Dragon King of Treoir Read online

  That was the rub.

  Reese felt that the raven could have prepared her for the loss. If he had, she would have stepped off a cliff and left this world to join the next one with her baby so he wouldn't have been alone.

  She accused, "You knew what I was. You could have taken my life instead of his, found him a home, and saved a lot of misery. No one would have missed me." She blinked back tears.

  The raven would not see her cry.

  Yaahl argued softly, "How many times must I tell you that all who come to me are treated the same, regardless of who or what they are? It is not my place to interfere with anyone's fate. I can only do all within my power to protect those I agree to shield until it is time for them to meet their destiny."

  Oh, I get it. My baby's destiny was to live for nine months in my womb and be stillborn? Whatever.

  Drained physically from blood loss and fighting the pain, Reese flipped her hand in a "never mind" motion. "Let's get back to business. I'm thinking there has to be more to this meeting than you expecting me to go hunting someone down with nothing more than my charming personality. Am I wrong to assume you're going to heal me?"

  "I cannot do that. You must heal yourself ... both inside and out."

  Reese started laughing. She closed her lips tight or the hysteria would take over.

  Damn her curiosity, she wanted to know what he was up to so she forced herself to get a grip and stay on track. "Let's play your game. What makes you think this person will even come back with me if I do find him or her?"

  "The dead do not argue."

  A body? She struggled to breathe without coughing. It hurt so much. "You're sure this person is dead?" Reese qualified.

  "Yes."

  There had to be a catch. "Where exactly is this body?"

  "In your human realm."

  "That is not my realm. I don't even like humans." Lie. She cared about her neighbors. And her dog. Gibbons was better company than most humans.

  Ignoring Reese's protest, the raven said, "Two energies are moving toward this body. They must not be allowed to take possession of it."

  "Who's after it? Demons?" That would be funny. Not.

  "Worse. One of the energies is family."

  Did she really give a flying fig who was after what? Not even.

  She wanted her gifts returned. If he expected her to do anything, he'd have to heal her or give back her powers. She still threw the bullshit flag on his inability to heal someone, but she wasn't using that argument. Not if he thought she needed her powers to heal.

  There was another upside to her accepting the deal. If she brought him the body, this task should wipe out her debt to Yaahl.

  Double benefit, because she was not doing anything for free. Except dying.

  She asked, "Let's say we make a deal. What do you have for usable information on how to find this body?"

  "I have had a vision that the body is sealed inside a tomb above ground on your continent."

  Don't even waste your breath explaining that America is not your continent. "That's it, Yaahl? You gotta narrow it down a little more than that if you expect me to find a body in the next century. Is it male or female? What about the person's name? Big town? Small town? Cold weather? What?" She couldn't feel her legs. She could feel the poison still slithering down her limbs.

  It should have locked up her lungs and suffocated her by now.

  "This body is a female." He looked up for a moment, closed his eyes, nodded to himself then opened his eyes. "She is in a large city that claims a history of rebuilding from the ashes of a war long past, something about rising like a great phoenix. I do have a name."

  But he wasn't giving it up yet.

  Reese thought back over the history she'd helped her neighbor study. Civil War? "Atlanta? As in Georgia?"

  "That is possible. You will find out."

  "Atlanta?" she shouted. "You expect me to go back there?"

  "The father of your child is no longer in that location."

  "Father? No. He was nothing more than a lying sperm donor." The minute she'd told him she was pregnant, the man she'd thought hung the moon had decided it was time to share the news that he was married and wanted no part of a child.

  He'd given her money for an abortion.

  She hadn't gotten pregnant intentionally, but she would not destroy a precious child. She'd used the funds to travel across country to an old wise woman in her mother's tribe, who'd sent Reese to Yaahl. When Reese explained she was not a member of the tribe--because Reese had turned her back on them for shunning her mother--the woman assured her Yaahl would not refuse her sanctuary.

