Sunset Coven 27

Okay Trice. Here you are. I typed 5,298 words today. So I'm excused from writing A Bewitching Rain, right?

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No one ever said Toren wasn’t fair. He was all for letting Suri extract her revenge against the wolves. Hell, he wanted to do it for her. But as much as he hated to admit it, he needed that contract with them, though he no longer wanted it. Sending their entire pack into a black hole was…well, it was wickedly cool, but counterproductive to his endgame. 

When the portal opened a few feet away he reached for the hand she held high. To hell if she didn’t want his touch. Right now she wasn’t his best fucking friend either. 

“Suri, stop. Not-”   

Heat smacked and flamed hard, painful into his chest sending him back a few feet, hissing, claws out and fire on his breath. Joslyn went to guard him, there between the blank of an eye. Naomi to his right. Seung Hoo to the left.  Jai stayed at the yard perimeter. He blinked until his version cleared, looking pass Joslyn at Jime and Jack who stepped out of the portal. And…”Oh, shit.”

“Oh shit might be a bit of an understatement, Little Brother,” Joslyn said over her shoulder.

Seung Hoo took his left arm, Naomi his right, wings out and launch into the air taking him away from the black ball hurling their way. Joslyn blasted the spell away with a breath of fire. 

“Ha. If I’d known we’d meet him here I would have brought all the Elder’s with me instead,” she flew in front of him.

“He’d kill them all,” Toren said, shaking off the two dragon’s hold, his wings and tail springing from his human back to keep him airborne. The two couldn’t hold the half shift for long, Joslyn longer but not as long as he. He motioned Jai, Naomi and Seung Hoo to shift completely, too join the other eight dragons circling the yard, hopefully out of harms way. He really didn’t want to have to kill Suri’s dad. 

For hundreds of years he’d heard the tales of the black Mage. The man who destroyed quite a few of the Eastern dragon clans. Married to a Spirit. Jime’s brother. Suri’s damn daddy. But he’d never came face to face with the guy. Not ever. He liked his life. It’d been interesting so far, hopefully with many more centuries of fun to go. Standing in front of the man who wiped out his kind on sight wasn’t proactive to that future.  

“I know. That’s the point,” Joslyn said. “That would get them out of your hair.”

“Aunt Hae Ri is an Elder.”

Joslyn sighed. “Love her dearly but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to me.”

The massive, gigantic ball of red that would not only hit them and all the dragons in the air, but possibly punch a hole in the atmosphere, destroying all of mankind, mortal and immortal alike speeded their way. 

Stunned. 

A lot of things shocked Suri over the last year. The fights. The bars. The orgies. But nothing left her utterly speechless like seeing her dad step out of the portal behind Jime and Jack. It wasn’t until the spell that was aimed directly at her dragon, not MY dragon, that she shock off the shock, twisting towards the direction of the spell. 

“Neutralize.” She blast her own spell, flinging it like a pitcher throwing a baseball, a spell of purple and blue, swirling, twisting like a drill as it pierced Sage’s spell rendering it ineffective seconds before it hit the dragons in the air, passing then harmlessly like a cloud. What power she had drained with the spell. She collapsed to her knees, sucking in large gulps of air.

Toren swooped down. 

"Dad, behind you!" Suri warned. 

"No," Toren wrapped his tail around her waist, "behind you," and flew straight up, away from the wolf who lunged. 

She weakly scratched at his tail trying to free herself, breaking nails on his hardened scales that protected him. “Put me down Asshole.”

“Just shut up.”

Below, Jime slashed through the wolf with fury matched only by her brother, tossing fur and skin everywhere, her eyes focused on the Alpha pair who bared their fangs. Jack moved beside her. 

But, it was Sage who did the most damage, incinerating any wolf within a fifteen feet radius, blocking volleys of weapons aimed his way, all the while his eyes never leaving his daughter. No time for Toren to be afraid for his own skin when he was so busy removing the weakened witch from the line of fire as more wolves rushed into the area. 

“Move out,” he ordered his clan. “We’ll take her somewhere safe until she’s strong once more.”

