The Dragon Mage Collection

by L J Andrews

  I furrowed my brow. “What’s the other way to have a child?”

  She smiled. “Eggs, Teagan. Dragons lay eggs in wyvern form.”

  I scoffed, the imagery impossible to imagine watching my child hatch from an egg. “So, if you shift now, what would happen?”

  She swallowed hard. “It could kill the child. That is what your mom and Eisha told me. So, I need your help, and Thane’s and Raffi’s. I need to be stronger with a weapon. My energy will slow, as well. I need to know how to fight like a warrior.”

  I choked slightly. “Jade…no, you’re not going to fight, not like this.”

  “What if I don’t have a choice?” she argued. “You will not keep me protected like some damsel in distress. I am the queen of the elementals. Queens have been having children just the same as other women since the beginning of time, and I will defend my people just like I would defend my family. If you think I would do anything outrageous that would harm this innocent, well, you could not be more wrong, Teagan Ward. Raffi will help me fight if you won’t, but I will not be defenseless.”

  I couldn’t stifle the chuckle as I took her hands in my own as she ranted. “Jade, I know. I didn’t mean that you were going to be stuffed in here like a porcelain doll. I just…you and now this baby matter most to me. I don’t want you going out looking for the fight.”

  She scoffed and shook her head. “When have I ever done anything like that?”

  “Well, willingly going to Nag’s manor comes to mind,” I offered sharply. Jade pressed her lips tight, but didn’t disagree. “You must promise me that you’ll do everything you can to protect yourself and now this child. Please.”

  “I will,” she said, kissing me softly. “But in case I must defend myself, if I can’t shift, I need to know how to use a sword.”

  I nodded, rising to my feet. Jade stood and wrapped her arms around my waist. Together we stood silently, absorbing everything that was happening in our own ways. There was a happiness I’d never felt before, but it was immediately followed by a new crushing fear that filled my lungs with agonizing breaths. I’d always felt protective of Jade, but now there was a feral part of me that would do anything to protect her and our child.

  Part Two

  The Queen of Jade

  Chapter 11

  Since winter had faded into the first blossoms of spring, I’d felt nothing like myself. It started first with outrageous heat in my veins. I was used to breathing fire, but even the way my blood turned to molten rock, I found I couldn’t get comfortable. Next, shifting became a burden—an exhaustive venture more than a privilege I’d earned after nearly eighty years of never feeling the wind beneath my wings. Now, the idea made acid rise in my throat.

  Though I’d never told him, for weeks even Teagan’s touch was nearly unbearable. My skin could hardly handle the brush of the quilt on our bed across my body, let alone when his energy broke through me. My head had screamed like a nail had been driven into my skull. Of course, I couldn’t resist his touch in the same breath, so I’d suffered silently.

  Today, breathing in the fresh sunlight and hearing the distant calls of the spring birds from atop the cave, I felt as though I’d been reborn. A canteen of the tea Gaia mixed for me each day was never far behind. Though she assured me I wouldn’t need to drink it the entire time, I’d come to crave the drink. The liquid was bitter and minty, and made me want to spit it back out at times, but once it struck my stomach I almost felt normal. The only thing out of the ordinary was the glowing energy settling deep inside me. I hadn’t recognized the subtle change before, but now that my attention was drawn to the place, I knew it was a new life. A strange, beautiful energy. A piece of wyvern, and a surge of powerful mage. I grinned, sipping from the canteen and thinking of what this new dragon mage might be like. Would she have Teagan’s blue eyes? Would he have the ability to shift into wyvern form? All of it was exciting to think about.

  “You look so much like your mother right now,” Eisha breathed from behind my back.

  I grinned over my shoulder, but a heavy sadness filtered through my heart. “I wish she were here. I have so few memories, but in my heart I know she loved me very much.”

  Eisha nodded and settled next to me. “She did. You know she carried you in human form too, right?”

  “Really?” I’d never thought to ask about my birth. I knew Raffi and Dash had been eggs, hardly knowing their parents before they were trained as warriors. Eisha was an egg but knew her parents, though they never had a strong bond. Not like Teagan did with his.

