by L J Andrews
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www.ljandrews.com
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Part One
The Mage
Chapter 1
Mythical creatures weren’t supposed to exist. Magic was something that entertained young children—the idea of fairy tales, of knights, of wizards, of witches. None of it was supposed to exist.
But I knew the truth. Dragons were real, and I was in love with their queen.
Weeks had passed since I’d almost died. The agony of that night still rippled through my chest. Darkness threatened to control my soul the longer I thought on everything. I saw his silver eyes when I slept. I replayed the way she had died each morning, as if the sunlight were a constant reminder of her goodness and strength. Mini hadn’t deserved the end she’d met. Her absence was an empty hole in each day, each training, each council.
The morning sun was warm. The rays brushed my face through the frosty window as I pushed thoughts of my friend to the back of my mind. Running my hand through my thick, sandy hair, the light brightened the green marks on my arms until the color seemed to gleam with gold. Each arm was enrobed in the marks—most people just assumed they were tattoos, but these marks were so much more. I kept the seal imprinted on my back secret; only those who knew the truth had seen the seal of Jade. The day it had appeared, I knew it meant something important. Yes, I never would have believed such a thing possible, symbols and designs simply appearing on skin. Nothing seemed to make sense, and if I hadn’t lived through it all myself, I might believe my story insane.
You might not think such a secret could be kept, roaming with dragons and all. To my surprise, hiding the impossible became easier the longer time passed. It helped that the royal wyverns I knew had been living in plain sight for nearly a century, and I only had Aunt Liz to hide the truth from. After she’d almost been killed a few weeks ago, keeping her in the dark was critical. Of course, living a hundred miles away in the Wyvern Willows Reform House helped—to most I was a delinquent, one mistake away from prison. Sure, it might be the original story, but how things had changed.
I jumped when a fist pounded on my door. “Teagan—seriously, every morning—the bus is here. Come on!”
“Relax, Mitch!” I shouted through my grin. I usually dawdled in the mornings now, just to irritate my fellow reform. “We always make it on time.”
Mitch scoffed and jiggled the doorknob once more. “Yeah, well one day I’d like to get there with some time to spare. I’ve got people to see too.”
Mitch’s steps stomped down the hallway while I tossed my T-shirt over my head. I opted for short sleeves. Tattoos were against the dress code, but after what had happened, Eisha—also thought to be an ordinary principal—didn’t seem to mind showing off the marks of my mage armor.
The truth that dragons existed was difficult enough to wrap my mind around, but the idea that magical, energy-wielding mages existed—and that I was one of them—well, that was an entirely different challenge to accept. Using my toe, I tucked the gilded hilt of one of the mage blades beneath my bed. Even such a simple touch sent a spark shooting up my leg. The blades were mine—though I still refused to accept that I was considered the High Priest of mages simply because I unearthed the powerful weapons. Without a glance at the twin blades, I slung my backpack over one shoulder and rushed after Mitch.
The main level of the house was empty, only a few straggling students ran across the gravel drive toward the rusty, white bus. The ground had a powdery layer of snow along the small stones, and the air was frosty, but I found cold didn’t affect me much. Ever since the marks had appeared on my arms, ever since I’d fought against—I hardly allowed myself to think of his gleaming, silver eyes—but ever since he’d come to Wyvern Willows, my body seemed to resist the cold, as though the power coursing through my veins were a constant furnace.
“Teagan,” a booming voice shouted from behind me. “Wait, I have to tell you…”
“The bus is leaving,” I called back over my shoulder just as Sapphire’s rich, coal-like eyes found me from his office door. “Hey, you guys are the ones who said I still had to go to school.”
Was it strange to speak to the director of the Reform House with such a tone? Perhaps to some, but Konrad Sapphire was no ordinary man. I’d been witness to his true form, the expanse of his magnificent blue wings, the length of his royal claws. Yes, the man who had once been my warden was a royal dragon. I’d taken the charge after Mini’s death to protect him—and Sapphire had offered the same. Though my armor wasn’t the sapphire bloodline color, I’d been amazed at the connection that had grown between the two of us. I knew I would fight to protect Sapphire with as much vigor as I would for Jade—only without the extras I’d come to enjoy with the queen of wyverns.
