7. Seven

Seven

Draken

I get it, asshole. I get it.

My dragon chuffs, not happy with being called an asshole, but he sure as shit is being one right now.

I’m just trying to sit here and enjoy my brothers’ embarrassment as Momma Vito goes on and on telling Willow all about them as children. She’s pulling out the good stuff.

Like how the big, bad Vito boys used to hate storms and would kick their dads out of bed because they needed to sleep with her.

I think that shit is cute, but judging by both of their red, stoic faces, they don’t appreciate it.

Tillman’s no better.

She’s doing a good job of reminding him of all the embarrassing, personal shit he called people out for when his gift emerged. He thought he was so cool blabbing people’s thoughts out, having no clue as a careless teenager how mortifying it was to the adults around. He knows that shit now. Willow’s gasps and quiet, playful scoldings make him look thoroughly uncomfortable.

It’s hilarious.

There’s nothing Momma Vito could say that would embarrass me. My little wanderer knows I did some stupid shit in my teens, but let’s be honest, I was the baby, so I did no wrong.

“I’ll be back. Give the guys hell while I’m gone,” I say, bending down in front of Willow before stealing a quick kiss.

“You okay?” she asks.

“Yeah, the beast needs to stretch his wings. Don’t fuss over me, little wanderer.”

“Do you want company or is this a solo thing?” she asks, completely understanding.

“Solo if that’s okay.”

“Of course it is. Be careful.”

She gives me a sweet little smile and a wink when we break our kiss and her musical laughter follows me out into the hall. That little noise is enough to settle my dragon’s ass down so I can make it outside.

He’s been on the frits since she burst through the ward in the south wing without us. He calmed down once we got through, but rewatching everything this morning through her eyes was a lot.

It’s a whole different perspective when we watch things like that. For example, her first day of fucking classes. Yeah, I saw it all go down, but I was trying to fight my way to her, so I missed bits and pieces. Seeing it all today, from start to finish, has my dragon ready to fly to the fucker’s house and eat him.

We should’ve killed him rather than almost drown him.

Jogging out of the central foyer and through the doors, I take a deep breath of fresh air. It’s been too long since I flew over the Central. Granted, people used to run inside when they saw me in the air, or they’d drop down and cower. I couldn’t give a fuck now, though. These clear skies are calling my name today.

Rounding the corner of the gardens where the clearing breaks out, my steps slow and I subtly sigh. Not loud enough to be heard but enough to get the aggravation out of my system before they notice I’m here.

Well, before he notices .

I’m trying, sort of, to get on board with this whole vampire king being my dad thing.

Okay, it’s not really a ‘thing.’ It’s real.

It’s not just one thing holding me back. It’s multiple things. All the questions I have, self-consciousness, fear. There’s a hefty dose of all of it mixed in there.

My initial reaction was to try to blame it on the fact that accepting him would diminish the Vito dads’ stance in my life, but I quickly shut that down. No one can replace them. They’re my dads, through and through. If Keeper can’t get on board with acknowledging that, accepting that he’s an addition and not the only one who holds that title in my heart, then that’s my answer on where he stands.

I guess I got a couple more fears to go along with that excuse. Like I need to know what happened between him and my mom, but I’m not ready to hear it or explain what I’ve been through. And I’m just scared to build a relationship with him.

There’s no doubt that if what he says is true about Willow’s bloodline, then she’ll get the portal to Essemist Keep open. Then he’ll be gone. How do we have a relationship realms away?

We don’t. That’s the answer.

I want to be happy about this, accept it as fully as my little wanderer has. I haven’t told her not to claim him or anything like that, so subconsciously, I fucking guess I’m already getting on board.

Hell if I know.

See what I mean?

This shit is too confusing and complicated.

Mustering up a smile, I approach Keeper where he and Tanith are having a stare off. It’s easy to tell they’re communicating and whatever he’s saying is annoying her based on her chuffing and the small balls of smoke blowing from her nose.

“Hello, Draken,” Tanith says, bowing her head to me as I walk up.

“What’s up Tanith? Gone for a flight yet today?” I ask as I lay my forehead to her .

“No. My lord is nervous about scaring the townsfolk. I am a dragon that feeds on knowledge, for Essemist’s sake, not a Baccum. I’m not going to eat the little people,” she scoffs and the sarcastic tone has me laughing.

“She’s complaining about flying, isn’t she?” Keeper asks, throwing his hands up and shaking his head.

Clearing my throat and cutting my laughter off, I say, “Yeah. Something about she’s a dragon not a Baccum. Whatever the hell that is.”

