Chapter Twelve
MEYER WANTED TO HELP Emory, but he suspected that this was something Emory needed to do by himself.
Meyer would hopefully never understand what it was like to have his dragon taken from him.
He never wanted to find out what it was like to have someone he loved betray him and hurt him.
Emory had thought he’d lost everything for decades, and he had.
The only reason he had his dragon back was that Penley had managed to give it back to him.
Emory deserved to be the one to make Carlyle pay for what had happened, even though if Meyer had a say, he would pull Emory away.
Killing Carlyle would no doubt feel good because Emory would finally get revenge, but at the same time, Emory had loved Carlyle.
Meyer couldn’t imagine wanting to kill Tyne.
The thought made him want to throw up and scream at the same time, but of course, Tyne hadn’t hurt him the way Carlyle had hurt Emory.
He’d taken everything from him—the man he’d loved, his dragon, the people in his life.
Emory had fled after Carlyle had been trapped.
He’d thought no one would want anything to do with him.
He’d isolated himself for decades, thinking that people hated him and mourning his dragon.
Meyer’s heart ached for Emory, and he wished there was more he could do to help him, but right now, it looked like the only thing that needed to be done was to stay away.
Watching Emory throw himself at Carlyle wasn’t a surprise.
What was a surprise was to see Simon dive between the two.
Emory was already striking, and he didn’t have time to move back.
His claws hit Simon in the chest, making him scream as blood spurted from the wounds.
The screaming didn’t last long.
Emory pulled back almost instantly, but it still wasn’t fast enough.
His claws sank into Simon’s body as if it was butter.
Simon’s body hit the ground, his insides spilling around him.
Meyer’s stomach heaved, and he turned his attention back to Carlyle and Emory.
He might be Tyne’s protector, but he didn’t have the stomach for this.
He was pretty sure he would never be able to forget what had just happened.
He expected Carlyle to be angry.
Simon was his minion, and the two of them had spent a lot of time together.
Simon had supported Carlyle, even after his brother had left and joined the other mages and their dragons.
The least Meyer expected was for him to cry out, maybe for him to reach for Simon and try to help him.
Carlyle didn’t do any of that.
He didn’t even look at Simon.
He’d gotten to his feet when Simon had put himself between him and Emory, and he was already working on a spell.
It was as if, to him, Simon didn’t exist, even though his body was on the ground by his feet.
Carlyle threw something at Emory.
Emory batted it away with his tail, and the tree it landed against exploded.
Bits of wood and bark rained over everyone’s head, and Meyer pulled Tyne close to protect him.
There wasn’t much he could do in his human form, so he shifted back.
“It’s just wood,”
Tyne murmured.
“You don’t have to protect me from it.”
Meyer didn’t care.
Besides, it was better to be in his dragon form in case Emory needed help.
No one had talked about this, but it looked like they all agreed to give Emory time to confront Carlyle and possibly kill him.
Meyer wasn’t sure Emory would be capable of doing so, considering the feelings he’d had for Carlyle, but he was willing to give Emory a chance.
After everything Carlyle had done to him, Emory deserved to confront him.
Meyer couldn’t even imagine what that was like.
Tyne had hurt him, but only because he’d been hurt first.
It was too easy to imagine him turning into someone like Carlyle, though.
Meyer had no idea why Carlyle had become the man he was today, but Tyne might have done the same.
What would have happened if, instead of moving in with the other mages, Tyne had isolated himself and obsessed over Peyton leaving him for decades? What if his resentment had grown until it turned into hatred?
Someone swore.
Meyer turned, ready to act, only to stop when he saw that the exploded tree was on fire.
He would have sworn, too, if he’d been in his human form, but he wasn’t.
The fire caught quickly, possibly because it was magical.
Tyne started moving toward it, but he paused and looked back at Emory.
Meyer knew his mage.
Tyne was unwilling to leave Emory without backup in case Carlyle managed to get the upper hand.
