The morning light filtered into the bedroom as the guys woke up. Contently, Eli stretched and reached for Aurora's leg to cuddle her. Finding her scorching hot, he sat straight up in bed.
“Umm... Guys! We have a problem waking up!” Yelled Eli through their telepathic bond to avoid waking Aurora. Karis sat up from where he had turned in the night onto his back. Deacon shot out of bed in a hurry and taking a battle stance, yelled.
“What’s going on!” And Teagan sat up, rubbing his eyes.
“Aurora is burning up with fever; we should get her to that special room the Vola was talking about.” Teagan reached out to touch Aurora's skin only to yank his finger back as it blistered.
“Holy shit! She’s burning hot.! I will bring my dragon forth and pick her up. I need to cool her off, or we will never make it to the temple. Karis, can you make some ice cubes in the bathing pool?” Asked Teagan as he let his dragon come forth as his eyes changed to gold. “Yes, I’ll do it now.” Said Karis in a hurry as he ran to the bathroom and performed a spell to ice the pool with ice cubes. And for good measure made the pool of water much colder in case her power started to boil the water as he suspected it would. Teagan took his shirt off so it wouldn’t catch fire, and picking her up, he carried her hurriedly to the pool. Stepping in, he submerged her body as the water boiled around her steam rising into the air.
“Mm... too hot.” murmured Aurora as she tossed her head back and forth with beads of sweat all over her skin.
“Okay, Karis, can you make the water cool once again it is getting hot in here? I can handle the heat, but her body is not ready yet for this.” Asked Teagan. Karis once again cooled the pool. Deacon paced back and forth in and out of the bathroom, his brow furrowed.
Teagan worried his lower lip and Said. “Okay, let’s get her to the temple. This calls for teleporting so everyone together.” Said Teagan as he carried Aurora out of the water. The brothers all moved close together and with intention, teleported in a blink to the temple. Dripping water everywhere, they arrived in the temple's main waiting area, and Deacon bellowed at the poor clerk.
“Get the Vola and temple priests and priestesses NOW!” The clerk took one look at all four men and the young woman in their arms and ran like the dickens down the hall to find the Vola first. The Vola rushed down the hall towards them.
“Come, we don’t have much time I can sense she is close to turning.” She led them down the hall and met up again with the clerk who guided the Vola down the hall where they stopped. The Vola took out a long key on her necklace and opened a secret panel in the wall. It opened, and she cast a spell for fire to light the torches on the walls. Light encased a stairway that twisted and turned down into darkness. Following the Vola down the shadowed stairway, their feet thudding on the stone stairs echoing in the small space. Aurora started breathing in small labored gasps, steam rolling off her skin.
“She’s almost dry all over again! Karis, can you try anything to cool her body temperature down?” Requested Teagan as he worried his bottom lip. Karis furrowed his brow and concentrated all his energy on magically cooling the air around Aurora’s body. In doing so, he made it snow around her as they walked down more stairs. The snowflakes melted as they touched down on her heated body. The Vola lead them down a dark hallway lighting the torches magically as she went. They came around a bend, and she ushered them to a room that had a separate stone room with a viewing window.
“Quickly put her in the room on that mat. Fast now; we don’t have long!” Said the Vola. Teagan walked into the big room and laid Aurora down on the mat; her nightgown had started to smolder. The Vola gestured for him to come out of the room.
“Come out here where you will be safe.” Said the Vola in a rushed tone.
“I am a dragon; I will not leave my mate; I can withstand the flames.” Stated Teagan as he stood beside where Aurora lay. Eli, Karis, and Deacon tried to push their way into the room.
But Teagan spoke up stubbornly. “She wouldn’t want to hurt you three, and you’re not made to withstand fire. Do what you can to help from out there.” Clearly not completely fine with the way things were panning out they agreed because they knew Teagan was right, Aurora wouldn’t forgive herself if she hurt any of them. So, nodding their heads, it was decided that Teagan would face her fire and whatever else by her side. The Vola closed the heavy stone door encasing them in the room. It echoed in the stone chamber as it banged shut like a tomb. Keeping his dragon close to the surface, Teagan sat near Aurora, trying to think about how he could help her get through this. Aurora groaned as she sat up on her own. Looking up at Teagan, only half-conscious she asked. “Where am I?” Teagan getting down in front of her, hugged her close.
