Taken: The Pteron Chronicles

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  “What about yours?” Sol asked. “Not going to help in this fight?”

  “I think I’m better off fighting as a Lightness. We already have Pteron help.” I nodded toward where Cade waited.

  “Can never have too much,” Sol mumbled.

  “You have a point.” I released my own black, feathery wings. Hopefully pulling out my Lightness side would be that easy.

  Xander started to laugh. Franklin still held him in thick, iridescent metal chains. “Isn’t it going to be beautiful?”

  “Beautiful?” I glared at him. “Maybe you are sensing something different than I am.” My words were laced with sarcasm.

  “Oh, no. I’m sensing exactly the same thing. I just know what is to come.”

  The moon disappeared as complete darkness set in. A chill fell over all of us, and I shivered even though the true temperature hadn’t really changed. It was the chill of evil, and I knew I would do everything in my power to protect Raven.

  “I’m right here for you.” Eloise patted my shoulder.

  “You should go hide. We have this.” I didn’t want to be insulting, but her abilities weren’t really the battle kind.

  “I’m your Guardian Pixie. I’m staying exactly where you are when you need me.”

  “We will make it through this.” Wyatt sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

  “I know.” I looked up at the sky. It was completely black, but when you looked very closely you could see that it was made up of tiny pieces. “So those are bugs? Thousands of bugs?”

  “More like millions.” Sol sounded so calm beside me. “Swarms are dangerous, especially when they are pumped full of poison.”

  I shivered. Poison? Fantastic.

  “Is that bigger than the one that came before, Marshall?” Wyatt spoke while his attention was still on the sky.

  “Much larger.” Marshall shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Probably fifty times over.”

  Fifty times? He had to be kidding. But I couldn’t let that shake my confidence. “We can take it on.”

  “I’m glad you’re confident.” Cade grimaced. “I’m not feeling it, but then again I’m usually not feeling it when going into battle against unknown enemies because, you know, I doubt it’s the little buggers coming alone.”

  As if on cue, a figure walked out of the darkness. I couldn’t make it out at first, but I heard the click of heels. I exchanged looks with Wyatt. Yes, there were plenty of people who wore high heels, but their shoes didn’t click on dirt. This clicking sound was artificial.

  “Well hello, friends.” Arabella, one of my least favorite of the Elders, walked toward us holding what seemed to be a sparkler. “It is wonderful to see you all again.” She wore a tight red dress, and her lips were painted a matching shade.

  “You can stop with the act. What are you doing here? What’s with the swarm?” Just seeing her standing there all dressed up with a smile made me angry.

  “Come on, Hailey. Let’s be friendly.” Her cruel smile grated at me immediately.

  “There’s nothing to be friendly about. Turn around and leave. Take your swarm with you.”

  “Do you even know what the swarm is made of?”

  “No,” I answered honestly. “And I don’t care. I want it gone.”

  “It’s made of insects. Even a single bite from one of them is deadly. And not just to humans. The toxins are specially designed to kill even the strongest of supernaturals.”

  “Which is why you and those bugs need to leave.”

  “I don’t want you to die.” She held out her hand toward me. “You belong with us. On the mountain.”

  “I will never belong with you.” I would never abandon the ones I loved. Not to mention, I’d never participate in the twisted games the Elders played. “I belong here. With my friends.”

  “And family.” She licked her bottom lip. “It is impolite to forget those bound to you by blood.”

  I said nothing.

  “No need to lie. I know your brother and his little family are here. I know you’d do anything for them.” She took two steps toward me. “But that’s stupid. Protect yourself. Owen would want that for you.”

  “No. No, he wouldn’t.” And even if he did, that wouldn’t change a thing. I’d protect them even if I died trying.

  “What do you want, Arabella?” Wyatt stayed close to my side.

  “I came here to say goodbye.” Arabella waved at him. “Although saying goodbye to you, in particular, will be very difficult.” She let her hand fall to the side. “Do you know why that is, Hailey?”

