The Dragon Mage Collection

by L J Andrews

  She smirked, brushing her long auburn hair over her shoulder. I knew, out of all of us, Gaia mourned the loss of her former energy more than anyone. The jade marks she’d had along her arms, neck, and even around her temples and jaw no longer matched the color on my own skin. It was faded to ashen gray, but still beautiful. Sometimes, when the light struck it just right, it gleamed like silver. But Gaia hadn’t had an easy time adjusting to her new night energy given to her because the lindworm, Prince Ced was the one who saved her life.

  “Yes, well, you look rather handsome.” Her golden eyes locked with mine. “Is it truly gone?”

  I hugged her against me and nodded. “Today is the first day where I don’t feel any hint of your old energy. He won’t be able to detect you at all; Athika and Rochelle believe Bron will think you’re dead because of the change in your energy.”

  Gaia sighed. “That is the hope, right? You and your father have been so kind through this. I am different, I feel it, but I will accept what had to be done. It just might take me a little more time to be at peace with this new part of myself.”

  “I hope you do,” I said sincerely. “We’d do it all again if it meant you lived. You are still you. You still have your good heart, you are still just as strong. We will all be here to help you.”

  She smiled. “I don’t feel like the High Priestess, I feel like a new mage just coming into her abilities again.”

  “Prince Ced is helping though, right?” I whispered.

  Gaia nodded. “He’s been very instructive on harnessing the night energy. I’m still an elemental mage, but the addition of the night is strange and has been difficult to accept. I will though, I promise. I am grateful to be here on this day. It is one of the times I always dreamed of since the moment I held you for the first time.” She grinned, cupping my face. “I know you and your father feel grief for me because I’ve felt grief, but please don’t anymore. Today is a day to celebrate.”

  She kissed my cheek and linked her arm in mine. Jade walked with Eisha, who led her toward the center of the pit. Everything faded away again when I found her across the room. I hardly noticed how packed the pit was. Every ledge was lined with warriors or mages. The bottom of the pit where we stood had rows of the same. All eyes trained to where Gaia was taking me. Mitch and Thane stood in front of the roaring flames; Mitch was muttering something that caused Thane to chuckle. Gaia released my arm when we joined them and clasped her hand in her mate’s. Behind Jade, Eisha, Sapphire, and Raffi stood with similar grins. They would serve as Jade’s family, for that was exactly what they were and had been the majority of her life. Dash standing by Raffi would have been the only thing I could’ve hoped for Jade.

  Normally such ceremonies would be conducted by Thane, as the lead warrior, or the royals, but today it fell to the second in command, Leoch. The blond dragon beamed wildly when the waves of chatter ceased. He opened his arms wide and signaled Jade and me to move closer together. It took all the energy boiling through my veins not to press my lips on hers. I settled for kissing the top of her hand. Jade’s eyes sparkled, and I knew, this was a defining moment in my life and I didn’t want to miss a single second.

  “This is a special day, one that will be known in history,” Leoch bellowed. “Though we know a mage and wyvern have mated before, today we witness our queen and the first dragon mage as they form a new bond that will live on through the ages.” Leoch glanced at me. “Taking a mate is a respected, honored decision. But it comes with great responsibility. You must vow to protect her, not just as her mage, but as her mate. For all time, her safety and her heart’s happiness will fall to you.”

  Swallowing the dryness in the back of my throat, I nodded. Leoch faced Jade. “As the queen, your responsibilities are great, but nothing will ever compare to your responsibilities to your mate. Just as he must defend you, you must stand to defend him should the time come. Defend his power, defend his heart and his life.”

  Jade nodded, and Leoch’s smile burst across his face. “Place your hand over the top of his.” Jade’s warmth spread through my arm, and though my sleeves covered the jade armor, I could feel the ribbons of green ignite with her power. An old mage stepped forward. The woman had to be at least a thousand, her skin drooping and wrinkling where she’d spent years smiling. Her gray eyes locked on the both of us, and she offered a weepy smile as she encircled our hands with hers. Like peaceful sunlight warmed our skin, I watched as a subtle gold ring entrapped our palms with the old mage’s energy.