“Nasty creatures. They don’t take small sips but rather suck their victims dry until there’s not a drop of blood left,” he says with a grimace that matches my own. “And, Tanith, you know good and well I was not comparing you to them. I simply pointed out the people of Elementra are not used to seeing any other dragon aside from Draken fly the skies and it may be intimidating for them.”

“Understood, but I am no threat to them. If the Matriarch is comfortable with me frolicking around her gardens, her people will be just fine.”

I smirk at the feisty dragon in front of me. I don’t quite understand Keeper’s and her bonded relationship yet, but I’m pretty sure she’s not asking permission if she can fly or not. I got a feeling it’s more of a respect thing. She’d have already taken to the skies if she felt like it. She’s just considering his unease in the situation, but she’s making her unhappiness about it known.

“It’s really not a problem. I’m going up now. My dragon needs to stretch his wings,” I say, not exactly inviting them but offering the opportunity if they want to take it.

“See. Draken is going up and we will join him,” Tanith declares, earning a laugh from me and a grunt from Keeper.

“You’re sure that’s fine? I don’t want to cause trouble for the Matriarch or her men,” he says, turning to me.

“If it were a problem, Momma Vito would’ve told you not to fly,” I say, turning from him to get ready to shift.

Deciding to shift into the size Tanith is, I tilt my head back and let the magic wash over me. It’s such a freeing feeling. When he gets in moods like this, I walk around with tight, itching skin until I set him loose .

Stretching out my wings and neck, I shake the rest of my body out as I get in a balanced stance and then look to see if Tanith is ready.

Keeper’s gaze instantly lands on mine, and I pause my movements. Just as he looked at me the first time I shifted in front of him, I catch him staring mesmerized again, and I don’t know what the hell to think about it. I mean, he has his own bonded dragon. It’s not like this is some spectacular new thing for him.

“Oh, but it is, young one,” Tanith says, and I cut my eyes to her.

“You ready?”

“After you.” She laughs.

Smart-ass dragon.

Since Keeper’s in a tizzy about flying over the people in the Central, I lead us in the direction of the mansion instead. There’s nothing but forest from here to there and it’s all our land, so there’s no one else to worry about. When he gets more comfortable with letting Tanith fly more places, I’ll take Willow and her to where the Central meets Terrian. The mountains and cliffs there are killer to fly between.

Letting my dragon take the helm since he’s the one who needed this little excursion, I fade into my mind, trying to put together the pieces of all the shit that’s been going on here lately. It’s all a clusterfuck to me, and I want to figure out the fastest and best way to end this shit so we can have a long, relaxing life.

Sooner rather than later.

“You and your young flight have had many changes in the small amount of time you’ve been together,” Tanith says, breaking me out of my thoughts.

“How do you do that?” I ask.

“Do what?”

“I know you can’t read my mind, or at least I never read anything that said dragons could read minds, but you always seem to know what I’m—even Willow—is thinking.”

“It is my ability to gather impressions. Your thoughts pulsate. Let’s call it a signal, and I can interpret its meaning.”

I startle at her words for a second .

Shit, we can do that too. Except we don’t gather impressions from other people. We get them from our dragons.

“What about that confused you, Draken?”

“Not confused me, per se, but Willow’s and my dragon pass impressions to us. It’s how we communicate with them. If communicating is what you want to call it.”

“Fascinating. I’ve been curious as to how you and her speak with your counterparts since you are one and the same.”

“Curious? You seem to already know it all.”

“No, not all. But I have generations’ worth of knowledge stored in my mind that does allow me a greater sense of understanding. But you and your beloved are the first of your kind. Just like your father and me. That is why he looks at you like something magnificent. It is because you are.”

Father…Not going there.

“In the books I’ve bothered to read on dragons, nowhere said that you feed on knowledge and that’s how you grow to be so intelligent,” I say rather than acknowledging anything else she said.

“It is common knowledge in Essemist Keep, but many from other realms dared not come near us. Fear of being eaten, which is such an offensive notion. Dragons do not eat people for the fun of it. So the tales told of our kind leave out very viable information. There’s also our communal knowledge that we do not broadcast with others outside of our kind.”

“Communal knowledge?”

“Yes. Yours and your beloved’s are already beginning to come forth. I just don’t know what all will be available to the two of you or where all it will come from.”

“I don’t know what that is.”

I rack my brain, trying to remember if I’ve ever heard of that in dragons, but nothing’s coming to me. When she says a flight, I know what she means by that. That’s what a group of dragons that stay together is called, but I’m sure I read that somewhere.

