by Tia Didmon
Legion burst through the door. His eyes blazed golden fire. Flames licked his pupils. “Dakon!”
Mara sucked in a breath. “Dakon?”
Devlin roared. “Legion! You spiteful pig. I have not used the name Dakon in centuries. What are you doing here? She is mine. You have no right to interfere with human...”
Legion advanced on Devlin. “She is my mate. Fight me or die.”
Devlin turned on Mara as if seeing her for the first time. “Adara... no!”
Legion halted. “How did you know she was Adara? No dark knew of our connection.”
Devlin glanced between Mara and Legion. “This is not over.” A bubble formed as his body dissolved.
Mara ran to the spot where Devlin had stood. She knelt down, running her hand over the floorboards, where Devlin seemed to have flowed into. “Where did he go?”
Legion clenched his fists. “It was a relocation spell. His magic is highly evolved, but that little stunt will cost him.” Legion’s body wavered as scales showed beneath his skin before receding.
Mara stood. “Legion, if you shift in my store you will destroy the entire block.”
Legion blew out a breath. “I apologize. My dragon is under control. We have always suspected that Dakon betrayed my family, but he disappeared before my ascension to clan leader, and we believed he had been captured and killed by the mages. The fact that he knows your connection to Adara is concerning. Few colored dragons knew our connection, let alone a dark.”
Mara looked down, trying to hold back her emotions. Her pain.
Legion walked toward her, pulling her against his body. “I will never let him harm you. I am sorry I wasn’t here sooner.”
Mara shook her head. “It isn’t that,” she whispered.
Legion kissed the top of her head. “You are blocking me from your mind. Tell me what has distressed you.”
Mara swallowed the lump in her throat. “I thought he wanted my paintings. That he believed I was talented. It was all a lie.”
Legion pulled back, tipping her head up to meet his fiery gaze. “You are more talented than you can imagine. Your artwork is as beautiful as the soul that paints them. You will have a hundred galleries across the world if you want them.”
A single tear slid down her face. “I didn’t want a hundred galleries. I just wanted one.”
Legion kissed her tear-streaked cheek. “Then you shall have it, and anything else you want.” His eyes flickered with promise and desire. Heat pulsed through his body like a whip of fire.
Chapter 11
Mara glanced at Legion as he stretched out on her bed. She tried not to notice the defined muscles that showed through his tight t-shirt. That his feet hung over the end of her bed. She grabbed her jacket, checking the pockets for the card Devlin had given her.
Legion put his hands behind his head. “The agent Devlin recommended is likely in league with him. I recommend you look for a new agent.”
Mara withdrew the card in a jerky motion, holding it in front of Legion. “She’s human, I doubt he is honest about his dragon heritage. The Dark Art Gallery is worldwide. Just because Devlin is a fraud doesn’t mean the entire company is.”
Legion cleared his throat. “Consider the name.”
Mara turned to look at him. “Dark Arts... Dark Dragon, you mean?”
He nodded.
She squinted. “But Devlin is only one person... he said his family owns the company. Are you suggesting the entire company are family members of Devlin Night?”
Legion shook his head. “Not family. Dark dragons. They were once part of our clan. The Rule clan. But they turned against us. In the past, dark dragons did not work together. Apparently, that has changed. They are using the Dark Art Gallery as a front for their operation. Ingenious really.”
Mara put down the stack of cards in her hand. “What operation?”
“The search for druid descendants.”
“Why would they need an art empire?”
“The gallery provides Devlin with influence, power, and money. They can import and export throughout the world. Travel at will and no one will suspect their true agenda.”
“Sort of like a mining company that exports diamonds and precious gems.”
Legion smirked. “Touché.”
Mara huffed. “They copied your business plan; they just chose a different currency.”
Legion nodded. “Dark dragons lose their creativity, but not their intelligence.”
“Not their magic, either,” she whispered.
Legion’s eyes flickered. “No. I wish that were the case, but their magic is stronger rather than weaker.”
“Why is that?”
“Dark magic is very powerful, if you don’t care about the price.”
“I’m afraid to ask what the price of that spell Devlin did to disappear was.”
“It depends on what he did. He may have hidden his presence, but whatever the price, I am sure he used a transference spell to ensure another person paid it.”
Mara sucked in a breath. “You can do that?’
“There is a lot you need to learn, Mara. The sooner we start your education, the safer it is for those around you.”
Mara’s eyes flared. “I would never hurt my friends.”
Legion sat up, appraising her. “Not intentionally, but you wish to lash out at me for a simple observation. One that is complete truth.”
Mara turned away, reading the card. “I’m calling that agent.” She punched in the number.
“Lucy Shomans speaking.”
“Hi Lucy, this is Mara...”
“Mara Krane. Yes, Devlin mentioned you. It’s a pleasure to represent you. I have several galleries willing to show your work...”
Mara hung up. “She makes my skin crawl. She has never met me, yet she has a ton of clients willing to take me. That’s not how the art world works.”
