“Once the suns are down it will be okay for you to fly, so if you want to go and come back before the suns come up, you can meet me where I tied my horse. I will camp there for the night and stop Lewta when he comes out,” Isoul told them.
“What will you say to him?” Julie asked.
She’d been quiet up until now, and as Sami watched her, he could see the love in her eyes for her friend. Hinah was right, he thought. She was in love with Isoul. He felt bad for her. It had to be hard, loving someone who was in love with someone else and wasn’t interested in you. Then he realized where his thoughts were going. How similar his and Julie’s situations were, and glanced at Hellfire. She was staring at Isoul intently.
“The Ilyium are always sending me all over the place. I often come and let Lewta know where I am going and how long I will be gone, so it won’t be a surprise.”
“And how are you going to ask about our sister?” Hellfire asked.
Isoul shrugged. “I’ll just mention that I heard they caught a Phoenix, and ask if they have her well-guarded.”
Hellfire tensed up, but both she and Brimstone nodded. “Okay.”
As soon as the three suns went down, Isoul walked up to Sami. “Look, I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t know you were from Razukeen.”
Sami nodded. “It’s fine. You couldn’t have known.”
Isoul nodded. “I hope you don’t plan to go there?”
Sami frowned. “I had been thinking about it, why shouldn’t I?”
Isoul looked uncomfortable. “I wouldn’t advise it. Like I said earlier, no one goes there, and the few who do, well … things happen to them.”
“What kind of things?” Sami asked, even more curious now.
“They don’t come back,” Isoul said, looking nervous.
“Humph. Okay, well I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sami told him, and then thought about what Isoul had said as he shifted into his dragon. He wondered what happened to the ones who disappeared. Hellfire and Brimstone shifted as well, leaving Julie in her human one.
Not knowing when to give up, Brimstone once again offered to carry Julie. Politely declining, she walked over to Sami.
“Will you carry me?”
With a nod, Sami picked Julie up in his talons and they all took to the sky. Back at the cabin, he set Julie down on the ground and shifted back into human form. Hellfire and Brimstone were just landing.
“I will be back in a bit,” he said.
“Wait, where are you going?” Julie asked.
Sami didn’t answer. Instead he shifted back into his dragon. Isoul’s words had been playing in his mind, over and over all the way back to the cabin, making him even more curious.
He’d already been thinking of visiting Razukeen, but after Isoul warned him away, the temptation grew even stronger. Was someone trying to hide something about the place? Isoul was Ilyium, so Sami figured he would have heard stuff the Ilyium talked about. Did they have something they didn’t want anyone else knowing about?
By the time they had reached the cabin, Sami had decided he was going to go back to his old village. Ignoring his friends’ protests, he shot back into the sky and headed toward his old village.
HELLFIRE FOLLOWED JULIE into the little cabin and found Hinah and Drakayeh sitting at the table. “Where is he going?”
“He didn’t say,” Julie said as she gave her mother a hug and Drakayeh, a kiss on the cheek. “Are you feeling better?” she asked her step dad.
“I am now that you’re back safe,” Drakayeh said, giving her a hug.
“Where’s Sami?” Hinah asked when Brimstone shut the door behind himself.
“He didn’t say where he was going,” Julie repeated her earlier words. “He just said he’d be back in a bit, although—”
“Humph,” Drakayeh snorted and Julie sighed.
Hinah narrowed her eyes on them. “He went back.”
“I think so. Though Isoul did warn him not to,” Julie said with a touch of worry.
“He went back where?” Hellfire asked, frowning at all of them.
“He went to Razukeen,” Drakayeh said and looked at Julie. “Did you tell him where it was?”
Julie shook her head. “No, but he recognized the surroundings.”
“Will someone please tell me what is going on?” Hellfire asked as a bad feeling filled her.
Drakayeh gave her a sad little smile. “Sit,” he said, indicating one of the chairs.
Brimstone sat in the other chair while Hinah began dishing them up some food.
