by Aidy Award
The witch's words burned into her. Worthless. No love. Nothing useful. A year ago, she might have believed those words. She had love. A love so deep and important it had completely changed her world. Cage's love had changed Azy, helped her find her own love for herself.
Azy reached for the shard, knowing that if the Black Witch somehow got her hands on that precious piece of Cage's soul there would be world ending consequences. The muscles in her entire body stung with the effort. She couldn't move. Her arms wouldn't respond. She could breathe, she could blink, but the rest of her body was frozen, caught in the witch's spell. That must be what had happened to everyone else in the room. This dark magic had stopped all of the dragons and their mates in their tracks.
All except Cage. He wasn't here. Thank Poseidon.
There was no way she could fight against magic this powerful. The teensy tiny bit of magic she had in her power with the water was paltry, and certainly not the least bit useful at the moment. Squirting Ereshkigal in the face with a bit of ocean water wasn’t going to do much for their plight. Azy needed a miracle.
"Don't bother reaching for your power. None but mine will work here. The magic Inanna gave to you and your dragons can't help you now. Bah." Ereshkigal slowly crossed the room. "Don't worry. I don't need or want your souls anymore."
Don't worry? Ha. With every step the witch took dark despair dragged its ugliness across Azy's psyche. If Ereshkigal didn't want the soul shards what was she after?
"Inanna can have them. Just know she's never given anything that didn't have a price or that couldn't be used for her own gain."
Uhh. This vendetta the witch had went deeper than the battle between good and evil. Sounded more like a mean girls' issue or a family feud. So the drama. Azy did not want to be caught in the middle of a witch's cat fight.
Azy screamed inside of her mind as the Black Witch's hand extended and touched her belly. If she could move, she would first vomit all over the witch, and then kick her fucking ass.
"Yes, this will work out much better. Kur-Jara will never be anything more than Inanna's pawn, always wanting what he can't have. He's so like his father that way." Ereshkigal spit, like the thought of the Black Dragon's father sickened her. "No, if I want my revenge, I'll have to have a soul that hasn't been touched by her. Two souls is even better."
There was no way on this blue and green earth that Ereshkigal would ever be near her children. Rage built inside of Azy until her body was vibrating. A white-hot energy swirled from her belly. Wait. That wasn't her. The power was coming from her womb. A zip of electricity jumped out and snapped at Ereshkigal’s hand and she yanked it away.
Holy electrophorus electricus. That had come from her babies.
That's right kiddos. You don't let anybody bully you. Azy had no idea if her children could feel or understand her thoughts, but she sent them mental hugs and kisses. She drew the strength they were emanating and together they broke the bonds of Ereshkigal’s spell. In a wash of golden light, they were free.
"Ah, yes. These babes already have so much power. I will use up every bit of it to destroy Inanna and her precious dragons."
"Not on my watch, bitch face." Azy backed away, moving further from the other dragons and their mates. If she could draw Ereshkigal away, she could protect all of them. But then what was she going to do? She'd be stuck all by herself with the Black Witch. Bad idea.
She'd broken the spell freezing her in place, but that had used up a great deal of her strength. No way Azy was going to be able to physically fight. She narrowed her eyes and laid her strongest sneer on the crone while mentally cooing to her children and desperately trying to see a way out of this dilemma.
Come now, babies. Let's all call daddy together and see if we can't find his big ole dragon butt to come and help us out.
Azy barely placed Cage's name in her mind when his mental voice popped into her head. She could almost sag to the floor in relief.
Azynsa, love. Where are you? Are you safe?
Sort of, not really. We could sure as shit use some help. She sent him an image of the dining room and creepy Ereshkigal moving back in on her.
Do not let her touch you. I'll be there as fast as I can.
Right. No touching. That was the plan. Also murdering any demon dragon or witch who even thought about coming near her. For that she would need a weapon of some kind. Why, oh why didn't they have more swords, or guns, or hand grenades lying around the villa? Azy glanced toward the table and the only thing even coming close to a weapon was a cake server. She would hack a bitch's head off with that if she had too.
