Chapter Ten
The sounds of war echoing around him, Wes watched with a terrible sinking feeling as Olivia ran off. He couldn’t protect her and lead his army at the same time. He had to make a choice. As Wes met the king’s eyes, Dante nodded toward him, Lana at his side. Both Kade and Morgana stared back at him, urging him on.
“Go get her! Keep her safe!” Dante roared, linking an arm around his queen’s waist. The two women seethed with magic, glowing with a rainbow aura indicating to him that they had their powers at the ready. All of them were ready to fight for their kingdom.
Turning back around, he tried to find the blond-haired, green-eyed vixen who had commandeered his heart, even though he had fought it every step of the way. The moment her words had met his ears, he had wanted to kiss her, tie her up, and spank her for her disobedience. He would finally teach her that he was her one true master, once and for all. She was his, plain and simple. There was no way he was going to let her go after today. There was so much he wanted to do to her that he had difficulty pushing the thoughts out of his mind. When he finally did, his eyes searched the crowd.
Where could she have gone?
In a panic, he turned back to his friends and watched as Lana raised her arms up over her head. A rainbow flame etched high overhead, forming a dome around the immediate area around the castle. A sheen of sweat beaded on her brow at the effort needed to create the protective shield. In awe, he watched as missiles dropped overhead and bounced off the magical barrier.
Morgana stood next to her, arching her back in defiance at the enemy’s attack. A scream of anger emerged from her throat, piercing to his ears, and then, far off in the distance, he heard a growl fiercer than any he’d ever heard before. Wide-eyed, he realized that the redheaded sorceress had just called for her dragon. As louder, wilder snarls filled his ears, he came to the conclusion that not only Ragoth had answered, but a whole group of them had come to her call for aide. Dante stood next to both women, fists clenched at his sides. He looked back and forth from Kade to Wes, before yelling out:
“Go! I’ll keep my queen and your woman safe,” he exclaimed, his eyes staring back at the doctor. His expression was firm and powerful. Wes knew not to doubt the raw strength of that man, and looked back to Kade to see what he would do next.
Kade shifted before his eyes, the tuxedo wrapping his body ripping to shreds in a matter of seconds. A large black wolf stood before him, larger than any he had ever seen before. A gruff voice sounded inside his head, and Wes realized that it was still Kade. His yellow eyes bored into him, resolute and unyielding.
“Follow me. I can catch her scent.”
The two men tore off into the nearby entrance to the terrace. Flying around hallways and pounding down stairs, they broke out the castle doors in no time. Kade’s nose rose high in the air as his four paws hit the ground running. He took off toward the armory, and Wes shook his head, knowing whatever plan his Olivia had up her sleeve was sure to get her killed. It wasn’t long after that Kade froze in his steps. Wes’ feet ground into the rock as he skidded to a stop, looking back at the wolf with a questioning glance.
“I hear her. She’s screaming some ways away. If we don’t get to her soon, I fear she might be dead. I haven’t heard screams that terrifying in a long time. Come, we must make haste.”
Wes didn’t need to be told twice. He took off in a sprint after the wolf, not caring as he muscles fatigued, pushing past the ache that settled deep in his bones. Raw fear pressed him forward. Someone was hurting his Olivia, the woman he wanted to spend every waking moment with, the woman he yearned to have and to hold, the woman he loved. Yes, he truly did love the little blond firecracker, and he aimed to tell her exactly that as soon as he got his hands on her.
Much as he had adored Emma, he loved Olivia in a different way. Her soulful green eyes haunted his every waking moment, her clever defiance calling for him to dominate her in ways she couldn’t imagine. The manner in which she looked up at him as she submitted to his control was something he could never forget.
Emma had been a beautiful soul, calm and demure, submitting to him without a fuss. She had been caring and sweet, yet still had her few genuine moments of sassiness. He had felt the strong need to protect her, but now, she was gone, taken from him by Lord Nero, never to open her eyes again. Had she been by his side at that very moment, she would have arched her pretty back in anger, told him to stop being stupid and claim Olivia as his own. And he would have had to admit that she would have been right. Olivia was his, and would always be his.
The closer they got to her screams, the more Wes feared what he would find. Her shrieks of agony filled his ears, and he wanted nothing more to take her in his arms and push away everything terrible that had ever happened to her. Her yells chilled him to the bone, and he did what he could to push himself to run faster, taking longer strides as his muscles burned, his breath tearing in and out of his lungs. None of it mattered, his pain meant nothing if he couldn’t save her. He had to make it to her before she took her last breath, even if it took everything within him for that to happen. He couldn’t leave her.
Her cries sounded louder and louder, and were the only thing he could focus on. They rounded a corner and he saw her, clutching at her temples, hot trails of tears dripping down her cheeks, curled up in a tiny ball on the ground. His anger took over him as the men before her looked up, but he only saw one of them.
Lord Nero had his woman under his power, for the second time in Wes’ life. His anger boiled to epic proportions, and he moved with solely the instinct that powered his limbs. With a ferocity like he had never known, Wes leapt at the evil man, his fist connecting solidly with his nose. Nero’s head flew back, only to be met with a second round of punches. Staggering in order to maintain balance, the man lifted his hands to protect his face, only to leave his stomach wholly unprotected. Wes kicked up his leg, and his heel flew forward and met with the man’s torso with enough force to knock him to the ground.
Finally gathering himself, Nero’s expression darkened, and a strange blackness seemed to seep from every vein in his body. Within moments, he rose to his feet, his shadow form standing firmly before him. Red eyes glared in Wes’ direction. With an angry growl, he pressed his hands forward, palms to Wes, and thrust a pocket of magical air toward him, knocking him backwards and off his feet. Wes struggled to get back up, the man’s abilities sapping every ounce of strength from him. Growling, he started to speak, his anger powering him despite the weakness spreading through his limbs.
