A story filled with hope.
I'm rushing through the streets of Rivenna aware that my body’s still feverish. It looks like I might be running out of time; my hormones are raging out of control. I need Alex's help, otherwise I’ll drive myself and Jorgen absolutely crazy. One moment I'm all over him and the next, I'm turning into an ice queen. No wonder he can't keep up with me. He probably thinks I’ve lost my mind!
Alexandra lives in part of the city occupied mainly by shifters with her husband Tom, who works for the local bank. They both moved to Rivenna a few months ago, because they wanted to start over in another part of the country. We haven't had a chance to talk much since Emilia introduced us to each other during the dragon festival when Jorgen kissed me.
I meant to visit her a few times, but lately I’ve been very busy, hardly having time to train. Jetli's condition isn’t improving, but now I can't wait any longer. Jorgen wants to talk and that means that I have to find a way to control myself better when he’s around or it could end in disaster.
My situation is somewhat complicated, Jorgen only knows part of the truth about my Wyvern abilities. He has no idea that I can bring death and destruction with my fire magic, and that he should probably stay away from me, at least until I can control it. I’m a hot mess.
I feel guilty that I haven't gone with Lenin to see Jetli this morning like I always do, but this is important. I'm dreading the moment when I might not be able to control myself at all. I feel like I’m going in circles and this stupid heat’s controlling my every waking moment.
Ten minutes later, I move past the human neighbourhood and enter the street inhabited mainly by shifters. The houses are less modern here and I can even sense the magical energy in the air. Shifters aren't that bothered about their houses like humans and most of them drive around in older model vehicles.
My aunt and uncle on the other hand, are complete snobs. I shake my head, remembering how much they used to value the opinion of their neighbours and probably still do. I haven't heard from them since I paid my aunt a visit a few weeks ago. They must have heard rumours about the incident in the castle, but they’re too proud to reach out to me and check to see if I'm still alive. My aunt’s probably still pissed off that I forced her to tell me about my other family. I always knew that my parents couldn't have died in a car accident because of my visions, but Richard and Beatrice had been making up lies about my other relatives all of my life.
My aunt and uncle were forced to take care of me after someone left me in a human hospital with half of my face burned. They had no choice, and I ended up being treated like an outcast, someone that never fit in anywhere. I’m over it now, but I still have a bitter taste in my mouth. I feel a little queasy every time I have to think about them.
Half an hour later, I finally reach Alex's house, feeling on edge. Her front garden is filled with various flower pots, herbs and small trees. I admire it for a second, before the door opens up and Alex barges outside, throwing her petite body at me, hugging me tightly.
"Astri, it’s so good to see you. I’ve been speaking to Emilia and she told me that you’ve been very busy. I even considered visiting you at the castle. Not sure if the guards would’ve let me in though,” her high-pitched voice squeaks in my ear, finally letting me go. "Come on, let’s get inside, so we can catch up properly.”
She already considers me a friend and I’m glad that I finally have someone who I can trust. Emilia’s a good friend, but she’s a witch. She doesn't understand what it means to go through heat season. She knows how to match couples, but my situation is way too complicated and I feel embarrassed talking to her about Jorgen.
I walk inside, and glance around, thinking that her house is cute and decorated nicely. She has white rustic furniture everywhere and vases filled with even more flowers set on the table. The aroma of jasmine and lilies permeates the air as I walk through the door; it’s quite lovely and inviting. Alex is a dragon shifter too, but she comes from a mountain clan. She vanishes in the kitchen and then comes back with the glass of water. I drink it in one go, feeling overwhelmed yet again and even hotter. My pulse is still racing away.
"Yes, I really needed to see you. This whole thing "being in heat" is driving me crazy. I'm constantly aroused. It's embarrassing,” I say, whispering the last part of that sentence. Alex is a friend, but she can't know about me and Jorgen just yet. No one in the city knows or even suspects anything and I need to keep it that way. My hormones are driving me insane and the stress over what happened with Jetli isn’t helping.
