Dragon Embraced Read online

  “I do, but they look just like the blood dragon healing.”

  “They won’t know the difference.”

  “And that is a good thing?”

  “If it gets you a mage’s license... yes.” Aeli sighed. “If it allows you access to Rekker and all of the supplies that can only be garnered here... yes.”

  “Right. How do we test?”

  Aeli covered her face. “We need some blood.”

  “I will give it.”

  “I am going to have to work on a disposal method for the residue. I think I will bring my dad in on this if you don’t mind.”

  Zzara nodded. “That sounds fine. Is confirming my descent that important?”

  “Yes. The majority of the council is pushing for you to be handed over to the senate, even if they don’t have a place for you that would be considered suitable.”

  “So, if this doesn’t work, I have to run.”

  Aeli grimaced. “Or simply disappear.”

  Zzara nodded. “I can do that. What happens if I am found to be of the hedge fey?”

  “You are an endangered species. They can’t touch you, and it will be illegal for anyone to try and contain you. Interesting situation.” Aeli nodded. “It might cause more trouble, but it is an excellent defense for getting you out from under the grasp of the dragons.”

  “You make it sound like you aren’t one.”

  Aeli chuckled. “I identify as a very big dryad with magical training.”

  Zzara laughed until her sides ached.

  “I am going to call Dad, and then, we can get going on the diagnostic.”

  “Is there a rush?”

  Aeli pulled out her com. “The council wants to see you this afternoon, so yeah, doing this quick is better for everyone, especially you.” She smiled and quickly spoke to her father.

  There was a thud from the hall, and Grand Mage Norman Warrok was in the library, rubbing his hands together with a grin. “Right. Where is the detail on the species?”

  Aeli showed him the page, and he nodded, looking around and then walking to one of the shelves to pull the book he was looking for into his grip.

  “Talward’s Diagnostics for Magical Creatures.” He smiled. “This one will serve us nicely.”

  Aeli frowned. “Where did that one come from?”

  “The council’s collection. Now that I head the council, we have all kinds of fun books that you have never seen before.” Norman grinned at his daughter. He set the book down, unlatched it, and it creaked open with a puff of dust.

  Zzara drifted across the floor to read over his shoulder. She stared at the short list of ingredients. “That’s it?”

  Norman laughed. “That is it. They are living-energy fey, so all we need to do is confirm that you have some of the energy of nature in your veins. We will just need a sample from Aelemilial and one other creature who is not dragon and is not human.”

  Aeli smiled. “I believe my mother fits the bill.”

  Norman shook his head. “No, dryads are earth elementals. She is not truly a creature.”

  Aeli scowled. “I found dryads in the creature register.”

  Norman laughed. “Where would you put them?”

  She opened and closed her mouth. “Right. It is difficult. Not human, not at all, but not dragon, and I don’t really see them as social beings. Right. She gets the elemental rating.”

  He chuckled, and he hummed while tapping his finger on the page. “If only we had a creature here.”

  Zzara smiled and asked for Aeli’s com unit.

  Three minutes later, Eltrinia was standing in the room and grinning. “What do you need from me?”

  Zzara pointed to her. “Djinns are creatures, right? That is close enough, I think.”

  Norman nodded. “You are right. I will get the herbs together, and you can find something to draw blood.”

  Zzara lifted her needle. “I am covered.”

  Eltrinia pulled a short, sharp knife. “I am good.”

  Aeli grew a thorn, and she smiled. “Ready when you are, Dad.”

  Norman sighed, made a list of the herbs, and he headed for the workroom.

  Aeli chuckled. “Why do you think he had that face?”

  Zzara looked around at the group of ladies with weapons drawn. “I can’t think of why for the life of me.”

  Eltrinia gave an evil grin and then broke into a cackling laugh. They all soon joined her.

  Chapter Three

  After the simple mix of herbs was crushed into powder in the mortar, Norman led them to a huge stone bowl in the middle of the garden.

