Alexa's Dragon (Dragon mates Book 1), page 6
“Take the seat off to my side.”
She looked to where Syn pointed and made her way to the seat strapping in.
“What’s happening?”
There were several gray clouds hanging in the sky that appeared to be moving with the plane. Was that possible? Had to be since it was happening and she could see it right before her. The aura of the clouds infiltrated the plane leaving a shroud of coldness and well as darkness hanging within. She had never seen such a phenomenon.
“Mutufa.” Syn said spitting out the name in disgust.
“How could he reach us up here?” Alexa asked watching the clouds.
“He’s working on the spiritual plane; he can reach us anywhere.”
She shook her head in denial. A quick look from under her lids allowed her to see that George was unfazed by what was happening.
“George,” she called quietly, unsure why he was so calm. He turned his head and she knew. He was one of the people that humans wouldn’t consider human, so he lived with Syn and the others who kept their part of the earth a secret.
“I was wondering why you didn’t appear to be shaken up over this turn of events. I now recognize you as one of the humans Syn told me about earlier.”
“I am. If I were to declare myself to your world, they would call me freak and study me, but they would never admit that I am human just from a different branch of the same tree.”
“You’re human?” His pupils were diamond shaped as his eyes expanded in his head.
“I’m just as human as you are.”
She chuckled; George had a sharp wit she knew she would like. He just linked his humanity with hers. Either she was or wasn’t human. Where did she stand on the evolution of man scale?
“I always found it interesting that man could believe in himself but could never conceive that if he existed, then the possibilities of something else, someone else living was there too.”
George nodded while doing a quick correction to their course.
The next blast that came directly from the clouds rolled their jet making Alexa scream as her stomach protested and she tried to hold down what she just ate.
She focused on the bright lights around her and the noises the plane made. The wings seemed to creak as they rolled back over. The body of the plane screamed its rage like it was alive and George clung to the control as if afraid to let them go.
“Syn, you may have to jump,” George said quietly.
She didn’t know if that was to keep her from knowing what was going on until the decision was made or did those clouds that seemed harmless a minute ago, have the power to hear everything he was saying?
“No. If we jump you’re dead and I won’t allow him to take another life.”
“How will you stop him? We’re in the air, even if you could fight the fight, you can’t win it up here.” George’s voice was resigned to his own death.
Alexa muttered in shock. How could he be willing to sacrifice his life for theirs without batting an eye?
“Our land, our security is based on the power of the dragons. We have already lost one brother; if we lose a second one, it will only be a matter of time before our world falls or is exposed to your world. Even though it would be the end of life as we know it, it will be worse for your world. If the four brothers who originally contained Mutufa fall, then he and his followers will escape. My world will be destroyed and yours will wish it was destroyed.”
“George is right, but to leave one of my people as a sacrifice to Mutufa will not help us. He will use George’s blood and his essence to grow stronger. If we are not careful, soon he will be able to inhabit a human body for small portions of time when he escapes the other plane.”
Alexa nodded. “Then what do we do?” Her voice was hard with resolve, she wouldn’t run and she wouldn’t let another sacrifice his life so she could live. Instead, she would fight with all she possessed.
“We fight. George is right; we can’t fight him using our physical power up here, but we can take the fight to him.”
“Meaning?”
“Remember how you dreamed of being chased and you believed if he caught you it was final?”
“You were right because you were in the spiritual realm not the realm of dreams. What happens in the spiritual realm is final. That’s where we have to go to fight him.”
“We can put an end to him?
“No, he is already spirit, there is no body to kill. All we can do is disorient him and send him further into the realm.”
“Then how do we get rid of him for good?”
“The door has to be resealed. There are only three of us now and without the fourth, we are weak. Even with my fourth brother we are too weak to ultimately get rid of him, we must get stronger.” He looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes. “Forty-eight hours ago I despaired, believing that we would never grow stronger. Now I have hope.”
Syn stood and helped Alexa out of her seat. “George, keep the plane as steady as you can.”
He looked at Alexa and gave her a sexy grin. “Looks like I will be getting you into that bed after all.” He led her out of the cockpit.
“Why are we going to your mile-high bedroom?”
“We are much higher than a mile in the air.”
“I know, it’s a thing—you know when people get together on planes—umm in the bathroom and…never mind.” Her cheeks were on fire. When had she become a prude or did she simply get flustered when he was around?
“I think I want to know all about these people and planes. It may be something we wish to do.”
The plane rolled under their feet causing Alexa to stumble. Syn caught her and finished leading her into the bedroom. It was splendid, done in light wood with just a little metal in it. The combination made it look like old money with a hint of new interspaced throughout the room.
The bed was king sized and took up a good portion of the wall. It looked soft and inviting. She eyed Syn as he took a moment to take off his shoes.
“Come on, we may as well be as comfortable as possible.”
