by Aaron Crash
“What I think doesn’t matter,” Steven said. “You get to name yourself.”
She stared off into the night. “Everyone has always told me who I should be. I’ve never really cared what people call me ... half the time, I was just glad to be noticed. The other half, I was drunk.” Her eyes shined with unshed tears.
Steven went to speak, but she shushed him. “If I asked for my freedom, would you give it to me? If I wanted to walk away right now, would you let me go?”
Steven made sure she was looking directly into his eyes when he gave her his answer. “I need every gun in this fight. But if you don’t want to be here, you are free to go. I don’t believe in this bullshit about how all Dragonsoul women need a Prime. You are your own person. If you wanted me to call you Priscilla, I would. And fuck, you don’t need my permission to leave. You’re a badass, Mouse, Melissa, Priscilla ... whatever.”
Mouse laughed. “Not Priscilla. Not sure who I am, but I do know one thing. I want to fight with you, Steven. I want to be by your side. But I’ll keep asking if it’s okay for me to go. I need to know there are no chains.”
“None. Never.” Steven breathed in the night and held his breath. “But this might not matter. It’s not just Mulk who wants me dead. It might well be that every Dragonsoul Prime on Earth agreed to the murder of my family. Which means everyone will be gunning for me and anyone associated with me. We can’t win this fight. If you stay, if Tessa and Aria stay, most likely, you’ll wind up dead. I keep thinking we should run and hide, but that doesn’t feel right. That’s not what my father would’ve done. But come on. Us against the world? It’s so stupid to think we won’t be slaughtered.”
“This Conclave—assuming it exists, which I’m not certain of—doesn’t know about you, Steven,” Mouse said in a strong voice. “Mulk would keep his failure a secret. He will have allies, though. He won’t be coming alone. But when you finally go up against him, you won’t be facing all the Primes.”
His heart leapt at her words. “How do you know?”
“Because Mulk is too proud. And if this supposed Conclave did know about his failure, they would punish the shit out of him. Fuckers like Mulk are all about their reputation. No, he’d want to keep everyone clueless about you.”
“Then we have a chance!” Steven made a fist. “And that’s all I ever needed.”
Mouse stood and straddled him. Their faces were inches apart. Her blonde hair hung on either side of their faces in a fragrant curtain. “I don’t know who I am yet, Steven. Freedom is a strange thing. Like a kite without a string. But I do know this. I want you. Now.”
“Are you sure?” Steven asked.
Mouse kissed him. It was wet and warm, and her tongue was soft and delicious. His heart took off in his chest, and he felt himself stiffen.
Mouse shouldered off her shirt. And for the first time, he kissed her breasts, teasing her nipples and making her gasp. “Oh, fuck, why did I wait so long? I feel crazy in lust with you.”
She pulled him up so they could kiss, and then she offered him her breasts again. “I’m so wet.”
He glanced up at her and grinned. “Those are probably the best three words I’ve ever heard in my entire life.”
She was a muscled, powerful woman, however small, and he was surprised how heavy she was when he swung her off him. He put her on the chair. He kissed her again, then moved lower, leaving a trail of licks and kisses over breasts, down her stomach, to her cutoffs.
“Oh, I can’t wait to get these clothes off me.” She went into her Homo Draconis form, but only for a second, to rip the shorts into ribbons. She shifted back to human.
He chuckled and swept away the tattered denim. She spread her legs. She shaved down there, so he could see all of her. And he could see just how excited she was.
“Aria and Tessa don’t shave,” Steven whispered. “This is kinda cool.”
“Sometimes I do, and sometimes I don’t. But I thought maybe I would for you—for our first time. But, don’t get too used to it. No promises.” Mouse had a delirious smile on her face.
“I don’t much care.” He then drove her even more crazy by kissing her slim thighs, moving closer and closer to her center. When he licked up her sex to her special spot, she caressed his head. It didn’t take long before she shuddered, making the sexiest whimpering noises he’d ever heard in his life. Her skin glowed as she drank in the mystical energy that powered Dragonsouls.
