A shield shimmered into place around Jaxon, and I narrowed my eyes. Fire shot from his palm toward me, swirling in a massive vortex toward my chest. I saw Jaxon smirking through the blaze, and my chest rumbled in annoyance.
Enough of this.
Black shimmering scales erupted across my skin, the flames absorbing into them as I glared at my brother.
Jaxon’s eyes blew wide, and I saw his throat bob as he watched me stalk toward him. My body began to crack and break, and I was quickly doubling in size.
Jaxon scrambled backward to avoid colliding with my scales, and for a fleeting second, I could have sworn fear flashed in his gaze. My claws dug into the earth, my tail slashing the air behind me as I lowered my head in front of him, my sharp, deadly teeth inches from his face, and let out an ear-shattering roar.
The ground shook, and Jaxon let out a shout of pain as his hands clapped over his ears, falling to his knees. A puff of steam left my nostrils as I shifted again, my power humming in my veins. My tail whipped forward before disappearing, landing between us and slamming into Jaxon. He went hurtling through the air and I heard him cry out as he landed across the yard.
I didn’t bother waiting for him to recover as I turned and strode back toward the castle, my voice amplifying around us as I commanded. “Handle it, Jaxon.”
*
Walking into the dining hall, my gaze landed on Theo. He was sprawled out on his back on top of the long wooden table, his arms and legs outstretched, as his head rested on his battle ax. His mouth hung open, and a loud snore echoed around the room.
The navy tunic he wore was bunched up on his stomach, and the heavy boots he wore were untied, the laces dangling off the edge of the table.
He looked like a goddammed beached starfish.
Movement flicked down the table, and I spotted Dedra biting into a sandwich as she flicked her fingers through a book. Her strawberry-blonde hair was braided as normal and pinned into a bun at the top of her head. She was wearing a similar navy tunic, and she looked exhausted as she lowered the sandwich back onto a plate, leaning forward to read something on the page.
I cleared my throat as I continued to walk toward them, and Dedra snapped her head in my direction, unaware I had entered the room.
A loud crashing thunk sounded as Theo fell off the table, startling awake by my cough. He scrambled to his feet, axe now in hand as he scanned the room. His almond-brown eyes landed on me, and he groaned, lowering his weapon.
“I was having thebestdream. You couldn’t have waited a few more minutes?” Theo grumbled, throwing his axe back onto the table with a loud crash as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned.
Dedra rolled her eyes at her brother and turned to face me. “It’s good to see you out of bed.”
There was no hostility or sarcasm in her tone, and the way her eyes softened, I knew she meant it as I pulled out a chair next to her and took a seat.
Theo started walking our way, and his eyes lit up at spotting the tray of sandwiches that had been in front of Dedra. Practically running, he lunged at the tray, grinning as he grabbed two in each hand and took a massive bite out of each. His mouth was nearly overflowing with food as he chewed, moaning as if he had never had a sandwich in his life.
My gut plummeted, and I whipped my head toward Dedra. “Do I need to send more supplies to the camps? Is there enough food?” I started in a panic, but Dedra cut me off.
“There is plenty of food. Theo is just, well…being Theo.” Dedra sighed, looking back down at her book before glancing at Theo again with another eye roll.
“I get hungry after I nap, and oh, I've been dreaming of this.” Theo’s muffled voice broke past the mouthful of food, and I let out a deep laugh, watching him take another massive bite.
Without looking, Dedra slid the tray of food toward me.
“Thank you,” I said, taking a sandwich and biting into it with a sigh. “Anything I need to be aware of?” Not that I didn't already know the answer.
“No, they're just waiting, hiding out in Territan. Aside from the ambushes meant to wear us down, they’re not making any real moves against us. At least, none we’re aware of.”
A growl of irritation rumbled in my chest, mirroring her frustration, and Dedra's sharp, almond-shaped gaze flickered toward me wearily. She offered a tight smile before returning her attention to the worn pages of her book.
I studied the side of her face, her stiff shoulders, her pursed lips, and watched her fingers fidget against the thin pages. “What is it?”
Dedra shook her head. “It's nothing.”
“Dedra.” My voice came out sharper than I intended, but I didn't care.
Theo, his mouth still full, looked between us nervously.
“You should talk to your uncle Xavier. He might know something and be able to help.”
