His heart sped up. Angels? If they came, there was evidence everywhere that people had been here. The bones of all the meat they’d been feeding the dragon littered the floor, and the creature no longer looked nearly as starved and crazed.
“If they come, our plan is doomed,” Tristan said, low enough so the Immortals wouldn’t catch his words.
“But—“ Mark began.
“If they do not kill them in fear of us saving them, they will wait here and spring a trap for the next time we come.”
“We can’t save him today,” Surcy said. “He isn’t ready. He’ll kill you.”
Tristan looked between the beast and the Immortals. He had no choice. He couldn’t leave them to suffer, not knowing what Caine and his angels would do now that they’d been found. Yes, the dragon still seemed unable to communicate with them, and gave no indication of his human-side, but Tristan would take the risk.
He had to.
“I remove his chains. Today.”
“And what if you actually succeed in releasing him, and he immediately eats all of us?” Daniel asked, with a frown.
“All of you will go to safety.”
“Like fucking hell,” Daniel said, shaking his head.
“I’m made of stone. I can endure some of the dragon’s attack.”
“Some,” Daniel emphasized. “Not all. His teeth will turn you to dust.”
Tristan shrugged. “Then, I’ll avoid his teeth.”
“Surcy, tell him what a dumbass he’s being,” Daniel shouted, drawing the gazes of the Immortals and the dragon.
Tristan’s gaze swung to her, and their eyes met. For a minute it was hard to breathe. Did his little angel have any idea the effect she had on him? He was certain she didn’t have a clue.
She didn’t remember their many moments together, or their nights spent tangled in each other’s arms, but he did. And it killed him to not be allowed to touch her now.
Curling his hands into fists, he willed himself to look at her without seeing her. To not notice how fluid, how graceful her movements were as she moved toward him. He told himself that her skin wasn’t flushed and healthy, that her long, black hair wasn’t silky and begging to be touched, and that the curves of her face and full lips weren’t flawless.
But even his own mind screamed that he lied.
She was… stunning.
Her breathing increased, and his gaze moved to her breasts. The slight rise and fall of the twin mounds were intoxicating to watch. His body begged him to reach out and stroke them, to cup them in his hard hands and feel their delicious weight.
But he could not touch her. He would not touch her. Not until she loved him again.
“Tristan?” she said his name softly.
Does she feel our connection too?
“Yes.”
“Do you really think you can do this?”
He nodded. Of course he could do it. It was dangerous, but he was not easy to kill.
Reaching up, she pushed his hair back from his face, tucking it behind his ear. A thousand memories came back to him in a rush. Of the first time they met. Even as an angel hunting demons, the connection between them had been powerful. Her slightest touch made him feel more than he had in all his years as a gargoyle, and the power that moved between them was there, even now.
Rising up on her tiptoes, she pressed the lightest kiss to his lips.
He held himself still, afraid of what he might do if he let the wall between them crumble.
“You be careful,” she whispered. “Do you understand me? Because if you let that dragon hurt you. I’ll kick your ass.”
He smiled. “You won’t be rid of me so easily, little angel.”
Her gaze darkened, and she leaned up again. This time when she kissed him it wasn’t lightly, and he felt the wall between them falling. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her closer, and his lips slanted over hers. She was so soft, his angel. Her mouth hot and hungry against his. And when she parted her lips, her tongue tangling with his, he forgot all about the dragons and the Immortals.
This was all he wanted. Surcy. In his arms. Safe and loved forever.
When she pulled back, breaking their kiss, they were both breathing hard. He stared at her, wanting to see the familiar face of a lover. Instead, her expression was surprised. Like it was their first kiss. It both hurt and fascinated him.
She might never remember him, but maybe she could love him again.
“So,” Mark cleared his throat. “What’s the plan?”
Tristan tore his gaze from his love and stared at the tired druid. “You three find a place to hide. When the dragon is released, we do not know what he will do. He may instinctually shift into his human form. He might become crazed and hunt like a starved animal. You do not wish to be his next meal.”
“And if he does that, what will you do?” Mark asked, looking as if he disapproved of their plan.
“I will get as far from him as quickly as I can.”
Daniel laughed. “I guess that’s a plan.”
Tristan looked between the two men. One frowning. One smiling. And yet, they were both worried. Do not be concerned. I won’t leave you so easily.
“Take care of her,” he ordered them.
Daniel nodded. “We will.”
And there it was. He didn’t just mean right now. He meant if anything went wrong. And they both knew it.
He didn’t watch them as they slowly left the cave. He might feel something then, and he couldn’t waste time with such things now. Instead, he turned his gaze to the Immortals on the other side of the cave.
“I am releasing him now. Stay far enough back that he cannot reach you.”
Their eyes widened, but they obeyed him.
Turning to the dragon, they openly evaluated each other. Gargoyles and dragons were typically allies. For all the rumors about dragons’ tempers and selfishness, they didn’t like powerful beings preying on humans either. There were times in the past the creatures had even fought at his side.
We are the same, he sent the thought to the dragon.
