Fire Rising

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Ian used the speed of his god to get him out of the palace and back into the tunnels in record time. It helped that the Dark were more concerned with catching Con than patrolling the corridors.

As soon as Ian entered the tunnel he started backtracking the way they had come. He had gone twenty steps before he encountered a huge beast that resembled a worm. It inched its way through the tunnel, lifting its head as if sniffing the air.

Ian slid his back against an outcropping of stone and watched the worm-creature slowly move past. As soon as it did, he moved around the outcropping, but he moved more cautiously. Who knew what he might encounter next.

He held Sammi tightly, all the while wishing he was with Tristan, fighting beside him. But Tristan has given him something to guard, something that was precious to him—Sammi.

Ian had to get Sammi out to the other Dragon Kings. Once they had her, then Ian could return to Tristan’s side. He had lost his brother once, and by some miracle had him back again. He wasn’t going to lose him a second time, not if he could help it.

He reached the main tunnel where they had branched off into three groups without incident. Ian had taken one step before he was grabbed roughly by both arms and shoved to the right.

Ian’s gaze clashed with Phelan’s before he looked over and found Charon. Charon put a hand to his lips and then pointed over his shoulder.

There Ian saw an animal he couldn’t make out, on its back with all twelve of its legs bent in death. But if it was dead, why were they being quiet?

“We killed the baby,” Phelan whispered.

The scream of outrage from the mother as it nudged its baby was earsplitting.

“We need to get out now,” Ian told them in a hushed tone.

Charon jerked his chin to Sammi. “Where is Tristan?”

“With Con.”

Phelan tamped down his god, his gold skin, claws, and eyes changing back to normal. “What happened to her?”

“They used magic,” Ian explained.

Phelan let one claw lengthen as he sliced open his wrist and let a few drops of his blood fall into Sammi’s mouth. Ian waited impatiently. With Phelan being half-Fae, his blood could heal anything, except death.

Ian just hoped it worked against the magic of a Dark Fae.

“Damn,” Charon muttered when there was no change in Sammi. “Why is there blood on her hands?”

Phelan shrugged. “We get her back to the Dragon Kings now.”

Charon smiled as he looked at Phelan. “Looks like we’ve got to kill us the mother.”

“Let’s get to it,” Phelan said as he walked to the beast while he released the primeval god within him.

Ian could do nothing but watch Phelan with his gold skin and Charon with his copper skin battle the creature. Even with both of them, it took longer than Ian expected, which proved how formidable the animals from the Fae world were.

Ian was standing beside his friends when the mother fell beside her baby. The three immediately started for the doorway. There was no time to think about what they might encounter next or to wonder where Tristan and Con were.

“There,” Phelan said and pointed ahead of them. “That’s the doorway.”

Ian couldn’t wait to get through it and out of the world of the Dark Fae. Before they reached the doorway, a dozen Dark surrounded them.

All Tristan had to do to find Con was follow the mass of Dark Ones running through the palace to the great hall. Tristan sidled up against a wall and peered over the side down to the middle of the hall where Con lounged in a chair as if he were a regular guest.

“Constantine,” Taraeth said as the crowd parted for him to walk to Con.

Con looked like a king, even as he sat with nothing on but a pair of ripped, faded jeans. “Taraeth. I wondered how long it would take you to come to me. The last time I saw you I put the scar on your face. Then I saw nothing but your ugly arse as you ran away while the rest of the Dark were slaughtered by my Dragon Kings.”

Tristan saw Balladyn on the opposite side of the hall, leaning over the railing on the same floor as Tristan. Balladyn looked amused more than angry, like the rest of the Dark.

“Aye, but who’s ruling the Dark now?” Taraeth taunted.

Con glanced down to Taraeth’s missing limb. “A Dark who had his arm cut off by a mortal wielding the blade of a Light.”

“She will pay for it.”

“No’ likely. She’s the mate to Kellan. They’ve been bound, Taraeth. You know what that means.”

The Dark hissed, his red eyes flashing dangerously. “I already have Tristan. Now I have you.”

Con’s laugh made the Dark shift uneasily, their worried glances telling Tristan just how much they feared Con.

“You doona have me,” Con said.

Taraeth spread his arms wide. “You’re in my palace, Dragon King, surrounded by my men. I have you, all right.”

“Is that right?”

“You know it is. You can no’ escape us.”

Con slowly stood. As one, the Dark took a step back. Tristan grinned. The Dark Ones talked big, but they feared the Dragon Kings, most especially Con.

“Are you out?” Con’s voice filled his head.

“I’m watching you. It’s quite a show you’re putting on.”

“Where is Sammi?”

“With Ian. I alerted Rhys and the others to expect them soon.”

“But we doona know if they’ve gotten out.”

“Is that what you’re waiting on? Trust me. Ian will get Sammi out.”

“You trust the Warrior that much?”

“He’s my brother,” Tristan answered.

“Let’s get out of this place then.”

Charon let out a bellow and attacked the Fae. Phelan was right behind him. Ian ducked a blast of magic as he realized he couldn’t fight with Sammi in his arms, but neither could he put her down.

There was a loud crash and the unmistakable sound of a dragon’s roar. Ian looked up to find Rhys in the tunnel, his yellow scales bright in the darkness as he reared up on his hind legs and swiped at the Dark with his front.

