Breath of Fire (26 page)

The words whispered past his lips, and the temptation in them almost brought me to my knees. He knew how to entice me in more ways than just lust. My dragon was bloodthirsty, and I longed for revenge against my father for the torment he’d caused me over the years. My dragon was also covetous. She wanted to show her dominance over Alasdair and take the clan that belonged to him for her own.

“You’re wrong if you think my people will follow me. I’m the Enforcer. I’ve been an outcast among my people for centuries. They fear me and what I might do to them, even though I’ve defied Alasdair by helping many of them. I’ll never have their complete trust or loyalty.”

“Fear is oftentimes a great motivator. Especially for the Drakán. You undervalue your own worth, Rena. You fear your powers just as Alasdair does, and your people suffer for it. But when you learn to embrace them our race will follow you. For your wrath will be the things nightmares are made of.”

My human nature warred badly with my dragon. My heart was broken. Where was the man who’d whispered words of affection while he’d been buried deep inside me? Where was the man who’d promised to protect me with his life? I was beginning to think that man had never really existed.

“You could have been honest with me from the beginning, Julian. How did you keep from laughing at my naivety? You must think I’m an idiot to have felt sorry for you. To think that—” My voice choked on a sob.

“To think what, Rena?”

I was going to say that I thought he might actually care for me. It was pathetic to think that someone could actually love me after all these years. I don’t know why I’d ever considered the possibility.

“Nothing.” I hunted up my shoes and sat down to put them on. I had to escape to my own room for a while. Remove every trace of Julian from my body so I could get a grasp on my thoughts.

“Think wisely before you make any rash decisions,” he cautioned. “This plan is a sound one, and it is what’s best for our people. You’ll see that once you think things through.”

He came toward me, crowding me with his size and nakedness, but I held my ground. I’d be damned before I let him think he intimidated me.

“I don’t want you to leave the chateau. It isn’t safe outside these walls. My sources tell me that all of the clans have reported missing members, and they are not as well populated as this one. It would take very little to convince the other clans that we could lead them in a battle against the Destroyer and help find their missing people. Think of the power we would hold. Until the Promised Child is discovered the clans are ours for the taking.”

Power was seductive to any dragon, and I was no exception. Julian’s eyes gleamed with triumph, and he knew he had me.

“Or forcing the issue now could cause a full-scale war among the clans. The gods could decide to destroy us all.”

“We’ll just have to take the chance.”

My life had changed drastically in just a few short days. I remembered Calista’s description of the Destroyer.

He is a great pretender. His power is one to be feared, but he is seduction reincarnate, and all will follow him into battle without knowing the truth.

The description fit Julian perfectly, and I cursed myself for ignoring my original instincts and being blinded by lust. I looked into the clear blue of his eyes and wondered not for the first time who I’d just tied my life force to.

Something else he’d said bothered me, and I finally remembered what it was. “You said your spies reported that there are Drakán missing from all the clans. Who’s missing from mine?” I asked.

“Your father has disappeared.”

“That’s not possible.”

“He was taken from your home in the middle of the night. He vanished into thin air along with his hoard. Your brother witnessed the entire incident.”

Fire simmered just under my skin, but it didn’t escalate. I didn’t know how I felt. I couldn’t say I was sad to hear of Alasdair’s disappearance because that would be a lie. But I knew his absence would leave the clan in turmoil. Because Erik had no power to call his own, the role of Archos would fall to me until someone challenged me for the position since I was Alasdair’s only other child. Shit was going to hit the fan.

“Fine,” I said, as if there were only business between us. “I will order my clan to follow you in my father’s stead.” Getting them to obey me would be the tricky part. “How are you going to find the Destroyer?”

“With all of the clans gathered, we should be able to find the one responsible if he’s among us. He would not be able to hide his power from Eunice. She is impervious to Drakán magic even though her own Drakán power is quite impressive. Between now and the gathering, I will teach you as much as possible about your abilities. You will need to know how to fight by using more than just your mental abilities.”

I finally moved away from him and walked to the metal door that led out of the cavern and back up into the chateau—ready to escape from the bowels of the city.

“I need to make some phone calls,” I said. “Where are we going to unite the clans?”

“I own most of Switzerland. It’ll give us the privacy we need to train.”

“That’s handy. You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”

“If I wasn’t smart enough to plan ahead I’d be dead many times over by now.”

I pushed my hand through the metal of the door and moved to follow with my body, but I thought of one more thing—an important thing.

“I want you to stay away from me once the clans are united. I need time to think. And I need time to observe how you deal with my clan. You’re very good at clouding my judgment.”

“Staying away from you will make what I have in mind quite—challenging.”

“That’s the point,” I said as bitterness and anger clouded my voice. He’d used me and taken advantage of the human nature I’d wanted to embrace. I guess in hindsight he’d taught me an important lesson. I wasn’t human. I was Drakán. I could learn to harden my heart as well as anyone.

“Rena,” he said softly, taking a step toward me. Something that looked like pity lined his face, and I took a step back out of his grasp.

“Just stay away, Julian. I wouldn’t want your grand plans to be ruined because you were distracted by sex. It’s been more than one great leader’s downfall.”

“That’s very true,” he said. “But of course there’s always our dreams.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

I avoided Julian for three days—mind and body—before I finally had no choice but to listen to his instructions about the gathering clans. He’d been on conference calls and short trips for the last seventy-two hours to line things up for his takeover, so it hadn’t been that hard to stay out of his way.

He cornered me late one night as I made use of the gym I’d found on the second floor of the chateau. Olaf had offered to spar with me, and I’d been more than happy to take my recent frustrations out on him. Olaf had had no idea what he’d gotten himself into.

