Chapter 2 #2
Like his older brother, Torvek possessed Primal Celestial Resonance, which meant he could dominate Celestial power and force it back, to retreat.
But the ability that would be dangerous for others to know of—especially in the Dracoryn Realm—was Command of Beasts, where he could basically control any supernatural beings with an animal nature. Most definitely dragons.
It was known that Vorzyr could do those things, because it had been exposed in highly publicized battles over the years. But the supernatural populace had been made to believe that it had skipped Torvek, that he didn’t have those extra powers.
“Exactly. If I’d let her pleasure me, I wouldn’t be in full control.”
“Even if you released your Primal Celestial Resonance, it wouldn’t be noticeable because it only impacts Celestial beings, and none of them are gonna be down at Ignis Row.
And as for Command of Beasts, I really don’t think for a second that you’d suddenly unleash that, no matter what.
You’d never take control of anyone’s body like that. ”
“I want to think that, too. But it’s happened before.”
“That was once in all twenty-one years of your life. And under extreme, stressful circumstances.”
Ten years ago, when he was eleven and I was ten, I’d been trapped under my own ice and frost, and he’d called my dad in to help, because Torvek’s dragon fire hadn’t been strong enough then to melt through it at that age.
And in his panic he’d accidentally taken control of my dad to make him rescue me.
It had only been for five minutes max, and he’d freaked out and run away for several days.
Until me and my dad had managed to track him down.
And we’d dealt with it. It hadn’t been his fault.
And since then, he’d been going to Haven Initiative with the Celestial children every week to learn more about that aspect of things, where he’d trained with his brother and even been around actual pure Celestial magic in the form of the children there.
“I mean, yes, that’s true, but—”
“Do you think all this worry being rooted to that is a manifestation of your actual fear of having sex for the first time? Especially with Fanor who is more experienced than you?”
“I’m glad she’s experienced.”
I smiled. “I know you are.”
“She’s tough, unapologetic, and free.”
“Perfect for you. The chaos to your calm. A chance for you to explore your more… uninhibited side.”
He eyed me. “I see what you’re doing.”
“Good,” I returned evenly. “I want you to. And you need to.” I perched on the edge of my bed. “And, you know, remember the fact that you’ve already gone through the whole nightmare regarding her father. You handled that really well.”
That nightmare being that Fanor’s father was Luzan “Flame” Seffalyn, drill sergeant who trained the Dracoryn Army. They called him Flame because his dragon fire burned hotter than any other fire dragon throughout history.
Torvek had trained with him when he was a boy, and then he’d worked alongside him training other dragons, because Torvek had supreme control and command of his dragon fire that rivaled even Luzan’s.
That was when he’d met Fanor, because she was like her father, and a true badass warrior. When Luzan had noticed the spark—pun intended—between them, there’d been… some issues. But they’d worked through it.
A couple of years ago, Torvek had lessened his time conducting the training because my dad had guided him toward a more political sort of purpose.
He now worked with the Dracoryn Core, which was the diplomatic center of the Dracoryn Realm that housed diplomats and council members across all four dragon Quadrants.
Torvek worked under Dyna Bivan who held the House Titanus Diplomat role.
She’d been the first to reach out to my grandmother to help overthrow House Titanus back in the day.
After he obtained more experience, my dad wanted Torvek to take on the role fully.
“I do want her. Of course I do. I just… was it like this for you before? I mean, with your draconic nature, obviously not the Celestial aspect? When you were with Winter?”
I started at his sudden mention of Winter Nox out of the blue.
Well, I guess, it wasn’t exactly out of the blue.
I sucked in a breath, making sure I quelled my emotions when it came to the Winter of it all, and especially didn’t allow myself to recall the actual night in question in too much detail where we’d… been together.
“Similar, yeah. I was nervous about more than just it being my first time, nervous because of my powers and my nature, bringing that in such a physically intense way with somebody who wasn’t the exact same as me, without the same makeup.
Even though I knew I couldn’t gravely harm him, there was still the fear that I’d hurt him. ”
“Did you?”
“A little. With my frost, some light icicle stabbing.”
“Light stabbing?” he asked, incredulous.
“He liked it. Well… more than liked it.”
“Wow.”
“My point is, we dealt with it. And since that night, I’m no longer so terrified at the prospect of being with non-ice dragons. It’s… freeing. A major relief.”
It was just a shame that Winter had paid for that, that he’d hurt because of me.
Stop!
I blinked and focused back on Torvek. “You see?”
“I do, yeah. I also almost feel bad for considering going after him after I found out about the two of you.”
Yeah, another sign that he was deeply stressed about all of this?
The fact we were finally actually talking about that night.
It had been two years ago, and we hadn’t spoken about it once—except where the secret-keeping part of it had been needed.
No one knew about it in the Dracoryn Realm, not even my dad, and I told him a hell of a lot.
“Yes, thank fuck for that. It would have screwed up so much, because it wouldn’t exactly have gone unnoticed.”
He winced. “Well, fortunately, through my rage back then, I realized he wasn’t a carbon-copy of Sylas Morgrave in his days before he settled down—a nymphomaniac screwing anything that moved without a care for the aftermath, breaking hearts all over the place.”
“I don’t think that’s exactly as it happened.”
