Serpent's Kiss: A Dragonfire Novel (6 page)

Fast.

Was it true that the
Pyr
could all feel the heat of the firestorm? That
Slayers
were drawn to it, like moths to the flame? She couldn’t even imagine the complication of a gathering of dragon shifters—more enemies to battle and more consensus to build.

Chandra felt her anxiety increase even more.

They ducked into an alley, the firestorm’s radiance lighting its dingy shadows like a beacon. It was about as subtle as a nuclear blast. Chandra could practically sense curious mortals looking out windows for the source of the light. She walked faster. The alley was narrow, lined with doorways to cheap apartments. Crockery was stacked outside the nearest door, a pile of metal pails just behind them. Laundry was strung back and forth overhead, although it wouldn’t dry in this damp darkness. The pavement was wet underfoot and smelled of fish. She could hear a market at the other end of the alley.

The light between them shone like the golden glow of forgotten treasure.

“Aren’t
Slayers
attracted to the firestorm’s heat?” Chandra asked before she could stop herself.

Thorolf caught her shoulders in his hands, sending a jolt of desire through her body that weakened her knees. He spun her to face him as if he couldn’t resist her, a wonderful sensation. The stupid thing was that she couldn’t step away, even knowing she should. His hands were strong on her, but his touch was gentle. Possessive. She was tempted to lean into his embrace and surrender to the firestorm’s heat.

Just one more kiss. That’s what the voice in her mind suggested.

This
Pyr
was trouble.

“I can think of a better reason to satisfy it,” Thorolf murmured, his voice pitched so low that it made something hum deep inside her. Chandra felt as compliant as a kitten, unable to resist his allure or even step away. His blue eyes sparkled and his smile was mesmerizing.

That treacherous voice in her mind was quick with a tantalizing suggestion. After the firestorm was satisfied, she could resume her quest. It sounded so sensible—even if the sensations kindled by the firestorm felt far from it.

She had to pull it together. “We need to get to my sanctuary,” she said, amazed by the breathless sound of her own voice.

“We can spare a minute or two,” Thorolf whispered. He pushed his fingers into her hair again and drew her closer, the possessive gesture just about killing her. Who had ever defended her? Who had ever thought of doing it? Thorolf tugged her against his rock-hard chest and lifted her to her toes. Chandra felt small, fragile, feminine and desired, all alien qualities to her life. Maybe that was part of Thorolf’s allure.

“What’s your name?” he whispered.

“Chandra,” she admitted, the word falling from her lips with ridiculous speed.

“Chandra,” he repeated and she liked how he said it. His gaze darkened. “My mate.”

The word sent a shock through Chandra. She was independent and free, beholden to no man or
Pyr
. She had to remember that the firestorm was about making more
Pyr
, about the mate conceiving a son…

Her gaze fell to Thorolf’s mouth. He had a great mouth, firm lips that curved readily to a enticing smile. She found her fingertips on his face, sliding over that dimple and leaving a burning trail of sparks. His smile broadened, both knowing and wicked. He had no shortage of confidence, that was for sure. But then, maybe they had that in common.

It was a smile filled with promise and intent.

A smile that made her mouth go dry and her heart thunder.

Thorolf whispered Chandra’s name again, folded her into his embrace and bent his head to claim a kiss. He certainly knew how to go about a seduction, and his mix of tenderness and power drove everything else from her mind. She could feel that he wanted her with the same vigor as she wanted him. She was sizzling from head to toe, hot and compliant and burning for a satisfaction that only he could give her. She was blind and deaf to the rest of the world. It was irrelevant. There was only Thorolf and the incredible feeling of the firestorm.

According the
Pyr
lore, their partnership was destined. She knew better than to doubt the power of destiny. A long chain of events had brought them both to this point, a chain that culminated in the fiery heat of the firestorm. Chandra found her head falling back, her lips parting, her eyes closing, her body melting with the need to be claimed.

She was his for the taking.

For better or for worse.

“There!” shouted the familiar voice of the apartment’s current resident. “There’s the guy who attacked me and the woman who broke my phone!”

Thorolf swore. He shoved Chandra behind him and spun to confront the speaker. There was a police officer with the guy from the apartment, who was now wearing jeans, flip flops and an open shirt, as well as a small crowd of onlookers in pursuit. Chandra recognized several who had been gathered below the broken window.

So much for a covert escape.

The police officer stepped into the dark alley in pursuit and Thorolf blocked its width with his body. There was something very pleasing about his determination to protect her. The police officer pulled his gun warily.

“Run,” Thorolf advised in a low tone as he visibly braced for a fight. “I’ll find you.”

Chandra shook her head. “Not in this city.” The place was a warren. If she left him now, they might never find each other again. She’d just spent close to two years looking for him and wasn’t going to let him out of her sight until she learned what she needed to know.

Thorolf leveled a look at her. “Didn’t I find you before?”

He had, on the night she’d stolen Viv’s purse to learn what name the viper was using. Chandra knew theoretically about the keen senses of the
Pyr
, but even better, Thorolf reminded her that she’d seen them at work. Thorolf
had
tracked her down, once upon a time, following her through the maze of the city at night, when it shouldn’t have been possible for him to track her.

Plus now there was the firestorm’s heat to guide him.

It had to be good for something.

And a little distance might clear her thoughts.

“I’m right behind you,” he commanded. “Go!”

Chandra retreated down the alley. She wasn’t used to running from a fight, but she wasn’t used to having a partner either.

She told herself not to get used to it. To her relief, the firestorm cooled with distance, letting her mind settle so she could make a plan. If this was the market she suspected it was, it would be crowded and busy. They could cross it to…

She heard sounds of a fight behind her, followed by a yelp and a crash of pottery. She glanced back to see that Thorolf had tossed the police officer into the stacked crockery and that the others were backing away from him. The cop wasn’t hurt but he was surprised.

