Page 66 of Seducing the Dragon
Before the red dragon in front of them could do anything, Evie heard a thud, and Neil dropped to the ground. She blinked, turned, and saw a piece of twisted metal poking out of Neil’s back. Looking up, a very naked Finlay Stewart strode toward her. He said, “Not the smartest bloke in the world, giving me hisback.” He put out a hand. “Come, lass. I’m going to shift back and take you out of here.”
Evie’s momentary shock concerning the dead dragon-shifter at her feet wore off. “What about Murray and the others?”
Finn took her hand and pulled her toward the gaping hole in the side of the building. When she dug in her heels, he stopped and turned toward her. His eyes flashed to dragon slits and back as he said, “I don’t have time for your stubbornness right now. Just know that Bram is providing a distraction to give the rest of us time to find you and the others. I don’t have telepathic abilities, so I don’t know if the others were rescued or not. But I do know the longer we dawdle, the greater the chance your male will be hurt.”
Bram was in the same building as her. The thought warmed Evie’s heart.
Looking at the Scottish leader, she wondered about trusting him. But if Arabella, who had been through hell and back, didn’t mind his company, Evie would go with her gut feeling that Finn was only trying to help her.
Besides, once they were free and clear of the dragon hunters’ den, Evie had inside information that might help Stonefire’s rescue efforts.
Decision made, she put one foot in front of the other until she tugged Finn’s arm and he matched her pace.
Reaching the edge of the gaping hole, he released her hand and rolled his shoulders before giving her a piercing stare. “You try to run away while I’m shifting, and I won’t be so gentle next time. Understand?”
His tone was full of dominance and brooked no argument. She was starting to see why Finn was a clan leader.
Evie nodded and watched as Finn ran and jumped into the hole. Before she could even reach the edge of what was left of thefloor, a gold dragon’s talon swooped inside and wrapped gently around her. Finn beat his wings and took them into the sky.
It took her a second to catch her breath as the city of Carlisle and then the English countryside sped beneath her. She might not be afraid of heights, but Finlay Stewart was going to receive an earful once they landed and she ensured everyone was safe.
She was also going to ask him how he shifted mid-air. In all her years working with dragons, she had never heard of anyone being able to do that.
As each mile passed below them, Evie hoped she had made the right decision to go with Finn. She had always been a reasonable person and made the most rational choices. In this instant, however, she was doubting herself. Would the other dragons find Murray and the remaining Protector? Would Bram make it out alive? Judging from her experiences with his inner dragon, he probably wasn’t helping matters. If the inner beast was too distracting, Bram could die.
And if anyone else died because of her, she wasn’t sure how she could face the clan again.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Bram ducked another fist and swept the hunter bastard’s leg with his foot. Once the man was on his back, Bram crouched down, smacked the human male’s head against the ground, and turned toward the next dragon hunter.
While some of the hunters had escaped, Bram and his team were working their way through the rest. None of these low-level hunters had anything resembling the periwinkle and mandrake root concoction used on Quinn several days ago. That told him the use of the mixture wasn’t widespread.
If nothing else, he’d succeeded in that part of his mission.
As he moved to the side to dodge another blow, he punched the human male in the kidney. It was time to finish them. His effectiveness at being a distraction had worn off. If his people hadn’t rescued Evie and the others already, they probably never would.
He signaled his team to shift and take care of the remaining humans. One by one, the five people in his team shifted into a multitude of dragon colors. A few seconds of knocking hunters against the wall with their forelegs and tails, and it was done.
Looking at the five dragons towering over him, Bram instructed, “Sniff out the exits and ensure everyone in the room is unconscious. I’m going to take care of Charlie.”
Trusting his people to do their jobs, he rushed toward the unmoving bulk in the corner. Since the dragon was no longer a threat, the cage door was open. Bram went inside and put a hand on his fallen clan member’s head. He whispered, “I’m sorry we failed you, Charlie. I will look after your mate and child and protect them to the best of my ability.”
The green dragon didn’t move or respond, and Bram’s inner dragon released a mournful croon.
Patting Charlie’s head one more time, he reached into one of the pockets on the vest he wore and pulled out a syringe. He lifted Charlie’s right eyelid and plunged the syringe through the eye to the brain. Once he inserted all of the contents, he pulled out the needle and stepped back.
Even dead and drained of blood, Charlie was only freshly dead. When put directly into a dragon-shifter’s brain, the chemicals in the mixture Dr. Sid gave him should force one last shift back.
He held his breath, hoping it wasn’t too late. As much as he didn’t want to leave her, there was no way they could carry her body in its dragon form back with them.
Another second ticked by and Charlie’s body flashed. She lay on her stomach in human form, pale and motionless.
His throat choked up at the once strong and loyal dragonwoman. Charlie had been one of the first females ever to become a Protector in Clan Stonefire. She had been one of the handful he trusted enough to guard his mate.
Even now, he didn’t blame Charlie for Evie’s capture. Bram’s own pride and cockiness had cost him. No location would ever be secure as long as Simon Bourne was still free.
Noticing his dragon brethren moving toward the exits, Bram pushed aside his memories and anger. Charlie may be dead, but hundreds of others still depended on him.
