Dragon King of Treoir

  That was some fucked up genetic coding, and they'd all gone through one death. Some, like Evalle, had been through three, the maximum number before death was final.

  Killing Ixxter and bringing him back more powerful was not happening.

  But breaking every bone in his body was on the table and would slow him down while the bully healed.

  Tristan jabbed a claw at Ixxter's eye, gouging the orb and forcing Ixxter to release his beak's hold on Tristan's thigh.

  Finally.

  Hurting like a mother from one end to the other, Tristan shook it off and leveraged what energy he had to get up on his legs. He ignored the urge to hop around and spare his damaged leg. He could heal it, but he wouldn't do that yet and risk taking his attention off his opponent.

  Ixxter sidestepped, weaving and shaking his head.

  Bernie had been standing off to the left and made a move toward Ixxter as if he still planned to help.

  Tristan glanced over and ordered, No, Bernie!

  Ixxter took advantage of Tristan's divided attention in that split second and raced forward, flapping at the same time. As he lifted up, claws dug into Tristan's wings, yanking him off his feet. Ixxter dragged him backwards toward the bluff.

  The sound of water crashing against jagged boulders below warned Tristan not to go over backwards.

  But he had no way to wrench his body when he couldn't get his backpedaling feet beneath him. The chance of flipping a body as big as a truck and catching air in time to avoid being crushed on the rocks was laughable.

  Teleporting would not happen. He was too spent to use it again and had no idea if it would even work normally in gryphon form.

  At the last second before the ground fell away, Tristan lunged up and caught Ixxter's wing with his beak, clamping down to hold on.

  Ixxter released a screech of pain that sounded like metal being twisted.

  They shot past the drop off with Ixxter flapping one wing and attacking Tristan with his beak to free his other wing.

  A buffeting wind flipped their position, putting Tristan on top.

  When he saw water beneath him, he released Ixxter and focused every ounce of power he had into flapping his wings.

  But flying worked best when gravity didn't have a head start.

  Tristan burned muscles whipping his giant wings and strained to slow his body from screaming toward the rocks.

  Ixxter did a sideways roll and opened his wings wide.

  Expecting a rogue updraft?

  It would be close but ... that damned black-and-red body glided away from one pile of boulders, giving Tristan hope that he could also catch an updraft.

  But Ixxter's wingspan proved too wide to pass through an opening between two tall outcroppings. The wind drove him toward them.

  His right wing whacked the rocks. Ixxter spun around and hit the water in an explosion of feathers and spray. He flipped end over end, and landed with one massive splash.

  Tristan prepared for the same wreck as he headed downward and spread his wings to catch any air. He forced his body to bank to avoid those two outcroppings.

  If he didn't bank hard enough, he'd be caught in the same situation that had gotten Ixxter.

  If Tristan didn't catch some updraft, he still risked dragging his body across the top of tall, jagged rocks below. They'd rip his chest open.

  That would suck, but he'd rather have his wings, which meant use of his arms once he shifted back to human form.

  If all that happened before he drowned.

  Chapter 12

  Saltwater bashed the boulders straight ahead, bathing the serrated edges in foam.

  Tristan fought the force of falling at hyperspeed and wrenched his wings harder to catch air. This was not going to work. He prepared for a bloody collision with the boulders waiting to tear into him.

  His world condensed to microseconds.

  A wind buffeted him. He wobbled. The wind caught beneath his wings and forced him up and further right. He zipped past the boulders, close enough that he cleared them only by sucking his chest in and keeping his feet tucked. He went up and up.

  Damn. That was a rush and a half.

  Yeah, enjoying that made him certifiable.

  Surviving the near-impact had shot his attention. It took a moment to realize he was still flying up, but slowing. He'd stall next if he didn't start flapping his wings.

  He swept around, now a half mile out from the rocks, and had to admit that even with all his sniping at Evalle about being stuck here patrolling, he did love flying.

  Guess I'll have to save Ixxter's miserable hide.

  Tristan circled, searching the churning water where Ixxter had disappeared.

  The gryphon had managed to get up on the rocks and was drying out his wings.

