by L J Andrews
I squeezed her hand and nodded, though I couldn’t understand. I’d only faced this for the last year. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
She smiled and rolled back onto her side. Her body curled on our bed. She did look weary, if I were to give it a word. Slipping through the tunnels, I crept toward the kitchen area. The icy bitter tea would cool her body down. Johan wasn’t there, and I reveled in the silence for a moment.
Eventually, I stood in the pit, carrying a goblet of the drink. I stared at the entrance to my parents’ room. Jade wouldn’t want me to say anything, but then again, I’d never seen her so hazy before.
Gaia was sitting in front of an oval mirror when I peeked in. Her strapless top revealed the entire warrior seal on her back. Thane was sprawled on their bed, his bare chest still burning from the excitement of the day.
“Hey,” I muttered. Thane perked to life, notably startled.
“You move as quietly as your mother,” he chuckled. “Good timing, you might have interrupted some plans of mine.”
“Gross,” I sneered. “This is starting now, the embarrass-your-kid parent stuff?”
Thane smiled. “I’ve waited a long time to do that sort of thing. I don’t care if you’re grown, it will happen. And now I even have two sons to torment!”
Gaia laughed and wrapped her arms around me. “What’s bothering you?”
“Let’s just get to it then,” I teased.
“Even if I wasn’t an empath, I could see just as your mother that something is bothering you.”
I leaned against the wall and studied the goblet for a moment. “She’s going to kill me, but something is wrong with Jade.”
“What’s wrong?” Thane snapped, warrior mode clicking almost instantly.
“It’s nothing like she’s in danger,” I insisted. “She just told me…she says she isn’t motivated to even shift. That all this fighting and stress is wearing her down. I don’t know how to help.”
Gaia nodded, taking her place on the edge of her bed. “I noticed her energy was different when she was helping heal Donovan this morning. She seemed so tired. Where something like what we did wouldn’t have been difficult before, now it was a challenge for her.”
“Do dragons get sick?”
Thane shrugged. “Sometimes, but we are usually able to heal ourselves. It’s when energy is warped by a mage that makes healing difficult.”
“They may not get sick often, but they do feel a great deal, son. It’s not uncommon for a wyvern to get very…depressed.”
My brow furrowed. Jade wasn’t depressed. She was always so optimistic, the one who kept my head clear. “You think that’s what is happening?”
“We have heightened emotions,” Thane insisted. “If Jade feels overwhelmed, it could easily fester into something more. She is a young queen and only just ascended the throne, then was taken by lindworms, faced a traitor who allowed his own people to be killed, and now she faces the potential of losing a mate, as we all do. But the royals are to be the beacons for the entire wyvern race. The queen most of all. Such tasks are daunting, and hiding emotions can wear on the soul.”
“So, how do I help?”
Gaia smiled lovingly. “Don’t coddle her—remind her of her strength. When she feels that spark again, the powerful emotion will override her insecurities. Just love her as you always have, Teagan. I know you don’t want her in the thick of this, but I think that is exactly what she needs. She is the queen, and she has a natural ability to lead. She might just be losing sight of it for a moment. We all falter in our resolve at times. You know I do even now with my changed energy.”
Thane leaned forward and kissed Gaia’s shoulder, squeezing her hand tight. “The queen will be fine, son,” he insisted. “Just support her. You both are leaders now, whether you wanted it or not. We’ll always be here to help either of you.”
“Thanks,” I muttered. “Well, I’ll leave you to your plans.”
“Good, I thought you’d never leave,” Thane bellowed, wrapping an arm around Gaia’s neck and pressing his lips to her cheek.
She laughed and smacked at his arm. “We’re proud of you, Teagan,” Gaia said gently. “You’ve faced so much and are truly a leader. Both you and Jade have my full confidence.”
I nodded gratefully before slipping out of their room. It did help, knowing we weren’t alone in this. There was a time when Jade and I faced things on our own—when secrets were kept—I liked having our families behind us much better.
