Chapter 12 #2
Wynn winced as if belatedly realizing the stark impact of her words.
For countless eons Gabriela had been a folk hero out of legends.
Even to those who weren’t entirely convinced the mythical paradise was real.
Now he had to consider the possibility that the savior of his people might actually be the villain.
“She didn’t mean to. It was a mistake. That’s why she sacrificed herself,” she hurriedly added.
Azh shook his head, dismissing her fear that he was having a crisis of faith. Actually, he wasn’t sure he was surprised. Gabriela the Savior was a fable. The real flesh-and-blood queen was no doubt as complicated and flawed as every other dragon.
He was far more concerned with the knowledge that Gabriela’s memories were causing Wynn a pain that lingered in the depths of her lavender eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry about what?”
He waved a hand toward the surrounding mist. “I thought this place would protect you from the nightmares. I just made them worse.”
“It wasn’t this place,” she assured him, sitting up and glancing around, as if reassuring herself they were alone in the mist. “I think she’s trying to tell me something.”
“About the corruption?”
“She was screaming to release her. I think she was sending me a warning.” Wynn grimaced. “Not much help when I don’t know how I’m supposed to do that.”
“Did you see her come through the rift in your dream?”
“No. I felt her touch the corruption with the magic and everything went black.”
Azh’s brief hope that they might at least have a location to search for the rift was crushed before it could fully form. Annoying, but predictable. It couldn’t be as simple as Gabriela coming to Wynn in a dream to tell her exactly where to go and how to end the threat.
Where was the fun in that?
“Then we continue with our original plan,” he abruptly announced.
If Wynn was disappointed that he didn’t have a better strategy, she didn’t reveal it as she shoved herself to her feet and squared her shoulders.
“Okay.” She pressed her hand to her stomach as it rumbled in a loud protest. “But first dinner. I’m starving.”
Azh grasped her hand as he opened the portal and they stepped onto the streets of London that were now shadowed with the encroaching night.
He paused as he absorbed their surroundings.
The business offices had closed hours ago, but the locals and eager tourists were still strolling the streets in search of entertainment.
Assuring himself that there was nothing but humans and a few demons in the area, he allowed Wynn to lead him toward the river.
“When you say dinner, do you mean donuts?” he demanded.
She hesitated at a corner, as if trying to remember her way. “Something a little more substantial than that,” she assured him, abruptly turning to the left and picking up her pace. “My favorite chippie is just a few blocks away.”
Azh smelled the hot grease and vinegar before she halted in front of a narrow building with a blue awning above the glass door. They walked into the brightly lit restaurant and stood in line, ignoring the curious glances from the crowd of customers.
More than a few of the gazes lingered on him, no doubt sensing the power that hummed in the air no matter how tightly he leashed his magic, but most of them openly stared at the woman next to him.
Despite the old coat that hung on her slender frame and the strands of golden hair that had come lose from her braid, Wynn’s luminous beauty was mesmerizing.
The delicate features, the astonishing lavender eyes, and the don’t-screw-with-me vibe.
And best of all, she didn’t even seem to notice the stir she was causing. She was solely focused on feeding her belly before moving on.
Hiding his smile of pleasure at simply being near Wynn, he remained silent as she ordered enough to satisfy two hungry dragons. She remained distracted as she handed him a box of food and headed out of the shop and down the street.
Popping the lid off her dinner, she grabbed one of the deep-fried fish, shoving it into her mouth as if she truly was starving.
“Mmm.” She closed her eyes in bliss. “Divine.”
A hunger that had nothing to do with fish and chips blasted through Azh, nearly sending him to his knees. Gods above, she was glorious. No wonder she was quickly driving him to the edge of sanity.
“Agreed,” he growled.
She opened her eyes, easily sensing his desire. How could she miss it? The heat blasted through the air like a furnace. A faint blush stained her cheeks, but she pretended to be oblivious as she glanced toward his untouched meal.
“I didn’t even think to ask,” she said.
“Ask what?”
“Do dragons eat human food?”
“We eat humans.”
She blinked. “Seriously?”
“Of course not.” He paused, realizing he wasn’t being entirely honest. His ancestors hadn’t been choosy when it came to snack time.
