Twice as High, page 15
The dragon behind us screeched loudly, followed by a ball of fire that came our way. Alistair swooshed right.
“Stop thinking and point the thing.”
I had nothing to lose because surely the dragon behind us had some sort of magical power that would annihilate us, be it smoky venom, fiery breath, or just the ability to chomp me in two.
Again, the dragon, his fiery breath recharged, gave a loud shriek and boom, fireball. This time Alistair swooshed left.
“If the dragon would shut up, he’d probably hit us already,” I spouted.
“Well, my dear brother isn’t interested in taking us out yet. It is all part of his game. He wants to make a show of it. After all, this spectacle outs us to all of humanity. Look at all of those cell phones taking video; all of the witnesses who are observing every millisecond of this. He’s enacting what he intended: unveiling that the supernatural exists.”
Every family had issues, but this one seemed like it was doomed to bring the entire supernatural world harm.
“For what purpose?”
Alistair mentally urged me to look down at the street below. That was when I saw it—a growing mob of people screaming and scampering away from a vampire horde. The voice. “A feeding frenzy.”
Pointing the trident downward, sparks flew from it. The ground below cracked, and buildings shook. The last thing I wanted was to topple the city.
“Take a deep breath and try again.”
Alistair was as cool as watermelon at a picnic in Georgia heat, i.e., not fucking cool at all. His usual debonair voice was laced with realizations of “Oh, shit.”
At least that was my interpretation.
I suddenly recalled the nugget of information from Professor Mason and an idea formed. I knew what I had to do.
Again, I pointed the trident, this time at the approaching river, and a herd of horses raced from the waters. Not sure how much help that was going to be.
“Instead of having me point and shoot this thing, take me to the top of the Empire State Building.” The one tourist attraction that could indeed save us all was the ESB observation deck.
“You have a plan?”
“I was born with plans. I’m a romance writer. Just follow my lead.”
“You know, you could just tell me.”
“Hell, yeah, but if we’re going to die, how much fun would that be?” I leaned forward like I was riding the dragon, and not in the sexy ways that my gran always implied. I dug in my heels at his side, guiding Alistair left and right with the pressure from my thighs. Afterward, I’d need a gimlet.
“Empire State Building.” I heard Alistair say, and I guessed he’d issued his commands to the rest of the crew. I couldn’t imagine that he’d go into this, dragon hanging out, just for me. It was all about the relics.
“You’re lucky I showed up in time.”
“Ha, you’re lucky I know how to ride a dragon.” Nothing made sense, and at this point, I didn’t care. According to my doomsday watch, the countdown meant that in fifteen minutes, I was going to meet my maker either by Poseidon or by the weird vampires and dragon team who wanted Poseidon’s tool.
Men and their tools.
Finally, we rounded the bend, reaching the deck.
Hovering over the observation deck, I slid off Alistair’s back. I gave him a small nod, and he turned to lead his brother away. There was no time for anything else. He muttered something I couldn’t quite catch.
Either my simple plan would succeed or doom us all.
The elevator pinged behind me, the doors opening to reveal the vampires out for our blood.
“Now,” I yelled, and Gran instantly appeared.
“Well, that wasn’t fun. It took everything in me to have faith that you knew what you were doing.”
“What? How long have you been able to hear me? Don’t answer that now. We have a set of hungry vampires about to attack, and a dragon.”
“Nothing that my men and I can’t handle.” Gran turned and gave me a wink, and flying over the deck, water began to fill the space. The water on the deck then started to swirl, white foam forming, and a bright-purple light that I’d seen before with Professor Mason illuminated it from below.
Out of the waters came to stand an army of motley-dressed skeletal pirates, all ready to scrap with their cutlass swords. I turned back to Gran and found her dressed as a pirate, as well. But not as a member of the crew. Her Monmouth cap told me of her position: Captain.
I’d heard enough of Gran’s pirate stories over the years to believe her when she remarked that she was a pirate queen. Oh, how she’d told me bedtime stories about prohibition and of the power in distributing rum. How she became a pirate queen, though, well, I’d not worked all of that out.
“Ahoy, me hearties, we be here to fight for the Order,” she said, “and there's be the ones who wish yer all to rest in Davy Jones’ Locker, in the Dead Man’s Chest. But we have something to feed the fish with.”
Gran then pointed her shiny scimitar at the vampires who’d decided to flash their fangs.
And with a quick swing of her sword, a loud “aargh” went up, and the melee began.
Time was running out.
It was time to burn the boats.
This was a one-way trip.
Chapter 25
Alistair
His goal was crystal clear: lead Ragnar elsewhere to remove the threat of dragon fire and away from Leslie. In his dragon hiss, Alistair said, “I don’t know what this is about, Ragnar, but surely you can find another way than to unite with those who seek our very downfall.”
Shooting between skyscrapers, heading east away from the populated city, Alistair considered his options. Killian, Medusa, and Rose should be making their way there to help Leslie.
Hopefully, they’d arrive in time.
