The Jade Dragon

by Rowena May O'Sullivan

  Chapter Thirty-One

  They returned to Raven’s Creek twenty-four hours after leaving, bringing with them a selection of wines from all of Gregori’s estates plus his own vin Rousseau rosé for them all to drink at the wine tasting which had been set for Sunday at twilight, two days before he had to return to Marylebone. It was heading towards mid-summer. It wouldn’t be dark in the evening until nine at least.

  In the intervening days, Alanna continued to sculpt, and Gregori pretended to hunt for the reason behind the sisters’ parents’ death. At night, they slept entangled in each other’s arms and he waited for Alanna to tell him everything as she’d promised. He could see as each day passed, that she grew sadder and he knew she fought an internal battle with herself.

  Her anguish ate through his resolve to be patient. Patience was for saints. He was anything but.

  There were less than a handful of days before Marylebone wanted him back. His magic was building within him, causing his spells to behave in an erratic manner. He was afraid if he waited much longer, he would have to leave Raven’s Creek altogether before this week was over. He had no wish to expose his beloved to danger and he could feel that was exactly what was happening to him. He was growing exponentially dangerous as each day passed. Increment by increment, his handle on his magic weakened.

  He cornered her the night before the wine-tasting event. “When?” he asked, his arm braced against the wall beside her head. There was no need to explain. She knew exactly what he referred to.

  “Soon,” she said and ducked under his arm in an attempt to evade his questions.

  “Now,” he insisted and moved to prevent her escape. He slid his finger down the bridge of her nose in a soft caress. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

  “Not now,” she swatted at his finger, a playful lilt in her voice. “You need to get ready for the wine-tasting tomorrow.”

  “I do not need to get ready for anything.” He hated to admit his weaknesses, but he was going to have to make her realize just how much trouble he was in. “Except to work on how not to flame out.”

  The playful light left her eyes. A frown marred her brow. “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve barely days left, Alanna. You can’t see it, but I’m struggling to maintain control of my magic. I’ve been siphoning it off into orbs you can’t see, but it’s dangerous to leave them floating about and it’s too dangerous for me to hold it all at once. My familiar, Lyzander, is guarding the orbs but I think I may have to return to Marylebone early.”

  “No!” Alanna flung herself into his arms. “You can’t go.”

  “I have to,” he admitted. “I would not put you or your family in danger.”

  “But Rosa managed to stay in control right up to the last hour. If she can, then so can you.”

  “Rosa isn’t half as powerful as I am. She’s a neophyte and it will take a thousand years at least to get anywhere close to my level. Come on, Alanna. Don’t do this to me. Let me in or let me go before it’s too late.”

  • • •

  Too late. His words hung like heavy gray clouds between them. She ducked under his arm once again and put distance between them. They were alone in the studio surrounded by all of Gregori’s creature comforts. She walked to the table, plucked a cork from a rosé bottle and filled a glass. Her hand shook so much the drink spilled as she handed it to him. The time had come. But first, a little fortification. She filled another glass and slugged it back in two swift gulps. Her eyes smarted and she coughed as she refilled the glass.

  “I don’t know how to find the words,” she admitted and slumped into a chair. “I’ve been mulling them over for days and no matter which way I try to sort them in my head, they all seem so wrong.”

  Gregori crouched down before her. He placed his glass on the table and rested his hands on her knees. “One word at a time will do.”

  “I don’t know where to start.”

  “At the beginning.”

  “It would be easier if you did that walking thing in my mind.”

  Gregori shook his head. “My magic is too erratic and you’re too fragile. I can’t trust myself not to cause permanent damage while in there. The walls you’ve created must be dropped by you only.”

  Except for her studio becoming a luxurious apartment each night Alanna hadn’t seen him perform a single spell since their return from Cabasson. “I’m so selfish I didn’t even see how much you’re struggling.”

  His smile was gentle. He picked up one of her hands and pressed his lips into her palm. “I ensured you could not see.”

  “My sisters and I, we have a circle where we perform our rituals. I’d feel safer if we did this there.” She looked up and gazed out the window. It was growing dark. That would give her three hours to psych herself up, to prepare herself for the inevitable.

  Gregori mistook her meaning. “You would feel safer from me within your Circle?”

  “Not from you,” Alanna insisted and lifted her hand to cup his cheek, wanting to move the frown between his eyes. “You make me feel safe. Loved. I want to tell you. It’s just … ” her stomach was threatening to rebel.

  No. No more hiding. No more prevarication. “I know you don’t want to use your magic, but I want you to create a circle to protect us both. I will tell you everything. I will leave nothing out, but I want your word you will not reveal what you learn to anyone. Not a single soul. Ever.”

  Alarm filtered into his aura. He felt it take up residence around his heart. “You are my destiny,” he said despite having misgivings on making such a promise. “I will hold your secret safe in my heart for all eternity.”

  Alanna’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears. “You really do love me.”

  His smile was wry. “Have I not shown you every night this week?”

