Green shadow, p.4
Green Shadow, page 4
“What do you want? I’m busy.” I had a job to find, housing to acquire, and a woman to rescue—because whether I took her as a mate or not, I would bring her home. My dragon, the core of my protector nature, demanded it.
One thought did make me smile. I didn’t have to fake nice anymore, play the political game, and curb my tongue to save face. I could say what I wanted when I wanted. I could be me for the first time in over a decade.
The amusement in Curtis’s tone vanished. “From what I’ve seen, you have all the time in the world.”
I tensed in my seat. “What have you seen?”
“More than I can share.” The words were whispered, then he raised his voice. “I want to invite you to my office tomorrow for a chat. I believe we have much to offer one another.”
There was a seriousness in his tone that was not present during our other encounters. Fire burned in my blood at the thought of going to a guild, but curiosity nipped at me. I would hear what he had to say.
Leaning back in my seat, I let my eyes trace the wooden boards on the ceiling. Then, finally, I asked, “What time?”
A lance of pain streaked through my heart. What if this is a job offer? The thought of working for a guild, a place that, at its core, was similar to the one that murdered my father, had bile churning in my stomach.
My chest tightened. If I didn’t find a source of income soon, I wouldn’t be able to provide for the kids. The thought of sending them back to their brothers because I couldn’t support them severely impacted my pride. When I poked at the wound caused by my father’s death, I found that ten years had softened it to a dull ache. These kids were my present, and in a short time, my dragon had grown fond of them. He would fight me tooth and claw if I gave them up now. Curtis might be the only person in the city willing to defy the leader of the dragons and give me work.
One of the lessons Mackenzie taught me, that I was determined to take to heart, was that I needed to start judging people by who they were, not what they did.
“Be here in the morning. It will give us ample time to chat.” Curtis said.
“I’ll be there,” I replied. Whatever happened tomorrow, one thing I knew, my life would never be the same.
Chapter 4
Mackenzie
Vague awareness penetrated the fog of my unconsciousness. Then, a random fact demanded attention as my brain sparked back to life.
Statistically, hearing is the first sense to leave and the first to return. But, by the Old God, I wish that wasn’t true.
“Did you hear that boom!” Ben crowed from somewhere above me.
The rough wood of the floor pressed against my cheek. The smell of dirt, grass, and horse excrement filled my nose. A shot of adrenaline burst through me. Clearing the lingering cobwebs and bringing me to full consciousness.
“How the hell did you manage to destroy the building?” An unfamiliar male asked. His voice was a deep baritone. One of the Thugs who’d captured me?
“Made the sister do it,” Ben said gleefully. “The brat fought the compulsion hard, but I managed to influence her. Bet it’s going to destroy the kid to know she not only sacrificed her older sister but that she reduced the home they’d created to rubble.” He chuckled darkly.
Ben would die. Not today, not tomorrow. But I vowed to end his life.
Pain lanced my heart. My home was gone. The place my siblings and I had built over the last three years was destroyed in an explosion that had torn my shield down and catapulted me into my unresponsive state.
I pushed the sadness down into the recesses of my heart as far as I could. My head might know that it was just a place, that my family’s continued safety was more important, but my heart needed to grieve. I would take a chance to mourn the building, its plants, and what it represented later. But, for now, I needed to be strong.
At least I didn’t have to worry about the kids. Lucan’s horror at my identity aside, he wouldn’t break his word. Connor and Brooke were children, and the Protector of Dragons had never abandoned children. Quinn, of course, would die before letting harm come to Alec and Tyr. Not that the twins needed defending. We’d received the same training, and they were lethal when they wanted to be.
Alec, with his healer’s heart, would need to be forced into violent action. But once pushed to that extreme, he could take out any threats to those he loved.
I reached for the comfort of my magic. Its solid presence had gotten me through more than one dark time. But, instead of the rush of warmth I usually felt, there was a cold emptiness. I could see the light of my magic, but a barrier separated me from the vast well that was my power.
