Dragon Wish (36 page)

The orchestra played in an alcove overlooking the

ballroom. Half of the room comprised space for the guests to

rest from dancing and visit at the tables lined with chairs

placed there. The dance floor took the other half. Dancers

twirled and glided across the area, faces bright in the

dragonstone light that radiated from the brackets along the

walls. Behind the tables, on a raised platform, Rylen

slouched on a golden throne, surveying the entire affair. Next

to him, a dark-haired woman, dressed in a sleeveless, gauzy

crimson gown, sat, her legs crossed at the knee.

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Paladin’s breath caught in his throat. Her short hair had

grown a bit since the last time he’d seen her. From this

distance, her eyes appeared too bright in the light. Had Rylen

drugged her to force her compliance to attend the ball?

He gritted his teeth. No matter what, he intended to make

his brother pay for his crimes. If not tonight, soon. Seren was

his woman. His brother had no right to take her from him.

With Seren so close to Rylen, Paladin resigned himself to

wait until either she retired or his brother left her side. All he

needed was a moment to grab her and escape. Just one

second.

Seren leaned closer to Rylen. At her movement, streaks of

jealousy cut through him. He gritted his teeth and clenched

his fists. His brother studied her under half-lowered lids.

Seconds clicked by before Rylen inclined his head in

response to what she’d said. She lifted the edge of her skirt

and rose to her feet with queenly grace. Head held high, she

glided down the steps leading from the dais. Relief surged

through Paladin at the sight of her eyes rolling once her back

turned to Rylen. She hadn’t fallen under his brother’s spell

like his deceased wife had done.

He grinned behind the face shield. His chance to save her

had arrived.

She slipped through the congregating groups, moving

across the room to one of the tables covered with food dishes

and drink. Once there, she picked up a white porcelain cup

and raised it to her lips.

He shifted back onto the terrace. Careful to stay in the

shadows, he moved to the next doorway leading to the

balcony. He would enter here, closer to where she stood.

Making sure he remained hidden by the heavy drapery, he

eased the door open. He peered through a gap between the

stone wall and the thick cloth. Several groups of costumed

guests crowded the area. Assured he would go unnoticed, he

came out behind a large group of laughing people. Slipping

past the drapes, he stood among them for a moment before

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stepping to Seren.

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Seren’s gaze searched the room for a way to escape the

madness she’d found in this place. She kept her back to the

dais, knowing Rylen watched her every move. She would love

for him to disappear, but realized the possibility would never

occur. He hadn’t mistreated her unless she counted the

narrowed-eyed stares at the place where her child rested as a

form of silent torture.

She took a sip of the cool punch but didn’t taste it.

“Excuse me, beautiful lady, but I sincerely beseech you

for one small grace.”

Believing the owner of the deep voice spoke to someone

else, Seren turned, curious. The soft tones reminded her of

Paladin and caused pinpricks of need to crawl down her

back. A man, head bowed, stood in front of her. His face,

hidden behind a visor connected to a helm, added to the

mystery of his identity. The man was dressed in tight-fitting

white armor which vibrated with a power of its own. He

straightened and held out a gloved hand.

“A dance, my lady?” he asked. “So that I might crow to

the morning light the wondrous news that I partnered with

the one true beauty of the ball.”

Seren’s heart accelerated. “Pal...” she started, but

stopped. She kept her eyes glued to the armored man,

making sure she did not look at Rylen. She half-smiled,

tremors vibrated in her body. Seren nodded in agreement.

The leather-covered hand took hers. He led her onto the

polished dance floor. Lights twinkled around them from the

many dragonstones in their sconces along the walls and

across the ceiling. Magical motes dotted the air throughout

the hall.

He pulled her closer and placed his hand on her waist.

The orchestra started a melody much like a waltz. The

disguised man led her through the steps similar to that

dance, but not exactly the same.

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Her face turned from the dial, she whispered, “You came

for me.”

“I will always be here for you,” he murmured.

She kept a fake smile pasted on her mouth, and didn’t

move her lips as they glided along the edges of the dance

floor. “He’s nuts. Insane. You have to get me out of here.”

“In a moment, after the next round of the floor, I will take

you onto the balcony. Be ready.” He swirled her twice and

leaned a fraction closer. “Did you miss me?”

“Uncontrollably. I was scared to death you were hurt or

worse,” she mumbled. “I don’t want to lose you. I want our

child to know his father.”

“And so he shall. Another moment and then we’re

through the doors. Be prepared.”

She hoped she kept all emotions off her face. One slip up

and Rylen would suspect something was off. Her heart

thudded with fear mixed with joy. Paladin came for her.

Soon she would gain freedom from his brother’s oppressive

control. Before she could respond, Paladin swept her

through the open balcony doors and out onto the terrace.

Releasing her waist, he tugged her through the cold to the

wall on the side of doorway. The icy chill cut through the thin

material of the dress. Goosebumps erupted on her bare skin.

“Grab my neck. We’ll go up and across. Once we reach the

turret, we’ll reenter the castle and go through the secret

passageways.” He placed a booted foot on a protruding

stone. He waited for her to wrap her arms around his neck,

and when she did, his armor heated the front of her body.