“Razukeen is the village where Samarias used to live,” Drakayeh said.
Hellfire frowned. “So?”
Drakayeh sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Then he never told you what happened there, or why they left?”
Hellfire shook her head.
Drakayeh nodded. “On Sami and Tierney’s seventh birthday, while Tierney’s father, the lord of the clan, was gone to a meeting with the other clan leaders, the Ilyium came.”
Hellfire’s heart began to race as sudden insight filled her.
Oh no …
“The wards were down which allowed them in. They massacred everyone in the village, then set it on fire. Sami, Tierney, and Jax were playing in the foil forest that day. Jax shoved his brother and Tierney into a small cave and went back to check it out. The horrors that boy saw when he went home—” Drakayeh paused to take a breath and shake his head. “Anyway, when Jax made it back to the cave, he found one of the Ilyium trying to pull Tierney out of the cave.”
Hellfire could only stare at Drakayeh. A chill filled her as she remembered her own parents’ execution and those involved—and of her involvement.
“What happened?” she asked, curling her clammy hands into fists by her side as she fought not to hurl.
“Well, Jax had grabbed one of Zander’s daggers when he was in Tierney’s home where he had found their mothers dead. I suspect he’d sensed that something was wrong. He raced back to the cave and he killed that man. Stabbed him in the neck.” Drakayeh wiped a tear from his eyes.
Hellfire felt her own eyes tear up and Brimstone glanced away from them all briefly.
“What happened?” Hellfire whispered again, scared to ask but needing to know.
Drakayeh shook his head. “Those three kids stayed in that cave for the rest of the night, terrified, until Zander found them the next morning.”
Hellfire stared at him, her thoughts, memories, and emotions swirling through her. Then she frowned at Julie. “What did you mean earlier, you said Isoul warned him not to go there?”
Julie, looking pale, nodded. “I overheard him talking to Sami.”
“Why would he warn him away?” Hellfire asked.
Julie swallowed. “The few who have ever ventured to Razukeen have never returned.”
Suddenly, unable to hold everything back, Hellfire jumped up. “I gotta go.”
“No, wait,” multiple voices called, trying to stop her.
Hellfire didn’t listen. She rushed out of the cabin and fell to her knees in the snow. Her stomach heaved and she threw up as images of three little kids hiding in a cave rushed across her brain. She knew what if felt like, not knowing where to go or what to do next. Wondering if anyone would find them. Her own memories intruded with intense force and she couldn’t hold them back.
They all hid in the forest that night after her parents were murdered. She and Nix were both wearing their pajamas. No one said much, but they all wondered where they’d go, what they’d do. The one thing they knew was that they could never go back home. If they did, they would most likely be caught and killed as well. How would they go on by themselves?
At first, she’d been numb with shock and disbelief at what she had seen, but later she’d grown angry. So very angry. Then she’d gone after the one who had betrayed her. A week later, Nera had finally pulled her out of Deacon’s room. She spent another week healing until she could go back to her siblings and pretend she was okay, even though she was far from it.<
br />
She’d looked like the living dead and had to lie to them when they asked what happened. If they knew the truth, they’d have gone after Deacon, and he’d kill them, so she told them she’d been mugged and didn’t see her attacker. Over the next couple of weeks, they moved from one abandoned building to the next. They were terrified the Ilyium would find them, while Hellfire knew it was Deacon they should worry about. As she healed, she worried about how they’d survive, eat, and more importantly, how she’d keep her siblings from falling into Deacon’s grasp.
Not wanting to think any more about what happened when she confronted her ex-boyfriend who had claimed he loved her, or what he had done to her, Hellfire climbed shakily to her feet. She pushed away the guilt that consumed her and drew power from her surroundings. Amid the flames that covered her body, Hellfire changed into her Phoenix form. Still shaky and feeling sick, she shot into the sky. Her only thought now was of getting to Sami.
