Emma (Dark Fire) (24 page)

“Not her, but Alex, her wizard mate is doing blood magic,” Tyler ground the words out between clenched teeth. “Plants and herbs are needed to perform a lot of rituals. When they are soaked in blood they give the ritual greater power.”

“Did anyone else notice the mesh collars?” Kyle asked, looking furious and sick at the same time.

Emma listened as each person cursed. “I didn’t see one, but what’s so bad about a mesh collar?”

“If it’s created properly a wizard can use the collar to control or take-over another person’s body,” Tyler said, revulsion filling his voice. “A properly made collar can also be used to access a person’s life force from a distance. We’ve all heard horror stories of how master wizards of Wormwood have stables of people, all wearing a collar, giving the wizard a constant source of blood magic.”

^___________

It was nearly midnight when they exited The Cantina. The heavy traffic didn’t surprise Emma, not after tasting the food. Fried scrimp was incredible.

Jenna, Zach, and Kyle headed toward Fire Lake.

“Wait here.” Tyler walked forward into an empty area of the dock. Changing into dragon, he knelt on the ground and opened his arms, beckoning her forward.

She stepped closer and his arms closed carefully around her.

“Comfortable?”
he questioned. At her agreement, he surged into the air.

The midnight sky, filled with a full moon and thousands of stars, never felt so big, not that Emma could see much of it with Tyler’s bulky dragon form blocking the stars from her view. The beauty of Fire Lake more than made up for it.

She wrapped her arms around herself, warm in the crook of his large forearms.

His chuckle turned into a roar as he shot up, flying high above the lake.

As the ground zoomed farther away, she laughed. “What’s that all about?”

“I just felt like shouting. I want to tell everyone you’re my mate and that you are mine forever,”
his voice rumbled in her mind.

“Well, my scaly...” A high-sounding whistle shot through the air, stopping her cold. “Get us out of here! NOW!” she screamed, terrified he wouldn’t understand the danger.

He swerved and dived straight down.

The slender shape of a missile shot past them, silhouetted by the brilliant moon.

“Emma, what is it?”
He surged forward, skimming above the trees until they blurred beneath them.

“It’s a missile. Can you see it?”

He growled.
“It turned and is following us.”

“Crap. It must be a heat-seeking missile. The rocket latched onto your body temperature. That weapon won’t give up until it hits you and explodes.” She clenched her hand tightly on his scaled arm. “You might be nearly indestructible, but a rocket is created to destroy indestructible things.”

“Are you sure it’s following my heat?”

“Nearly positive,” she said, nodding yes even though he couldn’t see her.

“If I dunked under the water, would it follow me?”
he questioned, flipping around he surged toward the burning lake.

“Maybe, I don’t know.”

“Let’s find out.”
He dived toward the water, breaking the surface a moment later.

Water crashed around her, enclosing them in an eerily blue world. They soared through schools of frightened fish and above glowing boulders.

Before he plunged headfirst into the lake, she’d sucked in a lungful of air, but she wondered if it’d be enough. She shouldn’t have worried. Instead, she should’ve questioned his motive.

Without warning, he dropped her, shoving her away from his bulk. She immediately began sinking. Blast the wretched dragon and his insane urge to protect her.

“I dropped you as near the shore as possible. If the explosion knocks me out, get to shore and hide in the forest. I’ll find you.”
He paused, less than a heartbeat.
“If I don’t survive, just know that I love you.”

She hit the surface, screaming his name, “Tyler!” She craned her neck, hunting for him.

He flew straight toward a cliff. Just when she thought he’d crash headlong into the rock, he shot high into the air.

Unable to turn that fast, the rocket exploded against the cliff face.

Tyler roared his triumph, but he bellowed too soon. Another rocket aimed straight toward him, speeding at an inhuman rate. The bullet shaped weapon whistled through the air, seeking Tyler as its target. He must’ve seen the danger, before she did. He shot over the lake, swerving at random intervals.

He veered to the north.

She sucked in a gasp, choking on her fear.

The second missile missed him by mere inches. It couldn’t have been much more.

