Dragon fae prophecy, p.25
Dragon Fae Prophecy, page 25
part #1 of The Elustria Chronicles - Dragon Fae Series
“Good work,” I said. “All we have to do now is get rid of the explosives. Since I can use my magic here, we can go outside and detonate them then douse the flames.” That would get rid of not just the bombs but the bodies as well.
Outside, we decided the best course of action would be for Deacon to shift again and burn the house down. His flames would detonate the bombs, and then we could ensure that everything was destroyed.
“You put up a shield around the house so the fire doesn’t spread,” I said to Sybil. “I’ll shield Deacon.”
Sybil nodded, and Deacon shifted. His power surged during the transformation, sending a thrill through me. Without the dulling effects of the cuff, everything felt stronger against the sensitive currents of my magic. It would make it even harder to confine it once we were done here.
My magic slid easily over his body, forming a protective shell that would guard him against the blast once the bombs exploded. Dragon scales were a tough armor to penetrate, but there was no need to take chances, even with Deacon’s ability to heal. I’d already watched him cling to life once. I couldn’t do it again.
With a great breath, Deacon engulfed the house in flames. It only took two breaths for the bombs to detonate. The force of the explosion rattled through the shield. His work done, Deacon joined us and shifted back. The surge of power from his transformation seemed incongruous with the shift from dragon to man.
Sybil maintained her shield and the three of us sat to watch the fire. By unspoken agreement, we wouldn’t leave until nothing remained of the house. The sun set and the stars twinkled against the night sky. I shivered. Sybil’s shield kept the heat of the fire contained and the night air rapidly cooled.
Deacon moved behind me, spreading his legs and pulling me against him. His warmth surrounded me and I melted into his chest, his strength stilling my trembling as much as the heat did.
When we were satisfied that the house was completely destroyed, Sybil and I doused the flames. It was time for the cuff to return to my wrist.
Putting it on hurt more than it had the first time I’d done it. The pain of it welled up in my gut, spread through my chest, and came out through my eyes as a few hot tears.
Deacon’s hand rubbed my back. I wiped my cheeks and stepped away. I’d made my choices. I didn’t need to be coddled through the consequences. “I’m fine.”
I looked away from Deacon’s sharp eyes. I hadn’t been lying. I was alive, and I’d completed my mission. That was about as fine as I could hope for.
“I’m going to port us all back to my apartment so you can go home and get some sleep,” Sybil said. “I’ll come back and return the rental car then check in with the Circle.”
I nodded, and we all joined hands. As soon as we appeared in her living room, Sybil ported away, leaving me and Deacon alone.
We stood in silence, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. It was over. We were done. There was nothing left to do.
Exhaustion overcame me. The adrenaline that had kept me going was spent. All of the emotion of the last day crashed around me, but I was too tired to even feel it. My legs came out from under me, and I thought I had collapsed, but instead of falling, I rose into the air. Deacon had picked me up, and he carried me from Sybil’s apartment.
I rested my head against his chest, too drained to protest his kindness. He must have gotten the key from my pocket when he picked me up, because he had no problem getting into my apartment.
“What happened? Is she okay? Who did this?” Pint asked when he saw us.
“Shh. She’s fine. It’s not hers.”
What’s not mine? Oh right, the blood all over my clothes. Nicholas’s blood. I’d forgotten.
Deacon took me into the bathroom and sat me down on the toilet while he turned on the shower. I was too tired to bathe, but I had to get the blood off. Deacon stood me up and brushed the flannel shirt I wore off my shoulders. He took hold of the hem of my undershirt but didn’t move until we made eye contact and I nodded. Then he gently pulled the shirt over my head.
“There’s blood on your pants too,” he whispered.
I looked down. He was right. They were ruined. I removed my void blade from where it sat sheathed at my back and placed it on the counter. Then I emptied the pockets and took off my pants. Deacon put them in a pile with my shirts.
“I’ll burn them.”
I nodded. That was smart. We didn’t need anyone finding my bloody clothes in the trash.
