Chapter 18
Blaze
“I still think going in guns blazing is the best idea,” Livvie said. “She knows we’re coming so we should get there before she has time to really prepare.”
I shook my head. “She’s had ages to prepare. You need a plan. Joan will have all sorts of booby traps, wards, and stuff set up. She’s old and prepared.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Sammy said. “We’re going in prepared.”
“What about somehow drawing her out?” Olivia said.
“We’ve been over that,” Sammy said. “Every plan we come up with has too many loopholes.” She growled and slapped her hands on her knees. I hated to see her frustrated, with someone other than me, anyway. I loved making her frustrated.
“Joan isn’t smart. She craves power. The same as Leonard, and that was his downfall.”
“That’s why he tried to kidnap us. He thought it would lead him to power.”
Livvie held up one finger. “What if we make Joan think she can bait Sammy out of hiding?”
Sammy shook her head. “No. Joan is trying to hide from me because she knows I can defeat her. We’ve got to catch her off guard.”
“What better way to catch her off guard than to bait her?” Livvie asked.
Sammy stood and threw up her hands. “I know what I’m talking about!” she yelled. “You’re still a novice, and you don’t know Joan. Just leave it to me!”
“Hey!” Wes stood and stepped between Livvie and Sammy. “Back off.”
“This is a touchy situation,” Anthony said. He’d shown up about an hour ago. “Everyone is on edge. All we need to remember is the end goal.”
Sammy crossed her arms, madder than I’d ever seen her, and I’d seen her pretty pissed in our short time together. “What’s the only thing we can use as bait to draw her out? The only thing she could use against me?” She glared at me as everyone else in the room turned to look at me.
Oh. Now I understood why she was so upset. “I’m not a child. I am a dragon shifter. I can take care of myself.”
She rolled her eyes. “You know, Joan isn’t a spring chicken, and she’s not powerful compared to me or Livvie, but she’s still strong. I’ll be damned if I’ll let her get her hands on you.”
I pulled her close, and she shook as I wrapped my arms around her. “I won’t let her hurt you,” she said quietly.
I kissed the top of her head. “We’ll think of something else. Stop worrying.”
But everyone looked really damn worried.
After hours of fruitless planning, Anthony and Wes built a fire while I helped Olivia pull chairs out. When we sat, Anthony settled in beside me. “How are you doing?”
I glanced over at Sammy, shaking her head at something Livvie was saying. “I think Liv is right. If we want to get Joan, we have to bait her.”
Anthony hissed through his teeth. “Sammy’s gonna kill you if you try it without her knowing.”
He was damn right. “This is about more than Sammy. I think everyone is forgetting that Joan is the reason my parents are dead. I don’t think she’s the one who killed them, or Sammy would’ve recognized her in my memories. But their deaths are on her head.”
Anthony rubbed his face. “Yeah,” he mumbled behind his hands. “You’re right.”
“I want vengeance just as much as Sammy does.”
“She took from you in a big way.” Anthony met my gaze. “She needs to pay. What do we need to do?”
“We’re going to draw her out.”
We moved the party to Anthony’s as the day wore on, continuing to plan and reject, plan and reject. After a while, Sammy disappeared. I followed my instincts and found her in my room, looking at the old photo album Anthony had let me have.
She ran her fingers over a picture of me as a boy. “There’s a shift in the air,” she said without looking at me. “It’s Joan.”
She turned the page and smiled at a photo of me with Jace and Anthony. “Joan will want to finish what she started. She’ll try to hurt you, possibly kill you to keep us from mating.” She met my gaze with her eyes full of worry and regret. “I think you should bite me. Claim me. Tonight.”
My dragon pretty much jumped for joy, since this was his greatest wish in the world. But this was a little sudden for me to just jump on board. I had reservations.
“I think you’re acting on survival instincts.” Livvie and Wes had shared with us that both of them were stronger since bonding. Her magic was enhanced by his and they always knew where the other was, even more so than before.
“If Joan wants to stop the prophecy,” she explained calmly, “she’ll come for you before we mate. If you bite me, it’ll be done, and she’ll have no reason to come after you.”
That was the only reason she was agreeing to this. I couldn’t deny how hurt I was. I shook my head. “If the only reason you want my bite is to beat Joan, the answer is no.”
She shook her head. “Of course it’s not the only reason, but what’s more important than beating her?” she asked.
I knew she meant something different, but she didn’t see how hurtful she was being. “The bite is supposed to be between two mates who love each other. Not a plot for revenge.”
Sammy jumped to her feet and threw the photo album down. “That wasn’t what I meant.”
“It sounds to me like your need for revenge is greater than your desire to love me.” I spread my hands. “I have to be honest, Sammy. You deserve nothing less.”
She pushed past me. “Forget it. It was just an idea. I shouldn’t have asked.” Stopping at the door, she turned and gave me one last glare. “Don’t worry. I won’t take your bite anytime soon.” And then she poofed out of the room.
Damn it. My chest ached and my dragon thrashed. She was so damn stubborn. She was also a woman of her word. If she said she wouldn’t take my bite soon, she meant it. She’d stand by her word.