by L J Andrews
The spine was ancient, possibly older than Eisha, and the threads crinkled loudly when I opened the book. The title was written in a beautiful dark ink calligraphy: History of the Mage.
“Mage? I’ve never heard this term,” I admitted, flipping through a few of the yellowed pages with care. I stopped at a drawing—a man, dressed in a hood, with a long blade gripped tightly in his hands. On his arms, neck, face, anywhere skin was exposed were the beautiful markings of the ancient language. Exactly like Teagan’s arms. “What does this mean? I…in my story books these marks only came to the wards.”
Eisha sighed, her eyes sad for a moment. “That is exactly what the mages are—or were. Once our greatest defenders, our protectors, our wards in existence, now, well that was a time long gone by.”
“But…but Eisha, Teagan has these marks. You and Sapphire know that—are you saying he’s a mage?”
Eisha shrugged. “I don’t know, Jade.”
“Then why show me this?”
“Because I have my suspicions. I do not know for sure if a mage has returned to the willows. I suspect, yes. But having the jade color is not possible. So whether this boy is a mage or not, I do not trust him. His intentions cannot be honorable.”
I slammed the book closed, my chest flattening as though someone were pressing all their strength over my ribs. “He does have the jade color, so what do you mean it isn’t possible?”
“Because lesser mages protect lesser royals. I would not doubt him as greatly if a mage with sapphire-colored marks emerged from the shadows. But if a mage were to have the jade color, they would need to be descended from the High Priestess or High Priest Mage. The highest mage is always paired with the highest wyvern royal. The High Priestess was childless. Your bloodline has no mage; this is exactly the reason Raffi and Dash are assigned as your warriors.”
“So mages are real,” I gasped. “There’s a High Priestess?”
Eisha growled, sounding more like her true self than a principal of a high school. She paced in her bedroom, pulling out a clean gray pantsuit, and began tearing off her cotton T-shirt, undeterred that I stood there watching her dress. “It’s almost time for school.”
“Answer me, please, Eisha.”
“Yes, Jade. There were mages once. We lived in unity before the war. They were led by the High Priest and Priestess.”
“Well, then isn’t it a good thing if Teagan is a mage? They are our allies.”
“No,” she snapped so sharply I jumped back. Eisha didn’t continue until she’d zipped a pair of black ankle boots over her again-blistering feet and stared at me. “I said we once lived in unity. Jade, I held your mother as she died. As she choked on her own blood and begged me to look after her child. Your father lay scorched and murdered at her side.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I whispered, feeling the steaming tears burn behind my eyes. Even though the memories were from my infancy, I could still hear the screams like nightmarish echoes.
“Because,” Eisha snarled, her face inches from mine. “Your parents, our kingdom, was torn to shreds all because a mage joined with King Nag and betrayed us all. The mages were forced out, abandoning us in our time of need. The only help we were offered was a final enchantment—the willow. That was all we were left with. Wyverns were forced to trust an ancient spell to conceal us from the lindworms. A spell performed by a race that had destroyed us in the cruelest, deadliest of ways. The mages have not been heard from or seen since. You know our people are compassionate, and trusting, and strong. In time, it was determined wyverns had no need of the mage. We still have no need of the mage.”
“So because there was a traitor long ago, if Teagan is a mage, he should automatically be marked as untrustworthy?”
“As I said, it is impossible for a mage to hold the jade color. So, you tell me if that sounds like something we should trust or if it smells terribly like a trap.”
“I spoke with him,” I blurted out, my heart ripping into a thousand pieces as I thought of my parents, my people, and Teagan in one emotional heap of thoughts. “Last night, I was with Teagan. He doesn’t know anything about what’s happening. I…I took him to the willow.”
Eisha’s hair was steaming again. “What did you tell him, Jade? What did you say?”
“I told him the truth, Eisha. I told him what I am. I thought he was a wyvern or something. He was truly confused; I could sense it in his spirit. He’s good, he wants to protect me. He could have let the zomok kill me, but—”
“You foolish child,” Eisha snapped. “Have you thought it could all be a ruse? A zomok appearing, Teagan knowing it would happen, and he protects you to earn your trust. To find out who the royals are—now he knows. You’ve placed us all at risk for things you cannot understand. Things your parents died trying to save you from. You are not ready to rule this people, and I fear you’ve doomed us all.”
