Dragon Mystics: Supernatural Prison #2 Page 19

  “You okay with being the last one not in some form of complicated relationship, Jake?” We all knew Tyson and Grace were heading toward … something.

  He shook his head, white silky hair stylishly tousled against his forehead. “Yeah, I’m all good with a little less complicated in my life. There are too many females out there for me to want just one. I’ll stay unmated for as long as possible, thank you.”

  Jacob the jackass. It would probably be a sad day when he mated and some of his dick-like behavior disappeared.

  I furrowed my brow a little. “Am I the only one who thinks it’s odd that two of the Compasses have discovered true mates here in the sanctuary?” I directed my question to the entire group. True matings were rare, so both brothers in such a short period was unusual.

  Lienda answered, her expression wistful. “True mated pairs are works of fate. If you need to find them, you will.”

  Jonathon linked his arm with Lienda. “The energy of the dragon king has started to return. We can feel his cold power leaking into the supernatural world. It has been there for some time now. He is preparing to rise and release his command. This is causing a shift in the great plan, and during moments of war, we always have more supernatural mates.”

  Well, since fate decided to land me six-and-a-half-feet of beautiful, muscled dragon – it was Braxton Compass for freaks sake – I was not complaining.

  Although, I did have a little something to say about this partial bond thing. Not cool, fates. Not freaking cool.

  I was determined to eliminate the second mate sooner rather than later. There was no one else for me and I wasn’t running anymore, or hiding behind friendship contracts. I would no longer be wasting energy fighting the inevitable. It was now and always Braxton.

  Louis brought our attention back to him and Mischa. “Prepare for the final release,” he said, his voice just a little strained. The glow from his hands increased as he neared what must be the last key to unlocking her power. All of my nerves rushed back to the forefront.

  Then, in the same series of steps I remembered from my dragon bursting free in Vanguard, the light and power ricocheted outwards. I stayed on my feet only because I’d braced myself for it. Mischa dropped to all fours, her screams brutal. I wanted to rush forward and gather her into my arms, but Louis seemed to have thrown up some sort of barrier around them. Jonathon and Lienda were surging forward also.

  “If she shifts, she will kill you,” Louis warned us.

  I banged my hands on the barrier. “She won’t kill me, and trust me, the pain is a horrible bitch, so let me get to my sister.”

  The barrier disappeared. Either I burst through the shield, or Louis allowed me to enter. I was the only one though. I hurled myself down, wrapping my arms around Mischa, whispering nonsense words, rocking her back and forth in the only way I knew how to comfort. She continued to scream. My dragon energy rose up from inside, and for the first time her power responded, as if the two energies had been separated and were now coming together.

  With a crack, like lightning striking, our energies collided.

  Chapter 14

  Ouch. That fuc … freaking hurt.

  The thought was not mine. It took me a few moments longer to realize it was Mischa’s. Right, so sure, whatever … we were just like chilling in each other’s heads. Because that is normal. Okay, it kind of was normal for me nowadays.

  Surprisingly, I could not only hear her thoughts, but sense her energy connected to mine. It took no effort – almost like instinct – to communicate with her.

  So you even censor your curses in your mind.

  She froze, as if she was having trouble comprehending what had just happened.

  Jess? You’re in my head! How the hell are you in my head?

  I laughed out loud, which had all the Compasses staring. I have no idea, our power connected and now we seem to be able to mentally talk.

  She was quiet again, then I sensed a sigh coming from her. The other twins have a mental connection. It sounds like we’re the same.

  I snorted. We’re nothing like them.

  I untangled myself from Mischa, standing and breaking the physical contact. As our hands parted, the mind link disappeared. I could still feel her energy, but in the normal shifter way.

  “You can’t hear my thoughts, right?” I asked.

  She shook her head, standing slowly, as if stretching new muscles. “No, you’re gone.”

  Jonathon’s arms wrapped around both of us and pulled us together, and the moment we touched again her energy re-flooded my body.