“And if the Big Daddy Wizard or Blood Thirsty Aunt shows up?” Joslyn asked before her dragon came forth.

Well, if that turned out to be the case, he’d just have to deal with it. Probably not. 

“Sage!” Jime snapped, a well placed foot to the spine cracked a wolf in half. “Focus. Worry about the ones responsible for kidnapping and beating my niece.”

“The dragon will keep her safe,” Jack added with a spin, avoiding the arm that slashed towards him. 

“You knock them out of the air you end up hurting her, Stupid Ass Dummy,” Jime said dodging the spell that flew her way lodging in the wolf behind her. 

“Don’t tell me what to do Jimena,” Sage barked. 

“I can’t help it. You always do stupid shit. Like that time you used some stupid spell to cook a cow and that heifer blew up from the inside out. I had cow uterus in my hair for a week. ”

“What? You’re the one who told me about that damn spell. I learned it from you.”

“Oh yeah!” Dodge. Slice. “How about the time you-“

“Baby, I don’t think now is the time for you two to bicker,” Jack said. Two fists landed in his face sending him flying through the air, crashing into two wolves. 

“Don’t call her baby.”

“Don’t call me baby,” the siblings lashed out in unison, throwing a glare at the other in return. 

“You,” Jime’s fist slammed into Sage’s jaw, “don’t get to hit him.”

Unfazed but for a slight cut on his cheek, Sage threw a spell that sent Jime flying back, crashing into Jack who just stood up. “You stay away from him.” They both crashed back onto the ground. 

Jime metamorphosed into a cloud of smoke before her body made full impact, flying towards Amor and Eva. The smoke wrapped around Amor’s neck. A split second later Jime stood before him in her physical form choking him, her poisoned claws digging into his trachea. Jack stood beside her with Eva in a choke hold. 

“Sage. Finish this.”

He rolled his eyes, annoyed with her commands. She has always been a general, even though they were never fighting the same battles. All his life she told him to do this or do that. Not that he listened. Most of the time. But that didn’t stop her from giving out orders even when he didn’t need anyone to tell him what to do. He had Angie for that. And she was more than capable of fulfilling that duty. 

He called on the darkness that was forever a constant companion to him that it was a part of him. What made him whole. Swirling, twisting up his arm, the spell pooled in his palm. Sage raised his hand high in the air. 

Black Rain. His favorite and most notorious spell. The first he’d ever created after his first brush with the Darkness, perfected time and time ago with age. 

Black fire engulfed his hands, enlarging into a ball so massive, full of power and tight it exploded from the sheer power it contained, shooting high into the air, spreading out, and torpedoing down in a torrential downpour that obliterated everything it touched, burning skin down, festering away bones, destroying all life as it showered his surroundings. He threw up a dome around his sister, and through gritted teeth, her fucking lover. Because unlike her, he never deliberately hurt his family. No matter how much he wanted to kill her most days.  

The house exploded into splinters. The forest scorched within seconds. It eradicated everything completely. Smoke rising for the charred ground. And the wolves? What wolves? 

The black rained trailed off to a drizzle before stopping. The only patches of grass that remained where the ones that protected where his sister and company stood and his own. 

Jime sucked her teeth. 

“Overboard much.”

“I’ll say,” Jack chimed in. “Looks like we just survived a forest fire.”

“We did.” 

“Haven’t seen that spell in centuries.”

Jime snorted. “He always had to be so grand scale. He could have simply killed all the wolves, but nooo, he just had to put on a—“

“Shut up!” Sage snapped walking over to where she stood. 

“A show,” she continued. “Wanted to make sure no one forgot who you are, didn’t you Sagey?”

He stoked his thumb over his cheek, the darkness sealing the cut. For once, he could admit she was right.

“You’re right,” he said to Jime. “Its been a while since I’ve roamed the worlds. Obviously I need to do some more frequently since everyone just thinks it’s fucking okay for them to kidnap and beat my daughter!”

“Not to mention she put her on VooTube,” Jack added helpfully.

Sage froze in his tracks. ‘They put her on VooTube?” 

“For the world to see,” Jime hissed, a claws digging further into Amor’s neck, immobilizing him. 

