by L J Andrews
Donovan sighed, and the hard fought smile was lost. “Then I will go with you tomorrow. You still plan to go?”
I nodded. “We are going to search for the earth mages tomorrow. Already Yaba has been finding traces of their energy.”
For the last four days, the courier mage had been searching for any hint of the earth mages. Just before sunset, the correspondence arrived. There was an energy trace toward the southern forests near the border.
“Fine,” Peran agreed. “But you will understand why we keep warriors near you?”
“Do what you must. In my clear mind, I give you permission to kill me should I become a threat to you or your brother—or anyone else,” Donovan muttered, glancing around at the others.
“We will not kill you,” Ced grumbled. He seemed ready to collapse from exhaustion. He was always on edge with Donovan’s trances and was always the one called to drain the night energy, though Gaia was getting more accustomed to her own power. It seemed to ease some of the burden from the prince. “We have found a way to break whatever bond keeps you locked in such a state. But the sooner we find Onyx, the sooner we can all sleep a little more peacefully.”
Jade threaded her fingers in my hand. Instantly, I recoiled. “Ow,” I muttered.
“What?” she asked, her eyes wide.
“Sorry. It’s just your hand…burned me.” I tapped my fingers along her hand until my skin adjusted and I could take her hand in mine. “Your energy is going crazy. I think you might have overdone it.”
Jade pressed her lips together and sighed. “I don’t feel like myself at all.” She said the words softly so only I would hear, but I saw both Gaia and Thane watching us.
“Hey,” I said, clutching the side of her face. “You can handle this—all of it. Look how you just calmed an insane mage. Don’t tell him I said that.”
Jade chuckled. “I didn’t calm him, you did.”
“No, I felt your energy bringing him to a place where we could get close. Jade, you are the queen. Destiny, or fate, or whatever you want to call it, wants you to lead these people. I know it’s difficult, but I have more faith in what you can do than anyone else in this cave. You give me the strength to face what’s to come. You have always been the calm in this storm for me, ever since that night you brazenly told me you were a dragon.”
She laughed and leaned her head against my shoulder. “I was pretty forward, wasn’t I? Well, to be fair, I thought you were a different race of wyvern, not a mage, so I figured you’d know what I was talking about.” Jade paused, swallowing hard as a flush of heat rushed over her skin. Gritting my teeth, I absorbed the sharp burn without flinching. It was as if she didn’t even realize her temperature surges. “Thank you. I feel better.”
“Good, my job is done then,” I said lightly, inching my arm off her shoulder. She gripped my hand, forcing me to keep her close to my side as we walked back toward our room.
“No, your job will never be over, I’m afraid. You’re stuck with me, dragon mage.”
I kissed her hair, feeling a burst of energy emitting from her skin. I smiled and played the calm, easygoing, mate she needed. But inside, every inch of my chest was riddled in concern. There was a part of me that feared something had happened when Bron attacked, something that was slowly taking Jade away, breaking her little by little. Pulsing a swell of strength from my own body into hers, I planned exactly what I would do to Bron if he had done anything to harm her.
Raffi, Mitch, Thane, Gaia, Leoch, and Donovan were waiting for us early the next morning. Jade had pulled her hair off her neck, and her eyes were brighter than they were yesterday. She looked more like the calm Jade I knew. Two more warriors I didn’t know strolled out of the mouth behind us. Four warriors for a royal—I’d nearly forgotten Thane’s rule. I worried how the presence of so many dragons would go with the earth mages. They didn’t hold any loyalty to the wyvern race, but then again, they didn’t despise them either. At least according to Gaia.
Gaia kissed Thane long and slow, pulling back to simply look at him. “Take care of them. You have my entire family with you.”
He smirked. “Not a hair on their heads will be harmed.”
“That goes for you too,” she whispered. Thane chuckled and kissed her temple before releasing her.
I wrapped my arms around my mother’s waist. “I wish I was coming with you,” she whispered.
“I do too. I don’t know what I’m doing at all. But I don’t want Bron even getting a whiff of you.”