“We’re going to go to sleep?”
“I am going to put us in the spiritual realm. Wait for me before you begin to explore.”
She nodded and crossed to the bed bending over to place her shoes next to his. She liked seeing them sitting there together. She wiped that silly thought away and climbed onto the bed resting on her back. Syn got in and moved close to her allowing her to feel his heat.
He reached over and took her hand. “Breathe, Alexa. Close your eyes; when you wake you will be in the land of spirits, mystery, and mayhem.”
“Oh my,” she whispered, closing her eyes.
Chapter Nine
Alexa opened her eyes to have her senses bombarded by color. Her mind swirled with colors that were too impossible to exist. She closed her eyes, gripping her head feeling the beginnings of a headache.
“I got you. Keep your eyes closed.”
Relief poured through her when she felt Syn take her hands leading her away from where she was standing.
“Just a little further.” The comfort of his voice wrapped around her.
They came to a stop that allowed her brain to stop trying to ooze out of her ears.
“You can open your eyes now.”
Carefully she squinted, looking around for the dizzying spectrum of colors to attack her.
“Believe it or not, that was the welcome wagon for the souls who have earned peace.”
“There was nothing peaceful about that.”
“That’s because you’re still alive. If you were no longer attached to your body, being surrounded by that light would have made you feel better and it would have led you to your new home. Your human body, which is still on the plane, couldn’t handle the intensity of the welcome. Now that you’re no longer in the landing point, you will acclimate.”
She gave a shaky smile. “What do the souls that haven’t earned peace get?”
Syn turned her around and pointed. Off to one side was an area that was dim with the flattest grays and blacks she ever saw. Just looking at it from where she was standing was enough to put her in a funk. Averting her eyes, she shuddered.
“Not a nice welcome.”
“They’re not nice souls.”
Alexa nodded and looked around the landscape. “Where do we have to go to find Mutufa and deal with what he is doing to the plane?”
The colors that were blinding her became more muted the longer she blinked her eyes and stayed still. The plane she was on was beautiful; there was a comfort that touched her soul and made her ache to call it home. It seemed to appeal to a basic part of her. This place was her own special place—it felt like home.
There was green grass underneath her feet with rolling hills further away. If she thought of an ocean a hint of one appeared. It was like this place—this plane was whatever she wanted it to be.
“He and the others are across the great divide.”
“Syn, that sounds like a serious journey.”
“It is, but I have a solution. I can change into my dragon form and you can ride. We will be there in a matter of minutes.”
“I thought your dragon would try to mate with me if you changed.”
“Normally yes, but not here. He would not challenge Eternity. No one would dare to challenge her here in her personal domain. You will be safe, but he will press harder after having felt you, to have me take you or to change and take you himself.”
She looked at him weighing his words. If his shadow was indication of his dragon’s size, it was large. That was something she didn’t want coming after her. There was a niggle of warning in the back of her mind. How could she fight Syn off in dragon form? Fortunately, some small part of her trusted Syn. He would never allow his dragon to hurt her. She couldn’t justify the trust after only two days, but it was there.
“Ok change.”
“Are you sure?”
She smiled at him. “I trust you to keep me safe from your dragon.”
He gave her a look that made her feel soft all over before backing up to change. She waited as he kept putting space between them until it looked like he was a football field away.
There was a shimmer over the outline of his body and then he was gone. In his place stood a dragon that seemed to be at least fifty feet long. Her mouth dropped in awe. He was magnificent. His body was gold with scales that shimmered red in the sun.
Carefully she approached him. There were long feathers on his wings covering the scales. She stopped not wanting to get too close. He lowered his head and then lowered his front legs. Taking it as a signal to get closer, she moved talking softly not knowing if he could still understand her or not. She should have asked.
The wonder of this moment made her rethink her life. She spent so much time blending in instead of celebrating her uniqueness. Syn never blended in, not even when he went to Nadia’s restaurant. He was simply who he was. He practically shouted he was different and allowed everyone else to come to their own conclusions.
She came closer and hesitated before she reached her hand out and touched him. He was warm and soft. A smile brightened her face. This was a perfect moment. The colors around her were bright only heightening the beauty of the dragon before her. There was a soft wind that rustled her hair. Placing both hands on him, she enjoyed his heat and the feather touch of his body.
“You approve?”
She jumped back almost falling. “You can talk?”
“I can.”
“How? I mean how can you talk and still spit fire? Do you spit fire?”
“Stand behind me.”
She moved making sure she was well behind his wings. He stood and turned his head straight ahead. He opened his mouth and fire burst forth singeing the top of the grass.
“I can spit fire. I can talk, what I can’t do is kiss you, but I want to.”
“If you do that you will kill me and then we will never see if we could mate.”
“We will mate. You will howl with pleasure as I take you, stretching you wide to accommodate me.”
“You’re sure of yourself.”
