Draechen's Mate [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 2] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) (29 page)

Still, he kept going, hoping and praying that he’d somehow manage to find a way out of this. As he slipped between the rocks, a fire spell hit his wing, but he ignored the pain and kept going. It seemed that the Overlords were watching over him, because as his pursuers followed him through the strait, the mountain began to rumble. The stone seemed to explode from within, and an avalanche of rocks fell on top of the draechen. It should have hit Sage as well, and for a few moments, Sage actually thought he’d be knocked out by a particularly large fragment of stone. But oddly enough, the rock bounced off him as if there had been some sort of invisible force protecting Sage from it. Sage stole a look at Sareltae, thinking that the fae prince might have recovered, but no. Sareltae was still very much unconscious.

In the end, the source of the unexpected aid didn’t matter, just the fact that it had come. With his former allies, now opponents, distracted, Sage continued to fly. But another obstacle appeared in front of him, this time as a helicopter.

Sage stopped, eyeing the aircraft warily. It didn’t seem to belong to the draechen. Sage would have recognized it. He caught a glimpse of a black rose painted on its side and realized the fae had sent reinforcements. He couldn’t really understand how they’d known about what had happened, so he remained cautious.

The aircraft doors opened, and a woman dressed in white came into view. Sage had never met her, but it didn’t take a genius to realize who she was. The gem shining in the center of her forehead, as well as her long silver locks, marked her as High Priestess Eanera, Sareltae’s mother.

Comprehension finally dawned, and Sage flew closer to the helicopter. Carefully, he handed the unconscious fae to Eanera. The priestess shot him a grateful and somewhat tearful smile and mouthed, “Thank you. Follow us.”

As she closed the doors, the helicopter turned around and headed toward France. Sage could do nothing but comply with Eanera’s command. He had to say he completely agreed with how she’d approached the matter. She’d managed to keep the draechen away from her son without visibly getting involved. Of course, the Emperor would undoubtedly use this to attempt starting a war, but him not knowing where Sareltae had been taken couldn’t hurt.

There wasn’t time for the helicopter to stop so that Sage could shift and get into the chopper himself, so they flew like that for a while longer. Finally, it became too risky for Sage to remain in dragon form. They were approaching human settlements, and if someone saw him, there would be hell to pay.

Fortunately, Eanera seemed to realize this as well, as the helicopter descended and landed in a small clearing. Quickly, Sage did the same, paying close attention to keep his distance so that his large wings wouldn’t accidentally hit the blades of the aircraft. Taking a deep breath, Sage went through the shifting process one more time, this time turning into his legged form.

At last, he stood as a human in the center of the clearing. On somewhat shaky legs, he made his way to the helicopter. The door opened and he climbed inside, where, predictably, he found Eanera holding Sareltae.

“Will he be all right?” Sage asked quietly as he closed the doors.

Eanera nodded, beaming down at her son. “He’s just sleeping now. The strain of the spells he cast, combined with his pregnancy, pushed him into exhaustion. It could have seriously harmed another magic user, but my Sari is very powerful. He should wake up in a few hours.”

She looked up at Sage and took his hand. “I owe you a great deal. You don’t realize right now just what an important thing you’ve done today. In fact, you’re very upset with my son. But know this. Sari’s child will be the first baby to be born out of a black dragon. It should have happened a long time ago, but too many mistakes stopped it.”

The gem in the center of her forehead began to glow hypnotically. Sage felt a warm power slide into his body, and for a few instants, he caught glimpses of himself and Camden, sometimes arguing or even crying, sometimes kissing or making love. A lot of it didn’t make sense, but Sage’s heart was instantly flooded with hope as he understood that yes, he and Camden did have a future together.

As he opened his eyes—when had he closed them?—he realized the helicopter had taken off once more. Sage’s fatigue and minor injuries had disappeared altogether. He’d have liked to ask what Eanera meant by those cryptic words. She clearly knew about Sareltae’s baby and thought it was Karein’s. But even if that was true, the draechen would never believe her or Sareltae.

