Dragon Wish (45 page)

mouth, he blasted the barrier with black flames. The barrier

shifted, rays of lightening streaking from where the breath

hit. Without stopping, he rammed his head against the

magical protection.

More electrical streaks raced from the area impacted by

his head. The barrier cracked. Air whooshed over her,

bringing the scents of burned flesh and blood—human and

dragon–along with an array of other odors she couldn’t

identify. The sudden impact of the wind through the hole

shoved her back a step. She clasped her hands at her waist,

294

Dragon Wish

her gaze riveted on the beast before her.

“You thought to hold me with this pitiful excuse of a

barrier? You presumed too much, human.”

His nose, followed by his jaw, squeezed through the

opening, disrupting the magic in the barrier. He forced his

head further inside the protective shell.

Calm came over her. Her mind vaguely registering him at

all. Instead, memories of the days before Mandy’s death

danced through her mind. The laughter, sharing hugs and

kisses, the playground, teaching her to ride her bike, all her

love given to the little girl, her child, her life, then...

Her skin heated from the inside out with the memories of

her lifeless child bright in her mind. The laughter and joy

ended for eternity, all her love buried with her daughter. Or

was it?

Legion’s gently rounded head, his clear dual colored eyes,

one blue, one gray, the milk-sloppy smile Paladin swore

came from gas, shoved her painful memories aside. The fire

under her skin increased. Sharp pain cut into her shoulder

blades. She cried out. Taking deep breaths to ease the

pressure, she reached back and felt...Her finger traced over

soft feathers. She gaped in amazement. Wings came from the

inner section of her shoulder blades. The soft feathers glided

beneath her fingers.

“Wings will not help you, human.”

She lifted her gaze to Arcane. Fear no longer controlled

her, only the need of a mother to protect and guard against

encroaching evil.

“Do you know your weakness against me?”

The dragon’s brow creased.
“I have no weakness.”

Moving one step closer to him, she nodded, a smile

playing across her lips. “Yes, you do.”

She held out her hands, stretching her fingers wide.

Another step brought her in front of him. “You assumed

because I am human, I have no strength, but you’re wrong.

My strength lies in the love I have for my child. My love for

295

Dragon Wish

those who have worked so hard to keep me safe from you.”

“Therein lays your weakness. Love is weak. Useless.”
He

narrowed his eyes, unmoving.

She touched the outer edges of his mouth, placing her

hands flush to his scales. “Because I am human, I have the

ability to feel greater emotions, to know truer power simply

by believing. You don’t, and because of this you will fail.”

She finished speaking. The glow surrounding her body

migrated to her hands and exploded, shaking the stone

beneath her feet. Arcane, eyes wide with what could only be

called surprise, gaped at her. He pulled free from the split in

the barrier, but not soon enough. A sizable portion of his left

bottom jaw turned to dust under her attack. The light

streaked up the sides of his face, slicing deep into his left eye.

Howling, he swept a hand at Seren. He missed. Lior, Sinimal,

and Karia pinned him from three sides. They blasted him

with fiery breaths. Huge chucks of flesh and muscle flew off

his body.

The sudden onslaught from the three dragon clan leaders

drove him away from the cavern. Bask appeared in his path,

assailing him with wave upon wave of fire balls. The mystic

dragon drew near to the man. He slashed at the wizard,

catching him across the chest, cleaving him open. With one

last swipe of his tail, Arcane struck Bask on the shoulder, the

tail sliding over his head, dislodging the skull cap.

Lior’s scream echoed above the battle.

Unable to help, Seren, heart pounding in horror, saw the

wizard pummeled to the ground. Lior followed, landing not

far from him, hovering over him, protecting him. The dust in

the air billowed around them, clouding her sight.

296

Dragon Wish

An inch from hitting Paladin’s head, Rylen stopped, a

confused frown marring his face. He squeezed his eyes shut

and shook his head. He opened them again. At once, Paladin

noticed the dark tinge to his eyes had disappeared. Joy leapt

in his heart. The absence of the coloring meant defeat of the

rogue beast, Arcane. If not death the beast had been beaten

or weakened to such a degree he no longer maintained

control over Rylen.

He lowered his weapon, the point angled at the stone

beneath his feet. “Rylen?”

After several moments, his brother nodded. His gaze

searched his surroundings. “What am I doing here?”

Paladin stood, slid his swords into their sheaves. Without

a word, he moved to his brother and wrapped his arms

around him. He embraced him for the first time in years. At

his touch, Rylen stiffened, but soon relaxed.

“Do you not remember anything?” Paladin asked.

A groan, followed by sudden tension of his body, came

from Rylen. “What have I done?”

Shifting his hands to Rylen’s shoulders, Paladin drew

back to stare into his brother’s pain-filled blue gaze. “Not

you. Arcane. Come, this battle is not over yet. The remaining

rogues must be driven away.”

Worried about the battle’s course, Paladin moved away,

unfurled his wings. He leapt up and glanced at the desert

along with the skies still filled with rogue fighters. Dragons,

adult and young, swooped, their bodies moving in an

acrobatic dance of war. The crowded skies echoed with the

beat of their wings and cries. After he cleared the top of the

protective barrier to the caverns, screeches coming from

below reached him. He looked down. The sight below halted

his forward flight. Pangs lanced through his gut.

Small flocks of dracs hovered or danced on the rocks

protruding from the desert near the other side of the barrier.

297

Dragon Wish

Their attention focused on the huge white dragon and her

fallen guardian.

