by Tia Didmon
Legion sucked in a breath. “I was foolish to think so. They tricked Adara. She sacrificed herself to ensure she would be reborn, and that I did not turn dark. I have waited two thousand years for you, and every second was worth it.”
She hugged him. The fire was a slow burn. A trickle of electrostatic energy that traveled over his skin. Heat rushed through his bloodstream like a dam unleashed. Her lips were tentative, laced with pain and regret. Her body, however, reached for him, recognizing the other half of her soul. He was the only person who could make her whole. Lessen the burden of the wrongdoing inflicted on her. His mouth devoured hers as his hands pulled her clothes from her body.
He had forgotten tenderness, passion and sex. Memories so far in antiquity that it was like experiencing them for the first time. She brought out every instinct in both the animal and the man. Even in the face of adversity, she brought him joy. She gave him everything. Even with her sorrow an acrid taste upon her lips, she still held nothing back. He loved her willingness, her need to sate his desire for her.
He pushed her back on the bed, sucking her hard bud into his mouth. She moaned low, arching her body toward him, to give him better access. Her skin was petal soft and held the faint scent of wildflowers. He was addicted to everything about her. He moved up her body, running his hands over every lush curve, mapping the luscious canvas for all time.
“Lay on your back.” Her green eyes flickered with blue fire behind the pupils. She had blocked their connection. Mystery and desire reflected in her soul.
He did as she asked. His dragon grumbled its approval as she knelt between his legs, keeping her flaming eyes locked with his as she took his shaft in her hands. Her fingers couldn’t connect over his thickness, but she squeezed them together, applying enough pressure to make him growl low in his throat.
Her hand worked him until his breathing became uneven. A rare sensation for a man who was never without breath. The air stilled in his lungs when she bent her head and licked the throbbing head. Each muscle coiled like steel springs, pulled to their breaking point as her mouth enveloped him. The hot cavern a tunnel of ecstasy and desire. His head fell back as she sucked and lick his shaft as if he was her favorite dessert. Maybe he was.
She moved over him, positioning him at her slick entrance before lowering herself down on him slowly. He had thousands of years to perfect his control, yet nothing had prepared him for Mara. The roaring pleasure that streaked through his balls and tightened his abdomen was a wicked torture he never wanted to end. He fought the instinct to take control, recognizing that this moment was hers.
She moved up and down his cock, rocking her hips, taking him deeper and deeper into her fiery paradise. An oasis of pleasure he would never leave. God, he loved her.
She anchored her hands on his chest, quickening her pace, thrusting down on him harder and harder. She cried out as she came, clamping down on his shaft like a fist, taking him with her. He ran his hand down her back slowly as she lay her head on his chest. A tear dripped to his chest.
His arms circled her, holding her to him like he would never let go. “You are killing me. Tell me how to mend your soul.”
“You can’t.”
He cursed Devlin and his vicious attack. The most powerful dragon to walk the earth raged as red fire burned behind his pupils.
Chapter 22
Legion led Mara to the living room where Natalie and Tempest were drinking tea.
Conner was feeding Thorn a chocolate chunk as they sat on the couch. He winked at Natalie. “After all these years of being a wolf, he’s never gotten over his sweet tooth.”
Natalie put her arms around Thorn. “I’m glad. He has many sweet treats in his future.”
Thorn’s ears perked up. The indistinct sound that escaped his mouth could only be interpreted as an accent.
Legion laughed. “He sent me an image of Oreo cookies and something akin to a sticky bun.”
Natalie smiled through her sorrow. “I was feeding him that when... you know.”
Legion nodded. “We have an excellent kitchen here. If you require anything, let me know and we will get it for you.”
Natalie wiggled her fingers. “Do you just make it?”
“No. While procuring food stock is well within my grasp, supporting local business is far more efficient and supportive of the community.”
Natalie crossed her legs. “That’s nice.”
Legion shrugged. “Because you possess the power to do something doesn’t mean you should. If there’s a natural way to accomplish something, it is usually the best way to do so.”
Natalie stroked Thorn’s fur. “It’s confusing to...” Her eyes rolled back into her head as she slumped to the floor.
Mara was up as fast as Legion. They knelt by her side as Thorn growled low, looking around the room, sensing an unseen predator.
Mara cradled Natalie’s head in her lap. “What is happening to her?”
Natalie’s body twitched as if they electrified it. She groaned and whipped her head from side to side, fighting an invisible force.
Legion touched Natalie’s forehead. “Devlin is attacking her mind. The arson of your home was a ruse. It kept me focused on you while he wormed his way into Natalie’s subconscious. He has ensnared her.”
Natalie’s eyes snapped open as her body went limp. “You have a choice, Mara. Come to me alone and I will release your friend. You took something from me and you will replace it.”
Mara shook her head. “I took nothing from you.”
Natalie’s head turned toward the blind girl sitting on the couch with tears in her eyes. “I had plans for Tempest, I even considered marrying her, but your interference has closed her mind to me. I did not think that was possible.”
Legion glanced at Tempest. “How did you block him?”
Tempest took a stunted breath. “I don’t know.”
