BRAXTON

 

​

Tendrils of gold energy darted along my arms, eagerly gliding, and shimmering down my skin like leathery vines.

Magic.

Pure. Unhindered. Powerful. Newly claimed magic.

A power gifted by the Elementi Caelestes, otherwise known to our people as the Sky Gods, or the Celestials. For many here, they were only a legend, a myth, but I had seen them with my own eyes. I had experienced the creation of this realm, of my realm, uncovering truths that my time in the human world could have never prepare me for, and now, nothing would ever be the same.

Good. I didn’t want it any other way.

The tendrils followed the path my veins created until the thrumming power reached my fingertips. It sang and hummed in my blood as I welcomed it as part of me. With every calling of my Devenish magic to the surface, it became easier to me, until it almost felt like it was an entity of its own. A force ready, and eager, to execute my every wish…

Now, if I could only figure out how to wield it as a weapon.

Evanna’s chuckles reached me when I made a face at my own thoughts, my gaze fixed on the sparking energy that danced over my fingertips. I could heal life-threatening and otherwise unhealable wounds—which was pretty impressive on its own, and I was grateful for it—but that was only a result of my Devenish side influencing Dad’s ability passed on to me.

This power had also intensified and strengthened my connection to my Dragon family—again, incredible—yet I needed to find out what it could do by itself and what I was truly capable of when wielding it.

A soft hand slipped into mine, our fingers intertwining and successfully breaking me out of my thoughts. Evie winked at me when my eyes finally lifted to hers, offering me a smile that said she had no doubt I would figure it all out—hopefully sooner rather than later because the sinister voice in the back of my mind whispered time was not on our side.

We continued towards the landing pad, our brothers and sisters flanking us while the chief and Imogen walked ahead, apparently discussing something important.

Taking a settling breath that failed to push aside the nagging feeling in my gut, I pulled Evie to me and leaned into her ear. “Have I told you that I love you recently?”

Her lips twitched, but her attention remained on the hallway that led out of the dining room. “Not in the last thirty sun-minutes. Frankly, I was getting concerned.”

A slow grin captured my mouth, and I slightly brushed it against the sensitive spot below her ear, causing a shiver to visibly rush down her spine. Enjoying her reaction to me that never failed to amaze me, and the softness of her skin against my lips, my grin widened. “I love you.”

Sky blue eyes glimmered when she turned to me. “I love you too.”

“Not in front of the children, please. We are very impressionable.” Harrison’s words made everyone chuckle, and I glanced back, playfully narrowing my eyes at him.

“What? I’m not complaining. I enjoy the shows; the two of you are very entertaining.” He laughed when Elijah halfheartedly pushed him.

“Brax!”

Quinn’s voice stopped me mid-stride, and Evie immediately let go of my hand. We turned to find my friend jogging towards me with the gang. Edward, Aaron, Charlotte, Louis, Harvey, and Thea stopped a few feet away, immediately dropping into a bow when they realized their princess was with us.

“I’m so sorry, Princess Evanna,” Quinn immediately offered, “I did not realize I was interrupting royal business. I thought it was just the Elevated Warriors walking.”

“Nothing to be sorry about,” Evie assured, instinctively assuming her royal manner. “They do a fine job of concealing me when they walk around me this way.”

“We just wanted to say hi,” Charlotte added, her gaze shifting to me. “It’s been a while.”

It really had been.

“We are truly sorry about Penelope’s passing, Princess… Guard,” Aaron offered.

“Please accept our deepest condolences,” Harvey added. “We grieve as one.”

“My most sincere thank you,” Evie accepted graciously, but her muscles tightened at the reminder of our loss. “We were on our way out, but you may have a moment to talk to him.” Evie smiled at them, placing a hand on my arm as she looked at me. “We will wait for you outside.”

“Thank you.”

With a small nod at my friends, she graciously turned and continued walking.

The guard hesitated for a second, not sure whether to stay with me, their prince, or continue with their princess.