As Sage stole a look at the fae prince’s face, though, he knew that he’d done the right thing. He could easily imagine Camden in a position of danger. For that reason, because he understood how Karein felt about his mate, he’d thrown everything he’d known away. But he feared what his decision would bring. He feared for them all.

* * * *

The moment his connection with Sari succumbed to silence, Karein’s dragon completely took over. The only thing that kept him from going on a rampage was that the bond remained there. However, Sari was in terrible danger. Kael and Talrasar’s power had assisted him, but it would never be enough. Karein knew Draechenburg, and he realized all too well that it wasn’t a place someone escaped so easily.

Having abandoned his brother, Karein flew toward Draechenburg, uncaring that someone might see him. Thankfully, his black scales gave him a measure of camouflage, and Karein melted in the darkness of the night, soaring as high as he could go, his large, powerful wings carrying him toward his beloved mate.

Intellectually, he knew that it would be foolhardy of him to try to cross an entire ocean by flight. However, he couldn’t be bothered to turn back. His dragon urged him onward, roaring that nothing else mattered but getting to Sari’s side. Besides, Karein was much faster than any human plane could ever be.

Hours passed and night melted into dawn as Karein continued his desperate journey. He monitored his connection with his mate, hoping Sari would give him a sign, speak to him. On occasion, he felt a stirring of warmth inside him, like Sari was trying to reach out to him but couldn’t quite manage. But Sari’s voice never once sounded in Karein’s mind, and Karein’s nearly insane fury increased.

He never should have left Draechenburg. He knew that now. In his heart, he’d seen the only solution to their current predicament a long time ago. But he’d been reluctant to go through with it, mindful of the chaos it might cause. And all right, maybe Karein still held a thread of loyalty toward the emperor. No matter how insane and power-hungry Kavehquader might be, he was still Karein’s father.

Karein had been weak, and his mate would pay the price now. And his child… Oh, Overlords, Karein still couldn’t believe he was going to be a father. The thought still hadn’t registered fully, and he didn’t dare to analyze it too deeply. He’d always accepted the fact that, even if he found an anchor, he’d never be able to create a new life. Now that he was faced with this, he honestly didn’t know how to handle it.

Memories surfaced again, those voices Karein had been pushing back ever since he’d been a child. Karein roared, forcing himself to go faster. He didn’t want to think about the life he had ended, so long ago. If he did, he’d truly lose his mind.

Beneath him, the shine of the ocean taunted him with the memory of the glow of Sari’s gem. The waves reminded him of the fall of Sari’s hair. The rays of the sun summoned recollections of the radiance of Sari’s smile. And watching it all, Karein could only collapse further into his mindless rage.

In his heart, Karein knew that Sari was alive, and that knowledge kept him from insanity. However, beyond that, everything else was a mystery. More and more, Karein began to imagine terrible scenarios. Images of Talrasar’s death returned to his mind, coupled with a guilt he hadn’t dwelled on for a long time.

By the time European shores finally loomed ahead, Karein was a furious mess. At one point, a small part of him wanted to stop, change his direction. He might have, except he spotted a human plane approaching him and quickly resumed his flight. He was very close now, too close to hesitate.

Strikingly, the flight grew harder after that. Karein’s wings started to ache, and it was only the knowledge that his mate needed him that kept him going. At last, after what seemed like forever, the familiar Black Forest Mountains appeared ahead of him. They appeared to have been the scene of a battle, as a particularly tricky area to navigate now lay crumbled, as if after a sudden avalanche. It was too easy to imagine what had happened. Likely, Sage had escaped this way, heading toward France to seek haven with the fae. However, the draechen guards must have caught up with him at some point. The thought made ice course through Karein’s veins.

More furious than ever, Karein forgot all about his fatigue, guilt, or any other emotion that could have kept him from his goal. He shot through the clouds like a dark lightning bolt. When he spotted Draechenburg, decision crystallized inside him. He saw guards scampering beneath, as if torn between intercepting him and greeting him.

Karein couldn’t have cared less about anyone who even tried to get in his way. He landed on the cliff and shifted into his legged form. The process was actually faster than usual, but even so, by the time he stood there in his human shape, he was surrounded by guards. Karein didn’t even blink. “Where is my mate?” he asked.