The bus driver, affectionately known as Angry Matilda, shouted at those students not seated with as much speed as she would have liked. I paused briefly on the porch so Sapphire could catch up. He smirked, though his dark beard covered his lip, and I could hear his dramatic sigh. “Well, you’re not an easy thing to keep a secret. We can only wield so much power to keep the lindworms out.” Sapphire spoke just above a whisper.
“Get a move on it,” Matilda shrieked loud enough I even sensed Sapphire’s startle.
“She’ll murder me if I don’t go.”
I took the porch steps two at a time, but Sapphire called out after me. “There’s something I think you should know before going to school.”
“Is someone dying?” Sapphire just gaped at me, but plainly the answer was there were not deaths to report. “Okay then, we’ll talk when I get home, or I will be dead—isn’t that right, Matilda?”
“I can’t make any promises,” she muttered, blowing a long breath out from her thick lips. Matilda’s red curls wisped in wiry strands around her round face, and already beads of sweat took shape over her brow with all the added bodies in the bus. “Where’s your coat, boy? Those hideous things should be covered.” Matilda scanned my arms, disapproval written on her face as she glanced at the green markings.
“Oh, Til,” I teased, using the nickname Mitch had shared—the woman wasn’t pleased, but the way her beady eyes narrowed into thin slits was half the fun. “You know I didn’t get in this place by following the rules. I figure if Sapphire says it’s good, who am I to argue?”
Matilda scoffed, jerking the bus away from the large white house, so I stumbled a bit. “Well, hopefully Ms. Drake will have the backbone to set you straight.”
I chuckled. Eisha was the one who had resisted the truth that the mages had returned. The wyvern race and the mage had been separated for nearly one hundred years. The last interaction Eisha had with…him…her mate had been slaughtered along with Jade’s parents. After the night Mini died, I’d proven I was dedicated to protecting Jade—her daughter, by all pretenses. Eisha was now one of my fiercest allies. The others continued to resist my affection for Jade, but Eisha had been the first to accept there was something different about the bond shared between the two of us.
“Matilda is going to run over your foot when you get off,” Mitch laughed when I finally took my place in the seat we often shared.
“No, I think she secretly likes us,” I said. Mitch glanced at my arms but didn’t say anything, though I could sense he wanted to. “What is it?”
Mitch was only a couple months younger than me, but looked like he might be a freshman. Sapphire had approved his dark curls to come in longer through the winter months. Mitch hated the cold more than any of us, but he’d also been in the house the longest. Sapphire had told me Mitch had one of the truer hearts. With it being Sapphire’s talent to sense valiance and intent, it was reassuring to know he wasn’t a secret threat. We’d already experienced that when one of the former students, Graham, had been revealed as a zomok wyvern. It was a relief, in so many ways, to have one normal friend.
Mitch pointed to my arms, noticeably nerv
ous to speak. “Your tattoos—they keep…changing. I don’t know, one day they look a certain way, the next day they are something entirely different almost. What sort of ink did the artist use? Because even the color changes.” Mitch shifted in the seat and glanced out the window at the flurries of snow falling. “Forget it. Now that I say all that out loud, it doesn’t make much sense.”
I nudged Mitch’s elbow, ignoring the way the back of my throat burned. I shouldn’t encourage anything, but I also couldn’t deny the thought of sharing the burden with really my only human friend was tempting. “What are you saying? I don’t think you sound crazy.”
Mitch glanced at me and chuckled. “Nothing, it’s just…sometimes, I don’t know…when I really focus on them, it’s like something happens inside. I feel like they have a way to…I don’t know, calm me.”
So others could sense the power. I’d wondered, but never knew for certain until today. I knew the wyverns could feel the power of my armor, but this was interesting. Telling Mitch the truth on the bus, however, was not the time or the place. I chuckled lightly and shook my head. “Well, I did get them done with magic ink, so there’s that.”
“Shut up,” Mitch grumbled. “I told you it sounded crazy.”
