by Skye, Sariah
“What sort of help can he give us?” I asked, with a snort. Rhys grinned mischievously.
“You need someone that knows about dragonmetal weapons?”
“Well, yes…”
“Who better than a dragon for that?”
“What?” I asked incredulously. “But I’ve met dragons before, this is a special skill!”
“Not for this dragon.” Rhys winked and motioned for us to follow. “Let’s go, or else I’ll teleport you all down there myself.”
Xander grumbled. I grabbed his arm and tugged on him, nodding to Mordred. “Let’s go, guys. This I have to see…”
Chapter Eleven
After hanging out with the witches for a few more minutes, chatting with them a bit, I finally felt relieved enough about my… situation… to continue on with my day. I didn’t know what would happen, but I was feeling much better about things.
Excalibur wasn’t evil, it wasn’t going to hurt me. It had tried to possessively kick Xander’s ass, but I think that we had an understanding now; that wasn’t allowed. After all, Xander and Bash had been “allowed” to handle the sword before in Alexandria, and it didn’t react like a jerky, overprotective ass then. Why? Because my guys were good guys, even though they were a bunch of sexually-driven demons. The sword wasn’t fully sentient then and could only go based off instinct and feeling at that point in Alexandria. Now that we were closer, the soul in the sword felt more… possessive.
I was feeling pretty good when I carried the sword confidently back into the house, but the moment I opened the doors, my mouth dropped open when my gaze landed on Bash, Xander, Rhys and Mordred, conversing intently with Finnian, and two companions. One of them being a pretty woman with light red hair, and the other a brown-haired male with a persistent five-o’-clock-shadow like Mathias had, only Mathias was much, much larger. All seven pairs of eyes trained on me the moment I barreled in through the door, carrying the sword at my side.
“What the hell is this?” I demanded, my eyes immediately narrowing on the woman, of course. The guys’ incubus powers were somewhat subdued in recent days, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try something. “Who the hell are you?”
“Is that—” she asked, glancing questioningly at Bash who sat nearest to her, and he nodded. Her mouth dropped open as she regarded me.
“Is that what?” I gripped the hilt of the sword in my hand and proceeded to stalk towards her, but Rhys blinked out and teleported in between us before I could, I didn’t know—stab her with it or something.
Yes, I was being a possessive bitch. But I knew how women could get around my guys, and especially after seeing it happen in St. Cloud? I certainly wasn’t going to tolerate it in my house.
I glowered at Rhys. He was taller than me by only a couple of inches so I could nearly stare daggers right into his eyes. “Move, Rhys.”
He grinned widely. “Only if I get to watch you mud wrestle in the yard. Would you do that, huh?”
My mouth opened to yell, but the woman rose to her feet, and released a growl from the back of her throat that was so low, so ominous, even I began to quake in my sneakers. I glanced around Rhys with a quirk of my brow cautiously at her.
“The hell are you?” I demanded, as she continued to glare at him.
“Rhys…” Xander warned, and he smiled innocently.
“Hey, couldn’t hurt to try, huh? Two hot women, one dirty mudhole, it would be—” he continued.
“Rhys!” Xander stood, bellowing, angry storm clouds appearing to roil in his dark, mysterious eyes. I felt myself shiver gently, watching him glare down the wizard in a sign of total dominance, especially when Rhys totally backed down. I dared to gaze at the woman, and she had literally no reaction to him whatsoever, other than she was aware that he was there. He stepped forward and drew me into his arms.
“Dearest, Finnian brought them over. We needed help and he thought they could help, okay? I’m not too thrilled with Thomas,” he said, pointedly tossing the words over his shoulder, “but if they can help, can you let them? Please?”
“We’re sorry for the intrusion, I should have taken more precaution knowing how Avalon would feel about her protectors.” Finnian with his proper British accent spoke, giving me a warm smile as he crossed the short distance through the room to be at my side. He held out his hand, motioning to the woman. “This is Leorah. She has some knowledge into the sort of weapon that Excalibur is, and I asked if she could offer her expertise as it were. And this is Gabriel O’Donnell, our friend. He’s a sorcerer like Rhys too, quite damned powerful.” Gabriel seemed to posture at the compliment.
