Dragon's Blood (7 page)

* * * *

Something was wrong.

Janos jerked awake from a nightmare and realized he was being shaken.

“Man, she really wore you out. I’ve never seen you sleep so deeply,” Jonah said, his grave countenance belying the lightness of his words.

Janos sat up, horror clutching his middle with jagged claws. “Where’s Scarlett?”

“Don’t panic. Levi was already sending people to look for her when I came to get you. She snuck out of the compound two hours ago.”

“Are you certain she’s left? It’s a big place. Surely, she wouldn’t leave the safety of…”

His words trailed off as Jonah’s look told him not to be an idiot. As he leapt from bed, Janos acknowledged he was grasping at straws. Every fiber of his being spoke of her absence. He felt it in his raging desire and the hollow throb in his middle.

“When her note was found, Levi checked the cameras,” Jonah told him.

“Note?”

“The autograph she promised Sandor.”

She’d…left an
autograph
…and…
nothing
for her mate? Anger sliced through Janos to twine with his growing horror. How dare she risk herself and their future like this? The future of their children. The future of the clan. And for what? A foolhardy visit with her cousin? He had no doubt that was where she’d headed.

He yanked on his clothes with such force the seams audibly protested. He’d be a laughingstock. A Dragon joke. He might just paddle her when he got his hands on her little bottom again. Despite his worry, Levi and the man still with him appeared grim when he tore into the courtyard a few moments later.

“You have a strong-willed woman,” Levi commented as they shifted for flight. “The marking and the mating drive should have worn her out. Her strength will serve her well as the mate of an elder.”

“If I don’t kill her,” Janos muttered. He pushed away the terror that their enemies would get to her first and he’d find pieces of her if he found anything at all. He had no time for fear.

“Do you have any idea where she’s gone?” Jonah asked. Since it was broad daylight, this needed to be a pinpoint and strike mission, or they’d terrorize the people of New York. While pandemonium could momentarily serve them, the Ghenton and Cruentus Clans would no longer need to worry about extinction. The council would see them exterminated for exposing the Dragons to the world.

“She wanted to see her cousin before leaving. She mentioned a church, but she could be at her cousin’s apartment.”

“Well, at least we know the needle is still in the haystack. My scion, Riordan,” Levi indicated the red and black Dragon beside him, “is one of the few who has old magic. His sight can guide us.”

“She was heading uptown. We were at the Madison Square stop when I forced her off the subway. The Djinni attacked us near Thirty-fourth street and Fifth avenue.”

Riordan nodded, knelt then rapidly drew in the dirt with his clawed finger. The design quickly took on the shape of the city, and he sectioned it into a search grid then allowed his hand to hover over it.

Janos paced, wanting Riordan to hurry so they could start now. Jonah placed a hand on Janos’ shoulder.

Calm down. We can’t rush him.

I know. I’m just—Jonah if anything happens to her…
Janos gut clenched in protest to his thought. Scarlett had to be safe. Though he’d been with her less than a day, their souls had united so completely it would kill him if his enemies cut her down—not because of some magical link, but because he knew he couldn’t exist without her, his true mate. His spirit would wither and die because her light would have been taken from him.
She’ll be fine. She’s obviously resourceful and we’ll find her in time. Then we’ll take
your
Velree
home where you can lock her away until you change her. Not that I think that
will go over well with her.

Janos heard Jonah chuckle in his head.

I think you’re gonna have your hands full,
Jonah continued. Janos smiled at that.
Yeah…

“She’s in this area,” Riordan said. He’d circled an area in east upper Manhattan. “It’s only a few blocks. I’ll guide us to the area then we can split up and search using our senses.”

* * * *

Exhausted from the trip into the city, Scarlett slipped into the dim narthex of the church where Athena’s wedding would be later in the week. According to the itinerary Athena had emailed before Scarlett’s trip, she was working on final decorating details. Scarlett opened the hoodie and let the fresh air cool her now that she didn’t have to hide. She’d been fortunate to find a tour bus heading into the city a half mile or so from the compound. The driver had taken pity on her when she’d given a sob story about her boyfriend deserting her. Of course, the two hundreds she’d flashed him might have softened his heart. She didn’t care. She’d gotten a cushy ride into town without having to find a cab that might or might not have taken the fare.