“At least, not anymore.” Opening the box, Azh tasted the fish and then a handful of the chips.
The salt, vinegar, and hot grease hit his tongue with a burst of savory goodness. “You’re right, this is divine.”
They consumed the food in large bites before dumping the empty boxes in the nearest trash bin. Wynn licked her fingers as they crossed the bridge and headed along the south bank. She appeared lost in thought as they strolled toward Battersea.
Azh was content to allow the silence to wrap around them as he concentrated on the small groups of humans and demons that spilled out of the pubs and restaurants that lined the streets.
He assumed he’d sensed if any of them were carrying the corruption, but he couldn’t be sure.
He intended to kill anything acting weird and ask questions later.
“Are you bothered by my dream?” Wynn abruptly broke the silence.
Ah. That’s why she’d been distracted. She’d been worried that her revelations had hurt him.
“I regret you were forced to endure it. You’ve had enough nightmares,” he said.
“Agreed, but I was talking about the possibility that Gabriela released the corruption.”
“It’s important that we discover the truth. The more information we have, the easier it will be to find the statue and close the rift.” His tone was firm. He wasn’t going to let her spend a second worried he blamed her for revealing Gabriela’s blunder.
“But you—”
“No one is perfect,” he overrode her protest. “And whatever her mistakes, she did sacrifice herself to protect her people.”
She met his steady gaze, giving a slow nod of her head. “True.”
“Gabriela is a legend among the dragons, but the reality of her will always be lost to the mists of time. Where she belongs.”
As he said the words, Azh felt something click inside him.
As if a missing piece had settled into place.
Or maybe it was the end of his childish fantasies.
His mother had a point when she’d accused him of being obsessed with fairytales.
Especially the ones where Gabriela rescued them from certain death.
But it was remarkably easy to accept that the truth was more complicated. He was more than ready to close the door on the past and concentrate on the future. A future that included the lovely woman walking next to him.
“I hope you’re right,” she said, her voice lowering to a soft whisper. “Her magic is growing stronger every day. I’m afraid it might eventually consume me.”
A growl rumbled in his throat. There wasn’t fear in her voice, but he could sense her churning concern. A concern that he shared, even if he didn’t want to admit it.
The magic inside her wasn’t meant for mages. Or humans. Or...anyone.
“I won’t let that happen,” he swore, meaning every word.
“You might not be able to stop it.”
He reached out to grasp her hand, tugging her to a stop. He’d started this journey with the intention of locating and destroying whoever dared to tamper with dragon powers, but now he knew he’d do whatever necessary to protect Wynn. She’d become a necessary reason for his existence.
“Trust me,” he urged.
“I...” Wynn’s words died on her lips, her eyes widening. “Azh.”
“What?” Azh glanced around, searching for what had startled her. He couldn’t see anything beyond the dark streets and closed businesses. Was it the magic inside her? “What’s wrong?”
“We triggered a fissure spell.”
“Shit.” Keeping a tight hold on her fingers, Azh released the weaves that muted his magic, allowing his power to boom through the air with concussive force. Instantly the ground began to shake and the nearby windows shattered. “Hold on, Wynn,” he commanded.
His flames whipped out, surrounding them in a layer of fiery protection, but it was too late. The trap had already opened, sucking Wynn into a gaping hole of darkness.
Azh roared in fury at the feel of Wynn’s fingers sliding from his grasp, her expression one of terror as she disappeared.
He was going to kill someone. Maybe a whole lot of someones.
And then he was going to burn shit to the ground.
Ignoring the flames that continued to whirl around him like a fiery tornado, Azh stomped to the end of the block. He could smell the gathered demons crammed into the small pub.
It had to be one of the royal fey who’d created the fissure.
They were the only creatures who possessed the magic to rip a small hole in the fabric of space to create a gateway.
When they were at their full powers in the ancient past they could travel from place to place with the openings or escape from their enemies.
These days the magic was too unstable for personal use.
They tended to crash without warning, trapping the user inside.
But they could set a trap for an unwary enemy.
And if the fey was truly gifted they could set tiny fissures around a large area that could only be triggered when a specific prey stepped into it.