Thick clouds moved in, thunder rolled in the distance, and lightning sizzled across the sky, and the waves grew larger, cresting. While he’d been concentrating on Ragnar, he should have been thinking about Poseidon, too.
A light mist moved in.
“Them? They have done everything to balance the power which your sister stole.” Ragnar cackled back.
“Our sister is the reigning dragon queen.” Of course, those from the blood of Baldr and Nanna knew the repercussions. Dragons shut away on a whim, fear provoked. It was a sore position, even if one did join the Order. There was room for all supernaturals. “Come, Brother. We can make this right.”
The politics of belonging to the gods came with its own derision, as some thought their sister, Jaz, was not the rightful queen.
“You chose the Order over me, over those of your kind to do the bidding of the ones who killed our father.”
“My death will not bring our parents back.” Alistair attempted to create a united bond with Ragnar. They’d both missed out on being around their parents—taken away from Asgard as mere dragon eggs, to be raised in different times, by the gods’ faithful humans. Over the last one-thousand years, he’d seen and experienced a lot, but it was the Order that continued to give him roots, connection, family even. Ragnar didn’t have that.
“It is not about your death, Brother, but about revealing to the world the truth of who we are, and that our kind is not pure myth. This is for freedom, our freedom.
“You’ve never been a risk taker, Alistair, comfortable to live off of the scraps that gods will give you. You’re like a stupid marionette on a string—they pull, and you dance. What is it they demand—entertainment?”
“I’m not a one-dimensional tool.”
“Freedom scares you. I used to be you. I used to be put together like you before—”
“I’ve not lost my way.” Alistair interrupted.
“Then why are you out here with me while your mate is trying to survive?”
Alistair looked around and found himself far from where he’d left Leslie, surrounded by water while the Manhattan lights illuminated the night sky in the distance.
Instead of the orange fiery breath he’d expected, that which could injure, he felt the pain of the scorching blue flames engulf him.
The blue fire of death.
Although he’d loved his brother, his brother had instead kissed him with extermination.
The fire’s heat shredded his once-mighty wings.
“It’s time that you return to the water, Brother.”
With a loud, agonizing shriek, Alistair plummeted into the waters’ waves, catching lastly the image of Ragnar returning to the city, to the love he could no longer protect.
Leslie.
His body sank into their depths; the pain worsened by the saline of the salty ocean water. He expelled one last breath.
Gravity pulled him under, death threatened.
Chapter 26
Leslie
On the observation deck, water up to our ankles, the skeletal army as led by Gran brawled with the vampires. The skeletons advanced, slashing with their swords and forcing the vampires back. But they didn’t give up. Their plan must have been to surround us.
I watched Gran in the heat of battle. She whipped the sword around like the pro she undoubtedly was.
The skeletons created a barrier, a wall that kept the vampires at bay. But the skeletons could only hold them off so long. I could only hope that Alistair or his backup would be here soon. There weren’t any bird feathers around that could make this ole girl here take a faithful leap.
The elevator pinged to reveal the surprise of a lifetime: Saga.
She might have been a cat, but she wasn’t afraid of water. She raced toward me and leapt into my arms, climbing up to my shoulders to only turn into a catlike scarf that wrapped around my neck. Suddenly, I could see with her feline-like precise vision, which was better than my vampire sight. The power of magic that surged through my veins like she’d inserted an IV pumping runic magic into my body.
My heart thudded.
Then I heard the thunder.
The ground shook, a gust of wind pushed against the building, causing it to careen and sway.
The elevator pinged again. This time I could smell those who arrived: five large wolves, but they weren’t the normal Graywolf. Larger than dire wolves with thick fur in varying shades of gray, brown, and black, they stalked forward with their teeth bared, blocking the exit of the vampires who’d been able to knock back many of Gran’s skeletons.
In that new mix were Rose and Medusa. All magical glamours to appear like anyone else were gone. Her wild venomous snakes hissed and snapped at anything that came close.
I stood stock-still and clenched the trident a little bit tighter.
Oh, shit! If I remembered my Greek mythology correctly, if anyone had something to do with Poseidon, it would be her. After all, Poseidon was the reason Medusa was changed from Athena’s priestess to never having to visit the beauty salon again. Had she instigated all of this?
I wasn’t one to pit women against each other, but the anger burned. Betrayal wasn’t a good accessory.
I swung the trident around, a little surer of myself. Straightening my back, I glared at the traitor who was pushing back against the vampires, freezing them into stone statues.
Not too sure how appreciative the city was going to be with having vampires-in-motion statues in the park, but, well—what else would the plan be once we won?
A wave of emotion crashed against me.
Alistair?
I screamed. My arms ached like I’d been burnt by hot grease. My eyes filled with tears.
I raised my hands and stared in the distance, seeing a dragon’s figure approaching.
There should have been a sigh of relief, but there wasn’t. It wasn’t my dragon.
Grounding myself, I reached for the magic around me. If I was a powerful seer, then this would be my reckoning. Holding Poseidon’s trident, I watched it begin to glow blue.