He swiftly turned west, darting downward to the long cliff surrounding the western edge of the lake, and dived into the lake.

From her viewpoint, she lost track of him.

“Be careful, don’t you dare die on me,” she ordered him softly, fearing her words might distract him.

He surged out of the water, sweeping upward as the rocket exploded against the water.

He chuckled in her head.
“Need to be careful of those hidden boulders. They’re tough on...”

“Watch out!” she screamed, seeing a third missile.

He tried to dive, but it was too late. By the time she had seen the rocket, it was nearly on him. The deadly weapon struck him in the chest, exploding in a thunderous boom of sound and light.

“No!” she shrieked in horror, refusing to believe the rocket hit him, that he was probably dead. That she had lost him forever.

Chapter - When Death Knocks

Pain ripped through Tyler’s chest, choking him with its intensity.

He sucked in a gasp, only to fill his saturated lungs with more water. Ugh, he hated when that happened. He could live for weeks, if not months without fresh air, but the resulting pain as his body searched for air was torture.

It was odd; he’d never been in so much agony, not from lack of air.

His entire chest felt like it had imploded into a million pieces. The relentless grief slashed through him like twin scythes.

Grief? He blinked, trying to understand the foreign emotions flooding through him. He tilted his head, shoving his snout deeper into the sandy bottom of the lake. Memories flashed through his brain, flying and laughing. A joy so pure it pulsed through him, fighting the ever growing agony that ripped his heart to pieces.

“Tyler,”
a sweet voice whispered, filled with despair,
“hang on. I’m coming.”
Choking. Gasping. Dying.

The thought jerked him upright, roaring without sound. He roused from his stunned state of mind.

“Emma!”
His diamond shaped head jerked through the water, searching for his mate.

“Tyler,”
she said, sobbing his name; her voice sounded slurred,
“knew I’d find you.”

Leaving the bottom of the lake, he surged forward. Moments felt like eternity as he hunted for her.

When he finally found her, his blood turned to ice. Falling through the water in a slow spiral, Emma appeared dead. Her beautiful brown hair trailed behind her, floating in a billowing wave. She didn’t have a stitch of clothing on. Her body was pearly white, glistening with dragon scales. Small horns curled above her head.

He came up under her. Wrapping his clawed hands carefully around her, he surged to the surface with a massive kick of his legs. Breaking the surface, he shifted into wér. Water poured from his mouth. He coughed and expelled more.

When Emma didn’t react in the same way, he tightened his hold on her. Her limp body was too still. Terror clenched his heart and he understood the earlier pain he had felt. It hadn’t been the pain of water in his lungs. He’d felt Emma’s agony, her grief slicing into him.

He pulled her scaled body snuggly against his. Her white scales created a shocking contrast against his black hide. Gently, he pumped his clenched hands into her midsection, trying to push the water out of her lungs.

Water poured from her lips. He pumped again. She coughed, strangling as air and water fought to be in the same location. Shuddering, she jerked her eyes toward his. Her eyes filled with tears. “If you ever,” cough, “scare me like that again, I’ll kill you.”

“Sorry,” he said, holding his precious mate in his arms, he shivered. The blue flames of dark energy flickered on the water, surrounding them.

Her arms tightened around him and she rubbed her face against his.

Her entire body froze and he knew the exact moment when she caught sight of her scaled arm. Air hissed through her abused windpipe. “Tyler?” Frantic brown eyes met his. “My skin is white!”

He chuckled. “You mean, you’re scales are white.”

She blinked and looked closer at her own arm. “Scales? Oh, my gosh, I really have scales!”

“You’re also a good foot taller.” He let that tidbit sink in, before dropping the shocking truth on her. “And you’re as naked as the day you were born.”

^___________

“Naked?” Emma all but shrieked, dreading the answer as she ran a trembling hand down her body, her scaled and very naked body. Heat bloomed in her cheeks. At least her boobs weren’t bouncing all over the place. Like Tyler, it felt like she had a skintight body suit on.

