by Larisa Long
The official men clear their throats.
Arc doesn’t look at them. “She is only beginning to learn our language.”
“Will she last long enough?” The shorter one asks.
Zash steps forward. “Do not disrespect our Queen. You know what happened to the last one who did that.”
“You’re right.” He glances at me. “She might be an Eternal.”
“Indeed,” Arc answers, still reading through the document. He then hands it to me. “It appears in order. It’s just you taking responsibility for King Pole.”
I look at him because that was a lot of reading he just did. “That’s it?”
Zash looks over my shoulder at the document. “What about this paragraph?”
Arc looks at the part that Zash is pointing to. “His consilpri?”
The officials look at each other. “Just sign, and it will be disposed of.”
“What will?” I ask.
Everyone looks at me as if I’m a child asking to taste fire.
“Don’t worry,” the taller man says. “There’s only one, and you can sell him at the auction tomorrow.”
Arc hands the document to me.
“You want me to auction someone?” I shake my head. “Not gonna happen.”
The smaller official shrugs. “Then you must sign to take possession.”
Risq grabs the paper from me. “Shouldn’t you ask who or what it is? It could be something dangerous.”
“Can’t be more dangerous than you.” I hold my hand out to Risq and wait for him to give me back the paper.
He stares at me and sets himself like he’s going to wait me out.
“Risq,” Zash sighs. “Are you serious? Give her the paper.”
I take Risq’s challenge and keep my hand out. “I’m from a long line of stubborn. Both sides of my family. Might change my major just to specialize.”
“Give our Queen the paper,” Zash says. He throws up his hands and looks at Arc. “Do something, please.”
Arc walks over to Risq and grabs the paper from him and gives it to me.
Risq glares at Arc. “I think we’re going to have issues.”
Arc nods. “I know we’re going to have issues. Do not do that again.”
I sign the paper and give it back to the two officials.
They smirk at me. The taller one leans in. “If you can’t control your vampire, you’re going to have major problems controlling the new one.” He looks behind him. “Bring in the lowborn.”
I flinch as my entire body reacts to that word. “Since I’m a Queen, can I delete that word from this house?”
Zash thinks about it. “You can.”
“If I use the word,” Blu whispers. “Will you punish me?”
I can’t help it, but Blu always makes me smile no matter the stress level.
He bows to me.
Six hooded men arrive with someone in chains. His head is covered with what looks like a burned piece of burlap. He isn’t wearing a shirt, and his body is covered in scars, burns and wounds. They throw him to the ground.
“Good luck,” one of the officials says as he shares a laugh with the others. They all leave.
“Can we please get a door that locks?”
Blu nods.
Arc carefully approaches the hooded man who is on his knees still chained. He pushes on his shoulder, and the one under the hood growls.
Risq leans towards me. “Told you we should auction it.”
I shake my head.
Risq sighs. “You don’t know what you’re doing.” He looks me up and down. “Obviously.”
Arc jumps in front of Risq. “Back off. Now.”
Blu’s wing covers me protecting me from the vampire.
Risq huffs and stomps away.
I lean down close to the hooded man and carefully take the hood off. There’s so much blood, gashes, wounds … I look at the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen. Sadder even than Zash’s who shifts loudly behind me.
There’s a gag in his mouth, and his arms are chained so forcefully behind him I don’t know how he isn’t in agony.
“He is,” Zash says.
He looks early twenties, but I know all of them look my age or a few years older no matter their actual age.
Short, spiky brown hair. Gorgeous and all muscle of course. I still haven’t seen anyone who isn’t shockingly beautiful. I mean not any of the immortals. The humans are another story, and King Pole excelled in ick.
I slowly motion to the new one that I’m going to take his gag out. He quickly glances around at the others, then his green eyes find mine again. I take out the gag, but he starts coughing.
“I think he needs water,” I say.