Eva fought against Jack’s hold, trying to defend her mate, growls rumbling from her chest. But his arms remained locked. 

“What to do? What to do?” Sage lowered to his hunches in front of Amor. “Do you like recording things Mutt?” He addressed Eva who struggled even harder.

“If you lay a finger on him…” she rasped out, Jack’s arm cutting off her breath.

A digital camcorder poof beside him. He picked it up and handed it to Jime. 

“Sleek!” She said, twisting the camera around, flipping through the options. “Ohh, and it has built it wifi and 5G.” She looked down at her brother, brows arched. “5G? I didn’t even know they had 5G.” She held the camera up and took a Selfie, duck lips, Jack photo-bombing in the back. 

“Pay attention!” He snapped, mumbling “I swear you two are like children.”

Jime stuck out her tongue behind his back. “Whatevz.” She set the camera to record, turning it back towards herself afterwards. 

“What’s up VooTubeee!” She greeted. “Now usually I don’t film my own videos, as if I need to, but this time I’m going to make an exception since I’m doing this whole bonding thing right now.  Say Hi, Jack.” She turned the camera to Jack who smiled and threw up the “peace” sign. “We’re just here at this flea invested compound that Mutt Bitch and her mate owns. See, they threw a little party earlier today without invited us. Sucks! I know right? Who wouldn’t want us at a party.” She rolled her eyes. “Oh. But they did invite my niece who didn’t have permission to go. You may have seen that clip. So…we decided to come over and check it out, you know, to have a little fun our wa—Hey! Sage, wait. Don’t start without us.” Jime flipped the camera around in time to see Sage’s right hand glow molten red. 

Once the compound faded in the distance behind them, Toren shifted to dragon. Good thing too. His dragon form was much faster than his half form and if that black light of magic miles away that shot up into the night sky he glimpse over his shoulder was from Amor’s place, he didn’t want to be anywhere near it.

He lifted Suri, who passed out ten minutes ago, onto his back where she could lay comfortably instead of dangling from his tail. He could feel her exhaustion, every ache and pain as if it was his own. And though he was annoyed with her right now, more so because of her funky attitude with him, it was in his nature to see his mate well. Safe. 

“Head east,” he informed the others. Dragons couldn’t physically speak, their language one of ancient creatures. Not the way humans and some other creatures could. In dragon form their words telepath to each other. Non-dragons standing beside them would never know what they spoke of, the ability to speak mind-to-mind limited amongst their kind and their mates. 

“Are we taking her to River’s cave?” Joslyn asked, flying with her back to the ground, the moonlight reflecting off her golden underbelly.  

“Yeah.” Although their clan lived in one megacity cave with thousands of other caves inside some dragons still preferred a secondary, or more, private homes away from the clan. Face it, when you live in close proximity to a thousand others, others like Joslyn and Ren, then you need some solo time. River had a private cave in Louisiana close to Amor and Eva’s Texas compound. 

At supersonic speeds they crossed the border from Texas into Louisiana twenty minutes later, flying over the Sabine River a few miles from the wooded unground cave. 

Toren felt Suri waking, her fingers curling into a ball against his scales. His broad back wide enough to keep her from sliding off if she set up too quickly. In a few moments they would arrive at their destination. One there he’d see that—

Suri rolled pushing herself off Toren’s back, skydiving straight towards the river. 

“What the hell?” Joslyn cried. “Did you toss her off your back?” She accused as she dove down towards the Suri. 

“Of course I didn’t throw her off.” 

The river water swirled, watersprouting up to catch the falling witch, sucking her deep in the lake, it’ surface calming, flattening to its original state. The bottom of the sprout continuing to spin beneath the river surface with Suri in the middle. 

Naomi stretched one claw into the river but couldn’t penetrate it. 

“Whatever just happened, it only wants her. I can’t get through.”

“I don’t think it’s harming her,” Jai said, his wings brushing the water. “I see air bubbles popping up so she’s probably not drowning.”

“Not like she can die that way anyway. The best option is to just wait it out to see if something else happens,” Joslyn said. 

