Fighting - Anaya Phoenix (free books to read .txt) 📗

hair to mask the harsh dimensions of his face.

“Now, now. It was purely innocent, no harm was meant and you know that.”

“She aimed it at the young prince!”

“She was merely introducing herself!” Ivan said and I could smell the lie in it from where I stood so far away for him.

“You lie for them, Ivan?”

“Mother, I-“

“It doesn’t matter, it’s all irrelevant. You just have that huge stick up your ass and you feel the need to make everybody in the room as uncomfortable as you.” I spit out, walking around the mammoth that was Bercelack.

“Why, you little-“ I blocked the ice ball that her lackey sent out and rolled my eyes as I took the air from his throat.

“Titles don’t matter here, here we are all soldiers fighting a war.”

“And if I don’t wish to fight it?” The dragon was making choking noises and his face turning a red I didn’t know ice dragons could reach.

“You were sent here by Gaia, she holds as much reign over you as you hold over your dragons or that I hold over my pack. She gave you an order, and you have to follow them. You can go ahead and pretend like you’re so much greater than we are but really all you are is an overgrown lizard with wings that fucked until you had your own people to herd.” I should’ve known that was a bad idea, I really should’ve shut up but she’d made me upset and dismissed me one too many times. Her tail lashed out and grabbed my neck, she had shifted to her dragon form and she was huge and angry. She brought me close to her face, scaly and large. Her eyes were icy and glowing, it reminded me of a winter storm. Angry and deadly and far too cold for suitable life to form.

“Watch your tongue, little miss Luna. I am not so easily swayed by you.” Her tail tightened and I heard the growl of my family and knew she had overstepped. I nodded once, knowing my mouth would only get me in to more trouble. I didn’t need any of that. She stared a little longer, debating what to do with me.

“Enough.” Bercelack barked and she wasn’t stupid enough to blatantly disobey him. She put him down and shifted, throwing a disdainful look at her lackey that had passed out from air loss. He’d be fine, it took a lot more to kill a dragon.

“Where are we staying?”

“There is a lower level from where we are now, you guys are the first layer.”

“The first? Is there more coming?” Inna asked, I shook my head and parted my way through the shifters who still looked at the dragons with fear and admiration.

“Gaia’s the mother of everything on this Earth, and this is her biggest war. Do you think she would only grab a couple of her most powerful children? No, she’s bringing them all and I suggest you suck it up.”

 

 

 

 

                It had been a month and a half since the dragons had showed up and we officially started training before the clear path we were on got clouded. I should’ve felt the disturbance of air, I should’ve felt that something didn’t belong but I didn’t. With deadly silence I was yanked out of my bed by my throat and suspended a foot or two off the ground. I looked in to the red eyes of the enemy and grasped its arm. It was Azazil, his eyes burning into me and his grap unbreakable. One minute we were in my room, and the next we were in the training grounds, my eyes burning from te travel and from the loss of air. I grew out my claws and sliced through his hand, the whole of it including the bone, and fell onto the ground. I gripped my neck and choked out the rest of the dry coughs, glaring up at him and letting my anger muster.

“Well, hello to you too sunshine.” He merely glared at me and held his forearm until his hand had completely healed and he paced.

“They took her, and you’ve gotta get her back.” I raised my brow and a surprised laugh escaped me.

“You grab me from my bed, my mate who will be coming here soon to kill you, and start demanding things of me; to go to the surface, no less.”

“You don’t understand.”

“No, I understand perfectly and you’re gonna have to find someone else to be your bitch.” I stood up and felt Ander nearing and knew to prepare my body to stop him.

“Fitting choice of words, but you’ve got no choice. You swore you would help us.”

“Correction there, big guy, I promised Lilith I would help her and her succubi. That extension does not go to you.” I spread out my arm as Ander blurred in, rage and fear bundled together made him enter his wolf form. My hand grabbed his muzzle and I felt his hot breath  and knew he was calmed slightly by my scent.

“One demon, means every demon Luna child. We need your help and if you fall back on your promise, you’re on our bad side.”

“Yeah, well, you’ve always been on my bad side.”

“I think we should help.” A small voice said and I looked to where Libby stood with her arms crossed around her body and she stood in her pajamas. Ander growled and moved to where she stood, standing next to her and in front of her as well.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” I wouldn’t let the anger seep through my voice, because that would be a weakness. My words were tight lipped, and my eyes stayed on her.

“I felt a disturbance.” Her eyes flashed towards Azazil and a small smile lit her lips. My blood ran cold and I, accidentally, called for Mason through the link. Her face blanched and she looked back at me and took a step toward.

“He’ll kill him.” I fought the smirk that threatened to lift my lips and looked toward Azazil.

