Kira might not want to believe it, but I knew in my gut that it was true. The Black Dragon was her mother.
“What if Sark is my…” she started, her voice rough with emotion but unable to finish the question.
Before I could answer, a roar burst through the sky, and I spun away from Kira just in time to blast away a burst of fire that had been flying toward us. Red scales and sharp fangs emerged from the clouds above as Sark appeared over us.
“Get back,” I told Kira, as I moved to protect her with my body and my magic.
But then something else moved out of the corner of my eye. I saw a flash of gold before something hit me hard in the chest and knocked me off the platform. As I fell to the ground everything went dark, and my last thought was that I’d failed Kira.
36
Kira
"Auric!" I screamed, as he dropped out of sight and disappeared into the clouds. Though normally I knew Auric could use his magic to float, Isen had hit him with his tail so hard it seemed my mate had lost consciousness. I nearly dove off the tower and tried to save him, but the Golden Dragon hovered before me and snarled, with the Crimson Dragon at his side.
“You.” Sark's eyes seemed to burn right into me. “I knew it was you all along. I recognized your stench." He closed in on me, his dragon form looming tall. "Grab her."
His gleaming red talons reached for me, but I blasted him with my new-found powers of air. He shook my magic off easily, though it distracted him enough that I managed to dart out of his reach and hide behind the bed. I shot a burst of fire at Isen next, but he flapped it off with his shining wings.
"There's no use running," Isen said, his voice slimy in his dragon form.
"Auric!" I yelled again, praying he was still alive. I couldn't feel him yet through my bond, but I reached out with my senses and found Jasin's presence. "Jasin!"
"Your mates can't help you now," Sark said. "It's time you came with us."
"Is it true?" I called out, choking back my fear and anger. "Is the Black Dragon my mother?"
"She is," Isen said. "And she'd very much like to meet you."
I shook my head, unable to accept it, or the thought that Sark might be my father. Was that why he had killed my parents and tried to hunt me down? Had those kind people stolen me away from the Dragons somehow?
The two Dragons surrounded me, using blasts of fire and air to keep me from being able to run, and even though I knew logically that I should be immune to both those elements I wasn’t ready to test that theory yet. They got closer and closer, reaching for me with their deadly talons, and there was nowhere for me to go. They would capture me and take me back to the Black Dragon—my mother.
But then shards of ice flew at Sark's side and he reared back with a roar. Stones knocked into Isen at the same time, pushing him back. I spun around as another blood red Dragon burst through the clouds and soared toward us. This one had a familiar smirk on his fanged face, with Reven and Slade on his back. Jasin opened his mouth and let out a stream of fire, which blasted against Isen's chest, while my other two mates kept up their assault too.
And then another Dragon shot into the sky, faster than I'd ever seen one fly before. It burst up over us and gleamed bright gold under the sun, before swooping down and slamming into Sark, knocking him off the tower.
Auric had returned.
He flapped his shining wings and did a spin in the air, already flying as if he'd been born as a dragon and not a human, then dashed toward me. Sark had already recovered and began rushing toward me again. I swallowed my fear and ran at full speed for the edge of the tower and then leaped off it, using my new powers of air to help guide me onto Auric's back. I hit him with a hard thump and scrambled to grab onto his scales before I slid off his back, but then I was able to swing my leg around and sit like I'd done with Jasin.
“You’re alive,” I said, rubbing the scales on his neck. “Thank the Gods.”
He let out a roar in response as he spun us around on shimmering wings. Now riding on my own Golden Dragon, I faced off against the two Dragons we were meant to usurp. Jasin hovered at my side with my other mates on his back, and together we launched a stream of magic toward Sark and Isen.
With the four of us working together it seemed as though our combined efforts might work to push the Dragons back, and we might even defeat one of them for good. But then lightning formed in the air around us, nearly striking down my two Dragons. Jasin dodged one lightning bolt but his wing was seared at the tip, and Slade had to grab Reven to keep him from tumbling off Jasin's back.
As the lightning kept reaching for us, Auric let out another roar and a tornado formed in the air around Sark, while Jasin opened his mouth and spewed fire at Isen. Reven and Slade assaulted the Dragons with ice and rock, and I added my own fire and air too. We faced the other Dragons without backing down, using our magic in concert to drive them away, until the lightning around us ceased. With shrill cries, Isen and Sark flapped their wings and retreated back into the clouds, disappearing as quickly as they’d appeared.
I sagged against Auric's back, exhausted even though we were victorious. He turned his head to meet my gaze, and I spotted his intelligence and kindness even in his new dragon form. He was Auric through and through, even as a dragon. Jasin swooped over to fly beside us, while Reven and Slade scanned the clouds for any sign of the other Dragons returning. Pride and love swelled inside me at the sight of my mates. Somehow we’d stood up to two of the mightiest Dragons in the world—and we’d won.
37
Kira
When we were certain that the other Dragons were truly gone, Jasin and Auric circled the tower together as they flew down to the ground, where Brin waited for us with a nervous expression. As Auric's scaled feet hit the ground, she leaped on us to hug both of us at once, which was a bit awkward since he was still a dragon.
