by Nina Croft
When no more came forward, Lily turned around. The only ones now left were Vortigen, his four sons, and Malachite. Her longing waned as cold dread uncoiled inside her. The archway cooled so the flames merely flickered, and Lily shivered as a cool breeze ran over her bare skin. She glanced up at Vortigen. He smiled at her, a cold, cruel smile that promised pain and sent shivers racing down her spine. A hard lump formed in the pit of her belly and her whole body tightened in anticipation. She looked around for a way of escape, but there was no way she would make it, even to the outer circle. Mal stood impassive, unable to help her, but his golden eyes gleamed, willing her to be strong.
But she didn’t feel strong. She felt fucking terrified. While she’d promised herself that she wouldn’t give the bastard the satisfaction of weakening, of breaking, she wasn’t sure how long she could hold onto that promise. Bile rose bitter in the back of her throat, she swallowed and bent down to pick up the blanket.
Vortigen stepped forward and placed a heavy foot on the material, preventing her from lifting it.
“I don’t think you’re going to need that.” His lips smiled but his eyes were cold and something dark and dangerous shifted in their depths. She glanced at his two sons who flanked him. Their expressions were blank. There would be no help there.
Vortigen’s gaze wandered over her body making her skin prickle and crawl. Maybe she could goad him into killing her quickly, but she knew in her heart that she was too valuable to them. If Vortigen killed her, then he would never go home.
A movement in the shadows of the guardian rocks caught her gaze. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw moonlight glinting on blonde hair. Cassandra. She crept around the stones until she hid behind the one closest to their small group.
A moment later, the witch broke cover. In her hand, she held a long knife, and she headed straight for Lily, the weapon raised. She was almost on her. Lily had a moment to think that, after all, she didn’t want to die, then a shot exploded in the night. Cassandra crumpled to the ground, her knee a shattered mess of blood and bone. She screamed then rolled onto her uninjured side and tried to stand, her face a mask of fury as she glared at Lily.
Vortigen strolled across to where she struggled. He stared down at her for what seemed like an age, and then kicked her deliberately in her good leg. She collapsed back onto the carpet of grass and gazed up at her lover, her eyes no longer furious but filled with longing.
“Why?” Vortigen asked.
“I did it for us,” Cassandra said. “You would go back to Ankesh, leave me here without another thought because of her. If she dies, you will stay with me forever. You’ll be mine as you should have been.”
“I’ve never been yours, you stupid bitch. You were useful, that’s all.”
“You lie,” Cassandra said, and Lily winced at the desperation in the other woman’s voice. “You loved me. You would love me again if she were gone, if this was your home forever.” She tried to rise again. Vortigen kicked her back and she lay panting, her face white, her lips tight with pain.
“Give me blood,” she pleaded. “Heal me as you have done in the past.”
Vortigen stood over her, then reached behind him and drew the pistol from the holster at his back. He took careful aim. There was no fear in Cassandra’s eyes, only disbelief, as if even now, she couldn’t believe that the man she loved would do this. Lily looked away, back to Vortigen, and saw him smile as his finger tightened on the trigger. There was a blast of noise and Cassandra’s head disintegrated. Something warm splattered against Lily’s bare legs and she glanced down to where the witch’s blood stained her pale skin crimson.
She backed away, whirled around, and fell to her knees, retching up bile from her empty stomach. She stayed for a moment on her hands and knees, mind blank, her head hanging down like an exhausted animal. After a few minutes, a hand touched her shoulder. She jerked away. The grip tightened. Vortigen stared down at her, his eyes half-closed, excitement gleaming behind his lids. “Get up.”
“No.”
He stepped back and a moment later, two sets of hands dragged her to her feet. She hung between them, their fingers biting into the soft flesh of her arms. Lily’s glance flashed to the dead woman then flinched away only to meet Vortigen’s cruel gaze.
“It was a mercy killing,” he said. “I did it for you, Lily. She was quite mad and would have tried again.” He sighed. “Now perhaps we could get on, I grow impatient to cement our relationship. Place her on the altar.”
