Elemental Compass (Supernatural Prison Book 7)

by Jaymin Eve

  Dragon empowerment gave me the strength I needed to take this fucking beast on.

  We need to attack from the four points of the Compass, Tyson said. Our namesake came in handy for attack scenarios. It was how we trained, and the way we worked best together.

  We just had to hope this time we had enough strength to take on the full force of this dragon.

  "Destroying the shield hurt him," Louis shouted from below us as we started to rise. "He's vulnerable now. Don't let him build any more power from the line. You have to cut him off…"

  His voice faded as we ascended, but we’d heard enough. Cutting this dragon off from the line was our only hope.

  36

  Justice Winter

  I was surrounded by mythical creatures and one of them happened to be my mate. This wasn’t the first time I'd seen them in action like this, four dragons that moved almost in sync. It was the first time I got front row seats to a dragon on dragon fight though.

  The ocher beast that had started all of this was no larger than the Compass's dragons, but it did have all that power it had stolen, making it beyond lethal. The roars from above were loud enough to hurt my ears, and I wondered if a dragon bellow could shatter an eardrum if it was close enough.

  "They're so fucking far above us," Jessa said, shielding her eyes as she tilted her head back to watch. "And that bastard is not holding back at all."

  It was firing powerful flames at our boys, clawing them, and using its power to hold them back. Despite the four of them coming in from different sides, surrounding the beast, it managed to maneuver to safety every time.

  "The ley line power is too strong," Louis said, and I was hugely relieved to see he looked fit and healthy again. “The shield took too much of our energy.”

  He wasn’t kidding; I couldn't even feel the jewels for the first time since I bonded to them.

  "How do we cut the connections?" Jessa asked, looking around like she might find the answer in the rocky red landscape. "There's always a connection, even if it's invisible to the eye."

  Tee must have been thinking the same thing. "It's the line of death," she said softly, her hands resting on her mate's arm as her gaze spanned the bodies. "They were the trigger for the initial power to kickstart his ley line spell, and I think if we use them against him, we might be able to reject his hold on the line."

  Louis looked at her, his eyes widening. "Are you suggesting…?"

  She nodded. "Yep. That's exactly what I'm suggesting."

  Angry dragons roared above, the sky awash with flames. We held our breath, only releasing them once we saw the four Compasses all alive and well, battling it out against the creature once more.

  "What are you two talking about?" Jessa snapped, turning on Louis and Tee. "About the dead and turning the power back on him."

  "We need to make some zombies," Tee added in a rush. "He should have burned the bodies, because they're a vulnerable point for him … in a way. Thankfully for us, he didn't, and we can now do what must be done to defeat him."

  I could tell Jessa was still confused. Apparently this wasn’t common knowledge among supernaturals, and I felt better for not being the only one in the dark.

  “Follow me,” Tee said. Together with Louis they sprinted toward the bodies. Now that we'd broken the barrier, the power surrounding the bodies slapped us in the face, but still no scent of death. It was a warm day, and one would have expected a ripe odor. All I got was this weird burnt umber scent.

  Grace caught my eye as she mouthed zombies.

  I nodded, reading her loud and clear. I’d seen those movies and it never worked out well to bring back the dead. I trusted Louis and Tee though. Somewhere along the line, I'd fallen into a place of trust with these supernaturals. A place where I could release a little control and allow others into my heart. So if they believed this was our only option, I was backing them all the way.

  We were closing in on the bodies, each of them suspended at least eight feet above our heads, magic holding them in stasis. Their heads were drooped forward, making it hard to discern facial features, but I recognized a few from their distinct hair or bodies.

  "I don't want the zombies to fight him," Jessa snarled. "I want to be the one to do it."

  She was upset, and rightfully so. A lot of the fifty supes tasked to the president had been from Stratford. Supes she knew … maybe had grown up with, even. The fact that a human could betray them in this way might be the very thing to start a war between human and supernaturals.

  I felt her outrage—it matched my own.

  At this point, Jessa was no doubt wishing she still had her dragon to call on inside, to fight the beast.

  "Let's just focus," Louis said, more bite than usual in his voice. "No matter what way we defeat him, it's the right way."

  "This will work," Tee said. "I'm too old to fail, and my determination could bring this army to life with a single thought."

  "No!" Louis bellowed just as Tee said those words.

  The ground trembled beneath us, rocking me back and forth and I fought to stay upright. My depleted energy rose, and I loved how it was almost instinctive to use the energy now, after so many years of being vulnerable.

  Tee collapsed in her mate's arms, and I'd never seen him so furious. "She should never have risked herself," he snapped, hands trembling as he poured visible power into her. “That spell is too much for one magic user.”

  Jessa dropped a hand on his arm, and I wondered if she was sharing power with him. As a shifter, her magic was less obvious, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. "She’s strong enough," Mischa whispered as she dropped her hand on him as well. Grace did the same, and I followed suit.

  My power leaped from my body to Louis's and a burst of relief hit me when I heard Tee gasp, her eyes flying open. "It worked," she said before a beat had passed. "They're rising."

  Louis's chest rumbled. "You could have been drained past the point of recovery. Why do you have to take risks like this, mate?"

