Madox gasped. "Did you see that?"
"I did. I saw," Grayley said, awed.
"A human female has succeeded where we failed," Renard said. "She made Darius smile."
"I've made him laugh, too," she pronounced.
Darius rolled his eyes. "Show them what we have brought."
Despite his failure to compromise, she did as he asked. His safety, and that of his people, came before her sensibilities. "This is a Kevlar vest," she explained, demonstrating how to maneuver the Velcro fasteners.
"You must remain in human form to wear it," Darius said. "Your wings will be trapped by its wrappings. However, it will protect your chest against the enemies' weapons."
"I have a more important part I'd like to protect," Brittan said with a smile of his own.
A round of laughter followed.
"Now demonstrate the gun," Darius said.
Grace nodded and withdrew the gun from the waist of her pants. "This expels bullets, and those bullets cut through clothing and skin and bone, and sometimes lodge themselves inside the body. You can't see them, but they leave a hole and make the victim bleed. If you want to survive, you must dig them out. Let me show you." She walked over to the nearest warrior. "If he had been shot in the shoulder, I would take his knife and dig like so." She moved aside the medallion hanging at his neck and demonstrated a digging action.
Silence reigned as they considered her words and actions.
Each of the men wanted to view the gun. She double-checked to make sure she'd removed the bullets, then passed it around. "They come in many sizes, some much bigger than this, so be prepared."
After everyone viewed the weapon, Darius returned it to her. "Guns such as this were used to destroy Javar and his army."
Some warriors gasped. Some hissed. Some blinked in shock. "So they are dead?" Madox asked sharply.
Darius didn't flinch his gaze. "Yes. Both humans and vampires seized the palace."
Their fury became a palpable force, wrapping around each of them. "Why did you make us wait? Why did you not let us slaughter the vampires days ago," Tagart shouted.
"Had you approached them, you would be dead," he said flatly. "Vampires are already powerful, but aided as they are by the humans… "
Tagart had the grace to nod in acknowledgment.
"An entire dragon army wiped out," the tallest said, shaking his head. "It hardly seems possible."
"We will claim vengeance this day," Darius said. "We will reclaim Atlantis, our home. We go to war!"
Cheers of anticipation erupted.
"Gather what you need," Darius finished when the cheers died down. "We leave within the hour."
"Wait!" Grace called as the warriors shuffled out of the room. They paused and glanced back at her. "There's a man, a human with red hair. He's my brother. Keep him safe."
They looked to Darius. He nodded. "He is to be protected and brought to me."
The men filed out. All except Brand. He approached Darius's side. "The men need you to lead them. I will remain behind and guard the mist."
"Thank you," Darius said, and clapped him on the shoulder. "You are a true friend."
When they were alone, he turned to Grace. "Come," he said, an order he'd obviously become quite fond of.
She didn't protest as he led her to the entrance of his room. "Are you sure you don't want me to guard your back?" she said as he hustled her inside.
His golden eyes darkened. "I do not mind a woman going into battle. I mind my woman going into battle."
"Darius-"
"Grace." He closed the distance between them and meshed her lips with his. His tongue swept inside, conquering. She wound her arms around his neck, accepting him fully. Loving him completely. When he pulled away, they were both panting.
"Darius," she whispered again.
His heated gaze met hers. "I love you," he said.
Of all the times to give her those words!
"Tell me what I want to hear," he demanded.
"I love you, too," she sighed.
He nodded, satisfied, and gave her one final kiss. Without another word, he left her in his room. Alone. The doors slid firmly shut behind him, and Grace looked down at her hands. They were shaking, not from the lust that sluiced through her body; that was always there and would never go away. This time a gut-wrenching fear caused her tremors. Fear for Darius. For her brother. They needed her.
And she wasn't about to let them down.
She could deal with Darius's fury, but she couldn't deal with his death.
In her hands, she cradled the medallion she'd pilfered from the warrior whose imaginary bullet she'd removed.
I'm going with him , she thought, determined to follow him.
Darius might be strong, but he had never seen what a gun could do. Yes, he had the vests, but that didn't ease her fear for him. He was her husband, and she planned on using her gun to protect him.
CHAPTER 21
Darius stood in the forest, gazing down at the carnage before him. He'd flown here at lightning speed, only to learn the unit he'd sent to guard Javar's palace had been bested. They were covered in a white film and blood streamed from bullet wounds. Some were alive. Most were dead. His wings retracted and he dropped his vest. His hands curled into fists. Those humans must be stopped.
"Find the survivors," he called. Then he and the dragon warriors branched off, searching for the living.
He cursed under his breath as moans of pain filled his ears. How many more would die before this ended? Frowning, he strode over to Vorik, who lay prone and still. He knelt down.
Vorik's eyelids opened slowly and Darius pushed out a breath of relief that his man lived. He withdrew a sharp silver blade from his back scabbard and blew fire on the metal. When it cooled, he dug out the bullets just as Grace had shown him. Vorik grimaced and tried to pull away.
"Tell me of the attack," he said to distract him.
"Their weapons… " Vorik said, calming. "Strange."
Renard approached and crouched beside him just as Vorik fainted. "What happened to them?" He touched the white, dusty coating and jerked his hand away. "What is this cold substance that covers their bodies?"
Darius turned stark eyes in his friend's direction. "I do not know what it is. Don gloves if you must, but do as Grace showed us and dig out the bullets."
The carnage reminded him of the day he'd found his family slaughtered, and as he worked, he had to bite back a groan. Had he not shared his pain with Grace, he might have collapsed from the weight of it now. With shaky hands he continued on to body after body. The dragon's recuperative blood helped them heal as soon as the small bullets were removed. If only Javar had known this, how many of his warriors could he have saved?
When he finished, Darius gazed down at his blood-soaked hands. He'd had blood on his hands before, and hadn't reacted. But this affected him. How much more blood would he wear before this day ended? He knew the answer: by the end of the day, blood would flow like a river. He only prayed the blood did not belong to his own forces, but his enemies.
He shoved to his feet, gripping the hilt of his blade. "We must reclaim what belongs to us," he shouted. "Who will fight with me?"
"I will."
"Me," rang out. Every warrior standing wanted the chance to avenge the wrongs done.
"May the gods be with us," he said under his breath. His wings sprang from his back. He swooped up his vest, gripping the black material and smearing it with blood. Using the strength in his legs, he pushed off the ground. The glide of his wings kept him in the air and moving higher, faster. His army followed behind him. He heard the rustle of their wings, felt the intensity of their determination.
Human guards roamed the top of Javar's palace. When they spotted Darius, they shouted, aimed and fired. In the air, he dodged the multiple rounds of bullets and spewed his own fire. His warriors did the same, burning the humans and their weapons. Then, one of his warriors grunted and was suddenly falling from the sky. He didn't see who it was, but continued breathing his fire.