by LJ Andrews
“Who?” My chest tightened in anticipation.
“The dark High Priest. I was so young when he betrayed us, but he killed my family like he killed Ruby’s. I knew Ruby couldn’t shift since the High Priestess locked the royals in human form. The dark High Priest struck me when I arrived. I’ve never felt such burning in my entire life, and I’m a fire mage. Somehow, I was able to get Ruby free, but there were lindworms.
“Ruby was injured, but we were able to escape. I’m not sure what story will be concocted to explain the damage done to the library in Cairo—where Ruby has lived as a historian—but that is the least of our worries.”
I sat back in the chair and stared out the window. If what the mage said was true, Bron would find more royals.
The more I hated to admit it, since the woman was most likely the one who’d given me life, I knew it wasn’t possible he was finding them on his own. The High Priestess was the one who trapped the royals, she knew where Wyvern Willows was located, she’d given the willow as the protection. Odds were she also knew where the remaining royals had scattered around the globe. Perhaps—and I liked to think this way—the High Priestess had left the war on the side of the elementals, but it was entirely possible that through the years, she’d been corrupted just as Bron. It would explain why the attacks were beginning. She might be emerging from her own solitude. Might be reuniting with her wicked husband.
“Are you all right?”
My focus drifted back toward the mage. “Sorry, I was thinking.”
“What’s your name?” she asked, her voice stronger with every breath.
“Teagan. Ward. Teagan Ward,” I stammered, still glancing at a new snowfall beginning.
“I’m Athika,” she said.
“Do you know where other mages are?”
“No, I don’t. Why do you ask with such desperation?”
“Do you know where the High Priestess might be?” I went on, ignoring her.
Athika eyed me in the dim room through a sharp gaze. “If I don’t know where other mages are, it would be safe to assume I don’t know where the High Priestess is. All I know is she protected the royals and the mage people after the divide.”
Sure. The details of the past I didn’t care for, I wanted to know where she was now.
Questions pummeled my mind, whether she was wicked or good. I couldn’t help but desire to know so many things.
“I’ve answered all your questions, now you must answer mine.” Athika nudged my shoulder until I turned to her on the couch. “How have you joined the jade bloodline? Once a bond is severed, our history states it will remain severed. What is your lineage?”
“It’s complicated,” I murmured.
“That’s not an answer.” Athika dragged her fingers along the hilt of a dagger on her leg. Missed that weapon.
“Look, I don’t know how I became the jade mage. That’s the truth. I didn’t even know I was a mage before I came here.”
It wasn’t clear if Athika believed me or not, but her shoulders relaxed and her fingers pulled away from the dagger. Thankfully, the doors opened, and Jade entered the room, wiping perspiration from her brow.
Athika swallowed hard and stiffened.
Jade glared at Athika and gripped my arm possessively. “Ruby is going to be all right. She was poisoned with copious amounts of zomok pyre and had several wounds. How are you?”
Athika tilted her head when I pulled Jade onto the couch, one of her legs draped over mine. I didn’t care when the ruby mage wrinkled her nose as I traced the line of Jade’s jaw. My hands needed to be on her, needed to know she was fine, alive. Mine.
“This is Athika,” I said. “She isn’t going to try to kill anyone anymore. Obviously, she’s Ruby’s mage.”
Athika stood and nodded her head respectfully. “Forgive me for bringing you any harm. I would never . . . if I’d had my right mind, I wouldn’t dream of harming any wyvern.”
Jade nodded, though her lips were still pressed tight, and I thought I saw her position her body a little stronger in front of me as though Athika presented a direct threat. “I understand. I’m certain your quick arrival saved Ruby’s life.”
“Forgive me for prying, but I’m so curious,” Athika said a little wistfully. “Do you believe the bond between you and your mage to be fated? I sense you are very close for being bonded only a short while.”
Jade lifted her chin, and I couldn’t help but smirk as the two subtly challenged one another, even if they didn’t realize it themselves. “A fated bond is the only explanation we have. And yes, we are close.”
