The Dragon Mage Collection

by L J Andrews

  “Jade! What are you—”

  My body slammed against his, cutting off any more protests. Teagan closed his eyes for a moment and I felt the air thicken, drawing us to a steady fall. It was calm, slower, and exactly what I wanted.

  I wrapped my arms around his waist. The ground was coming closer, but still miles away. Quickly, I pressed my mouth against his, enjoying the way my hair whipped about our faces. He was smiling when I pulled back.

  “I’ll fall to my death anytime if you keep kissing me like that,” he shouted by my ear.

  Laughing, I released him and he pushed a shield of air to shove me further above him so I had room to shift. I’d never shifted midair. I liked how it felt. Something almost primal about the ability of a wyvern to choose forms no matter the place. I had to beat my wings deep against the air stream to pick up enough speed to hover below Teagan in time to catch him before we both slammed into the jagged cliffs. He rolled onto his back on my spine when I landed gently on the rocks. I heard him breathing deeply, but the energy bursting from his heart made it obvious he was smiling.

  He jumped off, his strong grip pulling me tight against his chest when my scales faded again and I was draped in the thin, glittering gown. “Maybe next time you could give me a little warning.”

  I leaned my face closer, so our lips were only inches apart. “Where is your spirit of adventure?” My smile faded slightly. “I didn’t tell you what I had planned, just like you are keeping something from me.”

  The light in Teagan’s eyes dimmed, but his grip never faltered. “What do you mean?”

  Gently, I brushed a hand along his cheek. “What takes you away so early in the mornings? What burden are you hiding from me?”

  “I’m not hiding it,” he began. “It’s just, since Malik arrived, I haven’t had a chance to show you. I need to. Now. Let’s go wrangle our son from the mob.”

  We were met with groans and protests, even Leoch had been waiting patiently for a turn to hold Malik.

  “Would you all like to come watch me feed him?” I muttered.

  It was enough to turn the warriors away quickly, but I chuckled in the back of my throat as Eisha and Laina seemed to consider my offer.

  “We’ll bring him back, you animals,” Teagan snapped. “You’d think he was everyone’s kid.”

  “He is, Teagan—don’t you ever forget that,” Eisha cried after us.

  Malik cooed peacefully when Teagan handed him back to my outstretched arms after I’d shifted into my human form. He’d directed me over the walls, and a wave of anxiety breathed across my spine thinking of exposing Malik to the outside world, but Teagan assured me the energy was clear—for now.

  Something had roused my tiny son, as though there was a power that soothed him. I imagined that was exactly what was happening when Teagan showed me what he’d created.

  “A sanctuary?” I gasped.

  He nodded. “Yes, but it’s different than the one in Wyvern Willows. This one has a purpose. It will require all the stones, but it also has night energy. See that lead stone there? Look how dark the emblem is, it was the most difficult to create.”

  “Teagan, do you have night energy?” I clutched Malik’s tiny fingers, rubbing his smooth skin as though he were a calming anchor in my whirling thoughts.

  “Gumma says she senses it, but tells me I don’t accept it. I don’t know. You know I’ve only absorbed it, but never used anything like what Ced can do. Whatever I have, it was enough to make the chain in the sanctuary, though.”

  “But what about the fire stone?” I asked, noticing a dormant stone in the circle of powerful sanctuary markers.

  “Yes, that will be the tricky part, since Bron has it. I need to get the stone here—with Bron,” he muttered, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his dark pants.

  “And…what will that do?”

  Teagan smirked. “If everything goes according to plan, it will be the last thing he does.”

  “It’s a trap?”

  Teagan shrugged. “I hope it could be, but it will also conceal energy—different energy.”

  I grinned, understanding what sort of different energy Teagan meant to conceal. “Is there a reason you would not face him?”

  Teagan smirked. “Just a feeling. Like he isn’t mine to take. I think if I needed to, I would fight until he was dead. That’s the only way I can explain this though. Bron isn’t meant to die because of me.”

  I shook my head, pausing at his side, while Teagan kissed Malik’s head. “This is amazing. Why would you keep this from me for so long? Teagan, even I can feel the power of this place.” I stepped toward him, holding Malik on my shoulder as I kissed Teagan’s lips quickly. “You are a force to be reckoned with.”