“We are in the secret room, your burning up Aurora. Your first shift will happen soon. I will help you the best I can.” Aurora pulled away terror and panic on her face as she whispered only for his ears alone.
“You can’t be in here with me! Myself in my past life told me I now have demon fire. We don’t know how it will manifest! I can’t hurt you; please go.” She pleaded as tears streamed down her cheeks. Teagan was unsure what to think asked. “How?”
Aurora crying quietly said. “I in my last life made a deal with a demon for a price I got given demon fire so I can fight fire with fire to hopefully win this war. You have to leave this room.” Teagan shook his head and rubbing a hand down her back replied as he wiped her tears away with his other hand.
“I am a dragon, my love, and I can withstand demon fire and the depths of hell for you. You can’t hurt me.”
She sniffled and looked at him. “Really?” He nodded. In reality, he truly didn’t know if he would be okay, but he knew he needed to be okay for her. He had withstood hellfire in a fight once. So hopefully, this would be no different, he thought.
“I am going to change into my dragon, so I am fully protected, okay, Love.” Said Teagan as he kissed her wet cheek. “Be brave, love; you can do this.” Stepping ten feet back, he let his bones crack and reform into a gigantic red dragon. Speaking to her telepathically, he opened the link to his brothers and said to his mate.
“I love you, Aurora, you can do this. The pain will be great at first, but it gets better with practice until you don’t feel it at all. I promise you to love; it will get better.” Aurora groaned again in pain.
“I feel like I am burning from the inside out.” She said into their connection. Karis spoke up through the link.
“Honey, I know this is difficult; we will try to help all we can. We love you.” Aurora gritted her teeth in pain and projected her next thoughts.
“I don’t know what is going to happen. In my past life, I wrote to me and revealed that I got gifted with demon fire on top of every other gift. I’m a wild card guys; we don’t know what my body will do. We can’t tell anyone about this, not even the Vola, in my past life I had powerful witches hide this from her. I don’t yet know why I hid it from her, but there must have been a reason. I plan to find out, though, once I have time. The reason has to be in the journals that I wrote to myself. Do whatever you can please to keep her and everyone else from seeing me please!” Explained Aurora as she groaned again, curling up on the floor mat.
“I feel like I’m burning; I feel so hot.” Moaned Aurora. Karis spoke up then.
“I am going to frost over this window and make it colder in that room; it might snow. It will keep everyone else from seeing what is happening too.” Eli spoke next. “Aurora, I love you, and I wish I could do more for you right now.” Said Eli helplessly as he stood on the other side of the window.
Deacon gruffly spoke next. “I love you, firefly; you can do this. You are strong, and remember you have done this in many different lifetimes.” The observation window started forming ice crystals that started expanding into snowflake patterns as the window began to ice up. Perspiration from the heat rolling off her body dripped down the windows icing up with frost and snowflakes forming all over them. The ice slowly spread all over
the window; then, it started moving to the cement walls. It covered every inch of the cement room walls, only a circle of cement around Aurora remained free of frost.
Aurora could faintly hear the priests and priestesses getting upset about not being able to see her. Feeling angry over them treating her like some circus sideshow attraction, she felt glad they could no longer see her. The Vola’s voice carried above them all; she had the nerve to threaten her mates. Fury burned deep within Aurora like a raging fire that couldn’t be quenched. Knowing she needed to get this shifting business done so she could be with her mates and put the Vola in her place, she let that inner fire burn. “How dare she threaten my mates!” Projected Aurora angerly through the telepathic link.