I took Deacon’s hand and stepped into the shower, not even caring that I still had my underwear on. Ever the gentleman, he stayed outside of the tub until I pulled on his hand, making it clear I wanted him in there with me. I needed him. I was too exhausted to do this on my own, and I didn’t want to be alone. He grabbed a washcloth and toed off his shoes then stepped inside.
I leaned against his chest as the water poured over me. He pulled my hair to the side and wiped some blood off my neck. It turned into little pink rivulets as the water washed it down. I normally didn’t get this much blood on me, but that first stab to Nicholas’s gut had been messy.
I watched the water wash over Deacon’s chest, gliding down the definition of his abs and disappearing into his pants as he washed the blood from my skin. At some point I must have drifted into sleep because the smell of lavender woke me, followed by Deacon’s fingers massaging my scalp as he shampooed my hair. I’d never had a man shampoo my hair before. His fingertips relaxed me in ways I didn’t even think possible. Before I could stop myself, I groaned.
The sound startled me, and I opened my eyes to see Deacon smiling. “Don’t worry, I’m not expecting anything.”
With that I closed my eyes and succumbed to the feel of his hands kneading my scalp and then my neck and shoulders until my muscles gave up the fight and released their tension.
He continued massaging me until the water turned cold. Then he wrapped me in a fluffy towel and grabbed my bloody clothes from the floor. “It’s time for you to get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I wanted to thank him, to tell him how much this meant to me, but the words wouldn’t come. And even if they had, he was already gone.
48
The next morning, I knocked on Sybil’s door and wasn’t too surprised when Deacon answered.
“You’re looking a lot better,” he said as he ushered me inside.
“Thanks in no small part to you.” I sat on Sybil’s sofa and looked for signs that she was home. “Did she ever come back last night?”
Deacon sat beside me. “No, I assume she’s in Elustria.”
After everything that happened, I imagined she and Alistair had quite a bit of explaining to do. I didn’t envy them. “Tell me it was all a dream and I didn’t actually declare myself the Dragon Fae last night.”
Deacon chuckled. “Sorry. No joy.”
I groaned.
“Why did you do it?” Deacon asked, his voice soft.
I didn’t know how to answer him. “Perhaps I’m just contrary. The Circle wanted me to be the Dragon Fae, so I rebelled. Then I found out the Directorate doesn’t want me to be the Dragon Fae, so I decided to declare myself.” Funny how the Directorate had put an elaborate plan in place to keep the prophecy from coming true, yet if it hadn’t been for their actions, I wouldn’t have stepped up. Talk about irony. “It doesn’t have to be anything more than that.”
“But it is,” Deacon said.
His statement sobered me. I had wanted to brush this all off, keep things light, but he wouldn’t let me hide behind levity. In his eyes I saw all the belief he had in me, the belief that had led him to give up part of his skin to protect me when asked, that had led him to leave his home and abandon his people. In his eyes were expectations I couldn’t possibly live up to. “I’m not a hero.”
“I beg to differ.”
“I clumsily cleaned up the mess I made. Nicholas’s death is a tragedy. He should have lived a long life. I took an ally and made him an enemy, and then I destroyed him. That’s not heroic.”
“Stepping into the harsh light to rise to a calling you don’t feel prepared for is heroic.”
Maybe it was. It didn’t matter. It was done. Time to move on and figure out what this would mean for the future. “Where do we go from here? I’m surprised we haven’t heard anything from our employers yet.”
“I wouldn’t be too eager for that. Enjoy this respite. I think we’ve earned a day of relaxation. We can do whatever you want.”
A day to just relax? It seemed like such a luxury. “What about you? What do you want to do?”
Deacon hesitated. “I think it’ll sound stupid.”
This I had to hear. “We’re partners. I won’t think it’s stupid.”
“Well, I need to learn more about Earth culture if I’m going to be an effective partner. I remember you mentioned that watching TV helped you when you first came here, so I was hoping to spend some time watching it.”