“Just as any animal is born with their instincts, dragons hatch with that as well, but due to our nature, we’re born with a little more. Communal knowledge is information that is passed down to us through our parents and members of our flight. The ceremony of a hatchling is a spectacular sight to see.

“The entire flight will gather around the nest and softly purr, encouraging the little one to break through the fortified shell. It’s the first test for the young dragon. Their eggs are as strong as stone, and it is quite the tiring process to break yourself free, but once you do, the cracking of the shell will sound for miles around before it shatters around you. It will shake the realm itself, letting everyone know a dragon was just born.

“After that, the first of your kind to greet you are your parents. Your father, followed by your mother, will lay their heads to yours. It cultivates the bond between parent and child. During that bonding, all the knowledge the parents have gathered over the years will pass to the young dragon, and it will store itself in their mind. Once the parents have partaken in their bond, the entire flight will share their knowledge with the little one as well.

“There is still much development and growing the young dragon must learn and go through, but as they age, there will be things that they just know, things they are just aware of, and that is the communal knowledge that’s been shared with them.”

My heart thunders in my chest as I picture a huge flight of dragons waiting for a hatchling to be born, then celebrate it by giving it the knowledge it’s going to need to survive. I’d bet everything I do know that it’s a powerful, emotional moment.

Damn, I wish I had experienced that.

“So Willow and I have communal knowledge?” I ask.

Not that I doubt Tanith’s words. It’s just the honest truth that I’ve never been the smartest person in the room. I feel like school, life, well, everything would’ve been a lot easier on me in my earlier years if I had this knowledge she’s speaking about.

“Yes. I have no doubt about that. I’ve already sensed it in both of you. I’m just not sure how your communal knowledge was shared with you and from who it all comes from. I know you have pieces of me. Your dragons and their interactions prove that, but for the rest, I am unsure. You both were born from bodies, where I was born from an egg and had a ceremony.”

“Other than you sensing it, how would we know we have this knowledge? Gotta be honest with you, Tanith, I’ve never been one to just know shit, nor have I ever liked learning.”

She laughs like I’m kidding, but I really have always hated school, reading, anything that forced me to sit still for a long period of time. I got to move around, burn off the energy that’s always running through me.

“Do you remember your earlier years of life? Earlier than the normal being would?” she asks.

“No, I don’t think—”

I stop when my senses are assaulted with the past. The dark burgundy walls of the brothel, the way my mom always smelled sweet, her singing voice that could put me right to sleep. I remember it all clearly. I remember the exact spot she’s buried in and what she was wearing when she was laid in the ground.

“Yeah, I can.”

“That is a sign of communal knowledge. The ability for your memories to begin imprinting strongly enough to stick at a young age.”

I drift into silence at that. For many, I can see where that ability would be badass to have, but I don’t really feel the same. I’m thankful to be able to remember my mom, don’t get me wrong, but I could do without all the other trauma that came along with it.

Willow too, no doubt. I’ve always wondered how it was that she could remember things from when she was so young, but I chalked it up to the Memoria stone. Guess that wasn’t the case.

Soaring through the clouds, a speck in the distance comes into view and my chest rumbles with happiness. I love that fucking mansion. There’re so many fond memories there and it’s created an escape my brothers and I needed over the years. Now it’s also where we bonded our Primary. The greatest gift of all time.

I already know our time is going to be split between here and the palace now, but this house and everything about it will always be ours.

Staring out over the crystal-clear skies, I’m starting to feel like Corentin. My mind just won’t shut up and it’s driving me crazy. Up here is where I’m supposed to be able to leave my worries behind, but since one of my worries came up here with me, I can’t unfocus.

Unfocus? Is that even a word?

“Tanith, when Keeper touched me the first time I shifted in front of him, something happened,” I say rather than flat out asking what I want to know.

“That’s correct.”

Seriously? That’s all she’s going to give me.

“What happened?”

“I don’t believe you’re ready for that answer,” she says matter-of-factly.

“What? Why?” I ask. Butthurt.

“Because you’re not ready to accept him for who he is to you. That’s quite all right. You deserve time to wrap your mind around this.”

“Well, why didn’t he take some time? He was told I was his son and that was that. End of discussion. I don’t get it. He didn’t even need to think about it,” I say, getting a little defensive even though she just told me it was okay.

“No, he didn’t need time. That’s just the way my Lord is. Once his mind is made up, that is that. There’s no need for a fuss or questions. It’s both reassuring and incredibly frustrating. He’s a very stubborn man when he wants to be.”

