Dragon's Oath (Northbane Shifters Book 5)

by Isabella Hunt

  “Not a word, Xander,” Laia said. She looked pale and was gripping Reagan’s hand. “Tiani can stop him. Trust us.”

  “You’re giving her your gifts,” I said slowly. “How?”

  Lorel waved her hands. “That’d be me. At first, we were doing it from Cobalt, but it was too far, and—” She broke off and went very still. “Brody.”

  Turning, I saw Brody helping Tiani to her feet, watching as the Wolves took on the Mimic. She glanced at me, and her eyes went huge, then I saw Brody stiffen by her side. The look on his face as he looked at Lorel was indescribable, but I felt it in my chest.

  She went to tear off when there was a roar, and the Mimic went from a wolf to a dragon.

  A black dragon.

  “Xander,” Lorel whispered and swayed next to me. “That’s the Mimic from that night—”

  Rage filled me, and I rose up, wings flaring out as I faced off with it. Time to end this creature once and for all.

  Vaguely, I noticed gasps and shouts from below me, but I didn’t care.

  Twisting through the air, I shot at the Mimic so fast that it caused a sonic boom, and the trees all whipped wildly underneath me. I’d dragged the creature almost thirty miles away so that it wouldn’t hurt anyone below us.

  Darting and snarling at each other, we exchanged fire and blows. The Mimic kept trying to return back to the clearing, but I wouldn’t let it, and it became more violent, snarling and slashing.

  Its teeth sank into a wing, and I roared in pain but couldn’t pull away. Panic set in as we plummeted to the forest below, then it was gone, and I caught myself before I hit the trees.

  Two other dragons had appeared, one light green and the other black with an emerald sheen. I gazed in wonder as my sister and my mate chased the Mimic down, forcing it to jump back and forth between their forms. Then a sheddu shot from the trees and seized its tail as it shifted back into me. Brody. He really was here.

  A bright ripple of energy exploded out of Tiani, and the Mimic was being swallowed by a crack of light in the sky that blinded me temporarily. But when I was done blinking away spots, the Mimic was gone, and I knew, somehow, it wasn’t coming back.

  We have Orion. Kal’s voice sounded grim in my head. The Excris are retreating.

  I turned and raced back to the woods, landing a little beyond the knot of shifters who had Orion trussed and kneeling on the ground. Lind was not far beyond, snapping and snarling, making horrible jokes under her breath. She seemed barely human, not even recognizing Luke as he glanced at her and shook his head.

  Iris, Laia, Reagan, and Sierra were standing together beyond them. When they saw me, all of them straightened and then raised their eyes to the sky behind me. I didn't stop, even when I heard the clap of wings and voices behind me.

  I went straight to Orion and punched him in the face.

  “M-mercy, great dragon,” he laughed and spat blood on the ground. “Or do I even have to ask?” He giggled as I dragged him up and punched him in the gut, then dropped him. “Oh, is that the best you can do? It is, isn’t it?” I stood over him, heaving with anger and rage. And pity. “You can’t do it, you weak bastard. That’s how I win.” His eyes closed. “I win—I saw it. I saw myself hunting shifters for all time, the beasts who were men, and then I killed the dragon...”

  “This is sickening,” Kal muttered.

  “We can’t let that happen,” Tristan said.

  “Xander.” Tiani’s voice brought some sense back to me.

  “He’s right, isn’t he?” I asked and rubbed my forehead. “I should kill him.”

  “But you won’t,” Tiani said. “You’re not a monster.”

  “But he’s a monster, little better than an Excris,” I said and looked at her.

  “Excris are neither living nor dead,” she said. “Not in the sense that we think of life.” Her tone caused my skin to prickle as she moved forward and looked at Orion, almost sadly. “That’s why they wither away when destroyed here. They return to the ravaged spaces between worlds.”

