by Leela Ash
“How has your mouth been feeling?” Max asked, suddenly changing the subject. “I know you had some swelling the past few days. What’s it like now?”
Andrea was thrown off by the change in conversation but went with it gladly. The last thing she wanted was to talk any more about her mother or the fact that she was losing out on the most precious time that she had left. That was presuming she was even still alive.
She liked to think she would be able to sense it if her mother died, but there was really no way to know for sure. Just because her intuition was good didn’t mean it was foolproof. Look at the situation with Max, for example? That was a really prime example of not being able to trust her intuition. She had thrown herself into the arms of a man who had swiftly abducted her and was holding her against her will in this godforsaken place when her mother needed her.
“It’s fine. Pretty sore and tender but it will get better in a few days. At least they had the fucking decency to give me the meds I needed before I went with you.”
A seed of bitterness was sewn deep in Andrea’s heart at this point and she cast her eyes away from Max, fixing her gaze on the tv in front of them. Whatever was on was bleak and boring; something about law. She had no interest and sighed, wondering if she was ever going to make it out of this cabin. She would have to plot her escape.
“I see,” Max said, turning to her with his eyes serious and pensive. He pressed his hand against her cheek and a sudden warmth filled her entire body. Her cheek began to tingle and suddenly, the pain that had been there was gone.
“What…?” Andrea squirmed away from Max’s hand. “Don’t touch me,” she said, pressing her hand against her cheek where Max’s touch had just electrified her.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore, does it?” Max asked, his tone gentle and his eyes as gold as ever.
Andrea was startled by the matter-of-fact revelation and frowned as she focused on where the pain once had been. It was true, she felt nothing there.
“That’s just the power of suggestion,” she said quickly, scrambling up off the couch and glaring down at Max. The lights dimmed suddenly, and she frowned, then turned her thoughts back to her toothache. “The brain is a very powerful organ in a human’s body. I mean, I’m sure the same is true for a ‘dragon shifter’ too.”
She said the last words sarcastically and glared at Max, her heart thudding hard in her chest. What the hell had she just felt? This was all too fucked up. She couldn’t let this continue. She had to find a way out of this cabin once and for all. Even if that meant he tried to hurt her. She would do whatever she had to do.
15.
Max roamed through the cabin, agitated. So, this was what they meant by cabin fever. He wanted so badly to go outside and get some fresh air, but he was concerned about losing track of Andrea. She was miserable and agitated, even after Max had managed to use the blood magic between them to heal the pain from her toothache. How was it possible that she could still be in such major denial about the truth of their situation?
He sighed, his nostrils flaring as he considered his next move. He had half a mind to drag Andrea to the hospital right then and there to try to heal her mother. That would prove to her that everything he had been saying was true. And could certainly end up being easier than unlocking his shapeshifting abilities. Maybe then he would finally be able to stake his claim on her and their relationship would begin to progress.
Yes. That was what he had to do. She would know the truth, and they would get the hell out of the suffocating atmosphere of the cabin. Every once in a while, he had to stop and remind himself why he had done this. There were insurmountable dangers to Andrea if her powers were awakened and misused. If they alerted those seeking the Loni descendants. Their enemies could easily be drawn right to Max and find the device that helped them to seek out the descendants. It could cost the lives of many innocent descendants. He would never forgive himself for it.
He would also never forgive himself if Andrea was right and it was too late for him to try to heal her mother. He set his jaw and headed to her bedroom, rapping on it enthusiastically.
“What?” Andrea exclaimed, throwing the door open and glaring at Max.
“We should go somewhere,” he said.
“Yeah. You should take me home,” Andrea said.
Max opened his mouth to reply and then frowned as he thought about what it might mean for her to be out in public. She could have him arrested. Anything could happen, really. It would do neither of them any good to draw that type of attention to themselves. Not when it was already so dangerous for her to have her powers unchecked. He had already begun to notice little things here and there. When she was angry, at times the doorknobs would rattle or the picture on the television would change.
The Loni magic was still strong and powerful, even on Earth. He couldn’t imagine what could happen if she lost her temper entirely or if she began to unleash her creative potential somehow. It would be a beautiful sight if she did, but one that would certainly attract unwanted attention to her. Danger. And the dangers were many. They were hard to predict, and it was impossible to say just how many agents of destruction already resided on Earth and were making efforts to seek out the special, unique potential of Loni descendants.
“I want to go for a walk,” Max said finally, sighing in frustration. No, it would be no good to take Andrea to see her mother yet. Not when it was still so dangerous and there were so many things for them to fear and worry about. She was in danger. That much was indisputable. If he was able to protect her from that danger, he would. Even if it meant keeping her hostage in a place she didn’t want to be. Even if it meant she hated him and never wanted to agree to be his mate. Her safety was more important than even that.
Still, the thought was disheartening. If they never fulfilled their sacred mission, the lack of children from such a special union would mean that his world would slowly deteriorate. Unless they were able to locate other descendants and their fated mates. It was such a terrible situation to find himself in, and it was beginning to make Max feel very discouraged and irritable.