He hated that idea. How the hell was he just supposed to sit there while she remained submerged under water, water that acted as a barrier. Unfortunately, it was their best option. 

Flames snorted through his nose. 

“Naomi and Seung Hoo, you stay with me and Joslyn over there at the forest edge. Jai, lead squads 1 and 2 to reunite with River. Squad 3 head back to Ren to protect the clan.” He held no doubt that now with this sudden pit stop for whatever the hell reason Suri decided it was a good time to play in water, her family would catch up in no time. Only a fool would let his people stay and wait for the inevitable. Finding the hatchling, protecting his clan were his two priorities. 

“Oh. Oh. Judah,” Joslyn called out to one of the dragon’s flying high. “Tell my Snookems’ I have a story to tell him when I get back. Have the popcorn ready.”

Toren sighed, flying the five hundred feet to land. “Jos, sit down,” he said when she landed waving her wings at the ones flying away. “Remain in your dragon form.” 

Joslyn sighed, collapsing her head onto her front paws. “I’m bored. How long do we have to wait?”

“Until.”

“Until when?”

“How about we play a game?” Naomi asked. “The lets see who can be quiet the longest game, starting now.”

Eyes narrowed, Joslyn singed the other dragon’s tail.”

“Ow,” Naomi yelped.

“You lose,” Joslyn said while Seung Hoo snickered. 

Toren lost track of time how long they sat there waiting, an hour maybe, slightly longer judging from the position of the moon when the river started to bubble rapidly. The bubbling moves across the lake coming closer to where they rested. He rose, following the movement.

Her head broke the water first. Then she stood, sloshing through the water until she stood ankle’s deep looking perfectly fine. Not a scratch, lump, or bruise in sight.  

Just great. Her hair was a curly mess. It took hours and a very potent homemade potion to tame the wild mess on the best of days. And tonight certainly wasn’t the best of nights. She ran her fingers through the tangled mess, using her fingers as a magic straightener that dried and softened the curls. Gazing into the dark river like a mirror, she fingered the strands until as much control as she can muster without her products. 

A twinkle caught her eye. Glancing up, she saw Toren standing there in all his scaly glory.

Damn.

She’d only seen him this way once before back at one of Jack’s clubs by accident when she stumbled into the clearing he and River occupied while trying to find her way out of the woods. She hadn’t lied to Jime when she said his scales were hypnotic. Mesmerizing, she thought as she stood there in a trance. 

Smoke clouded her vision.

Shaking her head like a wet dog, she snapped out of her daze and frowned. That’s when she noticed the three other dragons behind him, the one with gold scales that blended to orange than fire red smiling a toothy smile, smoke curling from its nose. 

“Fan-fucking-tastic,” she grunted, walking out of the water completely. “Just what I need. More dragons.” 

Toren’s eyes flashed. “Considering it was dragons that got you out of that mess, you should be more grateful.”

“Ha!” Suri chuckled humorlessly. “Considering it was you that got me in that mess in the first place, you can stuff it.”

Joslyn choked out a laugh. Naomi and Seung Hoo shared a meaningful look. 

“I didn’t get you in anything,” Toren said defensively. “You’re the one that blew up those wolves.”

“I did not blow up the Tavern,” Suri screamed. She jabbed a finger in his direction. “Let’s clear this up now. You blew it up. When you bellowed fire with your stinking dragon breath.”

“My breath doesn’t stink.” He stomped a claw into the ground. “And you’re the one who ripped the immortal wolves from their mortal bodies.”

“After you betrayed me,” she marched forward and kicked the scaly leg of the dragon who towered tens of feet over her, “To those damn mutts, you disloyal, devious, manipulative, conniving“

“Hoo!” Joslyn chuckled, “She has a rather extensive vocabulary for you brother.”

“I should rip all your scales from your body,” Suri threatened. 

Toren wrapped his tail around her legs and pulled sending her flat on her ass. He’d never intentionally hurt her…seriously. 

“That is for using dark magic in the first place.”

Suri jumped to her feet ready to attack. A shiver ran down her spine, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. “No!”

She threw up a shield to protect the dragon from the spell that would end his life. 

“Daddy, stop it.” 

