by ML Guida
“Trust me. I’ll show you.”
One curvy figure didn’t race around the Fiery Damsel. Natasa. Her red hair flew behind her back, and the crimson dress she wore rippled in the wind. He could feel her eyes upon him, desire and hate washing over him, and he shuddered. Was he strong enough to fight her?
He exhaled fire and dove toward the Damsel.
“Fire, ye scurvy maggots, fire!” Palmer yelled.
Men lit the fuses, and the cannons jerked back, thundering. Smoke swirled around the muzzles. Cannonballs whisked through the air. William dodged them. But one cannonball slammed into his chest, knocking the breath out of him. Sweltering heat singed his scales, and his wings collapsed as he spiraled toward the sea.
“Fly, fool.”
William stretched his wings, ignoring the scorching pain. He was surprised how his wings gracefully glided through the air and halted his fall. And he didn’t have to concentrate. ’Twas like walking.
He narrowed his eyes upon the Damsel. His turn. He exhaled, and flames shot onto the ship’s billowing sail. Men shouted below, and William circled around to unleash more fire on the ship.
Palmer stormed up and down the deck, his large frame slamming men out of the way. His voice boomed, “Fire the guns!”
The Damsel fired another round, and William rolled to the side, avoiding the missiles. He refused to deviate from his path. Palmer needed to pay. The man had grown too bold.
Down on the deck of the Damsel, Natasa spread her arms out in front of her, her face to the sky. Prickles rushed over William’s scales, and his stomach knotted.
“’Tis black magic you feel. Get ready.”
A black cloud swirled around Natasa. Her red hair flew wildly around.
“This is it. She’s coming.”
The mist spun around her like a tornado, consuming her. It shot off the deck and rose high into the sky. Red, malice-filled eyes glared at him through the spinning black squall. The tail dipped into the ocean and sucked up water, forming a growing whirlpool and sucking in the Soaring Phoenix. Clouds thundered overhead and lightning crashed. Rain pelted him in sheets.
The Soaring Phoenix teetered on the edge of the whirlpool as the crew battled to hold down the flapping sails. Kane, himself, held onto the wheel, trying to steer her away.
“Attack,” Drakon ordered.
The dragon was daft. How the hell could he defeat a bunch of angry clouds? “I can’t hurt a squall,” William said. How could he defeat a bunch of angry clouds?
“Aye, you can,” Drakon insisted. “Attack before she sinks the bloody ship.”
Though William thought Drakon a bedlamite, he unleashed his talons and sped toward the black mist. He breathed fire and prayed his powers were too much for the demon. He flew into the tempest and spun out of control, faster and faster, his wings pressed to his body. High pitched laughter hurt his ears. He turned in circles. Something sharp slashed his back, and he hissed.
“Exhale. Now. Before ’tis too late.”
William exhaled, not sure what the black fog could do against the flurry.
An anguished female scream pierced his heart. The roar of the squall lessened, and he managed to flap his wings. He burst out of the spinning furor and into bits of sunlight peering through the dark clouds.
Below him, the Phoenix and Damsel exchanged fire, cannons boomed, and thunder exploded from both ships. To help the Phoenix, he had to defeat Natasa. He circled the squall and exhaled again. The fog snaked into the spinning clouds, and water poured back into the ocean. Natasa rose out of the dissipating cloud—a ghost out of hell.
“You’ll pay for ruining my fun, dragon,” she said. A lightning bolt formed in her hand, and she flung it at William.
He blew fire, consuming the lightning bolt, melting it. She screamed with rage. He smiled. Die bitch.
“Don’t get cocky.”
Natasa waved her hand, and another lightning bolt formed. Before she could throw it, he lunged at her. She moved away, but not fast enough. He scratched her with his talon, drawing blood, and she howled. “You blasted lizard. How dare you.”
He flew above her and circled, his talons unleashed. He’d rip the bitch to pieces.
Natasa flung the lightning bolt at him. He dodged to the right, and it soared past his wing, closer than the last one. The heat and electricity charged his flesh.
In midair, they whirled around one another, sparring with lightning and fire. A bolt narrowly missed his tail. The demon wench laughed. He belched flame after flame, encircling Natasa, and her laughter died.