The other mages didn’t hesitate, though.
Dallin was the first to reach the fire, and he raised his hands, ready to fight it.
A branch cracked and fell, showering the area with sparks.
It reminded Meyer of when Carlyle had set the fire near the castle.
He was sure he wasn’t the only one thinking about it.
Keylon and Ansley were still dealing with a few of the glowing objects Ansley’s spell had revealed, but Jarvis and Penley hurried to help Dallin.
Meyer briefly wondered if he should go, too, but he couldn’t leave Tyne.
Not even when it looked like the sky was on fire.
The flames were eating at the tree and quickly moving on to the ones next to it, engulfing them in flames, but Meyer trusted the mages, and they were protected.
Standing by Emory was important to Tyne, which meant it was important to Meyer.
He disliked feeling as if he was being pulled in two directions at once, but his main concern would always be his mage.
Jarvis created something that resembled a portal around the fire.
For a moment, Meyer wondered if he’d portal the fire somewhere else, but he quickly realized it was a barrier that would keep the rest of the forest safe.
It meant the fire wouldn’t expand, which was good.
Meyer folded one of his wings around Tyne and dragged him closer.
He ignored Tyne’s inpatient huff and the way he pushed back.
He needed him close.
Tyne was a powerful mage.
He was nothing like Carlyle, but he could’ve become like him, and it wasn’t something Meyer wanted to consider.
He and Tyne were together now.
Unlike Peyton, he had no plans to leave Tyne.
Tyne was it for him, even though they still needed to talk and get to know each other. As far as Meyer was concerned, the bond they shared was eternal.
It made him wonder if the bond was still there between Emory and Carlyle.
Would stealing Emory’s dragon and his magic have severed it? Meyer was pretty sure that Carlyle had used the bond against Emory, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t still there.
Dammit.
That was something they should’ve thought of asking Emory.
Was he going to get hurt if he killed Carlyle and possibly broke their bond? What were they supposed to do if that happened? Was there any way they could help Emory through all of this?
At least he wouldn’t have to fear the fire.
It was gone.
The wounds it had left would take time to heal, but it wouldn’t hurt anyone.
Meyer couldn’t imagine what the spell would have done if it had hit Emory instead of a tree.
“Do you think he’ll kill him?”
Keylon asked as he and Winter moved to stand next to Tyne and Meyer. There was soot on his cheek, but he looked like he was okay.
Meyer’s wings tangled with Winter’s.
The two of them didn’t know each other well, but it still felt comfortable, as if they were family.
Both of them watched Carlyle and Emory, who were still fighting, but neither made a move to help.
They’d step in if Emory needed them to, but it was like everyone agreed to give him this opportunity first.
“Carlyle hurt him in a way I can’t even wrap my mind around,”
Tyne answered.
“It’s in his right to kill him.”
“I didn’t ask if he should do it. I asked if you think he’ll do it.”
Tyne was still staring at Emory. Emory was moving around Carlyle, neatly avoiding the spells Carlyle was throwing at him while distracting the mage by swiping at him and almost throwing him on his ass. Meyer had the impression that Emory was toying with Carlyle, which wasn’t like him but, at the same time, was understandable.
“I think that we don’t know how it felt for Emory to have his dragon taken from him,”
Tyne said.
“But I do know resentment. I know how it feels to be betrayed by the one person you thought would never hurt you. Emory has been obsessing over that pain and betrayal for decades. If there’s one thing I’m sure of is that he can do this.”
Tyne paused.
“It doesn’t mean he should do it, though. If he hurts Carlyle, he’ll never be able to take that back.”
“I don’t think he’d take it nicely if any of us tried stepping in,”
Jarvis murmured.
Meyer glanced back. He couldn’t see any more purple objects. The air smelled of smoke and sulfur, and the other mages and the dragons were all coming toward them. It looked like they’d neutralized every one of Carlyle’s traps, and now, the only danger that remained was Carlyle.
