His voice was low and controlled when he replied. He was deadlier than I’d ever seen or heard him in all the decades upon decades we’d been vampires. Rather than the normal blue vampiric hue, his eyes were a deep red. I’ve never seen that happen with any other vampire and I had no idea what to make of it. “Your time just ran out. Immortality won’t last much longer for you.”
Slade rushed out of the room to get to Alea’s side before her heart completely stopped for good. I moved to the window outside and watched Alea, Slade, and Thomas.
Slade drew her limp body into his arms, their chests pressed together, and he buried his tear-soaked face into her hair. His cries of pain and heartbreak echoed off the buildings all over the neighborhood. I had to leave at that point. I couldn’t bear to watch what I’d done to my brother. When the devastation subsided and the real anger took its place, I would meet a side of my brother I’d never seen before.
He’ll come after me with a new vengeance, a renewed purpose, and more strength than imaginable.
And he’ll be coming for my head.
About A.D.
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.authoradjustice.com
THE FATE OF HER DRAGON
Copyright © 2015 Julia Mills
All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Edited by Lisa Miller, Angel Editing Services
Proofread by Tammy Payne with Book Nook Nuts
Cover Designed by Linda Boulanger with Tell Tale Book Covers
Cover Model Grigoris Drakakis
THE FATE OF HER DRAGON
Index of the Words from the Original Language of the Dragon Kin
Draoi……….Wizard
Drake……….Male Dragon
Mo chroi’……….My Heart
Mo ghra’……….My Love
Ta’ mo chroi istigh ionat……….My Heart is Within You
Mo maite……….Mate
Ceann beag………Little One
Mhu’chadh……….Extinguish
Mo cheann a’lainn……….My Beautiful One
A bheith imithe Demon……….Be Gone Demon
Se’alaithe……….Sealed
Solas……….Light
Ara is go dti’ itreann……….Return to Hell
Riamh ar ais……….Never Return
Chapter One
She was close… so very close. Her mind brushed against his, filling his dark, dank world with light and hope for the first time in almost a century. She exhilarated his broken spirit, mended his wounded soul, and warmed his cold, ruthless heart. Without thought, he’d spoken directly into her mind. Recognition arced between them. He willed her to respond, begging with his voice that she give him some sign—but she’d stayed silent. Her name became his mantra, the one thing keeping him sane.
Alicia…
This beautiful creature who smelled of sunshine and daffodils was to be his savior. She would be his life. She was the one the Universe had created for him. Not Heaven nor Hell nor the prison around him could keep them apart. He knew she would find him. Felt it in the depths of his soul. His mate possessed an inner strength that rivaled his own. She was a warrior. A woman worthy of a man like him. And she was magical… powerful, filled with a white magic that could overpower the evil keeping him prisoner.
Drawing on his incredible strength and years of training, the Guardsman gave one final call before collapsing from exhaustion. His body ached from exertion. His head felt as if it might explode from the constant barrage of black magic. The silver lined box buried deep in the ground, surrounded by rock and black magic, had eaten away at his strength every day of his confinement. Only his iron will and incredible healing powers had kept him alive; of course, that’s what the evil wizard had counted on. The bastard knew Drago would be forced to lay helpless, trapped underground while the kin he’d spent his life protecting were destroyed.
There had been times throughout the years when the earth had shifted and Drago had been able to feel the presence of other dragons. Not those of his Force but others, some descended from the very men he’d fought beside. His dragon had come to life, snarling to make contact, but the recognition had been so brief there was no chance to call out.
Day after day, week after week, year after year, the Guardsman’s frustration grew—until he was sure he’d go mad. The only thing keeping him sane was the search for his brethren. He called and called through the mindspeak of their kin, both as a group and then testing each unique link he held with the men who’d pledged their fealty to him as their Commander. Every call was answered with dead, dark silence. The Guardsman prayed his brethren lived. Was sure he would’ve felt their deaths, but after so much time of silence, Drago feared the worst. He searched as far as his dark magic drenched preternatural senses would allow and found nothing but the dirt around him. Even the creatures that should’ve inhabited the ground had been scared away by the wizard’s evil spells.
Every day Drago promised himself and those whom he’d sworn to protect that he would escape his prison and dole out justice for what had been done to him and his men. All involved would pay. They would know his wrath—the wrath that kept him alive. Hate and plans of revenge had been his only company, the one reason he drew his next breath. His need for vengeance was his daily nourishment. He planned every last detail of the deaths of the wizards who had imprisoned him.
The bastards believed they were smarter than the great Dragon Guard Assassin. Had believed that attacking him from afar with their dark magic potions and sleight of hand while he was in his healing sleep would fool him, but he knew who they were. Prayed they still drew breath so that he might rob them of it. He wanted nothing more than to watch their blood soak the ground as his sword removed their heads from their bodies. But all of that was before Alicia…
Fighting to remain conscious, Drago pictured the beautiful redhead with sparkling blue eyes and a smile that made his nearly dead heart sing. When he’d touched her mind, everything had become so clear for the first time in such a very long time. He could see her long red curls glistening in the sunlight, the unmistakable twinkle of mischief in her eyes as she laughed, and the goodness shining from her heart. He dreamed of kissing each little freckle that dotted the bridge of her nose and apples of her cheeks. His hands, shackled at his sides by silver chains, ached to touch her peaches and cream complexion that looked to be softer than silk.
