I snorted. We’re nothing like them.
I untangled myself from Mischa, standing and breaking the physical contact. As our hands parted, the mind link disappeared. I could still feel her energy, but in the normal shifter way.
“You can’t hear my thoughts, right?” I asked.
She shook her head, standing slowly, as if stretching new muscles. “No, you’re gone.”
Jonathon’s arms wrapped around both of us and pulled us together, and the moment we touched again her energy re-flooded my body.
“You could hear each other’s thoughts?” Lienda stood beside her mate, her expression a combination of pleased and pensive.
Mischa stepped out of Jonathon’s arms and into her mother’s. The connection between us fell again. “Yes, but only when we touch.”
Louis’ eyes narrowed in interest as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “The ability will grow as you both become stronger. For now contact is needed, but one day soon you will not have to touch.”
Jacob, who had been doing his fey-singing-to-nature thing, trying to calm the energy Mischa had created, suddenly laughed out loud.
He smirked at Braxton. “Better work on Jessa’s shielding, Brax, or you might end up banging twins.”
Mischa and I lunged at the same time, landing dual punches on his arm. Good to see my sister was turning a little badass in her old age. Jacob rubbed the spot we’d hit, but he should be counting himself lucky. If Braxton had retaliated, the fey would have been walking lame for the rest of his very long life. And he knew it, judging by the way he was edging away. Mischa kicked Jacob again as she walked past him. His dimples flashed, but luckily for him he kept his mouth shut.
“So what are these abilities I should have now?” Mischa asked when she stood center of our group. “I don’t have a dragon or demon chilling inside the way Jess described it, but maybe I need to shift first or something. Get a feel for my own fluffy beast.”
My fluffy beast elevated her head a little, gave a snort of amusement, then she sank back into her space, so calm, her ancient energy radiating. I almost couldn’t believe I used to call her a demon and fear her release. Now she and I had the same bond as me and my wolf. Twin souls.
Mischa was still talking. “There is something inside though, different than my wolf, not like the shifter power.”
She closed her eyes and her expression morphed into something serene. Her face suddenly looked like it was carved from stone. I could see civilizations rise and fall in that expression, and I fidgeted waiting for something to happen. My dragon reared up as if she was sensing things I didn’t have knowledge of. As Mischa twisted her head to the left, I had my first view of her dragon mark. It was low on her neck, and small. Dammit! There went my hope that I wasn’t the only special one with a massive mark. As the others began to notice the red and black marring her skin, more than one set of eyes turned in my direction also. They all knew what this meant, but before anyone could say anything we were distracted by the glow.
A ghostly specter rose from my sister. Like wafts of smoke, it seeped out of her, and then with a sort of pop the image became clear. She was surrounded by a ghost dragon. Braxton moved closer, he was watching Mischa with a laser-like focus. He’d told me that the marked generally gained extra abilities, mimicking dragons but not being able to shift into one. Was this what he referred to?
Jonathon’s voice was smooth “Mischa … honey, can you hear me?” I recognized the tone. It was the same he used to talk down a startled shifter, keeping his energy low and calm.
Her eyes flicked open, the green glowing, like twin beams of light, both eerie and beautiful. She seemed to be babbling, even though her tone remained very even. “I’m great. And what the hell is with this eyesight … it’s insane. I can see these waves of light. I can scent a million different things on the wind. I feel as if I could fly, but I know I can’t.”
Braxton strode back to my side, as if he knew I needed to speak with him. He saw the question in my eyes and nodded. “Yes, to my knowledge, this is the usual power of the dragon marked,” he said.
I rubbed my temples, attempting to alleviate some of the tension which had decided to settle there. “Why am I the special one?” I lowered my voice to a mutter. “I don’t want to be the only dual shifter, I don’t want to be north in the freaking compass.”
Jacob opened his mouth, but Braxton fixed him with a stare and the fey decided his life was worth more than whatever quip he was about to utter. Maximus stepped into the circle. He’d been standing away with his mate, I think trying not to upset Mischa, especially when she was dealing with her energy being unlocked. Quite considerate for Maximus. I was glad to see my vampire taking control again. It was not natural for him to linger on the outside.