by L J Andrews
“Feel better?” Gaia smirked.
Teagan nodded and shrugged his shoulder a few times. “Yes, a lot.”
“There are more that are injured, I could use both of you to help me tend to wounds. Athika and Rochelle are already helping,” Gaia said, looking to both Teagan and me.
We followed close behind, splitting off when we found those who might need our help. Amber was sitting by Ced and Magnus. The lindworm warrior was unharmed, but Ced’s shoulder was bloodied and seemed to be burning from the inside out. Ced’s forehead was beading in sweat when I reached his side. Rochelle pressed her hand against his shoulder, and I quickly joined her.
“Ah, Jade, your touch hurts,” Ced muttered. His voice was weak and dripping with agony.
“Well, your wound isn’t easy to fix. You have a lot of elemental energy rushing you right now, so just grit your teeth and hold on,” I grumbled, digging my fingers in his thrashed skin to heal whatever was injured inside.
Ced chuckled, though it turned into a coughing spell. “I feel like that is Jade’s way of telling me I’m a weakling,” he said to Magnus.
The warrior scoffed, but I thought I saw a smile beneath his wiry beard.
Ced took a long time, with great effort from Rochelle and me. An elemental mage joined in when Rochelle had to rest on her knees. With the added help, finally the prince’s skin closed, and he was left with angry webbing along his shoulder, but he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank you,” he said to all of us. Rochelle smiled, but the third mage huffed and stomped away.
“It will take time, Ced,” Amber offered when he slumped back against the ground.
“Yes, I suppose it will.”
There was a heaviness in his words, and I suppose my people didn’t realize Ced had just aided in the death of his brother and more of his people. I’d learned quickly that any wyvern deaths caused Prince Ced an infectious remorse in his soul, as though each one were his fault.
Close to Ced I saw Laina. The woman was huddled in a tight ball. In between her shoulders she was bleeding, but the way her body heaved, I knew she was hurting in more ways than just the open wound.
“Laina,” I whispered, kneeling at her side. “You’re injured. I am going to try and heal you.” My energy was fading. First, the battle, now healing when I wasn’t a mage. I’d always been grateful for my ability to heal, but tonight it didn’t seem quite enough.
“Just let me suffer,” she gasped.
“Laina, why would you say such a thing?”
“What sort of mother fights against her son only to watch him die?” she sobbed.
“Laina, I’m so sorry you lost Olc,” I whispered, though inside I felt she lost her son the moment he left her for Nag. Without waiting for an invitation, I placed my hands along her shoulders and soothed the bleeding first, before her skin tugged together.
I glanced over my shoulder and startled a bit when Teagan stood behind me. His face was contorted in pain, though I didn’t think it was from his injury. His eyes were locked on Laina—he was still covered in her son’s blood.
Laina rolled over, as though sensing his presence. Her eyes were filled with such grief, even my heart began to mourn for the loss of the fallen lindworm prince. I feared she might lash against Teagan, or in his rage, Teagan might say something crass about Olc.
I should have had more faith in both of them.
Laina covered her face, and though I knew Teagan despised lindworms, he knelt down, his hand resting on her shoulder. “I’m sorry for…what…part I played tonight.”
“You would say that to me?” she gasped. “A lindworm? The mother of the man who tried to slaughter those you love. Why?”
He furrowed his brow, but only inched closer. “Because I know what it feels like to lose everything you care about too. I wish it could have been different. I just thought you should know.”
Teagan brushed his hand over my shoulder when he stood, but didn’t say anything more. Laina eyed him with disbelief as he left.
“I thought…” She shook her head and stared at the ground.
“What?” I encouraged.
Her glassy eyes met mine, and for a brief moment, she sat a little taller. “As Olc’s mother, I was so sure…I would pay for his crimes against your people. It is Nag’s way, as you know—punish the entire family. I never thought I’d get…sympathy, let alone an apology, from his killer.”
