Dragonmark (16 page)

By the time the battle was over, they were both coated in blood. Her body throbbed from her wounds and the stress of the hours of fighting. Yet that didn't concern her.

“Illy?” She slid from his back to inspect him. “Are you all right?”

He nodded, but by the way he moved, she knew he was in pain, too.

“Is there anything I can do?”

In spite of his injuries, he shifted forms. Only then did she see the gash he'd taken to his abdomen.

Gasping, she reached to touch it, but he stopped her.
I'm fine. We must find you shelter.

She ground her teeth as unreasoning fury took over and drove out her pain. “I'm going to kill my brother!”

Illarion knew the feeling.

But before he could speak another word, he felt a shift in the air behind him. Turning, he saw the shimmer there that could only mean one thing.

Gale.

Fury exploded inside him as he seized Edilyn's sword from her hip. With a blind rage, he summoned his powers and rushed the goddess.

She'd barely manifested in front of them before he ran her through.

Just as she started to laugh, she realized that she wasn't immune to the blade. It wasn't a mere mortal weapon.

It'd been forged by the gods.

“What have you done?”

Not I, bitch! You started this fight. You and Morgen and Hekate and Dagon. I'm only finishing it.
He kicked her back.
And I will die before I see my father's army in your hands or Morgen's.

Edilyn moved to stand behind as the goddess staggered back and fell.

She glared at the two of them. “You'll never escape from here. Neither of you!”

Illarion sneered at her.
Neither will you.

She died a moment later.

Normally, that might have been concerning without a Chthonian to absorb her powers, but because they were locked in this realm and her powers weren't that significant, Illarion wasn't worried about it.

Edilyn clutched at his tunic. “What's to become of us here?”

We will endure. And we will find a way out of here. I promise you.

She grimaced at his wound. “Just swear to me that you won't die and leave me alone in this horrible place.”

I swear it to you.

It was an oath Illarion made sure to uphold. For the next ten years, he kept himself and Edilyn safe from every twisted form of shadow fey, every piece of Morgen's army, and every halfling that came for them.

But on the fifth day of the tenth year, Morgen's Stone Legion of gargoyles and her mandrakes hit them with a surprise attack at dawn.

One moment, Edilyn had been on his back, and in the next, Maddor, Morgen's commander, had torn her from her saddle and sent her plummeting to the ground.

Horrified, Illarion had done his best to catch her or use his powers to cushion her fall, but he'd been overwhelmed by their forces.

Edilyn!

By the time he reached her, she'd been barely alive and in more pain than he could imagine. Unmitigated rage and agony had torn him apart.

Her eyes glazing, she'd reached for him.

He'd clasped her hand and watched the light fade from her beautiful blue eyes. In one dreadful moment before any words could be spoken, they'd turned dull, and in a single gasp, she was gone.

An instant later, his enemies had seized her lifeless body and ripped her from his arms.

They'd sent his beloved back to him in pieces.

The irony was that if Morgen had tried to bargain with him before they'd harmed her, he'd have given her the Spartoi. For Edilyn alone, he'd have sold out the entire world.

Morgen hadn't given him the choice. Her cruelty was such that she'd been bent only on his punishment.

Now …

He lived only to see her and her mandrakes burn. There was no other purpose.

For the dragon lived on without his heart.

 

14

Illarion froze as he heard the voices that drew near his cave. Normally, they'd be dead already, but there was something highly unusual about these two.

Something that kept him from eating them.

They were nothing like the ones of the past.

“So there be dragons in these woods?” a woman asked.

“Just one.” The man's voice was thick with a Welsh accent that rendered his words barely intelligible. “Well … there are many mandrakes, but only one true dragon that I know of. And Gwyn said dragon claw, not mandrake claw. So I'm assuming he wants a claw from the one, true dragon what lives here.”

“What's the difference between a dragon and a mandrake?”

“Mandrakes are fey-born creatures. They be shapeshifting bastards who can take the form of either man or draig.”

