Ivormantis Read online

  He closed his eyes, but the smile on his face remained as he let sleep take him under as well.

  Chapter Seven

  A strong shake to his shoulder woke him from the peaceful dreams of his beloved mate. Dominic opened his eyes slowly to see Blain hovering over him. He cast a quick glance over to his side to reassure himself that Meldamiriel was safe and sound, tucked away in the crook of his arm. She was.

  “What is it?” he whispered to his friend.

  “I hate to do this to you, but we’ve got company,” Blain stated, glancing across the room to the window as he readjusted the strap for his sword’s sheath.

  Dominic nodded. “I’ll be right behind you,” he said, carefully lifting himself up.

  He waited till Blain had left the room before turning back to his beautiful mate who was still fast asleep next to him and curled up with his pillow. He smiled down at seeing such beauty. Yesterday she had found both her strength and courage with her powers and had learned to harness them for good use. Today she would need them to help protect and keep herself alive as they fought off the manic clan of vampires accompanied by a witch and a powerful warlock. When all this was finally finished, his plan was to take her home to the safety of Dragonose, where he knew she could live a life in peace.

  “My precious jewel, you must wake up,” he said, kissing her lips lightly.

  Meldamiriel rolled over onto her back and stretched out before opening her eyes to gaze up at him and smile.

  “What time is it?”

  “Almost dawn, my love.”

  “Then it’s too early to get up, come back to bed with me,” she said with a playful smile.

  Dominic sighed heavily. Oh, how he would love nothing more than to stay in bed all day wrapped up in the embrace of his beloved mate. But sadly, today was not the day to start that. “I’m afraid we can’t, sweetheart, not with trouble on the horizon.”

  He watched as her smile slowly started to fade away as she held the covers close and sat up.

  “They’re here, aren’t they?”

  “Almost. It’s time we end this once and for all,” he said, cupping her cheek in his large hand.

  “Let’s do this. I’m tired of running.”

  Dominic smiled. “That’s my girl. Now, get dressed, they’re waiting for us downstairs.”

  Not five minutes later, Dominic and Meldamiriel stepped into Blain’s office where Edmond, Edmond’s beta, Gattlin, Natasha, Blain, and a few head guards were all gathered.

  “Okay, now that we’re all here, we can move forward,” Blain stated. “The plan here is simple. Dominic, Natasha, and myself will take to the sky and give areal cover. Donatello, you take your men up for the first line of defense. Edmond, you and the pack will be second. I want Gattlin to stay close by Meldamiriel at all times. He can cover her back while she’s using her powers. Plus if the going gets rough, Melda can easily shift over to a white wolf to blend in with the pack. Gattlin can sneak her away to the pack lands to hide her and keep her out of danger until we get things cleaned up.” He stopped and looked at everyone, seeing all nods of approval, he continued, “One rule stands, kill anything or anyone that gets in your way and poses a threat. Are we clear?”

  “Clear!”

  “And where’s my position in all of this?”

  Everyone turned to see Elijah casually leaning against the doorframe.

  “I thought you went out to track the bastards?” Dominic questioned.

  “Oh, I did, but evidently someone tipped the little shits off that I was hunting them. They managed to skirt around me. So, I sent the newbie back to my place, so he didn’t have to get involved in all this again, and headed back here.”

  Blain nodded. “Where would you like to be in all of this?”

  “After an extensive chat with newbie, I believe that Hazellette and Clyde will use the vampires as pawns and come for Meldamiriel themselves. I’ll stay with Gattlin and Meldamiriel, because that witch is mine. I’ve been waiting for the day to come that I could finally end her.”

  Blain nodded. “Alright then, we have our positions. Let’s move.”

  Natasha pulled Meldamiriel aside for a quick moment as the men went about packing themselves down with weapons. “I hope you don’t end up needing this, but keep it on you just in case,” she stated, handing Meldamiriel a dagger and sheath.

  “Thanks.”

