“What about Isen?” Auric asked.
“Isen is smart, calculating, and likes to collect knowledge, although his motives are different from yours. For him, it’s all about power. In the old days, he was often the mediator of our group, and trust me there were many times when none of us got along. He prefers not to fight unless he must, although he has no problem murdering people in cold blood either. His favorite method is to suffocate anyone who disagrees with him.” Doran turned to Auric. “I can teach you how to do that, if you’d like.”
“No, thank you.” Auric’s face paled. “That sounds horrible.”
“Why hasn’t Isen done that to us?” Jasin asked.
“Suffocating someone with magic requires a lot of concentration, and it takes longer than you think to choke someone to death. He prefers to use it to make sure he gets his way—anyone watching is usually too terrified to disagree with him after that.”
“How do we defeat them?” Slade asked.
Doran let out a harsh laugh. “Right now? You can’t. They’re stronger than you, and they’ve been Dragons for centuries.”
Reven sneered. “What are we supposed to do? Wait a hundred years before trying to take them down?”
“No, because I’m going to train you.” My father leaned forward, the firelight dancing in his eyes. “I’ll teach you how to use your powers and how to work together. In our time, the previous Dragons mentored us before they stepped down. You’ve been at a disadvantage because you’ve had to figure everything out on your own.” He looked at each of us in turn. “With my help, you might actually stand a chance.”
13
Slade
In the morning, I woke early and took a walk through the abandoned farm, down a steep hill. When I was out of sight of the farmhouse, I shifted into my dragon form for the second time. The transformation was strange as my bones cracked, expanded, and changed. Wings formed on my back. My fingernails turned to talons. My teeth turned to fangs. And everything around me suddenly got a lot smaller.
Compared to the others, I was massive. In my human form I was broader than Kira’s other mates, but I hadn’t realized it would translate to this body as well.
I glanced behind me again to make sure no one had followed me, trying to get used to the way my long neck moved, almost like a snake’s. With the sun cresting the horizon, my scales turned to green fire, and I had to admit they were beautiful.
I took a deep breath and raised my wings. The fear of failing a second time nearly held me back, but I had to try this again. For Kira.
I beat my wings as fast as I could and managed to lift up onto my claws, but that was as far as I got. It was like the ground itself was holding me down, preventing me from flying. I let out a frustrated roar before becoming a human again.
I knelt and picked up a handful of dirt, then let it run through my fingers. Would I ever be able to fly, or would I be condemned to the ground forever?
“Heldor had difficulty flying at first, too,” Doran said, making me jump. He stood behind me, appearing out of nowhere like Reven did sometimes. Sneaky bastards. “It's not your fault. Your Earth magic makes it hard for you to fly. That connection with the ground is so strong you’ll have to learn to overcome and let go of it before you can lift off. I can help you.” He examined me. “It doesn't help you're such a large Dragon either, about the same size as Heldor when you shift. You'll need to build up your wing strength too.”
I scowled at him, but his words felt right, and I had to admit I did need help. I had no idea what I was doing, and I didn't have time to figure it out on my own. He'd lived for hundreds of years and had seen Heldor go through the same thing once. I gritted my teeth and said, “I'd appreciate your help.”
Doran chuckled. “I doubt that, but I'll give it to you anyway. There's no way you can defeat us if you can't fly.”
“You want us to defeat you?”
“Of course.” He said it casually, so casually I suspected he might be lying. Like Reven, he was hard to read, and secrets perpetually danced behind his eyes. Until recently, I wouldn’t have trusted either of them. Then Reven went and saved my life and nearly died in the process. And Doran… Well, he’d helped Kira escape and had protected her. I wasn’t ready to let down my guard completely with him, but I was willing to listen to his advice.
Doran waved a hand at me. “All right, turn back into a dragon.”
“You want to do this now?”
“You have somewhere else you need to be?”
I scowled at him, then took a few steps back to give myself space, and returned to my dragon form. The others would be up soon, but for now we were alone out here.
He nodded as if confirming his suspicions. “Like I thought, your size is going to make it harder for you to fly. You’ll need to practice with your wings every day to build up their strength.”
I groaned, though it came out more like a growl. My voice was different as a dragon. Deeper. Louder. More gravely.
“But the real thing holding you back is your own magic,” Doran continued. “Along with your own self-doubt.”
Now I really did growl at him, though he ignored it and kept talking.
“What I want you to do is try to let go of your earth magic. I know it’s a part of you but try to block it out however you can.”
How did he expect me to do that? The moment the Earth God came to me, I became a different person. No longer a simple blacksmith living in a small town, but someone destined for bigger things. Even when I wondered if he should have chosen another, or missed my old life, or tried to guard my heart from Kira, I’d never wavered in my faith. The magic was a fundamental part of me and had become as natural as breathing.
I felt the earth through my clawed feet, which dug at the dirt. The only time I didn’t feel the earth’s presence was when I was flying on one of the other dragons’ backs, or when we were on a wretched boat. Even on a boat I’d managed to connect with the wood and the metal, but soaring high in the sky—it was hard for me to feel comfortable with that. Like a part of me was cut off.
