Charred Hope (#3, Heart of Fire) (20 page)

Skylar hurried as fast as she could go, hobbling towards the battling beasts. She wanted to be there if Chace needed her, even if she doubted she had the motor skills needed yet to do much more than become a speed bump for the enraged griffin.

Testing her magic, she was able to feel the different signatures of shifters but not yet pull one to her. Her short down time with Gunner had renewed some of her strength, but she guessed it’d take a good night of sleep and a full-blown buffet for her to have the energy to shift.

The closer she got, the slower she went. Every time one of the great beasts threw the other down, the earth shook. Skylar eyed the opening to the caverns, not about to get close enough to fall in with the ground moving beneath her.

Dillon and Chace toppled to the ground, grappling in a confusing jumble of wings, legs and tails. Roars and squawks filled the air, along with the occasional grunt and crunch of rocks and boulders that exploded beneath their combined weight. Sand was kicked up into the air, and Skylar sneezed as a cloud of dust settled over her.

She stopped, watching, unable to tell what was going on as the two rolled and wrestled. Fire blew by Dillon’s head and was followed by a bellow of pain from Chace, as if Dillon had bitten him.

They stopped moving, limbs and wings and heads all locked in place in a silent battle of brute strength, like two wrestlers at a draw. Only Dillon’s tail was flying, trying to grab Chace’s legs or wind around his neck.

Skylar eyed it, the sudden urge to snatch the flailing, dangerous tail enhanced by a feline’s predatory instinct. She approached more cautiously, taking in the two. Both were straining, the scent of charred fur, blood and sweat in the air. Her nose wrinkled at the power of the smells, and she crept closer silently. Chace was on top of the griffin, but his head and neck were trapped beneath it, creating an awkward position for both of them.

Dillon’s leg lashed out reflexively as he lost his grip on Chace’s neck. It smacked into Skylar and sent her tumbling back.

She landed on the side with her hurt leg and growled in pain. The splint had snapped, leaving tape clinging to her limb. Standing with effort, she tossed dirt from her small mane then moved forward again.

The two hadn’t changed position. Dillon regained his grip, while Chace’s muscles bulged as he strained to break away. Dillon’s tail was prodding different spots, trying to find a way between their bodies to grab Chace.

Skylar moved as closed as she dared, watching the tail carefully. When certain she could predict where it’d go next, she crouched.

 
One. Two. Three.
She leapt at it, landing on top of the two beasts. Skylar batted the tail then bit down on it hard.

Dillon shrieked and released Chace.

The two creatures rolled a part, and Skylar toppled off them, landing too close to Dillon for comfort. She got to her feet and found herself facing the angry, injured griffin. Before she was able to react, he smashed a leg into her, sending her sprawling once more.

A feline roar drew Dillon’s attention, and Gunner launched at the griffin. He sank claws into Dillon’s flank and tore open gaping wounds. Dillon rounded on the panther and knocked him down with one blow, preparing to snap Gunner’s head off.

Skylar started forward, only for someone to plant a massive paw on her tail. Spinning, she saw Chace directly behind her. He released her and nudged her out of the way gently with a bloodied muzzle.

Understanding his nonverbal command, she stepped aside to give him room to attack Dillon.

With speed that astounded her, the massive teal dragon closed the distance between him and the griffin in a blur. She heard his talons shred through Dillon a split second before the sound of his fangs sinking into the griffin’s neck.

A sickening crack filled the air, and Skylar flinched.

Dillon went limp.

Chace shook him viciously by the neck to make certain he was dead then flung him aside.

Gunner was bloodied and dusty but on his feet, panting.

Skylar stared at Dillon’s still body. Dared she believe those responsible for destroying her family and life were now dead?

Chace’s growl rumbled deep in his throat. He was breathing hard, and blood glistened on his scales in the starlight.

Skylar limped to him, unable to identify what emotions were going through her. Gratitude, hope.

Regret. So many had died, and the divide within the shifter community was deep enough that she wasn’t sure how they were going to repair the trust between shifters like the griffins and Mason and those they’d captured and placed into hibernation.

