Blazed (8 page)

Chapter Eight

Ty woke with a band sounding similar to the Grave Diggers pounding in his head. He jerked upright, groaning and clutching his head as the aching intensified.

“Idiot,” Calla said from somewhere nearby in the dark room.

“How long was I out?” he asked.

“Long enough to worry me. You’ve never fainted before. Wanna tell me what happened?”

“Dunno. I heard Bree -- felt her pain. How is that possible?”

“You’re connected. Duh.”

Ty glared at the wry expression on Calla’s face. “I figured that much. I meant, how did this happen? You’re not connected like this with Scott, are you?”

Her expression grew dreamy as she rubbed the large mound of her stomach. “Sometimes.”

“So it’s the dragon burn? I’m not even sure how that happened. I still haven’t gotten Bree out into the moonlight.”

“Really?” Calla sat up. “Interesting.”

Easing to his feet, Ty took in the room. Still at the stadium. In Bree’s workroom.

Pain clutched at his chest, making it difficult to breathe. She’d been taken. By the master. To be tortured and used, her magic stolen for his evil purposes.

Well, Ty wasn’t about to sit back and wave goodbye. He’d find his woman and bring her back to safety. The question was how.

Calla, as if reading his mind, patted his arm. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

“Yeah? You got any plans in that direction?”

His sister nibbled her lower lip.

“That’s what I thought. This is a big city…” The overwhelming task ahead was daunting. Unclimbable. Doggone it, he’d plow down the mountain, make it a hill.

The door opened, filling the room with light, and Scott strode in. Fury rose in Ty. Thought stopped. He didn’t consider his actions as he rushed his brother-in-law, grabbed the man’s throat and pinned him to the wall. “You were supposed to be protecting Bree,” Ty growled.

Scott, suspended a good foot above the ground, just crooked an eyebrow at Ty, then glanced at Calla. “I tried.”

“Then how’d she get captured?” Ty wanted to squeeze this man’s neck to dust. All the anger and fright boiling inside him demanded he take payment for Bree’s capture out of this man’s hide.

Calla whacked him upside the head, but Ty refused to let go.

“If you don’t let my husband down this instant, I’m going to bite you,” she said.

Ty’s fingers twitched, involuntarily gripping tighter. It was only then he realized the magic man he held, an air elemental, had been quick. For Ty wasn’t touching the man’s throat, but a solid, impenetrable, invisible ring of air.

Scott smiled. “It’s all right, love. Your brother isn’t hurting me.”

Ty’s anger grew red. Without letting go of Scott, he drew back his other arm and let his fist fly. “Ha! Didn’t see that coming, did you?” Ty crowed as blood flowed from Scott’s nose.

Tight claws scratched at his arm as Calla dragged Ty away from Scott. “I should bite both of you,” she mumbled, pushing Ty back down onto the row of boxes he’d woken up on. “Now, you touch my husband again and I’ll do you some damage.”

Scott headed over, a handkerchief clutched at his nose, and sat by Ty. “Darling, you do know by now that I can take care of myself, right?”

“That’s not the point,” she grouched.

“Your brother has every right to his anger. I said I’d protect the girl. I failed.”

Calla snorted.

Anger growing once more, Ty gripped his clenched fists close to his thighs. “Tell me.”

“There were many. At first, just a few, but as if from thin air, more appeared and began attacking the band. Bree refused to stay back. I couldn’t either. Both of us raced for the band to help them out. I was overwhelmed and by the time I fought free, both Bree and one of the young singers, Kari, were gone. No one saw them go. Right after their disappearance, the master’s minions all faded away.”

Ty clenched his fists so hard his nails sliced through skin. He stared at the welling blood, relishing the pain. “And everyone else?” Ty asked.

“They’re safe,” Calla whispered.

Ty shuffled from the room, his steps growing stronger. His power slowly coming back. He headed down the hall to the back door, Calla dogging his steps.

“You can’t do this alone. The master is too powerful.”

Ty didn’t say a word as he slammed through the door and into the chilly, quiet night.

“Ty!” she shouted.

He raced into the darkness, letting his magic flow around and through him. As he ran, he shifted, from a small human form to his immense, white scaled, silver horned dragon. He bellowed into the night, shouting at the stars. Bree. He had to find her.

If he’d felt her before, he could do it again.

Flying high above the sprawling city, lights twinkling over the land, Ty didn’t search with his eyes. He tried to feel with his very soul.

* * *

Bree moaned as the throbbing in her head woke her. She tried opening her eyes, but something sticky held the right one closed. With only one eye working, she glanced around the room. She lay on an old, brown couch, her hands cuffed in front of her.

The silver was interlaid with small black stones.

Bree called to her inner fire. As she’d feared, nothing happened. She’d been shackled with magical nulls.

The place was a warehouse of some sort, boxes and crates piled high. To her left was a narrow door. She slid off the lumpy couch and stumbled to the door, finding a bathroom.

Bree flinched at her reflection in the mirror. Dried blood caked down her temple and cheek. Her right eye was puffy, purples and blues, overlaid in red.

Turning on the sink, she waited for the water to warm, then washed her face with her hampered hands. Soon, she was clean, and able to open both eyes.

There were no paper towels, and she wasn’t about to touch the scroungy hand towel, so she dripped her way back into the warehouse.

The crates opened in two places. Both led into a maze. Heavy footsteps and the rattling of chains came her way. Without her fire, and barely able to use her hands, she wasn’t in much position to defend herself.

It didn’t mean she wouldn’t try.

Crouching near the couch, Bree watched the openings, waiting.

A shadow moved into the room, not from the openings but as if materializing from the center of the crates themselves. A black robed, hooded figure walked straight toward her, as if he knew exactly where she hid.