  “That’s what I say for you,” he chuckled.

  “Oh, it is certainly true for you as well.”

  I leaned forward to kiss him again, but stopped when I heard a haggard voice break through the serenity of the sanctuary.

  “It is the dragon mage and the queen.”

  Teagan wheeled around as I wrapped Malik tighter in my arms at the initial surprise that we weren’t alone, but softened my hold when I met Ivy Skog’s dirty face from across the clearing.

  “Ivy,” Teagan breathed and quickly moved toward her.

  Ivy offered the same pleasant smile she always had, though there was a cut across her bottom lip and dried blood in her hair. She wasn’t alone. There stood the massive figure of her father, Kunal, followed by the frightened faces of dozens of earth mages. Some with the same russet markings as Ivy, others with silvery blue marks, or solid brown.

  “Queen Jade, Teagan,” Ivy said. “We have searched for you for some time.”

  “Wait,” I growled, remembering what Onyx had warned me about. “How did you find us?”

  Ivy seemed surprised, but her grin never faded. “We knew you were in this direction after your visit. We’d been sensing Teagan’s energy every few days before the sun rose and slowly followed the pull. Now, today, we found you.”

  I glanced at Teagan and nodded toward Malik. Teagan furrowed his brow, but took our son as I took a powerful step toward the mage. “Are you joined with the dark High Priest?” There were several gasps filtering through the crowd of mages following my interrogating question.

  “Jade, why do you think that?” Teagan’s voice rumbled as he turned Malik away from the crowd, one hand readying to take a dagger from his waist.

  Ivy’s smile faded now, and crystal tears brimmed in her eyes. “The dark High Priest is why we are all here. We need your help. The clans are broken, Queen Jade. Our people have been slaughtered.”

  Chapter 24

  The Dragon Mage

  Opening a way through the rocky barriers wasn’t something I wanted to do. It was risky, and would release a burst of energy I didn’t want out in the open. The earth mages were beaten. It was clear by the way they slumped along each other, their bodies broken in more than one way. Ivy grinned through the grime on her face as we waited for warriors that would transport the families of mages to arrive.

  “You cannot open the wall?” Ivy asked for the third time.

  With a heavy sigh, I shook my head. “It could expose us to the dark High Priest. We have elemental warriors, royals, and mages behind these walls. You know what sort of power that holds.”

  She nodded for what I hoped would be the last time and settled closer to her father. “I’m pleased to see the child has arrived without issue.”

  I couldn’t help but smile when I glanced at Jade holding our son—she kept a protective distance from the mages, though I had the feeling she knew they weren’t here to bring us any harm. “You knew Jade was pregnant when we met, didn’t you?”

  Ivy’s smile widened. “I sensed his energy growing. It was obvious you were not aware by the way you panicked when she grew ill. Though, I predicted a daughter,” she said. “He has a calming energy. I think he will favor the wyvern side.”

  “You think so?�
�� I asked, suddenly more interested. “What makes you so sure?”

  “Well, wyverns calm even if they don’t intend to. The child is very calm, but has a fiery spirit. You should know by his third year or so, when he would be large enough to have wings.”

  Wings were what came before she’d finished speaking. Glancing above, I breathed a sigh of relief when my father landed outside the rocky wall. Raffi, Mitch, and other warriors weren’t far behind, and the ground seemed to shift when their heavy feet stomped along the soil. Thane shifted quickly, before Gaia had even leapt from his back. She didn’t stumble, though, as she rushed toward us.

  “High Priestess,” Kunal muttered, more in awe than greeting.

  My mother clutched my arm, while Thane automatically drifted toward Jade and Malik. Jade muttered something, slightly bouncing the baby when he made a few squeals and protests.

  “What has happened?” Gaia asked, her golden eyes locked on Ivy.

  Ivy bowed her head slightly and stepped forward. “The earth clans were attacked. The lindworm king and his warriors came—as well as the dark High Priest and his mages. The Wald family…is gone. Some women were taken, though I can’t understand why,” Ivy declared, her voice breaking slightly. It was the first time I realized I didn’t see her mother. “We bring what’s left of the Skog and Coille families. We’re all that’s left, High Priestess.”

