Treoir Dragon Hoard: Belador Book 10

by Dianna Love

  Out of consideration for Quinn right now, Storm sent the Belador a questioning look about Reese using her gift.

  Quinn gave him a let-her-do-what-she-wants shrug.

  Storm understood Quinn’s frustration.

  He’d experienced that many times while trying to do the right thing by allowing Evalle the space she needed to function, but constantly worrying about her being in danger.

  More than anything, Storm hated to be proven justified for what she called overprotectiveness.

  He didn’t know how they’d move forward from this, but he never wanted to lose her again.

  First, he had to get her back.

  When no one argued with her, Reese planted her butt on the exact spot where Storm had located the scent. She muttered, “Just remember that if he teleported from here, I won’t find anything.”

  “We understand, Reese,” Quinn told her. “But please don’t go beyond what you can do safely.”

  “Since I don’t even know my limits with this, guess I’ll stop when it hurts,” she tossed back at him.

  Quinn muttered a Slavic curse.

  At least it sounded Slavic to Storm. Then Quinn went over and knelt behind Reese with his hands on her shoulders. “Perhaps my energy will aid you.”

  She smiled slightly.

  Storm noted an almost intimate connection between those two and felt certain others on the team had noticed it as well. Evalle had good reason to be curious about that relationship.

  Reese closed her eyes and all expression fell away as she started whispering words that had a familiar ring to Storm.

  Evalle said Reese had a connection to the Haida tribe of western Canada. Her words held an inflection similar to the Navajo language Storm sometimes used for chanting.

  When she stopped whispering, creases formed in her forehead and at the corner of her closed eyes as her attention was drawn to something. She’d been leaning forward as if trying to see further, then she jerked backwards, knocking Quinn on his butt as well as breaking his connection to her.

  “Reese?” Quinn scrambled to check on her.

  Her eyes flew open. She smiled and started to speak, then wrenched to the side and threw up.

  “Dammit, Reese,” Quinn complained, as he held her shoulders for the brief sickness.

  Once again, Daegan supplied a glass of water along with a cloth this time, which Quinn accepted.

  Reese took the water, wiped her mouth with the cloth and pushed to her feet, then handed the water back to Daegan.

  The dragon king frowned and the glass vanished.

  Quinn said, “I told you back in the building with the bodies that you shouldn’t use your gift until you figure out why it’s making you sick.”

  “Remote viewing didn’t make me sick.”

  Storm started to confirm that as truth, but before he had a chance, Quinn demanded, “Then what is making you sick?”

  Reese shot right back, “None of your business.”

  The fact that she lied must have been written all over Storm’s face. Quinn had shoved a fast look his way before Storm could hide his reaction.

  That had to be why Quinn told Reese, “You’re lying.”

  Lifting her hands in a back-off motion, Reese said, “Not talking about it here and now. Stuff it.” Then she told the group, “When I was hunting for Phoedra ... ” She paused to glare at Quinn and inserted, “Before you came along ... I could see Phoedra in real time being kidnapped.”

  Storm frowned. What did that kidnapping have to do with this one?

  Rubbing her hands together in a nervous manner, Reese said, “But when I was at the dead body place we just left in Atlanta, I traced the path without seeing anyone actually on the path. That was a little new. This time, I also traced a path, but I could see a hooded guy who stood up from this spot with a plant in his hand and walked until he found transportation. He traveled to a town, then vanished. I think my remote viewing is evolving and I might have seen our kidnapper leaving this spot on foot even though he is clearly already gone.”

  “Why not teleport from here?” Adrianna mused out loud.

  Tristan snapped his fingers. “Maybe he’s like me and teleporting isn’t a natural gift. He may be limited.”

  “That’s good information, Reese,” Storm complimented. “Thank you for doing that, but please don’t do anything else to disturb your ... health.” He had an idea what might be going on with Reese, but it was not his place to interfere with those two.

  Her eyes widened at his hesitation right before he finished his comment.

  She gave him a little thank-you smile, then raked her wild hair off her face and asked, “What are we going to do? Is there any point in going inside that death trap?”

  “Actually, there is,” Daegan replied. “As Grady suggested, there must be spirits of some sort in there who can shed some light on the being behind this.”

  “I agree, Daegan. If you’ll teleport me inside, I’ll start searching the place,” Storm said, ready to face whatever waited in there.

  “I shall teleport both of us,” the dragon king announced, making it clear he would not stand back from any battle. He followed up by telling the others, “There’s no point in putting all of you at risk. If for any reason we don’t return, Tristan will teleport you home.”

  “Not to argue with you, boss, but wouldn’t it make more sense for me to teleport Storm inside? We can replace me, but not you.”

  Damn. Storm had wanted to rip Tristan apart more than once in the past when the hardheaded Alterant had dragged Evalle into trouble.

  Now he was willing to enter that cave?

  “You are valuable as well, Tristan,” Daegan admonished, but with no heat. “I am the stronger teleporter of the two of us. I am the best hope for getting us out.”

  “Yeah, but I’ll teleport his ass out if it looks like we’re going to lose, where you’ll probably stay and fight if he refuses to leave.”

