Chapter 27 The Storm #2
Seeing a clearing in the trees, I braced myself and landed. I’d been going too fast, and my feet dug into the ground painfully. I’d have scrapes all over but no major injury.
Altera laughed.
“You’re fat,” he called. “Fat old man.”
I’d acted clumsier than I needed to, and it paid off the next minute. My opponent thought he’d already won.
Altera swung his tail and dove. He wanted to fly right above me and slash me with it. But he’d underestimated me.
Ha. Seems I’ve found my edge.
The rock was barely bigger than a basketball, easy to throw fast enough.
It hit him at the base of his tail. I’d aimed at his belly, but the tail was good enough.
The blow threw him off his trajectory, and he landed in a group of short birches.
I didn’t waste any time. Jumping right at him, I dug my claws into his lower back.
Snarling, he swung his tail but merely nicked my left wing.
Gripping his wing with both hands, I pulled.
A satisfying cracking sound echoed through the valley, followed by a dragon’s agonized screech.
Just then, the first clap of thunder crackled above me.
I had to get Leo.
I left Altera where he was. With a torn and broken wing, he wasn’t getting anywhere. Stupidly, I’d lost the phone somewhere in the forest when I crashed, but my friends still had my approximate location.
Battling against a full-blown storm, I flew into the group of rocky peaks surrounding the Cross River sources.
I scanned the walls, flying precariously close.
There were eight tall towers and at least ten smaller ones.
Zigzagging between them, I searched and searched. Leo was here somewhere. He had to be.
Another dragon appeared in my peripheral vision, and I whirled around, claws ready.
“Davidson! Where’s the attacker?”
Ernest. Thank fuck.
“Incapacitated. But Leo is here. He’s close.”
“On top of a tower?” Ernest asked. “Hamish is on his way, but we can’t use the drones in this weather.”
“Search ledges and cracks in the walls. Maybe caves.”
“Two lightning strikes hit the valley down below. It’s coming at us.”
“I know! Stay low. I’ll take the higher parts.”
If Ernest got hit by lightning, Lawrence would have my balls.
Devon appeared a couple of minutes later. I heard him talking to Ernest before they flew in different directions, dividing the area for search.
The rain began to fall, and another bolt of lightning hit the valley. Thunder followed way too soon after.
In a few minutes, we’d be in the middle of an electric storm up here.
“Leo!” I yelled uselessly. “Leo!”
I wouldn’t hear him call back over the torrential rain and wind.
But he was here. I flew along the walls, tower after tower, in spirals, down and up and down and up again.
When I finally spotted him, the sight knocked the air out of my lungs.
The ledge was barely a foot wide, and Leo was huddled on it plastered to the wet stone. The torrential rain created small waterfalls all around him, with water pouring over his back. When I wrapped my claws around him, he jerked at first, but then he relaxed into my hold.
“Leo, darling. I got you.”
I cuddled him to my chest and flew downward, protecting him from the elements.
“I got him!” I yelled. The dragons would hear. “I got him! He’s safe!”
Ernest and Devon flanked me.
“Where’s Altera?” Devon asked.
“The clearing down below. I broke his wing.”
But the clearing was empty as we circled above it.
“Take Leo,” I told Ernest.
“No!” my mate protested. “No way!”
“Take Leo to Hamish. I need to find Altera.”
“I swear to God, Davidson,” Leo shouted. “If you leave me alone now, I’ll fucking kill you myself.” His voice shook and broke. “Don’t leave me alone!”
“I’ll find him,” Devon said. “He could have shifted back, but in human form or with a broken wing, he’s harmless. Take Leo to safety.”
“Stay low.” Ernest eyed the dark-blue sky with respect. “My family is on the way.”
Ernest flew first, right above the treetops and to the south, avoiding the path of the storm.
“I can’t believe you were going to leave me and go after him.”
Holding my mate tight, I wondered myself why I’d ever thought that would be a good idea. I wouldn’t have been able to let go of him.
“I’m sorry.”
“You’d better be!” His teeth chattered.
