The Red Dragon by Tianna Xander Read Free Book Online Page A

way he should have done? Every moment that passed was an eternity as he worried about his mate. How could she protect the stone when she wasn’t fully bound to him? She would barely be able to protect herself.
    He could only hope that the Flowers brothers hadn’t yet left. At least they would be a buffer between the women and any dark magic thrown at them.
    Declan knew Drake must be worried about his own mate. April was heavy with child. She probably shouldn’t be traveling in her condition. However, as per usual, things were the way they were. There was nothing to do but return to the women as quickly as he could.
    He had just crested the last hill before Drake’s home when he saw the dark shadow approaching. There were no men, no sorcerers, or mages in sight. The insidious shadow oozed over the landscape, a dark evil creeping over the grass and moors.
    Declan, tempted to rain fire over the shadowy ooze, banked to the right in an attempt to find its source.
    Go to the women. Do whatever you can to protect them. I will destroy the source of the evil attempting to gain access to your home.
    He didn’t wait for an answer. As much as he wanted to go to his mate, he knew he could help her better out here, facing the danger that threatened her and the others.
    The sorcerer didn’t operate in the ether. He was either too weak, or too young to know about the other place.
    The sun rose over the horizon, accentuating the shadow the sorcerer was sending toward Drake’s home. The man held his eyes closed, his hands up, and palms out as he pushed the dark energy outward. The oily shadow crept slowly forward, the darkness within corrupting everything it touched.
    Plants withered and died. Water turned stagnant and toxic. Everything the shadow touched died in its wake. He could not allow it to reach his mate.
    As silently as he could, Declan left the ether and landed. He shifted back into a human male and hurried to the man who threatened his mate. His dragon didn’t fully retreat into his human form. He could still see with his dragon’s eyes as he moved closer and closer to the danger.
    The infrared vision gave him an edge. He could still see the shadow creeping toward Drake’s home. It moved up the front steps, growing closer and closer to the structure itself.
    “All will die. I will have the stone. The map. I need the map.” The sorcerer danced gleefully in a circle. “Bring me the map.” The sorcerer’s words died to a whisper.
    His lips moved, but Declan could no longer hear what the other man muttered.
    It didn’t matter what the man said. All that mattered was stopping him before the darkness entered Drake’s home.
    One of the dragons fell as the shadow overtook him. His screams of fury rent the air, sending Declan into a battle rage. He couldn’t have stopped his dragon if he tried. As much as he knew that Drake wanted to question this man, his dragon would not rest until it had eradicated the threat to its mate.
    Without warning, his dragon took charge. Shifting shape, it belched fire onto the sorcerer, incinerating the man and his magic before the shadow could enter Drake’s home and kill all within it.
    Fire raged over the rolling hills as the dragon cleaned the ground of the insidious shadow that had stolen the life from everything it touched.
    Just as quickly as he took over, the dragon subsided, again giving Declan’s human half control. He shifted back to his human form and looked over the dragon’s handiwork. There was nothing left of the sorcerer but the charred remains of a human male.
    It was done. His mate was safe, and with her, the secret of the map and the location of the sword that could overcome whatever evil it met in battle.
    Wearily, Declan made his way to Drake’s home and whatever punishment awaited him. Though he knew his mate had escaped death, he also knew she was a formidable woman and she would not show him any appreciation for putting her in danger by giving her Merlin’s