by Aaron Crash
Steven told her the high points. Every word cut into her, but once she started eating, she couldn’t stop. Oh, she’d been hungry! That was why her mood had been so rotten.
When Steven finished, he let it all sink in.
“So what are we going to do?” Mouse asked.
Steven growled, and his tail thrummed under her. “We are going to go to France and get the third book. If we’re attacked, we know Cassius is a lying piece of shit. If he’s not, then we come back and pick a fight anyway. We won’t be joining with him, Mouse. Not after what he did. We simply can’t trust him. Not ever.”
Mouse let out a huge breath. It felt like she’d been holding it in for hours. “I’m so glad to hear you say that. But now that I’ve eaten, I can think a little more clearly. He really is offering us an olive branch. I guess we can’t just go in and kill him.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Let’s go back to the others. Let’s see what they all have to say. Okay?”
She nodded. She then flattened herself against his tail, giving him a hug. This big body under her, the warm scales, the power in it, made her feel safe. Finally, she slipped off him.
He shifted back, dressed, and they returned to the picnic spot. A big fire bloomed in the darkness. The meal had been cleaned up, but they’d left a platter of grilled meat for Steven, who took it and stuffed himself while he again went over his meeting with Cassius.
They all sat in folding lounge chairs around the fire, and Bud got the cooler once more.
Mouse sat with her arms folded across her chest. Tessa was across the way. Sabina sat next to her. The two held hands like a couple of young lovebirds.
When Steven finished, Tessa was the first to speak. “It sounds to me like Cassius is telling the truth. Why would he go behind Rahaab’s back to tell us about the third volume? Maybe he’s afraid of us. After our battle with Mulk, he knows we can kick some serious ass.”
“Tessa is right,” Aria said. “We are powerful, and the Primacies around us know it. Others will reach out to form alliances. If we partnered with Cassius, that would solidify our position. These are dangerous times for the Great Plains Primacy, as Steven is new to the game.”
Mouse wanted to shriek in frustration, but she kept her mouth closed. It took some effort ... quite a bit of effort.
“And this is what the Dragonsouls do,” Liam said with a shrug. “They use a mixture of politics and violence to play their games. So far, Steven, you and your Escort have only seen open battle. But there is a constant cold war among our kind. It can be difficult to know who you can trust.”
“What do you think of Cassius’s offer?” Steven asked.
Bud, ever clueless, burst in. “That guy is trying to get into our heads. I say fuck him and the dragon he rode in on. Okay, he kinda rode in on himself, so that’s not quite right, but this seems all too convenient. He reaches out right after you kill the Australian guy? And let’s not forget you now own two Primacies. No, it’s a squirrely move. If he really wanted to form an alliance, he’d have reached out right away. No, we should—”
Steven cut him off. “Wait, Bud, I want to hear from Liam. Hold that thought.”
“Holding,” Bud said good-naturedly.
Liam let out a long breath. “We are not going to brashly rush into anything with Cassius. The third volume is a test, and it’s a dangerous one. We need to scry Mont-Saint-Michel to see if we can sense anything. And then we should proceed with caution. Rahaab is a foe we can’t face, not yet.”
“What do you know about Rahaab?” Steven asked.
Liam shifted in his seat, grabbed a split log, and threw it into the fire. Sparks washed up into the darkness.
“Mathaal was the only ancient dragon that I knew of ... the others are only myths, mere legends. There was a story about three brothers, ancient dragons, that kept the peace in America for centuries, though they did it behind the scenes. Could that be Rahaab and his brothers? Possibly. There are many stories. For example, supposedly the father of all dragons is living on the Arabian Peninsula, and the mother? She is said to live in the Andes Mountains in Peru. But again, these are only legends. This Rahaab has kept himself hidden for millennia. Even during the Conclave, he manipulated the outcome using the secret cabal of Mulk, Wenck, and the other three Primes, now all dead. Could it be that Cassius is simply using the name of Rahaab to scare us?”
No one answered. Mouse raised her hand. Okay, this was going to take some self-control.
Steven nodded at her. “It’s not school, Mouse, you don’t have to raise your hand to talk. Go ahead.”