  Good. That icy bath should cool off Ixxter's temper, plus the bully would be down there a bit while he called up his power to heal anything broken.

  Tristan lowered his legs as he came in for a landing at the bluff.

  Bernie had returned to human form and was in the process of pulling on his ripped T-shirt and ragged jeans, which he must have found in the woods.

  Tristan sucked it up and grunted as he shifted back to his human shape, which took much longer than it should have. He was done with changing for a while. Doing it one more time right away would be damn near impossible. That damn Ixxter had ruined Tristan's plan for a relaxing flight.

  Once he got through groaning and panting with the effort, Tristan dressed and walked over to Bernie, who looked ashamed.

  Bernie swatted a handful of red-brown hair off his face and his shoulders drooped. "I'm sorry about causing trouble, Tristan, but Ixxter said ... stuff he shouldn't have."

  "What could be worth getting stomped to death?"

  Bernie's eyes flared with fury. "He called Petrina names and said she was sleeping with all the guards. I'm gonna kill him."

  Fuck. Tristan wished he hadn't shifted back already or he'd kick Ixxter's ass again.

  Petrina was Tristan's foster sister and Ixxter knew everything he said about Petrina was a lie. If Petrina found out, she'd go after Ixxter. Petrina was deadly as a gryphon, but Tristan would not allow Ixxter to put one mark on her.

  Tristan scrubbed his face with his hands and dropped them to his sides. "You do realize Ixxter said all that just to goad you into a fight, don't you, Bernie?"

  "I know," he mumbled glumly. "I hate that guy."

  "He's not winning Pack Member Of The Year, that's for sure."

  Bernie looked up with panic. "You didn't kill him, did you?"

  Tristan walked back to the edge to check on the jerk. "Hell no. I'm not giving him any edge over us."

  Ixxter was no longer sitting on the rocks.

  Had he gone back to the gryphon camp?

  The sound of wings beating furiously and heading his way gave Tristan his answer when he looked down the coastline.

  Ixxter had flown below the bluff and was coming back.

  Oh, hell.

  Tristan couldn't shift again. He strolled back to give himself some room to work. Standing by the edge wouldn't work out as well this time.

  Bernie started trembling. "What are we going to do?"

  "You stay back. I've got this." Good to know Tristan had not lost the ability to lie through his teeth. He cut his eyes at Bernie and cringed at the hero worship staring back.

  Ixxter slowed and set his wings to land, taking a couple steps and towering over Bernie and Tristan. A gleam of victory flashed in his green eyes.

  Tristan had to suffer through Ixxter laughing telepathically. Sometimes it would be nice to turn off his inner hearing.

  Ixxter stepped forward, taking his time. If an eagle's beak could smile, it sure looked like Ixxter was grinning. He dipped his head to eye level with Tristan and said mind to mind, If I bite off your head, you won't regenerate.

  True. Cutting off the head of a supernatural being was generally a good way to ensure death no matter what.

&nbs
p; Tristan shrugged. Did Ixxter really think he'd beg? He sent back what might be his last words. If I do regenerate, I'm coming after you and I will not leave enough parts to fit back together.

  Ixxter hesitated as if considering that possibility, but must have realized how tiny a chance Tristan had of surviving, because Ixxter lifted his head and screeched in triumph.

  The blowhard was rubbing it in before he killed Tristan.

  Bernie whispered a shaky, "T-Tristan?"

  Tristan kept his attention on Ixxter, waiting to the last second to make a defensive move. He'd probably still end up ripped apart, but he was not going down without a fight.

  Ixxter arched his neck, bringing his head back down to Tristan and stretching his beak wide.

  Another set of wings flapped and the gryphon froze.

  I'd think twice about biting off more than you can chew, Ixxter, Daegan's voice said, booming in Tristan's mind. That meant everyone present had heard it.

  Ixxter jerked around and sidestepped.

  A fifteen-foot-tall dragon with leathery skin covered in red scales and giant, bat-like wings swept in, landing hard enough to shake the ground.

  Daegan looked like a red mountain with wings next to Ixxter.

  "Shit," Bernie muttered.

