Ihad no idea where mybrothers had ended up It was just Morganand me inthis tunnel We had to get out ofhere as quicklyaspossibleandputanendtowhateverplanmymotherhadinmindwhenshebroughtintheforces.
“You’resafe, la moyar,”Imurmured,handsclenchedatmysidessoIdidn’treachforher
“Areyousure?”SheturnedthefullforceofherfocusinmydirectionandImarveledatthesoftbeautyofherface.Iwasn’t used to soft, not inthe centuries I’d roamed the worlds. We were humanand dragonshifter, incompatible inall ways my sheersizealonecoulddestroyher
ButIcouldn’twalkaway.
Ihadn’tbeenabletowalkawayfromsendingAstratoscoutaroundLancourttofindheressence Mysabrehadinformed methatmybrother was all butkeepingher prisoner,whichhadbroughtmetohis floatinglandfor thefirsttime.Drager had challengedme,alreadylayinghisclaimtoMorgan.
Myrageandconfusionwerebeyondscope,buteventuallyIcalmed,andwiththatcameclarity,andasenseofwhythiswas happening. Drager and Iwere bornofthe same pod, and we were bonded whether Iliked itor not. Isensed thathe felta confusedconnectiontothehumanbecauseofourbond IwasstilldebatingifIshouldkillthefuckerandjustforgetaboutthe rest.
“Ipromiseyou’resafe,”Irumbled,focusingoncemore “Mydragonis awareofeverythinginour vicinity There’s only Astraandafewsmall eonis bugsagainstthewall.”
Sherubbedher hands over her arms,andfireburnedinmygutas she shivered.There was nowayshe was coldwhenI naturallythrewoffenoughheattowarmalargeroom,butshewasafraid Afearthatwouldn’teaseuntilwe’dleftthetrench
FromthemomentI’dfeltherpresenceinthisworld,ithadtakeneverythinginside not to steal her away likethebeastsof oldandkeepherinmycaveuntilshesubmittedtome I’dkillDragerfirst,ofcourse,andthenI’dhoardmytreasure
Thathad beenthe plan, too, thatdayinLancourt, until I’d seenher wide-eyed and fearful stare. Thatwas the momentI realized Ididn’twanther to fear me. Everyone else could whisper myname inthe darkness, like a demonofthe night, but Morgan shewastheonelivingcreatureinthisworld,outsideofAstra,whoneededtofindcomfortinmypresence
“I’vehadenoughbouquetsofheadsfornow,thankyou,”shereplieddrily.“AndIhavetwotruthsforyouaswell.One:I wasafraidofyouthatday,butIwasalsocompletelyinawe.Icouldn’tstopthinkingaboutyourbeastandwasdesperatetosee themanbehindit.Andtwo:youshouldn’tblameDragercompletely.Ifthisistrue,whatyousay ”Sheclearedherthroat.“ thenmybond withyouhad himveryconfused. He couldn’tfigure outwhyIwas drawnto him, and he had no choice butto continuouslyreinforceourbondduetotheenergyofthisworldneardestroyingme”
“Drager,” Iansweredwitha snarl;the one topic tohave myfuryrisingagain.“His energyis workingas a blockaround yours I’veonlybeenabletopushthroughafewtimes”
Shepressedherlipsfirmlytogether,andIheardthedeepsighthattriedtoescapeher.“Ican’treadyourmind,”Itoldher, wonderingifthatwasbotheringher “Thatwon’thappenuntilwe’refullybonded,andeventhenyou’lllearnhowtokeepme out ifthat’s your desire. Mybrothers and Ihave a similar connection, able to contacteachother over greatdistances, but mostofthetimeweblockthosepathways”
Myconnectionto Drager was more difficultto completelyshutoff, butwe rarelybothered to chatmentally. We lostour relianceononeanothermanyyearsago,andnoneofusfeltanyneedtorekindleit.Ouranimosityhadweakenedus,asTylan hadsaidintheclearingbeforewewereattacked Itbotheredmethatwe’dletourpettydifferencesgetinthewayofbuilding analliancesostrongnoonecouldeverstandagainstus.