"Come now, mermaid. Your children's magic may have broken the spell holding you in place, but nothing can keep me from taking them back down to the underworld with me. Don't fight it and I will let you see them before you die." The witch snarled and lunged.
Azy shoved a chair between them, blocking the witch's path. "That's never going to happen, you whorebag."
"You can't stop it." The witch waved her hands and the demon dragons who'd all been lurking in the hallway poured into the room. They were followed by the tall creepy ass demons Azy had seen in hell. Annunaki demons, Ereshkigal’s own personal judge, jury, and executioners.
Azy straightened up and put on her best bring-it-on face and tone of voice. Her secret weapon was about to arrive. "Wanna bet?"
Stones, mortar, wood, sunlight, and a really big, very angry dragon crashed down from the ceiling. Cage roared so loudly, Azy had to cover her ears. She'd never heard a more glorious sound. The Black Witch screeched in an I'm-melting, I'm-melting sort of way that was the second best song of the day.
Even while she screamed, the witch made the same movements with her hands as she had when she'd cast her freezing spell on Azy. No way, no how could she let Cage get caught by surprise like she'd been. Azy rubbed her belly hoping the babies had more protection for their daddy too. Look out, she's casting a spell.
A sharp wind whipped through the room picking up furniture and throwing it toward the witch. Ereshkigal cried out and raised her arms screaming for the Annunaki and the demon dragons. They swarmed into the room, a group of Annunaki putting themselves in front of her and blocking Cage's attacks. He roared again and whipped his tail at the roof, opening more holes and pulling the sunlight down in bright beams. He crunched a half dozen of the bastards between his great jaws and turned another group of them to black sludge with his claws. Still they swarmed in on him.
Ereshkigal slunk back from Cage's attack and narrowed her eyes on Azy. "Your babes are mine. Either I take them now or you can live in fear for the rest of your days."
Oh, hells to the no.
Little ones, daddy needs our help. I promise you a nice long flight with him and a soothing swim when this is all over. Even with the battle waging around her, Azy closed her eyes and centered herself, giving every bit of energy she had to her children. Sparks of white light shot from her body, zigging and zagging through the room. They didn't strike down the witch, or the demon dragons like she thought they would.
The light shot forward and into each of the other dragon warriors first, and then sparkled onto the rest of the mates and Wyverns in the room. Everyone came to life as the magic burst the Black Witch's spell over them all. Her smarty smart pants children had just turned the tide of this battle. It took the last bit of energy out of Azy. She wouldn't be able to fight or defend herself in this condition.
She hated to retreat, but it was time to let her dragon warrior take over the fight. Azy grabbed the silver cake server and scooted the nearest chair away from the big wooden dining room table to make room for her and her big belly. She hunkered down underneath of it, weapon held at the ready should any demon dragon deign to stick its nose in her direction.
Match was the first to come to life, instantly in his giant red dragon form. His flames incinerated a mass of demon dragons, turning them to nothing more than piles of inky black ash. Cage tossed some sort of a sword to him, and then more to Jakob
and Ky. The four swords glowed with a light, matching the dragons' colors. Before everyone's eyes, the swords sunk into the scales at the tip of each warriors' tail, weaponizing an already deadly tool.
The warriors worked in concert, cornering and slashing their way through piles of demon dragons. Cage and Match were particularly brutal in their attacks. Any attempt by any of the demons to even come close to one of the mates, and Cage immediately eviscerated them. He was definitely gunning for MVP of the battle, quarterbacking the hell out of their offense. He was seemingly everyone at once, letting no harm come to her, Ciara, Fleur, or Jada whether by his own strikes or directing the other warriors. He was glorious.
But while Cage seemed focused and in control, Match was going absolutely berserk trying to get to the Black Witch. His fire filled the room over and over, taking out demon dragons, furniture, and wedding dresses left and right. A moment before he reached Ereshkigal, he shifted back into his human form. What the hell was he doing?
