by Maya Daniels
I guess the comment pissed him off.
“You are holding back, and that is a weakness too.” Fenrir lives in his own world, his voice coming from somewhere above my head to the left. “You are here to push your limits, Drake. Not to play it safe. You continue to force control when you don’t need it.”
“You have no idea what you are asking for Fae.” Pushing the words through my teeth, I buck my hips hoping to get the over-two-hundred-pound beast off me. He is crushing my ribs. “If I don’t control it, I’ll bring the building down on our heads. Is that what you want?” His words are muffled from the hair-raising growl coming out of Leo. I think the shifter is trying to make me pass out with his dog breath. “What?” I have no idea why I’m asking the Fae to repeat himself.
“The walls of this hall are fortified to withstand magic. Stop restraining your power and break the illusion. The sooner you do that the sooner we can continue with something else. You are wasting time.”
Anger bubbles like lava though my veins. They are the ones wasting time by staying here instead of being in the human world looking for Zoltan. Now he is blaming me for his ridiculous ideas. The shifter rakes his claws down my arms, opening gashes. The pain fuels the anger, weakening my resolve to have control of something none of us understand. Letting lose when hunters are trying to kill us is one thing. Doing it around innocents is another, and definitely not something I want to do.
“Stop hiding behind the mask, Drake. Let Francesca out—the real Francesca Drake. Not this poor excuse of a timid half blood you’re giving me.”
Calmness washes over me when the rage his words provokes reaches a boiling point. Warmth spreads through my limbs, taking the pressure from the shifter on my body away. Leo is still on top of me but I can barely feel the weight. Colors swirl and come to life around me, the night blooming before my eyes as bright as a day. Blinking slowly, I zone in on the wolf’s face and the widening of his intelligent eyes vibrates my chest with a satisfied purr. Leo’s hackles rise, and with a yelp he jumps off me, wrenching his jaw out of my hands.
I flip on my hands and feet, one knee bent to my hips before my face lifts to look at the Fae. Magic pulses through me and stretches my skintight. Fear flashes in Fenrir’s gaze for just a second before he gives me a smirk to cover it up. I know my eyes have changed and resemble a dragon with a vertical pupil. It’s only when they change that I can see everything has its own heartbeat around me.
“It’s time you take off your mask as well, òg rìoghail,” my voice purrs, husky and foreign to my ears.
Fenrir takes a step back, the blood draining from his face.
“There you are, fuil dràgon.” Shaking off whatever spooks him, the Fae bows low, his ponytail brushing the ground at his feet. I have no idea why that makes me happy or have a newfound respect for Fenrir. “Francesca needs your help to understand you are not separate from her, that the two of you are one and the same. She is young and in need of guidance.”
“You want me to roam free.” Lifting to my feet, my eyes narrow on the Fae. Black and red colors twist around him like a living thing, reaching out toward me before shrinking back as if afraid. “To what end? What is it you want?”
“I have sworn to guard the dragon blood. That is my only purpose.” Fenrir barely finishes his sentence before I attack him.
Pushing off the balls of my feet, my body collides with his, sending us tumbling into the trees. Not just the sound and the scent. Even the feel of his illusion is real, rattling my bones when we hit the thick, gnarled roots. The pulsing of power in my chest explodes outward like a blast of scorching-hot air dispersing it. Pinning him under me and making him gasp from the pressure of my knees on the side of his chest, I see Leo slinking around from the corner of my eye. The walls and open space of the training hall is revealed, too bright in the light of the floating flames placed strategically on the walls after the darkness the Fae waves around us. Moonlight brightens the windows creating patterns on the mat-covered floor.
The glamour Fenrir keeps close to his skin like a cloak breaks apart too. The blue of his eyes is replaced by all black with a pupil as white as snow at the center of it. His cheekbones sharpen so much I will cut my finger if I trace them, and his lips take on the color of fresh blood. Pointed ears twitch under my gaze and his platinum hair is now a waterfall of midnight black fanning around his head like a pool of oil. Parting his lips in shock, he blinks a few times, his long, thick lashes casting shadows under his eyes.