Sage volleyed another spell that Suri blocked sending a sheet of water from the river to dome over the dragons in a rotating motion that shattered anything that touched it. 

“Suri,” Sage raged. “You dare stand between me and those beasts?” Palm up, a silver and red curse vortex in his palm. 

“I don’t want to stand between you and anyone, dad,” Suri said. Ice formed in her palm, lengthening until an ice Zweihänder sword the length of her body formed. She learned that spell from her half Fae half Elf friend, one of the strongest defense weapons. “But that dragon,” she pointed the sword behind her at Toren, “will not be harmed by anyone but me.” She gripped the sword in front of her with both hands, feet squared. “Not by you. Or you Tia. Or anyone else for that matter.” 

“Insolent little brat.”

“Suri, drop this shield,” Toren snarled. He’d be damn if he let his mate stand between him and her father. Never. 

Suri gasped, eyes wide. “Dad! That’s mean.”

“Psst. As if you can talk,” Jime said stepping out of the portal, hands on her hip. “What did I say before we stepped through the portal? Huh?” She gestured towards Jack.

“To not attack,” Jack said, head cocked to the side, his white-blond hair spilling across his shoulders. “And to not be a hothead“

“I said dickhead.”

“And if you hit her—“

“My niece with some deadly spell I’ll tell Angie.”

Jack tossed his hands up in defeat. “Why ask me if you’re just going to answer yourself?”

“Why are you still here?” Sage directed towards Jack. 

“I’m warning you Mage. Don’t push me too far.”

“Don’t threaten my father, Jack. My blade travels far and wide.”

“Little Witch—“

Dragon fire engulfed the inside of the shield, Toren tried to break through unsuccessfully. 

“Watch that tone, Jackie Boy,” Jime snapped, slapping Jack across the back of his head.

Jack tossed his hands again. “I give up.” He stomped away to the side. “Fucking family. Can’t stand each other but can gang up on me. I call total bullshit on that one.” 

Behind Suri, the gold dragon cackled again. “Haha. Will Ferrel quotes.”

Jime stalked forward and kicked her heel into Sage’s knee when the orb in his hand enlarged. 

“This is all your fault,” Sage accused. “You lured my daughter into a world she was not prepared for.”

“Because you haven’t been training her properly. No wonder she ran away. You’re suffocating to be around. Quite suffocating her the way you suffocated me growing up, the way you suffocate Angie.”

Sage flung the spell at his sister who traced out of its path. Eyes glowing, fangs out, she lunged at her brother who cast another spell in her direction. 

“Enough!” Suri shouted at the two, slashed the sword in their direction ripping a split in the air between them, an ice wall springing between them.

“They’re like two snarling cats,” Toren said.

“Zip it dragon. Don’t insult my family.” 

“Well it’s true. They’re like those terrible toddlers no one wants to be around, the ones you secretly push down when their parents aren’t looking.”

She turned to face him. “You shove kids on the ground?”

“Throws them out of windows, down the cave opening which is 2 miles long, into deep waters,” Joslyn added. 

“Now I’m not so surprised you betrayed me.”

“I did not betray you!” Toren shifted back to his naked human form to Jime’s wolf whistle. 

Suri flicked her hand, dressing him and dark stonewash jeans and a black T-shirt. “Yes, you did!”

Sage pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please tell me she’s not talking to the dragon in his natural form?” 

Jime looked away, silent once more. 

“She has no clue what that means, does she?”

Jime cleared her throat. “That conversation never came up. Up until now it was never…confirmed.”

Oh hell no. No. No way. 

The darkness crawled beneath his skin. “Daughter, it’s time to go. Your little games end now.” 

Suri faced her father one more. “Uh…no.”

“Excuse me?”

The sword dissolved in her hands. 

“This defiance ends now. You’re worrying your mother sick.”

A knot of sorrow lodged in Suri’s throat. She dropped the shield around the dragons. “I’m sorry. Really.” She looked at her aunt. “But like I told Mom, I gave my word that I’d help Jime accomplish her goal. I can’t back out now.”

“Jimena, release her.”

