45. Lux

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

LUX

W e used Og’s reverse logic to catch a Ley Line, which dumped us into the ocean in the dead of night. Although we were ready for a fight, no one waited for us. It made Jay’s theory that she wasn’t meant to leave the island in the first place feel more plausible and set us all on edge. Using the padded box we’d shoved Tyson into as a flotation device; we paddled our way to water territory and the waiting Oliviarose.

Rehan’s grandfather filled us in. Fire territory was no longer under Ryker’s control. According to the fire king, currently hiding in earth dragon territory, Doctor Raba invited Gorm to the island. Doctor Raba overthrew King Ryker’s leadership, and it was Doctor Raba trying to make Gorm out to be the new dragon god. Also known as, nothing was the fire king’s fault.

Jay and I had shared a skeptical look, but arguing about who did what wouldn’t solve the problem. What dragons needed now was unity, just like Jay had done to us.

The following morning, we were up bright and early. I flew through the familiar skies of my island, seeing them again for the first time. With my dragon and I so close, I actually sensed the throbbing of our shield, and it weighed on me. No wonder past generations backed away from their dragons and their magic. They’d created a wound in the world, and they could feel it bleed.

Jay rode just behind my horns with Rehan and Og, both in their dragon forms, flanking me like the team we were. I tilted my head so she could see fire territory far below us. After two passes, we flew back to the border, where we shifted. A short jog through the dense eucalyptus forest and up a hill brought us to a meeting with the council.

We were the last to arrive, and I stuck to my mate like a burr. The small clearing had a view of the topmost buildings of fire territory and the blown-off peak of our island’s volcano.

Just like the EM, each element had a trio, give or take, of dragons ready to talk. I even glimpsed some white hair of air off to one side.

“You’re late,” King Ryker stated.

“I’m human, with an average run time of fuck you,” Jay said, wiping sweat off her brow.

“Where’s my son?” King Ryker demanded.

Jay put her hands on her hips. “Why are you even here?”

King Ryker’s face turned a startling shade of red. “Because a man claiming to be a god has taken everything from me. He wants my people, me, to be his new army as if we lived in the dark ages, not the twenty-first century, where nuclear bombs could wipe out life on this planet.”

“That’s pretty spot on, honestly.” Jay nodded. “Gorm’s been trapped for centuries and probably doesn’t quite grasp the finer points of geopolitics.” She leaned toward the Fire King, and concern filled her features. “How does that make you feel?”

King Ryker’s hair turned into flames, and his impressive horns grew out of his head. He took one step towards Jay and raised his fists. Rehan slid in between them and crossed his built arms. Og and I were hot on his tail while no one stepped toward the Fire King, not even his own advisors.

The fire on his head blazed once before turning back into his normal short red locks. He stepped back, mumbling to himself.

Oliviarose elbowed her way past Og to stand next to Jay. “Thank you for coming back,” she whispered. “You could have just abandoned all of this.”

Jay tutted. “And lose the deposit on my rental? Not a chance.”

I snorted having heard all about the council's agreement to give Jay ‘continued use of their sons’. After meeting Marduk and some of the acquaintances from my mate’s past, I was pretty sure she could hold a grudge for all eternity. I wished Oliviarose the best with that.

The leader of earth stepped away from Jay and toward a table sculpted out of the volcanic soil of the clearing. “Let’s begin. As Rkyer’s given us a decent summary.” She gestured for all of us to move forward.

One of the air dragons pushed to the front. My heart dropped. Sky, my father’s right hand, the woman who cleaned me up every time my father beat me, stepped up to the table. I grabbed Jay’s hand. We didn’t know the air dragons’ loyalties. The last time we talked, they were either working with fire or being duped by fire; either option gave them an excuse to work with Gorm instead of their fellow dragons.

Jay reached back and squeezed my arm. “I know.”

She couldn’t read my mind, but her words calmed me either way.

“We’re here because, for the first time in a hundred years, we have a common enemy.” Oliviarose pointed at fire territory. “The demon god, Gorm, infiltrated our island, took advantage of our division, and exploited our weaknesses. He wants to rule the world, starting with our island. He used blood magic to enslave dragons we should have been protecting.”

Rage boiled. My people. The kids we’d been trying to help while Doctor Raba groomed them for King Ryker’s private army. I looked at Sky again. Jay had said it was easier to fix someone else than to look inside yourself, and in this moment, I felt the truth behind her words.

“Before I say anything,” Jay pinned Oliviarose and Rehan’s grandfather with her stern gaze. “I want to make sure you fully trust everyone here.” She not so subtly gestured to Sky. “Because if we make a plan and Gorm learns about it, then there was no real reason to make a plan.”

