Chapter 5
Abby sat alone in the room immersed in the journal until she finally flipped the last page and dropped the book onto the table. She leaned back and exhaled filled with more wonder and awe than she expected.
“Oh Ty,” she whispered shaking her head. Everything she had ever known about him was wrong and remorse crushed her heart. She stood and moved to the balcony. The night air caressed her face as a gentle breeze drifted around her.
“How is this even possible?” she asked to the stars as she reached up to her chest to feel the beating of her heart. Her thoughts drifted to Luc wondering where he was right now and if he could feel her emotions.
“How could you?” she snapped. The door opened behind her but she didn’t turn. She already knew Ty would be standing behind her waiting to hear her response. His footsteps bounced off the bookshelves until the warmth of his body was so close it scorched her back.
He didn’t speak, only stood behind her letting her know he was there. Abby sucked in a deep breath and dropped her head letting the tears flow freely from her eyes.
“How long have you known?” she asked trying to keep her voice from wavering.
“From the very beginning.”
“Did you know what you were doing that night when you killed me?”
Ty placed his hands on her shoulders. Abby didn’t flinch she let him touch her and hold her as her mind swam in the sea of doubt.
“Yes. It was the only way I could keep you safe. I had hoped that it would have been my heart in your body. But seeing how my brother got to you first, I had to strike before he came for you. With you dead, Nathanael wouldn’t be able to find you ever again.”
“But he has, hasn’t he?” Abby turned to face Ty. Ty held his gaze and pulled her closer to him.
“Your father is the oldest dragon in existence. He has weathered many storms and has his hooks in you so deep that the only way for you to be free of him is to find the other half of your heart.”
“But what happens to the half belonging to Luc?”
“If you let me take it, I promise, I will return it to him.”
“Then what will happen? Will I still love him?”
Ty sighed and squeezed her tightly into his arms trying to sooth her fear. “I don’t know how much of his love was real for you. If you truly were meant to be together, then yes, you’ll still love him.”
Abby could hear the pain in Ty’s voice as he spoke. Her mind wandered to the pages of the journal as an image of Ty in his dragon form flashed before her eyes.
“You kill me in every life you know that?”
“Yes. But I had to in order to protect you.”
“Then why haven’t you killed me in this one?”
“Because this time it’s different. I have something that I didn’t have before.”
“You found the other half of my heart didn’t you?”
Ty pulled her away from him as a faint smile pulled up at the corner of his lips.
“Yes, but now you have a choice. I can replace your heart and make you whole once more. Or,” Ty’s smile turned down as his face shifted exposing his razor-sharp teeth.
“Why does Nathanael want me so much? Doesn’t he have other children that could help him do his bidding?”
“Didn’t the journal explain how special you are?”
“So I’m really the only female dragon left?”
“Over the years others were created, but when they shifted, their bodies were torn to pieces. You are the only one who has been able to shift and embrace your other half.”
“What if that’s because of Luc’s heart in me?”
“No. The only thing Luc’s heart has done for you is bind you to his life. He is the reason you keep coming back again and again. When he merged his heart into your body, you took a part of his life force. That is why every time I killed you, I knew you would return. I just hoped one day you wouldn’t return to me.”
Before Abby could say another word, Ty pressed his lips to hers silencing her. Abby didn’t fight back, she didn’t pull away, she allowed herself to feel the spark between them and soon found herself kissing him too.
Ty broke the kiss just as her tongue parted his lips and brushed the tip of his tongue.
“Abby, we can’t do this. Not when my brother still has a hold over your heart. Now please, let me give you back what belongs to you.”
Ty grabbed Abby’s arms and removed them from around his neck. He held her at arm’s length for a split second relishing the sight of her before dropping her hands and turning away. Abby kept her gaze on him as he walked back into the room.
She studied him as he reached up to the top shelf of the bookcase and pulled down a small wooden box. Her eyes widened as Ty brushed his hand over the top before glancing up at her.
Abby’s heart raced in her chest. Her body tingled from the electricity that coursed through her veins. Ty moved slowly back to her side and presented her with the box.
“Here,” he said. “I found this after our last encounter. I knew I had to return it to you.”
“You know, you didn’t have to kidnap me to give this back.”
“Would you have believed me if I just showed up and said, hey sorry for killing you all those times, here’s your heart back?”
Abby shook her head and sighed, “Well, when you put it that way.”
“Open it and see for yourself that I never meant you harm.”
Abby lifted the lid to the box and her eyes widened. Resting with the oak box was a half of a golden heart beating to the rhythm of her own. She moved carefully back inside and set the box down on the table. With a trembling hand, she reached out and touched it.
Everything from the beginning of her existence flashed before her eyes. She saw Luc and Ty standing by her side ready to battle the approaching darkness. She saw the darkness consume her and strike with precision as Ty breathe flames around her cutting her life short again and again.
Abby stumbled back filled with the knowledge of who she was and tried to blink away the visions.
“Are you okay?” Ty reached out for her to steady her before she could fall over.
“It is mine. I could feel it.” She looked at him with wonder and disbelief.
“I won’t lie to you.”
