by Donna Grant
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
There was no hesitation when Ulrik landed his first punch, accented with a heavy dose of magic, into Mikkel’s face. Thankfully, Con didn’t interfere.
Because Ulrik wanted every piece of Mikkel for himself.
He wasn’t angry because his uncle had turned Nala against him. He didn’t resent that her betrayal had turned into a war that eventually led to his banishment. He wasn’t even mad at Mikkel for using him.
But he was enraged that Mikkel hurt Eilish. Again.
No one laid a hand on her without feeling Ulrik’s wrath.
No one.
He looked down in disgust at his uncle. Ulrik reared back, ready to deliver another blow when Mikkel punched the inside of his knee.
Ulrik felt it snap. He rolled to the side and came up to his feet as his bones quickly mended. But the feeling of dragon and Druid magic left behind hinted at something else—Fae magic.
And not just any Fae magic, Light magic.
“Con!” Ulrik bellowed in warning without taking his eyes off Mikkel.
His uncle grinned, blood showing on his teeth and lips from the hit Ulrik had delivered. “You’ve no idea what’s coming.”
Ulrik deflected another strike of magic from Mikkel before kicking him in the face and stepping on his throat. “You could defeat every Dragon King on this realm, and you’d still never be a King.”
Mikkel used more of his mixed magic to toss him away. It came at Ulrik so quickly, he didn’t have time to dodge it. He landed near Eilish, but she hadn’t moved. Ulrik fought not to touch her to see if she was still alive. But it was a battle he couldn’t win.
He put his hand beneath her nose and felt her breath. Relief rushed through him at such a high speed that he grew dizzy. He grabbed the cuff from Eilish’s wrist and glanced over at Con to see him staring intently at a spot before him. He gave a whistle and tossed the cuff to Con, who snatched it out of the air without looking at him. Ulrik frowned when the space before Con began to shimmer.
A moment later, Usaeil appeared.
A blast of magic hit Ulrik in the left shoulder. He rolled away, gritting his teeth at the pain. But there was no time to think about how his body recoiled from such a mix of magic, or why it felt as if something had wrapped around each individual bone and was crushing them all while pulling his muscles apart because Mikkel was preparing another assault.
Ulrik jumped to his feet with his teeth bared and a growl. He deflected blow after blow of magic that his uncle directed at him. He never took his eyes off Mikkel, never lost his focus.
And with each blast, Ulrik took a step closer to Mikkel.
It irked him that his uncle had managed to increase the power of his magic to the point where it wouldn’t be easy to kill him. But it would make the celebration that much sweeter once the deed was done.
Mikkel didn’t seem phased as his cocky grin grew. Ulrik couldn’t wait to knock that smile away once and for all.
“I think I should’ve gone to Usaeil sooner,” his uncle shouted over their magic and the clashing of swords.
Ulrik looked at Con to find him and Usaeil fighting. It wasn’t for show either. It was a down and dirty sword fight that also included magic. At the moment, Usaeil appeared to be winning, but Ulrik knew Con’s ploy. He’d helped Con perfect it. Soon, his friend would turn the tables and have Usaeil at his mercy.
“All the queen wanted was Rhi,” Mikkel said with a laugh.
Ulrik swung his gaze back to his uncle. “You should learn when to keep your nose out of other people’s business.”
“Why aren’t you fighting me?” Mikkel taunted. “I think it’s because you know I’m going to win and you’re prolonging the inevitable.”
“Will you shut up?” Ulrik shouted.
He waited until Mikkel sent another volley of magic. This time, Ulrik didn’t deflect it. He turned it back toward Mikkel and added his own punch to it. The blast barreled into his uncle, knocking him flat on his back.
Ulrik jumped the short distance that separated them, landing with a foot on either side of Mikkel’s chest.
* * *
Getting knocked out sucked. Royally.
Eilish curled her fingers and felt them sink into decaying leaves and cold, damp earth. Her ears were ringing, and it took her a second to realize that it was sounds of battle that filled the air.
Then she heard a loud war cry. She grinned because she recognized it as Ulrik’s.
