Текст книги "Passion Ignites"

Автор книги: Donna Grant

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 17 (всего у книги 23 страниц)

CHAPTER

THIRTY-FIVE

Dmitri growled when Kellan dove from above him, his wings clipping Dmitri’s.

“What the hell, Kellan?” Dmitri said through their mental link.

“Listen,” Kellan yelled.

Dmitri soared through the clouds over Dreagan. He listened past the rain and wind, past the beat of dragon wings and the animals in the Dragonwood.

There. He caught it. It was faint, so faint he wouldn’t have heard it had he not been listening. A scream.

He dipped a wing and turned, following Kellan’s path that took them over the distillery. Dmitri glanced to his left to see deep turquoise scales. Arian had heard it too. That must mean … Dmitri’s heart skipped a beat. The mates.

Kellan’s voice boomed through their link. “Kings, be at the ready. Keep to your posts and your eyes open. Arian and I are going to make a pass over the distillery. Dmitri, take a look at the border near there.”

“Four more Dark have shown up at the northwest side,” Anson said.

Cain growled low in his throat. “Another two on the east.”

“Six more on the west,” Roman stated in an irritated voice.

Dmitri saw Arian flying faster. He and Kellan each had mates. Knowing Arian’s woman, Grace, she was in the manor writing. But Denae was another matter entirely.

It wasn’t just those two women either. There were eight other mates on the grounds. It was the duty of every King on Dreagan to protect them as fiercely as they protected Dreagan and their secret.

Dmitri shifted slightly to give himself a direct path to fly over the border near the distillery. He flapped his wings to climb, using the fast moving clouds to keep him hidden.

His first pass brought him around quickly again. Dmitri tilted his wings so that he hovered over the driveway leading from the main road onto Dreagan. He saw nothing that would cause alarm there. Yet, the idea of Dark beginning to arrive on Dreagan didn’t bode well for anyone.

Dmitri soared above the long, winding driveway leading to the distillery and shop. To his surprise, there were many cars still in the parking lot when it should have been deserted. It was the last day the distillery was open to the public until spring.

“We have a problem,” Kellan’s voice rang out through their link. “There are Dark Fae in the shop.”

Dmitri fisted his hands, his talons itching to slice some Dark Fae in half. “How many mates are in the shop?”

“Three. Jane, Shara, and Cassie.”

“I’m heading to the manor,” Arian said.

Dmitri circled around the distillery. He could see Kellan’s bronze tail disappear into the clouds below.

“Keep them there, Arian. The Dark doona get into the manor no matter what,” Kellan ordered. “Anson, doona get far from Con’s mountain. If you see a Dark, kill him. If you see anyone—mortal or no’—near the mountain, kill them.”

“Gladly,” Anson replied.

*   *   *

Lexi laughed in Gorul’s face, though inside she was frozen with fear. Not for herself, but for Thorn and everyone on Dreagan. If she had only kept her mouth shut, but she hadn’t and she needed to think fast.

“Mate? What are you going on about?” she asked, derision in every syllable.

Gorul ran a finger along her cheek. He laughed when she jerked her head away from him. “Who else but a mate to a Dragon King would know such things about us?”

“Fine,” Lexi said with a bored expression. She might have failed theatre in school, but she was about to put on the performance of a lifetime. “I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

Gorul got so close their noses were touching. “Then get to talking.”

“I’ve known it was you who killed Christina. I saw all the others with red eyes and began following them around the city. I figured one would lead me to you eventually.”

Gorul’s expression darkened. “Humans really are pathetically stupid.”

“So stupid that I had a map showing your movements and where you liked to congregate?”

“That’s when a Dragon King found you,” he guessed.

“After what I saw you do to my friend, do you really think I would trust a man?” Lexi made a sound at the back of her throat. “What I did learn was that I wasn’t the only one following your kind. There were two other men. I saw them easily kill your people.”

“The Kings,” Gorul said between clenched teeth.

Lexi held her blanket tighter. “I don’t know who they were, but I learned a lot from them. That’s how I discovered you were Dark Fae. I went to a pub where they were and eavesdropped on their conversation. It’s how I know of the war and everything else.”

