Catching Dragos

by Gail Koger

  “No bloody way.” He grabbed the soap, squirted some on the sponge, and started scrubbing my chest.

  Wow. What happened to my mind-blowing sex? No way I was missing out. I picked up the bottle of soap and squeezed. A thick stream of antibacterial goo shot out, covering his abdomen.

  “What are you doing?” Fabian’s tone definitely wasn’t lover-like.

  I stroked the liquid across his penis. “Making sure you don’t have demon cooties.”

  He bared his teeth. “I don’t.”

  My hand slid up his cock, then down.

  Fabian’s pupils dilated.

  “You were in close, intimate contact with Heather.” My hand slid sinuously up his thickening flesh, then down.

  “Just kissed her.”

  “Better to be safe than sorry. Right?” I pumped my fist faster and faster.

  Fabian’s eyes rolled back in his head. “Yesss.”

  His penis pulsed in my hand. I loved the expressions of hunger, anticipation, and love flitting across my mate’s face. Up. Down.

  A hoarse, throaty cry broke from Fabian. “No cooties!”

  “You sure? Those suckers are persistent.” I tightened my grip as an unbearable ache built inside my body. Up. Down.

  Fabian’s body arched and shook violently. “I’m. Good. Now. “

  Hmmm. His voice was a bit squeaky and his breathing erratic. Getting his jets blown had done him a world of good. I licked off the semen coating my hand. “Salty with just a hint of chocolate.”

  Fabian grinned. “Chocolate?”

  “Yep, and I plan on spending some quality time with Mr. Happy.”

  Fabian sucked in a ragged breath. “Mr. Happy?”

  “Yeah. So, let’s get to it.”

  “You heard the girl, get to it,” Serafina ordered.

  The evil bitch never stopped. “Grams, can you teleport us to my condo?”

  “It would be my pleasure.” Presto! We were in my bedroom, which was warded against anything magical. It also had a king-size bed and pink satin sheets. “Better?”

  Fabian was suddenly kissing me like a starving man. Oh yeah, much better.

  One second I was locked in his arms, the next I popped out of his grip like a greased pig. I hit the floor and slid a good foot. Shit, I was still covered in soap.

  He laughed. “You’re worse than one of those oiled mud wrestlers.”

  “Easy to fix.” I got to my feet, grabbed Mr. Happy, and led Fabian into the bathroom.

  He opened the shower door and pulled me inside. “You got a thing for my cock?”

  “You have no idea.” I turned the water on, gasping as Fabian used his tongue and teeth to lave and nip my nipples. Damn. That felt good.

  I cupped his tight balls and massaged them gently. “Like that?”

  Fabian groaned. “Very much.” His hand slid between my thighs, and his fingers deftly tormented my throbbing clit. His fingernail scraped against my nub, sending a bolt of pure bliss careening through me.

  My breath hitched. Lord Almighty. “I need you now.”

  “Do you?” Fabian’s large hands speared into my hair, cradling my head and crushing my lips in urgent, greedy kisses.

  “Bed. Now.”

  “Si, amore mio.” In thirty seconds flat, Fabian had me toweled off and on those silk sheets.

  I nibbled my way down his chest. I loved his spicy taste. The way his muscles danced beneath my touch. God, it had been way too long.

  “I never fucked Heather.”

  Bringing up the demon bitch was one hell of a mood killer. “I believe you.” I scraped my teeth over his left nipple, smiling when he shivered.

  “My entire life I have searched for you.” He sucked on my right breast.

  My body trembled with hunger. “Really? Why?”

  “My entire life I’ve had visions of you. I always knew you were meant to be mine.” Fabian circled my navel with his tongue.

  “That’s got to be the worst pick-up line I’ve ever heard.” The brush of his mind against mine was unbelievably erotic. It was as if Fabian was touching my body everywhere at the same time. The sensation created an intense torrent of raw lust. My core pulsed with hunger as his ferocious arousal matched mine.

  He flipped me on my back, caging me with his arms. “I will never lie to you.”

  Images whirled through my brain. It was me. As a child, a teenager hovering over my father’s hospital bed, pleading with him not to die. “You’re saying we were fated to meet?”

  “Yes.”

