James laughed as he got to his feet and dusted himself off. “What happened to your sense of adventure? The Academy has made you soft.”
Lily rolled her eyes skyward. “There’s a difference between being adventurous and being reckless.”
Killian interrupted then, asking the question I had been about to ask myself. “What are you doing here? Portal magic was banned years ago when Finn opened up a portal to the Malice Realm.”
Malice Realm?
I didn’t need to be a realm expert to know that probably wasn’t a place to visit for vacation.
Lilly nodded gravely, seriousness taking over her face as she reached into her pocket and held out a piece of paper. “We tracked Vivi’s necklace to find you. It’s all explained in here. I think it’s best if you read it first.” Her eyes darted to me, concern in her expression.
Nervousness filled my stomach while Killian took the note. His expression darkened as he read, which only served to make my anxiety worse. He frowned when he was done and then met my eyes.
“What does it say?” I asked him, trying to stay calm until I knew the situation. He solemnly handed me the note without saying anything.
I took the letter, looking at all of them warily before I focused on it. Solstice leaned from my shoulder, nipping at the corner of the page. I gently nudged her back.
“Are you already hungry again?” I asked, rubbing the long line of her snout. She chirped in response. “We’ll get you more to eat soon,” I promised. All that flight training had probably worked up an appetite, but right now we had a situation on our hands to deal with.
I turned my attention back to the letter, skimming the dark words as dread filled my stomach. I glanced up at Lily and James as soon as I finished. “My mother has been taken hostage?”
Lily winced, twisting her hands together, “Not exactly. There’s more to it than that. She went to Vyorin as neutral ground to talk to Zelda.”
I bristled. “Why would my mother willingly go talk to Zelda?” The dragon in human form had nearly killed us all.
“She’s is the Queen of Avalon’s right hand,” Lily said. “She wasn’t going to leave the Academy empty-handed. We’re guessing that if she had, she’d be as good as dead for her failure, so your mother agreed to go willing as leverage if they left the Academy alone.”
“Leverage for what?” I asked.
Lily glanced at Solstice who’d started preening my hair.
“She’s not getting Solstice,” I snapped. My mother wouldn’t have gone with the Wild Dragons if she hadn’t had a plan.
“That’s not what she wants,” James interjected. He crossed his arms, his tattoos rippling over his toned forearms. “At least, not when she learned that you’d come here.”
I frowned. “I thought they wanted Solstice because they needed a fledgling queen?”
“They want humanity,” Killian interjected. “Lily is actually a Queen of the purebloods herself. Purebloods are dragons who can turn into humans at will. She can gift other dragons that power, or at least, she should be able to, so the Queen of Avalon wants to study her and any like her, yes. Apparently, though, they’ve already got a pureblood on their side because Zelda was human, and that’s likely not the last we’ll find. This must be about something else.”
Lily nodded. “I’ve met other human dragons before, but they were called rogues and they were permanently human. There were Hovakim, too, humans who traded their souls to worship the dragons in hopes that they or their future generations would be able to become dragons. Nobody seems happy with their current state, I tell you.”
James nudged her side and wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m very happy.”
Lily glowered at him, rolling her eyes before turning back to me. She pointed to the bottom of the note that I’d skipped after reading my mother had been taken hostage. “They want someone named Max Green in exchange for your mother. Do you know him?”
I furrowed my brow at her, confusion swirling through me, “What? Why would they want Max?”
Lily shrugged, “I was hoping you could tell us.” She glanced at the privacy fence when a shadow passed by. “Can we go inside to discuss this?”
“Uh, yeah,” I gestured to the back door that was still open. “Right through there.”
Killian grabbed me by the arm. “Who is Max?” he asked, enunciating his words very carefully.
I froze. Oh boy, this is not going to be fun to explain…
I shuffled from foot to foot, wracking my brain for a delicate way to tell him. He narrowed his pale eyes at me and crossed his arms, “Who is he, Vivi? I will not compete with another male.”
