Chapter Nine
The next morning, Morgana awoke with the rising sun and Kade stirred behind her. Pulling her in close to him, he kissed the top of her shoulder.
“I could lie like this forever with you,” he said, his voice soft and sweet. She turned to face him, smiling through her still clinging sleepiness. Feeling a warm blush come over her face, she snuggled into his neck, not wanting to escape the comfort of his arms.
“The pack will get worried if they wake and find us gone,” she murmured, unable to hide her disappointment that it was already time to actually wake up and get moving.
“You’re right,” he agreed, if not a bit sadly himself. With a hand on the ground, he pushed himself up to a sitting position. She took a moment to enjoy the view of his chiseled muscles, the strong ridges of his chest, and the sculpted nature of his abs, and dropped her gaze even lower toward his large hardened bulge that was only partly hidden by his pants.
A low and steady growl began emitting from the mouth of the cave, and Morgana sat up hurriedly, startled.
Ragoth nearly bristled, his spikes on his back raised high in alarm. His growl got deeper and more terrifying the longer she listened. The two of them stood and made their way toward the entrance. When they reached the small dragon, Kade pushed Morgana behind him.
She knelt down beside the beast and allowed him to climb up on her shoulder, which gave him a better vantage point of the valley.
“Do you see something, Ragoth?”
His snarl gave her the answer that she was looking for. She shifted behind Kade a bit, her eyes straining to see what he saw in the distance. As much as she tried, she couldn’t see a thing.
“Kade?”
She watched his eyes narrow, knowing his sight was more perceptive than hers, due to his shifter Erassan nature.
“There’s an airship flying toward us. It’s pretty far off in the distance, but it’s coming in fast, and it’s heading directly for us.”
“It’s coming from the south, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“We must have been spotted in the grasslands. It can only be Lord Nero. And he is not going to be happy with us,” she whispered, her voice a mixture of fear and courage. The two emotions warred within her, and before long, her determination won out. She wasn’t going to be afraid; she was going to be brave. It was her duty.
“I know. Stay here with Ragoth. I have to warn the pack. Don’t come out of the cave, do you understand?”
“Yes, sir. I won’t leave here.”
“I’ll be back in five minutes. Don’t go anywhere. Go back and hide in the cave, and don’t come out for any reason. I’m serious. Do not test me on this, Morgana.”
“Yes, sir.”
Morgana watched as he took off running down the trail. In a flash, he shifted into his wolf form, his clothes ripping to shreds in the process. At any other moment, she might have laughed at the scene it made, but a sick feeling in her stomach prevented anything of the sort. A soft concerned growl echoed in her ear, and she scratched Ragoth underneath his chin.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be alright.”
She watched as the small ship finally came into view, hurtling toward them at a terrifying speed. It must have been some sort of new technology, using the dark matter energy source to push it to speeds like never before. She had no doubt that it was probably entirely wasteful too. Morgana wasn’t very well versed in any of the science behind the engineering of the ships that could travel through the air and space. But, she did realize that this ship was one that few people had the opportunity to use, and Lord Nero was the only one she could think of.
Her next thought was that Kade wasn’t going to make it back in time. The ship would take about thirty seconds to get to her. Swallowing the last edges of her fear, she allowed her defiant spirit to take over her entire being. The time for fear had come and gone, and now was the time to act, no matter what Kade said.
She walked out to the edge of the cave into the bright sunlight. With determination, she would meet Lord Nero head on.
The metal spaceship pulled up close before hovering a short distance away on the trail. Now that it was closer, she realized it was larger than she originally thought. Watching as its hull lowered to the ground, she heard Ragoth’s growl grow deeper and even more unsettling. This new development upset him greatly. Even he knew that evil awaited inside the vessel that loomed near.
She listened as it clicked open, and some hydraulic mechanism dropped a door to the ground. A large man began to descend a pair of stairs that appeared as the door dropped. Seeing a pair of hefty dark-colored boots emerge first, she watched as he climbed down, his strut unique enough that it could only belong to one man. She pushed her chest forward and pulled herself up taller. There was no way she would show Lord Nero even an ounce of fear.
His muscled chest came into view, the immensity of his bulk still taking her back a bit. Dark brown pants settled around his waist, held up by a thick brown belt. The gold jewelry on his ear and nose glinted in the sun, blinding her momentarily. His scowl chilled her to the bone, and a sick feeling of dread settled in the pit of her stomach, but she didn’t allow any of that to show in her body language.
His black eyes stared at her, and a dangerous smirk played on the corner of his lips. She glared back at him, willing him to die with each step he took. Unfortunately, defeating him wouldn’t be that simple.
