Chapter Twenty
“ T ia, honey, calm down.” My brother’s tone was soothing, but his word choice was idiotic. The other guys groaned and I pinched the bridge of my nose.
None of us were even sure what had set her on edge, but it was stressful watching her battle for internal control. Levi’s words were like a match tossed on gasoline. Light imploded around us, the outline of her body bending until the house-sized pearl dragon stood in front of us. She roared and her wings fluttered behind her, taking out half the cave wall. Mithraheal flashed around the falling debris, grabbing each of us and hauling everyone outside.
Tia followed, her gorgeous white scales glinted in bright sunshine. The effect reminded me of opals, a rainbow of pastel colors shimmering as she moved. Her eyes tracked Levi; apparently, she still had a bone to pick with him. She leaned down and bellowed in his face, her warm fire engulfing him. When the fire died out, he was unharmed, but his hair had been blown back and stood on end.
She huffed out a startled breath and swung her head around to see who had touched her. Leo, either unnaturally brave or completely stupid, was stroking the scales on her tail.
“These are amazing, Tia!” he said, beaming. “I wonder what they’re made of! It feels almost like a fingernail, but stronger. I bet there are few things that could penetrate this armor. Is it heavy?”
He was babbling on like a kid in a candy store. He was petting an out of control dragoness and talking to her as though she would answer him. We all adored our mate, but over the past week it had been a challenge not to lose sight of the fact that she was still the woman we loved, and not just a young dragon that was being controlled by instinct. Ivo had told us that this could go on for months or even years; it all depended on her strength and how quickly she gained control. Yet, Leo talked to her constantly as though she hadn’t been changed in the battle. It was a good reminder for all of us.
Tia garbled a sound deep in her throat. She huffed and tried again.
“They are light.” The words were spoken slowly.
Leo squealed, yes, he freaking squealed. “You can speak in this form? How? I learn something new about dragons every day!” he cried.
“Fascinating. That is yet another skill which takes years to master, and yet she accomplished it only days after her first full shift,” said Ivo, as he strode toward her, grinning broadly. “Tia, I have never heard of a dragon with your color. You are a stunning dragoness! Would you like to fly?”
Her eyes swirled excitedly and she did a cute little bunny hop that shook the ground beneath our feet.
“Can I come? Please, Tia?” asked Leo.
“Yes.” The word was garbled, but clearer than before.
“Learning to fly is challenging, it would be safer for him to remain here,” said Ivo. His voice was firm.
“I would never harm him! He is mine!” Tia snatched Leo in her taloned claw, careful not to scratch or squish him. She used her large, muscled thighs to launch herself in the air.
Mithraheal’s laughter rang out. “If this is what strong-willed teenagers are like, I am not sure I would survive fatherhood,” he said with a laugh.
Ivo shifted into his black dragon in the blink of an eye, each scale tipped in glowing reds and golds. He bellowed his frustration as he followed Tia into the sky. The powerful beats of his wings stirred the dust and forced us to shield our eyes.
Leo’s shouts floated down to us on the ground.
“Did he just say yeehaw?” Levi barked out a laugh.
Mithraheal was all logic and weighed down with responsibilities. My brother and I were loyal, but always on guard. Ivo was stuffed full of ancient wisdom, but his beast was always just under the surface. Our group needed Leo. His unbridled curiosity and open nature drew us all closer. The road we were traveling had been challenging, and we lost sight of our joy sometimes from the stress of it, but Leo would lighten everything up with his silliness. We made for such an odd circle, but I wouldn’t have changed it for the world.
We watched as Tia and Ivo swirled and danced through the clouds, their dragons creating a beautiful contrast of light and dark. Occasionally we would see Leo fly through the air as Tia tossed him playfully, rushing to catch him as he laughed. Once she let him free fall toward the ground. He made no effort to slow his descent and his face showed no concern that she wouldn’t get to him on time. They were both crazy.
The sun was setting as the two large dragons landed gracefully. Leo slid down Tia’s wing, obviously planning to make a cool dismount, but as he went to stand, he tripped and landed on his butt. Tia chortled a laugh and even Ivo shook his massive head in amusement.