“What? No! Killian…” I hesitated for a moment. “Max is the boy who tried to drown me.”
He stared at me, his whitewashed eyes shimmering with pure rage.
Well, this wasn’t going to be pretty.
Killian paced behind me in the kitchen, muttering furiously to himself as I poured four steaming mugs of coffee from the fresh pot I had just made.
And after telling him everything that had happened between Max and me. Not a fun tale, one that involved violation, near death, and an encounter with the Lady of the Lake that almost hadn’t ended well.
While my fated mate brooded with murderous fury, I raised my cup to my nose and inhaled, my eyelids fluttering as the dark roast scent hit my senses.
The smell of coffee had always been a comfort to me. It brought back memories of a warm Saturday morning with my parents. Now, the memory brought a pang of grief with it. It was just me here, without them both, but my mother still had a chance. I wasn’t going to let her down.
Solstice’s ears perked as she sniffed. I moved the cup out of range before she took a bite out of the ceramic.
Killian stormed across the living room behind me, not looking to calm down anytime soon. I held out the cup to him as a peace offering and he glowered at me.
“You didn’t tell me,” he growled, an underlying tone of hurt hidden beneath a wave of anger.
He had a right to be angry. I had hidden something from him, but it had been for his own protection, as well as mine. If he caused chaos in the human realm, it would not end well for either of us.
“For one, it’s none of your business,” I said, shooting up a finger.
“None of my business?” he asked incredulously. “You are my mate. If someone wishes you harm, it is most certainly my business.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I shot up a second finger. “That brings me to my second point, which is as your mate I knew you’d react like this.” It sounded like the excuse it was, but I didn’t regret my decision. “This is Earth, Killian. You can’t just go around killing humans.” Because after what Max did, Killian would definitely try to kill him. The Nephilim didn’t know anything else. Punishment would be swift and violent in his world. There was no in-between.
“The rules are different here,” I insisted when Killian simply glared at me with murder in his eyes—precisely why I didn’t want him anywhere near Max with a look like that on his face.
I glanced at Lily for support. She and James watched us, their expressions matching masks of misery, clearly wishing they were anywhere else. I handed them cups of coffee to occupy them—Lily giving me a weak smile. By the look of sheer delight on her face after she took a sip, she missed coffee as much as I did.
“Tell her I’m right,” Killian snapped at James. “You lived in this world. How do humans deal with their worst? Kidnappers and ra—”
James shot up a hand. “I’m upset too, Killian, but we can’t lose focus. We need to know what the Wild Dragons want with this human, regardless of what he’s done.” He leaned in, threading his fingers as he rested his elbows on his thighs. “Think about it. We find out what the Wild Dragons want with him. Then, one possibility is that it’s nothing to worry about and we hand him over. In that case, he’ll meet his fate and we get Vivi’s mother back.”
Killian sniffed at that idea, the flare in his eyes sayi
ng he’d find that a fitting punishment. “That’s the preferred outcome.”
Lily set her coffee onto the side table. “Or, there’s a reason we have to keep him,” she said, voicing the alternative. “In which case he will be dealt with by the Dean.”
And my mother would be on her own while the Dean dealt with Max.
We all shivered at the thought of being at the Dean’s mercy, an ancient Viking who had a penchant for swords.
Killian’s shoulders lowered. “Well, I suppose we can focus on the task at hand. For now.” He glanced down when I offered him the coffee again, in desperate need of a distraction no matter which route we wound up taking. He glared at the offering. “What is that and why is it black? Are you trying to poison me?”
“It’s coffee,” I said as Topaz sniffed at it and Solstice growled. I swatted at her. “Our wyverns seem to like it. Why don’t you give it a try?”
He gave me a raised brow. “It looks disgusting.”
“Trust me,” I said on a laugh, forcing the cup on him.
He lifted to his nose and his nostrils flared. “Smells interesting,” he agreed.
