Elemental Compass (Supernatural Prison Book 7)

by Jaymin Eve

  Ah, right, the quad bond increased the need our mates felt to go to us.

  "You can join with your mates as well,” Louis said, waving the women forward. “For this, we need the power of eight. Now that the final of your pack is connected, there are endless possibilities."

  "How?" Braxton snapped, definitely not having a good day. “How the fuck do the eight of us bond?”

  Louis didn't flinch. "How do the four of you bond the way you do? You’re made up of the impossible."

  Decent point.

  Before anyone else could argue, Louis gestured for our mates to come to us. Justice ducked under my arm, joining the other three in the middle of our power circle.

  "Step back into your mate," Louis suggested, his head tilted to the side like he wasn't sure if that was right or not.

  The second Justice touched me, our bond flared like a fucking firework, shooting up in the air between us. Ours wasn't the only one, as fireworks shot up between all the mated pairs until the sky was a veritable wash of sparkling energy.

  "Did not expect that," Jessa deadpanned.

  "Yep," Mischa said with a nod. "Me either."

  I felt them all, their energy filtering through us, like my brothers’ but so much stronger. The eight of us were connected as a single unit of power, and my dragon surged up, forcing its way to the surface.

  "Well, fuck," Jessa snorted, "looks like they're about to dragon out on us."

  She knew us well enough to see what was happening, before there was any physical sign. As predicted, with a wash of power, the four of us shifted into a hybrid dragon form.

  Our heights shot up, scales across our arms and foreheads, advanced senses, and an increase in power that would be dangerous in any other hands.

  "Well, well, well," Justice said, eyes roving across me as desire drenched her voice. "I have to say, this is a change I can get behind."

  Grace barked out a laugh from beside her. "Girl, me too. I'm never going to complain when our mates get even hotter."

  "I'm into the dragon man vibe," Jessa added.

  "Oh yeah," Grace agreed, watching her mate with hungry eyes.

  "No time for that," Louis chimed in with a chuckle of his own. "We have a world to save, and time is running out."

  He opened a step-through, and when it flared to life I released my hold on my brothers. The bond that had sprung up didn't fade, our dragons remaining in control as the power of eight cemented between us.

  I’d grown used to the power of four; this new surge of energy in our eight was enough to have my teeth aching.

  Justice remained close beside me as we followed Braxton and Jessa through the step-through—each looked back for a second before they crossed, and I wondered if they were thinking of their children. All of us worried about our young and if we’d make it back, but it was so much worse for their parents. Maximus and Mischa too.

  This shit had to fucking stop.

  We’ll see them again, Braxton growled in my head, and I nodded.

  Yes, brother. You will.

  Jessa's wolf added her growl through our bond, words seemingly beyond her. Her message was clear though: momma wolf was making it back to her babies.

  We crossed the step-through without an issue, and I had no idea why I expected our destination to be the White House, but I was surprised to see we’d landed in the desert. It looked a lot like Arizona: red rock, cactus, arid soil, and strong waves of heat. I hadn't been to this specific place before, but there was something familiar in the scents around me.

  “What the fuck?” Jessa snapped. “It’s just flying out there in the open, where any human could see it?”

  She was talking about the winged beast, visible in the distance, circling above some craggy rocks.

  "Zero fucks given about hiding itself," Tee said, her face one of exasperation and annoyance. "And the asshole is strong."

  Louis looked grim. "He's channeling the original ley lines. Taking the power as he works to destroy it. Only a dragon could achieve this through their connection to original magic and the shining ones.”

  "And he got the initial power he needed from murdering supes?" I asked, needing this confirmed.

  "Not just supes," Justice replied suddenly, horror filling her voice.

  We all turned to where she was facing, a little west of the dragon.

  "Motherfucker!" Jessa snarled.

  Strung up in a line, right across the horizon, was a massacre. Way more than the fifty supes that had been part of the joint treaty. Even from the distance, I could tell that some of the men who had been part of the president's guard were there.

