Chapter Twelve

 

Kat gasped as his lips brushed against hers. Soft, hot lips she remembered.

Nix pulled back a fraction, his gaze intense, uncertain.

But she’d never been more certain of anything in her life.

The sugary scent of magic made her head spin.

Kat wanted him, yearned to feel those lips on hers again. She needed his taste, his scent, his touch. Oh God, she thought she might burst if touch her again this minute.

In a swift move, she tugged him towards her and returned his kiss, her embrace fervent.

Nix responded with equal vigour, crushing her body to his as he wrapped his arms around her.

The tip of his tongue flicked against her lips, driving her wild with desire. “Nix!” she gasped, his touch scorching. Her skin cooled in response as if it was meant to be. She tangled her fingers in his hair and yanked.

He emitted a guttural groan of pleasure. “My Katarina…”

A magical blast of energy exploded around them with such force the ground shook. A cardboard box tumbled off a shelf beside them.

Kat opened her eyes. The dingy warehouse was bathed in a kaleidoscope of rainbow colours, as was Nix. She’d never seen anyone look more resplendent in this life or her past lives.

Her ability to breathe left her as she gazed at him in wonder.

Toby barked.

Sudden pain pummelled her head. For a split second, she thought something had fallen on her, but the pain came from within. Panic bubbled inside her. What’s happening to me? She clasped her head as though it would make the pain go away. It didn’t.

A spiralling sensation overwhelmed her.

Everything went black.

“Katarina…?” Nix’s voice sounded muffled, far away.

Someone was holding her, shaking her gently—Nix?—but she couldn’t break free from whatever the pain was trying to show her.

A coolness spread over her entire body, calming her. The spiralling slowed. It was more rocking now. Instead of resisting the pain, she knew she had to welcome it.

Regulating her breathing, she focused on the pain.

Whoosh!

Memories bombarded her mind with the force of a blizzard. Every one of her past lives played inside her head, like a movie on fast forward. The flashing images revealed her previous existences; a waitress in the 90s, a wartime factory worker making bombs in the 40s, a party girl in the 20s. Nix was there. She didn’t know him then, but she recalled the fun they’d had that night.

The pain dissipated into the blackness.

Further and further back in time, her memories returned, each century flashing by in a few seconds.

“Phoenix…?” She wasn’t sure if she’d uttered his name out loud or in her head, but…

Whoosh!

She remembered everything about him.

Her magnificent fire dragon.

Every one of her memories flooded back. She recollected their life together, how their dragons used to own the sky, soaring through the clouds together, before shifting back to their human form to run naked through the woods, laughing, without a care in the world. How happy they’d been until that evil sorceress had cursed them to an eternity apart.

Her stomach took a nosedive.

Selene is the sorceress… She cursed us.

Kat’s eyes flashed open. She was lying on Nix’s lap, and Toby was licking her fingers.

The kaleidoscope of colours faded into the dank warehouse. The magic had served her well.

“Katarina… oh, thank God…” Nix stroked her hair, his expression distraught. “I thought I’d lost you. I couldn’t bear it, not now. Are you all right?”

She gazed up at him, seeing him—really seeing him—for the first time in centuries. “I’m fine; more than fine.” Kat grinned. “But I could do with some of that homemade moonshine we used to make right about now.”

His jaw dropped. “What…?”

Toby yapped and wagged his tail.

“You heard, handsome.”

“You remember?” His voice came out in a whoosh of air, barely audible.

“My memories came back. The tragic story I read in an ancient book—it’s us; we’re the last two dragons, one of fire and one of ice.” Kat cupped his face with both hands. “I remember the life we shared and how happy we were.” She smiled. “And we will be again.”

“But the curse…”

Kat concentrated, commanding her vision to become that of her dragon.

He gasped as though he couldn’t quite believe it.

“Selene’s curse is broken. Do you hear me, Nix? After centuries apart, we found each other, despite her interference. If you still want me?”

His pupils elongated into narrow, vertical slits. “Of course I still want—”

She crushed her lips to his, no longer scared of his dragon eyes. In truth, they’d always turned her on.

