Awakened By Flames

by Vella Day

  “What difference does it make?” Rathan wanted to repeat that he was only following orders, but Ander would never believe him—his father’s little scene made sure of that. And dear old dad sure as hell didn’t care if one of his children took all the blame, just as long as his reputation remained squeaky clean. Asshole.

  “What does the press know?” his father asked Ander.

  “They know it was Kaleena. How shall I address their concern?”

  As if Ander didn’t already know the answer before he came in.

  “Deny their allegations and keep denying them until they believe you. Tell them that one of Rathan’s men was under the misconception that this woman hadn’t paid her taxes. He brought her in for questioning, but she was released when she identified herself as a Sinclair. Unfortunately, it took a few days before we realized our mistake.”

  Bullshit! “My men are well trained,” Rathan said. “That will make us look like fools.”

  “We have our overall image to be concerned with. Fire the lot of them and make it public.”

  That was uncalled for. “It’s hard to find good men, men who have magic and who are willing to fight for us.”

  “We need to make an example of someone.”

  His father was all about image. Behind the scenes he was ruthless. It was why Mom wasn’t allowed outside of the castle walls without a ton of guards. “What about my image?”

  “What image? That of a fool? And a very careless one at that?” He turned to Ander. “Go soothe the press. We have those cells in the east wing—the ones that have never been used. Take them there and show them we house no prisoners or any kind of white lighters.”

  “Yes, Father.”

  Ass kisser. He didn’t know which one was worse—his father or his brother.

  Once Ander left, Rathan spun to face his father. “Am I to disband the Searchers then?”

  His father’s face turned white. Good. Without the Searchers, no suitable dark lighters would be found, which meant his father would slowly become useless without his power. “Let’s not be hasty. My power is draining each day, and I need more. We can keep the Searchers on low key duty until some of this attention has died down.”

  So now he likes what I do for him? “Didn’t you just say that you’ve never asked for my help in finding dark lighters?”

  “I don’t recall saying that.”

  Rathan wanted to strangle the man. He only said what suited him. The rest of the world could be damned. If only Rathan had the magic to make his father revert to being a demon, he would. “Fine.”

  “Just find that Sinclair girl and kill her. And make it look like an accident. We don’t need her going to the press. I fear they’d believe her.”

  No, we couldn’t have that now, could we? For a split second, Rathan almost considered telling the press what kind of man his father was—an evil megalomaniac who didn’t give a damn about the people in the province. Unfortunately, that would cause an uprising of epic proportions, and Rathan might lose any power he had.

  At least with Kaleena dead, it would be a warning to the Sinclairs not to interfere with him again.

  Just as he was about to leave his father called him back. “And, Rathan?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty?” Rathan wouldn’t call him father to his face ever again. He didn’t deserve that title any more than the royal one.

  “Remember, only her death will make this go away and if you fail, it will be your death that I will use to keep the family name clear.”

  Rathan didn’t give away one bit of his shock at the open threat from his father, but rather allowed a strong nod in recognition, and then marched out of His Majesty’s office chamber.

  Fucking fatherly love and care, my Royal ass!

  Chapter Fourteen

  “This is a country house?” Finn asked. “It’s almost as big as the Royal castle.

  Kaleena chuckled. “It might have the same stone exterior and three turrets, but it’s a fraction of the size.” She pulled under the porte cochère and then into an area that contained several parked vehicles. “It was built around fifteen hundred. When my great-great grandfather bought it, it was rather rundown. He started the restoration process, and it’s been ongoing ever since. Thankfully, it never gets really cold in Tarradon. If it did, I imagine the heating bill would be outrageous.”

  Finn smiled. “I’ll stick to my two-bedroom wood framed house.” Kaleena rolled down the car window and waved goodbye to her father’s escorts. Those in the sky were already heading back to town.