“Idon’tknow how to feel aboutall ofthis,” she admitted. “OnEarth, we don’thave true mates. Halfthe time we don’t evenhave true love. We have the rightplace and the righttime situations, and eventuallythe magic fails and we getbeaten, ignored,orcheatedon.Thenwedivorceandstartagain.HencewhyImostlyfallinlovewithfictionalcharacters.”
Beforemybraincaughtupwithmyactions,Iwaswrappingmyhandsaroundhertinyshouldersandhaulingherupcloser to me. She letouta low squeak, pupils dilatingas she breathed fastand hard. “What?” she squeaked again. “Are we under attack?”
Mybeastcalmedwhenwerealizedthatherfirstinstincthadn’tbeentoexpectanattackfromme…shethoughtIwassaving her Mysweethuman
Leaningincloser,Ibreathedinherscent.Herfearwasfading,replacedbyalightmuskinesswhichhadmydragonraging insideme ShestiffenedjustenoughthatIunderstoodIwaspushinghertoofast,soIreleasedhergently “We need to keep moving,” she choked out. “I’mstartingto get thirstyand hungry, and… I need to pee.” The last four wordswererushedandmumbled,hercheekstingedpink,andmybeastwaspleasedthatourmateneededustotakecareofher “Ithinkthere’sanareathatwillsatisfyatleasttwoofthoseneedscomingup,”Itoldher.
Dragerhadneverbeenahugeconversationalist,butZahakwasevenlessso.Weirdly,though,despitehavingspent less thana daywithhimintotal, and havingspokenonlya dozenor so sentences, there was a familiarityIcouldn’t explain.
Yes, I was aware that he believed we were true mates, and while I wasn’t dismissing it outright too many of our interactionssupportedsaidbelief Iwasbidingmytimeinexploringthispossibility.
ItwasinsanetothinkthatnoteventwomonthsagoI’dbeeninmyhomeinBiddeford,Maine,withmybestfriendLexie, blissfully unaware that there was an entire supernatural world connected to the library where we worked I’d also been unawarethatLexieherselfwasafaewhocamefromthissupernaturalworld,andthatalotofwhatI’dbuiltmylifearoundwas not,infact well,human
Inadditiontothesex,I’dalsofoundmyselftrappedonafloatingland Dragerwasstillafuckerforthat carriedtothe ground by a murderous bird and almost died multiple times; discovered more about this world; attended Fae Academy; learnedaboutthelandofEasternRisestandtheFallengodstheyworshipped;andfinallyfiguredoutwhothetraitorwas.
Their mother
Apparently,theFallen,foralltheirpowerandstrength,hadaverylargeemptyspotintheirmemorieswhenitcametothe worldtheywerebornto.Whichwas notRisest,thefaeworld.Aspotthatwas alittleless emptynow thattheir mother had decidedtorevealherhandandmakeknownthereasonsforhersneakingaroundandstealingfromhersons
“Whywouldn’tshe justcome to youand letyouknow aboutthe plan?” Iasked. “You’re her sons, and surelythe entire pointofsendingyouhereinthefirstplacewastopreparethisworldforatakeover.”
The tunnel grew narrower, and Ihad to huddle incloser to Zahak, desperatelytryingto ignore the tingles ofhis energy caressingmyskin.Thelonger IspentaroundtheFallenFive,themoreadeptIwas atdealingwiththewaves ofpower they naturallyexuded,butIdoubtedI’deverbecompletelycomfortable
“Ihave a couple oftheories, butuntil Igetbackup top and see what’s happening, there’s no wayto know whichis the correctone”
He didn’t say anything else as the tunnel narrowed further. When he reached out and captured my shoulders, I barely managednottogasp.Hisgripwasfirmashesteeredmeinfrontofhim,andItriednottopanicathowclosethewallswere. Orintruth,howcloseZahakwas
Astra, Zahak’s sabre a panther-like creature who was immenselyadeptathunting letouta purringrumble, and Iwas relievedtohaveherasbothadistractionandaguardatourbacks
Despite Zahak’s assurances that we were safe, and no nightmare creatures made this sectionof tunnel home, I couldn’t shakemyunease.Ihadn’tfeltthis fear sinceCalendul,andIknew thatwhatever was outtherewouldeventuallymakeitself known
Thankfully, the tunnel widened once more, and Ifound myrapid pulse calming. “So, whatare your theories?” Ipressed, desperatelyneedingthedistraction Nottomentionitwaskindofimportantthatwedealtwithhismotherandherplans,andfor that,discussionwasrequired.“It’ssohardwhenyou’rewithoutyourmemories.”