She smiled, patting my cheek. “Donovan can help if you find them.” She turned to Jade and wrapped her arms around her tightly. Gaia’s eyes narrowed when she pulled back, and there was a palpable pause before she spoke again. “You be safe. Don’t let Teagan do all the talking. You’re the queen, and you have such a presence it’s impossible not to trust you.”
Jade hugged her again before stepping away.
“What compliments do you have for me, Ma?” Mitch chuckled. Raffi rolled his eyes before shifting into his powerful form.
Gaia clutched his cheeks. “No one will even know you’re human.”
“You’re the best,” Mitch chuckled before stalking toward his ride.
“Are you going to shift? Or should we go with my dad?” I whispered after securing the two jade swords along my back.
Jade held tight to a long dagger that was filled with mage energy. Her eyes darted around, and she seemed like she didn’t know how to respond. I was surprised when Gaia spoke up. I hadn’t realized I’d said the words so loud. “Perhaps it would be wise for Jade to stay in human form. She has a keen sense for mage energy, and she will not come off as threatening. The mage will be interested in the jade stone. It could be enough to get them to at least listen to you if Jade offers them a chance to touch it.”
Jade seemed relieved. “That sounds good.”
I nodded, glancing toward my mother, but she was already turning back to the cave, toward Eisha and Amber who were there to wave us off. “You still don’t want to shift, huh.”
“The thought makes me want to sleep for ages,” she admitted softly. “I don’t understand it. I can’t even imagine flying.”
“Jade, I’ve got to admit, I’m feeling the same as Eisha. I’m a little worried about you.”
She waved away my concern when Thane shifted and she climbed onto his broad shoulder. “That’s the only thing that’s off. The idea of shifting. Everything else, I actually feel more myself today than I have in a while. I’m ready to end this war.” She bent her face against my neck and kissed me softly, sending a thrill up my spine. “I’m ready to just be with you—in peace.”
“Well then,” I chuckled. “What are we waiting for?”
The ride was smooth. I stood on Thane’s spine while Donovan did the same from the back of Leoch. Mitch was once again asleep. Raffi didn’t seem at all pleased, and kept dipping trying to startle him awake. Mitch was either dead, or he was faking it to irritate Raffi.
Jade was vibrant. Her body was straight, and it seemed like she was ready to stand as the queen. The clouds were thick and overcast, offering good cover from the towns below. It had only been a few hours before Thane and the others dove toward the ground. The landscape was still filled with trees as far as I could see. The towering pines concealed what little sunlight there might have been, but they also protected us from the soft fall of rain that started as we dropped toward the ground.
Mitch finally rolled off Raffi’s back when we touched down. Wiping his cheek, he patted Raffi’s neck. “Sorry, for the drool. You’re just so soft and comfy.”
Raffi’s scales shifted to his tanned skin faster than I’d seen, and he lunged for Mitch, who laughed and darted away.
Thane rolled to standing when his wings faded and his claws shortened to fingernails. “This is where Yaba said they would be,” he said, glancing around.
There was a nudge of something over a small slope. I’d grown accustomed to nature guiding me now; I didn’t resist like I
once did. Thankfully, direction usually came much quicker. I moved quietly, each step soft and light as I prepared to run if needed. Peering around a tree, I held my breath. There in an open field was a woman. She looked like she might be a few years older than me. Her hair was like golden silk, flowing well past her waist and decorated in flowers. Jade clutched the tree and looked ahead while Donovan joined us. The others stayed back when I held up my palm.
She didn’t seem to see us or even know we were watching. I held my breath watching her. It was such a strange scene. A woman in a thicket, dressed like she might be from the twelfth century. But it was her humming that struck me. The sound seemed to connect with a primal part of my energy, like it could heal anything by the sweet sound of her voice. Her pitch heightened when she plucked a pale pink flower from the grass.
“I expected I would meet you soon,” she spoke in a voice that sounded like a pixie from the fairy tales. She beamed over her shoulder, and then I saw the marks.
