Dracones Boxset Books 1-5

by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  Sami’s power was swirling like a murderous black entity seeping from him. “You’re right, I did, but you’ve just put a knife to my mate’s throat,” Sami yelled, his voice radiating all his rage.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Dream of Death

  SAMI’S RAGE EXPLODED out of control. His power zipped through the air, seeking, wanting vengeance. Hellfire and Erdal stared at him with shocked expressions.

  “Your mate?” Erdal’s voice practically squeaked, eyes wide in horror and fear.

  A moment later, the chains holding Sami snapped and the collar around his neck fell open. Pulling his power back inside and looking through a red haze as insanity hovered close, Sami roared again and dove off the cross, shifting in mid leap into his dragon form.

  He snatched Hellfire out of Erdal’s grasp, roaring a stream of dragon fire at the man who was already darting away. Sami set Hellfire behind him on her feet.

  “Sami,” she began, but he was already turning to let lose another blast of fire.

  Unfortunately, the bastard had already run out of the room. Sami glanced around, power raging in him, needing somewhere to go.

  “Sami,” she said again and grabbed his arm.

  Immediately, he began to calm and soon he was able to survey the scene going on around them. Brimstone, Isoul, Rhodan, Nix, and a bunch of other people he didn’t recognize were tearing the Ilyium to pieces.

  Nix hurried over to Hellfire, hesitating as she neared Sami.

  “Ah—” She glanced up at him, eyes wide.

  “It’s okay, this is Sami, he won’t hurt you,” Hellfire told her sister.

  Nix, keeping an eye on Sami, stepped up to Hellfire. “I-I’ve got to go find Dawson,” she said, breathless as she glanced around.

  “Do you need help?” Hellfire asked.

  Nix shook her head. “No, I’m okay,” she said, but one of Rhodan’s men offered to go with her anyway. Nix nodded in acceptance, and together they dashed out of the courtyard.

  Hellfire looked up at Sami. “Are you okay?” she asked, worry shining in her eyes.

  Sami started to nod but at the sight of one of the Ilyium coming up behind her, he whisked her out of the way with one arm and let lose another breath of fire, scorching the man to ash where he stood. Then, while keeping his wing protectively shielding Hellfire, he watched for any other threats.

  “Sami, my mate, Lewta is here somewhere, please, don’t kill him,” Isoul’s voice entered his mind.

  “Where is he?” Sami asked.

  “I don’t know,” Isoul said, worry clear in his voice.

  “If you see him, let me know,” Sami said, and Isoul nodded before turning to fight someone else.

  More Ilyium entered the room and while Sami was tempted to fry them, he didn’t. He couldn’t take the chance that one of them was Isoul’s mate. Sami growled in frustration and using his talons, continued to fight.

  At first, he didn’t notice that Hellfire had moved away and begun to fight as well, but a moment later, when he heard her chuckle, he glanced around. Fear froze him long enough for one of the Ilyium to jump forward and attempt to stab him. Though the knife slid off his scales, it still angered him.

  He was done taking their shit. With fear for Hellfire rushing through his veins, Sami sliced at another, tearing the robed bastard’s throat out. He let the body fall and turned back to Hellfire. He’d seen her fight before, knew she was more than competent, in fact, she was amazing. But she was still his mate and every instinct screamed at him to protect her. He started to bring his wing around, to shield her, but Hellfire shook her head.

  “No, I’m okay,” she said as she whirled and using her wings and claws as fierce weapons, cut and clawed at the enemy. After Sami was sure she wasn’t taking any chances, he turned back to fight his own aggressors.

  Then the man who went with Nix rushed back into the room.

  “Where is my sister?” Hellfire shouted at him.

  The guy glanced at her as he began to engage the enemy. “She’s right behind me.”

  The words had barely left his mouth when Nix, her arm around a filthy, bruised young man who could barely stand, entered the room. Sami dropped another guy, and then looked around. Besides those still fighting, there were Ilyium lying all around them.

  Sami knew he could do a lot more damage in dragon form, though his friends seemed to have things under control. Then he heard the sound of many feet approaching.

