Chapter Twenty-Three
Jenna broke through the surface — really broke through it like a pane of glass, sending water flying in all directions. Without a pause, she paddled frantically for shore. Her leg burned where she’d been touched, and her heart hammered away.
Holy shit. A dragon. Worse — a sea dragon.
All along, she’d been worried about vampires, but man, had she been wrong. Her stalker was an ocean dweller who wanted her as his concubine.
All I need is a comfortable lair and a nice little female to amuse myself with.
Connor and Draig had communicated through a series of bellows and roars, yet she’d understood every terrifying word. A vestige of her mermaid blood, perhaps? At the same time, she couldn’t comprehend a thing, because it was just as Connor said. Dragons lived in an archaic world of their own, playing by a whole different set of rules.
Well, not with her. She was getting the hell away from that dragon fight, and fast.
Draig had dragged her a good mile out, making the familiar landscape look like a foreign shore. The mountains looked taller and mistier, the coastline rockier and less hospitable. The calm of daybreak was slowly giving way to the first small waves, and they splashed her face. She sputtered and swam on. But a second later, she paused and treaded water, listening to her own panting breaths.
Breath…panting…water… She looked down past her feet.
Whoa. Wait a minute. How long had she been underwater?
A few minutes, at least. That whole time, her sole focus was escaping Draig. The need to breathe hadn’t registered in the least. How was that possible? She was good at holding her breath — but not that good. By all rights, she should have drowned.
So maybe Connor had been right about not knocking only having a little mermaid blood. Maybe it was enough.
Or was it?
Her left hand was still clutched around the pearl, and she loosened her grip just enough to peek at it. What had that woman in Lahaina said?
Precious pearls. Magical pearls. Pearls that could…could…
The pearl shone brighter, gold beating out black as if it were soaking up sunlight and stocking up its power.
…could…
Could what? Jenna wanted to yell.
You should read the stories, honey, was all the saleswoman had said.
Jenna grimaced. Yeah, sure. She’d do that just as soon as she escaped the sea dragon nipping at her heels.
As if on cue, the water behind her erupted, and two massive dragons rocketed into the air, sending a huge wave her way. It lifted and propelled her as roars echoed in her ears and water rained down from above.
One of the dragons bellowed furiously. Go, Jenna! Get out of here!
Her heart squeezed. That was Connor, fighting for her.
No! Wait for me, my pet, Draig called in a spooky, hypnotic voice.
How her mind translated their throaty growls into words, she had no clue. It took a while for her mind to process, though, and all she could do for one breathless moment was watch the dragons fight. The massive beasts grappled wildly, rising thirty feet above the water before plunging down in a relentless fight that unfolded above and below the waterline.
Go! Get out of here! Connor urged as he unleashed a long plume of fire.
Jenna ducked underwater in a rush. Then she surfaced, snapped her hand shut around the pearl, and started racing toward shore. It didn’t matter whether the pearl or her mermaid ancestry had helped her survive underwater for that long. Neither had helped her escape Draig, so her best bet was to get the hell away. But when a pained groan sounded, she couldn’t help but spin around to look.
The darker, more compact dragon — Draig — gave a mighty heave and flopped sideways, dragging Connor under.
“Connor!”
The water roiled as they disappeared, and the surface gradually quieted, erasing every trace of her lover.
“Connor!” she screamed, looking down. Sheer panic seized her, and she’d never felt so alone. There was no one to yell to for help, no emergency number to call. There was only her.
“Connor,” she whimpered, completely lost as to what to do.
She wished for her dad. Her sister. Connor’s brothers. Anyone! How could she possibly help him on her own?
Her hand grazed her chest in a frantic movement, and a memory zipped through her mind.
If you get a dragon right between the plates…
She forced herself to slow down and trace the pattern of her own sternum. If dragons were vulnerable there, as Connor had said…
She took a deep breath and reached down, checking that her knife was still strapped to her leg. Her spelled-against-vampires knife. Would it work against a dragon too?
Smacking the water in frustration, she cried out. Who the hell knew? No one had taken the time to explain it all to her. Maybe no one person knew how the crazy shifter world worked.
It’s not fair, she wanted to scream.
But her dad had taught her better than that, so she forced the thought out of her mind. Lots of things in life weren’t fair, but Monroes didn’t moan. They looked for love and sunshine and soldiered on.
Jenna closed her eyes, looking for some thread of hope, figuring it would be hard at a moment like this. But love instantly brought her to Connor, and sunshine immediately conjured up an image of him holding her close.