I couldn’t speak. My tongue swelled in my throat, blocking my words. Eisha pounded around her room, snatching her supplies and shoving them into her leather briefcase. Her entire body trembled, and she wouldn’t look at me as I found the strength to open my mouth. “I may be a child to you, Eisha,” I dared squeak. “But it does not mean my instincts are worthless. I know what I sensed. Teagan Ward is not a threat to me. He doesn’t know what is happening to him. I…I trust him. Why are you so certain there can’t be a jade mage?”
“Because!” she shrieked. “What mages do you think were the ones who betrayed us? The bloodline severed at the divide—never to be repaired.”
My voice quivered, and there was a moment when I wondered if there was a possibility Eisha could be right. Was there a chance Teagan was lying to get close to me? Eisha couldn’t take any more. She slammed her briefcase on the floor, her eyes rolling toward the sides of her head, shaping like narrow diamonds. Her face peeled back, and in a matter of seconds Eisha was smashing through the window, her gleaming, powerful, ebony wings taking her dark body to the sky. I was left with the silence of the room, shattered glass and broken drywall littered at my feet. I wiped away a hot tear splashing down my cheek. Today Eisha would not be attending school. Neither would I—her foolish Queen.
Hardly noticing the pounding footsteps bounding up the stairs, I startled when Raffi gripped my arm. “Jade, what’s happened?” He gaped at the broken wall before shifting his attention directly to me.
I pressed the leather book against his chest, but he never took it from my grip. “Eisha told me about the mages.” I turned away from him, my palms tingling as my own body yearned to break free. “I angered her because I told her I trusted Teagan Ward.”
“What?” Raffi snarled. “Where are you going?”
“To the willow, Raffi—alone. I order you to stay back,” I snapped.
“Jade, what are you doing?” he growled.
“I mean it, do not follow me.”
“Don’t do this, Jade,” he begged, his voice soft.
I didn’t listen and slammed the door behind me, the book in hand, as I left my guardian to conquer the skies and my sworn warrior burdened by my command to leave me to face the world alone.
Chapter 15
The willow was peaceful. No matter how disruptive the surrounding world became, I could always count on the willow. If mages were so dishonored, so cut off from our people, why then would they leave us with such a blessed gift? I couldn’t shake the mounting discomfort Eisha had wittingly placed in my mind over Teagan’s markings. Grinding my teeth and descending in a flurry of frustration, I struggled to find my decision.
Eisha was convinced Teagan could not be an honorable mage because the jade color didn’t exist. At least not anymore. I thought of my parents. Had the High Priestess been their mage? Could it be possible she’d failed them—or was she the one who betrayed my family? There was a pressing ache in the pit of my stomach as I thought too long on the idea. I hated the very concept of Teagan being sinister enough to fool me in such a way. Though I had known Teagan for a matter of w
eeks, Eisha had been a part of my life since my birth—her fear and disdain for the mages was genuine.
Rippling along the grass was a trickle of energy. The warmth seemed to wrap around my body, holding me close as though the willow’s clearing knew I needed reassurance. I smiled gently, crawling closer to the base of the tree trunk and resting my open palm across the smooth bark. The peace was all-encompassing. Grinning up at the sunbeams spreading through the broken boughs and crumbling leaves, I could almost hear the word trust bouncing on the wind. When the earth spoke to me, I felt it in my mind and heart. The willow had an unusual way of speaking. I could feel the words surge my blood with a new warmth every time. I opened the mage history and skimmed the entries, all written by hand, until I found a particular entry that caught my eye.
Mage armor: bequeathed through honor and loyalty to the sacred wyvern race. The growth of armor recites the tale of the mage’s devotion to the sacred quest of protection. Armor of a mage declares status and dignity amongst the priesthood of the mage.
On the page was drawn another figure of a cloaked man. Though in this image the mage was without his hood, and I could make out the markings of the wyvern along his neck and even his face. A second body was placed next to the first, and the cloak was replaced by armor of the most unusual sort. The helmet curled around the face and the limbs and middle were covered, though it was as if the armor were simply a part of the mage’s skin.
