by Sammie Joyce
The corpses seemed to loom in Rose’s vision, until they appeared the size of giants. She forced herself to drag her eyes away. When she did, she noticed for the first time the smoking ground just outside the gate.
There were words scorched into the ground: I’m coming for her.
Those words sent a chill through her. Rose knew exactly what they meant. Hellith was coming to kill her, and she wouldn’t stop until Rose was dead. Without Rose, they stood no chance, not because Rose’s powers were the deciding factor in a fight, but because she was the only thing holding the dragons and witches together.
If the coven wasn’t united, Hellith would pick them off piece by piece. They would be destroyed. Their only chance against her was to stand united.
Rose was the link. If she wasn’t here, the unity likely wouldn’t last for long. Maybe years down the line, the coven would be strong enough to hold together in the event of her death, but right now, it was too new. Witches and dragons were struggling to find a way to live and work together.
It just took one bad leader to get the entire coven to champion the cause of hatred—Kaylee was proof of that. Rose still didn’t know how Hellith had taken a human form, or how she had infiltrated the coven under the guise of Kaylee, let alone gotten herself elected as leader.
Maria had some of their most powerful witches working on that. If Hellith could get in once, she might be able to get in again. They needed to know if she could take the form of anyone here. It was a scary thought.
The writing on the ground, though, certainly provoked enough fear as it was. Asher was shaking violently as he stared at the words. He didn’t look like he was shaking with fear—he looked pissed.
“Asher.” Rose tried to walk over to him, but Asher abruptly ran away. Rose tried to follow, but Jagger grabbed her around the waist, not a moment too soon.
Asher exploded into his dragon form. He leapt into the air, rising about twenty feet before unleashing a blast of flame upward into the clouds.
“What…?”
“Sometimes when we’re really angry, we change forms without meaning to,” Jagger explained. “Most of us learn to control it before we become adults, but it still happens from time to time. Asher could tell it was coming, and got away from us so that he didn’t hurt anyone.”
“Is that what happened to you yesterday? You couldn’t control it?”
“No, I don’t have that excuse. I just panicked. I knew I was doing it, and I didn’t think through the consequences of shifting with you and Gavin so near. It was my fault.”
“No, it wasn’t. It may not be a physiological response like this, but people can’t always control themselves when they panic, and dragons are no exception. I probably would have panicked too in that situation.”
Rose realized that while Jagger was speaking calmly to her, he was also silently seething. A glance at Mace and Gavin showed the same. Nothing made the dragons angry like a threat to her.
Asher landed, shifting back, looking sheepish. “Sorry.” He came over to Rose, holding out his arms. She gratefully stepped into his embrace. She was shaking, but for a different reason than him. She knew she was no match for Hellith. With her dragons, she was strong, but alone, she was nothing. Rose didn’t know nearly enough about her powers to be able to protect herself.
“We will protect you.” Jagger must have been picking up her chaotic thoughts. “We won’t let her touch you.”
“You can’t be with me every minute of every day. What if she attacks when I’m practicing spells with Annabelle, or walking by myself to the bathroom? I’m not strong enough to survive a battle against her. She’ll kill me before I even get the chance to cry out.”
“You will not be alone, not for a moment.” Asher looked deliberately at his brothers. “From now on, you will be accompanied by a minimum of two of us at all times—and that’s an absolute minimum. We’ll aim to make sure none of us is more than a couple of feet from you until this is over.”
“Agreed,” Jagger said at once. “If you need to pee in the middle of the night, you wake us. If you want to go for a walk with Annabelle in the forest, we escort you. We’ll be there in your classes, when you shower, when you’re getting dressed.”
Rose though that was going a bit overboard—being with just one of her dragons would be protection enough. One of them couldn’t fight Hellith alone, but they could fly her to a safe distance while calling for help. She loved being with her guys, but having them watch her pee wasn’t exactly a romantic thought.
