Chapter 5
Rayna
The scent of urine filled her nose as Rayna rode Onyx across the interstate. That was how one knew they were entering a different dragon territory, and to be wary if they weren’t welcome. The pavement had cracks and potholes everywhere, along with random half-burnt and rusted cars and trucks. Weeds grew through the random fissures since no one took care of the roads anymore, and year by year, the Earth was reclaiming its land. Had it really been nearly seven years since dragons arrived?
Her horse snorted as she spotted a shifter patrol flying in the distance. Onyx finished taking Rayna to the other side of the interstate, and they entered Taugud land, working their way toward Highway 9 since it would lead very close to the fortress. She didn’t bother to slow down, knowing the two red dragons would catch up to her soon enough.
The grass and weeds were high to traverse, even for Onyx, as they headed in a northeasterly direction. Shortly before reaching the highway she sought, the border patrol caught up and landed before her. Normally, they might have shifted to speak, but her wardrobe and sword marked her as a slayer, and most could recognize her from her time here last year. Rayna was well known for her ability to speak with their kind telepathically. Not to mention they likely preferred to stay in their beast forms since they’d be more lethal to her that way.
I’ve come to visit your pendragon and his mate, Bailey. They gave me an open invitation to come whenever I wish, she said, speaking into their minds.
The dragon on the left growled at her. We tolerate our leader’s mate, but it does not mean the rest of us appreciate more of your kind on our land.
I’ve never killed a shifter and don’t plan to start now, she argued. However, his temper was sorely testing her restraint.
The other dragon huffed at him, and they likely spoke mind-to-mind privately while she waited. This was why she hadn’t stayed here long after the war ended and rarely visited since then. They didn’t care that she fought and risked her life against the Kandoran. Rayna was a slayer and would never truly be welcome. No one was more aware of that than her.
Nearly ten minutes passed as they argued, and she spotted another red dragon approaching from the east. He roared at the two guards as he landed between her and them. They wasted no time scrambling into the air.
As the new arrival lit up in flames, she dismounted her horse and closed the distance. The three minutes it took for him to finish shifting felt like forever, but as soon as Titan emerged, she leaped into his arms. He hugged her closely. If there was one Taugud who was always happy to see her, it was him. They shared the pain of losing Eliam, his best friend and someone who’d grown on her as the two males often acted as her escort and watched her back.
“I missed you,” she said, pulling back to check him over.
Titan was tall, standing a little over six feet and built like a weightlifter. He had short black hair, an angular face, medium-toned skin, and yellow eyes that used to always reflect mirth and happiness. They were still dull since he had lost his lifelong friend, but they held some warmth for her.
“You look well,” he said, then frowned as he studied her. “But something is bothering you. I can almost smell the sadness and frustration wafting from you.”
His senses weren’t that good—she didn’t think, anyway.
Rayna shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
Titan snorted. “Very little gets to you for long. I can’t imagine what could have upset you living so far out in the middle of nowhere, as you prefer these days.”
He hadn’t seen her latest home, but he’d seen one of the others as she’d moved around over the early winter. Someone had to track her down and make her come for Dragomas festivities after all. No one else would have volunteered except him.
Rayna considered saying nothing, but she recalled the only thing that had ever pulled Titan out of his funk was comforting other people. It wouldn’t kill her to talk about her problems with someone, especially a man she cared about and trusted.
“Galadon found me a few days ago,” she admitted as Onyx clopped his way over to join them.
Surprise lit in Titan’s gaze. “How did that go?”
“He hid and watched while I bathed in a lake and then gave me a hard time about being too close to a nest of Kandoran. Do you think he wants to join me and help kill them? No , of course not. He simply wanted to point out how stupid I’m being,” she sighed.
“Okay, I see a few points to discuss here.” Titan ticked off a finger. “If he watched you bathe, then I suspect he still holds some attraction for you even if he refuses to act on it again.”
“I’m aware, but I’m oath-bound to leave that alone. I may have strutted naked in front of him for longer than necessary and fingered his wing as I walked by him, but I only did that much because it was his fault for showing up when he did.”