She widens her eyes at me and laughs.
"I don’t want to sound annoying, but this is just the start, Astri,” she whispers. "By the way, how is your little Pixie? Does the doctor think that she’s going to get better?”
I shake my head, breathing through my nose and telling myself to keep it together. She doesn't need to see me falling apart all over again.
"No, she was hit with a black spell by a powerful dragon shifter. Derek said that her nervous system was damaged and she’ll need a miracle in order to come out of that coma. The only thing that can heal her is dragon venom, but it's impossible to get, considering that all the real dragons have been slaughtered,” I explain, feeling numb and even more tired than before. Not having a proper night’s sleep is finally taking its toll on me. I really need to sort myself out.
"I’m so sorry to hear that, but you're right about the dragon’s venom. It's very difficult to find something like that and a shifter might charge you an absolute fortune,” Alexandra agrees, looking concerned for me and I appreciate that she cares. She’s a good shifter, kind and understanding, but there’s nothing that she can do now.
A world without Jetli isn’t going to be good. I need her alive and well; she’s my family.
"Actually, not all of them, there’s a druid in the Asian World who breeds rare dragons and he’s one hundred percent legit,” says a voice I don’t recognise and I turn around abruptly, seeing a male shifter walking through the back door. He isn't much older than me, and a very nice looking man. My heart starts racing away, because hope flickers through me instantly. Did I hear him correctly?
There’s a druid in the Asian world who can help me?
"Astri, this is my husband, Tom. I don’t think you had a chance to meet him at the festival,” Alexandra says, jumping back to her feet. Tom is much taller than her and has a very soft features, blond hair and olive skin. He’s dressed in a suit, but at that point I don’t really care about his appearance.
"What do you mean? A druid in the Asian world?” I ask, trying to stay calm. He smiles and shoots Alex a heated look. I can already see that those two love each other very much.
"Sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude in your conversation, but I caught the last bit about the dragons. Years ago, before I met Alex, I travelled around the Asian World for bit. Most of the real dragons are gone and those that are still alive are in hiding, staying far away from shifters. You can save your Pixie, but she needs to get the venom. Apparently, its magic is so powerful that it can reverse any sort of spell,” Tom explains, sitting on the chair and smiling at me. Alex rushes to the kitchen and then brings him an ice cold glass of water as he continues.
I can't believe that I'm actually hearing this. There’s truly a chance to bring Jetli back.
"Asian World hmm … that's interesting. And you’re positive that Jetli can survive if she drinks the venom?” I ask, almost shaking with hope and excitement. There’s something in the air, and I can already imagine flying over the villages in my true form, then giving Jetli the healing venom. I haven’t even realised how much I’ve been missing her. My only thoughts have been about finding a way to heal her. This is amazing news.
"She does, and I'm pretty sure that the druid might still be in the same place. He breeds the rare line of dragons all alone and he kills anyone who tries to get anywhere near them. There were rumours that his beasts were stolen from him once before, and he stopped allowing visitors,
” Tom replies and I swallow hard, dragging my hand through my hair.
I need to calm down; this is just a story, and I have no way to verify his claims, but it’s all that I have to go on at the moment. Either way, it's just that one chance I need. If the venom is as strong as he says, then maybe it can help Jorgen too, and reverse the cutting of the mage ritual. This way if I find the druid, then I could fix my error, and give him his beast back.
Alexandra seems excited and I keep asking Tom to tell me everything that he knows about the druid and his dragons. The Asian World is located in the south, and it's so different from the Eastern World. I’ve never been outside of Rivenna, apart from that one time when General Pollock arrested me while I was helping Jorgen face a Warlock witch in the old mill.
At the time, Jorgen believed that Warlock could help him. Apparently, their magic is more powerful than the magic of wizards and witches. I didn't hesitate when Jorgen asked me to go with him to seek her out.
