Ward of Wyvern: A dragon shifter fantasy (The Dragon Mage Book 1)

by LJ Andrews

  Dash snapped his fangs. Raffi sliced his claws against Teagan’s chest, narrowly missing heart. Sapphire and Eisha stood stalwart, simply watching. Was no one going to stop the madness?

  Raffi lumbered across the sanctuary—he had Teagan on the run, and gilded flames were sparking at his heels. Teagan struck at Raffi’s jaw—since he’d abandoned the knife, his hands were his only weapons. I smirked when the touch of Teagan’s skin on Raffi’s scales seemed to bring some level of discomfort. Teagan took the opportunity to scale along Raffi’s haunches, his face filled with a new determination.

  Raffi bellowed and shuddered as Teagan attempted to mount his back without permission. But little by little, Raffi weakened. My eyes went wide. Teagan’s touch could bring down a warrior? His small victory was short-lived. Dash swiped at Teagan, his clawed foot dragging him to the forest floor in a heap of soil and twigs.

  “Enough,” I shouted at Mini. “This isn’t teaching him, he’s insanely outmatched. I will order them to stop.”

  “If you do, you will only harm Teagan in the long run.” Mini dangled her thin legs over the branch of a large pine, her eyes never leaving the squabble in the circle. “He must learn how to call upon his strength.”

  “No, this is ridiculous.”

  Raffi swatted at Teagan, rolling him aside like a fallen log.

  “Jade,” Sapphire said gently. “Give it a little more time, this is for Teagan’s sake.”

  I stomped further away from Eisha and Sapphire, maybe pouting a little, and took my place atop a boulder on the opposite side of the sanctuary where Raffi and Dash readied to finish the job.

  Raffi found a way to swing against Teagan’s body and knocked him back to the ground. Teagan groaned loudly, and I realized he’d fallen on a rogue root jutting from the soil. Where he hurt, I did. I thought I might shift right then when I snarled toward Dash. The warrior gave me a pinched glance, discomposed, even in his true form.

  But no shift came. My foolish body kept me prisoner.

  Together Dash and Raffi opened their jaws. They would entrap Teagan with their flames—I’d seen it many times when warriors wanted to play a bit with their enemies before killing.

  Teagan’s chest heaved, and I thought he might give up when Dash easily pressed one of his clawed feet over Teagan’s chest. By the way he was gasping, Dash had added just enough pressure to take some of the wind from Teagan’s lungs.

  He shot the two warriors a scathing look and a final surge of power burst from his body. The first spark of flame was building in the back of Raffi’s throat. Teagan’s head flopped against the ground, eyes closed.

  Like a slow rippling wave, the soil broke in bursts of stone and roots. The dragon emblems glowed on the stones.

  Raffi closed his jaws and glanced up, as did Dash. Eisha held firmly to Sapphire’s forearm as they looked about. Teagan pressed harder on the ground, his body trembling. The dirt, twigs, branches, everything swayed and bent into Teagan the more his magic bled into the sanctuary.

  Raffi growled in pain and stepped away as though the very presence of Teagan scorched his fire-resistant skin. I ducked when the spruce tree behind me bent low, curving at the strongest point of its trunk. Teagan staggered to his feet, palms up, his eyes bright and dangerous when he glanced at the two warriors.

  Every step he took, the ground threatened to cave in. Never had I sensed such a fury of mystics and energy. Not from any wyvern, not from anything I sensed in Mini.

  Teagan stalked Raffi and Dash. His face strong; his eyes were different. A kind of golden green with a hint of his blue. Power. It was the only way I could describe it. A dormant power had certainly awakened in Teagan Ward.

  A gust of wind tossed my hair about my face, boughs broke away from the trees, stones unfurled from the underground. The debris of the forest swirled around Teagan, providing natural weapons; he needed only to ask and pluck his choice from jagged stone, broken tree limbs, crushing boulders.

  “Enough, Teagan!” Mini cried. The sanctuary was crumbling—or so it seemed. I saw the earth slide slightly, like the very bedrock was slipping away.

