Elemental Compass (Supernatural Prison Book 7)

by Jaymin Eve

  We'd all be in trouble then.

  "I know most of you are aware of the agreement reached with the president," he continued when he pulled himself together, his power less palpable. "He requested fifty supes, from a variety of supernatural races, so that he might use them to help him govern his people. Stop wars. Control the famine issue. And multiple other humanitarian ventures he mentioned. We did not want to comply, as we've never worked with humans in this manner, and they've generally proven to be untrustworthy, but his evidence forced our hand."

  Justice was practically bristling at my side, making angry little hissing sounds as she huffed air in and out. She’d known from the start. I should have listened to her and killed him before any of this even began.

  "We underestimated President Caine," Louis said, his voice filled with rage. Heat engulfed the room and it was only when Tee put her hand on his arm that it faded. "I underestimated him. I've been distracted. A lot is happening all over the world, and I let this slide when I should have been keeping a closer eye on the humans. I should have been one of the fifty so that I could make sure no advantage had been taken."

  He was so angry, and I felt deep in my energy, that whatever had happened was going to change everything. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen Louis like this, and truth be told, it chilled me to my core.

  "The president was using us all along," he rumbled. "He had a plan that we didn't know about, and when he had everything in place, he executed it."

  The word executed sent a shiver of power across the room.

  The sorcerer gritted his teeth, sucking in a few deep breaths. "He used the energy and magic of the fifty supernaturals that were part of the treaty," he spat. "Sacrificed them one by one, to assist a being that has forsaken everything its kind stand for.”

  Noise erupted in the room, fury spilling over at the news that fifty of our people had been murdered by a fucking human. How? How was it even possible that he would get one up on supernaturals like that.

  "He knew about us," Justice said, and no one should have been able to hear her over the ruckus, but somehow they grew quiet, staring at her. "Even though he pretended to be afraid of us, he was watching us. I felt his stare. His creepy stare was there every day and night."

  She looked at Louis. "How did he kill them? How could he overpower fifty supes?"

  Louis's face was back to expressionless as he attempted to hold his shit together.

  "He had help. A rogue dragon. A rogue, wild dragon. They shared the power, and the beast used his half to cast a spell that will destroy the ley line between the worlds.”

  This time when the noise exploded, it almost blew the roof off the cabin. I met Braxton's gaze from across the room and he nodded.

  Fuck. A dragon would be strong enough to do this, but why would it help a human?

  30

  Justice Winter

  I should have done more to warn them. I should have! My years of being intimately acquainted with evil had prepared me to recognize it. I’d felt that from President Caine, known that the festering rot in his core was a huge worry, but I’d been too distracted by everything else happening.

  By Jacob especially.

  "You're not to blame for this," Jacob said, tuning in to my thoughts. "I was there too, and I know this world much better than you. I was, as you always said, arrogant, believing a human couldn’t do much more than be an annoyance. Figured we’d indulge him for a few months or a year, until we either found the evidence and destroyed it or killed him in his sleep.” He fought for control, and the noise in the room rose as everyone else did the same.

  "Enough!" Louis bellowed, and it was so unusual for the sorcerer to lose it like that, it had an immediate effect. Silence slammed into us, like he’d used power to enforce his command.

  "How did he find a wild dragon?" Tyson asked, probably one of the few beings in here that didn't fear the wrath of Louis. The sorcerer still shot him a withering stare, but didn't blast him into a million pieces. Family. They pissed you off but you didn't kill them. Kind of the motto of this pack.

  "I don't know all of the details,” Louis bit out, “but from what I've discerned, the dragon was the one who found him. When I created that schism of energy and threw the balance off in the worlds, it allowed some creatures to escape from Faerie. Most of them were harmless, ending up in the communities, but a few, like this dragon, had a specific plan in mind. He's been behind the scenes the entire time."

  "Fuck," Jacob groaned. "I felt stirrings of dragon energy when I was with the president, but I figured it was me losing control, spilling my power into the world. I never guessed a wild dragon would be there."

