He picked up his pace, pushing Jett from behind to hurry. Jett slowed down.
“The place where your friends escaped isn't far. The way is blocked by a horde of demon dragons up ahead.”
Cage didn't see or hear anything.
“They haven't sensed us yet. Their attentions are divided.”
They had only two choices. Find a way around or fight through them.
“There is no other route. Only one tunnel passes by this hiding place of hers. I don't know how they haven't found it yet.”
Shit. “Then we fight our way through. Unless you can persuade them to back down.”
Undoubtedly, it would not be that easy.
Jett stopped before a turn in the tunnel. “I might be able to, if we didn't have Fallyn. I tried to tell you, he will never let her go.”
If Cage had any idea where he was going, he would shift into his dragon form and carry both women away. He didn't see how anyone could find their way around this maze in the dark as it was.
They were between the dark and a hard place.
It was getting darker by the moment.
The hissing and screeches of the demon dragons became a cacophony in front of them. The bastards began popping up all around them.
Cage and Jett retreated until their backs were at each other. “If you've got any sway now would be the time to use it.”
Jett snarled at the closest demon dragons.
They had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. It was about kill or be killed.
There was no way he could allow them to harm Azy. She had already willingly sacrificed her own well-being for Fallyn's for long enough.
“What you think I've been doing? If it weren't for me they would already have killed you and your mate, and probably taken me prisoner.”
He hissed and growled again and this time Cage realized two big demon dragons at the front of the pack were replying in kind.
“What are they saying?”
Jett half laughed. “They say I can go, if I give them you and the mermaid.”
Great. “I'm afraid our deal will be null and void if I die here and now.”
“No shit. We have to give them something to take back to Kur-Jara. They know better than to return empty-handed and say that we've escaped.”
Cage had very little to give. The sword from the First Dragon, Azy's mirror, and his pants. That was all he had left. Except himself.
He'd known since Azy first touched his soul shard that he would give his own life for hers. What he wanted more than anything else in the world was to spend the rest of his life learning to love her, be made she deserved. That may not be what she needed.
He knew very little about the mating habits of either dragons or mermaids. He suspected that neither would mate again. Hopefully, he was wrong, and she could find another.
He glanced down at Azy's round cheeks and luscious lips. Even in the dark he could see she was even paler than before. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, not trusting himself to give her anything more knowing he was only going to take it away again forever. “Please, forgive me.”
A shard could only be given, never taken.
He knew that better than anyone.
“Azynsa, wake up, love.”
She moaned and her eyes fluttered open.
“That’s my girl. Will you give me the shard?”
Her eyes were tired and unfocused. “It’s yours.”
He lifted the shard from her neck and pulled the cord over her head, then slipped it over his again.
“What Kur-Jara really wants is me and my soul. Tell them they can have it if they let you and the women go.”
The demon dragons must have understood what he was saying, because they crept closer and hissed and clacked their teeth at him.
“Don't be a dumbass. Didn't we just decide I don't get my favor if you die?”
Cage turned and lifted Azy to hand her over to Jett. “Gris already has instructions on what to do in the event I don't return. Take Azy to him and you'll get whatever you want.”
Jett shook his head in that way that meant he still thought Cage's plan was stupid but would go along with it.
Cage might be going to his doom willingly, however he wasn't going to make it easy for the little fuckers. He knew he had enough light in him to blast at least the first dozen or so into dust. More would fall to his teeth, claws, and tail, before they took him down. Were they on the surface, with even a setting sun, he could take out at least half of them. The darkness had taken taken its toll on his soul and his powers.
Before he could hand her over, Azy reached her hand up and clasped the soul shard. “Don't even think about it, dragon. This is mine.”
Her voice was weak and thready and still brooked no argument.
“All will be well, my little mermaid. Jett will get you back to your people or mine whichever you choose.”
She blinked like the words coming out of his mouth didn’t make any sense. After a deep breath, she got a second wind, all of which she blew at him. “I’m not some Disney princess. I’m a fierce fucking mermaid, and if you die on me now, I will kill you.”
“Azy.” They didn’t have another choice. She had to see that.
Or not.
A demon dragon reached out and she flicked it with her tail hard enough to send it scurrying back into the horde.
“Don’t you Azy me. I am tired, I am thirsty, I am god-damned bleeding, and I have had just about enough of everybody’s shit.”
Nope. She definitely didn’t see.
Another demon dragon hissed and moved closer.
“Bring it, mother fuckers. I will bitch slap you into next week with my tail if I have to.”
Jett nodded toward the demon dragons who were again advancing, but this time as a group. “I suggest you start doing exactly that, because we’ve dicked around long enough. Kur-Jara is coming.”
Shit on a shingle on shit brick house.
Chapter Eight
Chp 8 – Azynsa in Wonderland
N othing like a little mad to get the ole adrenaline pumping. Azy was fucking pissed, so there was a huge surge running through her veins at the moment.
Cage, who was supposed to be her mate, thought he could come all up in here, try to rescue her and then sacrifice himself to save her. Uh…how about no.
Hells to the no.
