Dead Sexy Dragon

Chapter Six

WHAT?” The knife fell from her hand and clattered onto the butcher block. Cora tried to touch her back but couldn’t get her fingers into the right position. She silently cursed her decision to give up on yoga all those years ago. Flexibility would have been a plus right about now.

Desperate to see the scales, she rushed out of the kitchen and took the stairs two at a time, using the banister for balance. She skidded into the bathroom and ripped off her shirt. Craning her neck to see over her shoulder, Cora screamed at the horror reflected in the mirror.

Large, orange, diamond-shaped scales looked to be spreading across her shoulder. The skin surrounding the scaly patch was red and irritated. How long before her entire back was covered in the leathery hide?

“Calm down.” Stig’s voice carried his fear and uncertainty even as he tried to help her.

“Calm down?” Cora shrieked in panic. “There’s no calming down, Stig. I am freaking the fuck out right now. I have scales on my back!”

He took a step forward and engulfed her in his embrace. She collapsed against his solid chest and held tight. His heart raced, the thumping pulse beating wildly against her ear. The fact that he was also scared terrified her.

“What’s happening to me, Stig?”

“I don’t know,” he reluctantly admitted. With a heavy sigh, he released her and put a little distance between them. He rubbed his face the way he did when he was upset and uncertain. “I never thought something like this would happen to you. Had I known, I never would have let you stay last night.”

Cora’s thoughts shifted to the prior evening. She remembered his discomfort at her presence and the way he kept trying to get her to leave. She’d flirted with danger and this was the consequence.

“It never crossed my mind that mating with a mortal woman during the phase would cause her to change.” Worry lines creased his face. He grimaced and kneaded his temples. “God, Cora, I am so sorry.”

Her stomach knotted and her worst fear took hold. “Am I going to die?”

Her voice was barely a whisper but it got Stig’s attention. “No!” He rushed to haul her close again. “You’re not going to die but you’re going to change. It’s happened to clavigers throughout the ages. They start to show dragon signs during a mating watch and eventually make the transformation.” He grew quiet for a moment. “It never occurred to me they made the change because of love.”

Soon she’d sprout wings, a tail, and talons to go with the scales. What would happen to her old life? Would she live forever? What if something happened to Stig? She’d seen the scars on his body. The work he did with the Brotherhood was dangerous. What if he was killed by one of those Knights? The idea of facing an eternity as a dragon without Stig at her side sent her into a panic.

Her mind raced with questions. She loved Stig, of that she was absolutely sure, but the thought of becoming a dragon terrified her. What else would happen to her body? If she became immortal, would she lose the ability to have children? Her heart sank at the thought. She’d always wanted to have lots and lots of chubby little babies.

And no doubt she’d be forced to leave behind her friends. She’d seen Stig’s mementos. All those different places and different faces. He never stayed anyplace very long. She supposed people became suspicious when he failed to age. The same would happen to her.

Panic took an even stronger hold. She fought to breathe. Her throat tightened. Sweat poured from her skin. She couldn’t see straight.

“Cora!” Stig took hold of her shoulders and gave her a firm shake.

Through teary eyes, she met his pained gaze. She gulped and shook her head. “I don’t think I can do this.”

His expression crumpled into one of agony and sadness. Her heart broke at the sight. She wanted to say everything was going to be okay, that becoming a dragon was just fabulous, but she couldn’t lie to Stig, especially about something this important.

“I’m not ready for eternity, Stig.” She spoke so softly the words barely registered in her own ears. By the way Stig’s jaw clenched, Cora knew he’d heard her very clearly.

“Then you need to go. Now.” There was no anger or hostility in his voice. It was even and almost void of emotion. “I’ll make the change soon and you can’t be here. My dragon will never let you leave. Go to the hotel in town. I’ll send someone for you, someone who can help you with this.”

Cora’s stomach lurched. This was it. It was all over.

She swallowed hard and nodded. “All right.”

There was no time to pack. The sun already dipped along the horizon. Cora threw some things into her backpack and grabbed her purse. She couldn’t meet Stig’s wounded gaze as she passed him in the hallway. His familiar scent ignited something so primal in her core. She fought the urge to throw down her things and launch herself at him.

