Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Derek was losing. Badly . He had been holding his own against Bryok , but then the amethyst he'd killed earlier returned. It was all he could do to stay alive and give Kora a chance to kill Villette , but he had few opportunities to make contact. His injuries barely healed before he sustained more. It got to a point where the magic couldn't heal him quickly enough.

He heard Merrill shouting his name in his head right before a deafening roar resounded above him. Derek glanced up to see orange scales diving straight for them. It gave him time to lean away as Merrill slammed into the amethyst dragon, sinking his talons into its scales.

Derek and Bryok were locked in combat. He whipped his tail around and thrust the barbed end in Bryok's back. The shout of pain that echoed around them was music to his ears. Derek yanked his tail out and rushed his foe. He flipped Bryok onto his side. Derek stepped on him with one foot and slashed at his face with his talons. The sound of scales splitting brought a wave of satisfaction, but it didn't last long.

Bryok got to his feet and engulfed Derek in fire. The flames licked hungrily at his injuries. The heat sizzled in his open wounds. His muscles locked in agony. Derek opened his wings and tried to fly, but the one hadn't healed yet, leading to a clumsy attempt that infuriated him. There was no getting away. He had to face the fact that he might not survive this battle.

Derek tried to fight against the pain, but he was too weakened. He wasn't ready to die. Not without seeing Kora one more time. He gathered the last ounce of his strength and slashed at Bryok , shredding and ripping more scales. The assault surprised Bryok enough to cut off the dragon fire. Derek didn't let up on the assault. He forced Bryok to stumble back. But then he made a mistake. He got too close. Bryok's teeth clamped down on his throat. Derek bellowed and tried to break free, but it was too late.

He was dying. There was no denying it. Derek let his thoughts drift to the only person who mattered to him— Kora . He should've told her the truth. Should've explained everything. He'd been a coward. All because he had developed feelings and didn't know what to do with them. He wished he could be there to see her take down Villette . Kora would win. He was sure of it.

Bryok swung his head from side to side, his teeth cutting through scales and into Derek's muscle and tendon down to the bone. Blood poured down his chest. The edges of his vision were beginning to darken. As his life was draining from him, all he could think about was Kora and the mistakes he had made.

Shame had kept him from telling her that he was a dragon. He deserved her loathing. She had every reason to hate him. Everyone did. He had taken innocent lives because someone told him to. He should've asked more questions, looked deeper for facts. He should've seen for himself if the dragons were imprisoned. There was so much regret that it nearly swallowed him whole.

But if he was going to die, then so was Bryok . Villette wouldn't send him after Kora .

Power Derek had never felt before surged through him. He slammed his hand against Bryok's head, raking his claws down the side. One of Derek's talons cut into his eye. Bryok's jaws immediately released him as he threw back his head and roared. Derek saw a thick, green liquid dripping from Bryok's teeth. When he raised a hand, that same liquid oozed down his talons. Derek didn't move back quickly enough as Bryok slashed his chest.

The power Derek had felt swelled and surged like a tidal wave. It flooded every neuron. He opened his mouth, but it wasn't dragon fire that spewed from him. It was ice. It targeted Bryok's head first, coating him in white. Bryok stiffened before shaking the ice away, but Derek layered more until Bryok's entire body was covered.

Derek put his hand to his still-bleeding neck and looked at his handiwork. Blood spurted between his fingers. He wasn't mending, and he didn't know why. Breathing was difficult. The pain was excruciating. He shifted to his human form, hoping that would start the healing process. His legs buckled. He landed hard on his knees and sat back on his haunches to look down at his chest. Four deep slashes ran from his left shoulder to his right hip.

He looked for Merrill and found him putting out the fires that had spread during their battle. The amethyst dragon lay dead once more. How long before he regained life? Would he?

" Would you like the honor?" Merrill asked as he walked up beside Bryok's frozen body.

Derek motioned for him to do it.

Merrill slammed his fist against Bryok . The ice cracked and began to split. Bryok's hand fell off, splintering into tiny pieces when it hit the ground. The gold cuff Villette had given him rolled near Derek . Bryok's jaw was next. The cracks continued over his body as pieces fell off and broke apart. Derek hadn't just frozen him from the outside. He was solid all the way through.

" You should be healing," Merrill stated, worry tinging his words.

Derek felt himself falling to the side. Merrill grabbed him and held him upright.

" Why the fuck are you no' healing?" Merrill demanded.

Derek shook his head and tried to keep his eyes open. He attempted to talk, but his throat was too damaged. He sought Merrill through their mental link. " I think I was poisoned."

" I know someone who can help."

He put a hand on Merrill's arm and nodded to the cuff. " Put it on. Picture where you want to go. Touch it, and it'll take you there."

" Great . Now , come on."

" Nay . Kora needs you."

" You need me," Merrill argued.

Derek shook his head. " There's no saving me. I can feel the poison in my blood."

" You're no' going to fucking die. I'm no' going to allow it."

Derek didn't have the energy to argue. He fought to keep his eyes open long enough to watch Merrill slip on the cuff.

Dragon Land

" Co –! "

At the sound of Merrill's interrupted bellow, Constantine's head jerked up from the table where he had been poring over maps. " Merrill ?" he called, but there was no reply.

" What is it?" Rhi asked.

He swung his gaze at the sound of the Irish accent to look into the silver eyes of his Fae mate. " It was Merrill ."

" Is he returning?"

The hope in her voice cut through Con because it was the same optimism everyone had. He , more than any of them. " He was shouting my name, but it was cut off. Something's wrong."

" We know where we have to go, then," she stated, lifting her chin.

