Dragon Mated: Supernatural Prison #3

by Jaymin Eve

  “Look for yourself, Jessa babe,” Jacob said from my left. “Knowing you, you’ll probably want to keep it as a pet.”

  I snorted. “Speak for yourself, you were the one always collecting animals and bugs.” Tyson and Jacob both. Their affinity for nature resulted in an unnatural attraction to everything in the great circle of life.

  I was the one who got all soft-hearted when animals were hurt or treated cruelly. Humans were often on my shit list for the way they disregarded the rights of their animals. Pets. Those to be eaten. Don’t get me wrong, I ate meat – my wolf was definitely no vegetarian. But I expected that we not only ate the meat, we used the bone, the skin, the fur … everything. And we did not kill them without mercy or waste what we took. The circle of life. It was there for a reason, and I hated people screwing with it.

  Since the boys seemed to expect I’d be able to see whatever was in the water with us, I stopped trying to see below and stared instead into the darkness behind. I caught a flash in the dull lighting.

  Holy shut the eff up!

  I had to be dreaming … or hallucinating. Maybe I had drowned and was floating at the bottom of this lake, because there was no freaking way that the Loch Ness Monster was following us right now.

  As it closed the distance, I could better see the way its head rose above the water and the rest of the snake-like body curled behind. The flickers of light painted it in shades of silver and turquoise, pretty and magical even as it glided silently through the water.

  “How many are there?” I asked as ripples of water washed out around the large serpent.

  “Five, I think.” Maximus looked like he was out for a casual Sunday swim, his strokes smooth as they cut through the water. “They’re demi-fey, ones who for the most part remained on Faerie. One did manage to slip through a water portal into the human realm many years ago.”

  Of course, why the hell not? Most of the myths and legends in the human world were creatures from our world, mostly demi-fey. They weren’t very good at blending in.

  “They’re associated with the gods,” Jacob said. His musical tones sounded extra songlike in this echoey abyss. “They were always in the lakes surrounding their land, acting as guards and guides. They must have been relegated down here for some reason.”

  Jacob’s Faerie knowledge was finally coming in handy.

  A second head rose above the water to join the first. “I don’t think they’ll be scared of dragons,” I said, wiggling closer to Braxton’s head. “They’re pretty much dragons of the water themselves.”

  “Don’t stress, Jess. Everything is afraid of dragons.”

  Braxton was doing that confident, cocky thing again. Dragons were badass, but something told me that the guards of gods were pretty damn badass themselves.

  A thought occurred to me. “Anyone stop and think that maybe they aren’t following us so much as herding us?”

  Why the hell was my voice doing some weird high-pitched screechy thing? I was a damned wolf-dragon dual shifter. I should not be freaking out like this.

  “Oh they’re herding us, but since it happens to be in the direction we’re already going, no big deal.” Braxton’s confidence was starting to shit me off – not enough to jump off his back or anything. I was annoyed, not stupid.

  “Can you guys see that?”

  Jacob had us all focusing, forward this time, although I was definitely keeping an eye on the serpents. It might be a trick of the light, but they looked even closer than before.

  “Finally some damned land,” Tyson said.

  I could see it clearly now. The water was rippling up against long wooden docks. Low beams of light sprinkled across that space, light which was not from any of us.

  How the hell was there a dock down here? We’d fallen into the center of Faerie. I wasn’t going to complain – anything which got us out of the water and away from the Nessie squad was okay in my books.

  A sound startled me, and I swung back around to find five heads no more than ten yards from us now. “Dude! Start freaking swimming. The scaly serpents are closing in.”

  It was totally unnecessary for the quads to crack up like that. “Why are you not more worried about them? They could crush around us in a heartbeat and drag us down to drown. I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I need to breathe. It’s what keeps me alive.”

  Especially now that the immortality of the marked was lifted.

  “Jess, come on. If they wanted to attack us they would have done so the moment we fell into the water. They’re about a thousand times faster than we are. We can’t outrun them. We’ll just have to deal if they suddenly go all lake monster and start trying to chew our faces off.”

  Jacob was always a jackass.

  I conceded that he had made a good point though. But that didn’t explain why they were so much closer now. I decided to focus forward, because clearly I wasn’t at my best or bravest when I was in the water. I’ll stick with land, thank you very much, where strange creatures are visible and not dwelling in murky depths.

  I was so thankful to see the wooden pier closing in. I was drained, the icy water sapping my energy at a rapid rate. Braxton must have sensed my need to get out, and with a show of strength that frankly left me jealous as heck, he surged forward and had us at the side of the docks in seconds.

  “Okay, that was totally hot,” I murmured in his ear, and I loved the sound of his low chuckle. Us being back together was enough for me to feel more like myself. My world was right again.

  The docks were quite high off the waterline, at least six feet above our heads, which was going to make our exit from the water difficult. Jacob drifted in next to me, and before I could ask what the plan was, he’d propelled himself out of the water and landed on the wooden decking above. He was just reaching down to hoist me up – I’d risen to my knees on Braxton’s shoulders – when a head popped up right beside me.