Her teasing settles my nerves, but at the same time, it makes me feel like shit. For the most part, my entire life, I’ve always been the same way as she’s describing him. Quick to make up my mind, make a decision, then I stuck to it no matter what. Unless my brothers had a good argument as to why it was a bad decision. Even then, though, I didn’t always listen. Like with Willow. The second I saw her and she called Tillman ‘mine,’ I was fully committed. That was that.

I’m struggling with this, though, and it’s making me feel childish.

“Willow said you chose to bond him. Can I ask how or why you did that?”

“Much like this realm, in Essemist Keep, many of us with a higher consciousness, vampires, creatures, dragons alike are given fated beloveds. For dragons, you know instantly when you come across yours and you are to decide right then and there if you will accept the bond or not.”

“Um, but…you…he,” I stutter because she said fated beloveds. There’s no way they have that sort of relationship .

Her deep, ethereal chuckle vibrates through my mind, and I don’t know whether to let it calm me down or freak me the fuck out.

“Our bond is different, yes. There’s no romance or intimacy. I am the first of my kind to ever form a cross-species bond. Although I recognized him instantly, just as I would’ve had he been a dragon, the deep primal claim, like you feel over your beloved, was absent. Just an awareness that I needed him and he needed me.”

Thank fuck for that. I was about to freak the hell out.

“So you felt the bond and accepted it?”

“Yes.”

“How does that work? If that’s not a too personal question.”

Fuck, I should just stop asking questions while I’m ahead here.

“Not too personal at all, but maybe you should ask him,” she says before letting out a small, rumbling roar, then descends toward the back lawn of the mansion.

Shit. Seriously. Come on.

Following her rather than leaving her behind and turning back like I’m tempted to, I touch down a few seconds behind her and watch as Keeper slides off her back and stretches his body out. Smiling as always. I guess I get it, though. Hundreds of years trapped in a forest would make me appreciate my freedom as well.

“Go on, Draken, shift back,” she orders lightly with a laugh.

Meddling dragon.

Letting the magic wash over me, in milliseconds, I’m left standing on two feet. My annoyance with Tanith swiftly leaves me as I gaze at our pool, the patio table, the spot in the lawn a few feet over where my little wanderer and I completed our bonding ceremony. We haven’t been gone long enough to miss it all, but after seeing and knowing the significance of the south wing, it just makes me cherish the mansion even more.

“This place and the palace are truly spectacular, Draken. The architecture here is very different from in the Keep but no less fascinating,” Keeper says enthusiastically, smiling around at everything with total interest although he’s seen it before .

I hum in agreement, not knowing what to say before closing my eyes for a second, and mentally yell at myself to stop being an asshole for no good reason. Sighing, I turn a little more toward him and ask, “What’s it like? In the Keep, I mean.”

A tight smile crosses his lips and his eyes cloud over. I instantly kick myself for asking because of course that would dredge up his longing. I can’t imagine what I would feel like being locked out of Elementra for hundreds of years. It would’ve killed me, honestly.

“Sorry, you don’t have to talk about it,” I say quietly.

“No, it’s fine. It’s just been a long time since I’ve allowed myself to think about it,” he says, then looks back at Tanith, his smile morphing into a real one. “The Keep is like nothing else. The realm itself is ancient and timeless, a place where centuries have passed without significant changes. Popular to the lore I’m sure that’s spread about, we do tend to live in massive castles that are made with obsidian or slate. They have tall towers and spires that are darker in color, but the insides are typically grand, bright. My mother loved to redecorate. Goodness, it would be like entering a new home every full moon…” He trails off, falling deep in his thoughts.

Guilt squeezes my chest. I was just trying to take Tanith’s advice and speak with him. I didn’t mean to upset him.

“Is there any sort of magic there like here or…?” I ask, trying to pull him from wherever he’s getting lost at.

“Oh yes. The air is filled with the hum of magic, both of our own abilities and from those who’ve ventured there. It’s elegant and refined. Tradition and grace are very much valued and contrary to what you’ve seen, the vampires who live there are sophisticated and cultured. The bloodlust is a nasty side effect to our kind, stripping away their love for art, music, learning, intelligence…” He trails off once again, shaking his head, but he’s quick to get himself back on track this time. “The realm has a peaceful atmosphere, but there’s always an underlying sense of power and strength. It’s a beautiful but also a humbling reminder that the land is full of beings and creatures who possess great abilities. ”

“Speaking of creatures…” I turn my head to Tanith and cock a brow, judging if now’s the time to ask my burning question. Her little huff is confirmation enough, so I ask, “How did the two of you bond?”

To my utter shock, he throws his head back, laughing. And I mean fucking laughing. Holding his belly and all as he bends forward and continues to snicker like I just told the realm’s funniest joke. I can’t help but cock my head to the side and stare at him.

