Cassandra- Magic's Hope

by D. R. Rosier

  I needed to get my head out of the books, and quite possibly my ass, and pay better attention to the life around me. I smiled wryly, it wasn’t all bad. I was looking forward to lunch with Dina, and I had a few hours before I’d need to head to dragon world, and I was going to enjoy them.

  The college café wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t bad either, and I found Dina already sitting down when I grabbed a soup and sandwich combo from line and joined her at the table.

  She took one look at me and knew something was wrong.

  “What happened?”

  I smiled a little sadly, “I’m okay, just had some trouble this morning. I also found out Jim is a tool.”

  Her eyes narrowed in demand of details, and I launched into a brief explanation of my morning, although not the blood and gore part. It was less hiding it from her and more from everyone else in the room, plus I didn’t want to ruin my appetite.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” I heard a familiar voice over my shoulder filled with humor.

  Tammy sat down next to me and smiled at Dina.

  “We should talk, you know, when she isn’t around, we can compare notes.”

  I realized in that moment Dina and Tammy had met each other in passing, but didn’t really know each other. Big college, different circles. I decided to keep my mouth shut and listen, hoping they would get along. So I started to innocently eat my soup.

  Dina looked at Tammy curiously, then her eyes widened slightly in recognition.

  “Hi Tammy, Cassie warned me about you,” she said in a teasing voice aimed my way.

  Tammy raised an eyebrow with a widening smile, “Do tell? Dina? Isn’t it?”

  I almost snorted, they were being cute. I’d shown both of them pictures of the other after all; of course they recognized each other, even if they hadn’t spent time together before.

  Dina waved a hand in a playful offhand manner, “You know how she is. It was all good of course, what she told me. I think your right, we should get together and share notes.”

  I wasn’t sure if I should be pleased or alarmed.

  “I should mention, I’m not sure if I’ll be home tonight. I’ll be off world again after math class. So if you don’t hear from me don’t be worried.”

  Tammy looked at me with a raised eyebrow, “Can’t you text us when you know? Otherwise we may worry.”

  I shrugged, “Tech doesn’t work on the world I’m going to.”

  Dina interjected, “Are you a witch or aren’t you? Make it work,” she added with a teasing smile.

  “That’s impos… huh. I’ll see what I can do,” I finished in a dubious voice.

  I hadn’t considered it before, just accepting that tech would be disrupted by the magic there, but I bet I could make it work. Actually the more I thought about it, the easier it sounded, at least in theory.

  Dina frowned, “I was just kidding.”

  I nodded, “Good job. You should always do that when I say something is impossible. Tech won’t work there because of the raw magic in the air, it interferes with it. But I’ve gotten very good at blocking raw magic away from me. It should be simple enough to insulate my phone with a spell.”

  Tammy snickered, “Right, but what about a cell tower, won’t you be out of range.”

  I shrugged, “That’s easy, I already have a spell for that.”

  Sort of, I could modify the spell that makes the communication necklaces work across worlds, only this time to carry digital cell data instead of thoughts.

  “If it works, you’ll both be the second to know because I’ll text you.”

  If it doesn’t, which I admit was unlikely, I should give them both necklaces for next time. Actually, I should probably do that anyway. I don’t think I was quite as innocent as I used to be anymore, the world could be a dangerous place. I’d never even considered I could lose either of them to random violence or an accident. But let’s face it, dragons happen. A necklace, or maybe a bracelet with a few judicious protection spells, along with the communication components, wouldn’t go amiss I didn’t think.

  Hell, why wait. I was done with my soup, so I looked around guiltily before I embraced my magic and transformed it into two diamond tennis bracelets. I set the communication spells, the protection spells from blades and bullets. Of course, there was the charging issue, so I linked them both to one of the crystals on my necklace that simply held power and nothing else, so I could charge them remotely if necessary.

  I let go of my magic, and noticed they were both staring at me with surprise and confusion.

  I smiled innocently, handed them the bracelets, and explained how to talk to me with them if the phone idea fell through.

  Dina’s eyes were wide as she put hers on her wrist, “But… that was a spoon, is this an illusion or something?”

  Oops. Way to hide your witch powers Cass.

  “No, I don’t do that very often though. Just for spells and enchantments, otherwise it would crash whole economies. Please don’t spread it around either, we don’t need the financial sector panicking if they found out about it.”

  Tammy laughed, “I suppose we could keep quiet… just as a side note, I could really use some new earrings.”

  I glared and she just laughed, I knew she was kidding, but I felt guilty. I shouldn’t have done that here in the open like that.

  We chatted about a few other things as lunch wound down. I noticed as we left they swapped numbers, although they could talk with the bracelets it was probably too new to them to think of that yet. I supposed that was my fault, I didn’t really explain it to them fully, just told them they could talk to me when it was really anyone at all that had the same enchantments.

  After math I went home and showered, put on some jeans, a nice shirt and sandals. I embraced my magic, just to get my schoolwork out of the way. Probably wasn’t the most important thing at the moment, but I didn’t want to let things slip. Besides, with time dilation it took me less than five minutes of real time, a few hours subjectively. I also spelled my phone.