“A likely story.” Gorul gripped her face and turned it to the side. He licked her neck up to her jaw. “It doesn’t explain how you’re here now, does it?”

She was repulsed by his touch. Lexi tried to pull away from him, but he held her tighter. In his red eyes she saw the confidence that stole whatever courage she had.

“Let her talk,” came a deep voice behind Gorul.

Gorul’s face went slack. He dropped his hand and spun around, going to his knee. “My king.”

Lexi’s day kept going from bad to worse. The king of the Dark now stood in front of her. His black and silver hair hung midway down his back, and he was missing his left arm from above the elbow. He wore solid black from head to toe.

Next to the king was a tall Fae who looked as if he couldn’t care less to be there. His black hair hung well past the middle of his back, and it was liberally streaked with silver. He also wore all black, but the inside collar of his silk button-down was dark silver.

There were a few other Dark Fae with them, but Lexi knew those two were the ones with the most power.

She was in deep shit now.

The king waved Gorul away, his focus locked on Lexi. Why did all the Fae have to be so damned gorgeous? She might not be begging them for sex, but she couldn’t deny the effect the king and the man with him had on her. If she let herself, she could give in.

Then she thought of Thorn and was able to look the king in the eye.

He smiled slowly. “Some of my people love when humans are meek and weak. For me, I crave the spirited ones. Like you, my dear.”

Lexi refused to move when he touched her. She would show him nothing. The more defiant she was with him, the more he would want her. And that was one place Lexi didn’t want to find herself.

“You were telling a very curious story.” His Irish accent was defined, but not guttural. “I’m curious to hear how you came to be here.”

“I ran,” she said. “I saw more and more of your kind flooding the streets, and I knew I had to get out of the city.”

“With no car?” asked the Dark with the king.

The king smiled. “That’s Balladyn, my dear. He’s my right hand, my enforcer. He’s very adept at picking through lies.”

“Then he’ll have a hard time with me because I’m not lying.”

Balladyn crowded her left side. Lexi kept her gaze on the king, pretending that she didn’t want to shove past both of them and run screaming from the room.

“You ran from the city and just happened to find your way here?” Balladyn asked in a voice so soft and cold that Lexi couldn’t hold back a shiver.

She slid her gaze to him. “If you didn’t hear it in my accent, I’m not from here. No, I didn’t take a car from the city. They were piled up all through the streets. I left on foot. I stayed off the roads in an attempt to keep away from you.” She swallowed, keeping an image of Thorn fighting the Dark as if he had been born to it in her mind.

If he could be strong against dozens attacking him, then she would be strong against the ones she faced now. Because any other choice would be a catastrophe.

Thorn.

Just saying his name gave her strength. Lexi returned her gaze to the king. “I’ve been on the move since last night. I got caught in the weather. I was completely lost when a man found me and brought me here.”

Balladyn’s red eyes narrowed. He leaned close and inhaled deeply.

Was it her imagination or had he just flinched, surprise flickering in his eyes?

“Then?” the king asked.

Lexi gripped the blanket tighter in an effort not to scoot away from the both of them. “I heard screams. I walked out and saw that maniac,” she said with a jerk of her chin to Gorul, “and his friends killing people. But I didn’t get away in time. They saw me and brought me in here.”

The king took her hand that was clasped on the outside of the blanket and ran his thumb across her fingers. “Your hands are cold.”

“I was caught in the rain. It’s freaking cold here.”

The king smiled. “You’re naked beneath.”

“Not entirely.” She did still have on her bra and panties.

“I’m Taraeth, king of these maniacs,” he said with a smile and cold, cold red eyes. He leaned his head to the side and motioned to the group of people. “Do you see those over there?”

Lexi nodded.

“Those humans are crying because of the slaughter my men wrought. Yet, they haven’t run. Look at them, my dear.”

“No.”

Taraeth grabbed her chin and forced her face around to look at the group. She glanced at the ones moaning, their hands running over their bodies as they waited for the Dark to take them.

