Page 70 of Warlord's Mate
And the very ground beneath them shook.
Someone gasped before quiet mumbles filled the air. The trees around camp began to sway and a moment later, a fireball lit the sky, singeing the treetops. Marcy flinched and stared wide-eyed into the sky.What the hell?
Allok’s men screamed and ran for cover. The man holding the blade to her throat stumbled back, the knife falling uselessly to his side. A roar loud enough to rumble inside her chest filled the air a moment later, followed by a longer spray of fire. Allok stared slack-jawed into the sky, his eyes widening. Marcy blinked dumbly at the sight, then looked at Jorrick. He was looking at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. Did he really think she’d done this?Well, you did just promise to rain fire upon all their heads.
The treetops swayed again, more fire lighting the sky before the trees behind Jorrick swayed, then broke at their bases as if they were nothing but small sticks. They were pushed out of the way and a huge dragon’s head came into view a moment later. Marcy grinned, relief so profound filling her body she sagged against the binds holding her. She’d seen this dragon before. It had swooped out of the sky and snatched her friend from the air before flying away with her.
Toren lowered his head and snarled, his pointed teeth longer than any man standing there was tall. His eyes narrowed, his hot breath blown from his nostrils warming the air around them. Allok staggered back a step, then turned wide eyes toward her. For the first time since being dragged to his camp, Marcy felt bold. “Untie me. Now.”
It only took a moment before one of his men stepped toward her and cut her loose. She hit the ground with a thud and looked up in time to see Jorrick grab the spear that had been thrown at him. He pulled it from the ground and hurled it across camp. Allok’s body flew backwards, the spear sticking from his throat, his shocked gasp audible enough to hear.
Blood poured down his chest. He grabbed the spear with both hands and looked up at them, his red eyes wide with disbelief. He swayed, his mouth opening as if he were going to say something, then fell to his knees.
Jorrick was kneeling beside her before she could even try to pick herself up, his arms wrapping around her and lifting her to his lap as Allok hit the ground. “Are you injured?”
His hands roamed her body, and she shook her head. “No. Just bruised, mostly.” He pushed her hair away from her face, then pulled her tighter against his chest, lowering his head until their foreheads touched. “I thought I’d lost you.”
Marcy sighed and snuggled closer to him. “And I didn’t think you’d come for me.”
“I would have killed every living being on Prison Moon One to get to you. You are my mate, Mar-see. There is nothing I will not do for you.”
Had they been somewhere other than the middle of Allok’s camp surrounded by more bodies than she could count, she would have shown him her gratitude by riding him until he was unconscious. She wrapped her arms around his neck instead and pulled him in for a kiss, licking inside his mouth without a care of who may be watching. When she pulled away, he smiled and stood with her cradled in his arms.
“Where is he keeping the others?” he asked.
Marcy told him where the pits were. The men who had come with him were no longer under Allok’s influence. They hurried across camp to free the others. A dragon roared and a dark shadow darkened the sky. Marcy looked up at it, her eyes widening when she realized it wasn’t Toren. There really was more than one dragon.
Sara had told her when she and Toren had been found outside Jorrick’s camp and captured that Toren was searching for his people to see if others had survived. Seeing a dragon soar across the sky while she looked at Toren told her there were. “Is Sara here?”
The dragon’s big head shifted from side to side. No, of course she wasn’t. She doubted Toren would have let her come, especially if he didn’t know what the outcome would be which was silly. The outcome should have been obvious. She’d seen nothing on this world more powerful than a dragon.
Krista, Celestia, and the others were led to where they stood. They had been sorely used, but they were whole. Once they healed from what they’d suffered, she’d do whatever it took to make up to them everything that had been done. Their pain and suffering had been her fault, and she’d see them avenged if it was the last thing she did.
Chapter Twenty-Five
He was loathed to put her down. Jorrick would never be able to repay the dragons for what they’d done, and he’d told them as much. They’d shrugged at his gratitude. Had it not been for Toren’s mate, neither dragon would have come to their aid and more than likely, they’d all be dead right now.
His camp was still smoldering when they made it back. He wasn’t even sure why they were there other than the most injured among them had been left in the care of Jityria. Those that had been taken by Allok filled into camp and stopped, staring at the destruction with blank faces. What little they’d owned was now gone.
“What will we do now?”
Marcy was staring up at him, small lines of worry creasing her forehead. “We will do as we always have. Live.” It just wouldn't be here.
“You can put me down, you know?”
“I like holding you.”
She gave him one of those smiles that made his heart thump hard enough to make his breath catch. “And I enjoy you holding me but in case it's escaped your notice, I’m wearing nothing but an oversized shirt and I’m sure my ass is visible to anyone looking.”
“And my men know I will kill any of them caught doing so.”
He set her feet on the ground anyway and held on to her until she’d caught her balance. Voices in camp grew as those that had been taken slowly made their way toward the injured. He cupped Mar-see’s face in his hands and kissed her, not lingering long due to watchful eyes and smiled as he pulled away. “The moment we’re alone, I’ll give you a proper kiss.”
“I can hardly wait.” He watched as she walked to where the other females stood. Several of them were weeping. He could only imagine what Allok’s men had done to them and left Mar-see to deal with their recovery as she saw fit. He knew nothing about consoling a distraught female.
He stared toward the remains of his hut. It was mostly ash now. There wasn’t anything to salvage which meant there was nothing here worth staying for. The men who had followed him were no longer his concern and more importantly, he didn’t want to be responsible for them. They were free to go their own way as he intended to do. He’d take Mar-see and Aris and head deeper into the forest. He’d find them shelter and build a new life for them far away from here. Far enough he’d never have to hear about the other warlords or see the announcements for The Chase or the Arena Games.
Watching Mar-see embrace the human with short dark hair, he wondered if she’d leave without them. He didn’t want to look after anyone besides her and Aris and he wondered what his mate would think about leaving them behind when they left, not that it really mattered. He may not be a warlord now but his word was still law and like it or not, his little mate would have to live with it.