Maybe that was the problem. I tried to focus on that uncomfortable feeling now. I pictured riding on the back of Auric or Jasin as they soared across the sky, and how empty and adrift I felt. I hated it, but when I tried to take off this time, my feet left the ground.
I didn’t get far. My wings flapped rapidly to hold me up, but I knew they wouldn’t last long.
From below, Doran called out, “Nice work! Try to hold it as long as you can.”
I hovered above him for a few more seconds, before hitting the ground in a thump, sending a cloud of dirt into the air around us.
Doran coughed and waved it away. “Good. Now I want you to do that every day. Preferably multiple times.”
I groaned and set my head down, already tired from that short flight—and from dealing with Doran.
He walked away while I rested there, enjoying the sun on my back and the dirt under my scales. As the sky grew brighter, I heard footsteps approach. Kira. I raised my head and met her eyes before looking away quickly, ashamed she had to see me like this. I was a failed dragon who could hover for a few seconds at best. She deserved better.
“I never got the chance to see you as a dragon,” she said, as she approached. Her arms wrapped around my head, embracing me. “You’re beautiful.”
I let out a grunt, but nudged my head up against her chest, enjoying her touch. The bond between us, which I hadn’t noticed before except when we’d had sex, suddenly took over my mind. I sensed how happy she was to see me like this and felt her belief in me. My own doubts slowly fell away. I couldn’t fly now, but I would keep practicing every spare moment I could—for Kira.
14
Kira
We reached the coast that evening, just north of the border between the Earth Realm and the Water Realm. Doran showed Reven and Slade how to turn saltwater into water we could drink, while Auric and Jasin rested after flying the entire day with few breaks. I took a wal
k down the shore, my toes digging into the wet sand for the first time in years, while lazy waves stretched closer and closer to my feet. The moon was bright overhead, making the surface of the water shimmer, and I bent to pick up a shell that almost seemed to glow.
“Kira,” a voice whispered across the salty breeze.
I jerked upright and spun around, the shell clutched in my palm. My grandmother Enva stood ankle-deep in the water, yet when the tide pulled back, she showed no signs it had ever touched her. She strode toward me, her gray skirts completely dry, her white hair shining under the moonlight like a pearl. She’d once been called the White Dragon, and though she’d been dead for centuries, she was trapped between this world and the next along with every other person who had passed. But unlike the others, her connection to the Spirit Goddess allowed her to hold onto enough life to manifest in front of me for a short time.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help while you were being held captive,” she said, as she drew near. “The bone cage prevented me from visiting you.”
“I assumed as much,” I said, relieved to see her again. “Why does the bone block our powers?”
“Your magic stems from life, and bones are objects of death. They’re abhorrent to us, completely opposite of our very nature.”
I frowned as I examined the shell in my palm. “But I’ve killed many animals and even people before. I’ve been around many dead bodies. It wasn’t until I touched Tash’s bones that I encountered that horrible feeling.”
“Ah, because there’s a difference between killing to preserve life, and killing only to end it. When you hunt animals for food for yourself or others, you’re sustaining life. When you’ve killed people, it was to defend yourself or protect other lives. All of those things are part of the natural cycle of survival. But when someone is murdered, their bones become tainted with darkness.”
“Nysa could touch them. How?”
Enva’s face darkened. “That is the ultimate question. I suggest you ask your father.”
I stared at her, while wind tugged on my hair and completely ignored hers. “So Doran truly is my father.”
“Of course. But you knew that already.”
“I did, but I wanted to hear you confirm it. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It wasn’t my place, and I knew you wouldn’t take it well. Not at that time.”
I sighed. She was probably right. “What of everything he told me about Nysa—is it all true?”
“Yes, he has been honest with you. He’s just left out something very important. Something you should ask him about.”
“What is that?”
Enva’s eyes burned into mine. For the first time I realized they were the same green as my mother’s. “Nysa told you she has to stay alive in order to keep the Spirit Goddess contained. Ask him why.”
I nodded slowly. “I assumed it was so the Gods couldn’t replace her.”
“Not entirely. I would tell you myself, but it’s a long tale and I expect you’ll have many questions. I already feel the other side pulling me back now.”
“I wish we had more time together. There’s so much I want to know about your life. Like what was it like when you were a Dragon? Doran said you negotiated a treaty with the elementals and brought peace?”
“Every set of Dragons has one great challenge to face. Mine was the elementals. When I became the White Dragon, the elementals had ravaged the four Realms and humans were living in fear. The balance had tipped too far in one direction, and my mates and I did what we could to level the scales again.” She gazed across the water with a distant look in her eyes. “For some time, we had peace. And then the shades came.”
“Was that my mother’s challenge?” I asked.
“It was the start of it.” Enva sighed and stared at the sand at her feet. “There’s another reason Doran should tell you this tale. It hurts me too much to speak it aloud. I love my daughter, no matter how twisted she’s become. I understand why she did what she did, even if I disagreed with it. I only wish I could have prevented all of this or found a way to save her from the darkness. I’m her mother, and I failed her…and now I must help you defeat her.”