He stopped in front of her, too close for her comfort. She stood her ground though, raising her chin in defiance.
“What do you want, Nero,” she spat at him, deliberately demeaning him by ignoring his title of self-appointed lord. He simply smiled and allowed his black eyes to stray up and down her body.
“I came to take back what’s mine, and kill the man who stole her from me.”
“I was never yours, and I never will be.”
“Even collared of your magic, you’re still trouble. Your powers may stop my Soul Eater ability from causing you unspeakable mental pain, but I have other ways of hurting you. I will make you beg at my knees for mercy, regardless. You will bow to my hand, I have no doubt.”
“Never,” she growled, her eyes darkening with her ever-growing hatred of the man.
She had always known her mind was safe from his dark powers, but hadn’t known why. Once a human’s magic awakened, that individual was safe from his abilities, like a natural shield. She smiled, knowing that he could never touch Lana in the same way again because of her magic, and that he could never invoke the raw terror she had seen in the girl’s eyes when she had saved her from his clutches.
He was a Soul Eater, but even though her mind was safe, she still shouldn’t underestimate him.
He was a pure, unbridled weapon of war. The ultimate information gatherer, and the power had very clearly gone to his head. He took what was a way to gain intel without torture and twisted it into something much worse. She knew some of the history behind the development of the Soul Eaters and it wasn’t a pretty story.
The scientists who made them had exclusively chosen the men to take on the Soul Eater role. Five men were chosen from an elite group of proven army veterans, some human and some Erassan. Every man granted with the ever-lasting life that came with the terrible powers of a Soul Eater turned good, honorable men into evil, torture-loving psychopaths, willing to do anything to gain even more power.
According to the history books she had read, they had killed hundreds, if not thousands in their quest to gain even more control than they already had. It was a dark time in planet Terranovum’s history as massive civil war ensued until a group of wizards and sorceresses finally took down the Soul Eaters in a bloody fight. She had thought the technology died with the last of them, but that was before she had learned of Nero’s existence.
Someone had made him, set him loose, and allowed his evil to simmer until now. She would make sure that ended before he hurt anyone else. Narrowing her eyes, fiercely determined, she stood tall.
“You will never touch me, Nero. Not ever.”
Ragoth growled deeply on her shoulder. As if noticing the dragon for the first time, Nero’s black eyes shifted to him, and a confused expression passed over his face.
“I thought dragons were long dead. Not one has been spotted for centuries.”
“It appears you heard wrong then.”
His glance nervously dropped down to her bracelet and then to her face. His agitated look passed quickly and turned into an evil smile, as if he knew something that she didn’t.
“Well, after I kill Kade for the treason he’s committed, I’ll make sure to kill him too.”
“You’re just an evil bastard, intent on gaining as much power as you possibly can.”
“Why thank you, Morgana, I’ll remember that when I bind you to a pole and whip your naked body for your insolence. Still your cheeky tongue, you are testing my patience to its limits. Now, tell me, is Kade hiding in the cave behind you?”
“I don’t know, maybe you should check it out yourself.”
He took a step closer to her and swung his arm around, slapping her across the face with such force that it nearly threw her to the ground. Ragoth roared, the sound startlingly loud coming from such a small creature. He flew up in the air and swooped down at Nero’s head. The man whirled around, trying to bat the dragon out of the way.
“Call off the beast before I kill him!”
She watched as Ragoth’s teeth closed around the man’s shoulder, blood brimming to the surface as he broke the skin. Nero cried out and moved to smack Ragoth away, but the little beast had already drawn back, high into the air out of his reach. The man glared at the dragon, and then turned his gaze to look at Morgana.
He moved forward a step, swinging his arm around to grasp her around the neck with his thick fingers. Slowly, he picked her up off the ground, choking her as the tips of her toes struggled to return to the soil beneath her. He squeezed her throat tighter, and she struggled to breathe. She tried to kick him so that he might loosen his grip, but couldn’t put any strength behind it. Her body twisted in pain, not getting the air she needed to survive.
A screech sounded nearby, one so loud and full of anger that it stunned both Nero and Morgana for a moment. The growl of rage that followed confirmed that it had come from Ragoth. Morgana heard the sound echo throughout the valley as she struggled to keep him in her sights, her vision beginning to blacken around the edges from lack of air. Her fingers gripped Nero’s wrist as she tried to pry his hand from her neck.
Ragoth flew down again, this time taking another mouthful at the man’s neck. Nero cried out as another bloody bite mark appeared, the red bright against his tan skin. Luckily for Morgana, his hold loosened, and she was finally able to pull in a deep breath. Her vision returned to normal as she struggled to escape his clutches.
