by Ford, Rinna
I told Camille about the day that changed my life forever, leaving out it was Xander’s father who turned me in. As far as I knew, it was still a secret Xan’s father was a Councilman and we wanted to keep it that way.
When I finished my story, Camille was silent as she took it all in. “Well, shit,” she finally sighed. “You really do have a lot going on. I mean, I knew you had a bad story, but I didn’t realize it was fucking tragic. And your grandfather couldn’t even give you a fucking hug? I mean, damn. What a prick.”
I laughed out loud and threw my arms around her in a hug. She stiffened and tapped me on the back awkwardly. She asked for me to talk to her, but I didn’t think she understood what she was asking for.
“Thank you,” I smiled and pulled away. “Thank you for that.”
“Sure. Anytime.” Camille returned with a small grin and pulled her own spellbook from across the table. “So what do we want to work on this morning?”
With that, the subject was closed and we were back to work. It felt good to tell Camille about my past. I didn’t realize how isolated I was, how alone I had to be for most of my life. My story was tragic, but I hoped with friends like Camille, it would become so much better.
* * *
At lunchtime, I ran down to the kitchen to make a couple of sandwiches to take back to the conservatory. I wrapped them in paper towels and reached in the fridge for some bottles of water when I heard the back door close. Looking up, I saw my grandfather standing at the kitchen island.
“Amos. Hi. Can I make you a sandwich or something?”
I straightened, feeling nervous all of a sudden.
“No, that’s okay,” he replied and took a step around the island toward me. “So you’re a caster too? Along with a dragon shifter?”
I nodded my head. “Yeah, I’m both. I have all the magic of a caster and all the abilities of a dragon.”
My dragon rubbed against my psyche in agreement. I thought she wouldn’t care about my other half, but she seemed as interested in my caster side as I was. Any time I was trying to learn how to be a better caster, my dragon was at the forefront, learning along with me. She accepted all of me, and I didn’t anticipate that. Not with our rocky start at things.
Amos put his hands on the countertop and leaned forward, his brows furrowed. “How is that possible? I mean, I always assumed you were…”
“Deficient?” That was what everyone else thought. It was what they were told would happen if they mixed the races, not that anyone else has had luck procreating besides my parents.
“Not the word I was looking for, but yeah, I guess. So you’re saying you can do everything a caster can do and can transform into a full dragon?”
“Yup.”
He nodded his head, looking thoughtful.
“She’s gold.” I blurted out the words, then felt the need to clarify. “My dragon. She’s gold and the size of a house. Not this house, because that would be huge, but the size of my Uncle Devlin’s cabin.”
I pinched my lips together to get myself to shut up. My grandfather made me nervous and I didn’t like it. Deciding to do something, I sent the sandwiches, bags of chips, and water upstairs to where Camille was waiting.
He blinked his eyes in surprise at my use of magic then shook his head to clear the cobwebs.
“You shouldn’t have been able to do that,” he told me, referring to my use of higher level caster magic. I shrugged my shoulders, offering no explanation, not that I had one. “Gold? I’ve never seen a golden dragon before. Maybe…”
Feeling awkward, I took a step toward the kitchen door. “It was good talking to you, but I really need to go. My friend is waiting.”
He looked lost in thought. “What? Oh yeah. Okay, Emelia. I’ll see you later.”
I nodded and turned around, leaving my grandfather behind as I jogged up the stairs.
Camille was mid-bite when I walked into the conservatory. She looked up, finished chewing, and swallowed.
“Was it too heavy for you, princess?” she asked, referring to the fact I sent our lunches upstairs rather than carrying it up. She knew I was somehow able to get around Di’s wards on the house.
I rolled my eyes and grabbed my sandwich up off the table.
“I ran into Amos downstairs.”
“And you thought you’d show off a bit?”
“No. Well, maybe.” I sighed and deflated in my seat. I was showing off. “I guess I just wanted to prove I am interesting and worthy…”
“You’re an idiot,” Camille laughed. “And he’s an even bigger idiot if he doesn’t want to get to know you. Okay?”
I lightly laughed and took a bite of my sandwich. Yup. She’d do.
Chapter Eleven
Dinner was quiet. Much quieter than usual, but it didn’t bother me too much. I was still lost in my own head about the events that had occurred that day. Even Grayson was less talkative. He had come to be to Xan what Camille was to me, and the two of them were as thick as thieves.
Since Camille and I helped prepare dinner - I was only allowed to chop vegetables - I was excused from cleaning up. Thankful I didn’t have to wash another dish that day, I took my mate by the hand and led him outside toward the ocean.
The house sat about a hundred feet away from a rocky cliff that overlooked the sea. It was my favorite place on the property, just like Grayson said it would be on the first day we were here. I went there every chance I got, taking Xan with me whenever I could.
It was one of the only places on the property where I could find peace. Where I could just sit and just… be. Since everyone learned who and what I was, I felt as if I was questioned and judged everywhere I went. It was nerve wracking and so, so tiring.
Xander, my gorgeous, incredible mate, knew what I needed and led me to a large boulder that overlooked the crashing waves. I sat down, leaving room for Xander and he slipped in behind me, wrapping his arms and legs around me, holding me close to his chest. My whole body melted into his touch, leaving me utterly relaxed.