My fury was great, and it was the first time I’d gotten to see what I was really capable of since Julian and I had mated. I was a lot stronger. I dodged Olaf’s blows with time to spare, and my speed kept him off center and confused. The power behind my punches was debilitating, and Olaf was bloody and sweating by the end of it. When my foot hit him with a roundhouse kick to the ribs, mirroring the move I’d used on him the day I’d broken out of the chateau, it didn’t feel like I was hitting cement. The sound of breaking ribs was like music to my ears, and Olaf toppled like a redwood in the forest.

“Impressive,” Julian called out from the other side of the room.

I’d been so focused on my fight that I hadn’t even noticed when he’d entered the gym. He was careful not to touch me as he came closer, and his shields were locked tight, just as mine were.

“That will be all, Olaf. Go and let your body heal.”

Olaf bowed low to Julian and shot me a look that promised retribution. I was looking forward to it.

I moved across the room to put space between us and wiped my face with a towel.

“The increase in your power calls to me, Rena. We are not meant to be apart,” Julian said once Olaf was gone.

I turned backed to him and noticed the erection that strained painfully against his zipper. I raised a brow as I met the heat of his gaze. “Get on with it, Julian. You’ve made your bed. I’m not in the mood to be fucked with.”

A growl rumbled low in his throat and his eyes rimmed red with fire. “You don’t want to challenge me, lifemate. Your power is not great enough to defeat me. I could take you easily and make you want me. Don’t underestimate my control.”

“I know you’re the alpha in this relationship. You don’t have to prove it. But I’ll be damned if I’ll submit to you. Yes, you can make me want you, but if you take me against my will there will be no end to the depths of my hatred for you. You’ve gotten what you wanted from me. Be happy with that and move on.”

He growled again, and I could see the fine tremors that ran through his body where his beast wanted to break free and claim me. It was a testament to his power that he was able to hold back. I’d never known a Drakán who could control himself once his beast started to break free.

“The clans will begin gathering in three days’ time,” Julian rasped, every word measured and even. “Some of the Ancients are already forming hunting parties, hoping to track the Destroyer’s scent. If they can bring it back to me I should be able to tell what Realm he and his army are hiding in.”

My curiosity got the best of me. “How would you know which Realm he traveled to?” There were once eight Realms in our universe, but the number lessened by one after the Drakán Realm was destroyed. And then it lessened again after the gods obliterated Atlantis for destroying the Drakán Realm. I knew very little about the six remaining Realms other than what they were and what creatures resided there. It was another bit of history that disappeared when our archives were stolen.

“I’ll know because I’ve travelled through the portals that take us from one world to the next. The scent of each Realm is unmistakable. Just as the Earth Realm smells of fresh meat, the Realm of the Gods smells of freshly fallen snow. The Realm of the Fae smells of trees. Oceana smells of sea salt, and the Shadow Realm smells of brimstone. Only the Realm of the Dead has no smell.”

“I’d like to know about the other Realms,” I said. “Eunice told me the Drakán Realm hasn’t been the only one to suffer at the gods’ hands.”

“Maybe if you decide to accept me back into your good graces I’ll tell you about them someday. And despite what you thought when you came to my lands, I’m not the only creature in this world who has the ability to travel. It’ll take all of our magic to defeat the Destroyer and save this world.” He put his hands in his pockets and quirked his lips. “We’re running out of places we can be banished to.”

“Did you just make a joke?” I asked incredulously.

“Apparently not a good one.” He took a step forward, and I took one back before I could stop myself. He kept coming toward me until we stood facing each other, barely any space between us.

“You might have a right to your anger, Rena. You know as well as I do that the want between us was there long before I thought of what our combined union would do for our power. But my desire will not go away. And neither will yours. The power that we’ve created with the mating fire is the best thing for our people. There’s no need to make us suffer needlessly.”

He leaned closer so his lips just barely touched my ear. I shivered, and my dragon called to him. She’d been lonely.

“You’ve missed me, Rena. You may think you hate me, but your body knows the truth.”

I pushed him back and retreated several steps. I didn’t care if it made me look like a coward or not. Just the touch of him burned across my skin.

“Dammit, Julian. Stop toying with me and just tell me what you want from me. I know you’ve spent the last three days deciding how you can use me to your advantage. Give me instructions and stop torturing my beast with your lust. It’s cruel to keep doing so.”

“You’re the one punishing us both,” he said. “But you’re right. We don’t have time for this now. I need you to go with Xana to Switzerland and begin greeting the clans as they arrive. You’ll have a few days to settle in. It is your home as it is mine, and Xana will keep you safe.”

“Will I be in danger?”

“You’re going to have to act as queen. Just as I will act as king. The strongest of the clans will not be receptive at first. Our very lives will be tested. And you must not show them weakness. We are lifemates, and your anger at me will divide the clans even more than they already are, so have a care.”

“So you’re saying I have to fake it?”

“It’ll be a new concept for you. I hope you’re a good actress.”

“Wow, two jokes in one day. I’m mated to a clown.”

“If you ask nicely I’ll let you juggle my balls.”

He kissed me hard and left me standing there with my mouth open wide in shock.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Switzerland was filled with pure misery and endless snow.

Once Xana and I left Belgium, an overwhelming emptiness settled in the pit of my stomach. It got worse with every mile that separated me and Julian—to the point that I spent a great deal of the flight either hanging over the toilet or wishing I was dead. Sometimes both. Gods, I hated flying. Julian owed me big time.