The dragons shifted back to their human forms, and we moved inside to eat the deer that had been roasting over a fire. Ivo’s cave didn’t have modern amenities like a kitchen, so we had been managing as best we could using a fire pit. I had some mean skills with a grill, and I’d quickly ended up being in charge of all our meals.
“I need to go to the castle to handle some business,” said Mithraheal. “I’ll be back in the morning.” He nodded goodbye, kissed Tia gently on the lips, and then teleported himself away.
I stretched out on the furs, stuffed full and ready to sleep. My eyes closed and I started drifting off immediately. I jerked when I felt someone jostle my body. I cracked open one eye and watched as Tia settled herself along the length of my side. I turned my head and pressed a kiss to her nose. I closed my eyes and began to doze again, enjoying the feel of my mate snuggled against me.
“Luke.” Her soft voice had me opening my eyes again.
I looked at her with a raised brow, only then realizing that her pupils were round as she studied my face. Hope fluttered in my heart. Was she back in control?
“I never hear you speak, not since the battle,” she said. “Are you able to speak?” There was a quiver in her voice, a gentleness that I had missed.
I hesitated. Finally, I shook my head.
“Oh, Luke!” She clutched me tightly as she began to sob. I shifted her so she was laying on top of my chest. Her tears soaked my chest as she continued to cry.
I felt for the mental bond in an attempt to speak with her telepathically. I hadn’t been able to connect with her since she merged with Beasty. This time, however, I felt her mind and the connection glowed.
Darling, I’ve missed you.
Her sobs turned to hiccups. “I am sorry I failed you.”
Don’t let me hear you say that again! You did not fail me. You were magnificent! We were set up, the odds were terrible and we should all be dead right now. Are you able to tell me what happened that day?
She nodded against my chest and then slowly told the full story; how she had defeated Draven, and how terrified she was when she realized that she wasn’t going to be able to save us. My eyes watered as she explained what Beasty had been trying to do for her, and then how they had merged, even though they didn’t know if it would work. She was still grieving for her best friend, and my heart throbbed painfully for her.
You were both so brave.
“I’m not. I’d never been so scared. And then, once we merged, the power was so overwhelming. It burned like someone had poured acid inside me. My insides melted and reformed. It hurt worse than catching the lightning bolt—”
You did what?
“I grabbed the lightning that Draven called down to strike me.”
Nothing had been normal since the day I had met my fiery little mate, but I was still dumbstruck at the visual of her snatching lightning like it was no biggie. And she thought she was weak? Ivo had taught us enough over the past week for us to realize that, while she was still young and just coming into her true power, she was going to bring the world to its knees when she learned to master her abilities. I was thrilled to get a front row seat to watch her transformation.
You take my breath away.
She huffed, her fingertips drawing invisible lines on my skin. “I’m tired, Luke.” She sighed. “I have to fight to control my instincts every minute I’m awake. My instincts are so strong, and combined with the frantic energy of my power, it makes everything inside me volatile. I want to make love to you, not be driven to mate you by my instincts.”
You seem to be in control now.
“I don’t know for how long.” She sighed again, her warm breath tickling across my chest .
Ivo sat at the foot of the furs, shifting Tia’s legs so that her feet lay in his lap. “You have to learn to leash the dragon instincts,” he said. “You must be stronger.”
She was so still I thought she must have fallen asleep. But then she spoke. “I’m not sure. I think I have to learn to work with these instincts, not try to force them into a box. This is me, not a separate entity. When I merged with Beasty, I was gained her memories from her life long ago, as well as the abilities she possessed and the knowledge of how to use them. That is the only reason my full, unleashed power didn’t destroy me. She is gone, but even now, her knowledge is guiding me as I learn how to handle my energy.”
“I have never personally known a dragon shifter who merged fully with their beast, so perhaps I am incorrect regarding the best way to learn control,” admitted Ivo. He was thoughtful, mulling over her words, his hands massaging Tia’s feet.
Levi crawled onto the bed and took Tia’s hand. Her smile was sleepy; her eyes began to droop. I was so proud; this was the first real conversation we had shared with Tia since the battle, and it had happened much sooner than Ivo had estimated. She was adapting and changing, whilst taking it all in stride, just like she did with everything else that came her way.
I slept like a rock that night.