Dragon Eternal, page 23
He took a step when a moan reached him. His head whipped to the side. Merrill’s gaze landed on a woman dressed in fine clothes, her blond hair askew. He made his way to her, pausing to stare at her. He couldn’t decide whether to leave her or help. Finally, he bent and pulled the bodies off her. Her lashes fluttered open as he squatted beside her. She blinked several times and rolled onto her back. It allowed him to see that the right side of her face was scarred from long-healed burns that went down her neck before disappearing beneath her top.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
Her blue eyes widened a fraction. She licked her lips and shook her head before wincing.
Merrill held her gaze, watching for her to do anything that would give him reason to kill her. “What happened?”
“Ambush,” she croaked before swallowing.
“Who are you?”
“Villette.”
“Do you work for the Divine?”
She stared at him for a second and then shook her head.
Merrill got to his feet and held out his hand. “Good. Otherwise, I would’ve had to kill you.”
She hesitantly slipped her hand into his, and he pulled her to her feet.
“We need to go before the Divine’s goons come, and I have to kill more.” Merrill waited for her to respond, but she simply met his gaze. “Are you addled?”
“No.”
He released her hand and walked to the door. “You have your freedom now. Go.”
“Can’t you hear that? The soldiers here are looking for anyone to hurt. No one can go out there now.”
Merrill followed her gaze outside to see chaos everywhere. Soldiers and residents alike. Nia. He’d promised Shaw that he would get to her, but how could he now? Merrill called Shaw through their link, but he didn’t get an answer.
“I know another way,” Villette said.
Merrill eyed her. “I doona need your help. I flew up here, and I can fly out.”
“But I can’t.”
“Then I’ll fly you out,” he replied coolly. She eyed him suspiciously, which caused Merrill to curse inwardly. How could he have forgotten that humans were afraid of him? He and Shaw had been sent to help the humans with magic, and while Merrill might be dealing with his own demons, that didn’t mean he had to take it out on an innocent.
Suddenly, he felt something pull at him. His head swung back to the closed door. What was inside?
The woman suddenly took his hand and tugged him. “Come with me. I know another way through the mountain.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Soldiers blocked every way Nia went. Fear clawed at her, burning a hole through her chest and sinking into her bones. She wasn’t getting out of Stonemore. She probably wouldn’t get out of the citadel alive. Worse, she dreaded that something had happened to Shaw in the explosion. She kept glancing at the night sky in hopes of spotting sapphire scales, but there was no dragon. She kept reminding herself that he couldn’t be killed by anything but another King, but she couldn’t stop the worry.
Nia flattened herself against the fence. She could hear the soldiers both inside and outside the citadel patrolling. They cut down anyone they viewed as a threat. She glanced toward the citadel. Had they found Amsden? Was he looking for her now? She didn’t want to wait around to find out. She had to get out of the city, but first, she had to get past the soldiers at the gate.
“Ma’am?”
Her head jerked toward the sound. Relief surged through Nia when she saw Sadie. She grasped the servant’s hand and pulled her against the wall. “What are you doing here?”
“Soldiers brought us. Told us this was the safest place.”
Nia shook her head. “I don’t think any place is safe. We need to leave the city.”
“Why?”
“Look around.”
Sadie shook her head. “The Divine will protect us.”
Nia realized she couldn’t force Sadie. She smiled and nodded. “Good luck.”
“Wait,” Sadie said as she grabbed her hand. “Where are you going?”
“Far away.”
Her brows drew together. “The Divine owns you.”
Nia pulled her arm free. “We had a deal. I delivered a Dragon King. I’ve won my freedom.” She turned and started walking away without waiting for Sadie to reply.
“Stop her!” Sadie screamed to the soldiers. “She’s a slave, trying to run away.”
The soldiers descended upon Nia like a swarm. They grabbed her arms, and no amount of fighting and kicking got her free.
