Her power was so strong it jolted him, and yet she was more afraid of him than anything else.
“Why don't we go to the cafeteria?” he asked. “Get some food?”
That earned him a nod, and he inwardly gave himself a thumbs up. Food was always the solution to any Tiro's heart.
He knew that it wouldn't be easy. There would be many struggles down the new road they walked, and many days when he'd wonder if he was doing the right thing. But he wanted to serve, and he wanted to fight, and this new chapter would be just what he needed.
At least, until Eliza said the words and then he would go willingly to her. But she wouldn't, not for years, and he knew that. He loved Eliza because she understood that he was needed where he was, and she would never put that in jeopardy He would do his duty and she would do hers, and they would be happy apart until the day they could be happy together
Until that day, he had a Tiro to train.
Chapter 25
Desmond knew that the dungeons under the school were dark, but he didn't realize they were damp and cold ,as well. He had expected the Jurors to treat their prisoners with respect and with dignity, but he was surprised to learn that wasn't exactly the case.
It broke his heart to see Reynolds looking pale and thing, sitting on the cold floor of his cell.
“Desmond,” Reynolds said, with a smirk. He was defiant, even now. “Have you come to gloat? Your happiness is sickening.”
“I have not,” Desmond said. “Although I have come to inform you of some news.”
“What? Has the Jurors elevated your defiant ass once again? You always did manage to get away with murder.”
“I am leaving the Order,” Desmond answered, and Reynolds fell silent. “I have left my Tiro, and I am leaving magic behind. Mariah and I pledged ourselves to each other.”
“What?” Reynolds couldn't believe what he was hearing. “Are you mad?”
Desmond had not expected that reaction.
“No? Maybe?”
“You can't just… arr,” Reynolds replied. “You just threw away your whole life.”
“No,” Desmond said. “I walked a path I thought was right for me, until I realized it was right no longer. You feel my happiness because I am now on the right path. There are other ways to be happy, Reynolds, besides magic. Besides darkness or light, the whisk of our hands. And I wanted you to know that.”
Reynolds fell silent, not expecting this kind of lecture.
“If there is a glimmer of hope in all of this, Reynolds, I hope that you find it.”
“Desmond, I walked away from you and from the Order. I used Acheronian magic, I killed hundreds, if not thousands. I was your first Tiro and I screwed everything up for you. And now you come and tell me about hope?”
“I do,” Desmond replied. “And when the Jurors lay down your verdict for the crimes you have committed, I will be there, beside you, supporting you as I should have done.”
Reynolds looked at Desmond in disbelief. His mouth gaped open several times before he spoke.
“And what of the girl?”
Desmond tried to smile.
“Sienna has found her own path, as well, outside of magic. If you have diabolical plans, you should know that the drugs have wiped magic from her system. She knows death awaits her if she comes off of them. She is useless to your cause now.”
“And your brave Nathaniel? Has he surged forward?”
“Nathaniel has stayed with the Order,” Desmond said. “So you may hear his name from time to time. That is the path he believes is right for him, and I'm not going to stop him.”
“Of course, he did.” Reynolds shook his head. “So much for different paths”
“We have each found our own,” Desmond answered. “And I know that you will as well.”
“Unless they execute me.”
“They won't,” Desmond assured him. “You are too powerful, too blessed by magic to lose such a force to the world. Try to find a way without it, a way to be happy, and you will find yourself free.”
“Not from prison bars,” Reynolds replied.
“No, maybe not,” Desmond answered. “But your mind will be at peace.”
The two stood in silence for a long moment, and then Reynolds spoke, softly, “You weren't a bad Maestro, Desmond.”
Desmond was surprised by this.
“I—”
“You weren't. It was nothing that you did or said. You were a good Maestro, and it was I that strayed. Don't blame yourself for it. I hope you do find happiness with Mariah.”
Desmond decided to accept this, bowing his head.
“Thank you,” he said. “I will leave you now.”
“Could you…Could you stay?” Reynolds asked, sounding so much like the boy Desmond had trained. “Not for long, I mean…but just a while?”
Desmond smiled at this, taking a step closer. “I could,” he said. “If you wish it.”
He settled down in a chair placed outside the cell. The two fell into a natural rhythm of conversation, as if the past few years had never happened. They spoke of their time on quests, of their moments at school, of the people they had known. Desmond felt himself go back twenty years, to a time when Reynolds filled him with hope and when nothing was too big of mountain for them to tackle.
The path ahead was clear for him, but he knew it was only because of the moments that were difficult that he could walk it. It had taken forty years to get the courage to walk away with Mariah, and it was because his courage had been tested so many times before. He didn't fear what was to come, for everything behind him had been fearful enough.
And despite having not taken Reynolds through to the tests, he felt he had succeeded with him. For despite the darkness, the past, his former Tiro still had strength within him, and still saw that he could live beyond all of this. He had taught him that. He had taught all of them that. Broken Christa, after the death of her Maestro, Nathaniel in the face of anxiety, Sienna in her daily struggles. And they had taught him patience and hope. They had taught him how to live.