The bond of the mage with wyvern at the behest of the mage high priesthood bestows the unbreakable vow of coupling. Ceremonial coupling is offered by the council of Priests and Elders of Wyvern. Destined coupling has no prejudice between pairs. Selection occurs unbeknownst to the councils, though should not be disregarded. From the palms of destiny births a coupling bond to hold steadfast through the eternities. Severing coupling occurs at the breath of treason. Penance will be paid in blood of the accused, alas such an act weakens the web of bonds between all mage and sacred wyverns.
I reread the passage at least five times. The idea of the bond of a mage with a wyvern fascinated and thrilled me to the very core. All my life, I’d believed the powers of the earth belonged only to the wyvern race, yet here was this tattered book of notes which entertained the notion others held great power, different power.
Others who may have betrayed my people long ago.
I did not remember the mage with my parents. The war was always between the lindworms and the royal wyvern in my mind. Never had I known a trusted man or woman, skilled in powers outside my realm of understanding, had a hand in the battle. For the slightest moment I shared painful empathy with Eisha. She’d been through the thick of the fighting, she’d lost her mate—though we rarely spoke of Gregor. I knew him to be one of the fiercest warriors of our time. If a mage played a part in his death, it wasn’t likely Eisha would ever accept the fate that our people should rejoin with our former defenders.
Whoever destroyed the trusted bond and betrayed the royal court to King Nag, had they paid as the passage said? Or was the spilled blood of my parents the blood meant to be paid? Without much control, my thoughts drifted to Teagan and the marks along his arms. I still understood little, but they meant something—they were supposed to protect him like the image of armor in the book. Something had changed within me when Teagan came to Wyvern Willows. I was stronger, more certain in my role as the jade royal. It was almost as though we were…
Destined bond.
The willow’s voice sent a shiver down my spine, and I nodded. “That’s what I was just thinking,” I replied out loud, brushing my fingers over the passage in the book once more.
The sun was curling across the sky, deepening into a reddish orb as it prepared to bid farewell to the day. I hadn’t realized how long I’d been away. Part of me knew it would be thoughtful and responsible if I returned home to check on Eisha—she’d been so upset. But instead, I turned through the thick trees toward Wyvern Reform. There was so much I had to tell Teagan, so much I needed to learn from him. If he was a danger to me, I was confident I would sense it. If he was not—well, then, I hoped the churning excitement of my insides would keep swimming every time I saw Teagan Ward.
I was careful in my selection of who would be allowed to see me enter the house. As my ability burst from my mind, I could feel the spark whenever a mind had been affected enough that I knew I could safely walk about and no one would be able to comprehend that I was there. Konrad was difficult, he’d been blocking me for years. Manipulating a fellow royal was hard enough, but when he actively resisted it was nearly impossible. I already suspected that Konrad was aware I’d worked to convince him not to check on Teagan last night because when I stepped near the front porch, I was overwhelmed with a pressure blocking my attempts to find Sapphire’s energy. I cursed his name for making my attempt to find Teagan harder, but could I really blame him?
Rounding the house I looked toward Teagan’s gabled window. The trellis was nothing for me to climb, and the higher from the ground I came, the happier I seemed to be. Perhaps it reminded me of flying. His light was on, which was surprising since he was banned to the scratchy cot in the front room. I scaled the house carefully, peering around the window in case…yes, Sapphire was speaking to Teagan. It was quite possible Konrad would sense my presence—he had such a talent with energies—but I couldn’t resist pressing my ear against the wooden siding so I could hear. Wyvern didn’t have the best hearing of all the creatures, but it was superior to humans, and a thin wall couldn’t keep out the tone of Sapphire’s boom.
“Are you telling me you don’t want your room back?” Sapphire asked.
“Not at all, sir,” Teagan responded, though I could hear the snip in his tone. Was it because Teagan knew the truth about Sapphire, or did he simply resist any amount of authority? “I’m wondering why I’ve earned the room back? I thought it was lost for four weeks.”
