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“Don’t I get a say in where I go and if I stay?” Levi argued, crossing his arms. Our sweet omega was angry, and it made me even madder. We’d come here to avoid this type of situation, then we’d found a mate, and it all changed. Guilt was my biggest battle now. Not only did we fail to protect her, he was able to sneak right in and attack like it was child’s play.
“You’re likely the only dragon she’ll trust. You’re all strangers, but you’ve got her mate instincts on your side. And I think Avi should stay, too. He’ll keep her from losing her mind through all this,” Niko said. “And at least one of us alphas needs to stay.”
My eyes closed in defeat before I opened them and glared at him. “You know which of us has to go. I’ll kill them all for the answers. You’ve got a level head, sure, but going alone is suicide. Even you need back-up.”
“I know.” His chuckle was off, but that was to be expected. All of us were barely holding on to our sanity. “But I have to try this. I can’tnotgo. This could be the lead that brings her back to us. We owe her that much and more.”
“I’ll gather his information and give him a call so he’s expecting you,” the healer said gently before leaving us to figure out the rest.
“We will go with you,” one of the newer dragons added. “There are four of us in my small brood. We volunteer.”
No other dragons argued, and we didn’t exactly have the luxury of refusing help even though trust didn’t come easily to men on the run. I’d much rather us go together, guns and magic blazing, and eradicate anyone who stood in our way. Unfortunately, things weren’t that simple.
Even worse was the thought of Niko walking right back into the lion’s den without the rest of us by his side, but hopefully his standing and allies in the university would help it go smoothly… Or at least keep him out of prison. Honestly, it would likely be the four giant dragons surrounding him that would do the trick. Even the board couldn’t take down four fully grown dragons, especially in the public eye. They preferred to work behind the scenes, and we were bringing the flashiest distraction anyone had seen in years.
We should probably hesitate to show our hands this soon, but if the Arch Mage was still out there, it wouldn’t be long until he tried to make another move or use the board again. So we might as well cut him off. Not to mention, the dragons were willing and done hiding.
I turned to the volunteers. “Names. Abilities. I want it all.”
They didn’t flinch at my tone, and that was at least a point in their favor. “My name is Deacon. I was our brood’s alpha and leader before we joined your brood. This is my omega, Karina, and my betas Axel and Leander. We are all adept in elemental magic. We don’t generally use illusions to hide our dragons, but we will during this mission if necessary. We understand that our queen’s well-being is above our comfort.”
“Then it seems we have a plan,” Niko said. “No need to hide. However, if I’m taken into custody, youwillhave to find this professor. Maybe the allure of dragons on campus will keep eyes off of me.”
“Why would they arrest you?” Deacon demanded. Now, he was suspicious. This would be a fun conversation to have. However, hopefully our standing with their queen would exonerate any doubts they have about our innocence. Despite it feeling like a lifetime ago, we were fugitives and murderers in the witch community’s eyes.
“I’ll leave that explanation to you,” I said, clapping him on the back. “I have to go patrol, or I’ll snap. This magic is already building.”
Did I secretly hope I ran into the asshole Arch Mage while I did my rounds? Yes. Would I kill him without hesitation if I did find him? Also yes.
The monster deserves to die.
The town of Emberwood was quiet as I stalked through the streets. I ignored the biting cold of the mountain air. It actually helped clear my head a bit, but in truth, I was still a mess. I’d failed my omega, and I had no way to fix this. Not only that, but she was having our babies. After the life I’d led before her, our every waking minute devoted to the university that had turned on us, then going on the run, I’d never considered a family, but Farren changed everything. Now, I was going to be a dad. My heart clenched at the thought of holding the small babies… whenever they turned from their tiny dragon forms at least. That was all I wanted. But in order for that dream to become a reality, we had to give Farren her magic and life back. Until then, I was making it my mission to get back in her good graces. I just feared that my mate would be a stranger to us, her attitude and personality affected by the change. Sure, we got a glimpse of the ‘old Farren,’ but a glimpse didn’t mean she’d reclaim the entirety of her old self. Farren was strong, stubborn, and full of fire.Would that change?
As I passed the town hall, I caught the slightest hint of what I was searching for—the faint scent of the Arch Mage, a volatile mix of magic and herbs that was unmistakably his.
This was our chance to get a lead, to familiarize the dragons with his scent. I called Levi first, knowing Niko was occupied.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, the words tight, clipped, like he was already clenching his teeth to prepare for the worst. I hated that fear was our go-to reaction now, but this was our current reality.
“Send every dragon you can find to the town hall. Quickly. I’ve caught the scent.” I hung up before he could respond and dialed Maxon next.
He answered on the first ring. “What’s up?” They knew what had happened, hell, everyone in town probably did, and were likely waiting for an update.
“I need you and Nolan at the town hall if you can,” I said.
“On it.” The line went dead, and I stood frozen in my spot, eyes darting around the town and scenery, trying to find something out of place. Because it was clear he hadn’t left. The scent was faint, but not fading. It was holding strong, which meant it was recent, simply masked. While working for him, we’d noticed the Arch Mage was forever hiding his scent. We had always assumed his constant use of his masking abilities was to keep his power level from intimidating others, but clearly that was not the case.
But where was he?
Or, more accurately, now that he was stealing identities,whowas he?
A dragon to get on the inside? A community worker at town hall? Someone we would never expect?
If we had doubts before about him being able to shapeshift, they were long gone. The asshole was hoarding magic and powers, using them to alter himself in ways most could never comprehend. The amount of magic he would have had to acquire before he reached that level of ability was insane, and I felt sick just thinking about it. How many lives had been lost so senselessly?
Everyone arrived at the same time, breathless and worried. “Wait for it,” I said, tilting my face up and breathing deeply. It didn’t hit right away, the faded notes almost hidden beneath the crisp air and smell of diner food. But sure enough, it came through again. If I hadn’t been searching so hard, I’d have missed it. “There. That scent of burned herbs and powerful magic? He may be great at masking magic and creating voiding barriers, but he can’t keep it up indefinitely.”
“I’ve got it,” Nolan said first, then Maxon caught it, and finally all of the dragons present. Having everyone locked onto it had hope blooming in my chest. This could only up our chances of finding the fucking rat.
