by A C Wilds
“I can’t believe it. There are actually two pools of magic now,” Cass whispers, opening up his eyes and staring at me like I have the answers.
“Don’t look at me, I’m just as clueless as the rest of you. I just figured it out before you did, which kinda makes me more awesome,” I say, shrugging my shoulders.
“You’re definitely not more awesome, but you’re observant. This could mean that we can all share our magical stores. We won’t have to worry about running out because we can all share with each other. The only problem with this much power is, if Azra gets out of control like she did the last time, her bomb could take down most of Faerie,” Shax says with a concerned look on his face.
“Well, fuck,” I say. “We need to let her know what she did…again. And I don’t think she’s going to be happy about it, so I vote for our fearless leader to dump the bad news on our mate. That’s part of your job, isn’t it?”
“I’ll tell Azra,” Cass says. “She’s been through a lot, and we haven’t spent time together lately. I’ll let her know what we discovered after dinner.”
A jolt of excitement runs through him, and I know exactly what he’s thinking about, and it isn’t telling our mate that she could go nuclear.
“I’ll join. I think she will want me to be there also,” Shax says with a flash of fire in his eyes.
I feel it then, the attraction that they have toward each other. The ying-yang twins want a piece of one another. I don’t blame them for wanting to have a threesome with our mate. Azra is everything you could ever want in a woman. She’s the shining star in our dark night. She makes us all work, and that’s the only reason why I’d enjoy a threesome, foursome, or fivesome with these guys. It was hot as hell seeing Azra fuck Shax on the couch at the Summer Palace. I’d be down for watching her again, or even a little minor sword crossing.
A throat clears and pulls me out of my daydream. All the guys look a little bashful.
“What? You know you’re all thinking it. We all want to be with her, and some want to be with each other, and some want to watch. It's...whatever. We have to go through this shitty existence together, so we might as well have some fun with it. Besides, I didn’t think you Fae got caught up on anything,” I say.
“You’re right, it would be interesting to all be…together. But we don’t know Azra’s feelings yet. She may not want us that way,” Gunner says. He’s the newest one to our group, and the one I trust the least. I know Azra is crazy pants over him, and some fucked up shit happened with his past, but that’s all of us. I don’t know how Shax hasn’t zapped his ass though.
“We should make our way back to the manor,” Cass says, looking as tired as we all are. This training is fucking horrible. I miss my human life before the Fae. Sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday. Eating greasy foods and filling up on beer. My life wasn’t by any means awesome, but I had some good moments. I miss football most of all. The silence of the crowd just before the ball is hiked, or the roar that comes when there is a touchdown. There is no better feeling than throwing the ball forty yards and having your teammate make the catch.
“I’ll see you fuckers there. I’m not walking back,” I say, flapping my wings a bit. It’s going to feel good to stretch them. I didn’t think I would like them so much, but they’ve grown on me. Flying is magnificent. It’s almost as good as sex or pizza. Maybe pizza, because sex with Azra is astounding.
Giving myself a bit of a running start, I launch into the air, letting the current help me up. I flap my wings a few times and catch an air drift. Sailing over this part of Faerie doesn’t look any different than Earth would. It’s a regular forest with trees and grass. I know better than to assume everything is the same, but from up here I can imagine it could be.
Closer to the manor, I notice a flicker in the distance. A black orb-like thing flying toward the manor. I bank right to investigate, hiding behind a steepled part of the training building roof. Watching closely, I wait with unbridled anticipation for the shape to come into view.
I hear the winds carry sounds to me now. A gift from Cass. The woosh of beating wings travels to me, as a large dragon comes into view. He stops abruptly, looking around for the cause of the sound. It’s hard to tell if he saw something below or if he suddenly decided that he no longer wanted to come this way because he takes off in the other direction without glancing back.
I push off the roof and fly down to the front door of the manor. There are guards everywhere, but I’m only looking for one person. I see her pink hair standing with a member of the guard going over some documents. As soon as I approach her head picks up as she sees the look of concern on my face.
