Chapter Eleven

It was white, hot, terrible in its destruction, and nothing would be left alive. That was the rage that coursed through him and his brother and emanated from Raul as they fought the Shen pouring out of the mine. The lesser things, plus their hybrid handlers, were trying their hardest to keep them away from the mine, but as the dragon warriors moved forward the serpent things soon saw it would be to no avail.

Orin, Mursi, and Hawke were in dragon form, taking on the larger hybrids whose venom could be ten times as deadly as a lesser Shen. The others, including the three looking for their mates, moved steadily forward to decimate the cold, slimy bodies of the serpent things pouring out of the nest in the mine. Iarl knew he was weakened. He hadn’t enough time to heal or rest, and he ate as much as he could so his metabolism would have fuel to fight and mend his wounds. He pushed through the weakness because nothing would keep him or his brother from finding Daphne, while Raul would tear anything in his path to shreds to find his Raven.

He’d died. The feeling of death would be forever with him as well as the peace of moving toward the other side. There had been pain as the long talon of a hybrid pierced his heart, and the sting of their venom burned through his veins. He remembered the King, the one who saved him, telling him it was not his time to feast at the table. That Skard would surely die because they were one and the same. The thought of Daphne made him ache to return, and King Valkir smiled and gave him his blessing on the mating. Larissa clasped his hand, smiled serenely, and placed it in Joy’s to send him back to his healed body. Skard understood all of it because their minds connected as soon as he took his first breath. Now they fought for their mate, intent to find her before the Shen could destroy her body.

“We fight our way in,” Raul shouted.

He tapped Aki who moved with an elegant grace, cutting with both his sword and the blades that were twisted into the long braid down his back. The four of them pushed to the mouth of the mine. The twins battled in unison, cutting a swath through the bodies of Shen coming toward them. He knew when his brother’s blade came down, and Skard’s movements were in tandem with his when he sliced. They only left their positions from the back-to-back position when they ran inside with Raul. It was close quarters and to fight that meant it was one-on-one combat. Soon the Shen seemed less and less, simply because most of them lay dead as they worked their way from tunnel to passage, searching for the women they loved. The nursery, a nest of filthy water and broken bodies, yielded nothing, only the women who were used lying in filth either dead or dying. Even in their own mission the women in pain couldn’t be left like this.

“Go search. I will take care of the suffering ones,” Aki said sadly.

Iarl patted his shoulder sadly, it was a hard reminder to Aki of when he found Larissa in the cave of the badlands where she lay dying. With a quick nod, they left Aki to the somber task while they searched for Daphne. With each empty cavern, passage, even small hollowed out holes that brought them no sign of their mate, Iarl felt his panic and that of his brother’s rise.

“They are not here,” Skard said finally.

“No, we have to keep looking.” Raul’s voice cracked. “Raven has to be here.”

Even in the darkness their eyesight was keen. Iarl could see the anguish on Raul’s face. Although he and Skard masked it better, they felt the same way.

“Raul.” Iarl put his hand on the younger dragon’s shoulder. “They must have moved our mates. We should question any Shen that is left alive.”

They made their way back to the entrance, and Aki was moving that way himself.

“No sign of them?” Aki asked.

“No,” Iarl said. “Were there none who could be saved?”

Aki shook his head. “No.”

“Do not think the worst,” Iarl said, suddenly harsh to his brother. “Daphne would not want us speaking in our minds with others around.”

Skard stared his brother down. “I saw you die today, our mate is missing, and yes, I am afraid we have lost her, too. But you are right, she would want us to not hide within our minds like we usually do.”

“She must be something,” Aki mused. “We shall find them, and both she and Raven will be sent away to safety with rest of our families.”

“Is that bastard still alive?” Raul shouted suddenly and jogged away.

Iarl looked to where Hawke had a hybrid Shen back in human form kneeling on the ground. His blade was at its throat while he looked down at it coldly. Iarl and Skard moved as well. The thing would know where Daphne and Raven was.

“Tell us where our women are before I peel the flesh from your bones.” Iarl’s tone was deadly.

“They are long gone. Such delicious pieces of flesh, our king will love them.” The Shen hybrid grinned up at them.

“You lie,” Skard said evenly. “Don’t make us ask again.”

