Chapter Twelve

It was as if, for a moment, everything went still. The tree was falling, and Keylon was underneath it. He raised his hands to use his magic to try to stop it, but he didn’t think he would be fast enough. He’d already used a lot of magic to extinguish the flames. He might not have enough left to stop the tree, but he would die trying.

There was a very good possibility he would die.

His fingers sparked, the tree moved closer, and Keylon sucked in a breath.

A massive object appeared in his vision. Something curled around him, snatching him up, making him yelp as he was moved. He was pulled away from the tree and dragged against a massive body. The tree fell, hitting the ground with a force that made the ground vibrate under Keylon’s feet. The fire raged around him, but he knew he was safe.

Winter had caught him. He’d shifted and dragged Keylon against his body, pulling him to safety. Winter was a dragon, so he was immune to fire. As long as Keylon stayed close to him, he wouldn’t burn.

For a moment, he allowed himself to rest. Winter had used his tail to move him closer and had pulled him against his chest to curl up around him. He was holding Keylon tightly, and Keylon could feel his big heart beating.

He pressed his cheek against Winter’s chest. His heart was racing just as quickly as Winter’s. He couldn’t believe he’d survived. When the tree had started to fall, he’d been convinced he would die. He could still see the tree coming toward him and feel the heat of the flames, and his fear was still very much present, making his stomach churn and his body sweat.

Or that could be the fire.

Keylon needed a minute, and since he was safe, he took it. He allowed himself to rest against Winter’s chest just long enough to slow down his racing heart. Once he wasn’t panting in fear anymore, he tried to push away. He still had a job to do, and more than ever, he wanted to do it and go home. He needed a bottle of water and a shower. He wanted to bury himself in his bed and not come out until tomorrow.

Winter didn’t let him go. If anything, he squeezed even tighter. Keylon tried to push away, but Winter wasn’t budging.

“You have to let me go,” he murmured, knowing Winter would be able to hear him over the roaring fire because of how close they were.

Winter grumbled. He tugged Keylon closer to his chest as if he was afraid Keylon would sneak away. Keylon would have, but there was no way for him to get out of Winter’s hold.

“Please, Winter,” Keylon begged. “We have to continue looking for that object. It’s the only way to extinguish the fire. It’s the only way to keep me and the other mages safe.”

Keylon understood why Winter was being stubborn about this, and he didn’t blame him. If he could, he’d stay in Winter’s arms until this mess was over and they were both safe.

He’d known Winter wouldn’t let him get hurt, especially not now that Winter was on board with being his shield, but he’d still had a few doubts at the back of his mind. Sometimes he still wondered if Winter would change his mind and pick Samuel instead.

But as they were now, with Winter grumbling and keeping Keylon close, Keylon knew that wouldn’t happen. Winter was in for the long term. He’d saved Keylon, and he hadn’t done it because he was his shield. He’d done it because he liked him and didn’t want him to be hurt. He’d done it because he’d been terrified that something would happen to Keylon, just as much as Keylon was afraid that something would happen to him.

Keylon wiggled until he could look up at Winter’s face. Winter was glaring at him, but Keylon ignored it and kissed his nose. “I’m fine, and I’ll continue being fine because you protected me. You don’t have to let me go, but we do have to continue looking for the object.”

Winter narrowed his eyes as if trying to check whether Keylon was telling the truth.

Keylon was. He wasn’t looking forward to walking in the middle of a fire, and he would feel better if they could stick together.

He licked his lips, and it tasted like salt. He was sweating a lot, and if he didn’t return to the castle, he’d be dehydrated soon. That would have to wait, though.

“How about this? You stay in your dragon form. That way you won’t have to worry about the flames. I’ll cast a protective spell around myself and climb on your back. You can plow through the forest and follow the purple flames back to the object that created them.”

It wouldn’t be a precise way to find the thing, but it could point them in the right direction, and right now, that was all they had. The only other way to do this was to wander around the forest and hope they’d stumble onto the object, but Keylon was done with this. He wanted to go home. He wanted Winter to be safe and stop freaking out.

