Her Dragon's Soul (Dragon Guard Series Book 9) (4 page)

Minutes ticked by, each seeming to stretch longer than the
one before. The chanting of the black magic practitioners grew in intensity as
did the voices of his brethren and their mates just outside his prison. Liam
could feel dragon magic combined with powerful white magic building just beyond
his reach and was pleasantly surprised that the
Grand Draoi
was giving
no indication he even knew the dragons were there.

“Get ready, Li, we can’t pinpoint your exact location, so
Kyra has no way of knowing how close to you the explosion will happen. She’s
tried unraveling Cleland’s protection, but it’s taking too long, so we’re going
with plan B.”
Jace sounded tense but confident, giving Liam the push he
needed to finally free his right hand from its binding. The silver had torn his
skin almost to the bone, but it didn’t matter. He could now grab Hannah and
roll away from whatever was coming at them.

“Do what ya gotta do. Just get Hannah out of here before
they do anything else to her. We can get the demon out of her when we get her
back to the lair. Right now she’s protected by the slab they have me laid out
on and a half-wall made of stone.”

“Gotcha. Here we come.”
Jace sounded almost giddy.

Royce began the countdown.
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
five, four, three…”
The rest of the countdown was drowned out by the most
blood-curdling, inhuman screech Liam had ever heard. It shook the foundation of
the building and sent the
Dorcha
and their leader scurrying from the
room right before the wall beyond Liam’s feet exploded in a shower of dust and
rock.

Quicker than his eyes could track, Royce and Rory had him
untied and standing near the huge hole in the wall while Rian had Hannah over
his shoulder and was leading the way out of the rubble. Moving as the
well-trained unit they were, the Guardsmen made it to where Kyra and Melanie
were waiting. It took mere seconds before the white witches were collected and
together, the group made their way back to the lair.

Liam’s wounds were attended by Brenna, another of Hannah’s
sisters. He grimaced and promised extra pain to Cleland and his followers,
because had there not been bits of silver embedded in the rope, he would’ve
already healed. As it was, as soon as Brenna removed a piece of silver, the
skin it had evacuated began to knit itself back together. He listened intently
as Kyra, Melanie, Sarah Beth, and two of her older sisters prepared for
Hannah’s exorcism in the basement of Rian’s home. Liam wondered why the eldest
O’Reilly brother had a Devil’s trap under his living room, but decided to save
that conversation for another day.

More than once, all in attendance assured him the demon
residing within his mate was little more than one of Hell’s whipping boys with
barely enough power to keep himself awake. Liam knew he should feel better just
knowing the evil spirit would be easy to remove and banish back to where it
came from, but for some reason neither his nerves nor his dragon would be
calmed. There was still a demon squatting inside his mate that had been put
there on his watch, while he’d been clueless. It was his job as her mate to
protect, not stand idly by while some dickhead dark wizard played ‘hide the
evil spirit’ with his mate’s soul. Liam just wanted his Hannah back, whole and
healthy, and would do everything in his considerable power to make it happen.

The last piece of silver hit the basin beside him right as
Kyra called out, “Get your ass down here, Liam. We’re ready to banish this
bastard back to Hell.” 

He had to laugh at the tiny white witch. She may be only
five foot nothing, but Kyra was a powerhouse in every way, the perfect match
for his grumpy old mentor. Stepping off the steps, Liam made his way to where
Kyra pointed and picked up the white candle like the others in attendance had
already done. Brenna explained while administering his first aid that they
would be using the power of twelve, along with a very old Banishment spell, to
get rid of the demon. As Liam looked around the room he counted thirteen in
attendance, but realized Rian was standing at the far corner and didn’t have a
candle.

I definitely need to find out more about the Blue Thunder
leader. There’s a story there, I can feel it. 

Kyra joined the circle and used her magic to light the herbs
in the copper pot sitting in the center. Liam recognized the scent of Angelica
Root, Hyacinth, and Oak, as well as other herbs used for protection, luck, and
strength. The tiny witch looked around the Sacred Circle, stopping for a just
second to smile and nod at each person. He could feel the reassurance and power
she let flow from her soul to theirs. It was a gift she freely gave to each in
attendance to assure success with the ritual.

