Burned (Drake Security #5)

Chapter 22

Chapter

Twenty-Two

LORD

“ I ’m listening.”

Xanthis swings her leg where it’s crossed over the other. “Perhaps the pretty witch can assist.”

Dahlia’s cheeks actually turn crimson under the mage’s appreciative gaze. “Of course.”

“I have numerous tricks in my bag, but they are powerful.”

“Whatever it takes,” Alrick says. “I know I should want them dead but?—”

I squeeze my mate’s hand. “No one wants their family dead, no matter how awful. They’re just misguided.”

Viggo scoffs. “Misguided enough to kill everyone in this room if they could.”

“Well, they can’t,” Xanthis says confidently.

“But the swords,” Alrick says. “One cut, even a nick, and a dragon dies.”

“Then we’ll just make sure no one gets a cut or a nick,” Nico says.

“Can I just handle this?” Montrose asks with a bored tone. “I could drag them to hell and back while you’re still discussing propriety.”

Xanthis chuckles. “I like the demon.”

Montrose winks. “I like you too.”

Tino grunts, pulling Montrose onto his lap.

“He makes a good point though,” Xanthis continues. “If he can scoop them up and bring them to me, I can take care of the rest.”

“How?” Alrick asks. “What will you do?”

She hums as she swishes the tea around her cup for a moment. “What would happen if they took a little nap and woke up to find a world where dragons don’t exist?”

“What do you mean?” Viggo asks. “You can do that?”

Xanthis smiles. “Sweet Viking, I can make them believe anything I want.” She turns her gaze back to Dahlia. “With an assist, of course.”

“Whatever you need,” Dahlia agrees readily.

“That sounds like a good plan,” I say. “They forget we exist, and no more dragons are hurt.”

“And we don’t have to hurt them,” Dempsey adds. “It doesn’t hurt, does it, Xanthis?”

“Oh, it hurts terribly.” She laughs. “They deserve that though, do they not?” She points at Alrick and Viggo. “Judging by the condition of the brothers, I think they’re due a little pain.”

“I have no problem with that,” Viggo says. “Alrick?”

He nods. “Yeah, I’m fine with it.”

I rub my forehead. “There’s only one loose end.” Everyone’s attention turns to me. “Judre’s family is seeking revenge. I’m honestly surprised they haven’t found them yet.”

“Judre?” Alrick asks.

“He was my friend. He was slain the same night I found you. He warned us of the trouble coming our way.”

Alrick and Viggo exchange confused looks for a second, then Viggo blows out a breath.

“Well, that makes a lot more sense now.”

“It does,” Alrick agrees, turning his gaze to me. “It wasn’t us who attacked your friend. Four guys showed up at our compound a few hours before everything went down. They told us we had dragons in the area, and of course, my dad joined them.”

“We went to the east and they went west,” Viggo explains. “We didn’t find anything, so we’d turned around to head back when one of the men called our dad and told us they’d found them.”

“We got to the compound in the middle of a full-blown battle,” Alrick continues. “I watched as one of the men impaled the dragon with his sword. I froze. I was torn between allegiance and what I knew was right.”

“In the melee, the dragon got its claws into Alrick,” Viggo says, the sadness in his voice evident. “I wanted to help, I tried, but there was so much chaos and violence and before I knew it, you were gone.” There’s a pleading look in his eyes as he speaks directly to his brother. “You must have wandered into the woods in your injured state.”

“I tried to tell the dragon I wouldn’t hurt it, but it was so angry. Understandably,” Alrick says. There’s a haunted look in my mate’s eyes as he speaks. Aware of the searing pain the memories conjure within him, my dragon pushes to the surface to comfort him. “I don’t remember much other than pain. I think I must have been trying to go for help, or maybe just trying to find somewhere peaceful to die, I’m not sure.” His gaze turns distant for a second before he looks at me. “But you found me.”

“I did.”

Alrick cups my face, leaning in to kiss me hard, until Lake clears his throat.

“Adorbs, truly, but what do we do about Judre’s family?”

