The Dragon Legion Collection 9 (16 page)

“Darkfire rekindles the firestorm,” Alexander whispered. “Against all odds.”

Darkfire was giving them the gift of a second chance. That was when Katina knew that the
Slayer
was truly gone.

It was also when she realized the darkfire was on their side.

The young
Pyr
along the walls shook themselves, as if waking from dreams, and looked around in confusion. Katina had the sense that the
Slayer
’s attack had been a moment stolen out of time.

Theo shuddered beside her and might have collapsed to the ground, but Katina caught him in her arms. The Pythia stepped forward and touched the burn mark on Theo’s chest, as if her gesture had never been halted. “Be healed, young one,” she said again and his color improved with her touch. When Katina helped Theo to his feet, he stood straighter and his gaze was clearer.

That was when Katina saw the black dragon mark on his upper arm, exactly the same as the one Alexander had gotten in his travels. At her gasp, Lysander pushed back his tunic and grinned at the similar mark on his own arm. There was a little shimmer of blue-green that shot around the perimeter of the mark, but when Katina blinked it was gone as surely as if she’d imagined it.

“Know thyself,” the Pythia murmured with satisfaction.

The Pythia then took the pieces of the scale from Lysander. “Your kind are vulnerable only to love,” she told him. “And the loss of a scale indicates a heart is lost. Your father loves a woman more than life itself, and there should be no weakness in that.”

Katina felt her cheeks heat with pleasure.

The Pythia cast the pieces of scale into the fire on the altar and the boys gasped in unison. The flame on the sacred hearth burned high with sudden vigor, the orange light reflecting off the scales of the dragons who watched.

When the flames died down again, the Pythia reached into the fire and removed the scale with her bare fingers. “The
Pyr
protect mankind,” she told Lysander. “And so this scale will not burn my mortal fingers.” She reached out, placing her other hand on the gap in Alexander’s armor. “All four elements must be present to heal a scale.” She looked at Katina. “Water, sister.”

Katina summoned the power of the element within her. She was aware of Alexander’s admiring gaze as she let her body change into a rippling cascade of water. The Pythia passed Alexander’s scale through the stream and it hissed slightly as it cooled.

She offered it to Alexander even as Katina took her human form again. “Fire,” she said, and he breathed fire on the scale, controlling the plume of flame so that it didn’t touch the Pythia’s fingers. She smiled at this, then held the scale toward Katina again. “Air,” she commanded, and Katina blew on the scale.

“And earth,” the Pythia concluded, scattering a handful of dust from the floor of the temple over the scale. She then pressed the scale firmly to the gap on Alexander’s chest where it belonged. He bared his teeth and tipped back his head, and Katina knew it hurt.

“A gift from you,” the Pythia demanded, extending a hand to Katina. “A gem to make the scale adhere.”

Katina impulsively pulled off the gold ring Alexander had given her years before, the one she’d never removed, and pressed it against the scale. The carnelian set in the gold shimmered for a second, winking like a small dragon eye. Katina felt the scale soften and the ring melted into it with a shimmer. Then it was just a stone, just a ring, just a circle of gold embedded in the deep amethyst scale on Alexander’s chest.

The Pythia stepped back and flung out her hands. “All hail, your new commander!” she cried and Katina heard a rumble like thunder.

“Old-speak!” Lysander said with wonder, turning to look at the young
Pyr
around him. Katina realized they were hailing Alexander, as commanded.

Alexander stretched his wings wide, displaying the perfection of his repaired chest, then shifted shape quickly. The other
Pyr
in the temple changed shape in the same moment, becoming strong young men who stood at attention once more. The temple looked as it had when they’d entered, except for the golden light of the firestorm.

Alexander caught Katina’s hand in his and the light flared between them. She felt the heat of the firestorm slide through her body, making her keenly aware of Alexander standing strong and tall beside her. It was more subdued than it had been before, but the radiant glow between them couldn’t be disguised in the comparative darkness of the temple. Her future was with Alexander, here in Delphi, ensuring that the
Pyr
were prepared for the challenge of their future.

The Pythia smiled secretly. “I told you before that your future was with fire and earth.”

“Alexander,” Katina breathed.

“No more pots,” Alexander agreed, a twinkle in his eye.

The Pythia glanced down at their interlocked hands and the sparks dancing between them. “A gift, to one of Apollo’s faithful,” she said. “Use it wisely.” She smiled, then returned to her tripod, even as Katina planned the conception of their second son.

She turned to face the man she loved, knowing that she would seduce him so completely on this night that even the darkfire wouldn’t be able to steal him away again.

Alexander smiled, as if he’d read her thoughts and agreed, then kissed her soundly right in the sanctuary of the temple.

* * * * *

Kiss of Darkness

The Second Dragon Legion Novella

by Deborah Cooke

They will sacrifice anything to regain the loves they’ve lost...

Damien, the heartbreaker of the dragon shape shifter warriors called the
Pyr,
can’t forget Petra, the only woman who could both captivate him and destroy him. He’s haunted by their firestorm, the prophecy that compelled him to leave her—and her subsequent death. When the darkfire crystal takes the Dragon Legion to the underworld, Damien seizes the chance to save his son. To his surprise he finds Petra just as enticing as ever...and still pregnant. When his kiss makes their baby stir to life again, they both hope for a different future. Can they learn from the past and trust each other? Even if they solve the riddle of the prophecy, will they be able to escape the underworld, claim the promise of the firestorm and save their son?