“Maybe not,” he admitted. “I’m embellishing for dramatic effect. You know how I slip into that every now and then.”
I did, yeah. “And you also didn’t want to have to go after your brother’s boyfriend’s best friend’s son.” I chuckled. “That was a mouthful.”
“No wonder, it’s as complicated as it sounds.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Just so you know, I may not have gone after him, but I did track him for a bit.”
“You mean, you stalked him like dragon prey.”
“Semantics.”
“Semantics, huh? What about how awkward it would have been if you’d actually gone at him when you were studying up at Haven Initiative where his other dad works—Cassius?”
“Well, I’m sure my brother would have been more than willing to kick the Immortal’s ass.”
We both burst out laughing, especially because Torvek didn’t usually talk so bluntly like that. Only sometimes in my company… it kind of infected him a bit.
“Seriously, though, are you gonna be okay knowing you’re likely gonna run into Winter at Loxley?”
I swallowed hard. I hoped so. I hadn’t seen or spoken to him in two years. I didn’t like how we’d left it. Especially because that night had been… well, it had been incredible. And Winter was… son of a bitch, he was perfect.
And I’d hurt him.
Despite us both understanding the stakes and why it couldn’t be, it didn’t take away from that.
“I’ll handle it. Loxley is the start of a new life. That’s what I’m focused on.” I pushed off my bed and walked back to him. “When it comes to Fanor, take a leaf out of my new book. You don’t need to jump to sex either, just chill. Pick up where you left off with her wanting to blow you.”
“Urgh,” he uttered.
“Well, it’s true. It’s what it is, flame bite.”
“Even so. This is her we’re talking about.”
“The love of your life?”
He glared at me. “Stop.”
“Fine. So long as you promise you’ll at least try to take my advice.
And when it comes to the actual fucking, why not go to Vorzyr for help?
He has the same abilities as you. His lovers are a True Celestial, a sorcerer, and an incubus-sorcerer.
He obviously manages his abilities around such very different species very well. ”
He stared at me for a moment. “I mean, we don’t usually discuss that sort of thing. I’ve had Kai give me some pointers, as he referred to it. Then Nyx got into some mechanics until I stopped him because it got too graphic about my brother’s ribbed dick.”
“Ah, you even have that in common.”
He held up his hands. “Talking to you about that is much worse. Fine. Never mention again that you’ve seen it, and I’ll consider going to V.”
I grinned. “Deal.”
“Deal?” a familiar voice sounded. “What are the two of you conspiring about now? Is this yet another thing that will require preemptive damage control?”
I turned to see my dad striding on in.
His broad shoulders barely fit through the door; he was such a big and sturdy guy.
And with both a commanding and magnetic presence all rolled into one.
His silver-white hair flowed down past his thick and tailored navy coat, his collar standing high and brushing his jaw.
His dark gray shirt strained with his movements, tucked into a pair of navy pants.
In human years, he looked to be in his mid-thirties.
His glacial blue-green eyes that were exactly like mine, flicked between me and Torvek with amused suspicion.
“Nothing that will require calling in the cavalry,” I assured him. “We’re just joking around.”
He looked to Torvek, knowing my penchant for a little mischief all too well. While Torvek was much more straight down the line.
“All is well,” he assured him.
“Well, that’s a relief.”
I noted the shimmering silver bag in my dad’s hand. “Is that a going away present?” I asked excitedly.
“I thought you didn’t want anything? You were concerned if you took anything extravagant to this school that it would single you out—as a spoiled royal, is how you referred to it.”
“Well, yes. But now I see a sparkling bag in your hand.”
He laughed and held it up. “There is a little something for you, yes.”
He reached inside and pulled out a shimmering blue… phone?
“It’s an Inter-Realm Communicator,” he told me, as he held it out. “You’ll be able to message us here while you’re outside the Realm. I’ve programmed our numbers into it already—mine, Torvek’s, and your grandmother’s. We all have one too, so you can contact us at any time.”
I took it from him and held it to me. “Thank you. This is perfect.”
“If there are any urgent situations, Vorzyr will be your go-to.”
I nodded, then eyed Torvek. “You hear that, flame bite? Vorzyr?”
He gave me a withering look. “Evi.”
My dad looked between us, but didn’t comment on it.
He knew we had our own thing.
“Your grandmother isn’t going to be able to make it for your send-off, Evira.
She’s tending to a delicate situation involving House Athyras in the Wind Dragon Quadrant that’s just come to our attention, and she can’t be pulled away.
She sends her love and told me to make it known that she’ll be messaging you like crazy. ”
I smiled. “I have no doubt.”
He noted my packed bags, a bunch of my things missing from my room because they were either in my duffel bags or already in my dorm room at Loxley. He sucked in a breath. “So… this is really it, then. You’re leaving home.”
“Just going to college, Dad. And I’ll still be in contact.”
“It won’t be the same.”
“No, it won’t,” Torvek said.
“But it’s something you absolutely need to do,” my dad added quickly.
“Absolutely,” Torvek agreed.
“Thank you for getting that. It means a lot to me.”
In the next moment, we were throwing our arms around each other.
The hug went on and on.
And I was definitely on board with that.
I was really going to miss them.
But I definitely needed to do this.
I just knew it was going to be the beginning of something incredible.