She got her hands beneath her and pushed herself up onto her knees. Something else had been added to Mikkel’s magic, and it left quite the aftershock. Her bones felt like rubber, and her muscles like Jell-O. Thankfully, her magic responded quickly to help push out whatever Mikkel’s had done to her.
Her gaze caught on something near her hand. When her eyes finally focused, she spotted her finger rings. She quickly put them on, her mother’s magic swirling around her, strengthening her own. God, how she’d missed the rings.
With effort, she raised her head. Her gaze landed on Ulrik, who stood over Mikkel, ready to deliver a killing strike. But the clang of swords drew her attention. Eilish turned her gaze to see Con fighting a woman. The sight of the female gave Eilish pause because she looked familiar.
“Your sword can’t hurt me,” the woman said.
Con didn’t reply as he parried, then pivoted and delivered a crushing downward swing that knocked the blade from the female’s hand.
Though it appeared that both Ulrik and Con had the upper hand, Eilish saw the female’s gaze was on Mikkel, even as he glared at Ulrik. Those two were working together, which meant they had a plan.
Eilish used the tree behind her to help her get to her feet. All the while, she gathered her magic, letting it swirl and escalate until even each individual strand of her hair was infused with it. She didn’t know how long she’d been out, but it didn’t matter. She was awake now and ready to do whatever was needed.
She faced the two fighting pairs. Then she put her hands in front of her, palms down until her hands shook from the force of her magic. She flipped them over, palms facing outward until they were even with her chest. With her teeth gritted, she took a step back and flung the magic—not at Mikkel, but at the woman.
As soon as she released the blast, the female sent a ball of magic hurtling toward Ulrik. Eilish didn’t wait to see if her strike hit its mark. She rushed toward Ulrik. While Eilish pushed the bubble of magic away, Mikkel maneuvered it toward Ulrik.
She saw Ulrik jerk when the blast slammed into his chest. Then, suddenly, everything was spinning. She didn’t know which way was up. Eilish used her magic to try and find her feet again, but it took a second for her to right herself.
That’s when she found Ulrik on the ground with Mikkel over him. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her head swiveled toward Con and the woman to find Con with a hand around the female’s throat while she smirked at Eilish.
In the next second, the woman was standing before Eilish. It was instinct that had Eilish putting up a shield, which is the only thing that saved her from the knife aimed at her heart.
“Usaeil!” Con bellowed and squeezed his hand tighter.
Holy shit! Eilish couldn’t believe she’d been fighting the Queen of the Light.
Usaeil spread her fingers wide as she pounded Eilish with Fae magic. “You’re nothing, Druid. Just a stepping stone to get what I want.”
No matter how hard she tried, Eilish couldn’t withstand the force of the queen’s magic. She felt something trickle from her ears and run down her neck right before her eardrums burst. Despite her efforts, she couldn’t hold back the bellow of pain.
The crush of Fae magic sent her to her knees, but Eilish didn’t back down. She kept up her shield. She couldn’t win this battle, but she wouldn’t go out easily.
“Enough!” Con yelled and tackled Usaeil.
Then they disappeared.
As soon as the Fae magic was gone, Eilish took in a breath and returned her foc
us to Mikkel and Ulrik. There was no sign of Mikkel, but Ulrik wasn’t moving. She started toward him but only took one step before there was a hand around her throat.
Mikkel moved so fast she hadn’t seen or heard him. And now he had the upper hand. Quite literally. It was around her throat. There was no one to help her, but she wasn’t scared. Because Mikkel wasn’t going to hurt her ever again.
“What a fool I was to believe you could help me,” Mikkel said with a sneer.
Eilish merely smiled before she kneed him in the balls. He instantly released her, bending over from the excruciating pain. She couldn’t help but laugh. Who would’ve thought that a simple kick to the balls would beat Mikkel?
Her laughter died a quick death when he straightened with the knife Usaeil had tried to use on her. Eilish raised her hands, magic at the ready, as the blade came toward her. Her shields did nothing to stop it either.