“Go ahead, do your worst.” The Shen spit black blood from its lips. “Or shall I tell you how they screamed when I took them? How their bodies shuddered from pain, or was it pleasure? The twelve of you think you will end this?” Its laugh was wet with the blood in its mouth. “Our King no longer hides, he is coming with wave after wave of my brothers. And now your women are on the way to be the first of his royal harem. First, we take what’s in their minds and then their bodies... again. Oh don’t worry, I left their bellies empty of my seed, that is for our—”

He never got to finish his sickening words because the slice of Hawke’s blade took his head clean off. They all stood there, and Iarl knew they were silently contemplating what could be happening to Daphne and Raven. Iarl pushed the thoughts away, buried them in hopes that it would control the dragon within. He could hear the mournful roar and how it beat at the walls of his mind for freedom. Raul paced back and forth, the emotion within him bubbling to the surface. As a younger dragon, he had been impetuous and brash. If his dragon broke free, it would burn everything to the ground. Skard’s hands were clenched at his side. Iarl and his brother shared the same feelings, but they were able to control their second nature with only a hair’s breadth more restraint than Raul.

“We need to regroup. Go back to the safe house and track where Toshen might be, and find Daphne and Raven,” Orin said.

“By the time we find them, they’ll be like Larissa or worse. They’re human—their bodies cannot withstand that torture,” Raul cried out. “And where is our guardian, why is she not here to at least tell us where we should go?”

Mursi rolled his eyes. “We know you’re hurting but shut up, Larissa isn’t at our beck and call like some otherworldly puppy. She is sent when the gods deem she must go. I understand you’re upset your wife is gone, but it doesn’t give you leave to be a complete idiot.”

“It’s not your wife who is missing,” Raul retorted angrily.

“It was when Larissa was first taken, and I would have preferred to die than act the way you are right now,” Mursi snapped.

“Give Raven and Daphne the benefit of the doubt!” Michelle retorted. “Raven’s mind is sharp, and if Daphne is anything like her, they will find a way to make themselves too valuable to be subjected to that kind of assault.”

“I’ll offer myself to him as a better prize,” Joy said. “My chimera is what he covets the most.”

“The hell you will!” Erik snarled.

“He can’t touch me unless I let him, and if anything I can withstand whatever onslaught better than Raven and Daphne,” Joy pointed out.

“I don’t care, you are not up for bait,” Erik said and glared at all the others angrily. “None of you better dare think this is a viable option.”

Orin sighed and ran his hand through his hair. “We are getting nowhere with this, we need to go home and regroup. That is my command. All we can do is pray the gods are watching over them until we arrive. Let’s get the bodies into the mines as quickly as we can then collapse it. It’s one let place for them to hide when Toshen shows his face.”

The task was done quickly and efficiently before they scarred the hillside around the mine to hide what remnants of the battle they could not bury. In dragon form, hidden from the eyes of humans, they turned for home, heading to the mansion safe house. A cloud of defeat surrounded them. It was only then that Iarl allowed his dragon to roar in agony and grief at the loss of their mate. Skard joined the call, and the combined voices of their identical dragons was an anguished sound. Why were they not allowed to be happy? From birth, their lives were tormented, but losing a mate was so much worse.

What do we do if she is gone?Skard sent the mental message to his brother.

I do not know, Iarl replied. He honestly didn’t, but he knew without their mate, there would be no others to take her place. He and his brother would be once again alone.

The mansion came in sight, lights blazing in the darkness. The solar lamps lining the driveway were like arrows directing them home. A yellow car was in the driveway, and Iarl looked at it, knowing the driveway had been empty when they left. From their position in the night sky, they saw two figures on the front steps. His dragon heart beat faster when the two stood and tilted their heads to the sky.

Daphne! While his dragon roared in complete happiness, his human side wanted to weep in relief. Both she and Raven were safe. Iarl made a swoop toward the earth, followed by his brother and the rest of the dragon court. Before his feet could touch the grass, he began his shift back to human form. He could feel his brother follow suit behind him. She was covered in dirt and grime, even her hair, but Iarl had never seen a more beautiful sight. Daphne stared in shock, and her mouth formed his name in disbelief. She started to run and picked up speed. Iarl opened his arms, and she hurtled herself against his chest.

“You were-were dead, I saw you die,” she whispered as tears streamed down her cheek. Daphne kept touching his face. “I thought we lost you.”

Iarl smiled and kissed her gently. “My forefathers were not ready for my arrival yet. They returned me to you and my brother.”