There was a life beyond the magic, and he was eager to live it.
Epilogue
“Did you translate all of those?” Eliza asked in surprise Sienna had only been working for her 10 months, but it seemed that she learned a new language every week.
The former witch smiled as she handed her the tablet. “I did,” she said. “Some of them may be a bit shaky, but they are fine for the purposes you use. If that's all, my Queen…”
“It is all,” Eliza replied. “Baroness.”
Sienna blushed at the rank Eliza had given her. “It's Devon's birthday,” she said. “So we'll be off for the evening?”
“Of course,” the Queen replied. “It will be a relaxing…”
Just as she was finishing her sentence, the doors to the palace flew open and Jonah burst in.
The captain of the guards was normally cool and collected, but at the moment, his eyes were wild.
“Your highness,” he said. “The rebel forces are marching on us.”
Eliza's eyes hardened.
“Then attack. I won their throne here on Natrine. They need to accept that. Teach them a lesson.”
“No,” Jonah said. “They've had help. There're three outer rim planets that have come to their aid.”
“What?” Eliza asked. “Who allowed this?”
“Your highness, they took us by surprise,” Jonah said. “But regardless of semantics, we are currently outnumbered. You need to call Jeffro's forces, but we will need more back-up then that.”
“This is treason,” Eliza growled. Sienna, however, put a hand on her shoulder, calm.
“You took the throne,” she said. “The witches defend the thrones at all costs, as natural leaders must be protected.”
Eliza held her gaze.
“Will they send us aid?”
“Yes,” Sienna replied. “I believe they will.”
&
nbsp; “Then call for it,” Eliza said. “Jonah, call the Jeffro forces. As many as we can spare.”
“My concern, your highness, is that if Jeffro is left half-defenseless, they will storm on there, as well.”
“No,” Eliza was defiant “We will defend both fronts. Call the witches now, Sienna. Ask for aid.”
“Aye,” Sienna nearly dropped the tablet and headed out of the large marble hall.
Devon was waiting just outside the door, expecting her to be finished work. Their life together on Natrine was much different from the rigid life the Order had demanded of them. Eliza was a kind mistress, expecting the work to be done when it was due and not much more. Sienna found herself happy, light and free. With her magic blocked, she was finally able to see what life was beyond the Order. With Devon's hand almost constantly in hers, she thought it was beautiful.
Today, though, her eyes were wide with panic.
“I need to call Nathaniel,” she said, as they ducked into a quiet corner. “We're under attack.”
“Mm,” Devon answered. “Somehow, I knew this day would come.”
“So did I,” she said. “We'll be flooded with witches in a few days. It's odd, this is the warrior excitement I always wanted. And now that it's here...”
“Now that it's here, you realize you are happy with your other path,” Devon answered. “Regardless, it will be nice to see our friends. I can call Laura, if you like.”
“Probably needed,” Sienna said, as she dialed through.
Nathaniel looked tired when he answered, his lighting dim. She could make out that he was at the school, in his room, and it was early morning. She hadn't thought about the time change.
“Maestro,” she said. “The day has come.”
“Oy,” Nathaniel replied, sitting up a bit more. “Do you need us to come now?”
“I do,” she said. “You and your Tiro. I'm going to put quest bids up. We'll need several teams.”
“We're ready,” Nathaniel replied. “Prada is stronger than any Tiro here. We will protect you.”
She remembered the days that he said that about her, and smiled.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Just stay safe,” he replied, and she sensed a grin in the darkness.
“Nathaniel…are you…excited?”
“I am a warrior after all, little one,” he said, as his tablet jiggled with him getting up. “And you always wanted to see me in action.”
“I did,” she answered. “I'm going to put a few calls out. Let me know if there's anything else I can do.”
“Look at us,” he replied. “Working together on intergalactic quests. Did you ever think that would happen again?”
She smiled.
“I didn't,” she said. “But we've found a way.”
“There's always a way,” Nathaniel said, “if you believe. I'll see you soon.”
“Bye,” she hung up, passing the tablet to Devon to call Laura. Despite the oncoming danger, Devon grinned at her.
“Well, this is exciting,” he said, as he keyed in Laura's number.
“It is,” Sienna drew her knees up as she perched on the window seat. “And I'm ready for it.”
“We're together,” he said. “We're ready for anything. And with you here, we can call in teams in any language. You're magic.”
His choice of words made her smile. “I didn't use to think I was,” she replied. “Not until you made me feel differently.”
“So, my love,” he said, as the call began to ring. “Are you ready for a new adventure?”
“I am,” she said, as Laura picked up. Like everything in life, it wasn't going to be easy. A year ago, she couldn't believe that she ever would have been happy with this reality. But today, with Devon by her side, and her skills sharp and making a different, she felt happy, and strong. It had taken walking away from her once dream, and from magic, to make her feel like she was indestructible
There was always another path, and she was so glad that she had found it.
***THE END***
Aris (Stratham Shifters Book 1) Preview
Chapter 1
Aris fell to the hard floor, and his body convulsed rapidly. Each joint fought for control – contorting and changing – but his dragon didn’t stand a chance. His jaw locked, keeping him from screaming out his agony. Sweat coated his skin in a thin layer, and he slid on the hardwood floor, bruising his body. He had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was, it needed to stop.