“So, your grandpa, huh?” Xan spoke in a low voice.
I sighed. “Yeah. I didn’t see that coming, but apparently my dad did.”
I closed my eyes at the thought. Maybe it was his way of proving to me everything he said would come to pass. Not an hour after I woke up, I met the man he hinted about in my dream. If that was true, then life would get so much more difficult.
“Ya know, I spoke to Amos today,” Xander continued. “He’s very interested in you, of course. Mind, he only asked a few questions, but he hung on every word when I answered him. He seems to be a proud man. He doesn’t want to need anyone in his life and I’m sure he got that way after your dad’s death. When things like that happen, people close themselves off. It makes it hard to open back up for fear of being exposed again.”
There was a pause as I thought about Xander’s words. I understood it because I lived it too. For the longest time, I felt loss like that too, but not because I remembered losing those closest to me. It was because I didn’t. And then when my memories returned, I felt the loss of both of my parents and my uncles. Sure, my mom was alive, but she abandoned me, and I could visit my dad in my dreams, but it wasn’t the same. They were both gone. Not knowing Dev and Ainsley’s fate was just as bad, if not worse. I felt loss on so many levels, so I understood what it felt like to want to close off the world.
“Give him time. He wants to know you. Just give him time.”
I turned my upper body and kissed my mate.
“I love you, Xander Liu,” I whispered against his lips as I deepened the kiss.
He took over, cupping the sides of my head with his hands and pulling me forward. I got up on my knees and turned so I was completely facing him and wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing our bodies flush.
One of his hands slid up the back of my shirt, making me shiver. It wasn’t from the wind whipping around us, but the way his skin felt next to mine. I would never get used to the feeling and I was beyond g
lad for it. The way he touched me was everything.
Xan’s other hand joined in and he pushed the t-shirt up and over my head, leaving me only in my bra. My fingers, itching to touch him too, crept up the front of his shirt and traced over each line of muscle. His body tensed under my touch and his kisses became more needy. Apparently, he wasn’t numb to my touch either. I smiled against his lips at the thought of it.
My hands flattened against the planes of his stomach and gently pushed. Taking the hint, Xan moved back off of the rock and onto the ground, laying down. My mouth replaced my hands as I began licking along the line of muscles. He shivered beneath my touch, but didn’t pull away. Enraptured, he pulled my hair to the side so he could watch my delicious torture.
I unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down his hips without stopping until his large erection sprung free. I wrapped my fingers around it and squeezed gently, eliciting a moan from his lips. I loved that sound.
I began moving my hand up and down and he moaned again.
“Want me to keep going?” I grinned.
“What do you think, Emi girl? Was I not clear enough?” he gritted between his teeth.
“I just wanted to make sure…”
Without further prompt, I wrapped my lips around the head of his cock, but before I could slide all the way down, Xan put his hands under my arms and pulled me up his body. His lips found mine once again and he rolled me underneath him.
“You tease too much,” he grinned. I opened my eyes and saw a glint of mischief on his face.
Before I had a chance to ask what he was up to, Xan flipped me around so I was laying across the boulder on my knees. My skirt was shoved up to my waist and my panties ripped to shreds. I gasped in surprise as his fingers forcefully entered me from behind, but that only made him chuckle.
“My turn.”
Two fingers worked in and out of me while his thumb rubbed my clit, creating that amazing feeling I was after. I was about to cum when Xan’s fingers were ripped away and his cock took their place.
I moaned with delight as he shoved himself in all the way in one long thrust. Xan seated himself fully inside of me and sighed. Then he pulled out and slammed himself back in.
“Fuck,” he groaned out and repeated the motion.
His moves became more frenzied as he pounded into me from behind, making my knees weak and my lips part in a silent moan. Xan wrapped his fist around the length of my hair and pulled my upper body up off the rock and back toward him. He never stopped, never slowed and our bodies became slick with need.
My eyes closed tightly as my orgasm washed over me, making my scream carry on the wind and out over the ocean. Xander’s release came just seconds after mine. His thrusts slowed, his breaths were labored, but he still had enough strength to grip my chin and turn my face around for a long, slow kiss.
“I love you too,” he finally replied, kissing me one more time before gently pulling out of me and tucking himself back in.
He got up onto his feet and held out his hand to help me up too. The elastic band of my panties were still around my waist, but the crotch was completely shredded thanks to my overexcited mate.
I shook my head and grinned while pulling them down my legs and handing them over to Xander. If he was going to ruin one of the only pairs of underwear I had, he would have to throw them away. I held out my hand and a clean pair of panties from my backpack appeared in them. I slid them up my shaky legs and looked around for my discarded shirt. Xan held it out to me with his other hand.
“Always a gentleman,” I chuckled and took it from him.
“You know it,” he winked back at me.
Xan waited for me to right myself before pulling me into his body. I put my face into his chest and inhaled. He smelled of us. His own unique scent was one of my favorites, but us mixed together was even better.
“Hey, did you notice that?” he asked, making me release from my thoughts.
