by Jaymin Eve
He snorted. “Yeah, I think the beast inside was controlling me a lot, and he wanted to protect his treasures.”
I knew exactly what he meant.
The siren was still blaring, and a sense of urgency filtered through the room. I knew the others would be waiting for us; we needed to get moving. I rifled through my stuff and pulled on a dark purple long-sleeved shirt and some black jeans. My hair went up into a ponytail; my boots were the heavy, face-smashing kind. Braxton handed me a few knives from his collection and I fitted them into the side sheath of my boot. Our dragons were the best weapons we had, but it never hurt to have a few knives stashed around.
Just in case.
Braxton was silent as we made our way quickly through the room and toward the stairs. Just before we were about to descend, he captured my hand and pulled me against him. I found myself pressed against the closed door of his room, his big body crowding into me.
“I swear to do my best to protect you and our baby, Jess.”
It sounded like he had already decided I was pregnant, and in all seriousness the jeans I was wearing might be a little snug in the waist area, although, possibly, that was from the three tons of cake I’d eaten last night.
“Before we join the real world, I just need one more moment in our bubble,” he said, and then his lips were on mine. The kiss was soft, just the press of lips and the taste of Braxton. I blinked a few times when he pulled back, trying to regain control of my fuzzy brain. There was so much goodbye and sorrow in that kiss, and I was not freaking okay with any more goodbyes.
“We’re going to destroy this asshole,” I said. “We’re strong enough, I know it.”
Braxton was wearing his warrior poker face look, but I noticed the slightest softening. “I have no doubt, but I need you to know that even if this does not work out for all of us, you have to survive. You’re everything, and I’m not sure the world will even keep spinning if you aren’t here. Make sure you survive, Jess!” He was so fierce, but I could feel my heart fracturing. It sounded to me like he didn’t think he would make it through this battle, that he would go down fighting.
“There’s no me without you, Braxton Compass. So if you want me to stay alive, you’re going to have to do the same.”
I held his face in both of my hands, our eyes desperately locked together.
“I don’t plan on going anywhere,” he finally said. I friggin’ hoped he was right.
We spent about eighteen more precious seconds kissing before stepping back into reality. We made our way down the stairs then. Beams of light shone through some of the dark shutters, so I knew it was early morning. The other Compasses, and Grace and Cardia were downstairs, all dressed, all ready to roll.
The air was heavy and no one seemed interested in small talk, which was fine by me. I’d had about two hours’ sleep, enough to be functioning, but I’d probably punch the first person to mention some crap like the weather.
I noticed, as we left the Compass home, that there still appeared to be distance between Maximus and Cardia. He was walking with his hand pressed against her lower back, but they didn’t lean into each other, which was a very telling sign. I was getting the vibe that he was touching her to appease her and not because he wanted to. But at the same time, why wouldn’t he want to touch his mate? I wanted to strip mine naked and devour every single part of him.
A warm, heavy hand landed on the nape of my neck. Braxton splayed his fingers so that they were caressing as much of my bare skin as possible. Case in point. Mates liked to touch each other. It was not only a massive comfort, but also stupidly sexy just having his skin against mine.
The sun was cresting over the edge of the forest, the light filtering across our town as we strode through the streets. The creepy, ghost town feel hadn’t gone anywhere, but at least in the light of day I could focus on my favorite buildings and not the lack of living beings around.
The front doors of the town hall were open, and as we stepped up into the room I could see about two hundred supes standing around. Yep, pretty pathetic army – though on power we were packing a lot more than mere numbers. We were the only shot Stratford had.
Louis was up on the dais filling everyone in on what we had learned from the golden dragon, what our battle plan was, and a few other bits and pieces. My pack and I filed into the back and listened in. As soon as the sorcerer noticed us in the room, the blaring alarm died off. Clearly that had just been a wakeup call, and we must have been the last members to make it here.
