Dragon Wish

by Judith Leger

  continued. He tilted too far out. With nothing to stop him, he

  fell over the side of the airship. Several hundred feet

  separated him from the sea below.

  Seren’s scream trailed after him.

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  Chapter Thirteen

  Nauseated at the horror of him falling off the ship, Seren

  struggled against the clawed talons that clutched her wrists

  and ankles. Tears blinded her. Sharp pains cut across her

  chest, pressing in on her. She screamed Paladin’s name. No,

  he couldn’t die, not now, not when she had just found him.

  Her son’s words echoed in her mind.

  He is expendable.

  “No, not here. It’s not supposed to happen here. I won’t

  lose him,” she cried.

  The dracs still aboard the ship dove over the sides

  whirling around him. Hope that they would help him

  brought her struggles to a brief halt. She cried out for them

  to help him, but they snapped and slashed their claws at him.

  His body jerked once. A glow started to emanate from his

  entire form. The dracs which had flown after him, separated

  and swept after the ones holding her.

  Paladin stopped mid-air.

  She watched, mesmerized at the sight of him stationery

  between the ship and the water. One fleeting second of

  amazement blinked in her thoughts.

  The dracs holding her increased their speed, the beat of

  their wings vibrating through her body.

  Paladin threw his arms out to his sides. Wings sprouted

  from his back.

  The wings on Paladin’s shoulder blades unfurled,

  sweeping back and forth for a moment. In the next second,

  swords still held in his hands, he flew after her.

  Seren giggled hysterically. She shook her head, trying to

  deny what she’d seen. Leo called to her, reassuring her. Help

  calm her down? What was Leo thinking? The father of her

  child, the one she believed was falling to his death just had

  wings pop out on his back. What wonderland had she landed

  in? She ignored Leo and started to struggle again, hoping to

  slow the creatures down.

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  Low mewls mixed with ringing caws cut through the air.

  The dracs increased their speed. The sharp gusts of the wind

  slid across her face. Her kidnappers dropped closer to the

  waves. Salty water sprayed over Seren’s face. Sputtering and

  blinking to remove the drops from her eyes, she kept her

  eyes riveted on the shrinking ship behind her and the man

  flying after them.

  Paladin drew nearer. His wings were much larger than

  the smaller ones on the dracs holding her. He came within

  several yards behind her. She looked in his direction. Cold

  determination etched his face.

  She had wondered why his coat had such large slits, now

  she knew. So his wings could unfurl.

  Wings. He had wings, like angels. Would he be her savior

  by rescuing her? Her breath escaped, going out of her body

  in short fast gasps. Her muscles ached and shook from her

  struggles. She’d never get away like this. Her wrists were

  bleeding from the small nicks from the dracs claws. It was up

  to Paladin. He had to save her.

  Air swept past them while the day sped over head. More

  dracs arrived from the direction they headed, joining the

  ones carrying her. She lowered her chin to her chest to look

  down the front of her body to see where they were taking her.

  After checking for the hundredth time, a dark form

  appeared on the horizon. The setting sun glinted off the

  shape. An island soon loomed against the magenta and

  orange skyline. White stone cliffs leaned inward. Large

  eroded caves in the cliffs grew larger in size, becoming dark

  indents the closer they came. Waves crashed against the

  rocks, drowning out the cries of the dracs.

  The creatures carrying her ducked into one of the narrow

  but tall caves, their speed still fast even with the solid stone

  walls on either side of them. Twisting and turning through

  the caverns, they erupted into an open area at the tiny

  island’s interior. In the center, a rounded slab of melted

  stone with several curved columns rising above it supported

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  a covered section situated on the rear side. The huge

  formation looked like a half-shell cover, reminding her of an

  amphitheater.

  The dracs stopped, and with careful movements, lowered

  her to the slab. As wide as it was long, the white rock

  stretched several hundred feet on either side of her. Weak

  from fear and near hysteria, she managed to sit up, laying

  one hand flat on the cold stone and bracing herself.

  She had lost sight of Paladin in the caverns. Sick to her

  stomach, she swallowed, trying to keep the bile down.

  Paladin appeared in the opening she’d just exited. He

  stopped for a second. Behind her, a patter of small pebbles

  warned that she was no longer alone. Frightened to look, but

  unable to stop, she glanced over her shoulder.

  A white dragon, larger by several feet and many tons

  heavier than the sea dragons from Bae, towered over her.

  Shining, pearl like, lace-edged scales gleamed white in the

  sunlight. The same dragon from her vision, the one she’d

  heard Paladin mention during her time on Avaris—Lior, the

  white dragon clan leader.

  Her heart plummeted to her stomach for a second, only

  to rise to her throat the next. The beast stared at her with its

  slit-pupil blue eyes. Lior’s incisors overlapped her top and

  bottom lips, each equal in length and wider than Leo’s legs.

