Freedom's Fall (18 page)

“It’s okay, baby, I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”

Zenbaylan side-slipped from the cliff and flew in a large,
slow circle until she gained enough altitude to aim for home. Oskaal hovered in
the doorway of the landing, having been sent ahead to make sure everything was
secure, and he darted out of the way as they came in to land.

They settled gently, Zenbaylan folding her wings tight to
her back, but Rye stayed where he was, strapped onto his dragon with his mate
safe and tight in his arms. His sustained fear and subsequent relief had locked
all the joints in his body, his heart wasn’t working properly and he still
couldn’t draw a full breath. Tansy’s tremors had stilled and, for now, that was
enough.

Tansy knew she was in shock, but she was too numb to care.
She’d used up everything in her to survive the last few hours, and now there
was nothing left but an empty shell. She was safe, wrapped tight in Rye’s arms,
and she didn’t even have enough interest to be relieved.

She stayed in the comforting fog as Rye unbuckled himself
and Zenbaylan used a careful claw to lower them to the ground. Rye scooped her
up into his arms and Tansy curled against him, closing her eyes, the cadence of
his steps a distant muffle. Moments later he set her down on a cold, hard seat,
and Tansy opened her eyes to the colorful expanse of the bathroom.

Rye left her for long enough to start the bath and strip off
his armor. Then he was back, easing her out of her tunic and pants, checking
every inch of skin as he exposed it. When his thorough inspection was completed,
he wrapped her in a towel and held her close as he waited for the bath to fill.

“Are you ready to talk?” Rye’s voice rumbled smooth and
soft, washing over her skin and easing down into her soul. She still shook her
head at his invitation.

“All right, there’s no rush. I’m not going anywhere.”

A fact for which Tansy was endlessly grateful.

In tactics typical of the Brightstar army, the battle
finished as swiftly as it began. Between one engagement and the next, the blue
soldier numbers diminished until there was no one but rear-guard stragglers to
fight. Dev was about to start his post-battle assessment of flight strengths,
positions and injuries when Denaleth and her rider flew up beside him.

“I’m relieving you,” Shay said.

Dev’s first thought was that Jax wanted him. “Why? What’s
going on?”

“Ask him.” Shay nodded to Fellescend.

Dev fought a surge of annoyance. He had better things to do
than pander to his dragon’s unpredictable sensibilities.
Fellescend?

The flights can manage without us now. We need to get
back home.

Fellescend rolled up and over before heading back to the
den, but the maneuver had nothing to do with the fear that unfurled inside Dev.
What’s happening in our den?

Nothing now.

Dev could hear the evasion in his dragon’s voice and it set
his teeth on edge.
Full disclosure, right now, or I swear I will pluck every
scale from your conniving body.

You’ll only get angry if I tell you now. It’s much better
if we wait until I’m back in the lair.

Better for the black, no doubt.
I’m not fucking around,
Fellescend. Out with it.

Dev was treated to a long-suffering dragon sigh.
My pet
is safe now. Zenbaylan is taking care of her.

Dev’s body sizzled with a mix of fear, dread and anxiety.
Give
me the fast version, from the beginning.

Willersby Lockmehdyhn and four guards came to the lair
and tried to steal our pet. Zenbaylan flew to her aid and now they are waiting
for us to come home.

Rage surged through Dev, so hot and dark that his vision
actually blacked out.
My mate was in danger and you and Zenbaylan didn’t see
fit to tell me?

The flights required your presence during the battle, and
Zenbaylan didn’t need our help.

The fury built, turned red, and Dev slammed his gauntleted
fists into Fellescend’s impervious scales.
It doesn’t matter if they needed
our help or not.
Another blow, even harder.
Not the fucking point.

Fellescend’s shock was bright and clear in the link.
You
struck me.

A situation that had never occurred in the entire time they’d
been together. If Dev hadn’t been so angry, he would have been shocked too.
You
deserved it. And if you ever do anything like this to me again, if you ever
keep anything about Tansy’s welfare from me, I’ll gut you while you sleep.

You are my rider, you would never injure me.

Why
not? You hurt me.

There was a long pause, and when Fellescend finally spoke
his voice was quiet.
I don’t understand.