I looked up at his face to see him staring at the darkened sky. I followed his gaze and saw nothing but stars.
“Notice what?”
“It’s a new moon.”
I pulled away so I could get a better look. Stars were everywhere, so there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and yet, there was no moon. It was the first new moon in fifteen years I could gaze up at and enjoy, without feeling like I was on fire. The first new moon I wasn’t writhing in pain. The first new moon of the rest of my life.
My smile widened.
“Can we stay out here a little longer?” I asked. I wanted to bask in it.
Xander held my face in his hands and kissed me. “We can do whatever you want, but I was hoping for a repeat in our bedroom in front of that big ass window we have.”
I raised my eyebrows. It sounded like something I could definitely get behind. I could see the moonless sky just as easily from the window as I could on the outcropping of rocks overlooking the ocean, with the added bonus of more orgasms. Win, win.
I took my mate by the hand and led him back across the yard towards the house. Chuckling at my sudden enthusiasm to leave my sanctuary, he followed behind me.
We walked into the house, smiling as we went, not caring who was waiting for us. The two of us passed through the kitchen and into the hallway that opened up to the living room to find Di, Amos, Camille, Grayson, and several other supes who I considered to be part of the inner circle. Apart from Camille, they were all secluded in meetings and talked in hushed tones to one another whenever they were out among the rest of us.
Every single person looked to us when we passed, their conversations stopped. It was as if we were interrupting or something. Xander and I came to a halt at the living room door when we saw all those eyes firmly planted on us. My mate moved in front of me partially, blocking me from whatever they were up to.
“Xander! Emelia! Will you join us?” Di called out pleasantly.
I peeked around Xan’s large frame and took in the emotion in the room. The feelings ran from anger to confusion to intrigue. My eyes slid to our host here at the house to gauge her expression. She was excited, it was plain to see. Why? What was she up to?
Tired of her games, I rolled my eyes. “We were planning on going to bed, Di.”
“Oh, it’ll only take a few minutes, I promise!”
I put my hand on Xander’s arm and stepped to the side of him. He peered down at me and I knew he wasn’t sure about it any more than I was. But what could we do? We were guests in the house, no matter how much we contributed to running it. We were at their mercy, Di’s in particular.
That didn’t mean I believed everything she told us blindly. I knew she was constantly scheming. About what, I wasn’t sure exactly. But she was way too excited to have me in her grasp and I knew she wasn’t above using others to further her cause. I say her cause and not the rebellion’s cause because I wasn’t sure they aligned as perfectly as she let on.
“I think we can manage a few minutes,” I replied, not taking my eyes off of Xander’s. I squeezed his hand and let go, walking toward one of the large couches that took up the room. My mate followed me, but stood next to the armrest rather than joining me on the cushions.
Amos, my grandfather, cleared his throat and put his fist in front of his face. He was looking down at the ground and I wondered why he wasn’t making eye contact. He was sad. I could feel it in his aura and see it in the way he held himself.
I wrung my hands in front of me, itching to be anywhere but on that couch. “Is everything okay?” I asked out loud to no one in particular, but I hoped my grandfather would answer me, and answer me honestly.
“Everything is great!” Di told me. “I was just getting ready to tell everyone a story and you’re just in time!”
“A story?” My brows furrowed, confused. “Is it important? Because I’m tired and I’d like to go to bed.”
I put my hands down on the cushions to push myself up when Di rushed forward a step to stop me.
“Yes! It’s very important! I promise!
Don’t you want to know more about what we do here?”
I sat back down in my seat and reached for Xander’s hand. He squeezed it, but otherwise didn’t look away from his defensive position.
“I’m guessing you want to tell me, us, more about what you do here so go ahead, I guess.”
Di relaxed and moved back to her spot next to her snooty assistant, Jeb. She took a deep breath, and a smile slowly spread across her face.
Chapter Twelve
“Emelia, did you know some casters are able to make prophecies?”
“Like predict the future? I think Dev told me something about that.” I shifted in my seat and settled in further.
“It’s a bit more than that,” someone said from the doorway. I looked up to see Irna standing there, fidgeting with her hands nervously. “The caster giving the prophecy is moved by magic to foretell something important that will come to pass. It’s more than a prediction. Much more important.”
Irna slid from the doorway as if stepping away from a stage and hid in the corner of the room. I hadn’t seen her since I told her my entire story, thinking I had an ally in her. The way Di was watching her and the way Irna was shrinking back in return made me realize how incredibly foolish that was. If I were a betting person, I would put all of my money down on the idea Irna ran straight to Di that night and told her everything. My eyes narrowed at Irna, making the caster curl into herself more, intimidated.
Di stepped in between us and my eyes shot up to her smug face.
“Thank you, Irna,” she grinned and took another step toward me. “Amos and I were talking a few days ago about prophecies. It got me thinking about one I heard when I was a new vampire a few hundred years ago.” Di held her hand out to Jep and he produced a large tome. Di flipped through the pages until she found the right one. “Ah. Here it is! ‘An accursed child of earth and fire, bathed in blood during the darkest of nights will rule supreme. War will be waged, lives will be lost, but harmony and peace can be found when three destinies are one’.”