I nodded, waving him on with encouragement.
He took a small sip, all the while his gaze remained locked onto mine. His face transformed into a grimace as he spat it out and wiped his mouth. “You are trying to kill me!”
Topaz trilled with interest as Killian held out the cup, skittering down his arm to dunk his snout into the mug.
“Topaz seems to like it,” Lily pointed out with a laugh.
The wyvern slurped away at it happily, making contented gurgles.
Solstice chirped at me with complaint, so I sighed and offered her my mug. She drained it in seconds. “Pace yourself, girl,” I said, chuckling.
James cleared his throat. “So, tell us more about Max. We need to figure out why the Wild Dragons want him before we can decide what to do with him. He is human, right?”
Human? I thought. Theoretically, sure, but after what Max had done, groping me and nearly drowning me, he was anything but to me.
“He’s a monster,” I murmured.
Killian’s gaze darkened as Solstice keened.
As though she could feel my mood sour, Solstice nuzzled my neck right over a ticklish spot. I laughed, rubbing the sweet wyvern in gratitude.
I set my coffee mug down onto the table and Solstice flapped down to the table, sniffed at it, then voiced her complaint when she found it empty.
Topaz chirped at her, scampering down onto the table and inching over towards my cup now that Killian’s had been drained.
“He’s a monster, yes, but also human,” Killian decided.
James gave his a raised brow. “What makes you say that?”
Killian kept my gaze locked on his as he recounted his interpretation of my story. “He wanted something from Vivi, but if he’d actually wanted her dead, he wouldn’t have brought her to the water where the Lady of the Lake knew to watch for her. She’s always been on the Academy’s recruitment list, but thanks to her mother she had no idea she was supposed to meet with the Lady of the Lake anyway.”
The accusation in Killian’s tone made me bristle. “My parents are the only reason I’m still alive,” I growled. My father had given his life to protect me from all this supernatural crap. Maybe it was to keep me away from the Academy, or maybe it was to keep me off of the Wild Dragons’ radar for as long as possible. I had a sneaking suspicion of who had killed him now, and I meant to get even.
The memory of the night when my goddess blood had activated burned itself into my mind, having come to me during the feverish fit when I had bonded Solstice’s empty egg. Retrieving my wyvern’s lost soul had nearly killed me, but surviving it had taught me a lot—such as my destiny was so terrible, my parents were willing to die to protect me from it.
I’d already lost one parent. I had no intention of losing another.
“My mother is a hostage and we’re going to get her back,” I said, giving Killian a level stare. He had to know I was serious about this, regardless of what Max deserved. This wasn’t about a dumb jock from Oakland High. This was about my family.
“We are,” Killian agreed, “starting with figuring out why the Wild Dragons want this human in the first place.” He tilted his head as if something occurred to him. “You say he forced you under the water.” His irises burned with inner heat at that statement and all that it implied, but he had a point to make. “That’s the only reason you came to the Academy in the first place, isn’t it?”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. I hadn’t considered that Max was the only reason I’d gotten into all this mess. It wasn’t some sort of twisted destiny or fate, but Max’s arms shoving me into the water and driving me to the Lady of the Lake, and into this new life where I’d been on the run with few breaks in-between.
“Although his actions are monstrous,” Killian continued, “he’s human. At least, from what I can tell.” He turned to James. “Why don’t we just hand him over to the Wild Dragons, then?” Murder glazed over his eyes. “That would be a better fate than what I would do to him,” he balled his hands until his knuckles turned white.
Lily clutched the arms of her chair; her nails having extended to claws. Her eyes flashed gold as she considered Killian’s proposal. “Unfortunately, we can’t just hand him over without knowing why they want him, even if he is mortal.” She squirmed in her seat, as if struggling with the logic of her statement. “Though, I would like nothing more than to rip him to shreds, if I’m being honest.”
