The circle protected Morgan from him, but it also protected Aiden from Morgan. If I destroy the circle, he’ll kill me.
Morgan’s dark, dark eyes danced with amusement. He was going to win. Morgan would open the pathways, and they were all going to die. Aiden was going to stand there helpless while he did it, just like he’d huddled behind a speaker at prom while extremists attacked his friends.
No! I have to stop him. I have to be brave. Fighting off his fear was like trying to swim through tar.
Aiden forced his hand up to touch the magical barrier. “Morfran ap Nos.” His voice was hardly more than a whisper.
Morgan took a step back, tracing a symbol in the air. The last symbol.
Crap, what had Morgan said? “Power… Let your power be disrupted.” At the same time, Aiden pushed with his magic.
With a bright flash, the circle disappeared.
Morgan grabbed him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. “Now I have you.” His cold fingers dug into Aiden’s neck, cutting off his breath. Aiden clawed at Morgan’s arm desperately, legs kicking.
A stream of fire hit Morgan. The dark fae cried out in pain and anger, dropping Aiden.
All Aiden could do for a few seconds was suck in precious air. Someone was shouting his name, but he couldn’t think beyond the shock and the primal need to breathe.
“Now!” Dylan screamed. The warm familiarity of his magic brushed through Aiden’s mind, and bright orange light flared.
The cold loneliness of Morgan’s power scraped through Aiden, and he looked up. Dylan was trying to hold the dark fae off, fire swirling around him. Things snapped into focus. Aiden stumbled to his feet, reaching for the dagger hidden at his side. He was deeply, desperately afraid, and the panic carried him forward.
Morgan turned.
Aiden plunged the dagger into his throat.
Blinding purple light hit Aiden, and he flew back.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
“Aiden!” Dylan couldn’t move fast enough as the spell sent Aiden crashing to the ground. Except he didn’t crash. A nearly invisible spell caught him, lowering Aiden gently to the street.
Dylan glanced over to see Nuala watching. Behind her, his mom was still out cold, and it made his heart clench. Dylan hurried to check on Aiden, his legs almost giving out. Damn, he hated being so weak.
Aiden pushed himself up with a groan. “Is he dead?” His voice sounded raw.
Dylan looked back at the crumpled form of Morgan. The fae had managed to pull the dagger from his neck, but blood gushed from the wound as he made gasping, gurgling noises. Flashes of magic popped around his hands as if he was trying to form a spell and couldn’t.
“Not yet.” Dylan gathered the last bit of his power and threw a fireball at Morgan.
It knocked him onto his back, covering his body in flames. The horrible stench of burning flesh filled the air. Morgan thrashed a few times, then went still.
Dylan tried to help Aiden up, but he didn’t even have enough strength to keep himself standing. Aiden had to almost drag him the few feet to Nuala and Dylan’s mom. Nuala spread the barrier over all of them as Dylan sagged to the ground beside Aiden.
They all turned to watch Morgan’s body burn, making sure he didn’t get up.
Dylan shifted around to check on his mom. Touching her face gently, he asked, “Is she okay?” Her heart was beating, she was breathing, but she still looked terrible.
“Her injuries are extensive. She will need time or a healer of greater skill than I. But she will live, young dragonkin.”
He wanted to cry. He’d almost lost her. Dylan had always seen his mom as invincible, and to see her broken like this tore something inside him.
“The others.” Aiden looked around.
Dylan realized Aiden didn’t know. “They’re fighting each other.”
“What?”
“The dark fae and the extremists… Some of the extremists…” Dylan shook his head. It wasn’t clear exactly what was going on. “Anyway, killing the Rhodeses must have set them off.” The gruesome way Dalton’s parents had died was sharp in his mind. Dylan could almost feel sorry for them. Almost.
Spells flew all around as the fighting spilled over into the area where Morgan’s circle had been. The sky rippled with light and then winked out. The purple glow of the dark fae’s barrier disappeared.
“Wow,” Aiden said. “Does that mean—?”
Tiago came barreling toward them in jaguar form. He nearly ran into the barrier before Aiden told Nuala to drop it and let him in. Tiago bumped his big feline head against Aiden before shifting into human form. Then they were kissing each other like they were trying to climb inside each other’s mouths.
Where was Sakura?
A little spike of fear went through him. There was a lot of fighting going on out there. What if she got caught in the crossfire? What if she was dying on the street and he was sitting here useless? Dylan didn’t think he could even light a campfire right now, much less fight. It was all he could do to keep from passing out.
“Dylan!”
He whipped his head around too fast, a wave of dizziness washing over him. Blinking away the dark spots, he saw Sakura running toward him, fox tails streaming behind her. Izume was with her. They ducked to avoid a spell, and Sakura turned slightly, like she was thinking of fighting whoever had thrown it. But then she focused back on Dylan.
She and Izume reached them, and Nuala recast the shield spell to keep them all protected under the glimmering dome of magic. “The barrier is down. The others can get through now,” Izume said.
Dylan tried to get up, but his body refused. Sakura got down on her knees and hugged him tight.
Tears burned in his eyes as he squeezed her back. They were all safe. Why was he crying now?
