Page 19
Story: Mates and Other Obstacles to Accidentally Saving the World (The Cake Chaos Chronicles #1)
Chapter 19
Evie
A ll talk of execution stopped as Noth spit out his vow. Ward grabbed the manacles on Noth’s wrists and broke them. I tried not to wonder who packed manacles and why. Ward helped Noth stand to his full height, slightly shorter and slimmer than Ward. The elf wavered. I had only met an elf once when one came to check that our village remained hidden. In theory, that was under this King’s direction.
That elf looked something like Noth—the calf-length hair and swooping ears, delicate, long features with a generous mouth—but Noth was definitely different from that ethereal creature. He was bigger, thicker all over, with charcoal-black hair and ruby-red eyes. Gold piercings laddered up his ears, and I didn’t want to think of where else he had them. The mix of demonic and delicate made me leery. I knew he was Ward’s friend, but the feeling he was a not-quite-right elf was hard to overcome. I had to trust Ward knew what he was doing.
“Bring me a seat,” Noth commanded, shaking out his wrists and blossoming before our eyes. Shoulders back, hands fixing his dark hair, clothes straightened, I saw the resemblance to a King in him. Even though he wore a ragged, colorless jerkin with nothing beneath it and stained, torn harem pants, he projected a dark intimidation.
Not that our brood worked that way. Everyone just stared at him.
“Easy, old man,” Ward warned him, helping him over to a set of boulders to sit on. “Rest a moment before you tell us what happened.”
I could admit, I was more comfortable standing behind Ward as Noth took a seat like the boulder was a throne. I might be a powerful dragon, but I was still Evie.
“What kind of travel party are you running, Ward? Why is no one serving us food?” Noth whipped his long hair over his shoulder.
“You think I’m running this operation?” Ward glanced at me and I glanced behind me.
He wasn’t thinking I was running this outfit, was he?
“That’s a fine joke, old friend.” The amount of arrogance on his face could sink ships.
Noth looked around at both of us. “Dog. I won’t kill you for trying to execute me if you bring me some water.”
I bristled all over. “He’s a wolf. Just because you’re powerful enough to establish a city doesn't mean you have any say here.”
Declan timidly handed Noth some water in one of our water-skins. I wanted to knock it out of his hands.
Noth gulped down the water. “The Elven Kingdom, as you humans would call it, grew so long ago we don’t follow your petty mage rules of might to establish a city or kingdom. We ARE magic. I am King because I am descended from Kings and the magic of every previous King flows through me.” He didn’t need to look down his nose at us with that tone.
I would never get used to the wider world we lived in. Did magic automatically come with a side of jerk? Maybe it was the power that did that. It so easily influenced you. Frighteningly simple to abuse.
“Slave girl,” Noth said, nodding at Noora. “Remove this jerkin and tend to my wounds. Then we will be on our way to make the human and his little friends very dead. Make sure everyone is ready to move out within the next thirty minutes.”
I barred Noora’s way as she went to him.
We could eat him. My eyes widened, and I fell right on my ass as the smoky voice hissed in my head. That did not sound like my snake.
“Noth,” Ward said. “Now is not the time to be your proud-hearted self. If this person controlled someone of your power, we will all need to work together to defeat him. Where is Ailred? I’ve never seen her not glued to your side.”
Noth waved his hand, dismissing the question, and started removing his short coat himself. It plastered to his back with blood, much of it too old and crusted to be from this fight.
“My lovely bodyguard was the first one to truss me up like a rabbit at a Full Moon Festival and throw me to the wolves. I guess the High Council finally got tired of having a half breed on their throne.”
I couldn’t help a tiny wave of sympathy for the elf. He was acting an ass, but he clearly needed to protect himself. Noth recounted his betrayal with such calm, but Ward turned to steel beside me. “I’m sorry, Noth. They don’t deserve you,” Ward said.
“Never have,” Noth replied. “They will be next on the revenge list.”