  “We need to get going. You need to shift to get out of here, Sami,” Hellfire said.

  Sami knew she was right and drawing on his power, shifted back into a human.

  “Sami,” Isoul shouted and with a grin, tossed him a long, sharp looking dagger.

  The sound of running feet drew closer.

  “More of them are coming,” Sami yelled.

  Rhodan finished off the guy he was fighting and nodded, then he glanced around. “Come, we must go. Isoul,” Rhodan snapped at his son.

  Isoul nodded and he, along with a few other guys Sami didn’t know, but who were obviously on their side, began to back out of the room and down the hallway.

  “Here, let me help,” Sami said and put his arm under the man Nix was trying to carry.

  Nix glanced gratefully at him. “Thanks.”

  “Hellfire, go in front of me,” Sami called and with one last kick and slash at the guys she was fighting, Hellfire whirled and her wing sliced through both men’s throats. Both dropped to the ground and Hellfire started down the hallway, glancing back to make sure Sami and her sister were following her.

  “I’m here, go,” he said, right behind her.

  Brimstone followed them as they started down the corridor.

  Within seconds, they were outside. Sami stared at the carnage between the wall and building. There had to be about twelve warrior dragons flying around shooting fire, while the enemy lay scattered all over the ground.

  “Keep going, get out of here,” Rhodan shouted behind them and shifted into a massive bronze dragon. He was larger than all the other dragons around, another sign that he was the Thundrace.

  Sami hoped that Isoul’s mate wasn’t one of the bodies on the ground. Brimstone’s mouth gaped open for a second before he sprinted for the gate.

  Sami grinned as Rhodan shot into the sky. “Thank you,” he said to Tierney’s uncle as the great dragon hovered above them.

  “You didn’t think I’d leave you here, did you?” Rhodan said in return.

  Sami chuckled and began to make his way to the gate with Nix and her friend, when something came whistling through the air. Nix let out a cry, stumbled, and fell to the ground. The guy Sami was helping pulled away and fell to his knees beside her.

  “Nix,” he shouted at the same time that Sami heard a second whistling.

  He glanced up to see the black robed bastard who had held a knife to Hellfire’s neck in one of the windows. Erdal. Beside him stood the other one, the tall Ilyium who hadn’t said a word but who had disappeared when Sami broke free of his chains. That man now held something that looked similar to a crossbow. Sami growled and started to shift back into his dragon when Brimstone let out a cry of horror. His heart pounding, Sami turned to find Hellfire lying on the ground beside Nix.

  “No,” he shouted, horror and rage set his blood boiling.

  Hellfire blinked up at him. “Sami.”

  She sounded so weak.

  “Bastard’s poisoned them,” Nix’s friend said, tears running down his face.

  Sami glanced back up in time to see Isoul in dragon form. He shot a stream of dragon fire straight at the window where the robed man was leaning out readying his aim. Sami trembled with a deep hatred so intense that power swirled around him. He began to shift, then he stopped himself. Hellfire needed him. He fought the urge to go after the guy, almost hoping Isoul didn’t get him so that he could. He’d make the fucker pay.

  With his heart in his throat, Sami turned back to Hellfire. Suddenly, he felt his connection to Hellfi
re. It began to grow until it was pulsing though him, stronger than it had ever been. Sami stared down at her and met her gaze. A gaze filled with … Was it love? No, surely not. It couldn’t be after all that had happened, could it?

  “I’m sorry. I was wrong, so wrong …” she said and though weak, Sami could feel her love.

  “No,” he whispered, horrified at the thought that this could be happening again. He’d already watched her die once, he couldn’t watch again. He couldn’t lose her again.

  “You have to save her,” Brimstone’s shout broke through Sami’s anguish as he knelt between his sisters. “She’s dying, they’re both dying.” Tears ran down Brimstone’s face as he picked up and held both Hellfire and Nix’s hands. “Why didn’t you just stay at the cabin?” he asked looking back at Hellfire.

  Sami could hear Hellfire’s heartbeat slowing down.

