by K L Rymer
Wait... when did Gelert and Matthew become friends?
Matthew chuckles, petting Gelert’s ears. The dog groans in satisfaction.
“Hey, Gelert. Did you follow me all the way here?”
I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Hold on a moment... when...?”
Matthew peers away from me shyly. “We somewhat became friends. I found him alone crying in the academy. He... he missed you... as did I...”
The breath leaves my lungs as his words settle on my heart, and now my eyes fill with tears as I watch the man of my dreams bonding with my ghost dog.
That’s all the confirmation that I need. There’s one thing I trust, and that’s a dog’s judgment.
They see people for what they truly are.
Finally, I toss my sword aside, and just like Matthew’s, it fizzles into nothingness.
The others watch me curiously. Myrddin gives me a knowing smile.
It’s settled. He’s joining our tribe. And he gets to keep his powers.
Chapter 23 - Bryn
Matthew is officially Mendacious, and now we are nine strong. We initiated him into our tribe, wearing monk hoods and whatnot as we chanted in a ceremonial fashion.
Okay, we didn’t really, but that would have been cool.
Before there were seven of us, and then when Angelina joined we became eight.
And now there is nine, just like Santa’s reindeer (even though Christmas is months away).
Myrddin is Santa of course in this analogy, and I’m totally Rudolph since I’m the one leading the sleigh. Matthew can be Prancer because he deserves a stupid name.
The others haven’t totally warmed to him yet, but they trust Gelert’s judgment like me.
Seeing my sweet ghost dog licking Mattie’s face made me feel all fluttery inside, and once again I fell in love with the beautiful bastard.
There’s nothing sexier than a man who’s good with animals, and it just makes me want to rip his shirt off.
Unfortunately, I decided to still give Mattie the cold shoulder because I want him to continue fighting for my forgiveness.
He’s going to rue the day he backstabbed me...
So far, only Felicity is completely civil to Matthew, and Damien is getting a little jealous of the sexy mage.
No guy wants their girl talking to a man like Matthew; I’ve described him plenty of times before, so I needn’t bother.
Nora, too, tries to talk to him since she’s just as Magnanimous as Fel after all. Matthew also has Myrddin and Gwyneira too, and Brynmawr makes an effort.
The baby dragons seem to like him, and I even caught Sparkle Hearts flirting with him.
Shadow Stalker, on the other hand... yep, you guessed it. He just hissed at the fucker.
We’re chilling around yet another campfire. We’re still in the woods deep in Scandinavia, and as secluded as I’d like to think that we are, we’ve still run into trouble.
Unfortunately, Brynmawr needs to hunt, especially with his pregnant mate expecting an egg soon, and the Red Dragon may have been spotted once or twice.
There has been mention of a dragon sighting on social media. Lucky for Brynmawr, the picture taken was grainy and awful (like all those alleged picture shots of monsters).
We’re reading the article on our phones. Did you know that you can totally charge tablets and other devices with just magic? Cool, right?
That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. As if I could live without my phone...
Having magical powers really is awesome; I have no idea how I’m going to live in the human world again after all this shit is over.
I am definitely not the same girl who I was back in Texas.
“Oh no... this picture is pretty clear. Brynmawr is even pulling faces at the camera!” Nora gasps.
She shows us her phone, and she’s right. The stupid dragon thought it would be a good idea to pull his tongue.
I look at the Red Dragon in question then, shaking my head in disapproval. “Really? Talk about being conspicuous.”
He shrugs his red wings. “What can I say? I have a sense of humour unlike some people...”
I growl, pointing my finger up at him. “I will have you know that I’m a hoot!”
Brynmawr chuckles, throwing his head back like that meme with the evil seagull, and I grind my pearly whites.
Asshole dragon.
I glance at his mate now. “At least Gwyneira maintains some dignity and grace.”
The White Dragon looks about herself proud. “True. I wouldn’t be caught dead pulling tongues on camera.”
