by Brenda Trim
“Yes, Sire,” Dyson replied as he busied himself with various items. Finn watched as the Mundunugu grabbed a bottle marked toxic and pulled out a glass dropper. As the liquid hit the dead Unseelie with a sizzle, Finn returned his attention to Legette and the King.
“How do we keep everyone safe?” Legette wondered. “These Maahes are barely able to stand upright, let alone engage in battle if necessary.”
Angus stopped pacing and lowered his head. With his back hunched, Finn thought the Cuelebre King seemed as if he was defeated. There was no way that was possible. Angus’s strength and endurance was second to none. He’d lived through more than most could ever dream of, and still triumphed.
A couple decades ago every being on Khoth believed Angus was lost to them and the realm would never be able to recover. The Cuelebre dragons were on the brink of extinction, and they were cut off from every realm while the Unseelie slowly stole their land and destroyed it.
Now, there were more births over the past two decades than the scientists could keep up with, and they were reclaiming desolated lands and restoring life where it was once lost.
Finn shared a tense look with his fellow Maahes as they waited patiently for their king to give them a direction and answer. The silence in the room was deafening, and Finn wondered if he should say something to Angus. Surely, the male wasn’t feeling defeated. Just as Finn was about to speak, the king stood tall and turned to face them.
“We willna evacuate any city. Make sure there are guards on duty around the clock in nearby areas. I will have Isis and Pema add magic to the barrier around Duamutef. They have assured me their protections reach the molten core of our realm. We will remain alert while Dyson searches for a cure.” Angus paused and clenched his fists at his sides.
“There is a way to destroy this enemy, and we will find it,” Angus growled.
Keira, Angus’s mate, entered the throne room at that second. The Queen had eyes only for her mate and quickly crossed to his side. While the couple embraced, Legette turned to Caleb and Blaine and instructed them to ensure rotation continued throughout the areas.
With nothing left to do, Finn walked over to Dyson. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Unless you have some way of revealing their weakness,” the healer said as he pointed to the dead beast on his table, “there isn’t much you can do.”
A coughing fit stopped Finn’s reply. His throat was dry and itchy and felt like the desert sun was baking his vocal cords. His entire body ached, and he was weak. It was a poignant reminder that he wasn’t in any shape to protect the land and people he had for over three hundred years.
His vision blurred and he didn’t realize he was coughing flames until Dyson barked at him to stop. There was nothing he could do at the moment to halt the flames that escaped his mouth. Dyson jumped out of the way and Finn cringed when the creature on the metal exam table caught fire.
Several seconds later, Finn’s coughs finally subsided. “Thank you,” he told Slate as the male brought him a cup of water.
“I’ll have to get another sample to work on,” Dyson said as he approached the table. The contraption was damaged, making Finn hope it wasn’t ruined. He held his breath as the healer glanced through the scope.
“How is that possible?” Dyson blurted a second later.
The entire room looked their way a second later. Finn was sure he would get a lecture about being careful around expensive scientific equipment and steeled himself to receive Angus and Legette’s ire.
“What is it?” Angus asked.
“The parasite. It’s dead,” Dyson replied as he looked up from his scope.
“What?” Finn blurted. Surely, he hadn’t heard the male correctly.
“Are you sure?” the king asked, confusion clear on his face.
“Yes,” Dyson told Angus. “There is no activity. Their bodies are deteriorating.”
“How is that possible? Was it the toxin you used?”
Dyson was shaking his head in response. “I think it was Finn’s fire. Not the acid. There was movement for several seconds after I applied the liquid. I will need to run another test to be sure.”
Angus turned to Legette. “Get half a dozen more samples and bring them right away.”
“Could it really be that easy?” Finn asked Dyson.
“Like I said. Every living being has a weakness. We just need to isolate this one,” Dyson replied.
Legette returned a second later panting as he placed a large metal box on the floor next to Dyson. The healer lifted the lid and used large tweezers to lift a dead Unseelie from the box.
With rapid movements, Dyson had the beast cut open and displayed on his table. He applied a couple drops of the toxin and checked his scope.
“Anything?” Angus asked after they waited several minutes.
“The parasite is still alive,” Dyson admitted. “I’m going to use my fire now.” Dyson released a small flame that engulfed the Unseelie. An awful stench of burnt hair and decaying flesh filled the room, upsetting Finn’s stomach.
“It worked,” Dyson announced when he checked the scope a second later. “They’re dead.”
“Thank fuck,” Blaine blurted.
“How do we treat the Maahes?” Angus inquired ignoring Blaine’s outburst.
Dyson turned from his work with an excited gleam in his eyes. “Given that time is of the essence, I recommend they go to Mt. Batia and take a lava bath.”
Finn’s mouth fell open as his eyes went wide. That sounded as pleasant as taking a nap in a spider-infested tree in the forest.
“Is that safe for them?” Keira interjected.