My breath hitched, and my head went light. My body chilled, and my limbs began to tremble. Never had I been separated from my power, not since its manifestation when I was five. I blinked open my eyes and shot into a sitting position, drawing the attention of the three people sitting casually in the carriage.
Ignoring them, I frantically began clawing at the barrier separating me from my power with mental fingers, but no matter how hard I raked, it didn’t make a dent.
Tingles, like the pain of pins and needles, started to buzz through my body. I knew it was a warning to stop, but in my blind panic, I couldn’t. When I didn’t, pain shot through my system. The agony sent me back to the ground. My body spasmed as the collar discharged its energy.
“Wonderful. She’s testing the collar.” The sound of a pencil scratching on paper filled the air. “I wonder how long she will continue the attempt, considering this is her first time experiencing the pain.”
Dr. Smith’s tone was clinical and curious. Paper rustled. “The last notes I have on her pain tolerance suggest she can handle quite a bit at this level of stimuli.” More notations. “It’s unfortunate that the collar will not allow her to slip into unconsciousness. That data would have provided a reasonable baseline for the tests I plan to perform once we arrive at the facility.”
White noise crashed through my mind, erasing my ability to hear any response to her statement. Dr. Smith said that the collar’s magic would keep me conscious. No matter how long this agony went on, I would have to live through every moment.
This time, the choice of how long to endure the fire was mine. I doubted that would be the case in the future. Backing away from my magic was hard. I wanted to endure the pain and tear down the barrier separating us. But this early in the game, the price wasn’t worth the reward.
Within moments of aborting my attempts, the searing agony stopped. Ben’s laughter echoed throughout the carriage as I lay panting on the floor. The mind mage continued with his mirth as I moved into a sitting position and put the bench seat at my back. Dr. Smith regarded me coolly and made notes on her clipboard.
Reaching up, I touched the metal band wrapped around my throat. Its magic nipped at my fingertips. Message received: no tampering with the collar.
Swallowing convulsively, I attempted to bring moisture into my mouth. There were questions I wanted to ask. Things I needed to know if I was to survive. Because I had to survive. I had no doubt that my family would come for me. But how long it took for them to track me down and enact a rescue. That I didn’t know.
Ben controlled his giddiness and leaned toward me. I flinched, and his grin grew wider. This man fed off the fear and weakness of others. If I was to keep my spirit from being crushed without the buffer of the kids to keep me sane, I needed to project a façade of uncaring arrogance. I steeled myself for what was to come.
“So, the little Dandelion has risen from her beauty sleep.” Ben crooned. His hand reaching out to touch my face.
Lightening quick, I grabbed his finger and snapped it. Ben howled in pain, then backhanded me. Blood trickled down from a split in my lip as I bared my teeth.
“Ben,” Dr. Smith snapped. “You are not authorized to dole out punishment.” Ben ignored the doctor and moved his face closer to mine.
“You think you’re tough,” he spat. “You have no idea what Dr. Smith has in store for you.” He cradled his injured hand. “I hope I have a spot in line. It will be so satisfying to break you.”
I knew exactly what Dr. Smith had in mind. It was the driving reason for our initial escape. Under the orders of the goverments military arm, Dr. Smith wanted more monsters to fight for them. But they’d exhausted all the serum initially used to create my siblings and me.
The serum was created before the Resurgence, in a time of great technological wonder. When magic came surging back, it altered the base structure of the potion. The subject either gained magical powers or died. Thousands were sacrificed in the pursuit. In the end, only my siblings and I emerged with supernatural abilities.
The serum’s formula was lost two decades ago, and just over five years ago, Dr. Smith used the last of the remaining vials. With none left, they decided to fall back on a more traditional method. A natural one.
Dr. Smith sighed. “That’s enough, Mr. Allen. I won’t repeat myself again.”
Ben backed away, but his eyes held cold promise.
