by D T Dyllin
“Yeah.” His eyes darkened to show the sudden heat in them that was burning for me. “I know I was stupid, Peej—beyond stupid. But you know I did it all out of love for you.”
I flicked my gaze to the floor, not wanting to get caught in the magnetic pull of his sea storm eyes. “That almost makes it worse,” I mumbled.
Macon appeared in front of me, causing me to jump about a mile. One would think I’d be used to dragons popping in and out around me by now, but I wasn’t. And I could only sense the ripple of power letting me know someone was about to appear if I was paying attention, and not fully focused on Bryn. “My lord sent me to bring you to question the Rider known as Cliff. He wanted to remind you that you also have queenly duties that go beyond seeing to your mate Bryn.” Harsh. But then again I guess Khol reserved the right to be a little mean to me after everything we’d been through together.
“Lead the way,” I said, somehow managing to curb my sarcastic tongue.
Bryn and I trailed along behind Macon silently hand in hand. The tension between Macon and us was palpable. I had the feeling Macon wanted to say something to me but just couldn’t bring himself to broach whatever subject it was. I was sure it either had to do with Jenna, or the fact that Bryn and I were mated . . . again. Either way, I was glad he didn’t want to go there at the moment.
When we came to a huge wooden door, much like the one that Jenna was stashed behind, Macon pushed it open and stepped back to allow us entrance. We both slid past him, and I for one didn’t make eye contact.
“It’s about time,” Khol’s annoyed voice greeted us as soon as I crossed the threshold. I looked up to meet his eyes and beyond his annoyance was a world of pain. I had completely crushed him by choosing Bryn. I knew that on some level, but seeing it was something else entirely. I dropped Bryn’s hand as my face heated. How could I be so callous? I didn’t have to rub it in Khol’s face, did I?
“Hey,” I said as my entire face flushed. I was a horrible, horrible person. But then again I couldn’t really be considered a person so . . . I was a horrible, horrible dragon. I then looked over to see a tied up and bloodied Cliff. “What the hell? What did you do?” Oh, please don’t tell me that Khol has been taking out his anger on Cliff. I was still holding onto the hope that we could return him to his normal life once we figured out a way to get the Rider out of him.
“What needed to be done,” Khol responded coldly.
Yeah, okay. I could tell by Khol’s face that there would be no arguing with him over this. If I had wanted it to go differently then maybe I shouldn’t have stayed in bed with Bryn and been there to protect Cliff’s body instead. “Did you get any useful information at least?”
“Nothing exceptionally useful.” Khol strode over to stand inches away from Cliff, who flinched away from him with fear. “The time for questioning is over.”
“Okaaay,” I drawled out. “So why am I here then?”
“We need to figure out how to remove a Rider from his host.” Khol waved his hand over Cliff’s head as if I should have known that. “Here is the perfect candidate for us to experiment on.”
“What?” I was so not using poor Cliff as a guinea pig.
“Would you rather use Jenna?” Khol asked as his mouth pushed into a thin line.
“No! Of course not . . . It’s just . . .” I shook my head with dismay. “. . . Poor Cliff.”
“Every war has collateral damage. You, as a queen, should get used to that fact.”
“And I guess Cliff is a better choice than Jenna for that,” I mumbled to myself. I lifted my head and met his steel gaze square on. “What do I need to do?”
“What else can we try?” I ground out with frustration. We had spent—Khol, Bryn, and myself—the last couple of hours trying to force the Rider out of Cliff’s body with everything we could think of. I just didn’t understand it. My birth mother said it was possible, and she said I was the one to do it . . . But how? When neither Bryn nor Khol responded to my question, I repeated it with more vehemence. “What else can we try?”
“I don’t know,” Khol replied with exhaustion as he scrubbed a hand down his face. “I just don’t know.” Bryn just remained silent as he stared at Cliff, his dragon blue eyes blazing brightly.
“Well, we can’t just give up!” My voice climbed a few octaves.
“No one’s giving up,” Khol grumbled. “Maybe we just need a break, to take some time to think about this.
“I want that thing out of Jenna now!” I would not cry again. I would not cry again. Right.