I snapped my fingers in his direction. “I know you,” I said thoughtfully. “I think we saw your photo on the news or void web or something. We thought you were missing?”
Gabriel and Leorah exchanged a secret, knowing smile. “Ah, no, not missing. Just… indisposed?”
Leorah snorted gently. I blinked in confusion, swearing that I saw a puff of glitter fly out of her nose, like a fire breathing dragon that didn’t breath fire at all but… glitter? That was ridiculous.
“So what the hell are you?” I demanded haughtily, and Leorah smirked gently.
“I’m a dragon,” she replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. I noticed she was a bit shorter than me, maybe a bit curvier, or more muscular. My eyes formed slits again, recalling those huge, meat-headed masses of muscle at the Stargazer that were bodyguards.
“No way. You look nothing like the dragons I’ve seen.”
Gabriel laughed out loud. “Ah, she’s not your typical dragon.”
“She’s a damn dragon princess or something,” Xander whispered to me, raising his brow.
“Something like that,” she said, with a roll of her eyes.
“So, you know about Excalibur?” I demanded, raising the sword before me. Xander tensed, and guided me to the chair nearby, sitting down and pulling me into his lap as he pushed my hand down, and making me lower the sword.
“It’s okay, dearest…” he said, tipping his forehead against mine and flashing me his sexy, sideways smile. “Really.”
With a reluctant grumble, I willed the sword into its bracelet form, and Leorah, Gabriel, and Finnian watched with awe as it twisted in a flash around my wrist.
“Holy shit…” Leorah muttered, her eyes wide. “Maxx’s stuff never did that.”
“Maxx?” Bash inquired, and a wave of sadness seemed to wash over her.
“My mate. He creates weapons. Not Excalibur, but ones like it.” As if to prove her point, she lifted her hand, palm side up and in a blink, a very ornate, pink and green jeweled dagger appeared out of nowhere.
“Holy fuck! How’d you do that?” I cried out, surprised.
“It’s tuned to me. He made it for me, I can literally call on it from anywhere,” she explained, biting her lip and taking a breath as if she was choking back some unknown emotion. Gabriel reached out and patted her arm and she gave a small, appreciative smile.
“But how does he do it? Excalibur wasn’t specifically tuned to her,” Bash inquired, confused as he scratched his jaw.
“He just has to have the person—or mytho—in mind, and once I was handed it, the magic took over. He’s able to pull the rarest minerals from the earth and manipulate them, combine them with his magic to make it stronger, and enhance their magic. I’m not sure about Excalibur,” she said, nodding at me.
“I can’t see anything beyond light magic. There’s something different about it, but I can’t quite place it,” Gabriel said, frowning. I noticed he was staring intently at the blade wrapped around my wrist and defensively, I pulled it in to my chest.
“But do you sense anything evil about it?” Xander asked.
“No. I don’t. I see light magic, similar to what I see when I look around Avalon. It’s pretty, and peaceful,” Gabriel explained.
“And Avalon isn’t evil so the sword isn’t either. See? I told you so,” Rhys retorted, glaring petulantly at Bash and Xander.
>
“Basically you can offer no help then?” I retorted, with a snort. Leorah glared severely in my direction.
“Listen—Ava. We assume it’s some sort of spirit magic. Mine is stronger than the average weapon because I’m a spirit user, and I can enhance and multiply magic, basically,” Leorah explained, and Bash sat up straight, eyes wide. “But because we think it’s spirit magic of a sort, we don’t think it’s evil. Apparently that’s something your… mates or whatever were worried about.” Xander nodded in agreement at that.
“Wait. You can enhance magic? What sort of magic?” Bash asked suddenly.
Leorah shrugged again. “All kinds.”
He exchanged a triumphant grin with Mordred. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to help us out?”
“Depends upon what it is,” Leorah replied cautiously.
“Can we take her magic,” Bash said, pointing to me, “or the magic from the sword, and multiply it?”
“How much are we talking?” Gabriel asked, suspicious.
“Like… enough for an army?” Bash asked hopefully.