Walking out of the house was one of the hardest things she’d ever done, almost as hard as burying her brother and grandmother within weeks of one another. She tossed her things into the backseat of her car and then lingered behind her open driver’s side door. Her gaze moved to Stig, who stood on the porch, arms crossed, face hard as stone. She desperately wanted to feel the warmth of his embrace one last time but she couldn’t tempt fate. If he held her again, she might never leave his side.

With a gut-wrenching sob, Cora slid into the driver’s seat and slammed her door. She turned the ignition and buckled her seat belt. By the time she looked up, Stig had already disappeared into his house. He was probably running down the basement stairs as she backed out of the driveway and headed for the main road. The thought of Stig spending yet another night alone in the cold, dank cell made her positively sick.

Cora stomped the gas. She had to put as much distance between Stig and herself as quickly as possible. The knowledge she’d hurt Stig soured her belly. The guilt and shame were almost too much to bear. That she’d allowed fear to rule her actions was disheartening.

The longer Cora drove, the more she regretted her decision. She desperately loved Stig, loved him so much it hurt. Yet what was she doing? She was racing at breakneck speed away from the man who had given her the security for which she’d yearned for so long.

She spotted a highway sign. She was halfway to town. The prospect of spending a night alone in a hotel made her feel so empty. She wanted to be with Stig. She needed to be with him.

“What the fuck am I doing?” Cora’s foot lifted off the gas pedal. The car slowed a bit as she realized the full ramifications of her choices. If she kept driving, if she spent the night in town, the bond she shared with Stig would shatter. There would be no second chance.

She hit the brakes and brought the car down to a manageable speed. She checked her rearview mirror and the road ahead before whipping a U-turn. Her foot depressed the accelerator and she raced to meet highway speed again. She had to get to Stig.

Would he take her back? Her heart fell at the thought he might not want her anymore. She’d betrayed his trust and love. He’d told her his darkest secret. He’d been willing to go against the Brotherhood to have her, his human lover, and she’d stomped on his heart because she’d sprouted a few scales.

Cora wiped her wet cheeks and sniffed loudly. If Stig turned her away, she’d die. Deep down inside, she knew without a doubt their bond was special. When she’d touched him, when she’d turned him into something awesome and exceptional, they’d created a unique bond. Cora could only speculate as to the depths of the mating bond between dragons. She sensed Stig didn’t truly understand it either but instinct told her it was powerful.

The sight of headlights in the rearview mirror startled her. This wasn’t a busy road, so the beams took her by surprise. After the initial sighting, she didn’t pay them much attention until they seemed to be getting closer and closer, faster and faster.

Cora’s eyebrows drew together. Why was that SUV driving so fast? She considered pulling onto the shoulder to let it pass but it was already dark and she feared hitting a deer. At any rate, the shoulder was incredibly narrow and there was a short bridge up ahead. It would be far too dangerous to attempt.

She gripped the steering wheel as the speeding SUV drew incredibly close. She expected a turn signal to pop on any second to alert her to the car’s intention to pass but it never came. The SUV got closer and then, without warning, slammed into the back of her car.

Cora let loose a string of expletives as her body lurched forward and snapped back. She barely kept her car on the road. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel. Adrenaline spilled into her bloodstream, igniting her fight-or-flight response. It took her a millisecond to realize what was happening.

The men who held her brother’s debts and burned down her bakery had caught up with her.

Fear struck her heart. Cora floored the gas but it was no use. The SUV revved up again and crashed into her bumper. Her head flung forward and almost whacked the steering wheel. The seat belt tightened and snapped her back again. Her neck stung painfully from the wild movement. She managed to straighten the wheel and keep her car in its lane.

Could she do it again? Cora sincerely doubted it.

There was no time to think. The SUV clipped the side of her car and sent her spinning. She hit the brakes but it was no use. Everything happened so fast. She couldn’t see a damn thing. She spun out of control before slamming into something. A guardrail? She couldn’t be sure. Whatever it was, the impact launched her car into the air.

