1303 The Dragonslayer (The 13th Floor) (10 page)

He ran a hand along his belt. Silver knives and a smaller handgun. No good. The incendiary grenade he’d already used at the Governor’s manor. That left only a flashbang. It was something he’d use on dragonkin, but he had no clue how much of an effect it would have on an old and powerful dragon.

The bulkhead crumbled as Whittaker drove his tail through it, and Xan rolled out of the way to the farthest corner. A roar of victory threatened to topple him over the edge. His insides felt as if they’d liquefied. He could barely move.

Xan fumbled with the flashbang. Not able to get it off his belt at first. He clutched the grenade, trying to lift his arm to throw.

Lois hadn’t faltered when she accused the Governor of being a serial killer. She’d yelled it out loud and clear. Even knowing what Whittaker was, she still did it.

Her strength was Xan’s strength. For a fighter braver than he.

He tossed the flashbang and it lobed up, landing without a noise as it skittered under the dragon’s rear-end. Whittaker made that sound again. Gravel raked over fire back and forth. A dragon’s laugh.

Xan gazed into the monster’s maw. Rows of jagged teeth like a shark’s and a black tiny serpent’s tongue were to be the last things he saw. Closing his eyes, he pictured Lois flushed and breathing heavily after she kissed him before she did her drunk act. Full of life and amazingly beautiful.

A bang rolled like thunder, not at all muffled by the dragon’s behind. Even with closed eyes, a bright flash made Xan’s world momentarily white. Whittaker yowled and something slammed on the roof in front of Xan. The hot and filthy breath surprised him even more than the delayed explosion.

His ears were ringing. Perhaps there were more roars or sirens, but Xan couldn’t tell. He didn’t need his sense of hearing. Opening his eyes, things were bright and fuzzy, but he knew what had happened and wouldn’t lose this opportunity. Not this time.

Streaking forward, Xan thrust the muzzle of his rifle into the dragon’s eye. Whittaker’s head lifted as Xan pulled the trigger. The dragon whacked Xan against the ledge. Another round fired and then a third.

Whittaker flung his head back, and Xan lost his grip. He teetered backward and flailed, snagging the crumbling ledge.

The dragon’s head thumped onto the roof. His whole body twitched. It sagged and then deflated a little as one of the world’s oldest creatures died.

The impact of his head caused the mortar to loosen further. Xan frantically tried to grab something, anything, to keep from falling. As his hands met with nothing, an odd sense of peace went through him. Death had never frightened him. He would be reunited with his father, and maybe, if God blessed him, the angel that was Lois would be waiting for him.

Something seized his left wrist and yanked him back onto the roof. He flopped forward landing on the person who had saved him. Female. Tall. Wearing a familiar jacket.

Blinking, he tried to focus. Lois.

Did he die already?

Lois was saying something, but he couldn’t hear her. The flashbang’s blast still echoed in his ears. He couldn’t be dead then. Xan was alive. More importantly, Lois was alive.

She pushed him to one side and rambled on. Standing up, she turned to the dead dragon and said something very emphatically to it. Lois reached into her pocket and took out a coin. The once cursed coin. She threw it at Whittaker and yelled something else.

Xan rose onto shaky legs. He rubbed his ears, popping them a few times. Distantly, he heard sirens and the noise of people below.

“Lois.”

She whipped around at the sound of her name. The fury turned soft, and she smiled the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. Lois said something, but the words were lost to him.

“Lois,” he said again and grabbed her by the arms. His voice popped his ears again. “You’re alive.”

“Of course I’m alive.” The words were muffled, but Xan could hear her.

He pulled her against him, wrapping her in his arms. Every part of him hurt, but it didn’t matter. Lois was alive. Her hair was singed under his chin, but she didn’t squeal with pain as he held her. She was alive and in better shape than he was. Luck was on his side today.

Lois eased back a bit after a minute and glanced at the dragon. “You killed him. I ran up here to save you, and you’d already killed him. God, he’s big. Ugly too. What are we going to do with him? The world’s going to know now. There’s no hiding a body this huge. I’m surprised the building is holding up under his weight. It took me forever to climb those fucking stairs—”

Cupping her chin, Xan turned her face back to his and kissed her. He intended it to be tender, but the joy surging through him made it much more enthusiastic than soft. Lois moaned against his mouth and melted against him.

When the kiss finally ended, they both stood breathless and gazing into one another’s eyes.