On the other side of the Stone magically enforced chamber, Eli, Deacon, and Karis took a defensive stance to protect their mate. She was vulnerable when going through her first shift. And thanks to her information about the demon fire, the stakes were higher than they had imagined. Karis let himself grow in size, hulking out until his head hit the stone ceiling. Eli let his wolf come to the surface as his bones cracked, breaking and snapping, then reforming into a big black wolf with a white star on his forehead. He snarled at the Vola, hunkering down, ready to pounce on anyone who is a threat. Deacon let his Valkyrie wings loose and pulled his spelled axes from his back, crossing them in front of him at the ready. The Vola, a little taken aback by their defensive stance, asked in a deceptively innocent voice.
“Why are you turning toward us as if we are a threat?” Asked the Vola.
“We are protecting our mate, anyone who threatens her or tries to get past us to this chamber will die today!” Said Deacon in a booming voice. The priests and priestesses backed up away from the Vola until suddenly she waved her fingers in their direction and magically made it so they couldn’t flee the room. “You wouldn’t abandon your Vola when you have been told you are needed, would you?” She asked them as she sneered.
“Vola, I ask you this. Who is in charge of Asgard? If your answer is anyone other than the gods of Asgard or Aurora, a goddess in her own right, then you are wrong! I smell your death on the rolling wind. I would think before responding, or you may seal your fate.” Boomed Deacon as his battle armor magically started appearing on his body. A steel Valkyrie helmet protected his head, chain mail adorned his chest, and wrist guards appeared on his wrists. Knowing a Valkyrie could smell death on a person, the Vola paled and let her hold on the priests and priestesses go.
“You have me pegged wrong, I wish to help Aurora, but I can’t help her if I can’t have someone describe what is happening to her.” Pleaded the Vola. Aurora spoke through the telepathic link they shared.
“She has revealed herself to be a snake! Let her slither away to be dealt with another day.” Suddenly Auroras screams from inside the chamber could be heard. A wind blew in the chamber like a hurricane, snow fell and melted on her skin, as the pain raged.
Chapter Six: Becoming the living flame.
It was burning; I was burning from the inside out! I could hear myself screaming, but I couldn’t move. My clothing was gone burnt to ashes. I hunched over in excruciating pain as my bones started to snap. My fingernails, hair, and teeth fell out. Claws grew from my hands as I watched in horror. My face elongated grew a snout as I watched. My bones broke and started to grow and reform as my body changed. I could smell and hear far keener. I could smell my own panic and fear, rancid on the stale air. I looked down and could see my black socked paws. I was a white wolf with sharp teeth that grew into my jaw and put a whole new meaning to teething.
Before, I could get used to this new body. It started breaking and snapping again. Reversing the process until I was in a human body naked on the stone floor withering in pain once again. The floor mat was long gone, I had burnt it to ashes without meaning to. Looking weakly to Teagan, he stood in dragon form, lending me what little support he could. Suddenly I burst into flame; my whole body was a walking torch.
“Why are my flames blue, orange, and red?" I asked, weakly into the bond.
“I don’t know, I have never seen anything like it. Your burning blue flame that means technically that you could kill a dragon, or demigod, possibly even a God or something equally powerful with that flame,” responded Teagan helplessly as he stood back.
“There has never been anyone as powerful as you. Your power even outranks your parents, and they are the original Gods.” Surprised, I gasped as the flame consumed me fully. The heat felt like it was searing me from the inside out.
My bones began to break yet again. My whole body was magically lifted into the air as I groaned in pain, then screamed outright. As my body grew larger by the second, my body thrashed as it grew in size, and my magic caused its own weather pattern of snow, rain, hurricane wind that battered against me, Teagan, and the walls. Feeling like I swallowed a hot fire poker, I coughed, and a stream of fire flew out my mouth as my body formed into a dragon.
Looking down at my body, I found I was a purple dragon. Teagan’s dragon came over to me and nuzzled my dragon’s face affectionately. Then once again, the pain and burning were back, I was on fire once again. I wanted the pain just to stop. It was too much. Then my bones cracked and splintered as my body shrunk down in size.