Conner put a reassuring hand on Tempest’s knee. “Perhaps knowing the truth, has invoked her reactive magic.”
Legion squinted. “She is too young.”
Conner shrugged. “Protective magic is instinctive, and we are basing our theories on what Adara told us. We have never seen a druid’s evolution up close.”
Legion rubbed his chin. “True.”
Conner focused on Natalie’s smug face. “I can’t penetrate his thoughts.”
Legion touched Natalie’s forehead again. “I can feel him, but I can’t break his hold without killing her.”
Natalie’s laugh was cold and unnatural. A tiny overtone grated in the air. “You were always too confident, Legion. Your rise to power was a travesty. One I plan to correct.”
Legion eyes flared. “You are not taking my mate under any circumstances.”
Natalie sat up. “Then I will take this one. I do not know what her talent will be, but I feel her magic. While dormant, it will be powerful one day. She will suit my needs.”
Natalie pushed against the floor, about to stand up, when Thorn growled. A low hum echoed in the room before Natalie fell to the floor.
Legion and Conner both whirled on Thorn.
Mara put her hand on Natalie’s chest. “What just happened?”
Legion’s eyebrow went up. “Thorn’s specialty as a dragon, was to put any creature to sleep. I did not think he could access that power in his current form.”
Mara’s jaw dropped. “He put Natalie to sleep with Devlin holding her mind?”
Legion shook his head. “He put Devlin to sleep, but the dark still retains possession of Natalie’s consciousness. We have till Devlin wakes or he will crush Natalie’s mind out of spite.”
Mara looked at Thorn in awe. “He put Devlin to sleep? God, I love that wolf.”
Thorn winked at her, inciting a smile.
“He’s a dragon,” Legion said absently. “We need to find Devlin before he wakes. Mara, I need you to induce a vision of us with Devlin.”
Mara shook her head. “I don’t know how.”
Legion glanced at Nat
alie’s unconscious form. “Her life depends on you learning.”
Mara sat up on the couch. “Okay. Tell me what to do.”
Legion loved her determination. The complete trust in her eyes. The fight. She had no idea what a gift she was. He made a silent promise to show her when they had time. “Take Natalie’s hand. Feel her essence and that which infects her mind.”
Mara took her friend’s hand. Being connected by their bond, he felt what Mara did. Natalie’s fear. Her warmth. Her love for Mara. She showed Mara without words it was okay if things didn’t work out. That it wasn’t Mara’s fault. Natalie’s sweet mind was breaking under the infection that enslaved it. They had little time before it left only a shell.
Tears streaked down Mara’s face as she reached out to the unseen temple.
Mara felt her consciousness drift, floating from her body, soaring in the clouds before the temple formed around her. She began looking through the empty rooms, calling to Natalie.
When she reached the stone room with the alter, Adara materialized in front of her. “Your friend is not here. She does not possess the magic to enter here. At least, not yet.”
Mara faced the woman whose features were like her own. “You are me.”
Adara inclined her head. “Your soul once belonged to me. This form is an avatar of my former existence. The spell cast long ago allows this representation to guide you and the other druids until they return the temple to your plane.”
“It’s weird talking to myself.”
Adara’s voice held an echo, emphasizing it did not belong to the living. “While we shared a soul. Your body, your heart is yours alone. As are the choices you make.”
Mara took a breath, then realized she felt nothing. While she appeared to breathe. There was no sensation in her lungs. She pushed away the odd feeling. “Can you help me save Natalie?”
Adara tilted her head to the side. “Embrace your power and you will have the ability to save her.”
“And Legion?”
“That choice is yours alone,” Adara said.
Mara frowned. “I thought our mating was destiny.”
Adara inclined her head. “His, yes. No being, not even a dragon as powerful as Legion, can force a druid into a life bond.”
Mara tapped her chest. “But I am just me.”
Adara’s eyes flickered with blue fire. The power that reflected in her own mirror. “You are the seer. The final druid to possess this power. Being the last seer is your destiny.”
Mara looked at her hands. “I just have to give up on my dreams of painting.”
“Why?”
Mara’s head came up. “I thought being the seer meant giving up my old life.”
The light in Adara’s eyes dimmed. “I understand you grew up in a human world, but why the fatalistic attitude? Human psychics have lives, family and dreams. They do not embrace their gift and sacrifice all aspects of their life.”
“I never thought of it like that,” Mara said.
Adara floated toward the alter. “You will see things as the seer no other ever will. You can paint the pictures you want on both canvas and in your mind’s eye. See the future of your friend. See your own. This is the choice you must make.”
Mara looked around the misty temple. “Will I bring back the temple?”
“That will require the power of the six sisters. You are the head of the table. The single force connected to me.”
“But you’re dead.”
“Adara is dead. Her ultimate sacrifice was to save her race and create this avatar for you and your sisters. For me to communicate with those to come. For you.”
“You are the temple?”
Adara’s eyes pulsed. This time her eyes were white. The power behind them was enormous. “Yes. And you are one of my children.”
Mara felt her power surge. Reach for Adara. “I feel it. Our connection. How did the dragons become part of this?”