Perhaps it was his imagination, but he thought the beast stiffened.
I am going to free you. And you are not going to kill any of us. You may shift. You may hunt. But we are not your enemies.
The dragon’s silver eyes swirled, but he didn’t send a thought in return.
Truly, Tristan wasn’t certain whether he’d forgotten how to respond, but understood, or if he was completely lost to the beast.
Closing his eyes, he shifted into his gargoyle form. It took only seconds for his flesh to become hard stone, and for his stone wings to sprout from his back. When he was finished, he took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and inched forward.
When he drew close enough for the beast to attack, the dragon remained still, watching.
Tristan hoped that was a good sign as he closed in. The dragon’s leg twitched as he drew near his foot, but still, the beast did not attack.
His heart raced as he came to stand just beside his head. This close up, the dragon was even larger. Big enough to close its jaws around him in one deadly bite. Never before had he approached a wild creature this large and this unpredictable. And he hoped never to have to do it again.
I will remove your chains now. It may hurt, but then you’ll be free.
To his shock, the dragon turned its head, showing him the chains around its throat.
Dark blood ran from the sharp tips that pressed into its throat from the collar, more flowing with his movement. It turned Tristan’s stomach, but he forced himself to focus. The collar was strong and thick, but he sensed the weak points in it. Reaching forward, he wrapped his hands on either side of the weakest point and began to pull.
A low growl emanated from the dragon’s chest, but he didn’t attack.
Tristan took that as a good sign and continued to pull. A crack formed in the metal. He was breathing hard, pulling with all his might. His stone hands commanded the metal to weaken, to break
. He seemed to press a vibration into the material that sent the crack deeper and deeper. Every muscle in his body strained. His teeth clenching painfully together. He was so close.
So close.
But still, the chain held.
The dragon moved slightly. More blood ran from where Tristan was unintentionally digging the spikes deeper into its throat. Soon the beast would become impatient. Soon he would attack.
Tristan could feel his one chance ticking away with each second that passed.
And then, like a crack of lightning, the collar broke, hitting the ground.
The sound seemed to echo around them. Tristan inched back as the dragon rose onto its feet. Rotating its neck, he seemed to be testing whether the collar was truly gone. And then, he threw back his head and roared.
Only this was a sound of triumph.
Tristan smiled. Soon the haggard creature would be powerful once more.
And then, the air changed. Tristan frowned and looked to the cave entrance. What was wrong?
Something hit the ground outside of the cave. The dragon’s head whirled to the sound.
And there, in the entrance, angels approached. Three of them, holding dead birds in their hands. One spoke. The other two laughed.
Tristan tried to move back, but he wasn’t fast enough. The dragon moved like lightning, knocking him back against the cave wall with a power that made his vision blacken.
The screams of the angels echoed around him, and the most horrible sound came. Of bones cracking and blood gushing.
Tristan sucked in deep breaths. He knew enough of battle to know what happened. As his vision returned, he struggled to his feet. His chest, back, and head ached, but he was fine. Stumbling to the back cave, he barely entered before spotting the Immortals.
They ran to him.
“Our collars,” Spring whispered, pointing to the thin bands of steel.
Steadying himself, he grasped hers and snapped it with a flick of his wrist. She wept happy tears as he moved to Autumn and Winter. When all of their collars hit the ground, Autumn grabbed his shoulder.
“Thank you. The Seasons are in your debt.”
“You are not safe yet. Caine will simply catch you once more. There is a sanctuary for your kind. You must go there, until it is time to overthrow him.”
Autumn’s cracked lips curled into a smile. “Send me the image, demon, and we’ll get there.”
The Immortal closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against Tristan’s. Tristan thought of the paths to the sanctuary, and then of the sanctuary itself. He tried to show it from the ground and sky, seeking to give them as much information as possible.
At last, the Immortal pulled back. “Thank you. That will do.”
He nodded, and the three battered Immortals left the cave, backs straight.
There was something wrong. He was certain of it the moment they came out into the dragon’s empty space. It wasn’t the entrance, which was splattered with blood. It was something in the air that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.
Walking out into the open, his jaw dropped.
Dozens of angels surrounded the weakened dragon as it struggled to flap its wings. Their soul-blades were lit with light, and they swung each time he snapped at them. The dragon turned its head, saw him, and roared, only it was a sound of desperation.
A shiver moved through his body, and his hand went to the sword at his back.
“They’ll kill him,” Summer whispered.
“No, they won’t,” Tristan told her.
Moving forward, he severed a head from one of the angels. That got the others attention. Two turned to look at him. The dragon clamped its teeth over one of them, and threw back its head, devouring the angel.
Chaos erupted in the white-winged angels, a few raced at him, while the others spread out their circle around the dragon. Tension hung between them as he faced them, hoping they wouldn’t notice the helpless Immortals behind him.
One sword struck his. The sound of metal on metal rang through the air.
He pushed back his opponent. Caught the blade of another angel, and kicked it in the stomach, sending the massive man back.
A blade struck his shoulder, vibrating through his stone body.