“There you are.” I grin at him. “Now we are on even ground.”
Leaning my face close to his, I can feel his breath puffing over my skin. My braid falls on top of his hair, the blonde color of mine contrasting with his dark strands like the first ray of the sun piercing the night. I struggle to get control of my power, to push it back where it can’t hurt him. As much as he pisses me off, I don’t want to do any damage to the Fae. And from the feeling I get inside me right now, I know my power wants to play with him like a cat with a mouse. I’m going to strangle Soren for not teaching me how to leash this monster.
“Enemies have discovered your bloodline.” Fenrir is much braver than I give him credit for. His Adam’s apple bobs up and down, but his voice is calm and even. “You need to be whole to survive what’s coming. I cannot protect you on my own.”
“You think I need protecting. Perhaps the worlds need to be saved from me.” Tilting my head to the side, I stare into his eyes. If not for struggling to push this creature back and be myself again, I may have found them freaky as hell. “What of the Daywalker? You think him weak?”
“They are waking the old gods. Zoltan and I are not enough.” Lifting his chin, Fenrir impresses the crap out of me when he manages to look down his nose at me while I’m pinning him like a bug. “Apart from Soren, who is untouchable unless they destroy themselves along with him, you are the last dragon blood alive. If you don’t merge fully with her, you’ll either perish or end up imprisoned and used as a blood bank. The choice is yours. I will still die to protect Francesca till my last breath.” Both our heads snap to the right when a shadow falls over us. “Leo, no!”
Fenrir’s roar does not stop the shifter from attacking. The green color of his eyes is nowhere to be seen, and in its place is an amber gaze like a tiger’s eyes glittering in the orange light when he pounces on me, his jaws snapping an inch from my jugular. Still keeping the Fae immobile between my thighs, my arm shoots up, the heel of my palm connecting with Leo’s chest with a sickening crunch. The large wolf sails over us and hits the mats on his side, a pained whimper falling from him and stabbing me in the heart.
“I will not be used,” I purr at Fenrir, turning away from Leo like I don’t care if he is still alive. I scream inside my head, scratching mentally at the monster controlling me right now. “Have your wish, òg rìoghail, but remember one thing as well as you remember your true name. The power of dragons was given to this bloodline when we retreated from the worlds. It can easily be taken away, leaving you to destroy yourselves like you are so determined to do. Do not play games with me. An seann fhear might be entertained with them. I don’t possess his patience.”
“Mo ‘fhacal agam, fuil dràgon.” I feel power binding Fenrir to me when he speaks.
Pain like never before bows my back. I scream to the skies, the windows of the hall bursting from the sound into millions of pieces. Glass showers over and around us like pouring rain, the sound muffled by the roaring in my ears. My bones are melting, all my insides shredded and mushed into a pulp. It feels like I’m being skinned alive, the muscles of my body cramped and contouring. It lasts for eternity, and every second I wish it will just kill me and be done with it. When it’s over, I’m left in a boneless heap twitching on top of Fenrir, panting for breath. I’m no more than a whimpering mess.
“What … did … you … do … Fenrir?” Every word hurts as it comes out from my raw throat.
“What had to be done.” I wince when he wraps his arms around me and ki
sses the top of my head. “Just breathe. The pain will be gone in a second.”
“What did … I call you?” I have to swallow twice to finish that sentence.
“Young royal”—The incredulity in his voice is loud and clear—“in Gaelic. And before you ask, I called you dragon blood.”
“You said something else, too. I felt the words binding you, you idiot.” The pain is almost gone, so I thump him weakly on his chest.
“I gave my word to protect you. It’s a binding I freely offered.” When I try to look at him, he grabs the back of my head to keep me down. “Rest for a moment longer; you’ll feel sick if you stand up.”
“I think I hurt Leo badly.” I don’t fight him because I’m not sure I won’t empty my stomach all over him if I do stand up. “There was something wrong with him.”