“I’m sure just one of you will be protection enough.”
“Agreed. She is going to spend time alone with each of us.” Rose wasn’t surprised Gavin agreed with her. The poor guy really wanted his time alone with her. She had also been looking forward to their date, and hoped to convince Asher that he was being unreasonable.
“Quality time with individuals is a good idea,” Asher conceded, “but it can’t happen right now. Hellith needs to be destroyed. Once that happens, when Rose is safe, then she can do that.”
“No,” Gavin snarled. “Rose promised to spend some time with just me. You can’t overrule her—she’s co-leader. She has just as much authority as you do.”
“Not when her life is in danger.”
Rose was about to speak up angrily, but she was interrupted by Mace.
“Asher is right, Gavin. We have to protect her. Endangering our mate just because you want some alone time with her is irresponsible.”
“It’s stupid,” Jagger added. “I know I beat you in the last ‘who can act stupidest for a day’ contest, but this time, you win the crown, brother.”
Rose knew that hadn’t been a contest, that had just been Jagger joking around, as usual. It had nettled Gavin, and Asher had eventually put a stop to it. Now probably wasn’t the best time to bring it up, but Jagger wasn’t exactly known for his restraint.
“I won’t have you taking her away from me! You have no right.”
“No one is taking Rose away from you,” Asher said through gritted teeth, clearly striving to remain calm. “On the contrary, I’m telling you that you have to be by her side every moment.”
“Yeah, with you between us! I see how she looks at you! You just want me gone!”
“Gavin, stop it! No one wants that.” Rose quickly stepped between him and Asher. “Let’s just talk about this. Maybe we can find a way to compromise. And Asher, Gavin is right in that your authority is equal to mine. I agree that we all need to stay safe, but we need to discuss a plan. You can’t just order me and expect me to follow if I disagree.”
Asher was in no mood to hear any argument that he thought might cause a threat to her safety. “We will keep you safe. Anyone who doesn’t agree with that isn’t welcome in this clan.” He glared at Gavin, his meaning all too clear.
“You won’t get rid of me, brother! I will have her to myself, whether you want it or not!”
“ENOUGH! Gavin, I have made my ruling on Rose’s safety. You can accept it, or leave and not come back.”
Gavin spat in Asher’s face, then turned and ran, headed away from the mansion. Rose tried to run after him, but Asher easily stopped her.
“No. You need to stay with us. Remember Hellith? Running off now will be playing right into her hands.”
“Let me go! I have to stop him!”
Before Asher could respond, Gavin shifted, leaping up into the air. He rose high and was soon no more than a purple streak in the sky.
“Take me after him!” Rose turned from Asher to Jagger and Mace, but both of them shook their heads.
“You have to stay here.” Asher’s voice was heavy with regret. “It’s not safe for you otherwise. Believe me, I wish that wasn’t the case, but it is.”
Gavin! Gavin, please come back!
It felt like she was hitting a brick wall. Rose’s own words were turned back against her. Gavin was closed off to her. She’d known it was possible to shield emotions, but she hadn’t realized that her dragons could bl
ock her words from reaching them.
“I can’t talk to him. Jagger, you try.”
Jagger pursed his lips. “I’ve tried. He’s blocked off. We’re all free to block our emotions, but stopping communication is banned in the clan. It’s too risky—you can’t tell what the person on the other side is trying to say. It could be an emergency.”
“Well, Gavin isn’t part of this clan anymore, so he can do what he wants.” Though he sounded cold, Rose knew that Asher was hurting. She could feel her own pain mirrored in him, Jagger, and Mace.
Rose couldn’t believe things had gone so badly wrong. Less than an hour ago, she’d been getting ready for a nice dinner with Gavin. She’d been anticipating sucking his dick. Now she didn’t know if she’d ever see him again.
Hurt and grief welled up inside her. Rose loved Gavin, but he was being a jerk. How could he do this to her? One fight surely wasn’t enough to abandon her, to abandon his clan.
