For the Love of Her Dragon (11 page)

He
could hear
Rian
and Rayne shouting orders and knew
there was help on the way but he was not leaving Kyra’s safety to anyone else.
It was his responsibility. The farther he traveled, the more intently he
listened to the ranting of the lunatic they had once called friend and
brethren. “So Kyra, I see you have chosen the losing side.”

“Win
or lose, at least they tell the truth, Andrew,” Kyra responded. He was amazed
he heard no fear in her voice, only anger and the residual effects of the black
magic.

“When
did I ever lie to you, my sweet?” Andrew responded.

“You
told me they were after
you
and that you only needed to hide from them.
You never mentioned that you were going to take my pure, white, Earth magic and
destroy it with your piece of shit black magic. You never mentioned that you
were out to hurt, even kill, innocent women and children. You’re a dick and a
liar…a
fucking
liar.” By the time she finished, she was screaming and
Royce could feel her fury.

“She
really is sexy when she’s pissed off isn’t she? The flush on her cheeks just
brings out her beauty.” He had no clue who the traitor was talking to, but he
wanted to rip his head from his neck. Just the fact that the little bastard was
daring to talk to Kyra made he and his dragon roar in anger.

It
was Aidan that responded, his voice vibrating with animosity and outrage,
“Andrew stop this shit! You’ve done enough. It’s me you’re pissed at, me you
want to hurt, so let’s settle this between us. Leave everyone else out of it.”
It was amazing how calm his brethren sounded considering that stupid little
asshole had tried to kill Grace, Aidan’s mate.

Royce
arrived on the scene just in time to hear Andrew laugh, “But Brother, you’re
not the only one that left me to die. How would it be fair for you to pay for
everyone’s sins?”

Andrew
continued, obviously enjoying the sound of his own voice, “I wonder if the Blue
Thunder Guardsmen know what you did. Do they know that the mighty
MacLendon
Force is actually made of cowards? That they are
willing to leave a member behind to be tortured because they are too scared to
mount a rescue? Oh, well, since it is obvious you are allies, they’ll find out
soon enough. You will betray them just as you betrayed me.”

Just
behind Andrew, Royce could see Rayne,
Rian
, and the
others surrounding the traitor. He caught his Commander’s eye with a
questioning look. Rayne answered through their link,
“He has himself
protected with some kind of spell or something. It seems to be specific to
dragon shifters. We can’t get in. I think he closed it when the others reached
a certain point. My best guess is he is trying to grab Kyra.”

Royce
immediately saw red,
“There is no way in hell that son of a bitch is
touching a hair on her head.”

“Glad
to have you back, Brother. No, let’s get her out of there and catch that little
shit.”

Aidan
was still trying to reason with whatever was left of the younger brother he
loved while Royce was trying to find a way through the shield Andrew had
constructed. As he crept around the perimeter, he noticed footsteps heading off
in the other direction. It looked to be about fifteen or twenty men and some
were dragging something very heavy if the indentations in the ground were any
indication. As he worked his way around he listened to the conversation taking
place to his right, but tuned into the forest. He found a small break in the
shield at the same time he heard a voice off in the distance. “Make sure the
amulets are exactly where the map indicates. We don’t want those big guys to
break free.”

It
all clicked into place and he yelled through mind speak to Rayne and Aidan,
“It’s
a trap! That little shit is keeping us busy while the others with him set a
trap.”

He
saw Aidan shift Kyra even farther behind him and was both irritated and proud
that she fought to stay in the forefront. Aidan told Rory and Devon what Royce
had figured out and together they slowly pushed Kyra farther and farther from
the traitor. Andrew continued his posturing, so caught up that he didn’t notice
their slight movements.

Rory
had taken up the rear position. As soon as he reached the boundary, he slid his
foot through. Everyone listening breathed a sigh of relief that at least they
could get out. It sounded like Andrew’s monologue was coming to an end, so
Royce urged the Guardsmen with Kyra to simply grab her ass and haul her out of
there. Rory reached for her just when Andrew spoke up, “I’m sure by now you
cowards have called reinforcements and I’m surrounded. How thrilling! I am
absolutely quaking in my boots. I knew when I saw you were all here that it
wasn’t a family reunion, but I decided to stop by and say hi anyway.”

