Chapter Ten
I was shocked at how quickly Damien had picked up on the link between Tia’s emotions and the mark. That was another part of the old legends that were believed to be fiction. I didn’t understand his warning, or the mischievous glint in his eyes as he told Elani and Gregor to disregard it. As it was, I didn’t have to wait long to find out his reasoning.
“Nadir, report to your quarters immediately!” Elani demanded. “I will be speaking to the council about your behavior.” Her tone was patronizing, as though she was speaking to a toddler.
The nadir training urged me to drop my eyes and follow the orders of my handler, but things had changed. I was part of a circle; this was my home for as long as Tia resided here, and no other woman would order me out of it. Ignoring Elani, I nuzzled Tia’s neck, kissing the mark that I had practiced in my long hours alone. I squeezed my arms around her playfully, earning a squeal as she wiggled. Her hair tickled my face, and I laughed. I finally straightened my spine and turned to look Elani in the eye.
“I respect your position in our community, and time permitting, I will continue to work on cases for the council, if they wish it,” I said. “However, I am no longer a nadir. I am a human, and now a bonded mate with a circle. I will no longer be ordered around simply because I was born without magic.”
Those were words I had dreamed of being able to speak someday. I deserved to be treated with the same respect that was given to others, regardless of magic. A weight rolled off my shoulders, and I felt several inches taller. Elani had never been able to handle being told “no” and this time wasn’t any different.
“You do not have the right to say no!” she cried. “As your handler, I am responsible for ensuring that you remain in line, and refrain from doing anything stupid that would bring shame upon the wizard community. Return to your quarters immediately and await my return.”
I had nothing more to say to her, so I remained quiet. Tia was frozen in my lap, her eyes unblinking as she stared at Elani. A tingling spread through my fingers, and for a moment I wondered if they had fallen asleep as they rested on her waist. The tingling spread up my arms, before moving to the tops of my thighs, until my body tingled everywhere it was touching Tia. I had listened to others describe how magic “felt” and their excitement as it moved about them, but it was something I hadn’t experienced as a nadir. The air began to vibrate around Tia. I felt that this was what it must be like in the moments before you are struck by lightning.
“Little dragon,” said Luke, “focus on your breathing.” His words were reassuring, and it seemed that they were working, until he said the two words that every man, of every species, in every galaxy, knew he shouldn’t say to an angry woman. “Calm yourself.”
Damien cackled in glee, sounding like a two hundred-year-old witch that had just found the secret to eternal beauty. Mithraheal, always so proper, groaned and slumped into a chair, wrinkling his immaculate suit. Levi gave Luke a disgusted look, before dropping to the floor and covering his snout and eyes with his massive paws. Gregor took a few cautious steps backwards, taking a position closer to the door.
They left me holding what might as well have been an atomic bomb on my lap.
Please tell me that the mutt did not just tell us to be calm? We should neuter him, we could just keep the other twin for the baby making! Why didn’t he tell the chick with a stick up her butt to be calm? She’s the one that barged into our nest, the one that’s trying to take our newly-bonded mate away from us. We cannot let her have him! He’s adorable, and the things he can do with his tongue—
The word vomit ended abruptly, and I assumed that Tia had somehow silenced her dragon. I glanced at the other men and knew instantly that they had heard the same thing as me. Damien howled with laughter, Mithraheal looked perplexed, Luke looked green, and Levi’s glee at the mention of babies rolled off him in waves, even in wolf form.
Overwhelming happiness warmed my chest, filling every cold, lonely spot in my soul. I had a family, a home, and I was going to cherish every ridiculously insane minute of belonging to a dragoness. Laughter spilled from my lips. I laughed until tears streamed down my face and my sides ached. I laughed until every bit of hurt and sadness I had endured was swept away.
Tia turned herself on my lap so she was facing me, her eyes lighting up as I struggled to regain my composure. Her hands slipped around my neck, her laughter escaping to join my own. I loved this woman, and I wanted to show her just how much I did. I stood quickly, grabbing her plump bum to keep her from slipping. She quickly wrapped those beautiful long legs around my waist and pulled herself tightly against me. I felt my body react instantly and my breathing hitched; I could live for centuries and I doubt I would ever grow tired of feeling her pressed against me.
As I moved to leave the room, we neared the spot Elani stood. Tia’s back was to her, so she did not see the look that passed across my handler’s face. Elani’s hand shot out and grabbed my arm to halt me.
