Page 22 of Defy Me

"Wow." Ciara clapped her hands and smiled, wide-eyed. "Did you know you sparkle when you do whatever it is you were just doing? I've never seen magic like yours. It's beautiful."

Beautiful? Huh. "Umm, I didn't know. I've never seen it myself. I kind of thought it made me invisible."

Ciara came around the island and picked up the stool Yvaine had knocked over. She pushed it back, kind of like a peace offering. "That would be a cool trick. What else does it do? It doesn't appear to be elemental like mine. I didn't know there was any other kind of magic. Not that I'm and expert mind you."

Over and over Ciara had invited Yvaine into her world, never once making her feel like the odd man out. Yvaine was the one making herself feel like she didn't belong. Another thing she could push back inside. Okay. She could do this. No more running away. She sat back down and ate another strawberry like nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. "I don't really know. I've only recently tried using it consciously. Normally it just does it's own thing and helps to keep me safe or escape when I'm in danger. What does elemental magic do?"

"You know, like the four elements. Earth, wind, water, fire." Ciara waved her hand and the little houseplant next to the sink doubled in size and sprouted big pink flowers. Then it lifted up and floated across to the kitchen island on some sort of breeze. A tiny raincloud formed over the top of it and sprinkled onto the leaves and dirt, watering the plant. "I'm not as good with fire, unless like you I'm in danger."

"That's amazing. I don't think my magic works like that though. Do the dragons have magic too?" She remembered how Jett had used the darkness to hide them and had spit fire at the batstriches. Maybe he wasn't a fire breathing dragon and it was his kind of magic.

"Each of the dragon Wyrs have domain over one of the elements. You can probably guess that reds have fire, blues have water, golds are wind and sky, and our Green dragons are earth. I think if Jakob didn't have his warriors to lead, he'd be connect rolling around in the mud all day."

She hadn't mentioned black dragons.

"I heard that,milácek." Jakob walked into the kitchen and wrapped his arms around Ciara, snuggling her from behind. "You enjoy a good mud bath as much as I do."

She laughed. "It does make my skin all rosy."

"As do the many orgasms I give you when we are cleaning up." Jakob nipped at Ciara's ear, then must have remembered Yvaine was standing right across from them. He raised his head from nuzzling the ornate green dragon tattoo at Ciara's neck. "Jett wishes you to join him in the garden."

He probably wanted her to turn him back into a human again. She'd pushed back her power a moment ago. Maybe she could also learn to control whatever it was that kept forcing Jett to shift into his dragon form when she got scared. She wished there was someone who could teach her. "Okay. I'll just go find him then."

Jakob nodded. "There is a woman in the nearby village who works for the dragons from time to time who goes by the name Mrs. Bohacek. I suggested to Jett that you two go see her. Perhaps she can help you learn to use your magic. But I have warned Jett that if the demon dragons who are seeking him show up that he must leave immediately. I will not have their evil threaten the people under my protection."

Mate Her, Dummy

Mark her.

Claim her.

Mate her.

The words kept going round and round and round in his head driving him more insane by the minute. Jakob wanted to grill him on everything he knew about the Black Dragon's movements, the recent attack, and why Ereshkigal would be acting on her own. That last part had been news to him.

It was a huge revelation that the Cage, the Gold Wyvern and his mate, the mermaid from hell, had born twin babies. Throw in the fact that the Black Witch had shown up to steal said babies and Jett should care a whole lot. The first children of dragons in hundreds of years. A boy and a girl. Until now there were no daughters of dragons. It meant someone had broken one of Ereshkigal's curses.

Hell must be in chaos. His father's stronghold on the African continent had been destroyed. Ereshkigal's powers were weakening. Discord between the rulers of hell. All signs said this was the perfect time for him to strike.

It wasn't that he didn't care. He did. His brothers had suffered long enough. Jett had tried everything, given up everything to find a way to free them and kill the Black Dragon. Instead of continuing his search for the last key to making everything he'd scrabbled his way out of hell to make happen, he was day dreaming about a woman.

He couldn't concentrate even a little bit on anything but her scent, her eyes, her touch of magic. A day ago all he could think about was finding the cure for the curse so he could save his brethren from the pits of hell and their servitude to his father. He'd spent months avoiding the dragon warriors and hunting for the spell that would change everything.

Mark her.

Claim her.

Mate her.

Jett paced back and forth in the elaborate garden behind the Wyvern's villa. Yvaine had freaked the fuck out while talking to Ciara and he'd shifted back into his dragon form. Jakob had laughed at him. Once Jett confirmed that Yvaine wasn't in any danger he'd picked a fight with the green dragon. Jakob had been all too happy to oblige. They'd flown through the air clawing and lashing at each other, but not doing any real harm. Jett kept his fire to himself. He still needed the Wyverns as allies.

The exercise had blown off a little steam, but he knew something that would blow off a whole lot more.

Yvaine, under him, crying his name as he fucked her into coming over and over. The dragon part of him reveled in the thought. It wanted to do exactly that. To claim her as its own. As its mate. That pure instinctual part of him didn't understand that he could fuck all the women in the world, he could mark them all with his bite, he could declare for all of Dragonkind that she belonged to him, and none of it would make her his true mate.

Not without a soul to give to her. He'd even try to steal one if it would make a difference. He already knew from experience that it didn't.

"Jett?"

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