by Opal Thomas
Amelia nodded, "So - you're filthy rich is what you're saying?" she asked, cracking another spectacular grin my way.
I laughed again. "Humbly wealthy. We normally don't tell anyone. So, please know that much of what I share with you needs to be kept private. Especially where our money comes from. It's hard to translate estates that are as old as we are in the current economy. In one way, it's easy to manage, in another way - it's tricky. Make sense?" I asked.
She nodded, "Yeah - I suppose so. I get full control of my trust at age twenty-five. For now, it takes care of my college expenses and living needs. I feel spoiled compared to most college students. So many go into such extreme debt."
"It's true, they do," I agreed.
"Did you know my parents, Aiden?" she asked, out of the blue.
A bit caught off-guard, I hesitated before answering. "Yes, and cared for them. I miss them both. They were taken from us all too soon..."
She nodded. "I miss them every day. But knowing that I'm not alone in that offers me some type of strange comfort. Is that wrong of me?" she asked, peering at me steadfastly.
I didn't know what to say. Partly because it was so personal and partly because she felt so damned vulnerable at the moment. I just wanted to stop the car, swoop her in my arms and hold her.
"No, I think it's brave. That you've held steadfastly to them all these years. It takes courage to keep loved ones alive in our hearts when they've passed from this world."
A tear had formed and was now resting on her cheek. She reached up to wipe it away but my thumb beat her to it. "I'm so sorry, Amelia. Never in a million years did we want you to go through their deaths alone but we had to honor their request. To give you space so you could have a normal childhood," I managed to say, fumbling over the words.
She sniffled a bit, her chin trembling. She was about to cry and I felt utterly helpless. Not something that a Dragon Protector feels very often. In fact, very rarely.
"I'm sorry, Aiden. I don't mean to be falling apart on you like this. I rarely cry..."
"No apologies necessary. You can express and share yourself any way you need to, with me. Okay?"
She sniffled and nodded, then grabbed my hand, holding it. "Some day, I want you to tell me more about them. I only knew them for the first eight years of my life. I want to know as much about them as possible. Will you do that for me?"
I gulped, sucked in a deep breath.
I would do anything for her and that had been before we'd met.
Now, I would conquer the world if she asked it of me. Because I was living for more than myself now. I was living for her too. And I didn't feel so alone anymore.
CHAPTER THREE
-- Tracie --
I ran my finger over the symbol again, honing in on it's energy. It's meaning. Taking in a deep breath, then closing my eyes, I allowed my astral body to hover above my physical body.
Once I knew my astral body was securely anchored to my being, physical and otherwise, I allowed my third eye to hone in on my query.
In a flash, it found what I was seeking to know. Suddenly, I was in the Den's headquarters and found myself amongst a room-full of their kind. They were meeting and the discussion was lively. Animated. Energetic.
I pulled back, not seeking to be noticed by any of them. Especially Tazora who was a highly-tuned psychic herself.
Hiding in the wall, keeping away from any electrical currents, I hovered and listened.
"His Highness, if the Witch-Queen has already awakened, then we must approach this differently. Before, we knew the Guardians had no choice but to pull back and leave her be. But now, now it has changed. They are in possession of her now?"
Venom, their leader zeroed in on the speaker. "Yes, Clay - we've come to the same assessment. What we are playing off of has changed. She doesn't yet know of the extent of her powers, much less that she is Royalty of our kind. We still have an advantage. It takes years for a witch to mature into her powers. She is still vulnerable, even if under their protection."
I sucked in a grounding breath. Remaining cloaked around Venom and Tazora was proving challenging. They had a diligent energy about them that made me realize how determined they were to find and keep Amelia as their own. To kidnap and then perverse her with their evil ways.
Which made me angry.
Was our greatest fear.
I pulled back, knowing that they would sense my anger. The lower, baser emotions being part of their energetic food source. No matter that I was a mage-shifter too. Human or otherwise, they fed off of the suffering of beings. Anger, sadness, emotional pain, frustration, hatred, etc. All of the negative emotions fed them and because of this, they treated the human race abominably. Horrifically.
This, is what Amelia would learn. What we would show her. The truth about humankind and evil. How the dark mages fooled mankind millennia ago and how her family had risen up to protect them from being completely destroyed.
A battle being fought to this day.
A balancing act.
Our way of existing.
I heard Aiden's garage door opening. Which pulled me away from my astral session.
"Shit!" I muttered out loud, suddenly back in my body. I hadn't wanted to leave yet. Had needed the session to go longer. Sighing, I stood up and left the meditation room and met them in the kitchen.
"How'd it go?" I asked, studying them both, noticing that Amelia's eyes were red, as if she'd been crying.
"Fine, no problems. Just a good gab session on the way back," Aiden said, giving me one of his, 'I've got this' kind of looks.
"Who's that?" I asked, pointing at the cat carrier Amelia carried.
She smiled, then placed it on a sofa in the living area, then opened it. "This is Oreo. He's my cat. Or feline familiar as Aiden said."
Her beautiful black and white cat came out of the carrier and immediately hopped into her lap, cuddling up to his beautiful owner.
