to his knees. “I am a dragonslayer no more.” His voice shook, though his gaze was unwavering. “I love my child, just as I love her mother.”
Fiona flinched as if burned. “Do not speak of love to me, Duncan. Our hearts are no longer entwined.”
He climbed off the bed, hovering above her. Fool that she was, she looked up into his eyes and saw the same tenderness as the night they’d made love. She trembled, her knees weakened.
“You might have cut my heart loose, but it still beats for you, Fiona.” He grasped her hand, pressing it against his pounding chest. “No amount of magic can make me stop loving you.”
All moisture in her mouth dried as her heart pounded a wild staccato in her ears. “Where is she?” she rasped.
The hand clasping hers began to quiver. “In the ocean, struggling to swim as a mortal girl because she can no longer transform into a dragon.”
“Oh, Almighty Mother!”
Fiona’s knees buckled. Had it not been for Duncan’s strong arm encircling her waist, she would have crumpled to the floor.
“Fiona, the waves are violent.” His warning was a thunderclap in her ears. “She is running out of time.”
Panic squeezed her chest like a vice. She grasped his shoulder with a plea in her voice. “Lead me to her.”
Chapter Thirteen
“A nother wave.” Gabriel shouted above the din of the howling winds. “Safina, hold on!”
Safina held her breath and shut her eyes tight. They clung to a piece of driftwood as the wave pounded them, hitting her back with such force, she thought she’d break in two.
They’d been at sea for three days, waterlogged, exhausted, and parched beyond belief. Gabriel’s magic had slowed after the first day and worked sporadically on the second. By day three, he could hardly summon a current, much less keep the violent waves at bay.
Earlier that evening, Safina had seen seagulls flying westward. She knew they were close to land, but Gabriel had already drifted to sleep while the current tossed them about like a leaf in the wind.
He’d woken only moments ago, cursing himself for having failed her as he tried to summon a current to push them forward, but cutting through monster waves proved no easy task.
Though it was night, she knew the hurricane was close at their heels, for the wind became angrier with each passing wave. Soon, the brunt of the monster storm would be upon them. Though it pained her numb fingers, Safina squeezed Gabriel’s hand tight, for she feared no amount of magic would save them from the Earth Mother’s fury.
“Again!” Gabriel yelled.
Safina barely had time to catch her breath. The wave that hit pushed them under, snapping their makeshift raft in two. Gabriel was torn from Safina, and she screamed before swallowing a salty gulp. She fought her way back to the surface, clinging to a shard of broken wood.
“Gabriel!” she screamed frantically. “Gabriel, my love, where are you?”
Gabriel surfaced with a gasp, arms flailing. Safina kicked toward him, grasping his collar and hauling him toward her.
He looked into her eyes as she clung to him. “I’m sorry I failed to protect you.”
Safina was too weary to cry, though her throat and chest constricted with emotion. Gabriel knew their death was imminent. Had Safina been trapped beneath the ocean for the past five hundred years, only to die within a week of finding freedom and true love? She and Gabriel had so much left to share. She had hoped someday they could have children, and now all her hopes and dreams were drowning in despair.
“It’s not your fault,” she said. If it was anyone’s fault, it was the dragon queen’s. How could her mother have been so heartless as to sever their bond and rob Safina of her immortality?
“Had I been a better earth speaker….” he spoke on a sob.
Safina held up a silencing hand. “Your magic grows stronger every day.”
“Not strong enough.” Gabriel’s dark skin shone in the moonlight, and his mahogany eyes dazzled.
Fiona flinched as if burned. “Do not speak of love to me, Duncan. Our hearts are no longer entwined.”
He climbed off the bed, hovering above her. Fool that she was, she looked up into his eyes and saw the same tenderness as the night they’d made love. She trembled, her knees weakened.
“You might have cut my heart loose, but it still beats for you, Fiona.” He grasped her hand, pressing it against his pounding chest. “No amount of magic can make me stop loving you.”
All moisture in her mouth dried as her heart pounded a wild staccato in her ears. “Where is she?” she rasped.
The hand clasping hers began to quiver. “In the ocean, struggling to swim as a mortal girl because she can no longer transform into a dragon.”
“Oh, Almighty Mother!”
Fiona’s knees buckled. Had it not been for Duncan’s strong arm encircling her waist, she would have crumpled to the floor.
“Fiona, the waves are violent.” His warning was a thunderclap in her ears. “She is running out of time.”
Panic squeezed her chest like a vice. She grasped his shoulder with a plea in her voice. “Lead me to her.”
Chapter Thirteen
“A nother wave.” Gabriel shouted above the din of the howling winds. “Safina, hold on!”
Safina held her breath and shut her eyes tight. They clung to a piece of driftwood as the wave pounded them, hitting her back with such force, she thought she’d break in two.
They’d been at sea for three days, waterlogged, exhausted, and parched beyond belief. Gabriel’s magic had slowed after the first day and worked sporadically on the second. By day three, he could hardly summon a current, much less keep the violent waves at bay.
Earlier that evening, Safina had seen seagulls flying westward. She knew they were close to land, but Gabriel had already drifted to sleep while the current tossed them about like a leaf in the wind.
He’d woken only moments ago, cursing himself for having failed her as he tried to summon a current to push them forward, but cutting through monster waves proved no easy task.
Though it was night, she knew the hurricane was close at their heels, for the wind became angrier with each passing wave. Soon, the brunt of the monster storm would be upon them. Though it pained her numb fingers, Safina squeezed Gabriel’s hand tight, for she feared no amount of magic would save them from the Earth Mother’s fury.
“Again!” Gabriel yelled.
Safina barely had time to catch her breath. The wave that hit pushed them under, snapping their makeshift raft in two. Gabriel was torn from Safina, and she screamed before swallowing a salty gulp. She fought her way back to the surface, clinging to a shard of broken wood.
“Gabriel!” she screamed frantically. “Gabriel, my love, where are you?”
Gabriel surfaced with a gasp, arms flailing. Safina kicked toward him, grasping his collar and hauling him toward her.
He looked into her eyes as she clung to him. “I’m sorry I failed to protect you.”
Safina was too weary to cry, though her throat and chest constricted with emotion. Gabriel knew their death was imminent. Had Safina been trapped beneath the ocean for the past five hundred years, only to die within a week of finding freedom and true love? She and Gabriel had so much left to share. She had hoped someday they could have children, and now all her hopes and dreams were drowning in despair.
“It’s not your fault,” she said. If it was anyone’s fault, it was the dragon queen’s. How could her mother have been so heartless as to sever their bond and rob Safina of her immortality?
“Had I been a better earth speaker….” he spoke on a sob.
Safina held up a silencing hand. “Your magic grows stronger every day.”
“Not strong enough.” Gabriel’s dark skin shone in the moonlight, and his mahogany eyes dazzled.
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