Words filled my head like it was an ancient heartfelt, Sami jojk. And like that, I remembered: I recalled what Sunflower had shown me with spell work, the attack of the wolves in the subway, the grimoire opening, Ásgeirr’s possession, and the deathly magic. I also remembered the visit with my dead father. Why had this all been stripped from me? No idea, but that knowledge, now unlocked, I called on.
My stomach burned. Pointing the trident into the water around me, I crafted a magic circle. As the seer, I could use the trident as if I were Poseidon himself.
My body vibrated with the power of a god.
Lightning sizzled across the sky, the waves rolling in, and the dragon approaching. One shot, it was all I would have, and I wasn’t going to miss it.
He’d killed my sire.
The trident glowed full-on blue now. The dragon opened his mouth as if to attack, and I raised the trident. His fire fought against Poseidon’s embodied might, clashing like fire and ice. He was pushing us back.
I dug in my heels.
This might indeed be our doom. He flapped his wings and seemed to increase his intensity.
“Now you shall die, just like your master,” he roared, and I understood.
He’d confirmed the unthinkable.
This battle we couldn’t win. Who was I to think that I was chosen to do more, be more? Even with Medusa and the wolf pack fighting the vampires, would that be enough?
I stumbled; the trident almost slipped away. Then I felt Gran pulling me back to my feet. She linked her arm through mine. Collectively, we took a step forward, only for him to increase his intensity even more. Again, we took a step back, but this time, Rose came forward and placed her hand on my shoulder. It was like gasoline being tossed onto a blazing fire. United, we three took two steps forward. Focusing, I pushed back with all that I had.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him: Alistair. My dragon had leveled up. His wings appeared larger, and on them, runes now glowed in purple.
“Repeat after me,” the real Rose said.
All linked together, we repeated after her:
“Goddess above with divine light,
equip us with your might,
from the magic of old that flows from the Vanir,
and the strength of the Aesir.
Flow through us, enacting your divine right.”
The light flickered, and Freyja appeared.
All fighting ceased, and the wolves shifted back to their human form. I recognized Killian, Goose, and Hamish. It all made sense. The Order had been watching me, too.
Freyja cupped the air and yanked the angry dragon down to her until it laid at our feet.
“Grandmother,” he muttered, shifting again into his human form of Sam Dolomite. “What have you done?”
“Since you hate your dragon essence so much, I am stripping it from you. It is best that one like you not be given the gift of such power.”
“It is my right.”
“You do your parents a disservice, Ragnar, as that is your true name.”
“A name you’ve enslaved me under.” He rose to his feet. At six feet two, he towered over me.
She cocked her head to the side. “Tonight, a battle has been done on this rooftop, and none of you have won.” I turned to glance around, and the pack of bloodied wolves—I couldn’t tell if it was their blood or that of the vampires—for they’d decimated the vampires. Those who hadn’t escaped or been torn apart by the wolves had been turned to stone by Medusa. “We have lost much tonight due to your pride, Grandson.”
“I wanted nothing from you.”
“And nothing you shall have. No name. No rights. No power. Simply stuck in that human shell.”
“You can’t do this to me.”
“I already have.” In the air with her index finger, she summoned Alistair, who dropped down, once again in his human form, too.
“Take him into custody,” she exclaimed.
Alistair went over as if to grab Ragnar, but instead, Ragnar snatched me to his side.
“You two have forgotten who I am, what I am. I am a bloody prince, a god from the line of Baldr and Nanna. You cannot simply take my power. Take one step closer, and I will kill your mate, Alistair. You’ve always been the favorite, but you are just a tool.” I stared at Alistair’s face as it contorted, only to turn my head, then to see Ragnar’s human hand taking on dragon characteristics. His fingernails elongated, and he dug them through my shoulder, puncturing the skin. The smell of blood wafted around me.
“Don’t hurt her,” Alistair said.
Alistair still hadn’t moved forward. I was tired of people thinking that I was a means to an end. What was it about me that made dumbasses think that I wouldn’t take up for myself? I didn’t need Alistair to rise to the occasion. I could do it my damn self.
With the trident in my hand, I retracted it to the length of a baseball bat—a whole lot easier to maneuver than something the length of a flagpole. Even with his nails still gouged into my body, I bit through the pain, and with the trident’s sharp blades, gave it a good swing right against his beautiful head.
Who knew I’d really make a head roll?
An audible gasp went up.
“Dearest.” Freyja turned to me, her gaze filled with sorrow and anger. “What have you done?”
“I’ve saved the day,” I said and smiled broadly.
“No, dear, you just gave the rogue vampires another martyr for their cause.”
“This is all good and lovely,” Gran interrupted, “but we don’t have time to deal with this. Leslie still has to get her sister, my granddaughter back, and bringing a tidal wave into a city of millions sounds quite idiotic to me.”
In all of the chaos, I’d almost forgotten about Claudine and the gauntlet of Poseidon ready to come down on my head. I could barely catch my breath.
“Will the Trident summon Poseidon wherever we are?” I asked.
“Yes.” Freyja nodded.
