Resurrecting Her Dragon (Dragon Guard Series Book 13) (11 page)

“Thank you,”
she quietly sent directly into his mind as not to disturb him.

“Hold your fire there, Sparky,” Ettie snorted.

Kayne nodded his hello while drawing his claymore and following Lennox, who was already brandishing a longsword of his own, toward the flood of griffins pouring through the door beside the fireplace across the room. Claire’s eyes went directly back to Rory. She watched as he blocked every swipe of Malick’s blade with finesse while forcing the griffin back with his own well-placed stabs. Their battle was like a well-choreographed dance, with her dragon keeping the upper hand at all times. He was poetry in motion. More graceful than she’d ever believed a man of his size and musculature could be.

From the moment she knew of his existence, Claire had known this dragon was to be hers. The battle of light and dark was won not by her decision, but by the goodness of the man the Universe had created for her. There’d never been a doubt and watching him in battle only reinforced what she already knew – Rory O’Reilly was the mate of her heart, her soul, and her forever. The one man in all of the world who was strong enough to deal with not only her, but her phoenix. He was perfect and he was hers.

Forcing her attention to her cousins, Claire wasn’t surprised to see they had come prepared. Each woman had a blade in hand and was holding her own against the enemy. The battle was in full swing all over the compound. She felt the presence of more dragons than she could count, as well as werepanthers, fighting the multitude of griffins all in the name of saving her.

It was a truly humbling experience. It had always been her responsibility to fight for others. Save those who couldn’t save themselves. Be the leader she was born to be. The phoenix would never admit it out loud but it felt good to be the one on the receiving end of the rescuing and she owed it all to her dragon.

As if he’d heard her thoughts, Rory glanced in her direction and winked. The last piece of the puzzle fell into place. Their souls became one. She was whole. It was everything she’d imagined it would be and so much more. It didn’t matter that they were standing in the home of their enemy fighting for their lives. It was simply perfect. Claire started to smile but ended up screaming, “No! Rory! Duck!”

Unfortunately, her warning was too late. During the split second it took Rory to look at her, Malick swept his hand into the ash bucket, grabbed a handful of soot, and when her dragon looked back, the bastard threw the ash into Rory’s face. Using her dragon’s momentary blindness to his advantage, Malick lunged forward, the deadly point of his blade sliding easily into Rory’s chest.

Claire opened her mouth to scream again but this time nothing came out. There wasn’t enough air in the room. Her phoenix wailed in her head. She watched shock replace the look of determination on her mate’s handsome face. Stumbling to remain on his feet, Rory rocked forward and then back before his knees buckled. The force of the Guardsman falling to the floor pulled the blade from his chest. His blood flowed freely, immediately covering the front of his blue t-shirt and turning it a ghastly deep purple as Malick raised his sword for a killing blow.

Of their own volition, Claire’s hands flew out in front of her. Fire burst from her fingertips. A howl unlike anything she’d ever heard flew from her lips. “You. Will. Die!” She screamed as the flames grew in intensity. Fire shot in every direction, engulfing not only Malick Slade but all the griffins within reach. She’d given total control to her phoenix and the bird was hell bent on ridding the world of anyone who dared to harm their mate.

A tall, broad shouldered griffin, who looked enough like Malick to be his twin, appeared at the far side of the room. Claire immediately knew it to be Zanus, the brother responsible for her accident. Before her phoenix could redirect her fire, the coward bellowed his retreat. The other griffins scurried like cockroaches from the light. Only the thought of Rory bleeding out on the floor kept her from pursuing the bastard and his underlings.

Racing to his side, Claire knelt in a puddle of Rory’s blood as she touched his throat to check for a pulse. His face had turned a deathly pale and sallow grey. Deep, dark circles appeared under his eyes. His breath rattled in his lungs, telling her they were filling with blood. Rubbing his cheek with the back of her fingers, the electric current of recognition flew up her arm, landing deep in her heart, quickly followed by the feel of his dragon pushing white hot healing magic at the gaping wound in Rory’s chest.

Voices came from every direction. Hands touched her shoulders while others reached for her mate. The dragons that weren’t disposing of the remaining griffins were calling for help and asking what they could do to help their fallen brother. Declan, who she somehow knew was the medic of Rory’s Force, was called from the other side of the mansion, but the phoenix knew he wouldn’t be in time.

