Dune summoned his dagger from his arm, running his long fingers along the edge. Sparks of blue arced between them, reflecting off the blade. “Thank you for the warning. If that’s what it was. I can manage. See, I’m not distracted. I saw the way you were looking at the Castanega girl at headquarters. I hope you enjoyed your piece of trashy Fringe ass, since you threw your life away to get it. Just like your father.”
Kade fought back the words that wanted to charge out. Don’t let him get to you.
Dune lifted the blade and held it inches from Kade’s face. He drew it down, making the magick crackle from it. Every shard cut and burned across his skin like tiny razor blades. Dune paused at the waistline of his pants. “Is it a genetic thing? Are you Kavanaughs just stupid for women? Maybe I should have a taste of her, see what it is that’s got you upside down. Before I wipe her.”
“Bastard. Leave her out of this. She doesn’t deserve to be a target. Ferro’s got an agenda, and Violet was smart enough to figure it out. I stopped being a Guard pawn and started thinking for myself. Wanna give it a try?”
Dune chuckled. “And end up in your position? I don’t think so. No, I’m going to do my job and report in, get my nice fat paycheck, and move on to the next assignment. The girl, I won’t think twice about. You…I’ll have fond memories of you for a long time.”
15
Violet had watched the jerk she’d seen at Guard headquarters approach Kade, taunting him the way he’d done then. She flinched when Dune punched him in the stomach. Jessup’s hand gripped her shoulder as she started to Catalyze. He shook his head. The man who’d come here, just as Kade said he would, might notice three Dragons sitting up in the trees. Especially when the branches broke under their weight.
The second time the big brute hit Kade, it didn’t seem to hurt as much, but she still cringed at the abuse. Everything Dune said corroborated what Kade had told her. She watched him swallow back any reaction when the man admitted he’d terminated Kade’s father. Gods.
When Kade talked about how her clan had gotten the best of him, had she heard pride in his voice? What was he trying to do, dissuade Dune? That’s how it sounded. Then Dune called her trashy Fringe ass.
She felt her brothers bristle. Hell, she bristled. Especially when Dune talked about tasting her. She shuddered with revulsion. The man was nasty, mean, and…wait a minute. Kade had thrown his life away for her?
Everything Kade said made it harder to hate him. And only when he defended her did he reveal any kind of emotion. She glanced at Jessup, who mouthed, Acting.
Dune waved his knife around, and then he turned the sharp point toward Kade. Not acting. The man wanted Kade dead, hated him the same way the Carnelian hated Violet.
She Catalyzed and flew down at an angle that put her feet first, the hard part of her heels aimed at the target. He looked up a second before she made contact. Smash. The man went flying through the air. She Catalyzed back to human so she could release Kade, needing the dexterity of human hands to work the cuffs.
“Violet—”
“Shut up.” She released his legs last, spinning to face the man coming at them.
Ryan and Jessup landed a few feet away in Dragon form.
Dune took them in, not looking the least bit worried. “Thought you might have reinforcements, so I brought a few of my own.” He snapped his fingers as Kade released his dagger.
Two demons materialized from the nearby woods. She knew nothing about the horrid creatures, other than stories handed down from earlier generations. They were vile things, vaguely human in shape with mottled brown skin and pointed ears. They smiled with evil glee and launched themselves at her brothers.
Dune slashed at Kade, sending a long arc of lightning at him. Kade dodged it, cutting down at an angle with his own bolt. Violet Catalyzed again and shot a breath of darts at Dune. He threw out a shield of dark gray, deflecting them so they fell harmlessly to the ground and disintegrated. He dropped the shield and threw something round and blue at her. She moved out of the way, but it hit her anyway, leaving a searing pain across her side.
Before she could even see what it had done, one of the demons grabbed for her, yanking out a scale. Sharp pain lanced her. Ryan slammed into it, sending it to the ground. She spun around to find Kade and Dune fighting dagger to dagger. That sexy electricity sparked over Kade’s skin. Dune’s sparks were brass colored and not as bright.
“Glad you could bring your little honey into this,” Dune said, thrusting.
Kade sent a long bolt that circled around Dune, making him spin around to defend against it. Kade sliced at an angle, shredding the back of Dune’s shirt and cutting into his skin. Dune shouted in pain and disappeared in a burst of smoke.
“What—” She hardly had the word out of her mouth when she felt his presence behind her.
Kade turned to face her and threw his dagger. It whistled past, with an inch to spare, and sank into Dune as he was about to grab her throat. He howled in pain and pulled at it. Amazingly, the dagger flew back past her, spinning around so it landed in Kade’s hand handle first.
She knew so little about Deuces. Right now, that was dangerous. She spun around and whacked Dune with her tail before he could stagger out of the way, holding his shoulder as blood poured out between his fingers. He raised his good hand in her direction, and a yellow orb soared out of his palm. Kade knocked into her, taking the brunt of the orb as it hit him in the chest. They both fell to the ground, Kade groaning and clutching at the scorch mark on his skin. The orb, the size of a basketball, flew at her now. She sent a shower of spikes at it, spearing it like a pincushion. The orb shook, dipping in midair, and then shattered.
She heard her brothers battling the demons, catching a glimpse of red eyes and sharp teeth as one pounced on Jessup. A sizzling sound made her turn around. Another orb flew at her. She saw Kade throw an orb to intercept it, but the yellow orb dodged it and hit her anyway. Heat seared right through her scales as it exploded.
Dune, still favoring his shoulder, created another orb and sent it their way. Kade morphed into a creature with a huge black maw, catching the orb as though it were a gumball. It disappeared into the blackness and fizzled out.
Just as quickly he morphed back to human, visibly drawing in his strength. She pulled her gaze away and faced Dune again. He was coming at her with his dagger, holding it with his good hand. Kade leapt through the air, spinning before landing beside Dune. As Dune brought the dagger down at her with its arc of lightning, Kade brought his up to stop him. Their forks of wicked light intersected, crackling and shooting sparks as each man fought to gain control. Kade’s effort bulged the veins on his arms. His jaw tightened, and he let out an ungodly sound as the lightning bolt grew brighter and stronger. Indigo sparks flickered across his skin. The strain of using his power tore at Dune, too, as a guttural sound emitted from him and his muscles quivered. Violet moved away from them, intending to circle behind Dune.
“Creston!” Dune shouted, a word she’d never heard.
Not a word but a name. A demon rammed into Kade from behind, throwing him forward enough to free Dune’s bolt. Kade was propelled forward, and his bolt cut right through Dune, from left shoulder to right hip. For a moment his eyes widened, and then his face went slack. He fell to the ground in two pieces, both making a wet thump as they landed.