“Okay,” Andrea said, stepping out from her room cautiously. She looked as if she had been crying, and Max felt a contraction in his chest. He felt terrible for putting her through this. He wanted to heal her mother badly. At least, if it was possible. But he couldn’t leave her alone in the cabin. She was very intelligent. She would easily find her way out. Not only that but taking her with him to see her mother would mean she was exposed to people she could report him to. It would be stupid for him to put himself in danger that way.
There was also the chance that her mother wasn’t of dragon/Loni blood at all and his blood magic would be useless. He couldn’t bear to see the disappointment on Andrea’s face if that turned out to be the case. Not that she believed him anyway.
The bitterness of the last thought jarred Max back into reality and he found himself sighing. “Let’s just go wherever feels best,” Max said, leaning against the wall. He hated to abandon his first instinct, but there was no other option, really, was there?
“All right,” Andrea said quietly. “Just let me get my shoes.”
Max nodded and avoided watching her as she readied herself to leave the cabin for the first time since she had arrived. It had been nearly a week and both of them were anxious to get some fresh air.
“I’m ready,” Andrea finally said. She was standing eagerly by the door and Max forced himself out of his thoughts so he could smile at her.
She didn’t return the smile, though Max could sense she was feeling light and eager. It was good to see her happy after all this time and Max unlocked the door carefully before leading Andrea out into the wooded area surrounding the cabin.
“It’s pretty here,” she said, seeming to forget for a moment that she had been attempting to give him the silent treatment. It wasn’t something Max resented; he knew he was doing something that was very difficult for her to understand. He also knew that once she
was able to accept the truth of his words, she would understand exactly why he was doing this. It was for her own good. Whether they liked it or not. And for the good of his planet.
“It is,” Max said. “Earth has many beautiful qualities.”
Andrea darkened at his words and Max sighed inwardly. She didn’t like when he said anything that implied he was from anywhere outside of Earth. She was fighting against her own story so hard that his truths were almost impossible for her to register.
How was he ever going to be able to prove himself to her? His shifter powers were nearly impossible to access. He hadn’t found himself able to use them even once since arriving on Earth. It wasn’t like the Ice Dragons. He found himself feeling bitter as they walked quietly.
Not only did Andrea not believe him, but he was also having a hard time coping with the fact that he wasn’t succeeding in his goals. He wanted to make her happy. He wanted to be able to help his home world. He wanted to help everyone. Why was it that he was failing so miserably? Why was this so hard for him? He had even healed her, and it had made no difference to her whatsoever. Why? What was it going to take?
“Oh, look,” Andrea said suddenly, veering to the left. Max’s attention was drawn from his dark mood and he smiled involuntarily as he watched Andrea’s beautiful face light up as she crouched to look at a flower with a beautiful orange and black butterfly resting on it. Fiora didn’t have very many creatures like this, but it was always a delight to see the few creatures it did have. Those that flew were generally much larger.
“It is very cute,” Max said, stepping forward carefully to gaze down at the tiny creature’s body. “Can you touch it?”
Andrea glanced up at him for a moment, nearly forgetting her anger with him, and then returned her attention back to the little creature.
“No,” she said. “Not usually. If they want to land on you though, it’s a different story. But their wings are very fragile. They will do what they can to protect them because most of the time they are pretty defenseless. And without the ability to fly, they are easy prey.”
Max frowned, the thought striking him as unbearably sad.
“Why would a creature that cannot defend itself exist?” he asked, his voice rising as he considered the unfair fate of what was surely every butterfly at one point or another. “What good does that serve?”
“Well, a lot of beautiful things are helpless against things that are more powerful than they are. It is up to those with the power to treat those without it more fairly. But in some cases, maybe it is a bird who is very hungry, or has children to feed, and they eat the butterfly. Really, we can’t tell who is more deserving of life in most cases. We just have to let things play out how they do. It’s nature.”
Max was not comforted by this statement and turned his back on Andrea, so she wouldn’t see the anguished emotions on his face. He hated the thought that this beautiful little creature might one day be harmed by someone larger than itself.
He especially hated the thought of it in relation to Andrea, knowing that there was probably a real threat to her that existed somewhere out in this world. In the harsh dregs of humanity. Whether it was human or not, it was sure to be a danger to her. In fact, the less human the threat was, the more dangerous it was sure to be.
“Oh,” Andrea said, getting back to her feet. Max turned to look at her. “It flew away.”
She sounded disappointed and Max’s first instinct was to try to comfort her somehow. But part of him was starting to be soured by the negative way she had been treating him since she had arrived at the cabin, though he knew it was completely warranted on her part. Still, he couldn’t help but feel hurt by it.
“Yes,” Max said, continuing down the path. He heard Andrea’s footsteps following behind him and didn’t turn to look at her again. He was having a hard time sorting his thoughts out. He wanted badly to be able to simplify this process and speed it up, so he could finally have what he needed. But if he couldn’t do that then what was the point? He might as well just give up. She was clearly too deeply in denial.
