Serpent's Kiss: A Dragonfire Novel (30 page)

Worse, the scales she’d polished to moonstone and silver blackened all over again, as if she’d never touched him.

Thorolf faltered and struggled, as if he wasn’t sure what to do. He spun to confront Chen but didn’t seem able to strike a blow. His one claw rose as if he’d grab Rafferty, but Chandra leaned closer to him, trying to encourage the firestorm to burn hotter.

He was snared in indecision, caught between two states of being.

Then Chen began to breathe slowly, exhaling so steadily that Chandra knew he had to be breathing dragonsmoke. Thorolf jumped as if he’d put his claw into an electrical socket and Rafferty swore softly.

“The missing scale,” he said, which made no sense to Chandra. She was aware that Rafferty’s breathing had been very shallow and feared that he’d done too much. She didn’t know much about salamanders, but he looked paler than he’d been before. His eyes were closed, too.

“Once more,” he whispered, then flicked her a quick bright look. “Once more for the firestorm.”

Chandra watched in horror as Chen reached for Thorolf, his eyes shining with triumph. She felt the wind as his claw snatched on empty air. She heard his shout of frustration.

But they were caught in that tornado again, surrounding by the spinning power of wind. Chandra buried her face in Thorolf’s back, even as that pale blue light shone. He shifted to human form, then back to dragon form, cycling between his forms with increasing speed.

She held tightly to him and to Rafferty, and hoped Thorolf’s involuntary shifting wasn’t a bad thing.

Even though she knew it was a sign of a
Pyr
having a fatal or near fatal injury.

When the wind stopped and they were dropped against the ground, she was surprised that Rafferty disappeared. Thorolf was in human form and the firestorm was burning with a faint silver light.

Rafferty had brought them back to her sanctuary, back to Myth. He instinctively understood that Thorolf was safe here, and that Chen’s spell lost its hold over Thorolf here.

Chandra understood that the other
Pyr
was trusting her to heal Thorolf.

She hoped with all her heart that she could.

Then she rolled him over, hating how motionless he was. She brushed her fingertips beneath his nose and was relieved to find him still breathing. As she angled herself over him, the firestorm burned a little brighter, its silvery light encouraging her as nothing else could have done. She surveyed him, thinking of how well he had fought, admiring how much he’d given of himself to try to save her, and knew in her heart that she’d chosen the right
Pyr
all those centuries before.

Now she had to give as much as was necessary to save him.

* * *

Liz Barrett felt her husband Brandon leave their bed. His quick movement awakened her immediately. She saw the shimmer of blue light that announced his pending shift, and knew he’d sensed a threat.

The weird thing was that she felt one, too. A flame had flickered to life somewhere in their vicinity, but it wasn’t a natural flame.

She was out of bed, following Brandon before she realized what it was.

Darkfire. The blue-green spark of unpredictability that was associated with the
Pyr
.

And it was in the boys’ bedroom.

Brandon was right ahead of her, his sense leading him to the same place. He blocked the doorway, keeping her from their sons, his posture so protective that she knew he’d seen something. “Marco!” he said in sudden relief. “You gave us a shock.”

Liz slipped past her partner, smiling to find the Sleeper of the
Pyr
in the rocking chair in the boys’ room. Marco had dark hair and dark eyes and tended to be quiet. He was rocking quietly as the boys slept, Christopher in his big boy bed and baby Andrew in his cradle.

“Brothers,” he murmured, looking between the two boys.

Liz and Brandon exchanged a glance. Of course their sons were brothers, but Marco said the word as if it had unexpected meaning.

The darkfire crystal that Marco had given to Liz during her firestorm with Brandon was still on the dresser. The spark of darkfire snared within the quartz crystal had been so faint in the past two years that it had been easier to sense than to see. Now it flickered brightly, dancing within the stone and casting its blue-green flickering light over the room. That was the spark Liz had sensed.