While her hearing may not be better than the average human, her eyesight was exceptional. After a few minutes, she spotted the ruins of the village Drakayeh had told her about. Circling around, she scanned the ground. There had once been a very high wall surrounding the place, but half now lay burnt and crumbled, leaving a large gaping spot to allow attackers in. She quickly spotted Sami standing in what must’ve been the courtyard of his old village. Heart thumping and unsure of her reception, Hellfire landed beside him.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” Sami said.
Hellfire knew he was thinking about Isoul’s warning and liked that he worried, even though she could take care of herself.
Hellfire decided to ignore him, saying instead, “Drakayeh told me. I’m sorry. Are you … no, of course you’re not—” Hellfire held back a shiver as she took in the ruins. “This was your home?”
Sami didn’t answer and Hellfire glanced at him. With the moons beginning to eclipse the suns, it was a little darker than the night before. Still, she could see his closed expression as he stared at what was left of his home. Hellfire stepped closer and reached for his hand. “You never came back here, after?”
Sami’s fingers curled around hers and Hellfire breathed a sigh of relief. She had been scared he’d push her away. Something she wouldn’t have blamed him for if he had.
“No. I, neither Tierney nor I came back. Jax did though. He saw it all. The bodies, the blood, our mom,” Sami said.
Horror at what they went through as children filled Hellfire. She understood all too well that feeling of fear and loss. No child should ever experience what he had, or what she and her siblings had. She watched him walk around what used to be the village square, then along the wall. Finally, he stopped and glanced around. She imagined his eyes were seeing what had once been and not what was now.
“Come on, let’s go back to the cabin,” she said, shivering at the feeling of loss and despair. Sami glanced down at her and frowned, as if unsure how or when she’d gotten there.
SAMI WASN’T SURE why Hellfire had come after him but he was glad for her company. He’d come to realize that although she acted tough and like a bitch most of the time, it was some kind of coping mechanism. For what, he wasn’t sure. But he finally understood that inside, she was kind and caring. In fact, she cared very deeply, she just didn’t like anyone to know it.
He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to her, because he had no doubt that something terrible had to make her the way she was. The thought saddened him. He found himself wishing he’d known her before she wrapped herself up in an impenetrable wall, letting no one in.
Since he’d given her his power, his life force, the other night, he’d had moments when he could feel or sense her emotion, and other moments when he sensed nothing. When she took his hand, he felt her fear that he’d pull away and rebuff her. Her touch was like heaven singing to his soul. He never wanted to let her go, and as the devastation of the place he’d once called home, left him feeling desolate and hollow, he needed her even more.
The buildings and homes which had burnt to the ground, stood waiting for its people to come back, to walk through their doors once again. No new vegetation had grown up to cover the place like he would have expected. Instead, it looked frozen in time, as if it were holding its breath and waiting.
Sami shook his head.
“Which one was yours?” Hellfire asked, glancing around once they were back to where they had started in the square. Most of the homes were just charred remains, while a couple still stood, untouched. Sami nodded towards a pile of rubble.
“Over there,” he said then he glanced at the bright yellow door standing half-open in invitation at another home, one of the untouched ones. “That one was Tierney’s.” He started to move towards it and stopped, unable to take another step forward.
“Wow,” Hellfire breathed, seemingly a little creeped out by how eerie the place was. “How is it not—?”
“Ravaged by time or weather?” Sami asked.
Hellfire nodded. “Yeah, that.”
He shook his head. “I’ve no idea, but Isoul’s comment about it being haunted doesn’t sound so far-fetched after seeing it. It feels like there’s some kind of spell on the place.”
Sami stood rooted to the ground as he stared at his village. Part of the problem was that when he looked at the burnt husk of his world from so many years ago, he not only saw what remained, but also the bustling life he remembered. His mother smiling and chatting with friends, people he knew and loved. Kids he’d played with. The monthly bonfire …
He could only imagine what his brother found when he arrived right after the Ilyium had torn through the village, killing, and setting fire to everything. Jax never told Sami or Tierney what he saw but Sami knew what the Ilyium, in order to make sure any Dracones and Fallen stayed dead, would have done to the bodies.