Jime sighed. “You know I can’t.” If she could, then she would. Jime knew first hand what it felt like to do things not because you wanted to but because you were compelled. It wasn't something she wished on her worse enemy. Using Voice wasn't the same. Voice lasted for a few seconds and could be fought. 

“So, you rather jet set around the world in a car stolen by someone far more dangerous than you even know, battling creatures who will beat, eat, or rape you on sight, and tangling with that damn dragon you’re so ready to defend, playing with magic you can’t even understand than come home? Is that what you want? Because I’ll free you know, cut all ties to you, and explain why to your mother later.”

Suri stomped her foot like a child. “You’re not being fair. I have my reasons for doing this.”

“Oh, do you? Well, please tell me. I’d just love to hear your reasons.”

“Fine. I’ll tell you…alone.”

Toren snagged Suri’s arm. 

She glanced over her shoulder. “What?”

“If he tries to hurt you, run.”

“Coming from the person who admitted to throwing kids on the ground, that’s wonderful advice.” She snatched her arm away, walking a distance away from everyone, her father hot on her heels.

“You know little brother, if you apologize it would solve everything.”

“So I should apologize for doing whatever it takes to save my clan.”

Joslyn waved a claw. “Oh no. You should apologize for not being successful. It’s one thing when the guy you’re interested in uses you as a means to an end. It’s another thing entirely when the means doesn’t meet the end.” She shifted back into human. “Now, if you will excuse me.” Joslyn took off at blinding speed, tackling Jime down to the ground. Jime dropped, sprawling on the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?” Toren yelled after his sister. 

Suri looked back when she heard a thud, gagged, and flicked her hands at the naked dragon straddling her aunt. 

“And here I was hoping Jime would lose her clothes too,” Jack complained. 

Jime thread her hands through Joslyn’s hair and yanked, swinging her other fist up to connect with the other’s jaw. Joslyn blocked with her left arm, her right slashed towards Jime’s throat. 

Jime bucked, sending Joslyn face first into the cold hard ground. She flipped, pinned Joslyn to the ground, her knee digging into her back. With one hand Jime twisted both of Joslyn’s arms behind her back, her other hand clenching Joslyn’s neck, ready to rip it wide open. 

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t kill you now?”

“Because,” Joslyn partially shifted, her tail swinging around, curling tightly around Jime’s throat. “No one else can challenge you like I can.” 

Seconds passed in silence before Jime started to laughed, letting the dragon go. Joslyn sat her and pulled Jime into a fierce hugged. “It’s been what? One hundred, two hundred years or so since I last seen you.”

“Just about,” Jime said hugging her once long time friend in return. “Weren’t we in China somewhere, crashing the hidden cities New Year’s festival?”

Joslyn cackled. “Good times. Good times.” 

And it had been, Jime thought. She and Joslyn had been connected at the hip for a brief period in her life, raiding castles, crashing parties, just being two wild and out of control girls looking for fun. But that all came crashing down when Jack killed Siti…who apparently wasn’t dead and Jack had nothing to do with at all. 

“So, what’s been going on with you?” Jime asked, letting her friend go. She sat legs crossed. 

“Oh, nothing much. I mated about a century ago.”

Jime’s eyes popped out her head. “You mated? Who the hell would sign up for that job?”

Joslyn waved the question away. “Ren. And if you knew him, you’d ask me that question. He’s worse than I am. What about you?”

“Roaming the world with my niece, on one of Zeus’s quest.”

Joslyn’s eyes brightened. “Wicked!” She glanced over Jime’s shoulders. “I see he’s still stalking you.”

“Finally! Someone who understands,” Jime cried out. 

Far enough away that her conversation wouldn’t be overheard, Suri sat against the trunk of a tree. Her father leaned across from her, standing. 

“Start talking,” Sage ordered. 

And she did, starting with the day Jime came for a visit a little over a year ago up until he arrived at the wolf compounds. Of course she left lots of the parts out, mostly the parts about Jack’s parties. 

“Your mother fears you’ll drown under the darkness,” Sage said, seeing the strain lines, the less sparkly eyes of his daughter.