  “I don’t care.”

  “You see Violet is far from the only Allure Wyatt had a history with.”

  “I don’t care.” I gritted my teeth.

  “Why not? You should.”

  “Relationships Wyatt had before I was even born have nothing to do with me.”

  “But people never change. He’s broken many hearts.” She put a hand to her chest.

  “He won’t break mine.” I looked up at the growing swarm. “Now you and your bugs need to get out of here.”

  “Cade, is it?” She approached him. “How about you? Want to help me and spare yourself?”

  He shook his head.

  “Are you sure? I’ve always thought you had a good sense of self-preservation.” She ran a finger down his chest.

  He brushed her off. “You thought wrong. I’m staying right here.”

  “Your grandfather would be very disappointed in you.”

  “I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks of me. I don’t turn on my friends.”

  Arabella laughed. “This is too much. You little powerless creatures are willing to die for each other.”

  “We are not powerless. Don’t test me.” I felt anger growing inside. It was going to boil over soon.

  Arabella cackled. Her cruel smile growing larger by the second. “Oh? Are you are going to stop us? Little Pteron?”

  “I’m not just a Pteron.” A light was building inside of me, echoing the anger of my Pteron side.

  “A Lightness can’t stop us either. Don’t think being a hybrid is going to help you now.”

  “And maybe that would be true if I were only that.”

  “Oh. You are more than that?” She laughed. “Please. Get over yourself.”

  “No. You get over yourself.” It was time. Time to fully tap into my true nature. To realize my potential. That was it. The mirror. Violet wanted to make sure I understood. I thought over the words from the book, the images from Jesalyn, Xander’s warnings. It was all coming together. It was time.

  Wyatt bowed his head slightly. Letting me know I was far from alone. I already knew I wasn’t. Together he and I could take on anything.

  The swarm started to buzz, and I knew we were running out of time.

  “Be true to yourself,” I hissed at Wyatt, hoping he caught on to what I was saying before Arabella did.

  “Give me space.”

  “I can’t.” I held on tighter to his hand. “This only works if we are connected.”

  “We don’t need to physically touch to be connected.” He let go of my hand and stepped away.

  I started to reach for him, but his expression warned me not to. I needed to trust him. Seconds later I watched in awe as his body began to change, and his dragon took over. I knew it was him, but it was still so strange seeing the man I loved turned into what many would call a monster.

  I grabbed ahold of his wing as I embraced the light building brighter and brighter inside me.

  I heard a gasp and looked down. My entire body was glowing green—emerald green.

  The swarm dove down, moving directly toward me. I was a beacon—a light. I met Wyatt’s eyes and gave him a nod. It was all about timing.

  We moved away from the others, desperately hoping they figured things out enough to give us space. We only had one chance to get rid of this swarm, and I couldn’t hold back while I did it.

  “Now!” I
yelled.

  Wyatt released his fire, but it wasn’t red—it was green. Emerald green that matched me exactly. His fire reached the bugs, and as soon as the flames touched them they all fell to the ground.

  “No. This is impossible.” Arabella stepped over the thousands of bug carcasses. Her entire body shook. “You aren’t the emerald dragon.”

  “The emerald dragon is what you think. And the emerald dragon isn’t what you think.” I spoke in the language of the book.

  Cade laughed.

  “Oh, you think that’s funny?” Arabella’s face grew red. She stalked toward Cade. “You want to try laughing again?”

  She lifted her arms, and I knew I couldn’t hold back. I readied myself to attack. But movement caught my eye. Her body wasn’t solid, it was moving—bugs. She was made up entirely of bugs. Arabella had become a swarm of bugs?

  In a flash Xander broke free of the chains and wrapped his arms around Arabella, but the bugs making up her body crawled straight through his arms.

  “Hailey, now!” Xander yelled. “Do it now. This is your only chance.”

