Well, since fate decided to land me six-and-a-half-feet of beautiful, muscled dragon – it was Braxton Compass for freaks sake – I was not complaining.
Although, I did have a little something to say about this partial bond thing. Not cool, fates. Not freaking cool.
I was determined to eliminate the second mate sooner rather than later. There was no one else for me and I wasn’t running anymore, or hiding behind friendship contracts. I would no longer be wasting energy fighting the inevitable. It was now and always Braxton.
Louis brought our attention back to him and Mischa. “Prepare for the final release,” he said, his voice just a little strained. The glow from his hands increased as he neared what must be the last key to unlocking her power. All of my nerves rushed back to the forefront.
Then, in the same series of steps I remembered from my dragon bursting free in Vanguard, the light and power ricocheted outwards. I stayed on my feet only because I’d braced myself for it. Mischa dropped to all fours, her screams brutal. I wanted to rush forward and gather her into my arms, but Louis seemed to have thrown up some sort of barrier around them. Jonathon and Lienda were surging forward also.
“If she shifts, she will kill you,” Louis warned us.
I banged my hands on the barrier. “She won’t kill me, and trust me, the pain is a horrible bitch, so let me get to my sister.”
The barrier disappeared. Either I burst through the shield, or Louis allowed me to enter. I was the only one though. I hurled myself down, wrapping my arms around Mischa, whispering nonsense words, rocking her back and forth in the only way I knew how to comfort. She continued to scream. My dragon energy rose up from inside, and for the first time her power responded, as if the two energies had been separated and were now coming together.
With a crack, like lightning striking, our energies collided.
Chapter 14
Ouch. That fuc … freaking hurt.
The thought was not mine. It took me a few moments longer to realize it was Mischa’s. Right, so sure, whatever … we were just like chilling in each other’s heads. Because that is normal. Okay, it kind of was normal for me nowadays.
Surprisingly, I could not only hear her thoughts, but sense her energy connected to mine. It took no effort – almost like instinct – to communicate with her.
So you even censor your curses in your mind.
She froze, as if she was having trouble comprehending what had just happened.
Jess? You’re in my head! How the hell are you in my head?
I laughed out loud, which had all the Compasses staring. I have no idea, our power connected and now we seem to be able to mentally talk.
She was quiet again, then I sensed a sigh coming from her. The other twins have a mental connection. It sounds like we’re the same.
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.