“I thought I was next,” Bud pouted.
“Sorry, keep holding,” Steven said.
Mouse felt her brow furrow. “First of all, I’m sorry I was such a bitch earlier. This is all really hard on me. You guys still have families. I don’t ... because of what Cassius Pine did. He killed my mother, my sisters, everyone in my family. A few of the wives he spared, but now they have to serve him. It’s ... so fucked.” She swallowed hard and tried to keep herself from yelling or sobbing. “I can’t ... I can’t stay with you guys if you join up with Cassius. I’d have to leave. I really don’t want to. But I can’t forgive him.” She exhaled. Nailed it. No tears. No screeching.
Steven nodded. “We’re nowhere near that, Mouse. And for the record, I’m on your side.”
“But if Cassius can help our cause,” Aria said, “we’d be foolish to turn him away.”
Tessa was the next to speak. “And at some point, if we really want to bring revolution to Dragonsoul culture, we’ll have to forgive sins. If people want to change, we should let them.”
Her words hurt Mouse. She so wanted to get up and storm away. However, she stayed in her seat, shaking. She couldn’t stop shaking.
Bud raised his hand. “Hey, it worked for Mouse. Can I talk now?”
Steven waved him on.
“Uh, fuck Cassius Pine.” Bud leaned back and folded his arms. “Okay, I’m done.”
They all laughed. Bud could be such a tool.
“What do you think, Sabina?” Steven asked.
Sabina rose from her chair. Her white cane fell to the ground. She reached out her hands and murmured, “Magica Divinatio.” Her eyes flashed a brilliant emerald green color. That gleaming light cast a strange luminescence across the ground.
“I see France. I see the coast, Normandy, next to Bretagne, and the ocean there. The tide is in, and the waters wash against the stone of the monastery ... the castle ... the walls, they are thick. People are there, praying, and I hear their supplications. Power is there, ancient power, and the books. A library, hanging between the sky and the Earth, buried in secrets and death. Dragons. Fire. A murder. Brother against brother. Blood on the ground, a volcano, not there, but elsewhere, on land not named by man or god.”
Mouse watched in fascination. So much Animus filled the air, it was like she could taste it.
Sabina’s eyes flashed brighter. “Sorrow. The past is filled with sorrow, and now, there is regret, and through the veil of time, into the future. Death. I see a yellow dragon, rotting, but alive. An abomination. Mouse, Melissa Craygore, she will be a sacrifice. She will go willingly, despite her fear. The mountains are on fire. The ground boils. Death from the shadows, from the darkness, and Steven, wounded, riding the edge between life and death, victory and defeat, and no, no, it can’t be.” Her voice fell away. The terror on her face was evident, cold and pale. Sabina croaked out her next words. “Truth as sharp as a sword, sharper, cleaving through this world until the very shadows come alive to destroy us.”
Sabina’s face twisted in anguish. Tears leaked down her cheeks. She fell onto her hands and knees in front of the fire, trembling like a leaf in the wind. Tessa was the first to reach her, trying to soothe her. Aria joined them.
Mouse couldn’t move. She’d never been more afraid in her life. Was she going to sacrifice herself to save them? She had in the past, laying everything on the line, but would she have to do it again? It se
emed so.
Steven and Liam stood over Sabina, Aria, and Tessa, who were all on the ground.
Mouse finally found the nerve to get up, but she wasn’t sure where to go. She ended up fleeing from Sabina’s prophecy. She opened the door to the Orange Crush and pulled out the cigarettes from the glove compartment. She lit one and took in a long drag. The smoke in her lungs soothed her.
The ride back to Cheyenne was quiet. Steven drove, and Aria took shotgun, which forced Mouse, Sabina, and Tessa in the back seat with the barista in the middle.
When Tessa took Mouse’s hand, Mouse let her.
“Do you hate me?” Tessa asked.
Mouse snuggled in next to her. It was true she wasn’t Mouse’s favorite person at that moment, but the petite blonde wasn’t going to let that truth cut them. “I don’t hate you, Tessa, you’re far too nice. Do you hate me? I’ve been kind of a pain.”