Chapter One

When the light of the darkfire crystal faded and its wind had stilled, Drake and his men found themselves in a sunny but empty plaza. It was early in the morning, dew fresh on the flowers in the heavy planters that were scattered across the space. One man watered the flowers, starting when he turned to find eight men had silently arrived in the space. A large fountain was in the middle of the square, water splashing from it and sparkling in the sunshine. There were buildings around the square, their windows shuttered or dark.

They had manifested in the shadows near what was clearly a restaurant. It was closed now, but the tables and chairs were still set up under awnings on its patio. The company of warriors pulled together a pair of tables and sat down together, flicking anxious glances around themselves.

Damien knew he wasn’t the only one who was hungry and exhausted. He guessed they were in southern Europe, maybe back in the twenty-first century again. He’d know better when the women appeared, by the style of their clothes.

Drake, their leader, had immediately counted their dwindling company. Damien had noticed that Aeson was gone. They were down to eight survivors: Drake and Damien, Thad and Ty, Peter and Ashe, Orion and Ignatio.

Drake scanned the plaza with unfounded optimism, then his lips tightened. He looked down at the large quartz crystal in his hand, and Damien was relieved that the light within it had dimmed.

For the moment. The darkfire crystal seemed intent on flinging them across the universe. Repeatedly and without warning.

“Aeson,” Ty said, defeat in his tone.

“One more lost,” Peter said with a grim satisfaction. He was always looking for the dark clouds on the horizon. “Besides Alexander, that is.” He glared at Drake. “You shouldn’t have let him go.”

“I have no wish to deny a man his greatest desire,” Drake said, his tone as tired as Damien felt. He held up the dark crystal, then closed his hand over it. “I wish it hadn’t lit so soon. I wish we could have waited for him.” He passed a hand over his forehead, and Damien saw how much this ordeal was costing their usually stalwart leader.

“He chose to look for Katina,” Ashe said to Peter, his tone defensive. “It’s our responsibility to defend our mates after we’ve had a firestorm. Alexander did what was right.”

“He ran to her,” Ty added. “Making sure the crystal left him behind.”

“Well, I hope she was there,” Ashe said, practical as ever. Drake cleared his throat but the younger man glanced up. “Well, I do! It would be terrible if he’d taken that chance only to find her gone.”

“Married,” Iggy added.

“Ancient,” added Peter. “There was no telling how much time had passed for her.”

“Or dead,” Damien felt obliged to add. “Alexander might have ended up alone.”

A shudder rolled through the group of men, as their worst fear was expressed aloud.

“That would suit you,” Iggy said to Damien, obviously trying to lighten the mood of his fellows. “Love them and leave them, that’s our Damien. Mr. Heartbreaker.”

Damien smiled at their teasing.

“Do you even have a heart?” Ty joked. He and Iggy as the youngest of the group were most envious of Damien’s sexual success. They wouldn’t have been envious of Damien’s experience, that was for sure, but he was never going to confide that story in them. “I remember that one in Paris.” Ty whistled through his teeth and Iggy grinned. “She could have had my heart and soul just for the asking, but not Damien.”

“He takes what they offer and leaves them behind,” Iggy concluded.

“And we’ll refrain from commentary on how that serves the good of mankind,” Peter muttered.

“They’re happy for a little bit,” Damien said, refusing to be defensive. “It’s not like I trick them. They know what they’re getting.” He spread his hands, as if he himself were enough of a gift.

Ashe rolled his eyes and Drake pretended not to have heard. Ty and Iggy laughed. Peter snorted with a disgust that had more to do with his lack of success with women than Damien’s luck.

A pair of older women came into the square at the opposite end, unlocking a door and moving inside. Mid to late twentieth-century, Damien guessed, by the cut of their clothing.

Then he smelled the coffee they had started to make. His stomach growled audibly.

“It’s a bakery,” Ashe whispered. “Get ready for temptation when they get that oven going.”

There was an almost-silent groan from the men. “If we’re still here, we’ll go see if we can buy something,” Drake said.

“Or make a deal.” Iggy nudged Damien. “If our money’s no good, maybe Mr. Charm can get us some breakfast.” Damien smiled as Iggy and Ty began to needle him, speculating on how he could obtain breakfast for eight hungry warriors for free.

“By Zeus, maybe that’s the point,” Thad said suddenly, interrupting the conversation. The others turned to look at him. “What if the darkfire crystal isn’t as unpredictable as we think? What if it’s got a plan to fulfill?”

“Such as?” Peter demanded. “What possible reason could be behind this insanity? Every time it flashes, we get picked up and flung down somewhere else. We don’t know where we are...”

“We don’t know
when
we are,” Ashe interjected.

“I’d say Italy, roughly 1972,” Damien murmured.

Drake peered at a church tower and shrugged. “Rome,” he said flatly.

Peter flicked a look at the pair of them that spoke volumes, then shoved a hand through his silvered hair. “We can’t eat, we can’t sleep, we don’t dare wander away from Drake and the stupid crystal in case it lights when we’re too far away and we get left behind. What kind of plan could there possibly be?”

Thad looked untroubled by the older man’s scathing tone. “Maybe it’s not an accident. Maybe the crystal is returning each of us to the place we belong. Scattering us like salt through the ages.”