Queen of Jade: a dragon shifter fantasy (The Dragon Mage Book 2)

by LJ Andrews

  Frenrir stood against the wall, fading into the background as Onyx and Peran entered the room with Eisha, smiling and chatting. Ruby and Sapphire next, then Raffi and Dash entered, holding bowls of dried meats, already shoveling food into their mouths before they found their place along the wall.

  “So, Athika, we’re anxious to hear what happened,” Ruby said.

  “Onyx, good to see you again,” Athika said politely, nodding toward the royal.

  “It has been much too long, Athika.”

  “How is Donovan?”

  “Sour as ever. He remains with our youngest brother,” Onyx said.

  “Probably wise. But I’m surprised he let you both out of his sight,” she said with a smile.

  “It wasn’t easy,” Onyx said.

  “I hate to interrupt the reunion,” Peran sighed, nudging his brother’s arm. “But weren’t you about to tell us where you and this fae have been all night?”

  “My name is Mitch. I’m not a servant or whatever.”

  Peran didn’t say anything, only nodded in Mitch’s direction.

  “No, Mitch is certainly not a servant, especially after last night. We found the courier,” Athika said, pausing dramatically to let her words sink in. “I warned Mitch she could sense his intentions, he had to block his emotions while he tried to take the correspondence.”

  “So, when we found her—” Mitch took over, his eyes wide when he scooted to the edge of the sofa. “Athika stepped out. The other mage was surprised, but Athika played it cool. Don’t think I didn’t hear the subtle way you tried to sneak information about the High Priestess.”

  “Well, a lot of good it did.”

  Mitch’s smile never faded. “The mage was a vault. Sealed tight, she didn’t give up anything—except, like she told Athika before, she said she sensed the High Priest had returned. Whether she was talking about your deadbeat dad, Teagan, or you, who knows—”

  “Wait!” Onyx interrupted. “What about your father?”

  “Later, Onyx,” Athika insisted. “Just wait.”

  “Anyway, while Athika had the mage distracted, I made my move. I took a deep breath . . . do you know how hard it is to keep your mind blank when you’re supposed to?” Mitch asked the room. “I mean, when I need to think, all I have is an empty hole, but when I need to not think of anything and steal something—take my word for it, it’s practically impossible to clear your head.”

  “Did you get the correspondence?” Eisha asked, drawing Mitch’s rambling to a halt.

  He nodded his head so his dark curls bounced about. “Yes! She didn’t feel me snag it at all. I didn’t even brush the sack she kept it in.”

  No one said anything, notably waiting for Mitch to continue, but after several tense moments it was clear that wasn’t going to happen.

  “Dude,” Teagan said with a groan. “What did it say?”

  “Oh, sorry, I just wanted you all to marvel at my skills for a second,” Mitch said.

  Onyx chuckled. “I like this faerie.”

  “It was addressed to someone important,” Mitch continued, eyeing Athika playfully.

  She grinned. “But not the High Priestess.”

  I drew in a breath, feeling a wave of disappointment for Teagan. I knew he was afraid to meet the High Priestess if we ever found her, but I also knew he desperately wanted answers.

  He deserved answers.

  “I’m going to crush your skulls if you don’t just tell us now,” Raffi snarled, earning him a fierce glare from Eisha.

  “Well, dear Raffi, you and Dash may be most interested to know to whom this letter was addressed. I’m almost angry at myself for sending you both away, it would have been such fun to see your faces in the moment. I think you will recognize the name,” Athika said.

  “Really?” Dash muttered, mouth full of jerky. “Who was it for?”

  Athika sauntered into the center of the room, staring straight at the two warriors. “The correspondence was addressed to Thane of Krigare.”

  Dash’s eyes widened, but Raffi dropped his bowl, the glass shattered, meat slopped along the wood floor.

  “I told you they would be beside themselves, Mitch,” Athika said with a glance over their shoulders.

  “Thane,” Sapphire said, rising to his feet slowly, with a tepid glance toward Eisha.

  I released Teagan’s hand and rushed to Eisha’s side when my fellow wyvern crumbled forward, her thin fingers covering her face. “Eisha, what is it? Why does this name upset you?”

