by Julia Mills
Calling to Mara, knowing she couldn’t hear, but still needing to make contact as many times as possible, Uther whispered, “Stay strong, mo chroí. I am coming, and I will no fail.”
Chapter Four
“Hello, my little plaything. How did you rest?” Thanatos’ grating, guttural snicker shattered Mara’s dream, thrust her from the respite of sleep and flailed her into the cold, harsh reality of the nightmare of her existence.
Refusing to be baited into a conversation, or worse yet more verbal sparring with the bane of her existence, Mara remained quiet, with her mind blank and her emotions hidden. He’d been gone longer on this day than ever before and had returned with an extra dose of superiority and narcissism that quite frankly made the witch’s blood run cold.
“I have good news for you.”
The crooked grin of the rotted flesh of his lips and the gleam in the depths of his flat, dead, ebony eyes meant that whatever he was about to say was anything but good news. Mara hated that she could see the demon’s true face, despised that it would forever be burnt into her memory, a constant reminder of how far from grace she’d fallen.
“Do you want to know?” Thanatos was trying to sound put out, trying to make her rise to his taunts. “Or are you going to lay there like the useless flesh bag that we both know you are?”
Still refusing to speak, Mara prepared herself for the inevitable abuse she knew would come for her defiance. Holding her breath, bracing herself the best she could with no control of her limbs, she counted the seconds…but the pain never came.
Instead, the demon whistled the tune to the kid’s song, “I Know Something You Don’t Know”. Over and over, getting louder with every repetition, his out-of-tune, shrill whistle battered Mara’s psyche until she was forced to relent or go mad.
“Yes! Tell me. By the Goddess, please tell me and stop that infernal racket!”
“And there is the little witch I know and loathe,” Thanatos chuckled with satisfaction. “I don’t know why you fight me so. I assume it is because you enjoy the pain, for you know I will always win in the end.”
Envisioning biting her tongue, thinking of all the ways she wanted to torture the demon that was in her soul, Mara decided to play a bit of his game. “I can’t just succumb to your every whim, Thanny.” She used the nickname Kamdyn had used when the bastard had tried to steal her family magic. The one Mara knew infuriated the demon. “Where’s the fun in that?” She snickered, feeling his shock at her sudden defiance, letting it feed her mockery as she continued. “You need a challenge, Thanatos. Isn’t that what you told me the day you highjacked my soul? That my close relationship with the dragons and the abundance and strength of the McKennon magic made me irresistible?”
Sharing a soul with a demon was never a good thing, but in this case, Mara reveled in the fact that she could hear his thoughts. Usually careful to hide everything from her, Thanatos’ hubris had gotten the best of him this time and she could see how very much her words pissed him off and struck at his ego.
She listened to the wheels turning, heard his internal whispers as he tried to figure out what she was up to. It repulsed her that the damned demon actually admired her rebellion, that he thought he could find a way to twist it to his own advantage.
Finally, after long, exasperating moments of being forced to share Thanatos’ innermost delusions, Mara slowly exhaled as he sniffed, still licking his wounds even though his thoughts were almost giddy. “I suppose you are right. We are made for each other, even if your tiny little body is falling apart at the seams.”
Dark, oily magic slid over her skin. The tentacles of venom receded. The burn of evil eating away at everything she knew and loved evaporated.
Happy for the respite, no matter how short or long it may be, Mara sighed. There was no doubt in her mind that if she had a mirror, she would see that her hair was once again the color of a brand-new penny with streaks of the sun highlighting the curls and that her eyes were a clear, crystal blue, just like her father’s had been. She would look like the old Mara, the one who obeyed all the rules, never said a crossword, and hoped to one day be on the Council of Earthen Witches.
“I shall leave you this day.” Thanatos’ words yanked her from her thoughts as more of his malicious magic filled her cells, repairing the damage he’d inflicted. “You will need to rest. Your body will have to heal, for I have a huge undertaking we must attend to.”