TheFallenFivedidnotrememberwhythey’dbeensenttothisworld,andthatinandofitselfwassuspicious.Ontopof that, his mother had been stealing books and tomes of information, learning about Risest and undoubtedly the best way to infiltrateit
Tomysurprise,Zahakdidn’thesitatetoanswer.HewaslesscrypticthanDrager,thatwasforsure.“Whenwefirstfellto Risest,weknewournamesandthenameoftheworldwe’dleft, Xalifer,andthatwasthemostofit Imean,weknewwewere brothers as well. We could feel the energybond betweenus, butthe restwas dark… empty. We assumed we had parents at somepoint,sincemostlivingcreaturesdo,buttherewasablankspacewhenwetriedtorememberevenasingledetail Over time,morememoriesemerged,andwestartedtobelieveourworldhadbeendestroyed.Thatwewerethelastofourkind.”
Heexaminedmeforalongmoment,thesoftlightheexudedhighlightingtheperfectionofhisface.Hewastall,atleastsixfoot-eight, and exceptionallybeautiful The rugged planes ofhis face formed a beingso masculine and strongthatIfound it hardtostareathimfortoolong.
“Mybrothersaremoreoftenthannotablessingandacurse,”hesaidwithatingeofamusement.“Backtoyourprevious questions, though, I think we’re correct in stating that Mother was gathering information to invade us. The parts I don’t understand are whywe lostour memories whenwe fell and whyshe’s waited so longto make her presence known We’ve beenhereforacoupleofcenturies.We’vehelddominionoverthislandforalmostaslong,andyetshefallsnow.”
“It’s aworrythatshedidn’tcontactyoufirst,”Ihurriedtoadd,sohedidn’tconsider mystupidlyblurtedthoughtfor too long.“Ifyou’reallinthistogether,thenshewouldn’thavesnuckaroundandstolenfromyou.”
I’dspentalotoftimetryingtoworkouttheplotholesinthisfantasystory.Mostlysomybraindidn’timplodeatthefact thatI’d somehow fallen down the rabbit hole into a fantasy world Aholefullofbiteyrabbits.
The tunnel widened further, the ceilingrisingabove our heads until Icould breathe freely Ithad beenhard, for multiple reasons,tobeinthosetightlyenclosedspaces.“TellmeaboutXalifer,”Isaid,needingimagerytofillinthedarkness.“What wasyourhomeworldlike?”
His expression was hard to read as he tilted his head, keeping an eye on all our surroundings. “It was beautiful,” he eventuallysaid.“Lushandgreen,withlotsofmountains.Dragonslovemountains,hencewhyDragerbuilthishouseinthesky. Risest,whileholdingsimilarlandscapes,lacksmountains”
ZahakleanedinandIheldmybreath,anticipatingwhatwasabouttohappen Washegoingtokissme?Theheatandfireof his scentwashedover meas hesaid,“Weshouldrestherefor thenight.Theareais somewhatdeserted,andIcanfeel your exhaustion”
Astragrowled,whichturnedouttobeanexcellentdistraction.Zahakstrokedherheadsoftly,andItriednottofeeljealous of a cat. “Astra was anapexpredator inthese tunnels whenI found her,” he continued. “She’ll be a great deterrent to any attacks”
“Where are yougoing?” Iasked. The thoughtofhimleavinghad panic racingthroughmybody. Astra was amazing, but therewasnosubstituteforthedragonshifter
“ToseeifIcanfindfood.You’rehungry.”