The shifter laughed. “I wish I’d seen that, but you’re right that he deserved it. He’s a fool for not seeing you’re the best thing for him, even if I can’t say the same for him being right for you.”
Rayna sighed. “I hate that I can’t just get him out of my mind and move on.”
“Galadon didn’t allow you to talk and get to the bottom of your feelings. Without that closure, it’s much harder. You haven’t been given a chance to fix the problem or at least bring it to a proper conclusion,” Titan surmised.
He was on the younger side for a shifter, but he always proved wise.
“I’ve been trying to figure out what bothered me most, and you just nailed it,” she said, sighing.
“Let’s start walking,” he said, taking her hand while Onyx followed behind them.
There was absolutely nothing sexual about their friendship. Neither of them were attracted to each other in that way, and she often wondered if Eliam had been more to him than he admitted. Just because Aidan’s sister, Phoebe, and her mate, Ozara, had the courage to eventually come out didn’t mean others were as brave.
It was still considered somewhat taboo among their kind, though there were no laws against those types of relationships. The only real requirement was that most pendragons wouldn’t allow two members of the same gender to officially mate until they produced offspring. That was always their top priority beyond clan health and safety. She hoped Aidan would ease the requirement for any still in the closet.
Rayna stayed silent for a few minutes, enjoying the peace and quiet without the constant fear a Kandoran might pop up and attack her. Usually, she found them first, but sometimes they managed to get close to her before she noticed them. The humans were especially crafty.
“The next point,” Titan continued, “is why are you living close to a nest of Kandoran? And how many are there exactly?”
She shrugged. “It’s around two hundred, though there could have been more underground I didn’t see. I didn’t know they were there when I first chose my current home because they’re ten miles away, but once I caught on from all the tracks in the area, I had to get some intelligence first before I bothered to tell anyone else. That’s why I’m here now—because I need help.”
“Very well, but it was still too risky.”
Rayna didn’t dare play her blasé act about death not mattering. He’d been through too much already, and she knew he cared enough that her dying would hurt him. Just because that wouldn’t stop her from putting her life on the line didn’t mean she’d throw it in his face.
“I know.”
He gently grabbed her arm. “I know you try to hide that you’re lonely, Rayna, but it’s there to see for those who’ve been around you enough. This life you live…” He paused and drew in a deep breath. “I know it doesn’t leave you much choice, but you don’t have to be alone all the time.”
“Titan, I…” Her eyes watered because she hadn’t realized he saw her so well.
He cupped her cheek with his warm hand. The touch nearly shocked her, considering how rare it was that anyone ever came that close without the intent to kill her. Maybe that’s what made Galadon’s rejection the hardest. When they’d been intimate, he’d put everything into his caresses and kisses until she felt worshiped.
Even before that, when he carried her to fly places, his touch had always been surprisingly gentle as he cradled her. Oh, they often bickered the whole time, but the annoyance in his eyes never matched his touch, and sometimes, she even caught flashes of humor in his gaze that he worked to hide. Galadon enjoyed their verbal spars more than he wanted to admit, which was why it was a slap in the face that he could walk away from her so easily afterward. Maybe it was why she cared even less about whether the Kandoran finished her. She’d already hit the highest point she’d likely ever reach in her life by experiencing him when he let go of that rigid control that bound him.
The shifter pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s okay. I get it, and I’m here if you need to talk. You’re worth more than you realize, Rayna, and I’m not the only one who believes that.”
She let him hold her until she got her emotions under control. Onyx was nuzzling her back, reminding her he was always there as well. Until that moment, she hadn’t realized how much her despair weighed her down.
Rayna pulled away. “Thank you. That helped…a lot.”
“Good.”
He took her hand again, and they continued their long journey to the fortress. He could have let her ride her horse while he flew. Instead, he stayed by her side despite the extra time it would take them.
Eventually, the fortress came into view. The minor damage from the war had been repaired without a hint remaining. No matter how many times she saw the place, it still appeared terrifyingly beautiful. The slate-colored stone walls rose thirty feet high with towers on each of the four corners. There was a keep within that contained hundreds of homes and shops to cater to the shifters and humans who lived inside. In the middle sat a large castle built with the same stone as everything else, and it stood three floors high—the top level being the pendragon’s quarters.