Malevolence smoldered in her eyes. “You think you’ve won, dragon? Caught me?”
William exhaled, and more fire surrounded her, singeing the edge of her dress.
“So, you want to play rough, dragon? I’ll play rough.” Flares danced in her pupils and horns slowly rose out of her head. Teeth and nails lengthened. She flashed and disappeared.
William scanned the sky, but he couldn’t see her. Something hit him hard on his back. He turned his head. Natasa straddled him and dug her heels into his side.
“Now, dragon, you’ll pay for burning me.”
She dug her long fingernails into his back, cutting through scales and slashing into his flesh. Dizzying pain gripped him, and he arched back. He clamped his jaw and cut his tongue. Blood oozed down his throat. His wings faltered, and air rushed over him.
She leaned over and bit into his neck, ripping out his flesh. Agony ricocheted down his neck to his talons. Fire burst through his mouth. He plummeted toward the ocean, the sky and clouds rushing around him. Grim determination surged through him, and ignoring the pain, he stretched out his wings and lashed his tail.
She bashed her heels into his hide. “You missed, lizard.”
Since she sat too far away for him to bite her legs, he flew in circles, trying to dislodge her, but she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him tight. Her hot breath washed over him, and he inhaled decay and filth. Tears stung his eyes, and his lungs burned. He coughed and gagged. ’Twas like he had plunged into London’s sewer, coated with human waste and swallowing deadly fumes.
He wanted to yell and swear at her, but rather than words, a guttural growl emitted from his throat. Fire and black smoked leapt around them, dousing some of her stench, but the faint odor remained.
“Soon, you’ll be mine, dragon, and together we’ll crush those tiny peasants below.”
William bellowed and twisted his body, trying to get her off him.
His efforts were met with another burst of harsh laughter. Natasa twisted her wrist, and another lightning bolt formed in her hand. With one hard thrust, she stabbed him in the back. Blood showered around him. Sizzling heat surged through him, fire burning his insides. This hurt far worse than when he’d been shot with an arrow. He swirled lower and lower until he flew only a few feet above the waves. Water sprayed onto him.
He arched his back and bucked hard, but she hung on tight. He lunged and bit her leg, tearing into her flesh.
She wailed. “Release me, you stupid dragon.” With each word, she pounded on his head.
Demon blood gushed into his mouth, and he gagged on the burning liquid sliding down his throat. Ignoring the pain, he flung her off his back and tossed her into the ocean. She shrieked, promising to kill him, but it failed to stir any fear. As waves washed over her head, he hoped she’d drown.
William glided over the sea to determine if his hopes were coming true. Bubbles spun around in the water where she had sunk, and something red glowed beneath the surface, rushing toward him. Damn.
Natasa rose out of the ocean. Her hair drenched and gown ruined, she pointed a finger at him. “Fool, you thought you could hurt me. I’m a demon. My blood runs in you now, and soon you’ll wish you were dead.”
She transformed into black mist, laughing, and spun toward where the Fiery Damsel sailed out to sea.
William spat out her blood, scalding his mouth and scorching his throbbing lips. His gut burned as if
fiery pokers hacked his insides. The blazing heat turned cold, icy cold. Icicles formed on the tip of his wings, becoming heavier and heavier. He splashed into the ocean and tried to fly out of the water, but his wings collapsed. He sucked in sea water, and salt burned his wounds. Blackness swarmed in his eyes. He tried to kick his legs, but his limbs were frozen. He sank like an anchor, plunging into the dark depths of the sea.
Natasa’s laughter taunted him. “Don’t worry, lizard. You won’t die. When you wake, you’ll be mine, and I’ll order you to kill your friends, including your little witch.”
“No. William, fight it. Don’t fall asleep. Black magic will consume us. I refuse to be a demon’s slave again.”
William tried to stay awake, but his lungs burned, and he closed his eyes, hoping he’d die. His body shook and contorted. Wings disappeared, scales turned back to skin, shrinking in size. He was a man, a man drowning.
