Chapter 6

6

S lowly taking a bite out of the third, or maybe it was the fourth cookie since his cousin's shocking revelation, Cass had just wrapped his fingers around the handle of his mug when Barbara speared him with a look and started poking and prodding. "You know I don't care how many cookies you eat. Hell, I'll start bakin’ more right this very minute if you were eatin’ them to enjoy ‘em and not just because you’re stallin’. Leaning her hip against the counter, she continued, gaining conviction with every word. “You know it. I know it. Jed knows it. Everybody knows it. It’s been your go-to play since you were a little boy.”

“Yep,” his cousin chimed in with a smirk on his face, a twinkle in his eye, and a cookie in his hand. “Sure has.”

“Traitor.”

“Dude, the most amazin’ auntie in all the world speaks the truth. Just because I agree does not make me a traitor.”

“And this boy right here…” Pushing off the counter, Barbara took the three steps to get to Jed’s side and patted him on the shoulder with the biggest smile on her face. “…is not a traitor. He just knows what I’m sayin’ is right, as usual. ”

“Absolutely,” his cousin nodded emphatically. “The woman speaks the truth.”

"Argh," Cass growled, setting his mug back on the table before getting any coffee. He shoved his fingers through his hair. He could feel every curl standing at attention atop his head but just couldn't care. His aunt and cousin were right, and he hated that they were right, but not even his disgust at the situation changed the fact that… They. Were. Right.

With a single sharp shake of his head, he growled under his breath one more time about know-it-all relatives and other such things, smacked his knee with the palm of his hand, and got to his feet. Reaching over, he grabbed his hat off the far end of the table, slammed it on his head, and glared first at his cousin, then, after softening his gaze to a light glower, looked at his aunt. Huffing out a sharp breath, he closed his eyes and centered himself so he wouldn't snarl at one of his favorite people in the whole world.

Opening his eyes, he watched Barbara's smile brighten, and the love in her eyes multiply by leaps and bounds. Across the kitchen in the blink of an eye. She pushed up on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him down into a hug. "You're gonna be just fine, Son.”

Patting him, she moved backward, kissing him on the cheek as she went. The second he was looking into her twinkling eyes, she reassured, “You got this, Cass, my boy. You were made for this, and so was she. She is your Mate. The woman the Universe made for you. She is the other half of your soul and the Light to your Darkness. You know what you gotta do. Go see Grandad Cheveyo. You know he’s got all the answers you need.”

“And if he doesn’t,” Jed added. “Momma Maybelle is there, too.” Popping half a cookie that used to be the shape of a snowman decorated with icing and sprinkles into his mouth, he continued as he chewed. “You know they’ve got all the answers you could ever want and then some.”

"And you know that you're not supposed to talk with a mouth full," Barbara grumped, having turned so she could look at both men. Shoulders bouncing as she tried to hold back her chuckles, she added, "And don’t you think you should be goin’ with your cousin?”

Swallowing as quickly as possible, then downing an entire glass of milk, the Stallion Shifter shook his head so vigorously that his long, dark hair swept around hm like a cape. “No, ma’am. I came here to talk to you then got…”

“You got distracted by food,” Cass deadpanned, knowing he had a look of disgust on his face. “Don’t you even try to convince me that you got distracted because I was here. We all know how you love sweets. The whole of the great state of Texas knows how you love baked goodies. Wouldn’t ya’ just know it? I get sold out for cookies, milk, and Aunt Barb’s conversation.”

“Damn straight!” Jed cheered, then popped yet another cookie in his mouth. Making a show of chewing with his mouth shut, he teased telepathically, “Go on now, Son. Time to get a move on. You need to go see a Chief about a Mate.”

“And you need to shut up.”

"I swear to the Heavens," Barbara chuckled. "It's just like old times when you two get together–bicker, makeup, bicker, makeup, bicker, makeup. How old are y'all again?"

"Old enough to know better," they answered in unison before bursting out with laughter that filled the entire house. Then Jed added, "And just think, pretty soon, everybody will be here. Talk about lettin’ the good times roll.”

The laughter was boisterous and so wonderful that Cass almost forgot what he was about to do.

Just almost …

No sooner had the hilarity calmed than he leaned down, kissed his auntie on the cheek, and then nodded to his cousin. "Alright," he sighed. "I'm gonna head out." Raising his eyebrows, he attempted to coax, "You sure you don't want to come along, Jed. I sure could use a Wingman."

“Nope, Dude. This is all you,” the Stallion Shifter winked. “Besides, I really need to….”

“Talk to Aunt Barb, yeah, yeah, yeah…” Cass pretended to be irritated. “Just know that I’m not buyin' a word of it, and paybacks are a bitch."

“Duly noted, Cuz. Duly noted,” Jed snickered.

Heading for the backdoor, Cass hollered over his shoulder with a snicker, “Oh yeah, love you both.”

“And we love you,” Aunt Barbara sing-songed. “Now, hurry up and bring your Mate back. I think a Mating Ceremony is the perfect way to celebrate the Holidays!”

“I’ll do my best.”

