We rushed down the stairs. Twice now, I'd almost taken a header and splattered myself on the steps. My brain was spinning with all the tight turns as my belly threatened to exit my body through my mouth. "What's happened?" I asked again. Maybe if I stayed focused on something other than my churning stomach, I could make it to the bottom of the stairwell in one piece."Drace texted that dragons were arriving en masse," Thane replied as he jumped the last few steps to the next landing. My brow wrinkled. "Why? What's up their butts that we don't know about?"Thane didn't answer, just vaulted down another landing. I looked up at Harry. "What do you think is happening?"He smiled as he jumped from stair to stair like a kid jumping in rain puddles. He shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm certainly keen to find out." He hopped down three steps at a time. His smile of joy was huge as he looked up at me. "Jumping is much more fun. You should try it." He began hopping like a fucking k
I pulled the power to me. As easy as taking a breath, it rushed forward. Eager to be used. Waiting. A smile pulled at my lips as I moved up behind the whining druid. I felt no panic, no alarm, no frenzy of need for it to work. I simply thought it, willed it, and the magic leapt to do my bidding. Something had changed, but I didn't know what. Right now, I simply didn't care.Starshine settled in my palms as if I'd placed the stars themselves in the sky. No strain, no pain. Nothing but the joy of power and magic. I laid my palms against his head, cradled it to my belly. "Translatio postestatis," I said softly. He bucked against me. His legs went out from under him. A limp doll. A haunting chuckle that might or might not have been mine filled my mind. I followed him to the ground, rode his body like it was a horse. I kept my grip on his head, stretched his neck back all the way. Snugging it against my abdomen, I sucked his power down as if it were a milkshake and my hands
I gritted my teeth. Fought not to crush the woman in my grasp. She'd done this. As a fucking game with her siblings. Put us all in danger. Threatened my woman. My mate. Kill her, my dragon said. No one gets to hurt our mate. Not and remain among the living.I agreed. More than one hundred percent. But I couldn't allow my emotions to make a bad situation worse. That's how people got killed. And I wasn't willing to risk one of those people being my mate or my brothers. "What do we do with her now?" I asked through gritted teeth. The muscles in my hands were spasming to keep from crushing her arms between my fingers. Ari sighed. "Nothing for now. I can ask for one of the Originals to watch over her for us. We have a good case."Brigid jerked in my grip. Her entire frame started trembling. A hard smile pulled at my mouth. "I think that sounds like a great idea. Let's do that."Brigid began her escape attempts again. In earnest this time. She might be a tiny woman, but she
The darkness was comforting, in its own way. Not that I would like to remain in perpetual night, but it was nice. Lots of good things had happened to me in the dark. Crashing into Thane. Meeting Grumpy and Tove. Making love. Although, we did that in the light, too. Making love was my favorite. I sighed. I'd like to make love with them again. Maybe even get dirty and ask them to fuck me. I giggled. Grumpy would probably like that. Throw me over his shoulder, slap my butt, and carry me away. If I could figure out how to get out of this void of midnight nothingness, then I was going to do just that. Stomp up to them and demand they fuck me with their cocks. I nodded. Made the vow into the ether. If I get out of here and back to them, that was the first thing I was going to do. Could a person fall if there was no gravity? I wondered after a moment. I didn't get that deep yucky slide in my belly that felt like I was falling. But I also didn't feel like I was zooming upwards e
I squeezed my eyes shut. Afraid my mind was playing tricks on me. When something connected with my shin though...I opened my eyes. I fell to my knees, wrapped her in my arms. Held her close. "You're here," I said against her hair. Tag and Tove dropped next to us. Their hands were running over every available inch of our girl.She nodded, her hair catching in the stubble that covered my chin. "I'm here. Where have you guys been?" She leaned back, her gaze catching on my mouth. She shook her head. "Tell me later. I really need to feel all of you against me. Now.""They haven't the time to settle between your legs, you dirty trollop. Get to your feet and get back to your battle!" Brigid screeched at Stretch. Tag leapt over us and slammed his fist into the goddess' face. "Speak like that to her again, and I'll rip you limb from limb.""Garinion?" Ari asked as she came back out to the balcony. She crumpled to the ground and yanked Stretch from my arms. "You're here. You did it."
My grandmother buried her mouth next to my ear. "Do not fight me, garinion. I will help you defeat Patrick. I will right this wrong that has been landed at your feet. I vow that you will never be bothered by my siblings again."I tried to pull away. Tried to cover her mouth. I'd heard words like that before. Right before my mother allowed me to kill her. Before she sacrificed herself for me as a child. I wouldn't be losing anyone else from my family. I might not fully understand everything that is going on right now, but if all of this was just some kind of game? Heads were about to roll. I was tired of my family, my loved ones, being used as pawns in someone else's game. I pressed my lips to my grandmother's cheek. "Do not fight me, grandmother. I will not let you sacrifice yourself for me." I leaned my forehead down against hers. "A wise woman once told me that I'm more powerful than I realized. I'm going to take her words to heart."Grab her. Don't let her speak. Don't let
We stood behind the safety of the glass. Watched as our sweet girl called down power and horror on the people who had ruined our lives. Watched as our girl drifted farther and farther away from us even though she hadn't moved. "Something's wrong," I said again. "This isn't our Hollyn." I shook my head. "She would never take joy in someone else's pain. No matter who they were. Not like this." I turned to look at Ari. She had tears streaming down her cheeks as she strained against Thane's and Tag's hold. She pleaded with me with her eyes. She knew something was wrong, too. "Let her go," I said. I pulled my brothers' hands away from the goddess. "Let her go. She can help us save her.""Stretch said not to let her talk. You going to be the one to tell Stretch that you didn't do what she asked?" Thane asked, his gaze still glued to our girl outside. I punched him in the face. When he righted, I stabbed a hand towards the window. "Does that look like our girl? Where the fuck is
Incandescent rage flowed through me as Thane's mouth smashed down onto mine. I bit at his lips as his words crashed through my brain. We won't let him have you, Stretch. We claimed you first. You're ours.The drain was immediate and painful. I shrieked against his mouth as I felt them pull and suck away my power. My birthright. My legacy. They ripped it from me in large gulps. My arms were locked to my sides by Tove's hands. My hands were clenched in Grumpy's fists. Made helpless by my men.Not helpless, Stretch. Never helpless. Not with us. We're saving you. Saving you from him. Look inside. This isn't you. I snarled and pushed his words aside. He was stealing what wasn't his to take. Just like all the other men in the Vi-Something sharp carved through my upper arm right before a boiling hot rag was stuffed inside the wound. Thane swallowed my scream of pain. My whimper of agony. We're saving you. I'm so sorry, Stretch. Sorry we didn't notice it earlier. Speak for y