Page 9 of Storm Dragon
“Next is food.”
“Here! Here!” Luke whooped from the back of the room.
Giving him a look while trying not to laugh, Tamsyn instead looked to the She-Wolf and explained, “Bonnie will be organizing not only the food for all the volunteers, but also all the donations that are pouring in for after the storm. So far, all the pantries, including the big overflow, here at the Pounce, are full to the brim. So, as of this morning, we started filling the hayloft in the new horse barn. As most of y’all know, it’s nicer than my house in there and that means we don’t have to worry about water gettin’ in.”
“And all the blankets, towels, clothes, shoes, toiletries, and other non-edibles are being stored in the homes of all the Executive Council,” Amethyst added from the rear, her clear, lyrical voice filling the room with a sense of hope. “As for the bottom of the new horse barn, we’ve collected all the cots, mats, and sleeping bags in there, and it will be a temporary shelter for anyone who needs it.”
“What about lunch this afternoon and dinner tonight?” Luke asked with his hand covering his mouth and his eyes pointed toward the ceiling.
Before Tamsyn could respond and tell him to hush, Amethyst took care of the Black Bear with a loving swat to the back of his head and whispered, “Hush up, boy, or I’ll stop makin’ those little quiches you love for the next ten years or so.”
As the room erupted in laughter, Tamsyn’s gaze once again went to Carrick. She was both shocked and incredibly happy to see him smile. Maybe there was a nice guy in there somewhere- a nice guy who would believe that she had never met him before, nor did she know why they both had an incredible sense of déjà vu when they met.
“Whatever,” she mumbled under her breath. Then, to everyone else, she happily asked, “Bonnie, you wanna answer Luke’s question?”
“My pleasure,” the She-Wolf nodded. Getting to her feet, her green eyes twinkling, she clarified, “Well, if y’all will take a look out that window right there.” She pointed to the floor-to-ceiling panes of glass covering the east side of the room. “That SUV pulling up right this very minute not only has the lovely Peaches Ryder inside, but it also has all the fixin’s for hot dogs, burgers, potato salad, chips, and my homemade chocolate chip cookies-and that’s just for lunch.” Brushing the long blond curls that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear, she went on, “And for dinner, the boss up there and I will be cookin’ up a couple of sides of beef on all the grills she’s got. Not to mention, there’ll be baked potatoes, green beans, homemade rolls, and apple pie.”
Turning to face Luke, she winked. “That sounds good to you, Big Guy?”
Slapping his hand over his heart, the Black bear pretended to swoon and gushed, “Marry me woman. Marry me right here, right now.”
“How ‘bout we make it through the storm first,” Bonnie laughed out loud. “Then we’ll talk.”
Pointing at her with his free hand, Luke nodded, “I’ll hold ya’ to it.”
“And on that note,” Tamsyn cut in before her big best friend swept her other bestie off the Chapel. “Please be sure you send your crews over in shifts for food, and…”
“And don’t forget, there are cases of water stacked as high as the ceiling in the root cellar behind my house,” Amethyst added.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Tamsyn acknowledged with a smile. “I had forgotten.”
Looking around the table one last time, she went on, “It’s gonna be crazy for the next couple of days, so be sure everyone gets over here for food. We’ll have three meals a day starting at eight AM, noon, and six PM, and snacks available at all times.” Pausing for a second, she added, “So, if there’s nothing else, I’ll let y’all get to work. Thank y’all for everything and be sure to get some sleep when you can.”
As everyone got up and headed for the door, Tamsyn nearly jumped out of her skin when Bridgette teased, “You might just wanna take your own advice.” “And you might wanna give me a little warning.”
“Girl, if it hasn’t happened in all these years, you'd better stop waitin’ for it.”
“Shut up, Bridgette.”
“I love you, too, Tams.”
4
The dream had been so real that the flesh on his wrists, ankles, and neck was completely torn away. The muscles were shredded, and blood had soaked what little was left of his threadbare sleeves from where his need to protect his Mate from those who’d attacked and imprisoned him and his Force had driven him to fight against the caustic silver to reach the only woman he would ever love. Struggling to catch his breath, he whispered, “It wasn’t real. It wasn’t real. It wasn’t real…”
His head felt as if it might explode from the constant barrage of Black Magic. It was just as the Sorceress had planned-just as the Elven bitch had told him as she taunted him with her endless diatribe and cackling. Every time Ruairí used his pure, white Dragon Magic in any way, shape, or form, the evil taint of her malicious Spell doubled in size and strength and attacked with a renewed vengeance.
Then there was the silver and lead-lined box that had been his home for so very long- it disrupted the flow of positive energy from Mother Earth while leaching the Enchantment of his ancestors and his Dragon King from his very marrow. And the ley lines, the network of Magic laid down by The Powers That Be for Their Chosen Ones, the Wizards had so corrupted those conduits with their especially caustic brand of Black Magic before burying him that there was no good left to be found. It was yet another part of the Elven bitch’s attack that ate away at his strength every day of his confinement. Only his iron will and the incredible healing powers of the Dragon King with whom he shared his soul had kept him alive- but those were waning more with every passing hour.
“Even while in his Healing Sleep, Dorman lends me his strength…” Exhaling, exhausted and trying hard not to become dejected, he added, “Of course, that’s what they counted on. She wants me to suffer for all eternity.”
Their leader of the Sorcerers, who had attacked the Enforcers, the one he thought of as Elven bitch, knew Ruairí would be forced to lie helplessly, trapped underground, while the kin he’d spent his life protecting were destroyed. Her plan was to drive him as close to madness as possible without ever knowing the pleasure of mindlessness. She wanted him to experience the feel of Death’s icy breath on his shoulder every minute of every day but never be allowed the sweet release of ascending into the Heavens.
What the Elven bitch hadn’t counted on was Ruairí’s refusal to die. Oh, he’d thought about giving up more times than he wanted to admit. He knew all he had to do was tell King Dorman to release him, and the Dragon King would have no choice but to do as he was asked. It was the one request the Ancient Dragon could not deny.
And in his darkest moments, Ruairí contemplated making that request…
But in his next ragged breath, he would renew his determination and vow to live long enough to get revenge on those who’d imprisoned him and taken the lives of his Brethren. He would and could not let the Elven bitch live. It was as simple as that.
