by Tia Didmon
He picked her up, cradling her in his arms as he exited the shop. “This ends now.”
She sensed his anger was as much with himself as her. “Are you upset he got away?”
“Devlin is a nuisance I intend to deal with. I told you to wait. Instead, you sent a magic fireball in every direction, alerting any dragon within a hundred miles that you are here and your power is mature. Yet, you didn’t think to ask me, your mate, who was within your very walls, to help you shield that blast.”
She fought to stay awake. “You’re not my babysitter.”
“I am your mate, and it is about time you understand what that means.”
She felt the power swell once they were outside. The world around them blurred, as if she were inside a snow globe, surveying her surroundings. While her magic had seemed powerful back in the shop, it was like a cricket sparring with a lion, next to Legion. Anger. Fire. Power. All arced out as she took a heated breath. Scales slid along her skin. The world beneath her dropped away. While she could feel Legion’s body next to her, it was no longer that of the man. She was flying, laying on her dragon’s back. Her eyelids drooped. Oh Shit.
Mara woke, clutching the soft earth between her fingers before opening her eyes to the strong smell of pine trees. “Where are we?”
The tremor in the ground made her look behind her. The Golden dragon moved gracefully. But his weight shook the earth with each step. His eyes flickered his annoyance. He was intimidating as hell. Yet she knew he would never hurt her. She stood up, dusting the dirt from her clothes. “Take me back to the shop.”
No. His voice vibrated with the undertone of his dragon.
Mara’s eyes narrowed. “That wasn’t a request. Take me back now.”
His eyes flared with fire. No.
The power rose so quickly, she had no time to aim. It blasted from her fingers in a massive fire ball, hitting Legion in the face.
The dragon yawned. I’m a dragon, Mara. I find soap bubbles more irritating than your pathetic attempt at a fire ball.
She picked up a stick and threw it at the massive dragon. It had as much effect on the golden hide as the ball of fire. It glanced off Legion’s neck, falling to the ground. “You’re insufferable!”
The dragon’s head lowered. Is that why you have forsaken me?
Mara clenched both her fists. The need to lash out was paramount, but she was a single match of power up against a volcano. “I did nothing to you. I am not Adara.”
You are her soul reborn.
She crossed her arms, taking a deep breath. “I don’t believe in reincarnation, but if I did, I wouldn’t use past lives against anyone.” She threw her hands in the air. “I can’t believe we are having this conversation. Did you ever consider that you pissed Adara off? Your He-Man attitude can be annoying.”
Yes, but she removed our chance as a child, before I even met her. She destroyed her mate without knowing who he was, or the consequences of her actions.
Mara held up her hand. “Listen we...” Her eyes rolled in her head as her world shifted around her. She felt her body hit the ground. There was no pain, as if her soul had left its human body behind. She held up her hand, looking through transparent skin as blue fire caressed her body. This was her power. Her gift. The room solidified in front of her. A wooden cot with animal skins covered the simple bed. The child, with eyes like her own, played with a handmade doll. The child was beautiful. Innocent. Adara.
The dark shape formed beside her. Mara sucked in a breath, but nothing filled her lungs. Her body’s reflex, useless in her metaphysical form. The events played out as if it were a movie. She could watch, but not interfere with events that had happened so many years ago.
The man in a dark cloak chanted low. Soft Gaelic words that pierced through the air until the child repeated them. She was unaware she was being influenced by another, as the tiny white spark rose from her chest, and drifted above her before dissipating. Adara continued to play with the simple doll as the dark figure disappeared.
She screamed as her consciousness snapped back to the present.
Legion held her against his naked body. She rocked in his arms as he caressed her back. “What happened, Mara? This vision was unlike any I have seen before. Your form destabilized. Whatever you did was perilous. I could have lost you in metaphysical form. How did you know how to do that?”
Mara took a stunted breath. “I don’t think I did that. I was in the past, watching Adara as a child.”
Legion searched her face. “A seer does not see the past. If you saw Adara, then she created a spell so you would see an event that happened to her. I have never heard of such a spell. The reincarnation of the druids is new to us and will undoubtedly present us with unforeseeable circumstances. Will you tell me what you saw?”
She swallowed hard. “It wasn’t just what I saw. It is what I felt. Someone coerced Adara into breaking your bond with her. A man in a dark cloak, removed it from her body. She seemed unaware it was happening, yet she said the words he whispered in her head. She was about eight years old.”
Legion growled. “I have condemned the wrong person. I should have known a child, even one as powerful as Adara could not break a mating bond. Do you know what he looked like?
She shook her head. “He had red eyes. That’s all I could see through the dark cloak around him. He whispers to her. He is her dark passenger.”
“A dark mage, then. He would be dead now, but his legacy has lived on.”
“I thought only dark dragons have red eyes?”
“The red eyes are a by product of using dark magic. Did you see any more of Adara’s memories? Did you see him again?”
“No. I only saw this one. Why would he do that? Why not just kill the seer?”
Legion sighed. “He would not have known she was a seer. He would not have known who her mate was. He detected a dragon mate though, and that is concerning.”
“Okay, but why do it at all? To any druid I mean?”