Lexi’s gaze clashed with brown ones from earlier. The other two women she had spotted who weren’t acting like the others were near her. All three were half hidden by the mass of people trying to get to the Dark. How long would they remain that way?

“That’s how you should be acting toward us,” Taraeth whispered in her ear. “You should have dropped that blanket and begged me to take you. Why haven’t you?”

How had she not seen the anger in his eyes? Lexi’s hand began to shake in his hold. She slowly turned her head to look at him. “I don’t know.”

Taraeth kept ahold of her hand and took a step back. “I’ve seen this once before. It was a mate of a Dragon King who was immune to us. She didn’t want me to touch her, but I still made her climax. With Kellan watching as I did.”

The fear she had felt from falling and the Dark tracking her were nothing compared to standing before Taraeth and listening to what he obviously had planned for her.

“Who is your Dragon King?” Taraeth asked.

Lexi shook her head. She was so scared that it took her two tries to say, “I d-don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Lying is going to make things so much worse, my dear,” he said with a smile and death in his eyes. “I can bring you unimaginable pleasure while I’m slowly killing you. Or I can bring you pain. It matters not to me. Make it easy on yourself and give me a name. I want to know which of the arrogant Kings I’ll have the enjoyment of hurting by killing you.”

Lexi glanced at Balladyn to find him watching her intently. Before she could say anything, she doubled over. It wasn’t from pain. It was from desire so intense and strong that she couldn’t breathe.

Her sex pulsed, throbbing with need. The wool blanket scraped across her breasts as she tried to turn away. Her nipples hardened against her bra from the contact.

Lexi held back the moan as long as she could before she fell to her knees. Taraeth kept ahold of her hand, his thumb still stroking her.

“That need I just forced on you comes from being near us,” Taraeth said. He laughed. “How long do you think you can go on like that before you try to give yourself relief?”

That thought had already crossed Lexi’s mind. She glared up at him. “What a coward you are to violate me in such a way when there are hundreds of others who want you.”

“Ah,” Taraeth whispered as he sent more need pumping through her. “But that’s what makes you so appealing. Soon, you’ll be begging me to give you release. You’ll forget everything and everyone but me.”

He dropped her hand and turned away. Lexi wrapped her arms around her middle and groaned again. The desire was overwhelming. She pictured Thorn in her head and kept him there.

“Bring her, Balladyn,” Taraeth said as he started to turn away. He paused and looked at the group of humans. “Another surprise. Bring the traitor, Shara, as well.” Taraeth stopped beside Gorul and said, “Kill the rest.”

A moan left Lexi when Balladyn lifted her in his arms. She was supposed to have been safe on Dreagan. What happened?

“Fighting it will only make it worse, woman,” Balladyn murmured.

Fighting? She had no choice, because Lexi wasn’t going to die like Christina had.

Thorn!

CHAPTER

THIRTY-SIX

Thorn removed his clothes and stood on top of the warehouse surveying all his enhanced eyesight could see—and it wasn’t a pretty picture.

The once beautiful ancient city had taken a battering from the Dark. After the building Lexi had been in was destroyed, the Dark moved to other areas of the city and began to ravage it.

The rain was coming faster, hitting his skin like pellets. Wind whipped around him, as if urging him to shift and take to the sky. He glanced about for humans. How many times had they taken precautions so that the mortals wouldn’t see them?

How many times had they not been able to shift because the humans were too close?

Now, not one of the mortals was paying attention. Con was already flying over the city. Thorn could see a hint of gold scales through the clouds.

Thorn could finally focus on the task at hand like he had before he saw Lexi the first time. It was a relief that she was completely out of danger at Dreagan. Finally, she was well and truly safe.

He jumped and shifted at the same time. His wings unfurled and caught the wind. It took him straight up to the clouds.

“Ready?” Con asked.

Thorn circled the warehouse to make sure no one had seen him. “Been ready.”

The two of them stayed in the clouds until they found a group of Dark. He and Con came at them from opposite sides. Thorn went first, blasting them with magic and pushing the Dark right toward Con.