Explosions on the water’s surface failed to block out the laughter. The laughter turned into a screech. William didn’t know why. Water stopped burning his lungs, and he could breathe. He forced his heavy eyelids open. Bloody hell, he was floating on top of the waves. His arms were stretched out, and his head turned to the side. Sprays of water slapped onto his body. He tried to swim, but his muscles refused to move. How the hell had he gotten there?
A shadow fell across him, and he glanced up. The Soaring Phoenix. Her sails wrinkled in the wind. Men grabbed the mooring lines. He heard shouts and cheers, but couldn’t make them out.
“Lower the long boat,” someone yelled. No. Wait. ’Twas Kane giving the order.
Water and sky spun around him in a dizzying array. He closed his eyes. Fire and ice burned inside him, and he groaned.
“Don’t fall asleep. Stay awake.”
Suddenly, the water stopped slapping onto his face. He opened one eye and hung in the air, his limbs flaccid, water dripping down his fingertips into the ocean. Weariness surged through him, and he fought to keep his eyes open. But he was tired. So damn tired.
Sleep. He needed sleep.
“No! Stay awake.”
He hovered over the Phoenix’s deck, and men cheered. Mariah had her arms spread wide, chanting, but he couldn’t make out the chant and didn’t care. Sleep overcame him.
“Wake up!”
He landed on warm wood and curled into a ball.
“William?” She brushed his hair out of his eyes. “You foolish, brave dragon.”
“Mariah,” he whispered. “Kill me.”
She stopped rubbing his forehead. “Kill you? Why?”
“Poison…inside me.” He swallowed back the corrosive burning his throat. “About to pass out. When I wake, I’ll be her slave. Ordered to kill you.” He shook his head, trying to stay awake. “Can’t…fight it. Kill me. Before ’tis too late.”
“Look!” someone yelled.
William opened his eyes. Past the Phoenix’s flapping sails, a long, thin, black mist snaked through white fluffy clouds, and a pair of red eyes stared at him. The demon. She’d come for him. He’d failed again. Darkness over-took his soul, and he fell into an abyss of despair.
“Take him below,” Kane ordered.
Hands gripped his wrists and ankles and lifted him. Pain throbbed between William’s temples. His head tilted back, and he closed his eyes. He hurt everywhere. Why was he in pain? He tried to remember and winced. His eyes fluttered open. He couldn’t feel the wind on his face, but his teeth chattered and he was cold, colder than he’d ever been on a winter’s day in London. Rather than lying on the deck, he lay on a mattress. Kane’s cabin?
He tried to remember how he’d gotten there. Fog clogged his brain. His stomach spasmed and he stiffened. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words died on his parched lips.
Agony churned in his gut. He curled into a tight ball and clutched his abdomen. Was he human or beast?
“The…black…magic…wants my heart. Only our mate can save us. You must take her.”
“William, can you hear me?” Someone dabbed a damp cloth on his forehead.
He knew that voice. He knew that scent. Lavender. Female. “Mariah?” His tongue felt thick. Too thick to speak coherently. “Where’s Natasa? She was…in the mist…In the sky.”
“Shh, I know. She’s gone,” Mariah said. She brushed his hair off his hot face. “But she’ll be back. I’m afraid she’s waiting for the poison to change you.”
Booms hurt his ears then cannons slammed into the ship. The ship jostled. Cries and shouts rang through the corridor outside Kane’s cabin. The faint scent of sulfur filtered inside. The battle raged outside, and he should be part of it. He tried to move, but his arms and legs failed to obey. He couldn’t open his eyes, no matter how he tried. “Change me?” His heart pounded, and with every beat, pain surged through his veins and spasms cinched his back.
“No, William, lay still. Moving only makes the poison stronger.”
William did as he was told and relaxed, but every time he took a breath, the pain seemed to grow stronger—his chest ached, his stomach burned, and his arms and legs throbbed.
“William, I done gonna turn you on your side.”
He knew that voice, too. A friend. Doc.
Someone gripped William’s shoulder and pushed him onto his side to put pressure on his back, and he grimaced.
“I donna understand,” Doc said. “I can’t stop da bleedin’.”
Each time his heart took a beat, agony pulsed through William. “Kane,” he gasped. “I’ve got to help.”