“I smell your desire. We belong together, and you know it.”
“Will you…”
“You know I will not. The male has already told you this and you told him you trusted him. Remember mate, the male was first and always will be.”
He lowered his body once again. “Climb on, we don’t have much time.”
She tucked his words away and began the journey of climbing onto his wide back that stood several feet above the ground. He patiently waited instructing her what to do and how to hold on once she was seated.
“Don’t let go.” That was the only warning before he stood and his wings gave a heavy flap and air replaced the ground beneath his feet.
Her grip tightened as she chanted ‘please don’t fall’ over again. The further up they flew the looser her grip became. There were no bumps or unexpected dips. His pace was steady and the ride was easy. She loved the feel of the warmth seeping into her body from his.
“How is your first ride?”
“I love it.” She felt like a queen riding the back of her winged steed. The one who would turn into a wickedly handsome man and ravish her later in the woods. To many fairy tales for me. She laughed at her thoughts.
Her body shook. “What’s happening?”
“The attack on the plane has increased. Mutufa must have realized we are bringing the fight to him. Hold on tighter.”
He rose higher moving swiftly. His wings caught the current that seemed to be moving faster as his urgency mounted. Alexa lowered her body until she was laying on him, her breasts pressed against the warmth of his back. Syn gave a laugh of pure joy as they flew through the air. The bright colors began to recede as more gray took over the sky.
“Syn, are we almost there?”
“Just a few more minutes”
The shadows in the land grew more menacing as they moved along. The air grew colder. Alexa took a breath and choked as the air hit her lungs making it hard to breathe.
“Hold on, Alexa.”
They went through a barrier. She could feel the cold hands reaching, leaching the warmth from her skin, begging for her death. The penalty, they whispered for crossing into a place she didn’t belong. They pulled on her calling her name, laughing with a frenzy. A hand caught her hair yanking it. She lost her grip on Syn and fell.
Death rushed up to meet her, paralyzing her body as she tumbled towards the ground. Her life didn’t flash before her eyes. Yet every regret and every road not taken seemed to visit her in the precious minutes she had left. If she could do it again she promised herself she would take the road less traveled, she would be the heroine of her own story if only she could do it again. Goodbye Syn, Nadia and my parents.
She hit the ground the air exploding out her lungs. Her lungs worked? She was alive? Her hands patted her body. Her eyes opened, she was on the back of her dragon.
“You didn’t think I would let you go that easily.”
Throwing her arm open wide, she hugged Syn and placed small kisses on the back of his neck. Dragon or not she was happy to see him and even happier to be alive.
“You saved me.”
“Of course I did. You’re my mate; no one else can have you.”
He lowered until he was standing on the ground. She slid of his back onto shaky legs.
“What now?” she whispered not wanting to bring attention to them.
“We defeat them.”
‘Them’ were two tall black shadows. They stood around eleven feet tall with long knives in their hands.
“How does a shadow hold a knife?”
Syn took a look at them before stating, “with extreme proficiency.” He backed up and in a fluid movement his shape changed.
“A kiss for luck?”
She shook her head. “A kiss after we defeat them.” Her heart thundered as she looked at them. More shadows like what chased her in her nightmares.
“I’m holding you to your word.” He sat down and yawned.
“What are you doing?” How could he be yawning when all she wanted to do was run?
“Taking a small rest. Flying around can be hard work.”
He closed his eyes and leaned back on his hands while letting out another long yawn. A shadow rushed him while he was relaxing. Without opening his eyes, he rolled backwards using his arms to push him up and landed on his feet.
“Un-sportsman like conduct. I wonder if that was what put you here in the first place.” He kicked out catching the shadow firmly with his foot and knocking him backwards.
He drew a long staff out of the air, countering slashes of the knife in the second shadows hand.
“A little help would be nice.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Tap into a little of your magic and blast a hole into the shadows.”
“Right, because I know how to do that.”
She moved back further behind him and began trying to explore her power. She went deep and found her lump of coal. It seemed smaller somehow. Taking it in her hand again she called forth white power and waited.
“Alexa,” he called, letting her know it was a nice try.
“I’m almost there.” She was clueless, but he didn’t have to know that.
She opened her eyes to see his movements slowing down. Closing them tight again, she focused her mind. Syn didn’t have much time left. ‘Heroine of my own story’ she chanted. Power hummed through her hand as colors once again assaulted her. Quickly she sorted through them and grabbed the white thread. Pulling it to her eyes, she opened them and shot two beams of white light cutting into the two shadows attacking Syn. They fell on the ground before they withered away.
Her body crumpled.
Chapter Ten
“You can’t pretend to be asleep forever.”
Noise pounded inside her brain disturbing her peace and quiet. She turned her head slightly away from it. With a sigh, she stole deeper into her world.
“Really is the thought of kissing me again that bad?”