  “It doesn’t upset me in the way you think,” Eisha whispered, wiping her eyes from her hot tears. “I know Thane well. My Gregor—Thane and Gregor were the royal guards. Gregor protected the king and Thane . . . your parents, until . . . well, after the battle Thane became the lead warrior. I have not thought about him for years. Truly, I believed he might be dead.”

  “Thane would not die without a fierce battle being made known,” Raffi snapped, his chest puffing up in pride.

  “That’s the warrior,” Teagan said softly, glancing at Raffi. “The one who gave you his sword.”

  Raffi offered a curt nod, his body at attention as though the commanding warrior had entered the room.

  “We all remember Thane,” Onyx said. “But it doesn’t answer why a mage would correspond with wyvern warriors instead of her High Priestess.”

  “That is a good question,” Athika agreed.

  “Well, did you find where he is?” Dash asked, a dripping desperation in his voice.

  Now Athika’s smug smile faded and she shook her head. “The correspondence was well protected—coded almost. It was clear the courier had delivered messages to the warrior many times. She knew how to protect her letters. I had to get Mitch to safety when she realized he’d taken the letter. We left soon after she . . . escaped.”

  “What happened?” Frenrir asked.

  I frowned, nearly forgetting he was there. This was a conversation I’d rather have without the elders’ spy.

  Mitch sighed, his eyes averting from Sapphire. “Well, she got a little angry. She wasn’t unarmed, I’ll say that.” Mitch lifted his shirt and showed a hastily bandaged wound on his stomach. “She had knives.”

  “Mitch,” I gasped, rushing to inspect his wound.

  “I tried to heal him, but we had to leave quickly when she started tearing up the earth. She tried to swallow me up in the ground. A fellow mage,” Athika pouted.

  I rolled my eyes and peeled back the soaked bandages made mostly of leaves and bits of Athika’s robe. The wound was deep and still bleeding. I dipped my hands along Mitch’s stomach and heard him gasp when my energy burst from my palms into his festering skin.

  “Well, in the mage’s defense,” Ruby said softly, “you did rob her.”

  Athika nodded in agreement and bent low to watch me work on Mitch. He shuddered under my touch and winced when the skin pulled and healed.

  “What exactly are you doing?” he asked through a tight jaw.

  “Using energy to heal you,” I said, my tongue out one side of my mouth, focusing on the wound.

  “It’s so warm. But also like I’m being shocked.”

  “Almost done,” I whispered. “There. It might leave a scar, but it should feel better tomorrow.”

  Mitch and Athika inspected the wound. Athika smiled at me, and I sensed her admiration for the job.

  “You could pass for a mage,” she chuckled. “That wound was made with a mage blade, not easy to heal.”

  “I’m sure you could do as well if you had not been fleeing for your life.” I offered a nod. There, I could be civil—un-jealous. The uncomfortable emotion Teagan described was quickly becoming an annoyance.

  “Why would a courier be armed?” Onyx asked.

  “They are important,” Athika said, “But you’re right, it is strange that she was able to fight with a weapon—even more than her powers.”

  “She fought like a warrior,” Teagan said with sarcasm.

  Raffi sparked to attention, no
dding slowly. “Makes sense. She’s been with Thane. She is a courier for Thane! It explains why she would first use weapons to fight if she’s lived among warriors. But again, why would a mage stay with warriors over the High Priestess?”

  “Maybe a mage would choose warriors if her leader joined with Bron, that’s why,” Teagan snapped, and shot to his feet.

  “Teagan don’t say that before we know,” Sapphire offered, but Teagan only shook his head.

  “No,” he said. “It seems to me the mage haven’t seen the High Priestess for so long because she’s not who they once believed in. That or she’s dead. Either way, I think I’d rather not know.”

  “Teagan,” Eisha interjected loud enough to bring him to a pause before he stormed from the room. “It’s possible the High Priestess is with Thane.”

  The room grew still. My hands were bloodied from healing Mitch, but I didn’t care if I ruined my clothes when I hugged my middle.