  “Speak your vow to your mate,” Leoch muttered, nodding toward Jade first.

  She swallowed hard, her glistening gaze finding mine. I saw the flush in her face and thought she had never looked so beautiful. “You have my hand, the fire of my heart, and my love. You are my soul, and I am yours.”

  The gold band brightened to a rich gilded orange.

  I glanced at the ground, feeling the rush of emotion flooding my own body from Jade. The sting behind my eyes wasn’t embarrassing, but I really wanted to say the words without losing it in front of everyone. I felt Jade clutch my hand tighter and Gaia gently touch my elbow before I lifted my gaze.

  “You have my hand, the power and fire of my heart. You have my love. You are my soul, and I am yours,” I repeated the altered words, chuckling softly at the great debate on which vow I would use. Of course, Raffi demanded the dragon words with fire, but Athika and Rochelle insisted I speak the mage vow with the word power. It was Mitch who’d settled the score—offering the slight change that came as a great revelation to the others. I would say the vow of a dragon mage.

  Leoch signaled to the two families. I moved aside so mine could reach their hands into the circle around us. Raffi and Mitch eyed each other—I’d never met two more competitive people—and I was positive they had some sort of competition on who was more bonded or whatever in this moment.

  The old mage created more gilded rings around the palms of our families, until the spot where we stood was glowing in beautiful gold energy.

  “With each union, it does not stop with mates. Together as their families, you will be asked to support, protect, and care for either should the mate be unable. With the vow of your hearts, be it known you will reside as a complete unit through the ages.”

  Eisha grinned at Gaia. Raffi seemed ready to burst that he was linked in a family unit with Thane forever, and Mitch’s wide expression proved how overwhelmed he was that he’d gone from having no one to a family filled with dragons and magic. When everyone agreed to the charge, the gilded rings faded around every palm, and Leoch held up his hands.

  “The new union of our queen and the dragon mage!” he shouted.

  The sound echoed in my ears for at least an hour after the room erupted into cheers and roars from the warriors who’d remained in their true dragon form. Everything seemed to fade into the shadows for a moment when I met Jade’s eyes. There was something different. We’d always shared an unbreakable destined bond. I’d fallen in love with her easily. But this was something completely unique. It seemed as though my heart was no longer inside my chest, but that it rested in her hand. I was hers entirely, and the power rushing through my veins should have brought a wave of dizziness. Instead, I straightened my shoulders, and together we raised our clasped hands, drawing more cheers.

  Jade turned into me, her lips parting slightly. My hand trapped one side of her face, and I didn’t allow her to wait long before my mouth pressed over hers. It wasn’t our first kiss, by any means, but it was a first in many ways. It was the first time I’d felt a complete peace. With so many things still wrong, the joy bursting from the center of my insides was intoxicating. It was the first time I’d kissed her as my mate. It was the first time I’d kissed her with the new budding power linking our histories, our destinies, forever. If there were no others waiting to greet us, I was certain I might never have stopped.

  Chapter 2

  Celebration took on a new meaning when we spent the night honoring the new union between
Jade and me. I didn’t know if it was to do with her being the queen of the elementals, or that I was Thane and Gaia’s son—whatever the reason, the cave was throttled with laughter, food, even music. Mitch grew tired of the lutes and medieval-like instruments from some of the mages and blasted a playlist of songs on the cell phone he kept tucked away in his cavern. I hadn’t even thought of such things in the longest time, but apparently a young mage had become Mitch’s personal charger—both were fascinated at how, with a single touch, the battery life extended over and over until it rarely lost power. Raffi, of course, eventually took over and controlled the music, but it only added to the relaxed calm of the night.

  I laughed, spitting some of the bitter, icy drink the wyverns loved so much back into the brass goblet, when Mitch took the hand of a particularly shy mage named Katrina and tried to get her to sway to a crude song bellowing from his phone. I was pretty sure Katrina had shocked him with her power because after a few tugs on her arm, Mitch cursed and clutched his hand to his lips as she scurried back into the crowd.

  “I forgot how much I missed hearing you laugh,” Jade whispered, her lips brushing against my ear. Her breath against my skin sent a tremble down my spine, and I tightened my hold around her shoulders.

