“There’s no such thing as weather mages,” Apollo grunts from where he stands, near the margin. He watches the distance, his back to me. His shoulders are so taut I’m afraid the vampires must be close. Definitely looking for us.
For me, I correct. They’re not after us, but after me. Whatever this power is, someone wants it. Donatello’s boss or something. I don’t even know who that guy was. Kayn. Such a stupid name, like a pop singer. And he looked so young. I know he’s a vampire, and they don’t age, but crap, how can someone who looks so young even have a butler? The vampire world is weird.
I sit up, my arms shaking so bad I’m sure as hell they won’t hold me up for long. And my legs? Forget standing up. I won’t be doing that anytime soon, not on my own. “Then what is it?” I prod Apollo, staring at his back with what I hope is my best defiant glare. He’s acting weird. Distant. And I don’t want another betrayal.
He turns around to face me and crosses his arms. I love the sight of his arms crossed, biceps bulging and everything, but I hate how it looks like I disappointed him. “I don’t know. But it’s odd. Definitely unique, but odd.” He curls his nose, dark eyes fastened on me. “A person who can call sunlight? I would say a Light Mage, but the other guy was supposed to be the first in centuries.”
I shake my head, putting all my strength into sitting up. Ren helps me, keeping a steadying hand on my back. “He had those illusion powers. I have nothing like that.”
“Not that you’re aware of,” Ren points out. “His powers came out years ago, and he had training. That’s what you’re missing. Some sort of training.” He looks up at Apollo, then back at me. “We should find some mage school or a mage tutor. Someone who knows something.”
I nod at him. “But how am I going to enter a mage school when everyone is after me?”
Ren bites into his lower lip. “Yeah, that’s a problem.”
“Donatello might have known a mage,” Apollo says, kneeling to my left but still not touching me. “A pity he’s a traitor. My clan has the contact of the one who does our wards. She might be willing to teach you some stuff for the right price.”
It’s my turn to curl my nose. “For the right price? Will she want my firstborn or something?”
Apollo rolls his eyes. “No.” Then he shrugs. “Well, I don’t know. I hope not.”
“Fantastic.” This conversation is getting weirder by the moment.
I offer Ren a hand so he can help me up, and that’s when I see it. The very tips of my fingers are black as if I had accidentally touched wet ink. “What in the new fuck is this?”
The other two look at me, at my fingers, then shake their heads. Ren helps me up, keeping me standing with a hand around my waist. At least Ren’s normal. At least he’s acting his usual way, sweet and protective. My fingers feel normal, and I rub them to see if the black will come off, but it doesn’t. “We need a plan," I say. “How are we going back to your pack lands with these vampires after us?”
Apollo raises a finger. “First, it’s not a pack. A pack is a group of wolves, and we’re dragons.”
I arch an eyebrow. “So, what’s the collective of dragons?”
“Weyr is the correct term.” Apollo crosses his arms again. “But we go for clan.”
I release a sigh, so deep it shudders out of my body. “Clan. So how are we going back to your clan lands?”
A muscle in Apollo’s jaw flutters. I half-expect him to tell me we aren’t going back there because he thinks I’m too big of a risk. With the cops, and the supernatural police and the vampires? Things got way too real, too fast. Finally, he releases a breath, his shoulders drooping.
“On foot. Following the sun. That’s the only way.”
“But the vampires?”
“They can’t get in the sun, so we have to make the most of daytime.” He starts following down the river, then reaches for his back pocket, fishing out his phone. “At least no one can reach our GPS now.”
I chuckle, trying to keep up with his speed. “There’s a good thing about everything, right?” Another laugh. “Look at me. I’m being chased down by what feels like everyone. Soaked to the bone. Exhausted. But at least I have the two of you.”
Apollo falters, then turns to me with his lips tilting up. “You’re right.” And his hand drops around my shoulders. He doesn’t weigh on me, though, careful as usual. I smile to myself. Good. We’re back to normal.
The acid turning in my stomach reminds me this is anything but normal. Donatello was the first guy to make me feel like I belonged, and he was also the first to betray me. Are the others going to do this too? Or can I trust them since I’m their mate?
There was something special between Donatello and me. The way he said I made him feel alive. How I made his heart beat. I thought we were special then, and he turned on me without a second thought. Maybe the mate thing doesn’t mean all that I think it does.
I fill my lungs with air, raising my chest and holding it in until I can’t take it anymore, then out it goes, shuddering past my lips. Get a hold of yourself, Cassandra. At least I have Ren and Apollo, and even if they betray me, I’ll have myself at the end of the day.
The two stop. I look up to see what made them do it. A man in a perfectly tailored dark blue suit stands over a stone jutting into the river, a grin on his face like he’s most happy upon seeing us.
I blink twice, taking him in. He’s... different from any man I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen loads of vampires in the past days. His skin is a color like cinnamon and mocha, velvety amber. His dark hair is tied in a half-up, half-down style, with the lower half buzzed close to the head. The upper half is made of dreads tied in a bun, purple streaks running through them. He has the face of a model, beard, and mustache trimmed close. Red-tinted glasses perch on the bridge of his nose, and he has this clash of interesting and classic styles.
Long fingers drum the handle of a cane, shiny mahogany and deep gold glinting under the sun. “Good morning,” he greets in the kind of voice that makes you want to smile. It’s like he has a secret joke with you, and I have to literally press my lips together to stop myself from smiling back.