A lot of her strength had returned. Would have been nice if any of the other Mami Wata had given her the heads up that her mermaid form helped her heal faster. Maybe they didn’t know. Not like anyone else she knew was half-human.
Sure, they used their human like form when they mated, but that never made them weaker. She guessed it didn’t make them any more human than they were either.
Azy concentrated and visualized her own legs to shift back, but they simply wouldn’t come out to play. She was going to need them for strolling along down the…what’s that word again…stain of black demon dragon death.
She was still no little mermaid. She was a big, black, beautiful, bootyliscious Mami Wata who was going to kick some faces in.
As soon as she got her feet back.
Barring that, she needed a weapon and a partner in crime, not a sacrificial lamb. She yanked the mirror out of her belt. “Do that trick with your light again.”
Fallyn groaned, waking up. “Izzy says use the mirror, mermaid. The warrior has the sword. I told her to shut up.”
Use the mirror? That’s what she was trying to do.
Cage brought up the ball of light and held it up to the mirror. This time it didn’t reflect back. The mirror was black. Great time for a defective mermaid mirror.
“I was prepared to die for you,” he said.
Azy grabbed his chin and kissed him once, hard. “Yeah. Don’t do that. I’d have to kick your ass for even thinking about something so friggin stupid.”
“I’d rather fight for you, anyway. More fun.” He winked at her and threw that ball of light at the approaching demon dragons. They recoiled
and hissed.
Jett rolled his eyes at them. “Do either of you two have a fucking plan here, or are we fighting with the power of love?”
Christ. Azy wasn’t in love with Cage. Yet. But, she sure as shit would like the chance to fall for him.
Fallyn kneed Jett in the chest and he almost dropped her. “Stop telling me what to do.”
“No one is talking to you.” Jett readjusted his hold on her. “I’m going to drop this crazeball on her ass in another second.”
Whoever the voice in Fallyn’s head was, she knew things the rest of them didn’t. “Fallyn, how does Izzy want me to use the mirror?”
“Duh. Go through it.”
“Like Alice?”
“Who is Alice?”
She kneed Jett in the chest again and he did drop her this time. “Dammit, Fallyn. These people are trying to save your crazy ass. Quit fighting us.”
Fallyn stood, hissed at the demon dragons who’d gotten a little too close for comfort and glared at them with her fire eyes. They backed off.
Smoke billowed up behind them and they advanced again. Flames liked along the wall, announcing their enemy’s arrival
The Black Dragon stomped around the corner, swishing his tail back and forth, obliterating the walls. Demon Dragons jumped out of his way, opening the path directly to their band of not so merry men.
Okay. Awesome. Now what? “How do we go through the mirror?”
“She’s not going to help you. Say your prayers kids. We’re all about to die in a blaze of glory.” Jett shifted into his dragon form and spewed fire at the Black Dragon.
Fallyn rolled her eyes, not the least bit afraid or bothered by anything. She grabbed Azy’s hand that held the mirror.
“Where’s your secret mirror?”
“You’re holding it.”
“The one you contacted your warrior with,” Fallyn glared at Cage, “his reflection.”
She’d seen Cage twice in a mirror. The Christmas ornament and in the droplet of water in her hideout. “The reflection in the water droplet?”
The image of her little cave appeared in the mirror.
“Yes.” Fallyn yanked Cage’s sword away from him. He lunged for it, clasping the hilt just below hers. He wasn’t fast enough to stop Fallyn from thrusting it toward Jett’s big scaly ass. The tip pierced him between two of the scales and he roared out.
One second his dragon’s fire filled the tunnel, the next he was gone in a puff of mist. His roar could still be heard, but it was muffled, and coming from inside the mirror.
“Holy shit. He went through the mirror,” Cage said.
Fallyn released both of them and clapped her hands. “Ha ha ha. Me next.”
She pointed the tip of Cage’s sword at her chest, stuck her tongue out the demon dragons and stepped forward into the blade.
Poof.
“Ow. Get off me.”
“Mermaid, this place is too small. You should find a bigger cave to hide in.”
Jett and Fallyn’s muffled arguing came through the mirror. God, she was right. Azy barely felt comfortable in that little hole in the rock, all four of them were going to crush each other.
“Bring her back or I will hunt you to the ends of the universe and make you pay.” The Black Dragon roared into their heads.
“Time to go. Ladies, first.” Cage grabbed her hand and pointed the tip of the sword toward her palm.
“Wait, no. We go together.”
Cage nodded. “Better together.”
He boosted her in his arm letting her tail dangle, kissed her hard and fast, and sliced the blade across their shoulders at the same time.
The world went wonky and wet like they were doing cartwheels through one of those mist spraying machines at a theme park on a hot day in the middle of summer.
In the next second they were slamming their backs against the dirt and stone in her hidden cave. Rocks tumbled down all around them, piling on top of what looked like a landslide over the tiny crack she usually slipped through to get in and out.
“For fucks sake, get off of me.”
Jett shoved them and Cage moved forward a whole five or six inches. He still held Azy in his arm, but her feet touched the ground under them. Her feet.
