Dragon Protectress

by Opal Thomas

  We'd even been released a couple times over the eras.

  My thoughts went back to Amelia. Then I pulled my mind from those, not wanting any intrusive 'listeners' to overhear me.

  Instead, I kicked the wall. I needed something to do to get my frustration out. We'd been so foolish, so stupid.

  Of course we should have left Amelia at home.

  But then, I didn't have the same strength and power she did to use the symbols. I thought back on what she had shared about her Mother explaining how we could rescue Aiden.

  Had Amelia's Mother known we were falling into their clutches? That it had been a trap? Which made me worry that the initiation to the power symbols hadn't been an initiation at all, but perhaps a spell by Tazora?

  Tazora, the Denizen Queen, was known to be able to evoke very powerful spells, practically hypnotizing the victim.

  Despite wanting to hide my thoughts, I couldn't stop myself.

  Fuck it...

  Once again, the intercom came on again. "That's right. Fuck it," a female voice said.

  The same voice I'd heard that other night when I was on Aiden's property and perimeter. It had been her that had knocked me unconscious then.

  "Jerau?" I asked, talking to thin air but staring at the mirrored window, glaring.

  "Hello dear, it's been a while since we've had the chance to speak," she said.

  It took everything in me to not just swear at her nonstop. "Hello, Jerau. I see you're up to your usual tricks."

  Silence.

  More silence.

  I waited, stopped kicking the wall and sat down on the cot. Maybe if I wasn't being so physically active, she'd come into the cell. And I could do the one thing that would throw her off guard.

  I heard the latch of the door click and there she was, a glimmer in her eye.

  "Jerau, why must you do this? You already know that the Denizen can't contain us for long. Why even bother?" I asked.

  "All for my Queen, Tracie. You know how I am," she answered in a near-whisper.

  Which meant she must be alone, the only one here.

  "Where's the rest of your tribe?" I asked.

  "They're otherwise occupied. Celebrating. I should be too."

  I swallowed hard to keep a hiss from coming out of my mouth instead. For a moment, my inner dragon leaped up and almost through my mouth, wanting to bite her betraying head right off of her body.

  "Then join them, Jerau. I'm sure the capture had much to do with your plotting as anything else."

  Jerau nodded. "Indeed. She's a beauty. No wonder he's in love with her..."

  That just about did me in. It was one thing to threaten me, but quite another to threaten my kin and what he cared for. Even if it wasn't out in the open yet, I was aware of their feelings for one another.

  "Screw you!"

  "Tisk, tisk... save your energy, Tracie."

  She was right. That ought to be what I was doing. Or not doing, as it were. But it pissed me off that one of our own had betrayed us, even if it was centuries ago. Every now and then, we had to deal with Jerau's betrayal, knowing her dirty, little secret.

  * * *

  -- Amelia --

  I awoke to a buzzing sensation. Once I remembered where I was, I moved slowly, taking it easy.

  At the center of a room was a strange device that I didn't recognize. Which made me remember what they'd said about the Denizen using technology to help them. I wondered what the device was doing.

  A voice, from seemingly out of nowhere, answered. "It's a scrambler. Prevents your team from finding you."

  The voice was feminine and powerful. I could sense the power in her voice. Choosing to stay quiet, I worked on cloaking my thoughts, an attempt at keeping some semblance of privacy.

  "Smart, you've already learned how to cloak your thoughts."

  I didn't reply, didn't nod, didn't move. Not even a finger.

  She sighed. "I guess an introduction is in order. I'm Tazora. The Queen of what your team likes to call the Denizen. God only knows why..."

  Queen. Their queen was talking to me. What was she after? What did she want?

  "Silly child. We want you. Very simple. We want you to join us," she said, a somewhat haughty and taunting tone in her regal voice.

  I couldn't help myself, I shook my head slowly, expressing my disinterest.

  "Of course, you and your beau want to fight evil together and be on the good side. I get it, I do."

