by Cassia Briar
I held up both hands in surrender. “As you can see, I was desperate, Ruby. Is he going to make it?” I tilted my head toward the garage.
“He will. I’ve patched him up and his werewolf healing ability will kick in and do the rest.” She firmed her grip on the wand. “I believe I have Angel Cortez in there. Another traitor. You know I could turn you both in? The Council has promised immortality to anyone who aids them.”
My brows quirked.
“Oh, you didn’t know. It’s true. The queen herself sent out a video to gather support.” She cocked her head. “Give me one good reason not to call the Council right now and turn you both over.”
“Politics aside. I’ll ask this as a personal favor. If not for me, then for the friendship and loyalty you held for my mother.” Hands still in the air, I remained unmoving. Ruby and my mother had gone to Academy Obscura together decades ago and had formed a life long friendship. From what my mother had said, Ruby had wicked good skill with a wand. I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of her spells. The last part of my plea came out softly, “You know my father betrayed her, too. I think he’s the reason she killed herself. You knew her better than anyone, do you really believe she would stand by him today and align herself with the Tromara?”
Silence hung between us. The sounds of the city hummed all around.
“I don’t think she would, no.” Ruby lowered her wand. “You’re truly with the resistance then. I had to be sure. You could have sided with your father.”
“What?” I frowned at her.
“You remember me because I was around a lot during your childhood. What you don’t know is during that time, your mother and I supplied funding to the rebels in the last uprising.”
My frown deepened.
“When your father found out, he made her death look like a suicide. The Council had firmly stated their surrender to the Tromara. They’d ordered the uprising to stop. But we continued for as long as the rebel leaders needed us. Of course, Demarcus couldn’t let it get out that a councilman’s wife was siding against him—disobeying his orders.” Ruby shuddered. “Your mother’s death was her punishment. It was also his way of punishing me. Now you know.”
My mouth had gone dry. I swallowed hard, letting her story sink in. My father had been unfaithful to his wife, a traitor to his country, and now he was a murderer. The hatred I felt for him doubled, eating at my gut.
She folded her arms over her chest. “I never would have risked telling you this before. At the same time, I’m sorry to have kept the truth from you for all these years.” A sad smile pulled at her lips. “Welcome to the other side. I’m glad you’ve joined us. Now let’s get you cleaned up and fed.”
That evening, we sat in Ruby’s living room, while she cleaned up dinner in the kitchen. Angel was healing well, but quite stiff and sore. And not in the best of moods.
“Caprice and the guys are going to be flipping the fuck out at this point,” he said, then groaned as he adjusted in the overstuffed recliner. “We need to get word to them about the Codex.”
“It’s not like the number for Academy Obscura can be found on the internet. I’ve checked.” Neither of us had a cell phone, and without our contacts list we were screwed. I made a mental note to memorize important phone numbers.
“We need to get back to the Academy,” he said for the hundredth time.
I was sick of hearing it and the nagging feeling of helplessness that went with it. “How do you plan to do that?” I snapped. “The place is surrounded by Tromara. They’re not going to let us waltz through the front gate. Besides, we don’t have a vehicle.”
“I think I remember the general coordinates of the secret passage. If we can get close enough—”
“What? To poke around in the woods for a well-hidden entrance that no one has ever found? Never knew existed until a few days ago?”
“Don’t fucking interrupt me!” He snarled. “Unlike you, I need a plan of action. I’m tired of sitting here.”
“Like I’m not!” I pushed to my feet, seething. “Fine. We’re leaving right now.”
Angel squinted up at me. “Fine. Let’s go.” He laboriously eased out of the chair.
Ignoring Angel, I strode to the kitchen. “Ruby, we need to get going. I also need another favor.” I grimaced.
“Take my car. I would teleport you two near Academy Obscura, but Angel’s too weak. Plus, honestly it’s been so long I can’t properly visualize it anymore. We wouldn’t want you ending up in Massachusetts or some such place.” She shot me a wry smile.
