Skyborn (Dragons & Druids #1)(53)

The druid smiled, rolling out his neck. “Can’t have you flying off now, can we?”

My dragon fell like a stone in my stomach as dread came over me. That sorcerer … she did something to my dragon.

Oh, Sloane, of all the stupid things you’ve done, this tops it.

Steven pulled a red glowing blade from behind his back and I knew this was it. I couldn’t fly or fight my way out of this. The last thing I had in my arsenal was talking my way out.

“Do you know what I am? Really know? I’m half druid. I’m part you. I can join your side.”

I was lying about joining his side obviously but desperate times called for desperate lies.

I was expecting him to be surprised or to show some consideration of my terms. Instead he just tipped his head back and laughed. “You’re pollution on the bloodline of my people, and I will wipe you out and take your power as an offering to the great Ardan.”

Well, if I was going down, I might as well do so with gusto. “That douchebag? I heard he was too lazy to kill dragons himself. Makes all of his bitches do the dirty work.”

That’s right, bud. I just called you a bitch. I grinned for effect. Screw these racist jerks.

In one blinding move he jumped forward, face contorted in rage, arm raised high. And that’s when I heard the cry of a falcon overheard. I covered my face and looked to the ground to protect my neck, preparing for the slice of a knife on my skin. But the pain never came.

I saw the druid’s feet lift up in the air and I dropped my arms, craning my neck to see that he was airborne, flying across the alley, before slamming into a wall.

My heart pinched at the sight of Logan, one fist clenched at his side, the other holding a Glock to the druid’s head. But his eyes, those green eyes, were pinned on me, swimming with … relief. Sophie was in her human form, holding her beloved harpoon gun, while the rest of the pack was in their animal forms. I wanted to cry seeing Nadine’s black wolf at the end of the alley, sitting next to Coop’s red fox. And my breath caught in my throat seeing two large brown bears and lion, but…

They came for me.

Keegan’s large grey wolf crouched in front of the druid and launched himself right at Steven’s neck just as Logan pulled the trigger. But it was no use. One loud crack and the druid was gone—there against the brick wall one second and gone the next. Like magic. Crazy, freaky, unheard-of magic.

At the end of the alley, I noticed another human form, Eva, doing some wild spell work; a yellowish gauze was creeping up the two walls, closing us in from the open street like a spider web. Closing us off from whom? I wondered. Probably Jeanine. Danny stood at her side, adding his own magic to strengthen hers.

I stood there stupidly, unsure of what to say or do, fighting the tears that wanted to spill down my cheeks. I nearly got killed—nearly got them killed. I was an idiot and I never should have left, but … If they knew…

“Sloane Murphy!” Logan roared from his place halfway down the alley.

I paled, clenching my arms to my sides. Here it came. He knew. He knew I was a monster, I could feel it. All of them peered at me then. Aside from the anger and hurt on Logan’s face, it was Nadine’s wide, painful wolf eyes that killed me the most. Betrayal. I had betrayed them all and the feeling sank in my stomach like a stone. I stepped forward, ready for whatever they threw at me.

Logan was stalking forward with all of the grace and speed of a large cat and I was trying not to be terrified. What would he do? What would he say?

“Don’t. You. Ever. Leave me again,” Logan said through gritted teeth. His eyes were flaring green and my dragon was roaring inside of me. Again, it was as if she was trying to tell me something but couldn’t speak.

I sighed, trying to keep the tears at bay. “You don’t understand!” I yelled at all of them, making sure that even Eva could hear me. “I’m one of him, okay?” I gestured to the space in the wall where the Irish asshat had teleported or whatever. “I’m half druid. Part monster.”

It was Sophie who answered first. Logan was almost to me and didn’t seem to be able to find his words. He was just a raging ball of anger coming at me full force.

“No shit. Eva told us. We don’t care,” Sophie said in her exceptionally bitchy tone.

Confusion and relief poured through me, and the tears I had been holding leaked from my eyes. “But you talk about all the ways you want to kill druids. Beheading them is your favorite, right, Logan?” My voice was soft now, only meant for him. Logan had reached me and without hesitation his hands came out and cupped the bottom of my face, forcing me to look up at him.

“Was I shocked? Yes,” he stated, letting his thumbs stroke my cheek in a way that made my dragon melt. “Does it change the way I feel about you? No way.”

The way he felt about me? Suddenly I was an insecure little girl. “But…” I didn’t know what to say, what to do. I’d messed up. I never should have left, never should have doubted them.

“But nothing. Sloane Murphy, you’re stuck with me. For life.” Logan’s eyes flared green.

For life. My dragon purred at those words, but I huffed. “Because I’m half dragon?” Was that the only reason he was so hell-bent on protecting me? On sticking together? Just to live out his mission or whatever? A large part of me hoped not, because I felt something for him too, and I wasn’t sure I could run from that anymore.