  I couldn’t hit Arabella without hurting Xander. No matter what I thought of him, I couldn’t kill him.

  “Hailey, please. Do it for the little girl inside that cave.”

  “No. Let go of her. I’ll do it once you move.” Arabella might gain more strength if I waited. We were wasting time.

  “Fine. Want to do it that way?” He ran toward the cave entrance. I knew what he was capable of, and the boulder started to move even while his hands remained at his side. I had no choice. I sent my light straight at him. He grunted, and his body fell to a heap on the floor. There was a hiss of steam, and he stood up—or rather a wisp in the shape of his body stood up- and floated over to where the bug version of Arabella stood. The wisp opened his mouth, and the bugs marched inside mixing with the smoke that made up his being. He saluted us before stepping directly into the flames that still burned around us.

  There was a squeal, and the smoke turned grey, then black, then bright emerald green. “What the hell was that?” Cade asked as we stared at the dancing flames. The green was starting to fade. The flames in the center were now orange-yellow.

  “I have no idea.” I was in shock. Complete and utter shock. It was going to take me a while to process it all.

  “I get it.” Eloise wrapped her arms tightly around herself. “What you meant about us making the possibilities ourselves. You and Wyatt became the emerald dragon together even though you weren’t born to be one.”

  “I took a shot. Thankfully it worked out.” It had been a risk, but it had been worth it.

  “You’re amazing.” Wyatt nuzzled my neck.

  “So are you.” I leaned back into him.

  We all fell quiet and looked up at the sky. With the swarm gone, the moon was once again lighting the land.

  “So what’s next? Are the other Elders coming?” Cade asked.

  “Are all the Elders really made of bugs?” I asked. “And what in the world happened with Xander? He can’t really be dead. There is no way he sacrificed himself.”

  “He’s not dead,” Sol agreed. “But he’s gone. For now.”

  “But for how long? And what about Arabella? Is she really gone?” My head swirled with questions.

  “If anyone knew those answers, you would.” Sol patted my shoulder.

  “And I don’t.” I took a deep breath. “Well, no matter what we need to get Georgina. Then also Hunter and Anastasia. Obviously we also need to find Allie and Levi, but hopefully bringing Georgina home is going to help with that.”

  “You need to rest.” Wyatt laced his fingers through mine. “You are no good to anyone unless you do.”

  “Rest? Is that what you kids are calling it these days?” Cade grinned.

  I hugged a very surprised Cade.

  He stepped away. “What was that for?”

  “I would normally have hit you, but I had the urge to do that instead.”

  “An urge? You okay, Hailey? Maybe you do need to rest.”

  “We all need to rest.” Eloise looked up at the seemingly tranquil sky. “We will regroup early tomorrow morning.”

  I needed time with Wyatt, but first I needed to see Owen, Daisy, and Raven. I glanced over to watch Owen rolling the boulder out of the way.

  “Hailey!” He ran toward me. “I am so sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

  “Do I look that bad?” I smiled.

  “No of course not.” He stared at me.

  “Did you lose your sense of humor somewhere?”

  “No. He just lost his mind,” Daisy teased. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but thank you.”

  “It’s not over. I mean it’s over for now, but not forever.”

  “Nothing is ever over forever.” Daisy sighed.

  “No. But things are going to be okay.” I reached out toward Raven. “Can I hold her again?”

  “Of course.” Daisy put Raven into my arms.

  I rocked her back and forth. “Your future will be bright, Raven. And I will be with you along the way.”

  After a few minutes, I handed Raven back to her parents. As much as I wanted to hold her longer, there were also other things on my mind.

  20

  Wyatt

  Within seconds our clothes were gone. We had no patience for the fabric and tore away the dirty, worn material as soon as we’d woven our way down the mountainside toward my cave hideaway.

  My lips found hers, devouring her mouth as my hands explored the body I had already memorized, the body I knew fit perfectly with mine.

