Yes, Nicole was saying to Elena, we pick everything up by osmosis. When we’re in the egg, we pick up stray thoughts and magical energies from anything in proximity to us. So when we’re born, we already have an imprint on our minds, and we just have to grow and soak up more. I joined humans late in my egg stage, so I didn’t have as much time to absorb them – I needed my weeks growing to fully understand human communication, customs, feelings.
You learn so much faster than us, Elena responded, and her mind voice seemed small, uncertain. Are all dragons so smart? So knowledgeable?
Sadly, not. It depends on what they’re exposed to, and if the mind they are molded to is open or closed. Learning is exponential at the start, but crawls to a standstill once we reach adult stage. It’s very hard to teach an adult dragon new things. Humans have the ability to constantly change, break themselves down and reshape themselves again. Dragons do not have that luxury.
But you changed the minds of those attackers, Elena protested. That seems like a big change.
There was no changing. They are conditioned to obey the orders of a queen, to protect a queen at all costs. I am a queen. That is stronger than their order to kill. It would be like a human being asked to kill their own god.
Garek whistled inwardly, alerting them to his presence, as they were so absorbed in one another. This is heavy conversation for a sunny afternoon.
Garek! Elena faced him, and her lips spread into a wide, beautiful grin. “How nice to see you. For a moment, I was convinced you were planning to avoid us for the next year.”
Garek coughed uncomfortably. “I was… considering that,” he said, half-joking, half realizing it sounded like a valid option.
“After the connection we’ve made? Bad of you, Garek,” Elena said, her smile taking on a mischievous glint. He knew exactly what kind of connection she was talking about.
“Oh. I mean, I’m definitely up for more of that.” He smirked, folding his arms, allowing a salacious picture to run through his mind. Judging by her raised eyebrows, she’d seen it. “But I admit… I’m having a chore of a time trying to match…” He paused, thinking of what he wanted to say. “The old memories are fresh, still.”
“I know,” Elena said softly. She glanced at the grassy, twiggy ground. “I admit… I kind of hate myself for what I was like. I feel like I haven’t changed so much from that person.”
He nodded. That was something he related to. “Yeah… we were awful.”
She quirked a smile. “No wonder we went into thievery.”
“Yet they want to put the hopes of a war on us. Crazy idiots,” Garek said.
“I know, right? Fucking stupid.” Elena rocked back and forth on her heels a little. He felt a small wave of emotion from her, though he wasn’t able to identify it. “I’m a little weirded out by the fact we were… supposed to be together, too. Like, something out there decided this Bond would work with us. And even when it was taken away… we still found a way to meet all the same. I can’t wrap my head around it.”
“That’s… well…” Garek rubbed the back of his head. “That’s fate for ya. If you like to believe in that sort of thing.” Now he moved forward, giving Nicole a pat on her great snout. “I’m still amazed how little Nicole worked out, here. Can’t say I ever thought I’d end up in a situation like this.”
Nicole rumbled in amusement, her eyes closing as she nudged firmly into Garek’s hand. Her scales were warm under the touch, and she made a small, contented purring sound. A rush of affection teased his insides, and he almost gasped with the intensity of the emotion. Yeah, this was going to take some getting used to.
I’m worried, Nicole said then, and her human guardians instantly began soothing her wherever they could, though Garek suspected she didn’t feel as much with a touch anymore. Maybe it was just the gesture that counted for her, and the intent behind it. I know the humans are expecting a lot from me. So are the dragons. I… confess I’m not sure if I will fulfil expectations.
“I think people expect too much of you, to be honest,” Elena said, giving Nicole a huge, rough series of pats on her side. “Just like they do of us. None of us ask to be put into the places we are. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”
Nicole hummed, and now Garek had a tiny inkling as to why they might be better suited to Nicole than most. He didn’t voice it out loud. But he smiled, and bumped shoulders with Elena. “We’re not your keepers. But… I suppose we can help each other.”
Yes. Nicole butted her snout into Garek’s stomach, making him stagger a few steps backward. “I think we’ll get used to this. Though I’m worried we’ll… we’ll end up doing what happened before as well,” Elena admitted.
“Give yourself some credit,” Garek said. “We’ve got a lot more control of our powers since then.”
Her eyes lifted up to meet his, and he was momentarily captivated by the sight, of the clear darkness in them, and the way the light caught her cheekbones. It was beautiful, almost artistic. He’d been worrying so much about other things that he hadn’t given himself time to appreciate the majesty of the other shadow witch he was Bonded to.
I hope we’ll get more time, he thought sincerely, just about stopping himself from reaching out a hand to stroke the cheek accentuated by light.
They spent the rest of the day together, enjoying one another’s company, not worrying about what the rest of the world planned for them. Arrangements for the shadow witches to practice were put on hold, but they found moments to practice with one another anyway, under the watchful eye of Nicole, and whoever else came along to look at them, though fears they’d run away in the night had apparently diminished. That strange witch, the red-head with an almost permanent melancholy expression on her face seemed to feel that they were trustworthy.