  A glimpse of red hair caught my eyes, and a large prickly plant nearby exploded in a ball of flames. My power was so much stronger now that I barely even had to think before it responded.

  "It's Bryce, isn't it?" Justice choked out.

  I nodded. He was a good man. He didn't deserve to end up like this.

  "I can't smell the death," Braxton rumbled, words barely audible over the dragon in his voice. "Why can't I smell the death?"

  Louis was still staring at the bodies high in the sky, their heads drooped forward, leaving them prone and broken. They were far away, but we still should have been able to smell that much death.

  “It's a spell,” the sorcerer finally said. “The spell they used to set this entire thing in motion is still progressing, and it has a barrier around it that’s blocking our senses. When the barrier falls, it’ll be too late to stop the dragon.” That set him into motion. “We need to move,” he shouted as he started running.

  We took off after him, right toward the line of death, and the dragon that hovered above its kills.

  34

  Justice Winter

  Dragon probably tasted delicious. I legitimately wondered how lovely it would be fried up in giant steaks, seasoned and grilled to perfection. Fuck, I really wanted to murder that ocher-tinged bastard flying in the sky, acting like it didn't have a care in the world.

  No matter how hard I tried not to look, my gaze kept returning to the heartbreaking line of death that spanned across the red rocks of the desert. Normally, vultures would be circling that much death—it would bring out every predator and bottom feeder around—but whatever spell held this place was keeping the wildlife away.

  "Bet they taste gross," Grace said, and I realized that she'd clued into my thoughts. “But worth trying, I think.”

  The eight of us were in some sort of Compass-and-their-mates octagon bond, and it was super weird. I’d decided as soon as it happened to not think too strongly about it and just go with the flow. I hadn’t even gotten used to one supe in my head, let alone seven of them. Hopefully we wouldn’t be like this for too long.

  "We should definitely try it and find out," Jessa snarled. "Like, I feel it would be good research for us to kill this bastard, fry him until he was crispy, and have a feast for all."

  Louis picked up speed. So did the rest of us, but he had so much magic pushing him along that we soon fell behind. Even as fit and powerful as we were, whatever Louis was doing moved him faster.

  "Fuck that," Tyson muttered, and magic slammed into us, pushing us to the point where my legs were not keeping up with the speed and I was basically running just above the rocky landscape.

  We caught up to Louis and Tee in the next minute, but there was no time for Tyson to gloat—we’d reached the carnage of the dragon.

  "So many of my problems involve dragons," Jessa said between curses. "One would think that since they're pretty rare on Earth, I wouldn't run into murderous ones so often." She narrowed her eyes on Braxton. "You're lucky I really love you, mate. Because I'm feeling pretty anti-dragon."

  All four Compasses shook their heads, smiling indulgently at their oldest friend.

  A roar from above interrupted before Braxton could reply.

  "What's the plan?" Mischa asked, edging along the barrier. It hadn’t been obvious when we’d first arrived, but now, from this angle, I could see the d
ome spanning up and over where the dragon circled.

  It also covered the line of death, hence why no one could smell it.

  "We need to break the barrier first," Louis said, his power strong enough to rumble the ground we stood on. "Then we destroy the dragon. If we can break the bond between it and the ley line, we might be able to stop it before it's too late."

  That all sounded great. Easy and straightforward.

  From experience, there was no way it would be though. Not a single chance.

  Even with the power of eight, and the world’s strongest sorcerer and his mate by our side, would we have a chance?

  "I'll try the same magic that I used to break that powerful barrier around Grace's grandmother's house," Tyson said, stepping forward. "I needed the quad bond then, and I know this will be stronger, so hopefully the power of eight will work."

  "Plus me," Louis said drily.

  "How could I forget you…" Tyson replied with a smile.

