Magical Lover (13 page)

“Duh. But I’m just a kid. And titanium only works on adults.”

Who told you that?
the dragon asked.

“My father.”

“Why didn’t you tell us you were Draconi?” Thoren took a step toward the boy.

“You didn’t ask. Now do you want me to help you or not?”

Had he been this exasperating as a boy?

Thoren turned to the dragon. “Is that true?”

The dragon shrugged.
It doesn’t hurt to try. You two are needed upstairs.

“All right. I’ll leave him with you, but don’t let him wander off. He’s good at it.”

The dragon nodded.
Will do.

Thoren followed Enar toward the stone stairs. “Stay here with the Draconi, Jamie. We’ll bring Keara back, don’t wander off.”

“As you wish.” Jamie grinned.

He needed to ask his mother, but he was fairly certain he had not been this much trouble as a hatchling.

The last thing Thoren heard as he followed Enar up the twisting stairs was the dragon speaking to Jamie.
The keys are on the ground, lad, halfway between the wall and my cell.

After climbing what felt like forever, a door stood in their path. The top. Praise the Goddess. Both men leaned against the wooden panel, their breath heaving in and out like a bellows.

“Why is it that I can practice with Blood Seeker all day and not grow tired, but walk up a flight of stairs and I pant like a half-dead pup?” Enar shook his head.

“It goes with the half-dead look,” Thoren put a hand on the latch, trying to calm his breathing. Keara was close, he knew it. “Ready?”

“Go for it, dragon.”

Stepping into a hallway, Thoren looked to his left, while Enar pushed the door wider and stepped to Thoren’s right. A scream ripped through the hallway and Thoren stopped, turning his head toward the sound.

A wide-eyed, pale-faced servant stood staring at them as if they were the bringers of death. She took a step backward, dropping the pile of linens into a heap at her feet.

Thoren reached a hand her direction. “Shush. Rest easy.”

The woman’s mouth opened as if to emit another ear-piercing shriek before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she sank gracefully to the floor.

Humans. So easy to manipulate.

“Humph. Not nearly as much fun as Blood Seeker.”

“Maybe next time.” Thoren patted Enar on the shoulder.

Leaning his head back, Thoren inhaled deeply, scenting Keara to the left. He led the way down the hall, Enar close behind, the only sound the rustle of their leather-clad legs as they strode toward Keara.

There. The scent of Draconi female concentrated strongly outside the last door. Keara must be trapped behind it. Thoren met Enar’s eyes and nodded. Enar took a deep breath, tightening his hold on Blood Seeker and returned the gesture.

Thoren shoved his shoulder into the door, popping the latch, not bothering with stealth. Keara was on the other side of the door. He had to protect her, to save her. She was all that mattered. The door slammed into the wall with a crack and he heard the whistle of air.

He started to wave his hand to redirect whatever object hurtled at him when Enar’s shoulder slammed against his, shoving him out of the way. A clatter sounded against the stone floor and he had an instant to process the fact that the object was a knife before the figure on the bed occupied his thoughts.

Keara.

She sat on a large bed, feet tied together and hanging off the side. Her arm dropped listlessly to her lap as she stared at them, her eyes a vacant mask. What happened to her? All life had disappeared, turning her into a movable statue. Why had she tried to kill him?

Her eyes blinked, her only movement as far as he could tell. She didn’t acknowledge them, didn’t twitch, no movement at all except for her breathing and blinking. Her stare lit something inside him. Kill and protect, save and love.

He really needed to get a handle on these emotions.

“Something’s not right.” Enar took a step into the room.

“You think?”

Her eyes didn’t track their banter. Instead, they remained fixed, staring forward. He took in another breath and that’s when he noticed it. If he hadn’t been so intent on Keara’s scent, it would have been obvious sooner. An aroma of crushed herbs lay heavily in the air and a table contained chopped herbs and a small cup.

He cursed. “She’s been drugged.”

“With what? What causes that?”

“Do I look like an apothecary?” How would he save her if he didn’t even know what she’d been given? Was she even aware of their presence?

Thoren heard a faint buzzing in his head, like when he was a hatchling, first learning how to mind-speak. His eyes popped. Was she trying to speak to him? He reached out with a mental probe, foraging into her mind, trying to read her thoughts.

Her voice slammed into his brain, the equivalent of a scream.

Thoren, help me! Get me out of here before they come back. Please! He can’t hear me, he can’t help me, he’s going to leave me. No, no, no! Don’t leave, don’t leave, don’t leave. Help me, please, help me!

What were you drugged with?

Her body didn’t move, but her mind flinched at his words and relief streamed to him from her.

You can hear me?

Draconi can mind-speak. What were you drugged with?

Zombie dust. It controls me. They told me to throw the knife at whoever walked in the door.