Who was busy avoiding Emory’s claws and fangs.
TYNE DIDN’T LOOK AT the other mages who were gathering behind him and Meyer. He kept his full focus on Emory, just in case.
He kept expecting Emory to falter, but there were no signs of hesitation in the dragon as he attempted to catch Carlyle. Carlyle was scrambling to keep up with Emory’s claws and his tail, but he was weakening.
Tyne grinned at the satisfaction of knowing Carlyle was hurt. There was blood seeping through Carlyle’s white shirt, a sure sign that he hadn’t been able to heal himself. He’d no doubt tried, but Emory had explained that Carlyle had never been good at healing spells, and it looked like it was true. Tyne was sure that if Carlyle had a choice, he wouldn’t have faced them in this condition.
But he didn’t have a choice. They hadn’t given him one.
Emory swiped his tail forward, hitting Carlyle in the legs. Carlyle dropped down, falling on his wounded arm, and screamed. He tried to push himself up, but Emory slammed a paw on top of him and pushed him back down, causing him to scream again.
Tyne winced. He wanted Carlyle to pay, but did he really have to be so loud?
“Please,”
Carlyle said with a gasp.
“Don’t do this.”
Tyne wasn’t surprised when Emory paused.
He’d looked like he’d been about to squash Carlyle to death, but instead, he pulled his paw away.
He didn’t shift back, but he stared at Carlyle, who was sprawled in the dirt in front of him.
Tyne remembered Carlyle back in the day.
He’d always been a bit prissy, dressing well and never wanting to get dirty, which, as mages, wasn’t always easy.
Some of the ingredients they worked with were messy, but he remembered meeting Carlyle a few times before Carlyle took a dive off the deep end, and he’d always been dressed impeccably.
Tyne had even wondered if he’d come up with a spell that kept his clothes clean.
If he had, that spell wasn’t working now.
Carlyle’s white shirt was bloody, and there were stripes of dirt decorating the front of it.
Tyne was pretty sure he could see the imprint of Emory’s paw.
For some reason, the sight made him want to laugh, and he bit on his lower lip and leaned closer to Meyer.
He needed to be distracted, and thankfully, Meyer was the best distraction he could think of.
Meyer rumbled and pressed his body back against Tyne’s.
Tyne had never felt so safe and protected, not even with Peyton.
He and Peyton had loved each other, but it hadn’t been an adult love.
Everyone had pushed them to complete the bond when they were little more than teenagers, and of course they’d agreed because they’d thought they’d be together forever.
Back then, it had made sense to them, but when Tyne thought about it now, he realized it had been a mistake—a mistake people who knew better should have stopped them from doing.
They’d linked their lives together when they were eighteen, and that had been the beginning of the end for them.
Tyne had mourned Peyton when he’d vanished, but now, he thought it had been the best thing that could have happened to both of them.
He was sure Peyton would disagree if he were still with them, but he was dead.
He was never coming back, and he’d left Meyer in his place.
Both Tyne and Meyer were adults.
What they shared was complicated, but if there was one thing Tyne was sure of, it was that Meyer would never be cruel.
He would never leave him for Amber.
He would never leave him, period.
“You remember what we shared,”
Carlyle said when Emory didn’t give any signs that he was about to shift back.
“And I know I hurt you.
I’ve been thinking about it since I got free, and about you.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive myself for what I did, and I understand why you can’t, but please.
You have to realize that killing me isn’t going to help.”
Tyne wrinkled his nose.
He wasn’t surprised that Carlyle was begging for his life or that Emory had stopped to listen to him.
He didn’t know what he’d do if he were in Emory’s place.
He wanted to think that he’d focus on everything Carlyle had done and wouldn’t soften toward him, but could he? He didn’t know what he’d be willing to do for Meyer.
Hell, he’d done things he’d never thought he would do for Meyer.