  Eisha stared at the carpet, hesitating. Whenever she spoke of the High Priestess, she radiated deep, cutting pain left unhealed for centuries.

  “What are you talking about?” Teagan asked, his voice dark and troubled. Athika took a few steps toward him, but I soon outpaced her and stood at his side.

  “After the High Priestess warded this town—” Eisha took a deep breath. “She left with Thane and the warriors.”

  “She left with them but they planned to go separate ways,” Raffi insisted.

  “But what if they didn’t,” Eisha said. “I’m only saying this because we all believe the High Priestess is Teagan’s mother. I don’t . . . I don’t want you to lose hope yet. Let’s find out for sure before you believe the people who gave you life are evil enough to take it away.”

  I could have crushed Eisha in an embrace. Her words were sincere, and for the first time since Teagan Ward came to Wyvern Willows, her affection, her concern for the man I’d grown to love was clear and unyielding.

  “She’s right, Teagan,” Sapphire said.

  “Okay, but what do we do with all this?” Teagan asked. “It’s obvious this Thane doesn’t want to be found.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Athika said. “From the energy I absorbed off the courier, she was searching for something to report back. We didn’t see what was in the message, only to whom it was addressed. But before she fought us away, it was clear she was seeking out certain information. Is it possible the entire fleet of wyvern warriors have always been nearby?”

  “We would have felt them,” Dash whispered. “Long ago, I would sense my fellow warriors sometimes. Just faintly, but I knew they were still out there preparing for the war to begin again. It’s been silent for so many years.”

  “Perhaps this is the sign that the war is beginning. This could mean . . .” Raffi swallowed hard before his lips widened into a dark smile. “It could mean Thane and our warriors are preparing to end Nag once and for all.”

  Chapter 12

  I sat on the damp grass, watching Raffi, Dash, and Teagan spar with Sapphire and Onyx. I was relieved that most of the royals were able to defend themselves alongside the warriors. Of course, no one was quite as skilled as warrior wyverns.

  The morning was warmer than it had been in months, and the kiss of the sun invigorated my energy.

  Raffi lunged at Teagan, the clash of their swords drew my gaze down the slope. Normally, I would join them, but today I wanted to watch. Teagan was distant since the report from Mitch. I thought, despite reassurances from the others, Teagan might still believe the High Priestess had abandoned her people and joined the lindworms. I tried to imagine how it might feel to think my mother would turn to darkness, abandoning me, and even being willing to kill me. I couldn’t fathom it.

  So today, I wanted to watch. I wanted to see what he did, how he reacted. It seemed the only way I might understand how best to help him.

  “May I sit with you?”

  Athika stood behind me. She wore a thick sweater wrapped around her thin body, but still shivered against the wind.

  Strange to see her struggle outside. Since I’d known Teagan, he behaved more like me, oblivious to the cold. Even now he wore a gray tank top as he slashed his blade hard against Raffi’s heavy sword.

  “Yes,” I said, trying my hardest to give Athika a chance I had yet to offer. “Of course.”

  I waited as Athika tucked the sweater beneath her legs, a barrier between the sopping grass, and hugged her knees against her body.

  “So, I’m curious,” I began. “How long has Ruby enjoyed Onyx’s company?”

  Starting with something pleasant, perhaps that might help the tension between us.

  Athika snickered. “It began back at your grandfather’s castle. I was rumored to become the mage for the ruby line. My mother was the mage, but I knew my armor would come soon. Ruby and I were friends even before I was her mage, and I saw the two royals spend more time than normal with each other.

  “After the slaughter of the castle, when Ruby and I went to Egypt, Onyx found us. He visited once or twice, but being the protector of the onyx stone gives him power of water. Such energy in a desert brought too much unwanted attention. It’s been many decades since they’ve seen each other.” Athika grinned and turned her eyes to the sparring match below. “They refuse to admit they feel anything more, but it’s plain to see.”

  “Well, it isn’t common for royal bloodlines to unite in a mate arrangement,” I offered.

