Chapter 13 Evira #3
“The spell he promised us that he’d keep up to hide the fact that you two slept together is down.
That’s what Olaren came to me about earlier.
One of the Dracoryn Guards that Draven has keeping an eye on you from a distance picked up on the connection between you two and told Olaren before reporting it straight to your father or anyone else in House Vortimer, because he knows how Olaren respects me, and Olaren knows how much you mean to me. ”
I frowned. “No, that can’t be.”
Zayn told me, “It’s not his fault. There’s something wrong with Win’s magic.”
Torvek overheard with his dragon senses. “Excuse me?” He glared at Winter. “Is this true?”
Before Winter could respond in his shock—and fear, from what I was scenting from him, Zayn cut in, “It can’t be known, you asshole. He’d be locked down. And if word got out to the wider supernatural world, a whole lot of panic would run wild.”
“You knew that, then you should have taken precautions!” Torvek yelled at Winter. “You’ve endangered her!”
Winter looked between him and me, absolutely distraught. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“I know, Winter,” I assured him. “It’s okay. We’ll figure it out. It’ll all be okay.”
“It’s not okay!” Torvek shot back. “You forgive too easily. Because he’s got a talented dick, or he’s gentle and sweet… whatever it is, you shouldn’t, Evi!”
His ruby dragon’s head pendant nestled in the open collar of his black shirt started sparking.
Torvek gritted his teeth. “No,” he muttered. “Don’t interfere.”
He opened his mouth, then let loose his actual dragon fire, headed toward Winter, the deep-orange and yellow stream cutting through the dark of the night.
I moved to intervene, intending to block it with a burst of speed and a counter of my Chill Blast.
But rapid-fire movement cut across my vision a moment before Winter was grabbed and burst off to the side.
Zayn and I jolted in surprise as we then took in Lazriel Thaine there holding Winter.
He was a little smaller than his son, but he gave off a formidable physical presence nonetheless.
The vibrant-green streaks in his dark hair matched with his forest-green hoodie that was rolled up to his elbows, revealing his many scars along his arms. There were some etched into his face too, calling to his dark and upsetting past, the abuse he’d endured decades ago.
His black jeans were stuffed into a pair of well-worn boots.
“Pops,” Winter gasped. “What are you—”
An eruption of red light had his words catching in his throat a second later, when none other than Vorzyr Titanus materialized.
He was a musclebound goliath of a being, standing there in a white muscle tee that put all his black and crimson dragon tattoos on display. His thick legs were encased in a pair of maroon leather pants as he struck a wide stance, his long, black hair flowing behind him and halfway down his back.
He held his hand up, one palm glowing with his vibrant-red magic, as he shook his head at Torvek. “Little brother.”
“V, you don’t understand what—”
“I was meeting with Laz at Vyrn Hollow Shifter Habitat when I felt you blast your way onto the mortal plane with a whole lot of rage and intent to do damage.” He gestured at Winter with his free hand. “To somebody specific. Hence Laz coming along.”
I saw Lazriel stroke Winter’s hair, then step forward growling.
Vorzyr shook his head. “It’s all right, friend. This won’t go any further.” Then he snapped his fingers at Torvek. “Call your power back.”
They glared at one another for several moments.
Vorzyr snarled and took a single step forward.
Torvek snuffed out his power.
Dragon dominance laid bare.
Especially between brothers like them.
“Now explain this,” Vorzyr ordered him.
“Right the hell now,” Lazriel snarled, clutching Winter tightly.
Zayn slipped his hand into mine, and I realized it was because I was shaking.
It wasn’t like me at all in the face of battle.
But seeing people I cared about deeply embroiled in all this… it was a lot.
And worse… it was because of me.
Because of a choice I’d made—to sleep with Winter. To ask him to help me control my abilities in that situation with beings who weren’t just dragon like me.
Torvek took a moment, then explained what had happened.
It was clear to me that both Vorzyr and Lazriel already knew about the sex thing, because they barely reacted to that aspect.
Torvek left out what he’d heard about the issue with Winter’s powers, though.
It was him being his usual calculated self, coming back to the regular him, the one not hopped up on rage from the fear of me being in danger—and him being raw over the Fanor situation.
“How did the spell drop?” Lazriel asked Winter gently.
When Winter struggled to answer, I cut in, “He was working on his Necromancy, experimenting, and it shorted out that spell in the process, knocked his magic out.”
“What sort of experimenting?” Lazriel asked Winter. “If something is wrong, son, Dad needs to be looped in.”
“It was a brand-new thing I was trying… I mean… creating… through my own grimoire-writing for one of my classes. It backfired. I didn’t do the spellwork carefully enough.”
Lazriel studied him. “You’re sure?”
“I’m fine. But thanks for showing up. Really, Pops.”
“You don’t need to thank a parent for saving their child.”
Winter lifted a shoulder. “Still.”
Lazriel hugged him for several moments.
Then he strode up to Vorzyr, glaring at Torvek. “See to him. Do you hear me? If this happens again and—”
“It won’t,” Vorzyr assured him. “They’re young. My brother is raw about something else. Combined with Evira being in danger, somebody he also cares about so deeply, it set him off. You know he’s not usually like this.”
Lazriel sucked in a breath. “I do know that, yeah.” He hissed at Torvek, who actually looked away. “But if he can’t check himself… you know how fucking dangerous that is. Not just to my son either, V.”