  Eisha nodded. “Yes, she wanted the connection with you. So did your father. Bearing children in wyvern form—well, an egg is simply that. The mother does not feel her child, or sense the energy. But in human form, well, even I’ll admit some things about a human body have benefits over a wyvern form. Your grandfather thought it was a foolish notion, but she did it so she would love you from the beginning. Reya feared having a distant bond with her child as she had with her parents. So, for months she didn’t shift either. She told me as she held you for the first moment that it had been worth every discomfort. I know you will feel the same.”

  I grinned, feeling as though my mother might be there with me in the moment. She’d sacrificed her wings for me—all so she could love me and bond with me deeper than some wyvern families. A tear trailed down my cheek—that was the other strange thing. I didn’t cry often, but lately I was a fountain of steamy tears.

  “I hope I will be as brave as her,” I whispered. “I hope I will be as good a mother as her.”

  Eisha wrapped her arms around my shoulders and leaned my head against her shoulder. “You will be every bit as wonderful as she was, and Teagan will be every bit as wonderful a father as yours—as Thane.”

  “Thane has told me my father bonded with me too,” I said.

  Eisha nodded. “Most unusual—well, back then at least. I loved my Gregor, but if we’d had children, I knew he would only be interested in how they brought honor to our family line. Malik loved you, played with you. I thought Malik was unique, but it seems Thane was much the same as a father before Teagan was lost to them. Your child will not want for love. I plan to spend the days as I did when you were so young—kissing cheeks and dreaming in the sun.”

  I chuckled. “I think you’re just as excited as I am.”

  “Oh, I’ve waited for this day since I took you in my care.” Eisha beamed, but after a moment her smile faded. “How is Teagan handling the news? He seemed rather…shocked yesterday.”

  I furrowed my brow. “He just laid awake all night. I knew he was, but I left him to his thoughts. I don’t know what to say, exactly. He told me he’s afraid, but happy. I hope it’s true.”

  “Oh, I’m sure it is. You must be patient with him. His life has been one shock after the other for the last year.”

  I agreed, but part of me feared this would cause a distance between us. Teagan wanted to keep me safe, and I wondered how far he would go to ensure I was safe. Now that we had a child coming, it seemed as though he would take even more drastic measures. Even if it meant he wouldn’t be there with us. I shook the thought away.

  “Speaking of the proud father, it seems as though your lesson is about to begin,” Eisha nodded to the far side of the cliff. Teagan waved. He was followed by Mitch, Thane, and Raffi. They would be the ones to teach me, but the other royals had come, as well as Ced. Everyone enjoyed a spar in the sun.

  Amber and Ruby darted toward me, nudging Raffi’s shoulder in all their excitement. Amber buried me against her chest, jumping up and down like a school girl. “I can’t believe it! So soon! I’m overjoyed, Jade, simply overjoyed. What does it feel like? Do you wish you could simply lay the egg and move on? Do you like the human form? Is it kicking—I hear they do that in humans—”

  “Amber,” Ruby interjected in her soothing voice. “Calm yourself.” She faced me and clutched my hand when Amber finally released me. “We are so thrilled. I vow I will defend this young one wit
h my life.”

  I beamed and hugged them both before turning toward the men and taking Teagan’s hand.

  Raffi swung a sword easily and snickered toward me. “So, I get to teach you to protect my nephew?”

  “Nephew?” I chuckled. “What if it is a girl?”

  “Then she shall be the fiercest warrior to fly the skies as well. But it shall be a boy, because you will name him Raffi.”

  “I’m better with kids, Jade,” Mitch grumbled. “Like really, in the shelters I always took care of the kids. And at the reform house, just ask Sapphire. I mean, would you rather have a prickly warrior teach your kid not to have a heart—no offense to my dad there—or would you rather have a soft, cuddly human?”

  Raffi bellowed. “Yes, there, you admit it. You’re soft and cuddly. You just said it with your own words.”

  Mitch seemed put off and shoved him in the shoulder before looking at me once more. “Just saying, Jade. I’m the better example for the kiddo.”

