by Jaymin Eve
Some of the gold bled out of his eyes as they slowly returned to their natural color. “Are you going to sleep now?” I asked, still kneeling between his legs, facing him.
He shook his head, before slowly standing. “No, I’m fine. My energy restored while I rested. I have my sorcery side under control again.”
I somehow managed to raise my eyebrows and narrow my eyes on him. “You have it under control? That easily, and in a land of very odd magic?”
He shrugged, shooting me a crooked grin. “You know me, there’s very little I can’t do if I set my mind to it.”
I snorted, which of course was totally attractive. His grin increased, and I felt a very light tinge of heat in my cheeks. I waited for his usual smartass remark, but he just held out a hand and pulled me to my feet.
“Come on, it’s time for us to go to the Isle of the Shining Ones. This is where the gods who have merged with the dragons live. If I can find Josephina, Jessa’s mated dragon, then we might have some of the answers we seek.”
I remembered my last glimpses of the impressive gold dragon, the original queen. She had seemed wise and powerful, and her daughter had inherited much of that knowledge. She had to know something.
Without hesitation, I placed my palm across his, feeling his strength as he encased my hand and hauled me up with ease. Then, before I could even figure out what was happening, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to my forehead. It was warm and lingering, and my eyes fluttered shut. He pulled away far too soon, and stepped a few feet away.
“Stay over there,” he warned. “Just in case my step-through attempt backfires. I’d rather you weren’t in the magical firing line.”
We both knew magic was random. It didn’t matter where I stood. If this spell backfired we’d both be in trouble. But if it gave him an added boost of confidence, I would go along with it. A lot of spell casting was about mental strength and preparation – the reason most young magic users couldn’t ascend to sorcery: mentally they just weren’t ready. Tyson, with all of his power and control, was still struggling with the mental part.
Which was not a huge surprise. I was a little older than the quads, having recently turned twenty-five – while I was being held captive actually, which was just the birthday of my dreams – and I felt like I was decades from being ready for an increase in my power. I enjoyed the gentle push and pull of energy within me. The healing called to me when I could sense illness or injury in a supe. I didn’t want anything more. That ice energy, it had been too much, and I was glad it was no longer flowing through my veins.
My thoughts paused as I focused on my mate. He was very still now, eyes closed, hands held aloft on either side of him. His darkly tanned skin shimmered with energy, and I knew his eyes would be gold.
My chest clenched and my foot moved before I could stop it. Something inside of me responded to his magic, urging me closer. I managed to halt any more steps, afraid of distracting him.
His murmured words were too low to hear. I sucked in a few deep lungfuls of air, trying to calm myself as I waited to see what would happen. That shimmering on his skin expanded out, filling the air with a sparkle that was almost as bright as the diamond lands at our backs. All of my breath whooshed out of me in a rush as his shimmer morphed into a step-through.
It looked different to ones I had seen from sorcerers before, but I was sure it would do the job. Tyson was too competitive to accept anything less than success in everything he attempted. Some strain relaxed from his shoulders; his chest expanded as he breathed deeply, turning to me.
“I think that worked. We’ll go across together. Best not to separate with so much danger around.”
I agreed, giving him a nod. He stepped back and lifted his brother up, somehow resting him across his shoulder and still tucking my hand in under his free arm. The doorway wasn’t that large, and usually we’d step through one at a time to keep the magic stable, but I was glad he didn’t want us to be separated.
Our eyes met as we paused before the swirling mass of magic. “Ready?” he grinned, a look of challenge on his face. “What’s the worst that could happen, right?”
Flashes of my torture pressed in on me and my throat got tight. For a second I lost control of my emotions, lost control of the tight box I was locking all of the bad stuff in. Tyson’s smile slowly faded as his eyes roamed across my face. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” His murmured promise had a ring of finality to it, like that statement was more than just words. It was a truth he would die to keep.
My box slammed shut again and I was in control. “I know you won’t. I trust you, Ty. Let’s do this.”
Before either of us could think it through further, we stepped forward at the exact same time. The magic encased me on all sides, and it was tight, choking breath from me. When I might have faltered and stopped, Tyson kept us moving. He didn’t let go of me, and didn’t let go of his brother. It must have been near impossible trying to balance both of us, but he managed.
Just when I wasn’t sure I could take the claustrophobic sensation any longer, we were ejected out in a swirl of power. Landing on my feet, I took in a quick glance at our surroundings. We were on the edge of a cliff. Four bridges spanned out on the horizon.
“This is the Isle of the Gods?” I asked.
Tyson shook his head, shifting his brother higher across his shoulder. “No, I didn’t even attempt to open a doorway directly in their world. That’s above my pay grade. We’re going to have to go in the long way.”
That was fine by me. At least we were out of the jeweled meadows, and it seemed we were a few steps closer to finding Josephina, who would hopefully have some answers.
“So which bridge?” I peered between them all. Neither jumped out at me as a bridge to the magical dragon gods’ land.
Tyson stepped forward and called out in a loud voice, “Isle of the Gods.”