The scent of his fear was syrupy and sweet. It made him prey, and he had no way of stopping it. Weakness was not acceptable to his kind. He learned early on that it was kill or be killed. In his world, there was no room for the weak. He strived to change that with those he loved. The five of them had built a family, but he knew their instincts could take over at any time.
From a distance, he could hear his brothers’ calls. They were frantic, but he could do nothing to ease their minds. No, someone else had to lead, if only for a little while. Muscles, he didn’t even know existed, spasmed in a way he’d never thought possible, sending shots of liquid fire through his entire being. Every inch of his body froze, locking in place, and he was unable to move. The tremors stopped, yet bursts of pain soared through his veins. His eyes were forced closed, but he saw something.
Two hand-carved thrones sat on the dais surrounded by men dressed in sheer, festive fabrics. It was a celebration of some sort – no, it wasn’t a good day, never again would the sun rise in her eyes. She looked down, and his honey colored eyes stared back at her – strange. Aris knew this body he possessed wasn’t his own, but when he tried to pull himself out, he found he couldn’t. He was forced to see what was to come. She floated in front of the two who sat upon the thrones. They were her leaders, and it was up to them to decide, though she knew the fate of the child in her arms. She bowed before her king, holding the infant tight. She had no hope they hadn’t figured out she had lain with another.
“You have broken our most sacred law,” the king bellowed. He stood in all his glory and looked down upon her. She didn’t dare tell the truth. No one would believe her anyway. She would suffer her sins in silence. Because no matter what, in the end, it had been her fault. She had flirted with danger, and now she had to pay.
“Yes, my king. I do apologize, it was a mistake,” she replied. She hoped that admission and saying what he wanted, would save her son.
He chuckled and gripped her jaw, forcing her eyes to meet his. The crowd gasped. No one was allowed to meet his eyes, especially not someone on trial. “You have lain with a black dragon. We are the golden ones; we are GODS. They are nothing, and you created…” His voice was thick with emotion, and spit from his lips sprayed over her face. She didn’t dare move.
“This is an abomination, and he must be destroyed!”
He pointed to the silent baby in her arms. This baby would be killed, right here and now, unless her plan worked.
“No!” She held tight to her son. She closed her eyes and silently recited the spell she had memorized. Aris, the name she had given him after her father disappeared, and she prayed he went to the one who would save him…
Aris screamed and shot up from the floor. He blinked and saw four sets of eyes staring at him as the pain receded from his body, but not from his heart. What the hell was he seeing? He knew what he saw, it was him as a baby and his birth mother. He knew it. And his mother was a golden dragon. He’d heard of them through the years. They were royalty. But apparently as a Halfling he was different.
His heart raced, and his breath came out in pants. The feeling of someone’s hand on his shoulder calmed him. He knew without looking who it was. Blane was the most nurturing. A ‘mother hen,’ they called him.
“What happened?” he asked. His voice was low and comforting. Blane never raised his voice. When he spoke, everyone listened.
“I’m not sure. It’s been happening lately.” He ran a shaky hand through his fl
attened mohawk. “But less painfully. More like dreams, but this…this was different.” After what just happened, he was beginning to understand. Could he just now be coming into all his powers? What did that mean for the others? Did they each have another side of themselves they didn’t know about?
Aris stood and stretched his neck, trying to relax the muscles in his body. Everything hurt worse than it had been before. For the last couple of years, he’d been really sick. He wasn’t the only one in the group though; Zarin had been noticeably sick, and Max, too. The other two were fine, but if his visions were correct, they wouldn’t be for long.
“If you talked to us about it, maybe we could help. We’ve all felt strange lately. You don’t always have to be strong, ya know?” Ilias whispered.
His first instinct was to put Ilias in his place, but maybe he was right. Aris was the one who saved them, and they all looked to him to lead, but if he was dying he needed them to know. Who would watch out for Ilias or Blane if he died? And that was his biggest fear. He held up his hands in surrender, something that felt right to do for the first time. “I get it. You’re right.”
The others went to the den, but of course Ilias stuck behind. “You’re going to be all right, aren’t you?”
Ilias was like a child in so many ways. He hadn’t fully healed from his past. Aris didn’t expect him to recover this soon. It had been a year and a half since they’d found Ilias in that cold ditch, barely breathing and covered in wounds new and old, and still he didn’t know his story, not fully. He wrapped an arm around the young one’s shoulder and pulled him into his body, letting his warmth soothe him. “Yes, I’ll be fine. No matter what it is, we’ll figure it out. That’s what we do, eh?”
“You’re getting sicker.” There was no question behind the words – just a simply stated fact.
Aris nodded and dropped his arm when they got to the stairs. It had been nearly three years since he’d found Blane, and now their numbers had grown. The den was their sacred place. It had a little bit of everything for each of them. It was the one place they could be themselves.
Blane (Stratham Shifters Book 5) Page 65