“Oh my, I thought surely Tanith would’ve already bragged about that,” he says as he wipes his tears dry before clearing his throat. “She tried to kill me, of course.”

I don’t think I’ve ever gasped so hard in my life. My hand flies up to my chest in some form of offended shock ’cause I didn’t expect that nor do I know what to do. Is it okay to laugh like he did? Should I be concerned? Hell, I don’t know, so I stare at Tanith in disbelief as her chuckle trickles through my mind.

Crazy-ass dragon.

“Why did she try to kill you?”

“ To accept the bond, you must prove to each other you’re equal in all things. For dragons, that’s both intelligence and strength. So when I strolled up to her flight like I was some hot shit vampire heir about to request knowledge—granted, keep in mind I was very young—she sensed the bond and attacked. I didn’t have the slightest clue what was happening until I struck out at her, attempting to defend myself. I felt the pull of the bond. In that moment, we both had a choice to make, whether to continue the fight, let the bond solidify, or go our separate ways and let it sever. Well, you see what we chose. She chose, really. She took about a five-second break, staring at me before snatching me off the ground with her claws. It was a brutal battle,” he says, smiling at Tanith like he won in the end.

“He was a fierce competitor. Obviously, no match for me, but nonetheless he gave it his all and was worthy.” She snorts, and they both laugh. Him out loud, her in our minds.

Well, shit.

I stay in a sort of state of shock for a moment before a loud laugh bursts out of me. I picture in my mind him just strolling up cocky as shit in front of a flight of dragons, then all of a sudden this golden beast tries to eat him. That shit is hilarious.

It’s pretty badass if I’m being honest. There he was, a small vampire man, well, he’s pretty big, almost as big as me, but still, compared to a dragon, he’s puny, and he stood his ground. Held his own against a magnificent creature, and apparently, formed a first of their kind bond.

Shit.

“That shit is so funny. I can see Tanith trying to eat you. It wouldn’t surprise me if she tried it now.” I continue laughing even as he joins me, and I feel a little of my apprehension melt away. Maybe he isn’t too bad. “I didn’t realize you could’ve chosen not to accept the bond.”

“It would’ve been rather painful to do, but it’s our decision in the end. The two of us were too curious in nature to ever reject something like this, but for example, a vampire-vampire pairing could’ve been very different. Bonds in the Keep aren’t like bonds here. Not everyone is given a beloved who, in fact, loves them unconditionally. Their souls made perfect for each other. Very few get the pleasure of a bond like that. Beloveds who find that do not fare well apart,” he says solemnly. I obviously once again dredged up something bad for him.

“Well, I think what the two of you have is pretty cool. Plus, if not for this first of your kind bond, me and Willow wouldn’t have our dragons,” I say cheerily, trying to lighten the mood once again.

“You and your beloved are magnificent, Draken.”

His smile is true. Even the beast in my chest can sniff out the sincerity behind his words. Nothing about him or what he says is a charade or a way to pander to me.

“I’ll speak freely, young one. Continue talking to him, ask him questions. He’s eager to know you but will not push the boundaries you’ve laid before him. I won’t tell you the things we’ve spoken about in private, but I will tell you he wants to get to know you and be a part of your life. He will follow along at your pace,” Tanith says so softly, I know she feels as though she’s crossed a line but thought I needed to hear it.

Maybe I did .

She’s closer to him and knows him better than anyone. Her giving me permission to take my time takes the pressure off me to just jump right in. My family already seems to be on team keep Keeper, but I know they’ll support me and my decisions no matter what. Nor will they push me to move quicker with him. So maybe getting to know him, at my own pace, is okay.

“Thank you, Tanith.”

“Of course, Draken.”

I blow a hefty breath out and that exhale seems to finally drain away the tension that’s been weighing me and my dragon down. We have enough to worry about in the realm right now that adding my newfound daddy issues on top of it was exhausting me.

I’ll get to know him. Slowly.

Just as I go to open my mouth and say something to Keeper, I feel the sweet invasion across my chest and a smirk crosses my lips. My little wanderer is about to check on me. Can’t hide anything from her even miles away from her.

“Draken, where are you?” she asks. She tries to hide the concern in her tone, but I instantly hear it. It’s not concern for me, though.

Something’s wrong.

“Are you okay?” I ask, stomping away from Keeper and Tanith, preparing to shift back.

“I’m fine. I need you to come back now. Tanith and Keeper as well.”

“I’m on the way.”

“Something’s up. Willow needs us,” I shout just before the shift takes over.

