My dad focused on us momentarily, and then lifted away to disappear back into the darkness.
Mr. Burrows finally noticed the demons on the stage with him a moment later.
“Deyanira?!” he exclaimed at full volume, catching many people’s attention.
My mother simply looked up at him with a grin. “Hi Nolan!” she announced cheerfully. “It’s been a while!”
I stared at her in shock, looking up at Mr. Burrow’s baffled expression before returning my gaze to her. “He’s met you before?” I whispered in disbelief.
She lowered her voice too, glancing at me from the corner of her red eye set within the depths of her black sclera. “I usually spell my memory enchantments to release when people see me again. He’s just now remembered.”
“Oh,” I replied almost inaudibly, my eyes wide.
She winked at me again. “Always a good idea to have a few men in your pocket. Especially the one’s with authority. I’m sure you’ll learn that soon enough.”
I cringed. “Mom,” I replied breathlessly, my nose wrinkling. “You cheated on dad?” I whispered in disbelief.
Her eyes widened briefly before she let out a loud peal of laughter. “Oh honey,” she giggled boisterously. “I’m sure Nolan would love that, but no. That’s not what I meant.”
“What’s this?” Mr. Burrows asked, having only heard the last part.
She chuckled again, looking up at him. “Nothing,” she replied sweetly, winking at him. “Private conversation between mother and daughter.”
Mr. Burrows blushed intensely, but his reaction only lasted a moment before a man yelled out over the frantic commotion.
“She’s still alive! Someone get the doctor!”
I realized the man must be talking about one of the victims who had been attacked. The head of the Guard immediately got back on his megaphone and began trying to regain control of the crowd, asking a couple of men to go retrieve the doctor. I was honestly a little surprised no one had paid my mother much attention yet. I half expected someone to yell out ‘Devil,’ but no one did.
After a moment, my mother looked me over intently, rubbing the sides of both my arms. “Can you stand?” she wondered.
I took a shaky breath and then nodded.
“Then let’s go home,” she replied, rising to her feet. “I think you’ve had enough stress for one day,” she added, with an outstretched clawed hand.
I wiped my palms on my shorts, before reaching out to accept the gesture. She effortlessly pulled me to my feet, and then held onto my hand as she hopped off the stage to walk through the throng of people. The crowd instantly began to part as people backed away to give her room. She kept her arm angled behind herself slightly, so that I was forced to walk directly behind her. I stared down at the end of her tail, noticing the light playing off her leather pants as she walked, feeling embarrassed that everyone was seeing me in my demon form. My mom didn’t seem bothered by it at all, although I suspected it was because she always looked like this.
That, and she was beautiful, demon or not.
It was eerily quiet now, even despite the fact that there were still a couple of people struggling to hang on to life.
When we reached the entrance, my mother stopped abruptly and turned her head to look over her shoulder. I looked up in confusion, seeing a cheerful smile on her face.
“Oh,” she said sweetly to the silent room. “And you’re very welcome for saving all your lives.”
She then directed her attention forward again, and led me into the darkness outside.
Chapter 16: Laws
My mother waited for my dad to get his pants on after transforming back into a human, before the three of us headed home on foot in the darkness. His shirt was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed he must have turned into a dragon before getting that off. We made a beeline for the trees, before walking at a more leisurely pace along the edge of town.
I was mortified as they shared an exceptionally long kiss while walking squished together, his right arm around her shoulders while her left was around his waist. She still had my hand in hers, but I was about to bolt if they kept it up any longer. I’d certainly seen them kiss before, but not like this – like they hadn’t seen each other in years. Like they were hungry, and the other’s tongue was a meal.
Maybe it just sounded extra gross because I was in my demon form and could hear better? I wasn’t sure, but I was on the verge of gagging.
They finally stopped once my dad decided to give her a quick rundown of what had happened while she was gone, speaking only of the shapeshifter, since that was the big event.
My mom squeezed my hand and glanced down to shower me with praise when she heard about my role in defeating the chimera.
She then finally shared about how she knew to come back home, letting go of my dad to show off the two rings on her left hand – her wedding ring from my dad, and the gold ring on her middle finger with a black stone in it, just like my pendant.
“This ring was spelled to let me know if you had taken off your necklace,” she admitted. “I didn’t tell either of you because…” She paused, glancing up at my dad before returning her gaze to me. “Well, because I didn’t know what kind of magic you would end up using, and it would be problematic if you rebelled.”
I gawked at her. “Mom, I would never do that.”
She nodded. “I know, sweetie, but there are very serious laws for our kind. I couldn’t afford the risk that you might discover how to get around the pendant’s seal and do something that could ultimately get you killed.”
My eyes widened in shocked. “K-Killed?” I repeated.
She nodded somberly. “Our kind doesn’t tolerate rule-breakers,” she whispered, squeezing my hand gently while wrapping her other arm around my father’s waist again. “But when the ring let me know that your pendant actually broke, I knew something horrible had happened. These artifacts don’t just break.”
I nodded slowly. “A boy stabbed me,” I admitted.