Until once again, I was naked in my human form on the cold hard cement floor. Teagan shifted back into his human form and came forward to cradle me against his body. I couldn’t move at; first, I felt so broken and weak. I imagined this is what someone who has been run over twice by a dump truck and survives must feel like. Exhausted, I tried to move even though it hurt more. I managed to sit up. I could hear the Vola threatening my mates. How dare she abuse her power and position. People trusted her, and she abused that trust Aurora just couldn’t tell what the Vola’s reasoning was. What was the advantage she got from betraying her people? And how did one reveal her motives and betrayals while proving it? The fury burned rekindled all over again, hot raw fire broiled in my stomach, and I let it burn. Because I knew today, I would have to assert my power. Show her I was the bigger jungle cat, and this is my territory. Don’t fuck with me.
Aurora stood now completely naked and running on pure adrenaline. Telepathically she told her mates to open the chamber door she was done with the shifting, but she was far from being done tonight. Gathering every ounce of strength, she told herself to act strong. Show no weakness to these people. The chamber door swung open, and she walked out to face the Vola. Letting her fury take over, she let her flame ignite her hands and head. Holding her head high, she walked out of the chamber naked with her eyes burning fury. Her dragon came forth, her eyes changing to bright orange like flames, and her hands half shifted into wolf claws as the flames danced out of her palms. “You dare to threaten my mates! What makes you Vola think that you have the right to abuse your power and position within my realm?” Boomed Aurora protectively as she slowly walked with confidence straight towards the Vola. The Vola, who now slunk back in fear, didn’t seem nearly as confident as she had moments ago.
“I am sorry, my goddess; I only wanted to help you. I thought it best to have the priests and priestesses here with us in case your power was too strong.” Aurora waved her hand. “Silence! Stop speaking in half-truths. You better decide where your loyalty stands, Vola. Because if your loyalty does not stand with me, then you stand against me. And I will turn anyone who stands in the way of me winning this war to ashes. Have I made myself clear?” Boomed Aurora. The Vola shook and nodded her head as she bowed.
“Guys, I am ready to go home. Take me home to the palace, please.” Pleaded Aurora through their telepathic link. They gathered around her, holding her close as they teleported back to the palace. Once Aurora got her bearings, her legs gave out from under her. Karis caught her and scooping her up, took her to the bed where she could rest and regain her strength.
“You did well, my firefly,” whispered Deacon as he ran his fingers through her long blue hair. Eli returned with a few wet clothes
and started whipping her body down. The ashes and soot from burning the nightgown and floor mat had stuck to her skin everywhere. Only now noticing she was totally naked as the day she was born did she slightly blush in embarrassment. But she was too exhausted and sore to move even a toe. It had taken every ounce of her strength to go through that shift, then show a strong front to put the Vola in her place. Aurora made a mental note that she had to find a way to prove where the Vola’s loyalty lay. Plus, she needed to figure out who she could trust and who she shouldn’t. It was clear the see-er had been running the city since Aurora’s parents had disappeared.
How long they had been missing, she didn’t know. What were her parents like? She had so many questions, and no energy left after the trials of the last few days. But one thing was clear the Vola was a little too confident and comfortable in her power over everyone. It looked like the power had gone to the Vola’s head. She had forgotten that she was not in the position to make choices for Aurora or her people.
Aurora woke up snuggly spooned in Karis’s big arms. The first thing she noticed was that she was cocooned in the massive bed, and they were alone just the two of them. The second thing was that she was still naked and intimately spooned her naked back against his naked chest. Wiggling a bit, she turned her head to look up at Karis, who slept with a content grin on his face. His dirty blond hair fell over his chiseled cheekbones. Feeling her move, he pulled her snuggly against his hard body. His big cock at attention bulged against her pert ass. Feeling a tiny bit daring and naughty, she wiggled some more, causing a groan to slip out of Karis’s mouth as he blinked an eye open.
The Prophecy Page 11