“He is trying to create dark dragons. He wanted to keep Adara alive though, so that suggests he and his cohorts had a plan for their druid counterparts.”
Mara pursed her lips. “Were you ever tempted to turn dark? To drink druid blood?”
Legion’s eyes flickered with warmth. “No. Not even when I believed you betrayed me.”
Mara looked down as a tear slipped from her eye. “That’s the thing. Adara wanted me to see the truth. I am her. I have grown up in a different time, with unique experiences and no knowledge of my origins, but that doesn’t change the fact, that I betrayed you.”
Legion felt Mara’s pain as if it were his own. He had prayed for this moment. Wanted it more than anything he could remember, but faced with it. He had never hated himself more. He waved his hand, forcing Mara to go limp in his arms. The leader of dragons carried her into the secluded cabin in the mountains, placing her under the plaid covers before walking outside to contemplate the atrocity of his actions.
How had he been so blind? He should have known a child couldn’t break a mating bond and later retrieve it, as she died. How had she done it? He was so engrossed in his thoughts, he never sensed Conner approach.
The large naked man stopped beside him. “Your dragon is in pain. His power is effecting us all.”
Legion rubbed his chest. “I failed you. I failed her.”
Conner looked out at the surrounding mountains. “How so?”
“I did not see that Adara had a nemesis. He orchestrated her demise when she was but a child.”
Copper scales slid against Conner’s human skin. A testament to his dragon’s anger. “Then we all failed her. You were not the only one who loved, Adara.”
“I was her mate. I have power unlike any other, and I failed to bring it to bear when she needed me.”
Conner nodded. “We were all young. Our parents gone. Our dragons in agony. You united us, gave us purpose. We would have died had you not accepted the burden of leadership. Your price was higher than any be
fore you.”
Legion rolled his shoulders. “That does not excuse my failure.”
Conner put his hands on his hips. “Maybe not, but you can set things right. For her. For us. No one can take on the mantle of leadership. There are no youth if you fall. I ask you, on behalf of the entire clan, that you endure. Ask your mate for forgiveness. Accept it, if she grants it to you. Do not let pride stand in the way of our salvation.”
Legion looked to the heavens. “I wish swallowing my pride would make up for the catastrophe of this mistake.”
Conner walked away, shifting into a massive copper dragon. Though none were as large as Legion, a single flap of Conner’s wings could send a large aircraft off course. His color was like his brethren Ash, but his age and experience were clear by the battle scar on his back. You will never know until you try, my friend. He launched into the air; wind collided with Legion’s face. His chest. He let the cool air cleanse his soul. The belief his brethren had in him was a gift he would never waste. Some called it a burden. He called it family.
He turned to walk back to the small cabin that contained his heart. His soul. Mara.
Chapter 14
Legion lay down beside Mara. “Wake up Anum Cara.”
Her eyes fluttered before the green locked on his. The sheen glazed over her pupils. Pools of emerald sadness and betrayal. “I’m sorry.”
He touched her face. “The fault lies with me, not you. I failed Adara and you. We were manipulated, and I did not see the signs. I blamed you for circumstances beyond your control.”
She looked down. “You have lost so much, given up so much for your species. For the druids... I dreamed about you and Tempest.”
Legion wished to know more about her dragon dreams, but Tempest was the priority. The young druid had no concept of the danger she was in. “Did you see Tempest? Have a vision about her?”
“Not a vision. Memories of the camp and her learning to fish in the stream.”
Legion ran a finger along her hair. “We have to find her. Conner is looking into her whereabouts as we speak. He should return shortly.”
Mara nodded. “Good.” She nibbled her lip. “What if Tempest believes Devlin is good, despite what we say? How do we convince her she is living with a monster?”
Legion sighed. “I don’t know. Devlin will have warded her mind. I cannot show her our history, like I did with Natalie, until Devlin is dead.”
Mara looked up. “His wards die with him?”
“Yes. When he dies, his dragon magic will return to me.”
“Why do you take a fallen dragon’s magic?”
“So, I may pass it to the next generation,” Legion said.
“You said that before, but what if something happens to you?”
“Someday, there will be fledglings to take up the mantle if I fall, but until then, my species dies if I do.”
Mara hugged him. Her compassion, a gift beyond any other. He never realized how much he missed her. Needed her. Wanted her. He cursed under his breath when he felt Conner land on the ground outside. “Conner has returned. Why don’t we see what he’s found out about Tempest?”
Mara released him. “Can’t you just talk to him telepathically?”
Legion put his hand on her neck. “Yes, but until you bond with me and are comfortable using my connection with my clan, we will speak aloud. I want you to be a part of all decisions from now on. You must understand that we are together in all things.”
Mara ran a hand along his cheek. “Thank you.”
He stood up and helped her from the bed. Conner was pulling on a t-shirt as they entered the living room. He winked at Mara. “Good evening, Lass.”
Mara’s eyelashes fluttered. “I see why Natalie thinks you’re such a charmer.”
Conner’s eyes lit up. “She has good taste, that one.”
“Did you find out about Tempest? Where she is?” Mara asked.