  I had a brief thought that maybe the wild dragon was part of the reason Jacob had so much trouble controlling himself when we were with the humans. That energy ignited his own.

  Louis nodded. "Yeah, it’s not exactly a common occurrence to find a dragon on Earth. It appears that this one has been waiting for an opportunity to get out from under the control of Josephina. It went rogue to gather power.”

  “It’s been grooming the president,” Tee added. “Its plan is to destroy the pathway between the two worlds so no one can force it back to Faerie.”

  “And the president secretly envies and admires us. He wants enough power to control the world,” Louis finished. “They both needed each other, one to hide while it waited, the other to gather evidence on us. They came to an agreement."

  "How do we stop them?" someone asked. I couldn't see who it was, but it was a male with a low grumbly voice.

  Louis seemed to consider his words. "We need to find and destroy the dragon first. It’s just about corrupted the ley line, and if that happens … both worlds could end.”

  “If it’s stolen energy from fifty supes and the ley line, it’s going to be super strong,” Tyson said. “Do we have enough to best it?”

  Fuck, Tyson was usually extremely confident, so his worry was a concern.

  Louis shook his head. “I don’t know. Until we confront the beast, there’s no way to tell.”

  "What about Josephina?" Jessa asked from where she was on the couch, Braxton on one side and Maximus on the other. Mischa was perched on the arm of the chair by her mate.

  Louis’s face was grim. "The pathway is too unstable for anyone to travel through. The only reason Tyson, Grace, Jacob, and Justice made it back is due to the unique power of the jeweled princesses. They have a bond with that ley line, and the bridge they created was the last chance to cross. And without the four of them…"

  We couldn't open it again.

  "Fuck," I murmured. "I should have insisted they come back with us."

  Jacob chuckled. "Ruby, you could drown in all your guilt and self-recriminations. Don't take on more than you're owed."

  I nudged him, my heart fluttering as he wrapped an arm around me and drew me closer. The feeling of belonging was addictive; no wonder people spent their entire lives searching for it.

  Jacob held me like I was everything. Like he would break apart without me.

  Like I was his.

  "Don't make me cry, Jacob Compass," I whispered. "Now is not the time. We have a crisis to deal with."

  He shook his head, pulling back just a fraction. "Baby, I need you to know that I choose you. Over every fucking drama in the world. I promise that I won’t let this be taken from us. We will destroy this dragon if it's the last thing we do."

  I was about to tell him not to make promises he couldn’t keep when Louis let out a shout. I found him staring at Jacob and me. "You're the final two," he said.

  I blinked a few times, trying to make my brain understand what he was saying.

  Jacob waved a hand at him. "What the fuck are you talking about, Louis?"

  The sorcerer stepped through the crowd until he was right before us. "You're the final mated couple for the Compasses. The final piece of their pack. I didn’t realize until right this moment, but it’s clear now as I see the energy about the room. Once you two seal th
e final part of your bond, the quad connection will be stronger. Maybe even strong enough to take on this dragon."

  I choked on my own spit. Was he talking about…? Did he just…?

  "You need to have sex," Louis finished.

  Yep, apparently that was exactly what he was talking about.

  The entire room was now staring at us, and I fought the urge to punch the sorcerer in the face. Sure, he'd probably kill me, but it’d be worth it to get one good shot in.

  Jacob tried to edge me out of the way, so I wasn't face to face with Louis. Silly, overprotective mate. My jeweled power was a little weaker in this world, but there was plenty of gems here for me to draw upon.

  Energy burst from me, wrapping around Louis, and Jacob didn’t stop me again, instead shooting the sorcerer a dark stare. “Our sex life is no one's business but ours. You should probably apologize now for embarrassing Justice in front of everyone."

  I shook my head. "I'm not embarrassed. I'm pissed." Okay, I was a little embarrassed, but that was nothing anyone needed to know. Supes didn't sweat the whole sex thing, unlike the broken “human” side of me.