Something about being able to sense emotions was the justification behind it.
With their Bond restored, it became apparent just how much of their magic was being held back by it. The shadows swirled in his veins, whispering to him, and slipping into them was like sinking into a hot bath – a blissful feeling to be blanketed by the world, to no longer be visible to anyone else, and to walk along Bastion’s streets and feel the suggestion of the people he could touch and drag into darkness with him.
Enhanced shadow magic could do a lot of harm in the wrong hands. It wasn’t long until he felt the seeping creep of darkness spreading beyond his control, but with Nicole in the vicinity, a plea to her, and she siphoned it up instantly, keeping him stable.
In the night, Garek debated sleeping on the couch, or sharing a bed with Elena again, wondering if it’d be considered presumptuous. Sleeping together without commitment didn’t automatically mean he had a right to the bed.
Elena, though, had other ideas. She approached him as he was arranging blankets on the couch, with a determined expression on her rounded face.
“No way you’re sleeping on that ratty couch. Plenty of room for two people here.”
“I don’t think I’ll be getting much sleep if that happens,” Garek said. He probed his mind for Nicole, who was asleep next to the little house, enclosed in a small cave to keep her somewhat out of view of any potential passersby. “Since I remember the last time we shared a room together.”
“I wouldn’t mind staying awake,” Elena purred, lips curling into a confident grin.
He stared at her, willing for a spark of arousal to flare into life, but it didn’t come. “I’ll share, but I don’t want to do anything.”
Her expression fell slightly. “You don’t?”
Swallowing thickly, Garek nodded. “I… I don’t think I can do ‘just casual’ with you. I’d just be lying to myself. I find I want to… dig deeper into this connection. To… share more of those little games you have. And get to know you in a way that isn’t a selfish kid trying to run away from everyone else.”
At this, the female shadow witch sighed, nodding. “Man, I can’t get over how shitty we were.”
“Is it really any different from what we are now?”
“Yes,” Elena said, and Garek blinked, not expecting this response. “Because… I think I would have been a completely different person if I didn’t have these memories removed. And that’s fucking me up a bit.”
“There’s no point going down that route,” Garek said in a soothing voice, now walking over to rub her back, knowing from experience that simple gestures of comfort helped. He also believed his own words in the moment he said them. “We are who we are right now. That’s all that matters.”
After an age, Elena wiped at her nose, before saying, “I suppose you’re right. Feel like I could use a drink or two to handle this better.”
“You don’t need a drink. Maybe… maybe we can go for a walk, instead? Sure, it’s dark outside, but maybe some fresh air’ll help.”
“Sure.” Elena headed over to her coat, pulling it off the little rack and draping it around her. “Just a quick one. No magic.”
Garek agreed and took his own coat. Outside, the moon bulged, slightly deformed from full, shining tawdry light upon them. The air smelled fresh, as if heavy with spring fruit and vegetables, with the first bursting of flowers at winter’s end. Cold air iced his lungs, and he held light conversation with Elena, enjoying her company, enjoying sharing a little moment between them together, pure and simple, rather than brimming with ulterior motive or loneliness. That was nice. He needed more moments like this.
More chances to forge a connection.
They reached the walls of Bastion, near one of the main gateways into the city, and he pulled her into a sudden, breathless kiss, feeling the impulse and following through with it that same moment. Without the nausea gallivanting through them anymore, the kiss felt sweet, hot, and thrummed inside him, causing all of his nerves to light up. Arousal flickered inside, and he entertained brief notions of shoving her against the wall and taking her there and then. Reluctantly, he wrenched his mind away from the gutter, focusing instead on the genuine walk he wanted to have. Not everything had to end in sex.
Tempting as it was, all of a sudden.
Entering Bastion, deciding to do so in shadows, they passed stragglers, revelers, and soldiers. So many soldiers, and they expected him and Elena to cloak all of them, and sneak them close to River’s End for a full ambush.
Clearly, whatever they were paying, they weren’t paying enough. Because this was a ridiculous and near impossible task.
Not impossible if we trickle them in gradually, he thought, watching a group of dozens of soldiers wander their way over a bridge with shallow running water. There was something beautiful if uniform about Bastion. It was built for purpose, rather than elegance, yet there was elegance in its simplicity. He felt Elena’s hand wrap around his own and took solace in the touch, smiling. Together, they explored some of the different areas by foot.
Eventually, they chose to return back to Nicole, and there was another brief moment where Garek thought he might lose control of his libido, or perhaps Elena would. Their Bond seemed to amplify it, somehow, and make it harder for them to keep their emotions separate and distinct.
All he knew, the more and more they began to exchange thoughts, rather than words, was that he felt less inclined to run off into the unknown. He wanted to see things through instead. Preferably with Elena.