That meant it was time to find the object and destroy it.

Winter rumbled, but he finally moved. He allowed Keylon to get to his feet and uncurled from around him.

Keylon was hit with a wave of heat. Winter had been shielding his body from the flames, and without Winter folded around Keylon anymore, he could feel them on his skin.

He swallowed and told himself to ignore it. He wasn’t going to burn, and neither were his brothers. The dragons would protect them.

Right now, that was hard to believe. The flames were burning the trees around them, creating walls that felt impossible to destroy. This was a mess. Even if they found the object, they’d still have to deal with the consequences of what Carlyle had done. He didn’t care about burning trees and possibly destroying an entire forest, but this was Keylon’s home. He didn’t want it to be destroyed.

He was going to kick Carlyle’s ass when he saw him.

Winter lowered his big head and stared at Keylon. Keylon knew what he was waiting for, so with a roll of his eyes, he cast a protective spell around himself. That seemed to satisfy Winter, who waited for Keylon to climb on his back. Keylon wanted to continue extinguishing the fire, but he’d been doing that since they’d entered the forest, and it was useless. As long as they couldn’t find the object that had started the fire, extinguishing the flames would only be a temporary solution. They needed a permanent one.

He climbed onto Winter’s back after checking on the shiny object he’d noticed before. Unfortunately the only thing under the tree was an old soda can.

Keylon swore as he settled in between the two ridges on Winter’s spine like he always did when he rode him. He squeezed his knees, and Winter got to his feet. He tucked his wings close to his body. Keylon was glad for that, because they helped shield him from most of the fire. It also meant that it was easier for Winter to walk between the trees, but it still wouldn’t be a walk in the park, what with the forest going up in flames around them.

Keylon looked around for the purple flames. They were everywhere, and it took him a minute to find an area where there were more of them. He squeezed his knee on that side, silently telling Winter that was where they needed to go.

Winter rumbled and turned that way. He wasn’t as smooth as he was when he flew, but it didn’t need to be smooth. Winter needed to be fast and protect Keylon, and he was doing that.

Keylon still wasn’t sure they would find the object, and he wished all of this was already over.

It wouldn’t be until they found this fucking thing.

* * * *

Winter wouldn’t need the mages to kill Carlyle. As soon as he found the man, he would strangle him himself.

He’d been so certain Keylon would die when he’d seen that tree coming down on him. His heart had stopped, and for a second, Winter had considered living a life without Keylon.

It shouldn’t have been hard. After all, Winter had lived without Keylon for decades. He’d been perfectly fine with Samuel and his clan, and if something happened to Keylon, he could return to that.

But he didn’t want anything to happen to his mage. He’d made his decision, and the decision was to be with Keylon and protect him. He was Keylon’s shield, and it was his job.

So he’d done his job.

He hadn’t even thought about it. He’d shifted and used his dragon body to pull Keylon to safety. He’d curled around him, protecting him from the fire and the falling tree. The tree hadn’t fallen on them, but Winter had still felt the flames consuming it and the vibration of it hitting the ground. When he had, part of him had decided that this was it. He wouldn’t let Keylon put himself in any more danger.

But of course, that wasn’t possible. Keylon was in danger as long as he stayed in this forest, which meant that Winter had to take him out of it as soon as possible. The easiest way to do that was to stay in his dragon form. He could protect Keylon against the flames. That made it harder for him to look for a small object in the middle of a burning forest, but he had faith in himself and in Keylon. He had faith in the other mages and the dragons. They were searching the forest, and Winter was sure they would find whatever Carlyle had dropped there.

The forest was an inferno raging around them. It was hot enough to make Winter yearn for a dip in the lake. He could only imagine how bad this felt to Keylon, who didn’t have Winter’s dragon skin to protect him. He was sitting on Winter’s back, but most of his body was exposed to the flames. Even with the protective spell, he had to be able to feel the heat.

Winter wasn’t sure how long they walked through the forest. More trees came down, and it was getting harder for Winter to protect Keylon. He was starting to think he would have to put his foot down and fly Keylon back to the castle when Keylon cried out.