When she came down, he moved up her body. “Are you ready for me? Do you want this?” he asked.
“Fuck me stupid,” she hissed.
“No one could ever do that,” he said. “But damn, I’m going to give it my best.” Removing his jeans was a bit of a chore, since he was hard as a telephone pole. But he finally threw them off the porch.
Mouse giggled. “Just don’t call me Priscilla.”
“Never.”
She gasped when he entered her. Using his arms to hold himself up, he went slow at first, letting her get used to him. Then he pounded into her, making her whimper again. She lit up the night as she drank in his Animus.
“Let me get on top,” she said, breathing hard, chest heaving in interesting ways.
Steven sank back onto the wood of the deck. He watched in fascination as she planted her legs on either side of him. Then it was a heaven of anticipation as she lowered herself onto him.
He knew he wouldn’t last long when she got going, using her legs to work herself up and down.
In the end, he didn’t. And that was okay.
Steven was still a little dizzy when he kissed Mouse goodnight. He wasn’t sure which name she’d eventually choose, but he would love her no matter what she called herself.
He thought Tessa and Aria would be asleep, but he found them both in their room, which was crammed with musical instruments. Both wore old-timey nightgowns. A goth girl in flannel was kind of funny. As for Aria, she could make any outfit look like it was meant for a runway in Milan. Aria strummed a guitar while Tessa studied the second volume of the Drokharis Grimoire. Beside her was a scroll, still in its leather tube. It definitely had come from Mathaal’s library. Wow, Tessa had done some light shoplifting.
She flashed him a sly smile. “Mouse sounds adorable when she comes. Between that, the giggling, the moans, and the light show, no way could Aria and I sleep.”
“So we had our own fun,” Aria said, playing a little run of chords that sounded suspiciously like Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here.”
“That we did,” Tessa said, shooting the other woman a wide and telling smile. “Then I got back to work. I think I found something. I think we might have our ace in the hole.”
Steven wandered over and plopped down beside her. He’d spent a good chunk of the day reading the second volume. It expanded on the Drokharis Grimoire and offered ancillary spells connected to the six main spell families on the skill tree. There was an advanced shield spell that the caster could alter to protect themselves from a variety of attacks. This was next-level shit, no doubt.
And there was a section on breath control. Steven had nearly memorized the passages that might best help him master his Exhalant powers. Still, when he tried, all he got was smoke. He was getting better and better at mimicking a BBQ burning chicken thighs.
The information they found, however, helped Aria perfect her ElectroArc. She nearly started a grass fire with electricity. And Mouse had even attempted a toxicity spell, though using poison gas was a dangerous proposition. Talk about friendly fire. A mere breath could prove lethal or at least incapacitating.
However, the information on Magica Porta was slight. He knew the third volume would have the most about creating gates. That made sense—it was probably why Stefan had been killed in the first place. Dicking around with the space-time continuum just might bring the Zothoric from wherever those bastards were hiding.
He recalled what Old Matchstick had said about the Outsiders, the Beyonders, the demons. There had been real fear in his voice, and t
hat was saying something since that guy was as powerful as any Dragonsoul Steven had ever seen.
Tessa had become obsessed with the Magica Incanto spells. Mathaal had used that part of the skill tree to create his own personal golems made out of books. Tessa, though, was trying to come up with bullets that might mimic the Exhalant powers. She wanted to fire rounds from her Peacekeepers that would freeze her enemies in a cage of ice. It was a cool idea, but she didn’t have enough power. Not yet, anyway.
The second volume also went into more detail about how Animus worked with leveling. As you leveled, you could absorb and retain more Animus. It was like in video games where you could increase the amount of spell energy you could use. The tome also offered a sternly worded warning that skipping steps on the skill trees could have dire consequences. Yes, you might have the Animus to cast a Magica Porta spell, but if you didn’t master the Magica Divinatio spells first, you could fry your soul. If only Tessa had known that before she jumped from Magica Cura to Magica Incanto.
Steven checked his stats and found he’d leveled up again. Fighting an ancient, insane Dragonsoul had definite benefits. And he was getting more skilled at his mediation practices.