Fool.
He whirled, catching the angel’s shocked expression as he sliced his head off.
More attacked. Blades struck him from every angle. At first only an annoyance, but after a time, the soul-blade sent aches through his body. The damn blades were different than regular ones, imbued with angel magic.
Unfortunately.
Gritting his teeth, he continued to move until the dragon was behind his back. His large wings flapping hopelessly. And then, to Tristan’s shock, the beast began to rise into the air.
The angels, damn them, followed the beast as it wobbled in the sky on its broken wings.
Tristan felt fury uncurl within him. Clutching his blade more tightly, he shot into the sky after them. The battle was a dangerous one. The dragon was driven by a need to survive. Tristan had to stay close, had to knock the angels back as they attacked the dragon’s wings.
And yet, the angels were everywhere, teleporting into the sky, surrounding them. The sky filled with white-winged bastards hell-bent on destroying an innocent creature.
The dragon let out the most horrible sound, and then, it shifted in midair. A man fell from the sky, his eyes closed, his face pale.
Tristan dove for him, catching the shifter in his arms. His heart raced as he refused to look back at the angels who surrounded them. He just flew with all his might, choosing a direction at random. He could not let the Immortal die. He had to save him. Not because of Caine, or the fight, but because this man was an innocent who had been tortured and destroyed as a person.
Tristan knew what that felt like.
His heartbeat filled his ears. He could sense the angels just behind him. They shouted for him to stop, but an angel couldn’t compete with a gargoyle.
Slowly, the noise faded away. He continued to fly without slowing, but he also glanced down at the man in his arms. He was massive, even for a shifter. It was clear from his broad shoulders and the size of his hands that he had once been a muscular man.
His filthy blond hair had grown long, and a straggly beard hung to his belly. Tristan thought of the dragon with its broken wings and its sagging scales.
Looking behind him, he saw the angels far in the distance, still losing ground. Soon, this man would be safe.
But what of Surcy? And Mark? And Daniel? What of the other Immortals?
His instincts screamed to turn back, but it would mean death for the broken shifter in his arms. And so, he kept flying but he never stopped worrying.
15
Surcy crouched beside Daniel and Mark in the small cave hidden just around the corner from the main entrance.
“We have to help him!” Surcy whispered, trying to rise.
Daniel caught her arm and pulled her back down. “Sit down, and shut up. Or you’ll make things worse.”
Rage uncoiled within her. “Don’t tell me to shut up, you shitbag!”
She tried to shake her arm free of him, but his grip only tightened. “I’m not a… shitbag. But they’re fighting in the air. We’re useless there. We’ll be sitting ducks, so you have to use your brain a little.”
“My brain—!”
Mark cut her off. “Daniel, don’t talk to her like that. But Surcy, he’s right. We can’t teleport up here. If we want to escape, we have to scale down a mountain… which we’d never survive with the angels attacking, so our best bet is to stay here.”
“But—“
Suddenly, Daniel rose slightly, looking behind her out the cave entrance. “Stay here. And I mean it.”
And then, he ducked out of the cave.
Surcy’s heart clenched. She whirled to follow after him, but this time, Mark caught her arm.
“What are you doing?” she said, feeling panic rise within her. “We need to s
top him. You’re right. He’s exposed out there. It’s too dangerous!”
Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a movement. The three Immortals were hovering by the entrance to the main cave.
Sweat dripped down her back. If just one angel saw them, their lives could end with the flick of their swords. Yes, they’d be reborn… so that Caine could torture them all over again, but that would be the end of their chance to help them.
“What is he doing?” Mark murmured.
Daniel walked past the Immortals. Pointed to where Surcy and Mark were hiding, then kept going. As he emerged out of the shadows of caves, and out into the open beneath the angels. He pulled something from his pocket. Not his sword from his back. Not a dagger. But a small silver item from his pocket.
“What is that?” she asked, heart hammering.
He turned back and gave Mark and Surcy the saddest smile, then flicked his finger. A little flame blossomed to life. And as she watched, the flame spread over his body until he blazed. It continued further until it lit the very sands, spreading out until the entire top of the mountain behind the caves blazed with fire.
Then, and only then, he withdrew his sword.
The angels had seen him. Watching the flames grow in confusion. And then, they circled above him, staying out of reach of the fire.
Surcy’s entire heart squeezed in fear. The three Immortals left the cave entrance and raced to Surcy and Mark. Mark helped them sit down near the back of the small cave. She heard him murmuring words of comfort to them, but her focus was on Daniel.
What had he been thinking? Yes, it was the distraction the Immortals needed to reach them safely, but what would he do now with an army of angels surrounding him?
She doubted he’d thought further than that. The damn fire mage.
And yet, her legs ached with a need to run to him. Seeing him out there, exposed and alone, made her feel helpless. And she hated feeling helpless.
Again.
“How do we help him?” she whispered.
Mark knelt down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “He’ll be fine.”
“Can he last forever like that?”
Immortal Truths: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Romance (An Angel and Her Demons Book 2) Page 8