bedeviled & beyond 03 - bedeviled & beleaguered (29 page)

You can come visit her whenever you want.
I didn’t know why the hell I’d said that. I didn’t even want to keep the little creature. I glanced down and smiled. Glynus’s tiny back legs were jerking in her sleep. Her wings fluttered as if in flight. She was dreaming.

I must not. My presence would interfere with her training. I must stay away until she is fully formed.

I frowned. I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to stand back and watch someone else nurture my child. Especially someone as screwed up as I was.

You will raise her well. You will have no choice.

Oh wonderful!
Yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence.

The black shrugged and I felt her body tense.
We are not alone.

Okay, that just sounds like a line from a really bad holo-movie.

Perhaps. But it is still true.

What
... I didn’t even have time to form the question before something huge and black shot out of the mist beside us and slammed into Zerphor’s side, missing my leg by mere inches.

Use your power to hold on, dragon fighter
. Zerphor’s long body bunched and Glynus came instantly awake. She fixed large, bright eyes on my face for just an instant and then scrambled around her mother’s body, disappearing from my sight. I tried to grab her but she was too fast.

Do not worry about her. She is fine. You must worry about yourself.

I can do that.

The huge black that had attacked Zerphor suddenly reappeared on the other side of us and shot toward her again. She straightened her wings fully, turning them to stop her forward progress and jerked upright, showing the huge predator her belly.

I wondered at this but the attacking dragon stopped, staring at Zerphor for a long moment. His intelligent black eyes appeared to be filled with thought. Then he threw back his long black head and roared, filling the air with smoke and fire.

Prepare yourself for battle, dragon fighter.

What is going on?

It is my mate. I have shown him that I am carrying our young but still he signals a wish to attack. We must fight or die.

Oh hell no!
The big male was at least half again as big as Zerphor and she had the baby and me to protect. It was obvious she would have her hands full fighting him alone.
Why
?

I didn’t need to elaborate on the question. Zerphor knew what I was asking. Waves of pain and uncertainty filled me as she lowered her tender belly and spread her gently pounding wings.
He fears the child’s fate among man and wishes to stop me from giving her to you.

Doesn’t he understand that there might not be a race of men if we don’t get to Earth and fight off this damnable veil?

Zerphor turned her elegant head so the beautiful blue eye could focus on me. It was filled with wry humor. We have not had time to discuss the fate of man in recent days, he and I. Just like that, a scrolling visual of the two dragons coming together with a roar and a thunderous impact filled my head. I watched in horror as they mated, trying to push the nasty visual out of my poor head and having no luck.

Make it stop!

Zerphor merely chuckled in my mind.
It is a beautiful thing, dragon fighter.

I need brain bleach!
I responded.

The movie in my head rolled to a quiet stop on a surprise ending. My eyes widened.
You’re carrying another offspring.

Zerphor smiled in my mind.
It is a boy.

And yet he’ll attack you?

She sighed.
Yes
.

I would have had more questions but the big male took that moment to attack. He slammed into Zerphor hard, throwing us several feet away in the thick air. The impact would have been much harder had she not seen him coming and jerked sideways in the air at the last possible moment.

Zerphor rolled back into an upright position almost immediately and spread her powerful wings, pounding the air with them in preparation for attack. Then, with a final, powerful sweep of her wings to propel her toward the big male, she formed herself into a huge, black arrow and headed for him. He stood his ground, his bright, black eyes filled with sorrow.

I closed my eyes and used my power to lock me to Zerphor’s powerful body. The impact was thunderous. The big male hadn’t even tried to avoid us. As soon as Zerphor hit him, her mate wrapped us up in his wings and held on.

I struggled to breathe under the pressure from his huge wings. The two, huge creatures spun and rolled through the air, their giant jaws snapping and tearing at each other. I held on tightly with my power, my mind churning through possible ways to extricate us from the current problem. It was then that a tiny awareness wriggled itself into my mind.

My chest constricted painfully and I realized I couldn’t breathe. While I’d had a similar sensation ever since the big male had wrapped us up in his powerful wings, it wasn’t
my
sensation.

I suddenly realized I was feeling Glynus’ panic. She was being smothered.

Zerphor, Glynus!

Help her!
The black’s voice in my mind was weak and filled with pain. I realized she was too busy fighting for our lives to help her tiny offspring.

Panic seized me and I could no longer tell if it was mine or the infant dragon’s. I searched my mind for something...anything...I could do to save her.

Then I did the only thing I could think of.
I’ll have to kill him.

A long silence filled my mind.
Do it.
Her voice throbbed with pain.

I closed my eyes and pulled my power forward, willing the tiny infant clinging to her mother’s chest to hold on. I got a sensation of drifting away that scared the shit out of me. In desperation the power surged out of me.

The dragon beneath my thighs jerked in surprise as the power left my body with a violent thud that lifted me off Zerphor’s long back and left me dangling in the air, held upright and stable only by my own energy. I slowly settled downward until my feet touched a cloud and I stopped.

I caught the big male’s eye and saw a sure knowledge of his fate there. But still he clutched Zerphor, tears quickly filling his large, beautiful eyes. I realized, suddenly, that he knew he was killing the child and it was killing him too.

Reaching out, I pulled a lethal dose of energy to my fingertips. The big male read my intention in my gaze. I saw it in his eyes. He knew he was about to die. But he didn’t try to get away from me. He simply closed his eyes and waited for the killing shot.