Cora shrieked and held tight to the wheel. Suddenly she was upside down. The backpack in the backseat flew forward and whacked her headrest. The contents of her purse exploded and splattered her face. Makeup, a cell phone, her wallet, emergency tampons—they were like confetti in the front seat.

And then the car smashed into the ground. It rolled down some kind of embankment. Glass shattered in her face. Metal crunched. There was intense pressure along her left arm and leg.

Then everything stopped. The seat belt snapped tight against her body and cut into her neck. Cora dangled upside down in her seat. Excruciating pain ripped through her arm and thigh. It was so dark she couldn’t see what had happened to her limbs. Had they been broken by the rolling? Probably.

Cora tried to release her seat belt with her good hand but it wouldn’t let loose. She was stuck and fading fast. Her head throbbed fiercely. Unconsciousness was only seconds away.

And there were shouting voices drawing close.

Chained in his cell, Stig experienced a roller coaster of emotions. He switched from a sensation of utter despondence to self-loathing and then pure fear. His dragon body vibrated with panic. It took him a moment to realize the wild emotions weren’t his own. They belonged to Cora.

And she was terrified.

He closed his eyes and embraced the alien feelings coursing through him. Their burgeoning mate bond transmitted her emotions straight to him. There was no doubt. Cora was in extreme danger.

Stig cried out as searing pain tore through his arm and leg. Cora was hurt and afraid. Something had happened to her. A car accident? Or something worse.

As he tugged at his restraining chains, Cora’s problems with the debts and the drug running burst to the forefront of his mind. They’d been so wrapped up in the newness of their love and overwhelming lust that her problems had completely escaped him. Disgusted with himself, Stig jerked on the chains again. Even in his dragon form, he couldn’t muster the strength to bust them.

Cora’s questions about his lack of claviger sprang to mind. She’d asked about his backup plans. Talk about prophetic…

His inner beast still considered Cora his one and only mate. Stig’s human mind tried to deny her but it was impossible. She’d walked out on him and yet he still loved her. No matter how far Cora ran, they were two halves of a whole. He’d die for her. In this, his beast was in complete agreement.

Stig snorted violently. His wings ached for release. He had to get free of his bonds. He had to save Cora.

Without a second thought, Stig called forth his fire-breathing ability and torched the chain attached to his left wrist. They superheated in an instant and scalded his leathery skin. The hide blistered around his wrist. He bit back against the pain. It was a small price to pay for Cora’s life.

By the time he reached the final chain, Stig’s limbs ached painfully. He didn’t want to think about how long it would take for the wounds to heal. He hoped they wouldn’t prove a vulnerability if he had to fight.

Finally, the last chain snapped free. The hot cuffs still burned his skin. A few links dangled from them like some kind of bizarre jewelry. Stig sucked in a cooling breath. As his lungs inflated, the acrid smoke cleared his nasal passages and throat. The taste would linger in his mouth for hours.

Stig raced upstairs, knocking his wings and tail on the staircase and ceiling. He crashed through his kitchen and living room. Whatever was broken could be replaced or fixed. He didn’t even bother with the front door. He turned his face and slammed into it. Wood and glass splintered in all directions.

He ran down the front steps and sprinted across the driveway. With a flex of his shoulders, Stig’s wings burst forth. They immediately caught the wind. As he ran, Stig flapped his wings and in no time at all lifted from the ground. The cool night air whistled against his ears as he gained height and speed.

Zeroing in on the pulse of Cora’s fear, Stig altered his course. The longer he was in the air, the fainter Cora’s radiating emotions felt. It stirred a primal fear in him. Was she dying?

The thought made him sick. He flapped faster, pulling his body tight and aerodynamic. Shaving off a few seconds of flight time could mean the difference between Cora’s life or her death. The glow of headlights came into view. He dropped altitude and swerved toward what looked to be a parked SUV. His hawklike gaze zeroed in on another set of beams pointing at an awkward angle.

Cora’s car was upside down in a ditch.

There were two men standing outside the car. One of them had something thrown over his shoulder—a body, Cora’s body.

Enraged, Stig rocketed toward the ground. The sound of his incoming landing ripped through the stillness of the night. There would be no stealth in his attack. Head down, he embraced his primal side and unleashed his inner beast with a terrible shriek.

