“You are exquisite,” he murmured.
Myth opened her eyes and trapped him in her dark hazel, heavy-lidded gaze as her back arched and she orgasmed again. He groaned. A smile curved her kiss-swollen mouth as her fingers played with his hair. Silver magic lit her face and eyes. He clasped her flushed cheeks in his hands. “I'm yours.”
She leaned forward to kiss him. “I'm yours,” she whispered against his lips.
Her tongue caressed his lips as she rose and fell in a sinuous movement that matched his upward strokes. Myth let out a startled sound and sat back. Her eyes gleamed with mischief as her lips skimmed back, and strygoi-Myth revealed fangs of her own.
Myth's pink tongue teased him as she licked her fangs, then eyed his neck and struck.
MYTH
AS SHE SUCKED ON NORRIX'S neck and swallowed his blood, the bond between them became a tangible thing she could see. A connection of silver magic connecting her to him.
Clasping his cheeks, she kissed him, cutting his lip and tongue when she forgot she had fangs. He nipped at her lip and drew it into his mouth to suck soothingly on it. Releasing her mouth, he rested his hand on her chest to push her gently back. His eyes ran over her as she rested her palms on his knees. His knuckles brushed over her collarbone before tracing a line down her stomach. He clutched her hips with both his hands as she set the pace.
Her claws curled into his flesh, but didn’t pierce skin. Her head fell further back, and her movements became more demanding as tension built within her once more. His eyes burned hotter when they latched onto hers. She locked her legs around the back of the chair and released his knees to drape her arms around his neck. When her eyes started to close, he squeezed her sides.
“Look at me,” he commanded in a gravelly voice.
Her eyes flew open. She couldn’t look away as her body came apart once more and waves of bliss swamped her as he finally let go and emptied himself into her.
CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT
NORRIX
“DO YOU KNOW WHERE I should look for Fable? She’s still not using our telepathic connection.” A faint stirring of worry flowed over their bond. Myth paced by the door, dressed in new clothes delivered by pixies from the gift shop. She’d been puzzled by the multiple layers, boots, gloves, and thick jacket, but put it all on. It was winter in Port Storm, after all.
He hoped she came to Port Storm with him. Or he would follow Myth and Fable wherever they went. But a pang of guilt at the thought of abandoning Musette when she needed help tore at him. Norrix pulled a shirt on over his head and stood. “Fable is in the safest place she can be. Not only is she in Ashana, she’s with Zax. We’ll check with Clio.”
In the lobby, the clothes made sense. Guests wore puffy jackets in a snowy, pale blue winter wonderland as they slid down a hill on sleds and skis. Some kids threw snowballs at each other and built snowmen.
“What kind of... um, beings are they?” Myth pointed to a group of creatures with conical and sloping heads swarming over the side of a hill to create their version of a fifteen-foot snowman.
Norrix took a moment to relish the answer coming to him without effort or confusion. “Yetis. The stocky ones with long arms and reddish hair are Meh-teh. Teh-Ima are the smallest ones with grey hair, and the giant-sized ones are called Dzu-teh.”
Their snowman came to life with a roar, shaking off the snow packed around him as he emerged, arms raised to menace the young ones who’d buried him. They scattered and hooted back.
“And that’s a Nyalmo, the largest of their kind.”
A small figure in a red and silver jacket clung to his neck as it cleared of snow. High-pitched laughter pealed across the room.
“Fable!” Myth took off across the icy expanse between them. The Nyalmo plucked the girl from his shoulders and set her on her feet.
Mother and daughter reunited in a tight hug, leaving Norrix feeling, once again, like the third wheel. His heart stuttered in a feeble quaver and constricted.
They turned in his direction, and Fable left her mother to run at him. He caught her as she leapt at him and spun her around while she laughed again, then slid an arm around Myth when she joined them.
It felt so right holding them. But they had to decide if they wanted him. “Would you like to come to Port Storm with me? There are some witches who would love to meet you. Soră is there. My friend Zeke has horses, and there’s a big garden. Port Storm would be a good place to learn about being strygoi, and if you don't want to stay there, I’ll take you wherever you want to go. Anywhere in any world. What do you think?”
