by Tara West
Her mates took turns with her, making love to her well into the night. She’d be exhausted come morning, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t sure why, but she needed the affirmation of love from her mates more than anything.
Chapter Two
“DRAQUE AND SERAPHINA, wake up and pay attention to the lesson.” Teju slammed his wand across the desk.
Serah screamed and Draque shot up like a backward bolt of lightning. He dragged a hand down his face, cursing, then noticed the bit of drool she’d left on his arm. Leaning on her elbows, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
Had they fallen asleep at their desk?
“Is it time to wake up already?” she mumbled.
Teju leaned over them, his face a mask of stone. “It was never time to go to sleep.”
“I’m sorry.” She yawned into her palm. “I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”
“Neither did I.” Draque shot his brother a knowing look. “You should know all about that, Professor Firesbreath.”
Teju colored as the other students chuckled.
Ever since Dame Doublewart had offered his brother the professor position, he’d been too full of himself. Draque felt it was his civic responsibility to bring his brother down several notches.
Teju gave the class a silencing look. “What you do outside class is nobody else’s business. Now if we could please get back to the lesson.” He slapped his palm several times with the wand.
“If you’re giving out spankings, Serah will take one,” Draque teased.
The class broke into an uproar.
“Oh, goddess, Draque.” Serah hung her head in her hands.
Draque worried that he’d embarrassed her, but when he saw the rapid rise and fall of her shoulders, he knew she was trying to hide her laughter.
“Professor Firesbreath?” Ladon’s voice interrupted.
Draque’s attention shot to the school’s intercom speaker positioned above the light switch. There was panic in Ladon’s voice. If Serah’s deadbeat dad was back, so help him goddess, he’d give the pompous fae a beating to remember.
Teju’s furrowed brow revealed that he’d heard the tension in Ladon’s voice, too. He hit the intercom button. “Yes, Ladon?”
“I-I need you to come up here. Immediately.”
Serah stood, clutching the sides of the desk in a white-knuckled grip. “What’s wrong?”
Draque stood with her, his feet like blocks of ice. “Ladon?”
“Please hurry.” Ladon ended on a strangled sob.
“Ladon, tell us what’s happening,” Teju demanded, clutching his wand like a lifeline. “Are you all right?”
“The eggs are gone.”
Draque took off at a run, his heart beating in his throat, mind reeling. If Nathaniel Goldenwand had taken his offspring, goddess help him; he would set fire to the world.
“THADDEUS! WHERE IN Hades’ name are you?”
Thaddeus cringed at Katherine’s familiar cat claws-on-chalkboard bird-like screech. So much for his desire for alone time. He doubted he’d ever escape her watchful eye. Frowning at his reflection in the emerald pool, he threw a rock into the water, distorting the image of a man he hardly recognized. Frown lines had replaced smile lines, and his once golden eyes were dull brown. But those changes were nothing compared to the ugly, mechanical contraption strapped to his chest, the thing Katherine’s mage father, Master Eagleheart, had attached to his heart. The monitor kept him alive after being struck by the unbreakable curse.
He flinched at the echo of her footsteps as she drew near, but he didn’t turn around. Wishful thinking, but if he refused to acknowledge her, maybe she’d leave him alone.
“There you are.” Walking up beside him, she impatiently tapped her foot on the damp slate. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming here?”
With an indifferent shrug, he threw another pebble in the water. “I didn’t know I had to report my every move to you.”
She pouted, crossing her arms over her ample bosom, giving him an eyeful of cleavage under a skimpy halter top. “You know how I worry about you.”
“I’m fine,” he spat, looking away. She was trying to seduce him. She was always trying to seduce him. Sometimes it worked, and he fucked her rough and hard, until he was wheezing into her hair, just like she liked it, but his body, what was left of it, was all he could give her. He’d already made a vow to give his heart to no one. How could he open himself to love again after losing his entire family?
She sat beside him, brushing her bare arm against his while she drew a lazy circle around his knee. “What are you doing?”