“Capt’n’s topside. Gave orders for you to remain here. Here you’ll remain.”
“Why…can’t I…move?”
“’Tis black magic,” Mariah said. “Poison’s seeping through him and will change his magic from white to black. Human medicine will not save him. Only white magic can save him.”
“Yes. Finally. She’ll…stop…the…poison.”
William gripped the sheets. The voices seemed so far away, distant as if they were down in the belly of the ship.
“How can we help him?” Doc demanded. “He’s gray. So damn gray.”
“You cannot. I can. You must leave. Now.”
“No,” Doc said. “You need me.”
“I have my tools. The longer you all stay, the more opportunity you give Natasa to steal his soul. When he grows dark, he will be her slave and dangerous. Le capitaine will be forced to kill him.”
“What?”
“Natasa wants us all dead. What better way to kill us than a dragon? To save le capitaine’s brother, you must leave. If you stay, you will condemn him. The choice is yours.”
“Mariah, he’s dyin’. You need my help,” Doc insisted.
Fear shook in his words. William’s heart pounded. Dying. I’m dying? Shite. He didn’t want to die.
He wanted to tell Doc to trust Mariah. He opened his mouth to argue, but another guttural moan escaped his lips. Why couldn’t he speak?
“The poison will spread, overshadowing this honorable man, taking his soul, and leaving an empty husk for Natasa to control,” Mariah said.
Hurried footsteps pounded down the companionway outside. Men hollered for more ammunition.
William groaned. He wanted to wake, wanted to fight. Why couldn’t he open his blasted eyes?
“Go, Doc,” Mariah urged. “Natasa is coming for William and Drakon. If he wakes before I can help him, he will be changed forever. An evil spirit.”
“You can save him?”
“Oui,” she said. “I need time. Go fight.”
The ship bucked and men screamed.
“There are wounded up on deck,” Mariah said. “They need you.”
“I hope I’m not done makin’ a mistake trustin’ to a witch,” Doc grumbled.
’Twas so frustrating. He couldn’t speak or open his eyes, but his hearing was keen.
A door opened and closed.
Clothing rustled. What was happening? There wasn’t a place on his sweating body that wasn’t aware
of her, aware of wanting—no needing—Mariah. He needed to see her, touch her skin, but all he could do was lie on Kane’s bed, soaked in his own sweat. Only she could ease the pain, heal him.
“Trust in me, William,” Mariah urged. “Isis, Goddess of nature and magic. Hear me. Open his eyes.”
Pain exploded in his head as if someone had slugged him with a mallet.
She chanted the same statement over and over.
“Open your eyes,” she ordered.
William arched his back, and his eyes flew open. He panted, trying to push back the pain. Clicking her tongue, Mariah stood naked next to the side of the bed, her hands moving inches above his body. Air swirled around him.
Her full breasts tempted him, and he wanted to suckle them, but he couldn’t move. His body stuck to the sheet as if he had been nailed to the mattress. He tried to speak, but the words refused to form.
In her hand, she clutched a rose stone. She peered at the ceiling. “Isis, I call upon the powers to help William. Repel the poison.”
She placed the stone in the middle of his chest and cold iced his body. He couldn’t breathe. Each time he inhaled, he fought to take in air.
In her other hand, she held an orange and red-striped stone. “Take this, I beg you, Goddess, and help heal him.”
This stone on his stomach generated heat, and warmth thawed the chill. Venom curdled in his stomach. He arched his back and bit back a scream.
Mariah reached into her red satchel and pulled out her wand. She tapped his toe with it. “By the powers of Mother Sun and Father Moon, I dispel thee.”
He jerked violently and rose off the bed. He thrashed his head back and forth as he hovered in the air. Mariah removed the wand from his toe and touched the wound on his back. Pain jolted through him as if a sword sliced into his flesh. She said something, but his shriek muffled her voice.
She caressed his back. “Come back to me, William.”
Her voice penetrated his brain and dulled the pain. Nausea gripped him, and bile rose up his throat, but he swallowed hard. He floated down onto the mattress, the stones remaining on his chest and his stomach.