  “You’re right,” I said slowly, letting go of the anger and hate clenched around my heart. Pity stirred in me. “It won’t bring back Jack or Enzo, or any of those lives they stole. They wouldn’t want me to become a monster.” Tiani nodded. “So, what do we do with him, my lady?”

  “Heal him,” Tiani said, and Orion let out a screech, trying to wriggle away. “Yeah, it’s not going to be pleasant. And the remorse alone might kill him anyway.”

  But shadows suddenly snarled around him, and he went still, his eyes emptying of color. His features shifted and melted away, leaving him nothing but a small, shrunken husk of what he‘d been.

  The dark has spoken for him. Ayani came up and eyed the skeletal creature curled up on the ground. And for her. They are now husks, servants of the shadow.

  Lind had become a husk as well. Skrors let out cries of horror as they lashed around them and caressed their faces. Most of them fled, screaming. Others fell to their knees, gripping their heads and begging for mercy before falling silent, mouths opened in a scream.

  “Should we help them?” I asked.

  Your compassion and great heart are the reasons Winfyre thrives, Bane. Ayani shook out his fur. But no, let the shadows teach them. They can make their own way back to the light.

  What had been Lind and Orion tottered to their feet, following the retreating shadows. There was a wavering split, then the husks were gone, gone to serve the dark and make their way back to the light.

  They will tend the pools and learn the evil of their hearts. It is a painful process. One they may never, ever manage to free themselves of. Lazu sighed. But that is the turn of the great wheel.

  Not all can survive the changes. Ayani sounded thoughtful. After all, for some, the Rift seemed like the end. When really, it was a clean cut of energy to restart the world.

  To reunify and re-forge the broken connections.

  To save this dying planet.

  Sunlight broke through the trees, and color came back into the world. I hadn’t even realized it was gone until that moment.

  “Ayani, Lazu—what’s happening?” Tiani cried out.

  “No,” I said. They were fading away. “What’s wrong?

  Nothing, Ayani said, sounding amused.

  You no longer have need of us, Lazu said. We won’t be far, but you will not see us again, I hope.

  Oh, but Xander, before we forget, it’s time to relinquish that which you took on, alone, all those years ago. Ayani blinked at me. It was never meant to be a singular burden.

  Or a burden at all, Lazu said. You’ve done more than enough, dragon.

  Then they were gone, and I sat back, looking around. Shifters were helping each other, getting to their feet, and the Skrors were running for their lives. I had a feeling we wouldn’t see the likes of those monsters ever again. It was as the wolves had said, a turn of the wheel.

  “What did I take?” I asked, suddenly very, very tired.

  “I think you know,” Tiani said and kneeled next to me, pressing a hand into the earth.

  “Now?” I asked. “Maybe—”

  “Now, Xander,” Tiani said. “I’ve been missing too many of my gifts for too long.”

  Six years ago, on the night Brody had vanished and we thought him gone, I’d panicked. With the loss of him, Winfyre would be less secure. We’d already seen what happened when they were compromised, what creatures were able to sneak in.

  At that moment, I'd tried to take over Brody's connection to Winfyre.

  Instead, I’d subverted everyone else’s connection and taken over all of them, leaving only a whisper of the power they’d known.

  For six long years, I’d been the one bearing the brunt of protecting Winfyre. And the guilt of taking something that wasn’t mine to take.

  “How do I do it?” I asked.

  “Close your eyes and let go,” Tiani said, and her hand was on my heart. “Rest, my love.”

  I sagged back onto the warm earth,
sunshine flickering behind my eyes and the sound of the wind rising in my ears. With a smile, I covered Tiani’s hands over my heart and held on to her.

  Held on to what mattered.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Tiani

  “You put him to sleep?” Tristan asked, squatting down next to me and looking at Xander. "Not that I don't think he deserves a nap, but is this the time?"

  “He’ll be up soon,” I said and smiled at his sleeping face.

  Tristan sat down and sighed, leaning back as Sierra wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his head. “Nice to have it all coming back.”

  “There,” I said and gently let go of Xander. “It’s done.”