Will it hurt to move you?

No. Just hurry, they’re coming back.

“She says we can move her.” Two strides and he was at the bed, knife cutting through the bonds circling her ankles. His lip peeled off his teeth when he saw the angry red marks streaking her skin from the tightness of the ropes.

“Growling doesn’t help our situation any, dragon,” Enar said, placing a hand on Thoren’s shoulder.

Good point. So why couldn’t he stop?

Deep breaths. If he got busy breathing in then sound couldn’t come out. And why was noise coming out?

He refused to think about it.

The need to take Keara to safety overrode his higher reasoning. Which was not a good thing when they were in their enemy’s lair. But mates needed to be protected at all costs and, Goddess’s teeth...did his brain just spit out that “m” word?

Stop thinking and focus on getting out of here, Thoren, before you get caught.

With effort, he tamped down the unwanted emotions flooding his system and focused on the here and now. Which demanded his full concentration to get them out of this mess.

Thoren gathered Keara into his arms, crushing her against him. Although her eyes still stared vacantly, he felt her mind relax, her terror receding as he held her.

Taking a deep breath, he inhaled her scent and something else, something unwanted.

Blood.

So much for gaining control of his emotions and burying them deep inside. The unwanted feelings surged in his veins, in his mind, overriding his human half, igniting the dragon side until his vision went as red as the blood he smelled on Keara’s breath. Red marks just beginning to gain a blue tinge dotted her cheeks and the corners of her mouth. From a gag.

Steam poured from his ears, out his mouth. He heard Keara gasp in his mind, her terror an acrid scent in his nose. What frightened her? He’d kill it.

“It’s you that frightens her. We don’t have time for this dragon-bonding nonsense. Get control of yourself.” Enar stood, weight shifted to one side, hands loose at his sides. As if he was ready to fight.

Thoren? I’m all right. I’ll be fine. Zombie dust wears off in a couple of hours. Don’t worry about me. Just get me out of here.

Thoren looked down at Keara and back to Enar. Had he actually been about to change? What had he been thinking? That’s right. He hadn’t.

He threw back his head and took in the ceiling décor. Wooden beams, wooden slats. Calm thoughts.

“Are you ready?” Enar stood by the door, the fight gone out of him.

“The sooner we can get out of this place the better.”

“You can say that again,” Enar muttered, starting out the door.

Thoren beat his friend to the stairs, Enar’s breath on his neck. Long flickering shadows danced on the wall of the stairwell, elongated shapes leading the way to their owners. Thoren’s eyes followed their paths back to Jamie and the unknown male Draconi.

Jamie had freed the dragon, who now stood in the middle of the dungeon, trying to flap his wings. Little eddies of dust swirled when the wings touched the dirt floor. Jamie stood pressed against the cold, stone wall, eyes wide and shining, a grin splitting his face.

The sight of the Draconi brought Thoren to an abrupt halt, Enar plowing into him with a sharp exhale of breath. Did the dragon have the ability to transport out of the dungeon? Would his powers still work after being suppressed for so long by the titanium in his cell? If they didn’t, how would Thoren manage to transport a creature that large out of ten-foot thick walls? Dear Goddess, please let the male’s powers work.

“Will you be able to transport out of here?”

The Draconi blinked, disappearing only to reappear in another part of the dungeon.

Jamie’s mouth formed an “O.” “Wow!”

Apparently so. Point the way out and I will try.

There’s a door that leads directly outside. Through that tunnel to your left.
Keara’s voice echoed in Thoren’s head.

He turned his head to the left, noting the tunnel. Striding that direction, he peered into the darkness, barely discerning light filtering in through the cracks in the door at the end of the narrow passage. Tightening his clutch on Keara, he counted the number of steps from the dungeon to the door.

“Ten steps from there to here.” He spoke over his shoulder as he unlocked the door and shoved it open enough for him to peer outside. “Looks like a stone’s throw to the woods. Think you can fly?”

Doubtful. This is the first time in twenty-four years I was able to stretch my wings. But it will do me good to try.

“Our camp isn’t far from here, about a mile due east. Can you locate it using our scent?”

The dragon stuck his snout against Jamie’s chest, inhaling deeply. Jamie giggled as the dragon’s hot breath nuzzled his torso.
Yes.

“Good. Jamie, come to me.” Jamie held a hesitant hand up, placing it on the dragon’s snout and rubbing briskly before running to Thoren’s side. The Draconi chuckled.

Now if their luck would hold until they all made it back to the campsite. Enar strode down the narrow passageway, pushed past Thoren and shoved the door open, letting in a stream of light.

“All clear,” he said after looking around for sentinels.

Motioning with his hand, Enar beckoned Jamie closer.

“See that clump of trees?” He pointed. “Run toward them. Stop once you get to them. We’ll be behind you.”