by T. C. Clark
She didn’t hesitate or look for help, she just ran forward teeth barred cutting through the crowd of the turned and killing them with her teeth and claws. They attempted to overwhelm her throwing their bodies into hers trying to use their weight to drag her down.
Sara transformed as well shedding her skin and bones and turning into a large silver serpent. She turned quickly and headed for the town to intercept the ones that had gotten free and were working their way towards town.
Anise felt it then….dark energy coming from above she heard Opal scream as a large golden dragon dropped down from the sky and landed directly in front of her.
Anise knew that somehow this dragon was involved in this only members of the council were golden dragons. She let her power call to the nature around her pulling the roots from the ground to trap the dragon making her own protective shell around the townspeople and Ida, with an earth mound just as he opened his mouth to blast her with fire exposing his sharp fangs.
The blue-white fire hit her barrier. He was strong, very strong. She had to use massive amounts of energy to protect them. She couldn’t empower Opal anymore.
Opal watched the dragon turn to attack the people. Anise had just enough time to form a protective barrier. Everything was going wrong. Alex was being held down by at least ten warlocks. Balloch was helping him cutting through the warlocks in an effort to free him.
Anna was in a rage unable to break free killing anything that stepped into her eyesight and Sara was finishing up any warlocks that escaped the battle. There was no way anyone but Myra could make it in time to help Anise, if and when the shell disintegrated everyone up there would be vulnerable.
She caught Myra’s eyes wondering why she hadn’t transformed as well. Myra could fly there with no problem but she merely stood with her arms crossed staring intently back.
“Help her!!” She yelled at Myra still fighting the demons that kept coming. But Myra merely shook her head and spoke into her mind.
This is your fight. You know what you can do now…you have his Draco Corde, use it, Opal.
“We don’t have time for one of your teaching moments that dragon could kill her,” Opal screamed using the back of her blade to knock a demon down flipping it and stabbing it into the center of its chest
Opal, you are why we are here…. why we’re involved use the power you have to end this. If you want to stop him do it yourself, center your power and let it consume you and then control it.
Her eyes widened as she realized Myra was not going to help, she was so focused on teaching her some stupid lesson that she was willing to sacrifice Anise. A rage like nothing she’d ever felt before consumed her.
Her sisters were her life and so was this man fighting by her side when this was over, there would be a reckoning. Even injured Alex continued to fight pulling more demons to him in an effort to protect her.
Opal let her mind go over everything that happened focusing on the energy inside of her and instantly she knew what Myra wanted. She summoned her rage focusing on the fire she’d felt before… letting it in.
It pulled at her body breaking her bones, changing her form. She felt a moment of nothingness and then….she was a dragon red like Alex but slightly smaller.
Every sense was heightened…every emotion extreme…she wanted to kill Myra…she wanted to save Anise…she thrashed her head into the ground taking control of the beast inside of her.
When her thoughts cleared, she ran forward forcing her massive wings into flight. Her large red scales glinting in the sunlight. She caught Alex’s astonished face and kept moving forward. She flew over the fields quickly, she saw Sara in her serpent form still fighting her way through the horde in an effort to get to the town.
She didn’t hesitate she honed in on the golden dragon using her claws and teeth and crashed headlong into him. His attention so focused on breaking Anise that he hadn’t heard her in the sky. They rolled again and again. Opal hit him with everything she had tearing at his skin and eyes.
When they stopped the golden dragon shook off her blows his mouth opening wide exposing his fangs. Opal stood as well placing her body in front of the protective earth tomb Anise had created. She knew she couldn’t take him, not in her new state…A newborn dragon was much weaker than the ancient ones.
She threw her body into him, pushing and clawing with all of her might. She thought she had him and then he hit her with the back of his massive arm propelling her body across the field as she skidded to a halt. She watched Alex take to the sky and knew she would have to do what she could to slow the dragon down…hopefully together they could take him.
The golden dragon also noticed Alex and took off in his direction obviously thinking Alex could be a real threat. Opal chased after him knowing Alex was still hurt when suddenly he transformed back into a human mid-air, plummeting towards the ground. The multiple fights must have taken their toll on the dragon.
Opal dived after him ignoring the golden dragon doing the same she had to get to him first; Alex was at his most vulnerable in his human state. Before she could blink the dragon chasing Alex was snatched out of the sky by another dragon and dragged to the ground.
Opal caught Alex just before he hit the ground and circled back to the open field.
She looked down at the two dragons on the ground below. Another golden dragon had appeared, magnificent in size and power.
The golden scales were different from the dragon pinned so ruthlessly to the ground impaled by the vicious black-tipped claws. This dragon was unmatched by all but one other.
After Opal landed and gently placed Alex’s body on the ground she turned back into her human form running up to address the merciless dragon staring so intently at her.
“You risked Anise’s life for this? You could have got to her and ended this before she was attacked. Do we mean so little to you, Myra that you could sacrifice one of us so easily?” She snapped her anger mounting with every word.