  “Wow.” Fallon let out a gusty sigh, and I looked up to see her smiling, face tilted up towards the sky. “I missed this. I didn’t know how much.”

  “Same,” Kal said and hugged Iris to his side. “So, you have it, too?”

  “Yes,” Iris said. “It makes sense—if you belong to a place, you should guard it.”

  All around us, people were touching their chests and smiling, helping one another. The cherished connection of Winfyre, the one that Xander had held onto for years on his own, had proliferated back to his people. And some had heard the call to be its guardians.

  “Thank you, Laia and Reagan,” I called out softly. “You too, Iris and Sierra. We couldn’t have stopped him without any one of you.”

  Laia was sitting on the ground, her bright red head resting against the shoulder of Rett, who was sitting next to her and also grinning at the sky. The inrush of power was sweet—I understood that. Both of them stirred at my words and smiled at me now.

  “I think we should thank you, darling,” Laia said. “You restored Winfyre.”

  “And saved all our asses,” Rett added. “Ladies always coming through.”

  “They’re finally gone,” Reagan said. “That ugly part of the past is over.”

  “I’ve never felt more relieved,” Luke said.

  “Lorel, I—” Turning, I saw that Lorel was standing alone, some distance away. Scrambling up, the cloak she’d created for me falling all around me, I ran over and touched her shoulder. She was hugging herself and looking around. “What is it?”

  “Brody—he’s gone again.” She blew out a shaking sigh. “Maybe-maybe he could only come back to help us.” Her eyes closed, and tears carved down her cheeks. “I didn’t get to say goodbye.”

  “You don’t have to!” I exclaimed and raised my voice. “Brody Sampson, dammit, get your ass over here.” Nothing. My nostrils flared, and some new power woke up, letting me snatch him from several miles away and deposit him in front of us. “Where did you go?”

  "I-I was making sure the Skrors and all the Excris were gone. What—how did I…" His eyes focused on the woman next to me, who'd gone still under my arm. "Lorel. Oh, Lori, I wanted to—”

  She threw herself at him as he tried to get up, and they went down in a heap. A laugh and a sob escaped her as Brody murmured something in her ear, then turned her face and kissed her.

  I went to turn away, and someone gripped my elbow. Xander.

  “You’re awake,” I said and tried to block him from Brody and Lorel. “So, how are you?” Xander didn’t answer, only gave me a long look, and I made a horribly guilty face. “I know. Sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize,” Brody said, and I looked back to see him gazing at Lor, their eyes locked in silent communication. “It was all me. And I owe all of you an explanation.”

  “Damn right, you do,” Kal said, and I turned to see the rest of the Alphas converging, along with their mates. I went to draw back and give them some space, but Xander stopped me.

  “Where have you been?” Rett asked. “And Lorel…I mean, I remember agreeing, but why?” He paused, looking at Tristan and Luke. “Why did we agree to that?”

  “Should we give you guys some space?” Reagan asked. “I don’t think any of us would mind.”

  Brody was sitting on the ground, beaming around at his friends and all of us. Then he pressed a hand gently across his face, as though to hold back tears or hide his expression.

  “All that matters is that you’re back,” Lor said, rubbing a hand up and down his back. “Although I am a bit inclined to strangle you.”

  Nodding, both hands over his face, Brody’s entire form trembled with emotion. I caught Iris’s eye, and she bit her lip, giving me a questioning look. Oh, yeah, I thought and nodded. Iris winked, patted Kal on the shoulder, and slipped forward, kneeling in front of Brody.

  “Hi, I’m Iris,” she said and smiled at him as he lifted his head, amusement warring with a poignant sadness that pierced my heart. He’d missed so much. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Hey,” he said and shook her hand, then tilted his head back, his smile twitching. “So, how hard did Kal dig his heels in about falling for you, Miss Iris?”

  “Mm, pretty damn hard, but he was no match for me.” She tossed a smile over her shoulder at him, and my heart overflowed with happiness. “We’re glad you’re back.”