“Draig?”

“Dragon, me love. And they're all currently enslaved to Morgen and live in and around Camelot. But the one … he's the last of his breed here. And he slumbers in yon den.”

Illarion quirked a brow at those words. So, they were after him, but they weren't an army, nor were they necessarily malicious.

“Cool. I'll distract him. You knock him on the head and we'll be right out. Did you bring a pair of giant dragon-sized nail clippers?”

What the hell?

Even her companion gave her a baffled scowl. “Sarcasm?”

She laughed at his question. “What was your first clue? The words or the tone of my voice?”

The man was dressed as a medieval knight, complete with chainmail and a crusader's surcoat and cape. She, on the other hand, was dressed in clothes that came from far in the future.

At least the twentieth or twenty-first century, if Illarion remembered correctly. Though to be honest, it'd been a while since he'd ventured there.

That was his brother's time period. Not his.

The knight smirked at the woman as he surveyed the area, and carefully led them forward without making a comment on her additional playful barb.

As they drew closer to Illarion's lair, the woman took cautious note of the human bones littering the ground. Something Illarion had done as a warning to others, and as a happy poster for himself. While it couldn't bring Edilyn back, it made him feel better that he'd made those who'd harmed her pay dearly for her life.

And these were the strangest two Illarion had ever seen. He watched as they drew closer and closer to him.

“Um, Cade?”

“Aye, lass.”

“How big is this dragon, anyway?”

He paused to consider it. “I've only seen him from a distance. When he's flying in the sky, hunting for prey. But from nip to tail, I'd say about twenty-five to thirty feet.”

“Nip?”

“Mouth.”

“That's a big-ass dragon. Does he breathe fire?”

“I know naught, but would assume it.”

Her eyes widened as she reached out quietly and put her hand on her companion's arm. “What would his range be on that fire, do you think?”

“No idea, lass, why?”

She held him by her side. “Because I'm looking at him and he doesn't appear happy that he has guests.”

The knight she called Cade froze as her words hit him. The blood drained from his face as he turned to see Illarion crouched low, watching them to see if he needed to add them to his menu.

“Nice draggy, draggy,” the woman breathed in a singsongy tone. “You don't want to eat the nice people. Do you?” She shook her head. “No, you don't. We're not even snack size.”

That woman was definitely crazy. Perhaps he should eat her just as a matter of saving the human gene pool.

Cade's jaw dropped. “What are you doing, lass?”

“Shh,” she snapped. “I'm being a dragon whisperer.”

Illarion scowled at her. What the hell was a dragon whisperer?

The man was even more aghast at her words. “A what?”

“Dragon whisperer.” She slid her gaze to Cade. “I'm assuming that if you fight him, it's going to be a bloody mess. Right?”

“Probably.”

“Could result in both our guts and entrails flying?”

“Most likely.”

Definitely.

She patted his arm kindly. “Then let's try this my way first. Shall we?”

He snorted at her offer. As did Illarion. “I'm not sure I like your way, Josette. It seems even more dangerous than mine.”

She winked at him. “Not sure I like my way, either. Just promise me that if he starts to eat me, you'll flash us out of here.”

“I shall do me best.”

Illarion cocked his head as he took note to watch Cadegan a bit more cautiously, since he knew he was a sorcerer.

“Cool, now shush and let me do something galactically stupid.”

This Illarion wanted to see since he couldn't imagine anything dumber than the two of them waltzing into his domain.

With an amused and horrified expression, Cadegan watched her bravely and slowly make her way toward Illarion.

Illarion narrowed his eyes on the dark-haired woman. She was a fascinating creature. While not as beautiful to him as his Edilyn, she was certainly brave. He'd credit her for that.

If not completely stupid to approach him, especially given how much pain he was in.

Biting her lip, she stopped as she reached his nose. “Hi, Mr. Dragon. How are you today? Feeling in a good mood, aren't you? Yes. Yes, you are. You don't want to eat people, do you? No. No, people taste icky. They're sinew and gross. No eat people.” She shook her head to emphasize her words. “You're gonna be a sweetie, aren't you?” This time she nodded.

