~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Curled comfortably into the bed soft Snug Lounge Chair in front of the fireplace, Joslyn looked up from the laptop she used to survey surveillance footage at the sound of footsteps marching down the hall towards the room she sat in watching over the little witch. Which turned out to be more entertaining then she ever imagined after the shock wore off. Shock of Suri’s little habit.
She glanced at the clock. Fifty-three minutes had pass since her brother last entered the room. The longest he’d went without checking on his mate since they arrived in the cave three hours ago. After placing her in one of River’s many lush cavern rooms, Joslyn had to kick him out only to have him return three minutes later. Six minutes. Five minutes. Ten minutes. And twenty-two minutes before she threatened to post a few not so masculine pictures of him all over the paranormal social media. Now fifty-three minutes later he walked back in, showered and dressed in battle armor.
“Going somewhere?” she asked already knowing that he planned to regroup with River to find Kenzie, the kidnapped hatchling.
“According to Jack, the guys had a run in with some of the knights. We need to stom—“ his eyes narrowed. “Where’d that chair come from?”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “I didn’t buy it. But we should get some of these. They’re suppperr soft. Come feel it.” She slide over and patted a space beside her. Instead, he walked over to the bed, gazing down at Suri who laid sprawled on her back, one arm over her eyes, the other across her exposed stomach with the blanket twisted around her legs. He brushed back her wayward hair, his finger grazing the slowly healing cut on her forehead.
“She’s hot.”
“Uh, I think she knows that already, but I’m sure she would appreciate your keen observation.”
“Shut up. I mean her temperature is hot.”
“So you don’t think your mate is hot?” she asked.
Toren scowled at his sister and sat on the edge of the bed. “You know what I mean.”
Joslyn closed the laptop and unfolded her legs, sitting up. “Actually, I don’t.” Stowing the laptop on the floor, she leaned forward, elbows on her knees.
“I don’t know what you mean or what you’re even thinking. A lot of shit has happened in,” she snapped her fingers “zero seconds flat. You don’t even have time to process one thing before something else pops up. Don’t deny it. River told me.”
With the decline of their race, there’s a ton of pressure from the elders to do something to fix the problem, and in between making deals and battling knights he found his mate in their arch enemy species.
From the beginning of time witches and dragons have hated each other. The original magic users, Dragons and Witches, hunted one another. Dragons with the aim to wipe the human magic users off the face of the earth. Witches with the goal to drain the dragons of their magic and harness it. It was an ancient feud, one that existed still today if Sage’s behavior was any indication.
It wasn’t like he ever done anything to the man personally for Sage to want to kill him on sight. Besides steal a few hell hot, mind exploding, pants tenting kisses from Suri. Along with a bit of hot and heavy fondling that would have gone a bit further that one time if they hadn’t been interrupted. Oh, and secretly mating with her. Not that anyone knew it besides River, and Joslyn. Noami and Seung Hoo. Maybe Jack, who had a way of picking up on things he shouldn’t. So possibly Jime because Jack was such a pussy-whipped chump when it came to Jime. Which meant it wasn’t impossible for Sage to know.
Toren expelled a long breath suddenly so grateful to life and happy he was still alive.
“You have a full plate,” Joslyn said. “And a sudden bad habit of not sharing. Keeping all the good jobs for yourself you selfish bastard.”
“It’s my responsibility to—“
“Take care of us super rich, super strong with incredible magic, big bad ass dragons that love to fight and kill enemies and fuck around like whores.” She tapped a finger against her head. “What about that sounds wrong?”
“All of it actually,” Toren said leaning back a bit until his arm pressed up against Suri who rolled toward him, pressing closer and muttered something about puppies. Cute. “It’s what we’ve done for centuries, and yet each year there are fewer births. Maybe it’s time for people to stop fucking around like whores and focus on reproducing,” he said accusingly to his sister who’d been mated for over 100 years and hadn’t had a child yet.
Joslyn laughed amusingly. “Can you really see me as mother? Ren as a father? Really? You sure that’s what you want? Because if that’s what your heart desires my mate and I can get right to work on that. And don’t come crying to me when you have a bunch of nieces and nephews gnawing at your tail, poking your eyes out in your sleep, stealing your stuff, sneaking into your caves and hiding your treasure, because you can believe that’s the first lesson I’ll teach them. Uncle Toren is fair game. Whoever can drive him insane first wins.”
A sense of dread formed in the pit of his stomach at the thought. Growing up with one Joslyn had been a nightmare. Then she joined teams with Ren and the level of irritation increased ten-fold. He wasn’t sure adding to the mix was the smartest of ideas. Then again…
“I’ll dangle your spawn by their wings over a pit of starving goblins. And accidentally on purpose let go. So make sure you teach them in your first lesson that Uncle Toren has butter fingers.”