“Cuelebre are creatures of fire. As long as they are in their dragon form it will not kill them,” Angus explained.
“No, it will not incinerate their dragons, but they should plan on staying overnight. I doubt they will be up for a return trip right away,” Dyson added.
“Let’s pack,” Blaine called out. “I’m ready to get rid of these unwanted passengers. Plus, I have a date tomorrow night that I would like to keep.”
“Of course you do,” Finn retorted.
“Pack a bag and be ready in fifteen,” Angus ordered. “I need you back as soon as possible in case Cyril takes action.”
Finn was anxious to get to the volcano so he could feel better but being back on his game so he could kick some Unseelie ass was a huge bonus, he thought.
“Which way do we go now?” Finn asked as they came to another crossroads inside Mt. Batia.
“We should have asked a fire demon. They spend more time here than anyone,” Blaine responded.
“We didn’t exactly have time,” Finn snapped. His temper was short, and his energy was flagging. The shift and flight to the volcano zapped him of energy. Sweat trickled down his forehead and stung his eyes.
Blaine swiped the back of his arm across his face and scanned both tunnels before he turned left. The air was stifling, and the temperature had risen about twenty degrees since they’d entered the mountain. That told Finn they were going in the right direction.
“Are there still Foawr in these tunnels?” Slate asked. It was when the Maahes managed to ask a question without devolving into a fit of coughing that Finn realized the heat was helping. Then, the male’s words penetrated his fuzzy mind.
“Fuck,” Finn blurted. “How the hell are we going to fight them if we encounter any?”
Blaine bent down as they walked an
d picked something up off the ground. “We could always throw rocks at it.”
Finn shook his head. Rocks would not stop or even injure a powerful Unseelie like a Foawr. “What are you, twelve?”
“Do you have a better idea?” Blaine shot back. “We can’t shift in these tunnels and there are no weapons.”
“How about we keep our mouths shut so we don’t attract any attention,” Finn suggested.
“Someone needs to get laid,” Blaine retorted then dodged the fist Finn threw his way.
Choosing to ignore Blaine’s irreverence, Finn didn’t slow until they entered a larger area that was more like a room. It was a relief as the area opened up wider than the crowded tunnel. As a dragon shifter, they had superior vision, but even his eyes were throbbing from the constant strain to see.
Water on the walls glowed green, illuminating the room so Finn got a clear picture of the grime covering his bare chest. He was tempted to run his hands through the moisture trickling down the rock in this area. He wondered if it would turn his skin the same green shade as the walls.
Best not add to the parasite that was coursing through his body. With his luck it would protect the bug from being killed in the volcano. Suddenly, a thought occurred to Finn. “If there are Foawr here, how are we going to be safe staying the night here?”
“Fuck,” Slate cursed as he wiped sweat from his face. “We’re going to have to leave. No way we’ll have the strength to stand guard. I just don’t know if I can make it back to Duamutef right away.”
“We don’t have to make it to Duamutef tonight. We just need to get our asses out of these tunnels and to the nearest town. We can stay at an inn,” Blaine suggested.
“Sounds good to me,” Finn agreed. “I’m going to be dragging ass, but I’d rather push it to Ahscar rather than risk staying here.”
“It’s settled. We head for Ahscar as soon as we’re done. How much longer?” Blaine complained a second later.
“Dude, you’re such a douche dick. Stop whining,” Finn griped as he kept moving toward the heat.
“Fuck off, prole. It’s hot, and I’m hungry.”
“We all are. Drink your water and stop asking what none of us knows.”
“My water is gone. Can I have some of yours?”
“No, you can’t have mine. You should’ve saved some,” Finn warned Blaine. Noise ahead had him pushing his tired limbs faster than he thought possible.
If his friends were being attacked, he refused to sit back and do nothing. Sending a silent prayer to the Gods, Finn stopped short when he entered another cavern. This one glowed orange and had sweat pouring from his pores.
“Yes,” Blaine called out as he dropped his backpack and stepped out of his boots. “Let’s take that bath and get out of here.”
Finn shucked his shoes and clothes, anxious as everyone else. “Remember, Dyson said keep our eyes closed and count to ten before we leave the lava.”
A chorus of grunts and agreements swept through the room. In a shimmer of light, the Maahes shifted into dragon form and Finn breathed a sigh of relief.
The action zapped his dwindling energy, but it was a relief not to have sweat pouring into his eyes. With a massive flap of his wings, Finn took to the air and the other dragons followed suit. He closed his eyes then dove into the boiling lava.
As the molten liquid engulfed his large form, Finn had a moment of fright when his scales tingled intensely. As a creature of flame, he was impervious to the lava, but he’d never taken a bath in it, so he feared Dyson was wrong.
When the lava didn’t permeate his flesh, Finn held his breath and counted to ten then leapt from the boiling liquid and into the air. Lava splashed against the cave walls as the dragons burst from the pool of orange liquid. Ironically, the air inside the chamber no longer felt hot after being beneath the scalding lava.