  Now that she’d arrived safely, Kaleena could let down her guard a bit, though she wasn’t under the delusion that Rathan’s men wouldn’t continue to find out whether she was there or not. As long as she frequently checked the sky, they should be safe.

  “I understand that something this large can seem impersonal and cold,” she said. “I can’t wait for you to see my condo in the city. It has a great view, but it’s much smaller. Since you seem to like cozy, I think you might like where I live.” At least she hoped so. Though compared to US standards, her condo would rival any penthouse in New York City.

  She cut the engine and slipped out of the driver’s seat. Finn followed and then nodded to the row of vehicles along the side of the house.

  “Do those cars belong to the servants?” he asked with awe.

  “Yes, but we prefer the word employee. The Royals have servants.” A simple answer was the best. She didn’t need to explain that their staff was quite large too. Add in the security staff, and they employed a lot of people. Most importantly all employees were treated as family.

  It was a shame the house wasn’t used all that much anymore. She missed seeing everyone and their children. Growing up, her family used to vacation here for the whole summer, and she and her siblings would play with the employees’ kids, running and laughing all over the country side.

  Kaleena unlocked the car trunk, and Finn grabbed her suitcase. “Is there someplace I can buy some clothes? I can’t wear these much longer,” Finn said, plucking his shirt off his stomach.

  “There are clothes for you inside.”

  “For me?”

  Kaleena stopped and faced him. “Some of the employees went shopping this morning and bought you the basics. I figured you’d need something to change into.”

  Finn straightened his shoulders. “I could have shopped myself.”

  “Do you have Denlars, my dear man?” When Finn just looked at her with his eyebrows raised, she decided not to tease him further. “We do take dollars and other currencies here since many of the shifters travel back and forth to Earth.”

  “Do they accept credit cards?”

  She chuckled at his hopeful expression. “No wolf man—only cash.”

  “Then thank you, but how did you know what size to buy?”

  She smiled and wrapped an arm through his. “You are very welcome. As to your size, I checked out the tags on your old clothes. Plus, I am a pretty good judge since I buy clothes for my brothers on occasion.”

  “You didn’t have to go to all that trouble.”

  Kaleena smiled. “It’s the least I can do for you saving my life.” She sobered. “I really don’t know how much longer I could have held off against that dark lighter. The poison was weakening my resolve, and Sanditra was doing her damnedest to get me to do horrible things. You literally saved me from a dishonorable death.”

  “You are strong. You survived.” Finn set down her suitcase, and when he slid his hands around her waist, her dragon instantly woke up. This constant state of arousal had to stop or Kaleena feared she might become distracted and lower her guard.

  “I’m glad you think so.”

  “Other than the obvious reason for not wanting darkness inside you, would performing these feats have really killed you? One of our Wendayans back on Earth claimed that crossing over to the dark side would alter something inside her, but that’s all.”

  “All I know is that on Tarradon, the dark magic is like
a cancer. It would eat away at my white magic and eventually destroy me.”

  Finn tightened his grip. His warmth and caring bolstered her spirits. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. You must have been petrified.”

  “A little, but I knew I had to stay strong and keep the faith that the Guardians or you would find me.”

  He leaned back and studied her. “I’m glad I was successful.”

  “Me too, and can I say I’m glad that’s over.”

  He cupped her face. “Is it though? Even you said Rathan will want revenge. That’s why your father sent us here. It is still dangerous, and we need to be vigilant to make sure you are always protected.”

  “I’ll be careful, I promise. I will always be with you, and trust me, I don’t plan on leaving your side anytime soon.” She winked at him. “Now come on. Let’s get settled and find something to eat. Then I want to show you something.

  “I don’t think we should be out in the open,” Finn said. “Your father warned you about staying hidden.”

  “No one is around,” Kaleena said as she led him behind their country home. “I’ll be able to sense a dragon should one come near, even if he is cloaked.”

  “How?”

  “Our white light magic allows us to detect them—but not the other way around if we are cloaked.”