“Thank you, Ruby.” I’d need to one day make it up to her. Find a way to repay her for all of this help.
“Just win this rebellion.” She patted my arm. “The keys are on the entry table.”
With extreme gratitude, I took the keys and headed out to her car. Angel followed shortly after.
This was not a plan. It was futile at best, capture and torture at worst. But I didn’t have a better idea. We needed to get word to the new Council and warn them the Tromara were feeding again. No longer did we have the advantage.
Angel rounded to the passenger side and lowered himself into the seat. A sheen of sweat glistened on his face and he was breathing hard. Stubborn asshole. I threw the vehicle in gear, merging onto the quiet, narrow street.
For the next hour and a half we didn’t speak. The city turned to suburbs then to forests and farmland. We passed Estacada, continuing along highway 224 as the evening wore on. This time of year it would be light until eight or nine o’clock. I took the turnoff for the Academy, but didn’t go far. Pulling off the road, I drove into the trees and cut the engine.
“Unless we want to draw attention, we hike from here,” I said.
Angel’s skin blanched as his lips formed a thin line. If he bled out in the woods, I was going to punch his corpse. This was not the kind of activity he needed after only a few hours of healing. Telling him that would prove useless. Instead, I went around to his door and offered my shoulder.
He took the offered help. “We need to go that way,” he said, pointing to the left.
“Would you prefer to ride me?” I asked.
He startled. “Excuse me?”
I grunted in annoyance. “Obviously, you’re too weak to shift. I can take my bear form and you can ride on my back.”
“No fucking way.”
“This is no time to be prideful…” I eyed him, “or prejudiced.”
“I’ll be okay walking.” He started off through the thick underbrush.
I rolled my eyes and followed. The trudge was difficult, a steady incline filled with all kinds of trip hazards. We found a couple of deer trails that made the going easier for a while. Then it was back to walking through ferns, Oregon grape, and decaying logs. Angel shuffled along for nearly an hour before he stumbled.
I caught him by the arm. “It’s time for a break.”
“No, I’m good.” Sweat ran down his forehead. The loaner shirt was also damp. A cool evening breeze rustled the trees, and Angel shivered.
“I said we’re taking a break.” I shoved Angel down to sit. He glared up at me before closing his eyes. His body swayed a bit on the log. I reached out a hand to steady him.
The forest was alive with birds and small critters, which told me the Tromara weren’t nearby. We had several more hours until we would near the campus. By then it would be full dark, and nocturnal creatures—like the Tromara—would be patrolling the area.
We rested for maybe five minutes before Angel was up again. “We need to keep going,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Very well.” We continued on as the sun sank lower and disappeared behind the distant hills. This close to summer solstice, the light would last for a while yet.
“I think this is the right place,” Angel said, his arms hugging his abdomen. “We should spread out and use what’s left of the daylight to search.” His whole body swayed, then he collapsed.
“Angel!” I rushed to his side. H
e was out cold again. “Damn it.” Our attempts at finding the secret passage would have to wait until the morning. He needed to recuperate. To heal.
I carried him over to a softer bed of pine needles between two trees, and hunkered down beside him. The undergrowth would hide us from view unless someone was directly on top of us. It was the best I could do. For half a second, I considered trying to sneak into the Academy alone and come back for him. If I was caught, we’d both be screwed.
To hell with it. I had to try.
I morphed to my owl form and took flight. The warded dome protecting the school would let me through, all I needed to do was get there. I flew through the treetops and scanned the area below. The shadows were growing deeper, longer, as the temperature dropped.
I neared the campus, it was just up ahead. The shimmering, protective dome coming into view.
Suddenly, a ball of red magic hurled toward me. I twisted to avoid getting hit, but the spell made contact with one wing. My feathers caught on fire. I climbed, trying to get out of range, as more magic was flung at me.
