A Dragon's Seduction (10 page)

Brayden’s arm shot out and grabbed Grigori’s wrist. “You don’t want to do that.”

Grigori’s eyes widened for a split second at Brayden’s low, lethal tone then he yanked his arm away. He glared at Brayden but didn’t move any closer to Callie.

“Why are you doing this?” Callie’s heart played tug-of-war with her common sense. He hadn’t always been like this. There had been a few times during her childhood Grigori had been a real brother to her. Sticking up for her when no one else would. Sure, there had always been a black aura about him, but he
was
still her brother. And on some level she loved him. “Don’t be like our father, Grigori. You don’t have to do this.”

“What do you know about Father? You never understood him. You’re weak, Callie. Always were and always will be.” Grigori sneered. “Father knew it. He washed his hands of you years ago.” He waved a white-gloved hand in front of her.

Pain shot through her chest. Her knees buckled and she fell against Brayden’s shoulder.

Brayden swore, grabbed Grigori by the throat with one hand and steadied Callie with the other. The magician dissolved in his hand, laughing. He reappeared a few feet away.

“Please, Grigori. You’re the only family I have left. We should be supporting one another. There is not enough Magik in the world that can be worth throwing away your family.”

Grigori narrowed his eyes. “That, my dear sister, is where you are wrong. I didn’t need you then and I don’t need you now – except for the one thing I’m going to take from you. I’ve always despised you.”

 Tears smarted Callie’s eyes. “That’s not true. I remember you taking up for me on more than one occasion in school when I was bullied.  Sure, we fought like most siblings, but you were there for me when I needed you. Doesn’t that mean anything?”

Grigori snarled. “You really are naïve, aren’t you, sis? Who do you think sent the kids to bully you?”

“I don’t understand. Why would you do that?”

Grigori shrugged. “For kicks mostly, but also to keep anyone from being suspicious of how I really felt or what I intended to do one day. I knew I’d take your Magik just like Father took your mother’s.”

Callie gasped. “That’s an awful thing to say.” But, deep inside she knew it was true.

Grigori laughed. “Your mother was weak. Just like you. She didn’t want to harness her power either, so Father took it. He told me so himself when he explained how I could take yours one day.”

Nausea rose to her throat and Callie gagged. Not only had her father murdered her mother, he’d taught Grigori how to do the same to her. Her father had been even more vile than she’d ever imagined.

Sadness washed over Callie. Her brother had turned into exactly what their father had wanted and it broke her heart. “I’m sorry, Grigori. You’re my brother and I’ll always love you, but I can’t let you do this. This is for your own good.”

She raised her hands and murmured a binding chant. Maybe she could bind all of his violent and negative energy and stop him from harming others. She could feel her Magik rising as her body shook and a kaleidoscope of lights arced from her fingers.

The force knocked Grigori to the ground. He winced, then rose with a guttural shout and lunged toward Callie.

With one swift move Brayden stepped between them taking the brunt of Grigori’s attack. The wizard slammed into Brayden with such force it bashed him against the wall. 

Callie recoiled at the distinct
whoosh
as the breath was knocked out of him
.
She stretched her neck to get a better look.
Dear Lord, was he all right?

Brayden leaned over to catch his breath, then pushed off the wall, anger etched into every crevice of his tight features. He wiped beaded sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm and braced for the attack. Grigori lunged again. Brayden threw his arm in front of his face to block the assault and kicked Grigori in the stomach.

The wizard grunted and staggered backward with a cry of rage. Catching his balance, he charged toward Brayden once more. Callie cringed as both men fell to the auditorium floor in a fierce struggle. She continued to chant, hoping the spell would penetrate Grigori’s power.  

It didn’t. It only incited her brother.

Grigori pinned Brayden to the ground, then waved his hand in front of the firefighter. Brayden coughed then grabbed his throat as if an invisible hand were choking him. 