  Finn glanced to the sky, but he didn’t see anything circling overhead. He then checked out the surrounding area to see if Rathan’s men might attack from the woods. He couldn’t even hazard a guess as to how many acres this estate encompassed. No other structure appeared for miles.

  She dragged her hands down his face and turned his head toward her. “Stop worrying. We’re in the middle of the country. We’ll be okay. Besides, it’s been days since I’ve been in the fresh air. Now that the curse has been lifted, my dragon is begging for her freedom.” She tapped his nose. “It’s mostly your fault, you know, that she needs this release.” Kaleena grinned.

  “My fault? How?”

  “Our lovemaking excited her too much. She needs to fly.” She kissed him quickly. “I won’t go high or far, I promise.”

  That didn’t make him feel much better, but he understood. “I’ll admit my wolf is chomping at the bit for a run too, but I’ll watch you first and then shift,” he said. That way he might be able to help detect, and then possibly deflect any intruders should they come by land. “Show me what you’ve got, fly girl.”

  Finn was excited to see her in her dragon form. Dragons were magnificent and so regal.

  “Do you want to come with me?” she asked. “You can shift afterward. Of course, you could shift first and I could take your wolf for a ride.”

  Don’t even think about it, his animal said.

  I won’t let her take you. We need to patrol down here. Finn held up his hands. “I think I’ll sit this one out. Besides, I want to be able to watch you.”

  Finn dropped to the ground, leaned back onto his elbows, and crossed his ankles. The sweet smell of grass elevated his mood, but not enough to make him lose focus. “Don’t be gone more than a minute, okay?”

  “I know what you’re doing, you worrywart. Trust me when I say that I have magic on my side. I will sense someone coming.”

  “Go.” The woman was too stubborn for her own good.

  Kaleena stepped back, and a moment later she was in her full dragon form. Goddess, she was gorgeous. While she was mostly shiny black, there were enough iridescent pink scales to make her something to behold.

  Holy shit, she’s big, his wolf said.

  Finn was willing to admit he was a little intimidated by her fifteen-foot height and forty-foot wingspan, but he might feel small even if she’d been a bear shifter. To think Kaleena possessed all that power too. Wow.

  She turned to the side and shot out a little fire. “Show off,” he called then laughed.

  A second later she was in the air, soaring high into the sky. Finn was spellbound by her agility and speed. She tilted one wing toward the ground and the other to the sky, gliding on the wind. Sunlight struck her pink scales, creating a glorious vision. This was his woman, and he couldn’t be happier.

  She did two loops in succession and then nosedived toward him. When she didn’t seem to be slowing down, he jumped to his feet to move out of the way. At the last second, she pulled up and shot straight to the sky once more. While he’d been to many air shows that specialized in acrobatic planes, none had been this fast or this nimble.

  On her next approach, she slowed before landing. A second later she was his beautiful Kaleena once again, magically dressed in her same outfit.

  He held open his arms, and she ran to him. “You were amazing,” Finn said.

  The hug that followed altered something inside him and once more created an intense need to be with her and to protect her. Just as he was about to kiss her, out of the corner of his eye, a dragon magically appeared in the sky, and his senses shot to high alert. “Kaleena, look!” Finn pointed to the black outline in the sky. “We have company.”

  “Shit. It isn’t my family. I know all their colors. It has to be one of Rathan’s men. Go hide.”

  Like hell he would. There wasn’t time to tell her she should have listened to him in the first place. The only thing to do was shift and fight, which Finn did just as Kaleena turned into her dragon once more. The tall grassy field wasn’t enough to hide him for a surprise attack, so he remained where he was.

  Finn could race back to the castle and call for help, but by the time he arrived the battle would be over. Besides, he didn’t want to leave her alone.

  Kaleena might be fast, but could she fight a dragon soldier? He’d soon find out. The two giant animals met twenty feet off the ground, where her opponent immediately went on the offensive. He reached out and clawed her face with his giant talons. In return, she growled and shot fire at him, but the sleek animal dodged the flames.