Conner nodded as he buttoned his jeans. “Aye. Tempest Night is registered as Devlin’s daughter. He legally adopted her. She lives at his uptown estate and rarely leaves the property. It’s well fortified, and Devlin is not the only dark dragon living there.”
Legion frowned. “The darks are living together, sharing druid blood?”
Conner’s eyes flickered. “It appears so.”
Legion frowned. “They have not united since the great war. What would make them do so now?”
Mara looked between the men. “If I had to guess. A common enemy.”
Legion nodded. “They are stronger together for sure, but their ego and self importance have always averted such a unification. I will ask Devlin what spurred this change of ideals, before I kill him.”
Mara appraised him. Her green eyes rimmed with blue as her magic surged. He felt her admiration. Her conviction. His own magic rose to meet that of his mate. “Conner, get Draco and devise a plan to infiltrate Devlin’s estate with the least resistance.” He scooped Mara into his arms, taking the steps three at a time as he bounded up them.
Mara took a stuttered breath. “What is happening?”
“You are twenty-three and in the presence of your mate. Our magic is merging.”
Mara clutched his shoulder. “What if I don’t want it to happen?” she whispered.
Legion lay her on the bed. “Then it would not be happening. I did not start the merge. You did.” His dragon growled his anticipation as Mara’s eyes flared.
Mara connected with the power inside her. It was different now. The intermittent trickle was now a flowing river. It seemed endless, but she knew the consequences of such a misconception. She understood the flow and ebb of the magic inside her. Siphon off a small amount and the river runs unaffected, but utilize its entire power and it takes time for the river to return. The power emanating from the man holding her was not a river. It was an endless sea and just as lonely.
She wound her arms around his neck.
He adjusted a pillow behind her head as her eyelashes lifted. The torment in his eyes was met with love and acceptance. Power and reverence. Everything she had belonged to him, and she put it all into that look.
“I don’t deserve you, but I will do anything to keep that look on your face.” He nuzzled her hair. An action that seemed rare and comforting from a creature as powerful as Legion. He had appeared as arrogant and untouchable as a pagan god, yet as he held her, she understood the error of her assessment. He had the weight of all living creatures on his shoulders. If he failed, humans, druids and colored dragons would fall at the talons of the dark ones. His burden was an endless struggle to maintain an impossible balance. She was the only living creature to bring him low. To make him doubt his conviction. His leadership. His shame was like an iron cage around her heart and the need to console him, more powerful than any magic. “I’m sorry, I made things hard for you.”
Legion stilled as his arms tightened around her. She relaxed into the heat of his body. Her body reacting as her softness met the hard plane of muscle. His smile was slow in coming. “I like it when you make things hard for me.”
Mara’s eyelashes fluttered. “Was that dragon flirting?”
Legion laughed. “I admit, I have never flirted. I promise to work on my skills.”
Mara pulled his face to hers. “Maybe it’s one of many skills we could work on together.”
Legion’s pupils reflected the fire behind them. “I would like that.” He kissed her.
The pressure on her lips was as possessive as it was endearing. He claimed her in that kiss. There was no going back for either of them. She had wanted nothing more. Her magic was brittle next to his. He could shatter her into a million pieces with a single thought, yet he protected her in a warm blanket of power, love and admiration. She doubted she deserved such devotion, but she would try to live up to the namesake Adara had ordained. Trust was a precarious power. How did one fight for that?
He pulled her close, melding his body to hers. She wasn’t sure if he unclothed her, or used magic to wish thei
r clothes away, but his hard length pressed against her stomach. The hot shaft pulsed against her sensitive skin, reminding her of what was to come. A stuttered breath alerted him to her nervousness.
He tipped her head up. “I will be as gentle as possible. Your comfort and pleasure are paramount to me.”
As their eyes met, Mara connected with his mind. She loved the sound of his voice. The ability to feel everything he did. To see the world through his eyes was a gift unlike any other. He meant every word he said. She was everything to him. His world. She matched his courage with her own. The line between their souls blurred. Two pools of lava mixing for eternity. “I know.”
His mouth settled over hers. The desperate urgency gave way to acceptance and a security he had never known. Her breath heated in her lungs, making her gasp. His tongue took every opportunity to delve into the warm velvet oasis. His thumb pinched her nipple lightly, inciting a moan to escape her lips, before rubbing away the slight sting. Her back arched as she melted against him.
Her nails bit into the skin of his biceps, attempting to lock him to her. The fire sweeping through her body had a mind of its own, and it focused on Legion. Every synapse, every nerve ending, every sense she owned, centered on her mate as he held her tightly against him. His body heated like an erupting volcano. One would call him a force of nature, but Mother Nature herself would back down from Legion. He was an all-encompassing powerhouse, and he used it unmercifully on her. She was drowning in him.
His mouth caressed the corner of hers before kissing his way down her neck, to the small indentation at its base. The rush of liquid between her legs made her take a shallow breath. He was a dragon and fire was his plaything. It raged through her body like hot lava. While dragon fire couldn’t burn a dragon mate, it created a burning need. One that consumed every cell in her body. “Please, Legion.”
He moved to her breast, flicking it with his tongue. “Our power is merging. You feel me inside you.”
