Dragons gift the protect.., p.18
Dragon's Gift: The Protector Complete Series: Books 1 - 5, page 18
part #0 of Dragon's Gift: The Protector Complete Series Series
But were they not?
Around me, the steam began to dissipate. The battle sounds had decreased as well.
I struggled to my feet, stomach lurching.
Had I made a terrible mistake?
Very possibly.
But what I’d learned…
I searched for my friends. Cass and Del were running toward me through the dissipating steam. Ares finished off the last demon, while Roarke and Aidan prowled the perimeter. Bodies were scattered throughout the warehouse, most disappearing because they were demons. In the corner, Magisteria and Doyen stood. Magisteria held a blade coated with blood. The body of a demon lay crumpled in front of them.
“Nix!” Cass skidded to a stop in front of me. “Are you all right?”
“Fine.” I drew in a ragged breath. “Just fine.”
“Really?” Del searched my face.
“We can talk about it later.”
Behind their backs, Magisteria and Doyen were approaching. Ares, who’d just cut the head off the last demon, noticed. He joined them.
The three of them walking toward me in a line made my knees shake.
Aidan and Roarke loped up to join us, skirting around the trio of vampires and standing next to Del and Cass. All four turned to stand between me and the vampires.
Their support made tears prickle at the corners of my eyes. But I couldn’t let them stand between me and danger. Especially when Del and Cass were FireSouls too. But their secret was still safe.
I nudged them aside and stepped between my friends and the vampires.
When Cass hissed in my ear, I ignored her. Magisteria and Doyen’s faces were expressionless. And whatever was on Ares’s face, I couldn’t read it. Maybe I didn’t want to read it.
Could they tell that I’d just used my FireSoul power? They hadn’t seen me through the steam, and I didn’t think I looked any different.
Magisteria glanced past me toward the body of Aleric. “He is dead?”
I nodded. “He is.”
“Good. No more than he deserved.” Her gaze fell to the collar at my neck. “We will remove that.”
My breath caught. That was a good sign. They’d probably want to keep it on if they were going to try to turn me in to the Order of the Magica.
“Okay.” I waited, tense as a board, while each of the vampires touched their fingertips to the collar. It heated briefly, then fell away.
My chest felt like it opened up—like I could breathe for the first time in three days. Thank fates.
“As for the other,” Doyen said. “We will consult and be in touch.”
“Other what?” Cass asked.
“Um— It’s nothing. I’ll tell you later.” Shit. What should I do? If I let them walk out of here with knowledge of what I was…
My life could be over.
My friends and I technically had the magical firepower to stop them—but there was only one way to do it. And it’d make us murderers. I couldn’t ask them for that. Especially since Ares was so strong that we might not all make it out alive.
I met Ares’s gaze. Did he know?
His brow furrowed as he glanced at Doyen. He didn’t.
It was settled.
If I had to run for it, I would. Because I wasn’t about to start a fight that would risk my friends’ lives just to save my own hide. No way I could live with myself if I did that.
“We should go,” I said to my friends. “Especially since whoever is in charge of these goons might realize we’ve just killed a bunch of his henchmen.”
“All right.” Cass glared at the vampires.
I didn’t blame her. They were pretty unlikable. All except Ares, who I still didn’t know what to make of.
“We will be in touch,” Magisteria said.
I nodded, then turned. The back of my neck tingled as I walked away. They were definitely watching us. My friends and I left the old factory and went into the cold, dark night. We were on the far side of our neighborhood, about a half mile from our street.
“I can’t believe this happened so close to our homes,” I said.
“There’s a first for everything,” Cass said.
“What was that weirdness all about?” Del asked.
“I’ll tell you when we get home.” I walked briskly, ready to get behind the safety of my locked doors. The memory of the silver sonic bomb flashed in my mind. “What happened after I was abducted?”
“We heard the blast,” Nix said. “Just a boom. Like a sonic bomb.”