  She patted his arm, face drawn even as her eyes sparkled. "I was the only one with the juice left. Now we're all tapped out, so it's up to our new army." Her eyes drifted up. "And the dragons."

  "Our new army…" Mischa gasped as she trailed off.

  I didn't blame her. I almost choked on the fucking air sailing into my lungs.

  Zombies. I understood the concept of them, but until this very second hadn't really wrapped my head around what that would mean.

  "How are they flying?" This was a breathless question from Grace, one I absolutely needed the answer to as well.

  Like a swarm of undead buzzards, the bodies no longer hung prone and lifeless. They were rising. Slow at first, and then faster and faster, all of them heading in this semblance of a flying superhero pose toward the dragons.

  "They're tethered to the dragon that stole their lives," Louis said, still holding Tee close to his chest. "They'll seek revenge on the one who caused their deaths, like vengeful wraiths, and in doing so will hopefully break its bond to the ley line."

  This was our one chance. A bunch of zombies hell bent on revenging their own deaths. I was holding my breath, hoping against all hopes that this would work.

  I felt Jacob's pain and fatigue through our bond and knew they couldn't hold out much longer against the beast.

  "Without their quad bond, they're not as strong," Mischa said with a sob.

  We all felt it, the helplessness at being down here while our mates were up there.

  "They're strong enough," Jessa said fiercely. "And the zombies are going to help them." Her eyes narrowed as she shifted her position to see better.

  She closed her eyes, reaching for Braxton through their bond no doubt. I did the same, shivering at the odd sensation of Jacob's dragon. It felt like him, but an ancient, metallic, prickly version of him. That energy made me feel alive and also uneasy at the same time.

  Mate?

  That whisper of dragon voice was like hearing a symphony of angels sing
that word. I wanted to hear it again.

  You need to get out of the way and let the zombies break the ties to the ley line, I said in a rush.

  The briefest pause as dragon-Jacob considered my warning.

  Yes. This should work exactly as planned. When we have defeated this foe, you have a lifetime with me, mate. I will sing to you, as our Jacob does.

  Then our bond was shelved again, while the dragon focused on what it had to do. And I had a mini-heart attack imagining being sung to by a dragon.

  I legitimately needed to live long enough for that.

  A rumble of menace trickled through my head and I realized the dragon did not like me talking about my mortality. No death. Promise.

  A promise I really hoped I could keep.

  37

  Jacob Compass

  This bastard was preternaturally strong, fast, and cunning—more than any other being we’d fought before. We battled him for some time, not getting anywhere really, as he continued to slip through our grasp. Foreign magic rushed across my scales, at the same time Braxton snarled.

  What's happening down there? he asked.

  Magic, Tyson's dragon rumbled back. They reversed the tethers to the dragon.

  Before any of us could ask further questions, the line of death that had been spanning across the desert started to move.

  They were flying, heading straight for us.

  What the fuck? Maximus growled. Are we supposed to fight them too?

  Before anyone could answer, Justice's voice pushed past the barriers I'd lightly erected between us to hide the extent of my injuries. She warned me to just get out of the way.

  As I moved, so did my brothers—their mates having warned them too.

  We would heed their advice and give this new spell a chance to work.

  I dropped down a few feet, my wings stretched broadly so it was more of a casual glide along the air currents. I'd gotten a handle on my dragon fast, all the while still existing as two separate entities. The fact that our minds were often so distinct from each other was not the same way my brothers claimed their shifter side, but it worked for me and my beast.

  Brothers. The dragon was mourning, as was I, the loss of the bond between us.

  It’s not gone. This was from Braxton, and he was partially right.

  Something remained, but it didn’t feel the same.

  We’ll get back there, Tyson rumbled. We are more than the loss.

  I agreed, but first we had to survive and destroy this new enemy that threatened us.

  Senses on high alert, I braced myself, wings barely moving as I hovered. The zombies were fast, zooming toward their target.

  They wield much power, Tyson noted. I've never seen anything like it.

  My dragon wanted to attack the unnatural energy they held. Thankfully, it was only a split second we had to endure their presence—cold dead energy trailing down my spiked spine in the most unnatural of ways. My dragon wanted to blast them from the sky, remove the taint of their otherness but rationality remained and we let them continue on to the wild beast.

  I've never felt energy like that, Braxton rumbled.

  Do not let them touch you, Tyson added, warily.

  It was difficult at our size to avoid hundreds of flying dead supes and humans, but luck was on our side; they held no interest in us. The first ragged roar was all we heard before the wild dragon was surrounded by the angry dead. I spared a second to check on Justice—she was in my mind, but the added security of seeing her safe and sound helped as well.

  A true mate.

  It was a greater gift than I’d even expected, but it also created a huge vulnerability for me. I would not survive the loss of my mate, that much was abundantly clear.

  Extra-vigilant.

  My dragon and I were both in agreement. From now on, we would not relax for a second in our bid to keep our mate safe. If it was the last thing we did.

  It's working! Tyson exclaimed, letting loose a burst of dragon fire. I had my doubts…

  Because the plan wasn't yours? I asked drily.

