by L J Andrews
Jabbing the tip of my second blade toward his heart, Raffi struggled to block the strike. It moved off course, but he was weakening. Raffi’s face was a stone of concentration. I struck from the side, from the top, jabbing upward again. Back and forth I flung the blades. My arms throbbed. I felt more human than I’d ever imagined. My energy was draining as more of my power went to my growing child, but in some ways I was stronger. Empowered by my onslaught of blades, I smirked at the waning warrior and took both swords in a firm grip. Together, in a fierce downward strike, I crushed the cutting edges against Raffi’s sword and watched him fall to his knees and drop his sword. The edge of my blade found the small of his neck.
I had to swallow at least ten times to ensure nothing fiery or disgusting escaped my throat. My head was splitting, and my arms trembled as I held the thick blades for a few tense moments in the fatal position. Raffi’s eyes were filled with bright exertion, and his chest pitted along every rib as he drew in deep air.
Claps and squeals sounded behind me as I pulled back, dropped my weapons, and plopped to the cold ground. Raffi chuckled through his deep breath and placed a wide hand over his chest as Ruby, Amber, and Sapphire rushed toward us.
“That was amazing. You looked like…well, you looked like a mage without power!” Amber exclaimed.
“So, she looked like a human?” Mitch’s voice droned from behind us.
I chuckled, glancing over my shoulder toward Thane, Mitch, and Teagan. They had watched, analyzing every move silently. Today was the day we would leave, and I had to know—for Teagan’s sake and mine—that I could defeat a powerful warrior if needed.
“I guess,” Amber replied. “It was amazing. You don’t need to shift if you can fight like that every time.”
I grinned toward the ground, feeling my cheeks flush with the praise. “That’s the goal.” Glancing at Raffi my grin faded. “You didn’t go easy?”
Raffi scoffed, accidentally smudging dirt in the sweat over his brow rather than wiping it away. “Jade, I was charged with protecting you decades ago. Now, I feel such a deeper need to ensure your safety, I would not do you the dishonor of letting you win. You are certainly the daughter of Malik. I can’t believe we’ve never done this intense training before now. That is my one regret. We could have been working with you all along.”
“None of us thought anything would ever change. We thought we’d be boring, hidden royals for all time. There was a time when I nearly forgot what I was and thought I was more a high school human, if you remember,” I laughed, taking his outstretched hand and pulling myself up. I winced, the muscles tight and sore around my middle. There was a roundness—very subtle, but there—in my stomach. It seemed as though I went to sleep two days prior and woke up swollen. There was truth to what Gaia said, when the signs a life was growing came, that made it real. I’d woken that morning with Teagan’s hand on me, his head resting on my stomach. Just listening. There was a distinct, new energy, and I had a feeling he could sense it even more than me. Perhaps the child had more mage than wyvern, just like him.
Raffi rolled his eyes. “Oh, I remember. From the looks of you, I didn’t do a very good job keeping you away from the high school boys, either.”
I shoved his shoulder hard enough it actually hurt my own hand. Raffi bellowed, especially when Teagan shouted to him. “Hey, I can’t help it if she couldn’t keep her hands off me. She’s not the sort of girl you ignore.”
I scoffed and shook my head. “I think you have it turned around, Mr. Ward.”
Amber and Ruby snickered at my sides, but Sapphire chuckled darkly. “I agree with Jade, I think. From what I saw, Teagan, you had a hard time not breaking out of your room at the reform house. You both thought I was oblivious to all those late night talks on the roof.”
“Just a bunch of teenagers,” Raffi smirked.
Teagan shook his head, strapping his blades to his back when Thane laughed and nodded. I stalked closer to them. It was true, though we both were decades old, in our respective races we were both only young adults.
I beamed, catching Teagan’s smile. There was a lightness in his face since we’d spoken truthfully to each other. He still carried suffocating fear. I described it as his anguish, because now that he allowed me to see into what weighed along his shoulders, that was the only word to give the emotion justice. I encouraged him to sleep, though I held him close to me. Each night he woke, clutching the sides of his head, trying to stamp out the images. All I could do was tangle my fingers with his and keep him close. I wasn’t going anywhere, I would never be forced to give up our child, his dreams were only that. Dreams.