In a flurry, the Dark began to attack Rhys, their intent to make him shift back into human form. But Ian could help with that.

He handed Sammi to Phelan. “Get her out now. Rhys and I will follow shortly.”

Phelan didn’t argue as he made his way to the doorway thanks to Rhys’s dragon body blocking it from the Dark. Ian stepped in front of Rhys and used the power of his god to block the magic pelting Rhys. Then he deflected it back at the Dark.

Together, he and Rhys turned the tide. Charon beheaded two Dark before he followed Phelan out of the doorway.

“Go!” Ian bellowed to Rhys.

Rhys receded out of the doorway with Ian walking backward while continuing to block the magic. As soon as they were through, Charon tackled him to the ground while Laith dove from the sky to attack any Dark Ones that tried to follow.

Ian scrambled up and ran to Sammi where Phelan had laid her on the grass. The sun was coming up, its golden rays hitting the grass.

Phelan tamped down his god and was talking as Ian approached, and that’s when he saw Sammi’s eyes open. Ian quickly let his claws and fangs retract while his skin and eyes returned to normal.

“It’s all right,” Phelan said soothingly. “You’re all right, Sammi.”

She looked from Phelan to Ian. “This isn’t real.”

“It is, lass.” Ian smiled as he helped her sit up. “Look. You’re out in the fresh air.”

“I was before too,” she said as her voice rose and she tried to scoot away.

Phelan easily held her as he glanced at Ian. Ian took a deep breath and grabbed Sammi’s shoulders. “You’re really free, Sammi. Tristan went in and found you. He’s the one who asked me to bring you out.”

“Where is Tristan?” she asked as she looked around.

There was a wildness still visible in her gaze, but she had calmed down. “He went to help Con.”

Her forehead furrowed deeply. “Con?”

“He came to help rescue you,” Phelan said. “We all did. Look around, lass.”

As if just noticing the battle, Sammi’s eyes widened and her mouth slackened. “Bloody hell.”

“Come on,” Ian said as he got her to her feet. “We need to get you out of here.”

She yanked her arm out of his hold. “Not without Tristan.”

Ian considered her for a moment. Tristan loved this woman, but did she love him? “Why?”

“Because … because I need to see him.”

It wasn’t a confession of love, but there was something there. Ian suspected that Sammi wasn’t used to voicing her feelings, and if anyone was going to hear those words, it was going to be Tristan.

The Dark drew closer to them, and this time it was Sammi that grabbed his arm. Phelan flanked her other side to protect her when a Dark got through the Kings.

“You honestly think you could hold me?” Con asked Taraeth.

The king of the Dark sneered. “I’ve been preparing for this day for a long time. You have many enemies, King of Kings, some even within your ranks.”

Tristan saw Con’s confident smile right before he grabbed the Dark One near him and broke his neck. He then threw the Dark over the side and watched the others scatter as their comrade landed with a thump on the tile.

Across the way, Balladyn’s red gaze landed on him. Tristan smiled as realization flashed across the Dark’s face. Below, Con and Taraeth were facing off.

The entire castle of Dark was trying to decide whether to attack Con or let Taraeth battle it out. Tristan’s attention was diverted from below when Balladyn jumped on the stone railing and then leapt across the entire width of the great hall to land in front of Tristan.

“You killed one of my men,” Balladyn said.

Tristan shrugged. “You took Sammi.”

There were no more words as Balladyn attacked by ramming his shoulder into Tristan and then hitting him with magic repeatedly in the stomach.

Tristan kneed Balladyn twice in the face and flipped him over. Instead of landing on his back, the Dark One easily shifted his body and alighted on his feet.

Balladyn snarled and attacked again. This time Tristan dodged a blast of magic only to feel the Dark’s fist against the side of his head.

Tristan turned to the side and then reared back with his elbow, smashing it into Balladyn’s face before extending his arm and swinging it backward to slam his fist into the Dark’s nose.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tristan saw golden scales as Con shifted into dragon form.

“You’re not leaving!” Balladyn bellowed as he wiped away the blood and focused on Tristan once more.

“You’ll never find that which you seek,” Tristan promised.

Balladyn smiled coldly. “There will be one of you that breaks. There always is.”

“You thought it would be me?”

Two balls of magic appeared in Balladyn’s hands. “I still do. You’re the newest, Tristan, the one who doesn’t have the ties that the others do.”

“Then you’d be wrong.”

Tristan kicked out with his foot, connecting with Balladyn’s chest just as the Dark released the magic. He dodged one, but the other hit him in the side as pain sizzled along his skin.

Chaos and shouts from below drew everyone’s attention as Con lashed out with his tail and with fire. Smoke quickly filled the great hall, blinding everyone.

Tristan held his side and searched for Balladyn. He saw the Dark come at him. He felt the dragon within yearn to break free. Just before he shifted, someone grabbed his arm and yanked him away.

“Time to go,” Con said with a smile as he raced nude down the corridor.

Tristan looked over his shoulder. He should kill Balladyn now, but he wanted to get to Sammi and make sure she was all right.

Besides, the war with the Dark was far from over.

It was just beginning.