“Leave the girl out of this. She has nothing to do with it. If you want to take a prisoner, then take me.”
“That, my friend, is why you will never be a good leader. It’s much more fun when they aren’t willing.” The wicked grin on the Nero’s face made Wes’ stomach churn. The evil man sickened him like no other.
He moved to rush forward, but Kade stepped forward, effectively blocking him. Wes’ chest heaved with the turmoil inside him. He wanted to rip every limb from the man’s body, hurt him to no end for what he had done to his Emma, and now, to his Olivia. Shaking with rage, he stood tall and thought about his next move. Wes noticed two more figures joining in the fight: Asad, his loyal lion, and Tala, Dante’s magnificent wolf steed. Both fierce animals stood at Kade’s sides, clearly ready to follow the man into battle.
“Take care of your woman. I’ll take care of this fucking bastard,” Kade’s voice sounded in his mind.
Wes hastily whirled around to see Olivia huddled on the ground, her sky blue dress torn and muddied with dirt, her cries tearing at his heart. She still clawed at her temples, silent sobs racking her body. She lay there quivering, her breath coming in short, shallow pants.
Suddenly, his anger and need for revenge fell away, as quickly as the time it took for the breath to leave his body. He knelt down on the ground and picked her up, holding her fragile body tight in his arms. Her tiny fingers gripped the collar of his shirt, and his heart melted for her.
“Olivia, sweetheart, it’s me.”
“Please don’t hurt me anymore, I’ll do whatever you want!” she sobbed, and his heart tore at her obvious and terrible pain. Holding her tight, he pressed his lips to her forehead, and then cradled her closer into his shoulder.
“You are safe, kitten, no one is going to hurt you ever again,” he whispered, a single tear escaping from the corner of his eye. He had allowed himself to get wrapped up in his need for revenge, and let Olivia get hurt in the process. He should have never left her side, never have left her in the bed alone the night before, and taken care of her completely from the start. He shouldn’t have lost himself and he should have never pushed her away.
He wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
Wes moved toward the back of the square, hugging her clammy chilled body as close to his as possible, willing his own body heat to warm her cold limbs. Turning back for a second, he watched as the massive wolf form lunged at the evil king, followed by Tala and Asad. Snarls and growls echoed throughout the streets, but the only thing that mattered to him at that moment was Olivia. He would keep her safe in his arms, even if it killed him.
“Stop!”
A female voice rang out overhead, and he looked up, unable to stop himself from gasping in shock at what he saw. Morgana had arrived, and she brought with her not one or two dragons, but three. His eyes grew wide at the sight as he observed the three hulking masses circling overhead. One was a brilliant purple color, another gray, and the third was the red dragon, Ragoth, that followed her around. The purple one was Arydun, Ragoth’s mother. The beasts slowly glided toward the ground as Kade drew back and joined Morgana. The fierceness in her gaze as she stared back at Nero was so intense that it would have made Wes tremble had it been directed toward him. Her expression called for retribution, and he had no doubt that she was about to get that and more.
“How dare you come into my city?” she pressed, her lips sneering into a snarl.
“I wasn’t aware of the fact that I needed an invitation,” Lord Nero snapped, his voice steeped with anger and challenge toward the fierce redheaded terror staring back at him.
“You will leave.”
Terrible growls rose up beside her as the dragons rose high on two feet, claws digging into the white stone road, their breaths heated with the promise of a fiery death should Morgana will it to be so. Their lips rolled, baring their teeth at the dark shadowy soul before them. Wes pulled back a bit farther so that he was hidden behind a building.
“What makes you think you can force me to leave this time? You failed at defeating me last time with that silly attempt at collaring my power with that bracelet and it ended up with your blond friend dead. What do you think you can accomplish here, little witch?”
Morgana’s face visibly darkened, and she snarled, throwing her hands up toward the sky. Rainbow colored light filled the air, and lightning crackled around them. Nero took a step back, shielding his eyes from the brightness. His red irises paled a bit, and it took him a moment to collect himself. He held out his hands, palm side up as a dark light began to emanate from them. Before long, a circle of opaque purple magic glowed around his hands. Pulling back, he threw the ball toward Morgana, but she threw up her hands at the very last second, pulling up a magical barrier that deflected his attack. His power bounced off and landed not far away, but not without creating a crater four times the size of the ball. The rock beneath them shivered and groaned, cracking stone echoing throughout the city.
The dragons flew up into the air, angry roars announcing their presence to the entire city. Answering calls sounded in the mountains surrounding the city, and a low rumbling began. Sounds of their wings beating the air came to his ears, and Olivia moaned in Wes’ arms. He gripped her close, feeling her body beginning to warm to his.
All at once, the dragons breathed flames down on Nero and his army. Flying beasts grabbed the smaller ships with their claws and sent them crashing into the mountainside. The entire valley rumbled and shook with the sounds of metal striking and crunching against rock. Lord Nero’s face fell as the dragons before him bathed the courtyard in fire, and all at once he screamed. Then, without warning, his scream cut off and all was silent.
When the smoke finally cleared, Morgana and Kade were alone in the square, along with Tala and Asad. Lord Nero had disappeared. Cheers rang out throughout the city as the last ship either retreated or smashed into the mountainside. The presence of the dragons had turned the tide of the attack, and now, Eridell was safe from the enemy. Wes didn’t wait to see the aftermath of such a grisly battle. Instead, he turned and raced back to the castle. He had to care for his woman, and when he had determined she was finally alright, he would teach her that he, and he alone, would be the only man to ever master her.