by Zara Stark
I eyed the female lightning dragon again, she had at least a foot of height on me, I wondered if she was as strong as Raiden was, even if she was at half his strength she would be a formidable opponent.
"Let the battle begin in three, two and one!" The announcer roared and all hell broke loose.
Raiden swept his hands in a wide gesture and a low buzz filled the air as he created his electromagnetic field. The djinn disappeared in a burst of flames, completely invisible.
I yanked a card out of my holster and twirled it in my fingers. Activating my Alpha of Shields, I disappeared from our opponents.
As predicted, the water dragon went right for Azar, shooting a stream of water right at Azar. Cobalt manifested a large metal shield and leaped in front of the stream, blocking the water from hitting Azar. The water hit the shield at high pressure, making Cobalt slide back a few steps.
Azar jumped high in the air, over Cobalt and the water dragon, running right for Briony.
"Try not to get stabbed this time," Cobalt growled to Azar. The water dragon sent torrent after torrent of water at Cobalt, trying to batter through his shield.
"I'll try," Azar winked at the older Aurelius and sprinted for Briony. Briony braced herself, holding her arms out at her sides. Wooden branches started growing out of her palms and quickly formed a woven cage around her.
I followed behind Azar, dodging Cobalt and the water dragon sparring.
I wasn't sure what my plan was yet but either way, Briony was hanging back with Levinya, away from the rest of the fight.
I looked over my shoulder and saw Nevada slam his palm onto Sig's chest and freeze him solid. Nevada jumped into a roundhouse kick, his heel crushing into the side of Sig's head, Sig shattered with a loud crash, spraying ice chips everywhere.
I swung back to see Briony shooting a wave of cactus needles at Azar. Azar flicked his hand and a wave of flames shot out of the ground, consuming the needles and burning them to ash. Briony continued her assault as Azar got closer and closer. She threw hundreds of cactus needles and Azar burnt all of them up every time.
She growled at Azar and grew a pile of rose thorns in her hand. With the sweep of her arms, she tossed them at Azar like they were ninja stars.
Azar jumped out of the way as she threw another handful where he landed, a few of the thorns hit him before he could burn them.
Azar brushed off the thorns and grinned up at Briony. "Really? You thought those could hurt me?"
"I know they will hurt you, they're poisonous," Briony gave Azar a grin full of sharp teeth, madness alight in her brown eyes.
Shit, Azar gets poisoned again. I didn't even have any healing cards to help him right now.
"Bullshit," Azar growled. "Those were rose thorns, they're not poisonous.
Briony shrugged. "If you kill me, you'll never know."
"I know," Azar huffed. "Are you really trying to bargain for your life right now?"
"Sig is dead, Atel is dead, they're our heavy hitters," Briony shrugged, looking calm in the face of death. "Raiden is the strongest dragon I've ever seen, he's an absolute monster, I'm sure Ozaj is about to die."
"I don't want to kill you, I don't necessarily like killing but the Concilium gave us an ultimatum. Kill our opponents or I our mate died, we aren't allowed to show mercy anymore. Sorry, you're just collateral damage," Azar shrugged. "Unlike you have done to your victims in the past, your death will be quick and almost painless."
Azar clapped his hands together and spread them apart, a large fireball forming between his palms. He raised the fireball over his head, ready to throw it at Briony when Levinya stabbed him through the gut with a lightning bolt.
"Did you really think I would give in that easily?" Briony laughed. "Male dragons, so easily distracted."
Levinya laughed from behind Azar. "Azar Aurelius, you put up a good fight. Strong but not the smartest dragon."
"You think you're so smart?" Azar laughed, making Briony and Levinya stare in confusion. "You stabbed me with a bolt of lightning. Thermal energy."
The bolt began to glow and merge with Azar, disappearing into his body with an ethereal blue glow.
"Thanks for the power-up," Azar grinned at Briony and Levinya, his voice coming out like dragon's roar, rough and terrifying.
He brought his fireball down on Briony and her protective cage of branches.
The plant dragon screamed as she was engulfed in brilliant carmine flames, her branches more kindling than protection.
My hand hesitated over my deck of cards, ready to attack Levinya while she was distracted. Levinya was frozen in place, staring at Briony as she burned, rage boiling off of her hotter than any fire Azar could conjure.
She looked up at Azar, her hands crackling with electricity. Azar didn't hesitate, he turned to her and clamped his hand down on her head, engulfing her in flames. She turned to ash, utterly incinerated in less than five seconds.
"Damn Zar," I whistled. He had taken care of my opponent for me, it looked like I was getting off easily from this battle. "Intense."
He looked up from Levinya's ashes, his amber eyes intense and serious and found where my I was standing, invisible and intangible, safe from his. The black that circled his irises seemed to bleed into the gold. "Anything for you Taves. I'd destroy the world for you."
I scratched my head. "I really hope it doesn't come to that."
"Either way, I will always do anything for you, to keep you safe," Azar reached a hand out towards me and I reached out myself, letting my invisible hand twine my fingers through his.