Sakura pulled back to look at him. She smiled as she wiped a trail of moisture from his cheek. “Worried about me?”
“Nah,” he lied before pulling her into a kiss.
A few of the extremists and dark fae realized they were there and attacked, but Nuala’s barrier held against everything they tried. Mostly the two factions were interested in trying to kill each other.
A few minutes later, Mr. Johnson showed up with a group of others. “Where’s Morgan?”
“Dead,” Dylan told him.
Aiden pointed to the charred skeleton several feet away. He’d given Tiago his coat and still clung to his boyfriend.
Mr. Johnson closed his eyes, shoulders slumping as he let out a breath.
“It’s over.” Aiden sounded like he couldn’t quite believe it. Then he said it again, his voice firm. “It’s over.”
* * *
Aiden slide-stepped down into the gravel pit. Dylan was already waiting, sitting on one of the large, flat rocks next to the fire. “Excited for graduation tomorrow?” Aiden asked him.
“They’re actually gonna do it.” Dylan snorted laughter. “I can’t believe they’re certifying me.”
“You earned it. More than earned it.”
“No one should have to earn freedom.” Dylan glared into the fire.
“So, are you excited for vacation?” Aiden asked, trying to distract him.
The corner of Dylan’s mouth turned up. “Except for the part where we have to go with our parents.”
“Don’t think of it like it’s a bad thing. They deserve a vacation too.” They’d all been through enough the past few years. “Besides, we won’t be with them all the time. We can go off and do stuff on our own.” They were spending a week in Florida and then spending another week in Yellowstone.
“When you aren’t sneaking off to make out with Tiago?”
Aiden knew he meant it as a tease. “I’m sorry Sakura couldn’t come.” Her parents had already planned a family vacation of their own.
Dylan waved a hand. “It’s fine. I don’t mind having Cat Boy along. Or your brother.”
“I feel weird leaving Nuala here alone.” All the other light fae had gone back to Faer
y after the battle, taking the dark fae who hadn’t been killed along with them. Nuala and Aiden’s human brother had decided to stay, at least for a while. The council had agreed to allow it due to Nuala’s role in stopping Morgan, but she had to stay in Shadow Valley. Oisin, being a mundane human, wasn’t subject to the laws governing supernaturals, so he could leave if he wanted.
Bryn and Joe had practically insisted Nuala and Oisin stay with them. Besides being a gesture of gratitude, they had plenty of space in their huge house, and Aiden got the feeling they were thrilled to have guests. Dylan had taken a liking to Nuala, though whether it was for Aiden’s sake or not, Aiden didn’t know. Dylan’s and Aiden’s families had been spending a lot of time together lately, with Tiago and Sakura sometimes joining them. It was good to see the big dining room table at Dylan’s house full of people.
“Eh, she’ll be fine. If she gets bored, there’re plenty of people that want to talk to her.”
And plenty of people who were afraid of her. Not everyone was pleased to have a full-blooded fae in town, especially after what just happened. Aiden didn’t really believe she was in physical danger, but he didn’t want to leave her alone in a hostile environment.
Besides, she was here for him. How could he abandon her after she’d left behind everything she knew for his sake?
“Dude, if you back out on this, I’m gonna be super pissed.”
Aiden looked over at his friend and smiled. “I’m not backing out. I don’t want to miss your first ever vacation.” It would also be Aiden’s first vacation with his human brother. His parents’ first vacation with Oisin too.
Mom and Dad had greeted Oisin with hugs and tears. They hadn’t seen him since he was born, hadn’t known he and Aiden had been switched until four years ago. It would be nice for all of them to spend time together away from the weirdness of Shadow Valley.
“You mean you want to make sure I don’t get in trouble.” Dylan bumped his shoulder.
Aiden laughed. He looked into the fire for a while, thinking about how everything was changing. When they got back from vacation, they’d take the test to officially become wardens. At first they’d be assigned to something local, but Mr. Johnson was already talking about sending them out. A number of people who had escaped during the prison break were still unaccounted for.
At the end of summer, Tiago was going off to college. He’d talked about staying, about joining the wardens, but Aiden knew that wasn’t what he wanted. The thought of not seeing Tiago every day ate him up inside, but they weren’t breaking up. There would be holidays and summer break, and in a few years maybe Aiden could join him. Even if Aiden had to stay a warden the whole time, four years wasn’t forever.
“Hey, what are you so broody for?”
“Just thinking.” Aiden shrugged. “High school is over.”
“And that makes you sad? Shit, I’ve been waiting for it to be over since day one.”
“But there were good things about it too. Right?”
“Well, meeting you and stuff, yeah.”
“Oh my God. You’re so sentimental I can barely stand it.” Aiden rolled his eyes.
Dylan laughed and pulled him into a rough hug. “Yeah, yeah.” Then his expression turned serious. “You know I hate the idea of being a warden, but if I have to be a warden, I’m glad you’re my partner.” Mr. Johnson had promised to keep them together, and not just by word. There was already a note in both their files. “I was really ready to die to bring the light fae here.”