Closing her eyes, Suri drew in a deep breath, exhaled. The tension eased away leaving her as settled and carefree as she was a year ago. 

“I’m fine, Daddy. Like I said, I have my reasons for all that I do.”

“And your reason for this is?”

She held out her hand for her father to take. When he did, she tugged until he sat beside her resting her head on his shoulder. No one would believe that Sage was a good father. Not a single person. But Suri could admit that she was a daddy’s girl through and through. Yeah, he was a bit rough around the edges, but growing up he chase away everything that scared her, did anything to make her happy, including tea parties and dress up and even doctoring her sick pets. He may have been grumpy sometimes but he always did it. And for that, it really hurt that her dad was upset with her, that she may cause a bigger riff between him and Jime. But…

“It’s hard being your daughter. Mom’s daughter. You two are so great that the shadow I have to live in is stifling, blocking any sunlight around. I always did whatever it took to make you and mom proud, being the perfect daughter, the perfect student, the Glinda the Good Witch. But, daddy, I hate Glinda. She was so self absorbed, manipulative, but most of all a puppet to her own desires of popularity. The truly scary witch. 

“I’d rather be wicked. I’d rather my actions be guided by my emotions, what I consider right or wrong, not what you or mom expect me to do. I know dark magic isn’t something to trifle with lightly, and I went into it fully prepared for the possibility that it could set me down a path you don’t want me on, but at least it would have been my decision. I guess you call me Vegeta.”

“Call you who?”

“Vegeta…you know, DBZ.”

“DBwhat?”

She looked up. “I forgot you were so old. Basically, I knew full and well what would happen when I used dark magic.”

“You deliberately set yourself on a path that could have you kidnapped and beaten by wolves who put the video up on VooTube?”

Suri cringed. “Saw that did you?”

“No. I didn’t. And neither will anyone else.” 

Jime had opened the video on her iPhone and Sage used that link to wipe it for existence, embedding it with a virus that would fry every phone or computer or tablet that opened the link. He didn’t tell her about the video he uploaded on VooTube. 

“Speaking of that,” she shifted to face him. “There’s something I want to ask you. I may need your help.”

“What is it?”

“The wolves…I think they’re working with a witch. They had charmed cuffs to lock me with, ones that made it impossible for magic to flow from my fingers, and when my mouth wasn’t gagged, none of my spells worked, not even the ones I can work without verbalizing. Nothing.”

“Could you gather anything from the charm placed on the cuffs? Discern what type of magic it was?”

“That’s just it. It was dark magic. That same type you use. You’re the expert when it comes to dark magic.”

“Why would a dark witch work with wolves?”

Suri shrugged. “I have no idea. I don’t even know where to start. Even if I did, I’m too busy trying to keep your sister from behaving like the slutty preacher’s daughter. That’s why I’m asking for your help. Will you help me?” 

“You should ask your mother.”

“I’d rather not add more onto her plate. She foresees enough as it is, working with the oracle. I wouldn’t be fair to add to that. Please dad!” Suri begged. 

“I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you.”

“After you talk to your mother.”

Suri dropped her head. “Fine. Okay.” She raked her fingernail over her forearm, picking at the small lump one layer under her skin. Pressing down hard, a scale broke through her skin. She shoved it there after her shower not long after plucking Toren’s scales from his back. She handed it to her father. “And can you give this to Tobias? I’m sure he’ll love it.” Her familiar, a black American Polydactyl, loved to collect rare and exotic items. A dragon warlord’s scale was definitely rare and exotic.

Sage raised a questioning brow at the scale. 

“Uh,” Suri said sheepishly. “Payback is best served cold.”

Sage stood, tucking the scale into his back pocket. 

“You know what’s coming don’t you,” he said to his daughter who remained on the ground. 

She nodded. 

As a child, whenever she did something she wasn’t supposed to do, her punishment was to experience it full throttle. 

“Since you like playing with dark magic, pay close attention to what dark magic really is. And next time you decide to use it, show it the respect it demands.”

With that, Sage unleashed the darkness upon Suri. 

Toren’s back bowed in pain. Straightening, he took off into the forest where Suri and her dad disappeared, Jime right beside him.