He faced Rhi . Her long, black hair hung loose down her back. She wore her usual all-black attire, from leather pants to a body-hugging shirt that molded to her seductive curves. He cupped her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his palm.

" If we go to Stonemore , it starts the verra war Villette wants," he said. They had fought enough battles. He wanted peace, but too many worked against that.

Rhi's lids opened to look at him. " Then perhaps you and the other Dragon Kings don't go."

" Doona say it," he began and dropped his hand to his side.

" Leave things to me and the other mates."

He shook his head. " I can no'."

" You forget, we have our own Star Person . Lotti has made great strides in learning the extent of her powers."

" But is she ready to face Villette again?"

" We may not have a choice."

Con blew out a breath. Merrill was in trouble. It was time they brought their brother home. " Talk to Lotti . I'll alert the Kings ."

" Derek ."

The voice came from far away. He thought he recognized it, but the throbbing in his chest consumed him.

" Open your eyes, Derek . Now ."

Rage dripped from each word, but something else niggled in the back of Derek's mind. Something that sent a prickle of wariness through him, snatching him from the comforting hands of oblivion. He lifted his lids, shaken to find himself alive. Had Merrill found someone to heal him? Derek moved his arm and quickly clamped his teeth together to hold back a shout of pain. Then a face moved into his line of sight.

He caught his breath, thinking it was Kora . The image cleared, and he found himself looking into the murderous rage flaring in Villette's blue eyes. Any hope of a future or happiness instantly evaporated. Her lips were pinched, her face a mask of cold fury. She turned her back to him.

" You ." The one word spoke volumes. " How dare you go against me? You think yourself a King . I'll show you what real power is."

Derek frowned. He didn't know what she was talking about. He had never thought himself a king .

" I did warn you."

" Fuck off."

Shock slammed into Derek at the sound of the voice. He turned his head to the side to find Merrill on his knees beside him, straining as if held by invisible bonds. Derek searched for the power he had used against Bryok , but he couldn't find it now. Or any of his magic.

" I sacrificed Bryok for this." Villette laughed then. " Who knew it would be so easy to get the cuff on you? You're mine now, Merrill . You have to obey me."

Derek might not have his power, but he could still move, though it was painful. He reached out to tear the gold from Merrill's wrist, but Villette slapped his hand away.

" As for you," she said, "apparently, wiping your memories isn't enough. You've left me no choice." She glanced at Merrill . " Pick him up. You'll carry him back to the palace."

The knot of anxiety in Kora's stomach continued to expand and tighten. She had used Derek's cuff to return to their room and change into Stonemore clothing to blend in. Now , she walked the streets, searching for Katla . It had taken some doing, but Daelya had eventually given Kora a description of Katla , as well as an approximate location.

Kora looked at every woman with long, black hair. There were quite a few, but nearly all wore Stonemore blue. Maybe Daelya had gotten Katla's location wrong. Miena hadn't been happy that Daelya had given over the details. Daelya could have lied. Or perhaps Katla hadn't reached the sixth level yet.

It was Kora's third pass on the street when she paused. She had assumed Katla would head straight to the palace, but she hadn't. She had taken time to get to know the city. Maybe Katla was doing the same. Kora changed her tactics and started looking inside each business.

Searching for anyone not wearing blue was the easiest way to pick out an outsider. She went up one side of the street and moved to the other. Her anxiety and dread ramped up with each place she came up empty. Kora stepped into a tavern and scanned the space quickly. As she was turning away, she spotted a white top that caused her to do a double take. There , at a table toward the back, sitting with her back to the wall, was a woman with long, black hair.

Anticipation spiked through Kora . She wove around chairs and people to halt beside the table. She waited until the woman lifted her gaze. Kora smiled when she stared into the steely gray eyes Daelya had described.

" May I help you?" she asked in a strange accent.

Kora nodded. " I think you can. I'm Kora . Mind if I sit?"

" I do, actually. State your business."

" We have a common enemy."

" I doubt that," the woman stated and looked away.

Kora stared at her face and said, " Villette ."

Katla's gaze slid back to her. " Seems I was mistaken." She motioned to the chair. " Sit , please."

Kora sank onto the chair and looked across the table at her potential ally. " Whatever you did to Villette weakened her. I'm going after her, and I'd like you to join me."

" Why should I trust you? Villette might have sent you."

It was the same thing Kora had said to Merrill a short time ago. " I understand your hesitation. I have a difficult time trusting, too. I'll put it bluntly." She glanced around and lowered her voice as she leaned closer. " I can kill her."

" And I'm to believe that…why? Her kind is particularly hard to destroy."

" Besides another Star Person , hellhounds are the only beings that can kill a Star Person . Villette hunted my people to near extinction. I'm the last of my kind."

Katla idly drummed her fingers on the table. " I've never heard of hellhounds."

" And I've never heard of a Druid . Yet , here we are."

Katla eyed her before bowing her head slightly. " Go on."

" Villette imprisoned her sister, Miena , in the palace. There is also a human in the room with a talent for sensing…" Kora glanced around, realizing where she was. " Us ," she finally said. " Daelya told me your name, what you looked like, and where I could find you."

One of Katla's dark brows lifted. " Or it was Villette ."

Kora tried not to let her distrust get to her, but time was of the essence. She lowered her voice to just above a whisper. " Villette used Daelya to uncover who was different and send that information to the priests, who used it to find the individuals—mostly children—who are then sacrificed."

Katla's fingers curled into fists, and her eyes blazed with the promise of a reckoning.

" Exactly ," Kora said. " She has to be stopped. I'm going after her. Will you help me or not?"

Katla pushed her chair back, stood, and started walking away. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. " Are you coming?"