He
turned to leave and then swung right back around. “Oh, I almost forgot…Kyra,
have you ever heard the Prophecy about the Earth witch destined to mate dragon
shifter royalty?”

Andrew
stared right at Kyra and Royce felt the hair stand up on the back of his neck.
“Well, after the little show I watched of you and Royce on the ridge, I guess
you have found your mate. Does he know you are destined for bigger and better
things, or that the very witch that killed his mother came from
your
coven? Might make for some interesting pillow talk,
ya
think? Catch
ya
later, little witch.”

Royce
was stunned, unable to think, let alone move. Everything was happening around
him and he just stood there like a stump. Andrew disappeared into thin air.
Rory had Kyra thrown over his shoulder and was speeding to safety while she
screamed obscenities he had never imagined. Rayne was ordering every available
man to find the traitor and follow the tracks Royce had found in the forest to
gather up the followers.

Rian
yelled along their unique connection for him to get his ass back to camp, but
all he could do was focus on the last thing the traitor had said. Could it be
true? Did she know? What the hell was he going to do now?

CHAPTER THREE

Andrew looked on from
his hiding place high over the Dragon Guard’s encampment. Things had not gone according
to Plan A, but that was the beauty of having a Plan B and C, along with his
returning dragon senses. The moment he sensed the Dragon Guard’s proximity to
his own, he had revised his plan. His partners were not thrilled, but after
using his considerable charm, Mr. A and Master Eaton had relented and headed
back home, leaving all the underlings with him to delay the dragons with a wild
goose chase.

He
did feel bad that his dark magic bothered Kyra as much as it did, even though
she was with his sworn enemies, he still admired her. They could have been
great partners if not for her destiny. When he had read the part of the
Prophecy pertaining to the witch and the dragon, he had immediately known it
was her. It was an added bonus that the Grand Priestess, who he now knew was
her mother, had kept personal notes stashed in the volume. It truly helped put
the pieces together. The look he had seen on her face when he mentioned
Ilsa
had been priceless, and he was sure Royce was waiting
in the sidelines somewhere, but Andrew could not figure out why he left Rory
and the others to protect her. Surely, he would not trust his beloved mate to
any but himself.

He
thought back to the scene he had witnessed on the ridge. The lovers definitely
looked to be hitting it off until Royce was called away. The longer he replayed
the memory, the more Andrew realized his original assumption had been
incorrect. Royce’s speedy departure, the look of devastation on Kyra’s face,
and the way her shoulders had fallen forward as if in defeat spelled out
something totally different than his first thought. Royce had
not
been
called away; he had simply left his mate without a backward glance.
That
explained why Devon had shown up. Royce had called his longtime friend to get
her safely back to the others.
What an interesting development
, he
pondered. The wedge he was hoping to drive between them was already firmly in
place, it was up to him to make sure it was permanent.

What
an added bonus that Aidan had been present. It had been the first time since
that fateful day at the cabin that he had laid eyes on his brother. It always
amazed him that no matter what he did to his older brother, Aidan still tried
to reason with him. Like as the older brother he
had
to try to save
Andrew. He laughed out loud at the mere thought that he needed saving. Royce
would be the first to fall he decided, if for no other reason than the fact
that he had hurt Kyra. She held a special place in Andrew’s heart, no matter
her loyalties. Only thirteen more days until the full moon and he would take
the life of the oldest of the
MacLendon
Force. If
others fell all the better, but it was Royce that had to fall first. Before it
was all over they would all die, and Aidan would be left to watch the
devastation of his kin, the most worthless race to ever take breath.

The
vibration of the cell phone in his pocket stirred him from his musings. The
message read:
Heading to airfield. Take off in ninety minutes.
Everything
was coming together nicely. He needed to touch base with John to make sure
preparations were underway for what would be the beginning of the end of the
dragons. Swiftly reaching the forest floor, he dialed his second. His partners
believed John dead and that was just the way Andrew wanted it. He would use
their resources and make them believe they all shared a common goal, but the
truth was, there could only be one victor and he meant to be that man.