“Maybe you should get some, I mean, if you’re okay getting inked by an elf.”
Mitch scoffed. “Funny. Like, you’re hilarious, man.”
Lucky for Mitch, the bus arrived at the school, because I had at least a dozen more ways to keep the teasing going strong.
Students were already rushing to their classes. I nearly slammed into a girl named Jenna, who glanced at me and Mitch with a desperate longing. Jenna had a strange type of guy she hunted—students at the reform house. She seemed ready to touch me but stopped, her eye slicing into daggers before she turned on her heel and stomped away.
My stomach flipped inside out when I followed Jenna’s last gaze. Jade moved through the crowd like a true queen. The smile spread across my face, and I did little to stop it. Something had changed inside Jade too. She was powerful, regal—as a queen should be. But there was more. For years Jade had been trapped in her human form, unable to shift. Finally, not so many weeks ago, she’d shifted. Ever since, her confidence in her daunting role had magnified to the point I found her practically irresistible.
Jade drifted toward me, never alone, of course. Though I was named as Jade’s protector, Raffi and Dash were her two warriors and still never far behind. Raffi scowled like usual, though I actually liked the stern dragon. We had a mutual respect for each other, we trained together, but my goal of getting Raffi to smile easily was still unmet. He was always on edge, though he had nearly died when the dark lindworms had attacked. He was allowed a little paranoia, I guess. Dash smiled more. He was thick and rippled in strength, though he sported a few new scars along his neck. The pale marks contrasted against his dark skin, but Dash seemed incredibly proud of the battle wounds.
Mitch groaned at my side, but didn’t seem as disgusted as he sounded when I wrapped my arm around Jade’s waist.
“Bold today,” she said, her fingers tracing the marks on my skin.
“Well, I have an in with the principal,” I muttered, catching Mitch roll his eyes.
“Hi, Mitch,” Jade sang.
“Hey, Jade,” he responded nervously.
“Did Sapphire speak with you?” she asked as we walked hand in hand toward our first classes.
My brow furrowed when I met her gleaming green eyes. Maybe I should have given Sapphire the time to speak. “He tried, but we were running late.”
Jade nodded. “It’s fine. We’ll talk later in class.”
I smirked, and Jade knew she couldn’t very well hide her emotions from me. A wave of tension tossed over me. I pulled Jade closer against me when we stopped outside my first class. Mitch muttered something under his breath and left us alone in the hall—though Raffi and Dash weren’t far off.
“Something’s wrong,” I whispered next to her ear.
“Really, it’s nothing that can’t wait—it’s just a…surprise, that’s all.” Jade’s fingers brushing over my cheek sent a thrill along my skin. Kissing her was the only thought on my mind at the moment, but the bell blared our tardiness, and once I kissed Jade, I had a difficult time stopping. “See you later in class.”
Jade joined Raffi and Dash, Dash making an annoying kissing face at my direction. I chuckled and relented to seeing her walk away. English class was much too far away.
Mrs. Tiddel was the English teacher. She’d never missed a day since I’d arrived at Wyvern High, so I was quite surprised to see a white-haired man in her place when I walked in the room. Jade, Raffi, and Dash were already in their seats at the back of the room. Normally, Raffi and Dash were more at ease when the four of us were together, but the second I stepped near them I felt their anxiety.
“Ah, and you are?” the man asked me before I could make it to my seat. His eyes were pale and gray like a stormy sky. He studied me for an uncomfortable breath, and I didn’t miss the way he glanced at my green-colored arms.
“Teagan Ward,” I said quickly. The man nodded, a satisfied smile passing over his lips, when he checked off my name from the sheet of paper. “I am Mr. Aldwin. I’ll be filling in today. Have a seat, Mr. Ward.”
I paused a little longer, uncertain why I had the need to get a better sense of the man, but with a subtle nod from Aldwin, I took my place at Jade’s side. She reached for my hand beneath the desk, and as always, I calmed instantly.