“Stop! Grigori, stop!” Callie ceased her chant and shouted to her brother. He ignored her pleas.

Brayden struggled for air. Callie raised her hands again and tried to break the two men apart. Sparks flashed from her fingers, but nothing penetrated the hold Grigori had on her beloved firefighter. Brayden’s breath became shallow and his skin turned an eerie shade of blue.

Pain speared Callie’s heart. She could feel Brayden slipping away. If she didn’t do something quick, she was going to lose the man she loved.

“Grigori, stop! You’re killing him!”

Brayden shoved at Grigori’s chest. The wizard didn’t budge, keeping his invisible hold on Brayden’s neck. Brayden grabbed his throat and pulled at the empty air. A moment later his hands fell, limp and powerless, to the ground. His body stilled and weak, sporadic breaths lurched from his lungs .

He’s dying!
Tears smarted Callie’s eyes. If she wanted to save the man she loved, she’d have to do the unthinkable. “I’m so sorry, Grigori. I love you, but you’ve given me no choice.”

Callie raised her arms one last time, mustered every bit of strength she had and aimed her Magik toward Grigori. Her body shook as energy arced from her fingertips.

Grigori screamed as Callie’s beams sizzled against his skin. The scent of burned flesh filled the air. Callie coughed as bile rose to her throat. Her stomach heaved at the pungent taste but she forced herself to shove it down.

Grigori jerked his head around and his eyes locked with hers. The shock and disbelief cut Callie to the core.
Oh,
God! He was her brother! Her own flesh and blood.

Callie hesitated, her hands trembling with indecision.  In that moment of weakness, contempt flashed across her brother’s features. He turned back toward Brayden and raised his arms...

“No!” Callie gathered her strength, letting the energy flow through her. She closed her eyes and aimed her Magik toward Grigori once again. This time she didn’t hold back.

With one last scream Grigori’s body combusted. It was over within seconds and her brother was dead, only a heap of ash left in his place.

Callie rushed to Brayden and fell down beside him. “Brayden, love? Can you hear me?”

She picked up his wrist. A very shallow pulse told her he was still alive. Barely.

Callie closed her eyes and brushed her lips against his. “I love you, dragon boy. Don’t you dare die on me.” She inhaled sharply then breathed into his mouth. Purple fog entered his body from her essence. Brayden’s body jerked twice as he gasped for air.

Callie sobbed.
Thank the Lord!
He was still alive.

Brayden coughed and his eyes fluttered. For a heart-wrenching moment Callie thought he was going to succumb once more, then his gaze focused on her. “You … okay?”

Not trusting her voice, Callie nodded.

“Grigori?”

“He’s dead.” Callie hiccupped then buried her head against his chest.

“I’m sorry. I know this isn’t how you wanted this to end.” He stroked her hair. “There was nothing you could have done. Grigori was never going to change. It was going to either be you or him. I’m just glad it was him.”

“I thought I could bind his negative energy and stop him from doing this, but I didn’t have time. I had to save you. I couldn’t lose you too.”

Brayden pushed up into a sitting position then pulled Callie closer. “You did what you had to, baby. Nobody can fault you for that.” He kissed her cheek. “Let’s go home.”

Callie stood and helped Brayden to his feet. “I’d like that.” She shot one more glance toward the pile of ashes and blinked back the tears. Brayden was right. She hadn’t had a choice, but pain jackknifed through her heart all the same. She hadn’t been able to save her brother. A guttural sob choked her as a lone tear rolled down her cheek.
Why, Grigori? Why?

Brayden pushed open the exit door and they stepped out onto the sidewalk.

A large shadow swooped out of the moonlit sky shrieking wildly.

Callie stiffened.

“I’ve got this,” Brayden whispered. He stepped away from her and within seconds morphed into his dragon.

Cyrus shrieked again and swooped toward them. Brayden breathed a bolt of lightning into the air striking Cyrus in the wing. The Chaos dragon squealed and flew back up above the cypress trees.