“I’ll help you, if you win.” His eyes hardened and narrowed before he sniffed the air. He smiled, a fang glinting in the light.

“You’re sending your undead lackey to fight me, instead of fighting me yourself? That’s a slippery slope towards being cowardly.” Mason stepped in and, upon seeing Libby in her pajamas, his face cleared of all emotion. His chest was bare and all of his muscles bunched at the sight of Azazil and he wlked to stand beside me.

“They let you out again.”

“Nobody has to let me out, I’m free to roam wherever I want.”

“Until you’re called back again because free time is over.” Azazil snarled at that and looked to me.

“Is it to the death? Because I can do that.”

“You just have to win.” Was all I said and waited for their arrogance to get the better of them.

“Mason, don’t do this. Violence is never the answer.” Libby started, taking two steps before stopping. Her eyes pleading with him and I watched him. His jaw twitched and his eyes seemed to be looking at her but I knew his mind was far away.

“Luna, please. Just help him, don’t involve fighting.” Her hazel eyes looked towards me, appearing to be more brown than green in the dim light.

“If he wants my help in a dangerous task, he’s going to  have to fight for it. Or have you forgotten that?”

“What, that everything to you is a fight?” Her tone held little acid in it and it ticked off my wolf slightly.

“It’s a warzone up there, they are looking for any shifter that they can find. What do you think will happen when they find one, me nonetheless? Any shifter that goes up there now is suicidal, they will find any of us and kill us or torture us. Don’t make it seem like he’s only asking for me to run to the store!”

“He’s asking for our help!”

“My help, he’s asking for my help. I will be the only one that will be going up there, if he wins. It’s so much more difficult than you think, Libby. Not everybody deserves the help.”

“Everybody does.” She hissed and stormed to me, pointing a finger in my face.

“Everybody deserves help, doesn’t matter what they’ve done or what for. Think of all the pain she’s going through, think of somebody other than yourself and this war for once.” She growled, her face red from anger and her wolf one second from coming out. I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath.

“She’s killed babies. She’s murdered whole families and left children orphaned. She’s spread plagues and diseases, a few disasters here and there. She’s one of the commanding demons down there, think about all the shit you have to do to get that high up.” I stepped back and took another breath to calm myself.

“I’m not going to go save her unless he proves that it’s worth it.”

“And for him to fight proves it?”

“Who are you worried about?” Mason asked and Libby quieted. My brows raised, I hadn’t even thought that she was thinking about either of them. He had a link with her, that’s what he was focusing on.

“I’m worried about everybody, don’t make this about that.”

“You dream about him.” He looked at her then, his eyes cold and his face saying volumes. She quieted and closed her mouth, her eyes averted and her face a bright red. Azazil looked between the two, the odd pair, and let out a boisterous laugh.

“Is the boy mad because I made his girlfriend want me? Classic.” Mason’s jaw clenched and he looked to me before his eyes shot to Libby then to me. I nodded and grabbed her quickly as Mason ran to the demon, breaking his nose with a solid punch to the face and then his arm with a twist before he picked him up and threw into the wall, denting it. She screamed and bucked against me. I held her closer to me, trying not to hold her too tight, and put my hand on her head and just listened. She was looking out for Mason, trying to salvage what she could of their relationship. Years of ignoring her and treating her as nothing but a sister had taken its toll. But that still didn’t make up for the dream, or why she was reacting so violently to the thought of them fighting. I dug deeper, holding her close to my chest and searching for the key. She slumped over and suddenly I saw it. I let her go and twisted her around, grabbing her face I made her look at me.

“He’s nothing like him, Mason is a completely different person than Azazil.” At that Mason looked up and away, the only distraction Azazil needed. He stood and reached his hand into Mason’s chest, where his heart rested. Libby screamed and ran to them, I didn’t have to ask Ander to step in, he did automatically.

“Libby dear, I’m hurt you would even compare us to each other. I’m so much better than he could ever be, I’ll make sure to show you after this whole nastiness is over.”

“Scum!” She screamed, I could smell the saltiness of her tears. Mason’s nose flared and he looked to her, those blue eyes icier than ever as he grit his teeth. Azazil sucked his teeth and squeezed tighter around his heart, if the way his arm flexed was any indication.

“No way to talk to me, if you know what’s good for you.” With a howl she shifted into her wolf and tried to leap around Ander.

“Stay.” I commanded softly, it rang through and she whimpered on the ground fighting her wolf. Azazil turned back to Mason.

“Guess you get to go visit the other side, I’ve heard your uncle’s and aunt’s have a few luxury places down there and it’s much better there than up here. Better for your skin.” Mason looked at him then, and smirked. One fang shining, as he shook his head.

“Do