Beams of light cut across the bridges, so bright that I lost focus for a moment, and by the time my vision cleared there was only one bridge, a much larger and grandiose version of the four that had been there a moment ago. Time was of the essence, so we both set out without pause. I pushed through tired legs and hunger pangs. After two months of torture, I could handle some discomfort. I might have been a bit of a princess growing up, rich and sheltered, used to the finer things in life, but the torture had changed me fundamentally. I was stronger, more equipped to deal with the darkness that was ever prevalent in our world.
The darkness that was always in Tyson’s world.
We didn’t talk initially as we ran the length of the bridge. It went on for miles and miles, just like the red lands had. “Do you want me to help with Jacob?” I asked after some time, worried about him carrying such a burden.
Tyson, of course, just shook his head. “All good, I’ve got him. Shouldn’t be too much further, if I remember correctly from last time.”
Stubborn supe would carry Jacob until his arms fell off. “Just remember that this mate thingy we have going on means sharing burdens. So don’t be a macho male just to prove a point. I can do things also. I’m here to help you.”
Tyson chuckled, and it was so much like his old carefree laugh that some of my annoyance faded away. “Mate thingy? I can see I won’t have to worry about my ego getting out of control with you.”
I kind of liked his confident arrogance. The fates had chosen me a mate who was not only kind and loyal, but also the youngest mage to ascend to sorcery, and someone who had a special quad bond that had saved the world.
What the hell are you bringing to this party?
I tried to silence that insidious little voice inside of me, the one that took great pleasure in reminding me of my weaknesses and failures, the one Trevor had so easily invoked.
Warmth wrapped around the back of my neck and I was startled enough to let out a low cry. Too many times I had been grabbed there, only for an intense pain to follow. As Tyson’s minty scent infiltrated my senses, I relaxed.
�
�I might not know exactly what you’re thinking, but I don’t like the look on your face, or the sadness strumming along our bond.”
Tyson was somehow still holding his brother with one arm while using his other to comfort me, his large hand wrapping across my cheek and jaw, and around to the back of my neck, pulling me toward him, surrounding me with his heat. He touched my face all the time. I kind of liked it.
“You’re just … a lot,” I confessed. “A lot of supe. A lot of man. A lot of power. A lot of confidence. I feel like I might be lacking, you know…”
I paused briefly as his expression turned lethal, before I let the rest of my words spill out. “I’m not feeling sorry for myself, I’m being realistic. I always understood why you didn’t think we were a match. I mean, I know my strengths, and I’m happy with the supernatural I am. I love being a healer. But … you’re a lot.”
With a shake of his head, he leaned forward and pressed his lips firmly to mine; the rest of my blather dried up as my entire being was consumed with the fire burning at my center. The kiss was brief, barely a brush of our lips, before he pulled back just far enough to say against my mouth, “You don’t see yourself clearly at all. Your kindness. Your pure heart. The healing skills which literally save lives. I would have no other, no matter what the fates said.”
He turned away, readjusting Jacob for the tenth time, and I almost collapsed in a puddle of goo on the bridge. My body could not take this push and pull between us for much longer. I was going to combust. Sucking in some of the cool air, my lungs finally expanded again, and needing something to do, I took off. Tyson was at my side in an instant, having no trouble keeping up, despite his brother’s weight.
After an eternity of running, the bridge started to taper off, brightness appearing at the end. It felt magical in nature, which was confirmed when my energy picked up as we moved closer. The light was so intense I had to close my eyes as we stepped off the bridge, and by the time I could open them again we were no longer in daylight. We were standing in a desert land of eternal night.
A billion stars dotted the sky above, and I spun around to search for the bridge, but there was nothing behind us except more expanses of desert, and maybe a few pockets of trees, scattered far into the distance.
Tyson’s expression didn’t change, but I knew something was up. An unnatural wind blew up around us, and unlike the ruby lands, this time we were actually standing in rolling dunes of sand, which smashed against our bodies.
“This is not right,” Tyson said.
“What do you mean?” I shuffled a little closer to him, bringing one arm up to protect my face from the lashing elements.
“Last time we arrived on a beautiful oasis, like an island, surrounded by turquoise waters. This is … not right.”
I was pressed very close to his broad back, partially blocking myself from the sand attack. “Do you think it can change itself? This land at the end of the bridge? Or has something happened to the Isle of the Gods?”
His brow was furrowed, eyes troubled. “I have no idea, but there’s only one way to find out.” He strode forward, slow enough that I could easily stick to his back. I sensed that he was enjoying protecting me in this small way, and I wished I could do the same for him, but in this instance bulk won out.
We had only walked ten steps when the ground began to rumble around us. I had just enough time to hear Tyson yell, “Brace yourself!” Then the land beneath us opened up and we started to fall.
Tyson Compass
Before this last year I could have counted on one hand how many times I’d been worried or afraid. Life had been one cruisy ride.
Lately, though, it was an hourly occurrence. Especially now. Grace being in my life was beyond my every expectation, but with it came a shitload of stress. I had to keep her safe. I needed her in my life.