“We have a problem.”
Chapter 8
Dragon Spy
Azra
Arguing can be heard through the foyer as I get in from my ride with Red. We walk together toward the noise, which is coming from the war room.
“I’m not lying. It was a fucking dragon. Looked like the same one I stabbed,” Grey shouts at Izzy’s mate Zolin.
“We don’t have dragons in Faerie anymore. They have been wiped out. Maybe you were a little love drunk on those new powers?” Zolin replies, not letting Grey’s temper get him riled up.
“I took one down at the Dark Court. There are dragons, whether you want to believe it or not,” Grey responds, not calming down. I can feel his energy from here, he’s pissed.
“What’s going on?” I ask as Red and I enter the room.
“Coming back from the field, I saw a dragon trying to get through the barrier. At least that what it looked like. He was flying in this direction, looking for something, and then suddenly stopped and turned around. It was weird, but I know what I saw,” Grey says, calming down now that he knows he has an ally.
“Was it the same one from the Dark?” I ask, looking a bit concerned.
“Looked like it.”
“Want to explain what happened at the Dark court?” Izzy asks. Her eyes seem alight with the possibility of a new challenge.
“The Light Court Assassin, Emanuel, is a dragon shifter. He’s been on Earth with Michael, but when they returned, he was able to shift again. He attacked the Dark Court castle, and we were forced to stop him. Grey stabbed him with my Changer sword, and he lost his shift. I thought he was still a prisoner,” I explain, looking at Red for his thoughts.
“She’s either recruited him, or he’s escaped. Neither bodes well for us. And if he is searching in this area, that must mean they have some sort of intel on where to find us,” Red explains. My stomach gives out as I think about what this could bring to our door. I’m terrified of what this battle could mean, and this just brings me one step closer to that reality.
“Can he get through the barrier?” I ask Izzy.
“No, he can’t, but the fact that he was even over here is a bit of concern. We should find the croc and see if he knows anything. Tenoch, my love, can you go ask Mazatl to join us please?” She asks her mate. He rises from his chair and gives her a nod before rushing off to find the shaman.
“Where are the guys?” I ask, looking around the room and noticing that it’s almost empty.
“They are still on their way back. I flew, so I was the first,” he says, taking a seat. He looks exhausted and worried.
I go over to him and sit on his lap. Placing my head on his shoulder, I wrap my other hand around him. His hand comes up and wraps around my back. He starts to draw lazy circles.
“Are you okay with the magic overload? How do you feel?” I ask, searching his face for any harm.
“It was fucking amazing Az, all that power. I still feel it, but it’s less than before. We’re going to fuck so much shit up,” He says with a smile. He kisses me lightly on the lips.
“What magic overload?” Izzy asks. I forgot she wasn’t there to see the last of the portal openings.
“I learned how to open a bigger portal when I tapped into their magic. We can now fit an army through them. It won’t hold for long, but it may
mean the difference between saving people and dying. I also, by mistake, gave the guys some extra magic. Seems they can all use each other’s powers,” I explain, looking down at my hands a little sheepishly.
“That’s impressive,” Acalon says. “I saw the portal with my own eyes, Izel. It was quite beautiful.”
Izzy lets out a huge breath I didn’t know she was holding. Being the Changer means so many things to me, but I never thought to consider what it means for the people of Faerie. I feel such a disconnect to them.
“Is there any way we can have a party? Maybe like a get together so I can meet some people? I was thinking that I would like to get to know some of the townspeople before I ask them to fight by my side,” I ask. Izzy gives me a huge smile and nods her head in agreement.
“That can be arranged,” she says, looking over at Zolin. Something passes between them, and he raises from his seat.
“Want to get something to eat while we wait for the O’ Mighty Shaman? It might take awhile. That bastard keeps his own schedule,” Izzy says, walking toward the door. We all get up and follow her through into the kitchens. There is a couple of guards milling about. They offer up a smile or a head nod, but none stop to talk to me.