I open my mouth to speak, but before I can, there’s a loud pounding at my front door. My brothers are immediately on guard, but Xanthis raises her hand and calmly walks towards the door.

“Rest, friends. Speak o’ the devil and he appears, yeah?”

“Which devil?” Dempsey mutters. “We have a few.”

We follow her to the door, and when she opens it, it’s none other than Judre’s brothers.

“Lord,” the eldest, Menlich, speaks. “You’re surrounded by hunters.”

“We know. Please come in.”

Xanthis rubs her hands together. “Well, isn’t this convenient? Now I don’t have to go find you.”

Menlich gazes at the naked mage, one eyebrow raised in silent questioning.

“I think another spot of tea is fitting,” Xanthis says. “But I’ll make it this time.” She approaches Alrick and plucks a strand of his hair.

“Ouch,” he says, rubbing the spot.

Xanthis merely smiles. “Come, Dahlia.”

Dahlia doesn’t even hesitate, following the mage to my kitchen.

“What in the brimstone is happening?” Menlich asks.

“Long story,” I mutter. “We’ll explain.”

We lead the three brothers back to my sitting room. Alrick clings to me as nervous energy flows through him, but my dragon is on high alert, willing to burn down my own home to protect our mate.

The lingering scent of my mate tickles my nose as it clings to Menlich’s younger brother, Kenthe. It’s weeks old, so faint that it would be undetectable if it weren’t for how attuned I am to it. Ocean breeze and wildflowers . My dragon growls, and the connection becomes clear. He attacked my mate.

I move forward, about to tear him apart, but Alrick steps in front of me, running his hands up and down my arms as scales pop out.

“I deserved it,” Alrick whispers. “He didn’t know any better. You would’ve done the same for your family.”

Huffing a puff of smoke, I nod as my dragon stands down. Alrick is right. I would have done the same.

Before we can get into an awkward conversation, our attention shifts to the bright light shooting down the hallway and the sparks that follow it. Xanthis appears, carrying a teapot with Dahlia behind her. Dahlia’s holding a tray with three teacups, but you’d have to be a fool to miss how pink and swollen her lips are. She sets the tray down and smiles shyly at me.

Xanthis fills the three mugs and offers them to our guests.

“I don’t want any tea,” Menlich says.

“I’m afraid it’s not optional,” Xanthis says, reaching forward and touching her index finger to Menlich’s temple.

He sways and shivers while the two other brothers look on with wide eyes.

“It’s for your benefit,” the mage says. “I offer comfort. Please.” She gestures to the tray.

The three brothers each take a mug, sniffing at the liquid first.

“She would never harm you,” I say softly to ease their concerns. “Xanthis is a trusted friend.”

With a curt nod, Menlich drinks his first, slamming it back like it’s a shot. His brothers follow, and a few seconds later, a black cloud rises from their bodies, filling the air with the foul scent of sulfur and death.

“Incredible,” Montrose whispers. “You’ve summoned the underworld.”

Xanthis shakes her head. “No. I’ve released the sadness, bitterness, and hate from their hearts so they can heal without further bloodshed.” She reaches out and holds Menlich’s hand in hers, opening her mouth and inhaling some of the odd smoke coming off him.

His eyes roll to the back of his head, and the three brothers appear to be in a daze. Xanthis closes her eyes, her lips moving with words that are meaningless to me, but when she opens her eyes again, her shoulders relax.

“In a moment they’ll snap out of it,” she says. “They’ve already killed Judre’s attackers. They’ll forget your mate’s family even exists. They’ll believe they stopped by for a spot of tea, and when they wake up, they’ll go home, happy and at peace.”

“That’s amazing,” Viggo says.

Dahlia is staring at Xanthis with awe all over her face.

Xanthis tilts each brother back and they lie on my couch, their eyes rolled back, completely checked out. The mage looks up at me and smiles.

“Now, let’s handle our troublesome friends, shall we?”

ALRICK

My head is still spinning from what Xanthis just did right before my eyes. If she can heal Viggo and erase memories, maybe there’s hope my dad and Digby will just fade into the distance.