"Thank the Gods you're all right," she said. "What happened up there?"
"Sark and Isen wanted me to go with them, but we managed to fight them off,” I said. I debated telling her what the Air God had told me about my parents, but now wasn’t the time. Besides, I wasn’t sure I could even speak the words out loud yet.
"Incredible." She patted Auric's scaled side. "You look great as a dragon, my friend."
"Thanks.” Auric stretched his wings, admiring his new shining form.
“You should have seen him,” I told Brin. “He flew like he’d been doing it his entire life.”
“A benefit of being the Air God’s chosen one,” he said.
Jasin touched down, and Slade and Reven leaped off his back. My two Dragons shifted back into human form and then my four mates surrounded me and wrapped me in their arms, passing me from one to the other to hold me tight and cover my face with kisses. Love and relief filled my chest as I kissed and hugged them back. These were my Dragons, my warriors, and my mates. No matter what happened or what we uncovered, they would stand by my side.
“How did you know we were in trouble?” I asked Jasin.
“I felt your distress through the bond.” He grinned at Reven and Slade. “The other two weren’t excited about climbing onto my back, but they didn’t need much convincing when I said you were in danger.”
“Only because we knew you couldn’t handle it on your own,” Reven said, as he crossed his arms. He was back to his brooding self, though I knew he cared for me.
“We’ll always protect you, Kira,” Slade said, but then he made a face. “Even if it means flying again.”
“Thank you,” I said. “We couldn’t have defeated the Dragons without all of us working together, but now we need to hurry to the Earth Temple. The Dragons know who we are, and they know we have two temples left to visit. They'll be trying to stop us any chance they can, and will no doubt be waiting for us to arrive."
"Good thing we can fly now," Auric said.
"Can you both fly all the way to the Earth Temple?" I asked, glancing between Auric and Jasin. “With all of us on your backs?”
/>
"Do we have a choice?" Jasin asked. "We'll manage it somehow. Even with frequent stops to rest it will be faster than taking the camels back to Windholm and then getting horses."
Brin nodded. "I'll set the camels free. They'll be fine."
"Then let's gather our things and set off," I said, as I gazed across the desert in the direction of the Earth Realm. Another long journey was ahead of us, and at the end of it was my mother. I shuddered at the thought before I turned away.
Together we went through our supplies and bundled up everything we needed, then left the rest behind. Auric and Jasin became dragons again, while the four of us climbed onto their backs and loaded our things onto them. I wasn’t sure how far they could fly with our weight on them, especially since they were both new to this, but we couldn’t delay here either.
As we lifted into the air, I thought again of the Air God’s words about how the Black Dragon was my mother. I hadn’t wanted to believe it, but I felt the dark truth of it within me, no matter how much I hated the thought. I could only pray that I would never become like her…or like whoever my father was. And when the time came, I would defeat her and her Dragons, because though they may have birthed me, they were not my family. My first family was the one that Sark had destroyed, and my new family was the group that surrounded me now.
We began to fly north in the direction of the Earth Realm, where I hoped to see Tash again, meet Slade’s family, and bond with him at the Earth Temple. Our path wouldn’t be easy, and even though we’d been victorious today, I knew we’d gotten lucky. To defeat the five Dragons we needed more than luck, especially since they knew where we would be heading next. We were going to need more allies, and though the King of the Air Realm was a good start, he wouldn’t be enough—not when the Dragons had the Onyx Army and could control shades as well. We needed the Resistance on our side, along with anyone else we could find. But to get help, I was going to have to reveal who I truly was to the world. There would be no more hiding, not anymore.
I’d thought I could live my life in the shadows, but it was time to step into the light.
Shake The Earth
Her Elemental Dragons Book Three
1
Kira
I’d traveled the four Realms on foot, on horse, and even on camel, but nothing compared to riding a dragon. I gripped Jasin’s blood red scales to steady myself as he spread his wings and glided over the Air Realm, lifting us higher and higher. Slade’s arms tightened around me while the wind whipped at my hair and exhilaration danced through my blood. I grinned and glanced over at Auric, whose golden body glinted under the sun as he flew alongside us. Reven sat on the other dragon’s back, his pose deceptively relaxed, though he was always ready to leap into action. A sense of rightness filled me at being surrounded by my four mates as we embarked on the next part of our journey.
“We’re about to enter the Earth Realm,” Slade’s deep voice rumbled at my ear. He was probably anxious to get back to the ground. Slade didn’t like heights or anything that prevented him from keeping two feet in contact with the earth. He never complained, but I could tell he was uncomfortable from the tension in his body every time Jasin ascended.
“We should find somewhere to stop for the night,” I said.
Slade scanned the area around us. “If I remember correctly, there is a small lake northwest of here.”
“I’ll find it,” Jasin’s dragon voice growled out.
Another benefit of traveling by dragon—it was fast. Over the last two days I’d watched the desert fade away to grasslands and plains and now to forests that grew denser with each passing minute. Below us I caught sight of the border crossing between the Air and Earth Realms, where the guards glanced up at the sight of us flying overhead, but didn’t seem concerned. Most of the world didn’t know yet that new Dragons were rising to overthrow the old ones, but soon they would. The time for hiding was over.