“Arlo, Elijah, Finn, Fletcher, and Hanna, remain with the princess and the chief. Harrison, Islay, Harper, and I will stay with Braxton and meet you all outside once we are done,” Asher ordered without missing a beat.

With a swift nod, the others resumed their places around Evie and Kingston, while Imogen made her way to my side.

Confusion captured my friends’ faces, unsure of why the guard had split in half to remain with me, something they had never done, and I felt bad for not being able to tell them the truth. Soon.

“How are you guys?” I asked, pulling in Quinn for a hug and knowing I couldn’t stay for long. “I’ve missed you.”

“We have missed you too, Friend,” Harvey, the usually quiet one, offered with a sincere smile, giving me a bro hug before I greeted the others. Charlotte’s hug was a bit more heartfelt as she squeezed me. I squeezed her too. She was an absolute sweetheart.

The gang’s eyes immediately went to my torso, sweeping over the large scar now in full view. Aaron, Edward, and Thea exchanged a discrete glance while the rest pretended not to see. Neither of them brought it up or asked any questions.

“You know the guard,” I began, introducing my brothers and sisters since they only knew of them as the Elevated Warriors. “Asher, Harrison, Islay, and Harper.”

“Commander.” The guys immediately bowed at Asher, who shook his head.

“We are not in training or the Legion. You can call me Asher. Any friend of Braxton’s is a friend of ours.”

“Okay… Asher.” Charlotte grinned, completely star-struck by him. Not that I could blame her, Asher was good-looking and as badass as they came, but I doubted Skylar was the type of girl to share, and he only had eyes for her.

Also, Kingston would skin him alive if he even dared to look at anyone other than his daughter.

“Hey, gorgeous,” Islay cooed so smoothly that she was only missing a bike to lean against, and a black leather outfit.

My eyes immediately shifted to see who she was flirting with, and I found Quinn grinning crookedly back at her.

“Hey you,” she answered.

“And who is this cutie,” Harrison asked, stepping forwards while his gaze ran the length of Charlotte’s body.

Her cheeks flamed.

My hand shot out, catching him by the leather strap on his back, and pulled him to my side before he could reach her. “This is Charlotte, completely out of your league,” I warned, feeling protective of her, “and that is her brother, Edward. They are all warriors in the Legion.”

Edward held his sister’s hand, giving the known womanizer a warning glance. With a grin, Harrison lifted his hands in surrender. “No worries. I get it.”

Rolling my eyes, I motioned to my friends. “These are Thea, Aaron, Harvey, Quinn, Charlotte, Louis, and Edward. Some of whom you’ve already met, clearly.”

Islay smirked at that, winking at Quinn, and receiving a blush in return.

“And what am I, darling? A fly on the wall?”

I chuckled, turning to find a glaring Imogen over my shoulder. “I’m sorry. This is Imogen, guys,” I began, stepping aside so she could stand between Asher and me. “She was the Commander of the Harbinger of Justice’s Legion, and now, she is my mentor.”

My friends’ eyes widened with recognition, and they instantly touched a hand to their hearts, bowing their heads to her in respect. “Hallowed be his name, forever,” they echoed like a prayer.

Emotion hit my chest mercilessly with the words recited before me. The truth had reignited our people’s worship of my father and his legacy, but it was the first time I’d been able to witness it. Perhaps this was what Evanna referred to after she told them about the accord.

“You should have been there to see it…”

A hand clapped my back, and I turned to find the same emotion in my mentor’s eyes, accompanied by a brilliant smile that said it was about damn time.

I smiled back, but it took a moment to reconcile what it meant to hear their praise of Dad after hearing his name be cursed.

“You are Red Wing? The Red Wing?” Quinn asked, admiration and recognition bursting through her gaze.

“The one and only, darling,” Imogen replied with a brilliant and cocky smile, reclaiming the title that carved her into the legend.

“Your reputation precedes you,” Aaron offered in awe.