Out the door, down the steps, and through his favorite aunt's flower garden, he was across the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert closest to the MacAllen Ranch and into McKittrick Canyon in the blink of an eye. Inhaling all the scents and sounds that were uniquely home, he stopped to pick up a few flat rocks and skip them across the babbling waters of the creek while trying to get his thoughts in order.

“It won’t do for us to show up over there and not have all our ducks in a row,” he explained to Blár.

“No, it will not,” the Dragon King with whom he shared his soul agreed. “Cheveyo does not suffer fools. Then again, there isn’t much to get ready. You know what you must do.” Blár paused, and Cass could feel him thinking. Finally, he continued, “Tell him that you remembered what he’d told you the night of our first Shift, and you need his help finding the signs that will lead to your Mate. ”

“You know, none of my cousins had to go to Cheveyo to find their Mate. Do you really think…?”

"Yes, I really think that every prophecy, prediction, and conversation you have had since that first Shift has led us to this place, at this time, to the Great Chief of the Thorntree Tribe to not only receive your blessing but to allow him to point you in the right direction."

“But…”

"But nothing, Lad. Bane told you, and now Jed has confirmed that time is short. The clock is ticking. For some reason, there is an expiration date stamped on your arse, and you need to find your Mate sooner rather than later. So, in the words of your very wise Aunt Barbara, it's time to get a move on."

“Yeah, well…”

Letting his words wander as he watched a Mule Deer Doe coax her twin Fawns across the meadow on the opposite side of the stream, Cass thought about what it would be like to have a family–a Mate and children of his own. As soon as the thought popped into existence, Blár, yet again, said, "You'll never know if you keep procrastinating, Lad. Let's get going."

Rising from where he knelt, the Guardsman stumbled as the Dragon King with whom he shared his soul knocked him on the back of the knees with a slap of Magic. "One day, I'm gonna figure out how to get even with you for all the years of abuse.”

“I welcome the challenge.”

Not bothering to comment because it just would've led to a long, drawn-out word battle Cass didn't have the brain power to engage in at the moment, he straightened the tawny Stetson atop his head, turned to the left and headed toward the footbridge that was always so beautifully decorated with flowers for every season. It didn't matter that he hadn't been back to the Chihuahuan Desert in years. The delicately painted blossoms were something he could always count on being there.

Over the years, he’d asked the name of the artist, but no one had ever answered. He didn’t know if the artist wanted to stay anonymous, or if those he’d asked simply didn’t have the answer. Either way, he hoped to one day meet that person and thank them for adding a little sunshine to every trip he made to the canyon.

Inhaling deeply, knowing how close he was to not only Chief Cheveyo but, by all accounts, his Mate, Cass, blew out the breath. Turning back yet again, he watched a swarm of Dragonflies fluttering amongst the multitude of blossoms and prayed that his Mate would love this place, his home, as much as he did. It was where he wanted to settle down, where he wanted to raise his kids, where he wanted to spend his happily ever after.

One last look and yet another Magical prod from his Dragon King, and Cass turned toward the Res. Smiling at the painted flowers, he inhaled deeply and then exhaled, pushing all the tension and trepidation from his body.

Reaching for the wooden handrail, he whispered, “For better or for worse, let’s get this show on the road.”

Brushing the handrail with the tips of his fingers, an electrical current shot from the well-worn white oak into his hand. Racing up his arm, it supercharged his heart, did a loopty loop up through his brain, danced around his lungs then splashed down in the depths of his soul like the shuttle hitting the jetty at Cape Canaveral.

Driven to his knees by the sheer magnitude and strength of the memories, his mind was swamped with sights and sounds and images that he knew beyond all shadow of a doubt were not his own. Looking through the eyes of another, he saw people and places he knew so well.

Aunt Barb, Uncle Owen, all of his cousins, the Sampson Twins, and even Cheveyo and Momma Maybelle were there. He felt himself swooping through the air and instantly knew that he was on the tire swing outside the Chief's house on Sequoyah Hill. The long red curls that glistened in the sunlight had to be that of a little girl, and the giggles that felt as if they were coming from his own lips were most assuredly female.

Then, in an instant, the perspective changed. No longer was he in the mind of the person whose memories he was experiencing, but he was watching as if the recollections were a movie.

Absolutely the cutest little girl he'd ever seen, with bright red curls in ponytails tied with blue ribbons, was playing with another older girl in Momma Maybelle’s backyard. With her hands cupped on either side of her face, her sparkling green eyes twinkled with mischief as she looked at the bark of the Sugar Maple tree and counted to ten. “Ready or not, Augie! Here I come!” She shouted before taking off as fast as her little legs would carry her.

Before she found her playmate, the scene once again changed. No longer was she a little girl, and sadly, neither was she smiling.

Sadness poured off her like raindrops off a duck’s back as she stood beside a funeral pyre. Tears streamed down her face as two bodies wrapped in the ceremonial cloths, one adorned with the Timber Wolf head medallion of the Thorntree Pack and the other wearing one with an insignia Cass didn’t understand, but the owner of the memories knew all too well.

Her thoughts were jumbled, her sorrow almost unbearable, but still, at such a young age, she spoke with the wisdom of the Ancients. Her voice was music to his years. He wanted to go back in time and take away all the pain of losing those she loved so dearly.