Match used the shiny new sword to lop off the head of the last Annunaki demon guarding Ereshkigal then lunged forward and grabbed the witch, thrusting her up against the wall. Smoke billowed from his mouth and nose. "Where is she, crone?"
He shook with rage. “You’ve destroyed her life long enough. She is mine. Where are you hiding her?”
Ereshkigal screeched with a sound louder than all the demon dragons combined and disappeared in a puff of oily black smoke that filled the room. Everyone coughed and sputtered trying to avoid breathing in the rank, thick air. Azy covered her nose and mouth, not wanting any of the tainted smoke reaching into her body and harming the little ones.
Azynsa, where are you? My wind cannot clear the air. Tell me you're okay. Cage bellowed into her head.
I'm okay. We're safe. I crawled under the table. Not a thing had disturbed her the entire battle and now it was practically over.
That's my smart mate.
A black scaled arm shoved her mother's magic mirror in front of her face. She jerked away, but the demon dragon caught her arm.
"No go. You talk." It shook the mirror at her.
Azy did her best to yank her arm away. She couldn't die now. That was total bullshit to survive this long and get dead at the last moment. "Fuck you. Get off of me."
"You talk. Jett comes," it hissed.
"Jett?" Did this asshole really think she was going to call up his friend for him?
"Jett comes. I help you. Babies live."
No. It couldn't be. This demon dragon was offering to help her and the dragon warriors.
Deals with Demons and Other Things that Hurt
Azy snatched the mirror from the demon dragon and scooted away from him holding her cake server weapon out to defend herself. "Get away. You can't fool me. You aren't going to help us. What do you want?"
It snapped its jaws and snarled. "Jett comes. Black dragons rise."
That was the last thing Azy needed. "You can tell the Black Dragon to suck my dick."
The demon dragon slashed at a chair, cutting it in two with its claws. It crawled closer but didn't strike at her. "No." It growled and if Azy didn't know better, she'd think it was frustrated with her. "Jett comes. AllFather dies."
The table above them both disappeared, and, in its place, a very large, very angry dragon stood, ready to pounce on the demon. The demon dragon lunged and thrust the mirror at her face. Before Cage could strike, it disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Her dragon gently grabbed her up into one claw, cradling her body and holding her to his warm scales. Azy slumped into his hold, her mental and physical reserves toast. Never had she ever been so grateful to have all these friends, her true family in her life. She simply didn't know if that would be enough.
They'd won the battle today. But barely.
If Ereshkigal truly coveted the babies... a jagged tear of fear the size of the Marianas trench had been ripped open inside of her. No, Azy wouldn't give in to that fear. Even if everything in their lives had to change, if they had to give up everything, they would find a way to keep their children safe.
In a wash of golden light, Cage shifted into his human form holding Azy in his arms. "I thought he was going to kill you."
Yeah. She'd thought so too. She stretched her back trying to work on a twinge that had her lower back aching after that battle. "That's the crazy thing. He talked to me, in that way that some of the smarter demon dragons do. He said he wants to help us."
Cage looked at her like she was a crackhead on crack. She kind of felt like she'd been slipped a hallucinogen. This was one weird idea. "For real. He said if I called Jett, they would kill the AllFather, and I think they mean the Black Dragon. He said he would help save the babies from Ereshkigal."
Match threw a chair across the room. "You must never let her touch your children. It is a fate worse than death."
Cage stood, pulling her up with him, rubbing his hands over her arms, ribs and belly, checking her for injuries. "You're telling me The Black Witch wants our children and a demon dragon is proposing a deal to save them?"
She did sound like she was on drugs. Right. The rest of them had been under the witch's spell when she'd laid that evil nugget on Azy. "Pretty much."
The love of her life stared down at her, his eyes flitting back and forth over hers as if he was trying to get into her brain. He raised a hand and gently lifted her chin with his finger. "I'm not going to let either of those things happen. You and I will protect our children."
