Origin of Magic (Dragon's Gift: The Protector #3)(56)
Joy warmed my chest. “He was, wasn’t he?”
“As for Drakon,” Ares said. “He’s still out there.”
“And we have no new clues about his location.” Del frowned. “Or why he wants to kill the dragons. What does he hope to gain?”
“No idea. If only our FireSoul magic was strong enough to find him.” I’d been trying all day with no luck.
“Whatever concealment charm he’s wearing is powerful,” Cass said. “I don’t think we’re going to have a breakthrough on that.”
“We could try to find the dragons,” Connor said. “Though the prophecy was pretty vague.”
“Aren’t they usually?” Claire laughed.
She had a point. Prophecies were often hard to understand even if you did know the whole thing.
“It’s a clue, at least.” I clung to that hope. “We just need more clues. Drakon will hunt them. So we will too. And you never know, Drakon might come to us. He needs us for his plan.”
“We could make ourselves bait.” Cass grinned, a cunning glint in her eye.
“Something like that,” I said.
“I don’t like it,” Ares said. “Too dangerous.”
“I second that.” Roarke’s words tripped over Aidan’s, which were basically identical.
I looked at Ares. “We’re used to dangerous. It’s kind of what we do.”
“I’ve noticed that,” he said.
“Good.” I nodded. “We’ll come up with a plan. Because Drakon is coming for us. And we have to be ready.”
Across Town…
Inside Nix’s trove, magic sparked, illuminating the darkness. Plants rustled with magic, as if they sensed the change in the air. The dragonfruit plant shivered as magic flowed through its stalks and fruit. It shifted, morphing with the magic of Life. The magic of FireSouls.
As rain pattered on the glass ceiling of the greenhouse, one of the fat round dragonfruits dropped from the stalk and landed in the dirt. Power vibrated through it, and the fruit took on new life. It stretched and unfurled, growing limbs, then a tail, and finally a head. Red scales tipped with green glinted in the light of the moon that flooded through the glass ceiling. Green wings and obsidian claws curled against the dragon’s small body.
Thunder cracked in the distance as the tiny dragon—born of magic and life—opened its dark eyes and sought the future.
~~~
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Excerpt Of Hidden Magic
(Told from the perspective of Cass Clereaux)
Jungle, Southeast Asia
Five years before the events in Demon Magic
“How much are we being paid for this job again?” I asked as I glanced at the inhabitants filling the bar. It was a motley crowd of supernaturals, many of whom looked shifty as hell.
“Not nearly enough.” Del frowned at the man across the bar, who was giving her his best sexy face. There was a lot of eyebrow movement happening. “Is he having a seizure?”
“Looks like it.” Nix grinned. “Though I gotta say, I wasn’t expecting this. We’re basically in a tree, for magic’s sake. In the middle of the jungle! Where are all these dudes coming from?”
“According to my info, there’s a mining operation near here. Though I’d say we’re more under a tree than in a tree.”
“I’m with Cass,” Del said. “Under, not in.”
“Fair enough.” Nix’s green eyes traveled around the room.
We were deep in Southeast Asia, in a bar that had long ago been reclaimed by the jungle. A massive fig tree had grown over and around the ancient building, its huge roots encapsulating the stone walls. It was straight out of a fairy tale. Monks had once lived here, but a few supernaturals of indeterminate species had gotten ahold of it and turned it into a watering hole for the local supernaturals. We were meeting our local contact here, but he was late.
“Hey, pretty lady.” A smarmy voice sounded from my left. “What are you?”
I turned to face the guy who was giving me the up and down, his gaze roving from my tank top to my shorts. He wasn’t Clarence, our local contact. And if he meant “what kind of supernatural are you?” I sure as hell wouldn’t be answering.
“Not interested is what I am,” I said.
“Aww, that’s no way to treat a guy.” He grasped my hip, rubbing his thumb up and down.
I gagged, then smacked his hand away, tempted to throat-punch him. It was a favorite move of mine, but I didn’t want to start a fight before Clarence got here. Didn’t want to piss off the boss and all. He liked it when jobs went smoothly.