Destined for the Dragon (Lost Dragons Book 3) Read online

  Again, she felt the overwhelming wave of adoration. But this time, it was accompanied by words.

  I love y–

  But the words were cut off.

  A strong hand curved its way around her throat, cutting off her air, while another wrapped around her upper arms, pinning them to her sides.

  Alanna tried to kick back with her foot, but it was useless.

  Cold dread suddenly sunk its way into Alanna’s heart.

  In her elation at Magnus’s victory, she’d forgotten about Casper and Benedict.

  Shit, oh shit...

  It was an unforgivable error, especially for one who had always prided herself on keeping a clear head during training – but now it was too late.

  The strength of the hands that held her was inhuman, and Alanna immediately knew what had happened.

  Dragon blood.

  Whoever had grabbed her had drunk it, and doubled, maybe even tripled their strength.

  Blindly, she kicked out again, trying to struggle free, but she was held fast.

  “Now, now, Alanna,” Casper’s smooth voice sounded in her ear. She saw the flash of a knife, as he held it close to her face. “Don’t struggle. Let’s make this as easy as possible.”

  Magnus! she called out, even as fury at herself rose in her chest. How could she have been so stupid?

  I’m sorry, she thought desperately as she watched Magnus’s massive form begin to bound forward, rage glinting in his eyes.

  “Now stop right there!” Casper called, and Alanna felt the point of his knife digging into the side of her neck. “Not one more step, or she dies! You’re fast, but you’re not fast enough. She’ll be dead before you can reach me.”

  Alanna knew that Casper was right. With only a flick of his knife, he could cut her throat.

  Magnus seemed to know it too. He came to a skidding halt, his massive claws throwing up clods of dirt and fallen leaves. A deep, furious growl rose from his chest, his blue eyes filled with rage.

  Alanna swallowed, feeling the point of the knife dig into her skin slightly. If she struggled, she risked doing Casper’s work for him.

  Again, she cursed herself. Her sloppiness had turned what should have been their moment of triumph into a mess.

  I have to do something to get us out of this...

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” Casper hissed in her ear, making Alanna’s blood run cold.

  Of course.

  If Casper had drunk dragon’s blood, then he may also have picked up some small amount of a dragon’s psychic abilities. Even if he couldn’t hear her specific thoughts, he could probably sense what she might have in mind.

  Quickly, Alanna clamped down on her thoughts. As much as she would have liked to reach out to Magnus with her mind, it simply wasn’t worth the risk.

  “This doesn’t have to end badly,” Casper snickered. “Well... not for me, anyway.”

  “You’re a snake and traitor,” Alanna couldn’t help but spit back at him, twisting slightly in his grasp as his fingers dug painfully into her arm. “Don’t think you’ll get any mercy from me when I tell everyone what you’ve done here.”

  “Ahh, well.” Casper’s voice was smug and smooth as velvet. “That would rely on you surviving here, wouldn’t it?”

  Alanna grit her teeth. We will get out of this, she told herself, determined. If not, Casper and Benedict would never be brought to justice.

  “Dragon!”

  Benedict’s voice rang out suddenly – but it was his voice as Alanna had never heard it before, rough and full of rage. Benedict had often shouted at apprentices when he’d felt they weren’t living up to their potential or slacking off in their training, but he’d never sounded like this before.

  His words of earlier came back to her suddenly: Perhaps I’ll get to see the dragon who ruined my brother beg for his life before he dies.

  Alanna bit her lip, thinking. Clearly, Benedict had something personal against Magnus. She didn’t understand how his brother played into this, or what Magnus could possibly have done to him, but it was obvious that Benedict was out for revenge.

  “Dragon!” he called out again, before stalking his way into Alanna’s field of vision. His face was twisted into a terrifying scowl, and in his hand, he held... something.

  Blinking, Alanna recognized it after a moment as some sort of collar, made out of black, shiny metal.