“You want to veg out,” I said with a smile.
“Veg out?” The phrase sounded clumsy on his tongue.
“Yeah, it’s when you just relax on the sofa and watch TV all day.”
He nodded. “Then yeah, I guess I want to veg out.”
I sighed in happiness. “That actually sounds perfect.” I grabbed Sybil’s remote and turned on the TV. “What kind of show are you in the mood for?”
“Something funny. We’ve earned a good laugh.”
“Excellent.” I found reruns of my favorite sitcom that I watched with Harry and settled in for a glorious day of vegging out with my partner.
During the show, my eyes kept wandering to Deacon, seeing if he laughed at the same parts I did or what he thought of the storyline. Last night, he had broken down all my defenses. I’d worried it would be awkward today, but in all my years as an agent, I’d never felt this carefree with a partner. It felt liberating. I needed this. I needed him.
Maybe having a partner wasn’t so bad after all.
Halfway through the third episode, Sybil ported into the living room, her magic turning off the TV. Her face was paler than any person I’d ever seen. It chilled me, the cold slamming into my chest and settling into my bones.
“What is it?” If she didn’t speak soon, I’d shake it out of her.
Sybil’s eyes refused to focus on me, staring into some unseen plane. “Queen Malev. She’s demanding to see you.”
The fae queen terrified any sensible person, but Sybil’s fear went deeper. I didn’t understand it. Queen Malev didn’t have any jurisdiction over me. “She can demand all she likes. I’m not one of her subjects.”
Sybil’s blue eyes focused on me, her irises sharp and fierce. “She has Alistair.”
Thank you for reading Dragon Fae Prophecy! Do you want to know what Deacon was thinking during that shower scene? Find out in an optional extra by going to https://CaethesFaron.com/dfpscene.
Continue Nadiya and Deacon’s adventures in the next book of the Dragon Fae series!
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Author’s Note
Thank you so much for reading Dragon Fae Prophecy. Nadiya’s story has been hanging around in my head in some form for years, and it feels great to finally be able to share it. I did something new in this book: I hid an Easter egg. Did you find it?
If you did, make sure to join my Facebook group to let us know: https://CaethesFaron.com/fbgroup.
One of the fun parts of writing Dragon Fae Prophecy was setting it in Arizona where I went to high school. The Superstition Mountains, Camelback Mountain, and Red Mountain were the familiar landmarks of my youth. My dad would often quiz me on their names as we ran errands. Red Mountain was always my favorite. As noted in the book, it is sadly off limits to hikers because of vandalism, so if you ever find yourself there, please respect the rules. Sorceresses and dragon shifters are an exception. :)
One of the best parts of living in Arizona was all the different cultures that are represented there, and it goes beyond great Mexican food. I had classmates who were Mexican, Honduran, Tongan, Japanese, Navajo, and Hopi, and that’s just a small sample. Spending time in the homes of friends and learning about their cultures was one of the highlights of my time in Arizona.
In Dragon Fae Prophecy, I include a character who is from the Hopi tribe, Trevor. The Hopi are one of the oldest Native American tribes, some say they are the oldest. As a work of fiction, this book shouldn’t be used to learn or extrapolate anything about the Hopi based off of a single character and my portrayal of him, but I hope that it does spark your curiosity to learn more about these extraordinary people who have built rich traditions in the desert.
Thank you to all my author friends and readers for your continued support that allows me to keep playing around in my imagination.
Until next time, happy reading!
Also by Caethes Faron
Dragon Fae series
Dragon Fae Prophecy is set in The Elustria Chronicles universe. For more books in the same universe, check out the Magic Born series.
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About the Author
Caethes's writing is influenced by her observations of this imperfect world and the flawed characters who inhabit it. She enjoys playing RPGs and making up complex backstories for her avatar and the characters she encounters. Caethes has lived in seven states and is always looking for the next place to call home with her husband and dogs. She currently resides in Florida where she's often found at theme parks when she's not writing.
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