Near the top of a pine, I perched on a tree limb and extinguished my smoldering feathers. I couldn’t stay there for long. Tromara shifters would be after me soon—if they weren’t already. Damn, they must be all around the school’s perimeter, lurking in the woods. Trying to get past them had been a dumb idea. Our only chance of getting inside the walls was to find that secret passage.
Stealthily, I made my way back through the forest, stopping on occasion to watch and listen. If anything followed me it was just as quiet. I found where I left Angel and landed with a shimmer of shifter magic. As a bear I could protect us better.
I settled next to my companion, keeping us both warm. Darkness slowly took over and countless stars brightened the sky. I had no intention of sleeping, instead assigning myself watch duty. Long after midnight, at least that was my guess, a strange whooshing reached my ears. I tilted my head, straining my sensitive hearing for the source of the sound. It seemed to be coming from overhead.
I glanced up as a dark winged figure blotted out the starlight. The whoosh became a thundering roar. Four more creatures of the same kind followed the first. They flew in the direction of campus. Their outlines looked like—but they couldn’t be. Could they?
9
Caprice
I gazed out of Academy Hall’s turret toward the main gate. There wasn’t much to see as everything beyond was shrouded in darkness, but I’d been spending a lot of time up here.
My heart ached for Angel and Montrell. They were both missing. Angel had never made it to the hidden passage. I’d wandered the length of the underground tunnel in search of him.
For the past twenty-four hours it felt like my life was on hold—waiting. Waiting for a text message, him to show up on campus, or any small sign that Angel was alive. My hope was wearing thin. Where was he? What had happened to him?
Then there was Montrell. Also missing, for days now.
The door creaked behind me and I turned. “Hey,” I said as Liam entered.
“Hey there.” He wrapped his arms around me. “Jaxon’s cooking up some food. Why don’t you come eat with us?”
“I’m not really hungry.”
“This is hard for all of us, Caprice, but we need to lean on each other to make it through. Please don’t cut yourself off from me.” He turned me to face him. “Please?”
“I’m just so…” I leaned into his chest, hugging him close.
He kissed the top of my head. “I know.”
We stood there for a while, taking comfort in each other’s warmth. I couldn’t bear the loss of Angel, my mate. I refused to accept that he was gone. There had to be some other reason he was missing. Anger and futility roiled in my veins. I’d been through all the options with Josh—there was nothing we could do but wait. The forest beyond was too large to search. Our safe haven had become a prison now that we were trapped inside by the Tromara.
A strange sound caught my attention. I pulled away from Liam to peer out a glassless window. Bolts of light—spells—blasted into the air outside the walls. It looked like the Tromara were battling the night sky.
“What is going on over there?” I asked, pointing.
Liam gazed over my head. “I don’t know, it’s too dark. Holy—!”
The trees on the other side of the wall burst into flames illuminating the source—and the Tromara’s unseen enemy. A freaking giant dragon. Shrieks filled the night as four more dragons let loose on the Tromara. The campus walls were surrounded by a raging blaze of dragon fire.
“They’re going to burn the whole place down,” I said, unable to keep the awe from my voice.
Liam took my hand and tugged. “Come on.”
Our footfalls thundered down the stairs and through the halls until we emerged outside. The inferno continued to flare. My pulse leaped, seeing the mighty beasts above. They were a darker shadow against the night. One flew in a full circle, extinguishing the fire below and blanketing us in darkness again.
The pathways and lawn filled with people gawking at the sky. The dragons flew directly over us, testing the wards that would let them through if they meant us no harm. One dove, landing on the lawn as people scattered. Its silver scales gleamed in the lamplight. In a blink, the dragon disappeared, replaced by a beautiful woman. She pulled a robe from the pack at her feet and shrugged it on as her gaze searched the crowd.
I jostled myself out of my stupor and approached her. “Welcome. I am Caprice Sorrentino, Council Queen and dragon-shifter.” I halted a few feet in front of her, my attention split between her and the four dragons circling overhead.