  "Fuck," I muttered. Using my energy, I threw Louis across the room, straight at his mate. "Stay away from me for a few hours."

  Spinning on my heel, I stormed out of the cabin, sucking in deep breaths and willing my face not to be red. At least I hadn't hit him, even if he did kind of deserve it.

  Jacob gave me a few minutes, and for that I was grateful. "Sorry," I said when he reached my side. "I kind of lost it a little back there."

  I wanted sex between us to be special and healing and … more. It had now been reduced to a weapon to increase our power. And while I logically understood, it was frustrating too.

  "Don't apologize," Jacob said, and I was taken aback by his rage. "As I said, Louis owes you an apology. There were a million different ways for him to have handled his ‘sudden’ burst of realization. He chose the worst."

  He flexed his fingers and I noticed there was blood on them. "What happened" I cried, grabbing his hand.

  He looked down like he hadn't even noticed. "Oh that … had to remind him that not respecting you was the quickest way to an ass kicking."

  I laughed, shaking my head. "Damn, I wanted to punch him."

  Jacob shrugged. "Fucker was lucky that's all I did. Not to mention my brothers were right at my back."

  My chuckles died off. "You don't take on the most powerful sorcerer in the world on your own apparently."

  "He's family, and that's the only thing that saved him more of a beatdown," Jacob added. "Family doesn't get a pass though. Next time he'll do better."

  I swallowed roughly. "So, guess we should get to fucking, hey? Gotta save the world and all that."

  Jacob's eyes darkened. "Don't cheapen it, Justice. I'm sure we can make this happen either way. We’ve defeated a dragon before."

  He was too good to me.

  Taking whatever courage I had left inside, I stepped into him, pressing my body along his. "I want you, Jake," I murmured. "I had no plans to stop back in my room on Faerie, so let’s do this and go into battle with all of our weapons at peak power.”

  He examined my face, looking deeper, but he wasn’t going to find any doubt. Lifting myself up, I kissed him. Our lips clashed, my mouth parting as I sought his tongue, needing to taste him. Needing to feel him.

  "Jacob," I whispered. "Just love me. That's all I need."

  "I do," he whispered against my skin.

  He did...?

  Tears choked me as my heart started to do this weird stuttered beat. Butterflies danced through my stomach and I wondered if a supe could die from finally being loved.

  Was that a thing?

  This was not like the love of my grams or even my parents—a love for a child was different. This was an adult choosing to love another as much as they loved themselves. I was the Grinch with my shriveled little heart swelling to three times its size.

  "Fuck," I choked out, and Jacob laughed.

  "How did I know you'd say that?"

  "Fave word," I mumbled. "And you're my fave person."

  He swept me up into his arms, cuddling me close to his chest, and I didn’t even bother to protest. When he moved it was so fast that everything swum around us in shades of green and blue. I had no idea where he was taking us, and I honestly didn't care.

  In this moment I would have gone anywhere with Jacob Compass.

  The strength of his arms made me feel safe. The calm beat of his heart encouraged mine to slow and sync. The soft melody he started to hum trickled down my spine, sending goosebumps across my skin. The melody that we’d both shared. The one that had saved my life many years ago.

  He must have felt me watching him, and as he looked down, our lips met again.

  "I could taste you all day, Ruby," Jacob groaned. "It's addictive."

  "Tell me we're near a bed," I replied breathless. "Or any flat surface."

  My body was burning, the embarrassment from Louis long forgotten in my current need.

  Jacob pulled back, looking around to make sure we were at the right place. "I'm taking you somewhere I've never taken anyone," he said. "I found it when I was young, and only fey can enter. It's been my secret place over the years, my secret hideaway from the world. Jessa has been to the doorway, but she couldn't enter."

  I swallowed roughly. "What if I can't enter?"

  Jacob brushed his nose across mine, eyes soft. "You're my mate. You’re a fey."

  He was so confident in me. I needed to try harder to see what he did.

