Page 72 of Within the Veil

I roll my eyes.

"You are quite right, Xena," Aurelia says. "Surprise is going to be one of the biggest advantages to this war.

"This means that you will certainly need to train hard and fast in order to be prepared," Balor adds.

That I can work with, training in this new form will be incredible. I wonder if I can start by tossing an Unseelie in the air like a hacky sack. The idea has promise.

They chuckle at my thoughts, and I decide the first thing I need to learn is how to block my thoughts and fortify my mind.

I think I finally realized why we are here,Cerubus says pensively, perching on my large shoulders.

"Care to share with the class?" It feels strange to respond to him out loud instead of mentally, but I'm enjoying the dark undertones that will inspire fear. If I thought that attacking as a larger-than-normal lion struck fear in people's hearts, wait until I appeared as a Dragon and explain in detail how much I was going to make them bleed.

"Fuck that's hot," Pyralis murmurs and I ignore him.

Cerubus continues,the children. Hudson is having four little ones. Erebos,Pyralis, Aureus, Elysia. Four dragons. Four children. Then you, Hudson's familiar. While your first form is that of a lioness, your new form proves that Dragons can be familiars to extremely powerful beings.

I blink in shock and look at Aurelia, "has that ever happened before? I mean, other than me, now. A Dragon being a familiar to a Fae?"

"No, never," she shakes her head. "It would be the first time in our long history. However, I can confirm that Cerubus is correct."

"Wait, but the children haven't been born yet. You also said that you cannot see the future as it pertains to Dragons, so how do we know for sure, other than the fact that the theory itself, in terms of numbers, is sound, thattheyare their familiars?" I ask. This is a lot to process and it makes me wonder if this turn of events was triggered by Kalen stepping in to protect a baby from being harmed by the Unseelie. If so, then what else can a simple act of kindness or brutality do to destiny? The Fates had a way of mind-fucking all of us.

"I can answer that, we knew the moment they were conceived. Well, we, as in the four of us," Elysia points to the three dragons behind her. "We felt our connection to them. But when Kalen continued to visit and would share stories of Hudson, pieces of the future would start to form a picture. We just didn't have the entire picture. Our mother, Anya, is one of the strongest seers throughout all the clans. Once she sensed the birth of little Li'Ella, everything became clear."

"Li'Ella?" What did the little one have to do with this tangled web?

"She refers to Hudson's children as her best friends. They certainly will be. However, they are also destined mates. Her connection to the children is what allowed us to see past the typical block that we would normally have," Elysia finishes.

Okay, fine. Still, the math isn't exactly mathing here because if I have Hudson and the children have Aureus, Elysia, Pyralis, and Erebos, then Li'Ella would have who exactly?

"Somethings are better left unsaid, as the Fae, by nature, tend to be very fickle, ever-changing creatures. Anything can change, and while we are certain of Hudson's children, Li'Ella, as a Seer, is more complicated," Anya answers my thoughts.

There have been quite a few stories about Dragons. Princess Elysia mentioned that Queen Zyanya is the strongest seer throughout the Dragon clans. Are all Dragons, not seers?Cerubus asks.

"Yes and no. While we all have the ability to see and hear echoes of the immediate future, there are those, like Anya, who can see an event on a grander scale," Aurelia answers.

"Echos?" I ask, blinking slowly. My mind is reeling with the influx of information.

"Yes, immediate intentions, things that will happen in a finite amount of time. That time can vary depending on the power behind the intention. So if someone is planning to attack our village soon, we would all be aware. If someone is planning an attack in the future, that is something Anya would be able to see and follow while the planning takes place and so on," Aurelia answers.

Suddenly I get a flash of Pyralis hitting me with his tail, and I spin around and breathe out a large plume of purple and gold fire that has him leaping back with a yelp. Okay, well, now I see what she means.

Balor chuckles, "That's a lesson well learned. Do not underestimate someone that you have yet to battle--especially someone who you know is a Familiar of a Queen of all the Seelie. Even more so, one who trained side by side with Kalen."

"Her flame hurts!" Pyralis grumbles.

"Hmm, yes. Well, she used her fire with the intention of protecting herself. Stop being a scaly little shit and you won't get burned, Son." Balor scolds.

As I turn around, I stop and breathe out a gasp.Holy Dragon hoarder.I ignore the chuckles around me as my brain finally catches up to my vision and the world seems to come alive in a burst of detail. I thought I was able to see well before but this? This is as if the light was suddenly turned on and every nook and cranny of the cave is illuminated, every detail sharper and more vibrant. From the intricate carved patterns on the cave walls, and the specks of dust floating in the air to the stalactites hanging from the ceiling over pools of water.

The real mind fuck is not just how deep and wide the cavern actually is, but how many dragons I completely missed. From small cubs latched on to their moms to several larger dragons that stand guard. It's a fucking kaleidoscope of colors as their scales, like polished stones, reflect off their bodies--deep blues, fiery reds, iridescent greens.

"How?" I murmur, letting the rest of the question hang in the air.

"We are not seen or heard unless we want to be. We can cloak any discernable signature that one may be able to weaponize. Those who can pick up on the presence of a dragon have been highly trained and possess a unique form of magic. Those Dragons serve as the first line of protection for families and our territories. You will be able to learn that skill as well if the power in your eyes is any indication," Balor responds.

Fuck yes, super secret ninja dragon warrior coming right up!

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