Alexa's Dragon (Dragon mates Book 1), page 18
Syn lowered his hands taking the chance of redemption off the table. With one smooth move, he shot a ball of power at the two Selins driving them apart.
They laughed. “You can’t even aim in a straight line.”
Alexa was on them understanding that Syn had driven them apart. She took the one on the left driving him into the wall with a blast of power he hadn’t been expecting. He recovered quickly to dart away but she followed him.
Her follow up was a two-prong attack, one catching him in the shoulders while the other caught him in the leg. She wanted to go in to finish him off but her power whispered no and spun her body back. She listened, conceding movement to it. A blast of blackness came for them. Their quick movements allowed them to escape it.
Taking a moment, she thanked her power for its quick thinking. They were pressed against a wall eyeing the Selins, wondering if it had another blast where that first one came from. Her power was busily reinforcing her shields to be able to stand a blast of that magnitude.
A Selin stood, a smile of victory on his face as he rolled a ball of blackness in his hands caressing it like it was his favorite pet.
“All I have to do is get rid of you, mate of the dragon and it’s all over.”
Alexa eyed that ball of power in his hands the one that should scare her down to her socks but there was something about it that felt familiar.
“Where are you drawing your power from, Selin?”
“That is ruler of the high council to you!”
“Whatever.”
“Why don’t you find out for yourself.” He threw a ball of power at her causing her to jump out of its way as it dented the wall and caused a small leak.
She looked at the leak. They must still be in the lake and not on some other plane. That could work in her favor. Turning her head, she watched Syn; he looked like he was about to put the other Selin down. She needed to work faster.
The next time he threw that ball of power, she opened her arms to embrace it pulling every last bit of it from him before catching it in a different shield.
His scream wrenched her attention from the ball as he went down his body aging as he sagged to his death in front of her. The shield holding the ball of power enlarged until the blackness drifted away and her parents stood before her.
Her mother’s hand went to the shield and she smiled at her before she passed out.
“You saved your parents.”
“How did I do it?”
“You were in tune with them even though you didn’t know it. The power inside you is now in tune with them just like you’re in tune with me.” He reached down and kissed her.
“Is it over?”
“Not even close. Let’s wake your parents and send them out before we go to meet Mutufa.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
Her parents were alive, and right now they were blinking up at her with surprised eyes. Syn was helping her mother stand while her father was still totally disorientated.
“He used his power to amplify mine,” her mother’s soft voice said as she reached down to caress her husband’s face.
“Ray?” There was such love in her voice.
“Love?” Her father looked around as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“We’re free. Lex did it, love.”
“Lexy,” her father’s stronger voice rang out, hope slowly seeping into it.
“Your free, Dad.” She ran into his arms and held him tightly. “We did it, Mom. Not just me, but Syn and I together.”
Her dad set her gently away and then sprang up to his feet. He was unsteady but he was going to make it.
“We have to stop Mutufa before he breaks free.”
“Dad, you and Mom need to get to safety and let Syn and I take care of this.”
“Mr. Graham,” Syn broke in smoothly. “You’ve done your part but now we need to do ours and Alexa won’t be able to concentrate if she’s worried about both of you.”
“He’s right, Ray, and you know it,” her mother said with a wry smile. “Let’s go check out the mountain and pick out our rooms.
Syn’s eyes flew to Alexa’s and he bit back a groan at the joy in her eyes.
“I know, you’re right,” Ray took his wife’s hand. “Be careful, Lexy and you also.”
“His name is Syn, Dad and I’ll be sure he’s careful.”
Ray muttered under his breath as he pulled his wife towards the bridge. Alexa raised a shield around them and watched until she saw them touch dry land.
“Mace and Zeno will take care of them,” Syn said. She nodded and turned to face the door.
“What can we expect when we go through that door?”
“There’s no telling. I expect we will be on a different plane. Will it be a spiritual plane? I doubt it. But I don’t expect anything good.”
“Perfect, for a minute I thought he might take it easy on us.”
“Alexa, do you like me calling you that or would you prefer Lex or Lexy?”
“I like when my parents call me Lex or Lexy. I love when you call me Alexa, especially when your head’s buried between my legs.”
“Woman, stop that. I’ll have the hard on from hell while I’m trying to fight.”
She laughed, the sound enchanting him. “Then why don’t we finish it already so I can take care of you.”
“Hush or we’ll never make it through that door.”
She tossed him a sassy smile before flattening her back against the wall and waiting as he pushed the door open. Nothing rushed out at them, so they cautiously moved through the door with Syn in the lead.
Evil. It took everything she had not to lose the contents of her stomach and of course, it helped that she hadn’t eaten since yesterday. If evil had a smell or a feel this would be it. An inky blackness crawled up her spine trying to bore into the base of her skull. Chanting that wouldn’t go away infiltrated her mind and all she wanted to do was take her dagger and plunge in in her own heart, anything to get her away from feeling like her body was being pulled apart at the seams.