“I am Princess Iria.” Her penetrating gaze evaluated me. “We come in peace. If you can offer us the same in return, I will signal my mates to land.” She spoke with a heavy accent.
“Of course. No one here will hurt you.” I took another step forward. “You have my word.”
She inclined her head. Four scaly beasts descended on the lawn. Each one a different color: Green, blue, red, and gold. They morphed to their human forms as quickly as Iria had done. I clamped my jaw shut to avoid gaping at the four gorgeous, nude men. Thankfully, they also pulled on clothing, though it did little to dim their beauty.
The rest of the Council had gathered at my back. I addressed them over my shoulder, “This is Princess Iria and her mates. Our guests.” Sweeping an arm to encompass my companions, I said, “This is the American Supernatural Council.”
The dragons dipped their chins. Iria spoke, “May we speak in private?”
“Of course. Please follow me.”
We walked across the lawn in a cluster to gasps and murmurs from the crowd. I led the way to Sorrentino Hall and the large gathering room in the basement. By the time we arrived, the sideboard tables were filled with hot and cold platters. I was bursting with a million questions, disbelieving these people were dragons—even though I’d seen them with my own eyes.
Iria nervously glanced around the room, then faced me. “Council Queen, these are my mates, Artem, Zafer, Theo, and Kostas.”
“Nice to meet you,” I managed under their heavy gazes. I was a dragon too, but I didn’t think I was quite as intense as these people. “I-I only have two of my mates with me right now. This is Liam, and that’s Jaxon.”
Iria’s brow furrowed. “You mate with a fae and a witch?”
“Yes?” I glanced at my men. “Is that a problem?” Liam and Jaxon stood rigidly on either side of me. The rest of the Council lingered around us.
“I would rather we speak in private with you,” Iria said. “Though your mates can stay, if you would like.”
Her assumption of control grated on my nerves. I shook off the sensation. “Councilors, please leave us.” The room cleared out. Olin, Gavin, and Itzel shot suspicious glances at the dragons. Kyle’s brow crinkled with what appeared to be concern. Regina surveyed them with a haughty air, while Heller’s expression was impassive as they left.
“Take a
seat?” I suggested after a moment of awkward silence.
Iria sank onto a couch, her mates gathered close. I took the sofa opposite between Jaxon and Liam. The whole situation was surreal.
“You wanted to speak in private?” I prompted, clamping down on my eagerness to throw out a barrage of questions.
Iria’s shoulders relaxed. “Caprice.” She said my name as if tasting the word. “Please, show me your scales.”
“Oh. Okay.” I shifted to my half form.
“Black,” said the super buff guy, Kostas, sitting beside Iria.
I shifted down, the scales disappearing. “Why do you say that like it’s strange?”
The tallest of them, Artem, said, “She knows nothing.”
Iria held up a hand. “That is to be expected.” She leaned slightly forward. “I have come to show you the ways of our people, if you have a mind to learn them.”
“Yes. Absolutely.” Was she kidding? I wanted to know everything.
She smiled and it took her beauty from gorgeous to breathtaking. “First, I would like to introduce myself again. Lyra, your mother, was my sister. I am your aunt, Caprice. And these are your uncles.”
I blinked repeatedly at the five of them. “You’re my family? My mother’s side. Wow.” And…I’d thought my uncles were hot, that was kinda creepy. In my defense, how was I supposed to know who they were? I refocused on these people—my family. “Why did it take you so long to get here? Isabella sent word to the European Supernatural Council over six months ago.”
Iria’s face scrunched in confusion. “We never received word from anyone about your existence. We saw the video you and your mates streamed through everyone’s devices. The one where they call you Dragon Queen. That is when we started searching, and figuring out who you are and where you came from.”
Realization dawned. Isabella never looked into my mother’s side of the family. She’d lied. Again.
“I see…” I glanced at Jaxon, his expression stoic. Liam looked curious. “You came all the way from Cyprus?”