Roaring, I beat my wings furiously, picking up unimaginable speeds in a matter of seconds. Physically, I know she’s fine, but her tone and the worry pumping through my chest from her has my beast pushing himself to the max.

“What has happened?” Tanith asks.

I didn’t even notice because I was so focused on feeling Willow, but she’s keeping pace with me easily. Her face is fierce as though we’re flying into battle and her body is cutting through the rays of the sun like a golden sword. Why the hell we’ve been lollygagging around if she could fly like this beats me.

“I don’t know. She didn’t say, but she’s upset and said she needed the three of us back.”

“Then let us fly, young dragon.”

With that, Tanith’s body takes off, attaining speeds I’m not even sure I can reach. It’s as though she’s got a touch of the vampire’s speed mixed in with her own.

As if the thought that he can’t keep up offends my dragon, he pushes harder. Shooting us through the air so fast, the trees beneath us are nothing but a sea of blurring green. The typical fifteen-minute flight is over in less than five.

My worry peaks as we approach the Central clearing and standing there waiting is my little wanderer, with tears in her eyes, my brothers, Gaster, and the Vito parents.

What the fuck happened?

My claws don’t even touch the grass before I’m shifting back into my human form and sprinting to Willow. The second she’s wrapped in my arms, I feel the tremble in her limbs.

“Are you okay? What’s going on?” I ask frantically.

“We need to go to the healing wing now. Layton’s having seizures and he’s bleeding from his nose and ears. The Summum-Master is about to break through Aria’s rune. She’s already there, trying to fight him off, and Jamie is attempting to heal him, but he doesn’t have long, Draken.”

No. No. No.

Fuck no.

We can’t lose this kid.

“I will need an enchanted dagger with a Reservoir gem to reverse the rune. We must hurry. If the Summum-Master can cut through the rune blocking him, it will not take anything to kill the boy,” Keeper says immediately, stepping up beside me, no questions asked.

“Done,” Willow declares, and without missing a beat, she steps back from us, planting her feet in the ground as she opens her pocket dimension .

The familiar swirling pool of silver opens and she stretches her arm in for only a brief second before she pulls it back out with a dagger clenched in her hand. I forgot all about her taking that dagger off the dead pussycat. My mind hasn’t even thought about it since she was rescued, and I’ve seen it through her twice now.

She’s truly the smartest fucking person I’ve ever met in my life.

“This is one of the daggers, right?” she asks, handing it over to Keeper.

He nods as soon as she places it in his hands, and the blood, whoever’s blood that is sitting inside the gem, begins to bubble as he whispers in his language.

“Yes. A powerful one at that. Very good, Adored,” he says proudly, but my fierce goddess just nods sternly, then turns to Tillman.

“On me, we need to move,” he commands and we all latch on to him.

In milliseconds, we’re stepping out of the transport in the private sector of the Central healing wing, and the screams of Layton’s mom pierce my ears, making my feet freeze and my heart thud uncontrollably.

No, fuck no. We aren’t too late. I won’t accept that.

“Go, please,” I bark at Keeper, grabbing his sleeve and running toward the screams. I truly thought the Summum-Master had forgotten about the kid. He hasn’t fucked with him like Trex since the day he killed all the shifters.

Surprisingly, Keeper latches onto my arm, and with a stupid fucking amount of strength, drags me, literally drags my thousand-pound ass through the halls in the blink of an eye.

The scene in front of me is horrific. There’s blood pooling underneath Layton’s head as he shakes and convulses in his bed, and his mother is sunk to the floor, screaming and shaking in the arms of her men, begging for someone to save her baby.

It’s fucking gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and it chills my blood.

Jamie and Aria are sweating, with pale faces as they each work as hard as they can to save him.

Aria’s ghostly, clouded eyes shoot up at us and although I can’t even see her irises, I see the plea in them.

“I can’t hold on much longer. ”

“Come, son. You must do as I say. Hold his head and with your blessed gifts of this realm, push your magic beneath his skin. Bless it with good intentions. The rune tied to him is far different than the others that are tied to the heart. His is wrapped intricately through his mind. Now is not the time to explain it all to you, but you must think about weaving a positive reality for him. Do it now. Soul Seer, do not release your rune until my signal. Healer, make sure his mind does not explode and take away the pain I will cause.”

Explode. Are you fucking kidding me?

It’s as though I’m having an out-of-body experience as I jump to the front of the bed and grip Layton’s head between my hands. His warm, sticky blood dribbles between my fingers, and although blood has never bothered me, I get queasy at the sight of his.

“Hold his head still,” Keeper commands, and with no complaint or question, I do as I’m told. “Focus, son. A positive reality. What will his life look like after this curse is removed?”