All along her skin were soft brown ribbons of color. They curled around her jaw, her neck, her hands, and when she rolled the flower petals over her cheek, they glimmered like they might be dusted in gold. She rose from the long grass, clutching a woven basket filled with a colorful bouquet of flowers, and cocked her head to one side as she met my eye. “Well, what are you waiting for, High Priest? Have you come to speak with us or not?”
Chapter 8
The mage smiled pleasantly. It wasn’t a large smile—not like she was thrilled we’d come, more that she was friendly and had been expecting us all day. Jade nudged my arm, and I stumbled forward.
“Um, I’m not…I don’t go by the name High Priest.”
“Really?” She chirped, cocking her head to one side. “What shall I call you then? For I see the blades upon your back. They are from the priesthood, are they not?”
“Yeah, I guess. I’m Teagan, this is Jade,” I said, signaling to my side. “And this is Donovan.”
“Ah, a bloodline mage,” she whispered, glancing at Donovan’s armor. Her eyes drifted toward Jade. Her smile became even more sickeningly pleasant. I wouldn’t insult her friendliness by calling her a Stepford or anything, but her face seemed painted in chronic cheerfulness. “But you are not a full mage.”
“I’m a—”
“No, you only have a portion of mage within you,” the woman continued, brushing her fingers along Jade’s hair. Jade glanced at me from the corner of her eye, but I just eyed the strange woman.
“She’s not a mage,” I insisted.
“Interesting. I wonder why I feel such a powerful mage energy from within you, but also the fire in your heart. Of course you are a noble wyvern as well. I am Ivy. Won’t you come with me? And please do invite the wyverns who have joined you. They do not hide well.”
Ivy floated back into the thicket, clutching her basket in the crook of her elbow. There was a moment of stun that passed through the three of us before Jade inched against my side. “What in the world was she talking about?” she breathed.
I chuckled. “I have no idea. Maybe her energy sense is a little off.”
“It could be quite possible she detected mage energy because the queen is mated to a mage. Even I have gathered a stronger energy from the queen. Not completely wyvern,” Donovan grunted, waving his hands for the warriors to emerge from their not-so-great hiding place.
“She’s a little strange,” I muttered at Thane.
Mitch snickered. “She’s hot, though.”
“Mitch, she’s probably three hundred, so back off,” Raffi grumbled.
Clasping Jade’s hand, we followed Ivy until she led us into the forest. We didn’t walk far before Ivy knelt down. It seemed like she was praying to a large aspen tree. Her forehead pressed against the damp soil, and her arms stretched above her head. It must have been strange because even Donovan crinkled his brow.
Ivy kept her same pleasant smile when she glanced at us before rising to her feet. “I’m offering thanks for our safe passage through the meadow. Always show gratitude for the earth’s goodness, and she will protect you.”
Thane and Leoch shared a look, but none of us said anything. Ivy bent down and ripped up a matted bramble bush. I hadn’t even noticed the threaded branches which formed the hatch to an underground tunnel. It had simply appeared to be shrubs and bushes.
“Follow me, please,” Ivy chimed like a bell.
Inside the tunnel, the air was fresh but also earthy. As we descended through the layers of soil and damp bark, flashes of cool breeze rushed through the tunnel. The walls were mudded, but roots jutted through the walls, declaring we were covered in countless trees above. Fire wasn’t used to light the way, no, I marveled at the light bursts of energy that filled the veins of the soil. Like threads of blue, pink, white, and gold as we passed by, energy erupted and led the way deep into the hovel.
“Here we are,” Ivy whispered.
“The mages won’t mind that we’re wyverns?” Thane asked.
Ivy cocked her head again—I didn’t know if it was annoying or sweet. “The Skog family has no qualms with any living creature. We embrace all. Come, you will be welcomed.”
“Let’s go meet the Skog hippies,” Mitch snickered in my ear.