“I know.” Aiden hated thinking about it. Dylan ripping his arm open, bleeding out.
“I just thought…”
“Trying to make up for what you did. I know. Don’t ever do that again. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.” Aiden wrapped his arms around Dylan. “I love you.”
He expected Dylan to push him away, tease him and laugh. But Dylan hugged him back, their heads resting on each other’s shoulders. “I love you too.”
For a long moment they held each other. “What, no jokes?” Aiden slowly pulled away.
“I’m gonna let it slide, just this once.”
* * * * * *
Thank you for reading Dylan and Aiden's story. I hope you enjoyed the Shadow Valley series.
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I stood on the docks, looking out at the ship that would take me away from everything I’d ever known. Next to me was the bag I’d been allowed to pack. I’d filled it with books and paper instead of clothes because I hated almost everything in my closet. I was wearing my favorite pair of pants, the denim worn thin in places.
I didn’t have a choice—well, no, technically I did. The alternative was to be sent to the camp, but for me that was no choice at all. Rachel had decided to go there after we were caught kissing. The counselors there would “fix” her, make her normal so she liked boys and would marry some guy and pop out babies.
The thought of that filled me with terror, so I’d chosen exile to the islands.
My parents stood next to me, crying. Men weren’t supposed to cry, but they would never see me again. It was like I was dying, and death was something it was okay for men to cry about. My dad hugged me awkwardly; then my mom squeezed me tight.
“This is for the best,” she said. I wondered if she was trying to convince herself. “You’ll be happier there, with… with your own kind.”
Gay people. Lesbians specifically. There were two big islands out there, one for the gay men and one for the lesbians. Long ago, the exile was started as a humane way to deal with unnatural people. Some had argued for execution, or jail, or for the camp as the only solution. The islands meant no one had to be killed and people like me wouldn’t be around to corrupt the good, honest Christians.
If being Christian meant following all their rules and being a miserable shell of a person, then I would rather go to Hell. My parents had begged me to bring a Bible with me in the hopes that I’d repent my sinful nature and turn to Christ. I could never come back to the mainland, but they thought that while I was alive there was hope. I hated my parents and loved them in equal measure. They meant well, but they’d never understood me and had tried to make me conform, make me into a proper lady. With every fiber of my being, I didn’t want to be a lady. I hated dresses and long hair and wore pants as often as I could. At school, girls had to wear dresses or skirts, and I hated every second of it. The only thing worse was dressing up for church. Looking into the mirror on those days was like looking at an alien.
When I got home from school or church, I’d strip off the clothes as fast as I could. I wished I could strip off my skin as easily, shed this prison I was trapped in.
For as long as I could remember, I’d wanted to be a boy. I was sure God had made some mistake, put my soul into the wrong body. But my parents and the church insisted that God didn’t make mistakes, that I was wrong. But if God made me this way, why? Was he cruel? Jesus was supposed to love me but only if I followed all the rules. If not, I’d get sent to Hell and suffer for all eternity. What kind of love was that?
So I decided God was cruel and not worth worshipping. That made me a prideful, doomed sinner, but I didn’t care.
Especially not today.
“I’ll miss you so much.” Mom hugged me again.
I was bitter and scared and wanted to lash out, but this was the last time I’d ever see her, so I hugged her back. “Me too.”
Two men in black uniforms approached. “It’s time to go, ma’am.”
“Are you sure you won’t change your mind?” Dad asked. “You coul
d go to the camp—”
“No.” The people there would take away everything that made me me. I’d become an obedient puppet, a good girl who prayed and loved Jesus. I hated Rachel for choosing that. It was like betraying me, betraying herself. She believed what we’d done was wrong, and that meant she thought I was wrong.
Just like my parents did.
“Maybe you’ll see Abby,” my mom said. “Let her know her parents still love her and they pray for her every day.”
My cousin Abby had chosen to go to the island a year ago. My family didn’t talk about it much, and when we got together for holidays or other occasions, her parents had this drawn, haunted look about them. Like they were ghosts. I’d admired her bravery and had debated following in her footsteps. But it’s not easy to leave your whole life behind, even when you’re miserable.
And here I was anyway. I think some part of me knew I’d always end up here. I was too willful to bow to their rules. I’d always gotten in trouble for being too loud, too quiet, too much of a bookworm, too willing to share my opinions. Wrong. I was always wrong.
Maybe on the island I’d finally be right.
I gave my parents yet another hug and lifted my bag with a grunt. It was too heavy with all the books, but I had to carry it myself. My parents weren’t allowed on the dock or the ship, and the guards weren’t going to help me, only make sure I got on.
Several feet away, a small crowd had gathered to watch me go. Some family, a few friends. Gawkers and parents who’d brought their children as a lesson—don’t be gay, or you’ll be exiled too.
Lugging my suitcase, I followed the guards down the dock and onto the gangplank. We lived inland, the trip here taking a full day. I’d been to the ocean a few times on vacation, only once on a boat. Now I was getting on a huge ship, and we’d go out over that vast water until the land disappeared. Until everything disappeared.
Dragonkin Are from Mars, Changelings Are from Venus Page 17
