Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
Katla wanted to stay with Merrill in the field forever, and forget there were enemies out there who could cause someone so amazing to become something else. Sometimes , when Merrill looked at her, she saw the man who had befriended her. There were other instances where he seemed to withdraw.
When that happened, he held her tighter as if she was the only thing keeping him together. The last thing she wanted him to do was fight the entity, but someone had to stop it. Because if it wasn’t stopped, it might do this again with another dragon. Since Villette feared Merrill because he could kill a Star Person , the odds were good he could end the entity.
At least, Katla hoped. She was banking everything on that theory.
Merrill’s gaze moved over her shoulder. It wasn’t long before she heard someone approaching. She didn’t loosen her hold on Merrill . Not even death could make her leave him. She wished she had kissed him sooner, given in to the attraction. There was more to fret about now, however.
Varek came up beside her, his brown gaze coming to rest on her. “ Merrill showed me a picture of the invisible foe. You can no’ really think to go after it, can you?”
“ You didn’t see what they did to him,” she replied.
Varek’s lips compressed as he glanced at Merrill . “ I have an idea.”
“ I don’t know why the entity targeted Merrill , but what if he was a test? What if this is its plan?”
Varek turned his head to the side for a moment, a vein bulging in his neck. “ We’ve no’ been able to beat the entity.”
“ Villette is frightened of Merrill .”
At the mention of the Star Person’s name, Merrill bared his teeth, his nostrils flaring. Katla made a note not to mention her again. Merrill might not remember some things, but he instinctively knew others. Like Villette .
“ In this state, he can kill a Star Person . I think he may be strong enough to end the entity,” she continued.
“ And if he isna?”
Katla licked her lips. “ You know Merrill better than I do. Would he rather go out fighting or be taken down by his friends?”
“ Fuck !” Varek said, shoving a hand through his blond hair. He blew out a breath and gave her a sad shake of his head. “ He’d want to go out fighting.”
She looked at Merrill and found him watching her. Katla smoothed some hair from his brow.
“ Your presence keeps him calm. He’s no’ as lost to the madness when you touch him.”
“ It’s a good thing I’m going with him then.”
Varek scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “ He’s concerned about how long that will last.”
Her chin lifted as she looked to Varek . “ This will work.”
It had to was left unspoken, but they all knew it.
“ We could spend weeks hunting the entity,” Varek said.
Katla shrugged one shoulder. “ Then we bring it to us. It tracked Merrill for days. It planned this.”
A frown marred Varek’s forehead. “ You think it has that ability?”
“ I know what I saw each time it interacted with him. It won’t be far from him.”
“ Which means it could be close even now.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “ Exactly .”
Varek released a loud sigh. “ All right. We’ll follow.”
“ It needs to know its plan worked. And for that to happen, Merrill has to be on his own.”
“ We’re no’ leaving Merrill to face it alone.”
“ Stay far enough back that the entity doesn’t see you.”
Varek’s lips twisted. “ We’ll be close enough to help if its needed.”
“ Oh . Is Kora okay?” she asked as Varek started to walk away.
He paused and turned his head to look back. “ She’s fine. Derek caught her.” Varek eyed Merrill and then dropped his gaze to her. “ Good luck.”
Merrill placed his finger beneath her chin and gently turned her face to him. It seemed to pain him to speak, but his face and eyes expressed enough for her to get the gist of what he wished to convey. The worry etched on his features mimicked her concerns.
“ You don’t have to do this,” she told him. “ You’ve done enough. We can go back with the others and figure out how to reverse what happened.”
His eyes closed as he shook his head. “ Must ,” he murmured.
Katla felt tears prick the backs of her eyes. She forced a smile. “ You’re a good man.”
He wiped away a tear that escaped before he lowered his head and kissed her languidly, tenderly, drawing out the kiss until she didn’t know where she ended, and he began. She fought to keep their lips together even as he drew back.
“ That won’t be the last time we kiss,” she stated for herself, but also for him.
Merrill jerked his chin to the sky. It was time to fly. Katla’s heart thumped at the thought of falling again, but if he could fight back the madness, she could overcome her fears. She looked down at his bare chest and rippling muscles. All the wounds from the torture were gone. Physically , at least.
This wouldn’t be the last time she touched him. They would have time for her to run her hands over his body at her leisure, bring him pleasure before their bodies joined. She believed this because, if she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to follow through with her plan.
Katla released him and backed away. He shifted immediately, rising over her, powerful and deadly. His umber eyes locked on hers. She climbed up and settled on his back, only to notice that the other dragons were gone.
Katla placed her hands on him and leaned over his neck. “ The entity’s reign of terror ends tonight.”
A rumble she assumed was agreement vibrated through him. His enormous wings unfurled. She glanced at the massive lengths that extended out on either side or her, then looked at the darkening sky. Merrill leapt, and then they were flying.
They remained in the air for over an hour without any sign of the entity. Katla had been sure it was out there. She shivered against the cold that numbed her fingers and toes. She didn’t know how much longer she could endure the frigid temperature with nothing but her thin shirt. The air was much colder up high, though she had been out in it for so long that she wasn’t sure she would ever warm up again.
Something brushed against her nose. She thought it was a bug until it happened again. Then again. She gazed out into the twilight to find snow falling. The fading light made it difficult enough to see. The snow would add another inconvenience.
It will work.
Katla had repeated that mantra since Merrill took to the skies. The entity had to be near. It had followed them, tracked them across mountains, and had been there when they tried to rescue Merrill . Where was it now?
What if it suspected their plan? What if it saw her with Merrill and knew he was no longer insane?
“ This isn’t going to work,” Katla said to Merrill . “ We’ll have to come up with another plan.”
He dipped a wing and swung around. Katla barely had time to raise her hands as the entity came at her face.