Chapter Ten – Ian
Ian's emotions ran rampant as he flew Lydia back over the ocean towards the States. So many warring thoughts battled for supremacy in his mind. Out of all his worries and fears, though, one brilliant spot of hope shone through.
Lydia had been on death's door but was completely healed in a matter of hours. That could only mean one thing. She was his mate. Their connection was what saved her, what stitched her flesh back together and allowed her to tap into her powers.
But what if she didn't want it? What if after this was done she decided she wanted a normal life with a normal romance and walked away from him? Or worse – what if she died? He didn't know how he would survive that, not after everything. He was just opening his heart again. If he experienced that pain again, it might just turn black and cold.
He landed outside the restaurant that Lydia managed. The fact that the demons had attacked her here and that was where both she and Ian were drawn to had to mean something. As soon as he touched down, a dark tingle ran down his spine. He shifted. Lydia climbed from the car he'd carried her over in and shuddered.
"The gates are here," Ian said. "They're opening up."
"I can feel them," Lydia breathed. She shuddered. "It's awful."
"I know. We have to get inside and stop it. I don't know if the barrier will still be intact."
Lydia glanced around wildly. Her hands patted her pockets. Searching for a key, Ian realized. She froze suddenly, as though remembering she couldn't have it on her, then swooped down. She snatched a sizable chunk of broken concrete and hurled it through the window. The glass shattered and alarms started blaring. Ian followed her in as she rushed in and disabled the security system.
"I am never working again, am I?" Lydia asked, gazing sadly at the shattered door. "After this, I'll be lucky if I avoid prison. That or Maria is going to kill me."
Ian pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss to her mouth. Despite the situation, or maybe because of it, she responded with a fierceness that surprised him. Her arms wrapped around him, her body undulated against his, and she teased his mouth open, thrusting her tongue in at once. The desperation tore at his heart.
The Dragon held her close for a moment before breaking away from her. "Don't worry about your job," he told her. "You always have a place with me."
"Yeah, but I love working."
"I'm rich. I'll take care of all of this. And I'll buy you a new restaurant."
Lydia managed a smile at him before she untangled herself from his embrace. "It's silly to be worrying about work right now. We have Hell to catch."
Ian nodded. "Right. But before we do, I just want to say… Thank you. I have been carrying so much anger and bitterness inside of me. I've cut myself off from humans and had to struggle to find anything worth saving. But you reminded me… there is good in individuals, and a whole forest can't burn because of a few rotten trees."
Lydia kissed him again. Ian reluctantly broke it before he wanted to. Together, they rushed into the back. The floor beneath their feet felt unstable; Ian tensed. He recognized this feeling. The gate was close to the surface.
"Stand back," he said.
Lydia pressed back against the wall. Ian concentrated, bringing his fires up through his belly in a concentrated stream. He spat it out, hitting the floor dead center. Chunks of floor burst into the air. Dust flew every which way. Lydia yelped, but Ian repeated the blast, again and again. Soon the gate came into sight. A grid pattern of flickering light expanded over the entrance to a tunnel filled with black smoke.
Ian didn't realize Lydia was standing next to him until she gasped. He took her hand. Behind the bars were demons. They pressed against the light, screeching and wailing. Hundreds of thousands of them, scrambling through the smoke towards the entrance.
"It's damaged," Lydia said, pointing.
One corner of the grid was fainter with a few of the strands of light broken. A demon threw itself repeatedly at this second, gnashing its teeth. Lydia squeezed Ian's hand so tight it hurt.
"You need to fix it." She looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"I can't. I don't have that ability. And if I try to burn them, I might damage the block. You're a Paladin." Ian gripped her shoulders tightly. "You're the one who can fix it. The light from before that revealed the demons in the hospital – that's the only thing that can repair the barrier."
"But I don't know how to control it!"
"You're smarter and have far more talent than you give yourself credit for," Ian said. Sweat trickled down his back. "Just feel it. Trust your gut."
Uncertainty flickered in Lydia's eyes, but she nodded. Closing her eyes, she pressed her hands together. Ian watched, holding his breath. Light seeped from her fingers, and when she spread her hands, it roped between her fingers. She cast a petrified look at Ian, then climbed into the pit. The demons increased their screaming; the one ramming the weak spot spat at her. She ignored them, spreading her light over the grid. The flickering pattern grew stronger, brighter.
The door leading to the main part of the restaurant burst open. Demons began streaming in. Ian yelled, grabbing two knives from a prep station, and charged them. If he turned into a dragon in here, he'd crush Lydia. He sliced across the chest of the first one and ducked under its arm to stab one knife through its ribs while he sliced at a second. His fires were burning low in his belly; he'd used up almost all his stock blasting through the floor. There was enough for just one last burst.
"Ian!" Lydia shouted.
"Fix the barrier," he shouted back, dodging a fist that flew at his face. "Don't worry about me!"