“Alexa,” his deep voice cut through the confusion warring inside of her.
“Syn?”
“Fight, Love. Mutufa is trying to disorient you. Don’t let him. Fight.”
She opened her eyes, surprised to find that they had been shut, to see Syn already fighting, dodging power strikes and swords as he protected her from an enemy bent on killing. The space they were in changed, opening up but still it was dark and deadly. Part of the spiritual realm seeping into the realm of the living.
Alexa twisted, catching the form on Syn’s side in its gut as she tried to sidle past and catch the one behind her unawares.
“What do we have to do?”
“Nothing hard; we get through here and then make our way to the next door and shut it, keeping Mutufa on the other side and us on this side. It’s the only thing I will see that will work for now.”
“Glad it’s that easy.” She gave a chuckle as she brought down her knife into the chest of the form that ran at her trying to intimidate her.
They backed up giving her a chance to take a breath. She looked down to find she was standing in a river of blood. She lifted a leg to find it clinging to her boot.
It’s just an illusion, she assured herself even as she watched it writhe around her as it began to climb up her body. Wild eyes swung to Syn only to see him look down with a frown on his face. She raised her knife and tried cutting it off, but another strand reached up and closed around her arm and brought it tight to her body.
It was covering her and she knew what it wanted. It could take her down, submerge her in the lake of blood then she would be lost, paralyzed, unable to help herself. She struggled to move. Her body refused the simplest of commands. She shut down her mental pathways to Syn, an unreasonable fear entered her making her think the blood could get into her mind and simply take over, or worse hurt Syn.
At least her parents were free, though not for long. If she went down, they didn’t stand a chance but unlike her and Syn, maybe they would get to say goodbye to each other. She pulled out every moment with Syn, going over them cataloging them one last time. The muscles in her face tried to smile although she resisted.
It had been worth it. Dying here now would be worth the minutes, hours and days she had gotten to spend with him. She simply wished they had more time together.
“Are you done yet?” Her power asked in a lazy voice.
“Oh there you are when I looked for you I couldn’t find you.”
“I needed to find us a way out of here.”
“Well?”
“You’re not going to like it.”
“I think you and I are going to have a long talk when we get free, but right now we’re headed to our death. What have you got for me?”
“You have to do a total merge with Syn which makes you vulnerable in all the ways you thought, but it’s our only chance. If we combine our powers, like they were meant to be, we can fry whatever is on us.”
“He’s dead if we don’t. Worse than dead because whatever this is will drag him straight to Mutufa.”
“I know. Relax.”
Easier said than done. Alexa took a deep breath then stopped fighting against the blood trying to cover her body. She felt it climb her faster but all she could do was concentrate on opening her mind up to her mate bonded. The desire to touch him, even if it was the last time, was a demand she could no longer hide from.
The feeling of being stuck in her own head frustrated her. Syn wasn’t picking up, or maybe he couldn’t, so she built a bridge with thoughts of him. The first time she met him at her parents’ house. A slow smile built. His feeding her meat. She grimaced a little even though she now devoured the stuff like her life depended on it because it did.
The first time he met Nadia. Last, but definitely not least, was what he did to her body, stringing out her pleasure, making her scream then beg and yeah scream again. Her mate bonded. She loved him.
“Alexa.” His voice reached her with such love her knees almost buckled.
“Syn, we have to merge.”
“I know, love, but it will be dangerous.”
“Because right now were having a picnic.”
“My mate bonded with the bad sense of humor. Love, I have to bond with you, this will allow your power to be in control.”
She could hear the question in his voice. They had bonded before but always in his mind with his thought and memories at the forefront never hers. This would be the very last barrier that stood between them.
“You are welcome in my mind, Syn.” She felt his smile then he moved over mentally until he was in her mind.
Warmth caressed her body, for a minute she felt like she could breathe if the bands holding her still weren’t as tight. For a minute. Then they tightened again but to have Syn filling her mind was a miracle worth dying for.
“I would rather we live for this one.” His words caressed her like his hands would on her body later.
“What do we do?”
“We let your power have reign over both of us now.”
“She is going to be insufferable to live with later.”
“At least we’ll be alive, I hope.”
Her power formed its original shape and slipped deep into Syn’s mind looking for something. It found some song in his mind and began to hum off key as it worked.
“We don’t have all day,” Alexa prodded gently.
“We do if we want this to work correctly.”
It went back to work treating Syn’s mind like it was a mine and it was trying to discover gold. When her power finally uncovered a shiny substance, she wasn’t at all surprised to see it looked like gold coins.
“What’s that?”
“That’s the seat of Syn’s abilities. It is what makes him a dragon shifter, something Mutufa could have never realized would happen. Her power stood there looking at it as if it was communicating with it before becoming a glowing red ball and merging with it.
Power coursed through her body. She could be or do anything, she was that strong. The chanting she heard earlier was back with seductive words that she could now understand.
“Join me, together we could rule the universe.” That seductive voice wrapped around her promising her every dream she ever had both innocent and vindictive.