They half-dragged, half-carried her across the grass. Lily didn’t fight, but she didn’t help them. She knew this was going to happen, and she couldn’t stop it. Not alone. They lifted her, then lowered her onto the altar stone. She struggled, her head hitting the rock, and she lost consciousness. When she came around, she was lying on her back. The rough rock scraped her bare skin as she struggled against the hands pressing her to the cold stone. Vortigen stood beside her. He reached out and ran a possessive hand over her body.
“I regret that this time will, of necessity, be swift. I have a hankering to go home, but don’t worry, there will be time later for us to indulge ourselves. You know, it’s quite amazing the damage a human body can take, and a drop of dragon blood and you’re ready to start all over again.”
He leapt onto the altar stone and stood over her, then kicked at her legs. “Open them.”
She fought then, writhed against the hands that held her, but they were too strong. Vortigen’s hands gripped her ankles, parting them so he sank to his knees between her legs. She lay open to him, sobbing and panting from the exertion. He appeared some sort of devil framed in the wavering light from the portal. He jabbed her between the legs with his fingers and she screamed and bucked against the restraining hands. He smiled and began to unbuckle his belt. Lily closed her eyes.
***
Mal had watched her open the portal with pride. She was magnificent, his Dragon Princess, his mate. He had watched as his brothers went home, seen them step through the portal and been engulfed with a fierce tidal wave of envy that almost dropped him to his knees. For two thousand years, he had dreamed of nothing but returning to his homeland. Now he knew that he would never see Ankesh again. He’d made his decision in the clear knowledge that it would mean his certain death, and he accepted that, but how he wished he could fly again in Ankesh, just one more time.
Maybe if the Goddess was merciful she would let him return for one last ghost flight through the fire lakes, but he expected no mercy for what he was about to do.
He didn’t fear death, but regretted that he had found Lily only to lose her again so soon. They’d had such a short time together. He’d spent his whole life alone before Lily, had moved through crowds untouched, believing he needed no one. Now he knew he couldn’t live without her. He could see no way of saving them both, and so he would give up everything to see her safe.
And Vortigen dead.
He forced himself to wait. Now, he was decided, he was eager to see it through, but first, he wanted his people home safe. Once he made his move, the portal would close to them. Forever.
At last, only Vortigen and his four sons remained. Still Mal waited, hoping for what he didn’t know, maybe for a few more moments in a world that held Lily. A miracle, perhaps. He almost made his move when the sorceress attacked, but held himself back. He watched as they laid Lily upon the altar, her hair hanging like a living flame. Then Vortigen knelt between her open thighs. Lily screamed. At the sound, he closed his eyes and reached deep inside for his true self, and for the first time in over two thousand years, he let his dragon go free. The change came easily, smoothly, with a fierce wave of exultation that made him roar his delight. He heard the sound of shots as he broke free of the chains but the bullets glanced from his scales as he launched himself into the sky.
***
The crackle of flames filled her head as she lay with her eyes closed, her body tight with anticipation. Then she heard gunshots. Mal.
Her eyes fla
shed open. Vortigen knelt poised above her, horror and disbelief flashing across his face as he gazed across the circle. The hands restraining her were no longer there, and she jerked herself upright. She looked across to where Mal had been chained. He was gone. A scream tore the night sky and she stared upward, a sense of wonder filling her as she saw the beautiful creature. Its long lithe body scaled in iridescent black, gleaming with a multitude of colors in the flickering light.
The huge wings beat as he soared into the air. Mal, as she had seen him in her dreams, behind her closed lids as they made love. He had changed and he was going to save her.
Vortigen still knelt on the altar, gazing upward, Lily forgotten. She kicked out with all her strength, knocking him to the ground. He cursed, but scrambled to his feet. There was a flash of flames and she glanced at the arch to see two of her guards disappear to the safety of Ankesh. Of the other two guards, one was down, the other standing in the shelter of the guardian stones, his face raised in horror.