  “You could hear each other’s thoughts?” Lienda stood beside her mate, her expression a combination of pleased and pensive.

  Mischa stepped out of Jonathon’s arms and into her mother’s. The connection between us fell again. “Yes, but only when we touch.”

  Louis’ eyes narrowed in interest as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “The ability will grow as you both become stronger. For now contact is needed, but one day soon you will not have to touch.”

  Jacob, who had been doing his fey-singing-to-nature thing, trying to calm the energy Mischa had created, suddenly laughed out loud.

  He smirked at Braxton. “Better work on Jessa’s shielding, Brax, or you might end up banging twins.”

  Mischa and I lunged at the same time, landing dual punches on his arm. Good to see my sister was turning a little badass in her old age. Jacob rubbed the spot we’d hit, but he should be counting himself lucky. If Braxton had retaliated, the fey would have been walking lame for the rest of his very long life. And he knew it, judging by the way he was edging away. Mischa kicked Jacob again as she walked past him. His dimples flashed, but luckily for him he kept his mouth shut.

  “So what are these abilities I should have now?” Mischa asked when she stood center of our group. “I don’t have a dragon or demon chilling inside the way Jess described it, but maybe I need to shift first or something. Get a feel for my own fluffy beast.”

  My fluffy beast elevated her head a little, gave a snort of amusement, then she sank back into her space, so calm, her ancient energy radiating. I almost couldn’t believe I used to call her a demon and fear her release. Now she and I had the same bond as me and my wolf. Twin souls.

  Mischa was still talking. “There is something inside though, different than my wolf, not like the shifter power.”

  She closed her eyes and her expression morphed into something serene. Her face suddenly looked like it was carved from stone. I could see civilizations rise and fall in that expression, and I fidgeted waiting for something to happen. My dragon reared up as if she was sensing things I didn’t have knowledge of. As Mischa twisted her head to the left, I had my first view of her dragon mark. It was low on her neck, and small. Dammit! There went my hope that I wasn’t the only special one with a massive mark. As the others began to notice the red and black marring her skin, more than one set of eyes turned in my direction also. They all knew what this meant, but before anyone could say anything we were distracted by the glow.

  A ghostly specter rose from my sister. Like wafts of smoke, it seeped out of her, and then with a sort of pop the image became clear. She was surrounded by a ghost dragon. Braxton moved closer, he was watching Mischa with a laser-like focus. He’d told me that the marked generally gained extra abilities, mimicking dragons but not being able to shift into one. Was this what he referred to?

  Jonathon’s voice was smooth “Mischa … honey, can you hear me?” I recognized the tone. It was the same he used to talk down a startled shifter, keeping his energy low and calm.

  Her eyes flicked open, the green glowing, like twin beams of light, both eerie and beautiful. She seemed to be babbling, even though her tone remained very even. “I’m great. And what the hell is with this eyesight … it’s insane. I can see these waves of light. I can scent a million different things on the wind. I feel as if I could fly, but I know I can’t.”

  Braxton strode back to my side, as if he kne
w I needed to speak with him. He saw the question in my eyes and nodded. “Yes, to my knowledge, this is the usual power of the dragon marked,” he said.

  I rubbed my temples, attempting to alleviate some of the tension which had decided to settle there. “Why am I the special one?” I lowered my voice to a mutter. “I don’t want to be the only dual shifter, I don’t want to be north in the freaking compass.”

  Jacob opened his mouth, but Braxton fixed him with a stare and the fey decided his life was worth more than whatever quip he was about to utter. Maximus stepped into the circle. He’d been standing away with his mate, I think trying not to upset Mischa, especially when she was dealing with her energy being unlocked. Quite considerate for Maximus. I was glad to see my vampire taking control again. It was not natural for him to linger on the outside.

  “We should go to the mystics now,” he said, his deep tone commanding. “We don’t have much time, and the stronger Mischa and Jess are, the better chance we have of thwarting the evil twins and preventing the rise of the king.”