I retrieved the black box from Greg’s side pack and brought it to Noth as he poured water all over his back. “Do you recognize this thing?” I held up the box to Noth.
“Brad and his little friends.” Noth crushed it in his hands and more metal wires spilled out. At the heart of it was a still-glowing board of lights.
“Brad!?” Ward said. “The bat waffle tried to breach Dane’s gate to the human world a few months ago? How did he get into the Harrowlands?”
“I don't know, but he established himself enough to make this.” Noth held out the device. “You should have destroyed it. It would have made you harder to find. This is the worst kind of magic.” Noth plucked the board between his fingers and snapped it. The lights died.
This guy already had a reputation? Would the monsters try to pin this on my village? Brad sounded like a human name and dread pooled in my stomach. The elves kept us contained for this very reason. They had a strict no demagogue rule. No one, in all the Harrowlands, wanted relics and wires strapped to their head to do someone’s bidding.
“I should have killed him when he tried crossing the Gate the first time.” Ward fumed, pacing.
Noth dried his back and drank the rest of the water. “It’s no matter. They will all be dead soon.”
We waited for him to say more, but he just put his jerkin back on.
“That’s the plan?” I asked Noth. “That doesn’t sound much like a plan. Some elaboration would be helpful. Those men in black had weapons of war.”
“Don’t worry your pretty human head.” Noth stopped short of patting me there. He turned to Ward. “You found a lovely but useless mate, Ward. I pictured you with a spicier, bit more hard-to-handle woman.”
Ward growled. “Noth. You didn’t see?—”
I saw. I saw red and that smoky voice returned with a vengeance, nearly splitting my head in two. He thinks to challenge us?
“All right, soldiers! Listen up. It’s one full day of travel from here before we can attack the human’s fortress. The humans captured another relic, that they are attempting to distill. The infusions have not been working.” Noth unconsciously rubbed his arm. “I will destroy the final relic myself if you can hold off the soldiers and shifters he has on patrol.”
That actually wasn’t a terrible plan, but we weren’t soldiers and Noth wasn’t our King. I would release all of our brood back to their normal lives before I would risk them. Ward, Noth and I would deal with the threat ourselves. We were okay at sneaking so far. Well, no one had died, at least.
“You should all go home,” I spoke up, stepping up onto the boulder Noth vacated.
Noth tugged on my kaftan, urging me down. “Okay, stop playing, human. This is serious business.”
“We thank you for traveling with us, but none of you need to be on a battlefield.” My words rippled murmurs through the brood.
Looking down at Noth made him less scary. Which was good, because his fierce frown was full of sharp teeth. “Ward, come get your girl.”
Ward shook his head like his friend was the stupidest creature in the world. Don’t hurt him too badly, Ward said. He’s locked himself in that elf kingdom for too long.
Let me eat him. It was my dragon, close to the surface, looking out of my eyes, too. Her tail flicked in my mind.
Noth tugged harder on my ankle this time. “Don’t make me inject a little fear into you. Most people don’t like what pops out.”
“ You wouldn’t like what pops out, Noth,” Ward said.
I raised my voice. No one was going to order my brood anywhere. “Go now if you don’t want to fight. No one will blame you for wanting to live.”
Nobody left the brood, but Ward, Declan and Noora smiled in a way that warmed my still-nervous heart. I felt like a proper leader for a second.
Noth swaggered up to me. “I’ve got this. Just hold still, human. I won’t hurt you too much.”
Ward reached out a hand to stop his friend, but Noth was already clutching my ankle, flooding me with just enough fear to make me a little bit angry but a whole lot of dragon.
She boiled out of me in a fury, her anger greater than any fear Noth dished out. I jerked on her mental reins hard enough she didn’t swallow him whole, but she did grip him in her teeth and give him a violent shake. His screams sounded like music to our ears. Ward was laughing so much, tears streamed from his eyes. Noth might have hit the ground a bit hard a few times. Elves had tough bones apparently because I didn’t snap any, but I definitely messed up his hair. My dragon happily snagged some on our tooth and ripped it out.