The black was genuinely confused, and the link between them
was too old and complex for Dev to hold his rage. This was his opportunity to
teach Fellescend something, to show him how the dynamics in their new
relationships were going to work.

Dev took a deep breath, did his best to settle his temper,
and tried to explain his feelings in dragon terms.
I belong to you, right?

Of course.

And if I was under threat or someone was trying to hurt
me, wouldn’t you want to know?

There was a slight, thoughtful hesitation.
Yes.

In the same way it’s your duty to protect me, it’s my
duty to protect Tansy. When I mated with her, I gave my word to defend her and
keep her safe. It is my honor, my duty and my privilege to care for her. Your
decision today denied me those rights.

Ah. I would not like it if you were hurt and others
deliberately kept that information from me.

Then you understand why I’m so angry.

Yes, I understand.

Dev went for the kill while Fellescend was feeling empathetic—or
as empathetic as a dragon was capable of being.
I want your word right now
that you will never keep information from me when it comes to the safety and
welfare of Tansy or Rye.

The pause was longer this time, and Dev though Fellescend
was going to balk, but eventually a wary acceptance came through the link.
Very
well, you have my word.

Thank you.
Dev spotted the den, far into the
distance.
Get me home, Fellescend, as fast as you can.

As soon as he’d stripped off his armor, Dev stalked through
the den looking for his mates. He found them in the bathroom and his heart squeezed
tight as he hurried across the tiled expanse, halting a bare arm’s-length away.
Tansy was sitting on the counter, naked and freshly bathed. Her light-brown
eyes brimmed with unshed tears and Dev knew that if even one of those tears
fell she would rip him open.

He scanned her long, lithe body. She was covered in an array
of scrapes, cuts and bruises so prevalent there was hardly a hand-span of
unmarred skin. Sitting quietly, she allowed a tightly subdued Rye to dab
antiseptic ointment on every wound as he methodically made his way down her
torso.

Tansy held out a hand to Dev, palm up, and he moved forward
to cradle her hand in his, her delicate bones light and fragile. Her nails were
split and torn, her skin shredded, and as he lowered his lips to her palm, his
kiss was more breath than touch. Needing to feel her under his hand, he moved
closer, cupping the back of her head and resting his fingers on the warm skin
at her nape.

“Have the physicians had time to see her yet?” he asked,
speaking to the back of Rye’s bent head.

“No. They’re still knee-deep in wounded.”

Dev wasn’t surprised. The battle had been brutal, and both
sides had suffered deaths and injuries. He took a breath and hoped he could
hold it together as he asked his next question. “What do I need to know?” About
Tansy. About what that bastard had done to her this time.

“The inside of her mouth is cut, probably from a slap.” Rye’s
voice was quiet, almost conversational, but Dev could see the deadly intention
in every line of his denmate’s body. “She has a boot-print on her chest and
bruises on her ribs and back, most likely from being kicked. As best I can
tell, all the other cuts and scrapes are a result of her being thrown down the
cliff.”

The room tilted and Dev had to put his spare hand on Rye’s
bent back to steady himself. “He threw her off the landing?”

“Yep.”

Spots wavered in Dev’s vision and he floated on a wave of
calm, inevitable vengeance. Willersby Lockmehdyhn was going to suffer long and
hard before he took his last breath, it was really just a matter of how and
when. Dev stroked Tansy’s hair, his eyes scanning her body over and over as Rye
cared for her injuries. Then he came to a decision.

“I’ve changed my mind, Rye. I don’t think you and I should
kill Willersby fucking Lockmehdyhn.”

Rye rolled his head to the side. “Oh?”

Dev looked him in the eye. “I think we should ask Fellescend
and Zenbaylan to do the honors.”

A grim smile lifted the corners of Rye’s mouth. “Perhaps, if
we ask really nicely, they’ll play with him first.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

The blacks were born to fight. They were ferocious and
insanely territorial. Dev had no doubt they would break Willersby long before
they killed him, and that thought filled him with deep satisfaction. Raping
Tansy was enough to have earned the councilor a death sentence, but he’d come
after her in the den. He’d tried to hurt her when she was legally and morally
under Dev and Rye’s protection, and that meant he’d relinquished any right to
mercy. Fellescend and Zenbaylan would rip Willersby to shreds, rend his limbs
from his body and then, if he was very lucky, they would kill him.