When he and the other mages had first found Meyer and Bennett, Tyne had convinced himself that he would never open up to his shield.
He’d told himself that once this mess with Carlyle was over, he’d break the bond between them and send Meyer on his way.
He’d been angry, even though he’d known that Meyer had nothing to do with what had happened in their past.
But Meyer had managed to break down Tyne’s walls.
Tyne still wasn’t entirely sure how it had happened, but now, he knew the truth.
He would never be able to let Meyer go, even though part of him wondered if it wouldn’t be for the best.
His heart was still bruised over what had happened with Peyton, and putting it out there was terrifying, but Tyne didn’t have a choice.
He was already falling for Meyer, and spending more time with him would only make that worse.
“I promise I’ll change,”
Carlyle continued.
“I’ll stay away from you if that’s what you want. Hell, you can ask your friends to trap me again. Just, please. Don’t kill me. Don’t kill your mage.”
Carlyle had been reaching for Emory. Tyne wasn’t sure that Emory had noticed it with how focused he was on Carlyle’s face, but he knew he was wrong when Carlyle’s hand started glowing, and Emory reacted instantly.
The spell didn’t even leave Carlyle’s hand. Emory struck, catching Carlyle’s throat with his fangs. Carlyle made a strangled sound, and the spell fell to the ground, its glow slowly fading.
Just like Carlyle’s life.
Carlyle’s body dropped into the dirt.
He was pressing a hand against his throat, but Tyne could see the blood.
Nothing Carlyle could do would stop it from seeping out of him, taking Carlyle’s life with it.
Emory stood there, staring at Carlyle.
It was almost as if he couldn’t quite believe what he’d done.
Tyne felt the same way.
He’d been sure that Emory would leave this to someone else.
Tyne would have happily killed Carlyle for Emory, but he wouldn’t have to.
Emory had gotten his revenge.
CARLYLE WAS DEAD.
MEYER could see it, but part of him wanted to be completely sure.
The only way to do that would be to move closer, but Meyer couldn’t do that without Tyne.
He wasn’t leaving his mage behind.
Thankfully, he knew Tyne well enough by now to be sure that he, too, wanted to check in on Carlyle and Emory.
Meyer waited for a moment, smiling when Tyne took a step forward as he’d expected.
That seemed to be the sign everyone needed.
The mages and their dragons surged forward.
Some of them headed toward Carlyle, while others went to Emory.
Meyer wasn’t surprised to see that Penley was the first one to reach the dragon.
He’d want to make sure that Emory was okay, and out of all of them, he was the one with the softest heart. He shouldn’t have to deal with Carlyle’s body.
None of them should.
Unfortunately, they had some cleanup to do, and it included taking care of two bodies.
Meyer shifted back to his human form.
He didn’t know what kind of fighter he’d been when he was Peyton, but the fighter he was now was having a hard time stomaching the scene in front of him.
Carlyle’s body was slumped in the dirt.
He still had a hand around his throat, but it hadn’t been enough.
He was lying in a puddle of blood he hadn’t been able to stop from leaving his body.
Meyer swallowed.
The metallic scent was heavy in the air.
Carlyle wasn’t the only person who’d died today.
Simon lay close by, and that was something Meyer really didn’t want to see.
He felt sorry for Graham but glad that the man wasn’t here with them. He wasn’t sure he fully trusted Graham yet, but no one should have to see their brother in the state Simon was in.
They’d have to do something about him.
Graham was staying with them, and he’d want to take care of his brother’s remains.
Meyer could understand that.
Meyer and Tyne both looked down at Carlyle.
This was only the second or third time that Meyer saw the mage, and in his mind, he’d built an intimidating figure, especially after what had happened the last time they’d faced each other.
Carlyle looked like a broken doll now, though.
His magic had made him dangerous, but he didn’t have any left.
It had vanished along with his life.