Feeling sick, he looked down at Hellfire standing beside him, holding his hand. So many emotions welled up inside of him. He wanted her so bad, but it wasn’t just the sex. His soul cried out for her to be a part of his life, forever. She was the other half of him, the missing half. Only with her would he ever feel whole. But that was something that she had made perfectly clear she didn’t want.
Hellfire swallowed and gazed up at him.
“I’m so sorry, Sami,” she said and something in her eyes made him believe her. She knew what it was like to lose family. As she apologized, Sami frowned, not sure what she was apologizing for, but it seemed about more than just the loss of his mother and village. But then again, maybe he was just tired.
A sudden wind whipped through the village and the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He lifted his head and breathed deeply, scenting the air. Someone was approaching and his senses were telling him it was not a friend.
“Come on, let’s go back,” he said, not wanting to scare her. “We need to get some sleep.”
He waited while Hellfire shifted into her Phoenix, then he shifted as well. In his dragon form, he could smell them even better. There were at least five of them. It was the Ilyium. How did they know anyone was here, did Isoul tip them off? Was his warning some kind of reverse psychology to get Sami here? And if so, to what end?
As they took to the sky, Sami searched the ground. Just outside and not too far from the destroyed part of the wall, a group of five Ilyium slowly made their way to the village. Sami drew in their scent for future reference and followed Hellfire.
Chapter Seventeen
Nightmare
SAMI LANDED RIGHT behind Hellfire, and drew in his wings. Then he shifted back into his human form. Together, they went inside the cabin to find Julie gone and Brimstone snoring softly on the couch. No one else was about, so he figured that Hinah and Drakayeh were in their room. There was no sign of Orion either. Together, Sami and Hellfire stepped into the little bedroom, not saying a word. Sami was tired and feeling overwhelmed, and figured Hellfire must be as well.
It was much warmer tonight than the last so he pulled the soft leather
tunic he was wearing off. He glanced over to see Hellfire had her back to him. He could leave the leather pants on, but he knew he’d roast if he did. Finally, praying for strength to resist Hellfire, he slid them off too, leaving his boxers on.
Then, without looking at Hellfire, he quickly slid under the covers. A moment later, Hellfire slipped her leggings and leather top off, leaving her underwear and T-shirt on. Then she slid under on the other side. They both lay tense for a moment, then Hellfire turned, leaned up on one arm, and looked down at him.
“Hey, ahm, I know I’ve been nothing but a bitch to you, but, are you going to be okay?” she asked.
Sami’s heart warmed at the concern in her voice. Maybe she didn’t really hate him? Either way, it was nice not fighting with her, or feeling hated by her. Sami nodded.
“Yeah, you?” he asked, knowing how worried about Nix she was.
Hellfire swallowed and bit on her bottom lip then she shook her head. “What if we’re too late? What if they’ve already killed her, or—”
“No, they didn’t take her to kill her. She’s too valuable,” Sami said, trying to offer reassurance.
Hellfire stared at him, trying to believe but scared for her sister. “I know, but, there’s other things they could be doing to her. I feel so useless. I should be getting her out of there instead of here, lying in bed.”
“We will. Tomorrow, we’ll come up with a plan to get her out. I promise,” Sami said and though he didn’t have Tierney’s curse of a promise binding him, he felt the weight of his vow nonetheless.
Hellfire stared at him. “All right.”
She lowered her eyes from his to stare at his bare chest. “Sami?” she said in a small, quiet voice.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Will you hold me while I sleep?” she whispered and his heart began to pound. “I promise I won’t pressure you for more, I just …” Her voice trailed off.
Sami swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded. “Yeah, sure.” He slid an arm around her and pulled her close.
Dracones Boxset Books 1-5 Page 72