  I kneaded his very fine ass. “I’m a one-man kinda woman. You get the wandering eye, and Mr. Happy will be no more. Got me?”

  Fabian nipped my nose. “Tesoro, there is only you.”

  “Good answer. Now please fuck me.”

  Sliding down my body, Fabian licked, nibbled, and feasted on my pussy. “You taste better than chocolate.” His tongue speared inside me. The friction had me thrashing beneath him.

  “Oh God. Oh God. That’s fan-fucking-tastic.” His fingers pinched my nub, and I screamed as multiple orgasms shook my body.

  Fabian’s penis stroked my swollen folds lazily. “Ready for more?”

  “God, yes.” I quivered in anticipation.

  With one smooth thrust, Fabian buried himself deep inside me.

  My eyes crossed. I was stretched taut, filled with cock, and it was wonderful.

  He flexed his hips, and I gasped as the delicious slide of his flesh sent pleasure sizzling through me. Fabian’s testicles slapped against my hot skin as he drove deeper and deeper until we were as one.

  Sweat slicked my body as my hips rose to meet the next plunge of his body. I took Fabian’s mouth in a fierce kiss. “Mine. All mine.”

  “Come for me, amore mio.” His fingers twisted my pulsating clit.

  My senses imploded into a million shards of ecstasy. Incandescent silver bathed our bodies as the mating bond locked us together for all eternity.

  Fabian made a low guttural sound and bucked violently. His seed bathed my womb.

  Wrapped in his arms, I struggled to get my breath back. “That was truly awesome. Don Juan has nothing on you.”

  “It takes practice. Lots and lots of practice.” Fabian murmured against my neck.

  “And so modest about it.”

  Miniature fireworks began exploding around the room.

  “Holy crap!” They were shaped like hearts.

  “At last. It is done,” Serafina crowed.

  “Huh? Grams warded my entire house. How is Serafina getting through them?”

  “She’s very, very good.” My pissed-off mate shouted, “Enough, Nonna!”

  The fireworks stopped.

  “I apologize for my grandmother’s actions.”

  “It’s okay. What’s done is done.” I yawned. “I’m surprised Grams didn’t try to stop her.”

  “Unlike my grandmother, Grams is probably working on a way to stop Rossi.” Fabian pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Sleep, amore mio.”

  My eyelids grew heavy and I drifted off.

  Chapter Thirteen

  A tremendous roar jerked me upright in bed. “That sounded like a T. rex!”

  “No. It’s a demon.” Fabian slid out of bed, his sword held ready.

  A mental giggle had me looking over the edge of the bed. “It’s Xero.”

  Two bright pink bows in her hair, Xero wiggled in excitement. “Grams says you come now. Evil one has Hasais.”

  “Okay, we’ll be right there.”

  Poof! Xero returned to Grams.

  I glanced at the clock. We had gotten a whole four hours’ sleep. “I thought it took twenty-four hours to raise the dragons?”

  Fabian shrugged. “If Rossi found and sacrificed a virgin, he would have enough power to pull it off now.”

  “There aren’t that many virgins out there.”

  “Nuns,” Fabian replied.

  “Ick. I don’t
even want to think about that.”

  Grams’s power surged through me. A second later, a whirlwind of sparkling gold lights engulfed us. When it faded, we were dressed in armor complete with chain mail hoods and heavy gold shields.

  “Grams? What’s going on?” Roars and the sounds of a battle filled my head. “Grams?”

  “The witches are a little busy right now,” Rossi answered.

  His face set in grim, angry lines, Fabian vowed, “You’re a dead man.”

  I quickly grabbed a bottle of healing potion. I had a feeling we were going to need it.

  A big fanfare of bugles sounded. One minute we were in my bedroom, the next we were standing in the middle of the Renaissance Festival jousting arena.

  Rossi chortled over the loudspeakers. “Showtime.”

  Spotlights suddenly lit up the night.

  The grandstand was packed with hundreds of eager spectators.

  Fabian bristled. “Mio Dio.”

  This was bad on so many levels. “Do you have Excalibur?”

  “No.”

  “No! Shit. Can’t you summons it?”

  “I’ve tried, but Rossi is blocking my magic,” Fabian said savagely.