A short distance from the fortress sat a village with a couple dozen buildings where humans lived and worked. The current occupants were refugees from Watonga, Oklahoma, and a few other strays who also fled from the west when the Kandoran invaded. They liked their new home well enough that they didn’t want to return to the old one, where there were few resources for survival compared to here, especially with the thriving town of Norman nearby.
They stopped briefly at the stables to put Onyx into a stall and give him fresh water and hay. She’d return later to feed him a special treat. He didn’t like staying in barns for long, but when he was tired, a comfortable stall suited him fine.
As they approached the fortress gates, she muttered, “You know the guards are going to give me a hard time.”
“They can try,” he said with a grin.
Rayna let go of his hand and narrowed her gaze at him. “What position do you work now that you scared off those guards at the border?”
“I’m second to the Captain of the Guard as of three months ago,” he replied.
“What, really?” She let herself really smile, happy for him. “That’s great!”
“Usually, a shifter who is only a little over a century old can’t attain the position, but Aidan said my actions before, during, and after the war proved I am more than capable of the job. I think he also appreciates that I’m more tolerant of his wife and her slayer friends,” he said, returning her grin.
“That is one of your finer qualities,” she agreed.
His expression turned hard as they entered the gates, but no one attempted to stop them. The guards only glanced at them briefly. The main thoroughfare inside the keep was bustling with activity as usual. Rayna paused once to examine a beautiful sword scabbard at a shop, but she forced herself to move away after a brief look. She didn’t exactly make any coins hunting down Kandoran. Occasionally, she found objects worth trading. It was just too bad she hadn’t brought any of those items with her.
They continued toward the castle, with some people casting her curious glances and most others hate-filled ones. How did Bailey ever get through to any of these people? Better yet, how did she put up with it for so long before opinions changed toward her?
The slayer in question appeared at the castle entrance. Her long, black hair fell past her shoulders, and she wore a deep blue camrium dress that stopped just below the knees. She was a naturally petite woman, but her stomach had a notable bulge.
Rayna’s jaw dropped. Bailey was pregnant and must have been in the early stages the last time they saw each other nearly four months ago. At least that explained why they hadn’t run into each other lately. As soon as a slayer got pregnant, the need to hunt dragons faded away and didn’t return until six months after the child was born.
“I can’t believe you’re having another baby!” Rayna said, hugging the woman.
Bailey pulled back and rubbed her rounded tummy. “I think it happened right after the war. Aidan and I decided we’d start trying so our children wouldn’t be too far apart in age, but we figured it would take a long time since it’s usually not that easy for shifters. Apparently, not so much for slayers.”
“That’s why I’m always careful,” Rayna said, noting Bailey’s lightly tanned skin glowed with health. She’d found her “happily ever after” in a castle of all places to a man who could have passed for a prince in human form. No one deserved it more.
Bailey glanced behind her, smile broadening as Aidan came to stand next to her. “It’s good to see you, Rayna. I hope you didn’t have too much trouble reaching us.”
“I made certain her difficulties found something else to do,” Titan said to his pendragon, dipping his chin in respect.
She followed his example before meeting Aidan’s gaze. “I came to give you an update on the Kandoran.”
“They’re just serving midday meal.” He gestured with his arm. “Why don’t you eat with us, and you can tell me what you found?”
She hesitated, but her empty stomach told her she needed food very soon. “Did Kayla bake her bread?”
“She never misses a day unless she’s sick or taking a day off to visit the markets in Norman,” Bailey said, grabbing Rayna’s arm. “And you look like you could use a good meal.”
“It’s hard to find decent food when you’re on the move a lot,” she admitted.
Bailey guided her to the great hall's main table while Titan followed them. The smooth yet worn oak planks that made up the surface ran about thirty feet across and could hold many people. Only a few shifters sat at the end, but Rayna didn’t recognize them. They focused on their meals as their pendragon and his mate led her to sit at the center with them.
Only Aidan’s family, close advisors, and honored guests were allowed in the center section. Being treated so well while surrounded by those who hated her was awkward. Bailey indicated the chair next to hers, and she was grateful when Titan took the seat on her other side. At least she’d be flanked by friends.