“The true epitome of feminine grace, hey, Gwyn?” Matthew says, leaning his back to her scales.
He hasn’t left her side since he arrived. I think he’s doing it for protection.
“Yes, well, Brynmawr needs to count himself lucky. We can’t have humans finding out about our world!” Myrddin scolds, cradling Sparkle Hearts in his arms.
The baby dragon sucks on her tail.
I turn to the wizard curiously. He’s been on the road with us several days now, but I just wonder how long he can last. He doesn’t come across as the camping type; he even summoned a fancy tent/gazebo just for himself with toilet facilities and everything.
He’s doing it all wrong. He needs to shit in the woods like the rest of us.
Brynmawr sneers at Myrddin. “Oh, shut it, Boy Wizard.”
The two break into a fight and I throw myself down onto the grass, my mind on Angelina and Zahara.
The two are out hunting for their eggs, and the competition is fierce. They’ve become frenemies again and we’ve even placed bets on who will find their egg first.
I placed mine on Angelina.
Matthew peels his back away from Gwyneira and strides toward me. My heart thumps in my chest, but I try to remain nonchalant.
I don’t want this bastard to know that he still has an effect on me.
He places himself down onto a log beside me, and I peer away, sticking my nose up.
He sighs. “Really, Bryn?”
I glance around the forest in mock surprise. “Did I just hear something? It was probably the wind...”
Matthew grabs my shoulders, forcing me to look at him, and it reminds me of the time when he took me by surprise by the magical rainbow waterfall and fucked me. Hard.
Now my full attention is on his mystical gray eyes, and I swallow.
He gazes at me so passionately; I can’t look away, even if I’d wanted to now.
Mattie smirks. “I won’t lie. I’ve missed your green eyes, Bryn.”
My green orbs in question grow twice their size as I stare at him doe-eyed. I’m dying to tell him that I missed his eyes too, but I button my lips and enjoy his face instead.
I glance over the strong, square jawline, the full lips, and the perfectly straight nose.
Fuck... he really is a god.
His smile broadens. “By the way, there’s something you ought to know. Myrddin reminded me just now when he talked about humans... Your friend Megan knows that you’re a wizard.”
My eyes expand, and I jump up. “What?!”
Everyone stares at my outburst.
Mattie chuckles. “That’s right. I went to visit her while I was searching for you, and she sort of confessed that she knew all along. Pretty impressive.”
I’m not sure what I’m more shocked by. The fact that he went to the human world to see my human friend, or that she knows that I’m a wizard.
I palm my face. “How... how can she—?”
“She explained that she put two and two together. After all, you did sneak her into the academy once.”
“But... Myrddin’s memory spell!”
“What about my spell?” Myrddin comes toward us, and my head spins.
I can’t believe this. That Megan!
I can see her smug, freckled face already.
Mattie answers the wizard. “One of Bryn’s friends at her human school knows about the magical world, Profes
sor...”
I expect Myrddin to be angry and surprised, but instead he closes his eyes, and nods. “Let me guess... It was the redhead, right? The scouser?”
Scouser? Oh, yeah, right. Megan’s regional title. These Brits have so many names for themselves.
There’s Geordie too, Cockney, and Brummy.
It gives me a headache.
Myrddin scratches his beard. “I thought I sensed something different about that one. Every so often, you come across an enlightened human. They’re not supernatural or magical by any means, but they have the awareness. I can imagine she may even see ghosts.”
“She does. She saw Gelert,” Matthew adds.
I fall back down on my log, my mind swimming. “I need a drink. I can’t believe she kept this from me!”
Myrddin chortles. “It seems to me she was just humouring you, Bryn. I bet she’s into all the same, silly nonsense as you.”
It’s true. She is. Although I had to force her to watch anime (because the last one she watched was Pokémon, come on!), she does like all the other typical nerd stuff.
She’s into Marvel, DC, gaming, and all that other jazz, and even loves Harry Potter. (She has a Ginny Weasely cosplay because she totally looks like her.)