  “You’ve come for refuge,” Gaia said softly.

  Ivy was a peaceful mage. She loved the earth, the calm stillness of a morning, so her jolt of electric rage was more than a little surprising. It was the first time I’d seen actual anger bleed into her expression. “No,” she rumbled. “We’ve come to fight next to you.”

  Gaia raised a brow but nodded slowly. “Then your energy will be welcome. We must get behind the barriers now. Please, gather on the warriors, and we’ll get you inside. You will be safe behind the walls, but you must all know safety will not last. If you wish to stand with us, understand we plan to fight.”

  “We will stand with you. We have no reason to believe this war will spare us,” Kunal bellowed. A slender mage with dark whiskers on his chin nodded behind him. This mage had the silvery blue marks on his face, and his eyes were a shocking icy hue. His energy was different than Kunal’s—fiercer, yet not elemental. I suspected he was a Coille mage.

  Thane and Jade moved toward us, Malik buried in my father’s strong hold now. Gaia couldn’t help but smile. “No worries, son,” she said with a glance at me as she took my child from Thane. “I’ll hold him as we fly.”

  “What?” I gasped. “You want to hold the baby? You’ve never held him.”

  She scoffed and kissed his forehead, clutching him tightly in the same green quilt I’d had as a child. The moment Malik made a peep in the morning, I could expect either Eisha or Gaia nearby, as though they were just waiting through the night. “Yes, well he must know who his favorite person is,” she laughed.

  “What was that?” Thane muttered.

  My mother just smiled and kissed his cheek, still holding Malik against her neck. Jade met my eye, and I knew she was anxious to get back behind the wall. She changed forms quickly, allowing me and Ivy to climb along her back. Each warrior took the earth mages in threes until everyone was safely tucked behind the barriers.

  Ced and several lindworm warriors were waiting at the mouth of the cave. Ivy was uneasy, but when I stalked toward Ced, who held out the jade swords I’d left behind, she seemed to relax. “I feel my father all over these people,” he grumbled.

  With a curt nod, I sheathed the blades. “They recently had the pleasure of meeting him,” I sneered. “And Bron.”

  “Teagan, they won’t be far behind,” Ced insisted.

  “I know,” I agreed. “It’s coming. I can feel them.”

  “You still…” Ced stammered slowly. “The same feeling remains?”

  Clearing my throat, there was a biting sting in my eyes when I watched Gaia finally surrender my newborn son to Jade’s arms. Malik was restless, but the moment he was tucked tight against Jade’s body, he soothed. Offering Ced a quick glance, I swallowed the anguish in my throat and nodded. “It’s the same. If…when it comes, I will need your help.”

  Ced’s jaw flinched, but he didn’t protest. “You know I will do anything to keep them safe. You should know I don’t feel the same. But no matter what happens, I am honored to stand with you.”

  I clapped Ced on the shoulder, smiling as well as I could before following the others into the cave.

  Johan had his work cut out for him. It wasn’t that we didn’t eat greens or fruits, but we certainly enjoyed heartier meals than the Skog mages were used to. I eyed the older mage when he handed me a wooden bowl toppled with steaming greens that looked like the leaves scattered on the forest floor, only with butter on top.

  Johan shrugged. “It will be interesting,” he grumbled. “Don’t look at me like that, just take it and eat it like a good young man.”

  The pit was lined with hungry earth mages, but their energy was a bit brighter now that the elementals were tending to old wounds or had them wrapped in blankets around the fire. Jade was sitting against the wall, Mitch and Raffi on either side of her, while Malik was on a soft padded quilt at her side.

  “Nervous about leaving him tonight?” I asked, lowering to my haunches and running a hand over Malik’s soft hair.

  “Eisha wasn’t happy,” Jade smirked. “But yes. I trust the mages, it’s just…I don’t know, it’s feeling more real, and I’d like to keep him in my sights.”

  “I told her I could watch him in your room,” Mitch grumbled. “I’m starting to think you two don’t see me as a good babysitter.”

  “Because you’re not a warrior,” Raffi chirped.