“I’ll guess you came for a reason,” Brandon said, checking on first one boy and then the other. To Liz’s surprise, both continued to sleep deeply. Maybe Marco had that effect on small children. “Is it because of the firestorm?”

“Thorolf’s firestorm,” Marco supplied. When Brandon nodded, Liz realized he’d known that. “Which is complicating Chen’s quest for a sacrificial dragon with an affinity for the element of air.”

Brandon had an affinity with air. That was why he’d been targeted by Chen, too.

“Not the boys,” Liz said, stepping further into the room.

Marco shook his head. “The affinity of
Pyr
sons isn’t clear until the shift comes upon them, until puberty.” He smiled serenely at her. “They are usually safe until then.”

He put a slight emphasis on the word ‘usually’ and Liz seemed to remember that he had been targeted himself as an infant.

“I’ll guess you didn’t come to admire them,” Brandon said, his tone light.

Marco shook his head and pointed to the crystal.

“You could have just taken it,” Brandon said. “You got through my dragonsmoke, after all.” Liz could see that he was unsettled by this, since Marco wasn’t the only dragon shifter who could manifest spontaneously inside a dragonsmoke barrier.

“I believe in courtesy,” Marco said softly. “I gave the stone to the Firedaughter.” He looked at Liz, his expression inscrutable.

“I’m happy to give it back to you,” Liz said. “Especially if it can be used to defeat Chen forever.”

Marco smiled and she knew she’d said exactly what he wanted to hear. He didn’t move, so she crossed the stone and picked it up. The darkfire flared more brightly when she held the crystal, and she felt the strange prickle of its energy. It was electric and felt unpredictable. The truth was that the stone made her uncomfortable, but she’d believed it had been given to her for a reason. She’d used it to defend herself against Chen, so had left it in this room with the boys, in case it might protect them, too. Dragon magic was different from her own, and Marco didn’t seem inclined to explain much about darkfire.

She’d be glad for it to be elsewhere. She turned and offered it to Marco.

“That’s not the only reason I came,” Marco admitted, his gaze flitting to Brandon.

“Do I need to help with the firestorm?” Brandon asked.

“We need five
Pyr
, each with an affinity to air, to defeat the spell Chen cast to snare Thorolf.”

“I’m in,” Brandon said immediately. He reached over and took Liz’s hand. She felt a bit of worry, but she knew that the
Pyr
would ensure that she and their sons were defended. “Tell me what to do.”

“Wait and listen,” Marco murmured, his gaze darting to Liz. “Watch for the darkfire.” She nodded, because she could feel it. “All will soon become clear.” His smile turned sweeter as he accepted the stone and its light brightened to blinding intensity.

It faded suddenly, making Liz blink. The rocking chair was still rocking gently, but Marco was gone.

“I wonder what he meant about brothers,” Brandon said quietly, taking Liz’s hand.

“Do you have one?”

He shook his head. “Somebody does, though. Somehow it matters.”

* * *

Melissa could have wept with relief when Rafferty appeared in the suite again. He looked pale and was unsteady, even in his salamander form. He managed to shift shape, then collapsed on the couch in his human form.

“What happened?” Sloane demanded, but Melissa waved him off.

“He needs water and food, maybe a good glass of wine,” she said. She knew her
Pyr
well enough to recognize when he’d done too much. “Call room service, please.”

“I’ll go get him something,” Niall said. “It’ll be faster.”

“Maybe not,” Rox argued. “This is a pretty swish place.”

“We’ll do both and he can eat whatever’s here first,” Niall suggested.

Melissa was relieved when they busied themselves with arranging the food, leaving her to concentrate on Rafferty. He was in bad shape and she feared the consequences. She wished it was their firestorm again, because its heat could have revived him.

She had to make do with her touch. Melissa caressed his cheek and kissed him gently, feeling his mouth curve beneath hers. His hand nestled in the back of her waist, pulling her closer, and his eyes opened ever so slightly. She could see the gleam of his eyes, which relieved her as little else could have done.