Teagan slung his arm around my shoulders, tugging me against his side. “You did really good,” he whispered.
“Does it help?” He knew what I meant.
Though he nodded, I knew there was a part of him that would feel better if I didn’t have fading energy connections, and if I could grow fangs and claws. “You are a force to be reckoned with,” he muttered with a grin. “Even without shifting.” I nudged him in the ribs and rolled my eyes. He laughed, but his eyes deepened as he lowered his voice. “I’m serious. You have a new way of fighting now. It’s desperate, but really fierce. You sort of scare me.”
Pausing long enough to kiss his cheek, I smirked. “Good. I hope anyone who threatens me or our child is frightened too.”
“My mom says that’s exactly what it is,” he continued, pulling back a thin linen door leading back into the cave. “That your instincts to protect our kid are making you fierce. You might scare me, but it helps—it really does.”
Clutching his arm, I met his eye. “Let’s just keep hoping you’re the only one who will ever need to see the fierceness.”
He nodded. “That would be ideal.” Clearing his throat, he clutched my hand as we walked toward the pit. “Are you ready to meet with the common dragons? I admit, I was pretty surprised my dad heard back. Yaba said their leader was actually excited to hear from a warrior and know that royals would be coming.”
“From what I remember, even the common dragons were loyal to the wyvern race. I mean, they did live among us, though I feel badly they were left to fend for themselves after the divide.”
“You can’t really blame yourself though, you were basically a baby still, right?”
I nodded. “Yes. I didn’t even know what was happening.”
“I think they know that, which is why everyone believes they’re so willing to speak with us.”
We turned into the pit. The space was already filled with warriors and mages preparing to leave. We would bring more defenses than when we went to the Skog mages. Each royal was coming, and according to Thane’s order, that meant groups of warriors. Gaia was strapping thick leather armor around Mitch’s back. She’d commissioned powerful, energy-filled armor for the lone human as soon as she’d recovered from her injuries. I tried to stab Mitch—with his permission, of course—and the blade could not strike him. It would take a powerful mage to unravel Gaia’s protections. A small thing, but it made me, Teagan, and really everyone else happier. It allowed me to forget that Mitch was a human—that his life would be shorter than all of ours. That was something both Teagan and I never brought up. We would still be young in our faces and hearts when Mitch was an old man.
Thane and Leoch stood at the head of the group, ensuring all the royals had adequate weapons if they shifted to human form. When he found us, he signaled us to come to his side. “You both will ride with me. Jade, you will be the one to speak with them after I ensure we’re safe. They were particularly excited that Sapphire would be coming too. Are you feeling…alright?”
I chuckled in the back of my throat. Teagan could get nervous about the changes faster than anyone, but Thane wasn’t far behind. If Gaia asked him to do something regarding me, he moved nearly as swift as he did in the sky. “I’m fine. If they are pleased we’re coming, it’s just the journey that will be a risk.”
He nodded and grabbed another blade fr
om Leoch. “The lindworms are coming with us. That should help with protections. Ced and his warriors are going to encircle us in case old Nag decides to show up. They can sense them faster, and I think the warriors are really desperate to get out of this cave.”
Teagan laughed, finding the prince from across the pit. Amber was standing close to him and Laina. They all seemed thrilled to head for the sky.
“Well, then this should be a simple journey,” I insisted.
Teagan shifted, but he didn’t lose his calm expression. I ran my hands over the jade markings on his arm, careful to avoid the jade stone he kept tied to his wrist now. The power from the stone was enough to turn my insides upside down in violent waves.
“Let us hope,” Thane offered. “Well, we should be going. Dress lightly beneath your warmer clothes. They live in a desert.”