She was tall and curvy, just like a woman should be. As his mind stayed connected to hers, he could see her insecurities and prayed for the day he could assure his beautiful Alicia that she was perfect in every way. His heart nearly broke as their connection weakened and finally severed. He knew it was his waning strength and once again cursed the wizards responsible for his current state.
Thinking over the last few days as he rested in his tomb, Drago smiled as he remembered feeling the power of the Dorcha disrupted by the dragons. It had been that disturbance which had shifted the earth around his tomb, making communication with his mate possible. Now it was up to him. He had to stay alert, had to keep calling, had to make sure she found him. He needed her more than he needed his next breath. Not only was she his way out, she was the only person in all the world that could save his soul.
The words his longtime friend and mentor, Maddox, had spoken just before he and his men had embarked on their last mission floated through his mind, just as they had every day for the last hundred years. “Take care, my friend. This mission is unlike any other. The wizards you seek are more powerful. They are cunning. It is their evil that darkens the skies.”
“Never met a wizard the lads and I couldn’t beat. I earned the name ‘The Assassin’ ya’ know? And today will not rob me of that title.”
Unlike all the other times, Maddox hadn’t laughed, only shook his
head. “Assassin or not, keep your wits about you.”
A cold chill had skittered down Drago’s back as he’d called forth his dragon and taken to the skies. The old man always had an eerie sense of premonition, but was also a worrywart, so the Assassin and his Force had flown straight toward the enemy without a second thought to Maddox’s words of warning. They defeated every evil practitioner and hunter who stood against their kin. The ground at their feet was drenched with the blood of their enemies. They’d gone into their healing sleep that night around their fire with a sense of pride and purpose.
But Fate always got her pound of flesh. Drago had awoken to the sounds of chanting and the scent of putrid herbs. Unable to open his eyes, he’d reached out with his other senses, only to find them damped by the unmistakable stench of black magic. Fighting the darkness with all the strength he had, the Guardsman reached out to his brethren, but found they too had been caught in the snare of evil magic.
Turning his focus back to the enchantment holding them all hostage, the Guardsman pushed his pure white dragon magic into the oily tendrils of the offending curse. His beast lent his strength to the fight, chuffing and blowing smoke as they fought. For several long, tense seconds he was sure he’d made headway, only to hear a menacing chuckle in his mind.
“You think to outwit me, Assassin?” The maniacal laughter made the hairs on the back of Drago’s neck stand on end. “You are no match for the Darkness that will rule the earth. Dragon kin will be destroyed and we will be victorious. Enjoy the rest of your very long life knowing I won. I beat the great Drago MacLendon.” The wizard’s cackle echoed through Drago’s consciousness.
He knew that voice. Had felt its slimy resonance before, but no matter how hard he tried to remember, Drago came up empty handed. It was a memory just out of his reach. He once again cursed the black magic flooding his system and fought to stay conscious. Hoisted off the ground by several sets of cold, skeletal hands, the Guardsman was unceremoniously thrown over the saddle of what he recognized by scent as his own horse. The horn of the saddle struck his ribs as he felt the bones crack, but still he struggled to gain control. Using his mental connection to the animal, Drago tried to will his trusty steed to run, but just as the wizards controlled him and his men, they also controlled his beloved horse.
The same voice that had invaded his thoughts now spoke aloud. “Take the Assassin to his new home.” The wizard spoke with confidence. “Make sure he is secure. I’ll be along as soon as I’ve taken care of the others. I want to seal the mighty Guardsman away myself.” Once again the air filled with evil laughter as Drago ached to rip the limbs from his captor’s body.
Slipping in and out of consciousness, Drago tried to map the twists and turns of his painful horseback ride as he traveled for what seemed like hours, but it was useless. He had no idea where he was being taken and was helpless to change the situation. Anger unlike any he’d ever known flooded his system. His dragon roared in his head at the injustice of their situation. But in the end, both man and beast were left to the whims of the black magic practitioners. Just as it felt as if all hope was lost, the scent of briny sea air filled the Guardsman’s senses.
It was the same scent that had reached him the first time he’d felt Alicia’s presence. Just the thought of his mate renewed Drago’s belief that she and she alone could save him. Drawing upon years of training, both man and dragon called to their mate.
“Alicia, mo chroi, please come to me.”
“Dammit man, I’m trying. I’ve been trying. I can hear you all hours of the day and night. I answer and you ignore. I search and find nothing. My heart is breaking and I have no clue why. I follow your voice and end up in front of a big ass boulder. It’s been so long since I had a full night’s sleep, I’m beginning to look like a zombie, but still you call and I come running. Hell, I don’t even know who you are.”
“I am Drago.”