“She’s responsible for all of this,” Sadie told the soldiers, stirring their already fever-pitched anger to new heights. “She brought the Dragon King here.”
Fury darkened the soldiers’ faces.
Nia glared at Sadie. “On the Divine’s orders. Let me go.”
But the soldiers’ bloodlust had been agitated. Everything she said fell on deaf ears. She struggled against their hold as they roughly dragged her up the steps to the entrance of the citadel. Their fingers bit into her flesh and yanked on her hair and clothes. Sadie continued egging them on. Nia could no longer hear what her servant said, but it didn’t matter. The soldiers did, and they believed her.
As they dragged Nia toward one of the balconies, she caught sight of Amsden with a group of soldiers. His smug look made Nia want to kick him in the groin again. Amsden soon fell out of sight as they took her outside once more. Terror made her stomach drop to her feet when she spied the balcony.
Shaw ran through the citadel, shouting for Nia. He heard the screams from below as well as the shouts of the soldiers within the fortress. All hell had broken loose in Stonemore. He prayed that Nia had gotten free and was with Merrill even now, but each time he tried to speak to Merrill, his friend didn’t answer.
Whether it was because something blocked their communication or Merrill was in trouble, Shaw didn’t know.
“Nia!” he bellowed.
His heart pounded an erratic beat against his ribs. He couldn’t shake the feeling that she was in trouble. It was the look Amsden had shot her that troubled Shaw the most. The steward was a problem, and Shaw would take care of that issue once and for all.
Shaw slid to a stop when he spotted Amsden. The steward motioned six soldiers around him toward something. Shaw inwardly smiled at finding Amsden alone. He started toward him. Amsden did a double-take when he spotted him. Satisfaction filled Shaw when the steward’s face paled.
As he approached, Shaw saw the four slashes down Amsden’s face that were no doubt from fingernails. Anger roiled violently inside him. Shaw didn’t need to ask who had made Amsden bleed. He knew it had been Nia.
Images of all the things Shaw wanted to do the steward flashed in his mind. He wanted to make Amsden scream in pain and beg for death. Shaw fisted his hands as the rage built. He stalked to Amsden.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” the steward asked as he stumbled backward.
Shaw smelled the fear on him. “Did you really think I would succumb to a trap? Even one with Orgate warriors? That just proves you know nothing about Dragon Kings.”
“I-I wasn’t part of it.”
Shaw scowled at him. His next response would determine how he died. “Where’s Nia?”
Despite the fact that he shook uncontrollably with fear, delight filled Amsden’s smile as he pointed in the direction the soldiers had gone.
Unease shot down Shaw’s spine as he turned his head. He caught a glimpse of the soldiers lifting something. His heart clutched when he spotted brunette hair—Nia’s hair. And then they threw her over the balcony.
Shaw bellowed as he started running. He shifted before reaching the balcony, knocking every soldier off the side. Shaw somehow had the wherewithal to use his power so the residents didn’t see him shift into his true form. Instead, they saw a bird. Shaw tucked his wings and dove toward Nia as the soldiers shrieked while they plummeted to their deaths.
A scream locked in Nia’s chest as she tumbled through the air. Everything was a blur as she plunged to the ground, the wind whooshing in her ears. She couldn’t stop thinking about Shaw. His name was on her lips as she closed her eyes and prepared to die.
Suddenly, she stopped falling. She opened her eyes to find herself looking at sapphire scales. Nia lifted her head and gazed up at the chest and neck of a dragon. Tears blurred her eyes. Shaw had saved her. He had saved her. She sobbed as she rested her cheek on the inside of his hand, grateful to be alive.
Something whistled past them. Then more whistles. Arrows, Nia thought. Shaw pressed the hand that held her against his chest and flew faster. She wanted to look down upon the world and see it from his vantage point, but she didn’t have the energy for anything but being held securely by him.