Grey pulls me over to an open table and sits me down. He goes over to the fridge with Red and starts making some platters of food with leftovers from last night. Not one to just sit by and let my mate and soul-bonded do all the work, I get up to help them.
“I’m helping,” I say, they both shrug their shoulders, and pass me over an empty plate.
Together, we set the table for when everyone joins us. It’s not long after that I feel the guys come through the door. They walk into the kitchen, no doubt sensing my gentle tug. They look dirty, tired, and happy. Very happy actually.
“Mate,” Shax whispers, as he leans down to kiss me. What I expect to be a quick kiss turns into something heated. My body reacts instantly to him, and I’m gripping his hair seconds later. If we were alone, this would turn into a whole different sort of gathering, but we aren’t, so I break the kiss before we get too out of hand.
“I take it the walk back was good then?” I ask with a love-sick grin on my face.
“It was fine, we spoke about you the entire time,” he says, still pressed to my body.
“I see, well, are you hungry? We’ve laid out food.”
“I’m hungry, but not for what’s on that table,” he responds, with fire dancing in his amethyst eyes.
A rush of excitement comes over me, and I lean into him a bit more. Just as I’m about to tell him we should take this upstairs, Mazatl and Tenoch come through the door. A curse passes his lips, but he releases me. Cass and Gunn come over to say hi, and we all sit down to eat.
“Why was I called here?” Mazatl says, taking the platter with meat on it and serving himself. He sounds annoyed but looks at home. I wonder what his deal is.
“Greyson saw a dragon,” Izzy says, passing the vegetables to Acalon and accepting a pitcher of Fae wine.
“Impossible, none are left,” he replies, shaking his head.
Cass pours me a glass of Fae wine and looks to Shax to make the decision on what to say, but Grey cuts them off.
“Listen, Croc, I know what I saw. I stabbed the thing when we were at the Dark Court, it exists, and it’s fucking here,” Grey says, shoving a huge piece of meat in his mouth, and slamming some veggies in after it. Not the best etiquette.
Mazatl puts his fork down and takes a sip of his wine, contemplating what Grey said and how to respond. “Where did you stab it?”
“Between the shoulders, when it was in dragon form.”
“Was there a marking anywhere on its back ?”
“Yeah, that’s where I stabbed it. I figured it was the best place since the thing looked like a target anyway. Didn’t put too much thought into it though, cause you know, dragon attacking the castle and all that.”
“Interesting, so Emanuel has returned. Well, it seems like Lucifer is going to have all her mates in one place again,” he says nonchalantly. He picked up his fork again and continues to eat. The whole table is silent, staring at him. No one moves or says a word. I look to Red, and he shakes his head. He had no idea.
“How many mates does she have? And didn’t you say Shax’s Dad can’t see him?” I ask, breaking the silence.
“She has four, just as you do, Changer. One for each element. When we were united, she was unstoppable, but Michael ripped that from us. His thirst for power has overshadowed anything good that we had,” he says with a sigh.
“If you are all united in the same realm, can she use your powers like I can use the guys?” I ask. Groans can be heard around the table. Was that supposed to be a secret?
“You figured out how to share powers,” he says, no question, just a statement. “That’s good. You’re going to need them to be able to defeat them. When are you making your journey to the scrying pool?”
“My what? Why do I have to go to a scrying pool?” I ask, looking around to see if anyone else knows what he’s talking about. Everyone seems just as confused as I am. A knock is sounded from the kitchen entrance, and Noli walks in. She doesn’t look like she’s slept in days. I’ve been so busy that I forgot to check on her.
“I will take her tomorrow. We should get the ceremony completed right away if the dragon has come,” she says to Mazatl. He gives her a tight smile and continues eating.
“Noli, what’s going on?” I ask, still so very confused.