He refused to look her in the eye. He already knew where this was going, and he wasn’t in the mood. “Thinking.”
“About what?” she cooed, tossing long pale hair over her shoulder.
“What else?” he spat, his words barbed with venom. “Revenge.”
He would’ve sought out Nathaniel Goldenwand and burned him to a crisp if it hadn’t been for his weak heart, which made breathing, much less shifting, a chore. He’d tried once several months back and had only made it to the edge of the Werewood Forest before his erratically beating heart and injured leg forced him to return to the safety of Master Eagleheart’s hidden lair underneath the heart of the forest, protected from the witches by several concealment enchantments. His leg had finally healed, but Master Eagleheart told him his heart would never fully recover.
“You need not worry about revenge.” She patted his knee in a condescending manner. “My father’s griffin army will take care of it. You just focus on getting well.”
He rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t matter if I live or die. What life will I have without my family?”
She turned into him, grasping his shoulders and searching his eyes with a look akin to desperation. “We can create a new life, a new family.”
He jerked away and turned his back to her. “You expect me to bring hatchlings into a world where Nathanial Goldenwand has destroyed the shifter race?” he grumbled. “To worry that they will share the same fate that befell my brothers?”
“Thaddeus, please,” she cried shrilly as her griffin broke through. “We can create a new life.”
When she placed a hand on his back, he jerked away as if he’d been scalded. “I don’t want it.” How selfish did she think he was, that he’d want to create a life without his brothers? Besides, dragon shifters could only impregnate their fated mates, and he knew without a doubt Katherine was not fated for him.
“But I love you,” she said, raking her claws down his back.
He saw the moisture in her eyes and hated himself. He didn’t want to hurt her, but it would never work. “I know, and I’m sorry.” He sighed, his shoulders falling. “I can’t love you back in the same way.”
“Why?” Tears cascaded down her face, and her lower lip quivered.
How easily Katherine broke into tears. She was always doing this to him, and he was beginning to wonder if it was all an act. One thing was certain: he would not let her or anyone detract him from his goal. “My heart only has room for hate while my soul thirsts for revenge.”
TEJU WAS OUT OF BREATH by the time they reached the front office. He burst through the door, brandishing his wand, Draque and Serah right behind him.
Dame Doublewart sat beside Ladon, her normally stony, gaunt features looking even more severe, her austere bun pulling her skin so tight, you could bounce a stone off it. She was trying to force Ladon to drink a steaming cup of tea. He had a baffled look in his eyes, as if he’d just woken from a deep sleep.
“You can put down your wands,” the headmistress said. “They’re gone now.”
“Who’s gone?” Teju demanded, hating that he sounded like an ass, but the eggs were more important than hurt feelings.
“Give me a moment,” she snapped, “I’m trying to figure out who took the eggs.”
While he appreciated her help, her measured approach was costing them time, time they didn’t have.
Serah and Draque rushed to the empty bassinet by Ladon’s desk. Serah snatched the blanket and Draque kicked over the bassinet with a curse.
Tears brimming, she held out the wool blanket Ladon had knitted for the eggs. “They’ll freeze without this.”
Draque took her in his arms, kissing the top of her head.
“Close your eyes and think,” Dame Doublewart said to Ladon in a soothing voice, holding the tea up to his nose. “Try to remember what happened.”
“There’s a faster way to get that information.” Teju pointed his wand at Ladon’s forehead.
“What are you doing?” the headmistress asked.
“A memory spell,” he said impatiently, then mumbled while focusing on Ladon. Ladon gasped and stiffened when Teju pulled a long, translucent ribbon from his eyeball. With a flick of the wrist, Teju flung the ribbon against the wall, and Ladon’s suppressed memory played like a black and white reel on an old television.