Not to mention that the only two people who knew the truth about what happened to her mother were now dead.

Not sure I could’ve trusted their versions of events anyway.
Why was it so hard to have that one question answered? She’d decided to accept the loss of a past she wasn’t able to change – with the exception of her mother.

She rubbed up against one of Chace’s legs. His muzzle lowered, and he nudged her again then nipped at one of her ears. He was tired, the strain clear in the tremble of his limbs.

Skylar sat beside him, gazing up at him.

The battle between the griffins and dragons still raged. Yet another issue she wasn’t certain how to fix.

Chace’s attention went overhead. He spread his wings and lowered his body then leapt into the air, hanging above them. With not even an ounce of gentleness, he stretched his legs to Dillon’s broken body and gripped it with his talons. He hauled them both towards the heavens.

Skylar watched in fatigued curiosity. He appeared to be headed directly into the fray, clutching Dillon close to his body.

Gunner joined her. He, too, was limping and smelled of fresh blood.

Chace pushed into the middle of the battle. Skylar cried out in objection and warning, expecting the griffins to attack the man who killed their leader. As if to goad them on, Chace roared loudly enough for his cry to echo in the caverns below.

To her surprise, the battle stopped the moment the flying beasts noticed Chace. He wove deliberately among them, ensuring everyone saw Dillon’s limp carcass.

Mason trotted up to her and Gunner, showing no signs of being hurt. He paced in front of them, eyes on the skies.

Skylar waited with baited breath to see what happened next.

The griffins backed off. Regrouping a short distance away, they began descending from the skies, circling then landing in a herd near the opening of the caverns.

The dragons drifted off as well, back towards the hill where Gunner had treated her. Rather than landing, they remained in the sky, circling.

Chace dropped Dillon’s body into the gaping caverns then followed the other dragons. He circled downward rapidly, settling on the ground behind the hill, beyond her sight.

Skylar, Gunner and Mason hurried back towards them. She lagged behind, unable to keep up with her hurt leg. Her muscles were burning from exhaustion, her body shaking. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for a year.

Hurting, Skylar slowed to a walk and reached the group last, just as the three men were pulling on their clothing. Agitated she couldn’t shift, she began to wonder once more if she was doomed to remain a feline forever.

The scent of pizza drifted towards her, and she twisted to see the cabin. It had appeared silently a few feet away. Her gaze lingered on the open door, and she almost groaned at the thought of eating half a dozen pizzas then sinking into the cloud-like bed. She’d never been so thrilled by food or a nap before.

“Sky, can you shift?” Chace asked, approaching her.

She gave a mournful yowl in response and sat.

He smiled tightly, the strain of the evening showing on his features. Her withers reached his mid-chest and she lifted her head to rest it on his shoulder.

Chace chuckled warmly and hugged her to him, ruffling her thick fur. She breathed in his honey-bonfire scent. It was mixed with blood, dust and sweat and reassured her he truly was alive.

They both were. They’d managed to defeat Freyja and Dillon and survive.

“I’ve got to go deal with the griffins. I’m pretty sure they’ll fall into line, now that Dillon is gone,” Chace said into her soft fur. “I want to get this process started. When you’re … rested, we can both confront them about how things will be from now on.”

Unable to speak, she opened her mouth in a loud growl.

“There’s a surprise for you in the cabin,” he added.

She wanted to demand to know what took him so long to show up today and why he’d run off with Freyja.

Not that it mattered, since the white dragon was dead. But she couldn’t shake her irritation at feeling abandoned for a few hours.

“We’ll talk later,” he assured her, amused. “Then we can figure out how to clean up this mess.” He moved away, determination on his features.

Skylar watched him trot away, envying his energy. She was completely sapped, her body yearning for rest.

The breeze brought the scent of pizza to her once more.

“Let me get your leg fixed again,” Gunner said, starting towards her.

She snapped at him, her patience gone. Not about to let him corner her so he could torture her again, she limped quickly towards the cabin, her refuge. Head low, she climbed the first two steps before she noticed someone standing in the doorway.