He leaned inand brieflyranhis finger across mycheek. Afleetingmovement, butIfeltthe burnofhis touchevenas he turnedandstrode offintothe darkness.Adarkness thatsurroundedme the momentmysource oflightwas gone.Diggingmy fingersintoAstra’sfur,Itriednottofreakout. If you can’t see them, they can’t see you. If you can’t see them, they can’t see you
The factthatthis was whollyinaccurate mysenses were weakand pathetic compared to mostfaerie creatures didn’t stopmefromrepeatingitoverandoverinmyhead
Astra was on her feet in a beat, prowling forward, her entire body rumbling as menacing growls erupted from her. WhatevercomfortandrelaxationI’dmanagedtoachievebynappingwithmykittywasdashedlikeabucketoficewaterhad beendroppedonmyhead.Onmyfeetnowtoo,Ishuffledforward,handonAstra’sbackasIsquintedintothedarkness. Whateverwasouttherewasn’tZahak,becauseAstrawouldn’thaveshiftedaninchfromourcomfortablecuddle Shewas inprotective mode, whichmeant a threat was movingtoward us. Astra’s rumbles increased, and I noticed inthe twinkling lightsofherskinthathertentaclesweregrowinglonger,extendingfromherfaceastheserratededgessharpened
Astra snarled, unable to communicate with me, which was once again super inconvenient The bear-crocodile shuffled evencloser,untilitwasmerefeetfromus,andIalmostscreamedwhenachunkofitsfurslidoffandlandedwithasoftplop ontherockyfloor Chunksweremissingalloverit,tothepointthatIcouldseeboneinsomesections,alongwithalotofred muscleandsinewyveins.Agurgleescapedasittookanotherstepforward.
I’d seena few nightmare creatures atthe academyand nota single one looked like this Imean, there was nothingmore nightmarishthanzombie-likedecayingmonsters,butIrefusedtobelievethiswasnormal.
Zahakandhisdragon.Thepairwhohadremovedheadsandplacedthemonspikesformelikealovelybouquet.Hewas always steppinginand savingme, protectingme, and itwas so overwhelmingthatmyemotions choked me again Mygaze dartedbesidehimtothescorchmark,whichwasallthatremainedofthebear.“Whatwasit?”Iraspedbeforewettingmylips. “Itlookedlikeadecayingzombie-bear”
Heexaminedmeforabeatlonger,andasthetensionreleasedfromhisbodytheanimalisticgleamfadedfromhiseyes.He straightenedtohis giantheightandlookedaround.“Thatwas a cranbil,butithas beenaffectedbyanenergyI’ve never felt before Ifoundothercreaturesdecayinginthesamemanner It’sasifadiseaseisspreadingamongstthem”
Which explained why his command to Astra had been so strongly issued. “If Astra bit into them, she might have been infected,”Isaid,ashiverchasingdownmyspineattheclosecallwe’djusthad “AndI’mguessingthere’snochanceoffood ifthecreaturesarediseased.”
This is our bond, la moyar. You will come to understand soon. ForthethirdtimeintenminutesIsqueaked,andifIdiditagain,I’dhavetoslapmyself.But… he was so clearly in my head!Whattheactualfuck?Hisvoice,deeperandmorevibrationalinmymind,echoedthrougheverypartofme,settlinglike fireintomygut.
Can you hear me? Asweirdasitfelt,Ihadtotrytoprojectmyvoiceback Deeplaughterechoedthroughmymind. You’ll grow used to it with time. I won’t ever push through your natural barriers, unless I need to for your safety Inarrowedmyeyesonhim. I’m too human for this. At least pretend I can keep you out when we have an argument. Theshimmerygoldinhiseyesdarkened,andhedidn’tpushmefurther.Hisenergywithdrewfrommybody,andIrefused toletthemelancholyofthelossovercomeme Sure,forthefirsttimeinmylifeIhadn’tfeltalone,butI’dspenttoomanyyears scrapingupindependencetoeveracceptneedinganotherpersontomakemewholeagain.
Icouldn’tdoit
JerkingmyhandoffZahak,Itriedtocalmmybreathing,andhe letme have mymomentas he lookedaroundthe cavern. “Now thatwe’reawareofthesituationunderhere ”hesaid Zombie-talkwasanexcellentdistraction “ I’mnotsurewe shouldlingeranylonger.Iknowyouhaven’trested,butdoyouthinkyoucankeepgoing?”