  The stones gleamed brighter. Teagan either didn’t hear her or was refusing to stop because he continued forward with each groundbreaking step. Mini leapt from her place in the tree. Forcefully, she placed her hand on the side of his face. I didn’t know what she was doing, but I sprinted at them.

  Teagan shouted in pain. He lowered his hands, and the whirlwind of power ceased like a breathless whisper. The trees returned to their calm. The stones were uninteresting gray blocks again.

  Teagan rubbed a red mark on his cheek. “Why did you do that? You said you wanted me to fight back.”

  “Did you even see what you were doing?” Mini spun around, taking in the mess. “What was that? Tell me how you did that.”

  Teagan glanced at the shifted ground and tormented trees as if he had no memory of creating the force. His lip was bleeding, and his shoulders lifted in big gasps. Raffi and Dash slithered down to their human forms, both bare chested in russet pants, their eyes wide and bodies glistening in sweat.

  Eisha was at my side, and I sensed her hesitation to let me any closer to Teagan, but I found her concern ridiculous. I seemed to be the only one in awe at his burst of strength. He was thrilling and a wonder.

  “I just had the . . . thought, I guess, to use the stones. Then when they had me pinned, I don’t know, I knew the power of the stones would be in the ground. I didn’t know all this was happening, I was so focused on tossing whatever I could at Raffi and Dash. You shouldn’t have stopped me, I felt—I know this sounds crazy—but I felt like this place wanted me to keep going. Like there’s something here that will help me. But I didn’t reach it.”

  Mini’s brow furrowed. Teagan glanced at me, then slowly lowered to sit on a stone, rubbing the back of his neck. I gently brushed my hand across his shoulders and kneeled next to him.

  “Sorry if I did anything wrong or—”

  “No. This is extraordinary,” Mini whispered. “Such raw power, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such a thing. We need to harness this energy, Teagan. You could be unstoppable if you learn how to channel it.”

  “Do I have to do it again? I feel like I’m going to tip over and fall asleep right here.”

  Mini chuckled. “You’re still getting used to it all. I expected you to feel tired if you used a little power, but what I saw was a hurricane. I’m surprised you didn’t pass out.”

  “Come with me, Teagan. We’ll get you back to the house,” Sapphire said.

  “I’m coming with you,” I insisted.

  Eisha took my hand. “Perhaps we should give him time to rest.”

  “Do we power each other or not? Can my energy help him recover?” I asked Mini.

  She seemed reluctant, but eventually agreed. “It’s true. Teagan’s wyvern has the ability to help him refuel, in a sense.”

  Sapphire nodded, and melted beautifully into his regal wyvern form. Teagan sighed and found the strength to stand. Clasping his hand, I allowed him to take the front, since I thought he might fall off the back if I didn’t block him.

  As we rose into the sky, Teagan slumped forward, his hand still clasped in mine, and rested against the base of Sapphire’s neck.

  I kept my hands on his back, hoping to give him a little energy. With a look at the battered clearing, I grinned. Maybe I didn’t know exactly what happened in the trees, but one thing was certain: Teagan was no ordinary mage.

  Chapter 20

  Teagan still slept upstairs. He’d hardly flopped onto his bed before his body succumbed to the exhaustion from the training—though I wouldn’t necessarily call it that, more an unveiling of his ability.

  The living room of the reform house was pleasant and comfortable. The various magis residents were all in their private rooms by this time of night and none the wiser that the head of the house was a dragon and their fellow reform was a mysterious mage.

  “You should go home and
get some rest,” Sapphire said, but he held two mugs of molta, an icy drink made mostly of spices and water, but it soothed the boil in our blood. “I’ll keep my eye on him tonight.”

  “I’m letting him rest for a time. I’ll go home eventually, but I’d like to help him recover if I can.” I took the mug graciously and sipped Sapphire’s concoction until the burn in my throat eased. Sometimes, even when I was in human form, my wyvern body reacted. I could practically feel the fire breathing through my lungs after such a sight with Teagan. “What do you make of today, Konrad?”

  Sapphire glanced out the window, taking a sip every few breaths. “I’m concerned.”

  “You still don’t trust him?”