Thorn dipped his wing to turn and flew off when Con came in and released dragon fire on the Fae. When they were done, no Dark was left alive.

With their victory, they moved on to the next section. It proved more difficult since there were numerous humans mixed in with the Dark.

Thorn tucked his wings and dove straight down from the clouds. Since he was unable to spread his wings fully between the buildings, he managed to spread them enough to halt his descent and even him out. He grabbed a Dark in each hand, crushing them.

Con dove down behind him, catching three Dark in his mouth and using his teeth to tear them to shreds before tossing them away.

Again and again they found their prey and unleashed hell.

Their attacks were enough to get the Dark to begin fleeing, but then there were the combined attacks of Rhi, Guy and Darius, as well as Fallon, Larena, Phelan, and Aisley.

Thorn flew back up to the clouds, content with their attack and the outcome. Con spotted another group that they were headed toward when Kellan’s voice shouted in their heads.

“Dark attack at Dreagan!”

Thorn roared and dipped his wing as he quickly turned and headed toward Dreagan. How had the Dark gotten in? There were precautions in place.

Then he remembered—the distillery.

Thorn roared again in fury—and fear. He flew swiftly, his heart sick that Lexi might be hurt. Or worse—captured.

It was as if the Dark knew where she was going to be every time he thought she was safe.

*   *   *

Rhi remained on the same street as Phelan and Aisley. She stayed closer to the Druid, because the Dark would like nothing better than to get their hands on her.

Though she kept an eye on Phelan as well. If the Dark ever discovered he was a Fae prince … she didn’t even want to think about what would become of him.

She swung her sword around her, bending backward to get the two attacking behind her. Rhi straightened and kicked out her leg, her heel sinking into the Dark’s throat.

Rhi.

She looked around for Con. There was urgency in his voice that she hadn’t heard before. She glanced up when she felt a gust of wind go over her.

Then he was standing in the middle of the street naked. A Dark ran up to him. Con grabbed him around the throat and squeezed. The Dark clawed at Con, but it did no good. The King of Kings had a hold of him, slowly squeezing the life from the Fae with black eyes full of fury.

Con’s head swung to her. “Dark are attacking Dreagan. Thorn has gone. All of this,” he said as he tossed aside the dead Dark and motioned to the city, “was set up to divert our attention from Dreagan.”

Dreagan. Under attack. By Dark. It couldn’t be possible. But all she had to do was look into Con’s eyes and see the lethal rage rolling off him to know it wasn’t a joke.

She teleported out before she thought to ask Con why he assumed she would help. But she didn’t go to Dreagan. Instead, Rhi found Fallon and appeared next to the Warrior as he stood using his claws to tear through the Dark.

“I need you to get Malcolm to Dreagan immediately.”

Fallon’s black Warrior eyes looked at her. His black claws dripped with blood, and his gold torc looked stark against the black skin of his god. “What?”

“The Dark are attacking Dreagan. This was a setup.”

She didn’t say any more as she teleported to Dreagan.

*   *   *

Kellan dove toward the shop, rolling and shifting into human form. He landed on one knee with his hands upon the ground. His head lifted when he saw Taraeth and Balladyn in the shop talking to a woman.

He listened to their conversation as he made his way into the building. The fact Taraeth hadn’t posted anyone near the doors told Kellan that the king of the Dark didn’t care if the Dragon Kings came in or not.

Then Kellan heard the humans. No wonder the Dark weren’t worried. No Dragon King could go in there with humans watching.

He saw Arian and motioned for him to go around front. Then Kellan snuck into the shop. Broken glass sliced into his feet, but he paid it no attention.

“Taraeth and Balladyn are here,” Kellan told the other Kings. Everyone needed to be prepared.

“Bring her,” Taraeth told Balladyn.

After he ordered one of the Dark to kill everyone, Taraeth stopped and turned around.

“And bring the traitor, Shara.”

Kellan waited until the Dark with Shara was even with the door to the hallway where he hid before he rushed them. Shara was taken down with them, but she sent a blast of magic toward Taraeth as she did. Kellan snapped the Dark’s neck who had a hold of Shara and jumped up.