  I’m not going to lie. I might have let out a girl shriek which had my wolf and dragon both shaking their heads at me. Of course, the quads all lost it again, literally pissing themselves with laughter.

  “What do you want from me?” I snarled into the large serpentine face that was right beside mine now. Even though Braxton was laughing, his broad shoulders shaking under me, he was still keeping an eye on Nessie, in case it decided to take a bite out of me.

  The creature lowered its broad head, and then sort of nudged under my arm, like a puppy when it wants to be patted.

  I flinched. Sea animals were not my thing. I liked air and forest. But I couldn’t ignore its plea, so I reached out a hand and gave it a gentle scratch along the side of its large jaw. It was scaled and very cool to touch, not as slimy as I expected. In fact there was a rough texture to its skin.

  I could see the shadows of the other ones in the background, but they weren’t as friendly or needy as this one, who seriously looked like it wanted to climb into my lap and have a sleep.

  “Always charming the monsters, Jess.” Maximus gave me a wink as he shot up out of the water, and with a hand from his brother, swung onto the docks.

  Tyson was next. Braxton gave the wizard a boost from below, and Maximus caught him from the top. Now it was my turn.

  I leaned over Braxton’s shoulder so I could see his face. “Will you be okay in the water by yourself?”

  He responded by brushing his soft lips against mine, sending shooting arcs of heat through my frozen body. “I got this, Jess. Up you go.”

  His large hands were so gentle as he lifted me. I loved that most of the time the Compasses treated me like one of them. Sure, we didn’t have punch-ups or anything, but I also wasn’t made of glass to them. But in moments like this, when Braxton was gentle, which was not his usual behavior, I felt like I was precious. No matter how independent a female is – and I liked to think I was pretty tough – every one of us wants to be loved by someone who thinks we’re precious, who touches us with reverence. Braxton gave me that and so much more.

  I was j
ust reaching up to grip onto Maximus’ outstretched hands when I realized another force had joined in lifting me up – Loch Ness. With the help of the serpent, who clearly had the neck strength of an ogre, I was raised up above the docks before stepping easily into the waiting arms of my quads. I swung back around and gave the friendly water lizard another scratch, and even waved a couple of times as it sank back down into the darkness.

  I turned to find Jacob watching me closely. “What?”

  He shook his head, the stunning white and gold of his hair shifting in the dull lighting. “You’re a fascinating creature, Jessa babe. The guards of the gods were not known for this pet-like behavior, but you pretty much had him curling around you and purring.”

  It was odd, messing-with-my-head odd. “Maybe it’s because of my mark. We know it has something to do with the gods.”

  It was as good a theory as any.

  Braxton was up on the dock now, only requiring the briefest of assistance, his massive shifter strength more than enough to power him into the air. The moment we were all standing on the docks, Jacob lifted both of his hands, fingers spread wide, and with a few low, musical words, the water evaporated off us. I let out a deep breath, relieved to be warm again.

  “I love that my connection with the elements is so much stronger in Faerie,” Jacob remarked. “It feels like home here. If only it was easier to exist between the two worlds. You lose so much Earth time by staying here.” He shook his head. “Would never work.”

  I hated how sad he sounded, but at the same time I would not be happy to lose months of time without him on Earth. He would literally have a day on Faerie and that would be three weeks without him back home. Ouch.

  As Tyson crossed my path, I couldn’t stop myself from asking him. “Why did you cut your hair?”

  Maybe I was some sort of OCD control freak, but he shouldn’t have been changing things when I wasn’t around to veto it. A few snickers started, and I realized that all of the quads, except the wizard, were stifling their laughter.

  “What happened?” I asked, drawing the question out.

  Tyson muttered a few times, running his hands through his shorter hair. “Let’s just say Grace was not very happy with something I said, and she decided I needed an attitude adjustment. And a hair adjustment to go with it.”

  I bit my lip, trying really hard not to laugh too. He looked so morose, and I knew that was about so much more than his hair. It was about that healer witch, and how much she was under his skin. They hadn’t established a mate-bond or anything yet, and hell, maybe she wouldn’t be his true or chosen mate, but either way she was determined to make him pay for his jerk behavior in the past.

  I snuggled into his side, offering my comfort. “Want me to beat her up? I’ll totally do it for you. Just say the word.”

  Some of his anger lifted, and I was rewarded with dimples and a true smile. “Thanks for the offer, Jessa babe.”

  I shrugged. “That’s what family is for.”

  Beating the crap out of people who hurt our pack members. Might not be normal for most, but it was totally normal for us.

  He chuckled this time. “Since I’ve seen both of you fight, and I kind of like Grace’s face the way it is, I’ll take a pass on that. I deserve a lot of what she’s dishing out anyway. Doesn’t make it any easier to take.”

  I patted his arm. “She has to let go of the past. It’s not healthy to hold on to shit for so long, and you need to man up and get your girl. You’re being a little passive-aggressive. I know you’re waiting for her to be ready again … but you need to show her that you’re serious about it this time. This is not just about getting into her pants, it’s about you caring for her.”