“All those times…” Abby’s words dropped off as she held Ty. “I asked you to kill me. And no matter the pain it caused you…”
“I did it because I love you Abby. I loved you from the moment I met you.” Abby closed her eyes and pulled out from the darkness a memory time had stolen from her.
“In the forest when I was younger.” Ty smiled at her and brushed the strands of her hair out of her face.
“Callie didn’t approve of us. She knew what I was, what I wanted before I even did.”
“And what is it that you want now?” Abby asked cupping her hand to his face.
“What I have always wanted, you. Just you.”
“But Luc.”
“Abby, listen to me,” Ty cupped his hands around her face trying to bring her attention back to him. Her eyes drifted to his face as her eyebrows rose.
“The half of your heart that is Luc’s is holding you prisoner to him. He knew that giving you his heart would bind you to him. Please, let me help you break that link. Let me give you back your heart and then, you can choose who you want to be with.”
“I…” Abby dropped her gaze and wrapped her arms around Ty’s body. She buried her face into his chest as confusion and guilt stabbed her.
“I don’t know what to do.”
“But I do, and you have to trust me like you did all these years. Please,” Ty pulled her away from him and lifted her head up forcing her to look at him. His eyes filled with hope and despair. Abby glanced down at the golden heart and sighed. “Let me help you.”
Abby pressed her lips into a tight line and nodded. “Do it.”
“I’ll try to be gentle, but I don’t know if Luc’s heart will come out. It m
ight be painful.”
“More than you breathing fire on me?”
“You have a point,” Ty tried to laugh but touched Abby’s elbow. Abby glanced down at his hand and allowed him to guide her to the chair. She sat down and pulled in a deep breath.
“Just try to relax,” Ty whispered as he crouched down at her feet. Abby nodded and closed her eyes waiting for the pain. With her fingers digging into the arm of the chair, Ty pulled up her shirt exposing her breasts to him.
“Breathe,” he said. Abby pushed the air out of her lungs as Ty’s fingers brushed over her chest.
“Get away from her!”
Abby’s eyes snapped open as Ty twisted his body to find Luc standing out on the balcony. Luc’s eyes burned as he pulled back his lips to expose his teeth.
“Go away little brother before you hurt yourself.”
“I won’t let you kill her, not again.” Luc screamed as he rushed towards Ty with his arms raised and poised to strike.
Chapter 6
“Stop!” Abby screamed at the top of her lungs as Luc threw Ty into the bookcase causing a cascade of books to fall over him. Abby rushed to Ty’s side as Luc intercepted her and held her back from going to his brother.
“Abby, you have to listen to me, please, Ty isn’t the good guy here remember? I don’t know what he did to you, but you can’t trust him.”
“Isn’t that just like you Lucas to push the blame on me,” Ty sneered as he scrambled to his feet. Luc turned his back on Ty as his arms wrapped around Abby protecting her from Ty’s advance.
“Let me go Luc! Ty please stop.”
“What did you to do her?” Luc demanded as he studied Abby’s face as Ty’s hand flew back and crashed into his side.
“I didn’t do anything but tell her the truth.”
“Does she know you’re the one who killed her all those times?”
“Yes, Luc please he told me now let me go.” Luc paused to stare at Abby and released his hold of her. Abby slipped through Luc’s arms and rushed over to Ty to check on him.
“Both of you need to stop this right now.”
“But you don’t know everything he has done,” Luc started causing Abby to flash her eyes in his direction.
She straightened herself and moved over to Luc. “I know he killed Donovan, my mother’s husband. I know he did it to save my life. But did you know that I met Ty long before I met you? Did you know that I was to be his bride? Or and instead of being with him, you stole that from him by giving me your heart? Now, all these years I have been bound to you and you’ve done nothing but keep me away from him.” Abby glanced to Ty. Ty tried to smile, but there was too much anger in his eyes to make the smile sincere.
“Abby please it wasn’t like that,” Luc pleaded. “You were dying. I had no other choice but to give you my heart. And I don’t regret it one bit.”
Abby glared at Luc holding her stance as her eyes narrowed. “Look, we all have something we aren’t proud of, but the fact is, I want my heart back. I want to know what it’s like to feel for myself. Ty is willing to give that to me, are you?”
“But what if you don’t feel the same way about me anymore? I have spent centuries with you. Keeping you safe and loving you. That won’t just go away for me.”
“How do you know? It could.”
“But I don’t want it. I don’t want to take any chance.”
“See,” Ty said turning his attention to Luc. “I told you he wouldn’t agree. I told you he would keep you hostage and bent to his will.”
“Shut up Ty.” Luc growled and stepped forward ready to charge.
“Luc, you have to trust me.”
“But if you put back your heart, then this will be your only life. You won’t be tied to me any if you get killed…” Luc couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence. The thought of Abby dying was too much to bear, and he turned his head away pushing the thought into the back of his mind.
“We are all meant to die.”
“That is your human self-speaking,” Ty said. “It doesn’t work like that for us. For dragons.”
“I don’t care how it works,” Abby dropped to her knees and dropped her head. “Please, if either of you love me, you won’t stop me from doing this.”