Draque and Serah cursed when they saw Brayne Nasir of the House of Phoenixfire enter the room, carrying what appeared to be a big present wrapped in a bow. He acted as if he had trouble balancing it, and Ladon rushed to his aid, taking the box from Brayne. The fae then reached into his pocket and blew a handful of dust in Ladon’s face. Ladon sneezed, and his world spun before darkening.
Teju’s stomach twisted in knots. That devious lowlife.
Smoke poured from Draque’s snout. “I’m going to murder that sneaky fae.”
Ladon hung his head. “I’m so sorry,” he said through a sob. “I shouldn’t have trusted him.”
Serah sat beside him, rubbing his back. “How were you to know?”
An uneasy feeling made the hairs on the back of Teju’s neck stand on end. “This is a trap. He wants to lure us to Elysan.”
“Obviously.” Draque snorted. “What are we to do? Sit by after he took our babies?”
Teju clutched his wand in a white-knuckled grip. “Remember what happened to our grandparents.”
“How could I forget,” Draque grumbled.
“What happened to your grandparents?” Serah asked.
Teju gave her a dark look. “They were killed by the dragons of Elysan when they challenged Tormung.”
She clutched her throat. “Tormung?”
“The dragon king of the fourth realm,” Teju answered solemnly.
“Our grandparents became too hungry for power.” Shadows darkened Draque’s features. “They didn’t just want to rule the fifth realm, but all the fae realm, too. When they tried to take power from the dragon king, they were destroyed.”
“Is Tormung still king there?” she asked.
Teju grimaced. “He’s been king for two hundred years. We must be on our guard. He won’t welcome our arrival.”
“We must always be on our guard when dealing with the creatures of the fourth realm,” Draque said, pulling his wand from his pocket.
Serah twisted the hem of the baby blanket around her finger. “Did you or your parents threaten to retaliate after your grandparents were killed?”
“No,” Teju said, hating speaking ill of his dead grandparents. “Our parents forbade us from retaliating. Our grandparents were foolish to challenge the king.”
“Not that we would’ve survived.” Ladon let out a nervous laugh. “There are hundreds of them and only a few of us.”
Serah paled. “Hopefully the dragon king will understand when we tell him my father stole our eggs.”
Teju and his brothers snorted. They knew from experience Tormung was anything but understanding.
“We’re wasting time. Dame Doublewart,” Teju said to the headmistress, “I’m sorry, but we must leave school early.”
“Go.” Standing at full height, she gave him an assessing look over her hook nose. “I will cover for you. May the goddess protect you.”
“Thanks.” They’d need all the protection they could get, but he didn’t say it because Serah and Ladon were upset enough. When he and Draque shared meaningful looks, a feeling of understanding passed between them. This mission was going to be dangerous, very dangerous.
Chapter Three
SERAH RODE ASTRIDE Ladon’s back, holding tightly to Teju’s hand, grateful for the heat his wand produced as the chill wind stung her face. She wished they could’ve traveled by bubble, but Teju had feared the altitude would pop it. Draque led the way, his powerful wings beating harder than she’d ever seen. The heavy clouds beneath them obscured the earth below and she had no idea if they were over land or sea.
The air was thinner when they broke through a thick band of mist, making it impossible to see anything but shadows. How frustrating this journey had been. It had taken nearly four hours to get this far. So much could’ve happened to her eggs in that time. She’d known her father was an inconsiderate fool after their first meeting, but she prayed he wasn’t malicious, too.
Guilt consumed her when she thought of all the times she’d resented giving birth to eggs so soon and how she’d hoped they’d hold off hatching for at least five years. She swore to herself she’d never complain about her eggs again if they were safely returned to her.
Do not feel guilty, Thelix soothed. It is natural for a mother to feel this way.
Serah thanked her siren, wondering why her thoughts were more supportive lately. Some days Serah thought Thelix actually cared for her. She was allegedly the spirit of an ancient siren ancestor who was supposed to act as a guide, but more often she only cared about getting laid.
Teju tightened his arm around her waist. “We’re almost there. I may need to transform into a dragon.”