Winter looked around, trying to find the enemy. He felt Keylon move on top of him, and when Keylon slipped down, Winter snatched him up and pulled him close to his chest again. Keylon wiggled and tried pushing away, but Winter wouldn’t allow it.

“Let me go,” Keylon ordered. “I think I saw something.”

Winter kept Keylon where he was and lowered his head so they could look each other in the eyes.

Keylon wasn’t afraid of him. He actually rolled his eyes, then tried pushing away again. “It’s not going to change anything if I let you check this out instead of me. I’ll still be standing alone in the middle of the burning forest anyway. I might as well go. I’ll know what to do if I find the object.”

Winter wasn’t sure he could let Keylon go, but he didn’t have a choice. He would have no idea what to do if he found the thing, but Keylon knew. He’d be able to destroy it.

Hopefully.

Letting go of Keylon was the hardest thing Winter had ever done. He uncurled his talons from his mage and allowed Keylon to take a step back. He was tempted to shift so he could stay close, but he could better protect Keylon like this.

He followed closely, but not so close that he would bother Keylon. The protective spell still shimmered around the mage, so the flames couldn’t hurt him, but how long would he be able to keep up the spell? How much magic did he still have stored in his body?

Some mages pulled the magic from around them, while others found it deep inside of them. Some, like Penley, could use the magic from the world around them. With so much fire, though, there was no way to know if Keylon would be able to do that, especially since he wasn’t used to manipulating that kind of magic. That meant the mages were pulling from their personal magic, which in turn meant that eventually they’d deplete it, and if the fire was still raging, they would have a problem on their hands.

Keylon extinguished the fire from a small area around the base of a tree. Winter glanced up at the tree as Keylon crouched in front of it. He watched Keylon push away leaves and ashes, revealing a small object.

Winter sucked in a breath. He remembered the small white and blue ceramic cat he’d found where Simon had dropped it at the cottage. This wasn’t a cat, even though it was ceramic, too, and made with the same colors. If Winter had to guess, the same person had made both of the figurines.

The ceramic dragon was dirty with dust and ashes, but as Keylon cleaned it with his thumb, more of it appeared. It was delicate looking, and it would probably break if Keylon dropped it, but the figurine wasn’t the important part of this. No, what mattered was the spell inside of it, and Winter had no idea how that worked.

“I need to tell the others,” Keylon said as he got to his feet.

He left the figurine where it was, which made Winter decide that he didn’t want to touch it. Did that mean the spell was too strong for Keylon to do anything about it now, or did he just want to be cautious?

Keylon used a spell as the beacon so that the other mages would know where to go. Since they had to wait, Winter curled one wing around Keylon, pulling him close again. Keylon rolled his eyes, but he leaned against Winter as he started extinguishing the fire still raging around them.

Winter kept an eye on the figurine. He wasn’t surprised to see it release tiny purple flames that grew as soon as they met the air. It was terrifying to see. It was easy to imagine what this figurine could do if left untouched. It had already destroyed part of the forest. Could it destroy the castle and the entire area? When would it ever stop? Winter wanted to ask if the spell was timed or if it only had a certain amount of energy, but he couldn’t in this form, and he wasn’t about to shift. He’d have to keep all his questions for later.

The first people to reach them were Meyer, Tyne, and Samuel. Samuel rushed to Winter’s side as soon as he saw him, running his hands over Winter’s body as if to check he wasn’t hurt. Winter huffed and twisted his head so he could look at his friend. Samuel could have gotten hurt, not Winter.

“He’s fine,” Keylon said. “He shifted to protect me from a falling tree.”

Samuel was sweaty, and there was dirt on his face. There was also a big red burn on his arm, but he didn’t seem to have noticed it or to care. His entire focus was on Keylon and Winter.

“You’re both fine?” he asked.

“We are, thanks to Winter.”

“Good. Have you heard from the others?”

“No, but they should be arriving soon.”

“You found it.”