Henodded,andhisexpressiongrewevengrimmer.“Idon’tthinkit’sagoodideaforyoutoconsumethewateranylonger. Icouldn’tdetectanythinginit, butthis disease is like nothingI’ve ever experienced inmylands It’s a darkness, slimyand cloying,andasahumanIworryhowyou’llbeaffected.”
WhenIwas able to stand withoutwobbling, Ifollowed Zahakto explore. “Everythinghere looks normal,” he rumbled. “When I first arrived in my land, there was a thriving ecosystem of greenery under here. Hence how Astra and the few remainingochersabreswereabletosurvive”
He tooka minute to answer, and Iwondered ifI’d touched ona sensitive subject Myignorance ofcertaincustoms and checkeredhistoriesherehadgottenmeintotroublemorethanonce.“Inhindsight,”hefinallysaid,voicehuskierthanever,“I shouldhaveleftthembe Ourarrivalawokethemfromtheinstabilitythathadbeencontrollingtheirlivesforfartoolong,and theyallwantedanew start.Theyaskedmetodestroythechasmsotheycouldhaveacleanslate.ButIdon’tthinktheworld abovewaswhattheyexpected.Theyliveseparatelynow,outsideoftheirnightmareclans,andwhilethereareaspectsthatthey findeasier,Iknowtheymourntheirlosses”
Astra purred deeply, and Ifound myselfreachingoutand rubbingher head gently the echoingsadness inher purr was painfultohear
It was clear that nightmare creatures were more in tune with this world than Zahak, and he trusted her instincts Astra rumbledinthatdeeper,unusual way,andstartedtoprowl forward.She was inhuntingmode,eventhoughher fangs weren’t visible yet
Thankfully, I had a rather large distraction in the formof Astra, who continued to prowl deeper along the path Small shrubberiesthatIcouldn’tidentifygrew intherockfloor here,andevenlarger branchesemergedincracksofthesidewall, wherewatertrickledalong
Itwas anocher sabre like Astra, withthe same blackcoatand ancientbeauty, butthis one was clearlydead, its fur and fleshhavingfallenoffinchunks,leavingjustthedecayingcarcass Itdidn’tsmellbadtomynose,butithaddrawnAstrawith heradvancedsenses.
Astra’s cryturned less mournful as her fangs emerged. She wanted to destroythemtoo, and I had to admit, as I stared down,mythroattight,Iwasonboardwiththeplan Thesecreaturesdidnotdeservethis They’dbeenmindingtheirbusiness, livingdownhereintheirworld,andtheydidnot…
“Z, it’s a tinybabyand itneeds us,” she cried, her eyes wateryas her fuckingsadness destroyed me The factthatthere wasn’tanyonehereIcouldkilltomakeherhappywassuperinconvenient.Thissituationwasn’toneIcouldfixwithviolence, andsinceIwasrustyatalmosteveryotheremotion,itleftmeatouchlost.
“Panther cubs stay with their mommas for over a year,” she told me, reciting facts in a hurry. “I know sabres aren’t panthers,butthey’retheclosestcomparisontowhatIknowinthehumanworld Andthiscubcan’tbemorethanafewhours old,right?Whatdoyouknowaboutthem?”Sheshotoutquestions,lookingbetweenAstraandme,asifoneofusbetteranswer herimmediately
“Yes,”Isaidwithsurety Itsenergywasstrong “They’reaformidablebreed,andthatlittleonehasnotsuccumbedtoany weaknesses yet.” Whatever energyhad filtered throughand infected the creatures downhere had missed the cub. Maybe he hadn’tquitebeenbornyet,buteitherwayitwasanothermiracle.
The barrier of clothing between us bothered me I wanted to touch her skin and taste her essence. I wanted to take everythingherfragilebodyoffered,butIwouldn’tuntilshewasready.
Icouldkeepmybeastundercontrol.
Ihadtokeepitundercontrol
Gettingmycockunder control was a differentstory,as thatringofmuscles near the base,myknot,throbbedonce more. Fairlysureithadn’tstoppedforweeks
WhenAstra returned, her energylow and mournful, she tookup vigil near the entrance, and Iclosed myeyes. I’d never allowedanothertobenearmeduringrest,exceptAstra.