John
answered just as Andrew was about to hang up. “Yes, sir?”

“Things
are on schedule?” he asked as he made his way to the hidden motorcycle the
others had left him.

“Yes.
I was able to locate another Earth witch. She is much younger and not near as
powerful as the previous one, but she is competent and very easy to deceive.
With our infusion of dark energy, the amulets will be just what you wanted.”
John sounded as excited as Andrew had ever heard him, which increased his
confidence that they would deal the first crushing blow to the Dragon Guard in
his bid for revenge.

“Perfect.
I appreciate your efforts.”

“Thank
you, sir,” John replied, and Andrew smiled at his second’s readiness to please.

“Have
you located the other pieces of the Prophecy?”

“No,
sir, I have not, but I am very close to decoding the symbol you sent me from
the witch’s book. At first I believed the four intertwined circles with the
star at the center was simply the witches’ way of marking the spell with their
elemental symbols, but under a magnifying glass, I have found that where each circle
touches what originally appeared to be a solid line is actually script written
in an ancient runic language. I have several scholars working on the
translation that I believe will lead us to the other texts and the rest of the
Prophecy.” John’s optimism was contagious. Andrew felt better about their plans
just being around him. “Good work, John.”

“Thank
you, sir, but it was your studious observation that concluded that the text we
have is incomplete.”

Andrew
smiled, letting John’s praise pass. There would be time for congratulations
when he was the only dragon shifter left in existence. When his betrayers were
exterminated and forgotten, then he would rejoice.

“I’m
heading to the plane. I will contact you when we have arrived back at the
mansion.” He disconnected before John could respond. It was important that his
second remember his place. A little praise was fine to keep the young wizard
working towards Andrew’s goal, but there was no way he could let him get
overconfident, especially when he had yet to decide if John was to live or die
when his mission was complete. Actions were all that mattered to Andrew. As
long as John did what he was told to the best of his abilities and continued to
be useful, he would live…it was as simple as that.

He
uncovered the small motorcycle hidden under a pile of brush and headed down the
dirt path he knew lead to the airfield, plans churning in his mind. It had been
a productive trip to the old country. At least with his new plan he did not
have to keep Royce contained and weakened for the remaining days until the full
moon. No, the entire Force would think they had run him off. He laughed at
their stupidity and reveled in the things to come. Vengeance was within his
grasp.

~
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~
~
~
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~

If
she wasn’t convinced that she was destined to die alone with twenty cats, she
damned sure knew it after Andrew’s declaration. That was what had been hiding
in her memory. The name her mother had spoken that night all those years ago…
Ilsa
.

What
a picture! A witch with twenty cats, alone in the forest in a little cottage.
All she needed was a broom and a pointy hat and she would personify every
stereotype ever concerning witches in the history of the world.

At
the mention of the long forgotten witch and her connection with what she had
been told, it had felt as if all the blood drained from her body. It was not
the rush she had imagined, but more like a smooth flow towards the forest
floor. It seemed like it took a long time when in actuality, it was almost
instantaneous and she had seen spots before her eyes. The action happening all
around her had seemed really far away, like she was at the end of a very long
hallway watching a movie on a small screen TV.

When
Rory had thrown her over his shoulder and ran, reality had come rushing at her
like the waves during a storm. Her heart raced, cold sweat covered her body,
and there was simply not enough air to keep her lungs inflated. A branch had
smacked her ass as they flew away from the chaos, snapping her back to reality.
It was then that she realized she needed to be following Andrew instead of
running away. She should have been embarrassed at the things she had called
Rory for manhandling her, but in reality, she didn’t give a shit. He really was
the ‘bastard son of a one-eyed troll-faced griffin’ and she stood by her
opinion. It had been even worse that he had laughed at her as she spewed
insults meant to piss him off. Who in all the Heavens did he think he was to
mock her. They all constantly teased her about turning them into toads, and she
was about two seconds from making their taunts come true.