Landing on dirt, Finn shifted back to human form so they could leave the tunnels. Normally a smooth, painless process, Finn cried out when his body objected. He assumed his human form didn’t appreciate the residual effect of the hot lava on its system, but he didn’t have time to wait. They were in Foawr territory, and needed to get out of the area as quickly as possible.
It took all his strength to shove his legs into his pants then his feet into his boots. He picked up his bag and took a deep drink of water. “Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he told his fellow Maahes a second later.
He said a second prayer to the Gods, asking for help making it to Ahscar. There was little chance they would make it all that way. It would really suck if he failed and died at the hands of a Foawr before fully experiencing Talysia.
* * *
Chapter 11
The sight of Finn’s brown eyes and his sexy smile was a huge relief for Talysia. It had been three days since she was deemed uninfected and sent home from the castle. Her sister was a wreck as she worried about her fate.
Talysia felt awful for causing so much distress, but there was nothing she could’ve done differently aside from staying away from Finn. And, that was not something she was certain she wouldn’t do.
Finn drew her unlike any other male in her life. He was thoughtful and caring and a badass knight. An alpha male like him was completely foreign on Calypso. Sirens were not only capable of luring with their voice. They could also use it as a weapon, so their males were skilled at pitching their vocalizations at various levels to harm or even kill in some cases.
A siren wasn’t capable of killing supernaturals, but they could whistle and kill animals of all sorts. With that as the epitome of male strength, it was intoxicating for Talysia to see males capable of ripping heads from creatures and disabling enemies with their bare hands. It was so primal, and oddly arousing.
“You look much better than the last time I saw you,” she told Finn.
Her entire body flushed, and a smile spread over her lips when he wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her close to her body. Talysia couldn’t remember a time in her life when she shared this type of intimacy with anyone else.
Sexual encounters were one thing, but all that she engaged in so far was based on physical release and nothing more. Males on her planet refused to consider her for anything more than casual intercourse. Males in the Tehrex Realm were different in that they never treated her as something beneath them, but no one struck her fancy like Finn did.
What was it about him? she asked herself.
He was gorgeous with his full lips, deep brown eyes and silky black hair. But, it wasn’t his looks, she realized. There were many good-looking males around. Finn was confident, protective, caring and easy-going.
The way he accepted her and truly saw her was the most appealing thing about him.
Lowering his head, Finn placed a quick kiss on her mouth before he lifted his head and stared deeply into her eyes. “I feel much better. Ready for anything.”
Talysia chuckled at the way his eyebrows waggled. “I heard you had to take a bath in magma. Is that true?”
“It is. Dyson accidentally discovered heat killed the parasite and that was the quickest way we could rid ourselves of the little buggers.”
“I still can’t believe you were infected by an Unseelie creature that was designed to impair dragon knights. Why would he use heat as their weakness when you guys breathe fire? Seems like Cyril isn’t very smart.”
Finn threaded their fingers together and started walking to a nearby park. “The Unseelie King is frighteningly brilliant. If
I hadn’t caught a sample with my fire while coughing, we likely wouldn’t have discovered their weakness. As Dyson explained he would have run through a list of tests with heat or fire being at the bottom.”
“Well, I’m glad it’s over. Want to grab a coffee?”
Nodding, Finn walked with her through the grassy area. She loved the area close to her apartment. They didn’t have parks on Calypso, and when she first moved to the Tehrex Realm, she instantly fell in love with the spaces. It was the combination of grass, trees and other plant life with large open spaces where friends and family could gather and spend time.
“Nolan started cultivating coffee beans on Khoth recently and has made shit tons of money for his efforts. The rich, earthy brew has rapidly become an obsession here,” Finn admitted.
“I bet. I imagine it would do great anywhere. I fell in love with the beverage after I arrived in the Tehrex Realm. Did Angus bring it back with him? He lived in the Tehrex Realm for a long time, right?”
“No, actually he didn’t bring it with him. When he first returned, King Angus was busy healing the planet and winning over Keira. Mack, the mate to one of the Vampire Princes, was the one that suggested it during one of her visits,” Finn explained with a laugh. “The female is feisty and a kickass warrior. She bitched when she and Kyran were trapped here that there was no caffeine; so when she returned, she brought a bag with her and showed the castle kitchens how to brew the beverage. Seems she’s an entrepreneur of sorts and made an agreement with Nolan to offer it to the entire realm.”
“So, all the small stands in the area are a new thing here?” she asked as she thought about the numerous shacks that sold the beverage. She had actually applied at one before getting the position at Medure Eats.
“Yep. Most of those have only been around a year. And, many near the business center of the city are only open during the day. Nolan’s company has grown immensely.” A shrill sound blared through the early afternoon, making Talysia jump.