Mal had flown high, as if reveling in his freedom. Now he turned and swooped toward them, his streamlined form piercing the sky like an arrow. He stopped above the stones and circled almost lazily, a dark shadow against the star-strewn sky. He called out to them in some language she didn’t understand, and Vortigen gave a howl of enraged fury. She turned to him and then backed away as she realized what was about to happen. One moment the king stood before her, the next he was gone, and in his place was a golden dragon with a long body and a huge crested head. Jaws opened, revealing jagged teeth. Fire exploded as a roar of fury rent the night. It turned to her and dark blue eyes blazed in hatred. Then it launched itself into the sky towards the black dragon that hung effortlessly in the air above them. Lily held her breath waiting for the clash. At the last moment, Mal flicked out of the way, easily evading Vortigen who turned clumsily and charged again only to have the black swoop once more from his grasp. The battle followed a pattern. The black almost seemed to be playing, teasing, until the other attacked, then evading the charge with ease. Lily watched in awe as Mal dove and spun, at one point flying low over the stone circle so she could see his gleaming golden eyes. Vortigen’s long tail lashed in fury. She recognized the moment the black stopped playing. He rose high into the sky, higher and higher until he was almost out of sight and then fell. Vortigen rose up to meet him and they clashed with a scream of rage, flames leaping from their wide-open jaws. Their long bodies coiled together, black with the gold, twisting and turning as they hurtled towards the Earth. Then, when it seemed impossible that they wouldn’t crash, Mal’s talons gained a hold, sinking into the flesh of the golden dragon’s belly. With a scream of triumph, they raked down, piercing beneath its armor of scales, ripping the skin, tearing an opening and showering the stone circle with a rain of dragon blood. Then the black reared back and lunged. Lily heard the crunch of flesh and bones as he took the golden dragon’s throat in his huge jaws. He shook it and the long body lashed out, then with a final vicious twist, he hurled it to the ground. It landed across the circle from where Lily stood, its vast bulk unmoving. Lily edged closer. The dark eyes were open and lifeless, and a wave of euphoria washed over her.
The black swooped down and landed lightly on the stone altar, his huge shape silhouetted against the glow from the arch. As she approached, he lowered his massive head. The heat of his breath brushed against her face, the smell of smoke filled her nostrils. His eyes glowed, flashing with flecks of red. She stroked her hand across the gleaming scales of his nose. They were warm, full of life, and smooth under her fingers. They were alive. Vortigen was dead.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
Then Mal stood before her, human again, and she hurled herself into his arms. He pulled her tight against him, stroking the length of her body, crushing her to him until she wriggled away in protest.
“Sorry,” Mal said. “But I thought I would never get to hold you again.”
She pulled back so she could look up into his face. “Why didn’t you tell me what you planned? I thought it was over.”
“I wasn’t sure I would go through with it. I waited for your miracle, hoping I wouldn’t have to, but in the end there was no other way to stop him.”
Something was wrong here, something she didn’t understand. The euphoria drained away leaving a cold sickly lump in her middle. “But is it so bad? You won. You beat him. We’re together, and the gateway is open. You can go home.”
“No,” Mal said. He dropped his hands from her arms and stepped back. “I can never go home now.”
Chapter 19
“I don’t understand,” Lily said. “The portal is open.” But even as she spoke, the fires grew dimmer. The fierce buzz receded to a gentle hum as though the land of Ankesh was fading into the distance.
“What’s happening?” she asked. “Why is it closing?” She ran around the altar and stood before the arch. Nothing happened. “Mal, tell me what to do. How do I open the portal?”
Mal didn’t meet her eyes for long moments. When he did, she could sense a sadness in him, but also acceptance. “Come here,” he said.
She came to him. He held her against him then lifted her into his arms and sat on the altar stone with Lily cradled in his lap. Suddenly, she wanted to close her ears, shut out whatever he was planning to say, and cling to him.