Myth and Fable communicated silently. “She’s not ready to talk yet, but we agree we want is to be with you.”
That sent his unsure heart thundering in his chest and lifted a weight from his soul. ‘Let’s say our goodbyes then.”
Clio, wearing a black mini dress lined with gold sequins, ice skated in circles around Santa and Zax. She aimed double finger guns at Norrix, Myth and Fable as they approached and expanded her circle to include them.
All Santa’s reindeer were present, although now two of them had red noses. That had to be Zax’s doing.
“Well, they’re your reindeer.” Zax stood, hands on hips. “Why do I have to be in charge of everything?”
Santa threw his hands in the air and stomped off.
“I’m just saying,” she called after him. “If you want to keep their noses clean, maybe you should watch where they’re going!”
Clio laughed as she pointed at Zax. “You’re definitely going on the annoying, bad girl, contrary, disobedient, exasperating —”
“Aren’t you going to stop her?” Norrix asked.
Zax crossed her arms. “Nope. She brought this on herself.”
Clio crossed her eyes at Zax. “— fiendish, guilty, headstrong, insubordinate, jaded, knavish, libertine, misbehaving, non-compliant, obstreperous, perverse, querulous, raunchy, salacious, taboo —
“Whoa, that’s a whole different kind of naughty. There are children around here!”
“— unruly, vexing, wayward, x-ed out, yahoo...” Clio pushed off on one leg and jumped, hanging in the air like gravity didn’t apply to her as she twirled in a blur.
Norrix felt dizzy watching her. “Uh oh. Is she not going to finish her list?”
Zax smirked. “Well, most of the time she just uses my name to cheat when she gets to the letter z. Apparently I can mean anything.”
The blur of Clio slowed, and she extended her arms as she landed on the ice and resumed skating backward. “... zigeuner list!” She lifted her chin in triumph.
“Zigeuner is a sauce.” Zax huffed. “I don’t think that counts.”
“Nobody likes that sauce.” Clio turned to Norrix. “Mr. N!” She hugged him, then Myth and Fable. “You found your amor, beauty, consort —”
“Dragă.” Norris filled in the word for D. “She is my Dragă. Yes, Clio. Thanks for your help.”
“This is your angel, baby, child, daughter...”
“Everything,” Norrix said.
Clio sniffled and wiped at her eyes.
“Get out of here, you three, before Clio starts blubbering.” Zax leaned forward and whispered to Fable, then gave them a shove that swept the lobby away and left the three of them standing on the jet.
A copper key tied with a silver ribbon hung from the yoke, with a note that read, I think you dropped this.
MOONLIGHT BATHED THE area around the Ildum’s clifftop mansion in bright light, but the roof of the house remained in shadow.
“Why is your house in the dark when everything else is lit up? I can see the lighthouse and the hangar we just left, but your house looks like an empty space.” Myth asked. “Is that a vampire thing?”
“No,” Norrix replied, his gaze riveted on the house as he steered the car up the driveway. “I’ve never seen it like this before.” The sense of relief he’d had since landing the jet vanished. Something wasn’t right.
CHAPTER FIFTY NINE
; FABLE
FABLE BOUNCED IN HER seat as she pointed. Couldn’t they see the dragon on top of the big house?
“Nope. They can’t see her.” Soră appeared in the car next to Fable. “At least not yet. Get ready!”
Get ready for what? Fable glanced at the front seat, but Nantli and Norrix were staring at the house.
“Viktoria and Ember played with shadows. Now it’s our turn.”
A long neck lifted. A horned head turned to face the car.
Grinning, Fable clapped her hands in excitement when the shadow continued to unfold herself from the roof to reveal a gigantic dragon sitting on her haunches, watching them approach. This was the best magic! Enormous wings snapped out, and the dragon reared back, head tilting to the sky in a silent roar.