  I knew she was inferring Aiden, which made something inside me snap. But only momentarily. I refused to allow her the pleasure of making me behave irrationally. I was doing my best to not lose control over my dignity. About the only thing that I had control over at the moment.

  "Listen, there's a lot of prophecy involved regarding your return. But we've been well acquainted before. Back in the past. Want to hear more about it?"

  This got my attention, made me wonder.

  Prophecy?

  The voice disappeared from the intercom and my cell door opened. What little light there was, did justice to one of the most beautiful faces I'd ever seen. And she did seem familiar. As if we'd been here, before - in the same space and place, oddly.

  Instinct and intuition rose at once, as did a dense and powerful energy, that suddenly emitted from and surrounded my body. Causing her to back away carefully.

  "There it is, that familiar glow..." she uttered, not amused. "You initiate that or did it come up naturally?" she asked.

  Once again, I held my tongue and gazed at her. She'd been upfront about what she wanted. But what made her believe that there was even a slight possibility it could ever happen?

  "Oh, it definitely could. Mainly because you care. And that caring heart of yours doesn't want to have harm inflicted on those you care about. Even if you've only just met them..."

  Now, I was getting angry. Either she continued to read my mind, without my permission, or she was simply telling the truth. That we had been here, before - in another time and place, perhaps?

  After the portal-like leap to the monolithic circle and introduction to the power symbols, I didn't doubt that some version of time travel or at the very least, inter-dimensional travel was possible.

  My mind seemed to be going through all the potentials, all the many variables to arrive at what I should say, if anything. What I should acknowledge, if anything. Realizing of course that it came down to one simple thing; making a choice.

  The choice for love was what I always made.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  -- Aiden --

  I could hear and sense Amelia in waves, but it was choppy. She was cloaking and because she was new to it, it was working about half of the time. Sensing that she was being interrogated lit a fire in me that I couldn't put out.

  There was nothing, and I mean nothing- that made me angrier or feel more protective than knowing I'd been the cheese in the Denizen's mouse trap.

  I was wide awake and pacing the small confines of my cell. They had put shackles on my legs and the chains were heavy. I should be staying still and conserving my energy, but I was too worked up to not move.

  I'd made the mistake of connecting to Amelia telepathically. If I hadn't done that, then there would have been a chance that Zach's security team could have kept her safe. But since they didn't know, couldn't have known the extent of devious foul play was afoot, it had been easy for the Denizen to capture her.

  And my sister too, from what I could tell...

  "Calm down, they're being treated well, both of them," a masculine voice sput out from the intercom, irritated.

  I glared at the one-way mirrored window. It struck me as funny that all of use were under interrogation and that we each had our own one-way windows, in our cells.

  My dragon growled.

  Down boy...

  I'd had my fair share of run-in's with Venom over the years. He and I were the same, just motivated by something different. We recognized one another and it was always painful for the other. Vast expanses
of time can blur the lines, making one wonder - what is this all for anyways?

  But I always knew my unwavering choice. I was who I was because I chose love. And that was the center of my moral compass. If what I did was true to the way of love, then I could never lose.

  Until now.

  Because I'd never had another one, a partner or mate, to consider if I made it through the day or not. Because of her, I was compromised. Whether I could admit it to myself or not, I'd been compromised for years now. But had been blind to it until these last few days.

  Which led me back to the only problem I had.

  How the hell to get out of here with the ones I care for?

  "Easy. You do what I ask you to do," Venom said, invading the privacy of my mind, reading my thoughts and then replying out loud.

  I was saving my power, but privacy of mind was forfeited to do so. Besides, what did it matter? He already knew why I was there, how it had happened, what it was leading to and when it would happen.

  Were we the ones playing the fool? Or was it all of us, rotating around the power of one woman who was still barely aware of her own sense of purpose? Just recently introduced...

