He drew hope from having found an unlikely ally in the dragoness—she’d ordered J’leen to bring him here. Plus, the guardians had let him in. Those had to be positive omens, didn’t they?
If there is no way we can be together, then I’ll let her go. But if a sliver of a chance exists, I’ll fight for it.
The promenade completed a full rotation and emptied into the massive sanctuary. Twelve female demiformas formed a circle around O’ne who held fire in her bare hands. She moved to light an oil lamp, but before she could, it burst into flame.
“Oh, sacred flame, eternal giver and protector of life, we offer this fire that you may manifest anew,” said the acolyte in Dragonish. O’ne didn’t acknowledge his presence. Neither did any of the others, but he got an immediate and strong sense his trespass was a huge violation.
What had he been thinking to barge in on a sacred ceremony? No wonder the Draconians disliked humans. He could have waited until after the consecration and rebirth to see her. The Eternal Fyre meant life to millions, and he thought his relationship with the priestess was more important?
Quietly he backed away.
No! You must stay! The dragoness’s voice boomed into his head with such clarity and force, he almost fell over.
I’m intruding.
If you were not supposed to be here, you would not be here.
Is O’ne aware you’re speaking to me?
No. She believes as you do.
Then, I can’t stay. Please tell the priestess I apologize for breaking my promise, and I will honor our agreement from this point forward.
NO! the dragoness shouted at him.
O’ne’s composure seemed to slip for a millisecond, but she recovered her poise and glided into the center of the circle.
Oil lamps raised high, the women began to sway and chant. There were no comparable words in English for much of the Dragonish, but he did catch the words, rebirth, eternal, life, and something about sacrifice.
With a single puff of her breath, O’ne blew out the fire in her hands and tipped her head back. She opened her mouth wide.
RAWR! An explosive, percussive noise knocked Henry to his knees and threw the acolytes to the floor. Only O’ne remained standing. He scrambled to his feet only to fall again as another roar rocked the temple, followed by automatic gunfire—
Upright, unmoving and expressionless, O’ne appeared to be in the grips of a trance, seemingly oblivious to the acolytes stamping out flames licking at the hems of their gowns. All across the floor, fires burned in little pools of spilled oil.
A man in a camo hazmat suit burst into the sanctuary, shouting and waving a plasma blaster. “Get back, all of you! The first one of you lizards to shift gets his fucking head blown off.”
Biggs’s free hand hovered over a grenade on his belt. If he detonated one, they were all dead. They’d have two-to-six seconds to kiss their asses goodbye before it exploded. He couldn’t be stupid enough to pull the pin while in the temple. Despite everything else, Biggs was no suicide bomber. He had to know he’d never make it out of the spiraling promenade before the grenade exploded.
Of course, the plasma blasters were lethal enough. It wouldn’t do too much damage to a full dragon, but a direct hit would kill a demiforma dead. Kill them all.
Henry cursed. He never went anywhere unarmed. Why had he allowed J’leen to talk him into leaving his weapons behind? He should have taken his chances with the guardians. He didn’t have anything as powerful as a plasma blaster or the flamethrower bandoliered across Biggs’s chest, but he at least would have had something if an opportunity arose to get a jump on him.
“I said, get the fuck back!” Biggs shouted.
“Do as he says,” Henry advised.
“Listen to the traitor.”
The acolytes retreated and formed a clump. Shit! Were they trying to make themselves a bigger target? A couple of shots would take out the whole group.
“Get over there with them, asshole!” Biggs waved the blaster.
He shuffled to give the appearance of compliance while trying to catch a glimpse of O’ne but couldn’t see through the group of acolytes. Holding his hands away from his body to seem unthreatening, he asked, “Why are you here, Jackson? What do you want?”
“I came to kill a lizard. Didn’t know I’d get so lucky as to get a whole litter. Plus you.”
O’ne… He couldn’t believe it would end this way. “Nobody here means you any harm. And you won’t get away with killing anybody. King K’rah and Prince T’mar will not rest until they hunt you down.”
Another roar shook the temple. Henry thought he heard a man scream.
Biggs flinched, and his pupils contracted to pinpoints. He pointed the weapon at Henry.
Time froze. Blood rushed in his ears.
“The son of my daughter, you have arrived at last.” O’ne pushed through the cluster of acolytes.
Chapter Twenty-Four
H’ry, how I wish you’d stayed at the palace. O’ne quaked with fear for her mate, but outwardly, she maintained composure. Had she not been expecting this moment? She’d seen not the time, but after Rhianna, she’d known more children would return. Fyre always led a dragon home.
This one had come home to kill. Hatred had reduced his fyre to a smolder. She could smell that he was the one who’d desecrated the other temple.
She’d prayed for her children to return, and, once again, a prayer granted became a curse rather than a blessing. Her son, a descendant of the daughter she’d left behind, reeking of malice, threatened her mate.
Her dragoness roared, ready to engulf him in a fireball.
Do not shift, she ordered her dragoness and the acolytes. L’yla teetered on the verge. At a hint
