Tourmaline (Awakened Sea Dragons Book 2) Page 14

  “I just mean, what kind of friend gloats over something like that?” Marina said. “Or tells her friend something heartbreaking? Especially when I know it’s not true. Kai would never do that.” Marina folded her arms over her lush bosom. “One thing about my brother, he doesn’t run away from a problem. If anything, he’s more prone to running straight in.”

  “I know,” Renee said. “It’s hard for me to not be insecure because he’s so beautiful, but I know he wouldn’t do that. He’s not that kind of man.”

  “No, he isn’t,” Marina said. “And don’t put yourself down. You’re beautiful, too.”

  “Thank you,” Renee said because she was learning to take compliments rather than fight them and because Kai always saying it to her was making her sort of believe it. “But yeah. I mean, he puts his foot in his mouth all the time, and he often says the wrong thing, and he does silly things on impulse sometimes, but after last night, I don’t believe he would leave me.”

  “Me neither,” Marina said.

  Renee raised an eyebrow at her, wondering what she knew.

  “He called me last night. He told me things had gotten serious.”

  “Like it was a good thing?” Renee asked.

  “A very good thing,” Marina said. “But there’s something you should know. My brother—”

  She was interrupted by a beep on Renee’s phone, and Renee pulled it out, realizing she had a voicemail. She hadn’t even heard a call.

  She unlocked it and played the voicemail, putting it on speaker. It was Liz. She’d called right after finding the note, but Liz hadn’t picked up.

  “Hi, Renee,” Liz said cheerfully. “Anyway, I know you called, but I’m like super busy at the moment. Don’t worry about that Kai guy. He’s too good for you—I mean, you’re too good for him, obviously. It’s early. Anyway…”

  The message was still rambling off as Marina stood straight up, eyes narrowing dangerously. “I know that voice. I’ve heard it before…”

  Renee raised an eyebrow. Kai’s sister might just be as odd as Kai. She already liked her, too.

  Then Marina fell to the floor on her knees, hands on the carpet as her head fell forward and she shook. When she looked up, her blue eyes were blazing with an almost otherworldly glow.

  “I know where he is. That bitch has him.”

  “What?” Renee asked, confused, as Marina stood and grabbed her hand, jerking her along and out the door, not taking time to shut it behind them. “How?”

  “Kidnapped, apparently.”

  As much as the thought made Renee angry, she just couldn’t picture it. “How could any woman just kidnap a huge guy like Kai?”

  “She had help, and she’s not what she appears to be,” Marina said, keeping Renee’s hand as they ran through the lobby, darting around surprised guests. “But come on. We need to hurry. Time is of the essence if you want to save your mate.”

  “How is someone like me supposed to save someone like him?” Renee asked helplessly. She would do anything for Kai. Anything. She’d woken up today knowing she loved him, no matter how odd it was that it had happened so quickly.

  She’d meant it last night when she told him she wanted everything. And somehow, there on that boat, it had seemed possible.

  Then he’d just disappeared.

  “Just trust me. You can help,” Marina said. “Even if it’s not in the way you think.”

  “Okay,” Renee said, nodding. “Whatever I can do, I’ll do it.”

  “Remember you said that,” Marina said cryptically. “Because I expect you to keep that promise.”

  A shudder of fear went through Renee at those words, but she was far more worried about Kai and anything happening to him.

  Once, she’d been a shy, tentative woman who didn’t hope for anything and clung to other people’s shadows. Now she was a woman in love heading into danger to fight for something she wanted.

  The world had turned upside down, but she didn’t even mind it.

  As long as they could get Kai back okay.

  Chapter 17

  Kai jerked at the chains holding his wrists and ankles to the wall, but they refused to budge.

  He remembered Aegis’s advice by heart from the book by now, and he supposed it applied to this situation well.

  Never give up on what you want. If you love her, never let her go. —Emerald.

  He wasn’t sure why he could fight his collar for little things like storms, but not access more of his dragon strength. Then again, the metal on these chains didn’t look like normal, human metal. They seemed enhanced somehow. Maybe with Liz’s magic that could paralyze things.

  His whole body felt weak from how she’d frozen him, and he’d only relaxed when he’d slumped against the wall, totally bound, just glad to be free of her clutches.

  She hadn’t been able to get any reaction out of him and had quickly left, saying she’d be back when he was ready to be reasonable.

  He looked at the small window in the basement where he was kept. He didn’t want to be reasonable. He wanted to kill everyone in this compound, the scientists Liz had brought with her, those planning to help with a forced mating, and Liz herself for kidnapping him and telling lies to his mate.

  All he could think of was Renee, alone and hurting. Would she believe the awful things Liz had said about him? He didn’t even know what she’d made up, but he could guess.

  Not that he wanted to.

  More than ever, he hated the collar around his neck. What was the point of all this if fate had brought him close to his mate only to tear her away from him?

  He’d heard them talking upstairs and realized the problem was far larger than the gem dragons thought. An underground insurgence had been building. Underground labs. Plans for hybrid shifters using dragon blood. A gathering force backed by a shadowy Tribunal that would publicly deny their involvement.

  An oncoming war between the wolves.

