DragonsHeart.wps (30 page)

hand into the portal, hoping that the magic would suck her in.

It did. Just in time. As she was sucked into the portal, she felt something sharp graze her side.

She somersaulted into her cottage. It was bursting full with escapees. “Grania!”

Her bow slipped out of her hand and fell onto the floor.

“You’ve been hurt!”

“It’s nothing.”

Bronwyn inspected the wound. “I don’t think you require healing, thank the

graces for that.”

She stood up, wobbling slightly. “You look better, Bronwyn.”

“I raided your magical stores, and found an elixir that seemed to help me out, restoring me to my old self.”

“Thank goodness for that.”

She walked to the window. “We should get to London, the sooner the better.”

She turned. “We’ll have to travel by air to London, since there doesn’t seem to be any wizards or witches left in residence.”

“That’s what you think.” Nicholas’s voice carried to her from above. Brianna

came racing around the corner.

“Bronwyn?” Sheer joy enveloped her features. Grania turned away feeling a pang that she didn’t have a sibling to lean on ... all she had was Dylan.

Dylan.

She reached out to him with her mind. Pain seared her temple. She sucked in a deep breath.

“We have to get to London, now. Nicholas, do you think you’re strong enough to open us a gateway?”

“I should be.”

Brianna and Bronwyn moved forward. “We’re coming with you, this time.”

“We would like to come as well. We are ready to fight.”

A spokesperson for the prisoners seemed familiar to her; she had once been one of her father’s most loyal soldiers. When he’d revolted she had turned her allegiance to the Royal Family.

“Then, allow me to lead you to my weapons room. Everyone can get themselves

properly armed and then they we can go into battle fully prepared.”

“Sounds like a definite plan.” Bronwyn smiled, still holding onto Brianna as if her life depended on it.

She walked through her cottage to a room located off her kitchen. She pressed her hand to the wall, watching as the room was revealed.

Weapons of all sorts lined the walls. A few dozen swords, some daggers, flying stars, pistols, among other inhuman weapons. Her followers moved forward taking what they could use.

Bronwyn and Brianna still stood with their arms wrapped around each other.

“You two need to stay here and keep this cottage safe. If we were to leave it uninhabited the magic protecting it could waver and then my father would have another victory on his hands.”

“I don’t want to leave Nicholas … I could go and Bronwyn could stay. She is

weakened by her ordeal at the hands of Draco. I think it would be wise if she remained DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170

behind.”

“I’m not letting you go and get yourself killed.” Brianna locked eyes with

Nicholas. Passion sparked between them.

“Hardly. I’d be with her, but I agree with you, Bronwyn. I think you should stay here, Brianna.”

“I’m not going to allow you to order me around. You aren’t my mate yet.”

“I’m your intended mate, and the mating fire has started between us, don’t deny the fact that you can feel the burn.”

“Brianna, Bronwyn, I hate to say this, but I think Nicholas is thinking sensibly.

He’s trained for this, the two of you haven’t seen actual action.”

“Yes, we have. I have.” Bronwyn sighed. “How do you think I ended up in the

prison? I had slipped out to fight with Blaze’s forces, except I was caught during the battle.”

“And, I’ve seen my fair share of action, Nicholas can attest to that.” Brianna looked at Nicholas searching for his support.

“We can’t continue quibbling like this, Brianna. You stay here with Bronwyn,

until you are needed. Grania and I are going to go and assess the damage in London. I just hope it’s still there and not burning to the ground.” A muscle throbbed in his cheek.

Grania swallowed. “I can second that. I hope we haven’t lost too many of our friends.”

“Come, Grania. Ladies first.” Nicholas raised his hand as a glowing vortex

appeared before them.

She drew in a deep breath and walked through the gateway feeling the other

dragon shifters follow her.

The air felt hot.

The sun was high in the sky, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. Buildings around her burned. She searched the skies for Blaze. Dragon shifters and witches and wizards were locked in combat. The battle didn’t seem as if it was going to die down anytime soon.