  I ate a snack first, not sure when my next meal would happen.

  Then I realized I was just procrastinating, so I released my magic, and appeared outside of Dawn’s and Rafe’s clan. I looked at my phone and realized I had full bars, and data. Huh. Such a simple thing and I’d dismissed it as impossible.

  “Knock, knock sis.”

  “Where are you?” she sent back.

  “Right outside the clan castle looking thingy,” I replied.

  It sort of looked like a medieval castle or keep, but different. Much of the defenses, outside the wall that is, looked to be geared toward an aerial defense. And of course, there was no gate, drawbridge or other apparent opening, just a solid wall.

  “Be right out, Caph is coming too, said he would throw his weight behind you if it looked like it might succeed.”

  Well that was good news. I understood his first loyalty was to keeping his clan safe, so I couldn’t really blame him for not jumping in with both feet before looking. Caph, Rafe, and Dawn flew out over the world and settled by me.

  Caphlindris was impressive, he was a silver like Rafe, but I could feel the difference in age and power, especially from this close.

  Caph said, “Welcome Cassandra, the council is already in session so we shouldn’t tarry. I think you scared them a lot when not even one dragon returned from the battle to report.”

  I flinched guiltily, still not completely recovered from that. But I didn’t exactly feel bad for killing all the dragons either, just how I did it, and the collateral damage even if only to the environment.

  “Thank you, maybe we could talk further later on if we are going to dispense with long introductions now?”

  He bowed his head in agreement with a small smile.

  Dawn opened a portal, “I can’t open it right next to the council building without causing offense, but this will get us a couple of miles away, instead of a few hundred.”

  I blew out a breath and nodded. I was
n’t really ready for this, but who would be? We stepped through the portal, then took to the air and flew toward the east. It was only a minute or so before I saw the building. It was not a clan keep, but a meeting place. As such it had no defenses as the clan structures had.

  It looked a lot like a smaller version of the Rome coliseum actually. The building was round, arched supports and entrances all the way around it. I didn’t count, but just on a swag it looked to be about fifty large arches all the way around, based on what I saw from one side. We were high enough I could see the center was bare, it looked again, like a smaller version of the gladiator arena in the Rome coliseum.

  Of course, I doubted any fighting ever happened there, it was more likely simply a place to transform and take to the air if two sovereigns fought a challenge.

  We landed outside one of the entrances, and walked through one of the large arches and down a hallway. There were rooms to the left and right that I glanced in. There were a few meeting type rooms, with stone tables and chairs. There was also a room that looked like a well appointed lounge. Perhaps these rooms were used for private hosting before or after a council meeting.

  We went straight though, and walked back outside through an internal arch to a box with six seats, including a larger chair that looked like a crude stone throne. Caph took that seat and waved my sister, Rafe, and I to the others. It was apparent we’d interrupted, because there was silence, and almost every eye was turned our way.

  I suppressed a giggle, when the thought that this was a version of a round table for dragons. Got to go big and all, being a dragon. It was hard not to feel intimidated under their gazes. It was actually making me a little hot, being under all their scrutiny, which didn’t actually make any sense at all to me.

  Why would fifty old powerful dragons who want to kill me make me… hot. My core sent a flash of warmth through me that drew an audible gasp between my slightly parted lips, and I was almost immediately wet. I was also terrified, this wasn’t right, not at all.

  A voice boomed from across the way, “What is the meaning of this Caphlindris! Bringing outsiders here was foolish, and against tradition.”

  I looked up, breathing heavily in confusion. The dragon that yelled looked old, and I could feel his power from across the small arena. Then my eyes found another dragon, to the right and behind that angry old one. Our eyes met and locked, and my knees buckled as a powerful orgasm ripped through my body. I’d have fallen if I hadn’t grabbed the chair in front of me.

  Dawn cursed in surprise, then ordered, “Pull in your succubus, do it now!” she barked.

  It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The shock and pleasure on my face was copied on the dragon that I couldn’t take my eyes from. He was huge. No surprise there, like all the rest. He had bright golden blonde hair, and even from across the arena I could make out his bright sky blue eyes. My body was still trembling as I held my succubus power deep inside my body.

  “Oh shit,” I whispered, “Please don’t tell me…”

  Rafe snickered as Dawn answered in a hoarse voice, “I’m afraid so, he could be your mate, will be, if you two touch.”

  My mind peppered with curses, so much for all our plans, this would change things…

  Chapter 17

  The arena was silent again, no one spoke or moved. Everyone had seen me orgasm, which wasn’t embarrassing, not for a succubus, but it was a tad undermining. Also, they seemed to be looking back and forth between me and the hunky dragon, I had no idea what I was going to do.

  Caph spoke quickly and so quietly I could barely make it out, “This could be good or bad. You know Dawn settles Rafe, it would be good a thing. Yet, you must not touch him until you control a clan if you still wish to follow your plan. A mated female may not rule, even if she beats a sovereign her mate will inherit the rule, but he wouldn’t be able to hold it at his age.”

  I frowned, “But I could hold it if I had it prior to the mating?”