Class droned on, and I had to admit, by the time the lunch bell sounded I was most anxious to get out of Aldwin’s classroom. Jade, Raffi, and Dash didn’t move, and I shuddered when Aldwin stalked toward us once the other students were out of the room.
I glanced at Jade who tried to smile, but I knew something was wrong. When I faced the front of the classroom, I startled. Aldwin was inches from my face, and one of his hands was locked on my wrist.
“So this is the great defender,” he muttered.
My throat tightened, and with each breath I could feel the spaces between my ribs pit from my rapid breaths. This man—he was no ordinary substitute teacher. A strange surge of energy rippled through my blood when I tugged my wrist away.
“Who are you?” I snapped.
“Were you not informed?” Aldwin asked with genuine curiosity.
Clearing my throat, I glanced back at Jade. Raffi and Dash were standing at attention now, while Jade smiled gently. “Teagan, this is Aldwin, the elder.”
I shook my head, meeting Aldwin’s gray eyes. “I…don’t know what that means.”
“I am the lead elder of the wyvern council, Mr. Ward. Or would you prefer High Priest?” Aldwin said the words easily, but I detected the snip in his tone.
“Just Teagan,” I muttered.
“Fine then,” Aldwin said with a subtle accent I hadn’t caught before. “I’ve come to discuss what happened during the lindworm attack. We would ask for your version of the event. Of course, we will need to assess your lineage.”
“What are you talking about?” I growled. The lineage part was the part I didn’t want to explore.
Bron, the him I never liked thinking about. I rarely said his name even in my personal thoughts. He’d said he was my father—he was evil, dangerous, and, of course, wanted to kill me—not exactly the ideal father figure. Then there was the matter of my mother. No one was positive, but the High Priestess seemed the likely answer. The only problem—no one knew if she was on the side of Bron or the side of elemental dragons. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know—though I’d never admitted the truth, not even to Jade.
“Come with me, Teagan,” Aldwin said with a strange sort of smile. “I have quite a few questions.”
Chapter 2
Eisha’s office was chilled like an ice chest and smelled of sweet rose with a hint of spice from oil diffusers laden across her shelves. I’d grown accustomed to the subtle scent of woodsy smoke that seemed to always accompany the wyvern
s, despite the perfumed air. I hadn’t been able to sense a wyvern from a human before I’d earned my armor. Now, the scent was testament to the fire boiling through their bodies. It was earthy, and the pungency always drew me to a calm.
In my opinion, Eisha was the epitome of a dragon. Where once I detested entering her office, thinking she was an overprotective mother trying to keep me from Jade, now it always drew a smile to my face. She had a fascination with rare gems, coins, stones—and collected them to the extreme. The light glimmered along the shiny surfaces when Aldwin held the door open for me and Jade; Raffi and Dash were instructed to stay outside, much to Raffi’s disapproval. He flashed me a look which innately told me to report back whatever was said.
“Elder Aldwin,” Eisha said calmly, though I caught the quiver in the corner of her lip. “I was just informed you had come. To what do we owe such an honor?”
Aldwin chuckled. His eyes gleamed with purpose, and the lines in his face only deepened. Jade had been alive for nearly a century, and she looked like she was my age. Eisha was nearing three hundred years and seemed to be in the prime of her life. I wondered how ancient Aldwin must be to have so many divots in his skin. “Though I appreciate the warm welcome, I think we all know why I am here, my dear,” Aldwin said.
“Well, please sit down,” Eisha offered, a nervous glance catching me as I took my place next to the elder. Jade stood stiffly near the door. All the tension was driving me insane. Aldwin was intense, to be sure, but the man hadn’t emitted any sort of negative energy since I’d been in his presence.
“Wonderful to see you living so peacefully here, dear Eisha,” Aldwin whispered. “You’ve done such a marvelous job caring for Queen Ariana. She is nearing her time to rise to the throne.”
“I am not nearing, Elder Aldwin. I am ready,” Jade insisted with a ferocity that only added to the tension.
Aldwin smiled toward Jade—a grandfatherly sort of grin—but I sensed it was the reason behind Jade’s sudden scowl. “Your strength is so admirable, Highness. I look forward to your ascension.”