Dev wished he could be there to see it.

The fantasy of what he’d like to do to Willersby Lockmehdyhn
was brought to a halt when Rye wrapped Tansy in a blanket and lifted her off
the bench. Dev knew her injuries would heal on their own, but he couldn’t bear
the thought of her suffering any discomfort after what she’d endured.

Fellescend, can we bring Tansy to you?

Of course. Zenbaylan and I will take care of her.

Thank you.

Dev kept one hand on Rye’s shoulder, connecting the three of
them as they traversed the den and made their way to the lair. As they stepped
onto the soft expanse of sand the dragons used as their bed, Fellescend lowered
himself to his elbows so Rye could lay Tansy in his scaly arms.

Stepping forward, Dev stroked her hair from her face. “Just
relax, honey. Let Fellescend and Zenbaylan heal you while you sleep.”

Skin is better,
Fellescend said, referring to the
fact that Tansy was still tightly wrapped in her blanket.

Dev wasn’t sure if his mate was ready to strip naked and go
skin to scale, but he knew if he didn’t broach the subject Fellescend would.

Sifting his fingers through her hair, Dev leaned down so he
could see her eyes. “Fellescend can heal you better and faster if you’re skin
to skin. Is it okay if we lose the blanket?”

She blinked a couple of times, but there was no doubt his
Tansy was still in there.

“Will you and Rye stay with me? It won’t feel so weird if
the three of us are naked together.” She offered him a small smile and that
slight tilt of her lips eased the hard knot that had been burning inside him.

Rye gave a tired chuckle and started stripping. “You only
have to ask, honey. Dev and I are always looking for an excuse to get naked
with you.”

Wasn’t that the truth? Rye looked freshly washed, but Dev
still had the dirt and sweat of battle clinging to him. “Just give me enough
time for a quick rinse, and then I’ll be back.”

In record time, Dev was clean, naked and cradled in
Fellescend’s arms with Tansy tucked safe and tight between him and Dev. Both
dragons snuggled tight and pulled their dark gray wings across to form a canopy
over their family. Cocooned in a warm, aromatic, living bed that rose and fell
with every dragon breath, Dev finally relaxed. Despite the trauma and upheaval
of the day, he eased into a deep and restful sleep.

Zenbaylan woke the moment Oskaal popped into the lair. The
dragonet and his friends had been set the task of locating Willersby
Lockmehdyhn, and Oskaal’s quiet excitement meant they’d had some success.
Zenbaylan eased her head from under her wing and met the dragonet eye to eye,
opening her mind so he could show her what she needed to know.

The dragonets didn’t communicate in words, not like her
rider or her pet, but the images, thoughts and impressions were as clear as any
spoken language. Within moments Zenbaylan had all the relevant information.

Her quarry was fleeing his country estate in one of the
mechanical transports that could only be used when there was clear weather. The
stormwatchers had predicted cloudless skies, but they weren’t infallible, and
ion storms could come on hard and fast. But the coward was frightened enough to
run and desperate enough to use an unreliable machine. That decision only
confirmed his stupidity and made his imminent death easier to engineer.

None of it bothered Zenbaylan. Now she and her mate had
permission to hunt, the mode of transport was irrelevant. It was all about the
chase.

Her Enforcers and her pet still slept in her arms, and she
nudged Rye awake.
Time to go back to your own bed. Fellescend and I are
going hunting.

You found him?

Yes. Now go. And be careful with my pet while I’m away.

Affection came through the link, warm and flavored with Rye’s
unique scent.
You be careful too. And make sure you mess with him bad before
you finally kill him.

Zenbaylan snorted. As if she’d do anything else.

It didn’t take long before she and Fellescend were winging
their way into the starry darkness, the cool air full of night smells and
sounds and the lingering scent of the day’s battle. She stroked smooth and
strong, her mate flying tight beside her, and the anticipation sparked bright
and hot in her belly. She’d missed the battle today because of her special
mission, and she was looking forward to this evening’s activities.

This hunt wasn’t as good as a real battle, but she knew she
and Fellescend would make the most of it. She always enjoyed the satisfying crunch
and tear of flesh versus dragon, and though four targets seemed paltry, they
were better than none. Outwardly she hoped the councilor and his men were up to
the challenge, but privately her expectations weren’t high.