Legion sighed. “She is under Devlin’s influence. She is human, so he used her ambition against her. Sadly, she will pay the price for doing his bidding. As for the skin crawling, that is your magic warning you she is a danger to you, never dismiss such a signal. Your magic will detect even subtle changes in a human’s aura.”
Mara tossed the card in the trash can. “Changes in an aura?’
“When a creature of magic, alters a human, we change them for all time.”
Mara swallowed. “Will bonding change my aura?”
Legion’s lip twitched. “Absolutely.”
“How?”
“It will bond you to me. Your magic intertwined with mine for all time. You will become immortal.”
Mara’s eyes widened. “I won’t die?”
“You can be killed with magic, or by decapitation, but you will not age.”
“If we bond, and your magic is woven with mine, then wouldn’t that mean you would die if I did.”
Legion frowned. “I had hoped you would not focus on that fact.”
Mara crossed her arms. “Bit of a downside, don’t you think? You’re the size of a small country. Your scales are impenetrable, and since you can magic your ass out of danger, you are almost impossible to kill. In comparison, I am not that sturdy. Why would you take that chance?”
Legion’s eyes roamed her body. “Because without you, life itself, is meaningless.”
Mara sighed, looking at the ceiling. “You can’t say things like that. It’s not fair.”
“It is the truth.”
Mara rubbed her forehead. “You are just... so... much.”
“I am perfectly reasonable.”
Mara dropped her hand. “You don’t believe that, do you?”
Legion raised an eyebrow. “Yes. Ask any of my clan members.”
Mara threw her hands in the air. “They will not tell you the truth. They are probably afraid you will sit on them.”
Legion sat back. His forehead creased. “I do not sit on my fellow dragons,” he hissed.
Mara tried not to laugh. She even put her hand over her mouth
to stifle the chuckle from escaping her lips.
Legion rose from the bed and stalked her. “You are extremely disrespectful. I may have to punish you.”
His words might have scared her if they didn’t hold such lustful heat when he said them. She was sure his punishment would be pleasureful and looked forward to her penance. Her body reacted to his, heating as her magic rose within her.
He pulled her to him. “I love the feel of your magic against mine.”
She gazed into his gold crystalline eyes. “I thought I was a witch.”
He pulled back. “Because of your family business?”
“No. The store was in my family for generations. To my knowledge, none of my ancestors could do what I could.”
His eyebrow arched. “You had visions as a child?”
“No. I could spin the spoon in my tea as a teenager. Sometimes I could get images of a person who had touched an object.”
Legion frowned. “You should not have had access to that magic until your twenty-third birthday. I assumed it manifested now, as you are only hours from your transition.”
Mara touched his face. “You make it sound like I am turning into a butterfly.”
Legion kissed her. His lips soft against hers. “You are more beautiful than a butterfly. I look forward to you spreading your wings and take your rightful place in the skies.”
Her body couldn’t fly, but her heart could. It soared, weaving its spell around the golden dragon who held her.
Mara lay her head on Legion’s chest. “I have to learn to control this power, don’t I?”
Legion ran a hand down her back. “You say it like it is an unsurmountable burden. Your power, your magic is a gift to both humanity and the dragon species.”
She looked up at him. “Why is it a gift to humanity? If what you say about the price of magic is true, I can’t heal sick children or take away a dying man’s pain.”
Legion ran his fingers over her temple. “You can heal anyone as long as the injury is not mortal. Speeding up a recovery is not altering the natural order of events. You can also remove a dying man’s pain provided you don’t prolong a life span that nature has designated as over.”
“How do you tell the difference?”
“Your magic will tell you. If it exacts a price that is more than exhaustion, then you are entering the realm of dark magic.”
“Do you feel tired after you use your magic?’
Legion sighed. “The reason the mages despised the dragon race is that we have fewer limitations on our magic. We pay a price for altering nature, but we can heal from magic blow back and we can transfer that fate. I wish power transfer was not one of our gifts.”
“Why?”
“It allows us to perform unnatural acts and have another pay the price.”
She sucked in a breath. “Could Devlin do that to you? Do something terrible then make you pay the price for it?”
Legion shook his head. “A dragon cannot transfer his magic to another dragon. We can protect ourselves from such an attack, as could a druid or mage.”
She squinted. “So, humans are the dark dragons’ guinea pigs.”
He sighed. “Unfortunately, they are. It’s why we must protect them. Humanity has no defense against a dark dragon’s magic.”
“Figures that we would...”
“Not you, Mara. You were born human, but you are part druid. Once your magic matures, it will protect you from such an attack.”
She huffed. “It doesn’t make me feel better that Devlin can...” Her eyes rolled back. She felt her power surge. Legion’s arms tightened around her, but the sense of security fell away. She floated in a realm of clouds. Airy fingers touched her hair. Her skin. The tingling started in her chest, then spread outward. In seconds she was standing inside the temple. Her arms were transparent. Thin lines as she looked through them. “This is new.” Her voice echoed around her.
The room shifted to another location within the stone castle. A large room with a long table and several chairs surrounded by bookcases filled with old leather-bound books. The sensation of moving surrounded her, before she stood in front of a drawbridge. The lever on the side glowed with a blue flame. She sucked in a breath as her spirit reconnected with her body.