Do not forget to whom you speak, her voice sounding harsh inside of her mind. Of course, I would not risk one of you…go check on Anise and correct your tone when you address me.
Opal used her magic to form a barrier around Alex. Then she turned and ran into the smoke where Anise had been and found Nadia, the Keeper of madness, and the leader of the coven’s security squad.
Nadia was unscathed vigorously dusting off her leather jacket and examining her hands.
“If someone ruins another one of my leather jackets I swear to god I will reign down hell,” Nadia muttered.
Nadia gave Opal a, “what are you looking at,” look and turned her back to head to where Anna was.
Anise stood a ways back, just beyond the fight, behind the cloud of dust, completely untouched. Opal ran to her and threw her arms around her sister. Once Opal’s mind had calmed a bit, Myra spoke into her thoughts once more.
Anise is safe, we traded her out when we arrived…she wasn’t happy about it. But it was necessary. I needed you to turn…Ida told me about her vision and what you were…if you were going to stay in Atlantis I needed you to have access to all of your power. We couldn’t leave you here unprotected. As a newly turned Dragon you will have the Atlantis witches and the dragon council to call on if something happens and we aren’t here to protect you, contrary to what you think and all of the Keepers are important to me and you are my blood, I can’t believe you would think I would willingly sacrifice Anise.
What if I hadn’t turned? Opal asked using her mind to speak to her.
I already had the rest of the security squad trained on him…you had exactly six minutes to make up your mind. If you hadn’t turned, we already had a plan in place to take him out and with Nadia, as the target well…you know Nadia.
“What are you going to do with him?” Alex asked Myra limping into view. Opal ran to him offering her shoulder. He was still weak from the fighting but he refused to leave Opal’s side, it was time for her coven to get used to seeing him with her.
He�
�s the coven’s now. There have been a variety of attacks on our coven and the supernaturals in the surface realm. He will face judgment there. She said speaking directly into his mind, mercilessly squeezing the claw embedded deep within the dragon’s chest.
The dragon’s movement stilled as he realized how close he was to death. He’d done what they’d told him, it wasn’t his fault it failed…now all he had to do was keep his mouth shut until they came for him.
“Our people will want justice and our kind will send others to retrieve him,” he said. He looked up at the massive golden dragon, only one other dragon that matched her in size and speed. He took a deep steadying breath he was in the presence of the dragon realm’s true queen.
Alek had been surprised when the other witches transformed and he’d recognized their power immediately. The word would spread quickly of just who the Keeper’s coven leaders were.
He’d recognized the other two queens as well. He’d watched as the serpent the queen of the vampires laid waste to thousands of turned with ease and recoiled as the werewolf queen Anna took pleasure with every death blow she dealt.
His people would come for the traitor and the kings would come for their queens. He had a feeling that this day had the makings of an unnecessary war.
“Hey, you do realize your naked right?” Anna said to Opal tossing her the coat she had on.
Tara the keeper of death and a member of the security squad, let out a loud wolf whistle as Opal blushed bright red and hastily put on Anna’s suit jacket.
“Oh and thanks for the backup Myra. Where were you at? I had to kill all of them myself,” Anna yelled at the smirking golden dragon.
“By yourself?” Balloch asked breaking through the smaller earth mound to get to his disgruntled bride.
“Basically,” Anna snapped ignoring his smile.
Opal turned to scan the field and wasn’t surprised to find thousands of dead demons. She shivered at the sheer magnitude of death that lay before them. This was what the keepers could do if threatened…if anything they’d showed all of Atlantis their true power and Opal knew there would be a backlash because of it.
“We have to take him now,” Sara said softly with her accented voice. Both Sara and Anna looked subdued and calm, and if not for the wild look in Anna’s eyes no one would have guessed they had just been in a war.
“We can’t risk the council arriving and taking him for questioning we would never get a chance to interrogate,” Sara explained opening up a small white dust-filled vial and pouring it out in the shape of a pentagram.
Agatha would be here soon. The Keeper of time was known for always being prompt and once she opened a portal she could take all of them back home quickly. However, she could only use her powers a few times a week, and really that was almost too much as it drained her nearly all of her energy every time. Without Agatha, they couldn’t move freely between Atlantis and the surface world and had to depend on the once a week transport via the merpeople.
This would be the only chance Opal would have to leave easily once on the surface the keeper’s witches would be able to protect her.
Are you sure opal? Myra asked again her eyes on Alex…if she chose to stay with him her life would be completely different. As if Alex knew what she was thinking about he kissed her head.
“This is your choice where you go I follow,” he whispered if he traveled above the surface without permission from the king he would be severely punished but nothing wouldn’t keep him from his mate.
He’d been alone for so long he’d risk anything for her…he didn’t know how it would be in the surface realm it had been centuries since he’d been there.
Opal looked at Alex and back at her sisters all standing silently waiting for her decision unwilling to influence it.