Viggo catches up with me, gripping my arm. “Are you actually handling all this magic shit like it’s nothing or are you tripping inside too?”

“Not tripping, but pretty astounded.” I chuckle.

“Yeah.” He laughs along with me.

“I have to tell you something, Vig.” I don’t want any more secrets from Viggo if I can help it. If we’d been honest with each other sooner, maybe we could have left together. We could have saved ourselves a lot of pain.

“Can’t it wait?” he asks.

I shake my head, glancing at Lord as our bond vibrates. “You need to know in case something happens.”

“Okay.”

“Lord and I are connected. To the point where if something happens to him and he dies, I die too.”

Viggo stumbles. “What?”

“It’s how he saved my life. He tied our lives together to save me. If something happens to me, he dies too.”

My brother’s brow creases. “Why would he do that for a stranger?”

“I wasn’t a stranger. His dragon knew me. My soul was made for his.” I chew on my bottom lip, aware of how crazy this must sound to him.

Viggo’s jaw drops. “It’s… it’s true? They really have mates?”

I nod, pulling my hair off my shoulders. “They have mates. I’m Lord’s.”

“Gods of lore,” Viggo whispers. Reaching down, he grips my hand and squeezes it. “I want you to know, if it’s between you or them, I choose you. I’ll drive a sword through my own dad’s heart before I let him hurt you or Lord.”

I have to blink back the wave of emotion making my eyes flood. “Same, brother.”

Just as we cross the boundary from the landscaped grass to the woods, my chest tightens as if I can feel my family. Then I realize it’s Lord’s emotions I’m feeling. He can smell them.

He moves subtly so that he’s in front of me, his brothers and their mates flanking me and Viggo until we’re surrounded by them on all sides. My heart races as fear prickles across my skin. I know what my family is capable of, and it terrifies me.

Montrose blinks out of sight, returning seconds later with Digby and my dad in his clutches. He drops them at Xanthis’s feet.

My dad scrambles up quickly, drawing his sword. Digby is dazed, taking a few seconds longer to stand and focus on the group in front of him.

I push past Lord, despite his protests, and face my dad and eldest brother. Viggo quickly joins me. My dad glares while a hint of relief colors Digby’s features.

“Traitor,” my dad spits at me. “How are you still alive?” He sweeps his eyes over my torn, bloodied shirt. He looks… enraged to see me standing there unharmed. His face turns crimson with fury when he takes in Viggo’s perfectly healed face next.

His words turn the blood in my veins to ice and for a second, I reconsider my stance on ending his life. Imagine being filled with so much hatred that you’re angry your own sons survived your attempt on their lives. I wish I’d seen what a miserable person he was sooner.

“I’m sure you’re very disappointed, but I’m obviously stronger than you think I am.”

“Then fight me like a man without all these… beasts ,” he growls the word like it’s the worst insult he can think of, “backing you up.”

I scoff at that. “Like a man? Like you did when you made Digby hold me still while you beat me? Like when you tied Viggo up so he was defenseless? Is that how men fight?”

“You earned your punishment for turning on your family.”

Lord growls as he grips my shoulder from behind.

“What are you gonna do to us?” Digby asks, his voice shaking.

The momentary distraction gives my dad his opening, and he lunges forward with his sword aimed right at my heart. His cursed sword.

Before I even have a chance to react, I’m knocked to the ground by Lord’s sudden shift, leaving me in the shadow of his dragon. I gaze up at him in all his majestic beauty, vaguely aware of his other brothers shifting at the same time, and hearing the mage lament, “Fuck’s sake, lads. Trouble, the lot of you.”

Lord stomps forward as my dad lunges with his sword, but Xanthis intervenes, shooting light from her hand that crumples the sword right before our eyes. Lord uses his massive arm to knock my dad to the ground with such force that he slides across the forest floor. He releases a growl that shakes the trees, sending a stream of fire that scorches the ground right up to my dad’s feet.

I should stop him, but I’m too stunned by the beautiful rage pouring off him, and frankly I’m not sure I could. Suddenly, Lake kneels beside me.