“Chélah,” he said gently, carefully tugging her chin up, he looked into her eyes. “If a shape shifter isn’t wearing clothing weaved with strands of faerie fiber, the surge of dark energy destroys our clothes when we shift.”

“Yeah, okay,” she choked out, wondering if she could stay wér until she found some clothes. Walking around buck-naked as a wér was one thing, but walking around naked while human was not happening.

“You are exquisite.” Lean fingers curled around her cheek. His deep laugh warmed her from her toes up. He nuzzled the side of her neck, kissing her cheek.

The whine of a missile sent alarm crashing through her. She jerked her head to the west just in time to see a burst of blinding light. Explosions rocked the air, one after another. “Oh no, they’re attacking Scrimp Shaw!”

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said, tugging her toward the shore.

“No, we’ve got to help them,” she said urgently, trying to get him to stop. It was like stopping a semi-truck, not happening. She finally gave up and followed him.

Once they reached shore, Tyler didn’t stop on the sandy beach. Pushing a feathery blue bush out of the way, he tried hustling her into the thick undergrowth of the surrounding forest.

Digging her heels into the soft ground, she slid to a stop and refused to go a step farther. “I’m not going another step.” Folding her arms, she narrowed her eyes, daring him to force her.

Trying hard not to stare at her own scaly arms, she demanded, “We’ve got to go back and help.”

“What good would it do?” Tyler said with a growl. His fingers feathered down her cheek. “I won’t risk losing you in a fool’s errand.”

“Helping others is not foolish,” she snapped.

“Agreed, but running around amid explosions, without an actual destination, would be foolish.”

Her shoulders sank. She knew he was right, but she hated the idea of her own country attacking a defenseless town. She growled in fury, knowing General Thackwart was responsible.

“If you changed into dragon, we could sneak up behind the missile launchers. Maybe we could destroy them or something.”

“I’d love to, but if I change into dragon, I become a huge flying target.” He leaned closer. “Even more importantly, it would mean leaving you unprotected. I refuse to do that.”

She wasn’t too worried about being left alone, but remembering the cat and mouse game he’d already played with three of the deadly weapons made her shudder.

Moving next to her, he cuddled her body against his, softly murmuring in her ear, “You’re everything to me.”

She felt the same way about him. She loved him, totally and without reservation.

“Look, enforcers are already arriving,” he pointed toward Scrimp Shaw as dozens of dragons dropped out of the sky. “Come on, let’s get a move on before the fighting comes any closer,” he said, pulling her deeper into the forest.

Moving out of the army’s line of sight wasn’t a bad idea. His body was a dim outline within the dark forest, while her pearly scales screamed here I am, shoot me. With a sigh, she bleakly nodded her agreement and followed him into the dark night, leaving the blue flames of the lake far behind.

They walked for several hours, going farther away from the fighting. They crossed several streams and a deep river. It took her a while before realizing the pitch-black night appeared in shades of gray. A dragon’s night vision was so cool. Her new ability made the forest appear eerie as nocturnal animals scuttled away in fear.

Going down a slight incline, she stumbled. For the third time, in as many minutes, her butt nearly smacked the ground. She hated to admit it, but she was dog-tired. It had been a long day and even longer night.

Tyler turned, gently touching her shoulder. “Need a break?” he asked softly, no hint of anger or frustration touched his voice. Blue eyes reflected his concern. “I had hoped we’d reach your house, but it’s farther than I thought. Once I realized it was too far I should’ve stopped, but I was trying to find a good place to spend the rest of the night.”

“I’m so lost. I thought we were north of the lake, not headed towards the house.” Exhaustion colored her words.

Walking another twenty feet or so, he turned toward a thick stand of trees. Pushing past the outer rim, he continued around trunks until he found a small outcropping of rocks. The tumble of rocks was only about four feet high, but trees surrounded the area.

“Better than nothing,” she said in a whisper, not sure why she felt the need to be quiet.

He sat down with the rocks at his back, and gently tugged her hand.

Not hesitating, she sat beside him and wondered if she dared try to sleep. She didn’t think she had much of a choice. Her eyes were already trying to shut on their own.

He hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap.