The Witch and the Dragon Ch. 20

"The first time I saw you, you were playing this," he said softly. "I fought the pull of the music until I saw you." His fingers closed around the flute, holding it trapped in both fists.

Alluna swallowed and touched the dragon pendant that mama had placed around her neck. She had been playing the dragon's lure the day Zak had come to her. He'd fallen unwittingly under her spell.

"I know now you didn't mean to do it. You didn't mean to cast a spell on me, but I could have fought it. I'm an Alpha Angel. Perhaps not the most powerful of the seven, but one of them regardless." His eyes grew more intense and he leaned closer to her. His heat and scent engulfed her. She stared helpless as his tongue wet his lush lips. The muscles of his arms tightened as well as his grip on the flute. He was preparing to break it... and in the same process, break whatever hold she had over him. No more spell... perhaps no more love from Zak.

Now it was her turn to have tears swimming in her eyes. She didn't want to lose him... ever. What would she do without him? What would become of her... her babies?

"I felt alone, Alluna. I've had many many lovers. I had never been satisfied having sex in any normal way... until I met you. You filled that dark void within me, but I need to know it's real... not some magic voodoo that'll disappear like smoke on a windy day."

His face was solemn as he stared into her eyes.

She jumped with a start when the metal cracked and a hot wind blew across them. Zak closed his eyes with a shudder.

She buried her hands in the thick fall of his golden hair, terrified of what she'd see in his eyes once he opened them.

"No," she said on a choked sob. "Please. I love you. You can't abandon me now."

He swallowed, but kept his eyes closed. "I would never abandon you. You carry my babies inside you."

Alluna almost reeled back as if slapped. Was he saying he'd only stay with her because of her pregnancy?

"I'll take you back home. You can have your own room. I'll make sure you and my daughters want for nothing."

Tears flowed down her face. It was worse. He wasn't even keeping her as his lover.

"Look at me, please," she begged. She needed to see his eyes. Only then would she believe he felt nothing for her... that it had only been the spell that had bound him to her.

He turned away, making her heart break a little more. The pain was more than she could take. She knew all she had to do was sing the dragon's lure and bespell him again... but she didn't want his love that way. Not forced.

She wiped her eyes and watched as he took a few steps away, head down. His back was a mass of cuts and bruises.

Alluna opened her mouth, unsure of what to say, but the sound of music stopped her. It was the flute and it was playing the dragon's lure. Zak stiffened and stared at the mirror at the far end of the room.

Alluna's horrified stare took in the image of her reflection in the mirror. Only it really wasn't her reflection. The other Alluna sat primly upon the chest of drawers playing the flute as Zak lurched forward toward her. His eyes were wide and vacant.

"No," Alluna screamed and tried to hop down from her perch to stop him. To her surprise, she found she couldn't move. "No, Zak, stop—please."

He didn't listen and continued to walk toward the mirror. Shadows crawled out from beneath the bed, transforming into devils.

The music stopped making her look back at the mirror. Mama stood beyond the gold gilded frame of what had once been a mirror. It was more of a doorway now with mama's dungeon on the other side.

Mama laughed as Zak finally reached her.

"Silly girl. I told you men couldn't be trusted. He feels nothing but pity for you."

Alluna watched as mama's long black claws stroked loving up and down Zak's bulging biceps.

"Leave him alone. You tricked me into luring him the first time. I won't let you hurt him."

Mama snorted. "He wasn't supposed to go to you, stupid girl. But none of that matters anymore. I already have my red dragons and now I have two golds, two vampires, a wolf, and a weretigri."

Alluna stared in shock at mama. "W-what do you mean?"

Mama purred as she caressed Zak's hair. He stood before her unmoving, as if waiting for orders... in a trance.

"Come with me and find out, my child."

"Please don't hurt Zak, mama, please."

Mama looked him up and down. "He is quite extraordinary. So are the others. Exquisite, beautiful. It's almost a shame..."

She trailed off making Alluna uncomfortable. Mama had planned to release the angel of destruction's evil other. It took allot of blood sacrifices to be able to achieve such a feat. Alluna was not sure she was strong enough to save Zak and the others she feared mama had also captured, but she needed to try.

"I'm sorry, mama. You were right after all," Alluna said in a small voice.

Mama regarded her with narrowed eyes.

"I'm tired of the game. Zak never truly loved me. It was only the spell. I couldn't stand to see him go to another. I'd rather see him dead, mama. It would hurt too much otherwise."

"Really?" mama said, one brow raised.

Alluna found she could move again and slipped from the chest of drawers. She took careful steps to the portal where mama and Zak stood. The devils around the room hissed and laughed, but made no move to approach her.

Alluna walked until she could circle around and look into Zak's face. He stared with a blank expression on his face over mama's head.

Alluna's heart constricted at that blank look.

"If I can't have him then no one will," she whispered, trying to sound scornful and bitter.

Mama threw her head back and laughed. "Now that's my girl." She held her hand out to Alluna. "Come. We must hurry before their master realizes what is happening."

Alluna frowned as she allowed mama to engulf her hand. "Their master?"

Mama turned, her eyes wide with something close to fear in them. "Yes, my child. Devon of Angelos is a divine angel, trapped in the tainted body of a mortal. Once his little lambs are slaughtered, the taint in that body will take over and between him and Leiravad our true master will be released into this realm. We will become Lucifer's children and aid him in returning back to Heaven." Mama's smile was too wide, her eyes alight with madness. "We will arise from mere mortals to gods, my child."

***

Zak fought the sucking darkness. Alluna's light beckoned to him, but her essence felt—tasted different. He recoiled from it and felt himself trapped... like a bug in a web. He couldn't break free no matter how hard he tried. Devon. He needed to link to Devon.

He sent his power out but touched something so powerful and evil it made him recoil.

He caught snatches of conversation around him, Alluna's voice. She sounded hurt, angry...bitter. She said she'd rather see him dead.

Pain blazed in his chest. He still loved her. He'd been terrified when he broke the flute that the beautiful feeling he felt inside would wither and die, but it had bloomed even more, as if released from a vice-grip. Before, he'd felt a desperation for Alluna. Now, that desperation had turned into a fierce burning fire within him. Love. She was pure, untainted, innocent, giving, beautiful. He loved her. No spell, no charms. Just pure real love. She made him feel whole, alive... hopeful for a chance at true happiness.

"If I can't have him, then no one will."

No.

He wanted to scream in agony. She could not mean that. Alluna did not talk that way. Something was wrong

He fought harder against the darkness, felt his body lurching forward, obeying the will of another. It angered him, making him furious.

But there was nothing he could do. His mind delved deeper into the darkness, searching. A glow of golden light made him drift closer.

The dragon's horns spiraled up from his head, which lay upon his clawed forepaws. The scales gleamed like liquid gold. It wasn't the same dragon he'd seen his father shift into. The beast raised its head and stared down at Zak with burning blue eyes. The eyes were terribly familiar.

Zak swallowed. He was looking into his own eyes.

"Shit," he hissed.

The creature bared its teeth and snarled, "That is exactly what you are."

Zak jumped when it spoke. "What the f—" He stared for a few seconds and finally decided to close his gaping mouth. "D-did you actually talk to me?"

"Get away from me," the beast said moving around to stand.

Zak realized the dragon had a collar around his throat with a chain that disappeared into the mists swirling around the ground at their feet.

"Why are you chained?" Zak asked.

"As if you didn't know," the dragon answered accusingly.

Zak frowned up at the creature. "I don't."

The creature growled angrily and showed teeth. "You've chained me up. Control, master. Only you are not my master. I wasn't made to be mastered by you, stupid."

Zak took a step back. "You're nothing but a monster."

"You?" the dragon scoffed. "You call me a monster?" He lowered his snout until it was even with Zak's face. "Take a good look, asshole. I am you. You are me. We are one and the same."

Zak shook his head in disgust. "No. I am not this," he gestured to the dragon. "I'm not a dragon. I'm a man."

"I'd tell you to tell that to my daughters, but we won't live long enough to embrace them."

"Your daughters," Zak spat indignantly, anger spearing through him. "Alluna is my woman."

Again, the dragon moved his snout closer to Zak, spreading his golden wings wide and gloriously. "It was I who decided to take Alluna as a mate. It was I who loved her. Before then you were only treating her as you would any other submissive."

"That's not true," Zak gasped feeling a shudder run down his spine.

"It is and you know it. You told her you owned her, told her you were her master. I was the one who loved her."

"B-but I love her too."

"No you don't. The only way you can ever love her is to embrace what you are... embrace me."

Zak watched the dragon's tail whip back and forth, like a cat that is about to devour a mouse.

"Why? I don't need you."

"How can you profess to love someone when you can't even love yourself?"

Zak scowled up at the creature. The dragon's blue eyes burned as if it held the very fires of hell.

The dragon flashed a razor-sharp smile. "Afraid?"

Yes. Zak admitted to himself he was afraid—terrified—had been terrified of this creature all his life since he knew this side of himself existed.

"You are a coward and a liar," the dragon said.

Zak's blood boiled in his veins. The dragon's scales glowed brighter, almost blinding.

Zak stood straighter and nodded. "Yes, but no more."

He rushed the creature, intending to wrap himself around its throat. He would embrace it and see what happened.

But no sooner had he come within reach of its maw, the dragon opened his jaws and gobbled Zak up.

He was being tossed around the beast's mouth, wet tongue rolling him around, sharp teeth trying to chew him alive. Zak's bones shattered, his skin shredded, and blood erupted in spurts. His rage consumed him at the beast's treachery, but he wasn't dead yet. As he slid down the beast's throat, he sent out a wave of power that felt like pure fire, burning him from the inside out. His power bloomed larger, filling the beasts belly and body. Zak roared, thrashed and bucked, feeling himself break through the beast's body, felt the heat of his power melt the scales until they fused with his skin... making them one.

Again, Zak roared. Only this time it was not a human voice that shook the ground beneath him. He swished his tail and beat his wings trying to set himself free from the chain that held him to the floor. His talons ripped at the silver chain, but held fast.

Another enraged bellow brought a few rocks tumbling upon his head.

The sensation of being pelted with rocks had him shaking his head in confusion.

Looking around, he spotted another golden dragon and two reds looking at him.

He snarled at them.

"Well it's about fucking time you decided to join us."

He narrowed his eyes at the red with the crown of horns. The red grinned.

Somehow, he felt he should recognize this particular dragon, but the memory eluded him.

"Alpha 7. You were chasing me in Alpha 7 because I think I was kissing your girlfriend and it pissed you off," the red told him.

The memory came to surface, but faded. He saw himself trying to strangle a green-eyed man with blood-red hair. He'd wanted to kill the...

"You bastard," he finally said remembering some of it.

"You never let your beast out so it doesn't recognize anyone. You're name is Zak. Zachariel Wilder. I'm called Remien Fyre when I'm in human form. We're called Alpha Angels which really doesn't mean anything in particular, except that most humanoids are scared shitless of us."

"Zak?" He shook his head, narrowing his eyes at the red dragon and the others. "I am a dragon. If humanoids fear me it is because they should."

A puff of fire escaped his maw when he spat out the word should.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but right now we're up shit's creek," the red continued.

"What are you talking about?"

This time the golden dragon on the other side of the dungeon spoke. "We are prisoners of a mad sorcerer. He's going to sacrifice us along with others to bring out a powerful entity from the realm of reflections."

He frowned at them. "Prisoners? How did you all get caught and made into prisoners?"

"We were tricked," the red dragon said pointing at himself and the other red, who just bobbed his head up and down, wide-eyed.

"Fucking Little Red-Riding Hood tricked us," the other red added.

Zak looked at them in confusion. "Little what?"

"She got Anniel too. We have to get out of here, Zak. Except every time one of us shifts back into human form we become tranced and end up chained back in here."

"We shift into human and just stand staring out into oblivion. The devils come back and poke and prod us until we shift back again." The gold spoke now. "There doesn't seem to be any escape."

"How was I brought here?"

The red who called himself Remien Fyre looked sullen. "Alluna brought you in. She played the flute until you walked right to the spot you're standing in now. She kept asking you to talk to her. Asking you if you loved her."

He stared at the red, waiting for him to finish, but the red remained quiet. "Well? Did I talk to her? Did I say anything?"

The red shook his mighty head of horns. "You stared snarling and growling at her and then you seemed to go into a fit. The devils barely had time to throw the collar over you before you started to shift. It was strange. You looked as if you were fighting with yourself. You writhed and rolled around until we all thought you'd attack us as well." The red snorted. "That was the most violent shift I've ever seen. You really need practice."

Zak snapped his teeth at the irritating red. The annoying dragon only snickered and leaned back to sit on his haunches like a dog, his tail tapping happily behind him.

He looked around. They were in an underground chamber. The scent of dampness and dirt assailed his nostrils. The chamber was circular and a row of columns formed another circle before them. Squinting his eyes in the gloom, he made out the shapes of other humans bound to the columns. Had he been chained to the columns as well he could have broken free.

"Who are they?" he asked pointing his snout in the direction of the other captives.

The red sighed wistfully. "They are our friends."

Just then, a woman dressed in purple robes strode in with a group of devils trailing behind her. They pulled a cage that contained a dark-haired man within. He hissed and growled at him like a beast.

"Drakken. How did they find him?" The other gold gasped.

"If you don't behave, we'll kill the girl," the human in purple robes said. The voice was deep, masculine, and Zak realized that this was no woman.

The devils opened the cage and they ordered the vampire to go to one of the columns.

"Don't hurt her. Please. Let her go. Do with me as you wish. I'm a Master Guardian... an archangel. I've been given a divine sword. You don't need another vampire for your ritual. Besides, she isn't fully vampire. She's pregnant. Female vampires cannot become pregnant. The virus doesn't allow to body to become pregnant."

"Shut up, Drakken," the sorcerer snapped once the vampire was chained to a column. The silver cuffs hissed against his skin and a little smoke billowed up around his hands. "Only one of you needs to die. If it's so important then we can allow her to live if you want to give up your life for hers."

He nodded a few drops of blood rolling down his cheeks from his eyes. "Yes, please. Take me instead. Let her live."

The sorcerer laughed and turned to signal to the devils. Another human was brought into the dungeon room. Her hands were bound and her obsidian eyes vacant as she docilely followed a blue devil. Black curls fell in a gleam of gloss down her back and her belly was swollen. The girl was very pregnant.

Next to him, the red with the crown of horns roared in rage. His body burst into flame as he began to tug and pull at the chain around his throat. His wings flapped and talons ripped at the stones of the floor. He wouldn't break the chain, but he would most likely break the dungeon apart and release the hook embedded into the ground holding him... if he didn't burn the entire place around their heads first.

It seemed like a good idea. The others seemed to think the same thing. All four dragons began tearing at the ground around them. He used his wings to try to fly as his now bloodied talons ripped stones from the floor.

Devils jumped on him, nipping at his solid scales. Some went for his throat and a few managed to sink their teeth in.

He roared, and spewed fire, but then remembered the ones the red had said were their friends and stopped. He didn't want to roast any friends he might have.

***

Alluna felt as if she'd walked into hell. Devils screeched and launched themselves at the enraged dragons. Her heart almost stopped. One of the reds dripped blood and fire. He was more ballistic than the others, and it was no wonder.

Rowie stood amidst the melee of devils, fire, and gore, unblinking. Mama had bespelled her.

The dragons were setting themselves loose and mama had fled in panic. The devils still tried to stop them. Their intentions to stop meant killing them. Most attacked the red she thought to be Remien, but some were tearing into Zak's throat as well.

Alluna ran to Rowie and tried a counter spell to gain the girl's attention. The only thing she managed was to bring Rowie under her own power.

The ground shook under her feet. She turned her head to see the devils taking Remien Fyre to the ground.

They were killing him, yet he still fought.

"No," Alluna screamed when she saw Zak go down too. The other gold had freed himself and was biting devils off Zak. They also began to swarm over him.

Alluna turned and lifted her hands. Her anger burned like a living thing within her. She gathered it and sent it out, focusing on the devils. Fire engulfed everything before her. When it vanished, she saw Remi lying on the ground in human form, trying to get to his feet.

Alluna ran to him, looking over her shoulder at Zak who was still in dragon form. He appeared to be fine, just shaking his head and sneezing. It was most likely the cloud of ash left over from the devils.

"Are you okay?" Alluna asked brushing back Remi's mop of red hair from his face. He looked befuddled but didn't have any cuts on him. She was sure the devils had shredded him to pieces, but the only marks he had were his tattoos and piercings.

"W-what the fuck happened?" he said in a slurred voice, blinking unfocused eyes at her.