The oily, oppressing bite in the air she’d felt when she faced this man onstage during the first fire came back. Goosebumps cropped up along her arms and tremors slid icily down her spine.

“How are you, m’dear?” His voice was dark, rough.

Bree shivered.

The hooded figure raised his hand, showing a silver chain. He yanked on it, and a mountain lioness slunk from behind him to cower at his side.

“Brianna, dear. Look, I’ve brought a friend.”

Terror filled the lioness’s golden eyes. With dawning horror, Bree realized the cat on the end of the chain was Kari.

In a blink, a whip appeared in the mage’s other hand. He slapped the cougar’s haunches with it. Kari yowled in pain.

Bree jumped from her hiding place and rushed at the master. Only a few feet away, the air became a prison she couldn’t push through, too thick to breathe.

“Figured that would get you out of your useless little rabbit hole. Now, my dear, take a seat.”

Bree lifted her chin, ready to refuse, until the mage raised the whip. She scrambled backwards and sat on the couch, glaring at the man.

“Now,” he said. “You and I are going to have a little talk. The kitty will be my incentive for you to speak true. I’m certain you don’t wish to make me hurt her, do you?”

Bree bit her tongue, welcoming the pain. She had to keep her head clear. She had to figure out a way to get both herself and Kari free of this monster.

“Do you?” He slashed the whip along the cougar’s side. Kari mewled a pitiful meow, one of pain and fear.

“No,” Bree choked out.

With a wave of his hand, an opulent throne made of bones and skulls -- not human, but from all types of mystical creatures -- appeared. The hooded mage shook his robe, then sat as if he were king of the world.

Bree’s first thought was how cliché, but she bit her tongue and tried figuring a way out.

“Now, Ms. Fire Elemental. Answer my questions, and the kitty will be all right. Hesitate again, and, well…”

“What do you want to know?” Bree pushed the words from her tight throat.

“Tell me about the Dragos Clan,” he said.

* * *

Ty swooped down toward a row of tall buildings, desperate to find something of Bree. The city splayed out all around him was nothing more than an empty husk. He couldn’t sense her.

It had worked before; he should be able to make it work again, doggone it.

He flapped his wings, pushing himself faster. Flying over the city, Ty bellowed a trumpet call, commanding Bree to answer him. She was not dragon. But she was his destined mate. She had to answer.

Deep in his chest was a hollow place. One only Bree could fill.

Ty twisted in the air, flying south. If he didn’t connect to her soon, he was going to start breaking down buildings. It didn’t matter if he had to level the entire town. He would find Bree.

Finally, he felt something. West. He turned, flying that direction. Near some industrial buildings in the distance, a shape lifted into the sky. Dragon. Other.

It was a clue he so desperately needed. Whipping his tail back and forth, Ty swooped toward the dragon, ready for the fight. As he drew closer, a niggling tingle began in the hollow emptiness of his chest.

Bree. She was close. Afraid -- not just for herself. Kari must be with her.

“Ty,” she whispered, only in his mind.

“I’m coming, lovey. You stay safe,” he whispered back.

The air was his friend, helping his wings push through the sky. The Other barely saw him coming. It couldn’t move from his path as Ty slammed his horns into the dragon’s side.

It trumpeted in pain. Ribs cracked, scales split in two. Blood ran down the Other’s side as it flicked its tail. Claws slashed at Ty’s neck as the creature’s tail slammed into his chest.

Then, more flew into the air. Surrounding him.

* * *

“Good, good,” the master stated, reaching to rub the cougar’s head. Kari shivered at the touch, unable to move away.

Bree surreptitiously glanced around, trying to find something, anything, she could use against this man.

“Now,” he said with a chuckle. “Here’s what you’re going to do. You will call Tyler Dragos. Tell him where you are. Let him know I hold both you and this little kitty hostage. He and Calla, along with her husband Scott, will come. Alone and without telling anyone.”

“They won’t come,” Bree whispered in horror. Never would she do such a thing. Just hand over more people to this crazed evil mage for his dark purposes? Never.

His sleeve slid up, revealing long claws on his hand that stroked the top of Kari’s head. A shiver of fear mixed with despair raced through Bree. She could be strong for herself. But she couldn’t let this man hurt Kari.

Something deep inside her began to bloom with warmth. She could not do either. Which meant she’d just have to get them out of this situation before it was too late.

A loud crash came from the roof, and a bellow rang through the air. Bree knew that dragon voice. Ty. He’d found them.

The mage jerked to his feet. Bree inched toward him, unbelieving when he didn’t seem to sense her presence. She was almost within striking distance when he turned to her.

“Nice try.” The whip he held slashed Bree’s face, slicing open her cheek. She screamed, stumbling back. The mage, without touching her, somehow pushed her further back and onto the couch. He dropped the chain and approached.

Bree swung her handcuffed arms at the man’s head, but he dodged out of her way. Above them, another loud thump came on the roof. Even the walls shuddered.

Bree tried to kick, to hit. The man managed to get out of her reach every time. From the corner of her eye, she saw Kari stand. In her golden eyes was a thirst for revenge.

Before the cougar could pounce, Bree shook her head frantically, twisting and fighting harder to keep the mage’s attention.

The cougar twitched an ear.

Bree jerked her chin toward one of the openings into the maze.

The cougar shook her head, but Bree glared.

Without a sound, the cat picked up the end of the chain in her mouth and silently padded into the maze of crates.

Distracted, Bree wasn’t prepared when the mage’s fist slammed into her temple. Dazed, she could not stop him from grabbing her hands. With a click, he chained her to a metal pole next to the couch.

“Don’t worry, my dear. I will be right back.” He turned, then stopped as if surprised Kari was gone. He shouted, “Run, kitty. There is no escape.”