  A control collar, Alanna thought with a sudden thudding of her heart. She’d never seen one in real life before. They’d been banned for so long she’d never had a reason to.

  But Magnus had once been controlled by just such a collar – by a dragon hunter named Bain.

  “Recognize this?” Benedict’s voice interrupted her thoughts. He held up the collar, showing it Magnus, who stood, still in dragon form, about a hundred feet in front of him. Magnus snorted, rearing back, fire gathering at his mouth. It was clear he recognized the collar – the thing that had been used to control his body for who knew how long.

  “I thought you would,” Benedict said, lips curling into a sneer. “My brother was one of the greatest dragon hunters who ever lived. Collaring a such a strong dragon was his supreme achievement.”

  Bain. Bain must be—

  “That’s right,” Casper sneered. “God, you’re slow on the uptake, aren’t you?”

  Bain was Benedict’s brother.

  The man who had put the collar around Magnus’s neck, turning him into a virtual slave... the man who had forced him to fight, who had cost Magnus all his memories of who he was and where he came from had been Benedict’s brother.

  Things started to slot into place in Alanna’s mind.

  But she didn’t have time to think about it all just at this moment. Right now, she had to figure out how she and Magnus were going to walk away from this – and ensure that Benedict and Casper, and whoever was involved, didn’t get away with any of it.

  Magnus growled, clearly having overcome his initial shock at seeing the collar in Benedict’s hand. He clawed at the earth, lowering his head, eyes glittering dangerously. Smoke rose threateningly from his mouth, small tongues of flame licking around his teeth.

  Benedict just laughed.

  “I suppose you could just burn me right here,” he said, shaking his head. “But if you do that, have no fear that Casper will slit your mate’s throat where she stands. You might be a dragon, but you’re not fast enough to stop him. And you can’t burn him without also hitting her.”

  He was right, Alanna knew. Dragonfire was hot enough that even being near it could cause severe burns in humans. Breathing fire at Casper would be too risky.

  She could see in his eyes that Magnus understood the situation all to clearly himself.

  Alanna... I didn’t protect you...

  His thoughts were in her mind at once. Either because he couldn’t stop them, or because he didn’t care if they heard. I’m sorry. My mate. I’m so sorry.

  Alanna squeezed her eyes shut at the wave of pain and desolation that washed over her.

  But she couldn’t give in to despair – not yet. Not when they were both still standing, could still fight...

  “How unfortunate,” Benedict remarked drily. “The one thing a shifter lives for – to protect their mate – and you have failed. But you can still save her life, if you listen to me.”

  Alanna licked her lips. She didn’t like the sound of this at all.

  But nonetheless, it was clear that Magnus was listening. His blue eyes focused wholly on Benedict, the flames that had been licking at his mouth abruptly extinguished.

  Benedict held up the collar.

  “Submit to the collar again. Be what your kind were always supposed to be – the servants of humans. If you’ll accept the collar, you have my word I’ll set her free, without harming a hair on her head.”

  “Magnus, NO!”

  The shouted words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She struggled against Casper’s grip once more, and again felt the tip of the kni
fe slice into her skin.

  She barely felt the pain, however – and moreover, she didn’t care about it. The only thing she cared about was making sure Magnus was never collared again, never had to endure the pain and horror of his years as Bain’s enslaved dragon.

  “You can’t do this, Magnus,” she pleaded, even as she struggled. “I won’t let you!”

  Alanna. Magnus’s voice slid into her head, filled with pain. Please. I have to. If it means saving your life...

  But not at this price, Magnus, Alanna begged him, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. Please. Please don’t...

  I have to, Magnus said. It was my responsibility to protect you. I failed. This is the only way.

  “No it’s not!” Alanna cried out, even as Magnus took several steps toward where Benedict stood, triumphantly holding the collar. “Magnus, no! Please!”

  Tears pricked in the corners of her eyes as she watched. Magnus was slowly approaching Benedict, his long neck slowly curving down toward him. Every muscle in his body showed how desperately he did not want to do this – his steps were stiff, his wings curved awkwardly. Perhaps he was fighting off his dragon’s instinct to flee, to strike out at the man who threatened him.