Blu hands me a glass, and I give the new one a drink. He devours the water like he hasn’t seen liquid in years and never takes his eyes from mine. Like the never-ending shake, the water never goes down. He drinks and drinks until I think he’s drunk an entire ocean. He nods when he’s done.
“Name?” Arc says.
His green eyes still don’t leave mine.
“I’m Mera,” I say. “This is Arc, Blu, Zash and there’s a Risq somewhere having a pity piss party.”
He nods. “The vampire. Not my favorite species.” He glances at everyone but focuses the most on Blu. “You look like her.”
“Excuse me?” Blu asks. “Look like who?”
“Your name?” Arc asks again.
“Janx. My name’s Janx.”
Blu gasps. “Dragon.”
Janx looks at him before looking back at me. “Did you really kill him? The King?”
I nod. “Not personally, but—”
“She ordered it,” Zash says.
Janx closes his eyes as if the entire weight of the world was lifted. “Thank you.”
“How long have you been with him?” Blu asks.
Janx shakes his head. “I don’t know. Centuries.”
“Arc, can you take the chains off?”
He widens his eyes. “Are you sure? Did you hear what he is?”
“Dragon.” I shrug. “Wait. Dragon?”
Janx nods. “Dragon.”
I frown. “What does that mean?”
“He’s a shifter,” Blu says. “A dragon shifter.”
I look up at Blu. “He can shift into a dragon?” I look back at Janx. “You can shift into a dragon?”
He nods.
I stare at him for the longest time. My human mind can’t comprehend it. I don’t know what I’m waiting for. For him to automatically shift into a dragon? Does he need space or a magical word or a weird mushroom or a—
Blu finally snaps his wing in front of me.
Arc moves around Janx’s back to look at the chains. “Are you sure?”
I nod.
Zash and Blu move me back. Arc waves his hand, and the chains are gone.
Janx grabs his arms and rubs them. “Thank you.”
I motion for Arc to help him more. He sighs but waves his hand again. Janx is clean, his wounds healed, and he looks brand new like he’s just come out of a washer. Unfortunately, Arc had to give him a shirt. Fortunately, it’s white and tight enough to accentuate the muscles and abs.
Blu elbows me and tries not to grin.
Janx looks down at his arms then steps closer to me.
Arc moves in front of me while Blu and Zash move me further back.
“What happened to the others with you?” Arc asks.
Janx looks down at the ground. “I’m the only one left.”
“Dragons are hard to kill,” Blu says, while munching on a cookie.
“Unlike faeries,” Janx says.
Blu stops chewing on his cookie. His eyes widen. “Who did I look like?”
Janx closes his eyes. “I couldn’t protect her. I tried.”
Blu steps forward. “Who?”
Janx opens his eyes. “She looked just like you. Except for her eyes.”
Tears form in Blu’s eyes. “Give me her name.”
�
��Violet,” Janx whispers.
Blu drops his cookie. “When? How long ago?” He looks to Zash.
Zash studies Janx. “Two years ago.”
Janx quickly looks at Zash. “An empath reaper. I thought they were extinct.”
“Most are,” Zash answers.
“How?” Blu asks.
Zash shakes his head. “You do not want to know the details.” He leans close to me. “Blu’s sister.”
“How long was she with him?” Blu steps closer to him. “Please.”
“A long time.” Janx reaches into his pant’s pocket, brings out a necklace and hands it to Blu. “It was the only thing she had left. She hid it whenever the King demanded her.”
Blu takes the silver necklace with a beautiful pink stone from Janx and quickly puts it around his neck. “Our parents gave this to her. Faerie stone.” He backs away and sits down with his back to the wall. He brings his wings around him to surround himself.
“I’m sorry,” Janx says. “I tried to protect her.”
Zash nods. “Yes, you did. He knows that.”
Janx kneels in front of me. “Queen Mera, I am yours—”
“Stop.” Arc shakes his head. “This is not how this works.”
Janx ignores Arc. “I pledge my loyalty to you, Mera.”
“Enough.” Risq rushes back in the room. “You are not part of us.”