She could feel her family around her, lending their power and their prayers to not only her but also her dragon. Knowing Claire needed to be as far away from the burning corpses of her enemies as possible, her cousins directed Kayne and Lennox to carry Rory out into the garden.

“We’re on it,” Kayne immediately answered, smoothly sliding his arms under Rory’s shoulders while Lennox lifted his legs.

As gently as possible, the two dragons lifted her dragon from the floor, walked out into the moonlight, and laid him on the smooth stepping stones by the fountain. Shutting out everything but her phoenix and her mate, Claire worked with all her might to calm the flames still burning within her. Her rage for what the griffins had done to her mate would not be extinguished. It grew brighter, fighting to avenge Rory, keeping the embers of her phoenix fire alive. Praying to Lugh, the Universe, and all the Fates, she begged for the calm she needed to cry the tears that would heal her mate.

Desperate for the tears that wouldn’t fall, she called upon her ancestors both phoenix and Choctaw to give her the strength she needed to turn from anger and vengeance. When nothing happened she looked at her cousins and shook her head. Desperation filled her heart. Never in all her years had her tears not flowed as freely as the stream on her mountain but, now, when all would be lost without them, they refused to fall.

The touch of Ettie’s hand on one shoulder and Olive’s on the other warmed Claire’s heart. She felt their love for her but also the man they’d just met who’d captured their cousin’s heart. Kneeling beside her, they removed their hands from her shoulders and took her hands into theirs. Delilah, Gabby, Karleigh, and Tilly followed suit, all taking the hand of the cousin beside them until Rory was enclosed in a circle of their own making.

Taking the lead while Claire continued to calm the fire within, Ettie prayed, “Oh Great Ancestors who’ve gone before us, please hear my prayer. Please provide the guidance our Leader and cousin needs to save the mate of her heart. Give her the vision to see beyond the pain and vengeance to her true calling that is of the light and of healing. Let the love she feels for her dragon and the love he feels for her flow between their hearts. Let it calm her phoenix and the fire within. Show her the way to her tears. Show her the way to her light. Touch each of us in this circle that we may lend our strength and power to her struggle. Help us see the light so that we may guide her. We thank you for your strength, for your guidance, and for your all-encompassing love, for without it we would be but feathers in the wind, lost and directionless. It is in your name and that of the Universe who makes everything possible that I give you my undying loyalty and love. Peace be with you.”

“And also with you,” her cousins responded along with the dragons and werepanthers who’d gathered at their backs while they prayed.

Looking up in surprise, Claire’s heart filled with love and determination as she saw the unconditional love the Guardsmen felt for her mate and also for her. Her phoenix pulled back, immediately calming her flames for their dragon. Threading her fingers through Rory’s limp, cold ones, she bowed her head until her forehead touched their clasped hands.

“Please, please, please,” she whispered.

A warmth she’d never felt before filled her from the inside out. Not only was her phoenix working to help their mate, she could feel Rory’s dragon lending his incredible power, coupled with that of her ancestors who were answering Ettie’s heartfelt prayer.

Feeling as if she could move mountains, Claire squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the first vision of Rory she’d ever gotten to the front of her mind. There he stood, red curls blowing in the wind, a cheeky grin on his face, and a twinkle in his eyes that could only mean he was up to no good. The love she already felt for the man grew exponentially.

Power continued to build within her but still the tears remained at bay. Precious seconds ticked by as Rory’s breathing became more labored and his skin clammy and cold. Ready to scream, Claire threw her head back, opened her eyes, and stared at the full moon above. The faces of her mother and that of her grandmother appeared on the surface of the bright white orb in the sky.

They smiled at her with a confidence she didn’t feel. A look so intense Claire could feel it in her soul crossed both their wizened faces just as the words, “
This is your destiny, Claire. Save the dragon, save the world,”
floated through her mind.

Bright white light burst to life inside her. The phoenix who’d shared her soul for all her life spread it wings, threw back its head, and sang to the Heavens. Claire opened her eyes. Looked at Rory’s face, still even more miraculous than the first time she’d seen him, and leaned forward until her lips touched his.