"Today, under the moon and stars, I ask the Great Creator, the Universe, and The Powers That Be to welcome my momma and daddy home. Their time here on this Earth was short, and I-I w-w-ish…”

Unable to go on, Cheveyo took over, and that memory ended. It had been her parents. There was no doubt. And he knew they died an honorable death on the battlefield, protecting those they loved–doing everything in their power to make sure that very special little girl had the best life possible.

“Just like my mom and dad,” he whispered.

From one beat of his heart to the next, the movie of his Mate's life–for that's who she was, of that there could be no doubt–started again. Flashes of important events, birthdays, holidays, and celebrations at the Res all zoomed by in a blur that only his Enchanted eyesight could decipher. Not everything he saw was happy. The woman made for him by the Universe had experienced her share of ups and downs. She'd fought hard to become an award-winning photographer, with her pictures in more publications all over the world than Cass knew existed.

His Mate was fantastic. Her intelligence was woven into the very fabric of her being. It shone around her, a bright, warm, and wonderful light that called to his soul. Cass was drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He wanted to be nowhere but by her side.

From her memories, he knew that she was incredibly talented, seeing things in animals, people, and nature as no other ever had. She was his complement, the other half of his soul. She was everything he’d ever wanted– ever needed .

And her beauty was beyond compare. Flaming red hair, highlighted with hues of golden honey, fresh pumpkin, and chestnut, perfectly matched Blár's fire and magnificently enhanced her flawless ivory skin, blush cheeks, and brilliant Emerald eyes.

Not to mention the spattering of freckles dancing across her nose and the apples of her cheeks–he dreamt of worshipping each one with adoring kisses as he marked with his scent for the world to know that she was his Mate, the woman made for Caspian MacAllen by the Universe and no other.

"She. Is. Mine."

The longer he gazed into her memories and took in all she was, the deeper he fell in love with this glorious woman, and he didn't even know her name. The Mating Bond in the center of his soul burned brighter than the sun. Blár was roaring at the top of his lungs and pawing at every corner of Cass's mind.

Both man and Dragon King knew this woman was the other half of their soul. She was the Light to their Darkness. She was their Hope.

No sooner had the thought passed between them than did the flashes of recollections come to a screeching halt. Disoriented for the briefest of seconds, he slammed his eyes shut. Waiting less than a second, he opened them wide, and his heart stopped cold.

Through a veil of Ancient Mysticism, he could see the woman made for him by the Universe and she was quite literally the most gorgeous woman he'd ever laid eyes on. Unfortunately, she was smack dab in the middle of a shitstorm of epic proportions. Standing five feet tall, if she was an inch and still sporting a flowing mane of long, red curls, his Mate was brandishing an ornate Cherokee War Club like it was what she was born to do.

There was no fear. There was no trepidation. There was only the knowledge that her fight was just and right, and it was what she had to do to save her people.

Eyes flying to her assailant, Cass couldn't believe his eyes. He'd only ever seen anything like the rider on the Dead Horse in pictures–and they did not come close to the pure menace, malice, and destruction rolling off the Evil Earth Spirit known as the Uya.

Before he could think, come up with a plan, or yell for his Mate to get out of the way, she literally taunted the Uya, yelling, “You came here for me, Bitch. So, let’s do this!”

The Evil Earth Spirit’s retort was instantaneous and earsplitting as she bellowed, “I will have you, Abigail Annabella Addams. I will drink the blood from your veins. I will grind your bones to dust. I will wear your teeth around my neck as a warning to all who dare oppose me. Your defeat will fan the flames of my Reign. You will die knowing that your loss is that of the world, of all that is Good… of the Light.” Her hiss echoed, riding the airwaves in a dissonant chord that made the hairs at the nape of Cass’s neck stand on end–and she wasn’t done.

“But before that, Abigail Annabella Addams, the first True and Natural N?nn?’h? Warrior to walk the Earth in many years, I will take all you hold dear. I will bend and warp and kill your friend, your family, and most importantly, your Uktena. Today is the day of your death. Today is the death of the Everlasting Hope!”

“ Hold on , Mo stór! I’m coming! From this day forward, we fight side by side!” Cass roared directly into Abigail’s mind.

Jumping to his feet, Cass summoned the Magic of the Ancient Dragons and called to the Dragon King with whom he shared his soul, “Time to do what we do, Old Man. Pour on the…”

And that was as far as he got before Blár took control of not only the Guardsman's body but his mind and the immense amount of magnanimous Ancient Mysticism, Enchantment, and unwavering Blessing flooding into every fiber of his being. Thanking the Heavens that his Dragon King was controlling the whirl of manic rage and the unrelenting need to rid the world of the Evil Earth Spirit who dared to challenge the woman made for him by the Universe, Cass’s head was thrown back as far as it would go, and glorious flames flew from his lips as he roared his supremacy for all to hear.

The racing of paws, hooves, and all manner of feet hit the ground in wild abandon, and the inhabitants of McKittrick Canyon sought cover. Although fear rode the airwaves, none of them went far. Peeking their heads around stumps, through leaves, from under bushes, and out of burrows, they all wanted to behold the majesty of the coming of a true Dragon King.