Skard reached over and cupped her cheek, turning her face to him, and kissed her hard. “Are you injured in any way?”

“No.” She shook her head. “We got out of there as quick as we could when they left us. Raven had a bump on her head...”

Iarl hugged her to him and over her shoulder he saw Raul kneel in the grass. Raven held him tight as he openly wept. Never had he seen such emotion from the young dragon warrior, but he knew exactly how Raul felt.

“You two are the most extraordinary women,” Aki mused as he walked by. “The young warrior a kitten in his wife’s arms, and the silent twins who stood alone no longer do.”

“Plus, they escaped a Shen nest without our help,” Michelle said casually. She shook one of Daphne’s hands that was around Iarl’s neck. “Hi, I’m Michelle, dragon mated to Mursi, lived on earth until these brutes found me. Nice to meet you.”

Joy was behind her and shook the same hand. “Joy, chimera, Larissa is my mother. I’m part Shen, don’t hold it against me. This guy is my mate, say hello Erik.”

“Hello,” the man behind her said.

“Um hi?” Daphne said in bemusement.

“The whole warrior court has convened to fight the Shen that is coming,” Skard explained. “You’ll be familiar with them all soon enough.”

Iarl pressed his face in her neck for a moment before Skard had his turn holding her in his arms.

“You are completely filthy,” Skard teased.

Daphne laughed. “You try clawing your way out of a Shen stronghold and finding your way home.”

“We will love to hear the story of your escape.” Orin inclined his head. “But first, I am sure you would want to be cleaned up and we all should eat.”

“I’ll start the grill,” Aki said.

Iarl bowed his head. “Thank you, sire.”

“I hate all of you sometimes.” Orin stalked away.

“He really doesn’t like any of you respecting him as king, does he?” Daphne said.

“We do it to tease him but he still sees himself as one of the court,” Iarl replied as Skard carried her upstairs. “Let’s get you cleaned up. We need to examine every inch of you so we know you are not injured.”

“For every scratch I will take the head of a Shen serpent in revenge,” Skard growled.

The brothers undressed her, and she was caught intimately between them as they washed her skin clean. They kissed her constantly, and while it was to reassure Daphne she was safe, for his brother and Iarl it was almost the same thing: to make sure she was real and they didn’t lose her. Hints of dinner being cooked wafted up in savory tendrils but they needed time alone before heading back downstairs. As they lay in bed, Daphne had her head on Iarl’s chest, listening to his heartbeat, while Skard lay behind her with his head against her back.

“I love you,” she whispered. “I love you both, and when I thought you were dead, all I wanted to do was to get to Skard so we could be together. I was grieving and still worried over the other half of my love. It’s a feeling I never want to have ever again.”

“We were ready to burn everything to the ground to find you,” Skard said from behind her. “I felt empty without Iarl and soulless without you.”

“Don’t send me away. Let me stay, I can help you fight.” Daphne lifted her head to look at Iarl and then turned and pulled Skard’s arm around her closer. “Being in London without both of you, worrying, it’s going to be unbearable.”

“Daphne.” Iarl cupped her cheek. “You are our weakness. The Shen know this and would use you to hurt us. For us to be strong as warriors, to defend this world and come home to you, we must make sure you are safe with the others.”

“I can help, I can shoot or mark their patterns...”

“Our brave mate.” Skard kissed her shoulder, cutting her off. “Please, we beg of you, do this for us.”

“Okay,” she whispered. Daphne sighed and laid her head on Iarl’s chest once more. He felt her tears leak out, and he groaned as if the sensation burned him.

“Don’t cry, beloved, our dear love.” Iarl lifted her head and kissed the tears off her cheek. “We both promise to come home to you, I swear it.”

“We love you, Daphne, so much it burns hotter than the fire within our dragons,” Skard said. “We will return to you as soon as this battle is over.”

After an hour of laying in contended silence, they finally left the bed and dressed. Downstairs, dinner was just being put out on the table and counters of the kitchen so the large group could eat. Daphne and Raven recounted how they escaped while being fed by their mates. All the while it hung in the air that Toshen was coming and he was ready to show the world he existed in a pure destructive fashion.

“The Detective, what happened to her?” Daphne asked suddenly.

“We got her to the hospital and from there we do not know. We had to leave the area and return to start a search for you,” Gaerar said gravely. “I will check on her tonight.”