  He nodded, “Exactly. Then it would be a plus, because if you had a dragon as your mate, the rest of the clan would follow more easily. I know it is distasteful to consider using your mate as a political lever, but these are exceedingly strange circumstances.”

  I snorted at the understatement. It also seemed my potential mate had been arguing with his sovereign while I was being briefed by Caph. His sovereign was… loud.

  “No, I forbid it! I will not have a mere human dirtying my clan.”

  There was a loud gasp and I looked around in confusion.

  Dawn whispered, “They may look down on us, but in dragon society and by tradition, the mate bond is inviolate, he has no right under law or tradition to make that demand, sovereign or not.”

  Clearly I should’ve been talking to my sister more.

  The sovereign growled and looked around in frustration. Then he looked straight at me and his eyes narrowed and an evil smile crossed his face.

  “I challenge you human, you have no right to be in this place, we will decide this matter in the air with spell and claw. Unless you prefer banishment of course.”

  Caph snorted, “The idiot took the only way he could to stop you from mating with his second. He knew he lost every other sovereign here with that stupid statement he made about refusing to allow a mating.”

  I felt… conflicted. Did I really want a dragon mate. They were so… alien. Yet, my sister was so damned happy with Rafe, and already knocked up. I was also extremely curious how hard he could make me cum if we were actually touching at the time. I sighed, it didn’t matter, or at least, not as it applied to this challenge.

  “I accept,” I said loudly enough to be heard throughout the coliseum.

  He jumped down and exploded into his dragon form. He was… the largest dragon I’d ever seen. Much larger than the ones I fought on magic world. I embraced my magic as he launched himself up and I followed in his wake. I considered my lancing magic, and how the gold and silver dragons had resisted it partly, and wondered if this one would be successful, with his much stronger shields and aura I thought it would be more probable than not he could block it.

  I also considered the new magic I used to such disaster on the other world, and how I could use it more precisely here. He suddenly sped up a great deal, even faster than the dragons I fought could with the speed spell. He suddenly turned and I moved the other way, getting a little space. But he got in a shot by twisting his long neck around and sending a stream of fire breath my way, barely missing his own body.

  I flew to the side, my shields deflected his partial hit to the side and then I was free. I wasn’t mad at this dragon, even though he probably deserved it. The truth was, I was more scared of my anger, than the large golden dragon coming around for another pass. It was almost relaxing when I released my magic with great concentration, surety, and confidence.

  I didn’t create a storm, but I did hold out my hand, and decide some of those lightning balls were shooting out of it right into the dragon. The storm had been a mistake, a storm was a way a witch could create natural lightning. This way of doing things, I didn’t need that step, and went straight to the end result.

  Three balls of lightning left my hand at the speed of light in quick succession. Each ball was the equivalent of at least a hundred lightning strikes. The first ripped through his stronger shields, but only lightly blackened his golden scales. The second killed him instantly frying his brain when it struck between his now unprotected eyes. The third was just overkill.

  I watched his body fall, and I felt emotionally exhausted, so tired of killing. But I’d do what I had to. Sometimes the only way to stop insanity was to do insane things.

  I flew back down and landed not in Caph’s box, but the one across from his. The dragon that would be my mate stepped forward but I shook my head in a not yet gesture and he stepped back. Luckily he was the only other in here, so I didn’t have to worry so much about my back.

  I said loudly with steel in my voice that I didn’t really fe
el, “I claim all that he owned, his hoard, his lands, and his clan, are now mine.”

  There was dead silence in the arena. I guess no one saw that coming.

  Caph called out, no doubt trying to be helpful, “To what end.”

  To what end? Oh, right. The adrenaline from the fight, and how close the dragon was to me, I didn’t even know his name yet, was very distracting.

  “To protect, to join the sovereigns, and to demand an end to this war.”

  I waited for the challenges to come, but instead there was just a dissenting opinion. Maybe the challenge, or rather the results, had more of an effect then I expected.

  “We must protect ourselves, they are a danger to us,” a sovereign called out, and most looked to agree.

  I shook my head, “You’re wrong. They are not a threat. They no longer need your blood, and even if they did they couldn’t get here to hunt you for it. So I ask, is this truly about fear of competition, or are you so lazy that you can’t look after your own food source.”

  Another yelled, “But they were beating us back, of course they are a threat.”

  I snorted, “I was beating you back, not them. They have assured me they want peace, and will let you and they go their own way now, without interfering with the other.”

  One growled, “So it is you that is a threat?”

  I shrugged struggling for nonchalant confidence, “You could say that. On the other hand, I am now a sovereign am I not? I will soon be mated with this dragon,” please goddess soon, “I am one of you. My sister Dawn, stands with and besides Rafe as a part of Caphlindris’s clan. How then are we a threat? We are joined with you, but we refuse to participate in empty conquest and destruction if there is another way.”

  I could actually see it working now. It would take time, but if humanity could temper other races like demons and angels, can we not do the same here. Even if it turns out we have to breed in our traits over a long time. The side of my lips quirked a moment in a suppressed smile, maybe Dawn and I should drag Amber here… see if she sees anything she likes. Yeah, like that would go over well.