A little old lady emerged from behind the broken pots and began to berate Thorolf in rapid Thai. At another time, it would have been amusing that her indignation made her so fearless, while the others were frightened, but Chandra wanted only to get away.

The faint glow of pale blue that surrounded Thorolf’s body wasn’t a good sign. She knew the
Pyr
weren’t supposed to let humans see them shift shape, but that blue light could only mean that he was on the cusp of change.

Trust her luck to be trying to save a passionate and impulsive dragon.

Maybe
the
most passionate and impulsive of the
Pyr
.

Subtle might be completely out of the question.

“Thorolf!” Chandra whispered his name urgently, counting on his keen hearing. Thorolf jolted slightly, a sign that he’d heard her. The blue light dimmed as he reached into his pocket. He flung some cash at the old lady before backing away. He hauled down a load of laundry into the alley, kicked over the metal pails to slow pursuit, then pivoted to charge toward Chandra.

His triumphant grin nearly stopped her heart. It ought to be illegal for a man to have such an effect on her.

No, the firestorm ought to be illegal.

She raced onward at full speed, confident that they’d escape together.

As for how she’d deny the firestorm after they were secured and alone in her sanctuary—after he
carried
her there in his dragon form—Chandra would worry about that detail later.

* * *

Thorolf bolted after Chandra, well aware that those behind him were climbing over the scattered pails. He’d chased her like this once before, though it had been at night and the streets had been quieter. Once again, he was impressed by her agility and speed, never mind the nice tight curve of her butt. She was fast and nimble. He liked that a lot. He liked that she was strong enough to break a window with a phone. That was impressive. He’d chase her even without the firestorm to urge him on and feed his desire.

Especially after being denied another sizzling kiss. He couldn’t wait to find out what else they had in common. He had the definite sense that his life was finally beginning.

Plus he wanted to know more about that weird shape shifting she’d done while he kissed her. How could she do that? Which one of those women was really her? What else could she do? Thorolf had a thousand questions and wanted answers to them all.

As Chandra put distance between them, fear began to resonate in his heart. How would he defend her when they were far apart?
It could happen again.
His breath caught with a strange panic, even as his skin started to burn again.

It
couldn’t
happen again, not with his mate.

No
Pyr
could consider a firestorm to be a distraction.

But Thorolf couldn’t convince himself of that. The terror filled his mind, a panic that he couldn’t stop. He ran faster, intent on getting to Chandra’s side, fighting a fear that couldn’t be checked. His skin hurt again, but it wasn’t the exhilarating glow of the firestorm.

He’d feel better when she was pressed up against him, when he could scoop her up and take flight to protect her, when he could hold her close and breathe fire over her head at anyone who dared to threaten her.

Just then, Chandra ducked around the corner at the end of the alley and disappeared into a busy square. The firestorm’s heat faded to a mere glimmer. White fear shot through Thorolf that she was out of his sight and his skin burned so that he nearly screamed aloud. His paranoia felt new for all its vigor. If he couldn’t see her, the
Pyr
could target her and set her up, work with humans to see her eliminated for his own good.

Just like before.

It could happen again.

No! Thorolf lunged after Chandra. He raced around the corner and was startled by the bright sunlight in the square beyond. The eclipse was over, the sun so bright that the shadow might never have been. The square was filled with a busy and bustling market, crowded with people shopping and negotiating. The firestorm’s radiance touched him, its golden light surprisingly reassuring, and he caught his breath as his terror faded.

Thorolf noted bright piles of vegetables, smelled fresh fish and heard the babble of half a dozen languages. His gut growled at the smell of hot dumplings being sold from a cart. He was starving. When had he last eaten? He saw Chandra leap an array of baskets before a stall selling dried legumes, her athletic ease filling him with pride. The vendor complained loudly, but Chandra raced away.

She must know the area. Thorolf followed her lead, trusting in her choice. They’d be a great team. He heard the police officer shout behind him, but didn’t slow down. He had to catch Chandra. He saw her duck into a lane on the far side, then leap onto a corrugated metal roof. She raced up to the roof’s pinnacle, then disappeared over the top.

When he lost sight of her, the heat of the firestorm diminished to the point of invisibility.

That strange fury possessed him again, as well as a need to retaliate against the
Pyr
for what they’d stolen from him before. The only way to ensure Chandra’s safety was to eliminate all of the
Pyr
, one at a time, and make the world safe for his mate.

It was a compelling notion, one that resonated with conviction.

It also filled him with anger and resolve.

Thorolf glanced back at the people pursuing him and his anger multiplied. He had the sudden urge to shred them all, these miserable humans who dared to obstruct his firestorm. For all he knew, this new painful tattoo had been a plot, a plot hatched by miserable humans working with the
Pyr
, a plan to weaken him so he couldn’t defend his mate. And now, hundreds of humans were separating him from Chandra so she could be stolen from him, too.
It could happen again.
Who cared about a cell phone, when a firestorm was at stake? He should turn and fight. He could shift shape and breathe dragonfire, fry them all to cinders in their tracks.

The fury roiled and multiplied, making him see red.

When he smelled
Pyr
, he was sure the trap was closing.

A heartbeat later, Thorolf caught the scent of
Slayer
, the putrid and distinctive stench of a dragon shifter gone bad, it was the last straw. The villain had been drawn to the firestorm, whoever he was, attracted to the spark with the hope of killing Thorolf’s mate.
Pyr
and
Slayer
were present, at least one of each, drawn to the firestorm. The
Slayer
’s scent was stronger because he was closer. It didn’t matter which of them tried to sacrifice Chandra, no one was going to touch her while Thorolf drew breath.