A hum of satisfaction filled Mara’s mind as the demon went on, “Lucky for us I have located what we need, and just in time, the winter solstice is but a week away,” he gloated, his lips curling in a sneer that made her skin crawl. Steepling his fingers underneath his pointed chin, Thanatos winked, the lid of his eye oozing with a murky green poison that caked his thick, spider-like lashes and looked like boogers.
Tapping his chin with the jagged edge of the nail of his index finger, the demon added, “Upon reflection, I shall let you rest until the time of our conquest is upon us, almost seven days.” Floating closer, the tip of his metaphysical nose touching hers, Thanatos grabbed her chin, squeezing it to the point of excruciating pain before kissing her lips and whispering, “Night, night, my little plaything. We mustn’t have that bad old dragon trying to make contact again.”
Trying to scream, trying to fight what she knew was about to happen, Mara was helpless, unable to object as Thanatos stole her ability to respond, and ripped his fingers from her chin. Floating backward, a contemptuous sneer on his face, the demon snapped his fingers, and with a wink, hurtled her towards a deep, dark sleep.
Falling into the darkness, Mara’s heart sank as Thanatos’ parting words echoed in her mind, “Sleep well, my little dark one. I must see a witch about exterminating a dragon.”
Chapter Five
With every pounding step the noxious scent of sulfur mixed with the brackish water of the estuary grew stronger. Uther knew from King’s thoughts that the big cat was confused by the increased activity of the volcano called the Devil’s Kiss. It wasn’t due to erupt for several months. By all the jaguar knew, it should be sitting silent, acting as if it was just another mountain. Sadly, Uther understood, and it confirmed what he feared - Thanatos was not only torturing Mara, he was also disrupting the natural order of things, speeding up nature’s timetable for his own nefarious desires.
Unrest among the inhabitants of the jungle added a sickly-sweet odor of fear to the heavy layer of smoke overhead, forcing Uther to be sure the jaguar remembered the objective of their mission. “Our first priority is to get Mara out.”
A low mew, his way to agree, was King’s only answer as the earth shook beneath their feet. Picking up speed, the two warriors, running side-by-side, cut a path through the dense overgrowth, making a beeline for the base of the mountain.
Close enough to see the plumes of scorching air and ash shoot from the hundreds of vents up and down the side of the crag, Uther marveled at the shimmer of the rising air, so hot that it distorted the light waves, making a rippled rainbow for him and his cohort to follow. So many years trapped under the earth. So much time lost. So very much taken from him and his brethren by a simple spell. The little things meant so much more than they had before.
Never one who was given to flights of fantasy or dwelling on his regrets, Uther had to wonder, could he have saved Mara from a fate worse than death. Had he been there, not buried alive, would things have turned out differently?
Unable to stop the myriad of memories that chose the single most inopportune time to push the Guardsman down Memory Lane, Uther watched, like a spectator, at that dreadful night so very long ago…
An ominous chorus of rhythmic chanting combined with the acrid stench of putrid herbs invaded his slumber, Brennus snarling at the intrusion. Attempting to move, unable to even open his eyes, Uther reached out with the preternatural senses given to him by the Universe, and was stopped dead in his tracks by an impenetrable barricade of malignant mysticism and the unmistakable stench of black magic. Battling t
he darkness with the combined strength of man and Dragon King, the Guardsman called to his brethren, snarling when he found they too had been caught in the snare of the malicious alchemy and were unable to respond.
Returning his focus to the devilry holding them all hostage, Uther and Brennus forced blast after blast of pure white dragon magic into the unctuous tendrils of the offensive conjuring. The Dragon King within his soul chuffed and snarled, planting his massive paws and ramming the unceasing barrage of black magic with the huge battle horns atop his brow. For a few brief moments Brennus appeared to be making headway, but Uther’s hopes were crushed when a maniacal chuckle assaulted his mind.
“Look at the Mighty Avenger,” the maniacal cackle taunted. “Caught unawares by the Darkness that he’s given his life to battle.” Two seconds, so blaring in their silence that they completely unnerved the Guardsman and then, “Tsk, tsk, tsk, poor little dragon shifter. He can’t even save himself, let alone his wretched brothers in arms.”
