by G. K. DeRosa
She offered a weak smile. “I know. Believe me, sometimes I wished I didn’t get the visions.”
A thought flickered in my mind. “You had visions of me, didn’t you? That’s why you came to find me…”
Her lips pressed into a tight line. “Luna, my powers are extremely fickle. Visions of the future are fluid and constantly changing. Even the smallest thing can completely alter the course of a person’s life. I don’t discuss my visions with anyone but Garrix, not even Fenix. I’m scared of what would happen if I did.”
A chill tattooed up my spine, sending a wave of goose bumps over my skin. She’d definitely seen something, and from her expression it wasn’t good.
“Anyway, I don’t want to keep you from the rest of the service for your friend. I only wanted you to know why I’d been gone. You’re always on my mind, Luna, and I haven’t forgotten my promise about bringing you to see your friend, Jay. As soon as the doctor gives me the all clear, I’ll take you back there.”
“Don’t worry about it, K.J. I’ve been meaning to ask Cillian about a weekend pass. I can go on my own. You have enough to deal with.” My gaze settled on her belly, and she smiled.
“You can touch it if you want, but there’s not much there yet.”
My hand reached out before I could stop it. As I skimmed her barely protruding belly, I could feel it—magic. It was slight, but it was there. My little niece or nephew was going to be a half-blood just like us.
An unexpected smile curved my lips. “I really am happy for you, Kimmie.”
She squeezed my hand, and the bubble around us burst. A rush of chatter and sobs swelled around us, shattering the happy moment and peaceful tranquility that came with it. Reality swooped in—Ash was dead, and we were still at his funeral.
I’d been so lost in our little orb of serenity, I hadn’t even noticed Fenix had tugged Cinder into a corner. By the huge smile on her tear-stained face, I guessed he’d shared the big news. The two dragons walked back to the table with matching pleased grins on their faces.
“We’re going to be aunties!” Cinder pulled me up to my feet and wrapped me in a hug.
“I know; I’m really excited.” And I was. I’d never had family before, and this almost felt too good to be true.
“Don’t I get a congratulations?” Fenix’s golden eyes twinkled down at me. “I did half of the work.”
I pulled him into a hug, his big burly arms swallowing me up. “Congrats, Fenix. And don’t be gross. I don’t need a visual of you and my sister getting it on. I saw more than enough on Hitched.”
A ridiculous grin stretched across his face as he released me and wrapped his arm around K.J.’s waist.
Ryder strode up and whacked Fenix on the shoulder, the smack making a few of the dragon shifters at the table turn around. He waited until they went back to eating and lowered his voice. “I heard congratulations are in order.”
Kimmie-Jayne’s bright eyes widened. “How did you hear? We only just told the girls.”
Fenix growled. “You were listening in on my conversation with Cinder, weren’t you?”
Ryder gave a noncommittal shrug. “I thought something bad was going on. I was trying to stay in the loop.” He winked, and a big smile lit up Kimmie-Jayne’s face. She obviously still held a soft spot for the demon, even if it was just friendship. “Congrats to both of you. It’s nice to hear some good news for a change.”
His gaze lowered to mine, and he gave me a tight smile. He must have noticed I’d been avoiding him. I just hoped he still thought it was because of my guilt over Ash.
Ryder turned to Fenix once again. “If you’ve got a second, Cillian and I need to discuss a few things with you.”
The big dragon nodded and scanned the crowd. “I suppose now would be as good a time as any.”
My gaze trailed behind Ryder and Fenix as they joined Cillian in a far corner. What was that about? From across the room, Drake caught my eye and motioned for me to come over. He stood against the wall by our table. The rest of the crew milled about nearby.
I turned to Kimmie-Jayne and Cinder. “I’ll be back. I’m being summoned by the prince.”
“I remember those days,” K.J. quipped.
I still couldn’t believe she’d dated Drake’s brother. Sometimes our little group was a little too incestuous for my liking.
Raine and Aeria eyed me as I crossed the vast hall, the two BFFs sat at the table texting. “You okay?” asked the blue-haired siren.
