Page 7 of Vathia
Steam puffs from his nose. “Just ask your mother. Maybe there were some things she didn’t tell you.”
“Maybe…” I trail off, noticing two dark specks in the distance, I straighten and draw my blade.
Evisdor raises up to his full height, positioning himself at my back. My gaze flashes to Mae- Ravina, and I realize she hasn’t noticed yet, still deep in conversation with her back turned to the possible threat. I step into the shadows of the tree and reappear in the shadow of her dragon.
“Do you have a weapon on you?” I ask and she jumps, spinning towards me.
Her face twists in anger. “No, I don’t have a weapon. And don’t sneak up on me like that,” she seethes, stabbing her finger into my chest.
I can’t help the smirk that pulls on my face. She really is adorable when she’s pissed at me. I remember she always hated when I snuck up on her when I first came into my magick. She would yell at me the exact same way. Grief twists in my heart like vines sucking the life out of the trees they strangle. I will find a way to get her memories back.
“We have company, and I don’t know if they’re friendlies or not. Stay more aware of your surroundings. I think it’s best if you stay near your dragon. At least until I know you can handle yourself,” I state, my eyes flicking up to the growing shadows in the sky.
She whips around searching the clouds for what I’m seeing before squaring her shoulders. “I have magick, I’m not useless in a fight. Plus Vasari says that they’re my friends, so put your sword away.” Her eyes linger on my blade before falling on my face.
My brow raises. “Until I get you on the training grounds, I’m not willing to risk that or worry for your safety. Even if I have to blink you away to a cave until I can bleed your enemies and paint the ground into a masterpiece for you.”
She blinks and her raven makes a noise that sounds vaguely like laughter. Her head whips towards him and her eyes narrow before she focuses back on me. “Well then I’ll just shadow right back and join you,” she stutters, making my grin grow.
“Do you even know how to use your shadows, Little Dream?” I ask, dropping my voice a few octaves, making her pale skin pinken. A tendril of my shadow magick appears and I can’t help but caress her cheek with it.
She sputters and pulls back, but before she can form a response, the ground shakes as two blue dragons, one slightly larger than the other, and two gryphons land in the clearing nearby. Five fae dismount their beasts and the only one Irecognize is Jesper. The larger of the blue dragons—Tisur—prances over to Vasari and places its head against hers. It lasts all of a moment before Ravina’s dragon snaps her jaws and takes flight, heading towards the mountains. Suddenly Tisur takes off after her.
Evisdor growls. “I’ll be back,” he states, chasing after the two. Jealousy and annoyance are coming from his end of the bond before he blocks me from them.
“Ember! Mel!” Ravina cries happily, dashing towards her friends and wrapping them in a hug. Ravina may be what she goes by now, but it doesn’t sit right with me—maybe because her birth name is from a past I cherish that’s been ripped from me.
The male with the short red hair gasps, clutching his chest. “Ravina. My heart! After everything that just happened, I’m forgotten?”
The other male shakes his head laughing. “Give her a moment, Roz. I’m sure she’ll indulge your delusions in a second.”
My eyes narrow and so do Jesper’s as we watch our mate laugh and move in to hug these males. A growl slips from my throat, echoed by Jesper.
The five of them turn towards us, eyes wide and I clear my throat, tamping down on the urge to slice off their hands. “Care to introduce me, Maeven?” Her true name slips out before I can stop it, and I silently curse, but can you blame me? It’s what I’ve called her my whole life. It’s going to take me a moment to adjust, but I’ll do my best to go by her preferred name.
Without missing a blink, she grabs a small blade from the male she just had her hands on and whips it at me. The knife lands in the fleshy part of my bicep. “I told you not to call me that,” she hisses.
I grunt as I yank it free, the warmth of my blood sliding down my arm as Jesper cackles. I join his laughter with a darkchuckle. “Your aim is off,” I tsk as I glance at the silver blade before striding towards her, handing it back. “You think a tiny scratch is going to stop me from calling you by your name? You will always be Maeven to me, Little Dream, even if you prefer to be called ‘Ravina’. But I’ll do my best to remember your wishes. So Ravina it is. Now do me a favor; be a good girl and keep your hands off other males before I take their hands for touching you,” I growl. A deep, possessive part of me makes me lose my composure as I glare at the males standing behind her. I can’t help but egg her on. Her anger intrigues me in a way it shouldn’t, but that fire in her eyes reminds me of a time before all the treachery and secrets.
The red head—Roz—raises his hands. “Listen. I don’t like her like that. I think of her as my sister. In fact, I’m a lot more interested in her friend,” he adds quietly, his eyes darting towards the female with the short black hair and stern features.
The female turns pink. “And I’m not interested in you,” she snaps, but her gaze betrays her as she glances away towards Ravina. Her eyes dart between us suspiciously. “Why did he call you Maeven?”
My mate glares at me before her face softens as she speaks to her friend. “I’ll tell you everything later. I promise.”
“And I also think of her as a sister,” the male with the blue tipped hair states firmly.
My magick pulses around me. “Hands. Off.”
Ravina throws her hands in the air, her lips pinched with annoyance. “Don’t tell me what to do. I can hug my friends if I want to.” Her gaze shifts to the wound she inflicted, concern flashing in her eyes before masking it. She turns to Jesper. “And what are you doing here?”
His gaze twinkles with mischief. “You seem to always get yourself into trouble, Little Mouse. Someone’s got to keep an eyeon you.” His gaze slides to me and he nods in acknowledgement before focusing on the raging female that is our mate.
Mate. I should have realized what she was to me, but bonds haven’t existed in ages. Am I shocked to have to share her? Not really. The Queen always takes four males as consorts—even after true bonds stopped appearing. Protectors. Lovers. We are whatever she needs us to be. Back when mate bonds were normal, everyone had multiples, especially the Gallalaus females. But to think I’d be sharing her with the other Lords’ sons? My closest friends? Well I’m not sure about Killian as he didn’t reveal a mate mark, but with the way he paled, I wouldn’t be surprised.
Instead of replying to him, she blushes and turns back to her friends, completely ignoring us, ignoring me, and I don’t like that one bit.
“Aemon,” Jesper calls. He tilts his head away from the group and I follow. We move towards the warmth of the shadowflame rock that’s ablaze, watching Ravina in silence. “You know who she is?” he asks, getting straight to the point.