I smiled and brushed her long hair from her shoulders, glancing at Teagan, who was speaking with Sapphire now. “Well, there is more good in our race than what you know from Nag, Laina. And I would daresay you’ve never met someone quite like Teagan Ward. I think he will surprise you in more ways than tonight.”
“There are many who surprised us.” I glanced up and saw Tao, the warrior who’d argued with Thane. He nodded his head, his dark hair damp against his forehead. “My queen. Were you injured?”
“No,” I replied cautiously. There was a definite snarl in his expression, and I knew he was against my kindness toward Laina by the way he glared at the woman. “Thank you. Were you?”
“No, but I slashed through one or two serpents.” His eyes locked with Laina’s, and he smirked arrogantly.
“Perhaps we could speak away from here,” I said sharply. “There are those trying to heal.”
“No matter, Highness,” he said bitterly. ‘I know you wish to protect the snake’s feelings. It’s certainly a good thing none of our people were killed.”
“I hope we all will become one people.”
Tao scoffed. “I do not share your optimism, my queen. All I can hope in this moment is that the throne will always place the needs of its loyal people above our enemies.”
“That was my vow,” I snapped. “That is what I will always do.”
Tao smiled and bowed his head low. “I would not doubt it.”
I watched Tao stalk toward a huddle of warriors, leaving me with the sick feeling there was more damage done to the elementals tonight than perhaps even the lindworms.
Teagan told me the warriors lived in a cave, so when we arrived at the dark, open mouth just as the sun was rising, I don’t know why I was so surprised. Ced and the lindworms were bound the moment we gathered around the cave. The day was cold, but there was the breath of spring on the horizon, and it lifted my spirits, even if I hated the way the lindworms were marched around the opening. I hoped there was another way inside and that they weren’t going to be left out in the cold. If so, I would overrule that immediately.
I nearly burst from my skin when I saw Eisha standing at the mouth of the cave. She shrieked in delight and rushed toward me, scooping her arms around my neck in a suffocating embrace.
“Jade,” she breathed. “I didn’t…how did they find you?”
“We unknowingly were after the same stone,” I chuckled.
Eisha’s brows furrowed, and she wrinkled her nose when Teagan walked by still covered in the smelly blood. “What happened?”
“Lindworms,” Teagan snapped. “Oh, and we have a few coming to stay with us.”
I narrowed my eyes at Teagan’s foul mood. No one had eaten or slept in nearly two days, and his shoulder was healed but not painless. Eisha glanced at me for clarity. “I’ll explain everything. I think Teagan needs a nap and a bath.”
He chuckled but removed the jade blades from his back and huffed into the cave. Eisha linked arms with me and drew me into the cave. Inside was massive and filled with rambunctious energy from mages and warriors alike. I saw small children with earthy marks just beginning on their skin. I saw wrinkled men and women covered in the armor. Each studied me curiously, but eventually would nod their heads respectfully whether they knew who I was or not.
Athika was walking toward me, and my chest tightened. She grinned at Eisha before looking to me. “Jade, I thought I could show you where we can clean up. There’s everything you’ll need.”
I smiled, giving Eisha a cautious glance that hopefully relayed to come find me if
I wound up missing, and followed Athika.
A wave of relief passed over my shoulders when I saw Ruby and Amber in a sudsy hot spring, scrubbing away the grime and blood from the battle. Athika wasn’t shy and soon stripped her dingy clothes and sank deep into the water. Her hair was crimped from braids, and when she released her waves around her shoulders, I saw how much black blood had dripped in her golden hair.
The water was soothing—I enjoyed the natural hot spring—and something about the cave attached to some primal wyvern instinct inside. I could stay here quite comfortably. I scrubbed every inch of me, staying hidden in the suds but feeling completely relaxed. Rochelle stalked in after some time carrying piles of clothes. She didn’t look ruffled in the least and had already changed into a long yellow robe that matched her armor well.
“Here you go,” she said with a smile. “Gaia had me bring these to you. Jade, Teagan was looking for you.”
Ruby smirked and Amber twitched her eyebrows as I wrapped myself in a scratchy towel.