It wasn’t a question, so Keylon’s only answer was to tilt his chin toward the base of the tree where the figurine lay. When Samuel saw it, he swore, but he didn’t try to touch it.

That had to mean the magic inside of it was powerful, didn’t it? Samuel was a good mage, but he was young. His magic still hadn’t fully unfurled, and he was still learning how to use it. It was a miracle he’d only been burned once, and Winter wondered if that was thanks to Meyer, who was in his dragon form, too. Tyne was keeping a safe distance from the dragon, which left Meyer close to Samuel. It didn’t seem to bother him, but Winter knew better. Tyne’s rejection had to hurt.

It made Winter feel sorry for everything he’d done to Keylon. Thankfully, that was in the past, and they were working things out, but he swore to himself that if he ever had a problem in the future, he would find Keylon and tell him about it. Running away and ignoring each other hadn’t worked the first time, and it wouldn’t the second or third time, either. It was time for Winter to let go of his fears and grow up. It was time for him to take this relationship seriously.

“Where is it?” Jarvis asked as he and Marlow arrived.

He was on Marlow’s back, but he quickly slid down and rushed toward Keylon. Keylon moved away from Winter, and it took everything Winter had not to pull him back closer. Thankfully, Keylon didn’t go close to the figurine. He pointed at it, then took a step back.

Jarvis crouched in front of the dragon figurine and stared at it for a moment. “I thought I recognized the cat, but I’m sure of it now. I bought these for Carlyle when he was young.” He reached for the figurine as if to stroke the small dragon’s back, but a hand on his wrist stopped him. He turned to look at Dallin, who shook his head.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“You think you can eliminate the spell inside of it?”

Dallin put a hand in his pocket and retrieved a small box. “I don’t know yet, but I placed a neutralizing spell on this. It’ll ensure that the spell inside won’t do any more damage. I can get rid of the spell once the fire is gone. We can’t focus on this object right now, Jarvis. We have to extinguish the fire first.”

Jarvis nodded and stepped away to allow Dallin closer. Winter still wasn’t sure what Dallin’s specialty was, but he watched as he crouched in front of the object and used the box to pick it up, sliding it inside with ease.

Winter wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but nothing happened. Dallin closed the box, and the ceramic dragon disappeared from view. It didn’t explode or anything like that. It was just gone, and with it, the purple flames that had been burning the forest around them. All were gone, leaving in place a normal fire. It was still burning, but it was much less potent than it had been minutes earlier.

“All right,” Jarvis said as he raised his hands. Some of the flames around them vanished. “Let’s get back to work.”

Several of the dragons pushed up to fly away, probably toward the lake to get some water, but Winter wasn’t going anywhere. As long as Keylon was here, he wasn’t moving. His job was to protect Keylon, and that was what he’d do.

* * * *

All of them were dirty and sweaty, but they weren’t finished yet. Knowing that made Keylon want to cry. He wanted out of this forest. He wanted a shower and food and never to think about a fire again.

But instead of running back to the castle, he moved closer to Penley. “Is there anything you can do?” he asked.

Penley wrinkled his nose. His hair was all over the place, and there were burned marks on his t-shirt. From what Keylon could see, the skin underneath was intact, which was a miracle.

“Will you make sure the fire doesn’t touch me?” Penley asked.

Bennett had left with Marlow and Meyer, probably to get water from the lake. That meant that Penley didn’t have his shield—but he still had protection. He always had and always would.

Keylon nodded and raised his hands to extinguish a patch of fire that was too close for comfort. “I’ll make sure you’re not burned.”

Penley grinned at him and crouched. He pushed away some of the leaves and ashes on the ground, then pressed his hand against the dirt. It took him a moment, but the fire surrounding them slowed down. It didn’t entirely disappear, but that wasn’t a problem, because a wave of water hit them by surprise.

Keylon spluttered and looked up at Marlow, who was already flying back toward the lake. He was holding a massive plastic container, which was now empty.

“You planned for this,” Keylon said as he turned toward Jarvis.