No one answered. They looked from one another, as if not knowing what to say. Completely losing what little patience he’d had left, Karein pushed past them and stalked into the palace. There were some real benefits to being the most feared shifter in the world. His men were loyal to him, but also terrified of what he could do. They couldn’t stop him, and they knew it. He could absorb the energy of whatever spell they cast. Perhaps if all of the draechen had gathered together and attacked him, they could have overwhelmed Karein through their combined efforts. But that would never happen. They wouldn’t dare to go against him like that. More importantly, they weren’t aware of his intentions, so they couldn’t possibly think that such a strategy would be justified.

A couple of soldiers did attempt to approach him, but one glare from Karein deterred them from their self-appointed task. Without even bothering to put any clothes on, Karein headed directly for the throne room. Predictably, the guards there looked quite dismayed upon his arrival. “Highness,” one of them said, “I’m afraid we can’t allow you to pass.”

Karein felt an eerie sense of calm flow over him. “You don’t have to. I’m giving myself the permission.”

Without another word, Karein used his powers on the other draechen, leaving them unconscious on the floor. With them out of the way, Karein was free to pass into the throne room. He pushed the large doors open and stalked inside. His mother greeted him with a cool smile. “Ah, Shtamakarein. I see you’ve received news of your…mate’s actions.”

“What happened?” Karein inquired, barely managing to keep control of his temper. “Where is he?”

“The Ivenian whore eloped with your right-hand man after apparently conceiving a child with him.”
The emperor actually left his pile of jewelry and came to stand in front of Karein.
“It seems that you won’t have to investigate after all. We’re already making plans as to how to retaliate to this gross insult.”

Meanwhile, Rowenasheb scanned him from head to toe, clearly finding him lacking. “I understand your urgency to hunt them down, Shtamakarein, but really… Must you appear like this in front of us?”

Karein slowly approached, ignoring Rowenasheb’s disapproving inquiry. Did he dare believe what they were saying? No. It would be too beautiful, too much to hope for, and his parents had deceived him many times before. Karein needed to know for sure. “So you’re saying that Sari and Sage escaped together? Where to?”

“All signs point that they must have taken shelter in France, although we’re not sure exactly where,” the empress replied.

Her dismissive tone put Karein on alarm. They hadn’t mentioned anything about the black wolves Sari had summoned, likely through Prince Kael’s power, which was suspicious to say the least. And then, the emperor’s voice drifted into his mind.
“Worry not, Shtamakarein. As I understand it, the Ivenian whore received serious injuries during his escape. Likely, he will not survive.”

Just like that, Karein’s control snapped. With a mighty roar, he changed into his dragon form once again. There was a brief moment—that delay during which his body got accustomed to his new size—when perhaps his father could have actually done something to prevent the inevitable. But the emperor was too arrogant to believe that Karein would ever attack him.
“What are you doing, boy?”
he sent out.

Karein couldn’t speak while using this form, but even if he’d had that ability, he wouldn’t have been able to muster an answer. The fear and piercing rage came together in a malicious cocktail, and he lunged at his father, ready to take the emperor down. The red dragon leapt back, dodging Karein’s first attack and summoning a fireball. Karein didn’t even bother to avoid the spell. As it struck him, the energy filtered through his abilities, giving him even more power.

“Shtamakarein!” his mother screamed.

Karein ignored her and used his own magic on the emperor. Focusing strictly on his foe, he drained Kavehquader’s energy, like he should have done a long time ago. But his father had never been one to give up without a fight. The red dragon roared, wildly lashing about, his tail swinging in Karein’s direction as he futilely tried to escape the spell. He tried to create more enchantments of his own, but the fire sizzled and died, absorbed by Karein’s dark power.

And then, a bolt of ice struck Karein, the cold energy contrasting with the hot one he received from the emperor and creating a few tiny instants of discomfort. Irritated, Karein glanced in his mother’s direction. Without releasing his hold on his father, he sent another spell her way. In instants, her energy rushed into him, and Karein adapted it to his body, accepting it and turning it into a tool he could use. The empress collapsed, unable to continue her fight. She shifted back into her human form and cried out, “Karein, stop! You’re killing him.”