Origin of Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Protector #3)(20)

“I can’t guarantee that it will work,” my mother said. “He’s amazingly strong if his men have the magic to break through our barrier. But wear it for me. Please.”

“Of course.” I slipped it onto my wrist. The wide band that Ares had gotten me sat higher on my arm.

“Be careful when you seek Ademius. And we’ll be here if you need us.”

I hugged her, so grateful to have my mother back. For so long, I’d only had Cass and Del. But now, with my parents and Ares, my world had grown so much larger. My throat tightened and I squeezed my mother’s hand.

As much as I wanted to be with her always, I couldn’t stay here. Not with my life and responsibilities in the outside world. Cass and Del were my family too. But hopefully I could visit. At least occasionally.



I found Ares in his room down the hall. At my knock, he pulled open the door.

“Uh, hi.” My gaze went straight to his bare chest. It wasn’t that I was a horndog. But I kinda was, because he looked good. I jerked my eyes up to his face. “You want to take a walk?”

The corner of his mouth kicked up, and I stared way too hard at his full lips. “Sure.”

“Great, I’ll uh—just wait here.” Smooth, Nix, real smooth.

He left the door open and found the towel on the bed, then scrubbed it over his wet hair. He must have just gotten out of the shower. My eyes traced his muscles like he was a sculpture. He dropped the towel. And because I’m super smooth, I blushed and looked away so fast you’d have thought I was spying on his income taxes.

Whistling, I walked down the hall a ways, willing my cheeks to cool. The door shut behind me.

I turned. He wore a dark T-shirt and a smile. Though the smile should have made him look less deadly, I was pretty sure nothing did that. It didn’t help that he had a burn on his cheekbone from the fire mage. It just made him look rakish and more dangerous.

“Where to?” he asked.

“Not sure. I just want to explore.”

“Fair enough.”

We didn’t speak as we walked down the stairs and out the door. I was ridiculously grateful that we didn’t see my parents on the way out. I wasn’t a teenager and he wasn’t taking me to the movies or the prom, but it would still feel kind of like that if I saw my parents. I didn’t know how to do those things. I’d forgotten what life with family was like. Del and Cass were definitely family, but not this kind. Though they might have heckled me before a few dates.

The moon was high overhead, half full and gleaming with light that shined on the city around us. Golden lanterns hung from buildings and the water fountains made the loveliest noise.

“You’re from a nice place, Nix.”

“Yeah. Weird, but nice.” I turned left, heading up toward the mountains. The street inclined in this direction, but I always liked to get the hard part done first.

Ares walked at my side. It was warm enough here that I’d been able to forego my jacket, and the bracelet he’d given me wrapped around my bicep. I pointed to it. “What is this thing, exactly?”

“Protective charm. Unfortunately, it can’t repel shots of magic, but it’ll blast anyone who touches you with ill intent.”

“Cool, thanks. It saved me from that mage.”

“You saved yourself from that mage. It just helped.”

I smiled at him. “It definitely did. Where’d you get it? Is it what you went to the Vampire realm for?”

“It was.” He raised a hand to the burn on his cheek, as if checking it. It was nothing but a faded mark now. “It’s from the Pū?is.”

“Really?” I loved the idea that my fiery dragon friends had helped me out.

“Yes. It is imbued with their magic. I’d once heard that they could enchant objects like that, but had never actually seen one.” He shrugged. “But with Drakon after you, I wanted you to have extra protection.”

“So you went to the Pū?is.” We’d reached the top of the street, where there was an open expanse to our left—a dead garden, I was afraid—and a path into the mountains on the right. I chose the path on the right. It almost felt like I could feel a hint of life in the forest around me.

“Yes. Except they didn’t understand what I was asking for at first. Hence, this.” He pointed to the burn on his cheek. “But eventually they understood what I wanted and that it was for you. It’s damned hard to talk to a dragon, though.”

“Thanks for trying.” I reached out and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back, and we walked like that for a moment.

I released his hand to climb up a rock. The path was becoming windier and more narrow. I could imagine this place with flowers and grass and trees. Devastation made a wasteland of my chest. “All of this is dead because of me.”

“Not because of you. For you.”

“Feels like the same thing.”

“It doesn’t matter. You didn’t want it, you didn’t ask for it.” His voice was firm, as if he wanted to force me to agree. “And you’ll risk your life for whatever fated task you must accomplish. It’s your sacrifice too, Nix.”

He was right that I’d give it back in a heartbeat if I could. But I was part of something bigger—something I barely understood and definitely didn’t feel worthy of.