“I’m not sure,” Leorah replied, eyes wide.
“But… if you see how her magic works can you duplicate it?” Rhys asked.
“I could, maybe.”
“I’m not sure its possible to make enough what—potion?—to use on hundreds of weapons but perhaps we could make enough for everyone to take?” Leorah inquired, with a shrug. “At least not without my mate here,” she added, her expression falling sullen. I subtly arched a brow, I didn’t know what that was about, and didn’t want to ask. I had enough drama in my life, I didn’t need dragon drama too.
Bash snapped his fingers triumphantly, turning to Mordred. “Does everyone in the army drink from the same source?”
“Of course! That’s how you helped cure the villagers back then, isn’t it?” I said, grinning at him proudly.
“Yeah, it worked well. So… do you think it’s possible?”
“Probably.”
Bash clapped his hands together and stood. “Well then. Let’s get to work.”
“Before we do that,” Finnian interjected, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a leather band, handing it to him. “I thought this would be useful for your shifter.”
“What is it?” He asked, eyeing it cautiously.
“It contains a spell to help keep your clothes on after you shift and shift back. Comes in quite damned handy,” Gabriel replied, and Leorah nodded vigorously. “Show ‘em.”
Leorah rolled her eyes with a disgruntled groan, but stood.
“Won’t you like, take up the entire room if you’re a dragon?” Xander asked, and she laughed sharply.
“Ah, yeah. Nope. If I was my mate then, yes. But I’m… different.” And we watched in awe as she shifted effortlessly, limbs and body twisting and morphing to a surprising yet beautiful pink colored dragon, with wings the color of stained glass, patterned like a butterfly.
“No shit? Holy crap!” I exclaimed in awe. She was maybe about the size of a horse so big, but not as big as you’d think a dragon would be. Accidentally her long tail flicked and hit the end table, and she growled, a puff of pink glitter escaping her mouth. She laughed, and spoke in a deep voice that still sounded like her, “Sorry.”
“A pink dragon. I wish Mathias could see this. He’d shit himself,” Xander muttered, and I nodded in agreement.
In the blink of an eye she shifted back into her petite, curvy human form, jeans, sweatshirt, sneakers and all. “See?”
“I’ll give this to Trystan when he comes home. Thank you,” Bash said.
“Now, feel up to some potion making?” Finnian asked, patting Gabriel and Leorah on the shoulders.
“Sure, why not?” Bash led everyone up the stairs, but Leorah paused, bringing up the rear.
“Did I hear correctly? Both of them are your mate—errr, fiancés?” She asked, raising an intrigued brow.
I laughed quietly. “Yep. And there’s two more that aren’t here.”
“Four?” She asked incredulously, looking shocked for a brief moment before her mouth spread into a devious grin. “Are you sure you’re not a dragon?”
Snorting a laugh, I shook my head. “Nope, just a cambion. Part demon, part sarcastic bitch.”
Leorah’s head bobbed with approval. She lifted her hand and balled up a fist in my direction, and we exchanged a respectful fist-bump of “sisterly” solidarity. “Well fucking done.” We shared a giggle as we walked up to Bash’s “nerd lab” to go make potions.
Chapter Twelve
My muscles ached and I felt sweaty and gross, both still from the sword fight session with Rhys and Xander and calling all my magic to imbue a large sack of powdered whatever with a substance that would help make the rebels stronger against the shadow fae. I didn’t quite understand it, but Bash said that with the magical enhancement of Avalon it should help make them stronger and more resilient.
Leorah, the damned pink dragon and her friend, Gabriel, were adept with magic and I was impressed at their skill and how well they worked together. I wondered if they were romantically involved, but the subject of her mate came up every so often and her face would cloud with sadness so I gathered not. I didn’t know what happened, and I didn’t inquire, but it was clear that Leorah was fighting a battle of her own, somehow.
