Dragon Wish (22 page)

entire form. The dracs which had flown after him, separated

and swept after the ones holding her.

Paladin stopped mid-air.

She watched, mesmerized at the sight of him stationery

between the ship and the water. One fleeting second of

amazement blinked in her thoughts.

The dracs holding her increased their speed, the beat of

their wings vibrating through her body.

Paladin threw his arms out to his sides. Wings sprouted

from his back.

The wings on Paladin’s shoulder blades unfurled,

sweeping back and forth for a moment. In the next second,

swords still held in his hands, he flew after her.

Seren giggled hysterically. She shook her head, trying to

deny what she’d seen. Leo called to her, reassuring her. Help

calm her down? What was Leo thinking? The father of her

child, the one she believed was falling to his death just had

wings pop out on his back. What wonderland had she landed

in? She ignored Leo and started to struggle again, hoping to

slow the creatures down.

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Low mewls mixed with ringing caws cut through the air.

The dracs increased their speed. The sharp gusts of the wind

slid across her face. Her kidnappers dropped closer to the

waves. Salty water sprayed over Seren’s face. Sputtering and

blinking to remove the drops from her eyes, she kept her

eyes riveted on the shrinking ship behind her and the man

flying after them.

Paladin drew nearer. His wings were much larger than

the smaller ones on the dracs holding her. He came within

several yards behind her. She looked in his direction. Cold

determination etched his face.

She had wondered why his coat had such large slits, now

she knew. So his wings could unfurl.

Wings. He had wings, like angels. Would he be her savior

by rescuing her? Her breath escaped, going out of her body

in short fast gasps. Her muscles ached and shook from her

struggles. She’d never get away like this. Her wrists were

bleeding from the small nicks from the dracs claws. It was up

to Paladin. He had to save her.

Air swept past them while the day sped over head. More

dracs arrived from the direction they headed, joining the

ones carrying her. She lowered her chin to her chest to look

down the front of her body to see where they were taking her.

After checking for the hundredth time, a dark form

appeared on the horizon. The setting sun glinted off the

shape. An island soon loomed against the magenta and

orange skyline. White stone cliffs leaned inward. Large

eroded caves in the cliffs grew larger in size, becoming dark

indents the closer they came. Waves crashed against the

rocks, drowning out the cries of the dracs.

The creatures carrying her ducked into one of the narrow

but tall caves, their speed still fast even with the solid stone

walls on either side of them. Twisting and turning through

the caverns, they erupted into an open area at the tiny

island’s interior. In the center, a rounded slab of melted

stone with several curved columns rising above it supported

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a covered section situated on the rear side. The huge

formation looked like a half-shell cover, reminding her of an

amphitheater.

The dracs stopped, and with careful movements, lowered

her to the slab. As wide as it was long, the white rock

stretched several hundred feet on either side of her. Weak

from fear and near hysteria, she managed to sit up, laying

one hand flat on the cold stone and bracing herself.

She had lost sight of Paladin in the caverns. Sick to her

stomach, she swallowed, trying to keep the bile down.

Paladin appeared in the opening she’d just exited. He

stopped for a second. Behind her, a patter of small pebbles

warned that she was no longer alone. Frightened to look, but

unable to stop, she glanced over her shoulder.

A white dragon, larger by several feet and many tons

heavier than the sea dragons from Bae, towered over her.

Shining, pearl like, lace-edged scales gleamed white in the

sunlight. The same dragon from her vision, the one she’d

heard Paladin mention during her time on Avaris—Lior, the

white dragon clan leader.

Her heart plummeted to her stomach for a second, only

to rise to her throat the next. The beast stared at her with its

slit-pupil blue eyes. Lior’s incisors overlapped her top and

bottom lips, each equal in length and wider than Leo’s legs.

Trembling, Seren tried to scoot away, her terror giving her

false strength. A massive clawed foot landed next to her. The

slab shook, forcing a cry from Seren. She ducked, covering

her head. Dust and salty moisture bounced around her.

Paladin shouted her name. She glanced up in time to see

him attack Lior. The dragon roared, followed by a heated

blast of breath aimed at him. He lifted his left arm, the one

with the dragon tattoo, blocking the brunt of the oversized

lizard’s assault. Silvered flames flowed over his body to

disappear behind him. With tight, swift movements, he

swerved in a circle, swinging at Lior’s head with his blade.

The dragon shifted away. At the last second, its tail

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swung, striking Paladin against his right side. His sword flew

out of his hand, falling against the slab with a metallic clang,

sliding until it came to a spinning stop, not far from where

Seren sat huddled. Thrown across the open area, Paladin

crashed into the cliff on the opposite side.

Not caring what the dragon did to her, Seren jumped to

her feet. On unsteady legs, she staggered to the edge,

reaching for him. He crumpled, his head hanging at an odd

angle, eyes rolled back. Without uttering a sound, Paladin

fell toward the water surrounding the slab.

All warmth drained from her. She tried to think, but

emptiness filled her mind, her body, her soul. She dropped to

her knees and slumped onto her side. He broke his neck.

Hope diminished to nothing as she watched him drop to the

water motionless. He wouldn’t survive if he went under.

She’d lost him. Numbness took over her. This time his

wings wouldn’t save him.