James listened to the conversation all while he rested his elbows on his knees. He clasped his hands, his expression turning grave. “Lily’s right. That’s why we’re here. We could have delivered a message to you using far less magic than portaling in, but the Dean knew this was important enough to send reinforcements.” He glanced at me, his blue gaze intense. “You mom can’t stay with the dragons, especially when they have likely figured out what she is by now. They won’t give her up in an honest trade even if we did hand over this human. I can’t imagine what would be more valuable than a full-blooded descended of the goddess.”
I scratched the burning swirl on my left shoulder, the birthmark having come alive since our return to Earth. Dragonrider Academy uniforms typically kept it covered, and at times I forgot about it, but now in a loose t-shirt I was painfully aware of what my lineage entailed.
“It doesn’t make sense,” I agreed.
“They might not be able to use her like they could use you,” Lily said, her skin shimmering with ruby tones as scales threatened to erupt over her body. She drew in a deep breath as if to calm herself from transitioning. “A full-blood is a powerful resource, and in full control of their gifs. But a Halfling?” She glanced at me, her pupils dilating into slits. “Your power is less protected, in that way. Dragons are a parasitic species, at their core, and they will eventually find a way to use it to their advantage. Maybe this is just an elaborate trap to get you back into their clutches.” Her gaze shimmered with heat as if she spoke from experience. Being a dragon herself, I knew she meant every word.
“Then why don’t they just come for me? Why this ruse to trade my mother for a human?”
“Oh, they want him,” Killian concluded. “There are multiple angles at play here. We need more information.”
“But my mother—” I began.
“Your mother knows how to fight back,” Lily cut in. “She’d rather die than give up her magic, if she’s truly a descendent of the goddess. They won’t get anything from her and until they have you, they’ll keep her alive.”
Solstice keened as panic threatened to swarm through my body, reducing me into a useless pile of flesh.
Killian took my hand and warmth chased away the cold, the power of our shared rider bond mixing with the golden magic of my lineage.
Urgency filled me, bursting through in a desperate statement. “Then we have to do something!”
Lily nodded. “Agr
eed, which is why we’re going to go undercover at this high school of yours and get to the bottom of it.”
Frowning, I tugged Killian closer to my side, not wanting to let go of his encouragement just yet. “How? We can’t just waltz into the school. I disappeared, remember?”
Lily grinned, small fangs poking from her lips. “I’m a Dragon Queen, remember? I’ve come a long way from my human days.” She glanced at James, who gave her a knowing smile. “Dragonrider Academy is a unique place, one that has taught me how to use my gifts. I’m able to use basic compulsion enchantments.”
James hummed in agreement. “She’ll be able to convince the staff that we’re students, as well as place a fog over the school to encourage a general disinterest of our presence. Knights of the Silver Order have dragon allies and have solicited such services.”
Lily snorted. “You sure did stand out to me at Nimrock High. You must have not used a very powerful dragon.”
He tilted his head. “That’s because you’re my Queen. There’s no fooling you, even if my mother had hired out a rogue in exchange for amnesty.” He rubbed his chin, his tattoos peeking out from under his sleeve. “Evelyn’s a powerful dragon with the amount of loyal Hovakim in her nest, but apparently not powerful enough.”
Killian and I glanced at each other, an unspoken conversation seeming to go on between us.
Even if Lily could convince the school that we belonged there, Killian would no doubt blow our cover in two seconds flat.
My anxiety trilled in the back of my mind as Killian’s thumb stroked my knuckles. Our gazes went to our wyverns who were now tumbling over the floor fighting over the last drop of coffee. After the copious amount of caffeine they’d already had, I doubted they’d nap today like they usually did.
I doubted Lily’s compulsion could hide Solstice and Topaz, and we couldn’t very well leave them here. No telling what kind of trouble they’d get into.
I rubbed my temple, which was starting the throb. “And what do you propose we do about them?”
Dragonrider Academy: Episode 5 Page 2