  His competitiveness could have its own postcode, it was that large.

  Bet it was Louis, Tyson grumbled. Bastard always has to overachieve.

  The sorcerer, even from this distance, looked a little worse for wear. Tyson was aware that we owed him a damn lot; he'd saved our asses many times over the years, but he’d never give up competing with him.

  By now the zombies had completely surrounded the dragon in a pile of death.

  What are they doing? Braxton flew closer, the rest of us following.

  They're eating him, I said, finally noticing the way their heads were bobbing up and down.

  Justice’s voice chimed in my head. I know I joked about frying that bastard, but I wasn't literally serious.

  Even my dragon chuckled at that.

  Looks like we’re not needed here, Maximus said as more zombies piled on.

  No one had to tell me twice, I wanted to get back to my mate.

  The whoosh of wind followed me, along with the popping and stretching of my wing joints, as I really extended to my full breadth. In my rainbow vision, I followed the shining ruby light surrounding my mate, her mouth slightly ajar as she watched me closely. When I reached the ground, my landing was relatively smooth.

  I'm shifting back now.

  He responded best when pre-warned.

  But we'll fly again soon.

  There was a twinge of disappointment, but the soul joined to mine accepted that this was its life now. I really had to make more effort in allowing my beast freedom to fly.

  "Jacob!" Justice yelled, sprinting for me. Louis magicked me some clothing, and I was dressed by the time she launched herself into my arms. "What's happening up there?" she gasped, kissing me a few times before allowing me to answer.

  "They're eating the dragon," I told her.

  "Thank fuck we made it back to the ground before they decided some other dragons might make a tasty snack of brains," Maximus said in a rush, dressed and on two legs as well.

  "They won't eat any but the one that stole their souls," Louis said, voice strained. He was hurting. In fact, they all looked worse than when we left. Dirt and grazes across their bodies, old blood from where they’d healed.

  "It was a good idea," Tyson said, "reversing the tethers. I wouldn't have guessed that was the exact way they'd react, but it was certainly effective."

  "It was Tee’s idea,” Louis said, his smile directed at his mate.

  “I’ve seen it before,” she said, “but that was when a sorcerer went bad and used death magic to power himself. Those corpses dragged him to the demon realm. In this case, they're clearly destroying the vessel of the power, which should, in theory, release his hold on the ley line."

  "The line’s power won’t transfer to the zombies, right?" Grace sounded a little concerned as she watched the slowly shrinking group above.

  "No," Louis said without hesitation. "They exist because the dragon has their souls and power. Once he is consumed, they’ll be at peace."

  That was the most we could hope for those fallen soldiers. At the end of the day, peace was everyone's ultimate goal.

  Before we could celebrate one victory, a surge of power smashed into me, and I jerked at the same time as my brothers.

  “Stratford,” I bit out.

  Justice turned to me, tapping into our bond to feel what I was, but I shut her off because the pain was debilitating.

  Someone was attacking the barrier of Stratford that protected my supes.

  38

  Justice Winter

  I felt his pain the second before Jacob dropped to his knees. Tapping into the bond was my first instinct, but he threw up a freaking wall between us, effectively blocking me.

  For a second my heart stopped beating, and when it started again the rhythm was all off. Everything was off, because I’d never seen Jacob like this before.

  "What's happening?" Jessa barked. I took my gaze from my mat
e long enough to see all the Compasses and Louis were on their knees, faces wreathed in agony.

  "Jacob shut me out," I said quickly.

  "Tyson too," Grace added, sounding way harsher and more worried than usual.

  "Jacob said Stratford,” I recalled. “Someone is attacking our home?"

  "The barrier," Louis managed to rasp out as he tried to haul himself to his feet. "We have to get back to Stratford and stop Caine."

  Fucking fuck.

  "Guess we've figured out where the president has been this entire time,” I bit out.

  “And what he wanted,” Jessa added. “Our power.”

  She was right, that bastard wanted to control all of us and our power. His deal with the dragon had clearly given him both the strength and means to strike against our town. Should have expected that since he wasn’t here. This was the dragon’s big move, and it looked like we were about to see the president’s.

  "Hold on to your knickers, ladies," Tee said.

  This was no time for humor, but in normal circumstances I’d have laughed as that turn of phrase. Her recent trip to Britain had clearly spiced up her vocabulary.

  Tee opened a step-through, wobbling just a little as she did so. "I need a ley line," she muttered. "As soon as we get back, I'll recharge."

  With the last of her energy, Tee roped power around the Compasses and Louis, dragging them all through the doorway. We followed, stepping into the chaotic town center of Stratford.

  A quick glance sent some relief through me—we weren’t at war. Not yet anyway.

  Tee dropped to the ground next to Louis, the pair pressing their hands firmly to the ground, and right before my eyes the color returned to their faces, the strength to their bodies.

  "The ley line," Grace explained, and a second later she did the same thing.

  Grace was a witchy fey, one that had a varied range of powers, including the ability to heal. I kinda wished I had that one. My powers were more in the attack range … blasting someone across the room, blowing supes up, slicing and dicing.