3. Riggs

3

Riggs

Mandy had created a gateway near the treehouse.

As we walked through it and among the sculpted trees, my head spun with what was happening to Breana.

But Caliel had snapped me out of the worst of my funk. I couldn't help Breana if I shifted to Dragon and went blasting into that stronghold. I'd just die bloody. She needed what I could provide from here—a group of people pulling together their brainpower to come up with a plan.

We'd only just entered the treehouse when Ash and Dani did a one-eighty and bolted back out the door.

My heart in my mouth, I strode after them.

Cara emerged through the new gate. I registered that others followed her, but all I saw was the one they were supporting.

Tyrez.

My heart constricted. That he leaned on them was a pretty clear indication that his wounds hadn't been as minor as he wanted us to believe. Ash and Dani ran to him.

My brother looked up at me, and said, "Greetings, Michelangelo."

I shook my head as my fragmented memories summoned up the many times he'd called me that. It also evoked images of turtles dressed as ninjas. My mouth opened, and I said, "Hi, Leonardo. You're looking good."

Breana commented, Leonardo? Don't tell me he's another one of those turtle guys?

I swallowed. If I remember right, Leonardo and Michelangelo were our favorite characters.

Is that how your son got his name? Breana asked.

She'd drawn a connection that reformed that memory. Yeppers, I said slowly .

"Oh, Tyrez." The words were sighed from my mother, who had appeared at the door of the treehouse. She stood with my sisters, and the relief in her eyes warred with pain.

"Let's get him in," Cara stated. "I've healed the worst of it, but he needs more." She gestured to the living crutches, which turned out to be Talakai and Havoc. "Drop him in the kitchen, and then Riley can get the two of you back to the academy before questions are asked."

As they helped him move past me, my brother's gaze sought me out.

"Is she okay?" he asked.

I was flooded with conflicting emotions. My brother had risked himself to keep me alive. Yet by following Ash's wishes, he'd put Breana rather squarely into the clutches of Vic, the prick.

He did what he felt he had to do, Breana said. And so did Ash.

I settled for a, "She's alive. But we need to help her."

"Dad!"

A blur of motion passed me, and Treyton pulled up short in front of his father. His face contorted with the intensity of his emotion.

Tyrez released an arm from Talakai's to drape over his son's shoulders. "I'm okay, Son. Just a little bloody."

The look Talakai shot me over Tyrez's broad shoulder spoke volumes, and made me grateful that Cara had gone with them.

I turned, and met the eyes of my own son.

"We will get your mate away from that monster, Father," he said.

The conviction in the voice of one so young—the rage stirred again. Mykal should have been off with his cousin, getting new tatts, watching movies about ninja turtles, and maybe daring each other to pierce things they shouldn't.

Okay, if I remembered rightly, the piercings were when Tyrez and I had been a little older. But tatts and turtle movies, definitely—not worrying about rescuing people from monsters.

My mother put her arm around Mykal's shoulders. "We will form a plan," she said, as much to me as to him.

"We will help Bree," Cara said. "But Daize is about to ransack the realms to find your brother. To keep that from happening, we need to put things in place."

So I gritted my teeth, nodded, and followed her into the treehouse.

Even after Riley Jumped away with Talakai and Havoc, the kitchen was rather crowded.

Tyrez sat in a chair in the corner while Cara worked on him. Dani pressed close, watching with anxious eyes. Ash leaned toward me.

"Did Breana have the sword?" he asked.

I gritted my teeth. "That Tez dude was there. He took it—and pretended he couldn't draw it."

Ash nodded, but I had the feeling it wasn't news to him. Danged Oracle.

"Do you know what is going to happen to her?" I asked.

His golden eyes darkened. "No. Or rather, yes. I see many possibilities. The sword being with Tez eliminates some."

"Does any of what you've seen help her?" I tried, and failed, to hold his gaze.

"If it does, I will let you know," he replied evasively.

He can only help if he's sure it won't lead to disaster. Breana's words dropped into my mind.

How could she be so calm? That monster Victor had injected her with something. He planned to mate her.