“In this,” Rehan’s grandfather said. “I put my faith in Sky and King Ryker. We’re dragons, Gorm’s not.” His gaze landed on Jay, and I doubted she missed the warning.

Oliviarose inclined her head. “I will also vouch for Sky. Although I disagree with her choices, she does not want to be enslaved by a mad god.”

“I mean,” Jay said. “When you put it that way, I guess I’m looking like the asshole for asking.” She poked the map in the center of the table. “What’s your current plan?”

Oliviarose flushed. “Um, well, this.” She gestured at the meeting.

Rehan let out a disappointed grunt, and my shoulders sank. Our leaders had no idea what to do.

Jay nodded once. “Right, we’ll start here then.” She rubbed her chin. “Ryker’s right. Gorm needs to die. He’ll try to take on the human world, which will end in a war between humans and the supernaturals. Or the very quick genocide of dragon shifters to prevent said war.”

My blood chilled, and grim determination settled on all our shoulders.

“In addition,” Jay continued. “It’s his blood magic controlling Tyson and however many others he’s managed to take over.”

“My son?” King Ryker shook. “He’s truly taken everything.” The Fire King snarled. “And you let him.”

Jay flinched.

But you deserve so much better. The fire king’s words reinforced her insecurities, but he was wrong. And I would make sure Jay saw proof every minute of our lives until she truly felt it.

“I did let him,” Jay said tightly.

King Ryker jerked back in surprise. A few people gasped.

“And Gorm’s existence is my fault,” Jay continued. “But Gorm targeted your island because your shield has weakened the entire magical circulatory system of Earth. Every supernatural on the planet is struggling with fertility because of the gaping hole dragon shifters created by isolating themselves.”

Jay clenched her fist, and I felt her heart bleed. She’d hidden, just like we had, with the same results. It had taken the four of us to make her confront herself, and now she was trying to make our council do the same.

“Pinpointing blame does not make a plan.” She pointed to fire territory on the map in the center of the table. “We just scouted. I found thirteen of your ‘special forces’ infected with his magic, probably a few more inside.” Jay pointed at the map. “He has a lot of blood and needs to store it. His guards are concentrated in these three locations. Ryker, is there refrigeration in any of those locations?”

King Ryker pulled back. “How would I know?”

Jay sighed. “We’ll have to check them all then.”

“He’s in my home!” King Ryker yelled. “You can’t get past my security. No one can.”

Jay grinned. “I’d take that bet, but not today. We need to split Gorm’s forces.”

“We’re going to draw him out,” Og said, picking up on Jay’s plan.

Jay nodded.

“What on this island could possibly draw him out?” King Ryker spat.

Jay pointed at herself. “It’s a long story. But he targeted your son to get to me. I don’t believe I was supposed to leave this island.” She sighed. “Gorm and I are connected from a run-in hundreds of years ago. The demons in the Ley Lines appeared the same day I arrived on the island, which I don’t think was a coincidence.”

“But what if it is?” Oliviarose asked. “I don’t mean to be skeptical, but how are you so sure Gorm will come after you? Your reports didn’t mention anyone looking for you in the last few weeks.”

Jay put one finger in the air before blowing out a breath and dropping her hand. “Gorm’s body died a long time ago. He only exists as thoughts and raw power. He’s dependent on a host, which he can either ride inside of or manifest his original form nearby. Think of Gorm like an evil shadow.” Jay grimaced. “The body he’s completely dependent on is my ex, so I’m pretty sure it’s personal.”

“This is all your fault!” King Ryker yelled again, though the table kept him from getting anywhere close to Jay this time.

Jay’s voice grew tired. “We’ve been over this, but, yeah, sure.”

For the second time, Jay accepted the blame. I rocked from foot to foot, Og doing the same while Rehan put a hand on her arm as if to pull her towards him. But we’d already told her it wasn’t her fault, and she still obviously felt differently.

“It’s not your fault,” Oliviarose snapped. “Did my Og tell you it was your fault?”

Og vehemently shook his head and edged away from his leader.

“No,” Jay held her hands up. “My mates have only told me the opposite.”

“Then why aren’t you listening to them?” Oliviarose snapped. “I’ve only spoken with you a handful of times, and I know this is not your fault. You might have pushed the rock off the mountain, but you have no control over what it hit on the way down.” She turned to King Ryker. “Or who changed its trajectory.”