  Brimstone looked back up at him. “Please, do something, save them.”

  Sami felt like his soul was withering away.

  No. She can’t die!

  This couldn’t happen. He barely survived the first time he watched her die and knew without a doubt that he wouldn’t survive the second time. No matter what he’d just felt from her, feelings he didn’t know whether to believe or trust, or even if she wanted to be with him or not, he couldn’t let her die.

  Time slowed and Sami thought of his conversation with Sasha, the healer saying something about how they were linked. Then he remembered how Tierney had saved Jax recently. Yes, she had activated the Sevaris bond, but she and Jax were both Dracones. Maybe it wouldn’t happen between him and Hellfire?

  That is if it even worked. If it did, their link would likely grow stronger. Sami sighed. Hellfire could hate him all she wanted, he didn’t see that he had much choice if he wanted to save her.

  Sami raised his hand and stared at the dagger he held, hardly remembering how he came to have it. Then, with no other thought other than saving Hellfire’s life, he sliced his hand open and held it over her mouth.

  HELLFIRE FLOATED THROUGH the blackness semi-aware that she was dead. This was what death felt like—a whole heap of nothingness. Although time had no meaning and she had no clue how long she’d been drifting, Hellfire had regrets. A mile-long list of them. The main one was thinking Sami was the one who would kill her and her sister.

  Nix! She hadn’t even had a chance to really live yet. Horror at knowing she’d been unable to stop her sister’s death filled Hellfire with agony. Then, the thought of how unfair, how hateful and mean she’d been to Sami and guilt ate at her.

  She deserved it, every little bit of it. The pain and agony continued to build and consume her, filling every square inch of her body. Hellfire wanted to cry, scream, rage, but was unable to do any of it. Over and over, she berated herself for what she’d done. She could see her parents kneeling on the floor in the living room while the Ilyium shot them in the head. She could see the face of their killer, a face she thought she loved, as it glanced up at her and grinned. She’d told him where they lived. She’d brought him into their lives. It had been all her fault. She was going to hell. She had to be, but as she waited for the fiery pits to claim her, a voice drifted in.

  The voice pleaded, begged her for something she couldn’t give. Something she didn’t deserve. She tried to shut the sound out, but it wouldn’t go away. It pulled at her and twisted her up in knots. She didn’t deserve to live. She pushed it away, but it was persistent. Finally, she began to listen to the whispered words. She let them flow through her, fill her, soothe her.

  “Please, Hellfire. Wake up. Don’t die on me.”

  They were repeated, whispered close to her ear. Everything went blurry and then black again. Later, hours, days, eons, she didn’t know how long, but she could feel strong arms holding her. She could hear the beating of a heart. Hers? Or was it someone else’s? Tears fell on her face and the wind whipped them away. The next time she regained a bit more consciousness, she realized she was swaying. No, not swaying, flying.

  Someone was carrying her through the early morning sky.

  Hellfire tried to open her eyes, but they were glued shut. She tried to speak, but nothing came out. Once again, she sank beneath the surface into darkness.

  It felt like forever before she finally fought the fuzziness in her mind and pulled herself from the dark to find herself cradled in the little bed in the cabin, secure in Sami’s arms.

  “Sami?” she mumbled as she finally managed to open her eyes.

  “Yeah, I’m here,” he whispered.

  Hellfire stared up at the most beautiful emerald eyes she’d ever seen. “I died.”

  She remembered seeing her sister fall and all of a sudden, her dream vision was coming true. She had started to scream Nix’s name, but had felt herself going down as well. Someone had shot her with something … a dart of some kind. Sami had told them that drugs didn’t work here. So how? She lay on the ground beside Nix knowing this was the end. This was how she would die.

  “Sami, you … you ...”

  Holy hell, it was that evil man, Nimrod, Enrod, no … Erdal. His man had shot her sister, and then shot her. Poisoned them. She could see Nix from the corner of her eye, but she couldn’t move. Her organs had begun shutting down, until …

  Hellfire blinked as Sami had stood over her. His expression was just as fierce, filled with hatred as the one in her dream vision. The anger had shone bright in his eyes, just like her dream. But then new understanding dawned. Sami had raised the bloody dagger she was so sure he was going to kill her with, and he cut his hand open.