“Abby, if you do this, you have to know that it will change everything. There are people from your past that have been hunting for you.”
“I know.” Luc’s eyes shifted to Ty. Ty glared at Luc and nodded as he crossed his arms.
“He told you that the most powerful dragon is after you.”
“Yes. And I don’t care. If you are by my side, we will be able to take on anything. But you have to make me whole again.”
“Move,” Ty growled pushing Luc to the side. Ty crouched down and with a soft expression stared at Abby.
“I will do anything for you, you know that.”
“Then please, do what needs to be done.”
Ty nodded and lifted his hand up. Abby couldn’t bring herself to look at Luc as she lifted up her shirt exposing her breasts to them.
“Wait,” Luc reached out for Abby with tears in his eyes.
“No. We aren’t going to wait for you to get comfortable with this,” Ty snapped.
“I know, but it’s my heart you’re pulling out of her. So,” Luc sucked in a deep breath. “I should be the one to remove it.”
Ty kept his eyes locked on Luc as Luc moved closer to Abby. Abby sucked in a deep breath and remained focused on Ty’s face as Luc dropped to his knees and placed his hand over Abby’s chest.
“I love you.”
“Always,” she said as Luc’s fingers plunged into her flesh.
Abby screamed as the pain ripped through her chest. Every beat of her heart felt like an earthquake as Luc pulled it out of her. Panting she tried not to look at it. But the golden glow of Luc’s half illuminated the room.
“Now, brother,” Luc cried out. Ty was at Abby’s side in an instant with her heart in his hand. Just as Abby’s eyes rolled back into her head, Ty shoved her heart into place.
“Abby?” Ty whispered as he glanced up to look at her. Somewhere in the darkness, Abby could hear his voice pulling her through the fireflies and dancing sparks of light.
“Abby please, answer me,” Ty flashed his gaze to Luc who had dropped to the floor trying to regain his breathing.
“Oh god, no.” Ty shook Abby relentlessly forcing her to come back into the light. But all Abby wanted to do was drift into the nothingness that engulfed her.
Little by little though the sparks of light dancing about her swirled and shifted into a single entity. Abby’s eyes widened as she saw her own self emerge from the sparks and embers of fire that danced around her.
“Is this a dream?” Abby wondered as she reached out to touch her face.
“No,” came the reply that filled the void around her. “You have awoken me.”
“And you are?”
“You know who I am.” Abby nodded as the fires drifted away and a new image appeared through the darkness.
Abby spun around on her heels looking at the trees and feeling the sunlight warming her skin. She laughed at the peace that consumed her.
“Took you long enough,” a familiar voice said behind her. Abby spun around to find Ty holding out his hand to her.
“What are you doing here?” Abby glanced at his hand and took it. Ty smiled and pulled her closer to him. He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear with a smile stretching across his face.
“You told me to come,” he said as he placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her head up to meet his lips. Abby sighed as they embraced. She wrapped her arms around his neck holding him close to her.
“May I cut in?” Abby didn’t want to stop holding Ty and squeezed him tighter refusing to let anyone break up their moment. But the tapping on her shoulder wouldn’t cease and she pulled herself away from Ty and turned her head. Luc stood behind her with her favorite little smile playing at the corner of his
lips.
“Luc?”
“Hey there beautiful. I thought maybe you might want to have a picnic today.”
“What is going on?” Abby pushed herself away from Ty and stepped back from the brothers. She shook her head trying to make sense of all that was happening.
“Are you okay love?” Luc asked holding out his hand to her.
“She’s fine,” Ty answered stepping forward. “She’s strong and beautiful and brave. All the things we have ever wanted in a woman.”
“Guys, seriously, what is going on?” Abby stumbled back trying to keep her distance as they closed in on her. But no matter how far back she moved, they were always right there.
A clap of thunder rang across the sky and Abby’s eyes shot up to the clouds that began blocking out the sun.
“He is coming for you,” Luc said dropping his smile. The soft tenderness in his eyes shifted to malice and Abby’s heart fluttered with fright.
“He won’t like that we’ve kept you from him for so long,” Ty said throwing his head back and focusing on the darkness.
“Ty? Luc?” Abby moved back even further as the darkness descended on them.
“Abby!” Ty’s voice broke through the pitch blackness and pulled her out of the void. She sucked in a deep breath and stared at the brothers with wild eyes.
“Oh thank god,” Luc huffed dropping his head in relief.
“What happened? Where did he go?” Abby asked searching the room.
“Who? No one is here but us.”
“No, he is here. I can feel him.”
Luc’s eyes flashed to Ty before shifting back to Abby. “No one is here but us love.”
“He is coming for me.”
“Nathanael? So soon?” Luc gasped.
“And he won’t be happy you kept me from him for so long.”
“Abby whatever happens we aren’t going to let anything happen to you.”
“But you’ll have no choice. He is coming for me.” Abby dropped her head and went limp.
“We need to get ready,” Ty said rising to his feet. “He knows she is whole again.”
“And you wondered why I gave her a piece of my heart. It shielded him from getting to her.”
The Fate of the Dragons Series Box Set Page 10