Blood of the Dragon (Her Dragon's Bane 2) (7 page)

At last he summoned the breath, and the man fell, only just in time, the machine guns were beginning to sting, he would have bruises from this when he changed back to a man. If he lived that long.

And then they were no more. Only charred carcasses remained. Zoah.

The other dragon stomped his way across the church, killing anything in it’s path. It’s huge face pulled into the most horrific grin of enjoyment. Those who saw it tried to run, but Zoah was a cold blooded killer, and no one was going to leave alive.

Connor joined him, hunting down and cornering all those who were still on their feet, not caring that by now the building was well engulfed with flames. Not until he heard Serena’s voice from far away.

He was killing those he had sworn to protect with his fire. Looking around, he saw the half open door, heard her cries of distress, and stopped. A few men took their chance and ran for it while he was distracted. Connor started for the door, he had to get them out of here.

However, just as he reached it, a man appeared directly in front of him, a huge gun in his hand. The size of it spelt death to whatever got in it’s way, including dragons. With one final lunge he hit the man, his legs snapping from the force of Connor’s giant foot.

But it was too late, the ammunition had been fired, only now it was heading for the open door, and Serena.

The force of the blast knocked her backwards, her head connected with the wall, and nausea hit her. The pain in her head made it throb so much she couldn’t think straight, or see straight. Her first thought was for Charlotte, who was lying face down in front of her. She pushed herself forward, and fell to her knees by her sisters side, lifting her up to cradle her head.

“Charlotte. Charlotte. Can you hear me?” There was no way it could end like this. They had come here to rescue her, not to kill her. Serena sobbed as she wiped her sister’s face. “Charlotte, please wake up.”

Casting a quick glance around the room, she saw Tara lying face down in the dirt. She knew she should turn her over, try to resuscitate her, but she couldn’t bring herself to let Charlotte go. The dust settled all around them and she started to cough, the air suffocating. Covering her mouth she listened for any sounds coming from the other side of the smashed wall, but there was nothing.

She was beaten, Samuel had won. He might not be alive to witness his victory, but it didn’t stop it being real. For all she knew the dragons were dead too, she was the only one alive in this cruel world. Laying her head down on top of Charlotte she let herself go, feeling the loss of all those she loved around her.

“Serena.” The voice came from behind the ruined wall. “Serena, are you hurt?”

“Connor. Oh, Connor, I thought you were dead.”

“No. We’re OK. I think we got them all, but the building is on fire, we have to get out of here.”

“Charlotte’s injured, and so is Tara. I don’t know if she’s breathing.”

“Can you get yourselves as far back as possible. We’re going to get you out.”

“We?” Serena asked. “Did Zoah show up after all?”

“Yes. Look save your breath, the fire is bad and the air will get worse quickly,” he shouted, and then she heard him talking more quietly, to Zoah. “Let’s get this stone moved. Then I think we’ll have to punch our way out, there’s no way we’re getting through those doors.”

“Well, we could, but no human is going to get out that way.”

“Then we punch a way out.”

“Or leave them.”

“Zoah, drop it. I’m not leaving without Serena and her sister.”

“And the witch?”

“Let’s get this moved and see what we find.”

They began to shift the rubble, and as they did the air in the room became less filled with dust, and more filled with smoke. Serena could feel it suffocating her, and knew they had to get out quickly. It would be much easier if Charlotte were awake.

“Charlotte. Come on. Wake up.” She patted her cheeks, and tried to sit her up. At first nothing happened, and then she coughed. “Charlotte. That’s right, breathe.”

Charlotte’s body shook under the force of her coughing. Serena rubbed her back just as she had when she was a child with a cold. Relief flooded over her, they were going to get out of here, and then be free.

After several nervous minutes, the darkened room was lit by the red glow of the fire behind Connor and Zoah. It gave Serena her first look at just how damaged the building was. The flames were consuming everything in their path, and spreading their way.

“We need to hurry, the fire department will be here any minute, someone must have called them by now.” Serena didn’t want to have to dodge all the questions that would need answering if they were found surrounded by such death and ruin.