He already knew a lot about Elena, thanks to the returned memories, but he also knew there were far more things he didn’t know. Her experiences on earth were refreshing to him. A strange planet without magic or uncirim. A place where technology ruled.
In Albalon, a lot of technological advances it seemed had been replaced by magic. Why bother inventing things when a witch could conjure something up, or people could fly you from place to place? Although he was interested in the thought of looking at some of the earth cities with Elena. Less interested in having his magic taken away from him again, since magic didn’t work in earth, aside from weak points that allowed realm travel. Or being unceremoniously dragged away by a ravenous kelpie that had a taste for human flesh.
But hopefully no one planned to be dragged away by a kelpie anytime soon.
Over the next week, they tested the limits of their magic. How many they could take with them in the shadows. If they could do it without physical contact.
And how long it took before they dropped into a dead faint from magical exhaustion.
Garek’s limit was covering ten people for a few hours. Going above ten drained his magic at a ferocious rate, and the same result came with Elena as well. The less there were, the better for their magic. As for distance… they could drag other people under without touching them. But again, it took a frightening amount of magic to do so. It was simpler just to touch the people directly. But also useful to drag people in – just in case they needed saving.
Garek couldn’t help but be reminded a little of their past, of the constant usage of their powers and the dangers it caused them. They left it a few days without magic use at all to recover energy levels… but apparently, general Witslaw and the royals didn’t intend to wait much longer to force their plans into action.
Plans that meant leaving Nicole behind. The intelligent baby dragon didn’t want to be left behind, but she understood.
I wish I could have powers like you two, or be easy to sneak along. It’s a shame I can’t shrink myself. Nicole had sounded rather morose at this declaration.
Being small is overrated, Garek had replied, which prompted a snort out of Nicole.
Be safe, she responded sadly, which led to Garek and Elena cuddling in a rather sad ball that night. Nicole stayed with some of the exiles, not wanting to sleep outside.
11
Elena
The soldiers in front of Elena were understandably nervous. Her mind was still caught in a loop of early morning, where her and Garek’s platonic sleep together turned slightly less platonic, and it ignited the blood in her veins yet again. They’d managed an entire night without succumbing to their desires, but morning arousal did wonders for people attracted to one another. Elena and Garek didn’t get much time to themselves before they were escorted to the waypoint by Tara and Janus. Which of course, sent additional doubts through Elena, who still didn’t know if she was capable of doing what was asked.
Despite their practicing beforehand.
Transporting an entire army through an established waypoint wasn’t as easy as it looked. Not that anyone exactly thought it’d be easy.
For a start, the waypoint couldn’t handle more than five or so people at a time. Any additional people standing in the weak spot simply weren’t able to transport at all.
And since dragons did have spies watching the waypoints, because if you had a fully established and known point to those who used the Realm Market, it made sense to keep an eye for any suspicious movement in the area.
This meant that Elena and Garek, waiting on the River’s End side of the waypoint, stayed cloaked in shadows, and they needed to turn the arrivals invisible almost before any potential spies could register what was happening. Elena stayed by the point, ready to pounce and cloak any arrivals, and Garek led the group of soldiers to the established spot within the coasts of River’s End, in the various cave systems that existed along the tidelines. The mountains were a no-go, since the dragons also nested among the heights. They disliked low points, so the coasts were mostly left alone. The smuggler’s cove by the bay was the single biggest hide-out, which the exiles offered without hesitation. Though it wouldn’t fit all the soldiers.
Elena and Garek worked exhaustively, spending hours upon hours cloaking and escorting the tiny trickle of soldiers.
They stopped at a certain time in the night, slept during the day, and then did it all over again when the next evening fell. They were lucky to even transport one thousand soldiers a day at this slow rate, along with food supplies being carried along to ensure the growing army didn’t suddenly run out of food and begin starving right under the nose of the dragons.
She liked having those new images to work with, and it gave Elena something else to focus on.
One thousand soldiers a day, out of an army of around thirty thousand. A logistical nightmare. A month of torture where only sleep spared Elena. For each person concealed by shadow magic there was, the more pressure it squeezed out of her. Shadow magic didn’t like sharing itself.
Days blurred into weeks. Soldiers blurred into one another, and each day, Elena stayed curled up in bed, not wanting to move, to put herself through those nights again, clinging to Garek like he was a lifeline.
“I don’t think I can do this,” she told him, somewhere deep into the little hell they’d made for themselves.
“Then don’t,” Garek had whispered, his forehead pressed against hers, looking every bit as drained and tired as she felt. “Just run away. Let them fight their own damn wars.”
When he said that, of course, she suddenly found dozens of reasons why she couldn’t just up and leave. Her impulse to run dampened, but it didn’t remove the digging fear that they were abusing their magic too much. They would devolve back into their childhood times, where the magic was everything, and would eventually consume them.
Captured By The Royals Page 14