“Yeah, that’s what it was.” I turned left down our street.
“We ran outside,” Cass said. “By the time we made it down the street, you’d been dragged off. Ares was fighting three guys, but he had a concussion and wasn’t doing too well.”
“Really?”
“Well, he still killed them all,” Aidan said. “But after seeing him tonight, I realize he could have done it in a fraction of the time.”
“Yeah, he’s not bad in a fight.” Being a mixed vampire mage hybrid would do that for a guy.
“It took us an hour to find you,” Del said. “We used our dragon senses to track you, but it was tricky. I think they had some kind of concealment charm on you. Not a strong one, but enough to delay us a bit.”
“Yeah.” I held up my wrist and removed the brass bangle. In the heat of the moment, I’d forgotten the bracelet. “Thanks for finding me, though.”
“Anytime. What went on back there?” Cass asked as we reached our green door.
“Let’s chat in my place, okay?” I asked.
“Sure. Girls only?” Del asked.
I looked at Aidan and Roarke. We were friends—family, even—but right now… Right now I wanted only my deirfiúr. “Yeah, if that’s okay.”
“No problem.” Aidan grinned. “Glad you’re better.”
“Seconded,” Roarke said.
“Thanks, guys.” We left them, heading up to my apartment.
They took a seat on the couch while I scavenged in the fridge and came up with three of Cass’s PBRs that she’d stashed there a while ago. I really needed to get to the store.
I returned to the living room and held them up. “Who wants a drink?”
“That’s all you’ve got?” Del asked.
“Yep. And you’re going to like it,” I said.
“I’m going to tolerate it.” Del took a can and popped it open.
Cass followed suit, sighing contentedly. I collapsed on the couch, my muscles melting into the cushions. I opened my own beer and took a big swig. “I did it. I used my FireSoul gift.”
Both gasped.
“Really?” Cass asked. “I thought it made you sick.”
“Still does.” Even now, my stomach was feeling woozy. Not to mention the weird magic now camped out in my chest and the prophecy floating around in my head. At least, I was pretty sure the secret was a prophecy.
“Why now?” Del asked. “Was it to steal his Informa power? To get that secret?”
“Yeah. It felt necessary. I don’t think this thing with the dragon tattoo gang is over. There’s more to it than we realized, and that secret is part of it.”
“What was it?” Cass asked.
I met her gaze, confusion racing around inside my head. “I think so. I only understood two words, which is what the Cathar Perfecti said would happen. That I wouldn’t be able to understand it all because of how they encode the information.”
“What are the words?” Del asked.
“Dragons. And return.”
Cass’s eyes widened, and Del’s jaw slackened.
“What?” Del said.
“Dragons are dead,” Cass added.
“Yeah. I think it’s a prophecy. It’s the secret Aleric was getting for his Master, the person who must be in charge of all those dragon tattoo minions.”
“They’re dead though. And most were demons anyway. Hired mercs.” Del sipped her beer, her expression thoughtful.
“There will be more where they came from, though. They’re dedicated.” The memory of the two who committed suicide flashed in my mind. I shivered. That kind of dedication…
Cultlike.
“So we need to figure out what this prophecy is,” Del said. “Do you think he told his Master?”
“I don’t know. But the prophecy is important, whatever it is.”
“That’s one important loose thread,” Cass said. “We’ll have to figure this out.”
“Agreed.” Dragons whispered in my head over and over. So did the idea of some shady bossman calling the shots with a bunch of evil minions.
“I also got his Destroyer magic.” I drew in a ragged breath. My queasy stomach was not making this easy. “But it feels like crap. I think it’s making me ill.”
“No good without the bad,” Cass said. “But you can learn to control it.”
“I hope so. Because it feels terrible.”
“You’ll learn,” Del said. “Taking powers requires that you learn. Your skills will grow, but you have to control them or they’ll overtake you.”
