“We failed you on Earth. You have a second chance here, and we’re going to make sure we doona repeat the mistakes of the past.” Kendrick thought of Shaw and Cullen and their run-in with humans who now knew dragons had crossed onto their land. They seemed to be on the precipice of the war the twins, Brandr and Eurwen, had spent thousands of years ensuring never happened.
Could they keep such a promise and keep it at bay? Brandr and Eurwen had gone to great lengths to ensure the mortals stayed away from the dragons and vice versa. The twins hadn’t wanted any of the Kings on Zora initially—mostly because they had issues with their father, Constantine, King of Dragon Kings.
In the end, Eurwen had granted Con and the twins’ mother, Rhi, access to Zora. Kendrick wondered if Con and Rhi would have been allowed to come had Varek not been kidnapped and brought to the realm. In the end, their new adversary’s attack propelled the twins to agree to let some of the Kings help contain the situation.
It should’ve been easy. They should’ve caught the enemy quickly. But that didn’t happen. Mainly because the foe managed to make itself invisible. It was difficult to locate and defeat if no one could see it.
Kendrick hadn’t given up looking, though, and the twins had finally issued an open invitation to the realm. Which was a good thing since a few of his brethren had found their mates on this new world. Not to mention, Eurwen and Brandr would need help if the war did happen. Cullen and Shaw had done what they could to keep things from escalating, but those who ruled Stonemore were killing anyone with magic—especially children. Someone had to put a halt to it, and that’s what the Kings had done. Unfortunately, it hadn’t occurred covertly.
Kendrick grinned as his thoughts turned to happier subjects. Namely Varek and his warrior mate, Jeyra. “You should’ve seen the mating ceremony,” he told the Pink. “Or maybe you did. It was a spectacular event. If you missed it, you’ll have a chance to see others, I’m sure. Cullen and Tamlyn will eventually have their ceremony. My bet is that they’re next to make things official. Tamlyn is a Banshee. Did I tell you that already?”
The Pink rolled her eyes.
Kendrick held back his grin. “Ah. So I did. What about Shaw and Nia? She was held as a slave in Stonemore, a city built into the side of the mountain. I hear it’s quite a sight.” His smile vanished, thinking of the city that held so much blood and death. “That’s the last place Merrill was seen. He and Shaw went there to stop the humans from killing children with magic.”
There should’ve been more than two Kings at Stonemore. If there had been, someone would have been watching the other two’s backs in case something happened—which it had.
Kendrick opened his mental link again. “Merrill? Just let me know you’re all right, brother. Please.”
But like every day since Merrill had disappeared, there was no reply.
Kendrick glanced at the Pink to find her studying him. Just as he opened his mouth to talk, the Pink jerked her gaze away. Her entire body grew rigid as her look intensified. She slowly stood, a low growl emanating from her. Kendrick followed her line of sight. He saw nothing, no matter how hard he tried. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw what looked like a ripple.
It was just how Shaw, Brandr, and Eurwen had described the new enemy before it struck. Kendrick immediately got to his feet. It was here. His heart rate increased as anticipation rushed through him.
“I’ve got the bastard,” he murmured.
The Pink made a sound. Kendrick ignored her and shifted into his true form. He dove from the rock and spread his wings to soar toward the location. The Pink darted in front of him, her tiny wings flapping rapidly to keep up. When he didn’t heed her, she began bumping into him.
“I must,” he told her.
When she didn’t relent, he flew faster, leaving her behind. This adversary had caused enough harm. Someone needed to stop it. He was the closest. It would be foolish to wait for others and risk losing this enemy again.
Kendrick angled himself to see out of the corner of his eye. He flew back and forth over the area without seeing anything. Frustration churned in his stomach. Just as he was about to fly away, he saw the ripple again. This time, he wouldn’t let the entity get away.
Despite believing he had locked on to the adversary, Kendrick lost it a second time. He didn’t hesitate to act when he spotted it the third time. He dove to tackle it. He didn’t slow, even as he passed through the barrier of dragon land and moved into the human side of the territory. He would catch his opponent.
With his wings tucked against his body and the wind whipping past him in a rush, Kendrick released a breath of fire. It scorched the earth where he was sure the enemy had been. He was just circling back for a second attack when something slammed into him. The next thing he knew, he crashed into the ground in human form. Bones snapped at the force of the impact.
Kendrick hadn’t shifted, he was certain of that. He pushed up onto one elbow as the world spun and his bones knitted back together. His body…fuck. It hurt in ways he’d never experienced. The pain was so debilitating that he nearly passed out. He shook from the agony and the magic that had struck him. His stomach heaved, but he fought for control.
He shook his head to clear it, but that only made things worse. His enhanced hearing caught a whisper of a sound. Was it his enemy? Or a new one? It didn’t matter. He had to get up and face it. He got to his feet on unsteady limbs and called clothes to his nakedness. He staggered, doing everything he could to stay upright—which shouldn’t be so difficult.
Kendrick knew he wasn’t alone. His senses warned him that something was closing in, and fast. He kept his gaze on the horizon to combat the dizziness. That allowed him to concentrate on his peripheral vision to catch a glimpse of the enemy again.
This time, just as he braced for an attack from the side, the magic hit him square in the chest. The agony that radiated through Kendrick snatched his breath. He landed hard, something dark and cloying engulfing him before he knew what had happened. It felt as if something were invading his skin and trying to rip his muscles apart and shatter his bones systematically. With gritted teeth, he fought against the rising tide of pain.
Kendrick tried to shift again, but he couldn’t. The sheer terror that assaulted him made him panic for an instant. He then resorted to magic, fighting any way he could. Each time he started to heal, whatever had a hold of him struck again. Worse was the residual magic that lingered. He even thought he heard a laugh near his ear.
The enemy was on him, around him, and still, Kendrick couldn’t see what it was. He bellowed and released more magic. It was enough to get away from the entity. Kendrick knew it would return, but he would be upright when it did. It was getting harder and harder to stay on his feet, but he refused to fall.
He tried again to shift now that he was free of the foe’s energy. When he couldn’t, panic stole over him. Cullen had warned him about this. So had Brandr and Eurwen, but he hadn’t listened. He’d believed things would be different for him, and look where that had gotten him. He’d been too intent on taking down their adversary, and now, he would pay the price.
He felt a slight shift in the air. Kendrick looked out of the corner of his eye and saw the ripple once more. He dove to the side and then rolled to his feet. A grin split his face when he realized he’d dodged the assault. He turned to use his peripheral vision for the next attack. It came from above this time, pounding into him so hard that his legs buckled.