  “I loathe to bring up the events of this morning, Raffi-boy,” Mitch snickered.

  “It means nothing.”

  “You mean when little Malik screamed in your face when you tried to touch him, but calmed down the second I held him. That’s what means nothing?”

  Jade chuckled, glancing between the two of them. “I would trust my son with either of you, but you do know Teagan and I do enjoy caring for him ourselves too.”

  Mitch clicked his tongue and leaned against the wall. “Hey, take it while you can. When he starts hitting, or scratching me, or blasting me with crazy powers—that’s when I’ll hand him back to you.”

  After a few moments, Ivy sauntered toward us. A thick fur pelt was wrapped around her shoulders, her face cleaned and her hair damp from washing out the blood. “Does the queen normally sit on the stone ground while others dine at the table?”

  Jade scoffed. “Being the queen is just a title sometimes. We’re all equally in this war, so in my opinion, we’re all equals.”

  Ivy nodded her approval. “Well, if I had such a handsome young man next to me, I might sit on the ground too.” She lowered to her haunches, smiling at Malik’s wide eyes as he studied the new face. “Thank you for taking us in. We understand the risk it is for your people and families.”

  “We’re not going to leave you out there alone,” Raffi insisted.

  “Yes, well. I only wish we would have joined with you sooner,” Ivy said sadly.

  “You wanted to,” I offered.

  Ivy nodded, her ever-present grin fading. “We’ve learned when a mage chief speaks a rule, we do not argue. Even if we don’t agree. My father regrets his decision perhaps more than any of us.”

  “Ivy,” Jade began softly. “Where is your mother?”

  The mage met her gaze, the pain in her expression clear. “She was the one who warned us first of the attack—being an elemental, the dark energy wasn’t hard for her to detect. I’ve never seen my mother use her elemental powers until that night. She faced the dark High Priest again. He was forced to stand in the fight when she destroyed dozens of his warped mages—even without sight. She died a hero to the clans, and I will always remember her as such. I think her sacrifice was what helped my father se
e there was no avoiding what was coming. We would not be safe anywhere, but we will never join with the dark, manipulated power the dark High Priest has created.”

  Jade rested a hand over Ivy’s and smiled sadly. Everyone in this cave had suffered somehow at the hands of Bron and Nag. Everyone could understand Ivy’s suffering. “I’m sorry to hear about your mother. You’re right, she will live on as a hero. You must always tell her story.”

  Two days with the earth mages had created a new urgency in the cave. They told their stories of watching the entire clan of the Wald mages be destroyed—some taking their own lives before Bron could reach them. Ivy had been practically a poster-child for peace on earth when we’d first met, but as she spent every moment with the wyvern warriors, by the second sunset her permanent grin was gone and her jaw set with a new power, fueled by avenging her mother. Raffi took to the earth mage and trained her through the night at Ivy’s request. We didn’t have much time, but having traces of elemental energy from her mother, I was surprised how quickly Ivy embraced the strength of the elements as well as found comfort with a blade.

  Early in the morning, when the gray dawn crept beyond the cliffs, I kissed Jade’s forehead as I always did and pressed a kiss to Malik’s nose. I smiled when my son’s tiny mouth opened in a soft yawn and he cooed in his sleep.

  Usually I was alone to check the walls, but at the mouth of the cave this morning, I ran into both my parents. Gaia leaned against Thane’s chest, his arms wrapped around her waist as they looked to the dawn.

  “Have you been awake all night?” I asked, drawing their eyes toward me. I didn’t like the burdened expression on my mother’s face.

  She smiled, but it didn’t change the flicker of anxiety in her gaze. “I’m afraid I was rather restless last night.”

  I scanned the edge of the cave, looking down the cliff’s edge to the surrounding walls. I could understand why she was uneasy. Something was shifting in the air, a heavy darkness that sent the hairs on the back of my neck on end.

  “Teagan,” Thane said softly. “I want you to know I am proud of what you’ve created. It’s a good plan.” He gently released my mother and rested his hand on my shoulder. Yes, something was different about this morning—we all could feel it. “I don’t fear facing Bron again. Know that. I have every confidence that you are the stronger man in every way. I will defend my family, and that includes your family. Whatever it takes.”