She could right the wrong of her business, get back at those who made her life miserable. There was so much she could do. If only she could ignore the soft caress of the male who loved her completely.
Dragging herself away from vengeance, she told her power to set her free. A fire started deep in her bones, burning her up on the inside yet leaving her whole and strong. It spread outwards until it came in touch with the bands around her. There were screams of pain, none of them hers as the blood that was trying to kill her began to recoil.
It clung desperately in different spots as other spots loosened its grip unable to take the heat. It began to bubble as it burned. She locked her knees as it tried to take her down. Finally, it gave a last cry of pain and slithered off her.
She almost fell in it her relief was so great. Her mind was clear as Syn went back to his own head. Opening her eyes, she could see that he was free too. Looking down at their feet the river of blood was no longer there and nothing stood between them and that final door.
If only that final door was standing wide open in invitation.
“So, what’s the chance that we can close it from the outside?”
“Slim to none. But I like your spirit,” Syn answered allowing his eyes to take her in.
“That’s what I thought.” She moved towards the door catching a shadow. Her eyes couldn’t track but she knew she saw it.
“Syn, did you see that?”
He shook his head.
“Never mind maybe my eyes playing tricks on me.”
She scanned the area, but she didn’t see it again. Yet she was sure they weren’t alone. Could it be the mysterious figure helping Mutufa, the one they debated existed? Was this the proof that she needed?
It no longer mattered. They were standing in front of the door now all they had to do was enter.
Chapter Twenty-nine
They walked into nothingness. The entire plane was flat as if they were standing in a void. The figure that stepped out of the void took Alexa by surprise making her flinch before she got her reflexes under control.
“Welcome, mate bonded to the dragon. I have been expecting you.” Mutufa gave her a bow.
She cast her eyes to look at Syn who was measuring Mutufa with his.
“What a pleasant surprise,” Syn answered.
“Syn, I am glad to see you. Sorry about this welcome as well as your welcome a few weeks ago.”
“I understand. Good help is hard to find.”
“So true. I have everything in working order, Syn. All you have to do is bind your lovely mate, sacrifice her, and we can rule the world together. I was really hoping this would go the other way,” he shrugged, “but I will take what I can get.”
With a flick of his hands, the voice disappeared and he was indeed set up for a sacrifice. An altar appeared in front of him and bindings to use on Alexa. Did Mutufa really believe that he would sacrifice her?
“There are a couple of things I need to understand first.”
He gave Syn an indulgent look as the chanting started again. This time it was more frantic with an edge to it.
Alexa looked around. This had to be his final play. If he could convince her mate bonded to turn on her, he would have all the power he ever dreamed of.
Looking at Syn, she saw no sign of what he was thinking and she knew better than to try and merge with him. Mutufa was everywhere looking for weakness, if she gave him a way into Syn’s mind he would take it. She would have to trust her mate bonded.
“The cost for me to rule it all, at your side naturally, is my mate bondeds life? If I sacrificed her, wouldn’t I end up like my oldest brother?”
“There is an old saying ‘it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved.’ In your case that is true. Since you have mate bonded, when she dies you will still be whole and will avoid your brother’s fate.”
Why hadn’t anyone told her about that before she became one with Syn. Maybe he didn’t know about it either. Of course, maybe he knew and everything he told her was a lie. It was all one sided, she loved while he plotted.
“Look at her, Syn. She is beginning to realize that you and I have plotted this for centuries. You want so much more and once she is dead, you can have any female from any race you desire. You will be a king, after me of course.”
“Of course,” Syn’s voice came out wooden and his eyes were glassy. With uncoordinated movements, he began to walk towards Alexa.
“It has to be this way, Alexa. I’m sorry you were chosen to be my mate bonded and now you have to sacrifice your life for the good of the world. Actually, just for my good. I would have loved to get to know you after I ruled it all. But it wasn’t so bad was it? The days you spent tied to my bed with me drilling my power deeply into you, chanting over and over how you were mine.”
Has he lost his ever-loving dragon mind? She was never tied to his bed but now that she imagined it, she realized it could be fun. She shrugged, she’d read a few books that made her want to try it. Drilling his power in her while chanting, well that was one way to put it. Ohhh…really sometimes she was slow.
When he reached for her, her power tied them together. They lifted a hand in perfect union and drilled a bolt of power deep into Mutufa.
“Backwards,” Syn shouted.
Together they began to use Mutufa’s chant against him, saying it backwards. Slowly at first until the words became familiar and then faster.
Mutufa gave a scream of outrage; his body had been shadow, but now it was changing. It became thick and tall, two horns were curled against his skull.
“You could have had it all,” his voice came out like fire blasting over them. “Now you both will die.”
Maybe they would die but she wasn’t giving up hope yet. They moved backwards staying out of his reach as he belched fire worthy of a dragon. Syn moved away from her and his shape changed. In a blink of an eye, there stood his dragon. He went down on his forearms as she ran towards him and climbed his back.