 Callie barely had time to process what was happening when three more dragons soared in from the east, west and south.

For the love of Magick! There’s more?
Callie shivered. Would this nightmare ever end?

Brayden snorted and flew up to join them in the sky.

“Let them be on our side. Please let them be on our side,” Callie muttered, searching her mind for a spell that would destroy dragons.

The green dragon from the east opened its mouth. Sand spewed into Cyrus’s eyes, blinding him, even as the yellow dragon from the south exhaled a cloud of foul-smelling gas. Cyrus jerked his head to the side screeching in agony from the onslaught.

Callie covered her face with her sleeve to keep from breathing the fumes. Poison, she was sure.

The red dragon from the west circled twice then roared in outrage. Fire filled the sky like an erupting volcano.

The dragons closed on Cyrus.

Talons entangled with talons making it impossible for her to see which dragon was attacking and which one was being attacked. Wings flapped. Shrieks and hisses sliced through the night sky.

Callie blinked, and in that split second Cyrus and Brayden, entwined, fell to the earth in a rushing spiral.

Callie craned to see Brayden. Her heart clenched. Moonbeams reflected off his silvery blue scales as he plunged from the sky twisting and turning like a tornado. She couldn’t tell if was falling on purpose or if he was being pulled down.

Please let him be all right. Please let him be all right.

The red dragon joined the plummet hissing and spewing. All she could see was an entangled mass of colorful scales spinning so fast they appeared white.

In the last possible moment before they all slammed into the ground, the red and blue dragons soared away from the spinning vortex.

Cyrus tumbled through the air alone. Within seconds the black dragon hit the earth with a thud, shaking the ground under Callie’s feet.

Brayden glided in beside her and shifted.

“Is he dead too?” Callie asked as soon as Brayden’s mortal form appeared.

“No. He’s just out for a while. Zeke’s sleeping gas will wear off in a few minutes and Cyrus will be escorted back to Jarithia where he’ll remain for the rest of his life. He’ll never be allowed to enter the Earth realm again.

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

“Good.” Callie muttered a quick spell to erase the memory of dragons from any mortal who happened to get a glimpse of the battle in the sky.

* * *

“Friends of yours?” Callie asked dryly as a few minutes later she watched the other dragons escort a defeated Cyrus through the clouds past the waxing moon and toward a distant light.

Brayden’s eyes crinkled with a grin. “The Gatekeepers. Cade Blackfoot is the Earth dragon. Zeke Townsend is the Air dragon and Drakor Sinclair is the Fire dragon. You really wouldn’t want to cross Drakor. He’s a loner and can be a real loose cannon.”

“Thank heavens they were on our side.” Callie shuddered.

Brayden pulled her to him. “I’m sure you could have handled them.” His laugh filled the air before he sobered. “You did good, Callie. Real good.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t want to. He was my brother.”

“I know, sugar.” His lips brushed the top of her head. “You didn’t have a choice. It was either him or me.” Ice frosted his eyes. “Or you.  And I sure as blazes wasn’t going to let it be you.”

Emotion squeezed her abdomen at the possessiveness in his voice. Her throat clogged. Being with Brayden felt so … so
right
. Was that even possible given their races’ history?

“I love you, Brayden.” Callie hugged him tight.

“I know.”

Callie arched a brow. “You do?”

“Yep. ‘Cause if you didn’t then you’d be hugging my dragon instead of me.”

“What do you mean?”

Brayden rubbed her back. “I wasn’t completely honest with you about what would happen to me if you harnessed my power. The Grand One – with his infinite wisdom – cast a spell so when a dragonshifter mates with a sorceress the shifter loses his ability to shift into human form if the sorceress doesn’t truly love him. Pretty clever way to keep our kind separate, don’t you think?”

Callie’s eyes widened. “You mean you made love to me knowing you might not ever be human again.”