I practically had to scrape my jaw off the floor to speak. “Yeah, I’m hanging in there. You?”
She shrugged. “The funeral makes it seem more real, ya know? Like Ash is truly gone.”
“I know what you mean.” Plus it brought everything right back to the surface. All the feelings I’d fought so hard to bury over the past few days.
Raine nodded, and I was surprised to see the genuine grief in her eyes.
I passed by them and continued onto Drake, leaning on the wall beside him. “What’s up?”
His lilac eyes were less frosty than normal, and I could’ve sworn I saw some hidden emotion beneath the surface. He ticked his head toward the Cillian, Ryder and Fenix huddle in the corner. “Do you know what they’re doing over there?”
I shook my head. “No. Do you?”
He nodded and leaned in closer. “They’re discussing who will replace Ash on the team. Fenix and Cillian have been approaching dragons throughout the service.”
“Seriously?” That seemed awfully quick.
“They want us to get back out there, and the sooner we can find an eighth, the faster it’ll happen.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. It had barely been a week since Ash’s death. I stared at the three men from across the room, and a twinge of anger unfurled in my chest. We’d barely had time to grieve, and they wanted to send us back out there. For what? To get another one of us killed?
I cocked my head at our unofficial supe team leader. “Do you really think we’re ready?”
“I think Luxora needs to be stopped, and if we’re the best option for making that happen, then we have to be.” The prince’s square jaw tightened. “So are you ready to come back to class?”
“I guess I’ll have to be.”
Chapter 14
After a week back into classes and training, I fell back into my old routine. With one added component—occasional visits to Desmond’s dorm room in the evenings. I wasn’t even sure why I was still hooking up with the vampire. Sure, he was hot, but that was it. There was no real connection besides the thrill of his bites. And that was why I hadn’t told anyone about it, not even Cinder. I liked getting bitten. Man, I was messed up.
I turned my thoughts back to training, pushing away the weird feelings Des incited. It felt good to be productive and keep my mind and muscles busy. The power that Garrix unlocked when he removed the mark was like a weed growing inside me. It felt stronger and more a part of me everyday.
“Luna, you’re with me for the next round.” Ryder’s voice snapped me from my inner thoughts and I slowed my jog, turning into the center of the training room. Now that there were only seven of us, Ryder frequently stepped in to spar with one of us. He’d mostly avoided me up until now.
I stepped onto the mat, and he helped me slip on my gloves and headgear before strapping on his. “No magic, just physical strength for this round.”
I nodded, grinding my teeth together. There were still so many unresolved feelings between Ryder and me that I wasn’t sure this was the best idea. He motioned me forward and I bumped my fists together, steadying my erratic heartbeats.
I let my fist fly before Ryder gave the start signal and landed a punch squarely in his jaw. He smirked. “I see we’re fighting dirty now.”
“Maybe I’m tired of being the good girl.”
His dark brows furrowed. Before he could say anything, I threw a quick uppercut. He blocked it, but the movement knocked him off balance and I swept my foot under his. He staggered ba
ck but didn’t fall.
Damn demon reflexes.
I continued my assault with a mix of punches, uppercuts and kicks. Not only was I physically stronger, I was getting faster. Maybe not blurry demon fast, but definitely not mere human speed. He dodged most of my blows, but I landed a few too. The smack of my fist against his flesh was incredibly satisfying.
After twenty minutes of sparring, sweat poured off my brow and muscles I didn’t even know I had ached. Fighting without magic drained me in a different way, but I always felt best after it.
“Nice!” said Ryder as I landed a punch to his rock hard abs. “Five more minutes and we’ll take a break. Come on, make it count.”
I faked with my left arm, but kicked my leg up instead going for a roundhouse. Ryder anticipated my favorite move. Grabbing my ankle, he twisted, and it was either break my leg or fall. I hit the mat with a smack, but not without taking my instructor down with me.