I felt a crackle in the statically charged air around us and the hairs rose on my neck.
"Oh shit," I cursed my hand flying to my deck. I pulled my Empress of Shields and grabbed onto Azar, activating it as soon as my body hit his.
"Ooof," Azar grunted as I shoved him a couple feet away from Briony and Lavinya's ashes, the shadow shield sprang to life around us. "What's going on?"
The djinn manifested in a burst of flames where Azar had been standing only moments before.
"Good save, Tavia," Azar grinned and squeezed me into a bone-crushing bear hug. His skin was scalding hot to the touch and felt good pressed against me.
The djinn flickered like fire in front of us.
"Hey buddy, do you grant wishes?" Azar yelled so that Ozaj would hear us through the shield.
"I don't think that's the genie in a bottle type," I corrected. "I think that's like the demon-like type."
Ozaj pulsed angrily, his form flickering in and out of view.
"I think he's trying to teleport inside of our shield," I wondered aloud.
"Think I can absorb that fire of his?" Azar asked, his voice alight with curiosity.
"Oh no, you're not risking that," I shook my head and squeezed him tighter. "Where the hell is Raiden? I thought he said he was going to take care of Ozaj quickly."
Azar looked around me and sighed. "Looks like him and Cobalt are fighting the water dragon. Dude is actually giving them some trouble, putting up more trouble than water dragons usually do."
"Why do you sound so impressed?" I asked, rolling my eyes at him.
"I am! He's taking on Cobalt and Raiden right now by himself, I want to join his fan club," Azar grinned, all of his intensity from a few minutes ago completely gone. I burst into laughter, it was so Azar.
"That fan club won't be going for very long," I said, my tone dark. He was fighting Cobalt and Raiden at the same time, which was practically an instantaneous death sentence.
Azar eyed the djinn up and down. "I gotta see if I can absorb his fire."
"Zar, no, it's too risky," I mumbled to deaf ears, Azar's eyes blazed with curiosity, I knew it was already a lost cause. Once Azar made his mind up, that's what he was going to do. I had been dragged into many pranks and dangerous shenanigans as a kid because of that very same look in his eyes. Ten years may have passed and Azar might have grown from boy to man but that mischievous glint to his ebony and amber eyes hadn't
changed one bit.
Azar disentangled himself from me and stepped through the protectiveness of my shield.
I cursed and deactivated both my Alpha of Shields and Empress of Shields, shoving the metal cards back into my deck in one rough motion. I drew another card, quickly activated it. Ozaj wasted no time and pulled two wickedly curved daggers from his face and flickered out of existence.
I waited for the tell-tale crackle of the static, waiting for Ozaj to appear again. Would he go for me or go for Azar? I wondered. The stronger dragon that needed to be taken out quickly in case of retaliation or the easier target? It was a gamble either way. Most of the gladiators didn't know how strong I was. I might have garnered quite the reputation for taking out Tanith and Tefra but most looked at me and saw a soft human female. More curves than muscles, I didn't mind it. I loved my curve, they had never worked against me but the appraising, dismissive glances of those who thought they were better than me stung a little.
The Emperor of Spears appeared in my hand, the crystal blade glinting in the bright sunlight. I twisted the hilt in my hands, ready to fight. It might have been stupid to deactivate my shields but if Azar was going to face Ozaj unprotected so was I. I wasn't the type to hide in safety while my loved ones got hurt. I
"Come back, you coward!" Azar yelled, waving his fist at the sky.
"Really?" I blinked at Azar. He turned his gaze to me and grinned.
"I've always wanted to say that," Azar shrugged.
I shook my head and laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"
A loud crack of thunder reverberated through the arena making the ground shake. The smell of electrified flesh filled the air and dread settled in the pit of my stomach. The water dragon had been felled by Raiden.
The weird feeling of static electricity from Raiden's EMF rippled around us.
"Crap!" I yelled as Ozaj appeared in front of me. Azar lunged for me but he was too late. I slashed my sword as hard as I could but Ozaj's form rippled in and out of our plane of existence. My sword sliced through the air and I lost my balance from over swinging.
I lost my balance and started to fall forward, crashing toward the ground. Time seemed to slow down around us.
Ozaj took his chance and pulled a pair of wickedly curved deer horn knives from his back and lunged for me. It dawned on me that this was how I was going to die. Not from an unkillable phoenix or an old as the earth itself Sphinx. A demon-like djinn was going to stab me with a pair of fancy knives. Ozaj swung his blades over his head with a wicked grin on his face and started to bring them down over me.
I would like to say I met death with my eyes wide open and a brave face but I clenched my eyes shut, terrified of the impending pain. I was frozen in panic, my good hand twitched, wanting to reach for a card but I could make my hand move.
Ozaj cried out, his knives clunking onto the dirt of the arena. He followed his knives a moment later and I gasped, staring wide-eyed at the dead djinn. My head shot up to see Cobalt standing over me, a long spear clenched in his fist, the spearhead slick with Ozaj's blood.
