On top of that, I'm worried about my condition and the fact that apart from his sword, Jorgen can’t defend himself. Magic has always protected him, now not so much. I feel a little sick thinking that Jorgen may hate the new me.
"She's not going to be happy, Astri," Lenin tells me, with his mouth full. "And Jetli’s going to miss you."
Lenin unintentionally makes me feel guilty and I know that he means well. We talk about my trip a bit longer and the moral in the castle, then we head to the city. It's just after ten am, but the streets are busy. Everything seems normal, but there’s an unexplained tension around, like people are waiting for something to happen. I tell myself that I need to stop being paranoid, no one’s conspiring against Jorgen. He's a good leader, but right now he’s vulnerable.
Shifters stare at me when I pass by, some stop and even point in my direction. I’m no longer bothered by my scar, their stares and taunts roll right over me now.
When I get to the shop I'm surprised to see that it's quiet there for a change. Magical energy drifts around, stinging my skin a little. Lenin starts complaining that he can’t stand the smell of love potion, so I tell him to hide in the garden. Marianna gestures that Emilia’s in the back, so I head there straight away. Emilia and I haven’t spent that much time together since the night she saved me from Ruscal, because I’ve been spending most of free time with Jetli. I knew Emilia was an extraordinarily powerful witch, but I had no idea she could defeat a mage. We still haven’t talked about what happened that night in the castle.
"Astri, dear. It so good to see you. How are you?" she asks, hugging me tightly. She smells of lavender oil and wild flowers. "Any news about Jetli?"
I shake my head. "No, no change, I came to talk to you about something important."
Emilia frowns, and places her palm on my shoulder, filling me with calming vibes that always help keep my fire magic at bay. Lenin’s chatting with Marianna while she’s counting the money.
"You seem a little off today. What's going on, Astri?" she asks, and I tell her everything that’s happened since I went to visit Alex yesterday. My plan is straight forward, but Emilia’s so advanced with magic, and I need to make sure that I have enough potions to take with me. Inside, I feel uneasy about this journey, but even Emilia won't change my mind.
"It seems that you’ve already made up your mind, Astri," she says, and then gestures for me to follow her to the back into the storage room. In the shed, she walks to the rusty wardrobe filled with old stock and starts rummaging through stuff inside. "I'm so glad that Jorgen’s going to accompany you. I knew that he was a good man. Nevertheless, this trip is dangerous. I have always been reluctant to travel to the Asian World. Wizards and Witches aren't respected there like they are here."
"I get it, but I have to do this. I should be able to locate the valley, and I’ll find a way to get to through to the druid," I say with determination in my voice. Emilia keeps taking stuff out of the wardrobe, obviously searching for something and talking to me at the same time.
"You will, but the druid won't just give you the venom. He’ll want something in return. And it has to be something significant in value," she mutters, finally pulling out a very dusty, white box from the bottom of the wardrobe. Every small hair rises on the nape of my neck, whatever object is inside, it's filled with extremely powerful magic.
Maybe Jorgen should consider taking the protective crystals. If we get into trouble, he can't shift or defend himself. He’s a great warrior, but now without his beast he’s in danger. "There it is, my upside down mirror. Astri, you know that I have every faith in you, but you're a Wyvern. Humans in the Asian World hate shifters and your kind in particular. The upside down mirror should give you protection. It's a very unique magical object."
"What does it do?" I ask, as the energy vibrates through me, suddenly boiling the blood in my veins.
Emilia smiles and leans over.
"It can save your life if you need to disappear and it can also help you to communicate with me. I have the exact same one in my home, the two mirrors are paired. A certain wizard paid with his own life once when he was caught with the mirror during the Great War. This object was banned for many years in the entire Eastern World. Mages believed that it gave us too much of an advantage in magic."
Emilia’s eyes shine with excitement when I take the box. It feels heavier than it looks, and I know that I can't refuse her help.