Shocks of electricity made Claire and her phoenix burn white hot. It was not a fire of hate or vengeance or even to chase away the darkness. This was one of light and healing and most importantly of all, unconditional love.

Losing all track of time, Claire poured everything she was into the chaste kiss she laid upon Rory’s lips. Without warning, his lips moved against hers. Claire gasped and tried to pull away, only to feel the warmth of her dragon’s big strong arms closing around her. It was then she felt the tears she hadn’t realized were falling on her cheeks.

Lifting her head just enough to look into Rory’s barely opened eyes, Claire opened her mouth to speak when Rory’s voice sounded in her mind.
“Please tell me I don’t have to get stabbed every time I want a kiss...” 

B
etween Claire’s amazing tears and the kicked up power from Kayne’s earlier healing power still flowing through his body, Rory was almost completely healed by the time they reached the lair several hours later. When he’d awoken to find himself (a) alive and (b) kissing Claire, neither man nor beast could hold back. It was the culmination of everything he’d ever denied wanting and for most of his life believed he didn’t need. She completed him in ways he couldn’t imagine as well as in ways he was looking forward to exploring.

First on his list of things to do was get her dressed in something other than Malick’s pajama shirt. Racing to his bike, he grabbed a T-shirt for himself and one for Claire, along with his drawstring sweatpants from his saddlebags. Once she was dressed in his clothes and the griffins had been thrown in the pyre his brethren built to dispose of the remaining bodies not burned by phoenix fire, Rory could finally relax.

Not letting her get out of his sight as they searched for any remaining griffins, Rory bombarded Claire with thought after thought of all they would share together. She had blushed so many times her cousins openly teased her and asked for details.

“Oh come on, Claire. Just a few details?” Delilah teased.

“We can keep a secret,” Karleigh giggled with a look that said she knew full well not a one of them had ever been able to keep a secret in all their very long lives.

That did not, however, stop the fun as Gabby waited until several of Rory’s brethren were around to ask, “So, Rory, whatcha waiting for? How long’s it gonna take you to make an honest woman out of our Claire?”

Rory almost burst out laughing when Claire spun around and pegged the swan shifter with a look that promised retribution, but her shocked expression, complete with eyes as big as saucers and her mouth wide open, was so much better when he replied, “Tomorrow, next day at the latest,” with a straight face.

Claire stammered and stuttered as his brethren joined in on the fun.

“And here come the chuckle heads. Just wait, it’s gonna get good.”
Rory chuckled through his direct link to Claire.

Kellan, who was still hiding the scarred side of his face from Claire’s cousins, even looked up and smiled as he threw his two cents into the discussion. “And that’s coming from the ‘confirmed bachelor’. What was that he used to tell us, Lenn?”

“I seem to recall the words ‘mates are for saps’ coming out of his mouth a time or two,” Lennox chuckled so hard Rory wondered if the goof might fall in the pile of smoldering debris he was shifting through.

“How about ‘there’s not a woman alive that can keep up with me’?” Roy called from the far side of the room they were searching.

“Is that so?” Claire finally joined the fun, making him love her all the more.

“Well, I’m thinking he might’ve just met his match,” Tilly’s teased. “Claire is a wild woman.” The osprey laughed so hard tears ran down her face.

“A wild woman, huh? Hot damn, let’s head home now.”

Once again his phoenix’s cheeks turned a beautiful shade of pink as he filled her mind with images of them together. Grabbing her hand, Rory pulled Claire to him and kissed her hard and fast. Pulling away and setting her an arm’s length away, the youngest O’Reilly brother snickered when he had to hold onto her arms an extra second while she got her balance. Knowing he could affect his mate in such a way made both man and beast puff up with pride.

It didn’t take long until Rian and Max showed up after searching the woods surrounding the compound with the werepanthers, Pearce, Brannoc and Declan. They hadn’t found any traces of the griffins but the King assured Rory they would continue tracking until they got a lead. The youngest O’Reilly brother was thanking the King for all his help when Rian, who was standing by Royce, called out, “So ya’ gonna introduce me to your mate or should I introduce myself and share a few childhood memories while I’m at it?”