Saved By Her Dragon (23 page)

Devon ran as hard and fast as he could towards the back of
the mansion that was now unrecognizable as flames from an explosion
ate away at the structure. Amidst the chaos, Rian yelled, Lennox
cussed, and every dragon and panther scrambled to regroup while
still trying to stick to some semblance of the plan they had worked
so hard to perfect to achieve their ultimate
goal…
capturing the fucking
traitor
.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Andrew felt the floor beneath his feet tremble only seconds
before a sound unlike any he had heard before tore through the
structure. His heightened senses picked up the sweet smell of
almonds, closely followed by the bitter smell of burning rubber,
triggering memories of a past he had hoped long forgotten.
Realizing almost too late what was happening, he shouted to John
and shoved aside the access panel to the hidden tunnels. Running
ahead, yelling directions over his shoulder so that his second
would make it to the safety of his hidden room through the dense
darkness, Andrew caught a fleeting sense of dragons. Sure they had
been the cause of the explosion he ran to escape. No matter how
fleeting and unwelcomed, it was the first time in nearly eight
years that he had been able to ‘feel’ the men he had once called
brethren. One in particular he had hoped never to have to deal with
again rang loud and clear for a few seconds. Rian O’Reilly was the
eldest of the mighty O’Reilly brothers and a real pain in the
ass.

Andrew was pissed that the dragon assholes had been able to
get so close and inflict such damage right under his nose, but he
also took comfort in the fact that more of his inherent dragon
power was returning. Even as he fled for his life, his devious mind
was concocting a way out of his present dilemma and how to use all
he was regaining to his advantage.

Rounding the corner, he felt the tremble of an aftershock
right before the breeze from falling stone and debris reached his
back. Turning to be sure John was still following, Andrew saw his
second taken down by a large misshapen piece of the tunnel ceiling.
Indecision stilled his feet for only a few seconds before he spun
around and ran to save the only person he had been able to trust
since his brother’s betrayal.

Lifting the enormous piece of rubble like it was little more
than cardboard and throwing it aside, he saw John unconscious,
blood running from the huge gash on the side of his head. Carefully
tossing the injured man over his shoulder, Andrew ran full speed
through an avalanche of stone and dirt, barely reaching his inner
sanctum before hearing the passage they had just run through
completely collapse.

The chamber was awash with toppled and demolished exercise
equipment; the long punching bag once hanging perfectly in the
center of the room was askew with the heavy metal brace hanging
from only one of its thick metal bolts. Andrew made his way to the
far corner where several practice mats were strewn about. Kicking
them into place, he laid John down, grabbed the towels that had
once been stacked neatly in the corner, and rolled them into a
pillow to elevate his head.

Ripping one of the remaining towels into strips, Andrew
applied pressure to the man’s head wound, trying to remember if he
had any first aid supplies stowed in the cabinets. John remained
unconscious and unmoving for hours even when Andrew returned with
antiseptic and bandages from his search and did the best he could
to stop the bleeding and prevent infection.

Waiting for his assistant to regain consciousness and
thinking of the ruin he was sure his lair had become fuelled his
ever-growing hatred for the dragons–the same pieces of shit that
had abandoned and betrayed him all those years ago. He took a small
bit of comfort in the fact that it was almost certain Mr. A and his
useless band of simple thugs had been killed in the blast. It then
occurred to him that the humans they had been magically training
may have suffered the same fate, and for just a second, he was
filled with remorse.

Trying to use some of his newly returned dragon senses,
Andrew opened his mind and reached out but only heard the roar of
an open connection. Waiting was not something he had ever done
well, especially after his years bound and held captive by the dark
wizards; so after checking John’s dressing and making sure the man
still lived, Andrew ventured through what was left of the doorway
to access the damage and search for a way out. He had traveled less
than a hundred yards when he came upon a wall of rock and rubble.
After almost an hour of digging, it became clear that it was deeper
than he could plow through on his own and he headed back to check
on his second.