He landed beside me, the parquet floor shaking beneath his massive weight. “I can always tell when you’re going for that roundhouse.” I glared at him from the corner of my eye. He didn’t get up fast enough so I kicked my legs out and wrapped his thighs in a scissor hold. “Not a bad save.” He chuckled. “But you made one fatal error. You left your top half exposed.”
He kicked his legs up, breaking my hold and my head spun. The next thing I knew I was flat on my back, and Ryder’s muscled thighs were pressing me to the mat. He hovered over me with a pleased grin splitting his perfect lips.
I bucked beneath him, but his massive weight was too much to budge, even with my newfound strength.
He leaned in closer, his corded arms caging me in. “Don’t give up, Luna. I’m a demon about to suck out your soul. How are you going to get free?”
I kicked and squirmed to no avail. Even with my part warlock-demon blood, I was no match for him. And I’d be no match for a real demon either. The depressing thought deflated my lungs, and my head sank back to the mat.
Streaks of yellow flashed across Ryder’s eyes as he inched closer still. “Don’t give up,” he snarled. “Do you want to die?”
“No!” I hissed.
“Then fight back.”
“I’m trying!”
“Not hard enough.” His lips were a millimeter from mine, and heat swarmed my belly. What the eff was he doing? He sucked in a deep breath, and a light blue haze swirled between our lips.
An icy chill swept over every inch of me, and something dark tugged at my core.
“Stop!” I shrieked as realization slapped me in the face.
Ryder’s pupils elongated to pitch-black slits, the translucent citrine eclipsing his irises. “Make me stop,” he rasped out.
My heart jackhammered against my ribs as a string tightened around my insides. I felt another tug, and I panicked. Unpinning my arms from my sides, I shoved my palms into Ryder’s chest and a burst of deep purple energy shot out from my hands.
Ryder’s unearthly eyes bulged as he was lifted off me and hurled across the training room. The sharp crack when he hit the wall sent all eyes swerving toward me. I inhaled a deep breath, and the tightness in my chest receded. Pushing myself off the ground, I slunk toward my instructor without meeting anyone’s burning gazes.
Ryder lay flat on his back, and blood trickled from his mouth and nose. His eyes were back to normal, the demon-yellow fully submerged.
My breath hitched as genuine fear that I’d actually hurt him writhed in my belly.
“Well done,” he sputtered, wiping the blood from his chin. He held out his hand, and I hauled him up.
“But I thought I wasn’t supposed to use magic.”
“And I wasn’t supposed to suck out your soul, right?”
My brows slammed together. “That was some sort of test?”
“There are no rules in real battle, Luna. You use whatever you can to survive.” He lifted his gaze to the others who’d already formed a circle around us. “That goes for all of you. You use whatever advantage you have over your opponent. I don’t care what it is. If you ladies need to kick some demon in the balls, I’m okay with that.”
The girls giggled, and I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my lips.
The brief moment of lightheartedness was interrupted by the creak of the training room doors opening. Cillian’s large form blotted out the entryway, but it was the man beside him that caught my attention. I’d recognize those intense cobalt irises anywhere, regardless of the skin he was in. Behind my father, a young guy followed, his eyes intent on the seven of us.
“Sorry to interrupt,” said Cillian. “I wanted to introduce you to the newest member of the team.” He motioned to the guy next to him. His dark blonde buzz cut did look kind of familiar. I’d definitely seen him around the dragon dorms. “This is Zephyr, and he’ll be joining the squad effective immediately. He’s a third year so he’s certainly not new to any of this, but it will take some time for you all to get acquainted. To help speed that up, I’ve brought a warlock friend.” The headmaster ticked his head at my father. Today his hair was purple, and he looked not much older than Ryder.
For a second I wondered how many people knew what the real Garrix looked like. My guess was not many.
“Garrix believes that binding the eight of you together will strengthen your powers. It will also serve as an emergency warning system. If any of you are in trouble, the others will immediately know and be able to find you. Hopefully this will lessen the likelihood of what happened to Ash from occurring again.”
Drake’s eyes flickered to mine when Cillian spoke the warlock’s name, but I lowered my gaze after a quick second. I wasn’t the best at keeping my feelings from splattering across my face. The last thing I needed was for someone to figure this out.
