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Adara turned when Legion roared. “We are under attack.”
CHAPTER 24
Tempest stood up so quickly, her chair fell backward and clattered to the stone floor. “Who is attacking us?”
Adara shimmered and disappeared as they all bolted to the passageway outside the room. Mara glanced back and forth. “Which way to the exit? I always visited this room or outside.”
Alana darted down the hallway. “Follow me.” She led them to a circular staircase, and they all dashed after her as she hurried down. There was a small courtyard outside before they ran through the stone archway to the drawbridge that sat on flat dirt.
Tempest skidded to a stop as the growls and screams echoed around her. The dragons were all fighting with men of similar build. It was easy to distinguish the dark dragons. While their souls were dark, they retained the stellar genetics of their former clan. Most of the darks were naked as they fought the dragons of the Rule clan.
“How did they get here?” Mara whispered.
Tempest focused on Rhadan. He was punching a naked muscular man with black hair in the face as she tried to fathom the breakdown in the wards around the caves. Only one thing could have sapped Legion’s energy like that. “It’s my fault. I used everybody’s magic to enact the spell. For a few minutes, we were all vulnerable, including the caves.”
Jemma lit her hand with flames. “My magic is returning.”
The others nodded as Tempest noticed the purple portal forming. “Allorin is coming. Whatever we are going to do, we need to do it soon.”
They all turned as a purple dragon exited a large tunnel that led to the cavern. His eyes blazed with flames as he exhaled a thick stream of fire, aiming at the forming portal.
“Who is that?” Natalie asked.
Tempest recognized the unique color as soon as his head emerged from the tunnels. “That’s Siro. Rhadan introduced us... well kind of. He said that Siro hadn’t started the waking process.”
Siro turned to one of the men fighting against Thorn. His claw reached out, and he squeezed the naked man in his talon, rending the man to a bloody pulp before he discarded the carcass.
Mara stepped forward. “They can’t shift. They are more vulnerable in their human forms, so Allorin did something to prevent them from taking their dragon form. Obviously, it works on all dragons, as that man couldn’t save himself.”
Tempest sucked in a breath. “Siro is stuck in his dragon form, then. Are the wards back up, or are we expecting more company?”
Mara’s eyes flickered white. “Adara has powered the wards. No more dragons can enter the caves, but we are still outnumbered. She woke Siro, but she can’t access the minds of any other dragons at this time.”
“I’m surprised she was able to contact him,” Tempest said.
Alana rubbed her hands together. “Siro’s mate must be close to maturity. Are we ready to join this fight? Is there any way we can break Allorin’s spell?”
Tempest held up the book she had used to restore Adara. “I saw something in here about a stasis spell. Hold on.” She flipped through a few more pages. “Here it is. A stasis spell using mage magic must run its course. It isn’t indefinite, but there must be some reason he used this. His own men are in just as much danger as ours.”
Natalie shook her head. “Allorin would sacrifice every dark dragon if he could gain immortality. They are just a means to an end for him.”
The purple dragon attacked another naked man as the mage stepped from the portal. Allorin wore the same long purple robes with gold trim, though they looked dirty and ragged. His hair was plastered to his face and his hairline had receded over two inches since they last saw him. The brown age spots on his face and hands, combined with the thick wrinkles, made him look like he was in his nineties.
He surveyed the fighting men, but his gaze stopped when he saw Tempest. He smiled like a snake about to consume its prey.
“I played right into his hands,” she whispered.
“What are you talking about?”
“I thought I had escaped, but he wanted this. Allorin wanted Adara brought into this world. It’s the only way he could get what he wanted from her.”
“Immortality,” Mara said.
Tempest nodded. “He couldn’t destroy Adara in the pocket realm. He couldn’t access her power. He has been planning this all along and I helped him.” Her eyes moved to her mate. Rhadan was leaning back to evade a punch from the man he was fighting. She had endangered her mate. Her friends. She felt like she was blind again, only now her eyesight was perfect. How stupid had she been?
Alana grabbed her arm. “This isn’t your fault and even if Allorin wanted the temple here, we did, too. Adara was returning to this world one way or another and at least here we can fight together.”
Natalie rubbed her head. “I don’t feel well. Is anybody else light-headed?”