As you can imagine, her family makes fun of her, and I feel for her there a little. My mother never understood all my fandom obsessions growing up too.
I grind my jaw. “Wait until I see her again when semester starts.”
Matthew regards me as if I’ve grown an extra head. “You’re not really going back to the human world, are you? We’re kind of in the middle of a war. With my dad.”
I look at him as if he’s stupid (which he is). “Yes, I am. I worked my ass off to secure a place on my zoology program. Way before I knew magic even existed. I don’t care what anyone says. I’m still going to become the next Steve Irwin. Not even your dad can keep me from that dream. All I have to do is pass my resists in August first since your dad totally fucked up my plans to make it to third year.”
“Bryn, language, and he’s right. You can enrol back at Bangor when all this is over.”
I snap my head around at Myrddin. “No. I want to maintain some normality in my life. I am going back. It will be my last and third year, and I totally have a third-year dissertation to write. I’m getting that first class mark”
“But Bryn—”
“I have already made up my mind, Professor. There’s no changing it now. I’m sorry. I know it’s not wise but I refuse to cower away. I can save the world and get myself a zoology degree. I’m not giving up.”
The two men don’t say any more on the matter, and we drop the topic now.
I can’t help but be smug. It seems I shut those two up. There’s just something disconcerting about your boyfriend and your dad being on the same side.
Well, ex-boyfriend.
Thankfully, Angelina and Zahara return to camp, and I’m grateful for the distraction.
Hopefully, they have good news.
Everyone gathers around them. Angelina remains pokerfaced but Zahara has a sly smirk on her evil mug.
Damien speaks. “So, what news of the outside world?”
The Unseelie croons. “Nothing much... except... I totally found a dragon egg! Behold!”
She holds up a shiny, navy blue egg. We all ooh and ahh.
Angelina’s eyes burn sapphire as she glares at the Unseelie, and my heart plummets when I see that mean vampire again from first year.
Shit.
She has come last.
I would have been devouring every moment of her shame and misery once upon a time (as she did mine once), but I’ve come to see her as a friend. She has helped me out a lot.
Plus, she’s a totally scary bitch when she’s pissed.
Also, I lost fifty bucks.
Zahara cackles, pointing at the vampire triumphantly. “I beat you, bitch!”
Angelina scowls, marching off to her tent. “Like I care. As I’ve said, I have no desire to have a baby dragon. I’m not a fan of cleaning poop.”
At that, she steps over a steaming pile of baby dragon poop as she finally makes it to her tent, zipping it down.
We stare after her for a while. Matthew even looks a little bad for her.
We all turn back to Zahara’s egg.
“Brynmawr! Juice up the fire!” she calls out. “We’ve got another dragon to hatch.”
Chapter 24 - Bryn
Zahara wields that glossy, navy blue egg with pure lust in her eyes, and I’m talking about the lust that only power can bring (and not the same kind of lust that she gives Thomas).
After all, she has a dragon of her very own now, and I bet it will be just as evil and twisted as she is. But nowhere as creepy as Damien's. No one can outshine that creepy little shit Shadow Stalker, who just exudes evil and darkness.
Brynmawr juiced the fire up half an hour ago, and now we all watch as Zahara turns the egg in her hands, caressing it with her polished, black fingernail.
“So pretty... I’m so glad that I finally have a dragon egg of my own. It must be awful being the only one left who hasn’t found one...”
The Unseelie’s black eyeballs find Angelina’s blue pair, and the two bitches hold a staring match.
“Yeah, great. Just put the egg on the fucking fire!” the vampire snaps. “We’ve been watching you long enough whispering it sweet nothings now, freak...”
“Shh, don’t listen to a word she says, Elvira, you’re more than an ‘it’.”
Yes, that’s right. Zahara has named her dragon Elvira, after the Mistress of the Dark.
I think it suits (put it this way, it’s better than Shitface). I have a gut feeling we’re going to have another evil dragon spawn in our midst.
