“I’ll never be yours, Nala. You’re not the type of woman I could ever want,” Bryn said with cold indifference. “You think after I’ve had a queen, I’d want you?” Way to twist the knife, Bryn. I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips. That’s right . . . He’s mine bitch!
The Senator sighed demonstratively. “Alright. Let’s see what else I have in my little bag of tricks that might convince you to see things my way.” He motioned again with his hand and some dragons, a few from every faction appeared on their side. The effect of the battle lines being drawn was not lost on me. And before the shock of him having dragons on his side could fully sink in, the mac daddy of surprises stepped forward . . . Bryn’s father walked into the mix.
“Dad?” Bryn’s voice wavered in question. “I thought you were dead.”
The Senator spoke up. “Seers and Speakers are useless with one of us in them, but Gatekeepers and Guardians . . . oh yes . . . they work quite nicely. So, I decided to keep a few of them around . . . just in case I could use them for a rainy day.”
“Don’t worry, Bryn,” I whispered under my breath. “We’ll save him and Jenna both.”
“It’s time you found out Bryn, you’re not my son,” Bryn’s father said out of nowhere with malice. “Your mother couldn’t conceive, and then we were given a gift. At least we thought it was a gift at the time. I never thought you’d shame me the way that you did by taking up with P.J. when it’s against our laws. But I guess you’re not even fully human. No wonder whoever left you for us didn’t want you.” What? I immediately thought of when my birth mother had told me that Bryn, another dragon, at least part dragon, growing up so close to me hadn’t happened by chance. She told me that he was there for a reason. “I’ll enjoy taking you out myself just for the heartbreak you caused your mother. She was so ashamed of how you disregarded the most important law of being a Guardian. May she rest in peace. It’s your fault she’s dead after all. Yours and hers,” he hissed and his eyes briefly met mine.
Everything seemed to happen at once. It wasn’t like it is in the movies. I saw Bryn’s father launch himself at Bryn, but I couldn’t track anything else that was going on after Nala slammed into me, causing me to fall to the ground. She scrambled to get on top of me, and sat with all of her body weight on my chest and began to choke me. I desperately reached for my fire magic but was having difficulty pulling it up when black stars began to dance in front of my eyes. Not only that but I felt a slow trickle of water moving up to cover my face. Dazed, I registered that Nala must be using some kind of water power to try and suffocate me faster. I gasped for air and came back with a mouth full of water. My vision grew darker and my thoughts slower. I knew she was drowning me.
Then suddenly the pressure released and I sat up to gasp mouthful after mouthful of fresh air as I saw Khol push his fire magic into Nala. She let out an ear-shattering scream before all that was left of her was ashes. Good, I numbly thought. I stood and scanned the clearing for Bryn, who was currently rolling around on the ground with his father. Bryn was at a huge disadvantage because it was obvious he didn’t really want to hurt him. His father clearly didn’t feel the same way. “Help him!” I screeched at Khol.
“Enough!” Senator Bill Wexington’s voice rolled over everyone. “Hold him,” he ordered Bryn’s father, who stood with Bryn and brought him into a headlock. The Senator met my eyes, “Him for my son.”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Okay. Just don’t hurt him.” The Senator then nodded at one of the Riders standing beside him who walked slowly over to Cliff’s prone unconscious figure and picked him up. Khol came to stand behind him so he couldn’t make his way back to the Senator just yet. “Now release Bryn,” I said with false calmness. My insides were finding a new definition for panic.
Bryn’s father released him and Bryn walked steadily back toward me. Khol then gave the Rider holding Cliff a rough push to get him going. I reached my shaky hand out to Bryn, needing to feel his skin under my fingertips. He gave me a tight smile, and I knew he was thinking it was his fault we were losing Cliff as a bargaining chip—that he should have been able to best his father—that he couldn’t even protect himself—how would he protect me and my unborn child? I could read all of his tormented thoughts in his eyes but I didn’t care just as long as he was safe. As soon as my hand gripped his, I heaved a sigh of relief. “I love you,” I mouthed to him. None of the rest mattered. We might be down, but we weren’t out just yet. I would make him understand that eventually. We were finally bonded as Anam Caras and together we could take on the world.
Bryn’s father suddenly appeared directly behind him. The Rider inside of him shone so brightly it almost eclipsed his host’s features. He met my eyes and grinned down at me. It was in that instant I knew what he meant to do. “No!” I screamed, my whole body going ice cold instantaneously. I reached for my fire magic, but it was too late . . . all too late. I watched, completely helpless to stop it, as Bryn’s father, the man that had protected my mother and my family for as far back as I could remember, snapped the neck of his only son. The sickly cracking sound it made rang out in the clearing like thunder in my ears. “No!” I heard myself scream as I watched Bryn’s hand slip from my grasp as his body fell forward and slumped to the ground. Life over. My Life is over.
“Like I said, he wasn’t really my son.”
Silence engulfed me. I tried to go to Bryn but someone caught me around the waist and began to run toward the pulsating gate with me in tow. I struggled against my captor, wanting nothing more than to curl up with Bryn’s body and to die right alongside him. Sound came back to me in a rush. Someone’s hysteric screams pounded against my head. Was that me? I didn’t know and didn’t care.
When whoever was carrying me got me to the Gate, they jumped in without pausing. Ice ran over my skin and the air was sucked from my lungs. I didn’t stay conscious for much more than a moment as the magic of the Gate pulled me down into blackness.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This is the part where I get to thank all the people who made this book possible. As usual I’m hoping I don’t leave out someone important. *gnaws on nails*
First I’d like to thank my amazing Hubby, who is supportive and patient beyond the realm of what I imagine any normal man is . . . dah dah da duuuh . . . Super Hubby! (I think that’s just going to be standard text in every acknowledgment from now on.)
Next I would like to thank my parents for encouraging my love of reading and crazy imagination during my most impressionable years. (Check on averting pouty parents syndrome again. Phew.)
Then of course there’s my lovely squad of beta readers for this book: Kristin Bingham, Jamie Degyansky, Kellee Fabre, Jessica Johnson, Sarah Ashley Jones, Shona Lawrence, Bieke Paesen, Lauren Reidy, and Tabatha Ventura. You ladies rocked it . . . Dragon Hussy style! You know I love all of you!
Also a very special thank you to Lauren Reidy, a.k.a. Ren Reidy, a.k.a. the Dragon Hussies founder, a.k.a. the beta who I almost left out of the acknowledgements. *cringes* That’s what I get for writing these types of things when I’m going on practically no sleep. But see, Ren, now you get an extra special thanks, so it’s not all bad, right? Plus maybe I can stop gnawing on my nails, worrying that I’m going to forget someone because I almost nearly did. Eeep! You know I love you girl!
Of course I need to thank Lindsay Tiry for her amazing cover design, and Jordan P. Fremgen for his amazing logo designs for The P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy. Both artists extraordinaire! Although I think Lindsay might need to check for gray hairs after all the emails I sent her with “notes” about cover ideas. I hope she’s ready for book three. I know I am. Muahahaha!