Arian crashed through the front glass doors and went after the Dark standing there. Kellan motioned for Cassie and Jane to get the humans out, but the mortals wouldn’t leave. The girls began to drag them out of the shop one by one.

Kellan took the blasts of magic aimed for Cassie and Jane. His leg gave out, sending him down to one knee. Kellan got back up with a grimace and braced himself for the Dark who came at him.

Then they were in hand-to-hand combat. It wouldn’t have been a fair fight had Kellan been at full strength, but the Dark magic was taking a toll.

There was a loud roar that Kellan recognized as Thorn. The next instant, Thorn stalked into the shop naked and furious and grabbed the first Dark he saw, ripping his heart out without so much as a glance.

Thorn was looking around the shop as if searching for someone.

Kellan elbowed the Dark he was fighting in the throat and snapped his neck. The rest of the Dark vanished from the store in the next second.

Thorn stood in the middle of the shop shaking his head. “Nay. Lexi was safe here.”

Arian’s chest heaved, anger contorting his face. His champagne-colored eyes blazed with unadulterated fury. “I tried to reach them, but they teleported out before I could.”

There was murder in Thorn’s dark eyes. “They attacked the cities to take us away from Dreagan.”

“Aye,” Kellan said. “But why just the distillery? I thought they’d go after the weapon again.”

“More Dark coming your way!” Dmitri shouted.

Kellan, Thorn, and Arian ran out of the shop and shifted into dragons. Kellan remained near Shara while Thorn and Arian flew to the skies and took their assault from above.

Rhi stood in the middle of the parking lot with her sword raised, ready as Dark ran at her. A moment later and Fallon deposited Malcolm in the middle of the fray before teleporting away again.

“No’ fair to start the action without me,” Malcolm said. His skin turned maroon as he released his god and raised a hand to the sky as lightning forked from his fingers, sending bolts in every direction.

The sound covered the roars of the dragons, and the display would keep any humans from venturing out into the storm.

Kellan turned and beheaded a Dark with his wing who had been going after Malcolm. The rain continued to come in a downpour.

Thorn roared and dove right at the group of oncoming Dark. He flattened dozens of them before others began to hurl magic at him.

He was trying to fly back up to the sky when a huge bubble of magic hit him, instantly shifting him back into his human form.

Kellan took out the Dark responsible. Another flood of Dark Fae came at them, swarming the parking lot like ants.

“Kellan!” Rhi shouted from his left.

She was pointing to the ground where Thorn lay unmoving after hitting the ground hard. After what had happened with Rhys where dragon magic was mixed with Dark that nearly killed him, Kellan refused to take any chances. He stood over Thorn so no Dark could get to him.

Rhi was doing major damage to the Dark with her sword and quick movements while Shara used her Fae magic. Roars from Arian sounded around them as he continued to swoop down from the sky raining dragon fire on them. There were sudden shouts and war cries as more Warriors arrived.

“Another attack at the north border!” Roman said.

*   *   *

Lexi was meditating on Thorn. He was the only thing keeping her from begging someone to ease the desire building just as Taraeth had promised she would.

Someone said her name. She ignored it. She couldn’t lose concentration. A hand connected with her face sharply, sending pain radiating through her.

“Are you sure?” asked a male voice.

Lexi moaned at the need clawing at her. She would not give in. She would not give in.

“I’m sure,” Taraeth said.

Balladyn said, “She could’ve been speaking the truth. If she was a mate, she would’ve known to wait for the Kings to rescue her.”

Lexi lifted her head and opened her eyes. She was in an office or library. It was obviously a place of someone with money, based on the furnishings and the opulence of the room itself along with all the books.

“Why bring her to me?”

Lexi focused on the man who spoke. He had black hair kept long and gold eyes. And he was strikingly handsome.

“A present,” Taraeth said. He motioned to Lexi. “I already have her prepared for you. She’ll remain in that state for several days no matter how many times you take her.”

Lexi lifted her chin and looked back at the men staring at her. She glowered at them. “Cowards. You’re all cowards.”