Norrix stopped the car. “Where did they get a dragon in the three days I was gone?”
“Go!” Soră waved a hand.
The car door opened and Fable’s seat belt unbuckled. She scrambled out of the car. Soră linked their fingers and darted up the grass next to the driveway, dragging Fable along. Blue helped, making them go faster.
“Fable!” Nantli sounded a little scared, but Fable couldn’t stop her feet.
“I have not lived through everything they did to me in Aztlan to keep her safe only to have her eaten by a dragon!” Now Nantli sounded mad.
“Run!” Soră yelled.
Maybe she should stop. Fable looked back.
Nantli lunged out of the car, her longer legs somehow not able to catch Fable’s shorter legs. “I thought I only had to worry about vampires!” She tossed the words over her shoulder at Norrix.
“I didn’t know we had a dragon! I would have said something!”
Gathering herself, the dragon launched off the roof to circle in the air. Then the vampires’ house wasn’t dark. Lots of windows had light.
Jumping up as high as she could, Fable stretched her arms above her head.
“Fable, come back here! You are not allowed to fly off with dragons that live on top of vampire houses!” Nantli tried to grab her.
“Boringest rule ever!” Soră called.
Fable scowled and dodged, arms reaching for the dragon flying overhead.
The door opened, and four people ran outside.
“What’s all the shouting about?” A woman with hair like fire carried a silver sword in her hand.
“That's Ember.” Soră pointed to each person. “And that’s Viktoria, from Pohjola. Those are the changed ones Stryx and Jael.”
“There seems to be a dragon in residence.” Norrix sounded calm. Why wasn’t Nantli calm like Norrix? Her magics were going to get too big!
“It’s all right.” Viktoria laughed. “The dragon is made of my shadow magic and Ember’s light magic. It can’t hurt anyone.”
The dragon could hurt someone if she wanted to. She was a dragon. Adults don’t know anything sometimes.
“I agree.” Soră smiled and winked. “But we know how to have fun.”
The dragon swooped so low her smooth, warm skin slid over Fable’s outstretched fingers. And magic.
“That thing isn’t acting like a shadow.” Nantli reached Fable as the dragon’s tail slipped through her small hands.
Because she's a dragon!
Fable turned to Soră. who had her hands clasped tight under her chin, her shoulders up by her ears and wide eyes. “What did you feel?”
Three magics all mixed up. Orange and black twisted together feels new. It’s shiny and light like wings. Dark grey shadow magic is old and big and a little shivery. Your silver sparkles always tingle but now feels like lightning.
“You are so super special!” Soră hugged Fable. “That’s what happens when a witch uses my magic instead of me. They can go together now!”
Magic swirled inside Fable, wanting to get out. Wild streaks of energy made circles in her tummy, but a good feeling. Not like she was sick. The circles grew bigger, filling her heart and lungs, so every breath and heartbeat made the magic stronger. Trying to find a way out, her magic swelled, pushing into her throat.
She knew what to do!
When you’re going to do something magnificent, start with something small. That’s what Zax whispered before they left Ashana.
Fable tried to run after the dragon, but Nantli held her arm and made her stop. “Please don’t scare me like that.”
Heaving a sigh, Fable tried to shake off her mother’s grip. When she couldn’t without hurting Nantli, Fable turned her face up to the dragon.
“Once...” Her voice wobbled and faded. She rubbed her throat and coughed. The magic was trapped. It needed to get out! Fable had to practice something small.
Nantli’s eyes went wide and filled with tears. She pressed a finger over Fable’s lips. “Little book, I love that you feel safe enough to talk here, but wait —”
“Let her talk.” Norrix grinned. “No one here will ever force her to be silent.”
Nantli shook her head. “No, you don’t understand. When she —”
Fable cleared her throat, pushed her mother’s hand aside, and concentrated. “Once... once upon a time, the dragon was real!”
The magic burst from her in a bright swirl of rainbow colors and flew into the dragon.
“Oh... Can she do... that?” Norrix looked worried.