Joslyn fell back in a fit of laughter, clutching her side. “I remember that. Hahaha. You couldn’t come back in the nest for three years before mother forgave you for dropping that hatchling in the pit.”
“He was six years younger than me. He wasn’t a hatchling.”
“But you were bigger so it was an unfair fight.”
“And is any fight fair? Should I lower myself to my opponents level to even the odds? How about the knights? Shouldn’t our hatchling be off limits in this war since it’s unfair to fight against the young and defenseless?”
Eyes glowing, Toren’s talons elongated at the thought. “This will be the first and last of our clan that they take. Don’t worry. I’ll stop them?”
“You will?” Joslyn sat up. “When? Sometime in between rescuing Kenzie, destroying the Knights, finding the bitch who helped them into our caves to begin with, saving our clan and progressing us further, and finding time to be a good mate to your witch, when will you make it so that no member of our clan will ever be in danger again?”
“Quit lecturing me and sAYY—“ A sharp pain shot up his left leg. He kicked his leg out on reflex sending a tiger cub scrambling across the cavern floor, it’s claws scratching against the earth. It ran in a circle then dart back towards him. Jumping to the side, Toren lifted his legs when the cub lunged for his leg again.
“The fuck!” Toren grabbed the cub midair by the scruff of its neck.
“Ah, yeah. That.”
Toren glanced at the cub. At his sister. At the cub. At his sister who sat crossed legged and never once had let her legs hang over the edge of the chair.
“The hell is there a tiger in here? A tiger.”
“Huuhh. See. It started about right after you last came in here.”
“What started?”
“She started to get restless. Rolling back and forth, kicking the blanket off, and talking.”
Suri rolled over again. “The one with the cherries,” she mumbled into the pillow before settling.
And right there on the table by the fireplace a giant wedding size cake topped with dozens of cherries appeared.
Time slowed as Toren’s head swirled in the direction of the cake, to the tiger before landing on Suri’s back. “She—‘
“Sleep spells? Yeahhh. So cool!”
Toren yanked his head back as two cub paws slashed at his face. He blew a cloud of smoke into the cubs face. It sneezed, batting at its nose. When the smoke cleared, Toren looked the tiger in the eye, allowing it to see the dragon in his eyes. “Don’t touch me again. I’ll eat you.”
But damn if the little thing was afraid of him. It swiped again this time a claw scratching his cheek. On impulse he dropped the cub. Landing it his lap for a brief second, the little thing darted from his leg, it’s claws digging in Toren’s leg, and jumped onto the bed, dodging behind Suri, borrowing between her stomach and the blanket.
“Get away from her,” Toren said to the cub, reaching for it when Joslyn said, “legs up.”
He lifted his legs just before two Shiba Inu puppies came tumbling from under the bed.
Crossing his legs, Toren folded his arms and looked down his nose at the two. “Don’t move.”
They growled.
Reaching behind him he yanked the cub off the bed and tossed it over with the others, it’s legs flailing helplessly then landing with perfect grace.
Baby snarls and barks echoed in the room. “Don’t move,” he barked in the threatening voice that didn’t match the amused smile of his lips.
“At first there was one dancing cha cha man. I don’t know what happened to him. Then the cub and those two, plus a bunch of other crap. I don’t know what her dream is about but I’m almost positive it involves tiger, dogs, cherries, and lounge chairs,” Joslyn said. “Can I eat them?”
He waved a hand at cubs. “Sure.” That quieted the lot down.
“Yay!” Joslyn said with a clap. “I’ll save them for later. Midnight snack. Wash ‘em down with the cake.”
Suri kicked the blanket off the bed. “Waterfalls are nice.”
The earth shook, in the distance the sound of earth shifting, rocks falling into a pool of water.
“If she keeps this up River won’t recognize the place,” Toren said.
“Hold your mate,” Joslyn snapped, clutching the chair to keep from toppling out.
“What?”
The quake stopped.
“Quickly now. Hold your mate,” she ordered. “Before she brings the ceiling down on us.”
Following Joslyn’s advice, Toren scooted back on to the bed, stretching his legs out, his back up against the headboard. Gently, he lifted Suri, pulling her over to rest her head on his lap. She twisted until her face pressed against his stomach, her body curling into ball. One hand rested over her waist, the other in her hair.
And just like that her body fully relaxed, her breathing evened out.
For dragons a mating was different for each pair. The nuances different for each, but the only thing they all shared was the ability to soothe with a touch. It was the cornerstone for a mated pair. The one thing that could calm the worst of temperatures, soothe pain, enforce love. At least for most mated pairs.
It had been different for his parents. His mother finding that little ability a manipulative trait used by her domineering mate.
