The Ties that Bind (The Forever series, Book Five) (29 page)

I sense the tension coming off CK and Cole as they are
clueless as to what he is talking about and that I am engaging in some sort of
Demonic act.

“You have been weakening the spell by trying to put a
positive spin on it. Don’t. Use it as it was intended,” he says to me as he
stands and pulls me up with him. “Do it,” he orders me.

I blink at him, recalling the spell I used on my mother and
Sebastian. It is also the same one that I used to clean up Jess’s blood. I did
try to twist it to make it less dark but he’s right, it weakened it. This is
who I am, I think, as the swirly wind circles us, flicking my hair into my
face. I see him smile in encouragement and I grip his hands tighter, pushing
him back a few steps to gain more room. I hear the protest from my sire and my
charge but I ignore them. I pull on his energy, feeling it leave him and enter
me, easing all the hunger, all the confusion. Making me stronger. This is me. I
am
ValamAtrux
, Dragon Queen, to be feared and respected not treated like
a weak child. This is who I am, I think again. Powerful. I pull away from Xane
and spin to face two of my lovers, feeling the change come over me, starting
with my eyes. I want them all to see it. I want them all to know who they are
dealing with. I turn and kick off my shoes and run outside to the terrace,
pleased to see that everyone has gathered to see what the brewing storm is all
about. The magickal wind increases, growing stronger as I get stronger. I am
about to Shift into my Dragon form and I couldn’t feel more alive. The three
houses all have a shadow cast over them so anyone who happens to be looking in
would only ever see an empty garden. We are free to come and go and do as we
please without fear of being caught so I am happy to Shift right here and show
everyone who I truly am. I feel the wings sprout from my back, an extension of
my marking. They are virtual to start with but as I drop to my hands and knees
they gain form and the rest of me follows suit until I am standing at a height
of at least thirty feet. Smaller than my mother, but almost identical, and I
feel the black crystal-like scales rippling along my flanks and I shake my
head. All my thoughts are coherent, exactly the same as normal and I can see
everyone gaping at me and stepping back, giving me room. Everybody except
Lincoln, that is, who is like my Dragon Whisperer. He is looking at me with
pride and love and I duck my head to him. He nods back knowing instinctively
what I am doing and why. I tilt my head back and let out an ear-splitting
screech to end all screeches, followed by a stream of fire that licks the air
in a high arc. Couldn’t say for sure if sound goes through the shadow cover but
I am beyond caring now. I want to fly.

I stare upwards, as does everyone else, when a large maw
rips through the sky, flashing orange and black. I have no idea where it came
from, but judging by the color I would have to say it leads to The Underworld.
I lift off with another shriek and fly straight at it, hearing the warning
cries of my loved ones beneath me. Massive wings flapping, beating up and down,
I fly through the rip and it closes up behind me and I find that I am indeed in
the The Underworld. I am not left very long to wonder who opened the portal,
when I come face to face with another Dragon. Well, by face to face I mean his
or her face staring at me from several hundred feet away. It is silently
hovering in the air, a steady sweep of wings. I think of treading water, but
this is treading air instead. I fly closer and tilt my head. Dragons
communicate telepathically with each other so I ask, “Who are you?” in my mind.

“
ValamAtrux
. I am
To’Kah
. At your service, my
Queen.”

I study him (it’s a him) closer and I see that he is a Blue
Dragon. The next tier down on the hierarchical chain from myself and my mother,
who as Black Dragons are at the top.

He continues to speak in my mind as I don’t answer him, “I
heard your call. I opened the Portal to see if you were in need of assistance.”

“No, I am fine thank you. You heard me? You opened it?” I
ask in amazement. How come he has the power to do that? Mind you, I probably do
I just don’t know how to do it--as usual.

He ducks his head as I get close to him and says, “Yes. I
wondered if I would get to meet you. I too live in Los Angeles, when I am Earth
side but you haven’t been around, have you?” He asks this casually as I motion
with my head that we can talk but while flying. I want to cover a large
distance before I head home. Or at least ask to go home, as he will no doubt
have to open the Portal for me to go back.

“No, I have been on the East Coast. You live in L.A.?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t know that there were any other Dragons in
California.”

“Just me. I can’t stay there for extended periods though.”

