The Nymph King

stabbed.

Darius jumped out of the way, spraying more fire as he did so. Valerian rolled from its path of destruction, the flames barely missing him. The scent of charred hair filled his nose. He used the momentum of his roll to stab at Darius again.

The spear whooshed, hitting only air. Darius's wings expanded, the thick length of opalescent membrane gliding up and down. Valerian popped to his feet. He dodged left, away from another blast of fire, then spun on his heel and pretended to lunge. Instead, he swung his spear behind him and stabbed forward from the opposite side. The tip grazed Darius's thigh while he still hovered in the air.

The other dragons hissed, but Darius gave no outward reaction. He simply opened his mouth, unleashing a terrible inferno. Valerian raised his shield just in time, blocking. But the metal began to burn his hand. He leapt up and swung.

Clang. The vibration from metal against metal stung the wound in his arm. He moved with the impetus, though, and twisted, slicing his spear through the air and forcing Darius to duck. Without pause, Darius charged. Valerian blocked and lunged. Blocked. Stabbed.

'We could do this all day, for I am sure we will once again prove to be an even match,' Darius growled.

Valerian gouged his spear at a downward angle, hoping to slice into Darius's other thigh. If he could hobble the dragon, making him rely only on his wings, Valerian could gain the advantage. But Darius jolted up and down quickly, placing the wooden length of the spear under his foot and snapping the weapon in two.

Immediately Valerian slid The Skull from its scabbard on the inside of his shield. He ran two steps, jumped and cut downward. This time Darius did not move quickly enough and the blade sliced into his arm.

Once again the dragons hissed, and once again Darius gave no reaction. It was as if he was impervious to pain. Unfortunately, Valerian was not. His wounded arm throbbed and his legs were growing shaky. If the fight didn't end soon...

Distantly he heard his men cheering for him.

'For Shaye,' Broderick shouted. 'Shaye. Shaye. Shaye.'

Her lovely face flashed before his mind, and he gathered his strength. Rallied himself. He'd been pushed to the brink before. There had been times he'd gone without food and water, his people without a home. He could prevail. Perhaps he should change his battle strategy. Instead of forcing Darius to fly, perhaps he should cut into Darius's wings, grounding him...

The dragon king suddenly slammed into him, knocking him down, hacking his chest armor. He tasted dirt in his mouth, felt warm blood ooze, and kicked backward. Darius soared over him, taking Valerian's shield with him. Valerian didn't bother rising to his feet this time. He spied Darius from the corner of his eye and simply shot out his sword.

It stabbed into Darius's side, between arm and rib.

There was a collective gasp from the dragons, as if they couldn't believe it had happened. There was a cheer from the nymphs. Then Darius hit the sword with his own, proving it had slid through air, not flesh. Valerian anchored his feet and leapt up. He swung behind him. Clang. Quickly he pivoted, swinging again. Clang.

'Shall we do this all day or will you finally leave the palace?' Darius said, his tone a bit hollow. He spoke between hits.

Clang. 'I'd really rather kill you now,' Valerian answered, 'if it's all the same to you.'

'I will let you keep the women.' Clang.

'And how will we shelter them without the palace?' He drew in a deep breath—and noticed the scents of blood and death had suddenly thickened the air.

'Vampires,' a dragon hissed.

The word echoed through the crowd. A curse to dragons, a blessing to nymphs. No one warred more fiercely with the vampires than the dragons.

Darius stilled. Valerian did the same. He could see that the vampires were interspersed with the contingent of men he'd sent to close in the rear.

'You tricked me,' Darius snarled. 'This was not to be a fair fight, after all. You dared bring the vampires here to aid you.'

'I didn't ask them to come, but I certainly won't send them away. They are my allies. We can finish this fight here and now, you and me.'

'As if I will trust the vampires not to attack me while I'm distracted. We will leave now, Valerian, but we are not finished with you and yours.'

As he spoke, the black-clad vampires closed in. They floated rather than walked, and they were hurling curses at the dragons. The dragons in turn mutated into their bestial forms. Wings sprouted from their backs, ripping every piece of their clothing. Scales consumed their skin, green and black and menacing. Fangs grew in place of their teeth. Tails sprouted from their lower backs.

They didn't engage the vampires or nymphs in any way. No, they sprang into the sky, moving higher and higher, before disappearing from Valerian's line of vision.

They would be back, Valerian knew, and the fight would not be as mild as it had been today. It would not be a battle between two men, but a bloodbath between races.

LAYEL, KING OF THE VAMPIRES, and his army came to an abrupt stop on the field. Seeing the dragons had disappeared, he and his army gave a cheer.

'Good to see you again, my friend,' Valerian said when the cheers died down.

'I heard the dragons were marching toward you and decided to help.'

Valerian clasped him on the shoulder. 'Last time I saw you, you were holding court with the demon queen.' He had not forgiven those hideous creatures for what they'd done to his people. 'Do you ally yourself with her still?'

Layel smiled slowly. He had white hair, though it wasn't as pale as Shaye's. Ice-blue eyes, strong, mystical features. 'I never allied myself with her. I used her, and then I killed her.'

Valerian returned the grin. 'Then you and yours are welcome inside.'

'My king,' a female vampire said, approaching Layel's side. She had the same pale shade of hair as Layel, the same blue eyes, except her features were soft, eerily beautiful.

Usually Layel did not allow his females near the nymphs.

'Alyssa,' the king acknowledged.

'Do we have your permission to... dally?' Her gaze was locked on Shivawn, and there was lust in her eyes.

Ah. Valerian suddenly understood why she'd been allowed to come. She wanted Shivawn and had probably asked to join the army just to see him.

Layel looked to Valerian. Valerian, of course, nodded his permission. The woman, Alyssa, grinned seductively and floated to Shivawn.

'Come,' Valerian said. He turned on his heel and strode to the palace, taking the dragon medallion from under his shirt and holding it up so the door sensor would allow the entrance to open.

Layel kept pace beside him, the others closing in behind them.

'Did you ever find the Jewel of Dunamis?' Valerian asked him. They entered the main hall. 'I know you were on a crusade to unearth it, yet Darius told me a human now has possession.'

'Alas, it escaped me. It escaped all of us, really.'

'On the surface, as Darius said?'

'Yes.'

'Any way to get it back?'

'None, I'm afraid.'

Perhaps he could travel to the surface and search for it, Valerian thought suddenly, for it might be the best way to protect Shaye. He would ponder that later. For now, he had a reprieve from battle. He was weak and tired and needed his mate.

'Broderick,' he called, 'see that guards are stationed around the entire palace, top and bottom, inside and out.'