Catching Dragos(19)
“What’s left of him,” Serafina answered.
I patted Fabian’s hand. “Don’t worry; I’ll protect my honey bunny from the nasty little
snake.”
“Not funny.”
Rossi looked around. “Where are my Hasais?”
“Dead,” Grams responded.
The creepy sorcerer shrieked, “What? That’s impossible!”
“Not as all-seeing as you thought,” I interjected. “Oh yeah, I freed the Aztec
warriors’ souls too.”
With a roar of fury, Rossi shouted, “Kill them!”
The conquistador soldiers obediently raised their crossbows and fired. The badly
decayed wooden arrows simply crumbled.
The stupefied expression on Rossi’s face was awesome.
Fabian laughed. “Did you really expect five-hundred-year-old weapons to still
work?”
“Rossi’s power fails,“ Serafina gloated.
I perked up. “Best news I’ve heard all day.”
Grams gestured, and the conquistadors literally fell to pieces.
“Way to go, Grams.” I turned my attention to the fucking nuts sorcerer. “Your
army is gone. What are you going to do now? Go to one of those theme parks and
terrorize the crowds?”
For a brief moment, fear flickered in Rossi’s eyes. “I’m going to eat your virgin’s
heart.”
Here we go again. “I. Am. Not. A virgin. Dickhead.”
“You’re lying!”
CATCHING DRAGOS | 115
“No, she isn’t.” Fabian lips closed over mine in a toe-curling kiss. He raised his
head and smirked. “Just ask Asmoday; he knows the truth.”
The demon king quickly dropped to the ground and slithered away.
His face bright red with rage, Rossi screamed, “You fucked her?”
“Repeatedly.” Fabian nibbled on my ear.
“I need a virgin. I need a damn virgin,” Rossi shrieked hysterically.
Grams snickered. “Don’t look at me.”
“Or me,” Serafina added with a chuckle.
Xero hid behind Fabian’s leg. “Me virgin.”
I patted her silky head. “The virgin needs to be human, sweetie. You’re safe.”
“‘Kay.”
Fabian taunted, “What’s got your panties in a twist, Rossi? Lucifer after your sorry
ass?”
Rossi stomped his foot. “Lucifer fears me. He doesn’t dare touch me. He knows I
can destroy him with a thought.”
My jaw dropped. “Holy hell. He actually believes that.”
“He’s a fool,” Grams agreed drily.
Serafina’s head came up. “A fool who is about to die.”
The sun turned bloodred.
Lightning exploded from the earth and crackled wildly around Rossi.
He yelped as the bolts struck him repeatedly in the butt. “I’m not afraid. I’m not.
I’m the most powerful wizard that has ever lived. No one can defeat me.”
I snorted. “The most powerful wizard just wet his pants.”
A chaotic mass of black clouds roiled over the ground. The rotting corpse of an
Apache warrior stepped out of the swirling mass. He lumbered clumsily toward us. A
cloud of flies buzzed around his head.
116 | GAIL KOGER
We all took an involuntary step back as the stench hit us.
Serafina cried in amazement. “That’s the Apache Thunder God.”
Nausea rose in my throat. The Apache was beyond gross. “I thought you said
Asmoday ate him?”
“He did.” Fabian eyed the Apache Thunder God warily. “My question is, who
resurrected him?”
“My money’s on Lucifer. He needs a powerful minion, and the Apache meets that
qualification.” I watched in amazement as the Thunder God snatched up Asmoday and
shoved the squirming snake in his mouth. Chomp.
“Guess Lucifer’s a bit pissed Asmoday partnered up with Rossi,” I declared.
Asmoday’s tail wiggled frantically.
Chomp. The tail disappeared.
The Apache Thunder God belched.
My eyes began to water. Lordy. That was rank. My special mouthwash couldn’t
even begin to compete.
Rossi vanished.
Ten seconds later he reappeared in the exact same spot. The sorcerer’s eyes
bugged in horror. He disappeared again.
Pop! He was back again. Rossi let out a wail. “Nooo! It’s not possible.”
“You cannot escape Lucifer’s wrath,” the Apache Thunder God boomed.
“Quibusdam proceribus potuero,” Rossi squeaked and gestured. An itty-bitty energy
bolt shot from his hand and struck the Apache in the chest.
The Thunder God’s laughter shook the surrounding hills.
Rossi took off running.
