Mentored in Fire (Demon Days & Vampire Nights)

Had Cahal just told me a story to pull at my heartstrings?

Fourteen

The buggy ride was mostly quiet as we traveled past the neighboring sects and into the wilds behind the castle. The landscape changed from various Brink scenes—rolling hills, rocky mountains, or serene meadows—into ones that would be more fitting for the Realm, like puffy trees and manufactured flowers and golden cobblestones. At one point I’d looked down and asked, “Is that real gold?”

“Why do you want to know, so you can steal some bricks?” Lucifer had laughed. “It is real, and most of it has already been stolen once. I took them from the elves many years ago. I wanted to prove how easy it was to take their things. They weren’t pleased.”

It was like talking to myself. I could not believe I could be so like this man, whom I had not known growing up. The lesson in genetics was pretty intense.

The various landscapes were apparently his trials. He tested out designs back here, where most people didn’t travel on foot or even in buggies. Only the more powerful demons dealt with dragons, and they could alter their shape. Basically, they could fly.

“What do I have to look forward to?” I asked as the landscape subtly morphed into rolling fields of purple and blue. Above, a great winged beast soared through the sky, its aqua scales glittering in the faux-sun. I watched it pump its mighty wings before it dove, zooming down toward the ground and then turning over and climbing back up, enjoying the day.

My heart pumped harder. Excitement curled through me. Forcing Cahal to go was the right decision. I knew he’d want to see these things. He’d just been messing with me earlier, and in the end, he’d be thankful for this.

“Dragons do not like strangers,” Lucifer said. “They do not like people interrupting their territory, and they can become quite violent about it. I’ll be with you, and if we stay on the path, it negates much of the risk. But the second you approach a dragon, it won’t care about me. It will only care about you, and it’ll want you to prove your worth in battle.”

No problem. I’d been proving my worth in battle my whole adult life.

“How do you coax one to bond you?” I asked.

“After you prove your worth, it will connect with your mind and let you ride. From there, your friendship will begin. The bond is like any bond—you learn about each other, begin to feel mutual trust, and that trust develops into a partnership.”

“But…what if, when you’re learning about each other, you realize that one of you is an asshole?”

“Their magic gives them a sort of…emotional Sight, is the only way to describe it. They can feel your magic, and you through it. If they cannot handle an asshole, they will not engage with you.”

“Ah. So if I try to battle a dragon that doesn’t want to battle…”

“It’ll fly away. Or it will resist, and the other dragons nearby will join with it to kill you to stop unwanted advances.”

“Gotcha.”

“Dragons are loyal like no other creatures in the world. Once they find someone worthy, they will stick with that creature until the end of time, to their own detriment, if need be.”

“Can they only bond demons? Are demons the only ones they find worthy?”

“Not at all. It’s just the only option they have. They are loyal to the Underworld, and given I had to cut us off from the Realm, they remain here with us.”

“Like the unicorns remain in the Realm?”

“Yes. Unicorns are very similar to dragons, though they tend to be a herd animal. They will work with another creature, but they aren’t as fiercely loyal. Great in battle, though.”

“And Vlad will help you use them to your benefit?”

He didn’t comment, but his ghost of a grin gave him away.

I took a deep breath, and everything within me wobbled again. What Cahal had said hit me. Not having Darius here to chat about strategy was gnawing away at my heart. I wanted to see Penny meet the dragons, because her magical thievery would give them a run for their money, I just knew it. And Emery would fall all over himself to ride one of those great beasts. It was a fitting battle companion for a rogue natural.

I shook my head sadly, staring out the window.

“You’re in a black place,” Lucifer said quietly. “Can I help?”

“No.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him nod. He looked away. And that made it just a little harder.

A truckload of minutes later, the buggy turned and slowed. I blinked, having been staring at nothing for some time, my thoughts churning. Huge black gates, currently opened, rose into the sky, topped with sharp spikes. Thorny bushes crowded the space at the bottom of the gates and ivy trailed along the top. A thunderous rumble shook my bones but settled down quickly. What sounded like, and probably were, enormous wings beat at the air.