“I’m sorry,” Edward interjected. “Since my sister and I arrived, we thought you just took care of the Dragon babes.”

Charlotte nodded shyly, confirming their limited belief. They had only escaped the Hollow a few months ago, so they weren’t as knowledgeable about the legend as the rest of our people.

“I was biding my time. I, too, had a mission, and I was waiting for it to arrive.” Her gaze went to me, and we exchanged a smile.

“She is my mentor now,” I confirmed.

“Makes total sense,” Charlotte answered. “Brax has skills.”

“You have no idea…” Harrison snickered, pulling chuckles out of Islay, Asher, Imogen, and Harper.

I just shook my head at him, playfully pushing him while Charlotte glanced at us confused.

“I’m sorry, guys. I can’t stay long,” I admitted. “But we can meet later. Is everything alright?” I asked, hoping nothing bad had happened.

“Yes, we just missed our friend.” Quinn punched my arm, making me grin.

In the short time we’d known each other we had become good friends. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see them as much as I’d like anymore.

“Are you giving more reading classes soon?” Aaron asked, and the others nodded with interest.

I really needed to resume those. “How about tonight? If you spread the word, we can all meet after dinner in the training field to continue.”

“That sounds like a plan,” Harvey added, openly excited about learning to read and write. He seemed to be coming out of his shell. A shadow of the shy guy I’d met in the common rooms, who barely even spoke. Part of me was sad I’d missed so much with them while caught in my Elevated Warrior training and the drama of this life.

“We’ll meet tonight then.” Smiling, I waved at them and gave one more hug to Charlotte.

“She has a crush on you,” Harper said knowingly, bumping my shoulder after we resumed our walk.

“Nah, Charlotte is just super sweet and affectionate by nature. Who she has a crush on is Asher,” I teased, nodding towards him to see his lips twitch mischievously.

“What’s there not to love?” he replied with a cockiness that didn’t really belong to him.

“You sound like Harrison,” I snorted, making Harper chuckle in agreement.

“Even as I said it, it felt wrong,” Asher added, grimacing.

“That’s because not everyone can be as glorious as I am,” Harrison assured, gliding a hand over his braids.

Harper pushed him forwards, our laughter mixing.

​

* * *

 

“Focus on his energy,” Tharion guided as we flew over the Desertlands, going farther away from the Hidden Kingdom than we had intended during our scouting.

Closing my eyes, I tried yet again to feel the connections within me. Branches of gold came to life in my mind’s eye, in my core, my own extending to a multitude of others in the vast tree of life that united us. Leaves and branches shimmered as they revealed the Dragons linked to me. Some seemed dormant, as though they were too far away or sleeping; others thrummed like tribal drums in a rising song of war.

Their beats became stronger, impossibly louder, the closer I got to them.

Heart slamming against my chest, I opened my eyes.

I felt it all too strongly.

In the Desertlands, our connection seemed unnervingly powerful. All-encompassing. Overwhelming. Everything was stronger here, like the land itself was imbued with vigor.

“Don’t fight it, Prince,” Tharion advised. “Welcome it. Become it.”

Willing my heart to settle, my gaze followed a herd of animals that reminded me of beautiful giraffes. With exotic coats in a mix of caramel brown and red outlines, they ran across the miles of burnt orange and tan sand dunes. Every so often, the endless dunes were peppered with trees that resembled those in the magnificent African plains.

The Desertlands seemed to be a stunning blend of the Serengeti and the Sahara Desert. A dream land only found in Caelisium.

“Do you see those ripples in the sand?” Kingston yelled from where he flew with Spartan, forcing me to glance his way. He pointed to a large section to our right where the smooth, buttery sand seemed to be carved in layers somehow. “This is the motherland of my ancestors. I know they are not natural!” he shouted over the whipping winds caused by the Dragons’ wings.

With a nod, I acknowledged what the chief was saying. We had to be close. He was probably somewhere around here… or was already gone. That sinister voice of doubt whispered in my mind, and I tensed, pushing the pessimism away.