They walked in silence a little while longer until suddenly, Max whirled around just in time to see Andrea’s body begin to levitate through the air. She was staring at him, her eyes wide and afraid. She was limp, helpless against the technology that had her in its grip.
“Fuck!” Max growled, his eyes darting through the sky until it rested upon the vague outline of the creature responsible. An invisibility cloak. Classy.
As soon as his golden eyes locked on, the totem began to glow a deep red color on Max’s wrist. His eyes shot down to it and he felt a sudden surge of power. He had been right. The totems were the key. Without any further hesitation, he began his shapeshift. He wasn’t going to let anybody take Andrea away from him. Nobody would hurt her. And if they did, they wouldn’t live to tell about it.
This Mersha was no exception. These creatures were sneaky and cruel, and often used the powers of the Loni people to dark ends, hooking them up to painful machines so they could create energy with their beauty. It was incredibly unkind and most of them – the ones who were caught anyway – had been taken away by the elders and imprisoned.
Max’s instinct to shapeshift was immediate and automatic. He could feel himself drawing power from within; a hidden reserve that had been stored from being born and raised on Fiora. But the shift was helped along by the power of having his fated mate so nearby. She was a Loni. She was like a generator of unseen power. The lifeforce behind all things beautiful in his world were held within the confines of her heart; swimming in her blood. She was so beautiful in so many ways. And she was in danger.
Max let out a deep roar when the transformation was complete and took to the sky immediately. Andrea’s eyes were wide upon him and she stared, doing everything she could to fight the technology that the Mersha asshole was using on her. But it was futile. The only thing that could help her was Max, and he would do all he could.
The Mersha was shocked by the development and nearly faltered. He was using a device that cloaked him from view in the sky, but in his dragon form, Max could see him well.
Max lunged at him, keeping a watchful eye on Andrea. If she was released this way, she could be injured, but there was no other way to do it. She was terrified and confused, and Max had a sudden triumphant thought. She had seen him in his dragon form. She had no choice but to believe him now. She would know he was telling her the truth. Maybe she would even begin to speak to him again. He had missed her. Missed their connection.
“Dragon!” the Mersha exclaimed, letting Andrea go in mid-air. She began to tumble to the ground and Max let out a fiery breath before lunging down to catch her. He sat her gently on the ground and then looked back up at the Mersha, who was beginning to materialize in the air. He was wearing a suit that allowed him to defy the gravity of Earth’s surface. They always thought they were so much better than everybody else because their technology was good. It made Max sick.
“Surrender the Loni, dragon! The Golden ones are ours!”
The Mersha had apparently regained his senses and was glaring at Max, reaching to his waist for a weapon. Max wasn’t going to let him get that far and took off back into the sky. The Mersha cursed as Max appeared behind him and unleashed his breath weapon; a sharp burst of flame that licked the fabric of the Mersha’s suit. It was apparently element proof, but the heat from it made the man cry out in pain.
But it wasn’t enough, and Max let out a growl of pain when the Mersha man’s weapon shot true and pierced Max’s shoulder.
“Max!”
Andrea’s voice from the ground reached him immediately and he struggled to regain his focus before his enemy could hone in on him for another attack. He silently urged her to get down and save herself before dodging another blow and snapping his teeth at the Mersha. The bodies of dragons were large and cumbersome, and often at a disadvantage because of their size. They were slow, and often the most power came from using magic. And the Mersh
a knew that.
What he didn’t know, however, was that Max and the others had been trained in the special forces because of their talents. They were strong and good at combat in close quarters. Max hadn’t focused on honing his skill in magic so much as in physical combat and this Mersha was going to see the extent of his skill.
Max glided through the sky, going high above the Mersha faster than the man’s suit could carry him through the clouds. When he paused, he took in his surroundings, noting the enemy’s position, and readied himself for a nosedive. He wasn’t going to go easy on this man. If he knew that there was a Loni here, there was no telling who he might have already informed. It could spell trouble for Max and the rest of the shifters; and the descendants, whether they knew they were special or not.
He hated the thought that any of them should suffer, especially without even knowing why. But then even if they did know they would probably all be as incredulous as Andrea. Being on Earth seemed to weave a wool of skepticism over even the most spiritual of eyes.
Max shook his head and tried to focus his train of thought back on the task at hand. He needed to help Andrea. He needed to get rid of the Mersha once and for all. There could be no trace left of his existence on Earth in case there were others nearby that would be able to sense him. Max would have to open the single portal he was capable of opening on Earth; one that the elders had allowed. It was a simple portal to a black hole where they could rid themselves of evidence that could incriminate Fiora.
The elders wanted to be careful, especially knowing that there were devices in the group’s possession that would help to alert them to the location of the descendants. If the people of Earth ever began to embrace the shifter culture, it was going to be very hard for them to accept, and if they did, they might try to locate Fiora and there would be untold dangers if they were successful.
The instructions had been to rid themselves of anything that could be used to trace humans back to Fiora if they were not of descendant blood, and the instructions to the portal and materials necessary had been given to them during the explanation of their banishment.