“What the…” Alicia yelped. Several tense seconds later she whispered, “What did you say?”
“I said, my name is Drago.” He pushed confidence and warmth through their link, hoping to calm the turmoil he felt brewing within his mate.
Heartbeat after heartbeat, he willed Alicia to speak, to say something… anything. Just as he gave up and was ready to call to her again, she asked, “You’re a real person? Not a figment of my imagination?”
Chuckling, he quickly answered, “Yes, mo chroi’ I am real and I am sorry for your sleepless nights, but you are my only hope.”
Confusion flooded their bond as Alicia asked, “Your only hope for what?”
“To escape the prison I have been in for nearly a hundred years.” Drago feared he’d given his lovely mate too much information too soon when his proclamation was met with deafening silence. He prayed she could feel their connection, could sense the honesty in his words and would do what needed to be done to free him. The next few moments would be crucial. Either Alicia would save him or leave him to rot away in his deep, dark prison.
Thankfully, her curiosity won over the fear he could feel resonating within her. “Did you say a hundred years?” Skepticism colored her words.
“Yes, I was imprisoned nearly a hundred years ago by a coven of black magic wizards known as the Dorcha.”
At the mention of his greatest enemy, Drago felt Alicia pull back as a wave of confusion and anger rushed over her. She quickly responded, her tone sharp and demanding. “The Dorcha did this to you? Was Cleland involved?”
“I don’t know this Cleland you speak of, but I do know the Grand Draoi and his followers locked me in this God forsaken hole nearly a hundred years ago and you are my only hope of escape.”
“Why would they do that? What are you, a rival wizard?”
He heard the suspicion in her voice and wondered how much to tell her then opted for the truth; it had always served him well. Alicia was magical and living near the dragons from what he’d been able to ascertain during the recent shifts in the earth, so it stood to reason she was aware of their existence and wouldn’t be completely taken off guard by his next words. “I am a Dragon Guardsman from the Golden Fire Clan. My name is Drago. I am… or, I was the Commander of the MacLendon Force. My brethren and I were captured by the Dorcha and hidden away as part of their plan to destroy dragon kin. Until recently, I was unable to communicate with anyone, but there was a disturbance in the black magic holding me captive and I immediately felt your presence. That is…”
“That is when you started to slowly drive me insane.” Alicia cut off his next words and began peppering him with questions. “If you are a dragon then why communicate with me and not one of the hundred or so Guardsmen running around the countryside? And did you say MacLendon? As in Rayne MacLendon? I know someone said he didn’t have any relatives still alive, so how can that be? And where are your men? You said the Dorcha captured them too but I can only feel your presence—and by the way, if my witchy radar is right, you’re buried far underground. And that leads to me ask… how in all that is holy do you expect me to get you out of there? You said I’m your only hope… what exactly do you expect me to do? That is assuming I believe one word you’re telling me.”
She paused to take a breath and Drago jumped in. “You are the only one I can communicate with. Our bond is strong because of your magic. Don’t you think I tried to call out to another Guardsman? Of course, I did, but no one can hear me except you. And you know I am telling the truth. Look inside yourself, you can feel it. If you didn’t you wouldn’t have come all those times and you most assuredly wouldn’t still be talking to me. You are a smart, intuitive woman, Alicia. You know I’m telling you the absolute truth, just as sure as you know we are mates.”
“We are what?!” Alicia sputtered just as their connection became silent.
Drago reached out with all his senses and then chuckled to himself, “Well, bullocks, my mate has fainted.”
Chapter Two
Alicia followed the soothing tune of a low baritone hum back to conscious
ness. The melody seemed familiar, almost haunting, but it was the way the man’s voice ignited all her senses, waking up every nerve with gentle kisses of sound that made her sigh and stretch like a kitten in the sunshine. She had a few minutes of blessed serenity before the glaring light of reality came rushing back. Jerking upright, the young witch shook her head and squinted against the rising sun. The last thing she remembered was talking to the man that had nearly driven her crazy for the last few weeks before her world had faded to black.
I can’t believe I fainted. I never faint. Must’ve been from the lack of sleep, or…
“Did you say you think I’m your mate?” She demanded, immediately irritated when her question was met with male chuckling.
“I did.”
“Well, you’re wrong. I mean, you have to be wrong. It just isn’t possible. And if you are making it up just so I’ll help you out of whatever the Dorcha has done to you then let me make it clear that I was going to help you anyway. I…”
“Alicia…” Drago said her name with such command she stopped immediately, waiting for him to speak. It took several seconds but when he began again, his tone had softened. “Let me ask you a question. Why is it that you are the only one I can communicate with even though there are other Guardsman around?”
Not willing to admit anything, the young witch scoffed, “I don’t know… proximity?”
Again, he chuckled, and she wished he were standing right in front of her so she could punch him in the nose. “But did you not hear me when you were sleeping… in your home?”
“Yes, but…”
“And were you not compelled to help me?”
“Yes, but…”
“Were you not drawn to the spot where you now stand over and over again?”
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