But
none of that really mattered. She was just using it to keep from thinking about
what had really happened. Royce had heard everything Andrew had said. Things
that she had forgotten but was sure he would think she was keeping from him.
Not that he had
ever
taken the time to talk to her or given her a chance
to say anything. He had condemned her from the beginning just because of her
heritage. He had his reasons and the Goddess knew they were justified, but
wasn’t a person supposed to be innocent until proven guilty? Wasn’t that what
the humans believed, and wasn’t she half-human? She had spent the last
twenty-five years waiting for the day she would meet her mate, building it up
in her mind to be something grandiose, like a fairy tale. Well, one thing was
for sure, the book was better than the movie and worlds better than reality.

She
listened to the men packing up and figured she should be doing the same, but
her pity party was still in full swing and who was she to cut it short. It was
her party and she would cry if she wanted to. It was the first ever true
‘girlie-moment’ she had allowed herself and she was going to soak it all up.

Devon
had tried to talk to her, but she’d kept her back to him and the sleeping bag
pulled over her head until he had given up. When she was ready to talk, which
should be in about thirty years or so, then she would seek him out. Until then,
Kyra wanted to be left alone. As soon as they got home, she was going to move
away from the Dragon Guard’s lair. She would still help them, but there was no
way she could be around them day in and day out knowing there was no future for
her there. She had made amazing friends and prayed that they could stay close.
It was the first time she’d had real friends that weren’t witches and she
really liked them,
dammit.
Maybe if she left, Royce would return. He was
an integral part of their Force and had been missed. With her gone, there would
be nothing to keep him away.

The
tears she had held back when around the others dampened her tiny travel pillow.
She could count on one hand the number of times she had allowed herself to cry
in all her years. Kyra had been taught to be strong, to resist anything that
could be seen as weakness, and if by chance she was ever hurt, she was taught
to suck it up and hold her head high. Yeah, well, that was not happening this
time. She was wounded and there was nothing but a good old fashioned cry that
would make it any better. Deep in her heart she knew she had fallen a little in
love the first moment she had laid eyes on Royce and that it had grown over
time. It was silly, really, but something she had no control over. The
Universe, the Goddess, and Fate had all conspired and she had been all too happy
to oblige.

There
had been a split second of blessed recognition and the fire of need that can
only occur when encountering one’s mate for the first time when she met Royce,
but it was quickly followed by suspicion and regret; two things she saw every
time she looked at him. Kyra would have given anything, even her magic, to see
love reflected in his deep brown eyes, but that was not to be. She was a witch,
and like her ancestors, she had been condemned without a trial. At least there
was no fiery stake or noose hanging on a tree.

What
would her mother, the great
Calysta
St. Croix, think
of her now? Would she condemn Kyra a failure? Brand her unworthy and think of
her as the daughter that was to mate a dragon shifter and bring honor to her
coven but instead could not convince her intended that she worthy of a
conversation, let alone someone to conceive heirs? Had her mother known
that the people slaughtered by
Ilsa
were members of
her would-be mate’s family?
Probably, knowing dear old mom
, she thought.
If so, why had she not prepared Kyra for what was to come? So what if they
hadn’t spoken in years?
Calysta
knew how to contact
her if she had really wanted to. Kyra carried on like she was hidden from her
mother, but she knew deep down inside that if the Grand Priestess wanted to
find her, she would.

Deciding
pity parties were not all they were cracked up to be and that crying only gave
her a headache and made her nose run, she threw back the covers. When she
looked in the tiny mirror she kept in her pack she added a few more reasons for
not crying to her list…red, puffy eyes and blotchy skin. She really was not cut
out for any of this prissy shit. Damn Royce! Damn him to hell for making her
act like a girl.

She
packed up her belongings while making a mental list of all she needed to
accomplish both personally and to help fight Andrew. It was then that she had
remembered while the stupid
putz
, Andrew, had been
ranting she had worked a Spell of Recognition, essentially trapping a piece of
his aura in the Goldstone pendant she wore around her neck. The Goldstone
contained copper to bind the malevolent parts of the traitor’s aura and allow
Kyra to use what was left to locate and track him. All she had to do was
activate it.