  What the fuck? All this time she’d thought he was going to kill her and her baby sister. The main reason for keeping her distance all this time was because she refused to be the reason another member of her family died. But no. Instead, he…he what? Shit, Sami gave her his blood. He saved her. After all that she’d done to him, she sure wouldn’t have blamed him for letting her die. Then Hellfire remembered the bodies all around her and the sight of her sister lying dying beside her.

  “Nix?” she said and with her heart pounding, she struggled to sit up.

  “Nix is fine. The poison didn’t get her as bad for some reason. Isoul helped her,” Sami said as he helped her to sit, and pushed the pillows behind her back.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Aftermath

  SAMI HAD ASKED ISOUL back at the Ilyium fortress if he was worried about activating the Sevaris bond, but Isoul shook his head. “No, she’ll be fine, it only happens once in a while and usually only between soul mates of our species.”

  “You’ve never heard of it happening between a Dracones and another?” Sami asked, staring down at Hellfire in his arms.

  “No, I haven’t. Although, I suppose there is always a first time,” he said and clapped Sami on the back.

  Still really worried about Hellfire, Sami had finally relented and let Brimstone hold her while he shifted into his dragon. Then he took Hellfire back into his arms and carefully, terrified she’d die or even break, he flew back to the cabin while Isoul carried Nix.

  Feeling Hellfire’s panic that her sister was dead, Sami shook his head. “It’s okay, she’s fine.”

  “Really? She’s okay?” she asked, fear brightening her eyes.

  Sami nodded. “She is. I promise. In fact, I’ll go get her. Both she and your brother have been worried sick about you.” Sami began to climb off the bed.

  “Sami?” Hellfire grabbed onto his arm and stopped him.

  Sami stared back at her. “Yeah?”

  “I’m sorry. I know you overheard me but I wasn’t going to do it,” she said. Sami frowned, thinking she was still confused. Hellfire shook her head. “No, I mean trading you for Nix. I wasn’t going to do it,” she repeated.

  Sami blinked and shook his head. Whether she wasn’t or not, that she’d even thought of it still hurt. However, none of that mattered at the moment. “Let me get Nix and Brimstone,” he repeated and left the room.

  “She’s
awake,” he told Hellfire’s siblings as he slumped down on the couch, suddenly exhausted.

  Hinah approached him. “Can I get you some food, Sami?”

  Sami shook his head as he listened to Nix, Brimstone, and Hellfire talking in the other room. “No thanks, Hinah. I couldn’t eat right now.”

  He thought about how he’d almost lost Hellfire again. It hadn’t gotten any less scary or devastating than before and now he felt drained and more confused than ever. He’d tried to resist his feelings while trying to keep Goldy’s smiling image in his mind, but none of it had worked. Now, after saving Hellfire with his blood, he knew they’d be bound even tighter. He hadn’t told her what he’d done. She would probably cut his balls off if she found out. Not that it mattered. He did what he had to do to save her.

  HELLFIRE’S HEART ACHED at the hurt she’d glimpsed in Sami’s eyes. She needed him to believe her, to know how sorry she was, and how she truly felt. She started to sit up and go to him when Nix and Brimstone rushed in and climbed up onto the bed, stopping her. They both hugged her, asking if she was okay.

  “You’ve been unconscious for so long we were getting really worried about you,” Nix said, wiping her eyes.

  Hellfire glanced at the window to see that it was still fairly dark out. “What time is it?”

  “Almost noon,” Brimstone said. “Hinah figures we have about three or four hours.”

  “Three or four hours for what? Oh right, the eclipse.” Hellfire nodded and tried to climb from the bed again. “We need to go, get out of this realm before the eclipse.”

  Nix pulled away and got up off the bed. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said with a stubborn tilt of her chin.

  “Nix, we have to, you can’t do this. You can’t give your life for these wolves, I won’t let you,” Hellfire said.