  The dragon would see only the collar, and want to react with fear and fury. But the human mind would understand why that just wasn’t possible...

  No, Alanna thought desperately. No, I won’t let this happ–

  Just as the thought entered her head, a slight movement in the corner of her eyes caught her attention.

  Pausing, Alanna tried to see it again, without turning her head.

  Was I imagining things?

  But no – there it was again.

  It took all of Alanna’s self control not to catch her breath as she realized what she was seeing.

  Venom. Venom from the manticore’s attack.

  The thick, viscous liquid had been spewed everywhere when it had tried to strike at Magnus earlier.

  Including on the tree trunk right next to her head.

  It was dripping slowly down it now, leaving a trail of black rot in its wake as it did.

  Alanna swallowed.

  If I could just...

  If she could only stretch out her hand a little further, she could use the venom as a weapon.

  Not much of a weapon, but it was better than nothing.

  Which was what she had at the moment.

  And only if I can grab it now, she thought, swiveling her eyes to look back at where Magnus was still clearly fighting against his dragon’s instincts to run or fight.

  Casper shifted suddenly, his grip on her shoulders tightening as if alarmed.

  Quickly, Alanna snapped her thoughts off. If Casper hears me now...

  The venom dripped slowly down the tree trunk. It was passing her elbow now. In just a few moments it would pass her hand, and then she could... she could...

  Magnus lowered his head, and Benedict raised the collar, grinning triumphantly.

  Now! It has to be now!

  Pouring every ounce of training into her movements, Alanna shot her hand out, grabbing a handful of the sticky, viscid venom.

  She ignored the searing pain that shot up her arm, the burning smell that could only have been the skin of her palm as it came into contact with the manticore’s venom.

  She heard Casper’s shocked inhalation, felt the point of the knife in her throat – but she slammed her hand, coated in the powerful venom, up into the only part of him she could easily reach: the side of his neck.

  His cry of pain was immediate, as was his release of his grip from her shoulders. Gritting her teeth against her own terrible pain, Alanna kicked at his shins viciously, forcing him to let her go. As soon as he did, she spun, bringing her fist down between his shoulder blades and dropping him to the ground.

  He still gripped the knife, but Alanna wasted no time: she stomped her foot down on his wrist until he let go, at which point she snapped it up herself, in the hand that wasn’t on fire with pain.

  “Magnus!” she cried out, turning to look at him. Oh God, don’t let me have been too slow... don’t let him have been collared...

  The sight that met her eyes almost made her burst out with a laugh of joy, her terror that she had been too late instantly evaporating.

  Benedict was standing pushed back against a massive tree trunk, his hands empty and his face a mask of terror. He was pinned in place by one of Magnus’s enormous forepaws, his claws an inch from Benedict’s throat.

  It was clear that Magnus wasn’t hurting him – but nor could Benedict move an inch. The black metallic collar glinted dully in the leaves by his feet.

  Racing forward, she tucked the knife into the waistband of her pants and picked the collar up, even though she felt a wave of revulsion at touching such a thing. It was warm beneath her fingers, as if it had a life of its own, and made the skin of her palm tingle slightly.

  Well – in the skin of the palm that wasn’t entirely engulfed in unbelievable pain, anyway.

  I should probably get that looked at, Alanna thought vaguely as she stared down at her hand. The skin was already blistering. She wasn’t an expert on manticore venom, to say the least – but the wound did not look good. Suddenly, she realized how faint she felt. I... maybe I should...

  She felt a violent lurch in her stomach, and then her knees buckled.

  “Alanna!”

  She heard Magnus call her name as if from somewhere far distant. She felt warm hands on her arms and around her waist, and she realized he had caught her before she could fall to the ground.

  And then, everything went black.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Alanna! Alanna!”