His powerful voice rang through the large space. “Larkspur is on American soil. He’s in Connecticut, and we can only assume on his way here. My spies tell me that his army is slowly trailing across. They’re using step throughs, which is getting them here quickly, but also exhausting their sorcerers. I know we have a basic plan in motion, but everyone needs to be fluid. We don’t know exactly what the dragon king is going to hit us with, and therefore it’s difficult to plan ahead.”
The was the absolute worst part of this. We were in the dark. We knew he wanted me and the Book of Guidance. I just hoped he was going with brute strength and no hidden traps. Brute strength we could plan for.
Louis was still speaking. “I have arranged for some magic users, truly powerful sorcerers, to join us. Your council leaders have also rallied some of their race members. They’ll all be arriving shortly. Still, even with these additions, we’ll be vastly outnumbered.”
That was an understatement.
“The Craiz and Compass quads are our most powerful weapons. They each have a calling and can stand against the king and his marked. We need to offer them support and protection.” His eyes scanned the hall, before resting on me. Many of the supes followed his line of sight. His next words were extra laced with power. “Jessa is priority number one on the protect list. She has a weapon to cut the ties between the marked and the king, which will weaken him enough for us to actually kill him. Plus, he wants her for those reasons I’ve already explained, so protect her with your life.”
I didn’t squirm, I just let them look their fill, but I was relieved when attention moved off me again. I hated thinking about anyone protecting me with their life, but it wasn’t just about me now. I also had a little one – probably – to protect, and for my young I’d take any help.
Louis stepped away from the front podium and moved through the center aisle. “I’m going to go now and open the doorway for the others who are joining us from around the world. They’ll come straight into Stratford. I’ll redirect the securities for them, which will leave us unprotected for a few minutes, but I think it’s still the safest option. While I’m gone, it would be best if you take all of this information and start formulating some sort of plan of action.”
He gave me a kiss on the cheek as he passed, and then was gone from the room. The energy in the hall lessened without him. There was always one thing you could be sure of with Louis, his power was second to none. The supes started to move around, congregating in their race groups. My father and other leaders stepped up to guide those around them.
The Four wandered our way and I forced myself not to snarl. I’d seen them the moment we’d entered the room. I had Four radar now, helped in part by my animals, who considered them to be the enemy and were pretty unhappy about their “still-breathing” status. The four of them moved as a single unit up to the front of the hall, close to the dais.
The room quietened, faces turning toward the identical quads. Some were wary, others pissed – okay the quads and myself were the main ones who looked pissed – but everyone was waiting to see what they would say.
One of them spoke – no point trying to figure out which one, since they were identical and all wearing the same black fatigues. “We’ll be joining our power together shortly,” he said. “The marked are closing in. We can feel their energy. They’ll be here within an hour.”
Another one of them said, “When we’re joined, we’ll have the energy to hold the marked at bay, to almost freeze
them to the spot and prevent them from accessing their borrowed dragon energy. However, this will be a far greater number than we’ve ever faced at one time, and there’s no way for us to know if we’ll have enough power.”
The next one picked up the conversation and I had to laugh. They were like some sort of sideshow, each one continuing the conversation from the last. Maybe they shared one brain or something.
“Louis believes that some of his sorcerer friends can add their power to ours, and as a collective we’ll have the strength to contain the marked, thereby giving the rest of you a chance to finish the king.”
His eyes found me in the hall. “Jessa must get close enough to break the bonds. She was gifted the necklace from Faerie, and we all know she’s strong enough for this task.”
I forced myself not to flip him off. He spoke truth; that was how magic worked. If you were worthy, it came to you, and therefore it was my responsibility. Even if it hadn’t been my responsibility, I was more than happy to take the job.
“We’ll stick by, Jessa,” Maximus said from where he sat on my left, Cardia at his side. “We’ve never properly tested our quad power against the king, but we did use it more than once when Jessa went missing, and know how to manipulate the strengths of our bond. I’m confident we can hold the king long enough for Jess to bring the hurt on him.”