Noth’s final yelp soothed my dragon enough to step away with her hair prize, prancing over to Ward. She deposited the hair clump into his hands and Ward chuckled as he rubbed our muzzle.
Noth collected himself off of the ground, staring up at me with wide, ruby eyes. He gave me a frightening smile. It was just a little too wide to fit on an elf’s face. “Ward! Why didn’t you tell me she was a dragon? I think I love this mate of yours.”
“You were slightly busy at the end of the last skirmish.” Ward blocked me with his body, which was only slightly amusing because he barely shielded my head. “And she’s my mate,” Ward snarled.
I shifted back so he could do a better job shielding me, totally not so he would band an arm around my hips and pull me across the ground until I was tight against him and pressed against every one of his muscles.
He won’t touch me again.
You were magnificent, Ward replied, his admiration spilling into my mind, filling up all my cracked places.
You are going to make me horny doing that, I told him . I can actually sense you through the mate bond now.
Ward laughed into my hair. I feel you, too.
He pushed a little lust in my direction.
I warmed at that, squiggling against him for revenge. Goddsdamn it, I was supposed to be paying attention to our life and death situation.
Noth scurried over, his posture completely different—almost deferential. Noth folded his hands together like he was praying. The intensity of his stare was unnerving. “Show me your magic.”
I tried to step back, but I was already against Ward, so he stepped back for both of us. “My what?”
“The light,” Ward said.
I shrugged. “Oh, I have no idea how to do any of that.”
Noth’s frown was almost comical. “How can that be? Are you an orphan?” Noth stared at Ward, affront on his face. “You haven't taught her anything?”
Ward laughed. “This is a fairly recent development courtesy of the relic of Veretis you had strapped to your head.”
Noth crept forward again, the smile on his face again. “We will teach you everything you need to know as a shifter.”
“Not everything,” Ward grumbled, pushing his friend away. Heat banked in his eyes as he looked at me.
“Let's get going, then. We should get another night's sleep before we tackle any asshats.” I turned to the brood. “This is your last chance to leave for somewhere safe. If you’re with us, we watch each other’s backs.”
A few shifters on the outskirts slunk away and Noth snorted his contempt.
“You’re welcome to leave too, your Highness,” I told him.
“And lose the chance to ally with the first dragon the realm has seen in a millennium? Never. If only I had mated you first.”
I gagged. Not a chance in the seven hells that would have ever happened. “Do I have to get the dragon out again?”
Ward bumped his friend out of the way and started us down the road as we continued to bicker. My teddy bear made me walk next to him rather than get on Greg so he could glue me to his side. I didn’t mind. Apparently, a dragon came with a store of walking energy.
The elf was irrepressible. He tried to hold my hand. Ward knocked him away. He pestered me to shift, and my dragon just snarled at him. He kept a respectful distance but barraged me with questions that made me more tired than Fallon trying to explain recipes to me. Weeks on the road were already tiring enough. I didn’t have answers to his questions about how my magic functioned. That was more Maggie’s realm, and even then I always thought she was just playing at it. We were supposed to be human! I didn’t understand how being a dragon worked or who I should ally with. When he asked if I was going to court the Siren Queen, I threw up my hands.
“The what?” I almost screamed.
Ward growled, “If you have this much energy, you can hunt for supper before you pepper Evie with any more of your nonsense.”
“Can I bring it back live and watch her eat it?” Noth asked.
“No!” both of us shouted at him before he bounded away.
“I’ll make sure it’s not wriggling,” Declan said and followed Noth to hunt.
I had to admit Noth’s friendship was a lot more frightening than his attack on us. His single-minded focus put me on edge. The brood and the elf obliterated our laid-back pace from the start of this quest with their urgency. I turned to Ward to ask if there was any way we might slink away together for part of the day.