  “Everything’s going to be alright. You’ve got all of us standing up to protect you,” Natasha said, pulling her in for a tight hug. “Now, let’s go kick some ass.”

  Meldamiriel tried to take a deep, calming breath as she stood out in the open in the brisk morning air, Elijah to her right and Gattlin to her left. It was finally time to face her fears. She looked to the sky to see Sapphamire and Naquadus flying off together into the clouds, but she couldn’t spot Ivormantis. She was about to ask Gattlin why Dominic was not yet flying when she saw him walking toward them. Before she could question him on why he was still here, he embraced her passionately, catching her off guard, and dominated her lips in a heated kiss. By the time he finally let her up for air, she was gasping.

  “I love you, my sweet Meldie. Ivormantis and I shall be watching over you the whole time. You have nothing to fear.”

  “I know. I’m nervous, but I no longer feel afraid. Let them come, I’m not the weakling I was when they first wanted me.”

  Dominic bent down to kiss her one last time. “Be safe,” he said, tearing himself away from her so he could join his fellow comrades in protecting her life.

  “He’s a good mate to have. And he is a very strong warrior,” Elijah stated, as she watched Dominic walk off, feeling slightly saddened by his absence.

  She wiped a tear she hadn’t realized she shed away. “He is all of that and so much more.”

  The sun was finally beginning to peak over the horizon, bleeding out into the open grounds before them. There were whispers in the wind, but really no sign of trouble yet. Meldamiriel let her fingertips carefully brush the hilt of the dagger Natasha had given to her. It was currently tucked away safely behind her back. This is it, the last fight you’ll ever have to worry about again. No more running, no more hiding, no more being scared of the dark and things that go bump in the night. Dominic had plans to take her back to his homeland, Dragonose, once this was all behind them. They had talked things over, and yes, although she could have already been off of this planet and not have to worry about the fight that was about to take place, she ultimately decided to stay and see it through. It was high time she stood her ground. She finally was ready to show herself, and the world, that she was no longer the small, scared, weak elf her enemies thought her to be. This was her time to make a stand and say no more.

  “I hear them. They’re just inside the woods, waiting for the right moment to make their move,” Gattlin murmured from beside her.

  Meldamiriel nodded and took a deep breath. It’s time, little Meldamiriel.

  After a few moments of total silence and nothing happening, she glanced up to the vampire. “Why are they not attacking us?”

  He leaned over to speak quietly to her. “War is a bit like the game Chess. The white pawn moves first. We’re at the point where we wait to see who is white; who will be the one to break code and move first.”

  A whistle wisped through the air, but it was not the whistle of a person. A split second latter, a silver stake was piercing through the right side of Elijah’s chest. Meldamiriel gasped, as she stood gapping at him wide-eyed and open-mouthed. He cocked an eyebrow down at the weapon sticking out of his chest, completely unamused, before forcefully ripping it back out. He turned to look down at her again.

  “They’re white.” It was all he growled before throwing the stake at vamp speed back into the forest. A painful cry followed closely behind its disappearance.

  Bodies burst from the trees, yelling as they came running and waving their weapons in the air. They seemed to be carrying at least one of every kind: crossbows, pistols, swo
rds, knives, daggers, and even a machine gun. They were here for the kill and the blood of their enemies. Elijah was right, they were just pawns in a game of chess. The only ones that were here for the true fight of life and death were Hazellette, Clyde, and Bullock. The rest of the soldiers could care less whether she lived or died.

  Meldamiriel readied herself to call upon her powers as she watched the first line of defense get hit hard with the intruding vampires. A second wave of them kept fighting their way forward, trying to get in as close as possible. She heard the roar of a dragon and looked up to see Ivormantis diving down to catch several vampires in his claws before flying them over the trees and dropping them, letting the branches skewer them in their decent. Sapphamire and Naquadus flew in quickly behind him. Sapphamire rained a hot blaze of fire down on several of their enemy, while Naquadus spat out fireballs, letting them roll on the ground and wrap the evil creatures up into their inferno. The amount of fighting vampires was quickly dwindling down to only a very few. The wolves had barely even gotten a taste of the fight with them. She looked all around them thinking, There was no way that this is it. This can’t be the end of the fight. At least she didn’t think so. She would have thought that if she was wanted that badly, there would be more of a challenge. She hadn’t even needed her powers, but that didn’t stop her from keeping her guard up in case there was a round two.