  "Damning, some might say. To be so abruptly pulled from ordinary, daily life and thrust into the middle of a never-ending battle between light and dark. Good versus evil. Wouldn't you say?" Venom continued, taunting me. "A bit overwhelming for a young woman who never knew her destiny or power ..."

  He wasn't wrong, so I shrugged. Giving him an inch in body behavior reading.

  He sighed and so did I.

  Venom and I had gone round and round; sometimes he won, sometimes I won. He was a worthy enemy. He probably believed me to be his nemesis, but I wasn't. Never wanted to be. Certainly didn't need him in my life and existence to define myself. Who I was in the big game of life.

  "She's being watched. To see what all you've trained her in. Is she as powerful as the prophecy says she is?" Venom asked, the sneer in the tone of his voice.

  I glanced sideways at the one-way mirrored window and sneered. He wanted to provoke me? Fine, let him provoke me.

  Ass-hat...

  It was only a matter of time before Amelia lent me her power and I could get out of this cell and be gone, rescuing my family and love. I wasn't sure if they knew about this trick of ours, but I had to guess that they didn't. Assuming that because we were contained and in different cells, that they had the advantage.

  And I had to hand it to them. They did, at present.

  But once Amelia could wrap her head around it, we'd be on our way out. Back to freedom.

  "Don't be too assumptive..." Venom said, his voice grating on my nerves.

  I grunted, giving him another body language symbol to read.

  * * *

  -- Devon --

  Hiding from the Denizen was no easy feat. Somehow, I'd manage to evade them and was currently sitting in a coffee shop, pretending to be a normal everyday citizen.

  Not a man who'd just found out that his wife was abducted right out of the safety of the vehicle he'd left her in.

  Thankfully, Zach had managed to escape as well and his team was on their way to pick us up after we'd jogged away from the danger zone and into relative safety at a local Starbucks.

  Our phones were buzzing back and forth, assessing the situation.

  It was pretty simple. The Denizen had done a bait and wait. Aiden had been the cheese in the trap and we'd all fallen for the oldest trick in the book. When you want someone to come to you, abduct the one they care for most.

  So, now - Tracie, my wife and her brother and Amelia were all prisoners of the Denizen.

  All there was to do was wait.

  Because I had faith in Amelia. Even more-so than the confidence I had in Tracie and Aiden. Amelia had proven herself when she'd come out of the library explaining she'd been introduced to the power symbols - all of them - in one mere afternoon.

  No one could do that.

  No one but her.

  And that meant she could handle the power.

  Which also meant that she was already attuned to how they each worked. It was just a matter of waiting as she played with her power, using the Denizen as toy subjects.

  Which made me giggle. Then laugh.

  Because in a way, I almost wished I was there with them to witness what they were going to witness.

  "What's so funny?" Zach asked, walking up to me, holding two beverages and extending one to me.

  "Just realizing that once she attunes to the rest of the symbols on her own terms, the Denizen won't know what hit them. I almost wish I was there with them. To witness what's going to happen," I shared in a low voice.

  "You think she'll be okay?" Zach asked.

  I nodded, "She'll be more than okay. This is how it goes. She has to learn to do this on her own. Fate has shown her hand and there will be little more coddling or introduction to her power, by the likes of us."

  Zach watched me, a bit mystified. "You seem very confident. I wish I felt as confident. If anything, I'm dreading explaining how we got one-upped to Aiden. He's gonna have my ass when he gets out of there."

  I patted Zach on the back. "Don't worry too much. He is very fair. He is also very pragmatic and the universe has just doled out some pragmatic exercise for our new, blossoming mage."

  "She's a beauty, there's no doubt about it," Zach said, agreeing.

  "I meant, blossoming into her power," I said, correcting the assumption I was speaking of her appearance.

  Zach winked, "That too."

  We both smiled knowing smiles.

  "Do you think Aiden ever had even the smallest chance of not falling for her?" Zach asked.

  "Nope," I said. "The moment those two walked through the garage door into his house, after he rescued her, I knew that he was smitten," I shared.