  Mischa’s smile was genuine. “Max is right, I feel so much going on inside right now, but there is so much more. I want more.”

  Maximus’ smile was light. He seemed happy that some of the tension between Mischa and him had eased, which of course only pissed off his newly minted mate. Cardia didn’t say anything, but I was reading her narrowed eyes and furrowed brows.

  Mischa’s ghostly dragon and shining eyes started to fade away; she’d either learned how to pull it back or had lost control of the marked power. Either way, Maximus was right, we needed to learn about our power. What being a marked meant exactly.

  It was time to find the mystics, get this training shit out of the way.

  It was mutually decided that Jacob, Maximus and Cardia would grab us some food for the road. Who knew how long we would be training with the mystics. And I was quite worried about my recent weight loss. I needed cake. Lots of freaking cake. Cardia paused beside me, just before everyone dispersed. I could tell it was a deliberate pause.

  She didn’t vamp out on me, and wasn’t even close to powerful enough to roll me, so I could stare her straight in the eyes. “I hope we can be friends,” she said, her voice smooth and sweet. I had the strangest feeling that she was speaking the words but wasn’t feeling them. I hated fake. I really hoped it was just that she was trying to get a sense of our pack before jumping right in.

  I ran my eyes over her. Damn, she was so freaking cute, all petite and pretty, not the type I thought Maximus would end up with. I’d expected tall and strong. But I wouldn’t underestimate Cardia. She’d been chosen for him and that had to mean something.

  I threw her a bone. Sort of: “The Compasses are my pack, my family. You’re now family. But it’s going to take time, there are dynamics which will need to slowly adjust.” I got to my main point. “The reality is: don’t fuck with my boys and I’m sure we’ll be friends.”

  I’d never had much use for chick friends, so competitive and annoying, but having Mischa around had demonstrated that there were benefits. I needed to give Cardia a chance – for Maximus.

  She gave me a measured stare before smiling, seemingly satisfied with our conversation, and crossing back to her mate. They three of them – Jacob included – wandered off toward the food street.

  Lienda and Jonathon had already left with Mischa between them. My twin had been chatting away. I hadn’t seen her this animated before. She was positively glowing. The dragon marked energy flowed through her body and she was flying high on the power. I strode across to join Braxton and Louis, who had been waiting for me. We were quiet as we crossed the town toward the mystics building. I walked between them, and while there was no immediate tension, it didn’t exactly feel friendly either.

  Braxton was the first to speak. “Explain to me this whole brother-sister thing you two have going on?”

  Louis grinned, and I couldn’t help returning it. I let the sorcerer explain, it was his story, and I didn’t know how much of it he wanted other supernaturals to know. He told Braxton pretty much everything – about his lost love, his isolation, the connection he felt when he touched me as a baby. Braxton didn’t interrupt, letting the sorcerer talk as much as he wanted. As I stared between the two of them, it became startlingly clear how similar they were – both commanding, powerful, and unafraid of anything. Louis actually fit in really well with the Compass quads.

  We crossed the last of the pebbled path, reaching the building we’d been directed to. A few lower level witches scurried out of our way, leaving the doorway free – yeah, we were badasses.

  Just before we entered Braxton faced the sorcerer, his expression neutral. “It’s no secret that males don’t like other males around their mates, and I’m no exception with Jessa. Reality is, dragons are usually the worst of all supernaturals. We guard what is ours with a ferocity that would scare almost everyone … except you – nothing scares you.” I sensed the slightest tone of grudging admiration from Braxton. “I accept what you say is the truth. I will allow this friendship.”

  Woah! He did not just say that. “Hang on just one freaking second! Allow … allow the friendship?” I poked my finger directly into Braxton’s chest. “I’ll choose my own friends and no bossy ass dragon is going to change that. You have a problem with any of my friends, you come and talk to me.”

  His blue eyes darkened and as usual he enjoyed watching me lose my shit, although he didn’t back down. The next eight hundred years or so were going to be volatile to say the very least. Males were so annoying with their posturing, possessive bullshit.