“I’m not letting go of you.”
He clutched at my claws where I held him around his torso. His skin was cold. I had to get him somewhere dry and warm.
“I’m flying him home,” I called after Ernest.
He turned mid-flight and eyed my mate, huddled to my chest. “Probably for the best. What do we do with Altera when we find him?”
“No idea. Devon Hassel will know.”
“That’s his name. We didn’t even say hi. He joined me mid-flight, saying he was Leo’s security.”
“That’s correct. Just don’t get hit by lightning. Lawrence would never forgive me.”
Ernest flew away without another word.
“You must be freezing,” I mumbled, gathering speed.
We’d passed the edge of the rain, like flying through a curtain.
“Davidson!” Leo shrieked, and I bore against the wind to slow our flight.
The dragon rose in front of us like a damned scarecrow. One wing dangling, the other waving around erratically, he blocked our way. How was he even holding himself in the air?
He swung his tail, aiming at Leo, and I turned away just in time. The stinging pain in my shoulder would be a flesh wound. A deep one, but only flesh.
The move had robbed Altera of what was left of his balance. He tumbled around, feet scrabbling at thin air. Still, he tried to throw himself at us.
Holding Leo tight, I flipped backward. It was instinctual to put my claws between my mate and danger.
With my hind legs outstretched, I caught Altera on impact and kicked him away.
He grazed my leg with the tip of his tail, but his attack had no power.
The sickening tearing sound was his other wing caught in my claws.
This time, Altera didn’t make a sound. He fell in a spiral, like dirt down the drain. The Cross River stream waited below us, gathering strength from the downpour above.
I didn’t watch the impact. Instead, I flew away as fast as possible.
We met the Bracknells down by the park entrance. Finlay, the oldest of the brothers, flew in the lead. The giant dark-blue dragon glided close and nodded in greeting.
“Where’s the crow?” he asked, using the old slang for a rogue dragon.
“Fell into the river with broken wings. Ernest and one of ours are in the valley, still searching for him. Bring them back.”
Just then, another bolt of lightning struck behind us.
Wasting no time, the four dragons took off, staying low.
“They’ll be okay, right?” Leo asked.
“Sure. They know what to do. They’ll be just fine.”
With Leo safe, neither Devon nor Ernest would take unnecessary risks.
Lawrence was waiting for us at the house, eyes red-rimmed. He took in Leo, drenched and shaking, and ran to bring a blanket from the patio chair.
I shifted, and my assistant graciously looked away from my nakedness.
“Where’s Ernest?”
“He’s fine. They had to clean up some mess after me, but he’s okay. Finlay and the rest are with him.”
Wrapped in the blanket, I scooped Leo into my arms and carried him inside. He was quiet, face tucked to my chest.
“What about the crow?” Lawrence asked from behind us.
“He fell after I broke his wings.”
“Oh.”
“I need to get Leo warm. Can you make tea?”
“Tea? Sure.”
“Whiskey,” Leo said against my skin.
Lawrence didn’t hear his quiet mumble. “What?”
“Fuck. I can’t.” Leo groaned. “Okay. Fucking tea, then.”
The adrenaline must have been fading because I chuckled.
I carried Leo into the downstairs bathroom and turned on the shower.
Kissing his forehead and cheeks, I peeled his wet clothes off.
He was shaking so hard, he wasn’t able to undress by himself.
Then I held him under the stream. I winced when the water hit the slash on my shoulder.
Luckily, Lawrence hadn’t noticed it, or he’d have fussed. It would heal within a day.
After a minute in the warm shower, Leo slowly relaxed. He wrapped his arms around my neck, and I rubbed his back slowly.
I wanted to hear his voice but didn’t know what to say.
It was over.
Altera was dead.
Had I just killed a man? But there was nothing else I could have done, was there? I waited for the guilt to hit me. Maybe it would in a few hours or days?
Leo tightened his arms around me, and I exhaled. My mate was safe, and the dragon was content. Proud even. I tilted Leo’s face up and kissed him.