“Ha!” Soră laughed. “Not so sure of himself now, is he?”
Nantli tried to watch Fable and the dragon at the same time. “That’s why I didn’t want her to say anything magic-ish yet. After we just had the overdoses... and well, as far as I know, she can ask for anything to happen, and it does.”
The dragon swooped low, and this time when she flapped her wings, the gusts of wind forced all the adults to take a step back. She went vertical in front of them and landed hard on her hind legs. Her claws tore into the driveway, tearing up chunks of pavement as she folded her wings and settled to the ground.
Uh oh. Are we in trouble?
“Nope!” Soră ran forward. “The changed ones will fix it. Come on!”
With a quick look at Nantli, Fable darted after Soră to stand next to the dragon. She lowered her head to rest at Fable’s feet.
Fable threw her arms as far as she could around the beast’s neck. The dragon curled one foreleg around her.
“There’s the rest of them!” Soră called. A bear, a crow, and a snake emerged from shadows next to the house and pond.
“There are more of them?” Nantli shouted at Norrix.
“They weren’t here when I left!”
“That’s all of them,” Viktoria said. “Except for the cat and the owl. But they’re inside with Selene and Musette.”
Nantli threw her hands in the air.
“Once upon a time you were all real, too,” Fable opened her arms wide. “But you have to be smaller.”
More of her rainbow magic rushed out with her words. One by one, the shadow animals grew solid, then shrank to a foot high. Each of them had silver eyes. Fable gathered them in her arms, cuddling and cooing.
When her magic did this and made new things instead of trying to blow up, Soră was right — it was fun.
CHAPTER SIXTY
MYTH
FABLE STOOD UP, SCATTERING the shadow animals to frolic around her. “Nantli! Did you see the colors?”
Fuck. That was Myth’s new favorite word. It worked for so many things. Everyone saw those colors. Or at least the result of them. Dragons were supposed to be storybook creatures, not something she actually had to worry about. There was a dragon on his house and Norrix was calm! That radiated through their link, and her heartbeat slowed.
Their world was going to be this kind of weird now. Norrix tangled his fingers with hers. She could deal with this kind of weird.
It’s okay, Soră. Fable will be protected. The voice, so childish and playful in its timbre before, sounded like fate speaking now.
Okay. Help me protect her.
Some strygoi magic is in each shadow and Fable can take them
wherever she goes. She made them real and if she gets scared, she can make them big. She will never be unprotected again, Soră.
“Well,” the man with two swords murmured. “I guess Ciaran can stop worrying about the homeowner’s insurance covering dragons on the roof.”
Norrix chuckled. “That sounds like Ciaran.” He pulled her forward. “Myth, this is Viktoria and Jael. You know Ember and Stryx.”
Jael sheathed his black swords on his back.
Ember crouched in front of Fable. “You can call me Auntie Em if you want, unless there’s a tornado. We were just with Selene and my sister. Would you like to meet them? They’re excited that you’re here.”
Fable nodded, then seemed to remember she could talk. “Yes!”
“I met your sister, Musette,” Myth said. “She wasn’t quite what I was expecting.”
“She told me about your meeting.” Ember held out a hand. “I had no idea she could do that. Come on. We’ll poof to the tower and let the boys catch up.”
Myth accepted Ember’s hand. Viktoria gathered the shadow animals, and Fable, and with a silver flash, they reappeared in a round tower room divided into sections.
A library held a bookcase and desk. A small kitchen against one curved wall. Windows on one side of the tower showed the front lawn. Two beds stood next to each other, but the three occupants of the room were settled on couches before the fireplace with a stone mantel. Two women, one Musette, the dark-haired, violet-eyed woman must be Selene. The man with them who didn’t leave Musette’s side would be Idris.
Fable ran across the room and rounded the corner of the couch, trailed by her shadow animals. A sense of relief and amazement washed over Myth. Her little girl, so brave and resilient, skidded to a stop when she saw the golden-haired woman lying there, her head on a pillow in Selene’s lap.
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