  Louis laughed, distracting us. We didn’t break the stare-off, but some of the tension eased. The slightest of smiles crossed Braxton’s full lips and I got a flash of dimple. I was staying strong though, I would not let his sexiness break me. If he dominated me in decisions like this, he always would. It was in his nature.

  “Let’s call it a tie?” he said, mimicking back what I’d said a hundred times to him over the years. My heart swelled at the love that laced his words.

  “I promise I won’t threaten your friends without running it by your first. But if I think they don’t have pure and honorable intentions, I will destroy them. Do you understand me? There is only so much I can tolerate, Jess, and you have to understand that you are it for me. You are it.” He was fierce. “There is no other, and there will be no other. So I will fight to the death and beyond to keep you.”

  My legs trembled, just the slightest motion, but he saw. His words were like lava, flowing through my body and into my soul. The jump from friends to lovers had been a quick progression, but in reality, we’d been moving this way for a long time. I’d just been too pigheaded to see it. Braxton had been patiently waiting for me. I knew I never saw him with other women because he’d never wanted me to.

  “How long have you loved me for?” I couldn’t hide my honest curiosity.

  Louis laughed again. “You’re cute. Obtuse, but cute.”

  I flipped him off. “Shut it, sorcerer, you don’t get to butt in here.”

  Braxton reached out and captured my hand, his thumb rubbing over the soft, fleshy part of my palm. “I’ve loved you since we were children, but as a mate since we were about sixteen.” His eyes held me captive. “Do you remember that season we both came into our powers? We’d just learned to shift and the emotions were so overwhelming. Dealing with new energies, our animals, it was a crazy time.”

  I nodded, that was not an experience I imagined I’d ever forget.

  “We’d just come back from running in the forest, all of us and you. You shifted to human and were standing in the vines, naked, dirt all over you. You threw back your head and laughed at whatever moronic thing Jake had said.” Braxton’s voice was huskier now. “Seeing you there hit me like never before. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t take my eyes from you. Fuck… I was slammed by my feelings. I don’t know why it was that moment, I’d seen you that way a million times, but
I knew then that you were mine.”

  I stepped closer, my right hand rising to rest over his heart. “I’m sorry it took me so long to catch up.”

  Every part of me was filled with emotion. I remembered what Louis had told me long ago, that without the lows you couldn’t really feel the highs. I couldn’t imagine anything higher.

  Braxton shook his head, stepping even closer to me, my hand squashed between us. “It wasn’t that you had to catch up, you had to let go of your fears. And since you’re one hell of a brave supernatural, I knew it couldn’t take you long.”

  It had been fear holding me back, and I was still afraid. I whispered the terror I held deep in my soul. “What if we lose this? Why the hell do I have a second mate?”

  He cupped my chin, gently dragging my gaze back up to meet his. “Never going to happen. This is just another trial for us, but we will slay it as we always do.”

  Our cliché romance book moment was ended by the appearance of a bunch of gray haired cloaked fey dudes. Obviously women’s liberation never reached the dragon mystics. They were a penis-heavy bunch.

  “Are you ready?” asked Quale, stepping forward, no qualms about interrupting my moment.

  From what I could see, below the cowl of his cloak, his expression was serious. “We do not share the secrets of the dragon lightly. Many argued against allowing any who are closely associated with the quads into the inner circle. But I will not permit us to take sides in this war. We are the council to the king, yes, but we are also part of the supernatural community.”

  Most of the mystics looked unhappy by his words. But they didn’t voice any objections today. For some reason they seemed to both admire and fear Quale.

  He turned to Braxton. “Where are your brothers? We need you to join together so we know what we are dealing with.”

  “They’re on their way,” Braxton said.

  I was guessing the mystics wanted to determine if they had to eliminate their enemies today, which is why we had the full showing of cloaked grays. I was sure this “forced joining” would have been demanded a lot earlier if not for all the disappearing into Faerie and such. Seems they had decided now was the time.