Obviously, Gavin thought otherwise.
Mace caught her as her legs collapsed. Rose turned her face into his shoulder as she cried. Mace carried her all the way back to the mansion. Asher led the way, going to Maria’s room, since it was too late for her to be in her office.
“No, I want to go back to the basement. Let Asher talk to Maria.” Rose didn’t want to be around other people right now, not until she got control of herself. She couldn’t seem to stop crying into Mace’s shirt. Of course, her dragons didn’t count—she always wanted to be around them.
She had the feeling that this particular sentiment would be tested over the coming weeks.
Mace stood in the corner of the room with her while Asher and Jagger updated Maria. Rose didn’t really listen. She couldn’t hear much over the sound of her heart breaking.
She only paid attention when she heard her name. “Rose? Do you have anything to add?”
“Rose isn’t here.” Mace turned his back to Maria, so that Rose was facing the wall.
“What?”
“We’re staying close to her from now on, to protect her,” Asher explained. “She didn’t want to come to this meeting—Gavin just left and she’s understandably upset. She had to come to be close to us, but for all intents and purposes, Rose isn’t here at present. I’m sure she’ll come to see you tomorrow morning.”
Rose was grateful that Maria didn’t push further. She zoned out for the rest of the meeting, only really coming back to reality when Mace laid her carefully down in bed. That just made her cry harder, because she remembered last night, when she’d slept up against Gavin.
Would she ever sleep with him again?
“Yes.” Jagger must have read her thoughts. Rose knew that she must be projecting like crazy right now. It happened to all of them when they were upset or afraid. She didn’t know how Gavin had the strength to block her off when he had to be in almost as much pain as she was.
Maybe he didn’t love her as much as she thought he did.
“Yes, he does,” Jagger answered her thoughts confidently; Rose just wished she had the same confidence. “Listen, I know my brother. He’s angry and hurt, but he’ll be back sooner or later. When we were younger, it wasn’t uncommon for him to run off when he was convinced the world was being unfair to him. It hasn’t happened in years, but we haven’t had a situation like this before.”
“He may come back, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be welcomed back,” Asher growled.
“Asher, how can you say that? He’s your brother.”
“And he wants to put you in danger. That’s not something that can be forgiven.”
Rose knew that Asher was just fired up because he was worried about her safety. When a few days passed without anything happening, he’d become more reasonable.
At least, she hoped he would.
“If he comes back, don’t send him away. We at last need to talk about this.” Rose still held out some hope that he’d return quickly. Maybe he’d cool off for an hour or so, then come back and apologize.
“I’ll think about it. But don’t expect me to forgive this lightly. Our father tolerated his youthful outbursts, but Gavin isn’t a child anymore.” Asher didn’t look like he was in a very forgiving mood.
“You won’t act without me.” Rose tried to sound firm, but it was difficult when her nose was all stuffed up; she sounded ridiculous. “We’re co-leaders, and no one is being ejected from the clan unless we both agree on it. You did mean it when you named me as co-leader, didn’t you? Or was that just for show?”
Asher sighed. “I meant it. I won’t send him away at once, I can promise you that much. But I won’t tolerate him endangering you.”
Rose knew that was the best she was going to get right now. “How long does he usually take to come back, Jagger?”
“Anything from a few days to a few weeks.”
Her heart sank. How was she going to survive a few days without Gavin, let alone a few weeks? It had been months since she’d gone even a full day without seeing all of her dragons.
“This time might be different,” Mace said quietly. “I’ve never seen him so angry.”
“Shut up, Mace, don’t you think Rose has enough things to worry about?”
“No, Asher, don’t shut him down. I want the truth. It’s not going to do me any good thinking he’ll turn up before he actually will. If he doesn’t come back by himself, then we’ll just have to go get him. We’ll give him a few days to cool off, and then if he’s not back, we go to him. Any idea where he’ll be?”