Down below, the bastards trying to kill Cora snapped to attention. Their faces contorted in pure horror. Stig got a twisted sense of pleasure from that sight. The goon holding Cora got smart and tried to bolt. He threw her on the ground like a sack of trash and took off toward the embankment. Stig careened to the right and swiped the fleeing man with his taloned feet. A scream erupted from his throat and he tumbled back down the embankment.

With one goon rolling on the ground in pain and bleeding profusely, Stig switched his attention to the other man. To his surprise, the man pulled a gleaming dao sword from within the folds of his long black coat. He stepped into the moonlight and Stig got an even better look at the single-edged blade. There were very familiar markings on the metal. A memory of a drawing of that sword in one of the books Reynard kept in the Archives sprang to mind.

Stig’s stomach clenched. A Knight. How the hell had Cora gotten mixed up with the Knights? Or was it something else? Was she just a pawn? And Hector too?

He’d sort out the specifics later. Right now, he had to save Cora.

Stig hovered at a distance. If he hit the ground, he’d lose that edge on his opponent. His gaze swept over the sword-wielding man. This Knight clearly knew what he was doing.

The slayer made a break for Cora, who was still slumped unconscious on the grass. Stig didn’t waste a second. He snorted a violent burst of fire. The slayer skidded to a halt mere inches from the roiling flames. The wall of fire pushed him away from Cora. Stig considered rushing down and snatching her up but couldn’t be sure how her touch might affect his ability to defend them. He’d lost his dragon hide last night, which would come in handy facing off with a well-armed Knight.

The sound of gunshots snapped in the darkness. Stig had been so wrapped up in making sure Cora was safe that he’d taken his eyes off the dragon slayer long enough for the man to pull his weapon. A silver harpoon sliced through Stig’s left wing. Metal teeth exploded from the head of the lance, ripping through the thin membranes and hooking onto one of the bony veins supporting his wings.

Stig tried to grasp the offending projectile but the slayer yanked hard on the trailing line and tore through the length of Stig’s wing. The burning pain ripped a hideous scream from his throat. Try as he might, Stig couldn’t stay airborne. His good wing flapped futilely. He turned his focus to making the best landing possible.

With a thunderous boom, Stig slammed into the unyielding ground. The air rushed from his lungs and left him dizzy. But he couldn’t nurse his wounds. He had to get up. He had to fight to protect Cora.

Stig clambered to his feet. The slayer struck just as he rose on shaky limbs. The tip of his blade slashed through Stig’s chest and punctured the gas sac that allowed his breed to breathe fire. Stig choked as the noxious fumes bubbled into his throat and out his nose and mouth. He fought the instinctive urge to ignite them with a click of his throat but that much gas in such a small space would cause a fatal explosion in his mouth and one that would easily engulf Cora.

He threw out his arm and struck the slayer hard enough to knock him flat on his ass. Stig sucked in short, painful breaths to try to clear his nasal passages and throat of the gas. His broken and mutilated wing hung limp at his side. The other snapped angrily. He flexed his talons and prepared to engage his enemy with the only weapon he had left: brute force.

Stig and the Knight rushed one another. In a flash of talons and sword, they crashed. Both drew blood and both refused to give even an inch. Stig knew this would be a fight to the death. For Cora’s sake, he hoped he was the one limping away from the battle.

The Knight struck another victorious blow with the sword. Stig hissed as the blade sliced through his forearm. Blood splattered the slayer’s face. With every beat of his heart, the nicked artery spurted blood. Stig didn’t have to be a doctor to know that was probably a fatal wound. He didn’t have much time.

Gathering all his strength, Stig lashed out at the Knight. He raked his razor-sharp talons across the slayer’s chest and followed with a quick swipe of the man’s throat. The Knight’s sword hit the ground. He stumbled forward, a look of shock etched on his face. Clutching his bloody throat, the slayer gurgled and collapsed to his knees. A few moments later, he fell on his face and expired.