  That about summed it up. Tristan said, "Good to see you, Daegan."

  The dragon cocked his head at Tristan and spoke out loud in a clear voice, which the gryphons couldn't do. "You would have seen me sooner, had you teleported to the castle first, Tristan."

  Tristan gave him a nod of deference. It was good to be friendly with the dragon king of Treoir.

  Ixxter's lower beak dropped open.

  Tristan had informed the pack about Daegan and that he could speak in dragon form, but Ixxter must have thought Tristan had been exaggerating.

  "I did stop by the castle," Tristan said with a wry grin. "But you were detained in a private conversation with one of the guards." Daegan had met a female guard who had been more than willing to become an inside guard.

  Tristan had no idea if anything had happened and he sure as hell wasn't judging. Not when that dragon had spent two thousand years imprisoned as a throne in the realm of their enemy.

  But something told Tristan that while Daegan might enjoy charming the women, he would be careful about allowing any of the guards into his bed.

  Daegan chuffed out a puff of smoke and Ixxter drew back as if the dragon had unleashed fire. "In that case, you were wise not to disturb me, Tristan." When Daegan's silver, reptilian eyes turned to Ixxter, all humor fled. "You are known as Ixxter, correct?"

  Ixxter bobbed his head up and down.

  "You have been given the opportunity to remain here where you're safe from the Medb warlocks hunting for all Alterants. Have you decided you no longer wish to remain on Treoir?"

  That surprised Ixxter, who had been complaining constantly that it was time for him to have a visit in the human world.

  Tristan hadn't known Daegan long, but he knew enough to catch the note of decision in Daegan's voice. The dragon stepped around Ixxter, eyeing him with a predatory look. "I hear you're unhappy. You are not being forced to stay, nor are you expected to return should you leave."

  Ixxter was worse than a barking dog pulling hard against the end of his chain. Unclip the chain and some dogs froze, unwilling to follow through on the threat of attack.

  That gryphon had griped constantly about wanting to leave, but Tristan didn't believe Ixxter expected to be given a one-way ticket, no matter how much he pretended that's what he wanted.

  "What will it be, Ixxter?" Daegan demanded. "I will not tolerate any of my gryphons or my Beladors being harmed."

  And that was the real question.

  Would Ixxter declare himself entirely free of Treoir rule, or admit that he wanted to remain a member of the pack?

  Ixxter must have answered Daegan telepathically because the gryphon moved his wings as someone would use their hands while trying to explain.

  Daegan angled his monstrous dragon head to one side, then back the other way, concentrating.

  When Ixxter stilled, his gaze went to the ground, no longer pumped with arrogance.

  "Go change into your human form and get dressed, Ixxter. Come to the castle and I'll teleport you. I will give you one week to make your decision about whether to return ... or not."

  Ixxter nodded his head and took two steps then leaped into the air and flew out over the water, banked wide, then soared over them toward the gryphon village they'd created.

  Bernie had done his best to become invisible once Daegan arrived. When the dragon's head dropped down to eye level with Bernie, Tristan worried the guy would embarrass himself and need a change of clothes.

  Daegan's voiced gentled. "I would ask you to take on a responsibility."

  All color fled Bernie's face. "O... kay."

  "You agree before I've told you what I require?" Evidently Daegan found that humorous.

  "Y-yes ... uh, sir. King. Dragon."

  Tristan rolled his eyes. "Bernie, he's not going to eat you or torch you. You met Daegan back the first day he was here."

  Bernie turned to Tristan. "He was on top of a mountain talking to us in our minds, not right freaking in front of me."

  That Bernie could still snap at Tristan was a good sign.

  Daegan snorted and a cloud of smoke smothered Bernie, who swatted it away, coughing. "Ugh ... stop it."

  Lifting up to his full fifteen-foot height, Daegan said, "I want you to oversee the gryphon village and keep me informed of any issues. I don't want the gryphons fighting each other. We have battles coming and we need to be strong."

  The smoke dispersed. Bernie pulled his shoulders back. "Yes ... dragon?" he squeaked, unsure.

  "It's Daegan to those of you who belong to my guard."

  "Oh, wow, I mean thank you, uh, Daegan."