  Trembling, Seren tried to scoot away, her terror giving her

  false strength. A massive clawed foot landed next to her. The

  slab shook, forcing a cry from Seren. She ducked, covering

  her head. Dust and salty moisture bounced around her.

  Paladin shouted her name. She glanced up in time to see

  him attack Lior. The dragon roared, followed by a heated

  blast of breath aimed at him. He lifted his left arm, the one

  with the dragon tattoo, blocking the brunt of the oversized

  lizard’s assault. Silvered flames flowed over his body to

  disappear behind him. With tight, swift movements, he

  swerved in a circle, swinging at Lior’s head with his blade.

  The dragon shifted away. At the last second, its tail

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  swung, striking Paladin against his right side. His sword flew

  out of his hand, falling against the slab with a metallic clang,

  sliding until it came to a spinning stop, not far from where

  Seren sat huddled. Thrown across the open area, Paladin

  crashed into the cliff on the opposite side.

  Not caring what the dragon did to her, Seren jumped to

  her feet. On unsteady legs, she staggered to the edge,

  reaching for him. He crumpled, his head hanging at an odd

  angle, eyes rolled back. Without uttering a sound, Paladin

  fell toward the water surrounding the slab.

  All warmth d
rained from her. She tried to think, but

  emptiness filled her mind, her body, her soul. She dropped to

  her knees and slumped onto her side. He broke his neck.

  Hope diminished to nothing as she watched him drop to the

  water motionless. He wouldn’t survive if he went under.

  She’d lost him. Numbness took over her. This time his

  wings wouldn’t save him.

  Huge clawed feet landed behind her. Back stiff, muscles

  aching, she turned and stared up at the creature who had

  taken Paladin from her. Its jaws opened, teeth flashing in the

  fading sunlight. White glistening breath poured over Seren.

  The force shoved her flat on her back. Blinded by the

  intensity of the flames, she wavered between consciousness

  and black darkness. Still the breath coated her. During rare

  lucid moments, she imagined Paladin’s arms around her,

  lifting her, comforting her. Most of the time, she swirled in

  and out of blackness.

  Once, she opened her eyes to find Lior leaning over her,

  the dragon’s nostrils wide, smelling her. It grunted,

  straightened, and opened its mouth. More crystallized air

  blew from the gaped jaw. At the touch of her breath, Seren’s

  clothes turned to dust. Her skin burned under the cold

  flames licking at her. She twisted her head back and forth,

  wanting to escape the torture, but unable to so.

  Seren looked to where her hand lay on the cold surface.

  Palm flat against the stone, the flesh pushed against bones.

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  She opened her mouth to cry out, but no sound emerged. She

  had to live—for her baby. Exhausted, she gave in to the pain,

  allowing the darkness to swallow her.

  * * * *

  Cool liquid splattered on her face. She stirred, a moan

  slipped out. Agony rippled through her. Lying on her right

  side, she managed to find the strength to crack open her

  eyes.

  Rain poured over her, soothing the heat inside her. Light

  dimmed and blurred. She blinked. Not far from her, Paladin

  lay on his side, naked and facing her. His eyes, half opened,

  stared blankly at her. Dark purplish bruises covered the left

  side of his face and jaw, trailing down his neck and onto his

  shoulder. His head, still at an odd tilt, rested against the

  stone. More cuts overlaid deep purple bruises which covered

  his limp body. Slow rattling breaths escaped the tiny gap

  between his chapped lips.

  One arm, stretched in her direction. Palm up and his

  fingers curled, his hand seemed to beckon her. Determined,

  she tried to touch him. Inch by slow inch, she moved her arm

  to his hand. Pain lanced through her body, but she refused to

  stop. Seconds slipped by, then the back of her fingers

  brushed his knuckles.

  His eyelashes fluttered—once.

  Heart thumping in rapid succession, a measure of hope

  bloomed within, warming her. He was aware, conscious of

  her at his side.

  Satisfied, she relaxed, allowing sleep to ease her pain, her

  fingers barely touching his.

  * * * *

  “Up with you, my fledgling.”

  Her eyelids flew open. The man from the ship, the one

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  Paladin called Bask, slipped his hands under Paladin’s arms

  from behind and lifted. Seren gasped, wanting to scream for

  him to leave Paladin alone, but her throat lacked moisture,

  the lining too tight to allow any sound to emerge.

  Paladin’s limbs flopped without any muscle control. His

  head dipped lower. It was still cocked to one side. A low

  moan came from his dry, cracked lips. She opened her mouth

  to once more shout at Bask to leave him alone.

  Nothing came out except a rasping breath.

  “Be still woman. This wayward dragonseed is fine. You

  will soon witness my love’s power.”

  The words should have comforted Seren, but they didn’t.

