Page 72 of The Mating Quest
The gowns hung in the closet, with a tag identifying each wearer. It was beautiful, she had to admit. Cobalt blue velvet embroidered with silver thread. Dakota and Chloe had matching gowns. But hers had short sleeves, which was a relief. If she had to fight, her arms wouldn’t be restricted with long, flowingfabric.
And her gown came with a brilliant diamond and sapphire girdle around the waist and a diamond encrusted sheath complete with a dagger. Ilana withdrew the dagger, admiring the silver hilt. It felt good in herhands.
She set it down, trying to fight worry that something might backfire at thisceremony.
Chapter 21
Never hadhe seen so many damn dragons. Dragons large as a house, dragons small as a child’s bicycle. All of them, hell, he couldn’t count the numbers, assembled in a valley ringed by mountains, circling a large woodenplatform.
All of them able to breathe fire, all of them with sharpteeth.
Ethan resisted the impulse to run a finger around the collar of his shirt. He and Ryan were in Skin, wearing silver shirts, a blue tunic, trousers and soft blue boots. A silver dagger, more ceremonial than anything, hung at his waist. Tension filled the air. He could sense it as easily as he scented the fresh water running through the valley, and the fragrance of wildflowers. In his palms, resting upon a blue and silver cushion, he carried the sacred dragon scale that would endow Drust, and then Chloe, with tremendouspower.
If they made it to that part of the ritual. Ilana told him, not the others for she didn’t wish to alarm an already nervous Chloe, about a possible attempt on Drust’slife.
They had all been instructed by Lacey what to do. The dragon scale pulsed blue, and even through the covering and the cushion, he could feel the heat of its power. Ilana, sandwiched between Chloe and Ryan, leanedover.
“I got your back, wolf,” she whispered toEthan.
“I don’t need you to fight forme.”
“You do while you’re holding that thing, and my dagger isn’t a letter opener.” She patted the jewel-entrusted sheath at herwaist.
Ethan almost laughed. A blade to fight off dragons bigger than an apartment building? Dragons that could fry them like shish kabob? Still, he admired her bravery, especially since she looked a little pale and wasn’t up to her old strength yet. Ryan held her elbow, as if being courtly, but Ethan knew it was to help her standupright.
“Thanks,Mage.”
Damn but she looked lovely, almost ethereal in the blue velvet gown, her spine erect, her chin held high, her complexion slightly pale, but creamy. Ilana left her long hair unbound for a change and it hung like black silk down her back. The gown accented her big blue eyes and her lips were glossed with a touch of cosmetics. Such a pouting, kissablemouth.
He swallowed hard, glanced at his sisters in their cobalt blue gowns. Both lovely, both shorter in stature and demure. Always feminine. Ilana…she had a certain glowing beauty hid the warrior beneath her smoothskin.
Stop thinking abouther.
Drust and Lacey, clad in their typical cobalt blue, materialized on the platform. Sebastian, Skylar, Alex, and Michael flew over to the platform and shifted into Skin. They were clothed in the same attire as their group. The dragons flanked Drust and Lacey as if guarding them. Drust said nothing, only waited, Ilana’s sword in his hand. Silence descended in the valley, broken by the whisper of a cooling breeze ruffling the meadow grasses and the gurgling of the creeknearby.
Suddenly a loud voice called out. “Drust! Today is your reckoning day! We no longer wish you to be our guardian and judge. I cry foul upon your judgement and challenge you for theposition!”
An enormous green dragon took flight and circled overhead. No one breathed. The dragon swooped down, heading straight for the Coldfire Wizard. From his vantage point, Ethan could see Drust and he seemed to be…smiling.
Chloe made a strangled sound. Ethan hastened to snap orders. “Hold your positions, everyone. Do not move! No matterwhat!”
Ilana reached out, gave Chloe’s hand a squeeze. He sensed her calming energy. Thank the goddess forIlana.
Claws extended, the dragon kept diving for Drust. Anxiety filled Ethan. The wizard barely had enough magick left to defendhimself.
Lacey looked up, her lovely face calm, and flicked her fingers. Blue energy sailed from the tips, striking the dragon, who somersaulted backwards inflight.
Ethan released the breath he’d been holding. But suddenly the green dragon righted itself. The dragon flew downward, his trajectory straight at Chloe. To his horror, the green dragon opened his mouth to blow fire at her. Ethan fought the impulse to drop the dragon scale and dive before his sister. Ilana broke free of Ryan’s hand and stepped before Chloe, shielding her with outstretched arms. His admiration and feelings for herincreased.
Suddenly Lacey flung out her hands and a protective bubble of magick encased their entire group. The fire spilled off it and ignited the grass, but Lacey aimed water from the nearby creek at the blaze, extinguishingit.
Drust gave a satisfied smile. “Now you know. Test me and you shall deal with my mate, who has more than enough power to stop you. Or kill you with a flick of herhand.”
The dragon landed before the platform, shifted into Skin, a middle-aged man wearing an ordinary business suit. He dropped to his knees before Drust. “My lord, I apologize! It will never happen again, I promise. Ithought…”
“Thought what?” Lacey asked with deceptive sweetness. “That our friends, the ones who risked their lives to obtain the sacred scale, should be killed? That my mate could be disabled and you could assume his powers? For what crimes are you apologizingfor?”
The man babbledsomething.
