CHAPTER 20
"I'm not going to lose you."
The words caught me unaware and I quickly turned from my meditation to look at Taurin leaning against the wall. Earlier I felt him come in and watch me, but he never said anything so I didn't acknowledge his presence. My breath caught in wonder as he started to walk to me.
"I can't go with you and Ezra. Dragons eat demons."
His hair was caught in an intricate braid and thrown over his shoulder, silver and blue threads woven throughout. His clothes were... odd. It looked like he stepped out of a book of cultural anthropology. Cloth and embroidery of white, gray and shiny blue, decorated his body, closed tight around his neck. Furred lined boots went to his knees.
"Taurin..." I puffed out a breath in disbelief, "How do you always manage to look like a wet dream?!"
He had his own moment of disbelief reflected on his face as he looked down at himself, "Me? Really?! In this?!" His nose crinkled up in horror.
I laughed and stood up, "You're gorgeous. Where are you going?"
"I thought I'd go home."
I nodded my head because it made sense, "When will we see each other again?"
He laughed, "You are going to be with dragons and you ask me! I just hope Ezra gets you out alive." His hands framed my face and he kissed me. I ardently responded and pulled away to catch my breath when we slowed down. He continued talking before I got the chance.
"I think everything is going to change between the three of us. For now, you give us almost all of you, but after this I'm not so sure you will." He shook his head. "I expect to see you when you're done with Ezra."
Taurin pulled me closer to him and placed a tender kiss on my forehead. I had nothing to say. All I knew was that I hated to see the two of them hurting and if by being with them in their world would heal them, I'd try. The emotion in his eyes made me want to ask what was wrong and how I could help. I knew it wouldn't matter, he wasn't ready to tell me.
"I'll talk to you mind to mind while I'm away," I said determinedly.
He shook his head, "No. It's more complicated there. The connections are garbled and hard to hold. We communicate through anchored sites that fight the shifting susceptibility of magic. Power is more chaotic and unpredictable, not like Earth."
"So... Ezra and I won't be able to communicate that way either?"
He shrugged, "I don't know. I wouldn't think so, but Ezra is... different. I'm going. I don't want to watch you leave me." His smiled sadly as he walked backwards to the door. I watched him reach the threshold and quickly turn around.
I didn't want to watch him leave either so I stayed in the room. A distinct sound quivered in my soul when he left. His vibration within me became a pure howling music, as if there was space within the notes. Did I love him, did I love Ezra? More importantly, had I been holding back because of my fear that they were only using me? Was I using them like Mackenzie suggested, as a path to death? My private thoughts were invaded by Ezra's voice.
'Dove, come outside.'
I gave a last look around my home and went outside to start my journey with Ezra.
He stood outside looking into the dusk, his hand outstretched behind him, waiting for me. I placed my own in his and faced the familiarity of the snowy evergreens, wondering how long it would be until I saw all of it again.
Ezra tugged me closer and embraced me tight to his body. His warmth felt like standing close to a campfire and was welcome from the brisk winter air. The whoosh of the sheet of wings extending had me gazing behind to watch them flare and catch the breeze. Lines of glowing red traced patterns too chaotic to follow.
He drew close to my ear and whispered, "Close your eyes. Hold tight."
I heard and felt his breath as he shot us up into the sky. The movement of his wings had a strength and thunder of sound that I could only vaguely compare to horses' hooves. He twirled us around in the air and I finally shut my eyes because of the force pushing on me. I felt his muscles bulk and enlarge and knew his transformation could easily grace artwork on the walls of chapels. The part when the angels were cast out from heaven.
He was larger and stronger and smelled... off. It was the scent of smoke and dust that shocked me into realizing that I hadn't smelled the fullness of cloves off Ezra in months. In fact there were subtle differences that had been growing. His power felt more potent inside me. The little dragon his magic placed in me was quiet, almost in hibernation if I had to put a word to it. I didn't see her in my thoughts or dreams lately, but I did get a lot of double vision of Ezra's dragon self like a phantasm over him.
I buried my face in his skin and took a deep breath, familiarizing myself with this new Ezra that had emerged while I was learning how to use a gun. A gun that I had with me. The reactions of the two demons in my life to the prospect of meeting dragons didn't leave me feeling it would be a friendly reunion.
CHAPTER 21
Ezra was wrong when he said magic travel would be rough for me, it was worse. I spit up on him before we even made it out of the magnetic lines. My eyes were out of focus and watery as we landed onto the stone floor of a fire lit cavern. I caught a blurry sight of wisps of fire flaring around his body as he laughed. I clenched my stomach and groaned as I hunched over, so sick I was unable to even give him a good glare.
"I have longed to hear the sound of that laugh," echoed a female ghost of a voice.
Ezra immediately stopped laughing. "Dame Genesis," he said reverently.
An unmistakable forlorn sigh filled the space and I looked up from the ground to study the woman who I saw in my dreams. She wore the same outfit, completely covered in red, from the top of her head to the toes of her feet. Shots of gold and fire glinted off her as she glided towards us. The sound of the bells weighing down the veil over her head jingled as she walked. I could make out a barely visible face hidden behind the material.
Then she made a loud distinct sniff, "What is that smell, Scion Ezra?"
Ezra made a loud noise of relief and opened his mouth to speak.
