Chapter 12
Comforted by the heat from Azh’s magic, Wynn tumbled into a deep sleep.
It was the first time she’d felt truly safe for over a year.
Strange, considering she was in a weird space between her world and the dragons’ lair.
Not to mention having a lethal predator watching over her.
A creature who could destroy her with one stray hiccup.
Lost in the darkness, she floated in peace for what felt like hours. Then, slowly, the sense of floating changed to soaring.
She was no longer Wynn. She was Gabriela, soaring across the sky with her wings spread wide and her head tilted toward the suns that burned with a delicious heat.
Climbing higher than any dragon should dare, she folded her wings tight against her sleek body before tilting forward to plunge toward the ocean with an exhilarating speed. Pleasure shuddered through her as the wind whipped past her, the younger dragons scattering to give her room.
She tried to clear her mind. This was her happy place. Free from the grinding demands of her kingdom and the nagging worry that there were traitors plotting against her.
With a hiss that released a large cloud of steam, she angled her path toward the temple in the clouds.
A second later she was transforming her shape to enter the forbidden chamber.
She wrinkled her nose as she crossed the vast floor and climbed onto the dais before settling on her throne.
The familiar scent of heavy metal that marked this world as Kazak, the dragon homeland, was nearly drowned out by a sour stench.
Not for long...
The voice whispered in the back of her mind. A silky soft voice that had appeared a century ago, warning her of the impending danger and urging her to take steps to protect herself and her people. This morning she’d accepted it was time.
If she listened to her royal council and waited to deal with the brewing trouble, it might very well be too late.
As if the thought of the aggravating male made him materialize out of thin air, she felt the brush of powerful magic before a tall, slender male dressed in a long robe stepped into the chamber.
The elder dragon was bald with a narrow face marred by four scars that went from his left temple to his ear.
The result of a battle with the former king that had left him on the verge of death for a millennium.
“Go away, Zion,” she commanded.
The male bowed in a gesture of respect, but his expression was hard when he straightened. As one of the few dragons who’d survived the long-ago civil war that had shattered her people, he’d earned the right to speak.
And he used that privilege with annoying regularity.
“Not until I’ve had my say.”
She clicked her tongue. “I’ve heard it all before.”
“Then you’ll hear it again. Don’t do this, Gabriela. I beg of you.”
“What choice do I have?” She waved a hand toward the river of green that bubbled in the crack in the floor. “Not even you can deny that the corruption is spreading.”
Zion shrugged. “We’ve managed to keep it contained for eons.”
No one knew precisely where the corruption had come from.
It’d first appeared during the civil war, tiny rivulets of evil that would poison a river or taint a field so their crops would fail.
Some claimed it was a punishment for the war.
They pointed to the carcasses of the dragons who’d fallen to the ground and been left to rot.
Not to mention the endless tears as their people mourned their families that had been mindlessly slaughtered.
When they’d finally realized the evil wasn’t going to go away, they’d combined their magic to contain it in this temple, far away from the dragons.
“We can’t keep it locked away forever. Besides, no one bothered to try and leash it,” she argued. “Regardless of the taint it’s still a powerful magic. Why waste it?”
“I haven’t finished my experiments. I’m certain I can find a way to cleanse the corruption without you being exposed.”
“It’s too late. There are too many younger dragons who’ve become convinced that they can use the magic to challenge my authority.”
The dark eyes regarded her with an unnerving intensity. This was one male who wasn’t blinded by her beauty and raw power. To Zion, she would always be the young hatchling who’d recklessly battled her way to the top.
“And you fear they might succeed?”
Gabriela sniffed, pretending that the thought of having her throne stolen wasn’t like a red-hot poker stabbing her in her heart.
“I fear their reckless hunger for power will destroy the shields that protect us.”
“Then we’ll face the threat when it happens.”
“Why wait?”
“Why hurry?”
She rose to her feet, the voice whispering in her ear warning her that this male was trying to stop her from her duty.
Why? Was he plotting with the rebels? It wouldn’t be the first time he’d stood against the monarch.