“I swear if he did that, I’ll kill him.”

They broke into a clearing to find Suri sparking with black electric shocks, pushing herself up into a seated position, breath labored. Sage was no where in sight. 

Toren squat in front of her, lifting her face gently with his fingers under her chin. He looked her over. “I told you to run,” he said, voice soft. 

She chuckled. “You don’t run from my father. He gets high off the chase.” 

Jime knocked Toren out the way. “Should I call CPS?”

“I’m a 24 year old immortal witch. I don’t think CPS will help.”

“Foo!”

Jime pulled Suri to her feet. “You need to rest and daylight will break in this region soon.”

Jack and the others came into the clearing. 

“Hey, Little Witch, do you know any herbs that could cause a dragon intense indigestion?”

“I know 72 herbs that will do that. Not including spelled ones. If you want a specific answer wire the consultation fee into my account.”

“It’s not for my knowledge. It’s for these guys.”

“Then triple the fee and I’ll get back to you…maybe.”

Jime plucked dried leaves from Suri’s hair. “We should get you somewhere to rest. We can take it from there.”

“What about Zeus’s list?” 

Joslyn sighed dreamily. “That sounds like so much fun. Wish I could go with you. Unfortunately, I have a kid to find.”

“You may want to call River soon,” Jack said. “He had a lead when I left him, but considering everything it’s probably a decoy or a trap.”

Smoke snorted from Joslyn’s nose. “There’s no way those stupid Knights can hide from us on their own. They have to be getting help from someone.”

“Probably. I’m almost certain the wolves have a witch on their side,” Suri added. She yawned. 

“What?”

“I sensed a witch at the wolf compound. That’s why I couldn’t free myself.”

Jime’s lips pierced. Pondering. She tapped her foot impatiently, a nervous habit she thought she got rid of ages ago. Jack stepped behind her placing a comforting hand against her back. 

“What’s left on the list?” he asked. 

“Hydra,” Suri mumbled, nodding off where she stood. Toren stepped forward scooping her up into her arms. Weakly she pushed at his arms, but the warmth from his body relaxed tired, achy muscles. Her eyes drifted closed.

“Hesperides, Feather from a snake, hippogriff, and a snake. We already caught a Kage Inu Yokai. Got a kilogram of dragon scales,” she glanced at Toren. “Still have a cockatrice’s saliva. Suri refuses to help me with that one. Fae underpants. That’s all hers. Uhhh…mountain troll hair. Capture the Naga. And…” she cleared her throat, mumbling the last one.

But Jack heard. “You’re shitting me right?”

“Nope.”

“Hera?”

“Yep.”

“And how to you plan to do that one?”

She shook her head. “No clue.”

“I’ll help you with that one. Hell, you’ll need all the help you can get.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Which one were you going to do next?”

Jime shrugged. “Need to discuss that with Suri.”

Jack gestured to the slumbering witch. “She’s out like a light, and if her depleted energy is any sign, she’ll sleep for days. Newly immortals still require lots of rest. You can see her somewhere safe, and I’ll help you with the cockatrice.”

Jime glared over her shoulder. Just who did he think he was? She hoped he didn’t have an weird ideas in his head about where they stood. Nothing had changed. “Anything else you’d like to say Oh Great One?”

“Nope. Nothing.” He removed his hand, tucking both into his back pockets.

“There’s a dragon cave a few miles away,” Toren said to Jime. “It’s safe. Fully protected. That’s where we were taking her.”

“I still haven’t forgiven you, Baby Dragon,” Jime said.

“I can do surveillance work from here,” Joslyn said. “That way I can keep an eye on your niece. Protect her while she’s out. Even from my stupid brother.” 

“Thanks Jos,” Toren said. “You’re really helpful.”

“I try.”

Jime thought about it. Time was limited, the sun threatening to rise in less than an hour. “Fine. I’ll go with you to make sure she’s really safe. Then Jack and I will leave for a few hours.”

Seeing Suri in safe, Jime met Jack outside where he was forced to wait. He wasn’t allowed to know the exact location of the cave. 

She stepped over him where he lounged at the trunk of a tree near the river. “Ready?”