“Do you mind if I join you?” she says, stepping further into the room. I get up from my chair to make room for her, but Gunn is already pulling a seat from another table for her to sit next to us.
“I know I’m always the last one to know what’s going on, but I’d really like to know why I have to go to the scrying pool, what it has to do with Lucifer’s powers or mates, and what the dragon doing here means,” I push, expecting a clear answer. I’m tired of the back and forth.
She picks up a platter of cheeses, and puts some on her plate. Gunn fills her wine glass, and I wait not so patiently for her to tell me what’s going on.
“I’m not sure that I should tell you the story of Lucifer’s mates since one is sitting at the table, but I will tell you about the pool and the dragon,” she says, biting into the cheese. Zolin passes her the vegetable plate, and she takes a few pieces before putting it down. My body is thrumming with anticipation. I’m halfway off my chair leaning toward her. I’ve never been a patient person, and I’m not going to start now.
“Get on with it!” I say loudly. She jumps a bit, and I instantly regret it. “I’m sorry, but everyone is always keeping the important parts to themselves, and it’s rather annoying to have to ask every time.”
“I get it, Az. I’m sorry for my part in that. I’ve been hiding for so long, it’s not second nature to divulge secrets,” she says, taking a deep breath and looking up at me. “The scrying pools in Fae are all connected. They can sometimes be like a telephone system or have secrets hidden in them like a voicemail. Once the right person activates it, a message for them will play in their mind. The prophecy of your birth is in the scrying pools, as well as the destruction of the two monarchies.”
“I…um…that actually makes sense. I’ve heard it before,” I say, confessing. Now that I know what the pools do, the hidden message in the Dark Summer Palace makes a lot more sense. “Right before I found Gunn, I took a swim in one.”
“You did what?” Mazatl asks, choking a bit on his food.
“There’s one in the forest at the Dark Court. I found it when I went for a walk. The water looked so inviting, and I was angry, so I figured a nice dip would help to calm me down. It was quite refreshing,” I say, not knowing why everyone seems so upset. Gunn is trying to hold in his laughter. “What? Did I do something wrong?”
“Scrying pools are sacred. They’re equivalent to a baptismal font at church,” Noli says with a sick look on her face.
“Oh…was that? Was that
why you followed me?” I asked, turning to Gunn. He can’t hold it in anymore. He loses it, laughing with tears coming down his face. I haven’t seen him this happy…ever. It’s infectious, and before I can stop myself, I’m chuckling along with him.
“I told you, I was curious to see what you were doing, and when I saw you naked floating in the pool, I knew you were it for me. The girl who breaks all the rules,” he says, still smiling, but looking at me in awe.
I get up from my chair and pull him up to me. I embrace him in a fierce hug. He whispers his thoughts and feeling inside my ear for only me to hear. I want so badly for everyone to forgive him, but I know it will take time. I pull back a bit and plant a kiss on his mouth.
“I’m glad I can amuse you. I didn’t know about the not swimming in it thing,” I say, watching the warriors at the table. Some are smiling, but Mazatl is positively livid.
“Did it speak to you?” He asks, expecting the right answer, yet I have no idea what that is.
“Yes, told me about finding my fourth. It said I had to trust the magic. I had no idea what it meant at the time, but then Gunn came along, and well, he’s the fourth,” I respond.
“You need to go back if that’s all it said,” he tells me, leaning back in his chair and looking into my eyes.
“Why? We know what’s going to happen. It seems like a wasted trip.”
“Do you know how you are going to kill Michael and Lucy?” he says, with a cringe. Even though their mating bond is broken, he seems like he misses her. Which says a lot about him.
“I stab them with the Changer sword. I have all my mates, we can make portals, and I Azra bomb them if needed,” I say, with a shrug.
“Oh, is that all? An Azra bomb?” He says, laughing into his hands. It’s not a funny laugh, it’s a laugh of disbelief. He doesn’t believe I can do it.