“Remove your hand from my mate. Now.” It was not a request, it was an order, and Tia’s voice reverberated as though two people spoke instead of one.
Elani removed her hand but refused to stand aside. “By wizard law, he is a nadir and I am his handle,” she said. “That makes him my property. This will not change, unless the council sees fit to reassign him, which is unlikely as I have already submitted the papers to gain ownership of him. He has refused in the past, and the council has allowed his tantrums, only because they believed he shouldn’t have his attention divided. However, I have it in writing that, after this final hack, he is going to see to my needs as a reward for my outstanding performance as his handler. Thanks to my diligence, he has assisted the council on many challenging cases, and they are pleased. The date of his new assignment, focused on me, is today. So unless you would like to start an interspecies war, I suggest you remove your horny self from my nadir.”
Elani finished by pulling out stationary that I was very familiar with. It carried the seal of the council and was signed by each member. It was all true. I had deluded myself into believing the council would not force something on a nadir; that we had some rights within the community, even if we did not have respect. The wind was knocked out of me. This type of decree was official; the council rarely revoked such things, and I couldn’t allow my mate to bring another battle to her door.
A sharp snap like the cracking of a whip spilt the air as my mate’s wings sprang free. One wing smacked the paper from Elani’s hand, wrenching a pained yelp from my handler as she clutched her smarting hand to her chest.
Sliding down my body to stand on her own feet, Tia faced Elani. “Elani, I would like to introduce you to my bonded mate, Leo,” she said. “If you, or the council, have business with him, you are welcome in our home to discuss whether he wishes to take on the case. He will choose what he wishes to work on, so I suggest the council treat him with respect if they wish him to consider any of their requests. My mates are not to be disrespected in my nest. This is the one and only time I will give you a warning. In the future, your behavior will result in your being banned permanently. I understand that some traditions are old and long-standing within supernatural communities, but the treatment of those that have been labeled as ‘nadir’ is horrifying and unacceptable. They are tricked into believing they are free, while in reality, they are servants, even slaves.”
Elani opened her mouth to argue, but Tia waved her hand in a casual gesture. Elani’s mouth continued to attempt to form words, but no sound came out. She clutched at her throat in panic.
“Calm your tits, it’s not permanent,” Tia said with a sigh. “I simply wish to finish without interruption. My mates and I will head into battle soon and I have much better things to do with my time right now. You will deliver a message to the council for me. Tell them that the treatment of those they label ‘nadir’ ends today. They are free to make their own decisions regarding careers, families, studies, and traveling. Contracts cannot be made regarding them without their willing consent. They deserve to be treated as valuable members of the wizard community, and if that is not possible, then I welcome them to join me. I am goddess Tiamat, dragoness of the sea! I am here to balance our world. If I do not receive word from the council before we leave on our mission, giving their express agreement to these terms, I will assume that we are no longer allies.”
Tia moved into my arms, her wings enveloping me in her warmth. I wanted to study her wings, to touch them and observe them in motion, but for now, I enjoyed my mate’s embrace.
“One last thing,” she added. “Leo is mine, and I am his. Forget any thoughts of trying to lay claim to him. Touch him again, and you will die.”
She waved her hand once more and Elani vanished instantly. Tia climbed back up my body like a lizard, her lush lips touching mine in a feather light brush. My hands moved to explore her body, feeling my own body began to burn with the desire to bury myself deep inside her. I tripped as I made a dash for the bedroom, swallowing her giggle as my mouth covered hers.
“Goddess,” interrupted Gregor, “with permission, may I ask what happened to Elani?”
I slowed just for a moment at Gregor’s question. I was curious too, but I was more worried about stripping my gorgeous little mate.
Tia reluctantly pulled back from our kiss and peered around my arm to find Gregor kneeling with his head bowed. “Don’t worry, Gregor, she is fine. I sent her to the council chambers, and she will find her voice has returned. No hard feelings, okay?”
She had gone from a demanding avenging goddess to the girl you share beers with while watching sports. It was such a crazy switch of roles, but she remained in control at all times. My skin was tingling and my nerves felt raw, both of which I chalked up to the dragoness currently trying to unbutton my shirt. I had a feeling that we had only scratched the surface when it came to the secrets and power this little queen possessed.