Focus. Focus.

What will it look like?

Freedom. It’ll look like freedom.

He’ll have the opportunity to go to a real academy and learn about his amazing and rare gift. He’ll learn it’s a blessing not a curse to be one of a kind. Or at least one of an extremely low few in his case. It’ll be scary at first, being the youngest at an academy full of young adults who’ve been training for years, but he’ll catch up. He’s smart. I know it. Eventually, he’ll meet his Nexus brothers. Hell, maybe I can talk Corentin into letting him visit the other academies, see if his bond snaps in place with anyone.

He’ll have all his parents, who obviously love him tremendously and will do anything for him. He’ll never have to worry again about them being killed for loving and looking for him. He’ll never have to be separated from them by force again.

He’s going to have a great life.

Come on, Keeper. Fix this kid. Fuck, he deserves a great life.

He deserves so much better than what he’s had to deal with over the last year and I swear here and now to help however I can. I push the best intentions my mind can come up with and lace it with the bubbly, cheery side of myself. I want this kid to be happy-go-lucky all the time. Not because he has to put on an act for everyone else but because his life is going to be great and that, in turn, just makes him that way.

Keeper’s soft, accented whispers echo around the room. I don’t understand the language, but the power behind it is immense. It’s stirring up my own magic in my chest and I pull on that feeling, bolstering it and pushing it out.

A small growl slips out of me when Keeper presses the tip of the dagger to Layton’s forehead and it takes everything in me not to knock it away. This is something that has to be done.

Rather than tracing out the M that’s now visible on Layton’s forehead, he drags the dagger slowly backward. Instead of it slicing his skin, each traced line seems to erase the scarred tissue, leaving behind clear pale skin.

Layton bellows out in agony, although his mind isn’t even aware of what’s going on, and the sound is horrifying. Every time he screams, his mother’s wails get even louder, and together, they make a traumatic melody that I know I’ll never be able to forget.

“Almost done,” Keeper grunts just as he traces over the last line on the M. When he pulls the dagger away from Layton’s head, he presses the tip of it to his finger until a pool of blue blood sits on the tip.

While still pushing the best possible intentions and path for Layton through to him, Keeper’s blood travels through the dagger, through the hilt, and when it drops into the Reservoir gem, the blood begins to sizzle.

The noise silences everyone in the room, or maybe all I can hear is the sizzle ’cause I’m so focused on it, but rapidly, it boils the blood down until it’s nothing. It completely dissolves.

A painful, loud gasp falls from Layton’s throat as his eyes open wide in panic for a brief moment before they clear. His chest heaves heavily as his eyes cut back and forth, trying to see the room, but I’m still holding him in place.

“It’s okay, calm down. You’re okay,” I purr softly.

“Dr-Draken.”

“Yeah, buddy, I’m here. ”

“He’s gone. He’s out of my head.”

“Yeah, he’s gone. You’re going to be okay,” I whisper.

A small smile graces his lips and his eyes begin to flutter shut. My heart pounds against my rib cage, attempting to fall out of my chest as panic grips me.

“No, no, no, Layton, wake up. Wake up,” I shout as my fingers twitch on his cheeks.

“It’s okay, Draken, he’s fine. He just passed out. He’s exhausted, but he’s okay and he’s alive,” Jamie says as he lays his hand on my arm.

Gently, he pats my shoulder, silently instructing me to let go of Layton, so I do and backpedal until I hit the wall behind me.

Sliding down until my ass hits the ground, I drape my bloody hands over my knees and watch as he heals and cleans Layton up.

Soft, warm hands grip my cheeks and turn my face from the sight of this kid I’ve grown to be quite protective of until I’m staring into a pool of shiny diamonds.

“I’m so proud of you, my dragon. You did so good. Even asleep, his aura is so bright, it’s blinding,” my little wanderer whispers.

“I didn’t do much.”

“Don’t discredit yourself, Draken. Those were some of the most powerful intentions I’ve ever felt. I have a feeling he’s going to wake up a completely different person. For the better.”

“You mean that?” I ask.

“I know that.”

When her lips meet mine, I melt into her. That was one of the most emotionally draining experiences of my life, outside of everything she’s been through, and for a second there, I thought we lost him. I thought all the promises and words of assurance I’d given to his parents were going to be for nothing.

Her promising eyes are all I can focus on now when she pulls back and smiles at me. Her pride for me in this moment floods my bond, and I swear it rejuvenates me.

“Let’s give them some time to check on Layton, and we’ll visit later, okay? ”

“Yeah. Good idea,” I say as I make eye contact with Sira. There are tears still streaming down her face, but the gratitude reflected at me makes my throat close up.