  “There isn’t anything that could kill the happiness I feel tonight,” I breathed, kissing her forehead.

  “It was a perfect ceremony,” Amber swooned next to Jade. “It’s been so long since I’ve attended a mate union.”

  Amber was the tallest and fiercest built of the female royals, but she also had the most tender of souls. Amber would defend those she loved, not because she was particularly skilled at battle, but because the idea of losing any of them broke through her heart at the very thought. When Onyx had been killed, Amber had mourned for over a week before realizing Ruby needed her support. Amber never left Ruby’s side, nor Onyx’s two brothers, Peran and Shiv, as they grieved. Now, watching her stare dreamily at Jade, I found she had grown to be one of my most trusted allies. I knew Amber would protect Jade with nearly as much desperation as me. Like Jade, she’d found a way to keep the amber elemental stone on her the entire time—she wore a gilded tiara with the stone in the center peak, and it suited in her golden hair.

  Jade chuckled and nudged Amber’s elbow. “Perhaps there will be one for you sooner than later?”

  Jade lifted a brow toward Prince Ced. The lindworm prince was pale, but I saw the way his face colored beneath Jade’s gaze. Amber beamed at Ced, who sipped more from his own goblet. His dark eyes could be sinister at times, but there was also a brightness, like stars in the midnight sky, that added to the kindness in his heart. I hadn’t always trusted the prince—in fact, at one time I wanted to slit his throat—but after all he’d done for Gaia, I found myself feeling indebted to the Prince of Night. Ced was still quiet, still finding his place among the elementals. Most were accepting, at least cordial, but there was a barrier between the lindworms and my people that would be hard to break through.

  “I would unite with Amber this instant,” Ced answered with a hint of sadness, though his lips held a smile. “Though, waiting until my father is no longer a threat is imperative. I shudder to think how he would use you against me.” The prince kissed the top of Amber’s hand when she sighed.

  “I’ve told you, Nag does not bring any fear into my heart,” she whispered.

  “I know,” he said. “But no one knows how far he will go more than me, and Laina I suppose. And what I know strikes fear into my heart. It will not be long before this is over, I’m certain of it.”

  Jade seemed ready to retort, but we both jumped when Raffi plopped down in the empty chair next to me. He slung his thick, muscle-ridden arm around my shoulders. “I’m sorry, Teagan,” he mumbled, slugging back a strong drink that smelled nothing like anything I’d ever tasted.

  “For what?” I scoffed, slowly peeling his arm off the back of my neck when he didn’t continue.

  Raffi cocked his head to one side, his eyes wide and his pupils dilated. His smile was slightly idiotic, but there was still a sincerity in his voice. “For being so cruel to you at first. I mean, if I would have known you were Thane’s son or that…you know, you’d be Jade’s mate, then,” Raffi swallowed a hiccup, “I would have offered myself as…I don’t know, a personal…guard or something. But when we met—I really wanted to smash your skull in.”

  “Raffi,” Jade chided, but I couldn’t stop the throaty laugh when Raffi slugged more of his drink.

  “What?” Raffi gurgled. “I like him now. I won’t lay a hand on this face. It’s just sort of funny, right? Look at how far we’ve come. From me wanting to crush your brain, to being bonded in a family unit. Funny how fate works.”

  I chuckled and nodded over Raffi’s shoulder. “You know, being bonded in this family means you’re stuck with Mitch too.”

  Raffi scoffed and shrugged. “Yes, and since he’s the weaker link in the bond, I promise I’ll let him win a few challenges.”

  “Weaker link!” Mitch roared. Raffi covered one ear, wincing as he slowly turned to face Mitch, who stood just behind his back.

  Jade rested her chin on my shoulder, eagerly watching how the scene would play out. Raffi rose from the table, shrugging innocently. “I didn’t say weaker,” he mumbled, though his words slurred slightly.

  “Oh, it’s on, Raffi-boy. The first to strike twelve targets—right now.”

  “There’s no need to embarrass yourself,” Raffi muttered.

