Part 27 (1/2)

She felt like a balloon about to burst.

Release it, Rya, her mother ordered, her sharp tone snapping Rya out of her stunned befuddlement.

d.a.m.n. She was wasting precious time.

Tugging away from Levet, she turned, her heart halting at the sight of Torque, who had inched his way toward the female dragon despite the burns on his chest and down his arm. Ravel didn't look much better. Her face was wounded and her robe charred in several places.

Worse, they were clearly in a losing battle as Blayze lifted her hands as she prepared to send another volley of fireb.a.l.l.s.

Determined not to waste another second, she didn't bother to move toward the others. It didn't matter how close she was, so long as she could see where she wanted the magic to go.

Lifting her hand, she focused solely on her newly discovered sister, whispering a small thank you to her mother before she unleashed the power.

She gasped, not prepared for the sensation of the magic being wrenched out of her and hurtling across the room.

d.a.m.n. She'd thought it had been bad having the magic shoved into her. It was worse having it yanked out of her.

Gritting her teeth, Rya continued to concentrate on the female dragon who staggered backward as the power surrounded her with a golden glow. At first, nothing happened. Well, nothing beyond the fact that her fire was extinguished, which sent a flare of relief through Rya.

Then the glow began to spread and condense around Blayze, coating her in a thick layer of magic.

An eerie silence filled the cavern as they all watched the young dragon's eyes widen. Not with pain. No, it was just the opposite.

The pale eyes were filled with astonishment as the spell eased her panic, and soothed the fear that Rya sensed had been her sister's constant companion for as long as she'd been cursed.

Rya was briefly pleased at the thought that she'd managed to give the female a feeling of relief. Then a tragic expression of vulnerability touched Blayze's face, and with a tiny cry she pitched forward as her knees gave way. She was unconscious before she ever hit the ground.

Lowering her hand, Rya felt her connection to her mother being abruptly severed as Levet swayed and tumbled backward in exhaustion.

Rya just had time to see Torque turning to race toward her before she joined the others on the floor, her legs collapsing beneath her as she hit the ground with a jarring thud.

Torque ignored the raw burns that were seared over his chest and down his arm. It wasn't the first time he'd endured the agony of dragon-fire. And it probably wouldn't be the last.

Unfortunately.

Right now all that mattered was getting to Rya.

Reaching her just as she hit the floor, he grimaced as he crouched beside her. She'd clearly expended too much magic. Dammit. And while he was happy as h.e.l.l not to be reduced to a pile of scorched bones by the crazed female dragon, he was aggravated that Rya had dangerously drained herself to complete exhaustion.

With gentle care, he gathered her in his arms, tugging her onto his lap.

”Are you okay?” he asked.

”I'm not sure.” She wrinkled her nose, her body trembling as she reached up to touch his wounds. ”What about you?”

”I'll survive,” he a.s.sured her. Her touch was feather-light but it still sent a s.h.i.+ver of pleasure through him. ”Thanks to you.”

There was a sound of distress from across the cavern, warning Torque that the younger dragon might be magically catatonic, but the mother was very much awake, and not particularly happy.

”What have you done?” Ravel rasped, kneeling beside her unconscious daughter.

Torque tightened his arms protectively around Rya as Ravel glared at them with blatant suspicion.

The female had smoke curling from her nose and sparks of fire in her eyes. One wrong step and she would finish what her daughter started.

”I channeled my mother's magic,” Rya explained, her voice weary as her attention turned toward her sister. ”It won't hurt Blayze, but it will keep her sedated.”

A portion of the older dragon's smoldering frustration eased, but her power continued to p.r.i.c.kle in the air, making the thick mist that surrounded them swirl in a dizzying pattern.

”For how long?” Ravel demanded.

Rya shook her head. ”I'm not sure. I've seen grown orcs sleep for days.”

Ravel glanced down at her daughter. The young dragon looked oddly peaceful as she lay on the ground, the darkness that had pulsed around her fully muted for the moment.

”A potent magic,” she murmured.

”Yes,” Rya readily agreed, her pride in her mother obvious.

”It gives me time to repair the damage the creatures did,” she murmured, speaking to herself.

Without warning, Rya was pulling out of his grasp and trying to stand. Instantly he was on his feet, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

”Lean on me. You're still weak,” he murmured, not mentioning the fact he had a fierce need to feel her warmth pressed against him.

For a few terrible moments he'd thought they all might be killed by Blayze. He needed to rea.s.sure himself that she was alive and relatively unharmed.

”What about moi?” the gargoyle intruded, shoving himself upright with a pout on his ugly face. ”I was the trans-meter maid. Look.” He spun around, his tail twitching. ”My wings are singed.”

Torque scowled. He didn't know what the creature was babbling about, and he didn't care.

His attention was locked on the dragon as she rose gracefully to her feet and held a hand in their direction.

”You must go.”

Torque parted his lips to agree. Rya, of course, had to argue.

It was as predictable as the sun rising in the east.

”No. My mother is still here,” she said. ”I can't leave without her.”

Ravel glanced toward her sleeping daughter. ”Once I have Blayze fully protected by my magic I will attempt to send her to you.”

”But-”

Torque overrode her protest. ”Rya.”

Ravel might not be as unstable as Torque had originally feared, but she was a full-blooded dragon with a volatile temperament. It wouldn't take much for her to decide she'd had enough.