A style far more grand than the rest.
Deep unease filled Layla, watching that forbidding-looking helicopter approach. As it touched down in the middle of the Crystal Highway, Layla watched buff men in tactical armor with semi-automatic rifles help a slender woman in a chic business suit down from the back. Flanking her in a chevron as she walked forward with a black briefcase in hand and tall black stiletto heels upon her feet, the men with guns held scary glowers, watching Dusk’s crowd like they were a threat.
The woman’s dark eyes were pinned to Dusk. Though the men’s eyebrows went up at Norbu Gyatso with his diamond-glory, the woman only spared Norbu a glance before her viciously efficient gaze returned to Dusk. Moving forward briskly in her smart business suit and pencil skirt, she came to stand directly in front of Dusk as those scary military men fanned out behind her, their guns not quite pointed at the group but not far from it. As she arched one fine dark eyebrow, Layla saw her eyes were black-grey with a shine of blue, crimson, and green like labradorite. Pursing her full lips, she stared Dusk down until poor Trevor began to fidget and the Nigerian sisters had to touch his wrists to keep him calm.
“Dusk Arlohaim, I presume?” The woman spoke with a bitch of a bite.
“You presume correctly.” Dusk spoke as his eyes flashed the menacing sapphire-diamond of his Dragon now. The gaze of his Dragon startled the woman, and for a moment she looked shocked before she drew up tall.
“You are Summoned by your Crystal Dragon King, Markus Ambrose, to appear at his palace in Prague, Czechia in the Twilight Realm immediately, and undergo your Trials of Proving.” She spoke with authority now. “Resistance will not be tolerated, and we have orders to shoot your Bound lovers if you cause a fuss. The bullets in these rifles have Black Spear tips, and my men do not miss. If you will follow me?”
Suddenly, all of those rifles were trained upon Layla and Adrian.
And Layla caught her breath, as she froze before their menace.
CHAPTER 22 – FLIGHT
Layla had never loved guns and she didn’t love them now as her drakaina snarled in her veins – though it was a terrified, strangled sound watching all those rifles being pointed at her. Layla knew what Black Spears could do to a Dragon, paralyzing and killing them within half a minute. And if King Markus had made bullets out of them somehow, it was downright terrifying. At her side, she felt Adrian go deadly still, though she could feel him seething deep inside.
Before them, Dusk reached out a hand to take an etched crystal tablet King Markus’ emissary was now extending to him from her unlatched briefcase, which she had handed off to one of the militia-men. Dusk’s eyes burned the diamond-wrath of his Dragon as he accepted the summons and read what was etched upon it. Finished, he looked back up to King Markus’ emissary and extended the crystal tablet, offering it back. The woman blinked as she hesitated to take the tablet – as if not wanting to touch anything crystal that Dusk had held.
“I will come peacefully.” Dusk spoke, though the enormous energy coiling through him with dark rumbles was not lost upon anyone there. “Give me a moment to say my goodbyes.”
“Of course.” She spoke briskly, locking the crystal slab back in her briefcase and reclaiming it from the militia-man, whom Layla saw all were Crystal Dragons now, their eyes various shades of gemstone though none had scales like Dusk, Ruby, Norbu Gyatso, and Trevor. “In time-honored tradition, your King also allows a Witness at your Trials,” she continued, her eyes darting to Adrian and Layla. “You may bring one person to accompany you to Prague. I will give you a moment to confer and decide.”
Stepping briskly away, she flicked her fingers to the gunmen, who backed off out of earshot though they still held their weapons ready. Turning to Layla and Adrian with a glance at the rest of his new clan, Dusk let out a controlled breath. Gripping Layla’s hand, then Adrian’s, he spoke quietly. “I had no idea King Markus would come for me so soon.”
“You have to go,” Adrian responded just as quietly, his blue-green eyes burning with heat though he was calm. “This has been coming a long time, Dusk. But better now than back when we were young. We’ve got a plan for this, remember?”
Adrian spoke with a deep fire in his eyes. Suddenly, Layla felt him open their Bind with a roaring blast, directed only to Dusk and Layla so no one else could hear.We follow the plan, as we discussed these last three days. You and Layla go to Prague together; I’ll arrive in disguise and infiltrate the palace. I’ll make contact when I’m settled in, and we can take things from there. Layla, take this – keep it close.Slipping his smartphone out of his pocket, Adrian held Layla’s gaze for a fierce moment. Her phone had been destroyed in her purse on the Jeep, but Adrian had extra phones, and she gave him a subtle nod, taking it and slipping it into her cleavage.It may not work well in the Crystal Palace at Prague,Adrian continued,but I need you to use it to call Reginald and Rhennic for backup as soon as possible. I’ve got other phones on my jet in Luxor, and I’ll try calling them, also. We would never let you go through this alone, Dusk. Ever. We’ll put pressure on your Crystal King to leave you be, from as many angles as we can muster.