“So, things have settled back as they were?” Athika asked. I bit the inside of my cheek, but in all honesty I didn’t hear the same bitter longing in her tone.
I faced her and shook my head. “No,” I muttered, picking a soft tunic top and a pair of black pants. “My feelings for Teagan are not the same as when I left. I love him more now. How could we ever be the same? He has found his family, and I have brought the lindworms. But after what Amber and I faced with King Nag, I know what I value most of all, and I know how desperately I will fight for it.”
Athika nodded, a smile spreading across her face. “I hoped you’d say something like that.”
“Surprising coming from you, Athika,” Ruby said, slipping into a dark, satin robe.
“Perhaps,” she grinned, dipping her head under the water again. “I suppose my eyes were opened once I met Thane’s mate.”
I chuckled. “Ah, so it’s the truth that it is possible for a dragon to mate with a mage.”
She nodded, her eyes playful for the first time in our entire acquaintance. “I can tell you I was the most surprised of us all. But I see the High Priestess and feel her love for Thane, and his for her is impossible to ignore. It puts my heart at ease knowing you can feel as strongly as Teagan does for you.”
“I don’t know who started the rumor that wyverns aren’t capable of love,” Ruby grumbled. “We love—we just have arranged mates usually. That doesn’t mean we’re incapable of emotion.”
“Yes, we know you are very capable of emotion, Ruby,” Amber chuckled.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ruby snapped.
“Onyx? Is Onyx here? Has anyone seen Onyx?” Amber twittered.
I laughed, braiding my wet hair over my shoulder. Ruby glared at Amber, dipped down by the edge of the spring, and splashed hot water in Amber’s eyes. “My dear Amber, dare I say what I’ve sensed from your heart?”
“Don’t,” Amber warned. “Do not say what you’re thinking, for you are terribly wrong.”
“Oh, the idea that you find the lindworm prince more than just an enemy turned ally?” Athika sneered. Ruby chuckled, and I thought Amber’s cheeks might burst into flame when she dunked beneath the water.
“Have a good night,” I snickered and waved them goodbye, my heart feeling lighter than it had in weeks.
I wandered from the hot spring, slightly turned around, but once I left the corridor I found Teagan. He leaned over the edge of a rope bridge, his skin cleaned and the rank smell of Olc’s blood replaced with the woodsy spice I loved so much.
He smiled and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pressing his lips to my forehead. “You look amazing,” he whispered, eyeing me with anticipation.
“I wouldn’t say that,” I chuckled. “Rochelle said you were looking for me.”
Teagan nodded. “I’m always looking for you,” he teased. “I just wanted to know if you planned to sleep with Ruby, or Eisha or…if you had other plans.”
I leaned against his chest, my neck craning so I could look into his eyes. “Is Mitch sleeping with you?”
Teagan nodded slowly. “He has been.
“Well, then of course I’m coming with you. Bunking with you and Mitch is a dream come true.”
He laughed and tugged me by the hand across the bridge. “Well, you’ll just have to settle for half a dream—Mitch already moved in with Raffi and Dash.”
Teagan slept soundly at my side in the small cavern. I knew the dawn was coming soon, though it was still black outside. I rolled onto my side and traced his jaw gently before kissing his cheek and slipping out of the small cave. There was the crackle of fire down below, and slowly I made my way toward the wide space.
I peeked around the corner of one of the stone walls and tried to backtrack, but stopped when he called to me.
“You’re welcome to join us,” Thane said. Gaia nodded and motioned for me to come sit with them around the flames.
“I didn’t know anyone would be awake,” I admitted, sitting on a stone near the couple. The flames were boiling against my already warm skin, but I found it enjoyable to sit in the calm.
“You don’t sleep long either?” Thane asked.
I shook my head. “I’ve always enjoyed the quiet of the night.”
He smirked and nodded. “Me as well.”
“It took me years to get used to your overheated body next to mine,” Gaia said, her hand wrapping around Thane’s large bicep. “Then I was constantly cold for seventeen years when we were parted. If he leaves, I freeze to death.”