  Eltrinia was chortling, enjoying the process. “I do love new experiences.”

  They all had their weapons for bloodletting at the ready.

  Norman stood back with the book, and he said, “Eltrinia, one drop, please, in the center of the vessel.”

  Eltrinia pierced her finger, and she let the drop strike the center. She wiped her knife clean, and it disappeared. The small wound on her hand healed over. “What happens next?”

  “Aelemilial, two drops, please, in the center.”

  Aeli stepped forward and lanced her third finger on her left hand, letting two drops fall into the mix. She jerked her hand back, and the stray blood drop fell outside the vessel. Aeli exhaled, and her hand began to heal.

  The mixture in the bottom of the stone vessel began to smoke and twist.

  “Zzara, please, place one drop in the center of the vortex. You might want to jump back as you do it.”

  Zzara nodded, and she held her hand over the vortex. When she had gauged the wind speed, she reached in and released a single drop with a quick puncture and a light squeeze. She stepped back immediately, and a wave of leaves shot out in a thirty-foot fountain and then slowly cascaded back to earth. The funny thing was that all of the leaves were crimson.

  Aeli reached up and grabbed for one of the falling leaves. “Wow. This is something.”

  Zzara grabbed one of the leaves, and it hummed in her grip. She closed her eyes, and the leaf disappeared.

  Instantly, Zzara could feel every hand on every leaf across the city. Men and women were picking the leaves up, and she had a connection to each one of them, bound by blood.

  “Um, Mage Norman, I don’t think we should have done that.”

  He was holding a handful of the leaves and smiling.

  She spoke softly, “Mage Norman, bring me those leaves.”

  He looked at her quizzically while his body jerked like a puppet and brought the leaves to her. His eyes widened in surprise. “You are a blood dragon.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think that I will be using it anytime soon, but anyone who keeps a leaf might gain magic from it, but they are putting themselves into my power. Dang. If I had known this would happen, I would have used a smaller drop of blood.”

  Aeli chuckled. “Yeah. That might have been an idea, but this outcome did prove what you are. You are definitely part hedge fey, and that makes you immune to the mage council.”

  Eltrinia frowned. “There were concerns?”

  Zzara nodded. “There were concerns. Dragons that aren’t Aeli aren’t supposed to be learning magic. Actually, I don’t think they can.”

  Eltrinia shrugged. “I sort of can but only djinn stuff. Glyphs and smoke and teleportation. None are in a dragon’s repertoire.”

  Norman nodded. “That is correct. The light that Zzara used on the reporters was the council’s first realization that she was using magic, and they objected.”

  Zzara picked up another leaf. “What are they going to think of this?”

  Norman grinned. “It doesn’t matter what they think. It isn’t magic covered by the guild, so you are clear. They don’t have to help you, but they are not allowed to dictate your future in any way.”

  She chuckled. “So, another patriarchy cutting ties with me. I should be used to this by now.”

  Aeli sighed. “It is better this way. Once you are alone in the wilderness, you know what y
ou have.”

  Eltrinia smiled. “You are collecting friends. That is an excellent start.”

  The lightning dragon smiled until her com chirped. “Whoops. Sorry. I have to go. But call me again, this was fun.” Eltrinia disappeared in a swirl of black smoke, and then, she was gone.

  Aeli blinked. “I am having a problem getting used to that.”

  Norman smirked. “Everybody has their own skillset, Aelemilial.”

  Zzara looked at the way the two interacted. Even though Norman had simply found baby Aeli near some trees, he still had raised her as a strong, powerful, and confident woman. Zzara knew a good relationship when she saw it. This was a good one.

  Aeli looked over. “Can you feel the leaves?”

  “I can. I think I can recall most of them. The ones that aren’t in anyone’s hands right now.”

  Zzara reached up and closed her eyes. She breathed in and out slowly, looking for traces of herself. When the pattern was identified, she called it. Blood called blood.