“You were remarkable, Draken. I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life,” Keeper says, smiling when Willow and I walk out of Layton’s room.

“What do you mean?”

“That amount of power you put off. I’ve never been fed magic before. That was exhilarating.” He beams as he squeezes my shoulder.

I’m sorry, did I just hear him right?

“Fed magic? What in the realm are you talking about?” I ask, utterly fucking confused.

“You mean you didn’t do it on purpose?” he asks, cocking his head to the side. My frustration grows swiftly, but before I can say anything, Willow cuts in, no doubt sensing my rising irritation.

“If something strange or different happened, Keeper, it’s best to just explain it all,” she orders gently.

“Well, you all recall me explaining how the Summum-Master would make me drink blood before a binding ritual to maximize my power?” he asks, leaving out the tidbit that it was my little wanderer’s blood or her mom’s or grandma’s, but anyhow, at our nods, he continues. “I don’t have to consume anything prior to the ritual or as you just saw, undoing it, but if I don’t feed, it would leave me quite drained and hungry. Just now, though, you were putting off enough magic to feed me and keep me sustained. It traveled through my bloodstream like electricity. It was highly potent. I feel as though I was just a glutton with my food.”

He’s still fucking beaming from ear to ear with excitement and I’m still as confused. I don’t know how that’s possible, nor did I do that on purpose.

“What were you thinking about, dragon, when you were pushing your magic into Layton?” Caspian asks.

“All kinds of shit. A better life for him mostly.”

“At any point did you think of Keeper?” Gaster asks, stepping up beside Caspian, looking at me just as curious .

“Well, yeah, I guess. I thought about him being able to fix Layton. Can you just give it to me straight? One of you?” I ask with a frustrated sigh.

“I can only assume, my boy, we may need to talk to Tanith, but just as she can push knowledge on to others and she can absorb it, I believe you did feed him your magic. You pushed it onto him while you were thinking about what was best for Layton.”

How…

“Tanith, can you hear me?” I ask. I’ve never tried to talk to her while she’s not been in front of me, but this can’t wait, so I might as well try.

“Of course I can.”

“I just fed Keeper my magic.”

“Congratulations, young one. That is exciting news.”

Her nonchalance at this makes me growl, and her laugh in my mind doesn’t help. Damn know-it-all dragon.

“Will you please explain this to us? This is confusing.”

“I suppose so, although you all should learn some patience.”

Keeper snorts, letting me know he heard it, but I don’t find the humor right now. Maybe after she explains.

“As a dragon, you’ve always had an ability to push out what you absorb. For typical dragons, it’s knowledge. But you are the first of your kind and you feed off magic, therefore you push out magic.”

“I’ve never done this before. How does this even work? Layman’s terms, please,” I ask and Willow squeezes my hand in solidarity.

“Well, my lord is a being that survives off lifeforces. Yes, the main consumption is blood because it is the most potent, but there are many forms of lifeforces. Your magic is one of your lifeforces. So you pushed it out, and he consumed it because it was a source of food. It is something his body would’ve naturally done, just as it was natural for your body to push it out.”

“Tanith, will he be able to push his magic onto anyone else or just Keeper?” Willow asks.

“Anyone.”

“Thank you,” Willow says before turning her attention to me.

“You’ve been doing this. The only reason it wasn’t so obvious was because you were doing it on me and I also have and rely on my magic. Keeper noticed it so starkly because he doesn’t have Elementra-blessed gifts.”

“What do you mean, little wanderer?”

“Think about all the times I needed to be healed and how quickly that happened. How quickly my magic refilled itself. Every time, you were right there with me. Probably touching me. Of course having all of you guys touch me helps, but it’s been expedited because you’ve been feeding it directly to me.”

“I’ll be damned, dragon. You’ve been doing it to all of us,” Caspian says with a smirk and a shake of his head. “It’s different than what healers like Jamie do. They fix the damage done to the body, and our magic does the rest. You’ve been filling our magic reserves, which, in turn, speeds everything else up.”

Well, fuck me.

“So I can push my magic into each of you? I can keep you all from ever being drained?”

“Yes,” they all echo.

I stand there statue-still for a second as that shocks me down to my core. This is amazing. An ability that’s going to protect them, keep them from ever getting dangerously low and not being able to take care of themselves.

Holy shit, I can power them.

“This is so fucking cool,” I holler, picking Willow up and crashing her into the center of my brothers. “I’ve been inside all of you.”

“Draken.” my brothers shout and my little wanderer throws her head back, laughing.

I’m gonna feed them magic until it’s coming out of their asses.