I smirked, but a sharp glance from Jade wiped the grin from both our faces. Ivy pushed open a boarded wooden door, and I swallowed my jokes when the room revealed an expansive living space. It reminded me of the unbelievable size of our cave. Clearly, the Skog family had expanded the space and created a humble township below ground. There were arched wooden doors lining the walls, with rope ladders or wooden staircases leading to each dwelling. On the ground level it was a small city center. I noticed a space where herbs and plants were dried and hung. Food—by the looks of it, the Skogs lived on green things—was tucked in a small hut with mages chopping and mixing plants to eat. Mages were gathered, stitching and stuffing bedding or quilts. Young mages played about the curled tree roots or shot bursts of sparkling energy across the room.
Ivy greeted nearly everyone with a kiss to the cheek. Some of the mages stopped to stare—mostly at me and Donovan—while others ignored us or whispered as Ivy led us onward.
“So, Ivy,” I asked. “How did you know we were coming to talk with you?”
She grinned. “My father told me.” Ivy pointed ahead where a tent with a red door flap was tucked into the muddy wall of the underground dwelling. “Come, he would very much like to meet you.” Ivy led us in, though she stopped when the warriors stepped forward. “If you will, only mage blood can enter into the chieftain’s tent.”
Again, Jade met my eye.
“He’s my father, and that’s my brother,” I quickly said, pointing to Thane and Mitch.
Ivy raised an eyebrow—an actual unique reaction to her never-ending smile—but it only lasted for a moment. “Interesting,” she gasped. “What a marvelous day. But I’m afraid it is the way it must be. You all are welcome to make yourselves comfortable wherever you like. You will be welcomed by our people.”
“We’ll be fine. If you don’t know how to speak to these people, let Donovan,” Thane grumbled. “Why does she keep saying Jade is a mage?”
I shrugged. “Donovan thinks it’s because I’m her mate.”
Thane shook his head. “I’m mated to a mage.”
I hadn’t even thought of that. Suddenly, I was suspicious of the pleasant Ivy. “I don’t know. She’s strange all around. We’ll be alright,” I said quickly when I detected Thane’s instincts kick in.
He finally nodded. “We’ll be right out here.”
Thane released the flap, and I was left to the dim tent. Like the entire village, the tent was larger than I expected. Jade was standing near Donovan while Ivy was seated along a plush cushion at the feet of a bulbous man. I would think he was a dragon by his size, though without the muscles. The man had at least four chins. His head was shaved, with mage markings all along his scalp. A rotund belly burst through glimmering robes that reminded me
of honey. In one hand he held a staff with a white crystal embedded in the top. Though he was enormous, he beamed just like Ivy. The same smile—I could only assume this was her father.
“Welcome. I sensed we would have powerful visitors coming soon. I told my dear daughter a new member of the priesthood would find us.” Not the voice I expected. It was soft like a summer breeze. As he spoke, I felt at ease, as if the single word took away all my concerns. “We are honored to welcome the High Priest of the mage. I am Kunal, the visionary chief of the Skog family.”
He glanced at me but drifted his sleepy gaze to his daughter when she stood. “Beloved Father, he does not wish to accept the title of the High Priest.”
“Even with such weapons? Those swords you bear have caused much violence, but I sense their loyalties align with the true of heart. I do not believe you have come to raise your weapons against us.”
“The thought never crossed my mind.” I spoke quietly—but my level of quiet and the Skog mages was different, because it sounded like I was shouting compared to their voices.
“What shall I call you?”
“Teagan,” I muttered. “I’m the jade bloodline mage.”
“The uppermost wyvern royal bloodline, of course. Such power. Do you crave power?”
“Um,” I glanced at Jade and Donovan. “No. I crave peace.”
It sounded right.
Ivy smiled a little wider. “As do we. Have you come to join our refuge?”
“Allow them time to speak, daughter,” Kunal chuckled. If he had a white beard and red hat, he would be the epitome of what I’d believed Santa looked like when I was a kid.
Donovan stepped forward when I hesitated. “We’ve come seeking your blessed help.”
Kunal placed a thick hand over his chest. “No, you’re under distress? What would bring bloodline mages to our humble home seeking help?”
Ivy’s smile was faltering. I wondered if she sensed the desperation in our hearts.