Apparently with he and Suri she was able to understand his dragon, although while in dragon form he was unable to verbally speak. And he could sense her pain.
Now that he thought about it, Joslyn was right. He hadn’t fully processed his mating yet, more surprised and interested in his actual mate herself. The Dragon had recognized her for what she was instantly. His human half accepted the dragon’s decision for what it was, so busy with his clan problems he didn’t have time to analyze it. In fact, he had even less time now. He shouldn’t be sitting there stroking his fingers through the curly mess of hair in his lap.
“Earth To Toren!” Joslyn yelled.
He blinked, looking up. “What?”
“Quit making goo-goo eyes and listen to me. Gawd!” She rolled her eyes. “You’re so taken.”
“No. I’m not.”
“It’s like candy,” she sang.
“What did you say?”
“I said, I’ve been tracking the knights movements through public, and some private, surveillance cameras in the areas they’re most active, and I have to agree with the Jack that it most likely is a decoy they’re using.”
“Explain.”
“They have a dragon in their possession now. They should be using most of their man power guarding the location, preparing for a counterattack. But from what I’ve seen, they have enough men on the ground to draw attention but no where near enough to hold off against an attack. We need to figure out where the real location is and pull our men a—”
“No. Leave them where they are.” His strategic brain kicking in. “We can use their decoy against them.”
“How?”
“Have our men fall for whatever trap they’ve set. Once they’re caught and the Knights feel they have a definite upper hand, they’ll move. That’s when you can check the cameras for extra activity in other locations. I’ll get word out to a few contacts to keep an eye out for larger groups. You should get a message with red alert locations within moments. And if they’re getting help like we think, they may slip up. Become to arrogant and make a mistake. Does anyone know how they got into our caves in the first place?”
She shook her head. “That’s just it. They didn’t show up on any of our cameras. It’s like they weren’t there until they were.” She opened the laptop, her fingers moving at rapid speed as she emailed contacts, typed notes, and pulled up cameras in major cities. “I’m sending a decoder to a few phone satellites with keywords encoded. Too many keywords used and I’ll send a copy of the conversation and phone locations to our server, but I wouldn’t place my bets on this one. I’ve had a few of these set for years and they’ve hardly ever lead to any real information. Anything else?” She glanced up from the screen. “Heyyy there Sleepy Head.”
Toren looked down to see Suri’s eyes red-rimmed and slightly open.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, unsure if just under three hours of sleep could fully revive a newly immortal.
“Search farms. Or labs,” she said with a yawn.
Joslyn cocked her head to the side. “For?”
“Herbs. Jack mentioned it. Large reoccurring purchases of herbs. Farming equipment.”
“Yeah he mentioned it but you never specified which,” Toren said.
“Wire fee. Until then, search.” Lids heavy, her eyes drifted closed. “Now would yall please shut the hell up. Tace.”
Toren opened his mouth. No words came out. He tried again. Nothing.
Joslyn laughed a silent laugh for her voice was gone too. Brow raised, she glared at the slumbering witch.
How dare that witch take her voice?
Toren gestured for Joslyn to speak, but when nothing came out he sighed contently. And laughed.
Irritated, she closed the laptop. Standing up, she did the standard ‘I got my eyes on you’ move with her fingers to the pair on the bed. She stood, shifting to dragon. Her tail wrapped around the tails of the cub and puppies, dragging them behind her as she stomped out the room.
“Where are you going?” Toren asked his sister as one dragon to another. They didn’t need to verbally speak to communicate, the dragon’s speaking telepathically. Being leader of the clan with more magic then most, he didn’t have to be in his dragon form to talk to his clan mates.
“To find that waterfall.”
She disappeared from the room leaving a voiceless Toren alone with a sleeping Suri.
He’d stay there for another hour so she could rest. Then, he was off to bring Kenzie home and show everyone who his clan remained strong despite their losses.
++++
When Sage returned that night home, Angie sat in the living room on the floor crossed legged, her soul obviously out of her body. She did that sometimes, wandering the world as a spirit or returning to the spirit world for brief periods of time.
The first time he happened upon her in such a state he almost freaked out, shaking her body, throwing water on her, unsure of what to do. If he could or should do anything. When she came to wet and sore there was hell to pay. Now, after centuries of marriage, he knew the only thing he should do was wait and hope she didn’t go off on another week long journey.
Fortunately for him, Angie’s eyes blinked opened not long after his arrival.
He sat on the sofa opposite her.
“My daughter?” she asked.
“Is a foolish girl bonded by her word to Jimena until their quest is complete, being beaten by wolves and other nefarious creatures, and disregarding her magical training to live a wicked life of her choosing.”
“Excuse me?”
Sage shrugged. “I didn’t understand half of what she said. Something about living in our shadow blocks all light. Glinda being an scary witch so she’d rather be wicked. And she mentioned someone named Vegeta.”