Stig clamped a hand over his wounded arm and panted from exertion. Taking another being’s life still affected him. He’d done it more times than he cared to think about over the centuries but it never got any easier. Perhaps that was a good thing. He liked to think it was the best of his humanity that allowed him to feel sadness at the loss of life, even if that life belonged to an enemy.

“AARRGH!” Stig cried out in surprise and pain. Something sharp pierced his back and belly. He glanced down and spotted the tip of a similar dao blade poking through his abdomen. In a moment of horrific pain, the sword was withdrawn.

Stig fell to his knees. His insides burned. Blood poured from the wound. He didn’t have to look over his shoulder. He knew what had happened. The goon he’d thought he’d finished clearly had a little life left in him, enough to strike a final, deadly blow.

“Cora.” His whispered words would likely never reach her ears. Somewhere behind him she lay unconscious and possibly close to death herself from blood loss. There was no way she’d escaped that rollover without sustaining major injury. In a last desperate attempt to protect her, Stig hoped her passing was quick and painless, so the Knights wouldn’t be able to take her as a prisoner.

His, on the other hand, was sure to be gruesome.

Stig’s ears perked to the sound of the sword cutting through the air as it lifted for one last swing. He braced for the bite of the blade against his neck but it never came.

There was a loud snap and then a wet gurgle. Seconds later, the goon fell onto Stig’s back. Stig rolled his shoulders, sending the man’s body to the ground next to him. A harpoon impaled his chest and throat. The upward angle affirmed Stig’s suspicion—the speargun had been fired from the ground.

“Stig?” Cora’s weak voice filled him with hope and a renewed strength.

“Cora?” He turned slowly, his arm pressed to his oozing gut, and found her half crawling, half dragging herself toward him. She held a broken arm to her chest and dragged her misshapen and bloody leg. A speargun rested not far from her.

Stig was struck by the irony of the moment. He’d come to save Cora’s life and she’d saved his.

“Oh, God, Stig.” Cora wept at the sight of his mangled wing and bleeding stomach. Cringing in pain, she removed her shirt and pressed the cloth to the deep wound. She caressed his bloody face with her free hand. The change took place more slowly this time. The pain was nearly unbearable. “We have to get you to the hospital. I think their SUV is still running. I can probably drive.”

He knew she couldn’t drive in her state. She’d kill them both.

Through gritted teeth, Stig gave his final instructions. “Find your cell phone and call nine-one-one. After you make the call, you can help me into those bushes over there. I’ll hide until the ambulance leaves.”

Cora shook her head. “I’m not going to leave you here to die.”

“You have to, Cora. I can’t go to a hospital looking like this.”

“No.” She gripped his hand tightly and refused to let go. “I’m not leaving you again.” Cora pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss. “I love you.”

Her words soothed the still-raw wound of her earlier rejection. He’d seen the orientation of the vehicles. Cora had been coming back to him. He couldn’t fault her for being afraid of changing into a scaled beast. Had he been in her shoes, he might have done the same thing.

“Cora, I love you.” He swallowed a painful lump. He tasted blood and wondered how long it would take for the internal bleeding to finish him. “I love you so much. I want you to live.”

Her protest was interrupted by the unmistakable rumble of approaching dragons. Stig’s core vibrated with awareness of his kind, of his Brothers. Relief saturated his weary muscles. He’d come to their aid in situations hairier than this. Their shared senses of danger were much like those of the mate bond. He should have known they’d come for him.

The ground trembled as Madoc and Griff landed with very little finesse. In such a stressful situation, Stig wasn’t surprised they came in heavy and loud. The Welsh Reds panted noisily as they appraised the scene, the crimson scales on their chests expanding powerfully with each breath. In dragon form, it was often difficult to gauge their emotions, but when their gazes fell on Stig and Cora’s entwined bodies, the shock was evident.

Stig could only imagine how bizarre they looked. Cora, his mortal lover, held pressure on his orange and red mottled abdomen—his decidedly not dragonlike abdomen.

Cora stiffened with fear. Stig used the last of his energy to take her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s all right, Cora. They’re friends. They’ll take care of us.”

Certain Cora was in good hands, Stig finally relaxed. His eyelids drooped and he slipped into unconsciousness. He hoped he’d wake again to the sight of Cora’s sweet face.