I was going to find him, I had to find him.

“Try again,” Tharion encouraged once more. “Welcome it. Become it.”

The image he sent me engulfed my mind, and I closed my eyes, welcoming the face forming before me. Shadows of dusk spread over a sea of scales with two large, white horns that curled like those of a ram glimmering in the moonlight—almost glowing silver in their purity—accompanied by bright silver irises.

When the face vanished, I reached for the family tree, and instantly, the beating of drums returned. Our connections drummed and shimmered, their beats intensifying as I touched each and every one of them, looking for my next Dragon.

Knight, one from Dad’s Sky Legion.

Like four others, had answered my silent call from my mother’s womb, pledging loyalty to my father afterwards. Technically, he was mine, so I was here to find him.

Slamming against my ears, the tribal drums of war grew even louder, becoming overwhelming again and almost blinding me in their intensity.

Welcome it. Become it.

Instead of pushing it away, I fought through it, opening myself to them. The tribal song reached its climax, and then… and then… it stopped. The abrupt silence became louder than the song itself, until a single beat resurfaced. My own. Others joined in seamlessly, drums of war thumping together with mine. Beating as one.

With each thump, the energy grew stronger, and then it was suddenly on the move. My golden light rushed over the trunk and branches, rustling leaves as it dashed ahead where another light thrummed while it zipped through the tree.

It was him. He was here, and he was on the move.

“I got him! Go faster!”

My urgency sent all Dragons onwards, Harper and Evie yelping when Spike and Star shot forwards.

“What is happening?” Evie yelled at me, and I opened my eyes, focusing on the desert below us.

“We are chasing him!” I shouted back, my eyes noticing the clusters of carved lines along the sand returning, the same Kingston had pointed out as unnatural.

“Where?!” Evie asked, flabbergasted, her hair whipping around as she searched the sky.

Glancing at her, I grinned. “Not above, below!”

Tharion’s speed became staggering just as my attention returned to the dunes. Lines cut across the burnt orange ground ahead of us, carving waves along it, and a cluster of tiny horns peaked through the desert.

I had no idea how Knight was doing it, but the damn Dragon was soaring under the sand.

The golden thread burst like a firework in my mind’s eye, rising above all others, and trusting an instinct I didn’t even know, I jumped to my feet, running full throttle over Tharion’s head. My boot pushed off his nose, and I lunged into the empty air just as the onyx Dragon burst out of the ground, sending waves of sand to fly all around us.

Arms flailing, I landed on his lower back as he shot upwards, narrowly missing Tharion when their paths crossed. My body slammed against his scales, but I couldn’t find my footing, my hands reaching and failing to grasp the row of small horns that rose like spikes along the center of his body.

The tips sliced the skin off along my chest and arms while I fell towards his tail, tumbling down rapidly. Throwing my right hand up again, I caught one of the small horns, managing to hold on and stopping my fall.

My blood clouded his shiny black scales. Yet, as fast as it seeped out of me, the sliced skin knitted together again, the wounds no longer found.

Knight roared, shaking his body to throw me off him. Fat chance in Hell. I had come here for him, and I was not leaving without him.

“Stop this!” I shouted, climbing my way up to his neck. I didn’t know if he could hear me through the ruckus he and the others were causing.

Kingston and the guard called at me to let go of the seemingly wild Dragon. He was like a bull, bucking and throwing his body in all directions to get me off him, but I wasn’t going to let go. I wouldn’t let go.

Now, if only the onyx Dragon could stay still long enough for me to connect with him.

Finally reaching his neck, my hand glowed bright gold—matching the intensity in my eyes. He seemed to sense my magic because he suddenly stilled; I rose to my knees, pressing my hand against his scales—

Psych.

Knight bucked again, successfully lunging me off him.

Asshole.