“Well aware, Laz.” Vorzyr eyed Torvek pointedly. “Well fucking aware.”
“Re-erect the spell and nothing more will come of this,” Torvek spoke to Winter.
All eyes were on him then.
I could tell with the way he’d reacted that he hadn’t even felt the spell drop. He would have come to me immediately if he had and warned me. So whatever was wrong with his magic, it was no small thing.
He scrubbed his hand over his face. “I can do it. But not in front of everyone.”
Because his magic was fritzing and he didn’t want Lazriel to see, or it would get back to Sylas, and all hell would break loose for him.
“Because it’s a private and intimate matter,” Zayn cut in, so nobody had the chance to figure out the real reason.
Winter smiled out at him, his relief clear.
My recent conversation with Vaxan ran through my mind.
“You, dragon princess, could not be controlled, nor railroaded.”
“Thank you.”
“Perhaps you should consider that further where the Winter situation is concerned.”
“That’s different, unfortunately. I can put up a fight, I can take a stand, but he could get hurt.”
“Remember, though, it’s for him to decide whether he wishes to endure that. For what could be between you.”
I blinked and studied Winter.
“No!” I called out for everyone to hear.
All eyes were on me then.
I squared my shoulders and looked out at Winter. “Is that what you want?”
He shook his head, emotion swimming in his eyes. “It never was.”
“Okay, lovely. No more.” I told the rest of them, especially Torvek, “We’re not re-erecting the spell.”
“Evi, you know what this will mean? Olaren’s gonna keep it quiet, but it won’t be long before the other guard discovers the truth of your liaison with Winter too. I can’t keep that off the Dracoryn Realm’s radar.”
“I’m well aware of the ramifications.”
He shoved his hand through his hair. “I don’t want this for you.”
“I know, big brother. But it’s my choice. And it’s about time I treated it that way, too.”
Winter eyed Lazriel. “Pops, I know if we do this—”
“You want this, we’ll back you. No matter what. We know how it’s hurt you to have to back off after you made such a deep connection to her.” His eyes flicked to Zayn, who jolted against me. “Like you did with him.”
My chest squeezed at his words, as that hurt it had caused Winter was put out there. I’d shoved it down deep myself. But being around him again through us both attending Loxley Academy—and all this now—had made that harder and harder to maintain.
“You’re sure?” Winter asked, worried for his family.
“Yeah. No question.” Lazriel eyed Vorzyr. “You with me?”
“Upturning Dracoryn Realm politics… if that’s not my thing, I don’t know what is.” He told Torvek, “If any of this comes back on you, I’m here.”
“It won’t,” I cut in. “I’ll see to it.”
“Evi—” Torvek went to protest.
“I. Will. See. To. It,” I ground out. “There’s nothing more to say on the matter. Go home now.”
“You’ll message me?”
Yeah, he knew I was pissed at him.
Not for him wanting to protect me. But the way he’d gone about it. And not coming to me first. I wasn’t a damsel in distress. I had agency, rights, and my own formidable power.
And it was about fucking time I embodied that.
And others saw me embodying that.
“In a few days,” I told him.
He looked away, murmuring, “I get it. Okay.”
“Come on,” Vorzyr said, wrapping his arm around him. “We’ll hang at Solumira for a bit before you head back.”
I sucked in a breath as he teleported out with Torvek.
“I’m good now too, Pops,” Winter told Lazriel.
Lazriel looked between all three of us. “Were you three on a date?”
“Pretty much,” Zayn said.
“Huh. Where’s the Basilisk Lord?”
How did he—why did I even ask? These parents of ours were never that far away in some way or another.
“Working on an assignment,” Winter told him. “He and I might hang out later though.”
“Why not all four of you if that’s what this is building to anyway?”
“Pops. I’ve got this. We’ve got this.”
Lazriel held up his hands. “If you say so.” He eyed Zayn. “Nice having you back.”
“Thanks,” Zayn said, smiling out at him.
Lazriel kissed the top of Winter’s head. “You need me again, don’t hesitate to reach out, all right?”
“Yeah, Pops.”
“Good.”
In the next moment, he took off as fast as he’d come in with a burst of vampire speed.
Winter let out a heavy sigh.
Zayn and I went to head over to him.
But he held up his hand, shaking his head.
And then he was disappearing in his Wraith shadows.
“Fuck,” I breathed.
“He’s heading to Vaxan,” Zayn informed me, clearly picking up on my intent to go after him.
“What? How do you know?”
“Now this issue with his magic has come out, Win mentioning research Vaxan was doing for him makes sense—it has to be about that. He’s been avoiding following up obviously.
Now, after this, he’s finally gonna stop doing that and see to it.
So let them do their thing. When Win’s upset, it’s easier one-on-one for him.
Give them the night or whatever, then we’ll check in. ”
“All right.”
Zayn stroked my shoulder. “One hell of a date, huh?”
“One hell of an understatement.”
“Come,” he said. “Let’s head back inside, calm down, take a beat, yeah?”
“Good idea.”
As we walked, he wrapped his arm around me. “It’ll all be okay, icicle. This is just the aftermath of a storm.”
“Another one will be coming soon once word fully gets out.”
“And we’ll deal with it.”
“We, huh?”
“Yeah. I’m here for you. Just like you’ve been for me.”
I leaned against him. “Thanks, hellion.”
He chuckled, and the sound felt really good to hear right about now.
Because I knew… the countdown to hell breaking loose had just begun this night.