"Whatever it is you must do for your man, you can do at our palace."
Yes, she could, she realized with both joy and dejection. That would give her more time with Gray, and she grasped onto the reprieve. She faced him. "I know you're in a hurry to find Dunamis," she whispered, "and I know your people need you back, but can you stay? For one more day?" Sucking in a breath, she added, "Dunamis will be yours now or later, whichever you decide."
He searched her face, his expression guarded. She expected him to ask how he could acquire the stone now that Cronus was destroyed but he didn't. He nodded and said, "One more day."
Relief swept through her, blanketing her sorrow and her fear. "Thank you." "Gentlemen," he said, never taking his gaze from her. "It appears we will be joining you."
"Too bad you agreed so easily," one of the dragons said, the tallest of the group. "I would have loved to convince you some other way." The man actually sounded disappointed.
"You will be safe with the dragons." Jewel linked her fingers with Gray's. "They are a fierce lot, but very protective and Darius - " She paused, her words grinding to a halt. A dark premonition slithered through her mind. "Darius is in trouble."
The dragons didn't question her knowledge of this. They knew her powers firsthand and knew she never lied. Simultaneously they roared, growing wider and larger, morphing into their dragon forms, claws, tails and wings sprouting from their bodies and ripping away their clothing. Scales replaced skin, sharp fangs replaced teeth. Fire spewed from their mouths.
Gray tried to grab her and push her behind him.
"It's all right," she said. "They will not hurt us."
"My God. I've seen some weird shit, but this... "
"They will fly us to the dragon palace." She guided him forward. "Climb on and enjoy the ride."
"Dear God." He grabbed his backpack from the ground and slung it over his shoulder before tentatively climbing on the dragon's back. Thankfully it remained unmoving, allowing him to settle on top. His every action was slow and measured.
"What's taking you so long?" Jewel's lips twitched, a smile clinging to the edges.
That smile eased the ache in his stomach, an ache that roared to life when she'd been told about Cronus, and he'd watched her go pale, watched tears fall from her eyes. He'd been helpless to do anything for her.
"Like I really want to touch something I'm not supposed to. I'm thinking we should walk." Even as he spoke, he was swinging his leg around, ready to hop off.
She laughed, the erotic sound of it washing over him in sensual waves. "You are such a man. Just remember, the quicker we get there, the quicker I can have my wicked way with you."
Faster than she could blink, he reached down, grabbed her arm, and hoisted her behind him. "Kick it into gear, Brand. We're ready for takeoff."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Gray had done some crazy shit throughout his life, but this topped the list. After today, if anyone told him he didn't have balls of steel, they'd be wrong. Usually he enjoyed flying. He'd jumped out of planes, for God's sake. Hell, he'd levitated and flown himself into town.
Right now, as the wind soared through his hair and the crystal dome emitted a soft golden glow above, all he wanted to do was vomit. His only anchor against free-falling to his death was his kung fu grip on a dragon. An actual, fire-breathing dragon. Behind him, Jewel leaned her head against his shoulder, soaking up the experience like they were in first-class accommodations aboard the Concorde.
"There it is," she said, pointing straight ahead. "Darius's palace."
Sure enough, a huge crystal fortress loomed, a jagged and glistening monstrosity of uneven towers. All the colors of the rainbow guttered from the edges. Brand flew closer and closer to it, and a cold sweat broke over Gray's skin. There were no doors that he could see. No windows.
And the stupid dragon wasn't slowing down. Was, in fact, gliding his thin, nearly transparent wings faster. Someone should have told him the plan was to crash into the wall and bust it open.
"Jewel, hold tight to me. Get ready for impact."
But the top of the domed ceiling creaked open, quickly becoming wider. Sea water cascaded inside the palace. The dragons flew straight into the waterfall. Salty liquid rained on him, and he reached behind him and pulled Jewel's face into his back.