  Part of me wanted to mentally catalog the path to this special spot of Jacob's, but I was caught up in staring at the fey himself. It was only when he released me, air holding me up as he slammed his hand against a pair of huge trees, that I finally looked away.

  Blood streaked his palms as he pulled them away, and a shimmer floated down between the large overhanging branches. It looked like a smaller scale of the shimmery wall we’d crossed between Faerie to Earth. "We used to scour this forest searching for the prison," he said as he moved forward. "We uncovered many secrets. Including this place. My brothers were always so pissed that they couldn’t see what I did in here."

  I closed my eyes as we crossed, but there was no resistance at all. Just as Jacob predicted, I was allowed to cross with him.

  On the other side was a literal fairy garden … or at least the way I imagined one. A field of wildflowers, spanning as far as the eye could see. Mostly white, but there were scatters of violet and soft pink as well. "No one else can see this?" I choked out, gesturing for him to let me down.

  When my feet were on the ground, I kicked off my shoes, allowing my feet to sink into the soft grass. It was almost soothing against my soles, sending relaxing energy into me. Jacob's heat pressed along my spine, and I could have groaned at how good he felt. How good it all felt.

  "I don't think this is strictly on Earth," I murmured. "I feel like this is a small rift that's allowing Faerie to filter into this planet."

  Jacob's laughter was a slow trail of delight across my senses. "That's exactly what I think too."

  We didn't have any more time to waste, so I took a few deep breaths, and turned away from the view. "Being here doesn’t mean time is moving faster on Earth, right?"

  Jacob shook his head. "I tested it many times. There is no change when I'm in here, so we're safe."

  A thought came to me. “I wonder if your brothers could enter now. Your powers are all mingling and blending as one.”

  Jacob paused, his hands on my hips. “Actually, none of them have tried since our powers started to merge more. Maybe they have enough fey in them—something to consider once we’ve dealt with this dragon slash president bullshit."

  Story of our lives.

  31

  Jacob Compass

  She was fucking killing me. The emotions pouring through our bond were strong enough to drop a regular supe to their knees.

  "We don't have t
o do this," I reminded her. She stood before all others for me.

  She stopped exploring, turning to me looking open and relaxed. "I will legit murder your fey ass if you say that one more time."

  I laughed from deep in my chest. "Just when I thought the old Justice was gone."

  She winked. "She'll always be part of me, but the new evolved version is someone I'm much happier to be. I feel comfortable in my skin now. In my power. And…" she moved toward me, and I folded her into my chest. "I want to make love with you. Right now."

  Well, okay, then. I didn't need to be asked again. "Your wish is my command," I growled, kissing her.

  There was no bed here, but there was a field of clover that was almost as soft. Not wanting to stop kissing, I used my powers to sweep us along the breeze. Justice didn't flinch, growing used to magic.

  When we reached the clover, I allowed the winds to ease. "Jacob," she murmured, her voice drowsy with lust. "I need you to touch me, love me. I want our bond."

  Fuck. Her honesty slayed me. "Always tell me what you need,” I said, kissing her again, one drugging kiss after another.

  I was affected in ways I didn't expect. My blood was on fire, energy swirling in an almost out of control manner, but I knew this was just a reaction to Justice. I finally understood why my energy always felt this way around her. My true mate. It all made sense now.

  Lifting her, she wrapped her long legs around my waist, rocking her core against me. If she kept that up, I was going to lose it before we had even started.

  "Ruby…." I said in warning, but also kind of begging her to take pity on me.

  She laughed, the sound filled with confidence and desire, so strong it was almost visible in the air around us.

  "Fuck," I muttered, the last of my control snapping.

  The wind came to my aid again as I fell back into the clover, bringing her with me. It was as soft as I remembered, as was the woman in my arms with her silky skin and curves for days.

  Flipping her over so her back was against the greenery, I pressed my body to hers, the ache in my cock not at all eased by the movement. Her lips were full and begging to be tasted, so I complied. Kissing her until her mouth was red and swollen. "Ruby lips."