Nineteen
Magical Fingers
Saber shook his head. Right. Information. He’d use that. “I need to find out what she knows, how to break the spell to get Adarias back,” he said, but Cass appeared ready to attack, menace in every muscle as he growled at Saber.
Saber drew the female in behind him and watched Cass. “Are you challenging me? Because if you are, I will lay you out, and you know I can do it.” He stared at his dead niece’s mate. Friends for too many years to count, they were as close as brothers, yet Saber refused to yield on this.
Cass blinked. “Why are you doing this?” His voice cracked, and Saber suddenly felt bad.
Why? Saber honestly wasn’t sure, he just knew he wasn’t about to turn her over to his friend. There was something inside of him that would never let that happen. “You know I need to find out how to get Adarias back before either of us extracts our revenge. I just need a little time.”
Cass stared for a long moment, showing no emotion at all. “I love you, brother, but you took care of all the others responsible for M—” He choked on his mate’s name and glanced away. When he looked back at Saber, his eyes glinted with moisture. “I need some closure. I want my revenge.”
An ache grew in Saber’s chest at his friend’s suffering. “I know.” His tone softened. “I promise, you will have it. Please, just give me a little time?”
Cass drew in a deep breath, let it out slowly. “Fine, but you don’t kill her, I do.” Then he held out a small dagger and the female’s pack. “Here, these are hers. No telling what she might need to break the spell.”
Saber accepted the items and slipped the dagger between his belt and pants. Heart racing at the thought of killing her, he frowned, still no closer to understanding the strange feelings he had toward this female. The thought of anyone hurting her, never mind killing her, was akin to his own soul being ripped from his chest.
Still, he had to agree, or Cass would never let him leave with her. He nodded.
“I saw Skye and Aries last night. They’re worried about you,” Saber said as the other male walked away. Cass hesitated and his shoulders drooped. Then ignoring Saber’s comment, Cass shifted into a silver lightning dragon, and with a tremendous flap of his wings, rose into the air.
“Remember, I will be expecting my revenge,” Cass said, then thunder rumbled and lightning crackled throughout the sky. A whiff of ozone hit Saber as Cass flew away.
Saber sighed and looked at the female. He had to resist the urge to pull her up against his body and claim her lips. Large, angry eyes glared back at him. The only indication of her distress was a slight tremble.
Suddenly, Saber didn’t want her scared of him, but realized that he couldn’t let on. He was supposed to interrogate her.
“I can’t tell you anything, so if you’re going to kill me, just do it already.” She was trying to be brave, but Saber heard the fear in her voice.
“Don’t worry, I will. Just not yet, and you will tell me what you know.” He wondered where to take her as agony throbbed through his skull. He could take her to his old family home, but it was unsecured, and he wasn’t in any shape to be setting new wards. After considering his options, he knew there was only one place, and judging by the fog in his mind, he needed to get there quick.
Saber shifted back into his dragon and picked her up in his large talons. She gave a startled cry as they rose into the air, and though her hands were still tied, she gripped him tightly. Her anxiety tasted like acid on his tongue as they flew. A few seconds later she relaxed, and Saber felt her amazement as she stared at the ground far below. If he’d been in his two-legged talking form, he might have smiled.
He was savoring the flight when jagged shards lanced his brain, quickly followed by visions of death. No, not now! The torture increased to a dull roar and it was all he could do to focus on staying adrift of the air currents. He battled the onslaught, knowing he couldn’t afford to lose his mind while carrying the female. Suddenly, her scent drifted up to him. Saber looked down, shocked to find her asleep. Yet magical fingers of calm, soothing waves rose from her. They suffused him and eased the chaos to a dull throb. What the fuck is that?
Stunned, though glad of whatever it was, Saber hurried to their destination. He breathed a sigh of relief as he set down on the familiar ledge just outside of his lair. A ledge that jutted out over the lake five hundred feet below. He started to wake the female, when the thundering roar of the thousand-foot waterfall beside them snapped her awake.
Saber gently placed her on her feet and shifted back into his human-form. As soon as he stepped away, the warmth cocooning him disappeared and the pain returned, intensified tenfold.