“NO!” came a loud roar.
Then Mikkel was flying backwards, and Ulrik was on his feet, running toward her. All she could see was his tattoo, and she knew this was the dream she’d been having. This was when she would die.
Ulrik wrapped his arms around her as something thunked loudly. Before she could react, he released her and turned around, a growl rumbling in his chest. That’s when she saw the knife sticking out from his back.
In the next instant, Ulrik shifted, the blade falling to the ground. She smiled at the sight of him. Mikkel frantically threw magic, but it didn’t seem to faze Ulrik in the least.
Eilish watched, mesmerized, as Ulrik drew in a deep breath. The silver scales on his chest grew bright. Mikkel touched his fingers together, forgetting that he no longer had the finger rings. Then he turned and ran.
But it was too late. Ulrik released the fire. The bright red and orange flames swallowed Mikkel, and his screams were quickly silenced. When Ulrik halted the fire, there was nothing left of his uncle but ash.
Ulrik turned his head around to her, staring at her with unblinking onyx eyes.
“I did intend to leave like we agreed,” she told him. “You can’t be mad at me.”
He huffed loudly in response.
She walked to his front leg and put her hand on his scales. “It’s over now. Mikkel is gone for good.”
Ulrik shook his head before he returned to human form. He stood naked in the moonlight with his black hair free and his gold eyes intent. “It’s no’ quite over.”
“Meaning?”
He held out his hand. Once she’d taken it, he said, “I can no’ take you with me where I’m going, but I’d like you to hold onto me.”
She nodded as understanding dawned. He was going to the afterlife to find Mikkel and kill his soul. Eilish took his hand and smiled until his eyes closed. She held his hand with both of hers and waited.
It was only a few moments later that Ulrik’s eyes opened. They were clear, as if all the hell he’d endured for untold centuries had been wiped away. “He’ll never bother us again.”
She smiled. It was over for her, but what about Ulrik? Could a vendetta thousands of years in the making be put to rest? Regardless, she would stand beside him. Always. “What happens now?”
Ulrik shrugged. “I’m no’ sure. I’m no longer banished.”
“I know,” she said and threw her arms around him. “It’s about damn time.”
“I didna expect it.”
She leaned back, smiling. “You can return to Dreagan now.”
“Can I?”
“What?” Surely, she’d misheard him.
“I’ve done terrible things.”
She put a finger to his lips. “I’m no’ saying it’ll be easy, but you have friends there. Nikolai, Sebastian, Anson, and Con, just to name a few.”
“I’ve wanted nothing more than to make Dreagan my home again. Now … I’m no’ so sure I can.”
“I see.” She licked her lips and glanced away. “Do you still intend to challenge Con?”
Ulrik’s gaze looked past her. Eilish’s stomach fell to her feet when she turned and found Con behind her.
“I gather the ash is Mikkel,” Con said.
Ulrik nodded once. “It is.”
Eilish didn’t want them to fight. She didn’t want Ulrik to lose, but she didn’t want him to win either. Because she knew if he did, he’d never forgive himself for killing his friend.
“Where’s Usaeil?” she asked Con.
The King of Kings blew out a harsh breath. “I’m afraid things with her will need to be settled verra soon.”
“She tried to kill me,” Eilish said.
Ulrik’s nostrils flared. “She’ll pay for that.”
“Usaeil has a lot to answer for,” Con stated in a tight voice. “We’ll have to get in line to take our pound of flesh from the queen.”
Eilish looked between the two men. “Behind who?”
“Rhi,” Ulrik said, his lips flattening.
Con grunted. “I get to tell her about this. She’s going to be pissed that she wasna here to fight.”
“Maybe we doona tell her.”
Eilish rolled her eyes. “That’s a mistake. Tell her before she finds out and kicks both of your asses for keeping it from her.”
There was a stretch of silence before Con said, “I’ll be at Dreagan, waiting.”
Eilish saw him touch Ulrik’s cuff that was now on his wrist. After he’d vanished, she turned to Ulrik. “You gave it to him?”