“So, how has it been going out in the wild?” Bailey asked as servants laid out platters of meats, cheeses, roasted vegetables, and bread in front of them.
Rayna’s mouth watered at the selection, and aromas wafting toward her.
She cleared her throat. “It’s mostly been fine.”
They began to fill their plates as she explained what she’d found in southwestern Oklahoma. She focused on the Kandoran element but squeezed in Galadon’s brief visit, hoping no one would ask about it further. No such luck.
“How did that go?” Bailey’s lips twitched. “You haven’t seen him since shortly after the war, right?”
Rayna nodded. “Yeah. It was awkward, and mostly, he admonished me for being too close to the Kandoran nest, but of course, he refused to help. I doubt I’ll be seeing him again anytime soon.”
“I wouldn’t be certain of that,” Aidan said, having nearly finished his plate of food already. “While I’m happy to offer some of my warriors to handle this problem, they won’t be ready to help for a few weeks, and they won’t be enough. You’ll need to visit the Faegud and request their aid as well. I have no doubt Galadon will participate with them.”
Rayna understood that the Taugud had lost many good fighters in the war, and right now, they were just starting to get back in shape after a long winter of nesting from the cold. It had just been her hope that they could take care of the Kandoran sooner.
She finished chewing a bite of bread. “A few weeks?”
“Yes. They still need time to train, and the weather has been less predictable than usual this year. I don’t want to send them that far from home until we know warmer temperatures will remain steady. Also, many of them are assisting with the spring crops.”
Though she wanted to argue, she could hardly ask for more. Technically, Aidan didn’t have to work with her at all. He could just wait and see if the nest caused any trouble closer to his border first. They hadn’t proved problematic so far.
Rayna reminded herself to keep a level tone. “I don’t suppose someone else could go to the Faegud and ask for their help? They’re not exactly fans of slayers, aside from Bailey.”
“We already have plans to travel there in a couple of weeks for their upcoming Bitkal. Lorcan and the elders have requested our presence to ensure it is conducted fairly and lawfully. There has been some trouble among the prospective candidates, which is always a problem when no active pendragon controls them. If you’re willing to wait, I could ask them then.”
Damn. If she delayed the request, they might put off doing anything for even longer. The Kandoran had been smart enough to confine their nest to an area far from land anyone wanted. Even the Thamaran, who once controlled that area, had chosen a small territory much farther north for what remained of their toriq.
No one was interested in inhabiting that corner of Oklahoma right now, especially after the enormous losses everyone suffered to get rid of the main Kandoran army that had numbered more than 150,000 dragons and humans. Most of those were either killed or cured of the magical taint that had warped and subjugated them. The latest estimates on what remained were about five or six thousand scattered between five states.
“Perhaps I could go with her—at least for a day,” Titan suggested.
Aidan’s brows knitted, and he looked at Rayna. “Will you be taking your horse?”
“It’s faster than going on foot.”
The pendragon nodded. “It will still take you nearly three days to ride down there, which may push him too much since he’s already undertaken a long journey.”
She saw where he was heading with that line of thought. “I suppose I could keep him here, and Titan could fly me.” She glanced at the shifter in question. “If that’s okay?”
“Of course.” He knitted his brows. “Though I will need to take care of a few things here first, so we won’t be able to leave until the day after tomorrow.”
Rayna would have to wait that long before riding Onyx again, and it would take triple the travel time with her horse. A couple more days wouldn’t kill her, though she would need to find somewhere else to sleep other than the castle.
“Is there any place in the village I could sleep for the next couple of nights?” she asked.
Bailey paused from eating a chicken leg. “There’s a room over the stables no one is using. One of the coalition slayers was in there until last week, but they found somewhere in town to stay.”
“Coalition slayers?” Rayna gave her a confused look. “I thought all except a handful left back in November, and those who stayed are out hunting Kandoran like me.”
The New American Coalition was what remained of the United States. It spanned North Carolina, South Carolina, and parts of Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia and Georgia. They had an impressive military with modern warfare equipment that proved extremely useful during the war. Rayna had especially appreciated watching dragons get hit with missiles and rockets, blowing them to bits and pieces.