Huge clawed feet landed behind her. Back stiff, muscles

aching, she turned and stared up at the creature who had

taken Paladin from her. Its jaws opened, teeth flashing in the

fading sunlight. White glistening breath poured over Seren.

The force shoved her flat on her back. Blinded by the

intensity of the flames, she wavered between consciousness

and black darkness. Still the breath coated her. During rare

lucid moments, she imagined Paladin’s arms around her,

lifting her, comforting her. Most of the time, she swirled in

and out of blackness.

Once, she opened her eyes to find Lior leaning over her,

the dragon’s nostrils wide, smelling her. It grunted,

straightened, and opened its mouth. More crystallized air

blew from the gaped jaw. At the touch of her breath, Seren’s

clothes turned to dust. Her skin burned under the cold

flames licking at her. She twisted her head back and forth,

wanting to escape the torture, but unable to so.

Seren looked to where her hand lay on the cold surface.

Palm flat against the stone, the flesh pushed against bones.

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She opened her mouth to cry out, but no sound emerged. She

had to live—for her baby. Exhausted, she gave in to the pain,

allowing the darkness to swallow her.

* * * *

slipped out. Agony rippled through her. Lying on her right

side, she managed to find the strength to crack open her

eyes.

Rain poured over her, soothing the heat inside her. Light

dimmed and blurred. She blinked. Not far from her, Paladin

lay on his side, naked and facing her. His eyes, half opened,

stared blankly at her. Dark purplish bruises covered the left

side of his face and jaw, trailing down his neck and onto his

shoulder. His head, still at an odd tilt, rested against the

stone. More cuts overlaid deep purple bruises which covered

his limp body. Slow rattling breaths escaped the tiny gap

between his chapped lips.

One arm, stretched in her direction. Palm up and his

fingers curled, his hand seemed to beckon her. Determined,

she tried to touch him. Inch by slow inch, she moved her arm

to his hand. Pain lanced through her body, but she refused to

stop. Seconds slipped by, then the back of her fingers

brushed his knuckles.

His eyelashes fluttered—once.

Heart thumping in rapid succession, a measure of hope

bloomed within, warming her. He was aware, conscious of

her at his side.

Satisfied, she relaxed, allowing sleep to ease her pain, her

fingers barely touching his.

* * * *

Her eyelids flew open. The man from the ship, the one

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Paladin called Bask, slipped his hands under Paladin’s arms

from behind and lifted. Seren gasped, wanting to scream for

him to leave Paladin alone, but her throat lacked moisture,

the lining too tight to allow any sound to emerge.

Paladin’s limbs flopped without any muscle control. His

head dipped lower. It was still cocked to one side. A low

moan came from his dry, cracked lips. She opened her mouth

to once more shout at Bask to leave him alone.

Nothing came out except a rasping breath.

“Be still woman. This wayward dragonseed is fine. You

will soon witness my love’s power.”

The words should have comforted Seren, but they didn’t.

Once he’d lifted Paladin’s limp body, Bask wrapped an

arm around his waist, grasped the back of his head, and

turned him toward where the silent dragon waited.

“I warned you, didn’t I? You cannot think to defy my

beloved Lior. She cares very little for rebellious children, my

boy. No, no, she doesn’t. Now then, are you ready? Consider

this a great boon on her part to you. She should have left you

to drown, you ungrateful whelp.”

Bask smiled and called out to the dragon. “Your magic,

Lior. Use your magic to heal this misguided son of yours. He

has, indeed, learned not to interfere in your affairs. Come,

my beloved dragon’s heart.”

The baby rolled in her belly. Without thinking, she

touched the slight mound. Surprise flitted through her for a

second at her ability to move. Sore and tight muscles ached,

but she was able to shift her legs.

White breath flowed out of the dragon’s maw onto the

two men standing near her.

Bones cracked, muscles shifted, and the bruising

vanished from Paladin’s skin. Paladin’s chest expanded then

deflated with a deep breathy intake and exhalation. His eyes

fluttered then closed. His feet found a solid hold on the

ground. He slumped within Bask’s grasp.

There had been very few moments in her life when she’d

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experienced undiluted joy. They were such rare and precious

moments for her—Mandy’s first steps, her excited squeals in

her inflatable pool. Small memories, but ones which caused a

flare of incredible and painful happiness within Seren. For

the past two years, she’d wallowed in her own grief and fear

of loss. She’d been given another chance on this planet with

another child and the man who’d come to matter so much to

her in such a short amount of time. She had to put the past

behind her. Paladin was more important than she’d ever

dreamed another person would be after losing both Mandy

and her ex-husband.

He’d protected her, fought for her, and almost died in the

process. She’d never had anyone care for her in such a way

before. Her heart raced with joy. Tears blurred her vision.

Seeing Paladin healed, knowing he would live, sent these

blissful echoes vibrating through her soul. Suppressing the

need to sob and laugh at the same time, she sat still, blinking

back the burning tears rimming her eyes.

“Excellent.” The strange man cried. He helped Paladin sit

then lay at her side. With a pat on Paladin’s shoulder, Bask

grinned. “All better?”

The sight of his throat working reassured her all the

damaged was healed. Paladin glared at the man leaning over