Seizures, tremors, and all manner of convulsions shook his body. His blood ran cold. Then it flipped to boiling. Then it returned to freezing. Over and over, shivers wracked every cell of his body and then sweat ran like rivers over every inch of his flesh, switching back and forth in the blink of an eye. Contracting and contorting, his very physique prepared for the transformation from man to mighty Dragon King.

In an instant, both agreed that they needed the mobility of the compact, indestructible form of Warrior Dragon. The Magic of the Ancient Dragon Kings, the Original Mage, and of the Knights whose souls were shared with the original Dragons beat against Cass’s body with the force of a jackhammer destroying concrete.

Forcing the large, elongated muscles he would have used for flying had they been Shifting in their Winged Warrior into his chest, biceps, and quads, his torso expanded in width and breadth at an unparalleled rate. It was obvious Blár was rushing the Shift as never before to join their Mate in battle, and Cass was there for it all.

The thick grass, sandy soil, and roots of plants and trees beneath his feet shuddered and shook. The small pebbles and flat rocks of the creek's edge danced along the terrain as the long claws jutting from his toes dug deep, providing the Dragon King with much-needed stability as his body grew into the unstoppable Warrior it was meant to be.

An inferno, the flaming shards of silver and blazing spikes of iron bore for battle by the Irish God of War, Neith, sliced through the flesh and bone of his back. Every inch of his body had to be torn asunder and then reconstructed into the unbeatable Ancient Warrior they were destined to be.

Cartlidge and bone stretched, joints and tendons popped to create what would have been wings. At half their normal length, the tips snapped downward, curling toward the ground in the blink of an eye.

No sooner had one reconstruction occurred than another began. As the pointed finger claws were just about to touch the blades of grass, they twisted upward and shot toward his shoulder blades. Pushing through the thick layer of crystalline blue scales, they ripped through every layer of his body as if it were no more than wet paper.

Bones continued to shatter, and muscles unrelentingly tore with extreme precision and meticulous accuracy until the Dragon King no longer possessed wings at all. Instead, he had what looked like huge, semi-circular blades of an oversized Leviathan Kratos Axe jutting from his back with long, venomous finger-claws extending from the razor-sharp edges.

Moving them up and down and forward and back, he felt the acidic poison to which there was no antidote flowing through the capillaries, racing to the ready should their assistance be needed. To kill an enemy with venom created by the Morrigan, the Queen of Nightmares, the Celtic Goddess of War, Death, and Fate, was a last resort. Blár thought it too easy. He preferred a fair fight between combatants, but when it came down to the life of the opposition or that of their Mate. He would strike with wild abandon and walk away as the enemy died a horrible, agonizing death.

Raising his hands, he watched the flesh at the ends of his fingers peel away and talons jut from within. As soon as they saw the light of day, the barbed daggers made of bone doubled in size and girth. Their hooked tips tingled with the need to rip through any and all who dared to stand between him and the woman made for them but the Universe.

In a matter of mere seconds, he stood ten feet tall, a mountain of muscle, Magic, and incomparable rage, Blár raised his hands, snapped his fingers, and walked through the portal swirling of the Magic of their Elders before him. Watching through the eyes of his Dragon King, Cass gasped as, a second later, they exited the vortex to find devastation everywhere he looked.

The trees were bare, their trucks black with decay and rot. Dead leaves, plants, and flowers littered the ground, along with decaying fruit, moldy vegetables, and decomposing flesh of small game animals.

But it was the burning, smoldering Christmas decorations strewn about and defiled with hatred and rage that shot a dagger through his heart. Then, the suffering, the agony, and the sorrow of illness and death attacked his senses like a heat-seeking missile

The Uya, the Evil Earth Spirt was attacking everything right and good in the Thorntree Reservation. It was seeking to destroy the center of not only the Spirit of the Great Cherokee Tribe, but also of the tenacious Timber Wolf, Laignech Fáelad of Pack Fianna, the Alpha who shares his soul with none other than the Great Chief Cheveyo.

Following the Mating Bond, Blár raced across yards, through gardens, and over gates to reach Abigail as Cass opened the unique mental connection they shared with the Chief and shouted, “Cheveyo! Cheveyo, where are you? Are you okay? Your people…”

“He’s gone!” Came the sharp, two-word replay from his Mate. Her voice was music to his ears, no matter the situation. She was simply fantastic. His heart was full to bursting and he still had not seen her with his own eyes.

Then she added, “Are you comin’? I gotta bitch ridin' the skeleton of a horse who wants to kick my ass and I think she needs a lesson in manners!" And he officially fell head over heels in love.

With a wave of his massive paw, the granite and basalt wall at the back right corner of the ranch-style home disappeared. The scene before them was something out of the Superhero movie, or one of the graphic novels he'd seen Jay MacLendon and the O’Brien twins reading and watching during his short time at the Golden Fire Clan.