The queasiness confirmed her statement. This was gross. A polluting magic that I’d need to master so that it didn’t incapacitate me.
“And there’s one more thing. It’s worse,” I said.
“Yeah?” Del asked.
“Doyen, one of the vampires, read my mind. She knows I’m a FireSoul.”
Cass and Del gasped.
“Shit,” Cass said.
“Not good,” Del added.
“I think I need to run for it. Lie low for a little while. They can’t come back around here—especially not Doyen. She could read your minds too.”
“You can’t run,” Cass said.
“Not far. Not forever.” But even the idea made my head ache. I didn’t want to run. I hadn’t been parted from them since the moment we woke in the field at fifteen.
“I don’t know. There’s got to be something we can do,” Del said.
“Kill them,” Cass said.
“No!” I squeezed her hand. “We can’t.”
“To protect you, I could.” Her voice was fierce.
“Thanks.” I smiled weakly. “I appreciate it. But I don’t think killing them all is the answer. I just don’t know what is.”
“We’ll think of—”
Something clattered against the window at the front of my apartment. I looked up. A small pebble hit the glass. Then another.
“You may have a visitor,” Cass said.
I got up and walked to the window, then peered out. Ares stood below. I pushed open the window, my skin chilled before the cold night air rushed in. He knew what I was now. Doyen would have told him.
Most thought we were evil.
What would he think?
Given what his mother had done for a living, I was pretty sure I knew.
“What do you want?” I called down.
“To talk to you.”
I turned back to my friends. “What do you think?”
“Might as well talk to him,” Cass said. “He might be on your side.”
“I doubt it.”
“Only one way to know,” Del said. “Talk to him.”
I turned back to the window. “You aren’t going to try to transport me away from here, right?”
That was the last thing I needed.
“I won’t. On my honor.”
I studied his eyes. I trusted him. I didn’t know what he was going to say, but he wouldn’t try to forcibly remove me from here. I wouldn’t let him.
“Fine,” I called. “I’ll be right down.”
I turned back to my friends. “You guys can go.”
“You sure?” Del asked.
“Yeah. I’ve got this. Once I hear what he has to say, we’ll come up with a plan. If it’s leaving, then it’s leaving.” Though my heart ached to think of it.
“Fine.” Cass hugged me, then left. Del did the same.
I watched them head up the stairs to their places, then I walked down to the main door. I pulled it open to find Ares on the step. I held out my hand. “Stop right there.”
“I know what you are.”
“I figured.” I searched his eyes, but they were unreadable. “And?”
“I don’t care.”
“What? Uh, what about your mother? Wasn’t she head of the committee to hunt FireSouls?”
“That was a long time ago.” He frowned. “When I was younger, I agreed with her zealousness. She was my mother. And I’ll admit I’ve been wary of FireSouls my entire life. But you’re different.”
Annoyance filled my chest. “No, I’m not. I’ve met other FireSouls who live in their own realm, and they aren’t evil.” I was careful to say how they lived far away, in their own realm. I didn’t trust him enough to point him toward Del or Cass. “They’re good people. Just because we can do bad by stealing powers didn’t mean that we do. FireSouls have been getting a bad rap for centuries.”
I’d done it tonight, but only once the guy was already dying and because I hoped it would lead to the greater good. I didn’t like myself for it, because it still felt kinda self-serving, but I’d been trying to be good.
“They get a bad rap from people who are frightened,” he said. “But I’m not scared of anything. And I could tell if you’re evil. It’s my job. You’re far from evil, Nix.”
Hmm. A flicker of optimism lit in my chest. “This is surprising. Everyone thinks FireSouls are evil. You don’t?”
He shook his head. “You’re smart, tough, and you have a moral compass set to dead center.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t expected compliments.
“And I like you, Nix. A lot.”
Surprise flared in my chest. He stepped forward, putting his hand on my waist. I stiffened, but didn’t shove him away.
It felt nice. More than nice.