After we’d worked on the potions for about an hour, I was more than ready for a shower. Bash was still wrapping up, and Xander had gotten called by Mathias to come to the Stargazer to help with some of the electrical stuff. Rhys had teleported them, and Finnian, Gabriel, and Leorah left shortly after so I was left to shower alone with my dirty thoughts, consumed with affectionately watching Bash and how his intelligent mind worked—I loved watching him in his element. Intelligence was sexy as fuck, and I was still plenty bothered from writhing around fighting with Xander earlier. I had little choice but to resort to taking a cold shower and maybe taking a nap. Of course, with all of this pent-up Avalon desire coursing through me now, it would be hard to sleep. Damn, now I really wish I still had Buzz…
Gathering up fresh new clothes, I headed into the bathroom, setting them down on the counter. I started to shimmy out of my sweaty, smelly ones when I frowned, realizing I forgot my phone to listen to music while I showered, so I headed back out for it.
I thought I left my phone on the nightstand but it wasn’t there. I grumbled, realizing that I’d smacked it hard the other night while going at it with Bash and Xander when a song started playing I couldn’t stand—damn Bash and his bizarre music tastes. It probably fell under the bed. I bent over to search for it, when the high-pitched sound of a wolf whistle hit my ears.
Shrieking loudly, I jumped up so hard, I whacked my head on the nightstand. “Ouch!” I held my wounded, bumped forehead in my hands and spun clumsily around to see Bash standing in the open doorway, reaching around and rubbing the back of his neck as he shuffled on his feet and appeared rather guilty.
“Sorry babe, I couldn’t help myself,” he said, with a light laugh.
“Ow.” I rubbed the front of my forehead with my fingers, pouting severely. He didn’t bother to wait for an invitation to enter—no one ever did anymore—and I spun around haughtily on my feet, pretending to be angry. I realized that that was probably about the worst thing to do to Bash, because he was an ass-man, and my backside was currently exposed by the panties had wedged halfway into my ass-crack as I leaned over. His hands were on my ass in about two seconds, and I tried not to melt at the feeling of two firm hands cupping my ass, caressing and massaging gently.
“Oh god…” I practically moaned, leaning into Bash’s muscular form.
“Mmm…” Bash said lowly, full of raspy desire as his naughty lips began to trail a path over my shoulder, and up my neck. I felt his chest heave and fall against me as he laughed quietly.
“What?” I asked, figuring he was about to say something dirty, and I felt my breath hitch and my eyes flutter shut in anticipation at all the
naughty things he could possibly say to me. Things I really wanted him to say right about now.
“No offense, babe… but you kind of smell.”
And that was so not it…
My eyes flew open and I couldn’t pull myself fast enough out of the strong arms that were trying to grab onto me. I slapped at him as he puffed out his lower lip in a sexy pout that only Bash could—goddamn him—and tried to step away.
“I’m sorry Avie! Really! But what the hell were you doing?” He reached for me again and I slapped at him, crossing my arms over my chest and shaking my head.
“Kicking Xander’s ass with Excalibur, that’s what I was doing. Then you know, expending all the rest of my energy making your dumb potion.” Bash reached for me again and I pulled away, glaring severely. “Don’t think so, siphon-boy. I’m going to take a bath now. Or shower. Alone.”
“Aww… I’m sorry. Really. I’m just jealous because Xan got to roll around with you on the ground and I was stuck in the lab,” Bash insisted, puffing out his lip in a sexy pout that nearly had me relenting almost immediately.
“Ugh, I thought Xander was the jealous one!” I protested. “You’re being a dicknugget,” I said, poking him squarely in the shoulder. Bash’s pout slowly morphed into a gentle smirk.
“Yes, I’m being a dicknugget.”
“Yes, you are. And a douchecanoe. A total douchecanoe. You don’t ever tell your girlfriend she smells, I don’t give two shits if she smells like actual shit!” I scolded, glaring at him crossly.
“So I’m supposed to lie?” Bash asked, feigning offense.
My eyes narrowed even more, even as he continued his adorably sexy smirk. “Yes.”
“Can I tell my fiancée she smells?” Bash probed, not able to hold in his light chuckle.
“Can you—what? No! Especially not then!”
Bash bit his lip, but the laugh he fought went up to his steely-blue eyes, branding them with mischief. “So I’m supposed to lie?”