  Once he’d lifted Paladin’s limp body, Bask wrapped an

  arm around his waist, grasped the back of his head, and

  turned him toward where the silent dragon waited.

  “I warned you, didn’t I? You cannot think to defy my

  beloved Lior. She cares very little for rebellious children, my

  boy. No, no, she doesn’t. Now then, are you ready? Consider

  this a great boon on her part to you. She should have left you

  to drown, you ungrateful whelp.”

  Bask smiled and called out to the dragon. “Your magic,

  Lior. Use your magic to heal this misguided son of yours. He

  has, indeed, learned not to interfere in your affairs. Come,

  my beloved dragon’s heart.”

  The baby rolled in her belly. Without thinking, she

  touched the slight mound. Surprise flitted through her for a

  second at her ability to move. Sore and tight muscles ached,

  but she was able to shift her legs.

  White breath flowed out of the dragon’s maw onto the

  two men standing near her.

  Bones cracked, muscles shifted, and the bruising

  vanished from Paladin’s skin. Paladin’s chest expanded then

  deflated with a deep breathy intake and exhalation. His eyes

  fluttered then closed. His feet found a solid hold on the

  ground. He slumped within Bask’s grasp.

  There had been very few moments in her life when she’d

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  experienced undiluted joy. They were such rare and precious

  moments for her—Mandy’s first steps, her excited squeals in

  her inflatable pool. Small memories, but ones which caused a

  flare of incredible and painful happiness within Seren. For

  the past two years, she’d wallowed in her own grief and fear

  of loss. She’d been given another chance on this planet with

  another child and the man who’d come to matter so much to

  her in such a short amount of time. She had to put the past

  behind her. Paladin was more important than she’d ever

  dreamed another person would be after losing both Mandy

  and her ex-husband.

  He’d protected her, fought for her, and almost died in the

  process. She’d never had anyone care for her in such a way

  before. Her heart raced with joy. Tears blurred her vision.

  Seeing Paladin healed, knowing he would live, sent these

  blissful echoes vibrating through her soul. Suppressing the

  need to sob and laugh at the same time, she sat still, blinking

  back the burning tears rimming her eyes.

  “Excellent.” The strange man cried. He helped Paladin sit

  then lay at her side. With a pat on Paladin’s shoulder, Bask

  grinned. “All better?”

  The sight of his throat working reassured her all the

  damaged was healed. Paladin glared at the man leaning over

  him before shutting his eyes. Bask’s grin widened as he

  glanced in her direction.

  “Tonight, woman, they will gather to bestow upon your

  child the true power he requires. He will take the blood of all

  the dragons, thus the beginning of the prophecy will be

  fulfilled.” When he finished speaking, Bask faded into the

  same twinkling light s
he had seen on the ship.

  She shifted her legs.

  Lior mewled.

  Seren ignored her. Tense, sore muscles obeyed her mind’s

  request, and her trembling legs slid on the cool stone. She

  scooted, slow and with care to Paladin’s side. She touched

  him. Cold, a pale blue, his skin still carried a coating of Lior’s

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  breath.

  She wrapped a leg and arm around him, pulling the full

  length of her body against his, trying to share some of her

  warmth. She shut her eyes and rested her head on his

  shoulder, waiting for their warmth to increase.

  Rubbing her cheek against his breast, she swiped a tear

  away. His hand threaded through her hair, touching her

  scalp. She smiled, lifting her face to stare at him. “Why didn’t

  you tell me about the wings?”

  Voice weak, but still deep and melodious, he asked. “Or

  my magic?”

  “I’m glad you have magic.” She swallowed the lump in her

  throat. She didn’t want to remember how she’d felt the

  moment she believed him lost. She smoothed her palms over

  his throat, seeking any damage. “Are you healed? Tell me the

  truth.”

  “Yes. My father, Remis, his father, and down through the

  ages, have carried the pure undiluted strand of white dragon

  blood. This is why I was chosen to sire this child.”

  She shook her head, but he stopped her by placing a

  finger against her lips. “Let me finish. I am what we on

  Avaris call a dragonseed, a mixture of both human and

  dragon. You have suffered much. All of it is my fault. Because

  of this, I desire to apologize for not telling you the truth of

  what and who I am. I just wanted you to...”

  Grasping his hand, she tugged it away, shaking her head.

  “It doesn’t matter. Not anymore. You told me once I needed

  to accept what I didn’t understand. Well, I don’t understand

  how you’re alive, how you have wings, but you know what?

  Right now, this very second, I don’t care. I just want you to

  be alive and safe.”

  The side of his mouth lifted in a half smile. “As I do you.”

  He tilted nearer to her while his arms slid around her.

  She laid her palms flat on his chest, reassured with his

  increasing heat. His heart thudded under her cheek. She

  closed her eyes, savoring the fact that he lived. “I don’t want

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  you to die.”