She took a deep breath. Okay. Love — check. Sunshine — check. What else did she have?
The muscles of her right arm twitched, replaying a move Connor had taught her with a knife. The round lump of the pearl warmed her hand at the same time, adding another item to her list.
Knife. Pearl. Love. The only other thing she needed was courage, right?
She stalled out there. Courage was the hard part.
The scent of coconut and ginger tickled her nose, urging her to swim for shore. But angry little wavelets slapped at her face, ordering her to get her shit together. Was she really going to let Connor fight while she fled to safety, leaving him alone?
“Damn it,” she muttered, disgusted with herself. She could damn well muster up some courage too.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she sucked in a quick breath and dove.
I am not a wimp. I am not a wimp, she mumbled as she kicked down. Deeper and deeper, until the water temperature dropped and sunlight split into ever-thinner shafts. Alarms clanged in her mind, telling her she would die. But a tiny little partitioned corner of her mind pushed her onward.
Just a little farther. They’re right over there.
The air pressure built in her ears, and her eyes narrowed to slits, but she spotted the dragons another thirty feet down. The depth washed out most color, but the glow of their eyes stood out like submarine lights, flashing and strobing as they twisted and turned. Draig had to be the darker one with stumpy wings and a thicker tail. Connor was the big green one — but, shit. The trail of bubbles streaming from his mouth was getting thinner all the time.
She turned on the most determined dolphin kick of her life, keeping her hands at her sides. In a pool, she could only keep that stroke up for a length or two, but out here in the open ocean, she seemed to zoom along. So, yeah. Either she was halfway to death and hallucinating, or the mermaid thing wasn’t bullshit, after all.
No… Jenna… Connor called in a grim, weak tone.
My pet, Draig crooned, sounding fresh and triumphant. I knew you would return.
Jenna made a face. She’d show him what kind of pet she’d make.
And you’ve brought me a special gift. I can feel its power. Where are you keeping it, my dear?
Jenna kept her hand closed tightly. Shit — Draig knew about the pearl? She wondered if he knew exactly what its power was. She couldn’t tell — only that some kind of force seemed to quietly pulse from it, helping her. Would it help anyone?
Connor lashed at Draig with his tail, but the sea dragon spun deftly sideways and raked two massive claws across his back.
Stop, she yelled, using a bubbly voice and the force of her mind to get the message across.
They did no such thing, and she huffed. Men!
Connor wrestled Draig sideways, and for a second, a gap opened between their struggling bodies. Jenna gulped, forcing herself to observe. Somehow, she had to squeeze between them and strike Draig deep in the chest. Was that even possible without being crushed?
Reason told her to forget it, but the pearl in her hand stayed warm, giving her hope.
Connor, she cried, willing her voice into his head. Do that again. She had no idea what that kind of side-twist wrestling move was called, but she pictured it and pushed the image out with her words.
Just go, Jenna. Go!
Not going anywhere, she shot back.
Soon, my dear, Draig crooned.
Jenna scowled. Right, like she was eagerly waiting to elope with him.
Come on, Connor. Do it again, she begged, swimming to within an arm’s length of their flailing wings. It was as terrifying as edging up to an out-of-control buzz saw, but she forced herself to watch and wait.
Please, Connor. Please.
A tail whipped right in front of her face, and she ducked. Connor grunted, and both dragons lurched sideways.
Now! Now! a voice screamed in her mind as a tiny gap opened between their chests. Connor was giving her the opening she needed.
Jenna kicked forward then scuttled away as the dragons crashed together again. Her heart hammered in fear and dejection. It wasn’t possible. It just wasn’t possible.
She thumped her own thigh. It had to be possible, damn it. She had to find a way.
One more time, Connor. You can do it.
I can do it, she added to herself.
The minute I rid myself of this troublesome half-breed, Draig grunted between breaths, you shall have the mate you deserve.
That would be Connor, she nearly yelled. But she kept the thought to herself, because she had to get close to Draig to execute her plan.
She grinned wildly at her own thought. Execute. Now that, she liked.
The dragons flipped around, locked in mortal combat, and Connor’s eyes flashed. Still glowing, but growing dimmer. He looked about as convinced of himself as she felt about her own chance of pulling off this crazy stunt.
Jenna, he murmured, sounding frighteningly apologetic.
She shook her head, steeling herself to be tough enough for both of them. Are you saying you’re ready to give up?
Connor’s eyes glittered with recognition. Hell no, he said through clenched teeth.
Good, she grunted, yanking the knife from its scabbard.