The mocking tone of the wizard’s adenoidal voice was as grating as metal scraping glass, as he ranted on, “Just imagine. Picture, if you will. A perfect world where the humans have been enslaved, dragonkin has been destroyed and we, the only ones able to see the right and just future, the true believers of the Dark Lord, ruling the land and preparing for the return of the Morning Star, Lucifer, made flesh once again.”
Wrath and fury wound into a tight fist in the pit of the Avenger’s gut. The need to fight, to stop the madness, to rid the world of evil welled up inside him, taking on a form of its own and beating against the confines of the powerful spell. Never before had Uther felt so helpless, so impotent, so completely inept. The rage raked across the very fiber of his existence, pushing both Guardsman and Dragon King into a wild frenzy.
“Enjoy the many centuries of your very long life, Avenger.” Uther’s moniker dripped with revulsion and scorn as the wizard spat, “Lay in your tomb of silver and dirt knowing that I was the victor. I laid the notorious Uther Blackthorne to rest along with his infamous brethren.”
He remembered that voice as if it still whispered in his ear, ringing with the same vehemence and treachery as Thanatos’ but possessing a mundanely more human quality. There was no doubt in Uther’s mind that the demon holding his Beloved had also been the mastermind behind the fate he and his Force suffered all those years ago.
I pray they are still alive…
Had Thanatos known when he invaded Mara’s soul that she was the mate of a Guardsman? Had she been singled out because of that fact? Uther cursed aloud as he ran.
Recollections of that fateful night continued…
Jerked from his pallet on the ground, the sharp tip of skeletal fingers digging into his arms and legs, the horn of a saddle struck his ribs as he was unceremoniously thrown over the back of his own horse, the terrified animal telepathically calling to his master.
Using his mental connection to the black stallion, Uther sent waves of calm through their bond. Currents of the same evil taint controlling the Guardsman flowing from his faithful steed, making the Avenger’s last hope of escape impossible.
The same voice, the same nasal whine, like the motor of a small twin-engine plane starting for the first time, spoke aloud. Boasting, the smile evident in his tone, the wizard commanded, “Take the Avenger to his new home. Although the journey will be long, it will all be worth it to know that he is buried so close to Hell that the flames will be licking at his hide.”
Laughter, like that of an insane hyena, filled the air. Soon, the others joined in, their screams of victory echoing through the Black Forest, lost in the dense pines and thick foliage.
Hushing his underlings, the wizard continued his orders, “Make sure the Avenger is secure. Agatha will meet you at the dig site. She will be sealing away the ‘all-powerful Uther Blackstone’ with the stolen magic of the covens she presides over.”
The air filled with evil laughter and whooping jeers, but Uther forced himself into a calm state of observation, memorizing every voice, every scent and every nuance of the warlocks who’d attacked his brethren. The vengeance for their actions promised to be slow, painful, and bloody, no matter how long it took the Guardsman to escape whatever prison they had waiting for him and to hunt them down.
As the magic took its toll and nothingness ate away at the edges of his consciousness, Uther mapped the twists and turns of his painful horseback ride for several hours, his perception dimming to a single point when he was regrettably loaded onto a ship. Stowed in the dank and dingy underbelly, the mold and mildew of rotten fish, fetid water and spilt rum attacked his acute senses. Bile rose in his throat, and his stomach roiled as the vessel rocked and rolled, caught in the waves of an angry sea.
With no idea where he was being taken and no way to map the course through the water, Uther held onto the last vestige of light in his mind’s eye. Brennus roared at the injustice of their situation, letting copious amounts of magic flow between them, magic that was no match for whatever the wizards had concocted.
In the end, there was nothing to do but wait and pray. Both man and beast were left to the whims of the warlocks. Succumbing to the darkness, the Avenger’s last thoughts were of revenge.
Knowing King had been listening to his thoughts, Uther commented, “I still remember that voice. Still, have the name ‘Agatha’ written upon my list of those who shall feel the cold steel of my blade.”