AndnowMorgan
With her against me, my energy relaxed in a way that I had no experience with. There was a level of comfort in her presencethatI’dneverfeltbefore,apeacethatdriftedthroughthedarknessofmycoreandallowedmybodyandthoughtsto calm.
As she lay against me, and I rested with her, her energy increased, and the rumbling of her stomach eased We were nourishingeachother,givingwhatevertheotherneededinthatmoment abalance,whichhadbeensorelylackinginmylong life.
Fractured memories ofmylife before the fall swirled inthe backofmymind, briefimages ofthe world we’d escaped from Irememberedmountains,paintedred Mymother’svoicewasclearinmymindbutherfacewasshadowed Alongwith herbeast…Didshehaveabeast?Andifso,whycouldn’tIrememberit?Didafemaledragondiffertothemales?
ifitwasn’ta coincidence thatthis attackwas coincidingwithMorgan’s arrival? Our lives had beenconsistentfor the past coupleofcenturies,andshewastheonefactorthathadchangeditall.
Morganwas different Ananomaly Ahumanwho had the strengthto fightbackagainstus, and who used her voice and knowledgetohelpus.Morganwasmytruemate ifIhadtokillDragertoproveit,Iwould,withouthesitation andmaybe thisnewrevelationmeantmoretoMotherandXaliferthanwerealized Morganmighthavebeenthekeythattriggereditall.
CHAPTER 5
Ihadneverbeenapersonwhoenjoyedcamping Sure,theromanticaspectsdrewmeinwithcampfires,nodistractions,and living amongst nature. But then reality dragged me back and I decided that sleeping on the ground was my idea of a punishment,notenjoyment
Mybiologicalclockwasn’ttickingyetatneartwenty-six,butI’dhavediedforthisbabywithoutthought.Ofcourse,Idid havesomethoughts,andtheywentalittlelike How the fuck am I supposed to save a baby of a near-extinct species? What is going on with Zahak and me, and why am I searching for his presence in my mind already? Is it weird that I feel less uneasy with him when I’ve been with Drager for much longer? and much more intimately? and there’s always an element of mistrust between us?
Thankfully,asIsankdeeperintosleep,thechaosofmythoughtseased,untilthecoldstartedtoseepintomyskin,sending shivers through me, the cub’s warmth not enough to keep me warm, especially as Drager’s energy faded. Despite his assurancesthatwewerebuildingapermanentbond,nomatterwhathedid,theenergyheinfusedinsidemeneverremained.
Another shiver overtookme,andIwas almostrousedfromsleepuntil adelicious warmthsurroundedme,as ifsomeone haddrapedthecoziestblanketovermybody.
Tryingmybesttogetofftheshifterinanunawkwardway,Iflailedforabeatbeforehisfirmhandlandedonmyass,down low, cuppingme as he effortlesslylifted me up to myfeet. Knowingmyface was beetred, Ifocused onthe cub until Igot myselfundercontrol,evenashiswarmlaughterechoedthroughmymind Hemoreoftenthannotshowedhisamusementthroughourconnection.
Zahakleanedinsohisvoicewasarumblingbalmacrossmysenses.“Therearetworeasonsyou’renotnakedandinmy bed for the nextfive years One, you’re notready And two, the world is combustingaround us Butthe momentIgetthose issuesdealtwith,you’remine.”
Mine
Aword as equallydestructive and desirable as his touch. As a modernwoman, there was no wayIshould have a slow
Thefactscouldn’tbedenied.NoteveninourmostintimatemomentshadDragerdisplayedonetenthofthispossessiveness that Zahakdid everytime he was near me Zahakhad never fought our bond, claimingit without questionor concern, and maybe,justmaybe,thatwaswhyhisflagslookedpink.
HesteppedawaythentogreetAstra,whohadjustreturnedfromwherever she’dbeen,andIfocusedonholdingthecub and breathinguntil I had myself under control. He was right about one thing: I was absolutelynot hungryor exhausted any longer.
“We should getmoving,” Zahaksaid, and Iwas able to focus onhimwithoutanyhotflashes “Astra said the disease is worsening,andwe’llhavetodealwithalotmoreofthezombiesifwestayhereanylonger.”