I glared at Ash, on the cusp of saying something I shouldn't. Instead, I spun and stalked out of the kitchen, and climbed the stairs, searching for what? A cool breeze drifted across my face, and I turned toward it. I ran up more stairs…

The open-air platform stood a couple of hundred feet above the jungle floor. I strode straight to the edge and stood there.

Memories pummeled me. Of spreading my wings and launching myself before I'd fully shifted. Testing to see if I could do it before I slammed into the ground.

My Dragon had been there when I'd gone after Breana. There. But it had nearly killed me by coming out…

"Don't know if you're quite ready for that, yet," Ganit said as he walked out onto the platform.

"I don't know if I'll ever fly again," I ground out.

"Those scales say otherwise." He gestured to my arm.

I looked down. The long shirt I wore had been rather shredded when my wings had emerged, and I'd pushed the torn sleeves up my arms. And now, I gazed upon scales so deep a purple they were almost black.

Their appearance shocked me. I pushed the sleeves up higher and saw that the scales ended at my biceps. But they'd emerged, and I hadn't ended up on my knees.

That gave me hope.

Ganit had already moved on. "We should have realized it was Daize all along."

We should have. In hindsight, I knew it. His mother had always resented that the Emperor hadn't proclaimed Daize the heir. Taran had clearly preferred his first son, Daize's half-brother. But then he'd been killed while on a mission, only a few months ago.

"Guess we now know how his half-brother really died," Ganit continued.

I closed my eyes. How had we not seen this? The monster among us…

"Is it true you have mated the ex-Centaur woman?" Ganit asked.

My eyes narrowed as I examined him. "It is true."

He sighed. "Taran would have exiled you, if he'd known you were alive."

"And you?" I met his gaze. "What would you do?"

He crossed his muscular arms. "I think Fate is playing with the Dragon Empire," he said. "And if she believes that our mates are to be found outside our boundaries, who are we to say otherwise?"

I snorted a laugh and turned away to examine the treetops. "But there are many who would not approve."

"That is correct," he affirmed. "But most that are disturbed by Daize's methods will not care."

I turned my face into the breeze. "Tyrez would make a fine Emperor."

"The people of the Empire would wish that a pure-blood Dragon lineage is established for its ruler," he stated. "Tyrez already has that in his son, so, yes, he would make a fine Emperor. But to get there, he is going to need a Champion," Ganit said. "Someone who will rally those to him."

The words resonated with me. Tyrez on the throne was something I could believe in. The Champion had many roles in Dragon society, from defending his Emperor during challenges to assisting with decisions and policies. Although I had held the title with my eldest brother Taran, he'd kept me at arm's length—more a figurehead than an active participant.

Tyrez was not a dictator type. If he became Emperor, he'd value his Champion's opinion. I eyed Ganit. "Do you think I am that Champion?"

"It is you who the sword chose," he pointed out.

My teeth clenched. "Do you see the blasted sword anywhere? It has moved on. The sword, and any prophecy that accompanied it, is gone."

Ganit shrugged. "The sword does what the sword does." He straightened. "I have many ready to swear allegiance."

My lips twitched. "At this point, they would swear allegiance to anyone other than Daize. Hardly a foundation for a coup."

"Rebellions have been staged on much less," Ganit stated.

Rebellion. If Breana brought us proof of Daize's collusion, we may yet save the Empire. But if not?—

If she couldn't do it, we needed to be ready to take it back by force.

I could be Tyrez's Champion. As my mother had said, we were a team. But how much use was I if I couldn't shift to Dragon?

I was damaged. Unfit to stand by my brother's side.

My thoughts veered away, to the bigger issue—rallying support. If there were already those who would follow, building an army would not be difficult.

Ganit's thoughts tracked with my own. "Even if she brings us proof, Daize will fight to keep what he feels is his. And he has enough support to turn it into a war."

A Dragon war. Never would I have thought I would see such a thing. And if Daize was colluding with underlords, he wouldn't just be pitting the Legion Dragons loyal to him against us.