  “Yes, there seem to be many strange bonds as of late.” I caught her meaning, and my skin bubbled along my arms as the tension returned. Athika shook her head, watching Raffi and Dash strike at Teagan from each side. “Sometimes when I watch him with the warriors, he looks more like one of them than a mage.”

  Truth be told, the tight jealousy, as Teagan called it, riled again knowing she watched him at all. I cleared my throat and pushed it aside. “He’s learned a great deal and is really talented with those blades now.”

  “I can’t imagine how powerful he might be if he had more influences from the mage side,” she said.

  My eyes narrowed when I glanced across at her. “Mini was with him and taught him how to channel his energy. She was a great mage influence.”

  “Yes,” Athika continued. “She was a wonderful mage, and Agatha is missed. But she died so soon after Teagan learned of his powers. He’s had more influence from Raffi, Sapphire, Dash. From you. His energy needs to be able to face Bron and do more than banish him. Sometimes, Teagan seems more like a wyvern. Doesn’t that worry you, when the time comes to battle one of the most powerful mages in history? If all he can do is wield a blade, he will not survive.”

  “Why are you saying these things to me?” I asked, heat rushing to my cheeks. It took all my restraint to keep my promise to give Athika a fair chance.

  She smiled sweetly. “I just know you have a way of talking to Teagan. You should suggest he train with me. I can show him how to handle his power easier.”

  “Athika, you’ve seen how strong he is with energy,” I insisted. “You’ve even expressed you were drawn to his strength. Don’t deny that; I can see it.”

  Athika clicked her tongue. “I suppose you’re right. I am drawn to his unique talents. He must be bound for greatness if he could restore the jade bloodline without even knowing his true nature. It’s rather remarkable. I only hope he meets his potential, without letting wild ideas of impossible connections cloud his mind.”

  I chuckled, but nothing was funny. “Athika, are you trying to say something? I would rather you speak plainly if you are. There’s something bothering you, and it really is pointless to try to hide it.”

  “I know I can’t hide my emotions from you, Your Highness,” she said. “Look, I know you care about Teagan, as your mage. But you are the queen of wyvern. You care more about your own people, as you should. Their safety is what’s most important. But Teagan doesn’t understand that.

  “When you speak of your unique bond, and love, and anything else about destin
y, I think it’s creating something in his mind that is simply impossible. He will be the one to be wounded in the end. It’s never been done, Jade. A wyvern and mage together.

  “I know everyone here has given you both a wide berth, but I am the only other mage here and feel I need to defend my fellow mage. This relationship between you two only exists here.” She gestured to the lawns of the house. “Out there, when we’re in the open, it cannot be. It’s not accepted, nor is it possible. Mage bond with other mage, and wyvern mates are arranged with the benefit of your people in the forefront. It’s the way our races are designed—it’s what makes our people different, and also what makes our people able to live in peace.”

  My voice caught in my throat. I turned my focus back toward the lawn as Sapphire wrapped his strong arm around Teagan’s neck and dragged him to the ground, then Raffi tried to pin him with his blade, but Teagan rolled away before he was trapped.

  “I’ve upset you,” Athika said when I stayed quiet. “I apologize. I say this because I want what’s best for everyone, what will bring everyone safely away from any fight against the lindworms and any dark mages.”

  Clearing my throat, I tucked my hair behind my ears, feeling the burn of my shift desperate to take place. I wanted to fly away from this situation, but no. I was a queen after all, I had to learn to face the difficult. “The only reason I’m upset is because you are misinformed with what you say.”

  “In what way?”

  I folded my legs beneath me. “Athika, you speak as though I don’t feel as deeply as Teagan, or as though I use his lack of experience as a mage to convince him he has deeper feelings for me. For what? Why would I do that? Do you think it’s so I can demand his loyalty for the benefit of my people over his life?”

  “No, I know you care, it’s just—”

  “That we wyverns have too much influence?” I interrupted. “Or that you think Teagan doesn’t behave like a typical mage and does not use energy from the earth as he should? Well, you’re wrong on both accounts. I’ve seen Teagan command rivers. I’ve seen him split the bedrock. And I’ve also seen him defeat one of the fiercest wyvern warriors I know with his blade. Raffi could not stop him.”