A low growl, along with the feeling of kinship flowed from the jaguar, to which Uther replied, “Aye, mo chara, as soon as Mara is safe and sound, we shall begin the hunt.”
Reaching the banks of a small tributary where the Amazon River met the Atlantic Ocean, Uther immediately dove into the briny waters. Closely following King across the tepid waves, their strokes barely made a splash as they cut through the water like the fin of a shark.
In less than an hour, his knees struck bottom, and the Guardsman got to his feet. Walking out of the water onto the steaming black shores, Uther ignored the burn of the crushed lava as he and King turned towards Devil’s Kiss in unison, taking off at a sprint.
Reaching the bottom, Uther ripped the tattered remains of what had been a leather vest and cotton shirt over his head. Using the sharp edge of a large rock, he tore the leather into strips, wrapping his hands and feet and all four paws of the jaguar in cotton and then calf’s hide to allow them to climb without their flesh catching fire.
Their trek up the side of crag seemed to take forever. Boiling steam, burning rock and scorching ash covered both man and jaguar from head to toe, making it hard to see and even harder to breathe. Finally, gripping the rocks of the highest ledge, Uther pulled himself to the plateau, grabbed King by the right front paw and hoisted him up alongside, before collapsing onto his back and gasping for air.
Needing to get to Mara more than he’d ever needed anything in his very long life, the Guardsman rolled to his knees, pushed up with his hands and was stalking forward while his head was still rising. Holding tight to their mating bond as he raced to save her, Uther knew his little witch was still unconscious and that Thanatos was nowhere to be found. Whistling in short blasts into the ashen smog polluting every crack and crevice of the cave, he used his preternatural sense of hearing like a bat’s echolocation to zero in on his mate’s location.
Inching along, the tips of his fingers skimming the blistering, pointed rocks of the cave’s wall, Uther came to a fork in the path. Leaning to the left, he felt a familiar sensation. The tingling of recognition that spoke to both man and dragon.
“It is not our mate, Brennus? Can ye identify who or what is out there?”
The Dragon King’s irritated grumble and his push to go the other way assured Uther that Mara was indeed down the right passage, but he couldn’t let go of the feeling that something almost as important was the other way. Letting his still dampened senses creep towards the wavering impression, the sense of déjà vu grew stronger. Unable to reach the origin of the sensation, but feeling more than
one signature, the Guardsman cursed the leftover black magic still corrupting his senses and made a mental note to return to investigate as soon as he got his mate to safety.
Following the fork on the right, he made to Mara without further delay. Kneeling beside her, he could barely breathe. In that moment was the culmination of every dream he’d ever had for a long, happy life with the one woman in all the world who completed both him and his dragon.
Looking into her angelic face, Uther’s heart skipped a beat. She was lovelier than he’d ever imagined and looked so innocent without the taint of Death Incarnate corrupting her visage that all he could think of was wrapping her wool and keeping her from all harm. He saw the scars that covered her body, not unlike his own, and recognized them as her badge of honor that they were. She had survived the possession of a powerful demon and would come out the other side…of that, Uther had no doubts. They would fight side-by-side, hand-in-hand, to assure that Thanatos paid for each and every one of his sins.
Carefully sliding his arm under her legs and his other behind her back, Uther gently lifted Mara into his arms. Both man and dragon sighed as the electricity of their connection with the one the Universe made for them sprang to life.
Doing an about-face, he signaled to King with a single nod before making his way back out onto the ledge. Looking down at the path he’d taken then up to the sky, Uther made a snap decision.
“Stand back, mo chara. Time to let Brennus spread his wings,” the Guardsman warned his feline friend.
Calling to the enchantment of the Universe, Uther smiled as the Dragon King with whom he shared his soul sprang forth, the celestial glow of his scales piercing holes in the thick, dense smoke. Known as a Star Dragon because of the radiant glow of their scales and their ability to harness the power from the constellations, Uther and his brother, Zared, were the only two remaining at the time of the Avenger’s abduction. He could only pray that his younger brother and the rest of the Berserker Force were still alive and well.