“We can try some of the old haunts he used to go to when he was younger.” Jagger sounded doubtful about his own proposition. “Still, I don’t think he’ll go there. He knows how much you love him, and he knows you won’t let him go. If he doesn’t want to be found, then we’re probably not going to find him.”
“Then we’ll do a spell to locate him. I’m not going to let him stay hurting and alone. Surely he knows that.”
Jagger shook his head. “Nice idea, but dragons have been flying under witch radar for longer than you can imagine. No witch spell is going to locate Gavin unless he allows it.”
Rose’s heart sank. It looked like there was nothing to do but hope Gavin came back.
She should have done more to stop him from leaving. He’d confided in her how hard it was to share her. She should have made more of an effort to make him feel loved and wanted. Now, he was gone, and she didn’t know if she’d ever see him again.
Chapter Five
“Rose. Come on, it’s breakfast time.”
“I’m not hungry.”
Mace tried again. “They’re making muffins today—your favorite.”
Rose hid her face in the pillow, hoping he would leave her alone.
“You can at least come and keep me company. Staring at these ugly faces will just ruin my appetite.” Jagger gestured to Asher and Mace, who didn’t even scowl at him, on board with any attempt to raise Rose’s spirits.
She couldn’t seem to find the energy to care. Gavin had been gone for five days. For five days, she’d felt like a piece of her soul had been ripped off. Everything just seemed so meaningless without him.
When she didn’t respond to Mace or Jagger, Asher stepped in. “You haven’t eaten in two days, Rose. Starving yourself isn’t going to bring Gavin back. I know you’re hurting, but I’m not going to let you stop taking care of yourself. You’re coming to breakfast. That is final.”
When Rose didn’t respond, Asher lifted her up off the bed. “Asher… put me down. I’m tired. I don’t want to eat. I told you, I’m not hungry.”
“Nevertheless, you will eat. Whether you do it in your pajamas or clothes is up to you.”
Rose couldn’t summon the energy to get dressed. When she made no move to get changed, Asher put her over his shoulder like a sack of grain and started carrying her to the dining room.
Everyone stared as he stuffed her into a chair and put a plate in front of her. Rose knew she must look a mess—she hadn’t showered or brushed her hair in
days. She’d been crying almost non-stop, and her eyes must have been red and puffy. Still, she couldn’t quite summon enough energy to be embarrassed about it.
Annabelle and Dane quickly came over.
“Hey, Rose. How are you doing?”
Rose shrugged, sparing the energy to glare at Asher as he put a muffin in front of her and leveled her with a stern gaze.
Mace started cutting up the muffin and feeding it to her piece by piece. Rose tried to protest, but Asher was having none of it.
She did feel a bit better after eating, not that she was going to admit that to him. “Fine, I’ve eaten. Now can I go back to bed?”
“No. You’re going to class.”
Rose stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious. Lying in bed is just making you even more miserable. You need to do something.”
“I don’t want to go to class.”
Instead of arguing with her, Asher picked her up again and put her over shoulder. “Lead the way, Annabelle.”
Annabelle looked like she was torn between worry and laughter. She grabbed her muffin and headed to the room they used as a classroom. So this was what tough love felt like. Rose couldn’t say she was a fan. Jagger was grinning at her predicament as they walked, but Mace gave her a sympathetic grimace.
Elaine was waiting for them. She didn’t comment on Rose’s disheveled appearance. Asher dumped her into her seat, then he retreated to the back of the room with Jagger and Mace, giving Rose as much space as possible to participate in class normally while still protecting her.
Rose didn’t really pay attention to the lesson, at least until Elaine called on her.
“So what does that mean for casting shield spells with dragons, Rose?”
“Um…” Rose glanced at Annabelle for help. Annabelle moved her arms so that Rose could see her notes, but she had been so zoned out for most of the lecture that she couldn’t make sense of the notes in a brief glance.