“Probably not,” said Connor, hauling more masonry out of the way. “Remember, when we came in, we saw an image of the building that wasn’t real.”

Serena turned to look at Tara who was still face down in the dirt. “I guess that means she’s still alive.”

“She’d better be,” said a breathless Zoah, appearing for the first time looking dirty and sweaty with his efforts.

“Why, Zoah? What does she have on you?” Serena asked. “Why hadn’t you already rescued Charlotte?”

“I couldn’t find her,” he said, avoiding the question. “The more pressing dilemma we have is that if Tara is dead, we won’t be able to pass through the ward.”

Serena’s face registered her shock. “I hadn’t thought about that. What is she dies? Won’t it just die with her?”

“Do you want to take that chance?” asked Zoah.

“It’s tempting,” said Serena.

“No, we should help her.” Charlotte pushed herself away from Serena, dragging her bruised body towards Tara. “She’s tried to be kind to me while I’ve been here.”

“But she’s the reason we are all here in the first place,” Serena insisted, still not buying Tara’s reasons for helping Samuel.

“I don’t know why she worked with Samuel. But it wasn’t to take his plans to fruition. She stalled him when he wanted to hurt me.” Charlotte dropped her gaze.

“Oh, Charlotte, I’m so sorry you had to get caught up in all this.”

“It’s not your fault. She said my fate was bound up in it all too, not just yours.” Charlotte began to get up, while Connor and Zoah moved more rubble until they could squeeze through. “Come on, we have to get her to wake up.”

Serena followed Charlotte over to where Tara lay, and between them they sat her up. Wiping her face, making sure her nose was clear, and then Serena searched for her pulse. It was weak, but even, she would probably make it, but they needed her to wake up quickly.

“You need to get as far back as you can, but not too close to the rubble. We don’t know what’s going to happen.” Connor motioned for them to move.

“What do you mean, what’s going to happen?” Serena asked.

“The only way we’re getting out of here is through this wall. The church roof is falling in, it’s too dangerous that way.”

“How are you going to get through the ... oh!” Serena realised what they were going to do. “Charlotte, help me with Tara. We need to get right back out of the way.”

“What’s going on? How are they going to knock the wall down without a hammer of some kind?”

“You’ll see. Just don’t be afraid.”

“You mean, they’re going to change, into dragons, right here?”

“Help me shield Tara. I guess we’d better try to save her.”

They used their bodies to cover Tara, and Serena placed her arm over Charlotte, trying to protect her too. Tilting her head up she saw Zoah change into his other self, and was surprised how much smaller he was than Connor. The hues of his scales were tinged with blue, she had expected all dragons to be the same fiery red. But his smaller stature took nothing away from his fearsome presence. And the whole building shook as he rammed into the wall with his body.

Bits of masonry fell down, but there seemed no damage to the wall itself. Serena could feel Charlotte trembling as the building shook again, and then suddenly a blast of cold air hit them, and it became easier to breathe. Yet any happiness was short lived, the building began to crumble around them.

Connor grabbed Charlotte and hauled her to her feet, he shoved her towards Zoah who had changed quickly back, and was pulling bricks away. Serena watched him help Charlotte out, and even in the dim light, with fear hanging over them, she couldn't miss the way he touched her arm, gently, and with something bordering on reverence.

“Her fate is bound to ours too.” Oh no, that was not going to happen, not while she had a say in her sister’s future.

“What?” Connor asked.

“Nothing. Let’s get this witch out of here.”

Connor lifted her up, and carried her unconscious body out, with Serena in front of him. Once the were all outside together, they took off to put as much distance between them and the ruined building as possible. But then the dragons hit the ward.

“You go on, get to safety.” Connor shouted, putting Tara on the ground.

“No. We’ll wait, and all go together.”

“There’s nothing you can do. Get away from here.” He knelt over Tara, and patted her cheek, calling her name. “Tara, Tara, wake up.”

“Connor, please.”

“Go!” he bellowed.

“Serena, take Charlotte and run. Don’t let this all be in vain,” Zoah said, and the look in his face made her move. She took hold of Charlotte’s hand and pulled her along, away from the blazing building, which they could no longer see. Instead the image was one of calm peace, no clue to the fire that was razing the building to the ground.