Within a few days we’d reach the Earth Temple, where I would bond with Slade, allowing him to turn into my Jade Dragon while unlocking my own earth magic at the same time. I’d already bonded with Jasin and Auric at the Fire and Air Temples respectively, and later I would bond with Reven at the Water Temple too. While Jasin and Auric had been eager to become my mates, Slade and Reven had been hesitant until recently. In the last few weeks they’d committed themselves to our destiny and had finally begun opening up to me, but I wasn’t sure they’d ever love me like Auric and Jasin did. Slade and Reven both had secrets from their pasts that held them back, and I was still trying to break through their barriers. If we had more time, I might be able to do it, but we didn’t have that luxury anymore.
My mates had been chosen by the four elemental gods of Fire, Air, Earth, and Water to replace the current Dragons that ruled the world—and those Dragons were not happy about it. At the Air Temple we’d fought their Golden Dragon, Isen, and Crimson Dragon, Sark, and now they knew who we were. We had to hurry to the next two temples before the Dragons could stop us, and they wouldn’t let us succeed without a fight. They would do anything to prevent me from becoming the next Black Dragon and overthrowing the current one—my mother.
I’d recently learned that the Black Dragons were descended from the Spirit Goddess and were meant to protect the world for a short time, before their own daughters would take their place. However, the current Black Dragon, Nysa, had found a way to remain in power and had ruled for a thousand years without having a daughter…until now. Until me.
I still couldn’t believe she was my mother. I’d lived in fear of the Black Dragon and her four mates all my life, especially after Sark killed the people I’d thought were my parents. Their deaths had haunted me for years, and the sight of fire had sent terror through me ever since. Now I could summon fire myself, but I still worried about losing control of it and destroying innocent lives.
How could the woman who spread fear and death throughout the world be my mother? And if she was my mother, then who was my real father?
As we entered the Earth Realm the sun dipped lower into the clouds, casting the sky in purple and pink hues. My stomach rumbled, reminding me it had been many hours since we’d eaten. Jasin’s clawed feet hit the ground smoothly, and his blood red tail swished back and forth as I slid off his back. I stretched my aching muscles, which had grown sore from sitting on his hard scales for hours. At least my magic would heal me quick enough—a useful gift from the Spirit Goddess.
Auric touched down seconds later, carrying both Reven and Brin, Auric’s former fiancé and my newest friend. Despite the dangers we faced, she’d insisted on joining us on our quest, and I appreciated having another woman in our group. She was also an excellent fighter and had guided us through the desert of the Air Realm without any problems. I had no doubt she’d be a valuable member of the team, even if I did worry for her safety.
After we all dismounted and stretched, we began to unload the supplies and gear strapped to the two dragons’ backs. Once we were done, Auric and Jasin shifted back to their human forms. They both staggered a little as their wings vanished and their scales were replaced by skin and hair. They were both doing really well considering they’d only just learned how to fly, but I felt their sudden exhaustion through the bond we shared. Jasin had a little more experience being a dragon, but he’d had to practice flying for hours to get it right. Auric, on the other hand, had taken to flight immediately, as if he’d been born in the sky. But I sensed they needed rest and food or they wouldn’t be able to keep up this fast pace much longer.
We’d landed in a small clearing on the edge of a lake, which was otherwise surrounded by thick, dense trees. The six of us went to work setting up the camp, the routine familiar after many days on the road together, although it had become a lot faster once we didn't have to hide our magic from Brin anymore. She’d learned the truth about us at the Air Temple when we’d fought the shades that had waited for us there, and she’d taken the news pretty well, all things considered.
As Jasin moved to light a campfire for us, he stumbled over a small rock. I’d never seen him move with anything other than confident grace, a remnant of his many years as a soldier in the Onyx Army. His warm brown eyes lacked their usual hint of mischief, and his auburn hair was messier than normal. He was still ridiculously attractive, the kind of man who turned heads every time he walked into a room, but the hours of flying had clearly taken their toll.
I touched his arm lightly. “Let me do this. You're exhausted.”
“I'm fine. I just need something to eat.” He shot fire from his fingertips into the pile of wood, then gave me a weary grin. “See? Nothing I can't handle.”
I shook my head at his display and went to check on Auric. He was using his magic to clear away debris from around the lake so we'd have a place to sleep that night, but his tall frame was slumped with fatigue. Like Jasin, his golden hair was tousled from the wind, and his gray eyes seemed more unfocused than normal. Where Jasin looked like the good kind of trouble, Auric had the face of an elegant, handsome prince—probably because he was one. His father was king of the Air Realm and Auric was fifth in line for the throne, although he’d given up that life entirely when he’d become my mate.
“Tired?” I asked.
“A little,” Auric said, with a thoughtful expression. “Our endurance is greatly increased as dragons, but we definitely feel the effects of flying all day once we return to our human forms.”
“Rest,” I said, rubbing his back slowly. “You and Jasin have done all the hard work so far today. We’ll finish setting up camp and prepare some supper for us.”
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 33