I nod, remembering what Xane had said about the air outside
of the Dragon Realms being toxic to full-blooded Dragons. “What is your other
name?” I ask.

“Other name?”

“Your Earth side one.”

“Oh, I go by the name of Finn.”

“I’m Liv.”

“I know.”

Oh. A bit fed up of trying to hold down this conversation I
give up and fly in silence for a few moments.

“Sorry,” he says shyly, “I am usually more of a talker. I am
just a bit in awe of you. You are spectacular.”

“Thanks.” My turn to be shy now. “What are you doing in The
Underworld?”

“I came here to fly. It’s easier than heading home, what
with the time shift there.”

“Oh. You come here to fly?” That sounds like a brilliant
idea. I wonder why Tiamat never mentioned it to me before. Oh yeah right, my
mother’s motto: learn by doing.

“All the time,” he says as if I am dense. “Don’t you feel
like you are going to go crazy if you don’t Shift often?”

“This is only the second time I have Shifted to my Dragon
form,” I admit feeling foolish.

He turns his massive head towards me and blinks slowly.
“Really?”

“Uh huh,” I say. “Have you met my mother?”

“No, she keeps to herself.”

Oh, my mother the snob, I think ruefully.

“No I don’t think that. It is the way it is,” he says,
almost in a reprimand.

I mentally clear my throat sheepish to be caught with that
thought. Must watch that.

“Are you heading back to Earth soon?”

“In a bit. I will come and find you soon,” he says shyly.

I nod, “Do you want to come now and meet my family?”

“Your family? You have a Dragon mate and hatchlings?” he
asks in surprise.

“Oh, no, no. My Vampire and Shifter and Demon family.”

“Oh. No, I’d rather not. Can’t say they will be happy to see
us together.”

Well no, that is true, but apart from my mother I haven’t
met another Dragon yet. Not even in the Dragon Realms. We have always been left
alone. Oh, I see that now.

“How old are you?” I ask rudely and he swoops across me to
fly backward facing me. Neat trick.

“One thousand, five hundred and fifty-three,” he says with a
wicked glint. “Older than you.”

“Yes, you are.” I am intrigued. I swoop over and under him
enjoying this game.

He laughs, “A word of advice from an elder. Try to come here
often. Even just your presence here, flying around, reminds the community
exactly who you are and that you watching over them.” He ducks his head towards
the ground.

I look down and I do see that I am causing quite a stir.
There are hundreds of Demons staring up at me and pointing. Some are even on
their knees in reverence to me and I feel humbled and ashamed that I am not
taking this duty very seriously at all. That is going to change.

“Noted,” I mumble and he chuckles at me.

“I will leave you now to your flight. I hope to see you
soon, Your Majesty.”

“Wait, tell me before you go, how do you open up a Portal?”
I know that I can Astral out of here, but in order to do that I need to be in
human form. I have every intention of going back home in the manner in which I
left it.

“That should be easy for you. Think of it the same as
opening a locked door. You want it open and it opens,” he says.

“Easy as that?” I ask. That sounds way too simple.

“For you, yes. The rest of us have to work a bit harder.” He
laughs at me again and swoops off leaving me to my thoughts.

Well, I am pretty sure that this is not what Xane had in
mind when he ordered me to feed off his energy. But I am confident my point has
been made. I muse away to myself as I fly, it’s incredible up here. Wishing I
were over Tuscany, to be able to see the countryside as I always wanted to do,
brings my thoughts into focus. There is something eating at me but I can’t
place what it is. My sire and my charge. That’s it. I thought “my sire and my
charge.” Not my sire and my husband. And before, at CK’s house, I stopped
myself from saying “my husband” and used his name instead. Why? I wonder. It’s
odd and I have no explanation for it. I mentally shrug and determine to keep an
eye on that. See if it happens again. I must have been gone awhile by now. They
will all be freaking out which makes me chuckle to myself.

I concentrate on what
To’kah
said about opening up a
portal. Lo and behold, I do it and fly straight through it and I land in my
back garden to everyone yelling at each other over whose fault it was that I
Shifted and flew off. As I am noticed everyone goes silent and remains rooted
to the spot. I feel the Shift come over me slowly, molding me back into my
human shape, and then I am standing in front of them naked and oddly, a bit
chilly. I have disappeared many times before in my various forms and always
when I come back I am stifled with hugs and “where the fuck were you’s” and
“don’t do that again’s.”