“I know.” Dusk breathed, and Layla saw him swallow. She could feel fear churning all through him now that the moment they had all been dreading had arrived. Her drakaina twisted in her veins, crying out as she felt his distraught coils wrap around her. But then, Dusk took a steadying breath. Gripping Layla’s hand and Adrian’s he gave a firm nod, the fury of his Dragon spiking in his eyes. It was a ready look, but Layla knew the intention behind it. Dusk didn’t want to be left alone by his King – he wanted this summons. He wanted to face his King and unleash his Dragon for all the wrongs King Markus has inflicted upon his people.
And Layla suddenly wondered if Dusk would abide by Adrian’s plan.
But Dusk said nothing about his Dragon’s agenda, and Layla had no time to explain it to Adrian. Drawing a deep breath, Dusk set his forehead to Adrian’s and the brothers shared a moment. As Dusk curled Layla into his arm, Layla felt him grip Adrian close. They stood together, feeling their Dragons move through each others’ bodies just like they had in Luxor. As if a Dragon made of gold coiled through all three of them, the Bind was stronger than it had ever been, as their inner beasts moved through each other’s magic.
Deep fear consumed Layla suddenly, at what might happen if Dusk died – and broke that Bind.
“Shh.” Dusk soothed her as he felt her distress, turning his head so he could kiss Layla sweetly on the lips. “We are not giving up. Not now. Not ever.”
A cleared throat came from the causeway; the pissy tones of King Markus’ emissary. With one last kiss to Layla’s forehead and a squeeze to Adrian’s hand, Dusk turned, not facing the woman but facing his new clan. They gazed back at him; some worried, some deeply furious. Only Norbu Gyatso beamed his pleasant smile as his Dragon-man, unperturbed. Layla realized suddenly that old Norbu had felt the emissary coming, and had known King Markus was about to summon Dusk. As she watched his diamond Dragon-eyes sparkle, she suddenly saw into him, and heard a voice in her mind.
Go, young challengers.Norbu Gyatso spoke to Dusk and Layla, his silent words startling the emissary and her gunmen, though Dusk’s new clan members were ready for Norbu’s telepathy now.Go and fight injustice. Go and bring the tyrant down, and raise up a better world for all Crystal Dragons. I will be here guarding your budding clan until you return, organizing them into a peaceful place of wonder and plenty. Go, and let triumph be your only option.
The old monk’s words of support brought tears to Layla’s eyes. She suddenly felt like the world was crushing down on them, but as Norbu turned his smiling eyes to her, she felt a warm resonance pass deep into her body, soothing. Layla breathed easier, Dusk doing the same. Turning, Adrian, Layla, and Dusk faced the emissary as one.
And then Dusk stepped forward, raising his voice with a rumble of power.
“Layla Price, Royal Dragon Bind of the Desert Dragons of Morocco will be Witness to my Trials. She comes with me now, and I go in peace to the summons of my King.”
“So be it.” The emissary nodded, though Layla saw her dark eyelashes flicker at the mention that Layla was coming with. Either she’d been expecting Adrian to be named as Dusk’s Witness, or she was uncomfortable around a Bind. But as Dusk moved forward with Layla on his arm the emissary stepped back a pace. With a flick of her fingers, she closed the chevron of gunmen around Dusk and Layla – turning and leading everyone back up the causeway to the still-beating helicopter.
As the emissary was helped up to a seat by a gunman on the helicopter, Layla was helped up by Dusk. Settling inside as the rotors made a mess of Layla’s curls from the fierce wind, she saw the interior was coated with thick flows of crystal. As if they’d had trouble before with Dragons resisting arrest, some of the gunmen hid behind a bank of crystal walls, which protected the pilots also.
In the main compartment, Layla buckled into a five-point harness, Dusk and the emissary doing the same, though both women had to do it carefully with their skirts. Within moments, they were departing, and Layla’s heart wrenched as she saw Adrian shield his eyes to watch the helicopter take off. Across the distance, she could feel their Bind pull hard between their hearts, and Layla felt her Dragon roar, coiling in her veins with a miserable movement to leave Adrian behind. The spike in Layla’s heat made the emissary glance over sharply, though Dusk was calm as he donned a human headset with a microphone. The emissary did the same and Layla followed suit.
As Layla tried to ignore the men with guns in the close quarters of the helicopter.