“Now’s the time to soothe your dragon before he makes daddy a shish kebab.”

I look at him with wide eyes. “H-how?”

Lake taps my chest. “The bond. Use it. Call him back to you.”

Nodding and breathing heavily, I close my eyes to focus on the bond, plucking at it to get his attention. I focus again when Lord swings his tail, knocking down several trees in the process. The sound of his angry roar mixed with crackling fire vibrates through me. He scoops my dad off the ground, gripping him in his claws. My dad looks so tiny, but his expression is nothing but defiance.

Lord. Come back to me.

He doesn’t react, but then I remember his dragon. That’s who’s in charge right now.

Balriss.

Lord freezes, tilting his head in my direction.

Balriss, my love. Come back to me.

Lord drops my dad, who lands with an oof . The other brothers, now back in their human forms and as naked as the mage, scramble forward to hold my dad back. Digby is surrounded by the mates.

Lord shifts back, his human body drained from the adrenaline and anger he experienced. He falls to his knees, and I crawl to him, wrapping my arms around him and kissing the top of his head as he curls into me.

Xanthis steps forward, her face full of irritation, as she focuses on my dad. “You had to make it harder, didn’t ye?”

I watch as she straddles my dad, grabs his chin and blows air into him. He struggles against her, but he’s no match for her apparent strength. With her lips only a breath away from his, she seems to inhale, drawing the air from his body.

The pained groan he releases rattles my nerves, and I hold Lord a little closer.

“What are you doing to him?” Digby asks. “Is she killing him?”

“You’re next, buttercup,” Montrose says, kicking my brother’s foot.

“It’s just a good cleanse and detox,” Lake says, airily. “We’re not mindless killers. Unlike some people.”

“Even though you’ve given us a damn good reason to end you,” Draydon says. “You’re lucky your brothers are better people than you are. They saved your lives today.”

Digby’s eyes meet mine, and once again, I see the hint of regret in them. “I didn’t have a choice,” he says.

“Yeah, you fucking did,” Viggo growls. His breath is shaky as he leans against me. “You know what brave is, Digs? Brave is Alrick. We should look up to him .”

My attention shifts back to Xanthis and my dad as he shakes and trembles like a rag doll under her ministrations. Her body flashes with light as the tattoos scrawled on her flesh illuminate like strobe lights.

Dahlia has her hands on the mage’s shoulders, and apparently, that’s doing something to her as her body jerks and her hair sticks out like she’s been struck by lightning.

Xanthis throws her head back and deep blue veins in her neck thicken and pulse.

“Fuck,” Dahlia groans. “She found something.”

Lord lifts his head, gazing at the scene with tired eyes.

My eyes go wide as the hazy gray mist coming out of my dad turns black and inky. It’s thick, like oily sludge, and I’m shocked as Xanthis sucks it from his mouth into hers.

Dahlia is thrown backward. Arson darts forward to catch her as Xanthis rises from the ground, bringing my dad with her as they levitate high above us.

“Whoa,” Dempsey whispers.

The black sludge fades, becoming clear and then disappearing entirely as Xanthis gently descends back to earth. She gets to her feet, then bends over, vomiting the black sludge onto the earth.

Dahlia hurries to her side, holding her hand over the area where the pool of nastiness swirls like a whirlpool. The ground opens up, and Montrose jumps into Tino’s arms with a yelp. Black claws rise, surrounded by flames, and drag the black liquid down with them as the ground closes and they disappear.

My dad lies lifeless on the ground, and Xanthis turns to Digby. He attempts to break free, but he’s no match for Nico and Hemingway.

“Shite,” Xanthis murmurs. “Here’s hoping yours isn’t as bad.”

We all look on as Xanthis repeats the process on Digby. It starts out the same, the silence broken by his pained moans, but it’s over very quickly and the black sludge doesn’t make an appearance. Digby slumps to the ground, but he looks to be in much better shape than my dad.

Xanthis drags a hand through her white tresses, her skin returning to a subtle glow rather than the light show we got minutes earlier.

“The father was poisoned. Cursed. Someone planted something dark and nasty in there.”