“You should shift. Make sure you can release your dragon at will.” His jaw clenched tight. “Reach into yourself and step through the door to your dragon.”
Not this again. Last time we tried this with my snake, a giant murder pork appeared. I was a lot bigger now but no more capable… or maybe a little more capable since I had an army behind me.
Does he think we’re dense? the smoky voice of my dragon asked.
It was still strange to have another presence in my head. I haven’t had the best track record with this, so it’s valid instruction. I would listen to Ward over Noth any day and I kinda wanted to show off since Ward hadn’t run screaming from us… yet.
I shifted with ease, stretching my long legs. Everything was much simpler in this form. I just wanted to lick my mate from head to toe and bring out his bear to play. She also thought he was amazingly cute and had no problem doing just as she pleased.
Shift. I asked rather than ordered. We can run together!
Ward laughed as he pushed her away. Though his bear came into his eyes, he didn’t shift. “I can’t teach you as my bear. I have to be in human form to build the mathematical structures of my magic. My bear just wants to eat and destroy everything. We have to at least show you the basics of magic. You’re the only shifter who can wield it in this form.”
I hung my head. Who wanted lessons when we could have fun together?
“Defend,” Ward called before he blasted a stinging ball of magic into my chest.
It didn’t really hurt, but I hissed and the world developed a film. The brood started up a chorus of anxious yowls and yips. Most of them only had the magic of their shift, or so they explained on the road, and it had to be strange to see the three of us going at it with spells and light. It was certainly strange for me.
Ward scanned the ground. “Do not take off when I can’t see you, Evie!”
I pranced around him, claws tapping the earth. Could he really not see me? I was invisible? This magic stuff was cooler than I thought. Ward whipped around and hit me with another sting of magic.
“I can see your footprints. Counter my spell.” His hand cast out, and I dodged his ball of magic but lost my invisibility as the film around the world lifted. My dragon was all instinct and self-preservation. I had no control over what I was doing.
I don’t even know what your spell is, let alone how to counter it.
“Concentrate. It must be instinctive for your dragon. Try again. Form the structure of a counterspell in your mind and let it flow out.”
A what? My dragon didn't understand what he meant, either.
I only just made it through math class. I don't think I can use magic like you do.
Ward had his hands on his hips. Lovely. Why weren’t we frolicking in the fields on either side of us? I wasn’t prepared for magic 101, but Ward was relentless. As I tried to block or counter his baby spells, I realized I sucked at it. He tossed more magic my way. I only dodged. Nothing I did neutralized his spell and my dragon and I were getting pissed.
Aren't you out of magic yet?
He didn't look winded. “I'm only limited by memorization of the mathematical structures and I've had a hundred years of practice on you. Again!”
Thank the Godds Noth chose that moment to bring back dinner. Two whole forest oxen—blessedly dead—dragging behind him.
Ward pointed at his friend. “Now test your light against Noth’s darkness.”
That my dragon understood how to do. I opened my mouth and poured forth a crackling, charged light along with my frustration. Noth surprised me with a large, inky-black portal that sucked in every drop of light I produced until both of us were panting.
“No fair making me do that in the light,” Noth complained, sides heaving, hair sticking to his brow.
“Good. You ended in a stalemate because Noth’s magic comes from darkness and yours light. If you realized how to use it, you would win against him because you are an Original level monster, even though your magics naturally counteract each other. He’s also confined to magic involving plants and shadows because his magic is innate, not learned.”
My head drooped. How did Ward learn so much?
He barely paused for breath. “Magic isn’t just slamming power into your opponent. You have to understand what they can do to counter.”
I don’t even understand what we’re doing, I grumbled to my dragon.
“Defensive magic is easier to learn first, Ward,” Noth butted in, braiding his hair back from his face.
“You’re right. Evie, try to go invisible again,” Ward said.
They’re ganging up on us, I complained.
My dragon snorted in frustration. If we do this one thing, he might let me lick him without his clothes on.