She nodded, ignoring the tear that slipped over her eyelid.
Ladon broke through the clouds, and she had to shield her eyes against the glaring sun that reflected off a golden gate twice the height of her dragon mates. Squinting, she was taken back by the ethereal beauty of Elysan. The lush ground was covered in mist, and gilded palaces in the distance looked much like what mortals interpreted as heaven.
They were about to land in front of the gate when a burst of fire behind them startled Ladon. He spun around so fast, she nearly fell off his back.
Teju jumped down and shifted into a dragon. Draque leaped in front of them, facing down what appeared to be a dozen other dragons.
“Dragon shifters!” a thunderous voice bellowed, rattling the bars of the distant gate. A large crimson dragon, at least a head taller and far wider than any of her mates, stood in front of Draque, his neck stretched to full height. It looked as if the very fires of hell burned in his red eyes. “What are you doing in our realm?”
What gnome crawled up his ass? Thelix hissed.
Was this the king dragon her mates’ grandparents had fought for possession of the throne?
“King Tormung, our dragon eggs were stolen by a fae,” Draque said, his heavy jowls barely moving as he bowed before the king. “We’ve come to reclaim them.”
King Tormung arched a scaly brow. “A fae stole your eggs?”
The spikes running down Draque’s spine stood on end as he straightened. “That is what I said.”
“Who?” King Tormung asked.
Teju said, “Brayne Nasir of the House of Phoenixfire.”
“Unbelievable!” Smoke poured from the dragon king’s snout. “What would Lord Phoenixfire want with shifter eggs?” The way he sneered when he said the word “shifter” made it sound like acid dripping off his tongue. Why did this dragon hate shifters and did that mean he wasn’t one?
“We believe he stole them in an attempt to manipulate his daughter,” Teju answered, nodding at Serah.
When the other dragons turned their eyes on her, she’d never felt so small and insignificant in her life. The looks the other dragons gave her were unsettling.
I’m out of here, Thelix squeaked, then her presence was no longer felt in Serah’s head.
“Lord Phoenixfire’s daughter?” King Tormung asked incredulously.
“Serah,” Draque said, raising his chin, “our m
ate and the mother of our eggs.”
Keeping his red-eyed glare focused on Serah, he aggressively advanced a paw toward her. “You are the daughter of Lord Phoenixfire? Why have I never heard of you?”
Ladon’s low growls vibrated the scales she sat on, and she stroked his neck. “Easy.” She refused to let the king intimidate her, even though one look from him made her bones quake. She gave him what she hoped was an indignant look. “A better question to ask my father.”
The dragon king stared at her a long moment, his eyes narrowing to slits before he turned his scowl on Draque. “How do I know this isn’t a trick, and you aren’t trying to steal our treasure?”
“We care nothing for treasure,” Draque answered, his voice surprisingly calm and even. “We only want our eggs back.”
King Tormung’s lips pulled back in a snarl as he bared rows of long fangs as sharp as blades. “How many witches have come here saying they want nothing, when in reality they want everything?”
Draque ruffled his wings like an agitated bird. “What can we do to prove we only want our eggs?”
The dragon king glanced at the dragons behind him before smirking at them. “Nothing.”
Ladon’s growls grew louder, rattling Serah’s brain.
“Will you let us pass?” Draque asked.
“If you want to get past these gates....” King Tormung paused, puffing up his chest, his scales turning bright orange as fire raced up his throat. “You’ll have to fight me for passage.”
“A fight?” Serah threw up her hands in disbelief. “How ridiculous. Can’t you see we’ve suffered enough? We’ve been traveling for hours. My mates are too exhausted to fight, and I want my babies!” She ended on a shrill shriek, not caring that she sounded like a banshee.
King Tormung gave her a long, cool look. “I don’t care.”
Serah had had enough of his trollshit. They were wasting time, and each second without her eggs was torture. Summoning her siren tongue, she glowered at him. “You will stand down and let us pass.” Her voice echoed across the misty field.