“Yes. Finally.” She wiggled her toes and stretched her legs. The gashes in her thigh and arm were still raw, but weren’t bleeding.
“That’s some magic mirror,” Cage said. Their bodies were smashed together, front to front, and Azy could feel every blessed inch of his hard, honed body.
His shard was hanging around his neck, right in front of her face. It felt strange to not be wearing it after all these days. She didn’t feel it’s loss though. Somehow, even though she wasn’t wearing it, she could still feel the connection between them.
It was different now. She couldn’t describe how. Like a warm current that pulled her closer to him and him to her.
She drug her gaze up from his entirely too naked chest to his golden eyes. God, they were actually gold. Not sparkly brown or some indescribably hazel, but twenty-four carat.
He stared right back at her with an intensity that made her feel like she could see straight into her head, where she kept all the totally innapropriate thoughts about just what she’d like to do to all his half naked-ness. Or his whole nakedness.
“If you guys are going to make out, I’m shifting and busting through these rocks.”
Cage waited one more moment before he cleared his throat and looked over her head to Jett behind her. “Feel free to bust on out of here. If you’ve got any idea how or where to go.”
“Mermaid. This adventure has been, umm, weird. But, I’d like to go back to my shiny hoard now.”
Azy tried to twist to see Fallyn, but she was fully wedged between the rock and Cage’s hard place. “I don’t think I can do that.”
“Just use one of my…what did you call them? Oh, ornaments to reflect through. The sooner the better, I am not enjoying having my face smashed into dragonling’s armpit.”
No, one wouldn’t.
“Can I use it to reflect us up to the surface?”
Fallyn gasped. “No no no no no no no no no no no no no. I don’t go up there. There are dragons up there.”
“Dumb bunny, there are dragons in here,” Jett said.
“What? Where? Don’t let them see me. Dragons are evil. They’re trying to kidnap me and take me to their red devil leader. Get me out of here.” Fallyn screeched and Jett let out a yelp.
“You’ve got about ten seconds to magic us out of here before I do more permanent damage to the crazeball’s brain. She’s clawing the shit out of me.”
Cage pulled Azy tighter to him, protecting her back with his arms. “She’s your sister, dude.”
“She’s not my brethren.” He yelped again, and rocks tumbled down from the top of the cave where he was trying to claw his way out.
Azy scooched her arm up and around and looked into the mirror. First, she saw Fallyn’s cave and didn’t want to go back there again. Then the view changed and she was looking at a spot a good hundred miles off shore where she and some of the other Mami Wata went to sun themselves on the rocks. Yes, that would work.
She blinked and the view changed again to the bedroom of the house where she’d grown up. The room was painted a different color and there were posters of Pokemon and a dinosaur toys spread across the floor, but that was definitely her room. She could see it as clearly as if she were standing in the doorway.
There had been a mirror on the back of her door. Yes, that’s exactly where she stood. She could see the street and the neighbor’s yard out of the window.
The memories of that old room in a house she hadn’t seen in five years hit her harder in the gut than a bullet. She swallowed past the lump in her throat willing that sight away.
The mirror darkened, allowing her to breathe again. She thought it was finished showing her reflections, but then she noticed the motion of a blue scaled tail swish by just along the edge. Y
es, there was a tiny trail of bubbles, and then another glimpse of scales. Only these ones were bigger and distinctly un-mermaid like.
“What do you see?” Cage’s voice bubbled up through the filter of the images in the mirror.
“I think it shows me reflections of places I’ve been. Or maybe mirrors I’ve looked into before. I’m not sure what it’s showing me now, but I think it’s the reflection of another Mami Wata’s mirror.”
“There are more of these?”
“All Mami Wata have mirrors. Except me. They are passed down from mother to daughter, but my mother’s mirror was lost. Or so they told me.”
Jett grumbled and tried to move the rocks around them again. “If you can see someplace else, get us the fuck out of here.”
“I don’t think you want to go where I’m seeing right now. Unless you know how to breathe underwater.”
“I’ll learn.”
“No no no no no no no no. I’ll melt. Take me back to my cave.”
The blue tail moved again and now Azy had a clear view of the other scaled creature. “Ky Puru.”
“Shit. I was trying to keep him out of this.”
Ky Puru and the Mami Wata whose mirror Azy was looking out of were saying something, but she couldn’t hear Ky.
“Shush your faces, you two, I’m trying to hear.”
Azy strained to catch any words. “We’ll send someone right away if we see anything.”
Ky Puru nodded and swam away, toward the surface.
“If Ky is here, you should go through the mirror to him. We’ll figure out how to dig our way out of here if we have to.” Cage wiggled the sword, but there was no room to lift it.
The water did look delicious and cool. “Yeah, no. I’m not just leaving you three down here to see whose claustrophobia kicks in first. We go together, or we don’t go at all.”
“You’re as fucking stubborn as I am.” Cage grinned down at her. “If prude boy over there wasn’t so squeamish I’d have my way with you right here and now.”
Jett shifted, trying to put any sort of space between them. “Dear God. Burn me now.”
“I can’t control the visions on the mirror. They keep changing. I don’t know where we’d end up. There has to be another way out of here.