Jade’s fingers curled in mine, and whether it was the mounting passion of her energy or because I hadn’t had my lips on her skin in so long, I kissed her fingers and grinned when she met my eye.
Athika scoffed, her brow furrowed deep enough the skin over her nose pitted. “I see. Well, I should tend to Ruby. Teagan, I very much hope we can speak again. I have so many questions and feel I could be a value to you as well.”
“Yeah, I’d like to ask a few things myself,” I admitted.
With Athika gone, Jade released a haggard breath and leaned her head on my shoulder. “Ruby nearly died, Teagan.”
“I know.” I kissed her forehead. Jade wrapped her arms around my waist, her head on my chest. “But she’ll be all right, now. Jade, we need to find the other two royals.”
“Amber and Onyx,” Jade said. “Konrad is already reaching out to them and requesting they join us here. But that’s not what distresses me most. Ruby said something when she woke for a moment. She spoke of the elemental stones. I’ve told you the stones hold the energies of the earth, and they are the source of our power.”
“What did she say?”
“Most made little sense. She spoke of a weapon designed for the stones. I wasn’t sure what she meant, but one thing was said without a doubt.” Jade lifted her head, her nose only inches from my face. The way her eyes focused and blazed like a green fire behind her irises sent a chill down my spine. “Teagan, she said that Bron had her stone. King Nag has the power of fire, and he’s after the others. It’s only a matter of time before the war begins again. Though I fear this time King Nag won’t stop until everyone is dead.”
Chapter 6
The dawn brought new snowfall. The kitchen had chilled, but it helped the anxious burning in my veins.
Athika was curled in one of the dining table chairs. Her position looked terribly uncomfortable, but I’d already failed to send her to my room to use my bed. She’d refused and insisted on staying by Ruby, who still slept on the table. Eisha had tended to the royal’s wounds but demanded she should remain unmoved for at least the night.
I didn’t argue—tending to magical wounds was certainly different than adding a few sutures or bandages.
My soul was troubled. I hadn’t slept even after Jade had left to council with Frenrir and reach out to Aldwin. I didn’t envy her task of admitting to the council that Ruby had been attacked by Bron and the fire stone was taken. No doubt, we would see more of the wyvern council, and the idea didn’t stir any excitement.
The steam from my coffee mug chased away the last bits of sleep, but I didn’t drink anything, simply swirled it, staring outside.
A war between mages and wyvern was starting again.
Nearly everything had been lost once before. What might happen with Bron and the elusive King Nag in complete control of all the stones?
As I lifted the mug to my lips, I paused, staring out at the barrier of trees surrounding the lawn. For a moment, I thought I’d seen something, but on second glance nothing was there. Hairs on my arms stood on end in the quiet of the morning. The magis of the house wouldn’t rouse for another hour. Sapphire was at Eisha’s mansion, and he’d told me to keep watch on the house. Glancing at Athika, I considered waking her, but instead I grabbed the two jade blades leaning against the wall.
My breath hitched in my chest when a blast of frosty air slammed against my face. Tugging a thin ja
cket around my shoulders, I stepped off the porch. Dawn crusted through the trees, gray light sparkled over the snow. What birds remained, huddled in the snow-packed pines, and twittered their songs when I arrived. Beady eyes of hiding creatures responded to me, following me as I inched deeper into the trees.
I shuddered at a hint of hesitation, a subtle warning, as if something tugged at the center of my chest.
I ought to wait for Sapphire, or at least tell Athika where I was going. But a strange hiss of wind drew me to take out one blade. I paused, listening to the sounds of the forest. There was a strange connection to the energy of the trees this morning. Encouragement to move forward warmed my blood, but in the back of my mind there was a tingle of caution.
Chatter of the forest was comforting, it was when it silenced that my nerves heightened.
And in the next breath it did.
Both blades out now, I scanned the trees. Nothing moved, not even the breeze. Only puffs of air from my lungs. A tremble of unease rippled over my shoulders. I wasn’t alone.
I blew out a breath, scrutinizing every rock, every snowdrift, every tree.
