Dragon Mystics: Supernatural Prison 2(38)

Jacob and Louis. Family. Pack. They were here.

Their shouts had drawn the attention of the other fey creatures, but Louis just lazily waved his hand, murmured some sort of spell, and faerie-freaks blasted off in all directions.

Damn that sorcerer, his power would have come in handy before now.

“It will be easier if you shift back into your human forms,” Louis said. They were pretty much at our feet now. “I’ll clothe you.”

Jacob looked hesitant, but also fascinated as his eyes flicked between me and his brother. My dragon didn’t fight me at all, she simply slid away and I was Jessa again. I slumped forward onto the sand. Jacob had me in his arms so fast I barely even hit the ground. There was no pain. My previous injuries seemed to be healed, although I felt sore and feverish. Strong arms tightened around my shoulders in a hug, leaf-green eyes bore down into me.

Jacob’s voice was a strangled whisper. “I can’t believe I’m looking at you again. Are you okay, Jessa babe? We’ve been going out of our minds.” I could hear the anguish in his soft words. “We didn’t know if the Four had found you…”

He trailed off.

My poor family. I knew when I’d gone missing they would have contemplated the possibility that the Four had me and had locked me under the sea.

“How did you know we were in Faerie?” My voice was hoarse, the words scratching over my throat.

Louis crowded up behind me, and despite the growls from Braxton’s dragon, and Jacob, he didn’t hesitate to touch my shoulder. In an instant clothing covered me, jeans and a white shirt. Underwear also, perfectly fitted by the feel. Magic could kiss my ass … it was way too awesome and I wanted some.

“Tyson couldn’t sense you or Brax,” Jacob said. “We were dealing with the mystics, trying to get answers, when Louis and your parents arrived.”

My head shot up. “Dad and Lienda are in the sanctuary?” I turned around to find Louis. “Thank you.”

He gave me a nod. “No problem. I needed to get them away, the Four are not above using leverage.”

I sucked in deeply. “What about Jo and Jack … and Nash?” I didn’t want the Compasses to suffer either, or their new little dragon marked charge.

The wizard’s violet eyes darkened. “I tried to bring them also, but they refused. They should be okay, I have a few friends keeping an eye on them.”

I struggled in Jacob’s embrace, my feet were still off the ground. “Put me down,” I ordered, and he actually complied. My bare feet hit the warm sand. Braxton’s dragon crowded in a little closer to me. Warmth washed over my neck, shifting strands of black hair.

I crossed my arms over my chest, my gaze drawn to the sheer number of creatures that surrounded us, seemingly unable to penetrate the bubble of magic Louis had erected.

“Can you take us home?” I asked the sorcerer, who was clearly the reason we’d been found.

He nodded. “Yes, though getting into Faerie is easy. Coming home … not quite as simple. But I’ll manage.”

I’m sure he would. No doubt the wine he’d given me long ago at dinner had been procured directly by the sorcerer himself. He seemed to know how to wander in and out of this land.

“You don’t seem surprised that I’m a dual shifter?” I had concealed this from the sorcerer last time we spoke of my marked abilities. Thankfully he didn’t seem that upset by my previous evasiveness.

He smiled in his enigmatic manner. “Let’s just say this does not come as a huge surprise to me, I sensed more from your energy. You are called for something higher.”

Great. I loved being called for something.

Louis turned to Braxton then: “You can shift back now, I will keep us safe,” he said. The dragon snorted again, growls ripping from his open jaws. “I know it chafes at your instincts to let others do the protecting, but for once you’re just going to have to deal with it.”

Braxton threw back his massive head, jaws wide as he roared to the sky. As his snout lowered, I narrowed my eyes, before reaching up and tapping him once on the nose.

“Bad dragon,” I said, striving for some humor. Hopefully the lighter tone would help him regain some control.

He snarled at me, and I sighed before waving his anger aside with a swish of my hand. I wasn’t afraid of Braxton. And clearly neither was the sorcerer. Louis turned his back on us and started a complicated set of movements, opening a doorway home.

I felt a surge of energy, and in a rapid change Braxton was back on two legs. Louis did not stop his hands moving, although he dropped one finger onto the dragon shifter’s shoulder, clothing him.