“I don’t,” Tessa whispered. “I can’t imagine ever hating you. And I can’t imagine what you are going through. My dad died when I was ten, after my brother was born, but before we knew Jared had MS. If someone had actually hurt my family? I’m not sure I could forgive them, no matter how much I wanted to. I can’t forgive death. And I can’t forgive MS. I hate them so much. But not you.”
Mouse sighed in relief. She still had a family.
“It’s settled,” Steven said from the front seat. “We go to France. The reality is Cassius Pine can wait. We don’t need to make a decision about him.”
“I want a crepe,” Mouse said. “Before I die, I want a crepe in France. If this is a trap, well, fuck it, at least I’ll get something yummy before I die.”
To her shock, everyone broke into laughter, even Sabina.
“Crepes it is,” Steven said.
Chapter Eight
TWENTY-FOUR HOURS LATER, Steven stood near a bonfire that Liam had built in the ruins of the Infinity Ranch. They’d driven the Jayco trailer there, and the Yellow Ronin had set up a tent. He didn’t complain, but Bud wasn’t about to camp. He was back in his hotel suite in Cheyenne.
Sparks spat from the roaring fire to drift up to the stars. The Yellow Ronin had spent the day eating, resting, and getting ready to cast the portal magic, which would sap most of his Animus. Steven made sure he and his Escort were powered up.
They were ready. Mouse, in an easily discarded blue dress, had the Slayer Blade strapped across her back on the adjustable belt. Tessa wore jeans, a ripped Halestorm T-shirt, and had her pistols on her side. The leather satchel with the two Drokharis grimoires was slung over her shoulder. The topaz pen with the sapphire feathers was also inside. Aria stood in a red dress, hair braided.
Sabina wasn’t there.
“Hold on a second,” Steven said. He saw something glowing green in the garden. That would be the blind woman using her Divinatio magic to see.
He approached her. The ground was black from the fire and smelled like an ashtray. Some weeds had sprung from the soil. The plants were bright against the blasted earth.
Sabina’s eyes shined a brilliant emerald color. “Steven, I’m sorry, I couldn’t help but come over here. I know we have to go but ... the power here—the sadness, the madness. Mathaal’s battle. I can see him using his magic and his Exhalants. Even now, his ghost is here. He used a Defensio spell to pull a wall out of the house. It’s more like telekinesis than a force field. I’ve never seen such a thing.”
Steven nodded. “It was quite the battle. He saved us. Tessa hated that we used him as a weapon, but in the end, he forgave us. He felt bad for killing his brother. And he and my father were friends.”
“Stefan Drokharis had many friends, but Rahaab wasn’t one of them. I can see that as well. And yet, he has the third volume of your family’s grimoire. I don’t know why.” Sabina approached him and touched his face. She smiled, and it made her even more beautiful. “You will have a thick beard when you walk across the universe. That could be your future, if you are not killed. I see both possibilities. As for your past, three months ago, you were working so hard, going to school, being a good son and a good student. You were younger. The battle has aged you. And that is sad.”
Steven was blown away. “So you can see all of that right now?”
Sabina nodded. “Your past, your future—right now, it’s a swirl of images, but if I focus, I can tell which is which. And I know I will kiss you before we leave.” Tears trickled down. They sparkled like gems on her cheeks.
Steven used his thumbs to brush them away. “Why are you crying?”
“I feel ugly. I feel useless. Aria whispers to Tessa that I might not be able to fight. That I am a liability. Or she will say those things in the future. I wish I was whole. You are a good man, Steven Drokharis. Maybe I’m not worth your time.”
Steven paused to think. Aria would have her doubts. She was a tough one, and though she was not the jealous sort—not in the least—she could be brutally utilitarian. If Aria thought, even for a moment, that Sabina couldn’t pull her weight or would risk the Primacy, there could be trouble between them. But it was possible Sabina could hear things from the future, which demonstrated just how powerful she might be. And besides, she’d come to him looking for help. He couldn’t turn her away. Couldn’t.
He wrapped his arms around the blind woman and held her. She fit perfectly in his arms. Her head rested against his chest, and her sizeable breasts pressed into his body. She didn’t have a dragon scent, but she was wearing a light perfume that smelled so good. He kissed her head.