“He will be fine. He’s healing as we speak. Leo is an Alpha, so his animal reacted to your power. He attacked on instinct alone. I don’t think Leo had any control over it, just like you didn’t.” His fingers massage the back of my skull, relaxing me further. “And just so we get it out of the way, I do not regret binding myself with the oath, Drake. That was not acting on instinct or for self preservation. Maybe now you can trust me a little.” I can hear the smile in his words even if I can’t see it on his face.
“I’ll try,” I mumble, my head shaking along with his chest when he chuckles. “I’ll still kick your ass if you piss me off.”
“I wouldn’t dare think otherwise, Hellion.”
4
“How is he?”
After leaving Fenrir to take care of Leo and following the Fae’s orders to take a shower and eat something again, I descend the winding stairs leading under the Academy. Since I haven’t been down here before, it takes me quite a few wrong turns and opening doors to empty rooms to find the infirmary. They must’ve seen quite a bit of fighting before I got here to have a place full of all sorts of medical equipment. All of us heal fast but after having the experience with that poison the hunters are using that turns everyone feral, I see the reasoning behind it. One of the medics, a mage, snarls at me to keep my hands to myself when I try to push some buttons on a machine. Crestfallen, I hurry to find Leo’s room before I get in real trouble. Curiosity and medical equipment do not go together.
“He is not dead yet and can speak for himself,” Leo grumbles like an old lady, and Fenrir grins when I roll my eyes.
“I thought you’d be catching up on your beauty sleep, princess.” Plopping on the chair next to where the shifter is sitting on the bed, I shove my hands under my thighs to resist the urge to press buttons. “I’m sorry for what happened, Leo.” He might get on my nerves, but I had no intention of hurting him that badly. I make sure he sees that on my face.
“That was all my fault.” His animal jumps to the surface, looking at me through his eyes. “I haven’t lost control like that since I first became an Alpha. I should’ve expected you to test me.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? It’s not like I did it on purpose.” Guilt is eating me alive and making my stomach lurch. I definitely sound defensive. “If I want to kick your ass, I’ll do it like this. Not while my powers are out of control with a mind of their own.”
Glancing around, I search for a bucket or something. I shouldn’t have listened to Fenrir when he forced me to eat. Right now, all the food is about to come back out. My nails dig in the padding of the chair while I flare my nostrils, breathing in and out slowly. Leo gives me a cocky grin, the green color of his eyes slowly returning. Fenrir, being Fenrir and all, watches me in disapproval with arms folded over his chest.
“We can give it a go, Drake. Any time.” The shifter winks, unperturbed by my scowl. “What I meant was, I should’ve expected the reaction of my wolf when your dragon took control.” My mouth opens and closes, gaping like a carp out of water. “Nothing can prepare you for that until you experience it. Holy shit, that was something.” Chuckling, he shakes his head.
My eyes snap to Fenrir and the jerk has the decency to look abashed. I can see all the bullshit that is about to come out of his mouth and it fuels my anger even more. Before he speaks, I shove a hand at his face, which makes him snap his mouth shut and press his lips in a thin white line. I can’t believe this shit.
“You actually planned that?” My words are soft and barely above a whisper. If I talk louder, I may scream until they hear me all the way across the portal. Leo winces, his shoulders jumping to his ears when he realizes his slip up.
“Now, listen Drake—” he starts but I don’t want to hear it.
“Let me get this straight, friend.” Lifting from my slouch, I square my shoulders. “Your idea of getting me to trust you was manipulating me to train where you’ll force me to release the control I have over my powers. The powers that none of us know anything about, may I remind you.”
“It was the—”
“And you thought it was a great idea.” Talking over Fenrir, I glare at Leo. He at least looks like he feels bad. A few broken ribs and a punctured lung can do that to a person, I suppose. “So you were like, hell yeah lets do that. She’ll spill all her secrets and we’ll be bff’s, huh?”
“May I speak, Drake?” Fenrir grinds the words through his teeth.