Most of the room was filled with the woman, Sydney Kavanaugh, he’d met at Rayne and Kyndel’s, and a woman he instantly recognized as Auggie Addams. The blond was frantically pulling copious amounts of Healing Magic from the core of the Earth while the Timber She-Wolf's breathing was dangerously shallow and her heartbeat perilously slow. Cass could only pray that Syd could keep Auggie alive while he and Abbie sought to destroy the Evil Earth Spirit.

In the far corner, locked inside a corroded, slimy ball of Sorcery and Black Magic, stood Abbie, poised for the fight of her life with the ceremonial War Club at the ready. Determination was written all over her face. Fire burned white hot in the depths of her Emerald eyes. Her heart beat with the conviction of a True and Natural N?nn?'h? Warrior. It was time to join forces with the woman it felt as if he'd loved since the beginning of time and destroy the Uya.

“No, Lad,” Blár objected. “We will not be destroying her. We will…”

"We will be sending her back where she came from," Cass cut off the Dragon King, mimicking his thick Highlands brogue as he continued. "Because we will not, nor can we, destroy anything of the Darkness. It serves an essential purpose for those things springing from the Abyss to continue to exist. They do not have to thrive. They simply must survive. For without them, we would not know Light. Without the Bad, we would not know the Good. Without…"

“Aye, Lad,” Blár sighed. “I see you might actually have been listening for all these decades, nay centuries.”

“Yeah, I heard, and I understand, but I don’t have to like it. Look at that poor woman in the bed. Feel all the pain and suffering this single Evil Earth Spirit is causing. She doesn’t deserve to…”

Then it clicked. Cass remembered everything. Abigail, Abbie as she’d been called then. She was Auggie’s little cousin, the carrot-topped child with more freckles than face who'd followed behind them, asking a million questions and begging to follow them into whatever mischief lay ahead .

Cheveyo had been right. Aunt Barbara knew the truth. He had met his Mate many years earlier.

And now the stars had aligned, and they would be together.

“Only if you get your ass over here before this bitch charges at me!” Abbie snapped. "More of that 'let's fight together. Whacha’ say, Dragon Man?”

He could feel her patience wearing thin. His Mate did not suffer fools, and she most assuredly did not like to wait for anything.

The Dead Horse's hooves pawed the ground. It lifted its head. Its eyes, a glowing amber that strengthened with every passing second, speared Abbie with a look of unrelenting hatred. Squealing, almost like a pig in distress, the Deid Cuddie flared its nostrils, snorted furiously, and blew black soot and steam in every direction.

There was no time to lose. Cass not only needed to help his Mate send the Uya back to where she came from, mark her as his own, and have an amazing Mating Ceremony they would remember forever, but he also needed to be by her side–no matter the situation. Wherever Abbie was, he would be there too, for the rest of forever.

Without another thought, they burst through the bewitched wall of Black Magic into the microcosm of wickedness and malice. As soon as the soles of Blár's giant feet hit the ground, he extended his arm and reached into the Ether of the Earth. Wrapping his fingers around a thick leather grip, the side of his hand was flush against the gemstone pommel as he pulled the long, wide-bladed dagger, the Jeweled Scian of Maeve, the Irish Goddess of the Dragons and the Land, into his reality. Glittering with light blue gems and snow-white diamonds that perfectly matched the scales of his Dragon King, the Guardsman held it tightly within his left hand as he moved closer to his Mate.

With his right elbow slightly behind Abbie’s shoulder, he whispered into her mind, “Do you trust me?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Always.”

“Right answer, Flyboy. I trust you with the life of our Tribe.”

Cass's heart skipped a beat. Her words meant the world to him. She recognized exactly who he was–not only her Mate but also of the Thorntree Tribe. It was a given that she trusted him. If she hadn't, there was no doubt she would've beaten the living crap out of him with her War Club when he appeared in the crazy sphere of madness created by the Uya.

Regardless of what could have happened, he'd never had a doubt. He knew her, and she knew him. It was the way it was meant to be. They'd been made for each other. The instant he touched her mind, he saw her memories, and she saw his.

He'd felt the strength of the Mating Bond growing stronger the closer he got to her. Their souls had already started to become one. Their hearts beat in sync. The connection that could only be shared by True Fated Mates was alive, well, and unstoppable within them both.

But the fact that she believed in him and knew he would do everything in his power to protect and save the people they both held dear was more than he could have ever hoped for. And he would not let her down.

“Thank you, Mo chridhe. I will not fail.”

“I believe you, Loverboy. Now, less words, more action."

Letting the plan flow from his mind to hers, he felt her recognition at precisely the same moment that the Deid Cuddie charged. Doing exactly as he’d asked, Abbie let go of the War Club with her left hand and swung it wide. He slid the right arm of their Warrior Dragon around her waist and hooked the paw around the perfect curve of her hip.

Moving as if they'd done the move a hundred times, Abbie bent her knees as the Dragon lifted her off the ground. Throwing her into the air and over their shoulder in one fluid motion, neither Guardsman nor Dragon King breathed until her legs slipped over the tops of their shoulders and her feet hooked under their arms.