“We can make this work, Sabina,” he whispered. “If you can see into the future during attacks, you might be able to anticipate our enemies’ movements.”
He brought up the skill tree and looked over the Veneficium branch.
<<<>>>
Veneficium (Right Wing of the Dragon)
Magica Defensio
Magica Cura
Magica Impetim
Magica Incanto
Magica Divinatio
Magica Porta
<<<>>>
“Sabina, you’re a master Magician,” he continued, still eyeing the semitranslucent vision before him. “If we keep your Animus levels up, you can use the Divinatio spell to see while you cast Defensio, Cura, and Impetim spells. How good are you with Incanto spells?”
“I’m not terrible at them,” she replied, shrugging one shoulder, “but I don’t have much experience casting them. Mulk used me mainly for divination magic. I never saw much combat, but Tessa and I went over the shield magic from the second volume. I think I can cast those spells to keep you all safe. I will try.”
“You are worthy.” Steven gave her a little extra squeeze to emphasize his point. “We’re going to do great things together.”
Sabina’s spell ended, and the light faded. “Steven, my past, who I am ... I can’t believe I will do anything great. I was hated when I was beautiful and young. Now I am old and ugly.”
He cut her off. “You’re not even thirty. Come on, you’re gorgeous. Any man would want you.”
She didn’t say more. Instead, she snaked her hand into his hair and leaned her head back. She then drew him in for the kiss she had prophesized. He tasted her for the first time. Her lips were thick and soft, and when she opened her mouth, he knew she wanted their tongues to touch. He’d had a fair amount of sex that day, but here was a new woman who wanted him. He grew stiff in his jeans.
Her hand caressed the bulge. “Steven, it will take me some time until we can make love. Is it okay? Is it okay that I have sex with Tessa and not you for right now?”
Steven laughed. “It’s more than all right. Tessa gets so hot with you that she comes straight to me. This will work out. I promise.”
“I hope you are right,” Sabina said. “There is something I want ... but ... no, I can’t ask. And we must go. They are waiting for us.”
He wondered what was on her mind, but he didn’t want to push her. She was still fragile.
Who wouldn’t be?
She
’d lost her eyesight, the man who had supposedly loved her had thrown her away, and she had wandered through the world thinking she was alone. Despite that, he knew Sabina would heal. He didn’t know her past, but he did know her future. She would join his Escort, and he would keep her safe. If it took a while for her to join him in bed, well, he’d given both Aria and Mouse all the time they needed. He’d be patient. More than anything, he wanted Sabina to feel better about herself.
And if she could see into the future during a battle? She could stop attacks even before they happened. That could make all the difference between life and death.
Steven helped her navigate around the wreckage of the battle and back to the bonfire. When he pointed to where Mulk was buried, Sabina spat in the direction. He didn’t blame her.
Before they reached the fire, he asked her, “Sabina, when you were casting your divination spell, you saw Mathaal in the past. Do you know where he is now? Is he on the island in the Maldives?”
“No,” she said. “He is gone. I did not see him in the present. And I did not see him in the future. It seems he was killed.”
Steven gritted his teeth. Rahaab. Rahaab must’ve killed him, that bastard. He would pay. Steven would make sure of it.
They walked back to the fire.
Liam frowned. “Thought maybe you’d gotten cold feet about this plan,” he said, quirking an eyebrow.
Steven grinned and shrugged. “Nope. I’m going to get my book back, ambush or not. But I needed to chat with Sabina first.”
Tessa smiled widely. “Did your chat involve kissing?”
“Blow job,” Mouse said. “Totally.”
Aria stood with her arms crossed, her face pinched. Had she been talking smack about Sabina? It could be. Steven would have to pull her aside and make sure Aria understood Sabina wasn’t deadweight. Actually, he hoped their first battle would prove that fact.
Assuming they survived.
“I don’t kiss and tell,” Steven said. “Suffice to say, Sabina and I talked. She’s with us, and if I’m right, she’s going to be a priceless part of this team. If this is a trap, we’ll need all the help we can get. Sabina is going to stay back and provide magical support. We’ll give her easy kills, so her Animus levels stay high.”