  The vortex of leaves surged above the edges of the garden, towered in the air, and then, the leaves came crashing toward her. She kept her hand up and kept the call out. The first leaf touched her and disappeared, and the thousands that followed did the same.

  She staggered back but straightened when she could balance. “That was odd.”

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. I think so. Pretty sure. It just feels a bit like I pulled a muscle.” She bent from side to side and bent her knees. “Odd.”

  “Is it uncomfortable?”

  “No. Just odd. Like my skin is suddenly one size too big or too small.” She flexed her hands. They didn’t look different, but she felt different.

  She turned from side to side. “Are we going to see the council now?”

  Norman blinked. “We can. I can call them to assemble.”

  “Please. I have just taken in a portion of the energy of every man, woman, and child that touched the leaves. That was a lot of foliage.”

  Aeli blinked. “So, what do you need to do?”

  “Blow off some steam but not until I make my point to the mage council.”

  Norman nodded. “Can you contain it for an hour?”

  “I can but not much longer.” She shivered. “My dragon wants out.”

  Aeli cleared her throat. “We had better be on our way then. Dad. We will meet you there.”

  Zzara smiled and held out her hand. Her staff came directly to her, passing through walls and trees as if they weren’t there. With the staff in her hand, she felt slightly more in control of herself.

  Aeli linked arms with her, and the Master Mage of the mage council moved ahead of them at a far brisker pace.

  “Is it okay for him to be moving that fast at his age?” Zzara watched Norman disappear into the city as they slowly made their way.

  “It is good for him. Having things to do is keeping him young.” There was a pause. “Your mother never said anything about you being a member of the hedge folk?”

  “Did she say she was fey? No. I don’t think she would have mentioned anything that would have alarmed my father. She handed herself to him, body and soul, and he was so delicate in his fixation she had most likely decided to never give him any reason to discard her.”

  The smell of street food came to her, and the marketplace scents of perfumes and herbs wafted in the air. The streets of Rekker were full of life, and most of the inhabitants smiled and waved at Aeli as she passed.

  “They like you.”

  Aeli chuckled. “They do now. In the old days, I had a bit more suspicion lying on me. My father was a freedom fighter for mage rights, and the dragons were not happy with him.” She grinned. “After that was ratified with my coming out, we became one of the most popular families in town. Of course, inviting them all to the wedding did a lot for goodwill.”

  “So, goodwill with a population is useful.”

  “I would say so. It helps with negotiations, but I would not really expect any of these folk—human, mage, or dragon—to come to my aid.”

  “But, Nole would.”

  Aeli nodded. “Both Nole and my father would step between me and an army if they thought I was in danger.” She gave a dry chuckle. “My mother would just sit back and watch me.”

  The understanding was instant. “You can take care of yourself.”

  “Usually. Yes. Having a dragon to call on makes everything easier.”

  “So, you don’t consider yourself a dragon?”

  “I am a mage, a dragon, a dryad. Women can be a lot of things at the same time. Most aren’t even aware of it.”

  “I am just working on being a woman. The rest can sort itself out.”

  “So, you are not into collecting a whole bunch of credentials?”

  “I would rather gather the knowledge. I don’t care what people call me. I just want to be left alone and learn all I can. Whatever my parents were, I am something else, and I need to understand what that is.”

  Aeli nodded, and they rounded the corner, seeing the council hall in all its glory.

  “Why is there glass in the roof?”

  Aeli wrinkled her nose. “I planted a few very rare plants in my year of sleep.”

  “Why a year?”

  “My dragon did not move quickly, and I was under house arrest, regardless. So, I stayed in place and learned what I was. You don’t have the luxury.”

  “You have given me a few weeks. That is a pretty nice head start.”

  Aeli smiled. “It was the least I could do.”

  “No, the least you could do was nothing. That isn’t what happened. Thank you.” She inhaled and steeled herself.