Outside the cave, the warriors were already in true form, along with the royals. Athika waved from atop Ruby’s back. Donovan had joined Sapphire, and Rochelle was struggling to mount Amber’s spine since she carried Ced’s weapons and Amber’s with her own. Thane was staying back, his arms around Gaia’s waist. I watched them, loving the way they bid farewell to each other. Thane whispered against Gaia’s ear. Her smile was genuine, and she finished by speaking softly toward his. Gaia wanted to join us. But the risk of Bron sensing her different energy was too great. It was one of the few upper handed moves we had left. When Thane finally released his mate, she drifted quickly toward us.
She wrapped Teagan and Mitch in a tight embrace, checking once more they each had their weapons, before turning to me. “Here.” She handed me a canteen of the bitter tea. “You don’t need it as much?”
I shook my head. “It’s getting easier, but some days are still a challenge.”
She smiled. “Well, you have enough should you need it. You will succeed,” she insisted, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. “This is what your mother was best at. She was kind, firm, and a great leader. You are so much like her. Don’t forget how powerful your words can be.”
I hugged her for a moment longer, not wanting to lose the peaceful energy that was unique to Gaia, but Eisha cleared her throat after a while. Chuckling, I wrapped my arms around her.
“You’re sure you won’t come?” I asked once I pulled away.
Eisha glanced toward Gaia, who was huddled around her sons and Thane. “I’m needed here.”
“You’re a good friend to her,” I whispered. Eisha hadn’t joined us on any of the ventures since Gaia had recovered. I sensed she didn’t want to see the High Priestess left to stand against Bron alone should he find us again.
“Well, I’m making up for years lost in bitterness, I suppose. Besides, she is the only one who will ramble about the new little royal with me.”
I laughed again and hugged her shoulders. “We will be safe, and we’ll be back shortly. Keep them safe here.”
Eisha bowed her head slightly and released my hands. Thane was swift to change forms. Teagan held my hand as I stepped onto his father’s shoulder and settled behind his expansive wings. Teagan leaned casually against Thane’s neck securing the weapons, though he never settled in a safer position. He was at ease on the backs of dragons.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked when I offered him a funny smile.
“I was thinking of how different you are on dragons now, compared to the first time you flew on Eisha’s back.”
“I knew that would come back to bite me someday—it wasn’t my bravest moment.”
I laughed out loud, drawing Mitch’s eye as he scrambled onto Raffi’s spine. “I thought you might break me in half the way you held on to me,” I teased, inching closer to him. “By the way, you taught me several new words that day, Mr. Ward.”
He chuckled and kissed my mouth quickly. “Well, just don’t pass them on to the kid, okay?”
Teagan eventually settled behind me, though I thought it was more to be close to me than for his own safety. Thane rose above the other warriors, with the royals in the center of the formation as we sailed through the chilled sky. The ride would take us into the night. We were coming from the far north, and headed toward the far south. I enjoyed the way the air changed, always chilly at our height, but the different scents of the landscapes below strengthened my energy.
“My dad says we’ll be there in a few minutes,” Teagan breathed next to my ear. I wished I could hear wyvern conversation when I was in human form. Eisha was the only one who’d been able to break through such barriers before Teagan.
The sun was just a sliver of fiery orange on the horizon, and the satin night was filling the earth. Teagan was kneeling on Thane’s back, sorting the swords. I sipped the tea, feeling the weakness creeping against the back of my neck. I didn’t want the same thing that happened with the Skogs to happen here.
“Are you alright?” I asked when Teagan seemed to be repeating tasks.
He shook his head. “I feel that there’s a reason they were so thrilled for us to be coming. I don’t mean to sound pessimistic, but it feels strange. Like they know something we don’t.”
I trapped his face in my palms, stalling him from moving back to the weapon straps for a third time. “We will be able to judge their hearts. It is one of the great things about wyverns. They can’t easily hide deceit.”
“It happened to your grandpa,” he insisted.
“You know that was different. Bron had a hand in that. Mages aren’t as easy for us to sense their intentions. I promise we will be cautious.”