Like an explosive burst of energy, the trees snapped and cracked and a serpent lunged at me. A lindworm.
I lunged back. The cutting edge of the lead blade slashed a gaping wound into the layered, ashen scales of the beast. With a ferocious bellow, the serpent slithered to the tree line. Lindworms were unlike elemental dragons due to their lack of limbs. Some Lindworms did have hind or front legs, with bat-like wings along slippery spines. This dragon had curled, rigid back haunches. Its wings were crumpled yet powerful and deadly, with a hooked claw along the peak. The lindworm had jagged fangs like the elementals, only longer and more vicious. Its jaws snapped at me. I slashed one sword and it backed away.
The snake parted its jaws and from the back of its throat a harsh, smoky gurgle rumbled.
My heart leapt. I crouched, crossed the swords over my head, and ducked behind the energy dome they created at my command. A wave of fire burst from the serpent’s jaws. I winced. Pyre so hot it was icy nipped at my skin, but the shield held. Sort of.
The power slipped and a searing blast shredded my pants, bubbled my skin. I gritted my teeth and focused; I drew deeper. On the second blast, the pyre spilled in a hoop around my body, narrowly missing me.
With a guttural sound, the lindworm pulled back its breath. It panted; steam snorted from its snout.
I rushed at it before it could reel back and strike again.
One jab caught the cusp of one wing. It tossed its head back and shrieked. A sound felt deep in the skull. I struck, and jabbed, and swung the blades. The Lindworm’s blood splattered on the snow, but it kicked one of its hind legs. I fell to my knees. The snake kicked again, flipping me onto my back. With its sharp claws, the dragon pressed its heavy leg over my chest, crushing me.
My armor would protect me.
At least it should’ve.
But the weight of the lindworm drew out a cry of pain. Why weren’t the green marks engaging?
My ribs bent. I swallowed bile when a few snapped. Breath grew harder to take as my head sank beneath the snowy earth. Part of me wished the lindworm would end the pain as my bones fractured, but, no mistake, the beast enjoyed a bit of twisted torture.
The blades were buried in the snow, just beneath the serpent’s underbelly. Even though I still held the hilts, the positioning of the enormous body over mine prevented me from lifting the swords.
I gasped, drawing in a final breath, until like a python, the lindworm squeezed enough I knew I wouldn’t draw another.
In the fog, I thought I imagined someone calling to me, thought I heard the flush of wings, but the pulse of blood overpowered all sounds, my lungs ached for breath.
I’d die beneath the lindworm. It would be free to attack the town and perhaps bring more serpents. Invite King Nag himself to Wyvern Willows. What would become of Jade? Sapphire? A tingling burn took hold in the cavity of my chest. The pressure mounted. I didn’t need to die. I could fight back. Should fight back. If I didn’t, then Jade would be left without a mage.
Painful pricks of energy spread like a web through my chest. I swore, I swore, to defend her.
My fingers dug into the frozen ground. The snow around my bare skin melted as I gathered a new power. The thought of Jade, Sapphire, even Ruby having their lives endangered brought a frustration that angered me greater than anything. Even more than when Bron attacked. This lindworm had the upper hand. It was painfully clear he could slaughter me if I allowed it to happen. But I wouldn’t. Determination to live opened a new vein of power.
There was the rush of wind again, it sounded like wings. I couldn’t be sure, but if Jade had come it only spurred my power more.
I wouldn’t let the lindworm touch her. Like an iron ball in the center of my body, the magic coupled into one fierce wave. On my command, I shoved against the hind claws digging into my sides. In a furious blast, I sent every ounce of power shooting into the pad of the enormous foot.
The pain I hoped the serpent felt was satisfied by the shriek erupting in a ball of gas and flames from its throat. My hands ran along its hind leg, and the great serpent body tumbled to its side. I scrambled to my knees and raised my palms out from my chest. The blades were covered in snow, but I still had energy in my own body. I wanted the beast to feel every surge of power. I wanted it to know what a mistake it had made coming to this place.