I stepped closer and crouched so I could pet him from knee-high. Allowing him to sniff my scent, I spoke into his mind. 'Hello, Oreo. I'm Tracie. Welcome to our home. We're happy to have you here with Amelia.'
He meowed and then put his nose to mine, then rubbed my cheek with his paw.
"Wow... he knows cat lovers when he sees them!" Amelia remarked.
I smiled, "Is he normally stand-offish with strangers?"
"Yes, very much so. I'm pretty solitary so he doesn't often get to meet others which has made him somewhat antsy when someone comes around," Amelia explained.
Aiden was carrying a duffel back and backpack. "I'll put these in your room," he said, nodding in Amelia's direction.
She nodded quickly back at him, her eyes lingering on his face. "Okay. Thank you."
I watched her watching him as he departed, headed for the stairs.
"Everything okay, otherwise?" I asked, sensing the growing bond between them. She looked at me, then looked away.
"Yes, just that we had an emotional moment in the car on the way back. I haven't cried in a long time and we were talking about my parents... I was sad about it. Nothing to worry about," Amelia shared.
I put a hand on her knee, looking up at her and then settling beside her. A part of me just wanted to hold her and give her a big hug. The wiser, more mature part of me stopped myself, reflecting on what I'd been like at her age. Always playing the fearless and strong one, hating to reveal any vulnerabilities.
Was she the same? Like her peers at this new adult age?
"We're here for you, Amelia. In every way. But we also respect the space you need to live your life too. Make sense?" I explained.
"I get that, I can tell. It's just a lot to absorb all at once. I'd always had lots of questions, but now there are even more," she said.
"Such as? If you want to talk now, or would you like some time?" I asked.
"No, I'm fine. I need to get to my homework and focus on that for the rest of the day."
"Okay, understood. I'll be in the meditation room if you
need me," I said, standing up. "I was in a session when you both arrived." I noticed her perk up at the mention of my session. I knew better than to draw her in too soon... but if I could bait her curiosity, that was fair, right?
"What type of session?" Amelia asked.
"I do several things. I meditate, I scry, I astral project and I remote-view, which means that I use my third eye to see what I can't in my physical body. It's a type of projection. Make sense?" I shared.
She nodded, peering at me as if seeing me again for the first time. "You're full of surprises, Tracie."
"Thank you..." I said, smiling back at her.
"Can Aiden do those things too? Or just you?" she asked.
"He can do them but he's more physical with his gifts and skills. More about manifestation of the elements - fire, water, air, & stone. He can manipulate matter and sense others' intentions. Plus, he's very physical. Knows various forms of self-defense and is athletic, as I'm sure you've guessed by now."
She nodded, listening intently. "I have a lot to learn, don't I?"
"You'll catch on fast. You'll see..."
"Alrighty then, I'm gonna tackle what I already know how to do," she said, headed upstairs to her room. "Enjoy your session."
I held back a comment that my session was anything but enjoyable. If I could hide her from the world forever, I would.
But that wasn't what she was destined to be. And the sooner we armed her with how to use her awakening power, the better.
* * *
-- Amelia --
Aiden had placed my belongings on my bed. I unpacked my clothes, putting them away in the closet and bureau. I gathered up the bag of toiletries and put them in my bathroom and then pulled out my laptop and school-books and set them on the corner desk.
Sitting for a moment, I took in a deep breath.
Oreo explored my room, sniffing at everything, taking his time to get acquainted before settling on my bed and curling up to go to sleep. Having him here with me already made me feel better. The truth was that he was the main reason I wanted to go get my things from my apartment.
Everything that Tracie told me was intriguing. I'd studied the supernatural, paranormal and the metaphysical all of my life, my curiosity knowing no bounds. I wondered how much they knew about my private hobbies. That which I'd always overly worried the world would judge and criticize me unfairly for.
I opened up a velvet pouch where I kept my favored tarot deck and did a simple three-card spread on the desk. I didn't ask anything in particular, just queried about the current energy around me.
The Empress. The Emperor. Lovers.
I sat there, gob-smacked.
To clarify, I pulled another card.
Two of Cups.
I gasped.
I wasn't imagining it. Was there really something between Aiden and I?!
Would it be allowed? I wondered. If he was my guardian, my protector - was a lover dynamic allowed?
Or did the cards speak to the beautiful relationship between Tracie and Devon. Indicating a strong feminine and strong masculine who were lovers and in love?
Either way, it was a simple yet powerful reading. It spoke of strong bonds and commitments.
My body warmed to all the questions I had and I felt my excitement in the most private and sensual of places. I wanted to act on it. The next time I saw Aiden. But would he reciprocate? Was it just my imagination?
Unsure of what to think, I opened my laptop and turned it on. I pulled over some textbooks, opening them to where I'd left off before I'd been rescued, last night.
There was a knock on my door.
"Come in!" I called out.
Aiden opened it. He'd changed his clothes into exercise gear. "I meant to tell you that we have a library, if you like - you know, for studying. And a workout room. I run every day, some days inside and some out. You can join me anytime."