“I’m going to look for Dylan.” She was about to transform halfway into a dragon shifter when Nicholas reached for her hand.

“I’m not about to let you out of my sight. Dylan won’t forgive me if something dire befalls you.”

“I’m not about to be protected by you. I was given the honor of being Dylan’s protector and now that I’m his wife, I’m not about to let anything happen to him. These are the final hours, Nicholas. Can’t you feel it? I want to die or live by Dylan’s side. No matter how this battle ends ....”

“You mean no matter how the war ends.” The former prisoners that had traveled

through the gateway with them had now joined the fight, which seemed to be turning the tide back in their favor.

Lifting her palm to her gaze, she marveled at the way it glowed. The light

gradually dimmed.

“Dylan!” she gasped anxiously.

Nicholas looked down at her palm at the exact same moment. “That’s not normal, is it?”

“No. We must go to him.”

DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170

“Take me to Dylan.” Just as the mating magic worked, Nicholas grabbed her by

the arm, riding the same wave of magic.

They stood inside of a building she knew too well. “Dylan’s mother will

probably be in the Prime Minister’s office.”

“I should think so.”

Nicolas gestured to the standard of Draco’s that was on the far wall. “I don’t like the looks of that. What’s going on?”

“Why not find out? Where is Merdwyn? I thought with his might on our side

that we had victory in the palm of our hands.”

The sound of several dragon shifters roaring made her head ache. They both

froze in their tracks.

“What was that?”

Nicholas looked at her in expectation. “I thought you knew what the sound of a dragon shifter roaring was like .…” Grania muttered.

“Of course. I meant are we expecting to be met by friend or foe?”

“If my father’s standard is any indication it looks as if this building has already fallen to the enemy.”

“Then, we have no choice. We’ll simply have to drive them back.”

“How?” She hated her self-doubt, but she hadn’t been expecting this when she’d asked to be taken to Dylan. Where was he? And how near death would he be? If he had the spell, he had to use it and quickly. He couldn’t think about harming one of her kind, not when Draco was this close to winning such a decisive victory.

“Come with me.” She didn’t know what was possessing Nicholas, but he’d taken

her hand and she didn’t feel like drawing away from him. Hand in hand, they walked toward the door that they’d find Dylan and his mother behind. Reaching out with her senses, she wasn’t surprised to be met with several dragon shifter psyches.

“Get your wand out, and be ready.” She released his hand and reached for her

bow and an arrow. Priming it for action, she nodded at him to open the door. The sight that awaited them made them both gasp in shock.

DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170

“Get away from him!” Grania screamed.

Denys stood over a bloody Dylan. “Ah, Grania. I was just about to finish off a job I started about a week ago. Thanks to you it’s only dragged out. The last few days have been quite vexing for me. You know how frustrated I get when I can’t finish something I started.”

“Bully for you. Step away from Dylan and I’ll reconsider killing you.”

Denys’s laugh was short and harsh. “Kill me with that measly mortal weapon?

You have become addled in your pitifully short time as this wizard’s wife. My heart bleeds for the way you have turned from the path of righteousness. You are a blight upon your father’s line.”

“I don’t have time to quibble with you over your stupid ideology. Where is

Aine?”

“She has been taken to your father. I think he’s in the mood for witch for dinner.”

Dylan let out a roar of rage. ‘
Use the spell
.’

Her telepathic plea made Dylan shift on the floor. ‘
Never
.’

His telepathic voice was weak.

She didn’t like the way he sounded, not at all. The situation was grave, and this serious of a situation called for drastic measures.

‘
Just do it
.’

She hesitated using the weapon she held against Denys. She would far rather

leave it to Dylan to finish him off. Dylan needed this, he’d already gotten after her once for fighting his battles for him, she’d be damned if she’d make the same mistake again.

‘
Use the damn spell! NOW! Do it!
’

‘
Not when youÕre in the area. I will not risk accidentally taking you out as well!
’

Her heart was frozen.