  Ah, there was the person Storm had known, but in fairness to Tristan, the Alterant was here and willing to help. Storm wouldn’t criticize Tristan’s strategy.

  Quinn offered, “Why don’t I join you two in case I can use mind lock?”

  “I don’t care who goes as long as we do this soon,” Storm said, shutting down further offers. He’d rather go alone than have the death of another person on his conscience.

  “This discussion is tabled,” Daegan ordered. “If Cathbad survived this, I am easily as powerful.” He turned to Quinn, “If one, or both, of us returns injured, your powers will be needed most at that time. If something occurs out here and you can’t reach me using telepathy, then Tristan will come to find us.”

  Reese inquired, “Are you also as powerful as that druid, Storm?”

  Storm simply replied, “We’re about to find out. Ready, Daegan?”

  With the group left to watch their backs, Storm and Daegan entered the cave silently, their bodies taking form again in the middle of a display area.

  Daegan grumbled, “Your world is cluttered with useless things.”

  “Looks like this place is empty, but we need to avoid security footage.”

  “Where would that be?” Daegan asked.

  “I see a few cameras, but there may be some I don’t see.”

  “I’ll cloak us.”

  Storm would rather not dull his ability to scent, but after sniffing the hundreds who had passed through here recently, he agreed with Daegan’s security solution.

  Informing Daegan, “I smell the being who had the Noirre plant outside,” Storm took off, following the scent trail. His nose led him through public areas of the cave illuminated with subtle lighting appropriate for a place where so many innocent beings had died.

  The scent trail continued past a NO ENTRANCE sign.

  Daegan stayed close as Storm bypassed the warning and entered a tunnel.

  When the tunnel split, Storm followed their kidnapper’s trail. Eventually the passage narrowed to a spot where they’d have to crawl to
continue, and he doubted their bodies could squeeze through the opening.

  Daegan put a hand on Storm’s shoulder.

  “What?” Storm asked softly when he turned to face the dragon king.

  “That is a dangerous place. A perfect spot for being attacked.”

  “You’re stopping now?”

  “No, I suggest we teleport to the other side, but the spirits associated with those remains that lie here may know a preternatural is nearby. I have no information on exactly how Cathbad was attacked or what he did to survive.”

  “Send me in first.” Storm had wanted to keep the dragon king out of this anyhow.

  Daegan said, “Prepare to teleport through that small opening. We’re both going in.”

  So much for keeping the casualties low in this operation.

  “Let’s stand back to back,” Storm suggested for the strongest defensive position.

  “Good thinking.” Daegan turned.

  As soon as Storm’s back touched Daegan’s they were teleporting.

  Insertion was instantaneous.

  So was the Noirre attack.

  CHAPTER 22

  Realm of Scamall

  Closing in on a week of residence in the strange realm Germanus ruled, Evalle snuck through the castle. Germanus had granted her two hours to rest.

  She didn’t trust him enough to lie down and sleep. Instead, she took quick naps while standing so she’d wake as soon as her body went limp and dropped to the floor.

  That bastard was not screwing with her dreams again.

  Inhaling a deep breath, she looked around the central area of the castle, saw no Germanus or gargoyles, and entered the stairwell that descended to the lower levels.

  She’d expected to smell mildew from dampness.

  Oddly, this structure showed no signs of being here for hundreds of years.

  Or maybe a couple thousand years.

  She rubbed her arm where a nasty gash tried to heal.

  Different day, nothing new.

  She’d come to realize the Noirre majik that had been shoved into her chest wound after she arrived here had interfered with her normal ability to call up her beast energy. Or it could be that the guy who stuck all that dark majik in her body had placed a spell, which allowed Germanus to control her healing via the Noirre majik. She’d heal somewhat each time she shifted into her Gryphon form, only to immediately face the next flying creature Germanus sent to attack her.

  Being fully healed was a thing of the past.

  To her credit, she was gaining more ability at air battles, but to her detriment she was losing the desire to keep fighting.

  Daegan, Storm and the Beladors might never find her.

  How would they know if she was here?

  Germanus claimed he’d made a blood pact with her kidnapper that they would shield each other’s identity, but the kidnapper would alert Germanus the minute Daegan was on the way to attack.

  Nothing had been said about sending a message to Daegan. Germanus was not telling her everything. No surprise there. She had her doubts about the sanity of a human living alone inside a realm for two thousand years.

  Was the dragon king supposed to figure all this out on his own without a tip? If the kidnapper vowed not to share anything about Germanus or this place, did he have some sly way to send Daegan here? If so, Daegan had to suspect a trap.

  Her dragon king would still come for her.

  Storm and the rest of her friends would, too. At one time, she’d felt like the poster child for Evalle-against-the-whole-world, but that had changed. Reminding herself of that had warmed her heart and raised the urge to fight on at first, but that urge had begun to wane more with each passing realm day.

  In her mind, she wished everyone would appear right now.

  In her heart, she did not want anyone she loved to die in this place.

  Would their spirits ever rest or just stay here? Who knew, but ... again, she was glad Storm had not tied himself to her.