“Thank you. She was caught up in this and hurt because of us,” Daphne said.

“We need to get our allies here and be ready for what is to come,” Orin said grimly. “Toshen and leagues of Shen are heading this way. We need to keep them away from the city and the innocent.”

“The war is upon us.” Aki’s tone held a tone of finality.

Everyone in the room fell silent as the gravity of what was coming weighed heavily on their shoulders. Daphne laced her fingers with Skard and then Iarl, the warmth of her touch connecting them in more ways than one. Her love would carry them through the coming battle. Iarl knew he and his brother would fight to the bitter end, but he vowed their end would not come in this battle. Toshen and his serpents would fall, and both earth realm and Paladin would be safe. Iarl and Skard would return to Daphne to share a life, their love, and a home.

* * * *

It was easy enough for Raven to find out which room the detective was placed in. But when it came to her treatment, he would have to find that out for himself. The walls were smooth and there was no way for him to climb the side of the hospital or scale downward to the room window and enter. He would have to use the old fashioned way, finesse. Dressed in casual jeans and a casual shirt with his dark brown hair loose, he strolled into the emergency room and took the elevator up amidst the stares of nurses as he passed. Unlike the twins, he’d learned how to maneuver and blend in among humans in the earth realm long ago. At the nurses station on the fifth floor he waited patiently until someone returned who could help him.

“Well hello there.” A nurse came around the desk and sat down. She was curvaceous with wide eyes that held much more interest in him than his purpose for being there so late.

“Good evening. I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of Elle Montenegro’s room.” Gaerar voice was a deep baritone and smooth as silk when he spoke.

The nurse cleared her throat. “Only family can see patients, Mister?”

“Gaerar Montenegro. I am her cousin from her father’s side.” He supplied the lie with ease.

“But she is... is... African American,” the nurse stammered. “Is this some kind of game?”

“Nurse...” Gaerar looked at the ID clipped on her uniform. “Nurse Feldhaus, you do know that there is adoption, and when couples of different races have children, their skin color can differentiate.” Gaerar smiled. “Leading to a vast array of beautiful people in the world, yes?”

“Yes, um yes.” Nurse Feldhaus smiled. “May I see some identification please?”

Thanks to Raven, he pulled out a passport and handed it to her. After studying it for a moment, the nurse handed it back to him. “Norway, that’s quite a distance to travel.”

“For family, no distance is too much.” Gaerar thought about his ancestor’s bones and wondered what the dragon had seen while lost in the earth realm. “Our families are spread far and wide. You should see Norway in the spring.”

“Is that an invitation?” Nurse Feldhaus teased.

“You never can tell.” Gaerar smiled, but in truth all he wanted to do was to make sure Elle was okay. He had stopped calling her Detective after a few days of watching her, and it surprised him to no end that she had spotted him. “My cousin’s room?”

“Down the hall to your right. She may be sleeping,” Nurse Feldhaus replied quickly.

“What is her condition?” Gaerar asked.

“She has a concussion and some bruises from that movie set accident,” the nurse answered. “Damn thing seemed too real. When she woke up, she was screaming about serpents and trying to tell her supervisor that they were real and there were others. They attributed the disorientation and confusion to the blow to the head. They won’t be back until tomorrow to see her. But we have to wake her every hour or so to check her cognition.”

“Thank you.” Gaerar smiled. Nurse Feldhaus had given enough information for him to know exactly how much time he had with Elle. “By the way, you have beautiful eyes.”

“Lord, and you have beautiful everything.” She sighed and blushed red. “I’m sorry for saying that. I can’t tell you what came over me.”

“Thank you for the compliment,” Gaerar said as he walked down the hall.

“You’re welcome,” she called after him.

Gaerar entered the dim hospital room and crossed to the bed. He looked down at the woman who lay there with her eyes closed. Her breathing was even. The dark hair she had pulled back in a ponytail the day before was now framed out on the pillow. Her face was almost heart shaped, and her lips were slightly parted in sleep. Her skin was the color of varnished wood, and he knew those eyes—even though they were closed—were the darkest brown he’d ever seen, with tiny gold flecks in the irises.

She is exquisite, He thought that more and more as he watched her from a distance. In the parking deck he had hidden his reaction of horror when she was hurt because there was more to deal with at that time. Now she was so close that he could inhale the subtle scent of her skin and hear her steady heartbeat in her chest. As he studied her, she opened her eyes slowly and blinked at him a few times. Recognition flooded her face, and she sat up, rolling to the side quickly and reaching for the call button resting on the pillow. Gaerar caught her hand easily and covered her mouth with his free hand.