  "Uh, hello, what the fuck am I? Chopped liver." Tee had her hands on her hips, glaring at her mate.

  "You're essential. Amazing. Talented and strong." Louis' smile was softer for her than anyone else, the love like a force field that surrounded them.

  "Let's see if the eight works first," Tyson said. "That way we don't waste energy where it's not needed." He looked grudgingly at Louis. "You're probably going to be pretty helpful in taking this beast down, so let's keep you in our back pocket."

  Louis shook his head, like he couldn’t quite believe what he heard, but he did step back and wave for Tyson to move forward. Tyson didn't hesitate, so confident in what he had to do.

  I wondered what that felt like, never having to second-guess yourself. To not expect failure before you'd even tried.

  I talked a good game with not-giving-a-fuck and having the balls to take on anything, but it was all bullshit.

  "You're young and new to this world," Tyson said, and I blanched at the knowledge that he'd heard my whiny inner monologuing. "Give yourself a break. I can feel your power through our connection, and trust me, you're anything but a failure."

  He focused on the barrier again, and I tried to send my gratitude to him through the connection. He’d had my back, just as Jacob always did. Family. Should have gotten one earlier.

  There was no time to focus on my many and varied mental issues, because Tyson needed all of us to step up. "I'm channeling power through the eight, and it's legitimately enough to blow half the world away," he bit out through gritted teeth, "but this dragon has the power of that ley line and all the supernatural and human lives he's stolen." He sucked in air, his next words even harder to understand. "Need you all to help ... me…"

  One by one, we stepped forward and placed our hands on the field. Louis and Tee hovered just behind us, ready to jump in if this didn't work.

  The ten of us all that stood between this dragon and the end of the world.

  35

  Jacob Compass

  The power surging through me was unlike anything I'd felt before. I'd never been this strong and filled with the energy of all four races. The speed of vampires; the animalistic nature of shifters; the Earth ley line powers of the magic users; and the elemental, ancient energy that was fey. All of us felt it, and whatever had separated me from my brothers shifted until we were one and there was no other.

  Except our mates. The bright burning light of the four of them, their natures yang to our yin, the light to our darkness. The soft to our hard. The level-headed to our mindless power. The other half to our souls.

  It was in that second, as the power continued to rise, seemingly limitless, that I truly understood why we hadn't been able to join like this until this moment. We would have been lost in the darkness. The power … it was too much. No one could have channeled it without being consumed. No one. But with the four mate bonds complete, we finally had an anchor to keep us from destroying the world.

  "This is why quad bonds are so rare," Jessa breathed. I couldn't see her from where I was standing, but I knew the exact what-the-hell expression she would be wearing. "You four literally could destroy the world."

  "Lucky they have us," Mischa added, her voice a little strained. Not surprising considering how much power we were wielding. The shield had started to shimmer under our touch, and I had the vague hope that we might shatter it soon … if we didn't, this much power would begin to affect us in a way we might not want.

  "We're so close," Tyson muttered, his frustration clear in the vibrating anger of his words.

  Louis cleared his throat. "Still standing here. Think maybe I should help now? You all have the power, but a new bond is always going to have some teething problems."

  Just as he stepped forward, hand out, Tyson shouted, "No!"

  But it was too late.

  Louis's hand scraped across the shield and the power reacted with so much force that it blasted him back in a loud crack, sending him flying miles behind us. Tee cursed loudly, taking off in a surge of magic to follow her mate.

  "Is he going to be okay?" Justice asked, panicked. By instinct she knew not to remove her hands, even though she wanted to follow Louis. Grace did as well, her healer side surging to life.

  Right now, no one could break the eight.

  "Tee will get him back, and she can heal," Tyson reminded them, strain in his broken voice. "None of us can move."

  My eyes met his across the line of our family, and I saw weariness there, resignation. He knew what he had to do, but it was not going to end well.

  This could destroy our quad bond, he said to me through our mental link. If we had more time together, it would have worked, but … as always, we were thrown in the deep end.