Phoenix circled his arms around her, his kiss impassioned, wanton, the hot-blooded soulmate she remembered.

Her Nix, the man and the fire dragon she adored.

The centuries melted away as Kat moulded her body to his.

Toby barked excitedly and leapt between them.

They pulled back, laughing.

“Hey, Toby. You’re not such a daft dog after all,” said Kat, ruffling his ears.

“What do you mean?”

“Toby never did like Selene. I should have trusted him in the first place; he liked you straight away.”

“You weren’t to know Selene is the sorceress—she made sure of that when she took your memories.”

“I still don’t get it, though—why would she pretend to be my friend?”

“Who knows what that evil bitch’s motives were, but I think it had something to do with her getting to me.”

“She still believes she’s in love with you after all these centuries? The poor woman.”

All of a sudden, the warehouse darkened.

Kat looked up. The sunlight streaming through the broken roof disappeared. Through the holes, the sky swirled with greenish-black clouds.

Something landed on the roof with a thud. Footsteps sounded.

Selene’s cackle rained down from above.

Kat leapt up, her heart pounding. Beads of sweat dampened her brow. Toby growled.

Nix stood too, his gaze intense. “Go, Katarina, save yourself. It’s me she wants.”

She shook her head. “I won’t leave you, Nix. Not ever.”

Part of the corrugated roof peeled back like the lid on a can of dog food. Selene jumped down, landing on her feet despite the height of the roof. Two energy balls pulsated in her outstretched hands.

Nix manoeuvred in front of Kat. “Leave Katarina out of this, Selene,” he said through gritted teeth.

“There’s nothing I’d like more, my love. She’s served her purpose.” Selene directed her dark magic at her.

Shoving her against a crate, Nix took the full blast in his side.

He emitted a sound somewhere between a growl and a battle cry.

In less than three seconds, he morphed into his dragon. The frilly pink robe ripped to shreds and fluttered to the concrete floor.

Toby scuttled under a wooden crate, ears flat against his head.

Kat staggered, totally in awe of her resplendent soulmate, his obsidian, shiny scales moulding to powerful muscles, his need to protect her, filling her heart with love.

I’m here. Her own voice echoed inside her head, but raspier somehow. Her dragon. We can protect him too.

Opening his giant jaws, Nix ejected his flames and aimed the jet towards Selene.

She dived for cover behind a metal crate, then threw another energy ball.

In a flash, Nix twisted his torso, but he wasn’t quick enough.

The evil magic exploded at his clawed feet, and he roared in pain again.

I’m here, her dragon urged.

Kat inhaled, then held her breath. She’d searched so long for clues to her true identity—and she couldn’t deny that learning of her dragon nature had both scared and thrilled her—but could she handle it? Could she control herself if she went full dragon?

Nix opened his jaws wider, the stream of flames unrelenting as he directed it at Selene.

The evil sorceress retaliated with more dark magic, surrounding herself with an invisible shield, the flames extinguishing the second they came in contact with it.

Kat still held her breath. She had to help him.

Swallowing her fear, she closed her eyes and called on her dragon.

The release was overwhelming, the power extraordinary as she grew in size, leaving her clothes in tatters. A vision of the Hulk came to the forefront of her mind, and she suppressed a smirk. Now was not the time to be thinking of superheroes, not when she had her very own dragon hero to protect.

She focused, kicking what was left of her trousers from her feet and slipping out of her ripped blouse. Her skin turned to ice-blue, iridescent scales and her back arched, forcing her onto all fours. She exhaled, at last, her breath icy cold.

Kat opened her mouth and, with a mighty roar, catapulted razor-sharp shards of ice from the back of her throat.

Phoenix stopped spewing flames to gape in awe. He grinned—or what passed as a grin for a dragon.

She joined him, bowing her head as she stood beside her soulmate. Whatever Selene wanted, they would face it together, dragons of ice and fire, united forever.

Side by side, they fought the sorceress.

Kat delivered ice shards with the speed of a machine gun, and Phoenix jetted his fire like a flamethrower.

Where fire met ice, it sizzled and spat.