Clearing away the debris from his makeshift kitchen, Andrew
found the prepackaged food and bottled water he had always been
sure to replenish, just in case of an emergency. Laughing to
himself that he was indeed in the middle of an emergency, he ate
and paced, trying to formulate a plan of escape until he grew tired
and made a pallet for himself on the cold stone floor.

John’s breathing was slow and labored, making Andrew wonder
if he had also sustained internal injuries. Many years ago, he
would have been able to sense the true extent of his assistant’s
condition, but those long hidden abilities had not returned.
Staring at the ceiling, he remembered the ancient volume John had
carefully stowed under the oversized coat he seemed to always
wear.

Andrew retrieved the book and settled back on his mat,
deciding if he was going to be stuck in a hole in the ground, he
could at least translate more of the Heavens damned Prophecy that
he knew held weight for his own future. He was thankful for the
return of his enhanced vision, because he had yet to unearth the
flashlight he knew was in the large steel chest still buried by the
rubble. The more he read, the more frustrated he became, as he
realized the piece they had translated just a few days ago was
incomplete and what he was looking at in that moment was yet
another passage.

Hours later he had translated the first two sentences.
A calling to heal, a hidden nature, a history
long forgotten…all protected in the heart of a woman destined to
complete a warrior and his beast. The revelation of all she is
brought forth from the joining with her mate.

Andrew had at first been sure the text referred to Samantha,
but she and the asshole had been together for quite some time and
Andrew knew from all his well-placed spies that she was a brilliant
doctor, but still simply human. His eyes burned and his vision
blurred as he tried to complete the last sentence, but when he
nodded off and the book landed on his chest, he knew it was time to
grab a few hours rest.

Changing John’s bandage and looking for any improvement in
the man’s condition, Andrew drew solace from the fact that at least
his second’s heart beat and he still drew breath. Once again
settling onto his makeshift bed, staring at the cracked ceiling of
his decimated abode, he added the loss of his home and the souls he
had been training for his cause, John’s injury, and the death of
the man that provided him financial support to the list of
atrocities the useless, good for nothing, piece of shit dragons had
committed against him. The rage he had held at bay from the first
rumble of the explosion filled him with a new level of hate that
only the blood of his enemies would cool. Andrew renewed his vow
that he would not rest until he watched the life drain from each
and every one of them…especially the brother that had left him for
dead and the other brother that protected the coward.

Anya had paced the floor for countless hours trying
desperately to reach Devon through their mating bond after a flash
that resembled an explosion had torn through her mind. Awakened
from where she had fallen asleep on the couch, her heart beat hard
and fast and her cheeks were wet with tears. In that instant she
had felt a fear and anger she knew was not her own, but belonged to
Devon. When she had called directly into his mind to make sure he
was okay, everything had gone blank. It was almost as if the black
fog had returned, but this time she could feel the tether between
she and her mate holding strong. It was all that kept her from
falling victim to the despair that stood on the outskirts of her
thoughts, ready to pounce should she lose hope…at least she knew he
was alive.

Siobhan also assured her that Devon was well and attributed
his ‘radio silence’ to the explosion she had witnessed. At first,
Anya hadn’t contacted Kyra or the other girls, but as time went on
worry got the best of her and she called the tiny witch. Kyra
answered her cell phone on the first ring and answered the question
Anya had yet to ask, “I can’t reach Royce either, but I can tell
he’s okay. Any ideas what the hell is going on with the big
lugs?”

Loving the fact that Kyra never lost her sense of humor, Anya
answered, “I had a horrible dream complete with an explosion, then
woke up scared and pissed. It took a second but I realized I was
seeing and feeling what Dev was seeing and feeling, then everything
on his end went dark. Like you said, I can still
feel
him.”

“Well shit! That explains a lot. I was up reading, got a
creepy feeling, and then Royce’s thoughts just disappeared. Wonder
if Kyndel, Grace, and Sam felt the same thing?” Kyra
asked.