  Despite my violent offer, I liked Grace. I wouldn’t have enjoyed beating the shit out of her, but for my boys I’d have done it without hesitation.

  Tyson looked contemplative, and I knew he’d mull it over. He was a light-hearted, fun kind of supe, but he was also deep. He could commune with nature and the gods for hours; he had so much going on beneath the face he showed the world. Grace just needed to see that.

  The five of us spent the next few moments trying to figure out where the hell we’d ended up. The area was bright enough that Tyson’s wizard light was no longer needed, but there was still that dull, underground feel to the illumination. There was also a damp smell, which was not unusual with all the water lapping around us. The docks at least felt sturdy, without any of the rotting planks one would expect.

  “Should we just start moving?” Maximus looked wired, like he couldn’t stand still. “I’m worried about leaving Cardia on Earth. We have no idea what’s going on back there. I never realized that being mated was so … much. I can feel her enough to know she’s okay, which is keeping me sane, but we’re too far away for any real communication.”

  New mates could be quite irritating to be around. As the bond worked to establish strong ties, couples were a mess of needs and base instincts. I had no real idea how Maximus continued to leave his mate, but I’d bet she was more than a little annoyed at him right now.

  I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Thanks for coming to find me. I know it couldn’t have been easy.”

  He gave me a wink. “Girl, I’ll always come for you.”

  I couldn’t tell from his expression whether that was a deliberate choice of words – probably not since he had a mate now. Still, I swung a hand around to Jacob and Tyson.

  “Don’t say it, either of you, or I will rip your nuts off and feed them to Loch Ness.”

  Twin grins crossed their faces, but they did still take a step back and remained quiet. Lucky for them. Braxton cleared his throat and suddenly we were all business again. Time to figure out where we’d landed, and how to get back up to the Isle of the Gods. This was the most important thing right now. Finding the answers to how we might defeat Larky.

  Chapter 10

  The docks made no noise as we stepped across them. I expected swaying, but there was no movement at all. My skin tingled. The magic was as strong down here as it had been above.

  “Do you think Louis will be able to find us?” I kept my voice low, not wanting to alert anybody to our presence. “Something tells me we might need him to get back to the surface.”

  I also liked having him around. He was this weird combination of serious, funny, old-school, and annoyingly clever. I felt safe with him, like my pack.

  “I’m sure that damn overachieving sorcerer will have no problems finding us,” Tyson muttered.

  No love lost there. Tyson was an exceptionally powerful wizard, but he was young. Louis was the big kahuna in the sorcerer world, and somehow made things which should be impossible look utterly effortless. The two magic users had a lot of parallels in their journey – well, so far. Tyson was going to be one of the youngest leaders on the council, just like Louis had been. It was a lot to live up to, and coming second best was not something any of the Compasses did well.

  I was starting to see our surroundings more clearly. On the dock it had been like twilight, dull but still visible. Now it was like the first cresting of the sun at dawn, a low, soft light, but with a glow that was bright and almost cheerful.

  The docks were slowly fading away and now sandstone pavers lined the floor. There was even some greenery starting to scatter around and … was that a bird call? How was this possible down here? The further we stepped into this world, the warmer and more appealing it got, and it was for this reason that all of us were suddenly on high alert. We knew better than to trust the world trying to lull us into a false sense of security. It was totally going to drop a bomb on our heads and laugh while we splattered into a million pieces.

  The quads spread out around me, two on either side, their usual protective stance. I was probably lucky, with my recent kidnapping and all that, that I wasn’t slung over one of their shoulders. Small victories.

  The long expanse of pavers was leading to large shapes in the distance. It took a few more yards bef
ore I could see that the shapes were buildings, and not any old buildings, but massive castles with lots of intricately designed turrets and ornate marble accents. They looked a lot like sandcastles, with an earthy base color scheme, and then this splash of texture from the marble and stone scattered throughout. There were three of them, one large in the center and two a little smaller on either side. As we closed in on them I could see they were a mile wide at least, and went back really far.

  I was whispering again. “Do you think this is the true Isle of the Gods? Like … the land above was some sort of façade, and they really dwelled down here? Hidden. Protected.”

  No one answered. Like me, they didn’t have a freaking clue what we’d fallen into. Braxton took a step closer, the heat of his dragon wrapping around me again. Even when we were walking into the unknown like this, having my pack with me made anything okay.

  Our footsteps were silent, the vegetation around us springing to life. We were walking through a landscaped garden complete with large rose bushes and hedges. There was structure to the design, but the plants were also wild, sort of like they had free run but still wanted to be neat about it. Shit. Knowing Faerie, the plants probably did think for themselves here.

  The animal noises increased – more bird calls, rustling of bushes and even a few butterfly-cross-bumblebees buzzed past. These odd creatures had a bee body with these massive colorful wings and were at least the size of a small bird.

  “It’s so strange,” I said, “If we hadn’t just literally climbed out of that icy water, I would never believe that this was underground.”

  “Don’t trust that we’re still underground,” Jacob said, his eyes looking even greener than usual here. “Faerie is not a world to easily understand, and there’s every chance that we’re not where we think we are.”