  The mate bonds? I shot back.

  They should be safe. They're on a level beyond what any of us can touch. But the brother bond … I may fry it.

  It hurt more than I expected to think of losing my brothers in that way. It's the only way?

  A second hesitation. To force the bond to evolve to what we need, I will have to step up to the next level. We’re basically going up against the most powerful ley line in the worlds, and I expect it will fry the bond.

  Justice lifted her head and stared between Tyson and me, like she'd heard our words.

  And if we don't step it up? I asked.

  The ley line will probably kill us.

  I tried to lift my hand from the shield, being the type of fey who needed to test and understand the situation—even while trusting my brothers implicitly.

  I couldn't lift my hand.

  Tyson was right. There was no other choice. Step up or die.

  It's only one part of our bond, Braxton cut in suddenly, and I realized that they must have been able to hear as well. You don’t have to hide shit from me. We’re all in this together.

  Maximus’s chest rumbled as he vamped out a little more. No matter what happens, nothing ever breaks us. Even before the quad bond formed, we were closer than any pack. We've learned to roll with the punches, and … speaking of, I really need to punch a fucking dragon, so let's do this.

  With our support, Tyson found his peace with what he had to do. Closing his eyes, the power raged into a new inferno.

  A small gasp captured my attention. "You okay, Ruby?" I asked, not pushing to listen in to her through our bond. She had a light block up, no doubt to stop all the varied thoughts.

  "Feels like I'm connecting to the jewels," she said in a huff. "I'm being torn in two."

  "Me too," Grace said sounding pained. "What should we do?"

  "Embrace them. Your gems!"

  This came from Louis, sounding worse for wear but alive from where he stood a few yards away.

  Justice's eyes locked on to mine, and in those wide jewel-like depths, I saw the fear and worry there. "I got you," I told her, determined that no matter what, those words would be the truth. "Shine bright, Princess."

  Just like Tyson, she found her peace with the decision that was made for her. Light exploded o
ut of her hands, brilliantly red, just like her gem, and the flash of glitter told me the diamond princess was working too.

  "Hold on to your fucking hats," Tyson shouted, and I braced myself, drawing deeper on the elements that grounded me, my feet strong and firm, my determination unparalleled.

  A dragon roared, flames sweeping along the barrier just as it exploded, blasting all of us back. My energy crackled and fizzled, and as Tyson predicted, I couldn't feel my brothers as we flew through the air.

  Thank fuck I still felt Justice, in that corner of my mind that she occupied.

  Air responded, slower than usual due to pure exhaustion, but it was enough to slow our fall. My arms wrapped around her, cushioning the ground as we slammed into it.

  "Omph," she groaned, rolling off me and grasping her ribs. "Fuck's sake, that's not a fun way to break a barrier."

  "We broke it at least." Jessa coughed as she pulled herself to her feet. "And the dragon is not too happy about it."

  He wasn't.

  Flying miles above our heads, focused on his task of neutralizing the ley line, up until this moment it hadn’t been clear if he knew what we were doing. But he damn well knew now.

  Tyson got a magical shield up in time to ward off the blast of fire that was zooming toward us. The heat was intense, but none of us got fried.

  "We're going to shift," Braxton shouted, and I used the wind to wrap around our mates, acting as invisible hands of power, lifting them up and away from us.

  All of them screamed in protest, but four dragons shifting next to them was a recipe for squashed supe. You ready, buddy?

  He surged up, through my exhausted energy and the niggling pain in my chest at the loss of the brother-bond. My beast mourned it as well, but there was no hesitation as he rose to the surface, desperate to be free.

  There was a sense of a simpler life when one shed the supernatural and embraced the dragon. As my body shattered, my soul grew larger to encompass the giant beast. The first flap of wings sent a rush of adrenaline through me, and even though my magic had been greatly depleted, I no longer felt slow or tired.