Chapter Sixteen

Floating to the ground, still tied to the magical platform she knew was a manifestation of Bogdi, Willa prayed that Asher was okay and that together they would somehow figure out how to defeat the assholes messing with their future. Focusing on the connection she shared with her mate, the air froze in her lungs as the glimmer of their love flickered then disappeared from sight.

Landing on the ridge with a thud, Willa fought her bonds, refusing to shed tears as the two men she hated with the passion of the burning sun stood over her and laughed. Looking into the soulless depths of Bodgi’s bloodshot onyx eyes, she sneered, “You never did like to fight fair, fuckwad.”

Cutting her eyes to Kazinski who just happened to howl with laughter, she added, “And you, a worthless piece of shit with a limp dick, a bald head who smells of shit and cigarettes.” Rolling her eyes, she scoffed, “Dear Goddess, if I have to die at least don’t let these two pussies pull the trigger.”

Preparing to pounce, leering at Willa like she was a piece of meat, Bodgi and Kazinski were caught mid-stride in a powerful wave of eerily malevolent magic, as a tall, dark, hooded figure appeared out of the shadows. Ignoring the two idiots hanging in the air like abandoned marionettes, he walked towards her, stopping only when he stood next to her head.

Reaching up, he pushed the hood from his head revealing an almost identical replica of her Asher. Had she not seen her mate’s twin in her Dragon’s memories of the past, Willa would’ve been shocked, as it was, chills danced up and down her spine as the little voice in the back of her mind screamed, “Run! Run! Run!”

Hanging on him like the stench of rotting flesh, Taranis’ murky olive-green, cloudy gray, swirling black and muddy blue aura announced the true nature of the man without him even having to open his mouth. Nonetheless, playing the part of villain to the fullest, he smiled a crooked smile, knelt down beside her and tsked, “I’m really sorry you got caught up in our sibling rivalry, Willa Petrescu. This really has nothing to do with you.”

Revulsion made the bile rise in her throat as he ran his gloved fingers across her cheek. “You really are a beauty, but that doesn’t surprise me. Ash always did get the best of everything?”

“The best of everything?” She roared. “Did you just fucking say he got the best of everything? Are you fucking stupid or just a Goddess damned imbecile?” Craning her neck, needing to make sure the asshole responsible for all her mate had suffered could see her eyes, knew that she hated the very air he breathed, Willa railed on. “You useless piece of horse shit. What a fucking loser you turned out to be. Kidnapping your brother, torturing him, experimenting on him, using him like your own private pin cushion for three fucking centuries and you have the utter gall to say that he got the best of everything?” Gulping at the air, needing to continue, she added, “I wish Asher would’ve killed you in the womb. You are an abomination, worthless filth. You, Taranis Baines, are a…”

SLAP!

The sound shot through the air a full two seconds before the skin of her cheek caught fire, and she realized the bastard had slapped her across the face. Shuddering with rage, her fists balled so tightly her nails bit into her palms, Willa bellowed, “Fuck you, Taranis Baines. Fuck you to Hell.”

The words had hardly left her lips before a smashing thud, reminding her of the time she was caught in an avalanche and a boulder landed just inches from where she had shoved herself into a crevice in the side of the mountain, breaking the field of tension between Willa and Taranis. The ground shook. The crack of the earth and the crumbling of the soil joined the almighty roar of her mate as he ripped through the curtain of dirt and debris obscuring her vision.

Moving with a grace and speed that belied the sheer size of Asher’s Berserker Dragon, he was but a blur as his snout, square snout opened, shooting fire at Taranis as massive serrated talons tore at the bastard’s cloak. Spinning to the left, barely escaping incineration, Taranis stood his ground, two long, thin swords in his hands.

“Time to die, Brother,” the traitor snarled, slicing at Asher’s side as he jumped out of the way of the charging Berserker.

Sliding to a stop and turning on a dime, Willa watched as her mate, lost to the madness of his Warrior Dragon, dove towards Taranis, turning in the air, the arc of blades jutting from his left side, slicing across the traitor’s torso. Howling in pain even as his wounds magically closed, Taranis’ hands transformed into the paws of his Dragon as he launched a counter attack.

Back and forth, strike for strike, the brothers fought. The coppery, metallic scent of blood filled the air. Smokey cedar, burnt ash and falling cinder mixed with the damp sea air, hanging in noxious clouds above the scene.

Helpless, watching her mate in a battle for his life, Willa screamed, “Watch out,” as Asher narrowly missed a flaming fireball. Opening her mouth to warn her mate again, it was too late as he crashed into Bogdi and Kazinski, releasing them from Taranis’ containment.

Rolling towards her, Willa stood between all three of the combatants, as she shouted into his mind, “Don’t worry about me. Do whatever it takes to kill those fuckers.”

But her words were unnecessary as fire rained down from the sky right before Pearce’s voice sounded in her head, “Did somebody call for the Cavalry?”