“What now?” Her voice was husky.

“We’re going to go to my place, shower and patch up, and then sleep.”

“How anti-climatic.” But she smiled as she said it.

“Then tomorrow, I’m taking you out to dinner. Anywhere you want.” Xan stroked the ash-spotted side of her face.

“Anywhere? Now that sounds more interesting.” Lois ran her hands along his forearms and took his hands. “A date with a dragonslayer. I like it. Especially one I know looks scrumptious without a shirt.” She pursed her lips. “Do you think your neighbor will lend me a pair of shoes? Meira has to have hundreds of them.”

It was his turn to grin. “You can ask her.”

Lois looked again to the dead dragon and her expression grew more serious. “Really, what are we going to do about him?”

“Nothing.” Xan couldn’t believe he was saying it himself. It was time his life had something more than duty. “Leave him and whatever will come of this is whatever it will be. I’ve done what I can, more than what I thought I could. Besides,” he said as he directed her to the gaping bulkhead, “I have a date I refuse to miss.”

EPILOGUE

“They’re getting bolder.” Scanning through articles online, Lois clicked the mouse again. Huff ran over her feet and chased a paper ball under the coffee table.

Xan started to reach for the ball to toss it in the trash and stopped himself, letting the ferret have her fun. “The Governor’s death has riled them. Usually one dragon doesn’t know when another dies. I’m not certain what they’d do. There’s nothing in my father’s notes about it, nor in any of my other papers.”

“Well, keep looking. The world is screwed if they ever band together. Thankfully they can’t stand one another as much as we can’t stand them.” She sighed and set her laptop on the table. “Two months. It’s it’s like the world has never seen a dragon. I still don’t get how they managed to cover it up with all the video and pictures and witnesses. How is that even possible? Didn’t I write those articles warning everyone? Now it’s like they were never published.”

He rested a hand on her leg, giving it a light squeeze. “It’s the nature of humans. Anything they can’t explain is swept away. Magic, werewolves, vampires, dragons.”

“Yeah, yeah. None of those things are real, except dragons.” Lois ran her hands through her newly bobbed hair. He hid his smirk, admiring her creamy skin and the ear he liked to nibble. “I think it’s someone, or some ones, higher up in the government. Dragons in the CIA or Homeland Security. They’ve fogged everyone’s memories, created some action overseas so people would focus on something else. It’s a cover-up, and I’m going to find out who’s responsible.”

“That’s a big task.” Xan couldn’t resist any longer. He leaned in and brushed his lips over her neck.

“It is, but I’ll find the dragon and you’ll slay it. We’ll mow right through those ugly lizards.” She tilted her head to the side to give him more access.

“First, dinner. Can’t work on an empty stomach.” Xan left a trail of kisses up to her ear and nipped at the lobe. “Chez Brandon’s?”

Lois made a sexy little sound, a bit like a whimpering growl. “You know you don’t have to take me out to all the fancy places. Pizza or Chinese take-out works just as good for me.”

“Too greasy.” He kissed her once more and sat back with a grin. “Besides, I want to see you in that new black dress you bought. Didn’t Meira give you some shoes for it too?”

“Yes, with compliments on my toes. So weird.” Lois chuckled and gazed at him through long dark lashes. “Chez Brandon’s, hm? Too bad they have a shirt and tie policy. Maybe I can find a dragon down in the Caribbean or Mexico, and I can get you on a beach.”

“You don’t have to go to those lengths to get me shirtless. You need merely ask.” Xan leaned back and teasingly tugged up the bottom of his shirt.

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in that? I like a challenge.”

Xan slid across the couch and kissed her until she went limp under him. “So do I.”

THE END

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A big round of applause to my magnificent critique partners, Cherie Reich and TF Walsh. Thank you so much for everything you do for me.

Thank you to my beta readers, Clare Dugmore and M Pepper Langlinais. Your insights are spectacular.

Hugs and kisses to my husband and son. I know I put myself on a tight schedule with this series, but I promise it’s half done!

Finally, thank you so very much to my readers. This wouldn’t be happening without you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She lives in Southern Indiana with her husband and son. Their cozy little house is stuffed full of books and games. Christine has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she’s not writing or reading, she’s having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on the Syfy Channel. She’s a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. She has twenty short stories and five novellas published.

The Dragonslayer
is the third book in the 13th Floor series. The fourth installment,
1304 - The Harbinger
, will be available on March 13, 2013.

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