  “What was that?” Mitch clutched his ear and leaned in. “I couldn’t hear you because you sound like you swallowed tar. I’ll show you what happens when you call me weak. Hey, maybe if you win, Thane will adopt you—oh wait, he’s already done that with me.”

  Jade laughed now, watching Raffi’s shoulders stiffen and the warrior grab the knife that was tangled on his hip. “To the pit, human. Now.”

  Mitch rushed away first, a more sober Raffi darting quickly after him. “Do you suppose they’ll ever ease up on each other?” Jade asked.

  I shook my head. “They’d die for each other, but I think we’re going to live with that competition from now on.”

  Sapphire and Ruby joined us after the music began to fade and the crowd thinned as people turned to their beds for the night. Sapphire looked younger tonight after trimming back his dark beard. He shook my hand and smiled between us. “I feel a great deal of…what’s the word I’m looking for…credit is due to me for this day. For, in a way, I was the one who allowed you both to meet.”

  Jade scoffed and feigned offense. “Not true, my dear Konrad. If I remember right, you tried everything apart from sending Teagan to prison to keep us apart.”

  Ruby snickered, and it was one of the first smiles I’d seen since Onyx died. Sapphire folded his arms over his chest. “Well, even still, I am grateful to be a part of this.”

  “Yeah, who would have thought when I showed up at your door you’d end up in my family,” I chuckled, taking Jade’s hand as we rose from our seats.

  “Who would have known,” he repeated wistfully.

  “Well, if you don’t mind. We’re leaving,” Jade insisted mischievously, shoving me toward the tunnel out of the dining hall.

  Sapphire rolled his eyes when she wrapped her arms around my waist, tugging me onward. Ruby smiled playfully, enjoying Sapphire’s flush when she waved and shouted to our backs, “Have fun!”

  I liked where Jade and I would stay. It was small, and my parents had tried to offer their room to their queen numerous times. But something about the intimate closeness seemed to fit. The space was away from others. It was warm, but not hot enough to cause discomfort with the dragon blood pumping in both our veins.

  Jade released my hand and sauntered toward a small dresser constructed shortly after we’d found her with the lindworms. She eased the tiara from her hair and placed it gently on top of the wood. Her back was toward me, but I saw the way her fingers trembled as she removed the necklace too. I leaned against the w
all, simply watching, caught in a disbelief that this was my life. With her hair free from the ribbons and gilded ties, it flowed to the center of her spine in soft waves. Jade glanced over her shoulder, smiling coyly.

  “Would you mind?” she chirped, pointing to the clasp at the back of her neck.

  My heart was threatening to stomp through my chest, but swallowing the hammer back into submission, I crossed the small space to my new mate. My fingers fumbled slightly, as though it were the first time I’d ever touched Jade. Finally, after a few attempts, I released the small golden clasp holding the neck of her dress in place. Satin fell along her shoulders and slowly she faced me, her eyes a deeper green than I’d ever seen before.

  Resting a hand on the perfect curve of her back, I eased her body against my chest. Gently, my fingers traced her smooth cheek, brushing away a piece of her hair. Jade’s breaths were rapid, and I felt the similar, wild pounding of her heart against mine. Her fingers trailed beneath the hem of my shirt, the touch of her hands sending a shock along my skin until they found the enormous jade seal across my back and took my breath away.

  “I meant every word I said in those vows tonight,” she whispered against my lips. “You are my soul, and I give you my heart completely.

  Fearing I might stumble from the haze in my brain, I covered her mouth with my own. Jade melted against me, her power surging through every inch of my skin. Clutching my back as though it were the only way she remained on her feet, I embraced every scorching emotion. Breathing in every sweet scent of her fresh skin, her citrus hair, I held her along the soft quilts lining the stone floor. Until after several ardent moments, I broke the seal of our lips. Jade fit perfectly between my arms as I rose onto my palms just to look at her once more. Her fingers traced the new scars from fighting against Bron along my bare shoulders, and though my heart had slowed its rapid pace, the booming thump of the blood racing through my head was deep and powerful.

  “Jade,” I whispered against her cheek. “I was so broken before you. I gave you my heart at my first glance. You will have it—forever.”