“Hold on, Hot Stuff,” Cass shouted into her mind. “Takin’ you for a spin.”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Stepping to the left, the Dragon King leaned into the movement, tucked his chin, and spun with pure adrenalin, the love of his Mate, and the Magic of the Universe. Raising his left hand, the one holding the Scian of Maeve, as high as he could, he trusted Abbie to follow the plan, to go low with the War Club she held in her right.

Feeling the heat from the fire of the Underworld powering the Dead Horse the closer it and the Uya came, those unholy flames thrashed at the impenetrable crystalline scales covering his body in an attempt to reach his neck. “She thinks to take our head, Lad. Have you ever heard something so foolhardy”

Unable to respond to his Dragoon King’s levity in the face of an adversary from the Underworld, Cass’s heart skipped a beat as he roared, “Abbie has no protection!”

“Never fear,” Blár countered, unwavering calm confidence flowing from Dragon King to man. “Our Mate is dressed for battle. Of that, you can be sure.”

A picture of Abbie instantly appeared in his mind, and damn if it wasn't magnificent. Head held high, hair flowing behind her like the flames from the Great Goddess Herself, she sat upon the back of the Warrior Dragon as the one True and Natural N?nn?'h? she was meant to be–and she wore the crystalline blue scales of the Dragons of the Clan of the Goddess Maeve. With a chest plate of Dragon scales, matching gauntlets covering her arms from wrist to elbow, and a face shield resembling a mask, she was more than combat ready.

“I love a good fashion show as much as the rest, but we have exactly two–point–two seconds until…”

“Shut up, Faye! We’re workin’ here!”

Appreciating the banter between Abbie and the Timber She-Wolf with whom she, at least partially, shared her soul, Cass couldn’t help but agree with his Mate. And not a moment too soon.

Completing the first revolution at the perfect time, he swept the sharp edge of his blade with impeccable precision, knowing it would hit the mark. Slicing through its knees as if they were nothing more than hot butter, the bone-chilling screams of the Dead Horse were only topped by the shrieks coming from the Uya as the jagged and barbed points of the War Club slashed across the paper-thin flesh of her neck.

Flying through the air as the Deid Cuddie fell forward on what was left of its front legs, the Evil Earth Spirit hit the wall of her own Black Magic with the force of a speeding train. Sparks flew. The unmistakable sizzle of something being seared abraded his ears. The foul, acerbic stench of burnt and rotting flesh filled the air, reminiscent of the foul odor of singed hair mixed with toxic chemicals he’d experienced during the clean-up of the nuclear explosion at Chernobyl in the Ukraine. It had been horrible and something he’d unfortunately experienced many times throughout the centuries in many different situations .

However, in this case, he wanted more. He wanted the Uya to suffer and bleed for what she’d done to the Thorntree Tribe and wanted to do to his Mate. She had to be punished. No, he couldn’t kill her, but he could bring her to the brink over and over again.

Continuing to turn, the Warrior Dragon slammed their massive right foot onto the ground when they were in the perfect position and came to a screeching halt. Watching and waiting, the Warrior Dragon's eyes never left the Uya. He could feel Abbie’s impatience growing with every beat of their hearts. She wanted to stab the Evil Earth Spirit again and again straight through the heart. The bitch had dared to attack her Tribe, their people . She thought of nothing but shoving the dying body of the foulest Being ever created by the Darkness back into whatever Pit she'd crawled out of… But Cass also heard the thoughts of not only his Dragon King but of the Ditlihi and the Timber She-Wolf and knew they were all in agreement that before sending the Evil Earth Spirit back into the Darkness, they needed answers.

The Uya was a messenger and assassin of sorts. She never acted on her own. She was always doing someone's bidding.

But who? And where the hell was Cheveyo and Momma Maybelle?

More than ready when the Evil Earth Spirit gave up on the Dead Horse coming to her aide, he wasn’t at all surprised when she pulled the Spear of Carman from the ether. Of course, the Black Sorceress who'd been cursed by the Tuatha De Danann and was sentenced to an eternity in the deepest Pit of the Underworld by the Dadga, had given the Uya her spear. Evil always begat evil.

Then, before Cass’s shock had time to register, Abbie yelled, “Oh, hell, no! I call foul! You can’t pull out the big spear! We just got started! That’s some bullshit right there!”

“Abbie, Mo ghràdh,” Cass mentally whispered. “ Maybe don’t…”

“Arggghhhhh,” the Uya shrieked.

Jumping to her feet, she held the Spear of Carman at arm's length in front of her chest. Her hands were perfectly placed, and her shoulders expertly bent. She was ready to whip that weapon in whatever way was needed to do maximum damage to her enemy.

Trying to look her in the eye, Cass was momentarily at a loss. The Uya had no eyes. Then he felt the vacuous pull of the Darkness, the Sorcery that kept the Evil Earth Spirit alive and kicking.

“Look up,” Abbie snapped, her tone sharp and efficient, something he appreciated at the time.

Gaze darting upward, he sarcastically snorted, “Thanks, M'eudail . Wonder how long it’ll take for that image to leave my brain.”

“We’ll just have to make better, happier ones to drive that ugliness away.”

“I like the way you think.”

“And I think you need to pay attention,” Blár growled. “Both of you.”

