Page 50 of Dragon Unbound (Dragon Kings 3)
Chapter Twenty-one
Cullen sat in the dark with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He’d managed to convince Tamlyn to lay down with him. It wasn’t until after she had fallen asleep that he’d risen and walked to the table. His mind hadn’t stopped since her statement earlier.
He’d tried to think of other ways someone could take down a Dragon King, but he couldn’t find one. It was time he spoke with Constantine.
“Con,” he called, opening the link. When there wasn’t an immediate response, Cullen tried again.
He didn’t think Con would’ve returned to Earth with Cullen on the human side of the barrier, but he had to admit there might have been something Con had to see to. So, he tried Vaughn.
Again, nothing.
Worry began to set in.
“Brandr. Eurwen,” Cullen called.
“Cullen?” Brandr answered.
Relief poured through him as he lifted his head. “We’ve overlooked something.”
“Cullen? I can no’ hear you. Cullen?”
“Brandr!” he yelled.
But the connection was gone. Cullen tried again and again, but he couldn’t get through to anyone. It reminded him of what had happened to Varek when they’d held him as a prisoner in Orgate. Was someone in Stonemore preventing magic from being used?
To test that, Cullen produced a bottle of Dreagan whisky. He looked at it sitting on the table beside him, proof that he could use magic. If someone wasn’t preventing him from using his powers, that meant they were preventing him from speaking with the Kings.
The humans on Zora knew very little about dragons and nothing about the Kings. It stood to reason that it had to be someone familiar with the Dragon Kings to understand how they communicated. It would also mean that whoever took it upon themselves to prevent him from reaching out to his friends was extremely powerful.
And in Stonemore.
That’s who he’d felt watching him. Cullen hadn’t seen anyone who looked out of the ordinary, but then again, he wouldn’t. He and the other Dragon Kings walked among the humans with no one the wiser. There was no reason it couldn’t happen on Zora.
He stood and scrubbed a hand down his face. Time moved sluggishly. Thankfully, Tamlyn slept peacefully. She had been on edge before they arrived in Stonemore. What they’d discovered today only made things worse. He wished now that they hadn’t left the ruins. Anyone could be an enemy here.
The problem was, he wasn’t the only target. Cullen not only had to think about himself, he also had to consider Tamlyn. As the minutes ticked by and midnight came and went, he readied himself. The priests would bring the children out to sacrifice, and Tamlyn’s power would take over. He had a plan. It was a good one, too. One that would go off perfectly if it weren’t for whoever was after him.
He knew it wasn’t the priests or the soldiers. It was someone with magic, targeting him and other dragons. That person or persons was hiding in the city, just as he was. They didn’t wish to be caught any more than he did. Not that it would help in his escape plan for all of them, because he knew Tamlyn wouldn’t leave even one child behind.
Cullen cracked his knuckles then tipped his neck side to side to loosen it. Eurwen had said she’d heard a voice but didn’t see anything or anyone. She’d said whatever it was, was invisible. Cullen knew that some beings had such power. Larena, a female Warrior at MacLeod Castle, had such a gift. Who was to say there wasn’t a Dragon King who had it?
What bothered him was how none of them knew. Surely, at least Con would’ve known about any new Kings—or even Queens. Then again, none of them had known about Brandr or Eurwen—or even Zora.
Fuck. Did that mean there were more Dragon Kings on Zora that no one, not even the twins, knew about? That would explain why dragons had been targeted, and why the twins had been struck.
But Cullen needed to keep one thing in mind. They were on a new realm. Granted, it looked and acted like Earth, but it wasn’t. There were other magical beings here that weren’t on his realm—like Tamlyn. Then there was the arrival of the human infants, all different races, just appearing out of nowhere.
It could be a Dragon King attacking them. Or it could be another entity altogether.
Cullen walked to the window and looked out over the city. Most windows were dark, but a few had lights on. His gaze scanned the buildings, wondering who was inside each structure. His enemy lurked somewhere, just out of sight.
He wasn’t frightened. He and his brethren had fought and won against a group who called themselves the Others and had tried to rid Earth of the Kings. The Others hadn’t succeeded. Whoever this was wouldn’t either.
There was one difference, however. On Earth, the Kings battled as one. Cullen was alone in Stonemore. Not that he feared facing whoever—or whatever—was after him. Quite the opposite. What concerned him was that his findings wouldn’t make it to his friends. If something happened to him, he wanted the Kings to know what he had uncovered. That would help them end this new foe.
Movement on the bed caught his attention. He turned and looked at Tamlyn over his shoulder. She was his mate. And there was a good chance he would lose her before she was ever really his. He hadn’t told her of his feelings. To be fair, he hadn’t realized them until a short time ago. With everything else she had on her plate, how could he add something else? Tamlyn was strong, but people could only take so much before they buckled. He didn’t want to put her in that spot. Especially now.
He was turning back to the window when her body went rigid. Cullen went to the bed, and he looked down to find Tamlyn’s eyes open and staring at the ceiling. Gone were her hazel eyes, now replaced by milky white ones.
Her hands jerked up and clutched her head as she rolled onto her side into a ball, her face creased with pain. He started to touch her, then thought better of it. Suddenly, she was on her feet and walking to the door. Cullen moved ahead of her to block her path.
“Move,” she demanded.
He stared into her white eyes. “I need to know it’s you.”
Her brows drew together for a heartbeat. “Of course, it’s me. But you need to get out of the way.”
“Have you ever seen yourself after hearing the screams in your head?”
She gave him a quizzical look. “Why would I?”
Cullen produced a mirror and enough light for her to see. He watched the shock move across her face as she stared at herself.
She reached up and touched the outside corner of one eye. “Jenefer and Sian never said.”
“I doona think they know. I didna see this last night. Only now.”
Tamlyn looked up at him. “We have to go. Now.”
He made the light and mirror disappear along with the image of the town. Then they quietly left the chamber and made their way down the hall to the stairs. The boards creaked as they descended the steps, but no one came out to see what was going on. The tavern itself was empty and silent. Cullen led the way to the door, but at the last moment, changed his mind. He grabbed Tamlyn’s hand and led her around the bar to the back of the tavern.
Just as he expected, there was another door. They made their exit without encountering anyone. Once on the street, they pressed up against the building and listened. Most had found their beds, but like all cities, some favored the night. Those souls milled about, talking and laughing.
A man so drunk he could barely stand had his arm around a woman who was smiling and laughing as she led him down the street to a seedier tavern. No doubt she would fleece him of whatever coin he had, but that wasn’t Cullen’s concern.
When it was clear, he and Tamlyn made their way to the stairs. Once more, he led the way in case they encountered any soldiers. On the fourth level, Tamlyn jerked him to a stop. He moved them to an area in the shadows.
“What is it?” he whispered.