Bryn put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his side. “I know,” he murmured as he brushed his soft lips against my temple. “I know.”
“Fine. We’ll take a break.” I stood, breaking all contact with Bryn and stalked toward the door. I was letting my anger take hold in me so I wouldn’t feel the anguish of not having the answer to save Jenna yet. But I would find it if it was the last thing I did.
“My lord!” Macon burst through the door nearly knocking me over. “We’re under attack!”
“The Riders?” Khol asked but it sounded more like a statement.
“Yes.”
“How did they breach our wards?” Khol swore under his breath. “Someone had to have led them here.”
I was supposed to be queen but I didn’t have the experience and scope of knowledge to deal with this kind of thing, so I looked to Khol for answers. “What should we do?” I tried to hide the panic in my voice and failed miserably.
Khol was already leaning down to untie an unconscious Cliff when he responded. “We retreat, and re-gather ourselves. We have something they obviously want very badly, but we’re not in a position to use it to our full advantage when we’re on the defensive.”
I had no idea what that meant exactly. “So we run away?”
Khol grimaced. “I would prefer a different choice of words, but yes.”
“We need to bring Jenna with us!” I ran from the room, not waiting for anyone anyone’s response.
“Peej!” Bryn was close at my heels. “I’ll help you!”
I nodded my head at him but didn’t turn to acknowledge him. I was on a mission. I had to get to Jenna before the skeevy Riders did. Just as I made it to the door of Jenna’s prison, Jeremy came barreling out with her slung over his shoulder, unconscious. “What’s the plan?” he blurted out as soon as he saw us.
“Well, you already have the first part covered. I guess the next step is to get the hell out of Dodge,” Bryn answered for me.
“We’ll use a Gate,” Jeremy said and he turned and led the way down the long corridor.
Anxiety built up in my mind. What if we didn’t make it? Pushing my worry down I sped along quickly behind Jeremy, hand in hand with Bryn. I only stumbled a few times trying to keep up before Bryn scooped me up in his arms. I didn’t bother to protest because I knew he was right. We’d move faster with him carrying me.
We finally made it out of one of the back exits and scurried toward the forest and to where Jeremy would open the Gate and escape route. Strange how we hadn’t seen one single Rider on the way out. In fact, we hadn’t run into anyone on the way out. I hardly had time to register my sudden feelings that something was wrong before we burst into the clearing . . . and came face to face with a horde of Riders.
We stopped short just as Khol appeared beside us with Macon, who was carrying a still unconscious Cliff. It was evident in that moment that our little crew had run straight into a trap.
“Give me my son,” Senator Bill Wexington snarled.
“Nala,” I felt Bryn growl. And sure enough she was standing a little bit behind our dear Senator.
“You set us up,” Macon chimed in angrily. “We were never under attack.”
Nala sneered at Macon. “No. But I convinced everyone that we were and all the rest of your allies high tailed it out of here. You’re all alone now.”
“Why?” Bryn demanded, his question obviously directed at Nala.
Her face softened when she shifted her gaze to his. “We belong together, can’t you see that? I knew it from the first moment I laid eyes on you.”
“She’s our queen. You can’t kill her,” Khol snarled at Nala.
“Why not?” she screeched sounding like a child throwing a temper tantrum. “We’ve gone all these years without a queen, we can manage without one again. I would have been happy to let her live, but she couldn’t keep her hands off him.”
I tightened my arms around Bryn possessively, too shocked to feel the full strength of my anger at Nala for what she’d done.
“Enough!” the Rider that was Senator Bill Wexington interjected. “You can work all of that out after I get my son back.”
“Not going to happen,” Khol said, his voice burning with menace. “Not unless you agree to leave our world.”