Jonathon moved away from the shifters then, climbing up to the dais. I looked around for Lienda, surprised to not see her at his side.
Ah. She stepped out of the side door where Mischa was staying. She scanned the room, spotted my pack, and crossed over to sit with us. She leaned across Braxton and gave me a hug before settling back into her seat. Lienda looked beautiful as always, but sort of frazzled, like she had not been sleeping well. Dark circles hung low under those stunning sea-colored eyes. I was sure she was worried about Mischa too. It would be good for everyone when that secret was out.
“The king is calling the marked,” my father said, drawing all of our attention to the front. “The call is faint. Mischa is fighting against his compulsion and is still coherent. We expect that he’s limiting his control while they’re traveling, but that he’ll kick it right up once the battle begins.”
Weird that I hadn’t felt any sort of call or connection. I mean, I still had the on and off ache in my lower back, and the hair on my arms had been standing since I woke. I had figured it was just magic floating through the air or something, but maybe it was the presence of the king as he closed in on us.
“I know that the Craiz and Compass quads have given us a game plan, a place to start. They all have very important roles, along with my daughter, so for the rest of us, we just need to be backup. We need to make sure that our people are not so overwhelmed with energy or magic that they cannot complete their tasks. It’s time to take back our town, our world, and the very vital supernatural communities which keep the criminals off the streets.”
There were shouts and noisy agreeance. We were starting to fire up, Jonathon’s power whipping us all into a frenzy. The crowd began to move out into the city center. I let the room clear out, not prepared to leave until I checked in with my father and Mischa. Braxton and Lienda stayed behind as well.
Jonathon reached me in moments. “Are you okay, Jess? No urges to run off and joined the king’s band of merry marked.”
I snorted. “Uh, no, I haven’t had any strange urges or voices in my head. How’s Mischa?”
I couldn’t shake my worry about her. Pregnant, fragile, and at the mercy of a dickbag king who could get in her head. I really wanted to protect her from what was coming.
Jonathon rubbed at his temples, signs of stress wrinkling his forehead and adding a few fine lines beside his eyes. “She says she’s fine. I’m proud of the way she fights the king’s command, but there’s so much sadness in her. She’s fading away, Jess, and I can’t let her go rogue wolf. There’s no coming back from that.”
Rogues were shifters who let the human side of them fade out to the animal. It happened when they were without pack or hope. And they were dangerous. I knew Mischa wasn’t going rogue, she was just a scared, pregnant, wolf shifter who had been raised by humans. She did not know how to handle this world. She needed time to adjust.
I stood. “You all go out and start rallying the troops. Make sure Louis gets the sorcerers in place around the Four and all that shit.” I made shooing motions with my hands. “I’m going to check on Mischa, then I’ll follow you to the border.”
I could see more than one of them wanted to protest. Braxton had that look in his eyes where he was trying to figure out if he was fast enough to throw me over his shoulder before I managed to kick him in the balls.
I shook my head at him. “Don’t even think about it. We’re equals, remember? I’ll be your worst nightmare if you don’t respect that part of our relationship.
Blue eyes glittered and his expression was calculating. Still, he didn’t say anything more, he just reached out and cupped me around the back of my head before pulling me in for a leisurely goodbye kiss. I knew what the bastard was doing – using his animal magnetism to cloud my senses, reminding me I was much happier by his side.
As he pulled away I narrowed both eyes at him and gave a growl. He laughed before turning to walk away. I seriously wished I had time to punch him in the jaw. Later. Definitely something to put on my to-do list for later.
“Thank you for checking in on Mischa,” Lienda said as she and Jonathon were readying to leave. “She’s so out of our reach right now, and after everything … I couldn’t stand to lose her.”
I squeezed my mom’s hand. “We won’t lose her. I can almost guarantee it.”