It was kinda nice to have someone in my head finally be on my side, even if she made me blush. It must not have translated to dragon because Noth and Ward continued with a dizzying set of instructions and contradictions that brought us nowhere. The sheer volume of advice made my head spin. Noth was a little too gleeful to test his combination of Nightmare and Elven magic against me in the form of thorny vines, illusions and shadow warriors. None of which I countered worth a Godds damn. Even my scales smarted by the time the sun set.
Ward opened his mouth to issue another round of commands when Declan came between us and growled. “Stuff it, bear.”
Noth laughed.
Declan’s eyes sparked. “You too, long ears.”
Noth abruptly shut his mouth.
“You’re both acting like she’s going to be a grandmaster mage tomorrow.”
He wasn’t wrong, but I was determined to be helpful and not slow us down. We had a Brad to confront.
Ward grimaced. “This is getting serious. That human captured the King of the elves.”
“Sounds like the elves captured the King of that dumbass kingdom. This has been serious from the beginning and you weren’t torturing her then, I assume.” Declan turned when Noth scoffed.
“What do you know, dog? Your magic could fill a thimble.” Noth sneered, stopping just short of shoving Declan out of the way.
“You would tremble at my magic if it was worth showing you,” Declan taunted him and skipped out of the way of the elf’s swipe.
It was an effective distraction. Declan led Noth away with their bickering while my sides heaved to catch my breath and my snout almost touched the dirt. Ward finally seemed to take in that I was exhausted and turned to the brood.
“Find a campsite and some food. We will gather our strength for tomorrow.” He didn’t sound happy about it.
I shifted, my kaftan floating around me, hoping he wouldn’t try to test any magic on my human form. “Are you mad at me?”
“No,” he grunted.
I pulled him off to the side of the road as the brood filtered around us, setting up camp for the night. Greg ambled by and I snatched his reins from Noora to nab our stuff in his packs. I didn’t know if I could take another day of teaching.
“What was that today? I’m pudding. Was this a test of the mate bond?”
Ward easily pulled the saddle and packs off Greg with one hand. I would never not be impressed with that. “I’m not only my bear, but a powerful mage as well. Mixing our magic can have unpredictable results. We can’t find that out on the battlefield.”
That was sweet, really sweet. But I definitely heard the worry behind his words.
My dragon spoke up . What he really means is: what if I hurt you? What if we’re still somehow not compatible?
“I can’t claim to know much about magic, but there’s no use worrying about it. I would much rather sex the worry out of you. We both can’t be this nervous. I don’t know who this guy is that has been using the relics, but we won’t get to the bottom of it if we’re not a team.”
The v of worry between his brows didn’t smooth as I had hoped. In fact, he growled in frustration. Not exactly the reaction a girl hoped for when she talked about sexy time. “I can’t teach you anything about being a dragon. Only magic. So I will show you everything I can.”
I ran my hand through Greg’s mane. At least the brood took good care of him. “You don’t have to. You just need to love me and believe in me. Especially when I don’t trust myself. And, you know, hulk out into a giant bear who can crush enemies with a look. That’s helpful, too.”
“You don’t even need me to do that,” he said in a small voice.
“I always need you to do that. What if I get soldiers between my toes? I couldn’t even touch a pig. Or pretty much walk at the start of this. Who is going to carry me when my thighs get chafed? Better yet, who’s going to fix it?” I attempted an eyebrow waggle, but Ward stared straight ahead.
“You trust me?”
“I have to.” I know he wanted me to say I did and mostly, I really did because the mate bond was wonderful, but it wasn’t real in the same way that not all of me felt like a shifter. Even though I was a dragon. There was still an element missing. That couldn’t be his bite, could it? Did I really have to put myself in the literal jaws of a giant beast to seal this thing? After everything that happened so far, it shouldn’t have been that big a deal, but when Ward finally did mark me, he wouldn’t just have my body in his teeth.
He would have my soul.