“Legion is the head of his clan. His species swore allegiance to me. The dragons are powerful and possess immortality. Without Legion, you will age and die. The druids would lose your power for all time. Legion would also perish, resulting in his dragons turning dark and preying on the earth.”
Mara swallowed hard. “That sounds like, we die and it’s the end of the world.”
“It is. Druids and dragons have a symbiotic relationship. We protect the balance of nature. The mages and the dark dragons attempted to destroy that balance once, and it destroyed our race. It forced Adara to give her life and disperse her power among hundreds so it could grow and mature within humanity. You’re the conduit, but every druid who comes before me, started as a spark from Adara.”
Mara’s eyes opened wide. “That’s horrible. Do you know anything about the dark passenger Adara spoke of?”
“A dark mage latched onto Adara as she cast her life force into the human world. I cannot access the human world from this plane, so I cannot tell you who it was, or if he still lives.”
“Mages are human. He would be dead, wouldn’t he?”
“There are ways to extend his life if he’s willing to pay the price.”
“What’s the price for another life.”
“Death of the thing you love.”
Mara’s heart stuttered. “How could anyone do that?”
“You think of Druids and Mages as black and white or dark and light. We once had a symbiotic relationship and worked well together. It took the depravity of the mage leader to annihilate their race. This rings true for human emotions and traits. While you are of the light, you are capable of a dark act if the circumstances call for it.”
Mara nodded. “I get it. I would punch Devlin’s lights out if given the chance.”
“That is why you are the seer. While you are capable of substantial power, you will not use it recklessly. Are you ready to accept your magic? Your heritage?”
Mara nodded. “Yes. Tell me what to do.”
Adara motioned toward the table with the symbols on it. “Touch the table. See the onyx circle that belongs to you. Feel its power. Allow it to call you in your world. When you touch it, it will infuse you with the power of your ancestor. Then you can call out to your sister.”
“She will hear me?”
“All modern druids started from you. All must heed your call.”
“What about the girls at that camp?”
“I called to my children, making sure all were ready for the coming war. Many did not answer my summons. You must find them and protect them. You must call the dragons in question to your cause.”
“What are the dragons in question?”
The temple began to fade and Adara with it. “You will know when the time comes.” The temple faded as Mara’s lungs fill with air.
Mara’s eyes snapped open. “How long was I gone?”
Legion squinted. “Only a second or two. Do you need to try again?”
“No, she told me what to do.”
Legion raised an eyebrow. “Adara?”
Mara put her hand on Legion’s arm. “That isn’t Adara. She died when she sent her magic into the world. The woman you saw, that I see, is the temple. Adara created an avatar to guide us before she died.”
Legion nodded. “I understand that now.”
“She also said that Adara’s dark passenger was a mage, but she doesn’t know who he is or if he still lives. The temple has no power here until we return her to this plane. She also said there are specific dragons we need, but I don’t know who they are.”
“Possibly the mates to the six druids. We will worry about that later. How do we save Natalie?”
“I have to embrace my power.”
Legion frowned. “I thought you had.”
“I need my circle to reach my full potential.”
His eyes flickered with golden flame. “How do you find it?”
Mara closed her eyes and focused on her power. She envisioned the table in the temple with the empty circle. The dragon statue carved to Legion’s
likeness formed in her mind. She saw Adara holding it to her chest before placing it in a wooden crate. She opened her eyes. “I need the wooden statue. The one that looks like you.”
Legion closed his eyes. “It is upstairs. Draco brought it with the other things he restored from the shop.”
Mara ran to the spare room littered with various scrolls, books and figurines from the store. The images in her mind had her walking to the corner of the room to retrieve the statue. She grabbed it, looking over the seamless carving. She recalled the vision of Adara holding the statue to her chest. Power flowed through her, transfusing the item in her arms, returning it to its original construction.
She flipped over the dragon, running a finger over its belly. The line appeared before the black circle fell into her hands. The etched symbol of the eye carved deep into the shiny surface. Light flared as the room disappeared into a wall of power.
Chapter 23
Power raged through Mara’s bloodstream like wildfire. Images rolled through her head like she was in a theater, watching someone else’s life enfold. The world witnessed through the eyes of a ghost?
She floated through a house with shiny oak tables and expensive rugs. She didn’t recognize the home. It gave an outward opinion of beauty, yet it felt hollow. Every antique set up for show. A movie set with the main character yet to appear.
She moved to an enormous library. Books placed immaculately on every shelf, with their owner at the helm. Devlin sat at the table flipping pages in a massive leather-bound book. He looked up, hissing. “How did you find me?”
Mara assumed he was talking to her until Legion marched through the door. His eyes blazed fire and lightning pulsed up his arm. Scales formed beneath his skin before the ball of magic erupted in the room, directed at Devlin. “Your time is over.”
She hurried from the room, looking for something to identify her location. The small office was littered with papers, but none had an address on them. A leather chair was angled at the street, admiring lights that twinkled in the distance. Casting shadows on the tall buildings that reached for the sky. “It’s on the outskirts of the city.” She moved to the window, zeroing in on the street sign down the road. “It’s on Walter lane. It’s a big house with purple flowers in the front. I can’t see the building itself. I am inside.”