The Senator’s lips curled up in what was supposed to be a smile, at least I thought. “We’ll see.” He waved his hand and my mouth dropped open when I saw who stepped forward from behind some of the Riders. It was a Gatekeeper, and it had a Rider inside of him. It was Evan Thompson, the star of my long ago fantasies back before all of this had begun with the Riders. Holy Shit! He began moving in a similar fashion that I’d seen Jeremy move before to open a Gate. Although in my opinion, Jeremy did it with much more grace. Yep . . . because that matters right now. When he finished and the Gate shimmered open to the right of us, more Riders stepped through. “As you were saying?” the Senator asked as he tilted his head at Khol. I felt Khol’s power snap through the air as he readied for attack. Bryn set me on my feet and he too tensed for what would happen next. I didn’t have to look at Macon and Jeremy to know that they were doing the same. We wouldn’t go down without a fight. “Just give us my son and we’ll leave you alone.” The Senator tried using a more placating tone. “We have no interest in the affairs of dragons. Just the humans.”
“I want Bryn,” Nala demanded. “You promised if I helped you that you would get rid of her.” She raised her index finger and pointed at me.
“I’ll never be yours, Nala. You’re not the type of woman I could ever want,” Bryn said with cold indifference. “You think after I’ve had a queen, I’d want you?” Way to twist the knife, Bryn. I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. That’s right . . . He’s mine bitch!
The Senator sighed demonstratively. “Alright. Let’s see what else I have in my little bag of tricks that might convince you to see things my way.” He motioned again with his hand and some dragons, a few from every faction appeared on their side. The effect of the battle lines being drawn was not lost on me. And before the shock of him having dragons on his side could fully sink in, the mac daddy of surprises stepped forward . . . Bryn’s father walked into the mix.
“Dad?” Bryn’s voice wavered in question. “I thought you were dead.”
The Senator spoke up. “Seers and Speakers are useless with one of us in them, but Gatekeepers and Guardians . . . oh yes . . . they work quite nicely. So, I decided to keep a few of them around . . . just in case I could use them for a rainy day.”
“Don’t worry, Bryn,” I whispered under my breath. “We’ll save him and Jenna both.”
“It’s time you found out Bryn, you’re not my son,” Bryn’s father said out of nowhere with malice. “Your mother couldn’t conceive, and then we were given a gift. At least we thought it was a gift at the time. I never thought you’d shame me the way that you did by taking up with P.J. when it’s against our laws. But I guess you’re not even fully human. No wonder whoever left you for us didn’t want you.” What? I immediately thought of when my birth mother had told me that Bryn, another dragon, at least part dragon, growing up so close to me hadn’t happened by chance. She told me that he was there for a reason. “I’ll enjoy taking you out myself just for the heartbreak you caused your mother. She was so ashamed of how you disregarded the most important law of being a Guardian. May she rest in peace. It’s your fault she’s dead after all. Yours and hers,” he hissed and his eyes briefly met mine.
Everything seemed to happen at once. It wasn’t like it is in the movies. I saw Bryn’s father launch himself at Bryn, but I couldn’t track anything else that was going on after Nala slammed into me, causing me to fall to the ground. She scrambled to get on top of me, and sat with all of her body weight on my chest and began to choke me. I desperately reached for my fire magic but was having difficulty pulling it up when black stars began to dance in front of my eyes. Not only that but I felt a slow trickle of water moving up to cover my face. Dazed, I registered that Nala must be using some kind of water power to try and suffocate me faster. I gasped for air and came back with a mouth full of water. My vision grew darker and my thoughts slower. I knew she was drowning me.
Then suddenly the pressure released and I sat up to gasp mouthful after mouthful of fresh air as I saw Khol push his fire magic into Nala. She let out an ear-shattering scream before all that was left of her was ashes. Good, I numbly thought. I stood and scanned the clearing for Bryn, who was currently rolling around on the ground with his father. Bryn was at a huge disadvantage because it was obvious he didn’t really want to hurt him. His father clearly didn’t feel the same way. “Help him!” I screeched at Khol.
“Enough!” Senator Bill Wexington’s voice rolled over everyone. “Hold him,” he ordered Bryn’s father, who stood with Bryn and brought him into a headlock. The Senator met my eyes, “Him for my son.”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Okay. Just don’t hurt him.” The Senator then nodded at one of the Riders standing beside him who walked slowly over to Cliff’s prone unconscious figure and picked him up. Khol came to stand behind him so he couldn’t make his way back to the Senator just yet. “Now release Bryn,” I said with false calmness. My insides were finding a new definition for panic.