Mal stroked her hair back from her forehead. “I told you once that our most sacred law is never to take dragon form while on earth. If one of our kind breaks this taboo, then the portal will close forever. It was the only way that the god of men would allow the dragons access to Earth. Lily, I can never return to Ankesh.”
She could hear the finality in his voice. “I’m sorry. I know how much you wanted to go home.” Then she reached up and kissed him. “But we’re alive and together.”
He pulled her against him, held her tight, then released her. “My life is forfeit.”
“I don’t understand. What are you saying?”
“I broke a sacred law. My life is forfeit. I can’t stay with you. That’s my one regret.”
Lily gritted her teeth. After all that had happened, this was unbelievable. Something stirred deep inside her. She recognized it as rage and fought it down. She had to think this through. There had to be a way out. “So what happens now?” she asked. “We just sit around here and wait for you to spontaneously combust or something?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never broken a sacred law before.”
Lily pulled away and scrambled to her feet. “I need clothes,” she said. “I can’t wait around for impending doom, naked. It just doesn’t feel right.” It also didn’t feel real. The relief from fear, followed by Mal’s revelation—she just couldn’t take it in. She searched the circle, her gaze flicking over the huge bulk of the dead dragon. Then to the man who lay dead where Mal had killed him. The other guard had disappeared. She walked over, and crouched down, but the clothes were unsalvageable, the shirt ripped by dragon talons and saturated with blood. She grimaced and turned away, walked back towards the altar and picked up the blanket, wrapping it around herself.
“Come and sit with me while we wait for whatever is to come,” Mal said.
“We can’t just wait. We have to get out of here. Find somewhere to hide.”
Mal smiled ruefully. “It’s impossible to hide from the Goddess. I accepted this when I made the decision to change.”
She sat beside him, laid her head across Mal’s chest, breathing in his hot musky scent. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she wiped them away with the heel of her hand. “For the first time in my life, I feel like I belong, and you’re telling me it’s over, and I’ve just got to accept it because some freaking ‘Goddess’ says that’s the way things are.”
“There has to be laws, or the world would descend into chaos.”
“I’d prefer chaos with you than anything else alone.”
He reached for her then, cupped her face in his large hands, and kissed her. Lily closed her eyes and just allowed herself to
feel, to forget. She parted her lips and the scalding heat of his tongue thrust into her mouth. His hands slipped beneath the blanket and stroked her bare skin, over the soft swell of her breasts so her nipples tightened under his palms. She groaned, and his hands slid down the smooth curve of her waist to slip behind and cup her bottom, pulling her against him. Lily melted, then a slow fire flickered to life low down in her body. She thrust against Mal, her hands twining in his long silky hair, loving the heat.
She became still in his arms as she realized the heat was not all internal. Behind them the archway was glowing once more. She tugged on his hair. “Look.”
As they turned, the glow erupted into a mass of white flames. Lily caught a brief glimpse of a silver dragon silhouetted against the light, then a woman stepped through the portal. Small, dressed in a long white gown embroidered with silver thread and with silver hair that cascaded around her shoulders.
Mal rose to his feet before going down on one knee before her. “My lady, Tannith, I accept the consequences of my actions and await your wishes.”
This had to be the Goddess.
Mal glanced back at her. “Lily, you must kneel before the Goddess.”
Lily frowned then got to her feet. “I’m not kneeling to anyone if there’s a chance she’s going to kill you.”
“Lily.”
“No,” Lily said. She examined the woman through narrowed eyes. “This is all her fault. She’s the one who gave me all the good advice. ‘Wait,’ she said. ‘All will be well.’ she said.” Lily stalked toward her and stared down, she was almost a foot taller than the other woman. She hugged the blanket around her. She might be at a distinct disadvantage in the clothes stakes, but she won on the size angle. “So I waited and did she materialize and help us? No, she let things come to this. It’s her fault. And I’m not going to stand around and let her demand your death when she could have prevented this from happening.”