“Just hurry. He’ll come after us. He watches me like a

hawk.”

“Since I don’t know what a hawk is, I’ll assume it’s bad, so

here we go.” He scaled the wall, easily finding hand and

footholds. Shouts came from the far balcony door. She

glanced over in time to see Rylen step outside. Paladin’s

brother looked up and down the terrace. The deep shadows

along the building gave them a little protection, but that

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wouldn’t last long. They raced against time.

Seconds seemed to slow with each of her breaths. Rylen’s

gaze found them. Her heart pounded with fear. He pointed

and shouted an order, but no soldiers answered the call.

Flapping from huge wings rang out in the quiet cold.

Fear turned to near panic. She squirmed against Paladin.

“Move it. Faster. He’s called that monster, and I don’t care to

face him again.”

Paladin answered with a grunt. He grabbed the edge of

the wall. In a surge of strength which surprised Seren, he

swung his legs to the side and leapt. Icy air flew up her dress.

Chills swept down her body.

She squealed at the cold touch and the sudden emptiness

surrounding them. The next moment, Paladin’s feet touched

solid stone. He landed, knees bent, hands flat on the stone

with her still attached to his back. With very little spare

movement, he gripped her wrist, twisted in the opposite

direction and took off in a sprint in the direction of the tower

on their right. She managed to grab enough material of the

dress to keep from falling flat on her face while she tried to

keep up with him.

The flapping wings grew with the beat of her own heart.

Panting, fear for Paladin and her unborn child threatened to

overcome her. The door leading into the tower opened. Calis,

wrapped in a white, hooded cape appeared.

“Run, Sire. Run, the dragon’s almost here.”

Halfway there, her heart felt like it rose to her throat.

More steps and hope blossomed that maybe they would

make it.

Calis’ eyes grew round and his mouth dropped open.

Seren glanced over her shoulder. Terror gripped her,

forcing out a scream.

Arcane hung poised behind them with his mouth agape

for the first onslaught of dragon fire. The very air

surrounding him sizzled as if it too waited in anticipation.

Paladin turned to face the beast, twirling Seren so his

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body shielded her. “Stay behind me.”

He slid his silvered blades from their sheaves.

Remembering her vision, Seren grasped his upper arm.

“Don’t. You can’t defeat him.”

Without answering her, he jerked away. He held his left

arm, the one with the dragon tattoo, like a shield. Calis

reached her. He wrapped an arm over her shoulders,

positioning his body close to protect her back. Arcane

released his breath, and pure purplish power surged over

them. The air heated. The stones surrounding them glowed

with an unnatural heat. Smoke rose from the icy surface of

the wall. The armor Paladin wore deflected the dragon’s

breath on either side and protected them from the full force

of Arcane’s first blast.

Footsteps pounding across the ice-coated stone from

their rear came loud after the magical fire ended. Armed

soldiers poured from the doorway Calis had just vacated,

cutting off their escape path.

Seren’s gut-twisted. Her spine tingled and her mind

raced. What were they going to do? They were trapped.

Paladin would die just like in her vision. The babe rolled over

and over inside her. She laid a palm over the curve of her

stomach. Her skin heated with the intensity of her son’s

dragon fire. A terrified moan escaped her throat.

Paladin whipped the helm off. He stared at the dragon,

his fist high in the air, the sword glinting in the torch light.

He shouted above the noise of both the dragon and the

soldiers. “I will never allow you to harm Seren or my son. I

will keep them safe in my arms for eternity.”

Her gaze flew to the back of his head.

Rylen’s laughter echoed in the cold. He strolled from the

doorway at the opposite end of the walkway. He stood

directly below the spot where Arcane hovered. Framed

between the beating wings, he continued to laugh. The sound

sent shivers through Seren’s body.

“Admit defeat, Brother. Surrender and I might consider

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leniency.” Cool, collective as always, Rylen lifted a brow in

question. Madness sparked in the blue of his eyes. His tone

carried a soft, persuasive note, deadly intent spread across

the area separating them, saturating the air with hatred.

Seren pressed against Paladin’s back and whispered,

“Don’t believe him. He won’t let you live. Arcane has

complete control over him.”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he brought his arm down in a

straight line. A fast buzzing started, approaching from either

side of the wall. Two flocks of white dracs, each larger than

any she’d seen on Avaris so far, flew over the sides of the

walls. Their numbers so great, they appeared blended into

one unit, joining their heads, bodies, and tails together. Two

men, identical in dress and face flew from the darkened sky

above. They halted, suspended in the air. Several feet

separated them from Arcane. Simultaneously, they fired a

magical blast into the dragon’s eyes.

Seren barely had time to witness this, before the dracs,

flying from the bailey, grabbed her, Paladin, and Calis by

their shoulders. One moment they stood on the wall, the next

they dropped over the outer edge, straight for the rocks and

trees bordering the castle far below them.

At the sudden drop, a scream ripped from Seren’s throat.

An electrical sizzling started in the air above them and ended

in an explosion. The force of the powerful charge sent

shockwaves rippling over the rocks. Treetops waved back

and forth with the wind caused by the magical blast.

Arcane roared. Was that pain mixed with fury in the