  “You think I would make things that easy, little girl? Ha! That was only the beginning. You will be mine,” a deep male voice boomed through the air.

  “I know that voice,” Meldamiriel whispered. “It’s him.” Tears started to build up in her eyes as an ice-cold shiver snaked down her spine. He was back, as she had always known he would be. He was back for her.

  Ivormantis dropped down directly in front of her, taking a protective stance. In his mind, he was thinking, Anyone who wants to get to her have to go through me first.

  However, even she knew that after all these years, the wizard whom had murdered her family was now back to claim the ultimate prize.

  “Clyde, show yourself, you fucking bastard!” Elijah roared into the sky. Neither Clyde nor Hazellette had yet to be spotted.

  “As you wish!”

  Thunder rumbled and dark angry clouds suddenly began to close in over them, droplets of rain hit Meldamiriel’s face as she looked up to the sky and watched Clyde’s building storm. He was her demon to face and she knew that the only way to end her constant fear was to face him head on. And then she remembered her training session just a few days prior. If the wizard thought that he was such a big shot with a light rainstorm, he had another thing coming.

  “I’ll take care of Clyde,” she said, shocking the two men and dragon before her.

  “Sweet mate, I…”

  She held up her hand.

  “Ivormantis, I know you are aware of what Dominic and I have talked about. And I know that it is your duty as my mate and loving dragon to be willing to lay down your life for me. However, I’m not going to have that murderer think I’m so small and weak anymore. I need to face my fears and demons. And today is that day.”

  Ivormantis lowered his head down to eye level with her.

  “And I respect that courage of yours that you have finally found. Know that I won’t be far. If you need me. I will be watching over you. Now go cook some wizard tushy,” he said, giving her a wink.

  Meldamiriel smiled. Her big dragon had certainly gained a spot in her heart.

  Taking a deep breath and setting her shoulders straight, she walked past Ivormantis and out onto the open land that lie before them. The castle guards and the wolves had cleared a nice opening, as they were quickly disposing of the dead corpses that lay all around them.

  “Face me, Clyde,” she said in almost a whisper.

  A chuckle brushed across her ear, then a cloud of smoke formed before her. It slowly drifted away in the breeze to reveal a tall and lean man who looked like he was in his thirties, but she knew better. It was just his magic at work. But one couldn’t help but wonder, if he was putting that much effort into keeping his smokescreen up with his looks, what areas did that now make him weak in? His piercing blue eyes snaked across her body as if he could see her naked, giving her the creeps and chills. She pushed her feelings aside and stood strong and firm. She would not show any weakness before him today, not like she had all those years ago when she was a small helpless child.

  “My, how you have grown. And into such a bewitching creature at that.” His silver tongue was coated in a lying venom, a poison most women would fall for. But not her.

  “Funny, you don’t look like you’ve aged a day.”

  He gave her a charming wicked smile. “Let’s cut the small talk here, shall we. Just turn back to your friends and convince them that you wish to go with me.”

  Meldamiriel shook her head slightly. “You still think that I’m a child and will do as you say willingly. That’s quite pathetic, even for you.”

  “Would you rather I put a spell over you?” It was more of a threat than a question.

  “Ha, I’d love to see you try.”

  Clyde put his hand out in front of her face, his brow furrowing as his gaze narrowed and became determined and mesmerized. She could hear the faint whispers of everyone behind her. Natasha and Blain were back on the ground and in their human forms. They were standing at the front of the line with Elijah, Edmond, and Gattlin. Ivormantis was pacing back and forth behind the group nervously as he worried over his mate. She kept her eyes locked with Clyde’s, humoring him as she let him play out his little magic trick. When he was satisfied and believed to have her completely trapped under his spell, he stood straight with an evil smile slowly crawling its way across his lips.