“Yes, I used to love travelling around. I was so eager to explore the Asian world, and was planning to visit the druid too, but I got injured during one track up the mountains and was forced to return home. The druid hides somewhere in the valley of Kimsu, hidden in the high Surenu Mountains, where the temperature drops below zero degrees Celsius. He doesn't trust humans or shifters and his dragons protect him. I heard that many people try to reach out to him, but most of them always fail and then die,” Tom continues and I can't sit still, filled with excitement.
His story sounds so unbelievable, but it's the only chance that Jetli has. If I can come back with enough venom and bring Jorgen’s beast back, then he would definitely forgive me. I’ve been reluctant to open my heart, to let him in, knowing that I'm the reason that he’s not a real mage anymore. Now everything can change if I can only get my hands on that damn venom.
Once Tom finishes telling me everything that he knows about the druid, he leaves to take an important phone call. My head’s spinning away with the amount of information he gave me, but new ideas are already beginning to form in my mind.
“Astri, I already know what you’re thinking, but it’s a dangerous trip. Shifters in the Asian World aren’t the same as the shifters from around here, and you’re a Wyvern,” Alex says, like she’s reading my mind.
She’s right, it's a dangerous mission, but it's a chance I’m willing to take in order to save my Pixie and gain Jorgen's forgiveness. I won't be able to help Jetli, sitting on my arse in Rivenna and waiting for something to happen. Even Emilia isn't able to use her magic to find a way to wake her up.
“I’ve made a mistake, a huge mistake and this is my chance to fix it,” I tell her, still wanting to explain everything, but it's too soon to talk about my relationship with Jorgen. It would be nice to have a confidant; someone I could discuss my relationship with, but the timing just isn’t right.
She shakes her head, and pulls me down to the cream sofa.
“What about you know … being in heat? If you leave now then something can happen on the road. And you wouldn’t be able to control yourself,” she asks, her eyes full of concern. She reminds me a little of Jetli; the Pixie always knew what I was up to, even without me saying anything. I bite my lip and then touch my scar. A nervous habit I’ve developed over the years.
“Yeah, that’s the reason I came to see you, I had an episode this morning. This heat is turning me into a fireball, and I can’t be around any male shifters,” I say, knowing that Jorgen may kiss me or whatever, and what if I lose control?
Alex grabs my wrists to check my pulse that’s most likely pounding away.
“Well, I say you have maybe two weeks max, maybe longer or slightly less than that, depending on the circumstances,” she says and my stomach churns. I can already imagine myself jumping on Jorgen like a wild animal. He’s most likely slept with many female shifters before who had already went through heat years ago. “Right, I can brew you a potion that my grandmother used to make for me, but this is only going to ease the desire, it won’t get rid of it completely.”
“Anything, just anything that will help me. I haven’t been sleeping well either since Ruscal’s attack. I find myself being awake at stupid times in the morning, just reading,” I say, aware that this trip can change everything and if I get my hands on that venom, Jetli’s going to be all right. I need to allow Jetli’s recovery to motivate me and not my stupid hormones.
“It’s one of the effects of being in heat. Your body’s clock is getting ready for the awakening and ready… for, you know, when the male sh–"
“For Hommis,” I mutter, cutting her off, and feel the instant heat that ravages me from inside. Jorgen– even his name starts stirring more desire in my core.
“I’m a virgin, and I’m useless with this crap, I’ll have no clue what to do, plus this couldn’t have come at a worse time,” I say. Jorgen’s sweet and kind. He cares about me, but I would need to tell him what’s going on with me tonight before the trip. I can’t not go because of my situation, and if everything goes according to plan, maybe I can return in only a matter of days.
Alex smiles and goes to the kitchen.
“You don’t need to explain anything, but I think the man who’ll go through heat with you cares for you very much. You’re in love Astri, so don’t stress. He’s going to take care of you, the same way Tom did with me. It’s in your eyes and heart, Astri and no matter how much you try to hide it, it shows.”
Chapter Three
Decisions.