“Who?”
“Vegeta.”
“As in Dragonball Z?”
“What the hell is Dragonball Z?” Sage fumed. “And speaking of dragon balls. I’ll cut his off and hang them on the tree out front.”
“You care to explain to me just what the hell you’re talking about?” Angie snapped.
So he did. Starting with what happened after he left to track Suri to that house only to find it inhabited by humans, to tracking Jimena who was with that fucking bastard, to the wolves, ending with his discussion with his daughter.
“Your daughter doesn’t respect her parents,” Sage accused. “I blame you father.”
“You always blame my father,” Angie retorted. “At least he’s not a raging lunatic like your mother.”
“Like your uncle. Don’t cast stones Love. This house is made of glass.” Angie’s need for open space and freedom was why Sage made the house out of glass. Large glass walls. High glass ceilings. They were practically opened to the elements which later proved conducive to Suri’s elemental magic training. It didn’t really matter what his house looked like, was made of, as long as it was grand.
“How is Jimena?” Angie asked with concern. “It must have been a blow to learn that Siti is alive and Jack, who she’s directed all her hate towards for a century, had nothing to do with Siti’s death.”
“She had a momentary setback, literally a moment, before her need for answers and revenge kicked in. But revenge against whom I know not.”
“Do you still have that VooTube video? The one the wolves posted?”
Sage shook his head.
“Eva and Amor?”
“What do you think?”
“That we need to pay a visit to this lands head Wolf for a little heart to heart. Find out who his wolves are working with and why. Do you know how many practitioners there are for your type of dark magic.”
“Six. Myself. Suri. And four others. Seven if we include Siti.”
Angie laced her fingers cracking her knuckles and shrugging the tension from her neck.
“Then we shall go pay those four a little visit.”
“After you talk to your daughter.”
“After.”
++++
Jime pulled out her iPhone calling Suri. She and Jack managed to avoid the sun so far, but not any longer. They made it to California before they had to stop for the day until dusk ten hours from now. She and Jack checked into a suite at one of Jack’s over expensive plush hotels. Well, she checked in. He had ‘business he must attend to’ before they left. She didn’t know where he was nor did she care at the moment. As long as he didn’t run off with Jack, the car. Not like she’d be stuck if he had.
She could aways Trace to where she wanted to go. It was fastest in fact. But Jime loved riding around in that car, taking the slow scenic routes. It reminded her of her days as a normal human. Before the change. Before the Sinn-Jammers and everything felt so wham-bam quick and fast, over before it begun, no time to stop and smell the roses. And damnit, she liked roses. So she enjoyed the road trips in Jack, the car, even the flying ones.
The rang and rang and rang. Jime went to end the call when someone said “hello.”
“Suri.”
“Nope. Jos.”
“Hey Jos. Suri still sleep?” Jime asked.
“Nah, she’s woke up about an hour ago. Talking to the fire. Your niece is a bit strange, did you know?”
“And you’re not?”
“I’m crazy. She’s strange. Sleep spells. There’s a difference. Oh. Wait. Hold on. Her she is. It’s on speaker.”
“Hello!” Suri said into the phone.
“Hey. How you feeling? I should kill your father for what he did.”
“YOU WOULDN’T HAVE A SNOWBALLS CHANCE IN HELL!” a loud deep voice boomed in the background.
Jime jerked the phone away from her ear.
“Is Sage there with you right now?” Jime asked.
“Not physically but I was in the middle of a call with my mother.” Suri whispered close to the phone, “I used the fire to make the call so that they can’t track me. Hold on for a moment.”
“And what did he do to her,” Angie’s soft melodic voice floated through the phone.
“Released the darkness on her. Knocked her out in the process,” Jime snitched. “Oh. And he called her a brat. Said she was ungrateful just like her mother. He was going to cut ties with her and you. And--“
“You lying old hag!” Sage yelled in the background ending with a grunt. “Baby, don’t hit me again. She speaks lies.”
“I’m not lying,” Jime said defensively. “Suri. Tell your mother. I’m not lying am I?”
Suri sighed. “Tia give me a moment to end this call and I’ll call you back.”
“Okay. Cool.”
Thirty minutes later, while stretched out on the soft catching up with the final installment of Kaichou, Jack walked back into the room torso and hair wet, swim trunks hanging low off his hips, so low she wouldn't even have to pull hard to lose the pants. But she wasn't going there. So not going there with him. Despite his words of now being some caring, loving guy, she really really really wasn't going there with him. Again.
Jime’s phone rang.
“Now, tell me which task you and Jack did,” Suri said in way of greeting, “and if you did anything else. Hint hint wink wink.”
Joslyn’s hysterical laughter echoed in the background.