“What now?”
he asked, not actually expecting anyone to answer.
He should have known better. Tyne straightened and looked around. He seemed satisfied when he saw that Penley was next to Emory, who was trying to push him away and was insisting that he was fine. Tyne’s attention didn’t stay on them long. He turned toward the house where Carlyle had been hiding, a serious expression on his face.
“Now, we start the cleanup.”
“Where will we bury them?”
Tyne shook his head.
“That’s not what I was talking about, but I don’t think we’ll bury them. We’ll cremate them.”
Meyer didn’t know if it was because they wanted to be completely sure that Carlyle wouldn’t come back or if there was another reason behind it, but it didn’t feel wrong. It wasn’t like they’d be abandoning the bodies where they’d fallen. They were giving Carlyle more respect than he’d given them.
“We also need to check the house,”
Tyne continued.
“There’s no way to know what Carlyle was up to in there, but it can’t be good.”
“We won’t find more bodies, will we?”
Meyer asked. He’d make sure to stay outside if that was the case.
Who was he kidding? He couldn’t stay outside if Tyne went in. Where his mage went, he went, even when there was nothing he wanted less.
“I don’t think so. I’m sure he was working on some nasty magic, though. We need to make sure that no one’s going to accidentally stumble on these spells and hurt themselves or someone else.”
Tyne grimaced.
“I hate being his cleanup team.”
“At least you won’t have to do it again once this is over.”
“But in the meantime, it’s more work than I want to think about.”
It might be, but it was work Meyer knew Tyne would do.
The hard part was over.
The man they’d all despised and hated was gone.
The mages and their dragons wouldn’t have to worry about Carlyle hurting them ever again.
They could stop hiding in the castle and start new lives, whatever that meant for them.
Meyer wasn’t sure what it meant for him and Tyne beyond the fact that with Carlyle gone, they could go on their first date.
He hadn’t dared start planning anything because he hadn’t wanted to tempt fate, but now, he could, and he didn’t know where to start.
He didn’t think it mattered.
Tyne wanted to be with him, and he wouldn’t change his mind even if their first date was a mess.
There was no reason for it to be, though.
They’d found their way to each other even when Tyne couldn’t separate Meyer from Peyton.
Now, he could, and he knew how much he mattered to Meyer.
Tyne stepped away from Carlyle’s body and turned toward the house.
Meyer wasn’t surprised when his mage was the first to head there.
The others were busy checking on each other and on Emory, but until this job was done, Tyne wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else.
Carlyle was gone, but some of his magic might still be here, and Tyne would make sure it couldn’t hurt anyone.
He wouldn’t do that on his own.
Meyer caught up to him, hooking his hand into the crook of Tyne’s elbow.
It caused Tyne to stop walking and turn toward him, a frown on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to remind you that even though you’re used to doing everything on your own, you don’t have to anymore. In fact, you shouldn’t even think about going anywhere inside that house without me.”
“I can take care of myself.”
Meyer wasn’t surprised that Tyne was pushing back. He wouldn’t be Tyne if he didn’t.
“I never said you couldn’t. You don’t have to take care of yourself, though, or rather, you don’t have to do it on your own. You have me now.”
Tyne stared at Meyer. Meyer couldn’t read his expression, but he didn’t have to. Tyne would tell him what was going through his mind. He’d never been shy with his words, even before they started talking.
Sure enough, Tyne glanced away after a few minutes.
“It’s going to take me a while,”
he murmured.
“To do what? Get used to the idea that you don’t have to fight the world on your own anymore?”
“Yes. I’ve been doing it for decades.”
Meyer wrapped an arm around Tyne’s waist and held him close.
“But you don’t have to anymore. I’m not going anywhere, remember?
“I remember.”
Whether or not he believed it was another question entirely, but Meyer didn’t mind if he wasn’t sure yet. With Carlyle gone, he’d have plenty of time to woo his mage and show him how much he cared.