Knowing there was no use to answer back, Cass carefully took in the beady, black eyes of the slithering creatures hissing and spitting atop her head. They resembled snakes, but he could tell they were so much more.

Rearing up, striking at the air and expelling some caustic liquid that bubble and crackled as soon as the air hit it, they undulated and writhed atop her head. Heads snapping left then right they saw everything. Coiling then shooting upward and tightly twisting their bodies, they got a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of everything.

And that meant the Uya did, too.

"Those creepy snake things see for her," Abbie telepathically whispered. “That’s how she knows where we are.”

“And let us not forget, those bastardized versions of the inland taipan are incredibly poisonous,” Blár added,

“Good to know,” Abbie breathed, and at that moment, Cass knew she and his Dragon King were going to get along just fine. She had to be the first person in history not to want to say, 'duh' when Blár spit out one of his well-studied facts.

With his focus never wavering, the Guardsman recognized the constant motion and sliding from side to side the Uya was doing for exactly what it was–a tactic to close the space between them. Mirroring her movement, he could feel her frustration growing. She was in a hurry. She wanted them out of the way. She was…

Moving so fast she was nothing but a blur of black gore and translucent flesh, the Evil Earth Spirit shot from one side of the vile, infested bubble to the other. Holding perfectly still, only moving his eyes, Cass used the Dragon King’s huge, elliptically pupiled orbs to watch what she was doing and anticipate what was coming next.

Over and over, she did the same thing. Again and again, she ranted and raved about what she would do to not only Cass and Abbie, but to Blár and the Ditlihi as soon as she had them incapacitated and in her domain.

Powered by pure rage and unadulterated malevolence, rancid green spittle and black flecks of bloody phlegm flew into the air with every word she spat, and then her threats turned really nasty. “Death is too good for the likes of you! I will suck the blood from your veins! I will feast on the marrow of your bones. I will feed your flesh to the Deid Cuddie , and all the while, I will keep you alive. Your suffering will sustain me for centuries. You are nearly immortal, and I plan to use that to my advantage. Forever, I tell you. You will suffer forever! And the world you love so much, the people you care for with all your worthless hearts, oh, how they will suffer. The loss of the Everlasting Hope–of all Hope–will cripple the world, leaving it primed for me and mine. We will reign supreme! I will…”

BANG!

An unexpected, incandescent funnel cloud erupted to the right of the Evil Earth Spirit. A blinding, fluorescent lavender light devoured everything in its path.

The air roared. A deafening crackle speared his eardrums as a monstrous, guttural boom shook the foundation of the house. A wave of pure Energy, Light, and incredible Magic shattered the walls of the vile bubble. Gooey, gory shards were impaled into the walls. Plaster, wood, and pieces of rock and cement exploded into a thousand daggers, flinging deadly debris across the room.

A howl unlike anything Cass, Abbie, or even Blár and Faye had ever heard filled the room, expanding in every direction, growing louder and more profound until it was joined with another. The ground continued to shake, not from another explosion, but from the sheer magnitude and force yet another Magical presence was bringing to the party.

“What the fu…? Holy shi…!”

His expletives were cut off as gale force winds blew in from the North, South, East and West. From one second to the next, the devastation and debris was gone and at the four corners of the insidious bubble stood four of the largest Timber Wolves to ever walk the Earth.

Standing directly in front of the Uya with its left flank just a few feet from the Warrior Dragon was the largest, the Leader, Laignech Fáelad. Five feet from shoulder to floor, the tip of his ears had to be seven feet tall. His paws were huge. From the end of his nose to the tip of his tail, the mighty Timer Wolf was eight feet long if he were an inch.

His chest was massive, like an NFL defensive lineman's, with a single stripe of thick, voluminous gray fur that matched the man, the Chief with whom the King of the Wolves of Ossory shared his soul. It was Cheveyo, and that meant the Lupine to the East was his son, Dasan, and to the West was the other, Elan. That left absolutely no doubt that standing at the South Watch Tower was none other than Momma Maybelle.

“Stay close, Isi,” Cheveyo’s voice whispered through Abbie’s mind a split second before he added, “Today is the day, Caspian. Today is the day we fight for those we’ve lost.”

Not waiting for even an entire beat of Cass and Abbie’s hearts, or for either to respond, Cheveyo threw back his head and howled again. The sound, a call to arms, filled the very ether of the fabric of the universe. It shook the core of the All Powerful and called to the Great Creator for strength.

And that was when all hell broke loose.

A well-oiled War Party, the Timber Wolves launched themselves into the air. It was magnificent to watch and heart stopping to witness. Unfortunately, the Uya was prepared.

Before the pads of the Timber Wolves front paws touched down, a shrill whistle sliced through the air, assaulting everything with ears for miles. In the next instant, a Horde of Skeenah appeared out of thin air. They stood, knelt, creeped and crawled in a circle around all involved.

Abominations, mismatched and animated creatures from the depths of the Underworld, the Skeenah, the ones both Cass and his Mate had seen take the lives of their parents, were at least four deep and shoulder to shoulder. They had come to kill, to devour, to massacre everything Good and decimate the Light.