I'm leaving in a few hours and I'm not willing to take any chances, so I look at Emilia and say:
“Thank you Emilia. I know that I can always count on you."
Chapter Five
The beginning.
Emilia's mentor passed the upside down mirror to her when she was retiring. My ex-boss briefly explains to me how it works and what I should expect in case of danger. She herself used it only a handful of times and only in exceptional circumstances. Its magic can be addictive, so Emilia hid it in the wardrobe, hoping that she wouldn't have to use it again.
"Others believe that it can open the door to the Neverworld and attract dark magic," she whispers.
"Neverworld?" I ask.
"The world of the dead. I don't know exactly what that means, but I was told that if I open the portal I may unleash an evil, so you need to be very careful with it, Astri," she explains, staring at me with her sharp eyes. I’ve never heard about the Neverworld, and at this point I don't want to know anymore. I prefer to be ignorant. It seems that a lot of things could go wrong if I accept Emilia's gift. The warmth that radiates from the box travels through my spine.
"But what if it falls into the wrong hands? I don't think I should take it."
"I'm willing to take that risk, but I trust you and I know that you’ll look after it well," she assures me. "This mirror can protect you too and that's what’s most important."
"Thank you, Emilia. I have no idea what I would do without you," I say.
"Astri, please don't underestimate your strength. Only use the mirror in order to communicate with me, don't use it as a route of escape. The dragon venom is powerful and the druid won't give it up easily," Emilia explains, staring at me intensely. She saved me from Ruscal and I owe her a lot. I was so lucky all those years ago when our paths crossed. "When you want to talk to me, open it and say my name. The magical energy of the mirror will bind us together no matter where you are. I love you like my own daughter and I want you to come back to me in once piece."
I swallow hard, aware that tears are forcing their way to my eyes, but this isn't the time to get emotional. Emilia has always been like a mother to me. Now I need to concentrate in order to help Jetli. The Pixie is my family and she needs me.
"All right, I promise that I’ll use it wisely."
"Yes, you're strong and you’ll have the duke by your side. Jorgen is a decent and powerful mage. And I think you two will make a very cute couple."
Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I quickly look away. I love Emilia to bits, but I can't share my relationship with Jorgen with her. I worked for her for too long to know that she would already be planning our weeding.
She must be sensing that I'm not telling her everything, but for now it's better to lie.
"Thanks, but I really need to get going," I say, clearing my throat.
"All right darling, just make sure you're careful. Please get in touch once you reach the Asian World. I will be praying to Hommis for you," she adds, hugging me again.
I hate the fact that I have to hide things from her, especially the fact that I'm going through heat, but I feel embarrassed. Shifters never showed any interest in me before now and Emilia might feel guilty.
Lenin joins me when I'm walking back to the castle. He’s in a bad mood, probably because I'm leaving him alone. I try to remain positive, knowing that Jetli’s time is slowly running out.
A few hours later when evening approaches, I start packing. The white box goes to the bottom of my ruck sack, along with my potions and herbs. My stomach is in knots, but I don't nee
d to be nervous just yet. Lenin sits on the desk, watching me the entire time in silence. I'm leaving the place where I was born; leaving the Eastern World, not even knowing if I’m coming back.
It's scary.
"Lenin, please try not to get into any trouble while I’m gone," I tell him, swallowing hard. I feel emotional and a little broken that I'm heading down an unknown path. Jorgen’s most likely waiting for me already. Thayer gave me a message this morning saying we were supposed to meet on the castle grounds.
"The cook hates me, but I like his sweets. Jetli would have wanted them too, so I can't promise anything," he says and his voice vibrates a little. I head to the door and smile at him, knowing that he doesn't like any emotional fuss.
"See you in about a week and make sure you take care of yourself" I say, and smile at him, before I disappear behind the door.