When she locked eyes with Royce, the last in the circle and
the one closest to her right, Kyra began to chant,

I pray to the Universe around us, the Mother Goddess that
protects us, and to Fate that divines our futures for protection, strength, and
complete safety from the enemy, take this demon out of the body of our sister.
Send it to the fiery depths of Hell, where it can be grounded in jail, never to
return topside.

Guide us even through the darkness, take all evil from
within our Hannah and around us, cleanse her body and soul through your ever
divine healing, and free her from all evil and wickedness. Aid us in removing
this demon from her bod, and help us banish this being to the place it belongs…the
depths of Hell.

Blessed be. Blessed be.

Now
, sa’oire d’uinn!

With the utterance of her last command to
leave them
,
a gust of wind burst through the basement, blowing out all the candles and
causing the flame in the cauldron to leap to the ceiling, followed by a thick
pillar of smoke that filled the room before immediately dissipating. Through
the entire rite, Liam’s eyes stayed glued to his mate as she lay on the cot in
the center of the circle mere feet from the copper pot of herbs. He worked hard
to stay in place when every one of his instincts and his dragon pushed him to
go to his mate, to protect her from the forces, seen and unseen, that wanted to
take her from him.

From one breath to the next, Hannah went from unconscious to
wailing and thrashing about. Thankfully, Kyra had warned him this would happen,
had told him to stay still and not to enter the Circle until the demon
presented itself, but he still took a step forward. The longer his mate cried
out, the more she threw herself from side to side fighting against her
restraints, the weaker his resolve became, forcing him to take another step. It
seemed to go on forever, when in actuality, it was less than a minute…a
gut-wrenchingly painful minute for both he and his mate. One where he was sure
he would lose his mind and vowed to lock Hannah far away from the world so she
would never get hurt or suffer again.

Liam was just about to say the hell with it when Hannah
stopped screaming and flailing and lay perfectly still, back bowed off the cot,
eyes open wide, mouth stretched in a silent scream. It should have been better
than her shrieks but it was so much worse. Unable to take one more second of
her torment, Liam took another step forward, stopping in his tracks as a deep
black pillar of smoke spewed from Hannah’s open mouth. It went on and on until
the ceiling was covered, resembling the sky before an especially violent
thunderstorm. For several beats of his heart, nothing happened, and then Hannah
collapsed in a boneless heap.

Kyra and the other witches chanted with a conviction he
could feel to his core in both English and the language of the Ancient Dragons…

S’aoire d’uimm. Dul as ais I gea’a tu’ bhaineann
.
Leave us. Go back where you belong.
Riamh ar ais
. Never return.

Sarah Beth threw a large burlap sachet into the cauldron and
yelled, “
Srutha’n!”

Fire shot to the ceiling, igniting the black smoke. A
screech, reminiscent of the sound he’d heard as he and Hannah were being
rescued from the
Dorcha
, echoed off the stone walls, filling every inch
with an unbearable pain and torment. A flash of light like hundreds of
fireworks exploding all at once in the night sky filled the basement, and then
in the blink of an eye, they were bathed in total darkness and complete
silence.

“
E’adrom
,” the witches all spoke in unison. Every
candle lit, filling the eerie space with a bright, clean light. Liam rushed to
Hannah, bundled her in his arms, and raced up the stairs. He’d had enough of
demons and rituals and darkness for one night. All he wanted was to hear his mate’s
melodic voice and to look into her loving eyes.

Making his way to the couch, Liam carefully sat in the
corner, positioning Hannah with her head on his chest and legs stretched across
the cushions. He stroked her hair, rubbed tiny circles of comfort up and down
her spine, and whispered promises of a boring demon-free life together, as one
by one, each of the others appeared. It wasn’t long before the rest of Rory’s
Force arrived and everyone was in the kitchen preparing what Liam could only
imagine was a feast. Every few minutes, either Sarah Beth or one of Hannah’s
sisters came out to check on them and reassure him that she would soon wake.

All in attendance ate, talked, and laughed until the wee
hours of the morning, and still Hannah slept. Not willing to let her go, Liam
remained on the couch with his mate in his lap, finally falling asleep as the
Grandfather clock chimed four in the morning.