"Cool, I'll check out the library. I like to swim but I could try running one of these days. Right now, I need to get some homework done," I said, deterring a workout with him.
I did the bare minimum when it came to exercise and swam three times a week. But I had a feeling I would be exercising a whole lot more due to Aiden. It was obvious he was very physical and athletically fit. Likely worked out and cross-trained every day.
Seeing him in the workout gear didn't help either. I was having to cross my legs in an attempt to get myself refocused. Because I found myself just wanting to wrap my legs around him.
I must have blushed because a funny look spread across his face before he excused himself and left.
Turning back to my laptop and schoolwork, I opened up a word doc and started my questions list. It was the only way I was going to keep myself from going crazy. School was plenty to keep my mind involved. But having all these questions about being a witch? A sorceress? And everything that entailed them as well?
First things first, I needed names. Proper names. The verbiage they used.
Next, I needed to understand if there were correlating symbols.
Third, how to connect with both the language and the power symbols. This I would need hands on training, I guessed.
Fourth, the rules. If there were any. When we used our powers and when we don't. Why we use them and who for or against?
These and more were piling up in my mind.
* * *
-- Tazora --
Anya ran her hand over the cards, hovering.
The Empress. The Emperor. Lovers.
I sat there, stunned.
"Oh my... there is a strong bond, new love between them," I murmured. "This is no longer just about her, but him as well. It will not be easy to part the two. If at all." Leaning back, I picked up the reviving tea Anya had made, sipping at it. "I wonder if she's ever been in love?"
Anya nodded. Always silent, Anya was. She only spoke on very rare occasion, an injury having damaged her vocal chords as a child. When she did speak, it was difficult and painful for her. Instead, she'd opted to live as a mute and communicated silently.
To clarify the reading, she pulled another card.
Two of Cups.
"There are elements of destiny at play here, that I was always certain. But how to play it to our hand just crystallized for me," I paused, thinking about this new love burgeoning between the awakening witch-sorceress and her lover.
Anya smiled a knowing smile. An evil smile. She knew I was pleased. That her valuable psychic skills had just provided me with the most powerful information I needed to sway the awakening witch-sorceress to our side if she truly loved and cared for her Draco guardian and protector.
CHAPTER FOUR
-- Aiden --
I was on one of my favorite jog routes. It went deeper into the woods and off the trails. I tended to jog it when I was in deep-think mode. Clearing my mind and finally getting the runners' high that then guides me into myself, at an intuitive level.
Unlike my sister, I wasn't as good with the intuitive and the psychic. I was good with the instinctive and physical. Those were my strengths.
Which is why I was next to never wrong when it came to knowing when a woman was attracted to me. I knew it by the way she moved, walked and talked. How her body language spoke to mine. How she sent the invisible signals, sometimes oblivious to their own bodies' wants and needs.
And Amelia's was speaking to mine, loud and clear.
And it was good I had a big head and not just a little head. I laughed out loud, amused at my own thought.
Any other woman and I would be taking her out on a nice date to wine and dine my way into her pants. Romancing the hell out of her. Plenty of human women had shared my bed over the eras.
But Amelia wasn't just another woman. She was something else altogether. And I needed to clarify, for myself, what I was so strongly attracted to. Because all of my thoughts surrounded her new presence in our lives. My life.
Was it her power? Her beauty? Her body? Her personality? Her age? Or was it all of her? T
he entire package, as it were.
I nearly ran into a tree, I was in such a deep and contemplative space. Pausing to catch my breath, I hunched over and sucked in gulps of air.
My dilemma was simple. For now, she was hands' off. Until we at least had her trained in the basics. Until we had fully introduced her to her awakening side. Not just her magic.
But how could I keep her at arms' length if I was the one teaching her martial arts and self-defense? Because that required being close to her, physically. I didn't want her to believe I was rebuffing her. How could I keep the spark alive, keep some distance and not alienate her?
I ran my hand through my hair. Maybe a shift and flying would help cool my blood that was running warm from the spark of lust and love I was feeling for Amelia.
Conjuring a cloaking spell, I began to shift - ignoring the temporary pain that comes with one. Dropping into my baser instincts as a dragon. Where there was some freedom from my human feelings and a window opening up instinctively to my Dragon's inner nature.
He came forward with a passionate fury.
No wonder I was feeling so intense!?
Mate...
What?
She's your mate, the one you must partner with...
I tuned into my dragon's voice, listening to my beast. She's the one? My mate?
Yes, mate... She's your mate...
I took flight and decided to circle our territory, scout the area to be sure there were no unwelcome intrusions. We had acres and acres of land on the outskirts of the Seattle area. We'd bought it long ago. Most of it was kept private, fenced with a security team that monitored it 24/7. I myself did surveillance to keep them on their toes. Now more than ever, we needed to be a hundred percent certain we had our oasis and privacy.
As I flew, I allowed my inner dragon dialogue to flow free.
I was in awe. My dragon recognized her too.
As my mate...
Which stunned me. It had been millenia since my last mate. I hadn't even been thinking about it or seeking it.
And here she was. It was loud and clear.
