Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

CAYE

C aye shifted back, pulling on the warm clothes and boots she’d brought with her. Having been able to shift her entire life, Caye was always prepared for the shift back to her human form by either bringing with her clothing she could pull on or shifting close to somewhere she could steal something to wear. It didn’t do much good to shift to get somewhere only to end up naked. People tended to notice that kind of thing.

She entered the chamber where they had defeated Xenos. Evil clung to the walls like a parasite to its victim. They’d been so caught up in having killed the wizard they had left behind a dangerous weapon for others to find. Well, not on her watch. She may have fucked up when she’d focused solely on Andreas, but she would now see to ending the wizard’s malicious power once and for all.

She entered a second, ancillary chamber—a cold, dark cavern, its walls lined with ancient runes that still pulsed with a sinister light even after the wizard’s death. At the center of the cavern, a swirling rift crackled with dark energy, the very air around it distorting as reapers poured forth, clamoring over each other to get out of the In-Between, their ghostly forms writhing with malevolent intent. The rift was a tear between worlds, a gateway that allowed the reapers to cross into the realm of the living.

Caye’s eyes burned with determination as she surveyed the chaos. She knew what she had to do. She quickly removed her clothes, shifting into her dragon form. With a deep breath, she unleashed a torrent of dragon fire, scorching the reapers and forcing them back toward the rift. They screeched in fury, their forms flickering and fading as they were driven back.

With every beat of her wings and every breath of fire, Caye pushed the reapers closer to the rift. Her power surged, and soon, the reapers were being sucked back into the rift, their cries echoing through the cavern. She roared, a sound that reverberated through the stone walls, and with a final, mighty effort, she forced the last of the reapers through the rift.

Caye landed heavily in front of the rift, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The rift still crackled with dark energy, threatening to open again at any moment. She knew she had to seal it, to ensure the safety of the land of the living and all who lived there.

Inside her mind, she could see both her dragon and her hellhound—the dragon was exhausted but the hellhound was a shadowy, powerful presence, standing resolute. The hellhound, a part of her soul since her birth, gazed at the rift with a fierce determination. They both knew it was time to make a sacrifice and both knew they had no choice.

"You know what we must do," the hellhound said, her familiar voice a deep, rumbling growl that echoed in Caye's mind.

Caye nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "I know. We must seal the rift, and you must stay behind to guard against it being torn open again."

The hellhound's eyes softened for a moment, a rare display of emotion. "We have fought together for so long—been the other half of each other’s soul. But this is where our paths must diverge."

With a heavy heart, Caye began the separation ritual. Her dragon form glowed with a brilliant light as the connection between her and her hellhound soul was severed. The pain was intense, but she endured it, knowing it was the only way. The light intensified, and with a final, agonizing burst, the separation was complete.

Her hellhound soul now stood before her, a separate entity. The cavern fell silent, the air heavy with the weight of their parting.

"You will be safe now. Your drakaina will take my place," the hellhound said, turning to face the rift.

“No one will ever take your place,” said the drakaina.

“I will leave her in your care,” said the hellhound. "I will remain behind to ensure that no reaper ever crosses into the land of the living again."

Caye bowed her head in respect and gratitude. "Thank you. For everything."

The hellhound nodded, then turned her back on Caye and headed to a rock above the rift. She climbed to the top and settled down, taking her place as the eternal guardian, her form radiating a fierce, protective energy. "Go, live your life. I will watch over this place for eternity."

Caye nodded, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. She turned to walk away, glancing back one last time at her hellhound, who was already settling into her eternal watch. Her body felt lighter, her heart stronger, and yet a hollow pit seemed to have opened in her gut.

"Farewell, my oldest friend," Caye whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "May your watch be peaceful and uneventful."

“You will heal in time,” said the drakaina. “I will be with you until it is your time to leave this earthly realm, and then we three shall be as one.”

With that, Caye turned and left the cavern, the weight of her sacrifice heavy on her shoulders but her heart filled with a newfound determination. She had ensured the safety of her world, and though she had lost a part of herself, she knew that the bond she shared with her hellhound would endure across the ages.

The cavern fell silent once more, save for the faint crackling of the sealed rift and the quiet, unyielding presence of the hellhound, who stood as the eternal guardian against the darkness.

The icy wind howled through the mountains as Caye called forth her drakaina, not caring that she would have nothing to change into when it came time to shift back into her human form. She stood at the entrance from the outside of the cavern to the interior of Xenos’ lair. Her scales shimmered with a deep, iridescent crimson red and gold, and her eyes glowed with a determined and ethereal light. She took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her decision settle upon her. The cavern behind her, now devoid of its dark energy, was silent and still.