Jay rubbed her chest. Whatever insecurity still kept her cursed ate at her. I desperately wanted to take her in my arms and fix everything. But the world didn’t work that way. Instead, I reached out and put my hand on her shoulder, adding my silent support to Rehan’s. Og did the same. She lived in our confidence for a heartbeat before shrugging us off. We planted our feet, warriors at her back once more.

“Here’s the plan,” Jay said, her usual confidence returning. “Unless someone’s got a better one, noon tomorrow, I’m bait.”

A shiver of fear ran down my back. The last time we used her as bait hadn’t ended well. Her body, covered in bruises with her left eye swollen shut, was burned into my memory. I looked over her head to see the same unhappiness in Rehan and Og.

“We break into two groups,” Jay continued. She pointed as she explained. “We need to find the orphan’s blood samples and get them away from Gorm.”

“Can’t he just possess them like he did your ex?” Sky asked.

Rehan’s grandfather let out a disappointed sigh, and Jay bit her lips together, which let me know she was trying not to laugh.

“Sure, he could.” She answered lightly. “But it means he can only control the one person he’s merged with. It takes time and energy to figure out how to use that person’s body, and if they don’t want him in there, they can fight back.” Jay frowned. “As shown by Tyson’s current situation, Gorm’s using blood magic. Spells which let him control the minds and actions of others without being present in their bodies. But. He does have to give them commands. Which means he can only have so many puppets at a time.” Jay pursed her lips. “It’s possible some dragons are working for him, not because of magic, but fear. If we take away their reason to fear, we free them to fight back.”

She tapped the map again. “The second group will be smaller but more skilled, ideally, and split into their elements, as I have no faith anyone will actually work together. Each element, with one of my mates at its head, will be ready to spring when Gorm shows his lovely face. Fire, your only job will be to keep Tyson safe until I free him.”

“Why bring my son at all?” King Ryker snapped.

“Because once he’s free.” Jay grinned. “He’ll be the angriest, most badass dragon on this island, with only one thing on his mind. Eating Gorm.”

King Ryker’s chest puffed, and he eyed Jay. “Maybe you’re not so bad.”

Jay inclined her head. “Maybe when all of this is over, you can spend the rest of your life making it up to your son.”

King Ryker grimaced though his head twitched to the side. I arched an eyebrow in surprise. I wished I had that moment on video. Tyson would never believe it.

“Now, the typical containers mages hold blood spells in…” I expected Jay to create shapes out of our combined elemental magics, like the globe at the EM. Instead, she pulled out the phone I’d first seen her with and passed around a series of pictures.

By the time we finished, every dragon on the council walked away with their heads high and hope in their eyes. Jay watched them go, drumming her fingers on the map unhappily. Og whispered something in her ear and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Movement on my left pulled my attention. Rehan’s grandfather stepped up to his grandson. Still on edge from Sky, I shifted my ears and listened.

“Family’s in the heart,” the ancient dragon said, still leaning heavily on his staff.

Rehan stiffened.

My history with my dad made long-healed bruises throb on my body. I found myself standing at Rehan’s side, ready for anything. If his grandfather even lifted a finger to hurt my brother… I didn’t know what I could actually do, but at least Rehan wouldn’t face it alone.

For a moment, I worried I’d done the wrong thing. Then, Rehan adjusted, so the three of us stood in a circle of equals. Confidence filled my shoulders.

The ancient water dragon studied me before taking a deep breath. “Our family rarely agrees on anything, My grandson here had to pull us kicking and screaming to this moment of unity under the mountain of bullshit we created.” He rapped his staff on the ground. “Rehan’s bum of a father still doesn’t want change, but it’s coming whether we like it or not.” The ancient water dragon held out his hand. “You are welcomed into my family, Lux.”

Rehan jerked as if shocked by his grandfather’s words while my heart raced. Braced for a beating, I struggled to understand what he’d said.

“It was Rehan who said family is in the heart,” Rehan’s grandfather continued. “Not his elders, not me. He said it despite all of us preparing for his match with Jay to fail. For him to fail. Instead, he’s returned home with a family of his choosing, and we now have to earn the right to be a part of it.” He flexed the gnarled fingers of his hand still between us. “Will you give me an opportunity to do better, Lux?”

Rehan’s eyes crinkled with joy he held in check. I looked at him for guidance, but he just crossed his arms over his chest. “My family is a snake pit, truly worthy of our reptile halves, but we are blood.”

My armor cracked. I slipped my hand into my grandfather's.

“My children call me Tukaqu,” Tukaqu said. “Welcome to the family. Let’s hope we live through the coming battle to argue over the dinner table.”