He spared no time checking if she listened to him. One of the demons tried to circle a cooking station to come at her from behind, but Ian grabbed a smaller demon, cut its throat, and hurled it at the sneaking one. It stumbled and he threw a knife into its throat. He sucked in a deep breath and shot out the last of his fire, burning half of them in one go. The uninjured ones shoved aside their flaming comrades and hurtled towards Lydia.
Ian retrieved another knife and stabbed into their leader. His heart pounded, adrenaline flooding his system. His fires wouldn't be restored until he Shifted again. But there was no room.
A fist connected to his kidney. Pain exploded through his whole body, making him stumble. A demon grabbed his wrist, twisting it sharply. He shouted, but managed to keep a grip on the knife. He swung the free arm, sinking the other knife into the demon's eyes. It screeched, releasing him, and he pivoted quickly, whipping the blades off the back of the demon that had just pushed past him. One of them punched him. He ducked. The blow shattered the jaw of another demon.
Ian slipped from the mass, finding his footing again. They were closer to Lydia. Too close. But he was back in a position where he could hold them off. He just needed time for her to repair the barrier and escape.
A startled scream from behind him made him turn. A long-fingered, grey-red hand had thrust from the flickering grid. It wrapped around Lydia's wrist, breaking the light roped through her fingers. Ian's heart jumped to his throat. Lydia yanked on her wrist, screaming again.
The air left his lungs as he was hit from behind. Ian whirled to the demons he was holding back. His muscles ached and his distraction had cost him. He struggled to draw in a proper breath and weakly struck out. The demon pushed him aside; he stabbed into its neck, then tossed his second blade in Lydia's direction.
"Lydia," he tried to shout, but it came out a breathless gasp.
She looked up. Their eyes met; the fear in her gaze melted away to determination, and she ground her teeth together. With a scream, she yanked herself backward. Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of the knife. She stabbed the demon through the arm, then threw her hands wide. The same white light from the hospital spilled from her, making her look like an avenging angel.
The demons screeched and drew back, shielding their eyes. Many of them fell to their knees. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough time for Ian to regain his feet. He collected yet another new knife and dove back in, hacking and slicing.
"You can't stand against the powers of hell!" one of them shouted, stumbling to its feet. "You are tiny, insignificant. You can't do anything!"
"Yes I can," Lydia screamed back. "I can do anything I want! Now go back to hell already and leave us alone!"
Ian killed two demons and risked a glance over his shoulders. Lydia's eyes blazed as she stretched thick bands of light between her hands. She dropped out of sight, but Ian could feel the barrier being reinforced, strengthening against the demons below. Their shouts and curses cut off abruptly. Lydia scrambled from the pit, clutching her knife.
"The gate is restored."
Ian grinned. "Get out the back," he ordered, turning to face the demons again.
Several of them were limping away, but the rest attacked with a renewed fury. Ian dodged fists and knives, using their frenzy to redirect their attacks into each other. There were still so many of them… His resolve strengthened. It didn't matter what happened to him, just so long as Lydia got away, as long as she was safe…
She suddenly jumped onto the top of a cooking station, something big and clumsy in her hands. Ian bit back a curse and started to shout at her to leave. Before he could, though, a rushing noise filled the room and white foam spurted into the air. It flew into the demon's eyes, blinding them. When they cried out, it filled their mouths making them choke and spit. Ian stumbled back, jaw gaping.
"Lydia—"
"You said to trust my gut," she interrupted, aiming the fire extinguisher in her hands at a demon that rushed him.
Ian grinned. "You are an amazing woman. I am going to buy you the biggest rock I can find."
Lydia looked startled for a moment. "Demons! Don't get distracted."
"Right."
He turned his attention back to their enemies. Within moments, the rest of them were dead. His arms felt like blocks of wood, and he dropped the knives. Blood seeped from the various wounds he had received, but he ignored them as he reached for Lydia. She let him help her down from the cooking station.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Me?" Lydia laughed. "You're the one that took on a horde of demons. All I did was throw a little light around. Look, I even got to wear clothes. You're completely naked. You're lucky they didn't go for—"
Ian cut her off with a deep kiss. His heart still pounded, the sudden stop of adrenaline pumping through his veins making him tremble. The possibility of what might have happened burned into his mind. He tightened his grip of Lydia, making sure he wouldn’t lose her.
"I love you," he gasped, moving his mouth to her neck. "I love you."
"I love you, too." She answered his passion with her own, clinging to him. "I love you more than I've ever loved anybody before. But—"
Ian tensed and pulled back. "But?"
Lydia gestured around with a bewildered expression. "What are we going to do about this mess?"
The Dragon burst into laughter. He kissed her once more before he stepped back, holding her hand. "We'll figure it out. I didn't get to be three hundred years old without knowing a few tricks."
She smiled and twined her fingers through his, letting him lead her away from the ruined kitchen. It was going to take a lot to fix this mess, but if there was one thing he'd learned since meeting Lydia, anything was possible.
Even melting the stone heart of a Dragon who hated everybody.