  Her face was pale, her eyes stark. “I only hope you’ll still love me tomorrow.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Alanna wore a full-length diaphanous white shift, her body naked beneath. Her hair brushed to a lustrous sheen hung in wild abandon down her back, reaching to her waist. In her hand she held a string of beads of many colors.

  “What are those?” Gregori asked as she led him through the woods, an orb of light he’d created with only a small amount of magic guiding their way.

  “They were my father’s. He used them when contemplating a problem. He’d sit on the veranda at Rose Cottage and flick through them over and over and over. His hands and how the little beads clicked against each other fascinated me. I used to sit and watch him for hours.”

  It was the first time she’d openly spoken of a parent. “Why bring them tonight?”

  She didn’t look back or respond for near on a full minute and he thought she had not heard his question or didn’t know the answer. She stopped suddenly and he crashed into the back of her. She looked up at him in the dark, the orb momentarily illuminating her face. Her eyes matched the night. Perhaps they also matched the darkness in her soul.

  “They bring me comfort. They remind me of the good times before he died.”

  Gregori was deeply moved. He understood completely. There were a number of items in Villa Paradis connected in some way to his past. Many from friends and family no longer in this world. He looked up at the heavens. The moon was only in its first quarter so the light was minimal. “How much further is this circle of yours?”

  “Another few minutes,” she said and continued down a path he had not seen moments ago. “The land we’re on belongs to all three of us. There’s no fear of being interrupted or overheard here.”

  “What of Beth and Rosa? Surely they come this way, too.”

  “Rosa is with Aden tonight and Beth’s at home. We won’t be interrupted.” She pushed back a large dark frond. A native silver fern. His sensitive hearing could make out the sounds of animals scurryi
ng about in the brush underneath. A Kiwi most likely. A flightless native bird that was so shy it only came out at night to forage for food.

  “We’re here” Alanna said and came to an abrupt halt.

  He peered over her shoulder. There it was. A large circle with a smaller one inside marked by standing stones. Within the epicenter was a single wide flat stone — a table of sorts — a place to hold tokens. Immediately he knew she intended to use the beads as a focus for tonight.

  Alanna walked with surety about the perimeter inspecting the circle for any changes or animals that could accidentally be trapped by magic. When she found a life, she asked it to leave. Even without magic, the wildlife recognized her and obeyed.

  “I’m going to go through the motions as if my magic was available to me,” she told him. Crazy I know, but it feels right.” The orb of light hovered above her. “You can either work with me or craft a protection spell around us once I’ve finished. It’s up to you.”

  She seemed more confident. More in tune with her surroundings. Despite the lack of light, her aura shone in the dark, illuminating her tall, lithe silhouette. The exact same one that had been wrapped around him, holding him close only a few hours ago. She truly was a glorious sight to behold.

  “I will share my magic with you and you will see how great our link will be when we are permanently bound,” he told her.

  She hesitated, but a quick nod from her dispelled the idea she had thought to refuse his offer. He allowed her to guide him. This was her circle. He would abide by her wishes.

  She circled the perimeter clockwise three times and he followed, reciting the words to prepare a circle as every witch and warlock learned as young neophytes. The wind picked up. Just a fraction. The second time they circled, the dark silhouette of trees around them swayed. The third time, they bent inwards, surrounding and protecting them. Alanna stepped into the center of the circle standing on one side of the tableau. He moved into position on the other side. She held the beads to her chest for several moments, reciting words softly. When finished, she raised her cupped hands to her lips, kissed the beads and placed them gently, lovingly onto the stone.

  He held out his hands and she grasped them, effectively creating their own circle, the beads between them. “Are you ready,” he asked?

  Her eyes were so sad. “Some things one is never ready for. This is one of them.”

  He squeezed her hands “Don’t be afraid. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

  She nodded, but through their connection he felt her incredible well of sadness and uncertainty.

  “So, as we discussed,” she was suddenly all business, in a rush to get it over with. “Link us both to the beads and I will share everything I remember with you.”

  “A burden shared,” he intoned the cliché softly, “is a burden halved.”

  She shrugged. “We will see.”

  • • •

  Alanna couldn’t quell the trembling, no matter how hard she tried. In the end, she gave up and accepted this was how it was going to be, she was here now, the circle was set and she couldn’t break it without causing harm to them both.

  Gregori closed his eyes and began to intone softly in an ancient language she’d only ever heard about. It was the secret language of the Warlock imparted to only a few thought worthy. Awed, she forgot momentarily about herself and listened to the words, not understanding any. He was magnificent, clothed in his official Dragon’s cloak, the illuminated symbols of his status within Marylebone embroidered about the hemline.

  His dark locks, curly and a little wild like her own, haloed a face that revealed a strength of character she was only just beginning to learn. She’d cut some of those locks the other day. They’d grown and he’d been continually flicking his head to remove them from falling over his eyes. Afterward, while bathing together, she had run her fingers through his hair, sudsing it up and making funny pointy shapes. The memory made her smile and she realized she no longer trembled.

  The wind created by magic blew those locks now as it did hers into wild tangles. Her ceremonial shift, plastered itself against her naked form even as his cloak rushed out towards her, flicking flame-like over the tableau and her father’s beads.