Most of the corridors are empty, but I pass a few guards on the way. I squeeze Alex’s potion in my hand. At the moment, my symptoms aren't giving me a hard time, but that can change and I need to be prepared. The guards are playing dice outside and luckily, they don't pay much attention to me. I already sense Jorgen, pacing around by the path leading to the Black Forest.
He looks relieved when he sees me approaching. My heart shudders in my chest, reminding me about our kiss from last night. It was hot, intense and. …
Shush, stupid brain.
This is not the time to bring it up, and I need to focus on the fact that I have to shift soon.
"We should head further into the Black Forest, near the mountains," I tell him, and he agrees. It's best if no one sees a Wyvern leaving the city. People are scared and we don't want to inflict anymore fear by disappearing.
We start moving through the grounds until we vanish into the darker part of the forest. The sun’s hidden behind the horizon, and it's getting dark. The weather’s changing slowly, as heavy clouds begin to cover the crimson red sky. The weather’s on our side, and it's easier to shift in the darkness.
"You can't even imagine how much I miss being a mage, and sensing my beast inside of me," Jorgen sighs loudly, and a fresh wave of guilt pours into my stomach. I made my choice, and now I'm paying the price. Jorgen healed me when I got hurt and he supported me. I should’ve thought twice about my actions.
No matter what happened between him and the wild shifters, he didn't deserve to lose his beast.
"Think about the future, Jorgen. This isn't the end," I say, trying to make him feel better, but I fail miserably.
Soon we find a suitable field right on the edge of the forest and I summon my beast. Jorgen backs away, giving me some space. Magical energy starts circulating around me, and I shut my eyes, concentrating on the magic current that dances along my back. Soon the skin on my back begins to stretch, my muscles are burning and growing. Sometimes the transformation is painful, other times it's not.
I go down on my knees, losing control of my body–growing in size aware that my beast is slowly taking over my human instinct. I roar at the top of my lungs, aware that this time my beast is trying to dominate me, turning this act into an excruciating one.
Several minutes later, I'm a Wyvern, and my skin’s covered with red scales. I spread my enormous wings and rise up into the air. Flames are burning my throat, as excitement rushes through my enormous body. My eyes spot movement between the trees and my human instinct reminds me that it's only Jorgen. Once I settle on the ground and stop turning the nearest tree to ash, he jogs towards me. Then he begins to climb on my back.
I sense other wild animals nearby, a pack of wolves are watching me from the distance. The wild dragon shifters aren’t too far from here and sooner or later they might wander off to this part of the forest, so I need to disappear quickly.
I stretch my giant limbs and look around to make sure that Jorgen’s holding me tightly. My beast needs to mate, and that's unavoidable, but now the desire is gone. I don't have to worry about my emotions once I'm a Wyvern.
After making sure that we’re truly alone, I rise high into the sky, finally able to spread my dragon wings wider. My heart pounds in my chest and my sharp senses are registering Jorgen's bitter anger. He’s disappointed, and hurt that he can't turn into his own dragon.
Mages are much more powerful than an ordinary shifter; they’re considered a superior breed. Now, without his dragon, Jorgen’s only human.
I keep rising higher and higher, then fly above the clouds, knowing that I have to head south. Luckily, I can vanish quickly within the thick clouds. The wind picks up and I change direction and fly towards the southeast, knowing that I have to be in my dragon form until at least tomorrow morning. The Asian World is several thousand miles southeast, and the night is young. In my rucksack, I have a stack of potions that should put me back together once we land. The length of the journey will leave me significantly tired and drained. For a short period of time, I’ll be completely vulnerable.
My wings keep beating against the cold air, and after several hours, I slow down, feeling weaker. I lower myself down a bit, not realising until it's too late that we’re caught up by a storm. Intense rain pours down from the sky and Jorgen panics a little.
We get completely soaked, while thunder and lightning breaks through the sky. Eventually, I manage to locate an empty field by a fast flowing river in the pitch-black darkness.