Screams burst in the air when I crashed against a tall dune, the buttery sand softening my landing. My body bounced once, and then I rolled down the burning sands, too fast to truly feel their effects on my bare skin but long enough to still register the true danger. These dunes were more perilous than they seemed. They felt like hills of raging fire.

Tharion’s roar echoed through the Desertlands when I finally reached the bottom. Quickly, I pushed to my feet, but not before noticing the red burns along my hands and arms. Grunting, I dusted the granules off me, ignoring the pain long enough for the healing to kick in, and glanced up to find Knight surrounded.

Rows of sharp fangs gleamed all around him as Spartan, Alkor, Star, Fulgur, Spike, and Athina hissed and snarled at him. Knight turned within the circle, seemingly assessing his chances to escape… That was, until he faced Tharion. He reared back, recognition setting in, but instead of calming him, the sight of my Dragon father sent him into a rattled retreat.

Before I knew what was happening, he had somehow tackled Athina, Fulgur, and Spike out of the way, lunging straight for me—head lowered like a bull to ram me out of his path.

Seriously?

“Knight, stop fighting me!” I shouted, hand lifting, before he collided with me. A beam of magic exploded from my palm, sweeping over his entire form, and stopping him in his tracks.

Seemingly dazed by it, the onyx Dragon wavered on his feet, and when he blinked, my golden light captured his irises. The instant our connection took hold, his spine shot ramrod straight, and images flashed in front of my eyes.

A kingdom rose over the burnt orange dunes with Knight flying along the structure that I assumed was a castle, but its architecture was like nothing I had ever seen. It seemed made of sand and gold dust, even though it should be impossible. The multileveled castle stood tall under the gleaming sun, and multicolored fabrics flew from the balconies all around it—like African sarongs in bright reds, oranges, browns, and yellows. Ethnic symbols adorned the fabrics, a royal crest, and I knew then the Desertlands had been a rich, sovereign nation before Raithian’s cruelty and avarice destroyed it.

Knight flew across the bright sky once more before he shot into the buttery dunes, and I instantly understood these were his lands. He wasn’t hiding after we lost the battle and Dad took us away. He returned home, even if his home was no longer standing and waiting for him.

That also explained why he had the ability to somehow “fly” under the sand.

Other images replaced his origins until the memories settled on my mother.

She sat next to a grand waterfall sanctuary in the Greenlands, a hand lazily rubbing her swollen belly while her feet danced in the water. Dad sat next to her. Her belly wasn’t too large but given the way his eyes searched their surroundings every so often, I knew they had already hidden my mom from our people so no one could find out about me.

The trees to their left shook in the next moment, and their heads lifted to find Knight slowly coming out of the forest. Curiosity fluttered through him, pulling him to my mom by a force bigger than all of them. A satisfied grin captured Dad’s face, saying that wasn’t the first time I had called a Dragon to us, and perhaps, his outings with my pregnant mom were not at all a coincidence.

A wave of recognition, and a stronger emotion I couldn’t quite place, washed over me through the new bond just as the golden magic faded from Knight’s eyes. He blinked, shaking his head slowly.

“It cannot be,” Knight whispered, remaining away as though he didn’t want to let himself believe… or hope.

My irises gleamed brightly with Devenish magic in response, the yellow hue engulfing my vision to show him exactly who I was, and he took a step back, stunned by the sight. The strong emotion I had sensed in him became all-consuming—devotion—and without faltering, he fully bowed to me.

“Welcome back, Young Prince,” his gritty voice offered through our link. “I have waited for you…”

Cold tendrils of realization wrapped around my being the next second, and I understood what had brought those Dragons to me while I was still in my mother’s belly. Why they pledged loyalty to my father and fought for him without question.

It wasn’t a silent call. It wasn’t the extent of my power or any kind of influence I had over them.

They sensed exactly what Knight recognized within me now. My magical essence. That I was the one being they had been waiting for, hoped for, for so long…

A pure-hearted Devenish.

And the Prince of Caelisium.