"I've never been happier to see you, Coba," I sighed in relief, collapsing down into the dirt. The victory horns trumpeted through the arena and the crowd went wild.
"Another victory for Team Bumblebee!" The Announcer screamed over our cheering fans.
"Tavia!" Azar yelled running over to me, he extended on hand out and I took it. He helped me to my feet and eyed me up and down. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I don't know what happened, like I wanted to reach for a card but I couldn't. It felt like this overwhelming terror," I explained.
“Same,” Azar’s face scrunched up, his auburn brows burrowing. “I didn’t think I could feel fear like that.”
"That's what his kind of djinn does, they freeze you with fear,” Cobalt grunted. “Definitely not the wish-making kind.”
We were ushered out of the arena and back into the holding area. As soon as we cleared the archway leading back into the holding area, once again my chest went ice cold and another fourth of the eye on my chest disappeared. I traced my fingers around the last half and grinned. We were almost there.
Raiden came over to check to see how we were doing. He gave me the once over and grinned. “Good job with Levinya.”
I shook my head and jabbed my thumb at Azar. “It was all him!”
“You took out a lightning dragon?” Raiden glared over at Azar.
“Easily,” Azar flashed Raiden a pearly white smile that was far more menacing than nice. “You’re next, old man.”
Raiden’s glare lingered on Azar for a moment longer before returning to me, his expression softening.
“Cobalt and I are going to stay and watch the remaining teams, do you want to stay with us?” He asked.
“No, I’m really tired from last night,” I winked at him and his cheeks started to redden and he grinned at me. “I think I’ll take a nap.”
Raiden nodded a little too eagerly. “Well alright, sorry I tired you out. Have a good nap.”
“She will!” Azar chimed in, looping his arm through mine. Nevada came up on my other side and did the same and marched me away. I looked back at Raiden over my shoulder to see him smiling and shaking his head in amusement.
Azar and Nevada didn’t slow down until we turned down the street of our castelli.
“Okay, what’s going on?” I asked them, they were up to something, I just knew it. Both of them froze like deer caught in headlights.
“I knew it, you are plotting something. What’s going on? A prank?” I asked. Nevada didn’t usually go along so eagerly with Azar’s prank. He had always just been along for the ride, liable but not active participant in whatever shenanigans Azar dragged us into over the years.
“Wait here with Nevada, I’ll be right back,” Azar grinned and ran toward the castelli, quickly doing the magical knock and disappearing inside. I looked at Nevada who just shrugged.
A few minutes later, Azar barreled out of the doorway and waved us over. As soon as we stepped over the threshold, he grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the bedroom.
“I was serious about my nap,” I told him but he didn’t respond. He flung open the double doors and tugged me inside. The room was decorated with lit candles glowing on almost every surface and the bed was littered with soft blue petals. I gasped. I turned to look at Azar and Nevada who seemed nervous.
“Okay, this is lovely, probably the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen but what is going on?” I asked.
“We both want you,” Nevada told me and I nodded.
“Tell me something I don’t know?”
“At the same time,” Azar finished and I blinked a few times. Holy frijoles, this was all the set up for a threesome. I looked at the flower petal covered bed and over to my ice and fire dragons and then back to the bed. Time seemed to drag on.
“Well?” Nevada asked.
“That--” I started, not sure where I was going with it. “This is a first for me.”
“Us too,” Azar smiled brightly. “Don’t be nervous.”
“I’ll try,” I smiled as Azar pulled me over to the bed, sitting me on the end of the bed. He pulled the laces of my sandals loose and I kicked them off, scooting further back on the bed. Nevada and Azar sat down on either side of me while I tried not to die of an anxiety attack.
"So you've really never done this before?" Nevada asked, his sapphire eyes shining brightly from the low candlelight in the room.
I blushed, it had never really appealed to me before. It sounded kind of terrifying, to be honest. "No, I haven't."
"There's a first time for everything," Azar shrugged and I hid my face in Nevada's neck. "Ugh, unless you don't want to."
I looked up at Azar and the obvious concern apparent on his handsome face. He truly did care. They all did, this wasn't like others guys. My four Aurelius' truly cared about me.
"I want to try it, I want to give you guys one of my firsts," I nodded, my mind was set. "You guys waited your
whole lives for me while I was out having fun with other guys, completely unaware, I'm happy that I can give you one of my firsts."
Nevada rolled his eyes and grabbed my shoulders, narrowing his eyes at me. "Look Tavia, we don't care that you're not a virgin. It doesn't matter who is first, it matters who is last and that's all four of us. Okay? You don't need to feel pressured into doing this."
My heart pounded against my rib cage, I couldn't believe that I was so lucky to have guys like this in my life. They truly didn't care about my past, they just loved me. How had I gotten so lucky?
"No, I'm ready," I smiled at him.
"Good, I get the back!" Azar announced and Nevada and I shared an exasperated wide-eyed look.
