Midnight's Captive(122)

Camdyn stomped on the brakes as the SUV slid to a halt. It rocked against Malcolm before he jumped onto the roof.

“What in the name of all that is holy?” Camdyn yelled from the window he had rolled down.

“Drive!” Malcolm shouted. “And doona stop until we reach the house.”

There was a pause, and three selmyr walked onto the road. Malcolm heard little Emma give a cry from inside the vehicle. There was no way he would allow Camdyn, Saffron, and especially Emma to be touched by the vile creatures.

“Drive!” Malcolm barked.

He barely had time to grab a hold of the SUV as Camdyn stomped on the accelerator. The vehicle rammed two of the selmyr, knocking them flat. But one managed to grab hold the side mirror and smash a hand through the window to make a grab at Saffron.

Malcolm leaned to the right and made a huge arching swipe of his hand. A satisfied smile tugged at his lips as his claws made a clean cut, beheading the creature.

He then kicked the body away. Malcolm looked straight ahead, the bite of the rain piercing his skin like shards of glass the faster Camdyn drove.

A few more selmyr dared to venture toward them. One even landed on top of the SUV with Malcolm. The selmyr peeled back its lips, showing elongated fangs.

The creature swiped a long arm at Malcolm, who managed to duck, but not without feeling the talons scrape his back. Malcolm lay across the top of the roof and rolled toward the selmyr, knocking the beast’s legs out from under it.

Malcolm jumped up to land on the monster’s back. But no matter how many times he plunged his claws into the selmyr, he couldn’t kill it.

His only option was to try and find its heart. Before he could, however, the selmyr flipped them so that Malcolm was on his back staring up at the ash-skinned creature.

Malcolm swung his arm to try to cut off its head, but the creature caught his hand. Malcolm let out a bellow of fury as the selmyr’s teeth sank into his skin.

No sooner had Malcolm begun to feel the biting inferno burn through him than a large, dark shape took form in the low hanging clouds. A second later he spotted Rhys dive toward them and clamp his monstrous dragon jaws around the selmyr before flying off with it.

Malcolm dropped his head back and just lay there for a second. They were nearing the mansion where he felt the magic of the other Druids. From his look at it an hour ago, he knew it was heavily guarded. He hadn’t known by what at the time, but he knew all the Druids were safe.

He squatted atop the roof and turned as the mansion came into view. Malcolm anticipated Camdyn’s braking, and when the SUV came to a halt, Malcolm tucked his body and flipped over the hood to land on his feet in front of the Audi.

Camdyn threw open his door and looked at the sky. “Dragons.”

“You doona seem surprised,” Malcolm said as he hurried to help Saffron out of the vehicle.

Saffron smiled at him, dark circles under her eyes. “I had a vision of the dragons, but more importantly, I saw how Jason would get away.”

Malcolm escorted her into the mansion as Camdyn got their daughter out of the SUV. Once inside, Malcolm pulled back the blanket shielding the carrier to find Emma’s tawny eyes looking up at him.

“Thank you,” Camdyn said, and held out his arm.

Malcolm clasped his forearm and nodded. “It wasna all me. Rhys, one of the dragons, told me you were coming.”

“I know,” Saffron told Camdyn when he turned to her and opened his mouth to speak. “Just come back to me. To us,” she amended as she glanced at her daughter.

Camdyn pulled her into his arms for a kiss. “Always.”

Malcolm and Camdyn walked back out into the rain. Camdyn released his god, the dark brown skin the color of earth covering him.

“There’s no way I’m going to allow Wallace to get away this time.”

Malcolm grinned, hearing the answering laughter of his god, Daal. “Then let’s join the battle.”



Laura’s eyes flew open at the urging of the ancients. No longer could she hear them speaking, and the drums and chanting grew farther and farther away.

Yet she knew they weren’t leaving her.

Laura squeezed Isla’s hand to get her attention. When Isla’s ice blue eyes met hers, Laura nodded to the doorway. Someone was in the house. Someone who hadn’t been there before.

She stood with Isla as they silently made their way to the door. Laura looked around the corner to find a woman with walnut-colored hair removing her raincoat.

“Saffron,” Isla said as she rushed past Laura.

The woman jerked her head to Isla and smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Isla asked as they hugged.

Laura slowly walked toward the two women as Saffron squatted down and unbuckled the baby from the carrier.