Nia had no idea how long they flew before Shaw landed. He gently laid his hand upon the ground and opened it. She climbed out and faced him. The moonlight fell upon him, making his glossy sapphire scales appear nearly black. He towered over her. She gasped at his size and took several steps back to get a better look at him.
He watched her carefully with mirror-like, platinum-colored eyes. She stumbled as she walked to the side to see more of him. His scales were large and shiny but became finer and less thick on his neck. He had four limbs with long, black talons that looked as if they could cut a mountain in two. Shaw’s dragon head was blocky with a mane of bony spikes that sprouted from the back of his head, and two long, misshapen horns that extended from his forehead.
Something drew his attention. His head snapped back toward Stonemore, and he growled. She felt the rumble of it and spotted the rows of razor-sharp teeth when his lip lifted for an instant. His tail twitched before it curled around him at the same time he folded his huge wings against his body. Then, he looked back at her.
She had wanted to see him, but she hadn’t been prepared for all of it. She had seen drawings of dragons and had heard others speak of them. The few glimpses she’d caught of Cullen had made her think she would be prepared to come face-to-face with Shaw in his true form, but nothing could do that.
Was he terrifying? Absolutely.
Would she run if she didn’t know him? Without a doubt.
Did she feel threatened by him? Not for an instant.
He had saved her life. He had believed in her when no one else had, and he had shown her how to protect herself. She might have gotten free of Amsden but getting out of the citadel had been another problem altogether.
Nia walked to him and wrapped her arms around the arm that had caught her. Hers didn’t go halfway around his, but she didn’t care. She wanted him to know that she didn’t fear him. Nia smiled as she realized his scales were warm. She hadn’t internalized that when he’d held her in his palm.
She reluctantly released him. The instant she did, Shaw shifted into his human form. He was naked for a heartbeat before clothes covered him. He said nothing as he dragged her into his arms. The tears came then. She held tight as she put her head into the crook of his neck and cried.
“You’re safe now,” he whispered over and over.
It took a while for the tears to subside. Even when she finished, they remained locked in their embrace. She didn’t know where she was, and she didn’t care. She was free of Stonemore and the Divine, released to do whatever she wanted. And the only thing she wanted was Shaw.
All her life, she had closed herself off to keep her heart safe. Nothing could have prepared her for Shaw and the feelings he invoked. He’d shown her the life she could have, and the love she could know. That glimpse was all it had taken to break down every barrier she had. And it had happened slowly, without her even knowing that Shaw had taken up residence in her heart.
Was it love? She didn’t know what the emotion was, but she suspected it was love. Her life had been about survival. Shaw had opened other doors and stood by her as she tested each one. He didn’t want to control her or own her. It was the first time she realized there was another way.
What did she do with all this information now? Their relationship had been an act, something to bring him to the Divine. There had been no promises, no exchange of words about what might come next.
And that was why she couldn’t let go of him now.
She was scared that once she did, he would disappear from her life. She had known the fierce lovemaking, the gentleness, and the determination of a Dragon King. No one in the universe could compare to that. Not now.
Not ever.
Somewhere along the way, she had become Shaw’s. It didn’t matter if he wanted her or not. She had basked in his smiles and teasing. Had known the heat of his body and pleasure unlike anything she’d experienced before. There wasn’t a single spot on her that he hadn’t kissed, licked, or caressed. The pleasure, the peace, the freedom. He had given her so much.
She leaned back to look into his fern green eyes. Torment contorted his face. She smiled to let him know that she was okay. “Thank you.”
“If I hadna gotten there in time…”
“Shh,” she said as she shook her head. She cupped his face. “You did get to me. That’s all that matters. Don’t think of anything else.”
His eyes blazed with some emotion that made her heart catch. “I can no’ stop thinking about it. Nia, I–”
“Shaw!”