Without warning, Nero dropped her to the ground. She landed heavily on her feet, and almost lost her footing. She watched as the man took a few steps back. The funny thing was he was no longer looking at her, but behind her, his black eyes looking up high overhead. Ragoth perched on her shoulder once again, and she heard a soft purring trill coming from him. Even he was looking behind her as well.
Cautiously, she turned around so she could see what the two of them were staring at. She lifted her head to look up at the sky, and gasped.
It was another dragon, although unlike Ragoth, this one was very clearly fully grown, and very angry. Golden eyes stared down at her, encased in the body of a beast larger than she could have ever have imagined. Violet-colored scales encased its massive frame, and each plate appeared to be made of thick steel. Wings flapped lazily, lifting the dragon high up in the air. Its wingspan was immense, so large that Morgana had to shift her eyes to see it all.
Its body was a rich amethyst color that glistened with life in the sunlight. Four long limbs stretched from its belly, sharp claws extending from each foot. Its tail stretched out far behind it, flipping back and forth like a cat, leaving Morgana feeling increasingly uneasy. Spikes ran down its spine, making the terrifying image of a monster complete. Morgana swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry with alarm.
Flapping its wings even more slowly, the dragon landed on its feet, claws raking the rock of the cave. She watched as scratches appeared in the solid stone surface, a testament to the raw power of the beast. She gulped and inadvertently took a step back in fear, but then, Ragoth flew off her shoulder. He flew toward the much larger dragon, his small body dwarfed by its massive size. She cried out in fear for him.
Ragoth landed on the mouth of the cave and nuzzled up against the beast, pressing his tiny head against the bigger one. Surprisingly, the large dragon welcomed his invasion and rewarded him by pressing her nose into his gently. It seemed as though the two dragons knew each other.
“Ragoth?” she questioned, her voice unsure, Nero long forgotten at the moment.
The little dragon met her eyes, and a soft keening sound emerged from his throat. She knew he was trying to tell her something, and it didn’t take long for him to communicate with her as to what he wanted to say, his thoughts popping into her head.
“This is your mother, isn’t it, Ragoth? And her name is Arydun,” Morgana said out loud, her voice still unbelieving.
Massive yellow eyes found hers, and a soft growl echoed against the mountain, yet it wasn’t frightening. The mother dragon moved forward, the rocks underneath creaking from the weight of her frame. She walked forward until she was only feet away from Morgana.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Arydun.” Her voice was no louder than a whisper.
“My son tells me you’re in a bit of trouble.”
“You can communicate through my mind?” she asked in disbelief.
“Yes, my son is too young right now and hasn’t developed the ability quite yet, but he has moments where he can tell you details. I’m sure you’ve come to realize that in your time with him, like how you knew my name and who I was just now. It’s a special connection that some individuals develop between themselves and their dragon. Someone like that snake behind you could never even dream of something like this.”
Morgana turned back toward Nero, only to see him seething behind her, his look one of abject nervousness. She felt Arydun nudge her hand, her massive nostrils pressing against the metal of the bracelet around her wrist.
“Don’t you dare even think about it, you stupid animal!” he roared out, his voice full of anger and if Morgana wasn’t mistaken, a sliver of fear.
“I can free you from your prison. Do you trust me, little human?”
Morgana met those large yellow eyes and pressed her hand to the side of Arydun’s head, the dragon’s scales hard beneath her flesh. In an instant, she knew her answer and deep within herself, she felt her powers surge to life at the dragon’s presence.
“I trust you, Arydun.”
“Good. Then prepare yourself.”
“Prepare myself for what?” she asked, out loud.
Arydun laughed softly and lifted her head up high, drawing in a massive breath at the same time. She opened her mouth wide, enormous teeth lining her gums that would have scared anyone in their reach. Morgana took a step back in surprise, and gasped when she began to feel heat radiating from the dragon. All at once, a ball of fire developed in the back of Arydun’s mouth and shot in Morgana’s direction. She couldn’t have escaped the heat that encased her body, even if she tried.
Arydun had breathed fire, and Morgana was caught in it, the flames licking across her skin.
She screamed as the blaze and heat enveloped her entire body. Her last thought was that this wasn’t how she wanted to die.
But she didn’t perish as she thought she would. In fact, she didn’t even feel the burning pain that she expected to come with the fire. Instead, a gentle warmth surrounded her, the fire burning hot just millimeters from her skin. Inside her, her magic boiled to the surface, almost as though it was caressing the fire that swaddled her body.