He dreamt of Hannah as she’d been when he first saw her and
remembered their first kiss. The memory so powerful Liam was helpless to do
anything but give himself over to the miraculous sensation of the moment. The
dream continued, growing more realistic, more passionate, until his dragon
purred in his head, reveling in the fact that their mate was wrapped in his arms,
showing him the same love he felt for her.

His dream took on a life of its own, going far beyond the
chaste kiss they’d shared that first day under the Cherry blossoms. He could
feel her passion rising through their mating bond, which until that moment had
remained dormant. Fighting to regain consciousness, but fearing if he did the
connection he’d reestablished with his mate would be lost, Liam finally opened
his eyes to find Hannah very much alive and kissing him like she never wanted
it to end.

CHAPTER
FOUR

Hannah had been awake and out from under the influence of
the demon and the
Grand Draoi
for almost forty-eight hours. All she
wanted to do was make her mating with Liam official. He’d already asked. She’d
said yes. Her mother, all six of her sisters, Royce, Rian, Rory, the Spiritual
Elder of the Blue Thunder Clan, Royce’s Uncle Stefan, and even the Commander of
Liam’s Force back at the Golden Fire Clan, Rayne MacLendon, had given their
blessing to the union. All that remained was for Liam to set the date,
something her contrary mate had been teasing her with all day.

Not willing to wait a moment longer, Hannah snuck out of the
house and made her way to Jace and Melanie’s.

WOW! That was easier than it’s ever been
.

She knew Liam had been staying with them since her exorcism
and was sure the only way she was going to get what she wanted was to blindside
the goofy dragon. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make their mating official;
the incredible feelings he let flow unchecked through their mating bond were
confirmation of his love and commitment to her. He was just as excited and
anxious as she was. What was driving her utterly mad was the fact that her mate
was up to something and she wanted to know what it was.

Hannah made it as far as Melanie’s front porch when the door
burst open and not only her best friend, but also three of her sisters and her
mother greeted her.

“So, that’s how I got out of the house so easily. Y’all
weren’t even there.”

The entire room erupted into laughter as Melanie took her
hand and pulled her across the threshold. “Get in here. What the hell took you
so long? When we were kids you could sneak out faster than all of us put
together.” Her best friend pretended to be put out with her, but Hannah could
see the twinkle in Melanie’s eyes and the grin she was trying to hide.
Melanie’s next statement explained it all.

“We have exactly three hours to get you ready for your
mating ceremony or there will be one very pissed off purple dragon. Not
something you want to deal with, trust me.”

“Dragons in general or just the purple ones?” Hannah
snickered.

“Smart ass.” They all laughed as Hannah was escorted down
the hall and plopped in front of Melanie’s three way mirror.

Two hours into the process, her hair had been piled atop of
her head in a beautiful style of loose curls and braids adorned with tiny
flowers from the heather plants that grew in the meadow behind the lair. Her
makeup had been applied with such perfection she barely recognized herself, and
even her fingernails and toenails had been painted a shimmery light pink.

Sarah Beth made lunch and they were all sitting around the
dining room table chatting when a knock at the front door silenced the group.
With a knowing look, Melanie ran from the room, only to return moments later
carrying a huge white box tied with a deep purple satin ribbon. Laying the box
in the middle of the bed, she turned, and grinned. “Get over here and open it.
I’m dying to see what’s inside.”

Standing, Hannah tried to feign annoyance and teased her
friend by saying, “I bet you already know.”

Melanie batted her eyes and giggled like a schoolgirl.
“Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t.”

Unable to hold out any longer, Hannah burst out laughing,
careful not to smudge her makeup or mess up her hair, and made her way to the
bed. Like a child at Christmas, she tore the ribbon from the box, threw the lid
to the side, and tore through the tissue paper. Lying atop what she guessed to
be her mating gown was a small white note with her name beautifully adorning
the front.

Carefully lifting the envelope from the box and removing the
card, she had to sigh. The words expertly penned on the linen stationary
brought tears to her eyes.
You are my soul, Hannah McKennon. My reason for
being. My everything. Today you become truly mine for all time. All my love,
Liam.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted the most gorgeous gown ever
made from the box. Fashioned from a deep amethyst gossamer, the material
glistened as the garment unfolded before her. Hannah held it against her chest
and gazed into the mirror, marveling at the way the tiny crystals, which had
been expertly woven into the fabric, looked like stars in the night sky. It was
obviously handmade by an expert seamstress. Slipping the dress over her head,
she was amazed at the perfect fit.