  Teagan scoffed and squeezed my hand tighter. I sensed his uneasiness; I only hoped he would find peace in the thought and not worry about what could happen throughout the coming months.

  “I think both of you will have to fight off Eisha, Ruby, and Amber, so there’s that to consider.” The two royals and Eisha nodded from behind me as my smile slowly faded. “Thank you for being willing to teach me. I know it’s a little unsettling, but I need to be much stronger with a weapon if I can’t shift,” I said, taking in every eye. “Raffi, you and…Dash taught me a little through the years, but I want to know how to fight like a warrior—like my father.”

  Thane seemed even more pleased that I’d mentioned I was the daughter of a warrior. I hadn’t forgotten. Being a royal was only part of who I was.

  He unsheathed a narrow blade that had a hilt lined with blue crystals and slowly held out the weapon for me to take. “If you are to fight like a warrior, then you must use a proper weapon.”

  The sword was easy to grip, and the metals even seemed light to my touch. I smiled, glancing at Teagan before meeting Thane’s eye. “It feels like it was designed for me.”

  Thane chuckled, tugging on his own sword from his hip. Raffi followed suit while Mitch took a knife in each hand. Even Teagan unsheathed his swords. I met his eye and he smiled softly, though it was clear that everything about this had him on edge. All four backed away a few paces as Thane called over his shoulder, “Because it was designed for you. And it will serve you well should you need it.”

  I didn’t miss the way Thane glanced at Teagan. History wouldn’t repeat itself. Even if my energy was a little muddled, I could sense exactly what had Teagan lost in his own worries. Bron was still out there. Bron had ripped his parents from his life. It wouldn’t happen again. Not with this child. Clutching the sword tight in one hand, I allowed the energy to flow into my palm. This was designed for me. Taking a deep breath, I looked up to the warriors.

  “The lindworms will try to attack you from all angles,” Thane said, slowly inching around to one side of me. Raffi moved the other direction, and Mitch and Teagan circled behind me. “You will need to be aware of their every move. Stand with one foot forward, just slightly—stay light on your feet. Use every sense if you find yourself cornered like this. You never take your eyes off the attacker to your front, but you do not want to allow any enemy to stay at your back. You must find a way to force all your opponents out of this formation. It will take quick movements. Now, look ahead. Where are Mitch and Teagan at your back? Can you see them? Can you hear them?”

  I took a deep breath and tried to find them even with my eyes trained on Raffi and Thane. After a frustrating few breaths, I shook my head. “I don’t see them. I know they are there, I can feel them, but I can’t see them.”

  “Try to see anything that would give away their general position,” Thane encouraged. “You need to have an idea of where to strike or you could back into one of the blades, or claws if they are in true form.”

  My stomach lurched. The idea of fighting lindworms in full form sent my head in a near spin. Raffi seemed to notice my unease. “Jade, most warriors have battled against full form wyvern many times while being in human form. Think of the mages, they never get the chance to change forms. Lindworms will move slower in true form than you can in human form.”

  “We have a blind spot too,” Ced interjected. I glanced at the prince, and he smirked. “If you stand directly in front of a lindworm, it’s nearly impossible to see you at that angle.”

  “That could have been useful a while ago,” Mitch complained. It led me to know where he was now.

  Ced laughed, rolling a dagger in his hand and moving away with Sapphire and Amber. “Well, I wasn’t sure if I could trust you not to kill me then. Now you know.”

  “Royals,” Mitch muttered.

  I had Mitch in my sights without turning my head, but I had to find Teagan. Keeping my eyes forward I searched. He was standing silent, until—there—a slight flash of a glare from his blade. Taking a deep breath, Thane smirked, and in perfect synchronization Raffi and Thane rushed at me.

  Get out of the circle, the thought pummeled my mind as I made my move. I knew where Mitch stood, I knew where to avoid, but Teagan would be more challenging since I only had a general direction.

  Turning slightly, I faced Thane and Raffi sideways and held my sword to block Raffi’s strike. With my new stance, I saw Mitch clearly. He rushed me from the side with his two knives. Kicking at Raffi, I clashed my sword against Mitch’s lunge. It forced him to back off. Thane was still there. I ducked one of his precise strikes, but he was waiting when I stood straight. The vibration of our blades slashing against each other rushed the entire expanse of my arms. Thane struck at me twice more, and now Mitch had recovered, as had Raffi. But where was Teagan?