“I pledge my life to you, Mera,” Janx continues.
“Arc,” Risq pleads. “Do something.”
“I pledge myself to you, Mera. Do you accept me as yours? Will you claim me as yours? I will protect you with my life.”
The others look at me. I avoid their stare as I look into Janx’s eyes. I see his pain. His strength. His power. His vulnerability. I can’t explain it, but I trust him completely. As much as I immediately trusted Zash and Blu. It’s like I’ve known him forever.
Don’t ask me why, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that Janx would never hurt me or ever allow me to be harmed. He’s part of me. What? I have no idea where that came from. I’ve only just met him, but I would not, could not be without him. What is happening to me? Is it a spell?
Arc shakes his head.
I don’t know if he’s answering me or telling me not to do it. “Yes.”
Risq sighs. “You have no idea what you’re doing.”
I ignore the angry vampire. “I claim you as mine.”
“Mera,” Arc interrupts.
I look at him, and Arc must see what I feel for Janx because he motions for me to continue. Granted it wasn’t an enthusiastic cheerleading wave of encouragement. It was more the beaten down do whatever you want shrug of giving up the struggle.
“I claim Janx as my dragon shifter.”
Arc puts his hands on his hips and bows his head. “Do you know what you’ve done?”
“Help someone who has never lied to me? Never kidnapped me? Never took my family from me?”
Arc studies me with a mixture of regret and pain. “I promise I will find a way to make it up to you. What we took from you.”
“His kind was hunted to extinction just like reapers.” Zash studies the dragon intensely sometimes frowning, sometimes squinting, sometimes putting his head back. Then his eyes widen. “I trust him. He is pure. He is honorable. The tortures he suffered … We only had to endure that King for a few times every six months. He had to endure him daily for centuries.”
“Mera knows what she’s doing. Her heart has chosen him. I trust him too.” Blu jumps up. “Can we go back to her grandparent’s farm again? My sugar levels are dangerously low. I need more pie.”
Chapter 9
Outside again. My grandparent’s farm. I don’t know if I’m happy from the memory or sad. I’ll never see the real farm again. I’ll never see my parents again. I’ll never see my world. My sour souled sister has her own life now, and my brother is gone.
Zash is back playing with the goats and cows. Risq lingers beneath the tree with Arc, and they both study me as they whisper. Blu is eating three pies at once.
Looking at all the immortals, I don’t know why, but I finally feel complete. I’m not the cry at commercials and drool over couples holding hands type of girl. So, what has this world done to me? But that’s how I feel. Complete. Whole. Safe.
I smile at Blu who grins at me. I only glance once at Arc. He’s standing too close to the vampire. He does not make me complete. Far from it. I don’t know how I get the courage, but I stare at Risq. Maybe because Janx is about two feet from me and watches like he’s guarding me.
For the first time since waking up in my bedroom on my birthday morning, I don’t feel like I have to worry about my thoughts. Maybe Janx is the one who has completed everything.
Was I broken before?
As I watch Risq, I do not fear him like I once did.
He answers my thoughts with his normal glare like he can’t wait to check off rip Mera in half from his to do list.
He holds up a glass and toasts to that.
Janx growls as he stares at Risq.
Arc grabs the vampire and takes him out of my sight.
“I do not trust the vampire,” Janx says. “Is he looking at you like that because of me?”
My mood calms instantly as I hear the dragon’s soft voice. “He’s never looked at me any other way.”
Janx frowns. “Why would he waste such hatred on someone who is so…” he hesitates as he studies me. He opens his mouth but can’t find the right words.
I smile at him and practically melt right on the spot when he smiles back.
“That King was vile. I only met him a few times, and he made my skin crawl.”
Janx’s eyes fill with worry. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“He threatened disgusting things.” I shrug. “I’ve heard worse growing up in Chicago. How did you survive him?”
Janx clenches his jaw. “Dragons can endure much suffering.” He looks around. “Where is this place?”
