TWENTY-EIGHT
Just like Tiana’s dream, Ker hung by his arms, chained to a wall. She ran to him, hugging him, trying to lift him to relieve his arms. Something. Anything to ease his pain.
He whispered out her name. She peppered his face with kisses. “I’m here, Ker. I’ll get you free.” She pulled on the links. Who was she kidding? Frustration built quickly. She looked around for a key or tool to get him free. Nothing. There was nothing that would help her.
She wrapped her arms around her man again. Tears rolled down her cheeks. He was close to death. Had to be with what she saw happen to him. Wet drops fell from her face onto the floor.
Behind her, a swirl of air blew her hair around. Then a bright light filled the space. Tiana turned to see a woman standing in the middle of the room. She had no idea who the woman was, but she’d beg the devil himself if the person could free Ker.
“Can you help me free him? Please,” she cried.
A soft smile shined on the visitor’s face. She seemed to float toward him. Going to a knee, the woman put a finger on the tear that landed in the dust on the floor.
“Tears of true love,” she said as she stood.
Ker sucked in a short breath. “Sylvana.”
Tiana whipped her head around. Sylvana? She was the evil witch who cast all the spells. Ker twisted his body to push Tiana behind him. With all the agony raging in his body, he was still protecting her.
“No need to worry, Ker,” Sylvana said. “I’m not the person you knew. My hate is gone, light filling my heart.”
Ker kept Tiana behind him. “It’s a trick,” he mumbled to her. “How can you be good?”
“Your brother’s mate showed me who I was during the last battle, opening my eyes to my true self. I couldn’t take what I saw.” Sylvana gazed at the chains. “I used to be a good person, helping those in need.” Her eyes turned away, as if in shame. “I’ve returned to that person.” She reached up and touched the cuffs on Ker’s wrists. They fell away and Ker collapsed.
Tiana kept him from crashing too hard on the cold concrete. Sylvana met her gaze. “I am sorry for what I’ve done in the past. I beg the brothers for their forgiveness. I see the wrong I’ve done and will find a way to atone.”
Ker sat up, his dragon having finally returned. “Sylvana, your atonement is filled with you releasing me. How did you know?”
“When I created this spell long ago, I put a catch in. If tears of true love where shed, then I would be summoned. I wanted to witness the emotion. Something I’d never given or received. Though Tor told me he would live for me when I said I was his mate, I knew his heart would never belong to me. He didn’t love me, even though he claimed he did. He will never love another. Not like he does his mate.” A softness in her face made her look younger. “I see it between you two. I see it in your eyes, Tiana. And, Ker, how you protected your mate, even though you were near death.”
Ker looked at her as he squeezed her to his side. “You love me?” he asked.
Tiana playfully slapped his chest. “Stupid question. Yes, I love you.”
Ker’s strength was quickly returning. He appeared better every second.
“You ready to go?” she asked. “We need to get out of here before someone remembers to check on us.”
Sylvana led the way out the door. Reaching the end of the hall, the main door opened and two guards stepped in, surprised at seeing the group of three. The first guard snapped his arm out and caught Sylvana around the throat. Her hands came up and magic flowed out the same second the man snapped her neck.
The guard fell dead, and Ker jumped forward to take care of the second security guard. Tiana knelt next to the witch’s body and put a hand on her forehead. “Thank you, Sylvana. May God have mercy on your soul. You are forgiven.”
Ker reached out a hand. “Let’s go, Tiana.” She took his hand and together, they found an exit to the outside. Stepping out, they were shocked at the chaos. People ran in every direction, including children and mothers. Black dragons perched on the various buildings and hid in trees. She felt like an ant under the eye of predators ready to swoop in and gobble her up in one bite.
Then she noticed these dragons where much smaller than Ker. “Why are they half the size of you?”
“Because clans are different from their leaders,” he said, looking around.
“Why’s that?”
Ker shrugged. “I guess those in charge have to be large enough to control the masses. Only the strong survive.”
“I take it your family is in charge,” she said.
Ker tugged her down a center street. “My family has ruled for thousands of years.”
“Wow.” She was dating a prince. Who would’ve thought? “Where are we going?” This compound was the size of a small town. It even had a small grocery store.
“I’m hoping to find a gate or fence we can climb to get out,” he said as he turned a corner. Ker abruptly stopped. The exit was there, but so was a line of black dragons with Sayeh standing in front of the group on the outside of the gate.
The Noir leader was talking to someone standing far away. She didn’t even know how they could hear each other. Oh wait. It was several someones—three men. Sayeh lifted his arms, and from every direction, dark dragons lifted into the sky. The mass was large enough to block the sun. Hundreds hovered over their heads.
She and Ker were so dead.