<<<>>>
TRANSFORMATIO (Head of the Dragon)
Partial Transformation
Homo Draconis
True Form (Dragonsoul)
Pugna (Tail of the Dragon)
DarkArmor
DragonStrength
SerpentGrace
ShadowStrength
IonClaws
Exhalants (Left Wing of the Dragon)
Inferno
ElectroArc
Toxicity
ArcticWind
ShadowFlame
ChromaticFury
Veneficium (Right Wing of the Dragon)
Magica Defensio
Magica Cura
Magica Impetim
Magica Incanto
Magica Divinatio
Magica Porta
<<<>>>
He thought about trying out Magica Impetim, but he wasn’t sure. There was also IonClaws to consider. However, he didn’t want to risk any new abilities until he mastered his Inferno Exhalant.
Steven blinked away the skill tree and picked up the scroll tube. “I see you borrowed something from Mathaal.”
“Uh, yeah,” Tessa said. “I grabbed a bunch but lost them all except that one during the fight. I figured it was like the world’s oldest lending library. I’m going to return it because, dude, I had a bad experience with a Nazi librarian when I was in the third grade. Who knew Harriet the Spy would traumatize me so?”
Aria played a C chord. “I didn’t understand any of that. I’m getting used to it. Maybe someday I will make jokes from India that you will not understand.”
“That would be awesome!” Tessa said happily. Then she sobered. “Small problem with the scroll, it’s a-one-and-done type of deal. So, bummer. I’m gonna have late fees. Mathaal won’t be happy.”
“It was sad to see one of our kind like that,” Aria murmured. “We desire a long life, and yet to see him confused, sad, alone ... I think Uchiko is truly serving our kind by offering a gentle hand to Mathaal.”
Steven nodded. “But Tessa, what about our ace in the hole?”
She smiled and told him what she’d found.
A plan formed in Steven’s head. It was perfect. And in the end, justice would be served for all involved, not just him. Rhaegen Mulk would pay, and pay dearly, for his role in the death of Steven’s family.
Tessa’s phone buzzed, and she grabbed it from her gun belt. “It’s a text from Bud.” And by the look of her face, it was good news.
RHAEGEN MULK LOOKED out the window of the Denver Aerie at the humans scurrying like ants below. Gideon Scaramanga had failed him. Even with Judith’s powerful blood, the Magician had failed to find Steven or his Escort. And Mouse must’ve disabled the tracking app on her phone was well as the GPS.
It had been days and days, sending out spies, casting spells, and waiting. Mulk hadn’t been idle, however. He’d drawn in allies while keeping his enemies at bay. So far, the only people from the Conclave who knew about Steven Drokharis were willing to help Mulk end him. As far as he knew, all the others were still in the dark.
The time for waiting was over now. Mulk had no choice. He’d have to go after their families, bleed them, and then draw in his prey. He’d done such things before. It had worked. And yet, he found it distasteful and beneath him. He was a Dragonsoul, the culmination of millennia of culture and battle. Torturing humans besmirched his great heritage.
And yet, there was nothing else he could do. Steven Drokharis needed to die.
A knock on the door.
“Come.”
Gideon entered, stinking in his tank top and jeans. “My Prime, again, I apologize in failing you.”
“No matter,” Mulk said. “It seems you and the rest of the Terror Trio will need to pay a visit to Tessa Ross’s family. Take them, hurt them, and we’ll draw the Drokharis boy to us.”
Saliva dripped from Gideon Scaramanga’s smiling mouth.
While Mulk himself didn’t like torturing humans, his Magician certainly did.
Chapter Twenty-Six
TWO DAYS LATER, THEY left the safety of Liam’s secret Aerie. It had taken that entire amount of time for Liam to get his mojo going, and even then the big man was still pale and weak. The lesson was obvious: maybe it was possible to get Animus in ways aside from battle and sex, but it wasn’t quick, and it wasn’t easy.
Tessa was happy to be on the road again. They were on their way to Cheyenne, Wyoming, a three-hour drive from Liam’s secret house near Lake McConaughy.