“You push yourself too hard,” she whispered quietly, then kissed him again before he could argue with her.

“The firestorm is the greatest cause,” he replied, just as she’d known he would. His fingers eased into her hair and he rolled, so that she was wedged between his muscular chest and the back of the couch. It suited her just fine. He kissed her then, showing his usual vigor, then whispered in her ear. “Because it’s a gift that continues to give,” he murmured, making her smile. “Maybe food isn’t all I need.”

“You’re going to have to tell us what happened first.”

He lifted his head, his gaze warm. “Thorolf’s firestorm is strong. His mate is stronger. They’ve chosen each other, and I’ve given them the opportunity to save him from Chen’s spell.”

Melissa smiled. “You think they’ll satisfy the firestorm now?”

“I know it,” he replied with complete confidence. “He’s lost a scale. She was prepared to sacrifice herself to Chen to ensure his survival. He went through dragonsmoke to save her.” Rafferty nodded approval. “This is an epic passion, and it can only bode well for the
Pyr
.”

“But Chen?”

Rafferty paused and laid back, his eyes closed. She saw again that he was pretending to feel better than he did. “I believe our task is to find the sword she mentioned.”

He kissed Melissa again, then helped her to sit up beside him. He still looked weary, but at least there was purpose in his gaze. The others, who had been pretending to be oblivious, turned to him with open curiosity. Rafferty smiled, and Melissa guessed he wouldn’t pretend that they hadn’t overheard everything he’d told her. “Did you find out anything about that sword?” he prompted.

“It must be the one Erik has,” Sloane said. “He sent a message asking for ideas for getting it through airport security. He doesn’t want to check it and he said he’ll be too tired if he flies all this way himself.”

“He never was one for long distance flights,” Rafferty mused, his quick sidelong glance making Melissa remember a long flight to England in Rafferty’s dragon embrace. She put her hand on his thigh and he covered her hand with his own, an indication that he was remembering the same night.

Then Melissa realized something. “But if Erik intends to leave Chicago, what about Isabelle?”

“Donovan and Quinn have gone to Chicago to defend Erik’s lair,” Sloane supplied. “Delaney is coming with Erik.”

“I thought commercial flights were being canceled,” Rox said, sitting on the end of the coffee table.

“You’re not spontaneously manifesting again,” Melissa said to Rafferty, anticipating him. “You’ve never done it so many times in a row so quickly before. You need to rest!”

“But we must have the sword,” Rafferty argued, just as she’d known he would.

“I agree with Melissa,” Sloane said to Melissa’s relief. “You aren’t going anywhere until you get some sleep.” He turned to the others. “We could maybe fly the sword in stages, taking turns with it.”

“How will you get it to Thorolf?” Rox asked. “And why does he need it?”

“I’ll have to take it to her sanctuary,” Rafferty said. “None of you can argue with that.”

“Unless they show up here again to get it themselves,” Rox said.

“Let’s plan that route,” Melissa said, booting up her laptop. The further she got the
Pyr
to bring the sword before Rafferty felt obliged to intervene, the better. She took one look at him, noting his pallor, and feared he would make too much of a sacrifice to the firestorm.

She had to solve this another way.

“It’s in Chicago,” she said. “Erik to Los Angeles.”

“Delaney to Hawaii,” Sloane said, perching on the end of the couch beside her. It was far, but Delaney would do it, for the firestorm.

“Brandon to Australia.” Melissa said, because Brandon was on Hawaii.

“He won’t leave Liz and the boys,” Rox said, biting her lip.

“Brandt is on the northwest coast,” Rafferty contributed, referring to Brandon’s dad in Australia. “Liz and the boys can stay with grandma.”

“Brandon can bring it to Bangkok,” Sloane said. “Or I can head down there to pick it up, if he’s too tired. We’ll figure it out.”

“Talk to Erik,” Rafferty said tiredly, and Melissa wondered whether it was indicative of his exhaustion that he didn’t want to contact Erik himself, or the way the two
Pyr
had parted.