  Looking up at the fog dome, she recalled that first visit with the raven and muttered a curse.

  A plant leaf swatted her across the shoulders.

  "Ow!" She rubbed the skin with her good hand. "I'm in pain here." That gained her no response. "Okay, okay. I'll go find your body if I live long enough. Before I do that, I'll need a day to get my house in order since I don't know how long this will take and we still have to discuss compensation."

  "Everything living or otherwise in your home will be safe while you are gone. Your dog sitter believes you are on a business trip and will continue to care for your animal during your absence."

  "Don't mess with my dog or my dog sitter," Reese snapped. "Good ones are hard to find." He had better stay out of Reese's life back in San Diego.

  That was not part of this deal.

  "I harm none. You know that," he said, shrugging, which looked odd on someone so powerful.

  "Debatable," she countered, but arguing with Yaahl would only be an exercise in futility. "Fine. As long as my dog is safe and fed, I'll go find this body and bring it back if we can reach an agreement." Now was the moment of truth. "You can't expect me to do that unless I'm healed."

  Yaahl pointed a hand at her.

  A crow swooped low and dropped a necklace on her lap.

  She lifted the black leather thong to look at the round pendant, which was larger than a silver dollar. It appeared to be onyx with a raven carved on one side and a sun and moon on the opposite side.

  Was this the disk the crow had used to teleport her here? "What is this?"

  "Put it on."

  She studied the pendant. "Is that carving supposed to be you? Not sure they got your good side. Oh, wait. You don't have one. My bad."

  "Put. It. On," he replied in a terse voice that made her smile.

  She slipped it over her head, hissing at jostling her injured arm.

  The minute the medallion dropped inside her shirt and settled against her skin, her body relaxed for the first time since getting slashed by the demons. Every aching muscle and bone eased. She was so exhausted, she leaned back against a tree and closed her eyes, feeling wounds close and the power wash away poison burning everywhere inside her.

  Her broken arm shifted.

  She lifted her head and looked down to see the bone knit itself back together beneath the skin. It was as if she'd been hit by a truckload of feel good.

  "Wow, that was ... thank you." She meant it and repeated, "Thank you for healing me. Sorry if I sounded unappreciative, but I was a hurtin' unit when I got here. Okay, we've got a deal as soon as you hit me with all my powers then I'll get rolling." She stretched, enjoying the rush of strength, then pushed to her feet.

  "You are confused. You will not receive your powers unless you are successful in your task."

  "You expect me to pull this off with no powers? If I'm looking for someone for you, I'm thinking there's a good chance they're probably supernatural. Am I right?"

  "Yes, this person was quite powerful when she lived."

  Shoving her hands to her hips, Reese leaned forward, pissed off all over again. "And you don't think I need my powers when I go poking around in the preternatural world? I don't even know what I'll be up against."

  "You've proven capable of surviving in the human world for a decade without them. You're a clever woman. You'll figure it
out."

  "Oh, thanks for the backhanded compliment." Reese stomped back and forth, trying to think this through. He'd healed her, so she had a chance to still get her powers. In fact, he said she'd get them when she completed her mission and returned.

  Not when but if.

  Running her hands through windblown brown curls that needed a shampoo after that trip through the desert, she turned to Yaahl. "Are you going to give me anything? Magic wand, crystal ball, rabbit's foot ... ?"

  "You call yourself an investigative photographer, so go investigate."

  Anger flooded Reese's chest. She hadn't expected simple, but neither would she believe Yaahl really expected her to succeed with no powers.

  This was insane even for him.

  What were her options?

  None. Now that she felt alive again, he knew she'd do anything for her powers. He would be right.

  She took a couple of slow breaths that felt so much better than before, and decided to test how important it was for Yaahl to get his hands on this body.

  He didn't do necromancy.

  She knew that much about him, so why did he want a body?

  It was time to find out how much negotiating room she had. "What if I refuse this task?"