Dr. Smith continued writing as she spoke. “It is a shame that artificial methods of conception are no longer an option. The Resurgence really did destroy some wonderful technology.” She looked at me as if I was an interesting insect. “We have, of course, combed the country for a healer with the specific talents we desire. But alas, so far, it seems as if this is a power that will be lost to us.”
Damn right. The Resurgence destroyed all synthetic material and technology. Nothing that was once created in a lab with artificial material had survived. The most significant loss was a substance called plastic. At one time, it had replaced almost every known substance on earth. The fact that it took nearly half a century to decompose hadn’t deterred companies from overwhelming the planet with the stuff.
“Cat got your tongue?” Ben’s tone was deceptively calm. “You looked so far away. Thinking of the future? Are you as excited as I am?” His eyes glinted in amusement. “But where are my manners. You must have so many questions. Ask, and I promise to tell you the truth. Maybe.” The taunt came with a cruel smile.
A cough came from the thug who’d shot my sister, and I glared at him. It bounced off.
“Careful, Ben,” he said in his grumbled tone.
Ben waved his uninjured hand lazily. “I know what I’m doing.” He turned back to me. “Now, where were we.?”
I moistened my lips a second time or at least tried to. Then opened my mouth, intending to speak. Nothing came out. I tried a second time. The same result.
Ben’s lips pursed, and his face took on a reddish hue. “I said speak!” He snarled.
“She might not be able to yet.” The thug said. He spoke professionally. When not kidnapping women off the street, or in this case, a grassy meadow, I would bet my last dollar he was a lab assistant, if not a scientist in his own right.
“You are correct, Oscar. The shock to her system may have interrupted the pathways between her mouth and her brain. However, the process usually corrects itself quickly.” Dr. Smith made a note. “Please advise me when she speaks. The more data points I have, the better my baseline assessment will be.”
So, the thug’s name was Oscar. Not that I would use it. He didn’t deserve a name, and I decided to call him Thug One. His partner, who I assumed was driving the carriage, would be Thug Two.
“No.” Ben interrupted. “You don’t know the bitch like I do. She is stalling. Trying to get the upper hand.” He was so confident of my actions and completely wrong.
Dr. Smith was right, however, and I didn’t doubt that my ability to speak would come back in the next few minutes. But if this was how angry Ben got in such a short time due to my silence, how enraged would he become if I refused to speak at all.
The doctor tsked and shook her head but didn’t say anything. Knowing her, she would use this as another test. Another way to grade me.
Grim determination filled me. I could outlast Ben. He didn’t have near the control I’d learned by the time I was half his age. If Ben thought he could break me, he didn’t know who he was messing with.
A shadow blocked the light coming in from the window, and I looked outside. A wall loomed before us, and we passed through a gate and into an inner yard. The carriage stopped, and Dr. Smith looked at me, my guild pendent suddenly dangling from her fist by the chain.
As I watched in horror, she dropped the glass leaf on the ground and crushed it beneath her boot. Then, looking me in the eye, she said, “Welcome home, Terra. I look forward to seeing how your magic has evolved since you left.”
My stomach dropped, and ice rippled down my spine. My hard-won courage fled in an instant. I was about to enter hell and hadn’t packed any sunblock.
Chapter 5
Lucan
There was an awkward atmosphere around the table the following morning. Brooke, Connor, and I sat silently, eating our bacon, eggs, and toast.
“Thank you for cooking,” I said to Brooke, trying to break the silence.
“You’re welcome,” she replied in a low voice. Whisps of her emotions made it to me. I tried to ignore them, but some slipped through.
Anger, bright and deep, burned within the young woman. But, along with it, my magic detected an underlying tone of self-loathing. I opened my mouth, another stupid conversation starter on the tip of my tongue. She was in so much pain, and I wanted to distract her from it for a moment. But, before the words could leave my lips, Brooke stood, head bowed.