“No clue. I didn’t want to call and wake the kids, and Grace
looked so tired when you guys were over here earlier, I decided to
try you first,” Anya answered.

“Good call, but if it goes on much longer I think we should
at least check in, ya know?”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. I just wish I
knew what was going on before making that call,” Anya
grumbled.

“You and me both. Wanna wait together?” The little witch
sounded like she needed the company as much as Anya, who readily
agreed.

It wasn’t long before Anya heard a knock at the door and was
surprised when she found not only Kyra, but also Grace at the front
door.

“Look who I found on the way over?” Kyra
chuckled as she walked in carrying a basket that Anya could tell
from the delicious aroma contained oatmeal cookies. At this rate,
if she didn’t start working out her butt was going to be the size
of Texas. These ladies knew how to cook and it seemed like the guys
were
always
hungry.

“Oh Grace, I’m so glad you’re here. I wanted to call but
didn’t want to disturb your rest.”

“That’s what Kyra said. I appreciate the thought, but I
couldn’t sleep. I was up working when I heard a blast in my head
and then nothing. I can feel Aidan but no
communication…
at all
.” Worry was written all over the attorney’s face driving
Anya to hug her before she was through the door. “Kyndel felt the
same thing,” Grace said against Anya’s shoulder and then pulled
back. “Hope you don’t mind, but I called her when I ran into Kyra.
She and Jay are on their way. Apparently, the little guy is up and
cranky. Guess he can tell something is wrong too.”

Grace made her way into the kitchen, filled the tea kettle,
and took the tin of Kyndel’s special tea from the cabinet while
turning on the stove. “Anyone talk to Sam?”

A knock at the door stopped all conversation. Before Anya
could get there, the door opened and Sydney came running in, Sam
close behind. “Anya, Daddy and the other guys were in a ‘splosion,
but they’re okay, just can’t talk in their heads.” A quick hug to
Anya’s leg and the little girl was on her way to the kitchen, still
talking over her shoulder. “Mom’s kinda freaked out, but I told her
everybody’s okay. I can still hear them, especially Rian. He’s
really loud and sounds really mad.”

Anya couldn’t help but laugh. Sydney was absolutely one of
the coolest kids she’d ever met and so intelligent it bordered on
scary, but the best thing was that she accepted her gifts without
question. Catching up and kissing the child on the top of the head,
Anya looked to Sam who was shaking her head and smiling, before
asking, “Wanna glass of milk or juice, Sweetheart?”

“Milk, please,” Sydney answered absently while inspecting the
contents of Kyra’s basket.

When Anya returned, Samantha was sitting next to her daughter
trying to convince her to have one cookie and a banana. Anya didn’t
have the heart to tell Sam that her money was on Sydney winning
that
discussion
.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Siobhan appeared, a welcoming
smile and words of welcome for all. The healer stopped next to the
little girl. “Those cookies look really good, Sydney.”

“They are, Miss Siobhan,” she said around a mouthful. “You
should try one.”

“I think I just might. Thank you, dear.” And then turning to
Anya, Siobhan asked, “Any change?”

“Not at all. I never thought I would miss someone else being
in my head, but I have to admit it’s kinda lonely without
him.”

“Don’t ever let him hear you say that. You’ll never live it
down,” Siobhan joked and everyone laughed along.

Soon, cups of tea had been made for all, Sydney was coloring,
and Jay had fallen back to sleep on his mother’s shoulder. The
tension in the room seemed to have calmed a bit, but the wait still
dragged on. Anya looked around the table, amazed at how comfortable
she felt with people who only a few days prior she hadn’t known
existed. It wasn’t like she’d never had friends. Goddess knew
people always talked to her, no matter where she was. All of her
life, perfect strangers had gone out of their way to say hello or
ask how she was. Over time she had gotten used to it, but with
these people it just seemed natural, like she was where she was
supposed to be for the first time in her life.