  Things turned so quiet, Reese wondered if Yaahl was withdrawing. Her heart beat crazy loud in her ears.

  Finally, he said, "Refuse me now and this will be our last communication. If you allow that body to fall into the wrong hands, you will never feel your powers again."

  "What? Are you kidding me?" Reese shouted and grabbed her hair. Her mind raced to find a way to make him see reason. Not possible so she went with mouthing off again, which at least made her feel better.

  "What did I ever do to you? This is crap. When you bound my powers, you said I had to learn how to live. I admit that I was, uhm, a bit self destructive, but I've proven that now I'm not. I've done pretty freaking good in San Diego and I haven't asked anything of you." Mainly because she wouldn't have been able to find him. He had to summon her.

  He stared quietly, offering nothing in return.

  "How can you do that to me, Yaahl? I was born with those powers. They're mine." She hated the pleading sound in her voice, but everything she wanted was so close, yet beyond her reach.

  He answered, "I have taken nothing. I explained to you before that they are merely dormant. No one should possess a gift if they intend to misuse it. I am giving you a chance to prove that you have learned to make wise choices."

  And that's when it finally sank in.

  Yaahl had to have been keeping up with Reese to know how she'd been making a living. He'd let her battle two demons, allowing her to almost die during that attack. He knew how much she wanted freedom from living as a powerless human hunted by demons.

  Knew she'd be desperate.

  He'd been right about one thing.

  From the minute Reese had been dumped into the human world, she'd had to be fast on her feet and even quicker at learning how to carve out some kind of life.

  "You should know one more thing, Reese."

  There was more? "What?"

  "Demons are still searching for you in San Diego. That is your doing, not mine. Word of your demon hunting has traveled far. That is what brought those jotnar demons to you. They were drawn by the challenge of a demon huntress. I am shielding those you care for from the demons. They will remain under my protection until you give me a reason to withdraw it. Do not fail me."

  She'd screwed up royally, but her jaw dropped at his threat. "You should protect them because they're innocent in all this."

  "They have not come to me to ask for my help. I am offering it freely now while you perform this task for me."

  A task was picking up milk at the store, not stealing a body.

  This was the moment to grow a pair of lady balls to beat him at his own game. First she had one more worry. "Speaking of the jotnars, why didn't they turn to dust?"

  "I merely delayed their decomposition until I was sure no others followed you, but they're bodies are now ash."

  No DNA left in case someone found them. Reese got down to business. "I'll need a name to hunt for someone in this world. Who died?"

  "The body is that of Kizira."

  "The Medb priestess?"

  "Correct."

  Reese kept up with preternatural activity by surfing the dark internet sites. She'd thought the story was a bogus rumor spread by Beladors since a Medb priestess should be fairly indestructible. "She's really dead?"

  "Quite."

  Hell. This is a suicide mission. Who messed with the Medb coven and survived? The only people worse than them were on Reese's paternal side. How had Yaahl gotten involved with the Medb? What purpose did he have for that body?

  All good questions. Not any he would answer.

  Reese rubbed her gritty eyes and blew out a deep breath.

  If the raven wanted Kizira's body so much, he might be willing to make one concession.

  "I'll go find Kizira and bring her body to you, but to do that, and in so little time I should add, you're gonna have to give me my powers at least while I'm gone."

  His sigh ruffled the surface of the lake. "Do you ever ask for anything, Reese?"

  She tapped her chin. "Let me think about that." Dropping her hand, she said, "No. The last time I did, I ended up indebted to you."

  "Very well, you may access one power at a time by calling it up while touching the medallion ... if it deems your request worthy. You may also return with the body by touching the medallion and asking to be sent to this meadow. There is a limit to the power accessible through the medallion, and it will cease to function if all chance of acquiring the body is lost."