His fire became molten lava. Sheets of thick ice formed on the concrete floor.

The lava spilt onto the ice, melting only a thin top layer, causing the lava to hydroplane across the surface as it cooled.

The molten rock solidified as the ice heated and turned to gas.

Bubbles of blackened lava formed as big as footballs, moving fast towards Selene.

Selene screamed, throwing greenish-black flames in all directions, but her power was no match for their combined effort. Her black, soulless eyes widened as she tried to escape from the lava’s deadly path.

Sudden concern for someone who was once her friend forced Kat to act fast.

Spotting a lone forklift truck, she aimed her icy jet spray at it, shunting the vehicle between the lava river and Selene, its two prongs pinning her against the wall.

The lava hit the truck, exploding the tyres into flames in seconds and halting its deadly path.

Selene readied another energy ball in her palm but hesitated, the look in her eyes brimming with defeat.

Kat withdrew her ice. “Nix, enough,” she commanded, her dragon voice raspy.

He stopped, his breathing laboured. “I have to finish her.”

“No, wait.” She faced the sorceress. “Why are you doing this, Selene?” Kat edged closer, her talons scraping on the ground, her paw pads unaffected by the extreme temperatures. “If our friendship meant anything at all, you owe me an explanation.”

Selene dropped her arm, and the energy ball disappeared. “Becoming friends was never meant to happen.” Her black, soulless eyes became brown again. “I wanted you to meet Egan and maybe fall in love with him.”

“What the hell does my brother have to do with anything?” Nix demanded.

“Despite what you think, Kat, I wanted to see you happy.”

“I am happy, Selene. I found Phoenix.”

“No, Phoenix is mine. We were lovers long before you came along and ruined everything.”

“I’m not yours,” Nix told her. “I never was.”

Her gaze sought the fire dragon, pleading. “But we were happy…”

“We had a fling. That’s all it was. Katarina is my soulmate.”

Selene shook her head. Tears glistened. “No, you don’t mean it. I… I love you—”

Nix’s dragon chest rose. “What will it take to make you listen? It’s over, Selene.” He opened his giant jaws, flames flicking between his sharp teeth.

“No!” Kat stood in front of him.

He roared. “I have to kill her. It’s the only way.”

“It’s not. I know you, Nix; if you kill her, you will live with the guilt forever.”

Nix snapped his jaw shut.

Kat regarded Selene, her dragon vision seeing her clearly. She might be an evil sorceress, but beneath it all was an embittered woman who’d fallen in love with someone who had never loved her in return. Selene had been a good friend to her even though her motives were twisted at the start, and if anything, Kat felt sorry for her.

She spoke to Nix. “Don’t you see? The curse is broken. We found each other against all odds. Selene has no power over us.”

“What are we supposed to do, just let her go?”

“Yes. She was my friend once; I can’t forget that. She can’t hurt us anymore. Our suffering has ended, but unless we give her the chance to move on, hers never will.”

“I am here, you know,” Selene commented.

“Can you move on, Selene?” Kat asked her. “Is there even the tiniest part of you that sees what Nix and I have? Our love stood the test of time, and it was powerful enough to break your curse. Surely you can see that even your dark magic can’t keep us apart?” She fixed her with an intense dragon glare. “You can rise above this, Selene; make a new life for yourself. I know there’s a good person in there. You will find happiness again. You just have to open your heart.”

Selene looked at Nix. Tears trickled down her cheeks, but she held her head high. “So this is what you want, Phoenix? A life with her?”

“Katarina is my life. I’m nothing without her. For what it’s worth, Selene, I’m sorry it had to end like this.”

“I don’t expect you to forgive me for what I’ve done, but I’m sorry too.”

With a flick of her wrist, Selene disappeared amid a plume of greenish-black smoke.

“I forgive you, Selene,” Kat whispered into the smoke.

Phoenix faced her. “It’s over. It’s finally over.”

“Are you okay?” She glanced at the wound in his side.

He nodded his magnificent horned head. “I heal fast. Are you?”

“I will be. Is it too early for a drink?”

He laughed. “Never.”

“Do you think Selene will be okay?”