Until Ganit moved aside, I didn't realize Tyrez was there. He leaned heavily on Ash and Dani as they moved out onto the ledge. And with him—my mother.

"We need to prepare," the Matriarch said quietly.

"Perhaps if Breana gets us proof…" I began.

"If she does, many more will flock to our banner," Tyrez rumbled. "But regardless of what Bree finds for us, we need to be ready for a war."

I looked at them. To my family, as the last remnants of a Dragon Empire that had stood for thousands of years. And to my brother, who had everything he needed to be an Emperor.

The future of that Empire rested with us.

Cara and I stepped through the gate in the early hours of the morning to find the academy in a state of high anxiety.

"Make sure those scales don't pop up when you least expect them." Cara examined my hands, which were all you could see past the long sleeves.

"Nar and Leah saw my wings."

Her mouth straightened. "What did they say?"

"That they didn't know I was a Dragon. I told them I was only part, and that I couldn't fully transform."

Her fingers tapped against her thigh. "This is a secret which is getting more difficult to keep. And Nar—I looked into his background. He was a thief before he met Leah. Scrabbling to survive in an underworld ocean port."

I was having problems being concerned, as my thoughts were half-linked to Breana.

"Pay attention, Riggs," she said.

"I am. Nar was a thief. You said everyone deserves a second chance."

Her mouth straightened. "They do. But old habits die hard, and some people need help to change." Her gaze met mine. "Starting over sometimes means leaving everything familiar behind."

Was that what I was doing? Who was I, really? The sword and those who followed Ganit wanted me to be Razir. I felt torn between the student name, which Breana had given me, and the warrior name I'd been born with.

She sighed and pushed her hair back off her face. "You need to keep this ruse going, at least for now."

"I know," I said. Although I was having serious issues with focus. I glanced around at the deserted meadow.

"The students were recalled early from their sessions and sent to their quarters," she informed me.

I'm sure Adilyn and Sid are making good use of the curfew, Breana stated, with a burst of humor.

Humor. She was in the hands of a monster .

Stop with the hysterics, Caliel complained.

Impossible to remain calm, but he had a point. Sure. We'll just consider this a vacation to a damper climate.

That's better, Breana said.

That's better? Caliel was less than impressed.

It was the best I could do at the moment. I didn't want to be here. There was too much else going on, and pretending to be a student wasn't exactly my current priority.

As we walked through the curiously deserted meadow, Cara leaned over to me and repeated what she'd used to get me this far. "You have to keep up the front for the sake of your family. As soon as I get things sorted out here, we will come up with a plan for Bree."

I ground my teeth together, but if I didn't agree with her, I wouldn't be here. The last thing we needed was someone here figuring out that Razir was alive. If anyone discovered that Razir was hiding, they might start thinking the rest of my family was, too.

"We believe the underworld has connections on council," Cara continued as if she read my mind. "The repercussions, if they find out you are alive, could be extreme."

I was betting that, although the council wasn't impressed with what had happened to the Emperor, they weren't going to do anything about it.

The headmaster descended on us the moment we entered the foyer.

"Thank the realms you are back!" he said to Cara, with barely a glance at me. "Have you heard about Tyrez?"

"What about Tyrez?" Cara asked.

"He has escaped! Had Dragon help, apparently." The headmaster peered suspiciously at her. "They still don't know how his rescuers got him out of the palace."

The Watcher sidestepped the question beautifully. "I'm glad he managed to escape," she said. "There is no proof that he did what Daize is claiming."

The headmaster blinked at her. "He was the only one with the Emperor at the time."

"I heard there were assailants that came through the secret passageways," Cara pointed out. "The council should push for an inquiry."

"Daize must have been pretty sure, to order his own uncle's execution," Amadeus countered. "He has sent Legion Dragons here to scour the academy. I've told them Tyrez isn't here, but they don't believe me. They might listen to you, though."

Cara stared at him. " Is Tyrez here?"

Amadeus straightened. "Of course not. And if he was, I'd hand him over immediately. I won't harbor a fugitive."

I clamped my teeth together. Tyrez had been a dedicated instructor here, and the headmaster seemed all too willing to give him up.

