself underneath trying to force Andrew to land safely on his back. Of course, Andrew refused to cooperate even when they were trying to save his worthless life. As Aidan maneuvered for position, Andrew was straightening and twisting his body in an attempt to completely avoid the dragon’s back. It was as if he wanted to die. Aidan mirrored his brother’s movements in attempt to win the battle. Aaron heard his brother’s thoughts as if they were his own, “He will not die on my watch again!”
Aaron attempted to help Aidan force the man once known as their brother onto his back by extending his wing as far as he could. “Watch out for the ridge ahead!” Aidan called to him just in time.
Aaron shot straight up to avoid hitting the rock formation only a few yards in front of him. He turned his large dragon body to resume the rescue attempt just in time to see both his brothers, one in dragon form the other in human, disappear into a large canyon. When he reached where he had seen them falling, there stood Aidan, in human form, pacing around the bottom of the canyon and his asshole younger brother, the traitor, was nowhere to be seen. He dove, changing forms as he went, landing a few feet from his brother.
Aidan no longer looked lost and broken. He was right and truly pissed. “That piece of shit doused me with magic and disappeared. Whatever black magic he used caused my wings to freeze and then he just vanished.” He looked ready to rip someone’s head off with his bare hands.
“And the worst thing about it, he was laughing. Laughing right in my face, saying we hadn't seen the last of him. Like he was some fucking comic book villain. What the fuck is he now? How can he just disappear into thin air? That little asshole played u
s for fools and brother or not he’s getting his ass kicked!”
It may not have been the time to smile but Aaron couldn’t stop the grin that broke across his face. “Glad to have you back, bro,” he clapped Aidan on the shoulder. “I can’t sense him anywhere. Let’s get back to the clan and let everyone know what is going on. Whatever’s happened to Andrew has definitely changed him. Heavens know he has more than a few screws loose,” he shrugged more to lessen some of the tension than anything else. “He’s not going to stop and we have to be ready for whatever and whoever he brings against us next. Maybe the Elders know how to track him even with his use of black magic.”
Aidan agreed. They both called forth their dragons and took to the skies heading towards their lair. Aaron knew Aidan was kicking his own ass for all the time he had wasted lamenting the death of their brother and on some level he was sure he still blamed himself for not being able to protect Andrew. He knew it sucked for all of them but there could be no further mistakes. Andrew may still breathe but as far as Aaron was concerned his brother was dead!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Andrew stayed hidden behind a large group of rocks not more than two hundred yards from where his brothers stood looking pissed as hell and more than a little silly. It had taken a huge amount of his magical stores to freeze Aidan in flight and that was only for a few seconds. He may be sleeker than most in his dragon form but he still weighed almost 1000 pounds and that was a lot of dragon to hold still. So there he stood, not far from those idiots, enjoying that he had gotten the best of them, the mighty Dragon Guard, his blood. HA! He had tried to get farther away but just didn’t have the magical juice to make it happen. No matter. They were too stupid to look farther than their noses. He had learned to mask his scent, along with all his other newly developed talents, and still had some of his dragon senses so he could hear everything they were saying.
They were right to prepare for what he had coming next. He had spent a lot of time planning his revenge and no matter how long it took or how many attempts he had to deploy, he would get those bastards. They should fear him, he was so much more than they could ever imagine and he was going to make them pay.