“And I want to spend more time with you.” He leaned down, his green eyes intent on mine.
“You do?” I stared at his lips, unable to look away. Tension fizzed in the air between us. He tugged me slightly closer. My breath caught. He was going to kiss me.
Instead of letting him make the first move, I stood on my tiptoes and threw my arms around his neck, pressing my lips to his. He groaned and pulled me closer, parting my lips with his tongue and kissing me until I saw stars.
Finally, I gasped and pulled away. I stepped back and put up a hand. “Don’t think that means anything. I just wanted to get that out of my system.”
“And?”
“Not bad.” More than not bad. It was great. My head was still spinning. “So the Vampire Court is fine with me?”
I grinned, hardly able to believe that I was off the hook.
Ares frowned. “Well, no.”
I stepped back, startled. “Wait, what? They aren’t? You tell me this after you kiss me?”
“Technically, you kissed me first.”
I scowled. “My mistake. I thought everything was good. You just said you didn’t think I was evil.”
“I don’t. But Magisteria and Doyen are suspicious. They wanted to turn you over to the Order of the Magica, but I’ve convinced them to hold onto the information and give you a chance.”
My head pounded. “So you ordered them not to tell the Magica?”
Was I at least safe from that, for now?
“I did. But it will not last. It’s not just that you are a FireSoul that makes them wary—you can walk in the Shadowlands. You shouldn’t be able to do that. You aren’t a Vampire or one of our allies. Only powerful dark magic could permit you to walk there. Like the kind that Aleric used to allow him to stalk Marin before he killed him.”
“I didn’t use dark magic. You’re nuts. I have no idea why I can walk there.”
“And that’s what has Magisteria and Doyen so wary. Myself as well. You possess strange magic, Nix. It makes you dangerous. The Vampire Court has demanded that you complete a series of trials and an interview to prove you’re an ally. That we can trust you.”
“Hell, no.”
“They will turn you over. And your friends, for harboring you.”
I shoved him. “No! I helped you with this case. You can’t do this to me now.”
“You’ll be fine. You’ll complete the challenges and prove you’re trustworthy. Then your secret will be safe. Better yet, you’ll have Vampire protection.”
That piqued my interest. “Really? That means you’d defend me. Hunt anyone who hurt me. Like you did with Marin.”
“It’s a two way street, Nix. If you can earn their trust—my trust—it will help you.”
“What about my trust?” I asked.
“I’ll try to earn that too.” His gaze was serious.
“And my alternative is them turning me and my friends in to the Order?” I gnawed on my lower lip.
“Yes. And we won’t put a collar on you. Not like last time. You must complete the trials of your own volition. But I’ll help you.”
“I don’t need your help.” I didn’t want his help. Maybe this was his idea of a favor—him convincing the rest of the Court to let me audition to be an ally. But it felt pretty shitty right now.
“You’ll need it.”
I could just run. But I didn’t want to. And I wouldn’t. I’d spend too much of my life running. And he said that they’d turn in my friends for harboring a FireSoul. I couldn’t let that happen. Especially when they were FireSouls. They’d be found out.
“Fine. I’ll do it. Whatever their dumb challenges are—I’ll beat them.” I poked him hard in the chest. “But forget that kiss. We’re all business from here on out. Nothing funny.”
“Oh, I promise you won’t be laughing.”
I grinned, then frowned. I needed to keep a straight head where he was concerned. “Whatever. I’m going to focus on these challenges.”
“We’ll both focus on them.”
I frowned at him. “Apparently so.”
I was still wary of him and my trust wasn’t at one hundred percent. But if I’d learned anything in my time as a FireSoul, you were always stronger in numbers. And I had a feeling I was going to need every advantage I could get. With the new magic roiling around in my system and the Vampire Court breathing down my neck, I’d need all the help I could get.
~~~
Thank you for reading! Nix’s second book, Trial by Magic, is now available. Click here to get it.