“And what about me?” Ryder stepped forward, his gaze intent on Cillian. “I think I should be included in the binding spell too. They’re my responsibility after all.”
Cillian turned to Garrix, and the two exchanged a look. “It would only serve to strengthen the bond,” confirmed my father. “I don’t see why the demon shouldn’t be included.”
Cillian’s gaze lifted to all of us. “Fine then. Unless anyone is opposed, we’ll do it now.”
About a million questions swirled in my mind. What would this binding spell do exactly? And more importantly were there side effects? But no one else said a word.
“Is this safe?” I blurted. I wasn’t sure how I felt about being bound to seven—no eight—supernaturals.
Garrix nodded, fixing me with his piercing gaze. “If anything it’ll only make your powers stronger. You will feel more greatly attuned to each other, but it shouldn’t be invasive.”
“What if we want out at some point in time?” Drake asked. “Can the spell be undone?”
Garrix’s lips twisted. “Not easily, but it is feasible.”
For once I sympathized with the ice prince. Drake could be the Fae king one day. Fighting demons wasn’t his life calling; he had bigger responsibilities to deal with.
Garrix lifted his hands palm up. “Shall we begin?”
The eight of us sat in a circle drawn in mystical chalk in the center of the training room. Drake kneeled across from me, an uncharacteristic worry in his eyes and his shoulders as taut as a bowstring. A series of symbols were drawn in the middle, and a few I recognized. A dragon, a werewolf, a mermaid, a faery… Each house was represented, including the humans. It wasn’t the most attractive stick figure, but I’d take it.
Garrix sat in the center, a ring of candles encircling him. He’d been muttering to himself for the last few minutes, and my crossed legs were starting to fall asleep. I squirmed, trying to force the blood to start flowing.
Ryder shot me a sidelong glance.
“Sorry,” I mouthed.
After a few long moments, Garrix looked up and scanned the circle. A flash of gold streaked across his irises as his heavy gaze settled on me. Today he wasn’t my father; today he was a fearsome dark warloc
k performing a powerful spell. He flicked his wrist, and an ornate dagger appeared in his palm. Dark rubies encrusted the hilt, and I could just make out foreign words etched into the silver blade.
“I need blood from each of you. A few drops should suffice.” He handed me the dagger and a small black vessel with more symbols carved across the ceramic. “Those of you with faster healing skin should go last. I need the wound to remain open for the binding.”
I slid the dagger across my palm, the sharp blade biting my flesh. I ground my jaw together to keep from wincing and flipped my wrist, squeezing my fist to allow the blood to fall into the urn. Then I passed the mystical instruments on to Ryder.
Once everyone had completed the bloodletting, Garrix took the vessel and placed his hand over it, whispering an incantation. The tiny hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Dark coils of energy swirled around him, thickening the air with that familiar sweet, smoky odor.
“Take each other’s hands,” he instructed.
Ryder’s fingers clasped around mine first then Triston took my other hand. A jolt of energy surged through me as our flesh made contact. As each member joined the circle, the energy intensified. Once all our hands were linked, I could barely keep my body from vibrating. A tremor of power coursed through my veins, hemorrhaging across my insides.
“Don’t let go until I say,” Garrix yelled.
I could barely make out his voice over the heart-pounding roar of energy. He lifted his hands in the air, and the incantation reached a fevered pitch. His body swayed back and forth in rhythm with my wild heartbeats. The candle flames surrounding Garrix flickered and hissed as if they were fighting him.
A raging inferno pooled in my core, and I chomped down on my lip to keep from screaming.
“Excendia!” Garrix’s shout triggered something—something that snapped deep inside me. My skin itched, and for a terrifying moment I was certain my soul would become untethered. A burst of deep purple light exploded from my chest and zipped across the circle. From the corner of my eye, a rainbow of colors burst from each of my friends. The lights shot around like ping-pong balls bouncing off each one of us before disappearing into the black urn Garrix held up.