Yeah, she'd been inhaling some of Morgen's better fumes. She must have gotten lost in the Valley of No Return and found all kinds of interesting places before she came here.

She took a step forward.

Illarion inched back, not quite ready to kill her. She seemed more a harmless moron than a serious threat. He made a low growl of warning.

“Shh, it's okay, Mr. Dragon. We're not going to hurt you. No. We like dragons. I used to draw you all the time when I was a kid. I did. I had a whole collection of dragon toys. 'Cause you're a cutie, you are.”

Woman, you are effing crazy.…

But he kept that thought to himself as he continued to watch her.

She drew up short as she realized one of his wings was on the ground, where it lay broken from his last fight. “You got a boo-boo, Mr. Dragon?”

You think?
But again, he didn't share that thought.

Cadegan drew closer to her. “Its wing's broken.” He started to unsheathe his sword.

Illarion hissed in warning. This bastard he wouldn't hesitate to eat. Chainmail and all.

“No!” she said to both of them. “Cade, keep your sword down.”

“Why? Now's the time to strike.”

She shook her head. “I think he understands me.… You do, don't you?”

Making sure to keep his gaze on her sneaky, armed companion, Illarion nodded.

She inched closer, until she was able to reach out and touch the gray scales around his nose. Treating him like a dog which he really didn't appreciate, she held her hand out to him for him to smell her skin. As if he needed that to smell her presence … or to determine her emotions or mood. “See, I mean you no harm, little big dragon.”

Yeah, she was nuts. And he didn't move as he eyed her warily, still unsure of their ultimate intent where he was concerned.

She moved her hand slowly to pet his head, near his ear. Something only Edilyn had ever done. “It's okay.” She cradled his ear against her chest and stroked his skin. Then she looked over at Cadegan. “See? He's harmless.”

“I wouldn't go that far. But I can understand his motivation. I'd be quiet too for a chance to rest me head on your breasts.”

She blushed.

Illarion growled at him.

“Now, boys,” she teased. “Play nice.”

Illarion didn't care for her tone, but it was nice to feel a kind touch again. Even from a stranger. For a moment, he pretended it was Edilyn who held him.

That weakened him a lot more than it should. And it brought a painful lump to his throat as he missed his wife more than he could stand. Time was forever a merciless bitch who tormented him more with every passing day. Instead of getting easier, it was harder and harder to live without his heart.

Jo placed a kiss to his ear. “We just need a claw from the dragon, right? We don't have to hurt him for that, do we?”

“Depends on how fiercely he fights us for it.”

Illarion hissed and growled at the bastard who was about to become his next meal.

Josette stroked his ear. “Can you heal him?”

Cadegan hesitated. “I can, but am thinking a healed dragon might eat us.”

If you heal me, I won't hurt you.

“Was that you?” she asked Cadegan in a fear-filled whisper.

He shook his head slowly before he eyed Illarion with murderous suspicion. “That
you
?”

Illarion, and yes.

Still, Cadegan wasn't sold on it. “Can we trust you?”

Illarion glared at him. Really? The
sneaky
bastard was questioning
him
? Sure, that made sense. And this close, he finally could see the truth of what Cadegan actually was.
If I wanted to harm you, demon, you'd both be in flames right now.

“All right, then.” Cadegan moved to Illarion's broken wing. “Stand back, lass. This might hurt him and I don't want him to harm you in turn.”

Cadegan was right about that. While he'd never harm her intentionally, he could accidentally twitch in reaction and damage her.

You'd best do as he says. Stand near the cave.

She tapped him on his snout in a way that only his Addie had ever done. “Don't hurt Cadegan, either. I'll be very put out with you.”

“And I won't be fond of you, either,” Cadegan groused.

Illarion snorted as Cadegan moved to his injured wing and Jo sought cover.