“I don’t know.” He paused. “I never thought I’d say this, but I hope so.”

Toby came out from his hiding place.

Nix rolled his giant shoulder and flipped his wing near her. “Come on, I bet you’re itching to use those wings of yours.”

How did he guess? “Absolutely! I might be a bit rusty, though. I haven’t used them for centuries.”

“Only one way to find out.” Nix flapped his wings and flew up to the roof, bashing through another part of the corrugated iron as if it was made of paper.

“Hey, wait for me.”

Nix hovered above.

Kat spoke to Toby. “Come on, boy, on you hop.” She lowered her wing for him to climb on board.

Poor Toby looked a little dubious.

“It’s okay, Toby, it’s me.”

He tilted his head to one side and whimpered.

“I’ll buy your favourite doggy treat,” she coaxed.

It worked. Toby scampered up, and she tucked him securely under her foreleg.

She extended her iridescent wings, and after a clumsy takeoff, she joined Nix above the warehouse.

“Need some help?” he jibed.

“Not from you, handsome.” She flapped her wings and soared into the sky, the power of flight coming back to her with surprising ease.

Higher and higher she flew, leaving Nix below, relishing the wind buffing against her scales. “I’ve got you, Toby, don’t worry.”

Her dog yapped, not in the least bit frightened.

Phoenix joined her, flying so close their wingtips touched.

She banked left, chuckling as she caused a disruption in his airflow.

He laughed and swooped right, then circled her. He flew above, blocking the sunlight.

Kat dipped low and slowed her speed before soaring above him. She remembered the taste of the sweeter air even higher but, mindful of Toby under her foreleg, she kept low, heading into the clouds for cover from the town below.

“What are you doing?”

“We can’t risk being seen.”

“No, it’s fine. The magic veil keeps us cloaked from view in our true form.”

She’d never had to rely on the magic veil before. The last time she’d morphed into her dragon, there had been no need for such things; their dragons owned the skies. A lot of things had changed since then, including her, but with Phoenix by her side, everything would be fine.

Kat held on to Toby and did a loop-the-loop, roaring with delight.

“Show off,” said Nix, doing a double loop.

They flew side by side, over the town and towards the woods where she’d first seen Phoenix.

She flapped her aching wings. “I’m going to have to land, Nix. My wings are getting heavy.” She swooped downwards, avoiding the treetops and landing on the forest floor, her talons digging into the soft earth. Glancing around, she chuckled to herself. She recognised this place and the blackberry bush to her left, the same bush Nix hid behind the day Toby got lost.

“Toby, off you get,” she instructed. “Quick, before Phoenix lands.”

Her dog jumped down. Kat folded her wings into her back and shifted to her human form. She dived behind the bush, butt naked, as Nix landed.

“What are you doing behind there?”

She giggled, the cool wind giving her goosebumps. “Preserving my modesty.”

He emitted a dragon laugh. “When have you ever been shy about showing off that incredible body of yours? And those long legs…”

She grinned and outstretched her leg from behind the bush, burlesque style.

Nix raised his scaly eyebrow. “Is that all I get? You can do better than that, beautiful.”

Teasingly, Kat slipped out from behind the bush, giving him an eyeful of her nakedness.

His dragon eyes appraised her, glinting with mischief. “I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you, Katarina.”

“So, what are you waiting for?” She bit her lip seductively. “Your turn.”

In less than three seconds, he morphed into his human form and stood in all his naked glory before her, all bronzed, rippling muscles and hers for the taking. Was it only last night he’d taken her back to his cottage—their cottage? It seemed a lifetime ago.

She wouldn’t be running away from him this time. “We never did have that drink last night, did we? You promised me the good stuff, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember, but we got kind of sidetracked if I recall correctly.”

Yes, she remembered how he’d dragged her upstairs, how she’d bumped her head on the way up and lost her shoe, too. Her belly tingled. She lowered her voice to a sexy rasp. “Take me home, Nix.” Her dog barked. “And Toby, too.”

He gave her a wicked grin. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Naked, they ran hand in hand through the bluebells, their laughter echoing above the treetops.