  And then there was a preternatural quiet, the wind dropping as swiftly as it arrived. She opened her eyes and gasped. A wall of just-at-twilight blue encompassed the entire circle, surrounding them like a cocoon.

  Gregori surveyed his work. A satisfied lilt to his lips told her he had enjoyed using his power.

  “I’ve done what I can,” he told her. “The rest is up to you.”

  This was so difficult. So incredibly hard. “Can we sit? Do we have to stand for this? I’m afraid I might fall down.

  “If you fall, I will catch you.” His words were so gentle. “I’ll start for you. Your parents were driving the back road to Raven’s Creek. Where had you been?”

  She gulped down her fear. There was no going back now. “We’d been to a meeting with the Kowhai Coven. I don’t think even Rosa or Beth really know why I went with them that night. I went because there was a disciplinary hearing for me.”

  Gregori’s eyebrows arched. “Why am I not surprised? What did you do?”

  “I’ll tell you later. It was just plain teenage stupidity and nothing compared to what I did next.”

  “And that was?” He waited patiently for her to continue.

  Her heart hammered in her chest. It constricted and spasmed as she fought down the beginnings of a panic attack. Tingles ran down her arm and she clenched and stretched her fingers repeatedly. Breathe Alanna. Breathe. You’re safe with Gregori.

  “It’s a forty-five minute drive from Auckland. Dad decided to take the scenic route. He loved finding new ways home. We’d often get lost, ending up on roads that led to nowhere. It was a game with him. Mom was happy to go along with whatever he wanted. She was more like Beth than any of us. Easygoing, soft, gentle. She was the mother earth type, but she was at a complete loss at how to handle me. I loved nothing more than proving them wrong. If they said don’t, I did. If they said sit, I stood. When they said, ‘that spell is too advanced for you,’ I’d show them how wrong they were.”

  The tingling in her arm lessened. Her breathing evened out. She could feel Gregori’s energy thrumming through her like a high-tension wire, grounding and helping her to continue.

  “I was bored. Driving around country roads is fun when you’re six or seven, but at fourteen it was tedious. Sitting in the back seat looking out the window at all the trees I’d seen before. I’ve never been one to just sit around. I started making up spells in my head.”

  A lump formed in her throat. She struggled to swallow it down so she could continue. There was a roaring sound in her ears. She was grateful for it as it almost blocked out her next words.

  “I’d heard Dad talk about how he’d crafted the anti-crash spell on the car.”

  She paused long enough to scrutinize Gregori, gauge his reaction. He stood silent, his expression one of compassion as if he already knew what was coming. And perhaps he did.

  “I started playing around with a spell of my own, trying to make an anti-crash spell myself. I thought it would be useful for when I rode my bicycle through the woods. I was always falling off and grazing my knees or stubbing my toes. I was forever being told off for being so careless. So that’s what I did. I crafted an anti-crash spell, but somehow it got tangled up with Dad’s.”

  Her words spilled out, fast and furious. “The moment my spell interfered with the one on the car he knew something was wrong. The car skidded on the loose metal on the road and he lost control of the wheel and the car flipped. I’ll never forget the sound of the metal graunching against the stones as we rolled over and over and over not knowing which way was up and which was down. The car righted itself and I thought we’d be okay,
but … the tree … ” Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her words came out in sobs. “That damned stupid tree, it was just there. The car careened into the large oak on the side of the road. There wasn’t enough time for anyone to craft a spell to evade it.” She sucked in a ragged breath. “It … It … the car … was a mangled mess of metal, shattered glass, and a sea of blood and broken bodies.” She covered her eyes with her hands as if trying to block the memory from her vision. “I remember hearing Dad call out before he lost control, “‘Alanna! What have you done?’ I hear his voice all the time you know.” She looked directly into Gregori’s eyes, her tone as bleak as her heart. “Always saying the same thing. Over and over. ‘Alanna! What have you done? What have you done? What have you done?’ Those were the last words he ever said to me.”

  She sunk to the ground in a huddle, her head buried in her hands on the mossy earth. In the blink of an eye, Gregori was at her side. She looked up briefly.

  “It was me. I killed them. I’m the reason they died. Marylebone have been searching in all the wrong places. I’m the one who should have been ensorcelled in stone! I’m the one who should have died.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “I’m not going,” Alanna declared to Gregori in the early hours of the morning as she lay awake, unable to sleep. Dark circles rimmed eyes clouded with unhappiness. “You can make my excuses. Tell them I’ve a migraine or something.”

  “They’ll all be around in minutes to offer up a potion or a herbal draught the second I do.”

  Revealing everything to Gregori had wrung her out, leaving her reserves of energy depleted. She refused his offer to bolster hers, not wanting him to release any magic that could cause him to flare out.

  He worried that having divulged what he had suspected all along, the truth had not freed her as he’d thought, but actually made it worse. “I will keep my promise to you,” he’d told her. “I won’t tell anyone, but I still believe you should confess everything to Beth and Rosa.”