Chuckling to herself, she made a mental note to compliment
her mate on his fashion sense. Although she’d never seen him in anything but a
T-shirt and jeans, she knew from what Melanie had told her that each Guardsman
designed his mate’s dress, and hers had done an impeccable job. One shoulder
was covered with the silken material while the other remained bare. The bodice
was fitted to perfection, making her more than ample bosom the focal point, a
feature she was sure Liam would appreciate. She wondered when he’d found the
time to order it and then remembered all the times he’d disappeared without
explanation since her recovery.

Melanie appeared behind her with a wide satin ribbon the
color of antique silver and tied it around her waist. She grimaced at the way
it accentuated the roundness of her hips, but quickly remembered Liam’s words
when she’d said something about losing a few pounds before their mating.
Never
change
, mo chroi’
. I love you just the way you are. Every erotic curve
and sensual dip is a feast for my hands and eyes. You are perfection, both
inside and out.

Her grimace was replaced with a smile just as her sister,
Alicia, appeared behind her with a pair of satin ballet slippers the exact
color of her dress. Turning, she slid her feet into the shoes where they’d been
placed before her and then spun for everyone in the room to get a look at the
amazing dress her mate had given her.

On the verge of tears, Sarah Beth stepped up to her, kissed
her gently on both cheeks, and whispered, “You’re a vision. I’m so happy and
proud of you I could burst. Be happy, Hannah Marie, just be happy.”

“Oh, Momma, I will.”

Unwilling to cry and risk ruining her makeup, she turned to
her sisters and joked, “Do I clean up nice or what?”

Everyone laughed and agreed, each taking a turn wishing her
well. Melanie had just gotten through giving her a few last minute pointers
concerning the mating ceremony when another knock sounded at the front door.
This time her best friend turned to her and said, “This one’s for you, kiddo.
Fate awaits. Be happy. Love you.”

“I love you, too, Meli Rose.”

Chuckling at the use of Melanie’s childhood nickname, the
girls linked arms and headed to the door. Melanie reached for the knob, pulling
it open to reveal Tomas and Cole, two of the Guardsmen in training from Liam’s
home clan. Hannah knew they were younger than Liam but could feel the warrior
spirit within them.

They resembled knights from King Arthur’s time, just as the
attendants at Melanie and Jace’s mating ceremony had. She smiled as she
realized their uniforms actually made sense since the men truly had come from
that era, or their ancestors had. Both wore surcoats of the same rich amethyst
color as her gown and were trimmed with braided silver rope. On each, an
expertly stitched dragon in the throes of battle was so realistically rendered
she could imagine it jumping off their chests. Their long-sleeved undershirt
and pants were black, just like their knee high boots that were polished to a
high shine.

Tomas and Cole moved to either side of the door, facing one
another as Melanie made a sweeping gesture for Hannah to exit. Bending their
arms at the elbow, the young Guardsmen waited until Hannah placed her hands on
their arms for support. Together, the three of them took the steps off the
front porch, carefully following the round patio stones to a small vine-covered
gate at the corner of Melanie and Jace’s yard. Hannah was surprised to see it
led to a small wooded area.

About twenty paces into their journey through the woods,
Cole stopped beside a large stump covered with silk, holding the largest
bouquet of deep purple roses Hannah had ever seen. She started to count but
gave up at three and a half dozen. Leaning forward past her escort, she buried
her nose in them, inhaling their heavenly fragrance. Releasing her hand from
his arm, Cole picked up the bouquet and gently placed it in her arms. It was
then she saw the card attached, inscribed with a simple but poignant message.
You
are my soul, my love, my everything. Forever yours, Liam.
She took one from
the bunch as Cole graciously offered to carry them.

Placing her hand atop Cole’s arm once again, they continued
down the path, talking and taking in the wondrous scenery. The sound of water
reached her ears, piquing her interest almost as much as her excitement. A few
more steps and they cleared the trees. Hannah gasped as she found herself
beside a small grotto. Water flowed over large polished rocks into a reflective
pond naturally decorated with lily pads and cattails. The natural landscaping
was flawless, but the man-made, well, ‘dragon-made’, decorations that
surrounded the grotto were perfection. Maypoles decorated with hundreds of
amethyst, silver, and white ribbons flowing together with the flower garlands
winding around their lengths dotted the perimeter, making it seem dreamlike. 