Viggo looks at me at the exact moment I look at him. “Grandfather,” we say at the same time.

“What?” Lord asks.

“Dad told us a story when we were boys,” I explain. “He said there were methods to make us comply with tradition and carry on the family name.”

Viggo nods. “He told us we should be thankful our grandfather was dead. His methods were far worse. For some reason, he never gave it to us.”

“He knew how dark it was.” Xanthis clicks her teeth. “Shameful. The curse covered his heart. He may not be the same man when he wakes.”

“That doesn’t sound bad to me, all things considered,” Lake says.

“Digby didn’t have it?” I ask.

Xanthis shakes her head. “No. He’s just obedient.” Xanthis turns to Viggo. “Your turn.”

He shakes his head. “No way. I don’t want to forget any of this.”

Her eyes shift in question to Lord, who nods. “He’s no danger to us.”

“Good. I’m tired,” the mage says. “I need to rest before I return home.”

“You can come to my place,” Dahlia says readily. “I can show you my workshop.”

A pretty smile spreads across Xanthis’s face. “Aye. That sounds delightful. You have tea, yes?”

“Of course.”

The two magical women slink off together, and minutes later, my dad starts to cough, his body heaving with effort. Digby wakes seconds after him, sitting up with a dazed expression.

My dad blinks slowly, looking around before focusing on me and Viggo, and then a very naked Lord wrapped around me.

“What’s going on?” he asks, his voice oddly soft. “Where are we?”

“A friend’s home,” I say. “There was a minor accident, but you’re okay.”

He nods, touching his chest. “I don’t remember an accident. Are you okay? Viggo? Digby?”

Viggo and I exchange glances again.

“Yeah, we’re okay,” Viggo says. “You don’t remember anything?”

His brow creases and he looks around again. “I have a little headache.” He rubs his temples. “But more importantly, you boys aren’t hurt?”

“No,” Viggo says.

Dad blows out a breath. “Good. I feel so… light.”

Lord squeezes my hand.

“Why are we surrounded by naked men?” Digby asks. “I mean, not complaining, but it’s kind of weird.”

“We’re nudists,” Arson says, making Draydon chuckle.

“We could have dinner,” Lake offers, his expression tentative as he glances around at us. “Get to know each other.”

I nod. “You can meet my boyfriend’s family.”

My dad’s face lights up in a way I’ve never seen. “You have a boyfriend? When did this happen?”

“Recently,” I manage as my throat clogs with emotion. “This is Lord Drake. My dad, Njord Havaror.”

“Pleasure,” Lord says, even though his voice is guarded.

“No, the pleasure is mine. Sorry we’re meeting under these circumstances.”

“Dinner would be great,” Digby says. “I’m starving for some reason. I feel so empty.”

My dad gets to his feet. “What kind of accident was it?”

“Car.”

“Plane.”

“Hunting.”

“Wild animal attack.” Several people speak at once, talking over each other.

Lord coughs to cover a laugh. “We’re not sure. We found you in the woods and brought you here.”

My dad nods, averting his eyes from my mate’s nudity. “Thank you. Everything is hazy, but at least we’re alive and well. Even though… I can’t quite recall what I was doing before I woke up. Blank slate.” He frowns. “Actually, everything feels a little hazy, like I’ve just woken from a very long dream I can’t recall.”

It worked. It actually fucking worked.

“It’s probably temporary,” Dempsey says. “Bouts of amnesia are common after trauma. All you need is a good meal and a good night’s rest. Then we’ll get you home.”

“Where is home?” Digby asks as he follows the mates toward Lord’s house.

“Do we have a house?” My dad’s voice trails off. All I hear is Lake’s chipper voice as he plants the idea convincingly that they’re barley farmers in Norway.

Works for me.

I turn to Lord, cupping his face in my hands. “Are you okay?”

“I have my mate in my arms, my family is safe, and the threat is extinguished. I’ve never been better, treasure. All I need is right here.”

“Do we really get to have this?”

He nods as his eyes shift and his dragon peers out at me. “For the rest of our very long lives.”