  What is with all this whining? Evalle asked herself before her mother’s voice got a chance to do it. The woman’s spirit had said little recently, though. Maybe time moved faster here than in her mother’s world, too.

  The constant mental drain and lack of decent sleep had Evalle dancing close to insanity.

  She could not give in. She was alive to fight another day, which would happen sooner rather than later, unfortunately. Storm was hunting her. They could defeat anything together.

  That dragon would be leading with her Skinwalker keeping stride. Actually, knowing Storm, he might take off on his own, but she hoped not. Daegan would need to bring backup with him, because he’d be at serious risk in Scamall if Germanus had a powerful god—or more—ready to attack him. Even if he knew what awaited, that dragon would still come after her, and deserved for her to show enough faith to hang tight.

  Figuring her way out of here was about more than just her. People needed her. She had to keep telling herself that so she wouldn’t give up.

  She’d gone from being so very alone to having Tzader and Quinn at her back.

  Now, she needed an extra set of hands to count the people in her life she could depend on, and who also knew they could depend on her.

  That cheered her and stomped her moment of weakness. This was the time to be tough and believe in her mate. Storm had always found a way to locate her in the past.

  Maybe the cavalry would show up, too.

  Oh, yeah, maybe Macha and Maeve will team up to save you.

  Evalle blew out a long breath. Shut up, mind. It’s my fantasy.

  Descending deeper into the bowels of the castle with each carefully placed step, and avoiding the area where she thought the dungeon was located, she constantly listened for any sign of an enormous gargoyle coming for her. She’d had true affection for gargoyles before coming here.

  The ones in this realm were monsters.

  Not like her little Feenix. It hurt to think how confused and stressed he’d be right now, but he was tough, too. Storm, Lanna and the boys would watch over her sweet gargoyle and keep him safe.

  Evalle kept her mind on her task, which was to uncover as much information as she could about Germanus. She might just find a way out of this mess or at least a weakness in his armor.

  She’d been taking step after step, heading down stone stairs, but stopped at the first sign of light below.

  Her ragged heart kicked into gear, pumping hard, but still nothing like when she was in the pit. In there, where adrenaline and the will to live kept her fighting, one day ran into the next, blending into one endless stretch of battles followed by misery.

  Now was the time to calm down and not alert anyone to her presence.

  Once her breathing slowed, she continued toward the light. At the last step down, she reached a wide landing where she poked her head past the arched opening.

  Now she knew where the glow had originated.

  The sight of gold goblets, silver plates, gold figures, dazzling jewels, ancient weapons polished to a shine and ... there was too much to mentally catalog.

  This should be next to hoard in the dictionary, or king’s ransom.

  Germanus said a god made this realm and moved all her captor’s belongings here. Had Germanus been a king? He wasn’t a dragon or he’d have shown her that side by now.

  Tiptoeing as if someone two floors up in a stone structure might hear her barefooted steps, Evalle limped her way through the room. She rubbed her arms against the chilly air.

  Four torches were mounted to the walls, their light reflecting off the mountain of treasure that peaked thirty feet in the air. It sprawled at least forty feet in diameter. What all was in that pile?

  Stepping closer, she knelt to touch a plate large enough to hold a Thanksgiving turkey and more. The metal work was beautiful. Someone had spent hours shaping this and engraving the design of grapes and vines around the edges.

  “Exceptional collection, isn’t it?”

  Evalle flinched and
shoved up to her feet, turning quickly to face Germanus. “I was ... just finding my way around and got lost.”

  “Liar,” he accused, then cut loose a deep belly laugh. “I expected you to go off on your own at some point. You found it, but then it’s not like I have to hide it in my own realm.”

  She fought the urge to yell at him that there was nothing funny about any of this. But if she wanted intel, she wouldn’t get it by antagonizing a lunatic. Every bit of information she could squeeze out of him would help if she discovered a way to leave.

  Not if, but when. Never, ever think escape is impossible.

  The minute she lost all hope, she might as well be dead.

  She had too much to live for to give in. Time to pretend she was getting accustomed to being here.

  Breathing deeply as if relieved, she lifted a shoulder. “You caught me. If I’m going to spend a lot of time here I’d like to know more about this place.”

  “Oh? So you concede that you will never leave Scamall?” he taunted.

  To agree would not be believable.

  She scoffed at that. “Not even. I’m only conceding that I’m bored as hell and curious. This isn’t exactly a vacation spot for me.”

  He laughed again. “I like that about you. You speak your mind. In my time, it was frowned upon when a woman acted so boldly, but you are a warrior. But be very clear on this, you will be here forever.”

  Keep thinking that, dick breath. She waved off his comment as inconsequential. Then she waved the same hand to indicate the pile of treasure. “Is this what you did before you landed in this realm? Spent your life stealing gold and jewels, then ratholing it here?”

  He bragged, “Oh, no. I gained this all at one time.”

  She gave him a dramatic look of disbelief that upped his arrogant smile. Her acting skills might not be as lacking as she thought. “This is ... this is incredible. It looks like some kind of dragon hoard,” she joked, hoping he’d take the bait.

  Germanus strolled past her to stand at the opposite side of the extraordinary pile, gazing at it with admiration.