“It’s not ‘we’ I’m worried about. You’re the one who has to speak for everyone here.”
“I also promised I wouldn’t take unnecessary risks. And I won’t.”
“I just can’t shake the feeling. That’s all,” he muttered, kissing my neck as he pulled me against his chest.
“You’ll stay by me?” I whispered right against his ear when Thane dove toward the ground. The air was much warmer, like a wall of dry sand whipped against us.
Teagan traced my profile with his thumb and smiled. “Nothing could get me to leave your side.”
It wasn’t long before Thane landed firmly on the ground. Teagan slid off first, waiting for me before clutching my hand. I took in the scene. We were on a mountain, but it was smooth and a beautiful reddish color that reminded me of pink coral. The brush was harsh and dry, but the blossoms along the desert plants smelled delicious.
When we all were securely on the ground, I expected to search for a time like we had with the Skogs, so when we rounded a bend and were met with a long line of earthy wyverns in true form, I nearly shouted out in surprise. Thane shifted down to his human form, I imagined it was for the benefit of the mages and myself to hear because the other warriors remained in true form, along with the royals.
I released a trembling breath when the lead wyvern standing in our way shifted as well. His body was strong, but not comparative to Thane. His face was coated in a rugged beard that was long enough it hit his chest. Though he was a head shorter than Thane, he didn’t shrink away. Instead, the rich brown of his eyes shaded to a gilded hue when he stepped forward.
“Warriors, royals, and mages! I can hardly contain my thrill. Thane, you honor us. It has been many years since my eyes have beheld the likes of you. I can remember great feats of your bravery in your service of the royal bloodlines.”
“You are Garwin?” Thane asked, clasping the other man’s forearm.
“Yes,” Garwin gasped. “I was the one who sent the response with the mage courier.” Garwin inspected Thane’s forearms, studying the mage seals on his skin. Garwin’s eyes were possibly even more thrilled. “Times have changed it would seem, Thane.”
“Times have changed,” Thane rumbled.
“Come in, please.” Garwin signaled to a stony opening between two slabs of thick sandstone. “We’ve been most anxious to hear what you have to say. The royals have come?” Garwin asked, turning around toward his people.
Thane nodded. “All but
the Onyx bloodline, though the mage is here.”
“I detect a tale in those words,” Garwin chuckled. “So, the queen?”
Thane paused, pointing toward me. I stood still, feeling as though now was not the time to speak, though I wasn’t sure why.
“It’s as though time has not passed and I am staring into the eyes of Princess Reya herself,” Garwin muttered, his jaw wide and his eyes locked with mine as he faced the row of wyverns. “The royals have returned to us, our queen herself. Let us hear what they have to say.” I sensed some hesitation on the part of the other dragons. Those emotions actually caused me to feel more at ease than Garwin’s complete thrill when he glanced to Thane once more. “So, the Sapphire royal—Konrad, he is here too?”
Thane’s brow furrowed, but he nodded. “As I said, every royal apart from Onyx.”
Garwin grinned. “Then come. We have prepared food for you, and we look forward to hearing all about your grand adventures.”
“This guy is probably the strangest dragon I’ve ever met,” Teagan mumbled next to my ear.
I nodded. “He is quite spirited for a wyvern. If it calms you at all, I don’t sense any malice in his heart. Only genuine excitement.”
Teagan nodded, though I saw the way his shoulders relaxed. Thane would have felt anything dangerous, especially touching Garwin. Yet, Teagan’s father signaled for us to follow. I breathed my own sigh of relief, my hand protectively resting on my stomach. This meeting would succeed. For the first time, I actually believed Gaia’s assurances might actually come to pass.
I just needed to shake the strange feeling that caused me to worry. It seemed like Garwin was more interested in Sapphire than anyone. And I needed to know why. There was a concern for his safety that spread through my heart. Hiding one sinister emotion beneath honest thrill and exuberance would be easy. Sapphire could be walking into a pit of friends, or enemies, without us even knowing.