I leave Alexandra’s home filled with new hope. My spirits are up and I'm looking forward to trying her potion, praying that it’ll help me deal with the effects of being in heat.
Alex promised to deliver the potion in a few hours once she finishes brewing it in her kitchen. It’s the start of great friendship, and it's something that I’ve been missing since I started living with my aunt and uncle. I know that I can trust her and don't think that she’s the sort of person who will gossip about me to other people. Maybe it's too soon to put my faith into her hands, but my options are pretty limited.
She most likely has no idea that the male shifter that I’ve chosen is the Duke of Rivenna.
Dark clouds starts gathering over the castle, but the humidity is high today. The entire Eastern World has been going a through heat wave over the past several days. My pulse is racing when I climb up the stairs, heading over to the hospital wing. Lenin’s slowly losing hope, so this news should lift him up a bit. Jetli isn't hooked up to any machines, apparently Derek doesn't believe that human technology can help her in any way.
Jetli has been placed in the far corner of the room. Derek made a small bed for her from an old t-shirt and foam. She still looks very fragile, and her skin is awfully pale. She lost a little bit of her radiance several days after Derek tried to give her some healing potions, and my heart’s slowly breaking, because I hate to seeing her so vulnerable. Lenin’s flying around, giving Jetli the usual updates about his day and everything that’s been going on in the castle these past few days. He won't accept that she might not hear him, but this is his usual routine. I think Lenin’s doing this in order to cope with the fact that he may lose her if we don’t find a cure.
“The lordi lord and Astri had a fight. Sillies, they pretend that they are fine, but they are barely talking. Oh and the fat cook from the kitchen nearly hit me with a pan when I tried to sneak out chocolate fudge last night,” the Pixie says when he notices me approaching.
I roll my eyes. Lenin likes to exaggerate too much.
“Don’t listen to him Jetli, me and Jorgen are fine,” I chuckle, thinking that at this rate, rumours about me and Jorgen might spread faster than expected. Staff in the castle love to talk about any and all scandals whether they’re true or not.
Shortly after that, I start telling Lenin about my conversation with Tom, gently suggesting that I might have to travel to the Asian World at some point, better sooner rather than later. Most of the beds in the hospital wing are empty and I
don't have to worry about anyone eavesdropping. Derek’s in his office, probably doing his usual paperwork or researching any useful spells that might help Jetli. Everyone in the castle has been concerned, because they’re so used to always seeing them together.
“I won't let you go alone, Astri. It's dangerous and the lordi lord won't be happy if you leave,” Lenin says once I explain all the details. Then he puffs out his chest like he wants to show me that he’s not afraid of any danger.
“I thought that you might say that, but someone needs to stay here and watch Jetli. She may need your magic, and you should really be here in case she wakes up,” I tell him, wondering how I’m going to break the news to Jorgen. I don't know much about the Asian World and I need to do more research about the real dragons. No one has seem them for years, and if the druid does exist, then it's going to be difficult to locate him.
Lenin keeps shaking his head, looking from me to his sister. He’s not sure about this and I get it. We’ve never been apart for longer than several hours. Deep down, I don't want to drag him with me; this whole trip is dangerous enough for me as it is, especially now with me struggling while in heat.
“Yes, you're right. I need to watch over her and protect her, but you don't know if this whole story is real. No one has seen the real dragons for over a decade,” Lenin points out.
“The druid has been breeding them for a long time and they protect him from anyone who tries to get close,” I explain. "Tom assured me that he’s real, and he saw the dragons himself years ago."
I need to find a way to reach the druid, and somehow stay alive. Moments later, I sit by Jetli, silently praying for Hommis to guide and help me to make the right decision. She’s breathing on her own right now, but Derek’s not sure how long it will last. The truth is, that he mostly heals shifters, and Pixie magic is so complex; he’s out of his element. Our girl needs to be around her own kind, but it's been years since I found them. I haven't come across any other Pixies since then.
Wyvern's Passion Page 2