She lifted her hands, gazing at her fingers, before her sight was drawn to the metal bracelet around her wrist. The ancient markings in the band were beginning to glow, golden against the gray steel. She scrutinized the wretched thing further, noticing the markings growing hotter, the red beginning to bleed into the surrounding metal. Before long, the entire bracelet was a golden red color, and she heard a clicking sound. She watched as it fell away from her wrist, and rejoiced as she felt her magic surge to the surface within her body.
She was free. Completely and utterly free. Once again, she was the king’s sorceress, no longer weak and vulnerable to the man who had taken her from her home. Her magic was back.
Arydun had been the key all along. Dragon’s fire was what it took to end her captivity. That bracelet must have been ancient, since dragons used to be commonplace a very long time ago. Looking back, she met Nero’s black eyes. He suddenly looked much more worried than he had a moment before.
She reached down and held up the now dull gray bracelet.
“Where did you get this?”
“The Hall of Magic, of course. I picked it up on my last trip to Eridell, but you remember that trip, don’t you, doll,” he sneered, trying to uphold a false sense of bravado.
“I can kill him for you. You are safe in my fire; he most definitely is not.”
Morgana held up her arm, and Ragoth landed on it, climbing up to perch on her shoulder. She looked over at him after he nudged her chin, realizing he was trying to tell her something.
Moving her gaze back to Nero, she pondered over the situation. Sure, she could kill him now and render his body useless, but he was sure to have information that could be useful to the king. Would it be smart to allow him to live in order find out intel that may be important? Looking back down at the bracelet, she wondered if it would work on him as well.
“No, I don’t think killing him just yet would be smart. I have an idea. You could certainly help me though. Why don’t you see to it that he doesn’t wake up for a while?”
Without warning, Arydun’s tail whipped around from behind, knocking Nero’s feet out from under him. Her tail wrapped around his ankle and then lifted him from the ground. With sudden force, his body whipped against the nearby rock wall, his skull hitting the hard surface with a sickening crack. He hadn’t even had a chance to make a sound.
She saw his eyes flutter closed and he stilled. Moving closer, she observed his body, noting that his breathing was still even. Arydun had knocked him out cold.
Morgana kicked his stomach lightly, trying to see if he was truly out. When he didn’t move an inch, she knelt down and quickly clasped the bracelet around his wrist. She allowed a trickle of her own magic to seal it, and wove a second spell to keep him sound asleep for a good long while. When she was finally done, she stood tall and looked down at the man, pressing a hand to her cheek. It still stung from his slap, and her jaw protested at any small movement.
In his sleep, he looked almost innocent, but she knew better. After King Dante learned the information that he needed from him, she had no doubt he would be executed for his crimes, let alone for what he had done to Lana, the king’s woman. She had seen the naked terror in the girl’s eyes, seen the pain he had put there, and it hadn’t been pretty. This man was evil in the most disturbing sense. He hurt people emotionally and physically, just because he wanted to, and he enjoyed it. He didn’t care about the aftermath. All he wanted was control and power, the more the better, no matter who he stepped on, hurt, or killed in the process. She knew she had to stop him.
“Arydun, can you take us to Eridell? I think the king would delight in seeing that this man was finally captured. I am sure he would like to question him. If not, he will most certainly die in our dungeons.”
“Of course. Let me help you.”
Morgana felt the dragon’s tail snake around her waist, and before she knew it, Arydun had lifted her up into the air and onto her back. She sat down in the space between the spikes on her back and looped her arms around her big neck. Ragoth jumped down from her shoulder and nestled himself in between Morgana and his mother.
Beneath her, she felt the great dragon jump into the air, and her wings pumped behind her, pushing the air down below them. The treetops rustled at the wind that was created, and within moments, they were up high in the air. Looking down, she saw something black sprint in front of the cave. It didn’t take long for her to figure out who it was.
It was a wolf. And she only knew one wolf with that kind of color. It was Kade.
She knew he would be angry with her. After all, she had left the cave after he had explicitly told her not to. And now, here she was on the back of a massive dragon flying up high in the air. Closing her eyes, she looked away.
Duty was important, but was it more important than matters of the heart? She was afraid of the answer and pushed the thought far away in her mind. With sorrow, she turned forward as Arydun began to fly north toward Eridell and the king. Morgana did her best not to look back, but couldn’t help it as the moments ticked by. Knowing he would still be there, her eyes searched for him.
She saw Kade just standing there, in his human form. Her heart tore a little bit, and she choked back a sob. She kept telling herself that she was doing the right thing, over and over, but it did little to help.
Tears dripped down her cheeks.
She missed him already, missed his touch, his smile, his laugh, and most of all, the calm confident way that he had mastered her body and her heart. She blinked in shock at the realization as it came to her.
Who was she kidding?
She actually loved the man, even if he spanked her; most especially because he spanked her.