  And him caught in the crossfire, with them hoping to use his blood or, worse, to gain an advantage.

  He struggled against the chains, knowing it was futile but unable to stay still. His mate was out there. He should be with her, protecting her. Without his collar, he would have been able to.

  Had he moved too slow? He’d gone as quickly as he was able.

  He winced as he heard the door to the basement unlock and open, knowing Liz was probably coming back. She’d been checking on him hourly, getting impatient to move things along.

  She poked her head around the corner. She was wearing a deep-blue, slinky dress, and her hair was down. She obviously expected him to find her beautiful, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

  He wanted to spit in her face the way she had spit on his love.

  “Look at you, so violent,” she said, waving a finger. “I’ll give you one more chance to calm down, and then I’ll let the scientists work on you.” She walked over to him slowly, then extended a claw and drew it down his chest, cutting his shirt open.

  He glowered down at her, feeling the rage of his dragon pacing inside him.

  This bitch was so dead.

  She ran her claw gently over his skin, but the feel was like poison.

  He snapped at her with human teeth, hoping to bite, and she jumped back.

  “So nasty,” she said. “I guess I’ll have to be back. With help.”

  He shook his head. “No help will ever make me want you, you freak.”

  She laughed, but there was a hard edge to it. She walked to the stairs and glared at him. “We’ll see.”

  Then she disappeared, and he heard the door to the basement close once more.

  He lowered his head with a sigh. He couldn’t let anyone make him dishonor his mate. How the hell had he gotten into this? And where were the other dragons? Did they even know?

  No, they didn’t think anyone knew about the water dragons awakening, or they wouldn’t have let him come there. Ever since Citrine had taken a wolf bride, things had changed in ways they must
not have imagined.

  But none of that mattered to him as he stared bleakly at the window he couldn’t reach, imagining Renee just beyond it.

  And then, because he was probably hallucinating after being stuck here with no food or water, he did see her face looking around curiously as she bent down in front of the window.

  Ah, it was good to see her, even if it were just a figment of his imagination.

  Then another face joined him. Marina, looking around as well.

  Their eyes lit on him together, and twin expressions of anger contorted their faces. Marina moved Renee back and raised a fist to hit the window, but Kai sent her a look of alarm, shaking his head.

  She needed to be quiet.

  Marina nodded, extending a claw-like nail and slowly drawing a circle in the glass in front of her. When it was nearly done, she put a hand on it, pulling it back. She’d made a clean hole big enough for her to reach in and find the latch to unlock the window so she could open it all the way. It was just big enough for her and Renee to climb in.

  They landed on the floor with a thud, and Renee ran over to him, taking him in her arms.

  Feeling her soft body against him was a revelation. Everything he’d ever wanted.

  Then he heard someone move upstairs, and panic went through him. “You have to go,” he hissed at Marina. “There are way too many of them.”

  “We aren’t leaving you,” Marina said, standing in front of him, shaking her head.

  “You can’t take your dragon form,” he said. “And besides, you hate fighting.”

  She glared at him. “If you think I wouldn’t fight to the death for you, you’re wrong.”

  He looked in alarm as more noises sounded above him. “There are too many. Get the other dragons. And get my mate to safety.”

  Marina looked at Renee, who shook her head and stubbornly clung to Kai. Renee noticed his torn shirt and let out a growl of anger.

  “What the fuck is she doing to you?”

  Kai looked away, not really wanting to say.

  “Oh, those gross bastards,” Marina said with a growl. “Kai, let me handle this.”

  “Even if you wanted to, you can’t without your dragon form,” he said ruefully. “You aren’t collared, but the oracle is still suppressing us.”

  Marina paced for a moment, thinking. “We can’t leave you, Kai. I can’t imagine what they’d do to you while we’re gone. There’s no time to get help.”

  “What else can we do?”

  Marina looked at Renee. “You know, there is one exception to the suppression spell and the collar. The oracle mentioned it once when she was explaining what she’d done with the gem dragons when they awakened.”

  “And what’s that?”

  Marina bit her lip. “You won’t like it. Renee, come here.”

  “No,” Kai said. “What are you doing?”

  “The only thing I can do under the circumstances,” Marina said. “Renee, come here.”

  Renee looked at him warily, and though he silently begged her not to, she went to Marina.

  He watched helplessly as Marina pulled her in, whispering something in her ear and then checking for Renee’s reaction.

  Renee’s eyes went wide, but she nodded, looking over at Kai. “I said I’d do anything to save him.”

  “No!” Kai hissed. “Whatever you’re planning, stop it now.”

  Marina laughed, glared at him, and then caught Renee by the throat, lifting her in the air. Renee squeaked in surprise and kicked her legs, quickly suffocating in Marina’s strong hold.

  “Stop,” Kai said, not wanting to alert their captors but unable to believe he was watching his sister hurt his mate. He’d loved her, protected her. Why was she doing this?

  Marina looked into his eyes, raising an eyebrow, and Kai was alarmed to see Renee was turning slightly red now, struggling with Marina’s hands.

  He jerked at the chains frantically. Was Marina possessed? What was happening—

  And then he heard a snap and the shattering of concrete on the floor as his power surged through him, more than he’d felt in so long.