“Calm yourself, Detective Elle Montenegro. I’m not here to hurt you, I swear it,” Gaerar said in a soothing tone, or at least he hoped it was soothing. Her eyes flashed angry fire in his direction. “I wanted to see how you were and say everything you saw was real, and we need your help.”

She raised one lone sarcastic eyebrow in his direction, and he smiled. “If I take my hand away will you scream or will you hear me out? Blink if you will let me speak before calling for help. Trust me, there is more out there than you realize.”

She closed her eyes as a yes and he moved his hand slowly. “Those fucking things almost brought an entire parking deck down. And I got a chunk of it on my head. They’re saying some movie stunt gone wrong, and that’s bullshit. Plus, my bosses are looking at me like I snapped. What the fuck are they, and who are you? I was damn sure that Daphne Jordan was lying—rich, jet-setting twin lovers my ass.”

“Which of the questions do you want answered first?” Gaerar asked.

“Dr. Jordan and the two red heads, they were lying, weren’t they?”

“Somewhat. The incident at her house was the Shen serpents,” Gaerar replied. “But the three are lovers and mated.”

“And those black, snake-like things are the serpents?” she prodded.

“They are the Shen, a race of dragon-like serpents, bent on destroying your world and mine,” Gaerar answered.

“Wait, my world and yours, so you’re an alien or something?” Elle demanded.

“I’m Gaerar, son of Lamothe, the descendent of the blue dragon line,” Gaerar announced grandly. “Warrior of the Paladin court.”

“That tells me absolutely nothing.” Elle pressed her fist to her temple. “This may be all a dream, or I’m hallucinating you. This fucking headache... maybe I have a fractured skull, and I’m bleeding into my brain.”

“That sounds... painful,” Gaerar said amused.

“Try feeling it from my end,” Elle sighed. “So you’re Gaerar, son of Lamothe, yada- yada, what does that mean exactly?”

“My brethren and I are tasked with protecting your realm from the Shen. For thousands of years they have laid dormant beneath your soil.” Gaerar’s tone suddenly turned serious. “A war is coming, the Shen king is here, and this California is in his path. He will leave nothing alive except those for food and to breed. We need your help and from those you trust. Because if we don’t, all will fall and the streets will run red with blood.”

“You want me to believe all of this? Why? What proof do you have other than the parking deck?” Elle demanded. “From what everyone is telling me, a stunt has gone wrong and some movie production is in a shit load of trouble.”

Gaerar closed his eyes and for a moment gave his dragon free reign. He opened them and heard Elle gasp. He knew she saw the amber eyes of his dragon, and even his voice became more guttural.

He held out his hand. “Elle, we need your help, and in the process I will show you things you have never imagined. Places where dragons roam free and protect those who need it. If you come with me, you can help up save thousands of lives.”

“So it’s a come with me if you want to live type of scenario,” Elle muttered. “All you need is sunglasses and a metal arm.”

“Excuse me, a metal hand, why would I need one?” Gaerar asked in confusion.

“Never mind,” she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

He stared at her intently as he pushed his dragon away. It was interested in much more than just her help, and now was not the time. Elle hesitated, and Gaerar watched the internal struggle play across her face. He’d seen her work and knew she investigated with facts and evidence while he stood before her asking her to believe the mythical. It had to be difficult for her to understand what she saw and now he was asking for help. Suddenly, she placed her hand in his, and Gaerar assisted Elle in sitting up.

“I might be crazy but I was sworn to protect the public, and this seems like one hell of a way to do it,” Elle said. “We need to stop by my apartment to get some clothes, my back up piece, and at least three bottles of aspirin for this headache.”

“Thank you. We will make sure you are comfortable and help you heal,” Gaerar said.

She stood and faced him, taking a deep breath. “Show me everything, descendant of the blue dragons.”

In the dim room they stared at each other, and Gaerar knew it was more than the battle with the Shen he had to worry about. He was definitely attracted to Elle, and his dragon purred within him. One of his dreams when the war with the Shen was finally over was to follow the path his ancestor took before Daphne found his bones. Would it be alone or would he find a mate in Elle? Only time would tell.

The End