Skylar froze, staring at the odd woman before her. Small, bald, slender to the point of emaciated …

Completely off her radar. If her Protector senses had anything to say about it, they’d tell her there was no one in front of her at all. Skylar sniffed at the stranger. She smelled like …

Apple pie.

There’s no way …
She ascended the steps so she could see the woman’s face in the full light of the cabin.

“Are you Skylar?” A familiar, soft voice, one she hadn’t heard in years, riveted her attention.

Skylar studied the woman before her, barely recognizing her. She was far too skinny, her exposed skin scarred and her head completely shaved.

The smell, the voice …

It can’t be anyone else.

Suddenly, Chace’s abrupt disappearance made sense. She’d thought him on his own agenda, maybe trying to deal with Freyja. Instead, he’d been off rescuing her mother.

“Yeah, that’s Sky,” Gunner said from behind her. “She’s stuck. You are?”

“Ginger. Her mother.” Ginger eyed Skylar with a maternally critical gaze. “You’re a mess, Sky.”

Was she dead? Because that was the only way it seemed possible for Ginger to be standing before her. Skylar moved forward.

“Gentle, Sky,” Gunner reminded her.

“You’re a big girl, aren’t you?” Ginger asked, eyes glimmering with amusement and tears.

Sky stood before her, her head at the same level as her mother’s. Not trusting her feline motor skills to handle the fragile woman, Skylar rubbed her cheek against Ginger’s.

Her mother laughed and dug her hands into the thick fur around her neck, hugging her hard.

“I missed you, my Sky,” she whispered, her warm tears reaching Skylar’s skin through the fur. “I’m so glad you found your dragon.”

Skylar’s heart broke at the note of profound sorrow in Ginger’s voice. She knew her mother was thinking of Gavin and wondered what would’ve happened, if both parents had been able to live.

Every muscle in her body wanted to leap for joy, but she feared frightening or hurting her mother by trying to maneuver her lioness body in for a feline hug.

Instead, Skylar stood, trembling as her mother hugged her large head and ran her fingers through her fur.

Chace found my mother.
She couldn’t believe it. Even smelling her mother’s familiar apple pie scent and hearing her beautiful voice, Skylar almost swore this was a dream. An incredible one she didn’t want to end.

She cuddled up to her mother as much as possible, wanting to hug her so badly, it hurt. Cursing her shifter blood, Skylar did her best to show her mother how happy she was, without knocking them both over. Inside, she was weeping, what few memories she could recall of her mother running through her mind in a loop.

All in a period of twenty-four hours, she and Chace had found one another again, defeated the enemies of the shifters and found her missing mother.

It was the best day of her life.

Chapter Fifteen

Just as the sunrise cracked the horizon, Chace returned from the meeting with the griffins, somewhat satisfied with the results. They’d been silent when he explained the new rules and what would happen if they ever rebelled again.

Probably not an approach Skylar would appreciate.
He’d immediately thrown the possibility of hibernation out the window, threatening to kill anyone who thought to follow Dillon’s footsteps.

The dragons hadn’t bothered to shift, when meant he’d have to track them all down one by one with Skylar to discuss the future of the shifters. They had stopped circling the area not long before his return, retreating to sleep the day away.

So much to do.
He let himself feel the exhaustion of the past few days. With it, he also experienced a sense of deep pride at all they’d been through and all they’d done. He had been a selfish man his entire life, until Skylar tracked him down. Now, he understood what it was to think outside of his world. He didn’t have the same tact for compassion she did, but he had figured out the greater purpose of his life: to protect and lead the shifter community, beside the beautiful other half of his heart.

The cool chill before dawn made him shiver as he walked around the hill behind which his cabin stood. A bonfire was burning a few meters away, with Gunner and a few others seated around it. Chace went to them, wanting to give Skylar and her mother time to catch up before he started to figure out what to do with a mother-in-law.

“Tea?” Gunner offered, holding out a cup.

Chace shook his head in response. His gaze drifted to the cabin, and he snorted. Four of the feline shifters in their cat forms, including Mason, were curled up on the porch, sleeping. The cabin had put out a space heater for them.