  There. Again, there was the slightest movement in the corner of my eye. If Teagan was where I thought, then there was an opening on my left. Thane struck, and I nearly fell to my knees from the power. Raffi was coming toward my middle. I shoved Thane, forcing him back two steps, and ripped my hand along the surface of the rocky ledge, urging the energy of the stones to fight with me. I chuckled when jagged rocks shot toward Raffi.

  He only laughed, seeming to be pleased I’d utilized more of my power as he dodged the sharp edges. Thane was coming, and Mitch was raising a knife to toss. I spun on my heel when someone charged from behind. Finally, my blade locked with Teagan’s. He stared at me, everything written in the torment of his face. He would help me, but he wouldn’t enjoy a moment of it. He was stronger with the blade, but at least I had freed myself from the attack circle. Now all four attackers stood in front.

  I gripped the sword in both hands when Teagan slashed his second blade toward my middle. I blocked the strike, but he swung the first down toward my neck. Spinning away, I avoided Mitch by ducking. My blade barely made it over my head in time to prevent a fatal blow from Teagan’s sword.

  “Beat me,” he whispered just between us. “You have to be stronger than anything that comes at you.”

  It wasn’t an instruction, it was a plea. I heard the tremble in the back of his voice. He struck harder, nearly sending me off balance. My jaw clenched tight, and I kicked at his leg when his strikes relentlessly pummeled against me. Teagan felt my kick, clearly by the way he cursed and moved away. But finally he was smiling. Raffi was rushing at my side. I smirked, a wave of confidence threading through my body. Clutching the hilt of the sword, I had a suspicion this blade had been created for me not just by warriors, but also certain mages—namely Gaia and Teagan. I didn’t know for sure if it would work, but as Mitch and Raffi and even Thane stalked me, I stabbed the tip of the blade into the surface of the cliffs. I’d seen Teagan do it many times. Thinking only of protecting this innocent, my life, my family, I pulsed my connection to the earth into the hilt.

  The ground trembled.

  Enough that Ced and Sapphire ceased their own sparring match. Raffi fell, taking Mitch down with h
im. Thane stopped moving, to keep his balance. But a flash of blades came at me from the side. Without a moment to revel in my success, I gripped the hilt of my blade and ripped it from the stone. Fervor ignited the strength in my body when Teagan’s swords crashed against the cutting edge of my own. Our faces were inches apart. Exertion ripped through my chest, my shoulders heaving up and down. Teagan’s blue eyes were smoldering as we stayed silent in the blade lock for a fleeting moment. Finally, he dipped his head and kissed my lips quickly, but with meaning. He lowered his swords and stepped back.

  “You did it,” he whispered, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You would have taken us out.”

  “Maybe not you,” I added.

  He grinned sadly. “You won’t need to worry about fighting me.”

  “What about Bron?”

  His face fell, and his eyes flashed in anger. “He won’t get close enough to touch you.”

  There was so much I wanted to say—as Teagan had said not long ago, I needed to know he was alright. Because the way he tried to hide what was in his heart was eating at my very soul.

  “Well done,” Thane agreed. “You felt the energy of the sword. That would be thanks to Gaia and Teagan here. You need to do everything you just did—only much, much faster.”

  Raffi practically growled when he grinned viciously in my direction. We would go again. And again. I worked with the warriors, with Mitch, even Ced using night energy against me until the sun faded into the spring twilight over the mountainside.

  I guzzled the bitter drink when my head threatened to split in two by the end of the night. Thane had a gash over his forearm from Raffi. I thought Raffi might die on the spot when he realized he’d harmed his commander—Thane took back the upper hand. Raffi left the cliffside with a swollen lip and a bleeding thigh. Mitch was gasping on the grass, his arms splayed wide at his sides. Though I felt ill and weak by the end, there was a new sort of power rushing through my body. With more time, I could stand against Nag, Bron—I could do this. I would do this.