  "Now, go to the castle and inform them of anything the gryphons need that we've overlooked."

  What a way to win over the rest of the pack.

  The more Tristan was around Daegan, the more the dragon grew on him, which was saying something. At one time, Tristan had vowed to kill everyone involved with Treoir, including the Beladors, but that was due to his being unfairly imprisoned for four years.

  "Absolutely," Bernie said, nodding like a bobble doll. "The pack does need a few things and--"

  "Bernie," Tristan said, cutting him off before Bernie got on Daegan's nerves after he'd been given a promotion. "I think he wants you to go to the castle immediately."

  "Oh, right. Okay, I'm gone." Bernie hurried away, disappearing into the woods where a trail led to the castle grounds.

  Once Bernie was out of hearing range, Tristan crossed his arms and looked up at Daegan. "That was a great idea. He needs to develop confidence, which would not ever happen with Ixxter around. I'm glad that prick is leaving, but things are getting tense back in Atlanta, so you may want to send him somewhere else."

  "Will he cause trouble?"

  "Probably. The biggest problem may be that he'll shift. We were all forbidden from doing that in the human world, but to be honest ... " Tristan opened his arms. "I have no idea what the rules are now that you've taken over Treoir."

  Greatest smack down ever when Daegan showed up and ordered Macha off his island four days ago.

  "The only rules that count are my rules," Daegan clarified.

  "Agreed, but no one knows your rules. I'm also talking about rules for when we're in the human world."

  "That's no different. Anyone who is loyal to my rule will do as I say there as well if they want my protection."

  This was going to get testy, because Tristan was no mediator. "I see your point, Daegan, but you haven't spent any time in the human world in two thousand years except for when we dragged you around Georgia in the shape of a chair."

  "Throne."

  "Semantics." Tristan went back to his original point. "The Beladors have been part of the VIPER coalition for longer than I
've been around. What do you plan to do about that? I have no idea how the Belador leadership worked with VIPER and the Tribunals, but I'm thinking we can't ignore them."

  "I heard about the coalition and the Tribunals over the years while I was imprisoned in TAmr Medb."

  "But you aren't actually familiar with how things work in places like Atlanta, right?"

  The dragon made a grumbling sound and a flame curled from his snout.

  Note to self. Don't point out shortcomings to a dragon.

  Tristan said, "I don't see any big issue, but you have to decide if we're going to stay with the coalition or not."

  "Why would we?"

  Laughing, Tristan said, "I couldn't give two shits about staying with them, but Evalle is always trying to get me to see the other side of things. She's the one to talk politics with, but basically if we pull out of VIPER then we become an enemy of the state. If we stay, we're subject to the rule of the Tribunal. That's all I know."

  "I am subject to no one's rule."

  See? Evalle needed to be here explaining. "I agree, Daegan. I'm just telling you what I know of VIPER and the Tribunal. With a trio of three gods and/or goddesses on a Tribunal at any given time, that's a lot of nuclear power to piss off."

  "I will consider this. Now, about this Ixxter. I'm going to teleport him to Atlanta--"

  Hadn't Tristan just said that was a bad idea?

  "--and I'm sending you, too. You and Evalle should be able to deal with Ixxter if he becomes a problem."

  Shit. This sucked. Tristan didn't hide his irritation. "Why send him there?"

  "I warned a war is coming, but I'm in no hurry to put our warriors at risk. However, someone may be setting us up to be the ones who start the war. We have Beladors and their human families to protect."

  Tristan nodded even though he couldn't see where Daegan was going with this. He said, "When I left, Evalle was out with the teams patrolling residential areas with the heaviest populations of Beladors and Medb. I'm still not following you about why to send Ixxter. Has something happened?"

  Daegan lifted his head and stared at the water. "Yes, Tzader just learned there was a new attack in Atlanta, but this time Quinn's task force interrupted it and killed two men."

  "That's good news, right?"

  "Not necessarily. Quinn believes the two men they killed were Beladors."

  "Hold everything," Tristan said, unfolding his arms. "Our people are committing the murders?" When had he started thinking of Beladors as his people?