The last time had nearly killed him. This time he might hope for a chance to claim the crown for himself.
“If I can cleanse the magic, then they can’t use it against me.”
“Again, my queen, is this to protect your people or your crown?”
Fury raced through her. She was the ruler, not this interfering old lizard. “You can stand with me, Zion, or you can stand against me. The choice is yours.”
“As always I remain your devoted servant.” The male bowed again, his back stiff as he retreated from the cavern.
Gabriela waited until he disappeared before kneeling next to the crack. She hadn’t become queen by simply hoping for the best. She’d used her enormous power to grab the crown and never looked back. It was the same way she intended to keep the crown.
By doing whatever was necessary.
Calling on her magic, she held out her hands, watching the flames burst to life. They blazed pure white, burning at a temperature that could melt solid granite. No other dragon could match her talent with fire. One of the reasons she’d never been challenged.
Until now, the voice reminded her. With the evil power they will overthrow you and destroy the dragons. You have no choice.
Dismissing Zion and his nagging warnings from her mind, Gabriela leaned forward to plunge her hands into the river of pure corruption. The only way to banish evil was to absorb it and use the power for good.
Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate on the fire that burned inside her. It was harder than she expected as the corruption surged through her, the greedy magic scouring away her very essence. Mine. She released a blast of her flames. Nothing could contest her raw power, she reminded herself.
Nothing.
The magic roared through her like a raging torrent, filling the cavern with an emerald glow. It was...majestic. This is what the power was meant to be, a voice whispered in the back of her mind. It wasn’t evil. It was a glorious celebration of dragons and their future without the petty rules.
She was Gabriela, Queen of the Dragons.
But even as she managed to leash the magic and bend it to her will, an unexpected pain smashed through her. No, it wasn’t pain. It was a debilitating agony that cascaded through her like an avalanche, threatening to rip her apart. Her bones snapped and the skin began to peel from her flesh.
No, this was all wrong!
She had to get out of there. She had to flee before the magic destroyed her.
Gabriela tilted back her head to roar with a combination of fear and horror. “Release me.”
* * * *
Azh remained on guard as Wynn curled into a ball and fell asleep.
Behind this barrier they should be safe, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
They not only had to worry about the corruption that was seemingly able to infect demons with its evil magic, but now his mother had caught Wynn’s scent and declared her an enemy.
Not that he regretted taking Wynn into his lair. A smug smile curved his lips as he glanced down at the delicate woman who he’d gently coated in weaves of fire.
He’d known she had courage. Enough courage to give him gray hairs. But there were few creatures who could have watched the sparring between the dragons and not cowered in fear. He needed to be sure that she could accept him in all his forms.
Savoring the rumbles of satisfaction from his inner beast, Azh was abruptly distracted as Wynn began to twitch in her sleep. Then the movements became bigger, her arms thrashing as if she were trying to hold off an unseen enemy.
Whatever nightmare she was experiencing was bad enough to cover her skin in a layer of perspiration.
Azh dropped to his knees, reaching out to wrap her in his arms. “Wynn, wake up.” He gave her a gentle shake. “Wynn. Can you hear me?”
She fought against his hold, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Then her eyes snapped open to reveal a lingering terror.
“Azh.”
“I’ve got you,” he murmured, pressing her tight against his chest.
“It was her,” she rasped.
“What?”
“Gabriela.”
He studied her tense expression. “You were dreaming.”
She shook her head. “It was more than a dream. I was Gabriela. I could feel everything that she felt. I soared through the air and plunged toward the ocean. I walked on two legs to enter the strange pyramid that we saw in the book and sat on her throne.”
Azh would have dismissed her claim as simple weariness if it wasn’t the dragon magic that pulsed inside her. Somehow she’d managed to tap into Gabriela’s power. Why not tap into her memories?
He ran a soothing hand down her back. He could still feel the tremors that raced through her body.
“You were obviously disturbed by something. What happened?”
“She tried to leash the corruption. That’s how it escaped.”
Azh hissed. “Gabriela caused the destruction of our homeland?”