All seven of our dragon baby names are as follows: Sparkle Hearts, Shadow Stalker, Buddy, Zelina, Maximus, and now Elvira.
Our dragon army is nearly complete. Not to forget Brynmawr and Gwyneira’s egg and Angelina’s too—when she finally finds one.
Zahara steps up to the fire, the flames dancing in her dark eyes, and I shiver. She’s so fucking twisted.
Theatrically, she lifts her arms then booms, “Behold... the seventh wonder of the world!”
Her baby dragon will be the seventh hatchling after all, and I notice a few others aren’t happy with her bold statement. Thomas shakes his head, and Nora purses her lips. Damien’s eyes glow.
Zahara closes her eyes, savoring the moment. “Ah, the moment I’ve been waiting for... It doesn’t get any better than this, the birth of my new daught—”
She doesn’t get to finish as Angelina yanks the egg from her grasp, then throws it onto the flames. “Stop rubbing it in!”
The Unseelie and the vampire hold a hissing contest now (I didn’t even know fae hissed, but Zahara is messed up like that), but then the egg cracks, and we all draw a collective breath.
All the malice leaves Zahara immediately, and now tears shine in her big, inky eyes. “It’s... it’s starting...”
No one utters a sound as we all watch the squirming egg on top of the flames, and I jump when a tiny, clawed foot shoots out. The Unseelie yelps, jumping up and down, and she looks like a child on Christmas morning. So pure and full of enthusiasm; a side I have yet to see of her.
“Yes, yes, yes!”
Another clawed limb juts out, and soon the sound of crying fills our ears.
My heart pounds in anticipation.
This is the moment I love the most—the moment they’re about to burst from the egg.
The shell gives way at last, revealing a tiny, reptilian creature curled up on the flames, and I was right.
It is a shadow dragon just like Shadow Stalker. Elvira even has the winged forelegs like her fellow wyvern, but her eyes are pitch black like her rider’s, and her scales are a smooth navy.
The baby lifts her head, locking her gaze on Zahara, and now she gives a little hiss.
Great, another hisser. Just what we needed.
At least Shadow Stalker looks pleased, flapping his wings as he welcomes another of his kind.
Now they can be evil, hissing SOBs together.
The Unseelie kneels, holding her hands out. “Come to Mummy, Elvira...”
The wyvern spreads her wings for the first time, crawling forth toward her new mother.
Zahara lifts the new hatchling for all of us to see. The babies all give an excited squeal while Shadow Stalker continues to hiss.
Everyone else stares in awe.
She’s quite the beauty, even though she does look pure evil. Elvira probably feeds off negative energy just like Shadow Stalker, but I can’t help but feel a sudden whoosh of excitement when I realize.
Our army is pretty much complete. At this rate we probably wouldn’t really need another dragon.
These babies will all be grown in a few months. Even Sparkle Hearts and Shadow Stalker have grown a little since they’re a few weeks older than the rest.
We may as well start training them now.
At that thought my eyes land on Angelina, and I see that pure anguish on her face as everyone bonds with their dragons at last, and I knew it.
She totally does care.
I was wrong; we should keep searching for Angelina’s sake.
That cold bitch deserves herself a little dragon love too.
Matthew walks toward her, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder, and he must have sensed her heartache. They did date for a while even if it was fake.
“Angie?”
She only offers him a glare. “Back off, Matthew. I don’t need your stupid sympathy. You have no idea what I’m going through.”
The vampire storms off into the forest less gracefully than normal, and I breathe a frustrated sigh.
I’m sure if she opened her heart, then her dragon will call to her too.
You’ve got to have faith after all.
Matthew’s eyes find mine next, and we don’t say a word as we watch the other for a while.
I’m not even jealous that he tried to comfort Angelina. Not anymore. I know he’s a good guy deep down and that he cares for people.
A small, tight smile forms over his lips, and I grin back, looking into his gray eyes for the millionth time.