  “That’s not what I said. I’m concerned because there is something more with Teagan Ward than we know. Even his name—Ward. Someone certainly wanted him tagged as a mage. Mini goes by Keeper, and I’ve heard of other mages using common names like Guard, or Sentinel. His aunt’s last name is Jones. I assumed she was his mother’s sister, or it was a married name.”

  “What are you saying?” I asked.

  Sapphire placed his mug down and stared at me with his coal-black eyes. “I’m not convinced Teagan is an orphan.”

  My breath was frosty as I sucked in deeply at the same time I sipped my drink. “You think his parents are alive? You think they’re mages, don’t you?”

  “Well, they’d have to be,” Sapphire said. “But with the tag, it’s as if they wanted him to be known as a protector of the bloodline. If we find out who his parents are—”

  “It would answer some questions,” I said with a gasp. I leaned forward on my knees. “I felt his power—it was reaching me today. Did you feel it?”

  Sapphire shook his head. “Only after he was crushing the forest, but that was basic survival instinct kicking in. Jade, promise me you’ll be careful about the connection. Though I’m not as outspoken as Mini, there is no record of mage and wyvern joining in anything other than power partnerships.”

  “I’m cautious, Konrad. I’m not the foolish child many believe me to be,” I said. “But I feel something so deeply for Teagan. It surpasses the realm of partnership. I can’t explain it.”

  Sapphire sighed, but his eyes were softer. “I will admit there is a unique connection with you and Teagan, one I’ve never experienced with Mini. She’s a loyal friend to me. I would protect her, and she would protect me, though we drive each other crazy sometimes. Just be wise. The elders may not like their queen feeling romantically toward a mage—a mage we know nothing about.”

  I smiled, feeling as though someone was finally listening to me. “I will be careful. I know my priorities as the next queen.”

  He nodded, but stiffened after a moment. I held my breath, cursing my forgetfulness regarding my warding energies when Mitch walked into the room, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw me sitting casually on the sofa.

  “Uh, Mr. Sapphire,” he said, though his eyes were drifting toward me.

  Sapphire stood, once more the stern counselor of the house. “Mitch, it’s after curfew.”

  “Yeah, I know.” Again, a quick glance in my direction. “I just thought I’d let you know Teagan is sick—or something’s going on in his room.”

  My blood froze, and I desperately tried to keep my face neutral, but it was almost impossible to fight the urge to rush up the stairs to Teagan’s room.

  “Thanks, Mitch,” Sapphire said. “I’ll check on him.”

  “I better get going,” I stammered, gathering the sweater I’d brought, though my skin was as fire.

  “Jade, wait,” Sapphire said, all while Mitch’s brow rose curiously. I would deal with Mitch later. He was a simple fae. It wouldn’t be hard to convince him this conversation never happened.

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll let you know if he needs anything,” I whispered.

  Mitch’s nose crinkled, and his brown eyes shifted to suspicion, but Sapphire would simply have to handle him on his own because I was already out the door and rushing around the house to the gabled window.

  I climbed the trellis in no time at all and slid open the window. Teagan sat on the edge of his bed, his breaths haggard, but he didn’t seem as pale.

  “Teagan.” I curled through the window. “Are you all right? Mitch said something was wrong.”

  He glanced over his shoulder, brow sprinkled in sweat, but he smiled at me. “I can move things.”

  “What?” I took a seat next to him. Teagan held the mage book I’d left with him opened to a page about harnessing energy in objects.

  “Watch this,” he said. Teagan muttered something in some sort of language I didn’t recognize. His palm was out and he stared at the desk.

  The desk chair rocked back and tumbled to the ground in a crash. Next, the jar holding the pen and pencil wobbled, then it trembled. Teagan’s jaw pulsed; the jar rocked. In a matter of moments, the jar tipped, spilling the pen and pencil along the desk. Teagan smiled, breathless.

  “This book says with more power, you can ask energy to help you. Sort of like what you did with the glass against Graham, or making the branch into the dagger,” he said in a husky whisper. His face was alive with energy and excitement. I couldn’t help but smile.

  “That’s amazing.” I rested a hand on his face, his skin feverish. “How do you feel? I think you should be resting.”