This time, there is none of that. Just plain and simple awe
of my Power and my true form. Now this is more like it. Lincoln is the only one
who steps forward, grabbing a towel off a sun lounger and wrapping me up in it.
Leading me away from everyone and into the house he whispers, “That was awesome
V.A. I think you proved your point.”

“I hope so,” I mutter back. “By the way, Dragon clarity is
something else. We need a Pack, you and I. It’s time I stepped up to the plate
with regard to you and our commitment to each other.”

His eyes light up at my words, “I thought you would never
ask. I will get on it immediately.”

“And Linc. You need to seriously think about that thing you
won’t discuss. I can’t give it to you, but that doesn’t mean you should be
denied a chance to extend your own family,” I say it matter-of-factly and he
growls at me.

“No. I told you I am not interested.”

“Just think about it. Whether it be tomorrow or a hundred
years from now, you will need to think about it,” I say it firmly and he
reluctantly nods.

“Fine. I will think about it. But I know that the answer
will still be no,” he says mutinously.

“That’s all I ask,” I say sweetly and he rolls his eyes at
me, his humor restored.

“Man, you kicked up a right stink with your Vampire brood.
Christ, I thought they were going to kill each other.”

“Hm, I’m sure,” I mutter. We are almost to my bedroom now
and I stop and turn to him. “Thank you.”

“What for?”

“Not kicking up a stink. You are just perfect.” I brush his
face with my fingers and he glows.

He takes the chance and risks giving me a swift kiss on the
lips, “Do you want me to run you a bath?”

“Please. The Shift makes me itchy.”

He chuckles and pulls me inside my bedroom and to the
bathroom. “Where did you go?” he asks idly while filling up my massive tub.

“The Underworld. I inadvertently opened up a Portal. Who
knew?” I shrug. So it is a wee lie, but if I start mentioning other Dragons
everyone will get their knickers into a twist over it.

He lets out a loud guffaw at my expense but I’m not mad at
him. “Oh Liv. You still don’t realize your true potential. You are so
precious.”

“As are you, my love,” I say back to him and he stills at my
endearment. “There is no drama with you,” I mutter. “I like being with you.
Sometimes you are the only one I can stand to be around.”

He turns to me but doesn’t say anything for a while. “Come,
sit,” he says eventually. “Do you want to be alone?”

“You can stay.”

“I mean everybody else will be clamoring at the door any
second now.”

I sigh and sink into the bubbles. “I suppose I can’t keep
them out.” I duck under the water for a long time relaxing in the fragrant
bubbles and come back up to everyone staring at me. No stranger to being seen
nude, I literally do mean everyone is staring at me in this here tub. From my
lovers to Xane, Scott, Dawn, Cade, Nico, Sebastian, and Jess. This is just
weird. I shift awkwardly and find comfort in moving the bubbles over my bits to
cover up. I hear Devon snicker and glare at him, “What? Since when did it ever
bother you to have people staring at you?”

“Since you are all standing there staring at me,” I snap.
“Respect, people. That was the moral of this story.”

“Oh we respect you. Don’t worry about that. Christ, Lizzie,
that was impressive,” Devon says, as ever showing big support. I do love him
so.

“Are you better now?” Cole asks me hesitantly, sitting on
the edge of the bath.

“Yes, I am fine. More than fine. Xane was correct in what he
was trying to remind me of. I have been a weak arsed fool with regard to my own
wellbeing. I have been too busy concentrating on trying to fix and please
everyone else that I haven’t been looking after myself. That ends now. I have
commitments to each and every one of you in some regard or another and I will
honor them but I will no longer be running around worried about upsetting any
of you.” I stand now and forget entirely about the naked situation. I smile at
Lincoln as he again passes me a towel. “This is my show and I will run it my
way. Any one of you that doesn’t like it can piss off,” I say forcefully and I
see several blanched faces as they know I mean it. “Except you,” I point to
Jess and she goes a whiter shade of pale as I focus my icy gaze on her. “I am
not letting you off that easily. Besides, I still need an assistant and perhaps
I can continue to teach you, if you so wish. I have been itching to get back
into ballet and this may be the perfect opportunity.”