Magical motes swirled around Lior, her form changing to

the shape of a woman. Long pale hair floated about her head

as she knelt next to the fallen man. She lifted his head onto

her lap, passing a hand over his cheek, closing her eyes, pain

etched in deep lines across her face.

Paladin swept down. He landed next to them.

Lior’s words sent streams of fear through him. “My love,

don’t leave me.”

The white dragon’s eyes flickered open, her eyes

pinpointing Paladin, stopping his approach to where she sat.

Rylen’s feet touched the ground a second later. A cry of

sorrow came from him.

Breathless, the low sob seemed strange coming from the

ethereal woman. “Dragonseeds, my dragonseeds.”

Hand trembling, Bask smoothed his knuckles down her

cheek, bringing her gaze to him. “Shhh, my love, be still. It is

time.”

She gasped, tears brimming in her eyes.

Speaking slowly, Bask’s voice was edged with agony

evident from the jagged wound tracking across his chest, he

whispered, “Release me, love.”

His words from Lior’s island sprang forth to slam with

harsh realization against Paladin’s mind.

I am not long on this world.

The strength left Paladin’s legs. He struggled not to

collapse next to Lior and beg Bask to stay.

“My beloved. This dragon’s heart has always belonged to

you. You are right, the time has come. We will depart

together. Are you ready?”

The pain-filled worry lines bracketing the wizard’s mouth

eased. With a gentle smile, he nodded. “I will go where you

are. For eternity if need be.”

Lior glanced at Paladin.

The horrible gaping wound still oozed blood. A huge blue

298

Dragon Wish

black bruise covered the side of the wizard’s face. The

familiar skull cap rested on its side several feet away, leaving

his head bare. Paladin took a step back, shaking his head,

shouting in his mind for them to stay, but the words refused

to pass his lips.

“Dragonseed, you are the rightful king. Your place is set.

Go. Rule in the manner I know you are capable of.” Her

sorrowful blue gaze swerved to Rylen. “You there, younger

brother. You must find what you have lost, for until then, you

will never be able to move from this time. Remember well

though, my heart has forgiven all you have done. Now, you

must learn to forgive yourself.”

A drac, white pearl tinted scales glinting in the dim light,

landed not far from Lior’s head. Bask coughed. He blinked to

focus on Paladin. “Be strong, my son. Avaris needs your

strength now more than ever. So will your new clan leader.”

Lior ordered with a nod toward Paladin. “Leave us. Fly to

your lady and take him with you. What happens here will be

much too powerful for even a dragonseed to withstand.”

Understanding, Paladin touched his brother’s shoulder.

Rylen looked at him. Anguish and guilt burned in his eyes.

Paladin’s heart twisted at the sight. Rylen shook his head,

but Paladin insisted. “There is nothing we can do. Come.”

They took flight, Rylen trailing behind him. Paladin

glanced back at his brother. Rylen’s gaze stayed locked on

the scene unfolding below them. Paladin slowed to allow the

younger man to reach his side. He took his brother’s wrist

and tugged him forward.

For him, the sight of Lior and Bask departing Avaris cut

deep. He would not watch them die. He tried to imagine the

white dragon clan with a new leader but failed. Lior would

remain their one true clan leader.

A muffled cry escaped from Rylen. Paladin closed his eyes

against the sudden surge of magic behind him. He kept flying

in the direction of the cavern, but unable to resist, he cut a

look over his shoulder.

299

Dragon Wish

Dust mingled with magical motes surrounded Lior and

Bask. Bask lay in her arms. They stared into each other’s

eyes, oblivious to the smaller drac not far from them.

The miniature beast straightened onto its hind legs.

Magic glowed and materialized between its front two clawed

hands. A pale glowing circle appeared with streaks of bluish

rays circling within. The power vortexed around the three

figures. The ball increased in size. Lior and Bask dimmed.

Several moments later, their flesh and bones crumbled. The

dust, all that remained of the two powerful beings, was

carried away in the breeze, leaving only the silvered skull cap

laying on the stones and sand.

Rylen pulled against Paladin’s hold on his arm.

He screamed, tears streaming down his cheeks. “
Lior!
”

Paladin cut off his own anguished cry. He blinked against

the tears burning his eyes.

The power continued to build between the smaller beast’s

claws. She lifted her head and roared. The magic entered her

chest. In the swirling blink, the drac transformed into an

adult dragon, larger, a more massive beast than Lior.

Lacy scales gleamed like a thousand pearls in the

glistening bluish light. Muscles flexed and rippled across its

body. Amber eyes blazed with an internal flame as her gaze

circled the area around her. She lowered her front legs to

stand on all four while her tail swished over the desert floor.

Many dracs, dead from the battle, lay smashed on the rocks.

Each touch of her tail passing over the corpses dissolved

them into dust leaving only the creamy bones. Their lesser

powers surged to her, absorbed into her body.

“Guide us well,” he murmured.

The tail stopped. Her slit-pupil eyes focused on him.

Reptilian lips pulled up in the corners, one eye winked at

him. Paladin lifted his sword to his helm in a salute and

grinned in return.

Her aura radiated to all the lesser beasts near her. Many

roared. Paladin, unsure if they mourned Lior’s passing or

300

Dragon Wish

rejoiced in the creation of a new, younger leader, listened, his

heart aching.

A choked sob came from Rylen.

Torn by this surprising event, Paladin tugged at Rylen’s