I hung there, suspended in the thick mist by my own power and fought a need to save the big, beautiful creature with unknown reserves of strength and intelligence.

Zerphor’s voice in my head was filled with panic and pain.
Do it! She dies!

I took a deep breath and released the power, swinging my arm at the last second to focus it at the juncture of his body and the wing nearest me.

The big black threw back his head and roared as my power tore through the ligaments and flesh of his wing and Zerphor swung free, rolling off into the thick mist with a cry of relief that was muffled by the hovering veil.

I was left facing the big male, his tattered wing struggling against the thick air to keep him upright.

You must not take the child to the race of man. She will be poisoned by their ignorance.

The voice was as deep and rich as Zerphor’s, as beautiful and clear. I shivered from the impact of it, as well as from his words.
I was given no choice. It has been decreed by your gods as the only way to save your race. You should be helping us instead of trying to kill the child.

The big black threw back his head and roared in anger and frustration, then his snout swung down and a wall of flame shot toward me. I quickly threw up a protective bubble to keep the fire away.

The male dragon dropped several feet as his injured wing gave out, momentarily refusing to hold him up.

I looked down on him and wished I’d had the strength of will to kill him.

She will be an outcast there. Better that she would have died.

No. She will have my protection and the friendship of my people.
As I said the words I knew they were right. She would be loved and cherished by my family and Emo and the celestial army.
She will be raised in magic. But she will learn to live in a world that doesn’t need it. It is what your gods have demanded. It is all that will save the black dragon race.

He hovered there, barely staying upright against the pain in the injured wing and stared at me through bright, black eyes.
You will keep her safe?

To the best of my ability, yes.

Mankind may not survive the veil.

I nodded, acquiescing.
I must find a way to beat the veil back. It is their only hope.

He looked away, into the mist, in the direction Zerphor and the little one had gone.
I will await you in Olympus, Queen Dragon.

I go with the dragon fighter to fight the veil.

I turned and noticed that she hovered there, not all that far away from us, cloaked in mist.

The huge male shook his head and shot upward. I stiffened and pulled power into my hands just in case. But he simply turned away and flew off, disappearing almost immediately into the mist.

The thick, heavy thwuck of Zerphor’s wings cut the mist and she was suddenly underneath me again. I pulled my power back and allowed myself to drop onto her back.
Glynus?

She’s fine.

I took the first full breath I’d taken in a while.
Good. Now, get me back to Earth. I need to find a way to beat this veil.

Yes.

We flew in silence for a bit. After a few minutes Glynus reappeared, her little face bright and cheerful. She curled up in front of me and looked into my face. “Bleurp!”

I grinned, “Bleurp yourself, tadpole.”

Glynus hopped up and down, flapping her little wings. I grabbed at her, fearing she’d fall off, but she jumped away.
What the hell is she doing?

She is an infant...they play.

She picked a hell of a time to play.

Zerphor shrugged.
A child plays when a child plays.

Apparently.

The baby finally wound down and curled up in front of me, wrapping my hand in her tiny wing again, her delicate claws resting against the palm of my hand. I watched her settle into sleep and fought panic. How was I going to take care of a baby?

My mental drawers suddenly shifted and Darma’s voice filled my head.
Astra?

Hey, are you okay?

Where the hell are you? I’ve been calling you for hours!

I sighed.
It’s a really long story. I’m heading back now, don’t shoot at us.

Us?

The black is bringing me back. She’s going to help us.

Long silence.

Darma, are you still there?

You made friends with the black dragon?

I glanced up, my gaze fixing on the bright, intelligent eye that was turned toward me. The black was obviously listening to my telepathic conversation with my sister.
I think I have, yes.
The black’s head bobbed as if in a nod.

We will be there soon, dragon fighter.

Who was that? Who’s in my mind. Get out of there!

I chuckled.
It’s just Zerphor, she’s a telepath too.

Zerphor?

The black.

Darma sighed in my mind.
Of course. Well...we can use her help. You need to get back here fast. Emo and Torre have disappeared. I think mother got them somehow.

Emo? Why would mother take Emo?
Darma’s silence made my stomach clench.
Oh shit!

He didn’t want you to know.

Why the hell not? Damn his frunkin’ halfling soul anyway. We’re partners. I told him about my devil’s mark.

It doesn’t matter now, Astra. We need to get them back.

I sighed.
I know. You’re right.

Oh and Astra?

Yes?

Flick just received a summons from the Prophet for you.

No shit?

No shit.

That doesn’t count against my lifetime limit does it? Since she summoned me?

I don’t know, Astra! This is no time to worry about that!

Easy for you to say, I responded petulantly, you still have your full quota.

Just get back here!

We approach now.
Zerphor announced.

A distant light cut through the mist and I recognized the door of the vehicle repair room in the unplanned care unit directly ahead. The room was well lit within, giving us advance warning that the place was filled with fairies.

Zerphor announced our arrival with a roar and fired the door as we approached. Fairies scattered wildly, their tiny wings beating violently against the super-heated air.

Zerphor entered the overlarge door and swung her enormous wings to slow her flight, allowing her large body to drift gently to the floor.

We landed with a soft thump and a scratching of her diamond-sharp claws against the hard floor.

Around us soft lights of every color in the rainbow fluttered as the fairies formed a circle around the giant black. She lifted her wings to push them back when they pressed too close, her elegant head swiveling to keep them in sight.

I searched the room and spotted Darma, Father, Myra and Flick standing at the back, ready to duck behind something solid should Zerphor decide to fire the room.