“No, you may not,” I snap at him.
Leo snorts, covering it up with a cough.
“I could’ve killed him. That’s how much I cared what happened to either of you at that moment. I will not have you manipulate me to satisfy your Fae fetish fantasies of me calling you a royal, bowing and speaking Gaelic.”
This time Leo chokes, almost coughing out a lung. I hope it’s the healthy one so he gets stuck with the one I punctured. Fenrir’s cheek jumps, and for his sake I hope its anger causing it and not him fighting a smile.
“He wasn’t playing games.” Leo coughs, tapping his chest to stop hacking.
“Of course he wasn’t. I’m a pigeon according to him.” Huffing in frustration, I jerkily fold my arms over my chest so I don’t strangle them.
“I never called you that.” The Fae is looking at me like I’ve lost my marbles. Leo’s head is spinning from me to Fenrir like this is a tennis match.
“Yes you did. You said I’m a chess piece that kicks around and blows shit up. A pigeon, punting all the pieces off and shitting on the game board.” Leaning forward, I dare him to deny it.
“This is something from human television.” Pressing the bridge of his nose with a thumb and a forefinger, Fenrir squeezes his eyes shut and I almost think he’s in pain.
The shifter roars in laughter and my ears ring from the volume of it. It’s absolutely unbelievable how they can’t see how wrong everything they do is. And they call me impulsive and unreasonable. Not even I can beat that level of stupid if I try. I’m about to tell them that when the door of the infirmary room bangs open, bouncing off the opposite wall.
A mage with her red hair twisted in a tight bun on the back of her head marches inside with a stern look on her pretty face. Not even the freckles sprinkled over her cheeks and nose soften the fire burning in her green eyes. The symbol from the front doors of the infirmary—a drop of blood circled with sigils—gleams gold on her right upper arm. She heads right for me and I jump out of the chair I am occupying.
“All three of you can leave right now.” Hissing at me, she snatches my arm and drags me out the door before I realize what she is doing. “I have patients here still trying to recover after the attack on the portal. You are disturbing their peace.”
She shoves me out the double doors and I stare at her with my jaw hitting my chest. I’m too stunned to speak. She disappears for a moment, returning with Fenrir whom she also practically throws through the doors. The Fae stumbles, catching himself at the last moment before his face hits the wall of the hallway.
“Hey! I was hurt and recovering,” Leo protests, his voice getting louder the closer he gets. He is shoved through the doors too, barefoot and wearing only the bottom part of pajamas. Hi
s top is thrown at his face next, tangling around his head.
“If you can laugh and make noise then you don’t need to be recovering.” Glaring at all of us, she slams both doors in our face.
“What just happened?” An incredulous chuckle comes from me while I’m still watching the doors wide-eyed.
“You met medic Aspen.” Yanking the pajama top off his face, Leo snarls at the closed doors. “Her bedside manner leaves things to be desired.”
“If you don’t leave in two seconds, you’ll be in need of recovery when I throw a curse at you.” The voice of medic Aspen is clear as a whistle, and I wonder if she’s waiting behind the doors because she knows the shifter will talk shit about her.
Still laughing because I don’t know how else to process this, I grab the males by the arms and tow them down the hall with me. Fenrir looks insulted and Leo is dragging his feet, still twisting his head to glare at the door. I bet he wishes he had x-ray vision. I tell him as much.
“Wouldn’t that be convenient. If only the fates were so kind,” he says wistfully, making me laugh for real.
“I think I like medic Aspen.” Chortling at the horror on their faces, I keep shoving them in front of me.
It takes me a while to push them toward the office room we’ve been using as our base of operation ever since Zoltan pulled me and Astara out of Azgor’s class. The whole way the training hall incident keeps replaying in my head over and over. By the time I jerk them inside and close the door, all my anger and frustration is gone and I’m left tired to my bones. A lump squeezes my throat when I think about Zoltan and how he should be here with us but I swallow it down. Even the papers are still spread over the long table, which is exactly how he left them.