“I need to get ready for school. Please excuse me.” Not waiting for a response, she dropped her plate in the sink and bolted out the back door. Connor and I watched as she crossed the small garden and plunked herself on the little bench occupying the space. School, sure.
I closed my mouth.
“I don’t know how to help her.” Connor pushed his plate away, the dish still half filled with food. “She’s pulling away from all of us. Even Alec, her favorite, can’t get her to open up.”
“She’s suffered a trauma,” I said, my dragon aching to take her pain away. To siphon the negative emotions until they no longer threatened to drown her. “She needs time to come to terms with what happened and to forgive herself.” But I couldn’t do that without asking her permission. Resolve hardened within me. I would seek her consent and help however she would let me.
Connor rubbed a dark hand through his beard. “I don’t think it would have been as bad, except she knows the feelings were hers. Ben, had magnified her initial thoughts beyond reason, but the asshole can’t create something out of nothing.” Anger caused the metal mage’s eyes to burn like molten metal. Brooke, it seemed, wasn’t the only one struggling.
“I’m sorry, and I know uprooting you so soon isn’t going to help.” Failure stabbed at my chest. I regretted not handling my temper better.
“Don’t.” There was a fierceness in his voice. But the boyish smile he tried to pair it with didn’t quite reach his eyes. Instead, there was a weariness to the man that ran bone deep. “We would have been far madder if you’d severed the bond and thrown us out.” He gave a small ironic laugh. “It’s not the first time we’ve been homeless.”
“Today will mostly be searching for a place to live, but I’m not sure how successful I’ll be. People don’t like renting to someone who has no money, no job, and is a pariah.” I moved to grab my jacket hanging on the wall.
Connor opened his mouth and started to speak, “I can hel….”
I cut him off with a wave of my hand. He was going to offer me money. But, unfortunately, right now, my pride wouldn’t let him say the words just yet.
“No, keep your money for now. I’ve got this.” And I prayed that I wasn’t lying to him.
Connor’s lips quirked, catching the slight growl in my tone. He raised his hands in surrender, and nodded.
Dipping my head in acknowledgment, I shrugged on the coat. Relief swept through me, I was glad he wasn’t going to fight me on it—at least not this early—and we moved on to another topic.
“I’m worried,” I said. I’d meant to discuss this over breakfast, but now Connor would have to share this conversation with Brooke later. The kids deserved to know the potential threat they now faced. “Now that Jasper’s cast me out. I don’t know if I can protect you anymore.” The word of the Dragon Protector held weight. An exile wasn’t worth the dirt under a tribe member’s shoe.
“Don’t.” Connor glanced at his sister through the window. “The wording of Mackenzie’s oath makes it next to impossible for our enemies to take us. If they do, they will lose her.” He looked me in the eye. “And despite what you’ve seen, we are far from helpless. Now that we don’t have to hide, you can be damn sure none of us will go down without a fight.”
Are they all truly as powerful as their sister? The thought caused shivers to crawl up my spine. But at the same time, a weight lifted off my shoulders. Deciding not to ask for details, I knew I hadn’t earned, I vowed to become someone worthy of their trust.
“Only if she found out they’d taken you,” I started.
Connor shook his head, interrupting my words. “No, she made an ancient oath. If they break the deal, she will know. She’ll feel the bindings shatter and know she can act.”
Connor came off as a carefree craftsman, but there was depth to the boy I’d missed. Ancient magic was obscure. Even I didn’t know a lot about the practice.
“I’ll bow to your wisdom on this.” I fidgeted in my seat. “Thank you for talking to me last night. I want to know more if you’re willing. Not just about her, but about all of you.”
Connor’s smile turned nostalgic. “Sure, but not now. We have more pressing things to worry about, and I have a feeling that getting Mackenzie back won’t be easy or quick.”
Accepting his words with a nod, I rose to put my dishes in the sink. “I’m heading out. I’ll see the two of you later. You have my number if you need anything.”