Jade was sleeping, the steady rise and fall of her chest soothing my worries. Her mouth even had a slight smile at the corners. I placed the drink on the dresser and pulled her against me. In the calm of the night, the heat of her body had eased. She sighed and clutched my arms around her waist as she melted against me.
“I love you,” I whispered against her ear. “I always will.”
“Forever,” she responded.
Staying close through the night, for a few hours I believed everything might always be perfect—that nothing threatened us beyond the walls. That darkness wasn’t spreading. I believed it for the night, but always at the back of my mind, I knew the dam was just about to break.
Chapter 6
The High Priest
King Nag was a fool.
I stared at the lindworm royal with disdain. When I’d first agreed to join with him in uniting the wyvern race, I’d found his silver tongue admirable. I wanted to see it through. I would keep the human energy, of course. I betrayed my people, but I was still a mage. I understood how important all the energies of the earth were to all the races. Destroy one, and soon the earth would turn barren and worthless.
Now, after all these years, Nag still remained hidden, unmoving toward the end goal. I clutched the elemental sword, running my thumb along the cutting edge as if daring the blade to draw blood.
“You have not learned where his stone is,” Nag hissed, his dark eyes pitch and menacing. The king boasted a long scar on his cheek now—his youngest son was the perpetrator. I had to admit, Ced had surprised me. I’d always viewed him as a weakling, but when he’d actually pulled off the betrayal—well, I’d let him revel in his victory for now. The prince would die, as would the queen, I was certain. Though I still thought it foolish for Nag to kill off a bloodline royal. She had no heir, and the jade bloodline was the most beneficial.
“True,” I muttered, rising from my place at the enormous dining table. “Just as you have not found your own son, nor raised an army against the elemental warriors.”
“I sense doubt in your voice.”
“Good,” I snapped. There was no fear of Nag in my heart. “It has been growing now for some time.”
“You dare disrespect me?” Nag hissed, his thick hand reaching for the sword on his hip.
I was swifter.
The edge of the elemental sword pressed dangerously against Nag’s throat. I clutched the back of his head and forced the king to meet my gaze. “I must first respect you to disrespect you,” I snarled. “Never will I respect a coward who hides away breeding sons yet doing nothing to take the throne you so desperately sought so many years ago. I gave my life for your plan—I lost much, and still, so many decades later, there is nothing to show for it.”
“I do hope you aren’t speaking of the High Priestess,” the gravelly voice of the elder I hated so much trembled over the back of my neck. Slowly, my eyes drifted toward the doorway. The man seemed frail with his wispy white hair and folds of old skin. But perhaps Aldwin was even more cunning than Nag. He had killed an entire council of ancient wyverns without any of them detecting his treachery.
“I have little desire to hear you drone on, Aldwin,” I snapped, turning my attention back to King Nag.
“Because,” Aldwin continued. I had the fleeting thought to simply kill both dragons and lead both mage and lindworm myself. “If I’m correct, you were the one to finally kill the woman. She couldn’t have meant that much to you.”
“Silence,” I warned,
feeling the blood boil behind my eyes. “You do not know what you’re saying.”
“Oh, perhaps you did still care for your former wife, but the idea that she chose a wyvern over you is what drove you to kill her.”
“You mistake yourself, Aldwin,” I muttered, clutching Nag’s head tighter when he tried to move away from my blade. “Gaia was my wife long before she gave any attention to the warrior.”
“Ah, that is not what I meant. How many years was she your wife—yet she never gave you a child. With the wyvern, she actually admired, even loved, him enough to create the dragon mage.” Aldwin plopped into one of the padded chairs, smirking arrogantly. I wouldn’t let him see how his words dug into the anger billowing through my heart. “Be honest, High Priest, that is what irks you the most. Not Nag, not me—the fact your people moved on without you. The fact you never broke the High Priestess from her affections, from her bond with her new family. That you weren’t powerful enough to convince the boy to stand at your side.”