She blinked before meeting Legion’s intense gaze. “Does that ever get less weird?”
“How so?”
“The floating temple thing. I moved between rooms, but I was like a ghost entering someone else’s home. My virtual mind tour ended with a drawbridge with a glowing blue lever. I can’t touch anything there so, I’m not sure what it means.”
“The temple used to have a moat around it. The bridge was the single access to the temple.”
“Couldn’t you just fly to it?”
“No. The temple has a ward around it. Dragons could not use their magic while inside the temple. It was a safety precaution for the druids.”
“Because of the mages?”
“Yes, and the dark dragons. There were fewer of them then, but they would abduct a druid if given the chance.”
Her power hummed through her body, reaching for the magical creature that held her. His body stiffened as her power caressed him. It wasn’t an attack, but it incited him.
“Mara!” he snapped, though his voice held more frustration than anger.
“I’m sorry. I can’t control it. You should have warned me about the porn magic,” she hissed.
He put his head against hers, chuckling. “I’ve never heard of such a thing, but I am more than willing to learn. Perhaps you can give me some instruction.”
Mara pushed away from him. “You can stop right there. Obviously, it’s not safe for me to be in the same room with you, fortunately I have plans with Natalie. So, this...” she waved her hands between them. “Thing will have to wait.”
Legion looked her over. “I agree, it’s better to put some distance between us until after midnight, but we will revisit this conversation.”
Mara crossed her arms. “Do you always think about sex?”
Legion smiled. “I went thousand of years without thinking about it. I admit, since I met you it has been forefront in my mind, but I would remind you, that this time... you started it.”
Mara huffed. He was right, but she would never give him that satisfaction. He had enough going for him already. “How mature of you.”
Mara took off her jacket and handed it to the maître de. He mumbled something in French while putting it on a hanger. The room was hot with so many patrons crammed within its walls. The smell of butter creme, fresh bread and seafood, competed to overthrow one another. “I can’t believe you got us a table here.”
Natalie winked at her, repositioning the thin purse strap on her shoulder. “I didn’t. Jake did.”
“I love the Renaissance era decor. I’m not sure how he got us a reservation, but I’ll take it.” She waved at Jake, who stood up from a white linen clad table in the corner.
They followed the server to the table, smiling at their friend. He hugged Natalie and then Mara.
Mara felt her magic spike inside her. It rippled through her body, as if searching for a target. Jake flinched as she got a flash of his soul. His intentions toward her. She cleared her throat, pulling the power back into her. He posed no threat to her, but she would have to set him straight on the boundaries of their friendship. “This restaurant is amazing.”
Jake pulled out her chair. “I booked it last year. I hope you don’t mind, but I invited a friend along, since the reservation is for four.”
Mara shook her head. “Not at all. Who is your friend?”
Jake glanced at the door. Here he is now. “Roland, meet Natalie and Mara.”
Roland’s eyes roamed over Mara. “It’s a sincere pleasure to meet you Mara and happy birthday. I hope we can make it a momentous one.”
Mara’s smile slipped from her face before she forced herself into some semblance of control. The aura around Roland shimmered before turning gray. She
glanced at Natalie to see if her friend was watching the strange dark glow forming around the newcomer.
Natalie indicated the seat beside her. “Please sit down, Roland. We haven’t gotten a menu yet. So, you are just in time.”
Roland took a seat beside Natalie, leaning toward her when he spoke. “You have no idea how right you are, my dear.” He winked at Natalie, causing her to blush.
Mara plastered a smile on her face as she reached out with her mind. Legion.
Yes, Anum Cara.
Will you tell me what that means?
Soul Mate.
Her apprehension and fear were replaced by a feeling she struggled to describe. Contentment. Commitment. Loyalty. Sorry to bother you, but something is happening that I don’t understand.
You are never bothering me, Mara. You are the single most important thing in my world. What vexes you?
Mara cleared her throat so her communion with Legion wouldn’t look obvious. Jake invited a friend to dinner with Natalie and I. He has a strange glow around him. No one else can see it.
Adara possessed the ability to see auras as well. What prompted your magic to surface in this manner?
It rose when Jake hugged me. I felt his feelings for me, but there was no danger. He likes me. Wants to date me, but he would never hurt me. Why would that make my magic surface?
Legion growled. We will discuss your poor choice in dinner partners later, but if he is not a threat to you, he should not have made your magic surface so. Who is this friend?
Mara leaned forward, opening her mind so Legion could hear the events transpiring around her. “So, Roland, how do you know Jake? I don’t think he has mentioned you before.”
Jake took a napkin from the table and folded it over his lap. “Roland and I go way back. We went to school together.”
Natalie and Mara glanced at each other. “Natalie and I went to school with Jake too. I am surprised we never met you.”
Roland showed a flicker of irritation. “It was a large school.”
Mara nodded. “It was. What do you do for a living, Roland?”
His smile was that of a snake. “My family is in the acquisitions trade.”
