32. Tacita #2
“No, but I bet it will be given another millennia or two.”
I ponder that for a few seconds. Hades currently has no competition to speak of. He could run this realm for another hundred thousand years or more, and Seffy is probably right. He’s made significant strides in the last five hundred years, and he shows no sign of stopping.
“Guys, I don’t feel so good,” Wyatt interrupts our discussion.
I immediately turn to him to find him sweating profusely, and he’s clutching his chest.
“What’s wrong?” I demand going to his side and putting my hand to his forehead, feeling him burning up.
“It’s like the worst heartburn,” he pants, heat emanating off him in waves.
Milo taps my arm to get my attention before signing, “What’s wrong?”
Unsure, I look around for Garrick, or Dominic, but before I can call either of them over, Wyatt’s legs buckle.
“Fuck!” I yell as I try to stop him crashing into the hard concrete. “Khaos, what did you give him?”
The little witch looks over from where he is talking with some of the guards. “Oh, I knew he would be quick but this is even faster than I thought.”
“He’s burning up!” I panic, knowing his human nature makes him fragile to such changes in body temperature.
“Back away!” Garrick’s voice shouts over the now gathering crowd, many sets of eyes turning to watch the commotion, and several people closing around us to see what’s going on.
“Back the fuck up now!” Garrick yells with more urgency. “You included Ninety-Eight and Nineteen.”
Neither of us move, I’m cradling Wyatt’s head as he starts thrashing. “Help him,” I snap at Garrick, who is pushing the other contestants back with the other guards. They’re ordering them as far away as the grass. I’ve never seen a reaction like this. This isn’t normal.
Milo is at my side, trying to keep Wyatt conscious.
“So help me, Ninety-Eight, back the fuck up!” Garrick threatens, his voice as angry as I’ve ever heard it.
Khaos jumps in and pulls Milo away.
“Listen to him,” Wyatt says, struggling to get the words out but forcing them as his head rolls in my lap. “I can’t hold it.”
Suddenly, strong arms grab me from behind and I’m tugged away with supernatural speed as a flash of white-hot light explodes from Wyatt’s chest.
My heart stills in my chest, terror like I’ve never felt renders my limbs useless. Wyatt’s scream of pain hits my body like shrapnel, a thousand tiny cuts and I come within a blink of shifting when the light starts to fade and Wyatt’s body is once again visible as he thrashes on the ground.
I’m aware of Garrick holding me back and Milo at my side, being held by Khaos as another light blinds us from our other partner.
This time instead of a human scream, it’s a roar of a beast that rings out, rattling the buildings and vibrating the ground beneath our feet.
I hold my breath as the light clears from my retinas and instead of Wyatt’s body a giant dragon lays in his place.
“Where’s Officer Derran?” Garrick calls across the crowd, loosening his grip on me but not letting go.
Not giving a fuck about the guard he’s shouting for, I shrug the full way out of his hold and take a step towards the dragon laying out on the ground.
It rolls onto its stomach as it comes too, the orangey blonde scales of its lower belly getting hidden from view and the bright coral ones of its back glittering in the sun.
The enormous wings are splayed, rather uncomfortably looking, over the tarmac, twisting as it struggles to get its legs underneath itself in order to right itself.
“Tacita,” Garrick growls.
“It’s Wyatt,” I hiss back over my shoulder.
“I know, but he’s volatile right now,” he snaps back.
The dragon’s head lifts with the sound of his name. Reptilian eyes find focus as they lock onto where I’m standing.
Another officer jogs to my side, Zafihra Derren, the one dragon shifter in the group of supernaturals based here.
Smoke plumes from Wyatt’s nostrils as he notices Zafihra place a staying hand on my arm. She quickly retracts it but warns me to stay put.
Wyatt rises to his feet slowly as he looks around, as if searching the crowd. More hot smoke heats the air as he puffs in our direction. I notice some of the other contestants have voluntarily moved back as far as the fence line now.
Khaos still holds onto Milo at the edge of the concrete, Hades also at his side.
“Let him go,” I say a breath too late. Wyatt notices and this time instead of smoke, it’s fire he shoots across the air. It's a warning shot, aimed high but the meaning is all too clear.
Khaos immediately drops Milo who shoots to my side.
“That’s really Wyatt?” he signs.
“Yep, he’s a dragon shifter,” I say in awe.
“Keep back,” Officer Derren reminds us. “He won’t have much spatial awareness for a while.”
I take Milo’s hand, linking our fingers as we stare on. Wyatt is breathtaking in this form. I don’t think I’ve seen another dragon in his colours before. They’re rare anyway but most are greens or reds, the occasional blue. He looks like a flame in scales.
Zafihra moves away from our side and into the open. Wyatt eyes her curiously but lets her approach. I hope he can tell she is kin now and doesn’t barbeque her.
I don’t have to worry for long as she shifts, letting her smaller but still beautiful emerald dragon free. She’s much more poised, her wings remaining tucked tight and her tail curled around her body.
Watching the two majestic reptiles interact, I keep on edge in case it looks like it’s not going well. I have no idea what Zafihra is trying to do but she seems to be communicating with Wyatt. Their body languages shift in small movements, seeming to understand each other.
There are rumours that the Dragons hold the power of telepathy but none will either confirm or deny it. As a species they keep several things locked away from the rest of us.
Milo and I stand side by side for several minutes more, watching as Wyatt stretches and retracts his wings, and makes small steps before sitting on his haunches. He never seems to take his eyes off us fully.
Zafihra makes a rumbling sound deep in her throat and shifts back into her human form. A few seconds later, Wyatt shifts too, his human form sitting in the middle of the tarmac, the widest smile I’ve seen splitting his face in two.
A veil I hadn’t noticed drops from around us, whipping round I catch Hades recalling a shadow like wraith into his palm. He’d placed a protective barrier over Milo and me, maybe over us all. I hadn’t realised his powers extended to being dragon-fire proof, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.
Milo tugs me forward and I let him lead us up to Wyatt as he stands. Huge cheers erupt from the contestants as Wyatt takes in the attention.
“Did you see that?” he asks, sounding tired but also completely buzzed.
“Mmm-hmm,” I hum, finding myself chuckling as the high tension of the last half hour seeps from my body.
“I’m a fucking dragon!” Wyatt exclaims, his hands coming up to emphasise his excitement before he grabs each of us in turn and slams his lips to ours, causing my laughter to kick up a notch.
Milo chuckles beside me, as Wyatt releases him, his face blushing crimson at the rather public display.
But I can tell he’s happy for our exuberant Irishman.
“Yes, indeed you are,” Officer Derren joins us.
“And you’ve got a decent level of control already.
But we are going to need to practice a lot over the next few days, so make sure you eat plenty of protein and drink a lot of water.
Shifting into such a big creature takes a lot of strength from your human form.
” Wyatt absorbs all of her instructions and they set a lesson for the following morning.
And the excitement doesn’t end there, a few of the others experience their first shift over the next hour.
A couple turn into Harpies, a few into panthers, and Khaos picks out another few who he says “have already connected to the magic essences,” whatever the fuck that means.
Either way, they are to be witches and Seffy is beyond relieved when she’s included in his selection.
After some prompting, I get him to declare me as a witch too and so I’ll be joining those lessons tomorrow, whilst the ones with wings get to fly.
Milo stays quiet for the afternoon, not even signing much, despite mine and Wyatt’s many attempts to get him to join in with our conversation. He smiles and nods but is subdued and I wonder if he’s worried about whatever supernatural side he’s going to awaken as.