Across from her, two closed double doors led to the sanctuary. Through a small window in one door, she saw Athena flitting around. A man Scarlett assumed was Athena’s fiancé sat on the carpeted steps leading up to the altar and leaned indolently back on his elbows. His lids had drooped to half-mast, and he didn’t bother to follow Athena’s back and forth movement.

He sighed and looked at his watch. Poor guy. Scarlett wondered how many times Athena had been at this. Scarlett knew from emails that her cousin had been militant about including Tyler, her fiancé, in
everything.
Scarlett had a feeling—looking at him as he lounged there in his black suit—that he would have preferred to leave all the details to his beloved.

Scarlett slipped inside and walked toward them.

“I’m thinking we can have the bows of flowers draping back to here…” Athena said, pressing her tongue to her top lip as she stopped to think.

“Theenie, I have a feeling Tyler couldn’t care less where you put the flowers.”

“Scarlett!” Athena yelled, running to meet her halfway down the aisle. “I didn’t think I’d see you.”

“I made a way.” Over Athena’s shoulder, Scarlett saw Tyler’s head snap toward her. He sat up slowly then came to his feet.

“It’s about fucking time,” he rasped. “Truly, I couldn’t give a rat’s ass for the arrangements, and it pisses me off that innocent flowers will be murdered for this god-awful affair.”

His hands started to glow.

“Oh shit…” Scarlett whispered. Grabbing Athena, she dove between the pews several rows back as the front pew splintered. Frantically, she started commando crawling toward the

back of the church. Refusing to let go of her cousin’s hand, she dragged her along, thankful there were no kneelers to impede their progress.

“What the hell?” Athena exclaimed.

“Just shut up and come on,” Scarlett hissed.

“Yes, listen to your little cousin,” Tyler said from the front of the church. “She’s the only reason you’re still alive.”

Athena’s breath caught, and Scarlett yanked her hand to urge her back into motion.

“Don’t cry,” she grated. “Not now. Save it.”

“What?” Tyler taunted. “You thought I really loved you? I was supposed to kill you like all the others of your blood. I only let you live so I could get to her.”

Athena ripped her hand free of Scarlett’s. “You bastard,” she screeched as she stood. Scarlett yanked her back down just before a ball of blue light rocketed over them and blew a hole in the rear wall of the sanctuary.

“Come on,” Scarlett urged. “Keep your head together so we can get out of here alive.”

“Oh, you’re not getting out of here,” Tyler returned, his hearing apparently extraordinary. “I’m going to turn you both to electrified goo and go home a hero.”

A series of explosions split the air, and Scarlett looked back to see pew after pew exploding in the center to make a path. Tyler walked toward them as if nothing impeded him—and he was moving far faster than they were.

Panic rose in Scarlett’s stomach, choking her as red hot prickles raced up her spine. She couldn’t die. She couldn’t leave Janos alone like that. She’d been so stupid. Doubling her speed, she dragged Athena with her toward the back of the church. She deduced from Tyler’s diatribe that her cousin was a Dragon’s mate as well. No doubt Tyler would have killed Athena on their wedding night had Scarlett not arrived. There was no way she was letting him kill her cousin.

As they cleared the last pew, it splintered, but rather than falling, the wood pieces took to the air like a swarm of wooden daggers. They hurtled at the women as they huddled against the wall trying to get to the doors.

Just as Scarlett readied for impact, rubble cascaded onto them and the room shook with the impact of feet to the floor. Through heavily scaled bodies, Scarlett saw Janos and Jonah hold up their hands and stop the progress of the splinters. A blast of fire turned them ash.