Jarvis looked sad and exhausted. “I planned for anything Carlyle might do if he returned. This wasn’t just for him, though. It would be too easy for a fire to start here during the summer when it doesn’t rain enough. I wasn’t sure we’d be able to use the containers before we found the dragons, but they’re here now.”

They were, and they were helping. Meyer appeared on the horizon, carrying another container. He was flying slowly, no doubt because it was full of water. He didn’t dump it on them like Marlow had. Instead, he chose a spot a bit further away, closer to the castle.

Keylon might have been shocked by the water, but it felt good. He was drenched and dirty, but he finally wasn’t feeling like he’d be melting in seconds anymore.

Jarvis sighed. “Let’s get to work so we can return to the castle.”

Between all the mages, it still took them almost an hour to extinguish the fire. The dragons continued flying back and forth and helping by dumping water over the trees.

Even once it was over, Keylon half expected the fire to start burning again. As they walked back toward the castle, he couldn’t help but look around, searching for more flames.

There weren’t any. The only thing left was destruction, and while Keylon knew the forest would regrow, it would take decades for it to return to what it had been before.

“I’ll take care of it,” Penley said from where he was sitting on Bennett’s back—his human back because Bennett was giving him a piggy-back ride.

He’d collapsed after extinguishing as much fire as he could, which hadn’t made Bennett happy. He’d helped Penley to climb on his back and had refused to let him down since. Keylon didn’t think Penley minded. He looked like he might be about to fall asleep right there and then.

“What do you mean?” Winter asked.

He was back in his human form, too, but he was still hovering close to Keylon as if ready to carry him, too, if Keylon needed him to. Keylon was tempted since his legs felt shaky, but he could walk.

Penley gave Winter a tired smile. “My specialty is nature magic. It’ll take time, but I think I can coax the forest to grow faster.”

That would be incredible to watch, but it wouldn’t happen anytime soon. They were all too exhausted.

Keylon stumbled, but he didn’t have to worry about falling on his face because Winter was there. He caught him and pulled him close, and he didn’t let go. He hooked an arm around Keylon’s waist and slowed them down so they wouldn’t stumble on each other’s feet as they walked. Keylon didn’t care. He leaned against Winter’s side, grateful for the support and for the feeling of being protected.

They were all exhausted, sweaty, and dirty. Keylon was sure everyone around him wanted a shower and to go to sleep. Thankfully, they wouldn’t have to wait long. The castle loomed on the horizon, and once they were close enough, Keylon saw that the back door was open. People were standing there, clearly waiting for them. None of them dared leave the castle’s protection, but when they got closer, Keylon saw that everyone was there.

Jillian was hugging Marlow’s son and making sure he didn’t run out. Thorne and Matthias were so close to each other they might as well have been hugging, too. Matthias looked like he wanted to run, just like Marlow’s son, but he stayed where he was.

The mages’ assistants were present, too. Keylon didn’t have one, but several of his brothers did, and no one was missing. Keylon could have cried. In fact, he was pretty sure a tear leaked from his eye.

Jillian and Thorne took charge as soon as the mages and dragons reached the castle.

“All of you go to your rooms,” Jillian ordered. “I’ll have food brought up. I don’t want to see any of you until tomorrow. Shower, eat, and sleep.”

Jarvis looked like he was about to fall asleep right there in the courtyard, but he still tried to argue. “We have to check the protection spells around the castle, and someone should keep an eye on the forest to make sure Carlyle doesn’t try anything else.”

“We’ll take care of that,” Thorne said as he gently pushed Jarvis toward the closest door that would lead him inside the castle. “I’m sure the protection spells on the castle are fine, and I doubt Carlyle will try attacking us again today.”

“It would be the best way for him to take us down,” Jarvis grumbled.

“He can try, but we’re protected inside the castle. Get some rest, and I promise that if anything happens, I’ll fetch you and the other mages.”

Keylon knew Jarvis was right, but Thorne wasn’t wrong, either. The mages and dragons wouldn’t be any good if they had to defend the castle right now. They were too tired. They needed food and rest, and hopefully, by tomorrow, they’d be back to fighting strength.

They would need to be if they wanted to take Carlyle down.