  “Now try to disobey me.” A wicked glint flashed through his eyes, as he looked past her and spotted Ivormantis’ nervous behavior. “Show your mate that you do not belong to him,” he ordered her.

  Meldamiriel took a hypnotic step forward until she stood directly in front of him, her head tilted back, gazing up at him, and stretched up on her tiptoes. She could sense that Ivormantis had stopped pacing. She felt his worried gaze, as it seemed to burn the flesh on her back, reaching inside of her, begging her not to do this. No need to worry, baby. I will always be yours. She hoped that somehow her thoughts would convey to him. Clyde grinned an evil grin as he knotted a fist into her hair and started to lean down toward her. His facial expression changed dramatically when he stopped only mere inches away from her lips. The sight before him shocked him down to his toes as he watched her own devilish smile curve her lips. Her eyes turned from a piercing blue to solid white glowing orbs.

  Thunder cracked overhead, lightning now zipping through the clouds. He stumbled a step or two away from her. His eyes grew large as he watched the storm he had created grow stronger and choleric without his willing. The clouds moved to form a face, lightning lighting up the hollowed eyes and mouth as the thunder rumbled to resemble a mocking laugh toward him. Clyde narrowed his eyes in fury and shot Meldamiriel a look that could kill. She smirked back at him. Her white glowing orbs seemed to light up even more.

  “What are you doing?” he boomed in demand.

  “Oh come now, surely you’re not afraid of a little thunder, are you?” she teased mockingly. Narrowing her eyes, a bolt of lightning struck the ground nearby him, causing him jump in shock. “The tables are turned now, aren’t they? You see, I no longer fear you like I did when I was a small child. That’s not who I am anymore. I don’t fear you. You don’t rule me anymore. I am my own person and nobody controls me!” she yelled, the thunder roaring louder as her temper spiked.

  “You are no match for me, you little bitch,” he growled, putting his hand out, palm up, creating a little whirlwind in it. He allowed it to fly off his hand and dance around them in a circle, closing them off from everyone else.

  Meldamiriel simply cocked an eyebrow, slowly twisting her hand around and around beside her hip. A roar, not from a massive creature,
shook the ground beneath Clyde’s feet. Looking around in the sudden darkness, he saw nothing at first. Then a crack of lightning lit up the vast tornado that was heading directly their way. He controlled his own skinny tornado and brought it up to face Meldamiriel’s in some sort of hope in stopping it. But he was sadly mistaken when the big terminator swallowed the skinny tornado whole.

  He turned to Meldamiriel as the tornado continued to approach him. “Stop this, now!” His face was taking on the look of a demented, raged bull. For the first time in longer than he could remember, he didn’t have control of the situation.

  “What? You can’t play at this game anymore? Are you suddenly not the big, bad wizard that you claim to be?” she retorted back at him with a smirk.

  He smirked back, “You’ll wish you hadn’t played your little games, little girl.”

  Suddenly there was an arm wrapped around her waist, pinning her own arms down to her side, a knife pressing against her throat. She gasped, losing her concentration. Her eyes faded back to blue, her tornado disappearing into thin air, and the storms above eased off.

  “Hello again, pretty.”

  Bullock.

  “While I admit, you have picked up on a few tricks, don’t ever go up against the master,” Clyde stated.

  Bullock turned her around to face her friends and mate, her eyes filling with tears as she noticed the concerned expressions on all their faces.

  “Hello, Elijah. It’s been far too long,” a charming female voice sang as her delicate hand raked across the vampire’s chest.

  Everyone turned away from the show between Meldamiriel and the wizard to see Hazellette, who had appeared out of nowhere, trying to cozy up to Elijah. Ivormantis growled and Blain narrowed his eyes at the witch.