Loving Two Dragons (Awakening Cycle Part 3) (BBW Dragon Shifter Paranormal Romance) (7 page)

Chapter fifteen

Jennifer

Water drips in the background and a chill runs up my spine. Caves are cold. I don't think I knew that and I'm certainly not dressed for it. Archer puts an arm around me noting the shiver. Logan stands to one side watching but looks away as Archer pulls me close.

We stand in a circle around a small fire. There are low murmurs of conversation between people. Warring emotions rage inside me. Happy to be rescued, anger that I'm happy. What right do I have to be happy? My daughter was just killed! I'm struggling for a balance, for a way through. Nothing is right, the world is darker, wrong and I don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling much less what I should be doing.

"How'd you find us?" my voice is hoarse from tears shed and unshed.

Archer starts to speak, his mouth opens but no words come out. He just pulls me closer, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. Logan chokes back tears too but he doesn't shed them.

"We've known where you were being held and have been trying to rescue you for a while now," Remy says filling the void.

Sarissa stands next to him, her hand resting on his back. Lou stands to Remy's right staring into the fire. Lou! I hadn't even thought of his feelings. Tears overwhelm me again flowing like a river as I extricate myself from Archer and take Lou in my arms.

"I'm so sorry," I say. Lou stiffens as I embrace him. "She loved you, loves you still."

"Thank you Lady," he says stiffly, his tears wetting my shoulder.

I hold him tight until his shudders pass. He turns away from me as he stands his hands rubbing at his eyes while keeping his back to the others around the fire. His eyes are red and puffy when he turns back.

"This is a somber moment," Remy says. "But this place may not be safe for long. Archer, we need a plan. Then we need to move. I've shielded this cave for the time being but I do not trust it."

Archer nods frowning. He locks eyes with Logan and something passes between the two of them. Oddly, jealousy stabs through all the grief and loss I'm feeling. I throw it on the pile of confusion I'm experiencing.

"Of course," Archer says. "Marathe has played me. Played us all. The Council has stripped me of my crown."

"No," I say in disbelief.

"Yes. They also placed a Mark of Denial on me," Archer says unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it aside to reveal the left side of his chest.

A tattoo rests there that is new. It's some kind of a knot work pattern that shifts as I look at it twisting around on itself. Looking at it fills my stomach with revulsion, acid rises into my throat. He covers it over and the feeling passes.

"Archer, no, not you too." Logan speaks in a whisper, utter horror on his face as he too reveals a similar mark.

Archer grimaces and nods. "That is where we stand. She was moving you both to the Crimson-Gold Industries complex. Remy and I thought she would and assumed she would bring you all out in the open to do it. So we took advantage to stage our rescue."

"I'm going to kill her," Logan vows.

Archer closes his eyes inhaling deeply. Then he nods sharply. "She has left us no choice."

"None of the Gold Clan is happy with the change in the regime. They will help us but we cannot put them at risk openly. Some," Remy says looking at Lou "we could not keep away."

"Marathe isn't going to stop with you alive," Brant says stepping into the light of the fire and looking at me then Archer. I'd almost forgotten he was here. "She'll expect you to come after her but she has a special hate for the Queen."

Archer nods. "We have no choice. She's not alone, she has allies. White has returned to the Council."

"You're kidding." Logan says.

"I wish," Archer says.

"They're the ones who started this whole idea of hurrying up the prophecy. It's their power she used to leverage getting my King and Queen to go along with her insane plan. Problem is, not all the Greens are on board with it."

"What is it she wants? What are they trying to do?" I ask.

"Reset the world," Brant says bluntly.

"Reset?"

"They want to wake the Ancients, the original dragons, who will then destroy most of humanity and return our kind as the rulers of the world."

"Oh," I say dumbfounded.

Something pops loudly. Before I can even turn to the source of the sound there's the sound of steel being drawn and Archer forces me behind him deeper into the cave. Over his shoulder she's there laughing. Marathe stands in front of a swirling portal. She has something in her hand that looks like a fancy, filigree egg.

"You don't get away that easily!" Marathe screams her arm rising back in a pitching motion. "Not this time. I won!"

Archer and Logan, swords drawn, start running towards her. Remy's hands rise up purple energy crackling. He starts to motion forward when suddenly Sarissa steps aside holding a glowing purple stone and aiming it at his back. A bolt of energy shoots out of the stone engulfing Remy who freezes in place.

Marathe throws the egg thing which arcs up coming straight for me. It moves in slow motion up into the air, flying right between Archer and Logan both of whom look from me to it.

They both leap.

My giggles start to break loose as it looks like they're going to collide in mid-air. The insanity of this situation is pushing me over the edge.

My two men connect with the egg thing, their outstretched hands smash it between them. A flash of white light is followed by an explosion. A shock wave knocks me off of my feet landing me on my ass. Luckily I don't hit my head this time so I jump back up.

Archer and Logan are gone. Remy is frozen in place. Sarissa stares at him, sadness on her face. Her lips move, it looks like she says I'm sorry as she moves over next to Marathe.

"No!" Brant and Lou scream at once running for Marathe and now Sarissa.

The two women back up a step and then they're in the portal which snaps closed behind them. Brant and Lou dive but the portal closes too fast and they land in a heap on the cave floor.

They rise up, dusting themselves off and turn towards me. I walk over to them staring at Remy who's still frozen. He doesn't blink, or breathe, or move in any way I can see. I don't know if he's alive or dead. I look around but there's no sign of Archer or Logan either.

I'm standing on the edge and an avalanche is racing down. I'm about to go down. I look into the abyss before me. All the confusion, the fear, the anger, the grief. It's all down to me. What am I going to do? The two men I love are gone. My greatest ally, frozen. I'm no Queen. I'm no leader!

Brant and Lou stand before me with their swords drawn, waiting. I wonder if this is what Boudicca felt. If the Spartan King stood before his three hundred men facing hopelessness, death and despair, if this is what he felt. When faced with impossible odds you either fold or you find hope and you go for it.

"Lady?" the two men ask, wanting direction. Wanting, no needing, a leader.

I snap inside. I don't know what it is but a mother is a lion. That bitch killed my baby and she's going to pay.

"Salvage everything we can carry from here, we have to move," I bark the order.

Both men sheathe their swords, salute, then begin rushing around gathering supplies. Once they are finished they stand before me again.

"What now Lady?" Lou asks.

"Now, we start a revolution."

END OF PART 3

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Loving Two Dragons Part 3
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Loving Two Dragons (The Awakening Cycle Part 3)

Copyright
© 2015 by James D Horton

All Rights Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental. The characters are all productions of the author’s imagination.

Please note that this work is intended only for adults over the age of 18 and all characters represented as 18 or over.

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About the Author

James D Horton's books combine paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and horror with humor and gut-wrenching reality. The Predator & Prey series has consistently hit the top twenty Amazon paid bestseller lists in Dark Fantasy.
James was born on a naval base and raised in Lamar, MO. He is a fiction author and novelist, writing in the paranormal romance and urban fantasy genres. His approach to writing is no frills, fast paced excitement that creates an emotional impact. He writes fantasies, horrors, and romance novels, all of which are designed to get your heart racing.
He is a self-proclaimed original comic book geek and loves superhero movies, his favorite TV shows are The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones.
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