“Why must I? Without you, I am alone, Neela. So very alone.”
“You must be strong, Kingston. I am so sorry, so very sorry,” her whispers grew more and more faint with every word.
He tried to reach for her, but the veil slapped at his still-living soul. It was powerful, as it should be. That barrier would not allow any being with ties to the physical realm entry. Not even a mighty Diamond Dragon. Kingston growled deep in his throat but stopped when he could no longer make out the silhouette of his mate.
“Neela! Don’t go!”
“I have to go. It is time. I am sorry for everything. So sorry…”
“I don’t care about that now. It was never important.”
“I am sorry,” her whispered voice continued to diminish, “so sorry. Be happy, Kingston, be loved.”
“Neela! No! No! Noooo!”
Kingston Baldric, Diamond Dragon, Alpha and team leader of the Guardians of Chaos stationed at the Keep in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, woke with a start. Sweat beaded his brow and soaked through his sheets.
His room was unnaturally warm, almost stifling. He tossed off the covers and sat on the edge of the large mattress. He ran his hands over his face roughly, wiping away all traces of that torturous dream.
Fuck. He’d been to see Neela, or her ghost, as she was now beyond the physical realm. It was not the first time he’d visited his mate in his dreams, but something told Baldric it was the last time.
His heart squeezed desperately inside of his chest. She’d been taken from him far too soon and there was simply no right way to deal with the loss of one so worthy and deserving of all his best.
Neela had not been a Guardian of Chaos. She’d spoken no vows and had no place in battle. The precious female should have been off limits in this endless war the Loyalists had been waging against the supernatural world.
The Guardians did what Guardians do, they protected magic in an effort to preserve it for all supernaturals. They were not like the army or the police. That bit was left up to the Enforcers. If the Loyalists wanted to simply fight, they should have gone after them.
Only, they didn’t. Now, Neela was dead. His enemies had decided she was fair game and the rare she-Dragon was targeted.
She’d died far sooner than she should have and with more pain than she’d deserved. He could still hear her crying out his name as she succumbed to her wounds that fateful day. Bloodied and left for dead on the side of the road, it appeared an accident to locals. But he knew better.
Even worse, he was responsible for her suffering and her death. No matter how many wrongs he righted, Kingston would never forgive himself. He would never forget that he was the reason she died so tragically.
All his promises were for naught. Images of his brother, Edgar, raced through his mind. They’d been inseparable once. Since they were young Dragonlings, the brothers shared everything they had. Secrets, toys, games, books, and as they grew older, even women.
When they met Neela, things changed. The lovely Sapphire Dragon was beautiful with her blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. She’d captivated both brothers and they’d happily dueled for her affections. Edgar won Neela’s splendid heart, but Kingston had delivered the mating mark. Now she was gone and the pain was too much. For a hundred years, they lived together as mates, and now he must learn to be alone.
Shame washed over Kingston as he recalled their last argument. Their relationship was complicated to say the least. He was a private man and could not share this with any of his Guardians, but he knew the secrets he kept would be the death of him someday if he did not learn to let go. Even in death, Neela was still smarter than him.
The sound of her pleading voice echoed in his brain, his refusal, followed by her resolution to find happiness within her life. He never held it against her even as he abstained, but it hurt him to think that she was on her way to meet her lover when she’d been killed.
Of course, he told the others she’d been going shopping. He might not have saved her in the end, but he could preserve her reputation at the very least.
With her soul firmly on the other side of the veil, Kingston had to wonder if she was right.
Was it time for him to forgive himself and move on?
Doubt began to rear its ugly head, but his inner Dragon hissed at the debilitating fucker. Kingston had too much on his plate to start giving in to weakness of any kind.
He needed to be strong for his Guardians. Good leaders could not breakdown in the middle of a war. And that was what this was.
Offner had succeeded in killing Neels, kidnapping Fergie, and overall, pissing him the fuck off. But it wouldn’t be long before he met the evil Warlock again. Then Kingston would truly make him pay.
Magic was not the Warlock’s personal plaything. He’d destroyed the reputation of the Loyalists, but there were still those who believed heavily in the fundamentals of their credo. Mainly to be dicks.
“Where are you with the search?” he spoke into his cell phone and waited while Elena updated him on what she’d found out.
“There are several warehouses that have reported suspicious spikes in magical use over the past week in Newark, Kearny, and Harrison.”
“Get over there and investigate. Take Byram with you,” he told the Panther Shifter.
Kingston rarely used his Alpha voice when giving orders to his Guardians. He preferred to trust in their loyalty and respect for him and their mission. After all, they’d all taken the vow. Each one of them chose this life. For better or worse.
He checked the time. Four hours. That was about all the sleep he got just lately. His dragon puffed out a smoky breath in annoyance. The enormous beast would have liked to snuggle up for a week or two, but he had no time for that. The hunt was on, and it was only a matter of time before Offner was captured.
Meanwhile…
“I need the location damn you,” spat the aged Warlock.
“Master, we have not been able to locate the files. If you would just let us try to get the female-”
“We tried that already,” he slammed his gnarled hands onto the stained table and pointed at the long scar on his cheek, “see what that blasted dragon left me with last time? No, I will not take the risk of kidnapping the redhead again. Just find me the map she located the first time,” he commanded.
His blood pumped sluggishly through his veins. Too much time had gone between his last feeding and a Warlock was only as good as the powers he drained from his last victim. The pitiful Witch he’d happened upon was weak and old, which was why he felt as poorly as this.
Time was running out. The Demon who owned his soul would be coming for him soon and if he could not satisfy the beast with a supply of magic, he was as good as gone.
It must be done now. He had to find that vein of magic deep within the lands. He’d almost forgotten its existence, but he knew it was somewhere. He just had to find it first!
Failure was not an option. After he settled his account with the Demon, he would make the Guardians pay and magic would be his to rule!
Two
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Furio shook his pony-tailed head at his best-friend and fellow Guardian.
“I am telling you, I am not just using my Shifter abilities, cump. Check it,” Storm demonstrated by holding his right hand high and balling it into a fist.