Was that pride in his eyes? Love? Jenna swore she’d find out someday. But at that moment, Draig rolled, dragging Connor around, breaking their eye contact. Fury rose within her, and she pushed the pearl deep into the scabbard at her calf to free both hands. Then she dove under the grappling dragons, more determined than ever.
This fool thinks he deserves you, Draig gloated. But I shall protect you. I shall give you the future you deserve.
Jenna pushed the horror of that suggestion aside and concentrated on the fight. The dragons rolled into exactly the angle she needed to slip in between them, so—
Now, Connor! she barked. One more time.
His green eyes glassed over with pain. A bubbly grunt sounded as he heaved Draig around with the last of his strength, lifting and twisting at the same time. Their bodies parted, and—
Jenna darted between their wings with the knife clutched in one hand. Thanks to all her practice with Connor, the knife felt comfortable in her grip, and the handle warmed. Was the spell stirring, ready to work even if the enemy wasn’t a vampire?
Connor’s words echoed in her mind.
Get a dragon right between the plates here…
He’d showed her here, and she forced herself to shimmy up Draig’s chest to find the same spot, keeping the knife at her side.
Draig laughed — the kind of deep rumble that vibrated through the ocean and made entire schools of fish flee for their lives. Jenna wanted to join them. Venturing this close made it all too easy to picture the horrors Draig had in store for her if he won.
Isn’t she lovely, he cooed, as if she’d had a change of heart and had sidled up to fondle him or something. My pet already recognizes her master.
Master? She snorted. Then she focused entirely on concealing the knife and finding that vulnerable spot.
Draig’s chest was covered with wide, interlocking plates. The top plates were divided into two sections, corresponding to the pectoral muscles, she supposed. And between there, exactly as Connor had said, was a notch. But water swirled all around her, and the pressure changed, telling her she was about to be crushed.
Jenna! Connor yelled, straining hard.
Don’t get hurt, my pretty pet, Draig murmured, starting to twist to one side.
Jenna flicked the knife around exactly as Connor had taught her. Index finger, flip, grab.
Not your goddamn pet, she barked, stabbing the knife deep.
She’d imagined the blade sliding smoothly in, but it entered in jerks, and it took all her might to drive it in. Every time she thought she couldn’t drive it an inch deeper, the pearl at her calf heated, and she was able to give it one more shove until the weapon was lodged in to the hilt.
That’s what you get for trying to separate a mermaid from her mate, she spat into his mind.
Draig’s eyes went wide, and his whole body shuddered. His wings flailed as blood poured from his chest in strangely mesmerizing swirls. Jenna hung on with everything she had, determined to keep the blade in place.
But… But… Draig protested, still not getting it. Then his eyes narrowed, and he growled. Bitch!
Jenna gave herself an inner nod. Yeah, when she had to be.
Fine, then. Die with your no-good lover, Draig spat.
His tail whacked around, and pain flared through her legs. A claw big enough to skewer her raked the water beside her ear. Jenna squeezed aside, barely avoiding it. The only thing keeping her alive was how close she was sandwiched against Draig, much as that disgusted her. The next slicing blow, though, would be harder to avoid. That and the crushing power of two dragon bodies about to smack together again. The water pressure rose, making her ears pop, and she screamed.
Connor!
But not even Connor could prevent the inevitable as momentum brought the two dragons together in the massive collision she could sense coming. Their wings were all tangled, and the pendulum of forces was about to swing the other way. Tears streamed from Jenna’s cheeks, because this was the end. To kill Draig, she had to keep the knife in place. That meant holding on, no matter what came.
Release me, Draig yelled, thrashing about. But nothing was going to loosen Jenna’s hold on that knife. Nothing.
Connor, she murmured, wishing they could have had a happier end. More time. More words. More everything.
The water whirled around her, thrust aside by the truck-sized bodies about to collide. Jenna pushed words like thank you and I love you into Connor’s mind. If she was going to die, she’d make it clear what he meant to her first.
Then, boom! What felt like a brick wall smashed into her back, propelling her into the left side of Draig’s chest, just beside the protruding knife handle. The slam drove the weapon even deeper, and Draig groaned. Which was good, but Jenna was being crushed. The force squeezed her lungs, hammered her ribs, and cut off her yelp.
She briefly wondered if there was a heaven. Would she meet her mother there? Would she ever see her loved ones again?
Her father. Her sisters. Her niece. Connor…
Then she didn’t think at all, because a roar filled her ears, and her whole body lit up in pain. Then a switch flipped in her, and everything went black.