  They approached the council hall and entered through the open doors. The mages and dragons were milling around. The men and women sought their seats when the ladies came through the doors.

  Norman was sitting next to Nole at the end of the chamber. Both of them smiled encouragingly as the women came forward.

  Zzara stiffened her spine and unlocked her arm from Aeli’s. She walked into the center of the space where a glyph-covered mosaic was set for the person who addressed the council.

  Norman sat up and leaned forward. “Miss Zzara Orlem. We have asked you here to discuss your status as a dragon who is using magic. This is a combination that is unsuitable and against the laws of mages and dragons, with the exception of those born to those who are not mage or human.”

  “May I address your concerns?”

  “Please.” He leaned back with a smile.

  “The man who sired me was a dragon, my mother was not. After testing, involving council members and those with alternate bloodlines, the origin of my mother’s people has been explained in the category of creature.”

  The councillors murmured wildly for a moment before Master Mage Warrok pounded on the edge of his chair. “Mages! Dragons! We are here to determine Miss Orlem’s suitability to remain in Rekker while she studies. Quiet.”

  The gathered persons calmed themselves. A woman stood and was acknowledged. “Councillor Niifa, you have a question?”

  Zzara looked at the woman, the dragon, who was staring at her.

  “Is she the blood dragon? I saw the interview.”

  Zzara looked to Norman and Nole, and both of them nodded.

  “I am the blood dragon.”

  “Why do you need magic?” The dragon crossed her arms.

  “To ensure that I live a long, healthy, and free life. There has already been an attack on me before the attack at the interview. I have a lot of live worth but only if my blood can be accessed. I have removed that possibility.”

  Councillor Niifa continued. “Why are you so selfish with a gift that has been given to you? Your blood can cure millions over your lifetime.”

  “I am aware of it. And after every death of a blood dragon, which is usually ten years from discovery, there is a plague that ravages the earth and drops the population by twenty-five percent. The addiction to the magic in my veins w
ould cripple this society. I may not have many friends, but I don’t wish for the children in the streets and the families that I have seen to suffer at the hands of some greedy bastards who want a quick fix instead of doing the work with healers and researchers.”

  The councillor’s mouth opened, as were the majority of the dragons’ mouths. “I know that they don’t tell you this stuff. It is bad for morale and devastating for the accumulation of wealth. The only person who benefits from a blood dragon is the one who captures them after they activate. There is always someone who keeps them confined and bleeding, day after day.”

  Another dragon councillor stood. “What do you mean that you have removed access to your blood?”

  Nole looked up and nodded, picking up a knife from his desk and coming around.

  Zzara smiled. “It’s fine, Nole. Go ahead.” She lifted her left arm high, her black sleeve fell back.

  Nole gripped her wrist and drew the blade along her skin. The pink line of the pressure was visible, but there was no blood.

  He turned her arm and repeated the slice. No blood.

  Nole returned to his desk, held up a sheet of paper, and sliced through it. “No tricks. She has sealed her body against perforation against her will.”

  Councillor Niifa asked, “How do we know that she can access her blood?”

  Zzara smiled. “A single drop of blood was used in the identification and diagnostic spell that was performed an hour and a bit earlier. I have my answer as a creature in my other half, and I am content with that.”

  One of the mages stood. “What creature?”

  “Run an identifier spell on the leaf in your pocket, and you will have your answer.” She smiled. “Those who picked up the leaves can keep them, but if they touch the ground, they will return to me. Unlike every blood dragon before me, I can call my own back.”

  There were murmurs around the council, and Norman leaned forward. “You are dismissed, Miss Orlem. Thank you for your conversation. I will explain what is necessary from here. As a creature, which has been proven in my presence, you are entitled to study magic and remain in Rekker as long as you wish.”

  “Thank you, Master Mage Warrok. Thank you for your consideration, Councillor Kreelo.” She inclined her head to each, in turn, looked at Aeli, and they both walked out of the chamber and back into the outside air.