  "How much power will I--"

  Yaahl never slowed in giving his instructions. "Prepare to receive your power and travel to the city in my vision. It is the early hours of Saturday there. You should appreciate this information and that I am sending you there to save you time." He lifted both hands, fingers pointing at Reese.

  Now? She held her hands up in defense. "Wait. What about money, my weapons, a phone--"

  Reese blinked out of the forest and tumbled head over heels through a whirlwind of energy. Her body bounced against swirling walls that shot sizzling friction over her skin.

  She landed on her butt. "Ouch, dammit." Rain showered down on her face and body, soaking her clothes.

  Yaahl couldn't have given her a raincoat, dumped her under an overhang or inside an empty building? At least it was fairly warm, which seemed odd for Atlanta in January.

  She got to her feet and looked around, trying to get her bearings.

  Energy inside of her sizzled an alert.

  That was bad. Really bad.

  Chapter 5

  Atlanta, Georgia

  Reese held still as rain pelted her in the dark. After midnight in Atlanta.

  If Yaahl hadn't fed her a bunch of crap. She didn't even have a watch.

  She listened, waiting for the attack.

  Wouldn't it be just like Yaahl to drop her in a nest of demons? Where were they? Her energy vibrated, warning her of at least one demon nearby, but she didn't see him.

  That was new.

  When had any demon ever hesitated to come running for an energy-meal-to-go?

  The air buzzed, and she could hear a humming a little ways off. Was something flying in this crappy weather? Dogs barked down the street. She melted into the available shadows. The humming sound had come from the end of the street, maybe half a mile away where it looked like this road connected with a bigger one.

  Nothing stirred in what she recognized as an older section of Atlanta, but where, exactly, was she? A smattering of small to midsize cars parked for the night hugged curbs on both sides, but no one was out and about.

  She couldn't blame them. She'd like to be home with Gibbons on a rainy night like this.

  Buzzing increased, and the humming grew louder. Was it coming toward her? The sound died down as if movin
g away, but... No, it was coming back again.

  What in the world was going on in Atlanta these days?

  She hadn't heard anything about this out on the West Coast, even though she kept up with preternatural news.

  Down the street near the entrance to this area, a tall figure appeared suddenly. A male wearing dark coveralls. He was running full speed in her direction as if he'd teleported into the middle of a road race.

  Had he opened a bolt-hole?

  She had no experience with bolt-holes, but understood they existed.

  "Get back here!" an invisible person shouted.

  This was getting stranger by the minute. Was someone yelling at this guy from the other side of the bolt-hole? Was that even possible?

  The guy kept running. He couldn't have seen her hiding here, but her energy vibrated more the closer he came. Was he ...

  He lifted his head, revealing two bright red orbs for eyes.

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  She yanked out the medallion with her left hand and lifted her right, calling her energy to her fingers.

  Nothing happened.

  Footsteps were slapping the wet pavement, as loud as gunshots now.

  "You will pay for this if you lied to me, Yaahl." She hadn't done this in ten years. Calm down and focus. Feeling inside for her power, she pushed it to expand. Her chest warmed in a way it hadn't in a long time, but not fast enough. That demon would be here in seconds.

  "Come on," she whispered, frantic for anything. Contact would be in ten seconds.

  Nine.

  Eight.

  Heat rolled through her arm and spread to her fingers. Not there yet.

  Six.

  Five.

  Four.

  Power hit her hand so hard she thought her fingers might explode. She jumped away from the tree she'd hidden behind and fisted her hand, hitting him an upper cut to the jaw as his sickle-like claws reached for her.

  She hit him so hard his head flew back ten feet, dragging his body with it.

  Oh, yeah, baby. I'm back. She stomped over to where he was trying to get up. She booted him in the chest. He hit a fire hydrant, but thankfully didn't break it. She checked all around. No lights on. No humans to interfere.

  He made coughing sounds as he reached his feet again. Blood ran down his head from where it must have cracked on the hydrant. He swiped blood from his mouth, turned those unholy eyes on her, and smiled.