She halted in her tracks, her body plenty strong enough to force my human father to stop too. “Someone tried killing you?” she rephrased.
“Umm, sort of. It felt like I died at least. I was still aware, but I couldn’t think.”
“But he’s dead,” my dad chimed in.
My mom glanced at him and then nodded to herself, pulling us along again. “Well, that’s fine,” she reassured me. “Killing a few humans isn’t a problem. You might only get in trouble if you killed a lot of them at once, like an entire town.” She paused. “Or if you accidentally killed your father – that’s the real reason for the pendant.”
Now I stopped, pulling them both to a halt, my expression one of shock. “I would never!” I exclaimed in disbelief.
“I said accidentally,” she emphasized. “I know you’d never do it on purpose. But killing a prince of the dragons is kind of a big deal, even if you’re his daughter.”
My eyes widened in shock, before my gaze shifted to my dad. “You’re a prince?” I gasped.
He scratched the back of his fiery hair. “Yeah, sort of,” he admitted.
“Sort of?!” I exclaimed. “Dad, either you are, or you aren’t! And what does that make me?!”
My mom squeezed my hand again and shushed me softly. “Not so loud, dear. Technically, that would make you a princess, but you’re not one that the dragons would recognize as someone capable of becoming sovereign, because you aren’t really a dragon. You have most of the rights of royalty, including being able to walk freely on human land, but the dragons would never acknowledge you as true nobility.”
I was dumbfounded. This was too much to accept all at once. I knew my mother was a fons’radix, one of the most powerful mages alive, but now my father was a dragon prince too?! Granted, if only certain classes of people, including royalty, were able to walk among humans as they wished, then it made sense that both of my non-human parents would have to be something special to allow me to live here.
; Still, I couldn’t wrap my mind around it. Part of me almost wished I had been born half-dragon, instead of half-human, so I could enjoy being a real princess, but I also couldn’t imagine not being part human.
“Wait, why can only certain people be around humans?” I wondered.
My parents exchanged a glance, before my mother sighed. “It’s a long story, sweetie, but basically there was a war between the three magical races a long time ago, even before I was born, with a lot of the conflict stemming from territory disputes. A ridiculous number of people died, and the non-magical races got caught in the crossfire, including humans. In the end, the magical races developed a truce, along with the humans and dwarves. Unfortunately, the humans have short memories, so they no longer remember the truce, but it’s still upheld to this day. As a result, the magical races agreed to stay within their established territories. The elves occupy the lands in the southwest, the demons in the southeast, and the dragons in the north, although most of them live on floating islands in the sky.”
“Floating islands?!” I repeated.
Was such a thing even possible? How come I had never seen one?
She nodded, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, speaking as if she had read my mind. “Yes. You wouldn’t be able to see them with your human eyes, but in your natural form you might be able to spot one. They are up very high.”
I nodded absentmindedly, wondering if I could visit a floating island someday. I had never particularly cared about traveling anywhere, but suddenly I found myself wanting to see one.
My mother abruptly changed subjects, speaking to my father now as we began walking again. “But with her magic unsealed, we’ll have to give her your sigil soon, so she can prove she’s your daughter if it ever comes into question.”
My dad nodded with a grimace. “I know,” he agreed. “I just wish we didn’t have to do it while she was so young still.”
“What?” I asked, completely confused by what they were talking about.
My mother gave me a reassuring smile. “It’s a powerful magic that brands a symbol on your body. That’s what your dad’s tattoos on his chest and back are, as well as my tattoos,” she added, twisting toward me to emphasize the black mark in the middle of her upper chest above her bust. “It will mark you as a member of the royal household of the dragons, and it’s absolutely essential you receive it sooner rather than later, since your magic has been unsealed. If an envoy ever caught you in your demon form, then you could get in a lot of trouble without evidence of your heritage.” She paused, evaluating my stunned expression. “I’ll give you my sigil as well, but we expect mine to be easy for you to inherit.”
“W-What?” I repeated. “Easy? Does that mean it will be hard for me to get dad’s symbol?”
They both grimaced, and my dad cleared his throat. “Sigils are a very unique magic, honey. It’s a very ancient magic that almost has a life of its own. The most powerful ones can only be on one person and can actually choose their owner, and there’s nothing anyone can do if a sigil rejects someone…” His voice trailed off.
“You think yours will reject me?” I wondered hesitantly. “Because I’m not half-dragon?”
“No, sweetie,” my mother replied gently. “We aren’t worried about it rejecting you – your father’s sigil isn’t strong enough to do that. But what we are worried about is…well, it might hurt a lot when we try to give it to you.”
“Because I’m not half-dragon,” I repeated.
They both nodded somberly.
My dad spoke in a whisper. “That’s why I would have preferred to wait until you’re older. I don’t want you to have to go through that kind of pain when you’re so young.”
“But it won’t hurt after I get it, right?” I clarified.
They both nodded. “Right,” my mother agreed.
My father immediately continued. “But it’s a pain I’ve been told you never forget. At least, if the sigil doesn’t want to be united with your magic.”
