“So now you’re bein’ honest?” Daegan couldn’t help himself. He should have found Tristan last night, and might have, if not for her dancing around his questions.
Using both hands to push wild auburn locks that had escaped her long braid off her face, she glared at him. “I’m also pretty damn tired of you callin’ me a liar.”
Daegan leaned closer to her and growled, “Then stop avoidin’ the truth.”
She closed the distance to him, nose to chin. “I am tellin’ the truth, buster!”
Quinn cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should continue moving away from this spot in case we’re close to a rift. We all have questions and this may not be the best place to talk.” He sent a silent message to Daegan. Maybe if we get her to another spot away from these bodies and try befriending her, she’ll be more willing to talk.
It would surprise me based on what I have seen of her, but I am willin’ to try anythin’ to find Cavan.
I agree.
She stepped back. “What rift?” Her gaze jumped everywhere as if searching for a hole releasing Imortiks.
Staring up at the tall trees, Daegan begged for patience. He lowered his head. “Quinn, would ya lead her away from here? Head north while I deal with these bodies, then I’ll catch up to ya.”
“What are you goin’ to do?” She eyed him suspiciously.
Bloody woman! Asking questions when she should be giving answers. “Do not expect me to explain my every action to ya.” Dipping his head down he glowered at her. “Get movin’.”
After a moment of silent debate and muttering to herself, she snapped, “Let’s get somethin’ clear. Do not expect me to explain my every action to you either. I’m not movin’ because you told me, but because I’d like to talk to your friend, who sounds far more reasonable than you.”
She turned to Quinn. “Lead the way.”
With a look of surprise at her order, Quinn turned and waited for her to fall into step with him.
As they walked, she asked, “Where are these Imortiks coming from?”
Daegan could still feel the heat of her body from when she stood so close to him. He had an urge to call her back, to keep her within sight where he’d know she was safe.
Why? Quinn could protect her.
The venom had to be muddling his thoughts.
Quinn kept his voice at a level that allowed Daegan to pinpoint their placement as he explained, “Imortiks were created by majik from the original grimoire created thousands of years ago by two beings. That same majik was used to imprison Imortiks behind what is called a death wall, but the grimoire was intact at the time. After the death wall was sealed, the grimoire was split into three volumes to be hidden by three different groups. Someone has evidently gotten their hands on one volume and activated majik from that text to create a rift, allowing Imortiks to escape.”
Luigsech’s voice went up an octave. “Who has that volume?”
Daegan watched as Quinn lifted a drooping branch out of the way for her to pass beneath, replying, “We don’t know. We also have no idea where all three were originally hidden. What we do know is that these Imortiks can take over all human bodies and those of supernatural beings.”
“Wait. All supernatural beins’?”
Quinn’s voice faded. “Yes.”
Daegan had to listen closely to catch her words. “That’s ... crazy. That rift has to be closed before more of those yellow things escape.”
Quinn had excellent negotiation skills and might manage to build a bridge with Luigsech.
When the two of them sounded far enough away, Daegan pointed a finger to torch the scattered bodies. Fires erupted on two corpses. A layer of flames three fingers tall sprouted on the others.
What the ... ?
Daegan tried it again and actually extinguished one. He glanced around. Quinn had Luigsech far enough away and Daegan heard no other approaching threats.
He called up his dragon.
Ruadh clawed, trying to break free.
Daegan’s body shuddered. A frigid chill filled his chest.
“Come on, Ruadh,” he whispered in a pained voice. His body twisted slowly. Much too slowly.
Sweat ran down Daegan’s face and back in rivers.
His head warped, trying to change shape.
The Imortik venom burned and clawed his insides along the tendrils snaking through his arms and legs.
His dragon pushed power hard through their half-shifted human form. Daegan clamped his jaws to keep from shouting from the force of the agonizingly slow change. He had not experienced this level of difficulty in shifting since his first time as a young boy.
Even then, it had been more strange than painful.
Ruadh finally broke free into dragon form and trembled from the exhausting action.
Daegan asked, Please do not roar, Ruadh. I know ya want to and by all that is holy ya deserve to, but it will expose us when I much prefer keepin’ ya secret. Can ya burn these bodies?
In answer, Ruadh pushed short blasts of fire at each body, then stepped on flames trying to spread.
When Ruadh had finished, Daegan allowed his dragon to just sit there and breathe.
That had been hell on both of them.
What would happen if they had to shift and battle something stronger than what Daegan could defeat in human form?
Ruadh’s words came into his mind. We will defeat all enemies.
Daegan believed his dragon would do so or die trying. He had been gifted with a dragon that did not know the meaning of quit.
Ruadh murmured, The woman is strong.
She is, Daegan agreed, but what had his dragon meant by that? Ruadh rarely commented unless it was to offer advice in a battle, but his dragon respected strength almost as much as loyalty.
Quinn’s voice came into his mind. What’s taking so long, Daegan? Are you being attacked?
The venom oozing through his body felt like a physical attack. Daegan replied, I shall be there soon.
Then he told Ruadh, I am sorry for another change, but I need the human body.
Ruadh murmured, You will be vulnerable