  Magnus shouted her name as she went limp in his arms. He could see her breath growing shallower and shallower with every breath.

  “Alanna, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

  He sent his dragon’s senses out to her, trying to detect the injury that had caused her to pass out – only to be met with a blinding wall of pain.

  He couldn’t detect any single source – it was as if her entire mind had been completely engulfed in agony.

  “Alanna!” he called again – but she didn’t respond. Her eyes flickered beneath their lids as if she was trapped in a nightmare, her body lifeless.

  It was then that he heard a laugh, low and cold, to his left.

  Looking up wildly, Magnus saw a man – Casper, Alanna said it was Casper – sitting slumped against a tree. He held one hand up to the side of his neck, as if pressing on a wound.

  “What did you do to her?” Magnus shouted, fury straining his voice.

  Casper’s only response was to laugh again, until it was abruptly cut off by a choking cough. “Me? I didn’t do anything,” he finally said, his voice weak. “She did it to herself. To save you.”

  Rage tore through Magnus’s chest. “Don’t lie to me!”

  Casper’s face twisted, and he turned his head slightly to glare at Magnus. “I’m not lying. Look at her hand. And look at my neck.”

  Forcing himself to swallow down his fury and think rationally, Magnus looked down to where Alanna’s hand lay limp by her side – and then sucked in a horrified breath at what he saw.

  Her entire hand was covered in suppurating blisters, the skin cracked and broken. Anywhere that wasn’t festering had turned a violent shade of red.

  “What—” he started to ask, before the answer hit him square in the chest.

  The manticore’s venom. She must have gotten some on her hand.

  Fear coiled through Magnus’s chest.

  For a dragon, a manticore’s venom was deadly enough – the only thing on earth a dragon couldn’t heal from. Even so, a little bit on their skin would cause only pain, not death.

  But for a human...

  Clearly, even the small amount Alanna had touched had been enough to have a deadly effect. Her skin was so much more delicate than a dragon’s.

  And their mated bond wouldn’t do any
thing to help Alanna heal from the venom that must have already entered her bloodstream.

  Glancing up at Casper again, Magnus saw what he’d been talking about when he’d told Magnus to look at his neck. The venom was spreading over Casper’s skin too, visible now from beneath his hand. Angry blisters were beginning to form on his jaw and throat.

  In a few minutes, both Casper and Alanna would be dead.

  “No,” Magnus muttered through clenched teeth as he looked down at Alanna. “No.”

  You can heal her, his dragon hissed at him suddenly.

  There’s an antidote. You used to know it. Remember it! Quickly!

  Magnus felt his head reeling.

  An antidote?

  Magnus’s head shot up. He could save Alanna.

  Desperately, he reached after the memory he needed. Somehow, it made sense that he would once have known the antidote for a manticore’s poison.

  Perhaps it fit in with how comfortable he was in the forests – and how he had seemed to already have all of the skills he needed to take care of the forest for Isaak and Josie.

  He must have learned these things, once upon a time.

  And that meant that the knowledge he needed to save Alanna was there – somewhere, buried in his lost memories.

  Closing his eyes, Magnus tried to breathe deeply, tried to let himself find what he needed.

  Suddenly, behind his closed eyes, a golden glow appeared. He sucked in a quick breath as the glow slowly but surely resolved itself into a golden rope, twisting and turning through the darkness of his mind.

  It’s the mated bond, Magnus realized suddenly. It’s telling me where to go.

  Gritting his teeth, Magnus grasped the rope with both hands, feeling its warmth spreading through him. He pulled himself along, following the rope wherever it led him.

  Voices, familiar but unplaceable, faces he knew, places he had been all rose in his mind, but he ignored all of them, single-minded in his determination to find the information he needed.

  Pale jewelweed.

  The name of the plant sprung into his head, and his eyes snapped open.

  He knew the plant well – and he knew it grew here.

  Magnus spared only a moment to glance down at Alanna’s pale face, as still as death, before he leapt to his feet.