I cringed at the idea. My mother rubbed my dad’s bare back as if she was trying to comfort him. As if him seeing me in pain was going to hurt him just as much. I didn’t fully understand how bad it would hurt, assuming it would be much worse than having my arm bitten off, but I felt like I needed to be brave for my dad’s sake.
I cleared my throat. “Well, I guess let’s get it over with as soon as possible, so we don’t have to worry about it anymore.” I looked up at their surprised expressions. “Can we do it tonight? Or is it something that takes a long time?”
“No more than a few hours,” my mother said carefully. “If the sigil were to accept you, then it would only require a few minutes, but we should assume it’ll take a few hours.”
“A few painful hours,” I clarified.
My father grimaced again, looking away while my mother nodded somberly.
“Then let’s get it over with,” I replied decisively, knowing we were close to home. “Oh! And I almost forgot, you can meet Jasmyn too!”
“Who?” My mother asked, looking up at my father for an explanation.
He rubbed the back of his neck, appearing uncomfortable. “I explained in the letter I sent with your pigeon today, but of course you never got it. Alyssa has become friends…with a Naga.”
My mother finally pulled us both to a stop, her expression unreadable. “A Naga?” she snapped, her brow furrowing as she stared into space.
“She’s really sweet,” I replied in a rush, uncertain about her reaction.
“And she’s who killed the boy that attacked our daughter,” my father added. “She defended Alyssa,” he rephrased.
My mother let go of my hand, and took a step forward only to turn around and look at us both, crossing her arms over her chest. The added pressure against her leather corset made her appear even bustier than she already looked. I could see her dark gray skin just fine, despite the darkness, thanks to my demonic eyesight.
She addressed my father first. “And she’s living in the house?” she demanded.
“She sleeps with me,” I clarified. “I really like her, mom. She’s the only friend I’ve ever had. Ever.”
“She can’t stay with us,” my mother retorted, her crimson slitted eyes firm.
I stared at her in disbelief. “But mom–“
She cut me off. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but we have–“
I abruptly crossed my arms, cutting her off. “Fine,” I snapped. “Then we’ll both leave! If Jasmyn has to go, then I’m going with her!”
My mom’s eyes widened in shock, my father speaking up before she could respond. “Honey, calm down. Just–”
“No,” I snapped again.
The idea of Jasmyn leaving me now was unbearable. I already knew I cared a lot about her, but it felt like my feelings had escalated recently. I wasn’t sure why, but I couldn’t handle the idea of being separated from her.
“We’re a packaged deal,” I continued. “She’s the bow, and I’m the arrow. She’s the gun, and I’m the bullets. So if she has to go, then fine! But I’m going with her!”
My mother sighed, reaching up with her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. She then addressed my father again. “A new fons’radix might have made an appearance,” she commented.
“Oh,” my father replied simply. He then took a deep breath. “Dammit, why now of all times?”
I looked at them both in confusion, a little surprised that my dad had cursed in front of me. He never said even remotely foul words around me, and would probably be shocked if he knew I had used them a handful of times myself.
My mother lifted her hands up in the air as she shrugged. “It can’t be helped. It’s been a long time since the last one, so I knew it might happen soon.”
My father scoffed. “Yeah, but soon could be twenty years.”
“I know,” she agreed somberly. “And I’m sorry. I was hoping to bring her with me, but maybe it’s better if she stays with you.”
“Wait, what?” I exclaimed
. “What are you two talking about?”
My father sighed heavily, being the one to respond. “As a fons’radix, one of your mother’s responsibilities is locating and training new ones when they show up.”
“Or eliminating them,” my mother clarified. “If I determine they’re too dangerous.”
I gawked at them both.
My father continued. “Fons’radix unbalance the scales of power,” he elaborated. “An entire army of dragons, all capable of using magic, might fall to even just one fons’radix attacking them.”
I felt like my eyes were bugging out of my head as I looked at my mother. “You’re that powerful?” I asked in disbelief.
“I am,” she admitted. “And I wield a lot of authority and respect because of it. However, it also comes with a lot of responsibility. It’s my job to make sure another original doesn’t get out of hand. I have to educate them on the unified laws established by the three magical races, along with the consequences of breaking those laws. It’s also my job to try to recruit them towards protecting world peace as I have done myself for over a millennium now.”
“S-So, what does that all mean?” I asked seriously. “That you have to leave already?”
She nodded somberly. “And I would really like you to come with me,” she added. “So I can finally train you how to use your magic.”
“Oh,” I said simply, trying to process what she was saying. “B-But, what about Jasmyn? I’m not going anywhere without her,” I replied firmly, crossing my arms again.
“It’s not that simple,” my dad said gently. “I wouldn’t be able to go either.”
“What?” I exclaimed. “Why not?”
“Because of who I am,” he continued. “Marrying your mother was highly scrutinized by everyone because of who she is, but they ultimately decided to not get involved as long as I didn’t interfere with her responsibilities.”
Magicbound to a Snake Girl Page 21