Her escorts led her to the far side of the water where a
gazebo, decorated to match the maypoles, sat. It contained four incredibly
ornate chairs resembling small thrones positioned in a semi-circle. The entire
scene was nestled within a group of blossoming Cherry trees. One moment the
chairs were empty, and then suddenly, the four Elders she’d met over the course
of her stay with the dragons appeared. Rian, Stefan, Niall, and Marcas moved
faster than her eyes could track. It somehow shocked her that even the old
dragons moved
fast
.

As one, the Elders nodded their greeting as Tomas and Cole
left her standing next to a small decorated chair holding her roses. A rustling
to her left alerted her to the arrival of the other Guardsmen. Since Liam and
Hannah were not with Liam’s home clan, the Golden Fire Dragons, Rian and the
other Blue Thunder Elders had conferred with Carrick and Rayne from Liam’s home
clan, and all agreed to allow the Blue Dragon Force to witness the young
couple’s union. The six Blue Dragon Guardsmen, along with Jace and Royce were
dressed in their finest, similar to her escorts but in colors matching their
specific dragons. Rory was at the head of the line, standing tall and proud in
a surcoat of royal blue accented with swirls of deep green. Hannah expected him
to look more like the Commander he was since it was a solemn ceremony, but true
to form, he wore a shit-eating grin and winked as she glanced at him. Then came
Kellan, the recluse of the group. As always, his long, dark blond hair covered
the scars on the left side of his face. She’d been told of his valiant service
as a Marine but had yet to thank him. His midnight blue surcoat was so dark
Hannah really had to focus to make sure it was blue and not black.

Next was Declan, who everyone referred to as their techie.
His surcoat was the brightest blue of them all and reminded Hannah of the
noonday sky. Lennox, the ‘mad bomber’ as they all called him, wore a surcoat of
an almost teal color, equal parts blue and green. Pearce, the one responsible
for everything no one else wanted to do, had a dress uniform almost as dark as
Kellan’s, but with a silvery luster to it. Lastly for the Blue Dragons was
Brannoc, the only one Hannah hadn’t met in person. He was dressed in such a
light color of blue that she wondered if he’d ever been mistaken for a white
dragon.

Looking at her with fatherly pride was Royce, her mate’s
mentor and the oldest of the MacLendon Force of the Golden Fire Dragons. His
beautiful royal blue surcoat with green accents truly fit the gentle giant who
seemed to care for everyone while grumbling and complaining all the way. Lastly
was Jace, Liam’s best friend and
her
best friend’s mate. His glistening
bronze surcoat exactly matched the dragon she’d seen on the day they’d been
saved from the
Dorcha
. All the men smiled, filling her with the true
acceptance of a family she’d never expected to have. Add that to her sisters
and the man she would love for the rest of her life, and Hannah was overwhelmed
by her blessings.

Liam came striding around the gazebo, looking better than
any man had a right to look, essentially stealing the breath from her lungs.
His deep purple surcoat with silver braids and embroidery accentuated the
amazing body she knew lay beneath. His smile lit up the twilight as he looked
directly into her eyes. The electrical current she was quickly coming to
associate with her mate snapped to life. She realized he’d felt it too as his
pupils dilated and his nostrils flared. Her body intimately reacted to
everything when they were together. She only hoped she would make it through
the ceremony without dragging him behind the gazebo and making love to him
until neither could walk, much less think. She knew he heard her thoughts when
his smile widened and he winked.

Great minds think alike.

He stopped ten feet from her, almost at attention. Hannah
held her breath, waiting for what would come next. Rian cleared his throat and
began speaking in his low, commanding voice. 

“Long ago, when knights and dragons fought side by side for
King and Country, it became apparent dragon kin was no longer safe from those
that would expose and destroy them. They sought to join with the knights, who
for centuries had fought so valiantly as their allies. Thus, through magic and
the will of both dragon and knight, the Blue Thunder Clan and Golden Fire Clan
of the Dragon Shifters became a reality. It was through the joining of many
different clans that we have all become the strong and powerful Force we are
today.