  “I will, but I need you to help me with something first.”

  Teagan held out his hand, beckoning me to come closer. He waited quietly until I locked my fingers with his. Once again he turned his gaze back to the desk where the pen and pencil were at rest. He squeezed my hand tight, and the warmth encompassed me. Teagan lifted his hand and at once the pen and pencil shot wildly across the room; enough speed Teagan and I had to duck to avoid being impaled by the lead.

  The points stuck deep into the wall behind us. He glanced at me, then our hands, then back to my eyes. I beamed in the dark of his room.

  “It’s like you make it so much simpler to do anything. When you touch me and I try to harness whatever this power is and it comes naturally. You fill a missing piece,” he whispered.

  “That’s incredible.” I glanced at the pen and the pencil. “Does touching me help you feel more rested after fighting Raffi and Dash?”

  Teagan nodded, his free hand running along my arm until chills raced along my skin. “I always feel stronger when you’re nearby. Having you step next to me, all the exhaustion of earlier was gone. It’s what I thought of when we were in the sanctuary. I thought of you. What if you were being attacked? Something broke inside me, like a wall I had built against the energy of that place. As soon as it was gone, I knew what to do. It was because of you I was able to fight back against two dragons.”

  “It must be our bond.” I met his eye and felt the shudder in my heart that I was falling in love with. I believed it was more than the bond, something much deeper. But I remembered my promise to Sapphire—I was the future queen of elemental wyverns. I needed to be cautious with this feeling. I had to at least entertain the notion that Teagan and I were confusing the attraction, the pull toward each other, for something else.

  Then his fingers traced my jaw, and I didn’t care as much.

  “It isn’t only our bond,” he whispered. His hand cupped the side of my face. My own hands inched around his neck. I wanted to be close with him and not only because of this connection between us.

  I admired Teagan. He was stronger than he let on. He’d lived all his life feeling wildly different from others, and yet he still had a good heart. I sensed his hurt from what life had dealt. Years of feeling alone, misunderstood, and angry. I hurt for him.

  But feelings went deeper. Teagan made me laugh, he was thoughtful, and tried to be better. He was safe and kind. All of it rolled into the fated bond and strengthened our connection, but the stirring in my heart when he came near had to mean more than protection. For me, it meant a great deal more.

  Teagan’s eyes locked with mine, and I k
new by the way my face inched closer to him that this was the moment I’d been waiting for. The brush of his lips across my forehead caused me to crumble closer against his chest. My fingers threaded through his hair. I closed my eyes, breathing in the spice of his skin.

  With a soft tilt to my chin, Teagan smiled at me and in one more breath, pressed his lips against mine.

  Teagan urged my body against his. My lips parted. I stole a taste of him. He groaned and backed me against the wall, deepening the kiss. My lips burned. Such a pleasant burn I forced them harder against his mouth. Teagan arched his hips against me, hand curled beneath one of my thighs, drawing me in, so we could not come any closer. His lips found my neck, his tongue on my skin. I bared my neck, breathless with desire.

  An electric current filled the room, as though lightning struck through the crown of my head, only to exit through Teagan’s toes. I never wanted the moment to end.

  Teagan kissed me with passion, and I kissed him right back.

  He stopped once, both of us catching our breaths, and I thought I saw him wince. Before I could ask him, he was kissing me again. My head swirled as his fingers clutched my waist, accidentally brushing over my skin beneath the hem of my shirt. It was a shock I’d never experienced before.

  Then, he pulled his mouth from mine and buried his face into my shoulder, his breathing uneven.

  “What’s wrong?” I whispered.

  Teagan groaned, clenched his teeth, and slapped at the back of his neck. “Something’s burning—dammit—like really burning.”

  In one graceful motion, he pulled his shirt over his shoulders, revealing his muscled back. I covered my mouth, watching in real time the jade armor markings spread along his spine and back.

  “It’s growing.” I touched the spirals gently. Teagan looked over his shoulder trying to see. “It’s different than the others on your arms.”

  “What is it? What’s it saying?”

  “Teagan, it’s . . . my seal.”

  “The jade bloodline?”