Connor and Zoah were gone too, hidden behind the spell made by the witch Tara.

“If this gets worse our best bet is to change, our other selves will be able to sustain the heat,” Zoah said behind him.

“Do you think if the building comes down the ward will lift? It could be tied to the building itself.”

“But the rubble will still be there, so the building will be to some degree. It’s risky. What we really need is for her to wake up.”

They both looked down at Tara, who lay still, her skin deathly pale.

“Want to try mouth to mouth?”

“Not really,” Zoah answered.

“Charming,” Tara murmured.

“She’s awake.” Connor bent over her. “Open your eyes. We need you to remove the ward.”

“Not so fast.” She fluttered her eyes open.

Connor sensed trouble, and placed his hand around her wrist tightly. “What do you want witch? I knew one of your kind wouldn’t be helping us for free.”

“How quickly you judge me.” She licked her lips. “I could really do with a drink.”

“Then drop the spell and we’ll get you one.”

“First we have a bargain to strike.”

“A bargain. What kind of bargain?”

The roof of the church collapsed inwards, a tremendous sound filling the air. “Do sounds travel through this?” Zoah asked. “Because if it does, we are going to be in the middle of a police zone fairly fast.”

“To anyone mortal, this is just an normal night, nothing to see, nothing to hear. But once I drop the ward all hell is going to break loose. But the longer we leave it the better, after all we don't want there to be any evidence of dragons. People will talk.”

“And on the subject of talking. What do you want?” Connor’s voice held more than a hint of aggression.

“I only want one thing.”

“Name it witch. Let us be done with your games.”

“Tsk, tsk. It’s of benefit for you too, Mighty Dragon.”

“Tell me,” he demanded.

“You don’t want to lose your mate. Ever. I can help you with that.”

“Talk plainly.”

“I know a way of making her life as long as yours.”

“I don’t believe you. My father tried everything, asked everyone. He couldn’t find a way.”

“That was a long time ago. But time moves on, and new things are found. I can help you.”

“The condition?”

She smiled, “I always thought dragons were stupid.”

“We’re running out of time.”

“The condition is you take me with you.”

“Where?”

“I’ll tell you once we’re on our way. That way you won’t bite my head off before we get there.”

“I will do it as soon as we arrive instead. So it’s a deal.”

“Now, now. That’s not nice. You will need my help to accomplish what you want. So don’t be too hasty in deciding my fate.”

“And why should I trust you?”

“Haven’t I proved my worth? If I had chosen to betray you, you would all be dead right now. Isn’t that right Zoah?”

Connor turned his gaze on his brother. “What do you know about this Zoah?”

“Oh, that’s right, he didn’t tell you who his informer was. Well, we had quite the little chat last night, didn’t we young dragon?”

“She’s the one who told you how to get in? And you didn’t want to tell me that?”

“No. You wouldn’t have trusted her.” Zoah looked fiercely at his brother. “It’s turned out alright, so let’s just move on.”

“You still should have told me.”

“Come now, Zoah. Tell your big brother your reasons.”

“Shut up,” Zoah snapped.

“Then I’ll tell him. He was scared if this all went wrong you would have blamed him for trusting me. And Zoah hates being wrong, don’t you Zoah?”

“You don’t know everything Tara.”

“Really? I would beg to differ.” She smiled smugly, but still looked weak. “He didn’t tell you. And you are not going to tell Serena why we are going on our little trip.”

“I don’t want to keep secrets from her.”

“You don’t have a choice. Tell her and she lives a normal mortal life.” She looked at Connor’s face, the anguish registered there. “We have a deal then. Now, gentlemen, let’s get out of here.”

She stood up, and brushed herself down, then took an experimental step forward, flinching with pain, but covering it quickly to walk towards the magic barrier. They watched her stand before it, her eyes closed as she muttered a spell.

“Now you may proceed.”

They stepped forward, half expecting to be stopped in their tracks, but nothing happened. Looking behind them they could see the roaring flames eating the last of the church, and knew they were running out of time.