I shoved Nag away, the piercing snarl of the king doing little to frighten my spirit. He could not come within the same room as me without me knowing exactly where he stood, what he thought, and what he planned to do. Nag might be powerful with night energy, but like his youngest son, I was astronomically greater.
“Enough,” I hissed. Aldwin only crossed his arms, notably pleased with himself. “The royal is fading. Even now, he hardly remembers his own name. Will you be prepared when he is ready to strike?”
“Before you tried to slit my throat, I was preparing to tell you I have already initiated my army’s movement,” Nag rasped.
“Where?” It was news to me, but my interest was piqued.
“There are common wyverns throughout the earth. I plan to ensure I seclude the warriors and royals as much as possible. If they turn for help, I want to make sure there is no help to find. I’ve also determined, if they so desire, to kill any humans along the way.”
Nag sneered, obviously expecting me to be pleased with his order. “Leave the humans. I’ve warned you, Nag. If you want to torment them, take them as slaves, but leave their energy to thrive.” Pacing the dining hall, I considered the idea. “You say you know where the common wyvern are? Well, there are also mage who never declared loyalty. It would be to our benefit to seek them out and convince them to declare a side.”
The smile spread over my face as I watched the sun fade beyond the trees. With each sunset I felt the power in my blood strengthening.
“So you see, High Priest,” Nag growled. “I am not the bystander you believe. I know how to exact my revenge, and I must hear your assurances that you will leave the queen, the female royal, and my son to me.”
“May I ask, Highness, what you plan to do with the royals?” Aldwin asked, his voice bored and distant.
Nag smirked. “After they’ve given me several sons, I shall dispose of them—slowly, and with great care. I plan to pluck each scale from their bodies, then claws, then wings. Until they beg me for death.”
I rolled my eyes, imagining the spirited Queen of Jade allowing Nag to touch her. Nag knew little of the depth of power the royal bloodlines afforded the elementals. Then, of course, there was the connection with their mages.
“You need to dispose of the mages first, if you wish to seek your vengeance. They will never allow you to take a royal.”
Nag scoffed. “Yes, I can see how desperate the dragon mage was to find the queen last time.”
“That is only because your son was keeping her safe. Do not underestimate the bond—and theirs is…unique.” I chuckled inside thinking of the ridiculous infatuation the boy had with the queen. I planned wholeheartedly to use it against them. Last we saw one another, the queen refused to shift to stand at his side. He was the answer to the surrender of the elemental stones, and she was the answer for the surrender of his power.
I planned to have them both.
Chapter 7
Donovan shrieked and tossed a small stone toward my head. In the pit, Thane was at my side, trying to calm the mage. Gaia and Ced subtly stood behind him using what power they could connect together to encircle Donovan in a power trap. Jade was pressing her hands along the cold stones, sending a calming wave through the pit. It seemed to be working, though I could see the exertion on her brow.
“Stay back,” Donovan hissed. His eyes were rich black, but in the right light there was a shade of crimson. My jade sword was clutched in one hand, my other palm opened wide with a spark of white power I was ready to throw at the mage should he suddenly lunge again. The moon was high in the sky by now. When the night had folded over the cave, we’d all woken to the roar of Shiv and the warriors charged with protecting the two royal brothers.
Shiv was seated against the wall, two mages at his side as he clutched his arm over his middle. The wound was deep, and I was surprised Shiv still had his hand. Peran was standing guard over his younger brother, though his face was painted in concern for his mage.
“We’re not going to harm you,” Jade whispered. Her breaths were deep and almost labored.
“Jade, don’t push too much,” I demanded, glancing over my shoulder. She only furrowed her brow more and splayed her fingers wider.
“I’m alright,” she responded with a softer tone.
“You will never win,” Donovan hissed, but his face was sullen, and he slashed his arms out from his body. “Please, no more.”