“My grandparent’s farm. Upstate New York.”
He looks at me as if he doesn’t understand my words. “It’s beautiful. My land used to be beautiful. Maybe it still is.” He looks down at the ground.
“Do you need anything?” I look over his scars and wounds and burns. At least what skin I can see peaking out from his shirt. “Are you in pain?”
He frowns as he studies me. “I’ve never met a human who has been kind to me.”
Okay, I can’t wait any longer. “Obvious question … Dragon shifter? Sorry, but I kept it in for as long as I could. You are an actual dragon? With wings.”
“I have wings,” Blu yells.
“Long tail? Scales? Fire breathing?”
Janx grins and looks down as if he’s embarrassed by the attention.
How can someone who has suffered the tortures he has be polite or even communicate? I would have been a drooling mess fighting shadows with broken pudding cups.
He opens his shirt quickly, and I step back. Gasp. Sputter. Note to self: ask the dragon shifter a question, and I’ll get a sneak peak at his gorgeous … I shake my head quickly to prevent nefarious thoughts from spilling forth.
Maybe no one heard my thoughts. I can’t see Zash at the barn. I quickly glance over at Blu who is laughing at me. Damn the thought reading immortals.
Janx’s chest is a mess of scars. He points at a large tattooed symbol etched in what looks like a thousand layers of black ink. “The King didn’t want me to shift, so this has prevented me.”
“Can it be removed?”
Janx looks at me quickly. “Most would be comforted that I couldn’t become a dragon. We are fierce. Dangerous.”
I shrug. “I’m not afraid of you.”
His eyes deepen as does his smile.
Lordy, he’s intense. I take a deep breath. That won’t work. I let go of a breath. Now I feel like I’m hyperventilating. Am I eight years old all of a sudden?
Blu bangs on the picnic table as he almost passes out from laughing.
/>
I roll my eyes at the faerie.
“Dragons are so …” Words seem to flutter out of my mind because looking into Janx’s eyes makes my mind gooey. “Beautiful. Why would anyone not want you to be … you?”
Janx takes a deep breath and puts his hand over his heart. His haunting green eyes darken as he studies me. “Amazing.”
I narrow my eyes. “What is?”
Janx’s smile grows, and he takes my hand and places it over his heart. Right over his heart. I mean directly over his heart. No shirt. Just his flesh and muscles and … I hope I don’t start giggling because his skin is so hot.
Please don’t laugh at that, Blu, because his skin is warm. I mean, he’s hot like you all are but … I sigh at myself.
His heart is beating so fast, but maybe that’s normal for a dragon.
“Nope!” Blu yells.
I glance at the faerie. His smirk should be catalogued.
Blu chokes on the pie. “Catalogued. I like that. Can we start on that later? I’d love to have my own catalog. Catalog of Blu. Or Blu’s catalog of hotness. Which is better?”
Janx puts both hands over mine as his heart continues to thrash around his chest like it’s trying to escape. “It means this belongs to you.”
I stutter and shiver as my own heart leaps and lunges about. “You don’t even know me. What if I’m—”
He puts his finger over my lips.
My face is probably about three shades away from full on strawberry. I’m gonna clash with my hair. I want to look away. I should look away. That was my normal routine. From the time I was five, my life was planned. I didn’t have time for distractions. I studied. I planned. I studied more. I planned more. I had to get to the top of my class. I had to get into law school.
I didn’t have time for dating. I didn’t even make time for flirting. Any hot guy glanced my way, and I’d whip out excuses, glance another way, lie about a relationship. Anything to avoid distractions.
And, sorry, but hot humans are easier to avoid. Sometimes. Hot immortals? I cannot look away from the gorgeous dragon shifter. I want to soak in his eyes. Taste his lips. Make him mine. And he’s pure muscle. He could maybe bench press like 6,000 pounds.
Janx grins.
My stomach plunges to my knees. I try to stop my mind from going into a thousand different naughty directions. If only not to hear Blu—