I took her hand, which felt solid even though she wasn’t really there. “No one should have to make such a choice.”
She squeezed my hand in return as she began to fade before my eyes. “Nysa and I both made mistakes, but I know you will be the one to right them. Stay strong, Kira…”
She disappeared from sight as her last words floated away on the wind. A sense of sadness filled me as I stood alone with the waves lapping at my bare feet while I clutched a shell in my hand. I released it into the water and turned to walk the distance back to my mates, while I mentally prepared myself for another conversation with my father. One that I wasn’t sure I was ready to have.
I stepped through the camp the others had set up, past a bonfire Jasin had started, where fresh fish now roasted. My mates stirred as I strode past them but must have seen the serious expression on my face because none of them said a word. Doran was stretched out in front of the ocean, leaning back as he gazed up at the stars, his hands folded across his stomach. He looked up as I approached and his expression changed, as if he sensed that something had occurred, but he wasn’t sure exactly what.
I stopped in front of him and met his eyes. “Tell me about the Spirit Goddess.”
15
Kira
My father ran a hand over his beard, which was looking more rugged with each day that went by. “I’d planned to tell you about this once we reached the Water Temple, but I suppose now is as good a time as any. Sit down. This might take a while. And someone get me some ale.”
I sank onto the ground across from him, pulling my knees to my chest, while my mates gathered around. “Nysa told me she had to drain my life in order to contain the Spirit Goddess. What does that mean? Why would she need to contain her?”
Doran scrounged up a bottle of something dark from his pack and popped off the top of it. “I'll get to that, but I need to start at the beginning. The first thing you need to know is that the Spirit Goddess is really two entities: Life and Death. Twin sisters, two sides of the same coin, bound together as one.”
Auric grabbed his notebook and began furiously scribbling in it. “Why have we never heard of this before?”
“All records of this are long gone. Nysa made sure of that.” My father took a long swig of his alcohol before continuing. “Long before any of us were on this earth, the Spirit Goddess ruled with her four mates, the other Gods of Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. They created the elementals to represent each God and humans to represent the Goddess. But over the years the Death side of her became too strong and corrupted the Spirit Goddess. The balance of life and death shifted too far to one side. To stop the world from falling into darkness, the Gods broke up the two aspects of Life and Death, creating two separate Goddesses instead of one. The Death Goddess was banished to the Realm of the Dead, where she became its ruler, while the Life Goddess stayed here with her four mates. They created the Dragons to act as their representatives in the world, and to make sure that the Death Goddess could never return.”
“I thought the Dragons were created to keep the balance between elementals and humans,” Jasin said.
“That is one of their duties, yes. But they were also created to ensure that the Life Goddess had assistance in protecting the world from the Death Goddess. Kira you are actually a descendant of the Life Goddess, as were all the other female Dragons before you.”
That would explain why the bone cage harmed me the way it did, but not why my mother was immune to it. “What about Nysa?”
“I'm getting to that.” Doran scowled and stared at his bottle. “When Nysa turned twenty, she became a Dragon, like her mother. Back then she wasn’t dark or evil, not like you know her now.”
“What happened?” Slade asked.
He took another chug of his drink as he gazed into the fire. “Shortly after she beca
me a Dragon, shades began appearing in our world in vast numbers, sucking the life from both elementals and humans alike. We learned later that they were the creation of the Death Goddess. She'd grown tired of living in the Realm of the Dead and jealous of her twin for having all four mates to herself. She sent the shades to attack us, and they fed her power with each life they took. Soon, she had enough power to leave the afterlife and return to our world. When she did, she brought death and darkness everywhere she went, and every time she took a life, she grew stronger. And with the Death Goddess gone, the way to the Realm of the Dead closed, trapping all fallen souls between the two worlds. No one has been able to find peace since then.”
“Enva mentioned that,” I said, nodding.
Doran arched an eyebrow. “How do you know of her?”
“She comes to visit me sometimes.”
“Does she? Interesting.” His eyes turned haunted, the firelight flickering in his eyes. “Yes, the Death Goddess’s arrival changed everything. The Life Goddess fought her twin sister, but their battle nearly tore the entire world apart. The Death Goddess had become too powerful from all the lives she had stolen. As a last resort, we worked with the Gods to bind the two Goddesses together again, but all it did was create a dark, twisted Spirit Goddess who began to devour all life with an insatiable hunger. We realized we’d made a terrible mistake, but the other Gods refused to help us separate them again. The Spirit Goddess was their mate, their queen, their leader, and they had to obey her. So we decided all the Gods had to be stopped, for the sake of the world.”
“How do you stop a God?” Reven asked.
“It’s not easy.” Doran drained the last of his bottle and tossed it aside. “We imprisoned all the Gods in their temples, one by one, using the element that is their opposite. Fire versus water, earth versus air, you get the idea. Once they were gone the Spirit Goddess was weakened and we tried to imprison her in the Spirit Temple, but we failed. She was too strong, even then. But Nysa found a way to cage the Spirit Goddess...by trapping her within her own body.”
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 52