The stench of sulfur, brimstone, and utterly despicable Black Magic permeated the air. Thick, black fog wafted and slithered, snaking its way toward the Dragon King, Abbie, and the Timber Wolves with intent so nefarious that the scales on the back of Blár's Warrior Dragon tingled.

There was no preamble, no postering, no more games, before the Warrior Dragon could draw a breath, the Uya raised the Spear of Carman and the Skeenah attacked. They were everywhere. Grotesque and lumbering, they were faster than they looked, and hellbent on leaving a trail of death and destruction in their path…

But Cass and Blár were having none of it.

Racing straight for the Uya, who stood at the center of the fight, the Warrior Dragon slashed and hacked with expert precision with the Blade of Maeve. Spinning left and right, going high, then dropping to his knees, the enemies that didn't meet their demise at the end of his sword were either beaten by his Mate or incinerated by the flames of Dragon Fire he expelled at will.

The fight was so tense, so full of aggression, agitation, and horror that it seemed to go one forever while actually happening in the blink of an eye. The Evil Earth Spirit was wily, avoiding his attack and that of the Timber Wolves at every turn.

“Go left!” Abbie screamed, her arm flying out past the Warrior Dragon’s ear as she pointed to the spot where Cheveyo, Elan, Dasan, and Momma Maybelle were moving in on the Uya .

Mowing down the adversaries with uninhibited fervor, he left a trail of bloody and charred remains in his path. With only three feet to go, The Evil Earth Spirit was so close he could feel the heat of the Fire of Hell on his scales. Then, his Mate shrieked as the welcome weight of her body on his shoulders was lifted away.

Spinning to the left and to the right, he looked everywhere. Then, an extraordinary light called his attention upward, and the sight he beheld was simply astonishing. He couldn't believe his eyes. He wouldn't have believed it if he wasn't watching the miracle unfold in real-time.

Levitating high above the combatants with her head thrown back, her arms spread wide, and the illumination of the Heavens glowing like a halo around her entire body was none other than the woman made for him by the Universe, his Mate, the reason his heart took its next beat. Ready to call out to her, to tell her how he felt, the light turned into something more… something magnificent… something… something…

“It is the Light of the Great Creator,” Cheveyo’s voice whispered into Cass’s mind. “She is becoming. Abbie is becoming all she was ever meant to be. You have done it, Caspian. You have returned the True and Natural N?nn?’h? to us.”

He had absolutely no clue what the old Chief was going on about, but one thing was for sure, his Mate’s transformation had stopped everyone dead in their tracks–especially the Uya and her Skeenah Horde…

And she wasn’t done yet.

White Fire, the legendary flames of the Goddess of Maeve, flew from her chest. Filling the air with brilliant illumination, the blazing plumes wove and danced in every direction. Totally captivated by the light show, Cass didn't know anything else was happening until the raucous howls and agonizing wails ripped through the beauty of the moment.

For what seemed like the hundredth time, the Warrior Dragon was spinning in one direction and then the other. Just like dominoes falling in some intricate formation, the Skeenah horde fell to the floor. Gasping and hacking, their caustic, black blood spewed in every direction before they gasped. A collective death rattle echoed throughout the room, and they lay dead.

A shrill, unholy shriek ripped the resulting silence as the Evil Earth Spirit raised the Spear of Carman over her head. “Die N?nn?’h?! To Hell with all you are and all you represent! Death to the Everlasting…”

But that was as far as she got.

Stopping as if she was frozen, standing exactly where she’d been with her mouth open wide, the snakes upon her head in suspended animation and oily black gunk flowing down her chin, the Uya was stuck. Unsure what was happening, the Warrior Dragon’s gaze snapped to Abbie as she floated to the ground.

Then he looked at Cheveyo.

Then to the other three Timber Wolves.

Everyone wore the same expression of extreme shock and utter surprise.

Eyes flying back to the Evil Earth Spirit, Cass gasped, “Holy shit! Look at her chest!”

And there it was–a long golden arrow with flames of the same hue burning their way through the Uya’s chest. Unable to move, still alive and caught in the snare of something or someone, she was slowly becoming ash right before his eyes.

As she fell to her knees, the Warrior Dragon saw who had shoved that arrow through the Evil Earth Spirit’s heart. He barked with laughter as Abbie snorted, “Well, hell, Syd, how about that fancy shootin’?”

“Just trying to keep up with you.”

“Y-you w-will not w-win,” the Uya gasped, her chest rattling with the last vestiges of her earthly form. "The M-Master w-will… H-he w-will… H-H…"

Before she could even finish her threat, she took her last breath on the planet.

Taking a single step toward his Mate, the Warrior Dragon opened his mouth to profess his love, but nothing came. Blown away by a huge gust of wind, not only his words were gone, but also was the remains of the Uya and her Skeenah Horde.

Waiting, counting to three, he only moved when he was sure nothing was going to happen. Making it halfway across the area that separated them, Blár retreated to the background of their shared psyche, leaving Cass back in human form to catch his Mate as she launched herself into his arms.

Raining kisses all over his face, she whispered into his mind, “Well, hello, Caspian MacAllen. Nice to finally properly meet you. Wanna get hitched?”