She never got anything for herself…always acted in the name of the coven and she was ready for something different. Alex wanted her and she wanted him between them they could figure this out…She knew it was too much too soon but he felt right.
“I’m staying,” she said moving closer to Alex. He was standing so proudly next to her his chin tilted back. He liked being his mate’s choice and he would make sure she knew it.
“What about them?” Opal asked pointing to the townspeople. They still stood frozen in time.
Anna shrugged looking once again, the very definition of elegance. Her white-blonde hair pulled up in a bun. Her pearls glimmering in the bright sunlight. “Not our problem,” she said icily. They needed to keep Opal with them…it wasn’t good to spread the coven out now. But Myra had decreed that the decision was up to Opal.
“Well be in touch,” Sara said softly noticing Anna’s building anger. She was the only keeper that would need time to adjust to this. Opal had been a big help in the coven doing more than her share of work to ensure everyone’s safety.
She’d taught a lot of the younger witches and her being in Atlantis would be an adjustment for everyone but Sara was happy that she’d made the decision…Opal needed something for herself, hell she wanted something like that one day.
Two other keepers closed in on the dragon, subduing him and injecting him with something and within moments he was in his human form with a gaping hole in his chest.
She heard the air ripping and then there was a tired-looking Agatha, walking through her open portal. “Hey I only have one of these left in me so let’s get to it,” she said yawning wildly. Her long red hair fanning her pale drawn face.
“And Lorelei said something about it was our responsibility to help these people,” she said tossing a package to Opal.
“She said this will help them and that she would be here next week to check on you. She can wait on the info about the flower because she finally figured out how to heal the wolf…also shits got real interesting between the werewolf and her… but we can talk about that later, move it or lose it, ladies,” she said her face turning red revealing the level of stress her body was under.
Myra transformed back into her human form. Nadia gave her red silk robe to cover herself. All of the witches headed back through the portal dragging their prisoner behind them. As they headed through the shrinking portal they all nodded to Alex, acknowledging Opal’s decision.
Ida bumped into her heavily making Opal reach out to catch her and she whispered into her ear, “We are just saying goodbye for now…you are still one of us….you will always be one of us first and one of them second. Do not forget that,” Ida said motioning to Alex.
“No offense,” she said bowing in Alex’s direction. Alex cracked a smile at that pulling Opal closer to him.
“Thank you, Ida, for everything,” Alex said, knowing he could never pay her back for all that she’d done.
Balloch nodded at him aware of what he was referring to, he didn’t pause to talk. He merely collected Ida, picking her up carrying her through the portal with the others.
Ida laughed loudly and then proceeded to rain kisses all over his strong face. Her cousin could never stay mad for long.
Opal looked down at the package with Lorelei’s handwritten directions on it and took Alex’s hand and led him back to the townspeople to release them from the spell.
* * *
Three months later…
Two red dragons soared through the night sky following the clouds. A male and his female, mates in the eyes of the realm. The larger one playfully nipped at the smaller one causing her to fly lower over the fields.
Gliding just barely missing the treetops. The male kept a protective eye on his newly transitioning mate hovering just above where she flew. When she landed on the road just in front of a tall meadow, beckoning him with her eyes…he followed her swiftly into the privacy just beyond the trees.
“Are you okay with all of them just moving in?” Opal asked her voice husky from their midnight flight. Even her dragon couldn’t resist his…she blushed as she remembered everything they’d done under the moonlight. Her life with Alex was so different. He was playful while
she lived for her daily routine…but somehow they made it work.
“As long as you are here…anyone from your coven is welcome,” Alex said running his large hand down her back. She still didn’t understand her importance to him she constantly tried to make sure he was comfortable…when she was the only thing that mattered to him.
The transition hadn’t been easy, most of the realms wanted to resist her becoming a citizen but as she was related to an actual queen of Atlantis they kept their opinions to themselves.
Even when three witches had shown up out of the blue with suitcases he had merely shrugged and let them in. Now his barren house was filled with laughter and ruckus. The witches brought life to the place that changed it completely.
He was forever being called to lift, open, or try something. He enjoyed this feeling of family and Opal…well that was all that he’d hoped for since he was a young dragon.
Early in the morning, she would spend hours reading and consuming information and at night she would make him watch movies that the other witches brought from the surface realm…all of which were on DVD which apparently made them, “retro.”
“What about you how do you like it here?” he asked concern in his voice. He knew this world was very different from hers with its restrictions and laws.
“In all honestly its went easier than I thought it would…nothing ever goes this smoothly for me,” she said placing a soft kiss on his lips. She sat up then wanting to get back to the house before the others realized they were gone. The young witches loved it here but preferred for them to stay close.
He picked her up lightly not wanting her to hurt her bare feet and wrapped her in one of the robes they left behind. He carried her into the house just as he had many nights before and stopped cold.
Myra, Anna, and Sara sat at the kitchen table waiting quietly in the dark.