“Scarlett, get her out of here,” Janos said as he and Jonah advanced on the Djinni. The doors exploded inward. Scarlett dragged Athena the other direction to a side

door, as a tall, willowy woman stepped through the rubble. With a circular motion, she lifted the door’s remains into a whirlwind and, with a flick, sent it screaming toward Scarlett and Athena like a freight train. The two women dove into the side aisle. Looking over her shoulder, Scarlett saw Jonah and Janos back to back, breathing fire and staving off their enemies’ attacks with magical force she hadn’t known they possessed. As if sharing the same brain, their movements mirrored one another. Together, they jumped and their landing sent a shockwave rippling across the floor. Scarlett hugged her body against Athena’s as the surge sent them slamming into a marble wall. Woozily, she saw it knocked Tyler and his comrade off their feet as well. The Dragons separated and advanced on the pair as they struggled upright, but Tyler and the woman couldn’t move fast enough. Both Dragons shoved their hands in front of themselves and roared, pushing them wide. The enemies screamed, but the sound was cut to a mere echo as their extremities pulled from their bodies and thudded to the floor. Following suit, Scarlett thudded as well…in one piece.

* * * *

Scarlett woke with a scream, and Janos tightened his arms around her, sure she’d struggle until she realized where she was—in his arms, flying above the clouds.

“Hush, love. You’re safe. I have you.”

“Thank God,” she whispered without fighting. She wrapped her arms as far around him as she could and pressed her cheek to his chest. He could barely feel it through his armor. But it warmed him none the less.

He nuzzled her hair with his chin, so thankful she was alive and unharmed. His heart had nearly stopped when he’d heard the explosions in the church. He and Jonah had broken through the roof, both fearing they’d be avenging Scarlett rather than saving her. But his brave
Velree
had held her own against an impossible foe.

“You killed them,” she murmured after a moment.

“We are at war,” he replied simply.

“Is Athena okay? She wasn’t moving after she was slammed into the wall.”

“Yes. Jonah has her. She’s a Dragon mate and under our protection.”

“But we’re not related by blood,” Scarlett protested. “How is that possible?”

“The marker runs through many, of the same blood or not. We are fortunate that you’re so obstinate or we would never have found her—not in time. Do
not
do that again.”

“I won’t. I just had to see her…”

He sighed. This case was a no-win argument. She’d disobeyed, but if she hadn’t,

some Dragon would have lost his mate. “I know,
Velree
. Your punishment will be lighter for that.”

“Punishment?”

“You disobeyed your elder. You purposefully sought to undermine my authority.”

She made a disgusted sound and withdrew her arms from around him. Turning slightly in his embrace, she stared at the clouds they passed rather than facing him. “You were being unreasonable.”

“Says the mate who was almost killed. Again.” He nudged her shoulder playfully with his chin though a part of him still raged from the terror of her near death. “This would be three times. How many will it take?”

“I think I’m done. Can you maybe get me pregnant and change me so I can get on with life? I’ll be a good mom, and I’ll try to do that
Velree
thing, but I’d like to get back to my career, too. At least, for a while.”

But she wouldn’t love him or care for him. It didn’t escape him that she’d left that out. Lust was one thing. Affection was another. “We’ll see,” he said. “I’m all for the first part, but I don’t want you away from me. I can promise you a pampered life—”

“I’m not proposing to be away. I’m suggesting occasional appearances, recording records, that sort of thing. Doing a tour certainly isn’t on my agenda. Besides, I seem to want you every minute.”

“It will lessen. Some.”

“I don’t think it will be enough for me to want to be away from you. Unless, well, you didn’t raise a glamour or something to make me need you, did you?”

He laughed. “No.”

“Didn’t think so. Janos, you’re the kind of guy whose picture woman put on their walls. And when you get all growly…” She sighed. “You’re still not going to tell me what to do all the time. Even if you turn me on. And stop distracting me from being pissed at you.”

“Beg your pardon,
Velree
. Are you ready to meet my clan? We’re almost to my compound.”

“I suppose.” She turned toward him and hugged him again. “I like the sound of your wings. They’re hypnotic.”

Janos had never thought of the whooshing noise that way. It was just part of his being. But it delighted him that Scarlett found it pleasing.

“I’ll take you flying again.”

“Will I get wings?”

“No.” His hand slid down her back. “I’m afraid this enticing pair here is the only set you’ll ever have.”

“Bummer.”

“You’ll get armor. Same color as mine. Eventually.” And he couldn’t wait to see her in it. A warm buzz cruised through his body, and he knew he’d be fully aroused when he shifted back to human. He needed Scarlett badly. He needed to reaffirm she was okay, safe with him where the enemy couldn’t touch her.