Cara touched my arm. "You must be hungry and tired, Riggs. Go ahead and get something to eat, and then rest. It seems I have things to attend to."

The headmaster barely glanced at me. I supposed in the bigger picture, it was preferable to him identifying me as the brother of said fugitive.

I moved away from Cara, reluctance in every step. But if there were Legion Dragons searching the academy, I'd better be on my toes. Some would know me too well to be fooled by a skullcap and fancy ear cuffs. At least Cara had replaced my long-sleeved shirt with a hoodie.

That turned out to be a fortunate thing when, on the last flight to the fourth floor, two Legion members walked right into the stairwell. I managed to pull up my hood just in time. They barely glanced at me as they went past—and neither was anyone I knew.

They were young. Too young, really, to be true Legion.

I gritted my teeth and ascended the last set of stairs to the dorm level.

Knock before entering, Breana suggested.

It's my room, I protested.

You've been gone, Caliel provided. And Sid and Adilyn might be indisposed.

I mentally scoffed at the suggestion—or maybe I was just not in the mood to listen. I swung the door open without knocking to find Sid sitting, propped up by his cushions, with his half-glasses on his nose. Reading.

He wasn't alone. Adilyn sat on his shoulder. Both were fully clothed when they looked up at me. So much for Breana's and Caliel's theory.

"Thank goodness you're back," Sid declared. Then, as I shut the door, he lowered his voice. "They're looking for your brother."

I grimaced, but Sid already knew my secret. "He's been rescued."

The Anisau absorbed that without even an eyebrow twitch. "Is he?—?"

"He was severely injured, but the Watcher healed him," I replied.

Adilyn piped up. "They say he murdered the Emperor."

"He didn't murder anyone," I stated. "It was a setup."

Adilyn's mouth opened and closed as though she considered saying more, but Sid beat her to it. "Tyrez is an honorable sort, and I'm glad they got him out. This just keeps getting worse and worse."

"Well, with Daize on the hunt for him, the trick will be keeping him free." I ran my hands over the skullcap. "And we have to figure out how to help Breana."

The Anisau pulled his glasses off his nose. "Nar was asking a million questions about your wings. I told him that sometimes people get infected with the Dragon virus, and it doesn't transform them fully. And that your past is your past, and none of his business."

I sighed. "Thank you for that."

"Those two are beyond annoying," Adilyn stated with an eye roll. "And I hate how Nar keeps stealing my dust."

My brows raised. "Why would he steal your dust?" As far as I knew, faeriedust was inert once shed.

"Because of my full human size, my dust, apparently, has value with some dealer Nar has found." Adilyn sounded indignant. "But it's just creepy. Sometimes he doesn't even wait for me to turn my back."

"Nar has—issues," Sid admitted consolingly. He glanced at me. "Marcus was looking for you."

I raised a brow. "Did he say why?"

"No. But he said it was important," the Anisau replied.

Why would the ex-Centaur want to talk to me? If it was more about the sword—that bird had flown.

But if there was anyone who had an understanding of Breana and what she held inside, it was him. Her Ice Drake was going to react to this serum she'd been injected with…

If there was a way to stop it, I was all ears.

Unexpectantly, Caliel spoke up. Iskar had one of the finest minds among my kind. He might have an idea that would help.

Iskar. The Gryphon who lived inside Marcus. With Cara smoothing the academy waters, it gave me something constructive to do.

"Did he leave you their suite number?" I asked Sid.

He nodded, and gave it to me.

I turned to leave, and found I had an eight-foot Anisau following me out the door. I hesitated, but he and Adilyn already knew my secret.

We were a team.

There were a few other students pushing the unofficial curfew, but despite the fact that, to me, everything had changed, none even so much as glanced my way.

To them, you are just boring old Riggs, Caliel stated.

Nothing about Riggs is boring, purred Breana.

I experienced a stab of concern. Surely the serum wasn't working already?

I just find you sexy as hell. And she sent me a pulse of pure heat that threatened to take me out at the knees.

Oh, please, protested Caliel. Can we keep things on task?