  As she arched her body against mine, I ached to have her right there, right at that moment, but I wouldn’t rush it.

  She broke the kiss. “Is that running water I hear?” There was excitement in her voice, an excitement I hadn’t heard in a long time.

  “Yes.” I brushed my lips against hers. “Up for a swim?”

  She didn’t answer, instead she slipped her hand into mine and pulled me in the direction of the sound. It didn’t take us long to make our way among the rocks. “It’s gorgeous.” She gazed at the waterfall that streamed down the mountainside, spilling into the deep blue pool below.

  “You’re gorgeous.” I let my eyes soak in her beautiful body, still glowing slightly, her iridescence magnified by the moon. She had always been beautiful, but her new strength and light added even more beauty.

  “Jump together?” Her eyes twinkled.

  “No wings?” I loved her wings, but they might take the fun away from jumping.

  “No wings yet.” She squeezed my hand. “Jump on three.”

  “Three, Two. One,” I counted down, and right at one we jumped off the edge of the rocky cliff.

  When you have wings you rarely fall, so the feel of the wind on our bare skin, the momentary sensation of weightlessness, was an adrenaline rush like none other. Coupled with my need for her, my body raced out of control as we splashed down into the cool water below the falls.

  She grinned, swimming underneath the pouring water. “I love it here.”

  “We can stay here you know.” I joined her under the falls. I knew the sound of the water couldn’t drown out the sound of my rapidly beating heart. Not to her sensitive ears.

  “One day.” She floated on her back. “One day when we’ve accomplished all that we have to we can come here again.”

  “Looking forward to retirement already?” I teased as I captured her legs with mine, floating alongside her.

  “An early retirement with you.” She let her hand trail down my body, dripping small droplets of water as her fingers moved.

  “You know I would do anything with you.”

  “Oh, I know.” She untangled her legs and swam under the falls, over to the most shallow portion of the lagoon.

  The top half of her body was exposed to the air, and water streamed from her hair and dripped down her body.

  I couldn’t wait. I swam underwater, grabbing onto her waist, elic
iting a small surprised gasp from her as I stood up and held her close. My lips found hers again, as her hands tangled in my hair. I released my wings, wanting the full experience of sensations. I felt feathers graze my hand as she released her own wings.

  We’d have been quite the sight right then. Two winged creatures—one set of wings feathered, the other scales, standing in the water under the light of the moon.

  “I’m ready, Wyatt.” Her eyes locked on mine. “I want to be yours forever. I want you to be mine.”

  “Now? Are you sure?”

  “I’ve never been surer of anything.”

  I repositioned us before thrusting inside her, needing her more than I’d ever needed anything before. We rocked against each other, aware of nothing but the beating of each other’s hearts, and the way our bodies moved together perfectly. “Wyatt,” she moaned my name, and I moved faster and deeper, wanting to give her the greatest pleasure imaginable.

  Just as I pushed her over the edge, I bit down on her neck. She yelled out, but the shout quickly turned into a moan. I licked the wound as I continued to move inside her, nowhere near done yet.

  Hours later we lay on the shore still naked and tangled in each other’s arms.

  She laid the palm of her hand on my chest. “I didn’t know Dragos bit to mate.”

  “Did it hurt too bad?” I ran my fingers over the spot on her throat.

  “No. It burned like fire at first, but then really quickly it felt good. Like hot good.”

  I smiled. “I was hoping that’s what was happening.” I’d dreamed about that moment for years. The reality that it had actually happened was still a hard one to grasp. Part of me was afraid this was all one big, amazing dream.

  “You had to have known. You were inside me after all.”

  “Yes, I was. It’s a shame I’m not there now.”

  “Then change it.” Her eyes gleamed.

  I didn’t need to be asked twice.

  * * *

  ***

  “We stay together from now on.” I held Hailey in my arms as we lay by the fire in my cave. “I know we’re far from finished. There is so much that we need to do, but I don’t care what anyone says. We are doing it together.”