With a powerful roar, Caye took to the skies, summoning her elemental power and drawing on the magic that flowed through her veins. She banked and came back around, focusing on the entrance to the cavern, her breath turning to a stream of intense blue flames. The flames licked at the edges of the rock, heating it to a glowing red before it began to melt and fuse together. She continued her assault, the rock slowly melting and sealing the entrance shut.

Once the entrance was completely fused, Caye turned her attention to the surrounding mountainside. She reared back, her wings spreading wide as she called upon the ancient magic of the earth. With a sound that was part dragon and part hellhound, she caused the ground to tremble and shake. The mountainside rumbled in response, and with a final, earth-shattering roar, she triggered a massive avalanche. Tons of snow and rock cascaded down, burying the sealed cavern entrance under an impenetrable layer of snow, ice and debris.

Exhausted but resolute, Caye landed softly on a nearby ledge, her breath coming in heavy gasps. The once-dangerous lair of Xenos was now buried deep beneath the mountain, its dark influence sealed away forever. As she caught her breath, she sensed a familiar presence approaching. Andreas, his dragon form cutting through the sky with powerful, graceful strokes, landed beside her. His eyes, filled with concern and love, searched her face for answers.

"Caye," he said, his voice a deep rumble. "Do you remember how you felt when I tried to leave…” Andreas stopped his tirade short, sensing something momentous had occurred. “What’s happened?"

Caye looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mix of determination and sorrow. "I sealed the rift," she said, her voice steady despite the weight of her words. "I am now fully drakaina.”

“What do you mean?” he asked softly, nuzzling her gently.

“I had to leave my hellhound soul behind to guard it. She's taken her place as the eternal guardian."

Andreas’ eyes widened in shock and concern. "You separated from your hellhound? But why?"

Caye took a deep breath, feeling the cold air fill her lungs. "She always knew she was destined for something more than just sharing my soul. This was her purpose—to protect our world from the reapers. She insisted it was the right thing to do."

Andreas wrapped a wing around her, pulling her close. "You made a great sacrifice, Caye. But you did it to protect us all. Your hellhound is strong and brave, just like you."

Tears welled in Caye's eyes, but she smiled, feeling the warmth of Andreas’ presence. "She will watch over the rift for eternity, ensuring the reapers can never return. I will miss her, but I know she's doing what she was meant to do."

Andreas nodded. "And you, my love, have shown incredible strength and courage. We will honor her sacrifice and live our lives to the fullest, knowing she guards our world."

Caye leaned into Andreas, finding comfort in his embrace. As the first light of the new day began to break over the snowy mountains, Caye and Andreas stood together, silently acknowledging their loss and what might come. For now, the cavern was sealed, the rift guarded, and the future, though uncertain, was theirs to shape. They took to the sky, their hearts heavy with loss but buoyed by the knowledge that they had done what was necessary to ensure the safety of their world.

They flew to Otter Cove to report to the resistance all that had transpired. Caye asked Andreas and Hayden to make the full report, pleading exhaustion. Although it was true—she’d never known a weariness such as this—what she really wanted was to talk to her best friend.

“Brie?” she said into the cell phone as she climbed up on a prominent rock that overlooked the Resistance’s compound, sinking down on the stone that had been warmed by the sun.

“Hey, you. What’s going on? I’ve been worried about you. I tried to find you, and you’d just up and disappeared. Colby said not to worry, but that’s what Colby always says…”

Caye laughed. “While behind your back he launches a massive search.”

“Yeah, I don’t know why people didn’t know what he was up to all those years, he can’t keep a secret worth a damn.”

Caye chatted with Brie, skipping the whole being claimed by a dragon, fighting a wizard, losing her hellhound, sealing the rift, and just enjoyed talking to her friend. She felt Andreas slip in behind her, adjusting how she was sitting so that she leaned against him. He was good at providing her with solid, silent support.

A time for discussion, introspection and mourning would come, but for this moment, Caye lifted her face to the sky, nestled against her fated mate and let the sun shine down on them all.

Looking for some more steamy, hot reads. Click here to read His Fiery Mate.

Some fires are meant to burn.

Arson investigator and dragon shifter Melisandre (Laney) Blaze lands in Kodiak, Alaska, to unravel a series of mysterious fires. Only to promptly clash with the town's heroic hellhound firefighter, Tanner North, known for his daring rescues and maverick ways. Sparks fly as they butt heads, along with the knowledge that they are fated mates.

Forced to team up, they navigate the investigation and more life-threatening blazes, they can't ignore the fiery passion between them As their relationship heats up, evidence suggests the arsonist might be one of Tanner’s own, shaking the foundation of trust between them. Laney must decide whether to trust the man she's falling for or follow the evidence, even if it means losing him. And as they race against time to uncover the truth, they realize that the next fire could be their last.

Can they douse the flames of suspicion and let their love blaze bright, or will the secrets of Kodiak tear them apart?