Jonathon would hear the truth in my voice, a truth I was sure of. As soon as this battle was over, Mischa would have the strength again to deal with this. She was a Lebron after all.
Jonathon handed me the key and then they left the building. It was quiet in here with everyone gone, and the place looked absolutely massive. I wasted no time sprinting across the room and unlocking the door.
I wanted to see Mischa in case something went wrong today. We were going into a fight for our lives and if we didn’t manage to best the king, I’d either be dead or locked up as some baby-making machine.
Now was my last chance to say goodbye.
Chapter 16
A manic face shot up as I stepped into the room and locked the door behind me. My eyes widened at the sight of her dilated pupils. Damn, girl. She was off her rocker right now. I turned and double-checked the door. I did not want to let the dragon marked crack-head loose. Larky’s energy was like a bad drug trip.
Mischa scrambled up from her position on the couch, and I wondered if she’d even left that spot since yesterday. Being locked up was no good for her, not as a person or a shifter. We required freedom, fresh air, forests. She probably needed to shift. Her wolf would be making her miserable if it had been too long. There was no problem shifting while pregnant; our bodies adjusted for the young inside, and no harm generally befell the fetus.
She crossed to me, her walk shaky, her clothes definitely still yesterday’s. I wrapped my arms around her, wrinkling my nose at the slightly stale smell.
“Misch … tell me you’re showering at least.”
She laughed against me. “Yeah, every second day. Seems like a lot of effort otherwise. I’m not going anywhere.”
Her eyes were less dull as she pulled back. Just being close was cathartic for us. I noticed an untouched tray of food beside her couch, which was starting to resemble a bird’s nest with all her blankets and crap on it. I didn’t have much time, but getting her to eat was number one on my list of priorities. She’d always been a strange supe, eating sparingly. But now she had another body to nourish, and she was going to eat all of that deliciousness or so help me I was going to kick her in her pregnant butt.
I led her back to her nest, and as soon as she was settled I picked up the toast and handed it to her. “Eat this, Mischa, or I will kic
k your ass.” I hadn’t been kidding about that.
Her eyes widened. Like to the point of falling out of her head. “But … but I’m pregnant,” she angry-whispered at me.
I grinned. “Yes, you are, but you’re also a shifter and I can kick you fair in the ass and it will not hurt your child. Also, if you’re going to use the pregnant card to escape shit, then use it to remember you need to feed two hungry supes now.” My voice was as low as hers, but still plenty loud enough to get my point across.
Her wide eyes started to narrow, but she didn’t say anything as we held the stare-off. Finally, she reached out and snatched the toast from me.
“I’ll try my best to eat, Jess. It’s just food is still making me sick. Really sick. I’m pretty much living on dry crackers, water, and jerky.”
I patted her on the head. “All I ask is that you try, and jerky … for reals? That’s nasty stuff. Pregnancy cravings are whacked.”
She took a delicate bite of the plain toast and grimaced. “You have no idea. It’s especially difficult keeping this sort of weirdness from our parents.”
I wondered if I had this morning sickness and weird cravings thing to look forward to. Mischa raised the slice to take another bite when her faced crumpled and she dropped the toast to cradle her head in both hands.
“He’s here, Jess!” she said, shouting and moaning at the same time. “Go! Go now and finish the bastard.”
She started to shake, little tremors at first but then her entire body was rocking, almost like she was having multiple mini-seizures. I was on the balls of my feet, unsure what the hell to do. I knew I should leave. I had shit to do and kings to kill and stuff, but leaving my twin when she was clearly suffering felt like the wrong move.
“Jess!” Mischa shouted at me again, and I could feel our bond kicking in.
I reached out and took her hand and a blast of energy rocked through me. Our barriers were no use today. Neither of us had the control to maintain them. I could feel what was going on inside of her – Larky was wielding a ton of power against the marked. He was so much stronger than the last time I’d been with him in Faerie.