He needed to sleep and right away. He hadn’t slept the night before and since he’d lost time, he didn’t know how long it had been. Though the degree of torment indicated it was way too long.
“Where are we?” she asked, staring up at the waterfall. Her mouth dropped open as her gaze traveled up the tall, pointed spires of the deadly mountains surrounding them. “I’ve never seen Death Ridge up close, this is stunning.”
Then she glanced past him.
Saber’s lips twitched as she blanched at the five-hundred-foot drop right behind them. She inched closer to the edge and he frowned when her eyes began to glow at the sight far below. He had no idea that any of the Ilyium’s eyes could glow like a lot of other supernatural species.
The lake was a stunning mix of deep warm colors as it reflected the fiery balls of Tartaria’s three suns preparing to sleep for the night. “This is amaze—” she began.
Knowing he couldn’t wait any longer, Saber grabbed her arm and pulled her close to the thundering waterfall.
“Where are you taking me?” she snapped, fighting to pull away. “No, don’t! What are you doing?”
Talons dripped blood … Agony … Screams echoed in his skull … Mind fragmenting again, Saber didn’t know if the visions he saw was stuff he’d done, or something he might do. He lifted her into his arms, drawing on his power at the same time, then winced as her panicked squeal pierced his ear drums. Without warning, he stepped into the crushing water.
Except, it didn’t so much as touch them. When he released her on the other side, the thundering rush falling past them was blessedly silent.
“Let me go,” she hissed and pushed him away, eyes blazing with fury.
Suddenly, a different thunder engulfed him. Saber resisted the urge to pull her back into his arms, or lean close and breathe her in. Instead, he dropped her pack to the ground and quickly untied her hands. Saber frowned at the red burn marks left by the rope while she gaped at him.
“How did you—?” She patted her dry clothing, then she felt her hair before gaping back at the cascade.
Every breath he drew in was torture, and he shouldn’t have been able to hear her for the noise in his skull, yet Saber caught every softly spoken word. An urge to smile once again came upon him. I must be going mental. He shoved all the urges away and grew angrier with himself. How was he to interrogate her, when all he wanted to do was strip her, breathe her in, and taste her all over? With a growl, Saber mentally set the wards that would keep all trespassers out, and others in.
“What is this place?” she asked, as she followed him through the short entryway tunnel. Her light voice sent a shiver of delight through him, making his cock hard. He should have gagged her. Despite the effect she had on him, the agony in his head now left Saber unable to answer in fear of throwing up. Yeah, then she will really see just how tough you are.
“You live here?” She eyed the open kitchen and living area.
Saber tried to see his place through her eyes. A large cave with plenty of space served as his kitchen, dining area and living room. And this was the beginning of his home. Millions of crystals and gems of various sizes were embedded in the walls. They reflected the light from the sky windows he’d installed hundreds of years ago. The place was lit during the day, but with the suns setting, it was a little dark. With just a thought, Saber lit the many candles and lamps, hearing a gasp of surprise.
“This is … I’d have thought a nasty dragon shifter would live in a cave filled with the bones of his victims,” she said.
Saber’s spine stiffened at her insult, then realized it didn’t matter. All he wanted was his bed.
“You don’t say much, do you?” she asked, then frowned. “Dreads, are you … ah, all right?”
Saber blinked, surprised at her name for him, or that she’d even ask. Then he wondered why she did. He’d been doing his best to hide his suffering, and she shouldn’t have noticed. Though the fact she even gave a shit, threw him as well.
He drew on his power and fought the nausea so that he could speak. “Help yourself to food and drink. Just don’t try to leave. I have wards up.” Without another word, he slid her dagger from his belt and set it on the counter, then walked away.
Saber made his way into a wide corridor that curved to the left. Once out of sight, he shuddered and reached out to steady himself against the wall. His vision was beginning to blur. As quickly as he could move, he hurried to his large sleeping chamber. Once inside, he drew on more of his power and attempted to set a ward, but his magic quickly fizzled out. Saber fell onto his bed, passed out cold.