You are no fun, complained Breana.

I am plenty of fun, corrected the Gryphon . When the timing is right.

Sid cast me a sideways look. "Is she okay?" he boomed.

"At the moment, yes," I answered, attempting to get my body under some semblance of control as we exited onto the fourth floor.

"Bree is strong," Adilyn said. "She's been through a lot, and she can handle anything this Victor jerk sends her way."

I glanced over to the two inches of Faerie, surprised that she would assess Bree like that. But before I could tell her that I appreciated the reassurance, Sid added to it.

"Faeries always speak the truth," he said. "Your girl is a tough cookie. And we'll figure out a way to help her."

Tell them thank you. Bree's voice was husky with emotion.

I passed it on, feeling a little uneasy. It appeared Razir had a family he'd barely started to remember, while Riggs had one that he'd only just met.

We paused outside the suite, but the door opened before I'd even knocked.

Rafael stood there. "Oh, good," he said, and stepped back to let us in. "Maybe he'll stop wearing holes in the carpet. Between him and Havoc, we need to be living in a barn."

"That is not fucking true," rumbled a voice from the balcony. Havoc leaned in through the door.

"Well, it's only half true," corrected Marcus, who appeared to have been pacing. "But I was about to go looking for you again, so I'm glad you are here."

Rafael led us into the living room, where I noticed Riley in the corner, digging through a book. More open books lay on the tables.

Marcus gestured to them. "Cara asked us to look through her references when she realized Caliel was growing weak inside Bree." His mouth twisted. "But what Isobel did to us has no precedent. So there isn't anything written in these books that defines why Caliel is weakening." He met my eyes. "But Cara does have a theory."

When I raised my brows, he sighed. "She thinks that Caliel and Bree might have been fated."

It was like getting kicked in the gut by a Centaur. Fated? But as soon as he said it, I knew Cara was right.

Breana didn't just belong to me.

But I was confused. "How can a Gryphon end up fated to mate a Centaur?" There was no way those two, in their natural form, would ever have been physically compatible.

Marcus hesitated as he consulted his own inner Gryphon. "Iskar is pointing out that neither of them is now what they once were."

Well, that was certainly true. I was having problems breathing, and I sensed that Breana was, too.

Caliel broke the silence. The bond shared by fated mates would explain what was happening. Without my body keeping me a distinct entity, our increased mental closeness is causing a dissolution.

A pulse of horror from Breana surged along our link. Are you saying I am absorbing you? That you will cease to exist?

There was a pause. It is not something you can stop, he said quietly. And I'm not sure I wish to continue existing as we are.

But—we are sharing everything. Breana sounded like she might be crying.

You are doing everything you can to make this bearable, Caliel agreed. But nothing you do can give me what I want.

When Breana didn't reply, I asked, What is that?

He didn't answer right away. And when he finally did, his mindvoice echoed with pain. I want to be able to hold her.

I closed my eyes. I couldn't imagine what he endured, not when I had held her in my arms. When I had experienced what he so desperately craved.

When I opened them again, everyone in the room was watching me.

"So," Marcus asked. "Is Cara right?"

I found myself unable to speak, so I merely nodded.

Riley spoke from her chair. "Iskar has an idea that might help," she said. "Especially considering her current situation. But it isn't without its complications." She hesitated over the last word.

My gaze tracked from her to Marcus. It was so hard to remember that he also had a Gryphon living inside him.

That is, until I met his eyes, and they were pure amethyst. His face was also unusually animated. And when he spoke, his voice was a full octave higher than usual.

"Caliel was a healer, and a very talented one," Iskar said through Marcus's lips. "Healers project a piece of themselves into their patients. That projection is a very literal thing. And it might give Caliel an opportunity, if we can get it set up properly."

I swallowed. But Breana pounced on it, and I relayed her question to Iskar.

"Will it save Caliel?"

The straightening of Marcus's mouth indicated just how far into unknown territory we were straying. But Iskar said, "It might be his only hope."

Well, that certainly narrowed down the options.

"Breana wants to know what she has to do," I said.