Chapter Seventeen
Atiny bird made of blue flames hopped on his shoulder. It was the same bird I’d seen when I’d claimed Jazriel.
The little bird spread its wings and flew into my chest, disappearing in a shower of sparks. My waning magic flickered to life, weak but there.
“What do you need from me?” August pulled me into his arms.
“Protect Jazriel until he recovers,” I whispered, closing my eyes to focus on sending the trickle of energy into the veil, fearing if I stopped, all my work would collapse around my feet. For all I knew, it was like those knitting projects where a single stitch that wasn’t tied off could unravel the whole thing.
“There’s a sniper shooting at us. So get the two of you out of here and somewhere safe.”
“The pegasus can take care of himself,” August snapped, pressing down on the gunshot wound in my side to stop the bleeding. “And I took out the shooter on my way in. It’s going to be a challenge to ID what’s left of him.”
“He gave me too much energy. It’s going to take a long time for him to recover.”
“How did he do that? That’s what you need, right? Magic?” August demanded, his fear making him harsh.
“You can’t?—”
“Jazriel said you recharge with food, sleep, and sex.”
“It’s claiming the mate bond that makes me stronger and causes my power to grow.” My words slurred as I tried to answer him, but pushed the veil. “It’s not just sex.”
August pulled me into his lap, bracing my limp body against him. “Then claim me.”
I shook my head. There was no way I would trap him as my mate after he’d made it clear it wasn’t what he wanted.
“I want you, Iolani. You’re mine and I’m never leaving your side again, whether you choose to claim me or not.” August’s lips captured my mouth.
It was a kiss full of passion and longing, and my waning magic leaped along the thread between us. Power arched between us as our souls swirled like birds in the air.
“Take it all. Take everything you need. Drain me, but don’t use any more of your magic,” August growled against my lips.
His shifter magic hit me like a tidal wave, and the trickle of magic I was feeding into the veil turned to a rushing river.
The demonic sounding screeches filled the air as Azurea threw a tantrum. Her claws raked my back and down my neck.
August slowly lowered me onto the ground as he continued to kiss me, pouring his power and love into the bond. Then he covered me with his body and wrapped his wings around the three of us.
My ears popped with a pressure change as the veil snapped into place, steady and strong, with our magic weaving through it.
“Is it done?” August asked.
“Yes. We did it,” I whispered.
“Then sleep.” August’s lips pressed against my forehead. “I’ll protect you both for the rest of our lives.”
I wanted to tell him that was going to be a very long time, but sleep claimed me.
“Well,you definitely aren’t an early bird.” A feminine voice drifted into my dreams. “I need you to open your eyes. We are running out of time, and I need to tell you something before I have to go take care of things.”
With no small amount of effort, I squinted in the direction the voice was coming from. “Did I die?”
She laughed. “Close, but no cigar.”
Propping myself up on my elbow, I blinked at the woman with pale hair and brilliant blue eyes who watched me. “Belle?”
She held up her hands in surrender. “Guilty as charged.”
I rubbed my head. This had to be a dream.
“It’s a vision—just like the other two I showed you.” Belle pulled a nail file out of the thin air and filed her nail.
“That was you?” I asked, stunned. “I thought it was Azurea.”
“You think she would be helpful?” Belle scoffed. “No, we are on a tight timeline and I need you mated and at full power—like, yesterday.”
“I don’t even know you, so there is no way we’re working on anything together.” Lying back down, I closed my eyes and waited for the dream to change.
Belle chuckled. “You can’t get rid of me that way. But I do have somewhere to be, so listen up, buttercup.”
“Fine. Let’s do this.” Opening my eyes, I motioned for her to start talking.
“There is a gemstone store in Colorado where you need to be this coming weekend. It has to be this weekend. Capeesh?”
“In case you didn’t know, I drained my energy to non-existent levels. It will take me weeks to recover.” I laughed bitterly, frustrated that I’d gained my strength back only to have it yanked away two days later.
“Wrong. You need to finish marking the gryphon. That man has been a thorn in my side with all his talon dragging, but he has a lot of bottled-up passion and he’s close to erupting. That’s going to do amazing things for your magic reserves.”
She disappeared and reappeared a second later on the edge of the bed beside me. “And your paranormal black beauty is going to wake up more powerful than he’s been in centuries.”
“How could you possibly know that?” I narrowed my eyes, scrutinizing her face for signs of deception.
Belle shrugged. “I’m a Watcher. It’s my job to know stuff.”
“So why will he be stronger?” I asked.
“Something to do with old curses, an assassination attempt gone wrong, and dragon blood…” She waved her hand dismissively.
“He’ll explain all that at some point. The long and short of it is your fire has been burning through him since you healed him and again when you claimed each other. That fire has been burning through his body and cleansing it. Last night, you pretty much turned him into a tiki torch, and literally sweat lodged what was left of the dark magic that was binding the bulk of his power.”
My jaw dropped. “The bulk of it? You mean he’s not been at full strength?”
She grinned. “Honey, you are so good with phoenixes, but have so much to learn about other species. That man has practically been walking around with both his hands metaphorically tied behind his back.”
No wonder Xerxes had sounded scared.
“Now you just need to go get your third mate. He’s going to seem a bit boring compared to August and Jazriel, but give him time. And you aren’t going to feel the bond in the same way you do with shifters.”
“How will I know where to go or who he is?” I asked, my mind spinning with all the information she was dumping on me.
“I’ve left the directions on a sheet of paper in your backpack. And his name is Orland Claiborne.”
“I have to deal with Azurea. Going on a trip to a rock shop isn’t really something I have time for.”
Belle chewed her lip. “Listen, I can’t tell you more than I already have. But I need you to trust me. You need to make this your top priority.”
She could have been steering me wrong, but I didn’t think so. It was because of her that I’d been where I needed to be to find Jazriel. I might be an idiot, but I was going to trust her.
I wasn’t sure what the guys would think, but I nodded my agreement. “Okay. I’ll find a way to get to the rock store by this weekend.”
A brilliant smile lit up her face. “Good! You won’t regret it.”
“I’ve got to get moving, but I’ll see you again soon.” She hopped to her feet and stretched. “Two last things. Remember that not everything is as it seems, so trust your instincts. And next time you talk to Amaryllis, tell her Arabelle says hi.”
“You’ve met Ryls?” I sat up.
Belle, or Arabelle, twisted her lips in a wry smile. “Once. I was checking in on her, but ended up in a tight spot. She helped me out.”
Before I could pry for more information, she wiggled her fingers, and the vision went dark.