A flock of crows attacked him, driving him back toward the Thunder God.
CATCHING DRAGOS | 117
The Apache gestured and thousands of black beetles swarmed over the sorcerer,
tearing at his flesh.
“As much as I enjoy seeing Rossi getting his comeuppance, now might be a good
time for us to leave,” I said.
Grams nodded. “We do not want to draw the Thunder God’s attention.”
“Me no like big scary,” Xero whined.
Fabian scooped her up. “Smart girl.”
Poof! We were back in the motor home.
118 | GAIL KOGER
Chapter Fifteen
I let out a breath of relief. We were safe.
Fabian grabbed four beers out of the refrigerator. “Any chance of the Thunder
God coming after us?” He handed one to me.
“Thanks, sweetie.” I patted his taut butt.
Serafina took an offered beer. “No. He can’t leave the Superstition Mountains.”
“Yay, magical boundaries.” I popped the top off and took a long drink. The cold
liquid rolled down my throat. Pure ambrosia.
Grams raised her bottle. “To Rossi’s and Asmoday’s defeat. May they rot in hell
forever.”
“And not be resurrected.” I tapped my bottle against Grams’s.
Fabian clinked his bottle to mine. “No more fire-breathing dragons.”
“To happily ever after.” I wrapped my arms around Fabian’s neck and melded my
mouth to his. Our tongues dueled for supremacy.
“I expect a grandbaby in nine months,” Serafina pronounced.
What? I broke the kiss. “Baby? It’s a little too soon to be thinking about children.”
Serafina retorted, “You’re twenty-six, Mariah. It’s time you started a family.”
“Enough, Nonna,” Fabian said adamantly.
Grams added in her two cents, “She has a point.”
Presto! We were in my bedroom. “Not funny, Grams.”
Fabian pulled me close. “How do you feel about sandy beaches, warm tropical
breezes, and turquoise seas?”
“Are you talking about Tahiti?”
CATCHING DRAGOS | 119
“I am. I own an island there.” Fabian nibbled his way down my neck.
“Color me happy. Let me pack a bag.”
“Step away from her.” The command was followed by the distinct sound of a
shotgun being racked.
I peeked around Fabian’s shoulder and met my father’s furious gaze. “Put the gun
down, Dad.”
“Step away from her,” my father repeated.
When Dad had his scary cop’s face on, bad things happened. “He won’t hurt me.”
“He’s Dragos,” my father spat.
I threw up my hands. “I know that, but he’s my Dragos.”
A low growl rumbled deep in my dad’s chest. “Dammit, Mariah, did you sleep
with him?”
“Like that’s any of your business.”
“Answer me!” he roared.
“Don’t yell at my mate,” Fabian snarled.
Oh, hell. The cat was out of the bag.
My father’s finger tightened on the trigger. “Mate?”
“Yes, Mariah’s my mate and blood-bound slayer.”
“Slayer!” Dad bellowed.
Fabian locked a possessive arm around my waist. “The ritual has been completed.
There’s nothing you can do to break it.”
“Isn’t there?” A nasty smile curved my father’s mouth.
Holy shit! My father had lost his mind, and my mate had a death wish. Wiggling
out of Fabian’s hold, I placed myself in the line of fire. “Easy, Dad. Remember what the
doctor said about your blood pressure.”
“You made me a promise, Mariah.”
120 | GAIL KOGER
“I know I did, but shit happened and—”
“Shit happened? What kind of piss-poor excuse is that?”
My temper flared to life. “Excuse me? I was doing my fucking job.” I poked my
father in the chest. “My. Job. Do ya get that?”
“And you just had to hook up with a Dragos enforcer to do your job?”
“Believe it or not, he was my job, but things kinda went sideways, and without his
help, your little girl would be dead as a doornail.”
Dad snorted. “Why didn’t you ask your grandmother for help?”
“I did, but we were dealing with a murderous sorcerer, a demon, some fire-
breathing dragons, Asmoday, the serpent king, and the Apache Thunder God. It took
all our powers to defeat them.”
“Fire-breathing dragons, huh? You expect me to believe that load of manure?”
“Yep.”
Xero appeared and attacked my father’s pants leg. “No hurt Myee.”
“What the hell is that?” Dad tried to shake Xero loose.
Fabian answered, “That’s Xero, our familiar.” He snapped his fingers. “Xero. Off.
He’s family.”