Bryn’s father released him and Bryn walked steadily back toward me. Khol then gave the Rider holding Cliff a rough push to get him going. I reached my shaky hand out to Bryn, needing to feel his skin under my fingertips. He gave me a tight smile, and I knew he was thinking it was his fault we were losing Cliff as a bargaining chip—that he should have been able to best his father—that he couldn’t even protect himself—how would he protect me and my unborn child? I could read all of his tormented thoughts in his eyes but I didn’t care just as long as he was safe. As soon as my hand gripped his, I heaved a sigh of relief. “I love you,” I mouthed to him. None of the rest mattered. We might be down, but we weren’t out just yet. I would make him understand that eventually. We were finally bonded as Anam Caras and together we could take on the world.
Bryn’s father suddenly appeared directly behind him. The Rider inside of him shone so brightly it almost eclipsed his host’s features. He met my eyes and grinned down at me. It was in that instant I knew what he meant to do. “No!” I screamed, my whole body going ice cold instantaneously. I reached for my fire magic, but it was too late . . . all too late. I watched, completely helpless to stop it, as Bryn’s father, the man that had protected my mother and my family for as far back as I could remember, snapped the neck of his only son. The sickly cracking sound it made rang out in the clearing like thunder in my ears. “No!” I heard myself scream as I watched Bryn’s hand slip from my grasp as his body fell forward and slumped to the ground. Life over. My Life is over.
“Like I said, he wasn’t really my son.”
Silence engulfed me. I tried to go to Bryn but someone caught me around the waist and began to run toward the pulsating gate with me in tow. I struggled against my captor, wanting nothing more than to curl up with Bryn’s body and to die right alongside him. Sound came back to me in a rush. Someone’s hysteric screams pounded against my head. Was that me? I didn’t know and didn’t care.
When whoever was carrying me got me to the Gate, they jumped in without pausing. Ice ran over my skin and the air was sucked from my lungs. I didn’t stay conscious for much more than a moment as the magic of the Gate pulled me down into blackne
ss.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This is the part where I get to thank all the people who made this book possible. As usual I’m hoping I don’t leave out someone important. *gnaws on nails*
First I’d like to thank my amazing Hubby, who is supportive and patient beyond the realm of what I imagine any normal man is . . . dah dah da duuuh . . . Super Hubby! (I think that’s just going to be standard text in every acknowledgment from now on.)
Next I would like to thank my parents for encouraging my love of reading and crazy imagination during my most impressionable years. (Check on averting pouty parents syndrome again. Phew.)
Then of course there’s my lovely squad of beta readers for this book: Kristin Bingham, Jamie Degyansky, Kellee Fabre, Jessica Johnson, Sarah Ashley Jones, Shona Lawrence, Bieke Paesen, Lauren Reidy, and Tabatha Ventura. You ladies rocked it . . . Dragon Hussy style! You know I love all of you!
Also a very special thank you to Lauren Reidy, a.k.a. Ren Reidy, a.k.a. the Dragon Hussies founder, a.k.a. the beta who I almost left out of the acknowledgements. *cringes* That’s what I get for writing these types of things when I’m going on practically no sleep. But see, Ren, now you get an extra special thanks, so it’s not all bad, right? Plus maybe I can stop gnawing on my nails, worrying that I’m going to forget someone because I almost nearly did. Eeep! You know I love you girl!
Of course I need to thank Lindsay Tiry for her amazing cover design, and Jordan P. Fremgen for his amazing logo designs for The P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy. Both artists extraordinaire! Although I think Lindsay might need to check for gray hairs after all the emails I sent her with “notes” about cover ideas. I hope she’s ready for book three. I know I am. Muahahaha!
I also need to thank my editors Greta Maloney, Tara Chevrist, and Matt Larkin. You guys rocked it as well!
Of course I’d like to thank Dragonfairy Press, because I can’t thank them enough! Especially Kenya Wright and Alicia Wright Brewster to be specific. I love you guys!