  "So, day one?"

  "Day one, man. Day one."

  We sat in silence soaking it in. Waiting.

  -- Amelia --

  After meeting the Denizen Queen, Tazora - I'd decided to rest and had fallen asleep. I awoke to the sound of a loud bang and a scream that sounded close-by.

  Jerking upright, I waited, feeling my pulse speed up with concern. My entire body at attention. Suddenly, the door to my cell slid open and Tracie was shoved through the door.

  She let out a yelp, as she was being tased, and I saw that it was by the same woman who I'd observed on Aiden's security system, when I was in the safe room at his house.

  I leaped up and made an attempt to grab the taser from her and instead was met with a volt of electricity. It stunned me, but remarkably, I stayed upright.

  "Keep your distance and behave, Amelia," she snickered. "My name is Jerau."

  I glared at her, not caring who she was or wasn't. "That was unnecessary. We're cooperating," I said.

  "Look, she speaks," said Queen Tazara who was now standing in the doorway, waiting.

  I nodded, making it clear that I was willing to talk. "So long as you don't harm Tracie, I'll speak."

  "Good," said Jerau, "Because we have a lot to talk about."

  "Or not," said Queen Tazora, shifting to standing right behind Jerau. "Time will tell."

  "What do you want?" I asked.

  "You. We want you. On our team, our side," Jerau said. "I used to be on the good side and its a waste of your time. The sooner you get that through your head, the better."

  I gulped, listening. She'd been a good mage?

  "What made you switch?" I asked, keeping my face unreadable.

  "Love," Jerau answered.

  I noticed Queen Tazora glancing at Jerau with affection, even admiration. Which made me wonder, was there a bond between the two of them?

  "I choose love too, Jerau."

  "No wonder, with that body and sexual charisma, who wouldn't?" Queen Tazora taunted.

  I hissed, something instinctive making me do so. "Is that so?" I spat out.

  "Oh, but it is, Amelia. If I was a good girl and not a ba
d woman, I'd tap that in no time."

  Glaring, I went back to being mute. Talking was proving useless. I didn't like that she knew who had my heart, that it created a vulnerability for me. Instead, I focused on the dynamic between her and Jerau.

  Was the Denizen Queen aware of Jerau's feelings for her?

  This time, I purposely didn't cloak my though, wanting them both to hear it.

  And it garnered the response I'd anticipated. Queen Tazora glanced at Jerau in surprise, then understanding while Jerau glared at me.

  "Cat's out of the bag, Jerau. It really was love that made you switch," I said. "That's what you get for tasing Tracie and I," I said, winking at her.

  Irritated, she reached out to tase me again. But as soon as the taser came near me, I reached out, and with a thought, had it teleport from her hand to mine in an instant.

  Astonished, she gasped.

  "No more tasing, Jerau. Be careful, she has powers unprecedented," Queen Tazora said, nodding in my direction. "I'll give her that much."

  I kept a hold of the taser and sat back down on the cot. "Fine, let's negotiate then."

  "What'll it be, Amelia?" Queen Tazora quipped.

  "Let them go, Aiden and Tracie. I'll stay put and you can do your best to sway me to the dark side," I said with a brave face, meeting my future situation with my dignity intact.

  "No!" Tracie cried out. "Amelia... any arrangement but that..."

  I shook my head, "It's the only way they'll realize that I'm never going to be swayed."

  "Then we'll just have to be very convincing," Jerau said, snickering.

  "We accept," Queen Tazora said. "Where do you want them released to?"

  I looked at Tracie, determination on my face that she need not challenge me on my decision. "Let them decide," I said, nodding in Tracie's direction.

  Tracie was holding her tongue and I could see her having to maintain control. As it was, I knew she was waiting to hear me utter our code word for them to take my power and use it, in tandem. But not just yet.

  "Okay, any other demands?" Queen Tazora asked.