I winced at the sound of his voice and the pained, contorted expression on his wild face. The mage shrieked in agony and doubled forward. Ced and Gaia rushed to his back, wrapping their arms around his waist. I rushed toward his front, pressing both my palms against his face. Donovan gasped, his eyes flashing from the crimson-black to a paler hue until I saw the cloud of confusion pass from his expression. He crumbled into Ced’s arms, his body trembling as whatever connection was lost.
“What is happening to Onyx?” Ruby whimpered from the back of the room.
Thane and I looked to each other. I still wasn’t sure if Onyx was still alive. Honestly, if he was, by the painful way Donovan behaved I wondered if it would be better for him to be free of his suffering.
I started back when Donovan shot up, his eyes wide as he scanned the room. “What are you all doing here?” he muttered. “Shiv! What’s happened?”
Donovan stumbled slightly, and I clutched his elbow. My palms still burned with the energy I surged into his body. Ced and Gaia had drawn out the warped night energy, and blasting him with elemental power seemed to be the only way to rapidly bring the onyx mage back to the present. This was the third time it had occurred in four days. Only now, the mage had been strong enough to overpower the protections with the brothers.
Either Onyx was becoming more desperate, or the night energy was strengthening and soon the royal would be lost to Bron’s power.
“What is the matter with me?” Donovan hissed, clutching his head. No one said anything while I eased the mage toward Shiv. “Who did this, Shiv?” he asked. Donovan’s lip curled, and I sensed the anger that one of his charges had been harmed.
Shiv looked to Peran, who shifted awkwardly toward Donovan. Slowly, Peran lowered next to the mage and placed his hand on Donovan’s shoulder. “I think we need to tell you the truth,” he muttered cautiously.
Donovan eyed Peran curiously. “Tell me what truth?”
Clearing his throat, Peran’s voice grew in strength, but still trembled softly against the walls of the pit. “Donovan, you’ve been…something happens to you sometimes. You change—you sound like…Onyx.”
Donovan scoffed, but he jolted back to his feet. “What are you talking about?”
Peran held out his hands as though preparing to grab the mage before he could run. “Sometimes you go into a trance of some kind. You don’t recognize us. You shout at us, and your voice…it is identical to Onyx’s.”
“That’s not possible. Onyx is…dead,” Donovan breathed out slowly, though the final word didn’t sound as though he were con
vinced.
Peran rested his hand on the mage’s shoulder. “Do you feel he is dead?”
Donovan scanned everyone’s eyes. He seemed to shrink away realizing we’d all observed some sort of spectacle. “Our bond…it’s been fading…but much slower than I imagined. With your parents, the bond ceased and transferred to Onyx and you two within days, but…” Donovan’s eyes widened and his skin paled until it was nearly gray. “Are you saying I did that to Shiv?”
“It wasn’t you, Donovan,” Jade offered. “We believe something with your bond is causing you to view us as enemies. You were defending yourself, just like we think—we hope—Onyx is defending himself.”
Donovan plopped down on a stone, covering his face with his hands. I’d never seen the onyx mage so unsettled. He was like a stone, never smiling, never laughing, but never faltering either. “This can’t be,” he mumbled through his fingers. “How is it that I am destined to protect the onyx bloodline, yet I nearly take off Shiv’s fingers without even realizing. High Priestess, how is it possible?”
Gaia brushed her hair from her face and sauntered toward Donovan. She smiled kindly and lowered to her haunches. “Bonds can do strange things, we both know this. If Onyx is truly fighting for his life, his own desperation could be bleeding to you. It is a drastic occurrence, but the bond is most likely summoning you to bring him back to safety. It has been known to happen—remember the mage and the wyvern at Lux’s castle all those years ago?”
Donovan drew in a breath. “The insane wyvern? Yes. Do you suppose then,” his eyes brightened and a smile—yes, Donovan finally smiled—broke out over his lips. “Onyx is alive?”
“It’s what we’ve come to believe, Donovan,” Shiv said.
“Then we must go to him. We don’t have time to waste.”
“We need help,” I insisted. “According to Prince Ced, we have a greater chance at drawing out the dark High Priest and Onyx if we cause a stir and find reinforcements.”