He pressed his lips to hers, sealing his promise with his kiss. It's not like Azy thought they wouldn't fight fist and claw for their family's lives, but Cage's assurances healed up a part of the fresh shreds of fear the Black Witch had torn in her soul. She swept her tongue over his lips, asking him to deepen the kiss.
"We all will." Jakob sat a few chairs over with Ciara in his lap.
At his words Cage pulled away from Azy's mouth, but ran his thumb over her lips, staring at them with a promise for later. He pulled her toward two chairs that hadn't been destroyed at the front of the room. Rays of sun shot down through the destroyed roof directly onto them, reminding Azy of the way heavenly light always shined on the throne of a king in fairy tales.
Cage sat Azy down first and then took the seat next to her. There was something new and different about him. A stronger power had settled over him. He practically glowed with it and Azy basked in his energy. The babies noticed it too. They had worn themselves out, already battling like tiny warriors.
"Thank you, Jakob. I know in the days and battles to come we will be looking to all the Wyrs for their help." Even his voice was more commanding than before. It sent a heat through her that was both arousing and comforting. "We are fortunate to have you all as our friends and family. We will be stronger together."
He pulled the sword from his belt that Azy had seen him attach to his tail during the battle. It had a familiar look, so much like the sword he used in conjunction with her mirror. "As is the way with all gifts from the First Dragon, where these came from is a mystery. But since we were each given one, with a jewel the color of our Wyr and with the symbols of our elements, I believe they are significant in our battle against the Black Death."
Cage looked to each of his Wyvern brothers, catching their eyes, some silent pledge passing between them all. It warmed her heart to see him bonding with his brothers in this new way. Even Match gave him the guy head nod.
Azy caught Ciara's eye and then Jada's. If the dragon warriors were bonding, she felt like the mates might too. Both women smiled back, and she understood they were thinking the same thing.
Jada tipped her head to the side and tapped her lips, thinking. "Where's the Black Dragon in all of this? Not that we missed him, but why wasn't he here today?"
Ky stroked his knuckles up and down Jada's arm. "I doubt he's off licking his wounds. No, he's either wreaking havoc elsewhere or planning to."
Hmm. Something important had changed and Azy was probably the only one who had the informa
tion to put the puzzle together. It made her ache to even think about the Black Witch wanting her babies. Literally pained her, low in her belly. "Ereshkigal has forsaken him."
Everyone in the room swiveled to stare at her. "It's something she said. She wants to take our children to start over. She said she needed someone who hadn't been touched by her magic. I think the her she's referring to means the White Witch."
Match paced back and forth not letting anyone stand in the way of the path he was wearing in the floor, even though Ciara was usinging her best snowflakes of calming magic to get him to sit down, calm down. "The Black Witch's powers are either growing stronger or she hasn't revealed her true strength to us if she is able to break through the protective wards. The demon dragons shouldn't have been able to even find the villa, much less enter it."
Cage took Azy's hand and squeezed. "We've never seen her in battle outside of hell. She brought the demon dragons here on her own. I'll wager a large measure of my hoard that she wreaked the destruction to The Lindens as well. Which means she's also working with Geshtianna."
A sharper pain struck Azy radiating from her back around her ribs and shooting low into her belly. Ow. Now what? God, she hoped that the streaks of white lightening the babies had generated during the battle hadn't caused them harm. She'd better get a hold of Señora Boh to come check on them after all that stress.
Cage nodded but narrowed his eyes. "Why are the Gold Dragons and the seat of our Wyr susceptible to their attacks? Jakob, you haven't seen any more demon dragons at your house?"
"Not since Ciara and I were mated. They're still in the country, but not within our protected wards."
Ciara kissed his cheek. "Do you think it's got something to do with having your soul shard stolen? Maybe the Black Witch did a spell when it was down in hell to weaken your Wyvern bond to the Wyr."
Azy grasped the shard. "No. The witch never had it. Remember, that succubus," she glanced over at Jada. The woman who'd stolen Cage's shard was her sister and was now missing. She had made mistakes but had tried at least a little to make up for them, and she was Jada's family, which meant she was important. "Portia gave the shard directly to me."