  The cold fist of reality punched me in the stomach. Without the sword we would be crispy-fried in the first five minutes. “Link with me, and we’ll try together.”

  Fabian’s mind joined with mine, and in unison we chanted, “Dicitur pretiosa materia mox. Abeu intereo.”

  Nothing happened.

  “Again,” Fabian said.

  I nodded and gave the spell everything I had. “Dicitur pretiosa materia mox. Abeu intereo.” Excalibur appeared in my hand. I let out a shuddering breath. “Oh, thank God.”

  “Your armor is fire resistant.” Grams’s voice was a faint whisper in my head.

  “Are you and Serafina okay?”

  “For now. We have four of the Hasai contained, but we can’t hold them for long.”

  “You must break Rossi’s spell or all is lost,” Serafina added.

  Nothing like having the lives of our grandmothers resting on my shoulders. “I’ll do my best.”

  Serafina snapped, “Your best?”

  Fabian gave me a reassuring hug. “We’ll stop Rossi, Nonna.”

  Going up on my tiptoes, I brushed my lips over Fabian’s. “If this goes south, I want you to know I’m very fond of you.” I couldn’t bring myself to use the L-word yet.

  “I’m very fond of you too.” Fabian planted a hard kiss on my mouth. “But we’re not dying tonight.”

  Rossi cackled, “Ladies and gentlemen. Are you prepared for mind-blowing special effects and a pyrotechnic spectacular?”

  The crowd cheered.

  “It’s time we take Rossi’s head.” Fabian’s voice was taut with venom.

  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  Rossi shouted, “Behold the dragons!”

  Three Hasai dragons circled overhead, filling the night sky with cascades of flames.

  The crowd went nuts.

  Dammit, Rossi had enchanted the poor souls.

  A blinding light hit us.

  “The Dragos dragon slayers.”

  The spectators shouted, “Kill the slayers. Kill the slayers. Kill ’em.”

  Right on command, the Hasais swooped down and blasted us with their fiery breath.

  We took refuge under our shields. Intense flames swirled around us.

  The heat was becoming unbearable. In sheer desperation, I chanted, “Transferam nec facile utaiunt.”

  Whoosh! The holocaust of fire blew back and engulfed the closest Hasai. It disintegrated into ash.

  There was dead silence, and then the audience erupted into catcalls, boos, and jeers.

  “Huh. The dragons aren’t immune to their own fire. Imagine that.”

  “Looks like there’s another way to kill them too.” Fabian pointed to another dragon.

  Xero was perched on top of its head; her pink ribbons fluttered in the wind. “Me help, Myee.”

  “No, sweetie! It’s too dangerous.”

  “Grams put spell on Hasai. Me boss of it.”

  “Oh, dear God. Is she nuts?”

  Fabian sighed. “Probably.”

  As if possessed, the Hasai dived toward the announcer’s booth and blasted it with flames.

  When the fire vanished, an extremely pissed-off Rossi stood in the middle of the smoldering remains. His comb-over had been reduced to charred tufts, his eyebrows were gone, and his armor was a blackened ruin. Rossi raised his hand and released an energy bolt.

  It hit the dragon. With a squall of pain, the Hasai fell from the sky and crashed into the far end of the arena, just missing the bleachers.

  “Oh, my God!” I frantically scanned the area for my baby. “Xero!”

  Xero appeared by our feet. “Me did good.”

  Fabian scooped her up and cradled her against his chest in relief. “You were awesome.”

  “You’re such a good baby,” I added, petting her head.

  Its great wings flapping, the remaining dragon flew over the grandstands.

  Rossi’s fans hollered, “Burn ’em. Burn ’em. Burn ’em.”

  “Lovely.”

  Xero squirmed in Fabian’s arms. “Grams needs me.”

  He put her on the ground. Poof! Xero vanished.

  Smoke seeping from between its teeth, the dragon hovered above us. With a rumbling hiss, its claws reached for me.

  I swung Excalibur at the Hasai, catching it across the snout. It jerked its head back with a bellow of pain.

  Rossi screamed, “Kill her!”

  The dragon rumbled deep in its great chest and blasted me with white-hot flames.