  “Yeah,” Laia said, and Brody glanced at her, grinning a little more. “Don’t let these morons fool you, especially Kal. They missed the hell out of you.”

  “Of course we did,” Rett said. “We’re just…”

  “We ladies can go,” Sierra said. “Talk, figure it out.”

  “No, no,” Brody said and got to his feet, pulling Lor with him. “It’s just—seeing you all here, and with mates.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “Ah, man, got me right here. I was worried. I knew you’d all had this image of me in your head, that nice story you told yourselves going to sleep at night, and I didn’t want that story to hold you back from finding happiness.” His throat worked as he looked at his friends. “You all thought you let me down, but it was me. I let you all down.”

  Xander’s grip tightened on me, and I sensed him struggling to speak.

  “You’re not the only one to fall under the sway of a crian shard, man,” Rett said. “It happened to me—I mean, without Laia, I would’ve…”

  "And you're not the only one to keep secrets from your friends—ones that feel too big and unwieldy to share," Tristan added.

  “Or struggle with shifting,” Luke said dryly.

  Kal nodded, and Iris shot him a glare. “Ah, man, what do you want me to say? We missed you. Of course we blamed ourselves."

  “You’ve been alive this whole time?” Xander finally asked, and I tensed at his soft tone.

  I couldn’t place it. I had no idea what was going on in his head. Or his heart.

  Brody nodded. “In a manner of speaking. I had to earn everything back. My life, my family, my gifts. As much as I missed you all and wish I’d been here, I think it was necessary. I’d lost sight of what was important. And I am truly sorry for that, Alex.”

  Stepping forward, Xander looked at Brody and then pulled him in for a rough hug, clapping him on the back. “I get it,” he said in a rough voice. “I’m sorry, too.”

  Hugging him back, Brody glanced at me and winked.

  I stepped back, looping arms with Iris and Sierra as the other Alphas came forward, hugging and thumping Brody on the back. Reagan had her arm around Lor’s shoulders, while Laia rested an arm around her waist. Then the six of us Alpha mates were hugging and weeping a little, overcome by the emotions of the day.

  At some point, it began to rain, and we began to head home, back over the border and into Winfyre. Brody was eager to see his family, as well as Xander’s and Lor’s, and all the kids. Reagan, Laia, Sierra, and Iris were hovering around them, gabbing incessantly, while the rest of the Alphas were behind, shaking their heads and laughing.

  “Wait, you have family here?” I asked Xander. “Like parents?”

  Xander shot me an apologetic grin. “If you think you’re mad, wait till you meet my mom.”

  “Ugh, I’m so glad all this subterfuge is over,” Lor called back. “Now our family can live normally again, and I
don’t have to make excuses for Xander.”

  “Uh, what exactly do you consider normal? We’re shifters,” Brody pointed out to gales of laughter and a barrage of shifter jokes.

  Tugging on Xander’s sleeve, I pulled him out of the line of people walking over to Finch in order to use the Hopper back to Veda, as it was closer. We snuck behind a tree, and then Xander was kissing me, his big hands roaming up my back while I slid mine into his shirt.

  When we broke apart, I let out a happy gasp and tilted my head back, the fresh spring rain feeling like a promise of renewal.

  “Stars, you look so beautiful right now, Tiani,” Xander murmured. “I don’t ever want to forget this.”

  “I love you,” I said and met his gaze, which darkened to an intense and stormy blue. “I love you, and I don’t know why I couldn’t say it before.” The words were as light and happy as the falling rain. “We’re going to be really, really happy together.”

  “I think so, too,” Xander said and leaned down to kiss me. “I love you, too.”

  When we broke apart, I patted his cheek and winked at him. “Oh, I don’t think. I know.”

  “Huh?” he asked.

  “Come on, dragon-boy,” I said and tugged him through the warm rain. “I’ll tell you everything when we get home.”

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