“Howdowefeedit?”Iasked.Itwasn’tlikewecouldheadtoastoreandbuysabreformula.Iwasn’tevensureiftheyhad shops here, or if most of the fae races grew and hunted their own food I’d just always been in places where food was provided,andstupidlyhadneveraskedwhereitcamefromorhowitgotthere.
The juxtapositionofhis personalityconfused me He was possessive and touchy, always withhis hands onme, always checkingIwasokay,butthenhegavememymentalprivacyanddidn’tforcethephysicalsideofourrelationshipbecausehe knewIwasn’tready
We need to give her a name.IsentthisthoughttoZahak,unabletospeakoutloudwhenweweremovingsoquickly. It’s a male,herepliedimmediately. And Astra has asked if you’d like the honor of naming him Amale I’ll see if I can find a name to suit him He’s a little fighter, already overcoming the odds and surviving in the zombie caves.
His mother protected him, even in her frenzied, mutated state I would do the same. The thought slipped out, and I quicklyadded, if I was his mother. I couldn’t imagine not doing everything in my power to protect my babies.
Zahak’sholdonmebrieflytightened,asifareflex,beforehegentled You’d be surprised how many mothers still protect themselves first.
Iwonderedifhewas thinkingaboutthatvoiceinthesky,themother heheldfracturedmemories ofwhowas clearlynot hereforahappyfamilyreunion. My mother wasn’t the nicest person,Isaid,feelingtheneedtorelate. She grew up beautiful and spoiled She was a beauty queen and the only child of parents who needlessly provided absolutely everything she wanted. No question asked.
When she got married, my dad also made her the center of the world. Weirdly, I always thought that family dynamic worked well, you know The dad makes the mom the center of the world, and she in turn makes the children, while they’re young anyway, her priority
Asoftrumbleinmymindandthenhesaid, Did she make you a priority?
She did She really did, but the part that ended up being destructive was that in the end, it wasn’t for me It was for her Her obsessions. She was aging, starting to grow less important and less beautiful in this world designed to forget and ignore our older generations So, she clung onto me, controlled me, tried to turn me into a version of herself Everything was fine until I grew old enough to start wanting my own identity To start making my own choices
Narcissists cannot handle that, and that was when she’d lash out. Call me names. Tell me I was fat and useless, and that I owed her and Dad for their love and support over the years It would go between guilt and shame and anger constantly, and I was losing parts of myself trying to keep her happy.
Lexie got me out, I hurried to say. She taught me how to survive and take back my freedom. From then, I stopped allowing my parents to control my emotional wellbeing I’ve been happier ever since Happier, calmer, waymore stable. Evenstuckhere inthe chasmofnightmares, I’d still choose this daythanbeingback home
I find myself on the edge of losing control when I feel your pain,hesaid,andeveninour minds hiswords were clipped I’m not a young shifter, with over two hundred cycles of life, and I’ve prided myself on making logical decisions for most of that time. You destroyed all that in days.
Reachingout,Ipattedthehardmusclesofhischest I will admit to not having any knowledge or experience with this type of bond. I hope I don’t fuck it up, or destroy more of who you are, but you have to remember that I’m human, and until a month or so ago I thought we were the only sentient, humanoid beings in the worlds
Anotherchestrumble,deeperthanbefore,butlessintensely I welcome the destruction Thatwasallhesaid,andforsomereasonIwassatisfiedbythosefourwords.EvenifIwasbreakinghisworldapart,he wasn’tunhappyaboutit
Withinseconds I had to squeeze mylids shut or riskbarfingall over the place, but it was clear that we were heading towardsthelargestopeningwe’dseensofarinthechasm.
Do you think we’ll be able to escape soon? Ineededtobefreeofthisplace.Thetimespentundergroundwasstartingto wearonme.
There’s a small obstacle ahead, and then I believe the fissure will be large enough for me to safely fly. We won’t need to make it all the way to the beam of light
Withrelief,Irelaxedagainsthimoncemore. Wait, small obstacle?
He didn’t reply, instead his pace slowed, and I opened my eyes to find a literal nightmare before me
Hundreds of nightmares.