  I barely got my shield up in time. “Fabian!”

  My hunter summoned Excalibur and scrambled up the Hasai’s back. The dragon’s head whipped around and its teeth snapped together, missing him by inches.

  Rossi shouted, “Up, Beelzebub!”

  The Hasai launched itself into the air.

  Fabian hung on for dear life as the dragon dipped and dived steeply, trying to knock him off. He locked an arm around one of the spines and hacked at the left wing.

  Bleeding badly, the dragon bellowed and spiraled down.

  The minute the Hasai landed, Fabian drove Excalibur into the base of its neck.

  The Hasai gave a single violent shudder and crumbled into dust.

  Holding Excalibur over his head, Fabian let out a triumphant yell.

  Rossi appeared in front of me. “This isn’t a fairy tale, and you don’t get to live happily ever after.” He gestured.

  My shield and sword vanished. “Oh crap.”

  With an evil grin, Rossi swung his bloodstained sword at my neck.

  Instinctively, I summoned the only weapon I had left. My family’s magical shovel. I blocked the blow and kicked him in the groin.

  Howling like a little girl, he crumpled to the ground, holding his man parts.

  I bashed Rossi in the face with my trusty shovel.

  Crunch! His head snapped back, and blood gushed from his broken nose.

  Roaring in anger, Rossi transformed into a demon with Medusa-like snakes squirming about his head.

  “I knew we should have brought some holy water.”

  Fabian stepped in front of me. “You want a fight, Rossi? You’ve got one.”

  The demon Rossi gave a rumbling laugh, and a magical bolt shot from his clawed hand. It struck Fabian in the chest, slamming him back against the sand.

  “And the noble knight meets a tragic end.” Rossi raised his sword.

  A bucket and Rossi’s medallion appeared at my feet. “Holy water,” Grams said.

  I threw the water on Rossi.

  Screaming in agony, Rossi reverted back to his human form. Huge blisters erupted on his badly burned skin.

  I held out the medallion. “You wanted a face-to-face meeting with Lucifer. Yo
u’ve got it. Geengun tham sevill smeed.”

  The ground cracked opened beneath Rossi’s feet, and he fell into the portal.

  The wails of the damned and the stench of sulfur filled the air.

  Before I could close the entrance, Rossi’s head popped up, and he levitated out of the hole. “Well, shit.”

  “Die, you bastard.” Fabian threw his knife at Rossi, hitting him dead center in the chest.

  Vibrating with rage, Rossi removed it and hissed, “You first.” Bolts of energy crackled wildly around him.

  “Running is good.” I tried to pull Fabian away from the sorcerer.

  “A Dragos never runs.”

  “The last time you refused to do the smart thing, you ended up with boobs and a butt like a Buick.”

  My lover glared at me.

  “Just saying.”

  Without warning, a ghoul’s bony hand shot from the swirling hellhole and wrapped around Rossi’s ankle. The rotting creature climbed up the sorcerer’s leg.

  Rossi unleashed a flurry of magical bolts at the ghoul, incinerating it.

  More hands rose up and grabbed Rossi, yanking him down. His shriek of horror was cut off abruptly as the ground sealed.

  I yelled triumphantly, “Who said we don’t get to live happily ever after?”

  “Happily ever after is what I do best.” Fabian swept me into his arms and gave me a long voracious kiss.

  Serafina snapped, “Why are you celebrating?”

  “Uh, Rossi has been defeated,” I answered.

  “Has he?”

  I exchanged puzzled glances with Fabian. “Didn’t we kick his ass?”

  Fabian nodded. “We did, but he does have artifacts that—”

  The Hasais’ thunderous roars reverberated through my skull. I winced. Mind links could be a bitch. I looked at Fabian. “You heard that?”

  “Yes.”

  “We still have four dragons to kill,” Serafina spat.

  “I thought if we killed Rossi, the spell would be broken.”

  “You didn’t kill him.”

  Okay, valid point. “But I sent him to purgatory. That should have done the trick.”

  “He lives. The dragons live.”

  “How utterly wonderful,” I groaned.

  Fabian picked up Excalibur. “Where are you, Nonna?”

  “The Superstition Mountains,” Serafina responded.