Denys sniffed at the air, and turned to her. Cocking his head, he smiled.

“I smell telepathy at work, here. You shouldn’t be cheating, boy and girl.” He conjured a fireball. “I think I’m ready to see you burn now, wizard.”

“No!” Without thinking, she fired the arrow off at him. It struck him in the leg.

He laughed maniacally.

“Do you honestly think that will do the trick of killing a dragon shifter as

powerful as me? You truly are pathetic, Grania.”

“And you are as good as dead. Farewell.”

Dawning horror glistened across his face, as the arrow started to wreak its killing magic. The curse ran through his bloodstream like wildfire.

“Damn you, Grania!” His eyes bulged out of his head. She drew in her breath

sharply and held it, waiting for what was to come. Just before he exploded, she turned her gaze away.

Nicholas whistled. “Now that did a body good. Thank you, Grania.”

Dylan was still on the ground.

DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170

“Are you hurt terribly?”

She rushed to his side. “I’m fine as long as you’re okay … why the hell did you do that to me? You nearly gave me a fit when you sent me back through the portal alone.

Don’t ever do that again!”

“Is that an order?”

“Yes.”

“Well, for once I’ll listen to it. But remember, this is an equal marriage we have going on here.”

“I remember. As long as you’ll stop molly coddling me, I’ll stop ordering you around. Now give a chap a hand.”

She helped him to his feet. “I thought you’d be able to take Denys.”

“So did I. Until they used my mother as a bartering tool. I still don’t know how they managed to get past our lines of defense. That black magic your father is using is more than we initially bargained for. Our witches and wizards are having a time of it, I can tell you.”

“That’s because Draco has no scruples. Moral high ground for him is no man’s

land.” Nicholas grunted. “What happened to Merdwyn?”

“He’s still out there, doing his best to even the playing ground. I told him I had to find my mother and father. Father has returned to our hidden headquarters to rally more troops, mother would not leave her post, unless of course, she was taken kicking and screaming ... which, she was.” Pain flashed in his bright blue eyes.

“We’ll find her, Dylan.”

“The first step of me getting my hope back was seeing you.”

“Thank you. I rescued Bronwyn and several other prisoners that have boosted our ranks considerably. Victory is still in our sight.”

“I hope you’re right. I never thought I’d see us brought to our knees this way.

Even during the last war between dragon shifters and wizards, the damage never reached this colossal height. Your father has no boundaries. His crusade will end in our deaths.”

“We’ll rebuild,” Grania murmured.

“The humans have been irrevocably scarred. I don’t think my mother and her

agents will be able to do damage control on the last few days. The veil of innocence has been lifted. Mortal life as they know it will never be the same. They’ve seen what we are, and they’ve seen the sort of destruction we can cause when we are fighting a war they didn’t ask for. They could end up reviling us, and calling us abominations.”

“Do you honestly think they aren’t rooting for our side? They have no other

hope. They can either accept us for what we are ... a blessing, or they can rot in hell as far as I’m concerned. We’re the only things standing between them and utter chaos. You have to use that spell! Dylan, please," she implored.

“I can’t. It’s too risky.” His face paled.

“You’ve already used it, haven’t you?” She crinkled her eyebrow, watching a

multitude of emotions cross his face. He raked his hand nervously through his hair.

“I did.” He sighed heavily.

“And?”

“And, I killed about ten dragon shifters … three of them were on our side. The spell is a disaster. It sees no difference between good and evil.” He swallowed hard. She could see the hellish emotions that he was struggling with. He had done the unthinkable DRAGON’S HEART Marly Mathews 170

and he was having a hard time coming to terms with it. “The spell seems to have a radius of damage. Anyone within about fifty feet of me when I use the incantation is affected.

Fortunately, I didn’t take out more of your kind since they were far enough away. That’s why I couldn’t cast it when you were around. You would have been killed as well.”