Nia wanted to scream at whoever had interrupted them. She dropped her arms to her sides, the moment broken.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Shaw was a wreck. His emotions were all over the place. He wanted to return to Stonemore and find Amsden and incinerate him in dragon fire, but at the same time, Shaw didn’t want to be apart from Nia.
When he saw her go over the balcony, he’d never known such fear, never felt such panic. He couldn’t get to her fast enough. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw how close the ground had been before he finally reached her. He had barely gotten to her in time. A few more seconds and…
Now, she was the one comforting him.
He was scared and confused about his feelings, but he had to tell her. He had to get them out. Once said, he would never get them back, but that didn’t stop him. Fortunately, Cullen interrupted them.
Shaw pulled his gaze from Nia’s and looked over her head to find Cullen at the top of the canyon, the wildcat, Nari, at his side. Shaw drew in a steadying breath. It had to be Nia’s near-death that had him about to confess…something. He needed time to think, to consider before he did anything rash.
“It’s Cullen,” he told Nia. “We’re at the canyon I told you about. You’ll be safe here.”
She gripped his arms, her fingers digging into his muscles. “Me? What about you?”
“There are some who need to be dealt with.” Shaw motioned Cullen to them.
Nia shook her head, an argument on her lips.
“What the fuck happened?” Cullen demanded as he drew near.
Shaw forced himself to release Nia and ran a hand down his face. “Too much. I called for Con to come with Brandr and Eurwen.”
Cullen’s face was grim as he nodded. “And Merrill?”
“I doona know. I’ve been calling for him since I was inside the citadel.” Shaw looked at Nia. “Did you see Merrill?”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head.
For the first time, Shaw smelled the tinge of blood from her. He bent closer and saw the traces of blood at her hairline. “What happened? Who hurt you?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“The fuck it doesna,” he bellowed.
Cullen put a hand on him. “Easy, brother.”
Shaw shoved him away. “Doona dare tell me what to do. You were no’ there. You didna see them toss her off the balcony to her death.”
Cullen’s head snapped to Nia as his brows drew together. Nia wrapped her arms around her middle and stared at the ground.
Shaw briefly closed his eyes and tried to rein in his fury. Then he looked at Nia. “Please, tell me what happened.”
“Amsden happened.” She lifted her chin and met his gaze. “He tried to…you know.”
Yeah, Shaw knew. And he would fucking kill the bastard.
Nia smiled when she said, “I used what I learned from you. I kicked him in the groin and punched him in the throat. It felt amazing.”
“Good for you,” Cullen said with a nod.
Shaw was glad that Cullen had spoken because no words were getting past his wrath. Nia would never give him details, but he didn’t need them. Shaw knew exactly what kinds of things the steward would’ve done to her.
“It was Sadie,” Nia said.
Shaw was jerked from his thoughts. His gaze focused on Nia’s face. “What?”
“She found me when I was trying to leave the citadel. Another courtesan gave me a change of clothes and cleaned the blood from me so I wouldn’t be stopped. I thought I could get out and find Merrill, but Sadie shouted for the soldiers. She told them I brought you to the citadel. The soldiers refused to hear that the Divine had ordered me to do it.”
Shaw reached for her hand and felt a small measure of peace when she wrapped her fingers around him. “They wanted blood. Nothing anyone said would’ve stopped them.”
“Did you see the Divine?” Nia asked.
Shaw felt Cullen’s gaze on him, as well. He licked his lips, ready to answer when Vaughn announced his arrival in his head. Shaw squeezed Nia’s hand. “Come with me, please. I’m going to deliver the story, and I know the others will want to hear from you, too.”
“I’ll get Tamlyn,” Cullen said as he ran back to the canyon and jumped to the bottom.
Nia gave a curious glance to the wildcat. “Is that a pet?”
“I’m no’ sure what Nari is, but she helped Cullen, and she’s been here ever since.” Shaw began to walk toward the border, but Nia tugged on his hand to stop him when she spotted the dragons coming their way. “They willna harm you.”