Bailey nodded. “The majority of them did, but most of the dragon clans bordering the NAC negotiated for peace after the war, which included keeping slayers from hunting on their land. It was too good an offer to pass up. Now, the only places they can hunt are on the east coast, where the water dragons live, and the small strip of neutral territory to the west. There are just too many of them now, and they can’t get enough kills each week to quell their urges to fight.”
“So a bunch left to hunt elsewhere,” Rayna surmised.
Bailey rubbed her stomach. “Yeah, which was fine with me since I’m not doing any fighting for a while. Conrad and a few former NAC slayers mostly cover the land just west of the border, so they live in the city area. At last count, another ten are wandering the open territory like you’ve been doing. Dozens more have chosen to hunt in other parts of America.”
So the organized nest stayed far away in an area where they’d least likely be hunted, but many strays were left to their own devices. Maybe with the extra slayers in the area, they’d get the Kandoran numbers down even faster. After that, she could eventually travel to Colorado or New Mexico, where they believed more of the enemy remained. Distance from Galadon would be good if she wanted to get over him.
“Is there a way to contact them and see if they’ll help with the nest, too?” Rayna asked.
Bailey chewed her lip. “If I get started now, we might be able to gather most of them by the time the shifters are ready to join. Oh, there’s another reason some of them are staying close to here.”
Rayna lifted a brow. “What’s that?”
“Javier finally came up with a prototype elixir to curb our dragon-killing instincts. A female slayer from the NAC volunteered to take it first, and she said it started working within an hour. So far, her main side effects have been a mild headache and muscle weakness. We won’t know for a while how long it lasts, and they’ll keep working to improve it.”
That was great news for those who hated being tied to hunting dragons all the time. Javier was Norman's lead sorcerer and kept a bunch of apprentices within his power circle. They’d figured out how to make potions that rendered humans fireproof from dragon flames and made other useful concoctions. Developing one for slayers had been on their to-do list after the war. Rayna couldn’t imagine foregoing hunting, but others had grown tired of it.
“So some of them are staying close to see if Javier makes a formula worth using?” she asked.
“Yep. Though they’re not all willing to try the early versions.”
Rayna scrunched her nose. “I don’t have any desire to try it at all.”
“I get that,” Bailey said, pausing to drink water. “There are some slayers in Texas who are very interested, so we promised to send samples that way if the first version works well enough. I’d try it myself if I wasn’t pregnant. Not for permanent use, of course, but at least during the winter months when it’s too cold to hunt or when I need a break.”
“Yeah, I suppose it would be useful sometimes,” Rayna agreed.
The last thing she wanted to do when the snow was deep was trek through it hunting for dragon dens. She nearly froze her butt off in January and February doing that, and at one point, she went over ten days without killing any beasts. Her only saving grace was the Kandoran humans she took out, which somehow eased her urges a bit. Still, she was nearly mindless by the time she found one. It was all she could do to control herself and make a clean kill.
Bailey patted her hand. “So you’ll stay here in the village for a couple of nights, and I believe tomorrow Conrad is taking out the two new slayer arrivals to hunt Kandoran. You can get a fix before you leave if you want.”
“Will there be any dragons this close?”
Titan cleared his throat, leaning forward in his seat to catch their gazes. “A couple of my guards spotted a group in the distance yesterday about eight miles northwest of here. I’m the one who requested the slayers investigate it.”
“That’s very efficient of you,” Rayna said, impressed he’d found a way to cooperate with Conrad, who tended to annoy most shifters with his wild and sarcastic personality.
He shrugged. “It keeps the slayers sated and the enemies away from our borders. There’s no reason not to embrace such an arrangement, though I prefer coordinating with his female companion whenever possible. She’s more reasonable than him.”
Pretty much everyone could agree Rosalie was the better half of that relationship.
“Okay, well, that sounds like a plan to me.”
“Good.” Bailey clasped her hands. “Now, we can ask them to bring dessert.”
Rayna’s eyes widened when servants began carrying trays filled with various flavors of pies. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had such a treat. At least temporarily, she wouldn’t mind being among civilization again.