Kiss of Darkness (The Dragon Legion Novellas) Read Online Free
Author: Deborah Cooke
eyes. The beast lunged at him again, its claws digging deeply into Damien’s chest and knocking him backward.
He fell and the hellhound leapt atop him. It was heavy, so heavy that he couldn’t force off its weight. One set of jaws locked around each arm, holding Damien captive.
Damien was incredulous. He couldn’t die here, not before he even entered the underworld. He couldn’t fail at his quest before it began.
But he couldn’t shift shape, and a man was no match for a hellhound.
Damien didn’t surrender easily. He thrashed and fought, even though his efforts made no difference. The dog’s teeth dug deeply into his flesh, making his blood run freely. The snakes bit him, too, tormenting him with a thousand needle bites. The eyes of that middle head shone brilliant red with intent, then the dog bared its teeth and bent to rip out Damien’s chest.
He was powerless to do anything but watch.
Why had the darkfire betrayed him?
Damien roared in frustration, still struggling to shift. He moaned as he felt the hellhound’s hot breath on his chest.
And then the sound of a woman’s voice floated to his ears.
She sang in the same voice that haunted his dreams.
Petra!
He glanced up and the sight of her was like a knife to his gut. Petra was just as lovely as she had been before. Her hair flowed in dark waves over her shoulders and she was deliciously feminine. But Damien was startled to see how pale she was, more like a ghost than the vivacious woman he’d known.
Dead. Of course. But no less alluring for all of that.
And she was singing to save him. Maybe that was a sign that his mission could succeed.
Damien felt the teeth of Cerberus graze his flesh and decided he’d take hope where he could find it.
* * *
As furious as she was with him, Petra couldn’t let Damien be torn to pieces by the gatekeeper of the underworld.
She didn’t think about the tune, just sang the first familiar melody that came into her mind. It was after the second line that she realized the choice she’d unwittingly made.
She was singing the love song she’d first sung to Damien on the night the firestorm had sparked.
But she couldn’t stop now.
That blue-green light sparked from her fingertips and leapt through the air toward Damien and the hellhound. It illuminated the shadows, showed the confusion on the faces of the arriving dead, and cast a strange light over the deadened world. Petra was surprised, for this was no magic of her own. Charon watched from inside the deep shadows of his hood, his pose utterly still.
To her relief, Cerberus paused before ripping open Damien’s chest. The head that had been bent over Damien lifted. That head turned to Petra, the red glow of its eyes dying to pale gold. The snarl on the dog’s lips disappeared and its ears flicked.
The second head of Cerberus released Damien’s arm. It also turned toward Petra as its ears flicked. The tangle of vipers in its mane slowed, swaying like grass in the wind. The animosity faded from its eyes, as well.
Petra sang even more loudly, putting all her heart into her song.
The strange blue-green light of the darkfire swirled around her, sparkling and glowing with increasing intensity as it danced between her and Damien. It was like the firestorm, but in the wrong color. Petra felt the same heat of desire as she had that first time—but it seemed even stronger and hotter.
Unpredictable and exciting.
She felt dizzy with the promise of a thousand possibilities, and excited as she hadn’t since Damien had left her. The feeling couldn’t last, but she couldn’t resist the opportunity to enjoy it.
Meanwhile, the third head of Cerberus turned, then sniffed at the air. The dog jumped from Damien’s chest, abandoning him before it sauntered back to the gates. Its movements became more sleepy with every step. Damien sat up, wariness in his expression, but Petra continued to sing to the hellhound.
It sat down before Petra, its eyes now pale gold.
He fell and the hellhound leapt atop him. It was heavy, so heavy that he couldn’t force off its weight. One set of jaws locked around each arm, holding Damien captive.
Damien was incredulous. He couldn’t die here, not before he even entered the underworld. He couldn’t fail at his quest before it began.
But he couldn’t shift shape, and a man was no match for a hellhound.
Damien didn’t surrender easily. He thrashed and fought, even though his efforts made no difference. The dog’s teeth dug deeply into his flesh, making his blood run freely. The snakes bit him, too, tormenting him with a thousand needle bites. The eyes of that middle head shone brilliant red with intent, then the dog bared its teeth and bent to rip out Damien’s chest.
He was powerless to do anything but watch.
Why had the darkfire betrayed him?
Damien roared in frustration, still struggling to shift. He moaned as he felt the hellhound’s hot breath on his chest.
And then the sound of a woman’s voice floated to his ears.
She sang in the same voice that haunted his dreams.
Petra!
He glanced up and the sight of her was like a knife to his gut. Petra was just as lovely as she had been before. Her hair flowed in dark waves over her shoulders and she was deliciously feminine. But Damien was startled to see how pale she was, more like a ghost than the vivacious woman he’d known.
Dead. Of course. But no less alluring for all of that.
And she was singing to save him. Maybe that was a sign that his mission could succeed.
Damien felt the teeth of Cerberus graze his flesh and decided he’d take hope where he could find it.
* * *
As furious as she was with him, Petra couldn’t let Damien be torn to pieces by the gatekeeper of the underworld.
She didn’t think about the tune, just sang the first familiar melody that came into her mind. It was after the second line that she realized the choice she’d unwittingly made.
She was singing the love song she’d first sung to Damien on the night the firestorm had sparked.
But she couldn’t stop now.
That blue-green light sparked from her fingertips and leapt through the air toward Damien and the hellhound. It illuminated the shadows, showed the confusion on the faces of the arriving dead, and cast a strange light over the deadened world. Petra was surprised, for this was no magic of her own. Charon watched from inside the deep shadows of his hood, his pose utterly still.
To her relief, Cerberus paused before ripping open Damien’s chest. The head that had been bent over Damien lifted. That head turned to Petra, the red glow of its eyes dying to pale gold. The snarl on the dog’s lips disappeared and its ears flicked.
The second head of Cerberus released Damien’s arm. It also turned toward Petra as its ears flicked. The tangle of vipers in its mane slowed, swaying like grass in the wind. The animosity faded from its eyes, as well.
Petra sang even more loudly, putting all her heart into her song.
The strange blue-green light of the darkfire swirled around her, sparkling and glowing with increasing intensity as it danced between her and Damien. It was like the firestorm, but in the wrong color. Petra felt the same heat of desire as she had that first time—but it seemed even stronger and hotter.
Unpredictable and exciting.
She felt dizzy with the promise of a thousand possibilities, and excited as she hadn’t since Damien had left her. The feeling couldn’t last, but she couldn’t resist the opportunity to enjoy it.
Meanwhile, the third head of Cerberus turned, then sniffed at the air. The dog jumped from Damien’s chest, abandoning him before it sauntered back to the gates. Its movements became more sleepy with every step. Damien sat up, wariness in his expression, but Petra continued to sing to the hellhound.
It sat down before Petra, its eyes now pale gold.
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