“Because I feel you’ve shown a great deal of remorse, Teagan,” Sapphire said. I covered my mouth, stifling a laugh. Though Teagan couldn’t sense the same things as me, I was bombarded by Konrad’s guilt. He knew Teagan was innocent of what he’d been accused, and it didn’t suit my fellow royal’s temperament to punish an innocent. Though I had an inkling Sapphire wanted to keep a closer watch on Teagan, I sensed a purpose behind his decision, mingled with his guilt. It was disheartening to know Sapphire had similar doubts toward Teagan Ward as Eisha. “We reward positive behavior here.” My friend finished.
“Is that really the reason?” Teagan tested.
Tread carefully, Teagan, I thought.
“Why would you think anything different?” Sapphire challenged.
“I don’t know, sir. You tell me.”
Sapphire was quiet, but I embraced the wave of concerned energy filtering around the man. Konrad was worried—about Teagan or himself, I couldn’t quite gauge. “I’m going to let you sleep,” Sapphire finally said. “If you opt not to keep the room, fine. Goodnight, Teagan. I’ll leave the cot out if you determine you’d rather sleep downstairs because I must have ulterior motives.”
I listened for Sapphire to leave the room, feeling his strength tromp down the hallway toward the stairs. When he was gone, I quickly sent my control around Teagan’s room, convincing anyone the door should remain closed at all costs. It was easier without Konrad near fighting against my ability. My bottom lip rolled over my teeth and I was slightly embarrassed when my stomach knotted in anticipation of seeing Teagan again. When I was about to open the window, I backed away, hearing the latch click and the glides shuddering. Teagan was dressed in black clothes that made it difficult to see him—for humans. Sapphire would be able to spot him from a distance, and to me he radiated with the unusual power that seemed to have me locked in place. Teagan was strong, I could see it even beneath the dark sleeves of his shirt. He had confidence, yet I’d always sensed a doubt within him that he buried from the helpful hands of others.
I chuckled when he stumbled backward in a start after I touched his arm.
“Jade!” he breathed in a husky whisper. “You scared me. Do you want me to fall off the roof?”
“I’d catch you,” I smirked, flashing him a grin I couldn’t contain.
“I thought I was meeting you.”
My grin faded. “I was already out. I figured I would save you a trip.”
“You want to stay here?”
“Why not? Sapphire won’t be coming back soon,” I said, mentally checking to feel my own power blocking the door and window. Originally I’d wanted to return to the willow—I hated to admit it—but I might be testing Teagan. Did he want to take me away from the aid of Sapphire should I need help—would he insist we leave?
Teagan didn’t. With a shrug, he motioned for me to go first inside the bedroom, and I was confident I was right about him—Eisha was wrong. Holding my breath, because I wasn’t sure how many more I still had, I ducked into the house. Whatever it was about Teagan, whether it was a mystic bond or that I was simply drawn to his attractiveness, it was growing harder to breathe—in a good way. Teagan followed close behind me, leaving the window open. Good, I needed to feel the night breeze.
“Well, this is about all I’ve got,” he chuckled, eyeing me cautiously. His defenses were up, and I could only wonder what he might be thinking after our conversation last night. Telepathy was how we spoke in our true dragon forms, but how I wished I could use it now. He’d been coming to meet me—that meant something, didn’t it?
“I’m not sure what more we need,” I smiled, sitting on the corner of the cheap mattress. Teagan hesitated, and in the end he opted to pull the wooden chair from the desk and sat in front of me. “How are you doing after what I told you?”
My breath hitched when he studied his hands, but when his vibrant eyes locked with mine that calming strength overwhelmed me to the point I believed I could master any challenge set before me. “Honestly, part of me is convinced either I’m insane, or you are.” Okay, not exactly what I’d wanted to hear, but then his touch passed over my folded hands in my lap. Never mind, now I couldn’t breathe. My blood was naturally in a constant boil, but in this moment it froze within me like electric ice. His voice was soft and intoxicating when he spoke again. “But then I see you, and I can’t help but feel like I need to be next to you—that I need to be there for you, whatever that means. Are you alright? I…don’t know how to explain this…but when you weren’t at school I had a bad feeling. Like you weren’t okay. Jade, I was sick all afternoon because of it. Not just feeling sick—I got sick. I think that’s half why Sapphire let me back in my room.”
