Mischa’s voice shook as she turned her head to find my gaze. “I’m thinking we might be seeing the angry Braxton.”
The guards tightened up around Kristoff, their first duty to protect the council leader.
I couldn’t answer Mischa, I was pinned to the spot, unable to move, and unable to pull my eyes from the dragon coming my way. A very familiar dragon. And yet Braxton was also very different. A flame coated his scaled body, blue, intense. Even from the distance between us I could feel the heat billowing off. It was spectacular, lighting up the darkness beneath the canopy. But it also gave him an otherworldly look I’d never experienced before.
Something uncoiled inside my chest. The demon was starting to wake. But it couldn’t do more than bash at its invisible cage, the magical cuffs keeping it contained. I was almost grateful to have the chains. I wasn’t sure in that moment if I could have stopped it bursting from my skin and doing whatever it had been trying to for twenty-two years.
As they marched closer, Braxton continued to call the dark energy inside of me. I worried it would no longer be contained.
Mischa stuttered out her words: “S-something is happening inside … feels like my wolf fighting. Only it’s not her.”
I couldn’t tear my gaze from Braxton, his dragon had never called the demon before, it must have something to do with the blue flames. And it sounded like my twin had a demon inside too, which was most probably about our marks. We needed more information on what was going to happen. Clearly dragon marks responded to dragon shifters.
“Jessa!” Maximus’ bellow was loud, roar-like. He looked to be pretty vamped out, his eyes black, hair blonder, fangs fully extended. The pissed off aura he was throwing around could be felt even across the distance. “Don’t say anything to … annoy … Braxton. He’s not himself.”
Thank you, very helpful. I could see that for my freaking self.
Okay, I’d heed his warning and tread carefully with the dragon shifter. Only problem, my demon was dragging me closer, my feet starting to move of their own accord. Mischa was right beside me. I could see that Jacob, Tyson and Maximus were trying to get around their brother and reach us first, but Braxton snarled and shot flames every time they moved out from behind him.
As the quads moved closer, Kristoff and the guards dived off the path, hightailing it for safety, leaving Mischa and I in a very vulnerable position, still cuffed with our energy contained.
Just when I wasn’t sure I could stand Braxton’s pull any longer, the flaming dragon paused. As he stilled, the dead foliage around him started to burn. Jacob was keeping it under control with some water energy. Then with a glow and flash of light, Braxton started to shift back.
No longer dragon, he was now all magnificent man. A very naked man. I ran my eyes over him. Damn … maybe magnificent was an understatement. I forced my gaze upwards, thankful that the pull inside of me had lessened, the heat that had been racing through my limbs and into my veins abating.
Mischa leaned forward, visibly shaken, her breathing ragged. “What the hell was that?”
“I don’t know,” I murmured.
The men were almost to us now, and thankfully Braxton had put on some shorts. Although the rest of his heavily muscled body was free to be devoured by my greedy eyes. Holy shit-balls, I was acting like I’d never seen him shirtless before. I guess it had been a while. But it looked as if the man had muscles on muscles. There was so much of his delicious, creamy expanses of dark tanned skin on display. It was safe to say I’d never been quite as aware of him as a man as I was right then. Although the look on his face had me wanting to run as fast as I could in the opposite direction.
The four of them surrounded us. Points of a compass, like their namesakes.
Braxton’s voice was low, smooth, but not like his usual tone. “Tell us everything.”
I attempted to swallow the lump in my throat. It was going to be impossible to talk around it, but I couldn’t seem to find enough moisture in my mouth.
No one moved, and finally Mischa spoke.
“We went back, we were going to rescue the rest of the prisoners.” She lowered her eyes. “They caught us before we even made it inside.”
Three sets of narrowed eyes locked in on her, but Braxton’s remained on me and I was still frozen.
Mischa had both hands in front of her, pleading with them to understand. “They had babies, we had to at least try.”
Jacob groaned. I noted that his hair looked disheveled. Green eyes wide and a little wild. Usually the fey was very smooth and together. But not right now. In fact all of the boys looked out of sorts. Tyson’s eyes were gold, which was never a good sign.