Jorgen slides off my back and starts shouting something to me, waving his hands while I try to shift back to my human form. My transformation takes me longer than expected and by the time I can feel my fingers on my face, and stand on my feet, I'm too exhausted to keep my balance. I have no idea how many hours we’ve been travelling, but I should’ve rested much sooner.
"We need to find shelter, you look terrible, Astri. We’ve been flying for way too long," he says, and I nod, feeling exhausted. The rain keeps pouring down and I try to take a few steps, but my knees give out on me. Jorgen guides me through the darkness, and at some point he picks me up, carrying me the rest of the way. I'm too weak to even walk, and I think I drift off for a few minutes. When I open my eyes again I notice that it's stopped raining. Then I realise that we’re in a cave and I can still hear the storm outside. I sit on the ground, breathing hard, trying to regain my lost energy. Jorgen’s holding my hand, talking to me at the same time. The warmth shakes me to my core, and I get up and move away from him.
"It's not you, it's me. Trust me it's better this way. The heat’s back and I find it hard to control myself without my energy," I explain, licking my upper lips and tasting the salty rain. My mind seems sluggish and my stomach growls.
"I get it, Astri. You don't need to explain anything. We must have passed Lubijana by now, but we have another several hours in the air before we reach the Asian World," Jorgen says moments later as he hands me a can of food with bread.
I thank him and then stand up, creating a quick fire from a bunch of sticks that Jorgen carried here. Water keeps dripping down from me, and I start shivering from the cold. The temperature dropped quite significantly.
"Now I feel unprepared, obviously there’s going to be a different climate out here as we travel further south, and I didn't bring any warm clothes," I say, while my teeth chatter. Jorgen walks up to me and wraps his arm around me, moving us closer to the fire. Suddenly, I'm very aware of the fact that he’s touching me and it's like the exhaustion I felt earlier doesn't really matter anymore.
"I just want you to be warm, don't worry about your hormones. You're too weak to wrestle me to the ground," he says, gently kissing my forehead.
The slow pulsing between my legs is back, but he’s right… in a way. I'm too weak to even take a few steps. Jorgen adds more wooden sticks to the fire and I'm getting warmer.
"You look pale, Asiri and you need to regain your strength, so eat up" he says, taking a bite of bread. My brain starts functioning backwards, but I have to be ready to fly again tomorrow morning. We can't be wasting too much time in here. I start eating, summoning bits of energy as the storm
outside only intensifies. The silence stretches for a little while and once my body’s fuelled with energy, I feel much more refreshed.
"We shouldn't be having a fire, but it's so nice," I sigh, and suddenly Jorgen shoots back to his feet and starts putting out the fire with soil. Seconds later, darkness envelopes the cave and my heart skips a beat.
I have no idea where we are, but then I quickly understand what’s going on. Jorgen must have heard a bunch of mages outside, before I registered them. The silence is broken by the gallop of horses, and I really hope that they’re only passing through. Only a split second later, I realise that these are shifters from the Riverdale Clan. I recognise their energy, and unfortunately they’re known for killing first and asking questions later. They’re dangerous and not a clan you want to come up against, especially alone in a dark cave.
It looks like me and Jorgen are screwed.
Chapter Six
The follower.
Jorgen’s squeezing my hands and I instantly stop breathing, hearing more loud pitched voices outside. I sense at least eight male shifters and they’re slowly beginning to surround the cave. I have no idea if they’re aware that we’re inside, but this can’t be good.
Then the heat’s back, and it no longer matters that I can't even walk yet. I should’ve taken Alex's potion as soon as I was conscious enough to eat, now I'm back to square one. My self-control only goes so far. My fingers are itching to guide Jorgen further down when the throbbing between my legs becomes unbearable. If I close my eyes, and let him touch me … kiss me like …
Pull yourself together, Astri. This isn't the time for daydreams or sexual fantasies!
I hate the new me and I hate that I'm losing control when we’re in real danger.
Wyvern's Passion (Mage Chronicles Book 3) Page 4