“During the fight, in case he needed it.”
“What about you?”
“I didna need it.”
She drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “So. Dreagan?”
“Dreagan.”
Sadness gripped her, but she didn’t waste any words trying to talk him out of it. All she could do now was pray. She took his hand in hers and touched her finger rings together.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
A decision had to be made. Ulrik no longer had a reason not to challenge Con. He hadn’t wanted to think about it. But he didn’t have a choice.
In seconds, he stood in the glen between his mountain and Con’s. He was inside his mountain with the Silvers recently, but he hadn’t walked the grounds of Dreagan since … well, a long, long time ago.
Con stood across the glen about fifty feet away, waiting.
The memories that rose up were like a tsunami, yet they didn’t cause as much pain as they once had. Ulrik could stand beneath the sky, once more welcome.
The moment Eilish released his hand, he missed her touch. He turned his head to her. Her green-gold eyes held his without an ounce of censor. She didn’t want him to fight Con, but she was willing to stand beside him no matter what decision he made.
There were things he should say, things he wanted to say, but he didn’t know how. Or if he could.
Eilish’s lips lifted in a sad smile before she gave him a soft kiss on his cheek. Then she was gone.
He stared at the spot for several minutes. It hadn’t taken him long to get used to having her near. At one time, it had unsettled him that he liked her company. Now, it didn’t even stir so much as a hiccup.
Ulrik drew in a deep breath and faced Con. All the anger and hate that had kept him going for so long seemed to be tapped out. As if someone had removed the stopper and released everything.
“You have to actually say the words,” Con said.
Ulrik instead took in the vista he hadn’t seen in ages. Even in the darkness, it was spectacular. The sky was turning gray, signaling the approach of sunrise. When was the last time he’d seen the sun break the horizon on Dreagan?
Finally, Ulrik returned his gaze to Con. “Do you know how long I wanted you dead?”
“Since the moment I bound your magic.”
“Nay. No’ until you banished me.”
“I did what I thought was best.”
Ulrik glanced at the ground. “Aye.”
“What are you waiting for, then? Issue your challenge,” Con urged.
“I didna li
e all those years ago when you tried to force me to challenge you. I never wanted your position. I didna then. I doona now.”
Con’s brows snapped together. “What are you saying?”
“So much has changed, and I didna even see it happening.”
“You mean Eilish.”
“I mean everything.” Ulrik ran his hand through his hair as the weariness settled around him. “Mikkel is dead. I should be rejoicing.”
“But?”
Ulrik shrugged as he shook his head. “He was my family. And I did some terrible things, as well.”
“Doona compare yourself to him. Mikkel’s actions were all for him to be King of Dragon Kings and wipe out humanity.”
“I wanted that, as well.”
“Do you still?”
Ulrik opened his mouth to reply, then paused.
“My point,” Con continued. “You didna hurt innocents. And I still hold to my opinion that you didna truly wish to harm any of the Kings or their mates. Your actions were based on a betrayal—from humans and me.”
Ulrik dug his bare toes into the earth. The smell of rain hung in the air. “Everything that drove me before no longer seems to matter. All the hate is gone.”
“It’s Eilish’s love.”
He shook his head, turning away. “Doona say that.”
“Since when did you no’ want to hear the truth?”
“She deserves better.”
“She deserves you.”
Ulrik swiveled his head to Con. “I willna challenge you. Maybe I got it all out of my system fighting Mikkel.”
“Or maybe you began to love.”
“What about you?”
Con crossed his arms over his chest. “We’re discussing you right now, no’ me.”
“I’d like to change the subject.”
“No’ going to happen. Go find Eilish. I’d tell you to find some clothes, but you’ll probably take them off as soon as you see her.”
Ulrik couldn’t smile at the jest. He felt sick to his stomach. “I doona know how to be what she needs.”
“She needs you,” Con said, his arms dropping to his sides. “You’re all she wants. She’ll be there to help you—if you allow her.”
“She was the first person I trusted,” Ulrik admitted. “It’s what allowed me to trust you.”