Gripping one of the jade swords, I rushed to the writhing snake and dug my fingernails into its skull. The lindworm roared in agony. My stomach flipped as my touch melted through the thick scales. Flesh burned, the smell turned my stomach until I thought I might vomit. I held tight until all my energy was drained.
When the spark abandoned my blood, I lifted the blade. One side of the lindworm’s face was disfigured, its eye completely lost behind scarred scales. The beast raised its head to snap its jaws once more, and I lowered my blade.
I’d never experienced the sickening sensation of the cutting edge digging deep into flesh and bone.
My upset stomach turned once more, but I followed through. The lindworm released a fading shriek when the powerful mage weapon sliced through its neck. Finally, the beast flopped in a heap of tar-like blood and heat. The gash in its neck spilled fluids and a smell that brought acid to my mouth.
I backed away, blade still soaked, and scanned the forest for anymore lindworms. The trees chittered pleasantly once more, and the birds now sang brightly to the rising sun. My sides ached, and every breath washed my back and chest in agonizing tension.
I dropped to my knees, wincing when the ache shot up the back of my neck. I would walk home—in just a moment.
My hand was covered in blood, and exhaustion from exerting my energy had convinced me my feet could not take one more step.
“Teagan?”
I whipped around, vision slightly hazed, but I could clearly make out Mitch shivering in the snow. His brown eyes wide and frozen in disbelief. Hands glowing with fae magic he hadn’t used.
“Mitch.” How would I handle this? How would I ever explain what he’d just witnessed? I mean, there was a dead dragon in the snow. Not exactly something that was seen every day. I swallowed my aches and pains and stood. Clutching my side, I trudged toward Mitch, who was not looking at me. His eyes were completely lost on the corpse of scales and wings in the snow. “Mitch, hey . . . uh, are you hurt?”
Mitch shook his head, finally dragging his gaze to mine. “What . . . is that?”
“It’s okay. Let’s go back to the house. I’ll explain everything.” I didn’t plan to, I planned on having Jade manipulate Mitch’s memories—if she could.
“No, don’t touch me,” he jerked away. Mitch stared at me like I would slit his throat same as the dragon. “What . . . what are you? Fae? Warlock? Elf? Certainly not defective.”
“I’m not going to hurt you,” I insisted. “I have some things to explain, that’s all.”
&n
bsp; Mitch ducked when a rush of air rained over us. I knew I’d heard wings. Sapphire, Jade, and Frenrir swooped down into the trees. Jade’s glowing eyes met mine in the warming light, then drifted over the dead lindworm. Frenrir was a small wyvern—much like his human form. Scales a pale yellow that reminded me of the shade of skin just before it flushed green with nausea.
Sapphire stomped toward the body, his enormous snout sniffing the blood of the lindworm. Mitch drew in a sharp breath. His shoulders heaved as he stared in terror at the new arrivals. Jade released a puff of steaming air from her snout and then melted into her human form.
“Holy forest gods!” Mitch said, eyes wide.
I held firmly to his arm and pulled him closer, so he couldn’t run. The tug of his body against my fractured ribs forced me to double over.
Jade rushed to my side, her hands clasping my face. “You’re hurt.”
“A bit,” I said with a smirk. “Mitch, stay—you’re safe.”
“Are you insane!” He pointed at Jade as though she were about to burst into flames. “She’s . . . she’s a—”
Sapphire turned his great head toward us and sighed—though it was really a breath of steam and a few flames—before he shifted into his strong, intimidating human body.
Mitch leaned against me as though he might pass out. Jade helped steady him as Sapphire chased the distance between us.
“Mitch, you need to calm yourself,” Sapphire said.
“I’ll make it so this never happened,” Jade said sweetly.
“Mr. Sapphire,” Mitch whispered, before turning to Jade. “You’re going to kill me!”
He raised his glowing hands.
Jade’s brow furrowed, and I wanted to chuckle a bit. Jade would certainly find Mitch’s reaction absurd, but only because she’d never experienced the shock of realizing the impossible was truly possible.
“Of course not,” she said. “I can make you forget.”