I chuckled, enjoying the way they looked at each other.
“I feel as though we should offer you the largest cavern—as the queen,” Thane said.
“No, please don’t,” I insisted. “I’m completely comfortable. You’re the High Priestess and lead warrior—I say we’re on the same plane.”
Gaia laughed in the back of her throat. “Well, I’m at least glad Teagan has made his space comfortable enough for a queen.”
My cheeks flushed, and I sensed Thane and Gaia had a moment of enjoyment drawing out my embarrassment. They knew Teagan and I had seals for each other, but it still hadn’t been said out loud between the three of us. We fell into a quiet for a moment before I leaned forward, lowering my voice. “May I ask you—both of you—about my mother and father? I hardly remember them, and I just…I want to be the queen they would want me to be. You both knew them well, I just thought…if anyone could tell me, it would be you.”
Gaia’s smile faded a bit, and for a moment I thought they would refuse, but Thane’s deep voice broke the quiet. “I knew your father well,” he began. “Malik and I were warriors together before he joined with your mother. Then he asked that I be his guard. He was a good man. He loved Reya, and you.” Thane smiled broadly and looked to Gaia. “I remember so many times when King Lux would get so frustrated looking for Malik, only to find him running around the grounds chasing Jade.”
Gaia laughed and nodded. “Your grandfather was wise, but didn’t bond with children quite like your father did with you.”
Thane cleared his throat, looking to me again. “I have carried a lot of guilt since Malik was killed. That night—I don’t speak of it often—his last word was for me to ensure you were safe. Myself and Eisha’s mate, Gregor, personally found you and hid you in the castle. Gregor didn’t live long after that. We were attacked on our way to hide you. Bron had placed Gaia in a sleep that night and got the upper hand. But when she woke, I knew she would be the only one who could defeat him. That moment though, the moment I knew I was the lead warrior, with you scared in my arms, I’m ashamed to say I thought we would lose everything. I shouldn’t have underestimated our people, and Gaia,” he whispered, glancing with passion toward his mate.
Gaia sighed, her eyes distant as she replayed memories. “Your mother was my dearest friend. I was her mage, your father’s and yours, you know. The night Bron severed our bond, I was devastated. I was at her side when she died, and like your
father, her last words were of you. She loved you deeper than anything. I have no doubt you will be the queen she and Malik always dreamed of you being.”
I felt the sting of tears behind my eyes listening to them speak of my family. We drifted in easy conversation. I learned about Thane’s scar and despised Bron even more. I enjoyed hearing them tell me stories of Teagan as a child—and how they stood against tradition and mated when no mage or wyvern had ever done so. It was peaceful, and I craved the feeling to last forever.
When the sunlight flooded the crevices of the cave, I felt as if I’d known Thane and Gaia for years. I embraced their love for each other. I stared at Thane’s mage seals on his arms often—they were identical to the seal on my arm. Whether it was because they had known my parents so intimately or that I was in love with their son, I wasn’t sure, but when other warriors and mages interrupted our solitude, I left them feeling like I was part of a real family and that I would be for the rest of my existence.
Chapter 12
The Mage
I trudged into the dining area of the cave, saluting a hand toward the old mage, Johan, who spent his days manipulating the food we ate. He held a plate of odd shaped fruits for me to look over. Some looked like crosses between mangos and apples, or oranges and apricots. One fruit had spikes and was hot to the touch.
“That is my own version of dragon fruit,” Johan chuckled, pointing at the strange plant.
“You’ve been having fun this morning,” I teased, taking one of his apricot-oranges and drifting toward the enormous table. Most of the seats were already taken as usual. Warrior wyverns spent more free time eating than sparring. Raffi and Dash were laughing loudly with Leoch, Haitian, and Mitch.
Mitch was human, but he had a wild expression on his face after surviving the lindworms. He looked more like a warrior.
“Hi T,” Aunt Liz’s pleasant voice drew my attention toward the head. Pleasant voice, but there was still a tremble in her tone, and her smile seemed forced.