  Finn had never felt so helpless in his life. He couldn’t jump twenty feet in the air and attack. Damn. All he could do was to wait for the two of them to return to the ground before he engaged in any kind of battle.

  When the intruder came at Kaleena again, she managed to get out of the way by swooping upward and then circling behind him. Charging at him, she tore a part of his wing.

  Go, Kaleena!

  The black beast opened his mouth, and a high-pitched screech echoed all around. Finn wanted to cheer out loud, but all he could manage was a howl.

  Even though the pain seemed to be intense, this monster swept one wing forward, allowing him to turn around. Mouth open, he dove at Kaleena again and latched onto her throat. Finn froze.

  Help her, his wolf begged.

  How? They’re twenty feet in the air.

  We’ll howl and bay in order to draw his attention away from her, his wolf offered.

  Before Finn could address that plan, her attacker let go and Kaleena plummeted to the ground and landed with a thud. One of her wings sagged, and she was holding her head at an odd angle, as if that last bite had been fatal. Desperation speared him as adrenaline rushed through his veins. He couldn’t lose Kaleena. He’d rather die.

  The beast landed in front of her and raised a claw, looking as if he was about to impale her in the chest. Finn had to stop him somehow. Without giving any thought to his own safely, he growled and then charged.

  The attacker twisted toward him, taking his gaze off of Kaleena. She remained on the ground with her wings fluttering and thumping. Clearly, she was injured badly—unless this was some kind of ploy. Maybe she purposefully dove to the ground because it gave her the advantage.

  I don’t think so, his wolf said. She’s barely breathing.

  Shit. That meant every second he could give her to either recuperate or plan her next move was a good thing. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Kaleena had wrapped her wings around herself, hopefully to help her heal.

  This evil dragon’s wing was injured too, and Finn decided to attack that vulnerable spot. He ran
at him and scraped a paw at the webbing between the wing bones. Despite the injured state, his adversary swatted at Finn as if he were a pest. Finn tumbled and rolled ten feet, but he righted himself and shook off the shock of the impact. When he glanced over at Kaleena, she still hadn’t risen, and adrenaline flooded his veins.

  We got this, his wolf said.

  I’m counting on you, Finn shot back.

  Okay, he needed to think. If this beast had been a wolf, Finn would have attacked his throat. Even if that killed a dragon, how could he reach fifteen feet off the ground?

  Not the neck. Bite him slightly above his heart.

  Finn stilled. That instruction had not come from his wolf. The voice was feminine. Had Kaleena communicated with him somehow? How could that be? They weren’t dream-walking and they sure as hell hadn’t mated.

  What the fuck difference did it make? It seemed to be sound advice. Finn could leap fairly high, but he certainly couldn’t jump ten or more feet to this black dragon’s heart.

  Try, his wolf begged.

  Finn had no choice. Head down, he charged the huge animal. Claws digging into the dragon’s wing, he scurried up the long spine, gaining purchase with each push. Just as he was in a position to crawl down to the dragon’s chest, the beast dipped his snout and shot fire at him, searing Finn’s skin. The shock from the heat paralyzed him.

  A second later, the pain crippled him to the point where he was forced to let go. After tumbling to the ground, his body bounced, sending an ache so intense, Finn wasn’t sure he could move again. The dragon then opened his mouth, as if in glee, and then dragged a talon down Finn’s burnt body. His vision blurred, and as much as he tried to roll over to get away from this monster, he couldn’t.

  A roar sounded behind the beast, drawing his opponent’s attention away from him. Like a Phoenix rising, Kaleena unfolded her wings and soared into the air. Finn had never seen a more beautiful sight.

  Dipping her head, she nosedived toward her evil attacker. Her mouth was aimed straight for the dragon’s chest, which wasn’t covered with the same tough scales as the rest of his body.