Oskaal popped in and out at various intervals during their
flight, giving them updates and offering course corrections. Dawn was breaking
before he gave the signal that their prey was at hand.

Zenbaylan heard the machine before she saw it. The horrible
droning whine of a two-legged creature’s answer to being born wingless.
Pitiful. And utterly useless for stealth in the air.

Arching her wings, she swooped up and over, coming down on
the machine at a high angle while Fellescend came up from below. They hit the
tin can simultaneously, hard and brutal, tipping it onto its side and tearing
the canopy from its moorings. The men screamed. Laser shots arced bright and
wild into the night, but they were aiming blind.

The dragons maneuvered themselves one on either side of the
transport before taking it in their talons. Gripping it tight, they flew high
enough to gain fatal altitude. Then they plucked the guards from the tin can
one by one and dropped them over the side until only Willersby Lockmehdyhn
remained. He cried and begged, offering all kinds of outlandish and improbable
deals, none of which were of any use to a battle dragon. Zenbaylan had nothing
but scorn for him, hiding behind his guards and allowing himself to be reduced
to a quivering, blubbering mess on the floor.

She wondered if he’d felt the same kind of scorn for Tansy
when she was cowering and crying from his abuse. It seemed the kind of thing a
man like him would feel. But Zenbaylan’s pet was a fighter, and she’d acted in
her own defense the moment the opportunity had presented itself. It seemed that
Willersby Lockmehdyhn was doing the opposite.

Fellescend tore away the walls, seats and furnishings until
he could get his claws around their prey. The moment the little man was locked
in her mate’s grip, Zenbaylan dropped the transport, allowing it to crash to
the earth where it would.

Dropping low and close, she allowed Tansy’s abuser to get a
good look at her, to know which dragon it was that would deliver the death
blow. Then she dropped away to hover below Fellescend.

When he released Lockmehdyhn, the piercing scream the man
let out would have done a grifhawk proud. Just as her prey came hurtling down,
Zenbaylan snatched him out of the air, rolling onto her back before righting
herself, ensuring her prey received maximum air pressure on his fragile limbs.
Zenbaylan powered away, flying long and flat before turning around and racing
toward Fellescend at top speed. When she was at absolute maximum, and close
enough for him to make the catch, she back-winged hard, released her grip on
her prey and let the forward momentum fling him into Fellescend’s waiting claw.

Then it was her mate’s turn to fly away before coming back
at a velocity that made Zenbaylan’s heart sing. Fellescend was strong, fast and
an excellent partner for this particular game.

They played until the councilor passed out. Then they waited
until he revived and played some more. The morning wore on and the sun was high
in the sky before Fellescend’s enthusiasm outstripped their prey’s capacity for
physical stress.

In the excitement of discovering a new game, he sent a “watch
this” thought to Zenbaylan and she dutifully hovered, her eyes fixed firmly on
her mate. Fellescend threw the councilor in the air and, in an impressive act
of dragon agility, twisted his body and used his heavily muscled tail as a bat.
The wet, crunchy sound of bones shattering was immensely satisfying. But when
Willersby’s body disintegrated in a splatter of arms, legs and guts, Zenbaylan
had to admit to a degree of disappointment. Once he’d stopped sniveling and
begging, he’d been rather fun and she’d been hoping they could drag out their
play a little longer.

Fellescend flew close and hovered, rubbing snout to snout in
dragon apology. Zenbaylan thought about flaming him, just a bit, but her mood
was too good to inflict even a minor punishment on her mate. As far as she was
concerned, their primary task of avenging their pet had been successfully
completed and the fun had just been a bonus.

Rubbing against Fellescend neck to neck to reassure him all
was well, she sent him an image of the lake. They needed to bathe before they
went home because, while their Enforcers might appreciate the blood and gore,
their pet would find it distressing.

In a good mood despite their foreshortened playtime,
Zenbaylan and Fellescend swooped, danced and rolled together in the air as they
made their way to Sapphire Lake. The sun was out, Zenbaylan’s possessions were
tucked safely in their bed in the den, and her mate had a wicked twinkle in his
eye.

She heaved a sigh of satisfaction and wallowed in the
happiness that was her world.