  He burst forward as the chains broke free of the wall, still attached to his wrists but hanging limp. He reached up to touch his collar. It was just cold metal now. He felt no restraint from it. In fact, he felt almost afraid of the sheer force of the raging dragon inside.

  He shot toward Marina, but she quickly released his mate, setting her on the ground, gasping. Kai grabbed Renee, pulling her against him as she held him tight, and he turned on Marina.

  “What the hell were you doing?”

  “Freeing you,” Marina said simply. “I didn’t want to, but she did agree to do anything to help you, and the only override for the collar is a human or your mate in danger. It’s not permanent, though, so you better hurry and take all those guys out.”

  Kai cracked his knuckles, ready to take revenge and keep them from doing this to anyone else. “Go outside. Find somewhere to hide. Now that the chains are broken, it’s only a matter of time. Take Renee with you. I want you away from here and safe.”

  “If you say so,” Marina said. “Or I can fight.”

  “Protect my mate,” he said. “And thank you.” Then he turned to Renee, who was looking at him.

  “I don’t understand,” she said. “What did she mean by mate? And what’s going on? And what powers is she talking about? What dragon form?” Her thoughts were clearly racing, and Kai wished he could tell her everything now, but there was no time.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I wish I could tell you everything, but I can’t right now.” He brushed her hair back and kissed her forehead, needing her touch after everything that had happened. “But I will. Soon. Stay safe.”

  She nodded. “I never believed Liz about you.”

  “That’s my girl,” he said, brushing her hair behind her ear. He couldn’t resist dipping to kiss her one more time, just in case things went wrong.

  But as their lips joined, and he felt even more of his strength coming back to him, he knew there was no way he could let himself fail.

  He let her go, telling her and Marina to hurry as he heard alarms sounding all around him.

  No matter what, he was going to make sure they all got out of here safely.

  His dragon would see to that.

  Chapter 18

  Kai watched as Marina and Liz escaped and then listened to what was going on around him.

  “It’s the dragon!” a shocked voice called out from the top of the stairs.

  Kai whirled around to see several men quickly coming down the steps, all large, smelling of wolf and chemicals.

  He’d have to push his way through the facility, create as much of a disruption as possible to give his mate time to escape with his sister. If the creeps got past him, they could follow through the window.

  Kai couldn’t let that happen.

  Quickly noting the chains hanging limp at his sides, he wrapped his hands around them, taking hold. Then, feeling his dragon strength surge stronger with each passing second, Kai swung the thick chains at his attackers, catching all three with one fell strike. They cried out in unison as they were flung into the far wall with such force it knocked them out cold.

  Outside, Kai could see the sky blackening as thick clouds gathered overhead. Around him, the air was buzzing with a low-frequency hum, and rain immediately began pouring.

  Finally, he had his powers back.

  He strode up the stairs, jerking the chains off his wrists like they were made of paper. He entered a room that appeared to be a large warehouse, full of adjoining rooms filled with scientific equipment and technology foreign to him.

  And wolves.

  “Holy shit!” one man blurted out as he turned around, face to face with Kai.

  Kai lunged with his fist, catching the man in the chest and sending him careening backward.

  The entire place seemed to be aware of Kai now, and all eyes were on him. Some people in white coats ran for
their lives, as others in uniforms quickly advanced on where he was standing.

  Looking skyward, Kai closed his hand, clenching his fist tightly. A split second later, a blinding white flash struck the rooftop above them, stopping everything and everyone in its tracks. It was followed by the deafening roar of thunder so close people were thrown off their feet from the impact. Pieces of metal and wood exploded downward, clattering onto the ground as people ducked for cover.

  Then everything went dark, the power in the building stripped by the lightning bolt that pierced the roof, leaving everything cast in shades of black and grey. The storm clouds above them spilled rain into the building and darkened the sky completely.

  Using the confusion to his advantage, Kai advanced on the group of men nearest. As he did, he felt water, sensed it all around him, and with a swipe of his hand, pipes burst open everywhere. To the side, below him, above him, Kai’s weapon of choice slowly began to fill the building.

  Four uniformed men charged at him, all tall and well built, some wielding clubs, others extending claws from their fingertips, feral looks in their eyes as they came.

  But Kai didn’t fear these wolves.

  The only thing he feared was losing Renee, and he wasn’t about to let that happen.

  Like gripping a rope or a carpet, Kai extended his hand and pulled backward, shifting the water puddled beneath the men in a sudden swoosh, pulling two off their feet and sending them onto their faces.

  With a snarl, one man leapt at him, and Kai dodged to the side, following up with a swift kick into the man’s stomach and a punch into the back of his head, making him keel over with a groan. Another charged, and Kai burst two pipes to his side, sending high-pressure water streaming into the man’s face. In the ensuing confusion, Kai threw a face-cracking punch into his jaw, leaving the man unconscious on his back.

  Another ear-splitting crack reverberated through the building as Kai used lightning to shatter the windows to his right, sending glass flying like rain down upon everything.

  Quickly, he made his way toward the back, noting with frustration that more and more of the wolves were headed outside.