I was starting to understand why Braxton was always such a serious asshole growing up. He was Jessa’s true mate – Jessa who never followed rules, who was daring and outspoken and strong. Growing up, she got into more trouble than the four of us combined, and would never give an inch when she made her mind up about something. Braxton had always been driven to protect her, and I finally got it. I would do everything in my power to keep Grace safe, consequences be damned. Problem was, we were in a land of random magics, and I had no idea what we were going to be hit with next. The island I had expected above the Isle of the Gods was different, replaced with a barren desert. So far at least the entrance into the water seemed the same, which gave me a small sliver of hope we weren’t currently falling to our death.
It was as dark as last time. I couldn’t see Grace, or feel her nearby. But our bond hummed, telling me she was close. Jacob’s weight had me dropping fast. I struggled to keep a tight hold on him, knowing he would sink straight to the bottom of the lake if I didn’t.
A sparkle of water came into sight, and just before I plunged in I whispered an illumination spell, sending a beam of light out to hover above the icy water just before it enveloped me. My momentum and Jacob’s weight pushed me down hard and fast, but I managed to kick out and halt us, before powering up.
When my head broke the surface, I was relieved to see my mage light shining above, and Grace’s head bobbing about five feet from me. “You okay?” I was kicking hard to keep above the water.
She nodded and swam closer to me. “I’m fine, but I think there’s something in here with us.” Her voice shook slightly, her eyes darting around. “It was moving just over there.”
I followed her hand to see a flash of scales. “Don’t worry about them. As long as our intentions are pure and mean no harm to the blessed beings down here, they will leave us alone.”
The serpentine guardians had taken a liking to Jessa last time, because she had been dragon mated to the daughter of the queen. Grace and I shouldn’t have the same attraction for them, so hopefully they would stay back and not scare the life out of her. It was a lot to take in, knowing there were monsters swimming in the darkness around you.
She rallied herself quickly, schooling her features, remaining calm. I called on some energy and created a small bed of water beneath Jacob – he was too heavy for me to swim with – then I reached out and took Grace’s hand. “Come on, we need to get out of this water before I freeze my balls off.”
I’d said the same thing last time we were in here. If anything, the water felt even icier today.
Grace rolled her eyes. “Your balls are fine. Why do men spend so much of their time worrying about their package?”
I laughed. “Sounds like you need to do some research on this … spend some time getting acquainted with my “package,” so you can properly answer your own question.”
I expected her to roll her eyes again, maybe throw a punch – as Jessa would have done – but instead she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth as her wide eyes grew even darker.
Goddammit. She was lucky we were in the water surrounded by Loch Ness monsters...
“You’re so fucking beautiful.” The words just slipped out. This wasn’t the time for me to let all of my softer emotions free, but seeing her like this: hair wet and dark, trailing down over her shoulders, freckles dotted across her nose, eyes brimming with need – her normally refined and pristine looks were wild and untamed. I liked it. A lot.
She was still staring at me, her lips glossy and parted. With a ragged breath, I focused on the docks, pulling her along with me. Water swished behind us as we swam but I didn’t look back. Jacob remained by my side; my chest still clenched every time I caught sight of him. There had better be a way to fix him, or someone was going to die.
A small surge of relief hit me when the docks came into view via my magic light. There was about six feet between waterline and deck, so I boosted Grace up first before turning to Jacob. I was trying to conserve my energy in case of an attack, but I had no choice except to use a levitation spell.
Grace leaned over as I murmured the incantation, adding her energy to mine; Ja
cob flew up with no issue. I followed soon after, using some powerful kicks to boost me … and a little bit of magic. Unlike Braxton – fucking showoff – I wasn’t able to just fly myself up the distance.
We dried ourselves with magic, and then I positioned Jacob across my shoulder again, and led the way out. As more light filled the sky, I let my wizard light fade away. Jacob felt like he was getting heavier, but I bore his weight without complaint. He would do the same for me.
“So, I never actually said sorry for cutting your hair, but … I was wrong. I’m sorry.”
Grace’s apology took me by surprise. “You don’t need to be sorry. I was the one who acted like a dick. You were just talking to Krev. I knew that. He’s part of your coven after all. I was out of line.”
She chuckled. “Well, you could have phrased it a little better than ‘Stay the hell away from all men, Grace. They’re just walking dicks who only want one thing from you.’”
She lowered her voice dramatically as she mocked my ill-considered warning.
I found myself running my free hand through my hair; it was barely three inches long now, even shorter on the sides. I kind of liked it. It was so much easier to deal with. “It drove me crazy seeing how open and friendly you were with him. I was a jealous ass, and I deserved what happened.”
She was quiet, tilting her head to the side to examine me. “We both acted like asses. And it all seems so stupid now.”
We stepped into a forest of greenery, our bond humming strongly between us. I liked that we were healing past hurts, being honest with each other. These were important steps in sealing the bond. I knew from both of my brothers that neither of their true mate bonds came easily or without a price. I was okay with that, as long as I knew Grace and I would get there in the end.