Creaturesjammedthepath,leavingnoroomforthedragonshiftertoracethrough.Zahaksetmegentlyonmyfeet,andthen shifted his stance to blockme withhis body. The cub stretched against mychest, and Inoticed his eyes were open, but he seemedcontenttostayagainstme.“Smallobstacle?”Irepeatedinadaze.
Withthe nightmare creatures closinginonus fromthe front and back, invaryingstates of decay some looked almost whole, while others had lost most of their skin and were basically just animated muscle and bone there was only one directionformetomove:totheside Astracamewithme,hercomfortingheatkeepingmefromfreakingthefuckout Close your eyes.
Knowinghow intense the lightwas whentheyshifted,Inotonlyclosedmyeyes butalsoturnedaway.Heatbuiltalmost immediately,andinsideIfeltasimilarburnfromtheenergyI’dabsorbedwhenI’dsleptonhim
throughmyclothes Astra positionedherselfinfrontofme protectively,andIwonderedwhatthe odds were ofZahakbeing abletotakeonthismanycreaturesalone.
Igotmyanswermeresecondslater,whenhisfireblastedthroughthetrench,andIduckedlowandturnedawaysothecub was protected. Mybare skinfeltlike itwas beingsandblasted, until Astra shifted again, blockingthe worstofthe fire and power
Thewayhe’drumbled la moyar sentshiversdownmyspine Ihadallbutlostmybattletoremainimpartialtothisdragon, ofwantingtowaituntilwewerebackwithDragerandcouldhasheverythingouttogetitallintheopen.Thatonerasptoldme therewasnowayI’dmakeitthatlong
My bastard brother took advantage of our bond,thebeastsnarled,soundingextremelyputout. He knew it, and he needs no consideration because of it
IfIhadn’talreadybeencrouchedbehindAstra,myweakenedknees wouldhavesentmedowntotheground.I’dthought Zahakas a manwas intense anddestructive,buthis dragonwas like nothingelse inthe world.Mypoor humansenses were overwhelmed,asmymindspuninanattempttomakesenseofitall
The zombies were all gone The decayingfleshballs of nightmare creatures were reduced to nothingmore thanashand scorchmarksonthestone.Zahak,stillinhisdragonform,watchedmecloselywiththosedark,fathomlesseyes.
Come to me, mate
Iresistedatfirst,andthistimeIreceivedthedelightofadragonlaughinginmyhead.Streamsofsmoketrailedfromhis massivejawsatthesametime. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you,hesaid,softer thanbefore.Never softfor a dragon,buttherewasasoothingqualitytotherumble I could stand here for decades waiting for you to choose me
I was rewarded with another rumbly dragon laugh I don’t know what the human translation for that is, but in this language, your usage of the word fuck is… amusing.
Itwasmyturntolaugh “Yeah,I’vealwayshadapottymouth Defianceagainstmymotherwhotoldmethatladiesnever cursed,butapparentlyshe didn’tcare iftheylied,manipulated,andgaslighted.Youknow,because a curse wordis the only signofdepravity.”
Thedragonroared Itwasn’tloudenoughtodeafenme,butitwasclose,andtricklesofrocksrainedfromtheceiling Best not to speak of your mother any longer.
Advice Iwas goingto take Zahaklowered himselfuntil his massive bodywas nearlysprawled across the hard ground Hiswingstuckedinbehindhim,andIhesitantlysteppedforward.
Give the cub to Astra She’ll get him up, and then you can use that bend in my front leg as a foothold “Thisisalotlikefighttrainingandobstaclecoursesattheacademy,”Imuttered “Onlywithoutthehelp” I almost killed that handsy little bastard,Zahakgrowled. He was clearlytalkingabout Mika, a helpful fae withthe tendencyto elevate mybodythrougha firmhand onmyass Probablybestnottobringthatupeither.
Focusingonthe taskathand, Ilifted the cub frommychest, and he opened his eyes and rumbled louder thanever They sleep a lot at this age,Zahakexplained. He’s okay. Astra will get him up safely.
As muchas Iwantedtofreakoutatseeingthoselethal canines soclosetothevulnerablecub,Iknew this was how cats carriedtheir youngbackhometoo Astraturnedaway,andinaboutthreeleaps madeher wayupontoZahak’s broaddragon back.