Steven drove the Orange Crush. Tessa rode in the back with Aria, which kind of bummed out the barista. Mouse had called shotgun. Nice thing about traveling with someone from India, they didn’t know the very finely tuned rules of shotgun.
Liam Strider followed them in his F-150. He’d wanted to drive alone, which made sense; he was a lonely sort of Dragonsoul. Tessa understood the basics of gathering Animus from life itself, and she understood why he didn’t have an Escort. Steven had told them that Liam had lost his Escort fifty years ago, and that the love he felt for them still ran so deep he couldn’t bear to be with anyone else.
Tessa couldn’t quite picture herself becoming celibate, but every time she made love to Steven or Aria or both, the emotional chains connecting her to them grew thicker. If something happened to them? It might just kill her. Or maybe she’d want solitude like Liam did. Hard to know how you would react in a situation like that without it actually happening. She wasn’t religious, not really, but she said a silent prayer that she would never have to find out. She shook those thoughts away and returned to reading the second volume and the scroll, fine-tuning Steven’s plan and making sure she could swing the magic.
Aria sat next to her, her legs tucked under her, her hands in the meditative position. Tessa thought about joining her, but instead put the book aside and picked up her phone. She read over the text messages from Bud. She couldn’t quite believe them.
The first one said he’d lost their money. All of it. And he’d felt so bad that he didn’t answer their texts or return their phone calls. It seemed that Bud was more douche bag than Wall Street whiz.
Tessa had grown up with an uncertain money situation, and sometimes you were rich and sometimes you were poor.
Get a job? Flush with cash!
Lose the job? Dammit! Then it was a month of Top Ramen and canned food from the local church serving the community’s poor. More than once, Tessa had dined on the charity of wealthier folks. She’d learned to make a mean pumpkin soup because rich people seemed to have a surplus of canned pumpkin.
Okay, no more money from Bud. Oh well. At least Tessa’s family and Steven’s mother were still safe.
Then the next message came.
He’d taken his own money and invested in some new cryptocurrency start-up out of the Cayman
Islands. Which was like going to Vegas, heading straight to the roulette table, and putting every penny you had on Black 17. Bud got lucky once, then again, and again, and again. He’d found other investors, added to the money, and now their horde was sitting at fifty thousand dollars.
Steven had called Bud, who finally fucking answered, and the two talked for a long, long time.
Steven needed a piece of property. His father had told him to focus on the basics: gather an Escort, acquire a Hoard, and build Aeries. But Steven and Tessa had another plan. And part of that plan involved a hunk of land in the gusty Wyoming plains. Bud—ever the surprise—had contacts within the greater Cheyenne, Wyoming real estate market. He was turning out to be a pretty good vassal, and a damned fine fixer to boot. He’d found them an old ranch, on the far outskirts of town, on the way to Wheatland.
They’d got it for a song, but then, that was Wyoming. It was the only state in the union that was actually losing population. They’d also hired contractors and a landscaping company.
“Why Cheyenne?” Mouse asked from the front seat. She was actually in a nice outfit for once—a black blouse and a cute patterned skirt they’d picked up in Ogallala. “I’m still not getting it.”
“It’s on the Great Plains,” Steven replied, one hand on the wheel, the other entwined with one of the blonde’s hands.
Tessa felt a little jealousy creep in, but being polyamorous, she knew how to deal with that green-eyed monster. It had nothing to do with Steven and Mouse. The jealousy had to do with her, and her deep love for him. She reminded herself that humans had an almost infinite capacity for love. Just because Steven had feelings for the blonde didn’t mean he loved Tessa or Aria less.
“Yes, Cheyenne is on the Great Plains. Geography is so much fun,” Mouse said sarcastically. “I still don’t get it.”
Tessa tried to help explain. “This ranch is secluded, no prying eyes. And no civilian casualties. Once we get everything set, we’re going to lure Mulk in and then fight him to the death.” That word, death, sent a spike of fear through Tessa. She’d always thought she’d die in Denver. Taking her last breaths in Wyoming felt kind of unfair.