Dracian Legacy (5 page)

“You’re ridiculously beautiful,” he said, tucking a strand of my wet hair behind my ear.

My heart pounded against my ribcage. His eyes stared into mine.
Why is he looking at me like that?
The backs of his fingers grazed my cheek gently. I swallowed hard at his tender touch. He dropped his hand and leaned in closer. A whiff of his scent engulfed my senses. I inhaled deeply and sighed. Blood rushed faster and time froze, pushing everything else into oblivion. It was just him and me.

His lips moved against my ear seductively. “We’re here.”

Sweet. Lord.

“You coming?” he called over his shoulder, chuckling.

One word snuck into my head.
Addiction
.

“Do you trust me?” Axel asked in a thoughtful voice.

Emotions I never thought possible surfaced when I was around him. I felt vulnerable. There wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him. This new revelation scared me senseless. Why now? Why him?

Why? Why? Why?

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

He smiled that smile that could easily break millions of hearts, including mine. “Close your eyes,” he instructed, holding my hand, leading the way into the mysterious cave.

He was precise in providing instructions on things to watch out for—step down or up, move to the right or left, etc.

I trusted him completely and knew deep down that he would die before anything happened to me. Who was I kidding? That is what
I
wanted to believe. God knows he didn’t feel that way.

His soft lips grazed my ear. Again. “Open your eyes,
Meus Aeternus
.”

I think I just turned into a… Yup. Puddle of useless ooze. God, what was he trying to do me?

I slowly opened my eyes to a breathtaking view. My words were lost in my throat. I didn’t know what to say. This was what heaven must look like. I was sure of it. I held onto his hand tighter as I ran forward to explore.

“What is this place?” I asked, trying to figure out if it was real.

The cave was large enough to hold at least a thousand partygoers. There was a little pond in the middle about ten feet wide. Lotuses bloomed beautifully in the middle. Trees decorated the ancient walls of the cave with flowers I’d never seen. I could smell a combination of honeysuckle, jasmine, lotus, the breeze over pure water…

The smell of spring. The smell of Axel, I noted.

My senses were in hyper drive. It felt exhilarating. I was joyful. I was at peace. I looked up to find an opening drawing in the last of the sunlight. If gods were to descend, this would be the place. It was purely magical. It felt like home.

I turned around to find Axel staring at me, possibly concluding I was insane.

“What?” I asked, embarrassed.

I started to pull my hand back, but he tightened his grip and squeezed. “It feels complete
.
”
Now that you’re here
, his eyes whispered.

I sucked in a breath, my heart kicking into high gear. That wasn’t what I expected him to say. All the same, at that moment, my obsession intensified.

Great. Just. Freaking. Great.

“Thank you… for this. I don’t think I’ve ever been so awestruck by nature.”

He continued to watch me with an ethereal look on his face.

When he didn’t respond, I cleared my throat and took a seat by the pond. I ran my fingers back and forth in the cold water, creating a soothing rhythm. He walked over and sat next to me.

“God is bipolar,” I said.

“What?” His voice was low and surprised.

“I mean, how can he create something as astonishing as this and also create those things? Goarder, I think you said?” I shivered, remembering the blood-red eyes, sharp teeth, and snake-like tongues.

“Ying, yang, good, evil. It’s the balance of life. It keeps the universe moving forward.” He shrugged. “When the scales tip one way or another, nature takes control to balance it out. I think that’s how we
Kshadrias
were initially born,” he said carefully.

Kshadria
, I thought.
That’s what he is.

Axel leaned back on his elbows and looked at the sky above us as he spoke. I tilted my chin up, taking in the beauty of the darkened sky. The sun had gone down, leaving us with millions of sparkling stars and the moon illuminating the sky.

Breathtaking. Beautiful.

I sighed tranquilly.

“Tell me your story, Axel. I want to know… about you.”
All of you
, I thought.

My head turned to him and our eyes found each other’s.

His were pale blue, as if he was troubled and conflicted, like he was fighting an inner battle. Then his features relaxed. I saw the determination and knew his mind was made up.

“I want you to know me. Ren, I need you…” He shook his head.

My heart did funny things. I knew it was stupid since I barely knew the guy, but I couldn’t control what my damned heart or hormones wanted.

“Once you’ve heard it, if you want
nothing
to do with me, I’ll never bother you again.”

I considered what he was saying. Why would it matter what I wanted? No matter what he said, it wouldn’t change how I felt. And it was the strongest feeling I ever experienced toward anyone.

There was no doubt in my mind. I wanted to know him. “Are you human?”

He lay back and concentrated on the night sky. A cool breeze passed around me.

He let out another deep sigh.

CHAPTER FIVE

“We’re a race of humans called
Kshadria
, consisting of Dracians and Telalians,” Axel said. “I’m a Dracian.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“We’re kind of like Asians or Europeans or African Americans, only our race is gifted with blue eyes and the ability to control and command magic.” He cleared his throat and continued. “There are four distinct groups. First, we have Charmers. Most of them are in leadership, teaching, or medical roles, providing us guidance, knowledge, and protection through herbs, amulets, and charms. Then we have the Sorcerers. Sorcerers utilize magic within themselves and their surroundings to protect our kind.”

“What kind of magic?”

“The Charmers can use herbs to reduce fever, while the Sorcerers can use Reiki, the ability to manipulate the mind to achieve the same results almost instantly.”

“So, why not just use that magic all the time to cure diseases?” If such power existed, it should be used to help others, not stay hidden.

Axel laughed, almost to say,
Isn’t it obvious
?

“Other than the fact balance needs to be maintained, Reiki utilizes the Sorcerers’ own energy bank to heal the injured.” I looked at him questioningly. He lifted his right hand. “Remember my stab wound from the Goarder?”

I nodded, shuddering as I remembered those nightmares—Goarders.

“I used Reiki to heal it. I used part of
my
energy,
my
essence to heal myself. If I got hurt beyond repair, it would take a lot more to recover.”

“What happens if you lose all of your essence? Will you, like, putrefy or something?” I asked with more curiosity.

“Not necessarily. See, we can fuel ourselves with time or by the food we consume.” He laughed. “So, if you ever see me eating like I haven’t eaten in years, well, now you know. Now if you see Tyler doing that…” He paused. “Well, that’s just Tyler being a pig.”

We both laughed. Realization dawned on me. Axel just mentioned Tyler. He was a super? How did…?

“Tyler’s…?”

“Yeah, and it really doesn’t help his alter-ego issues.” He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair sheepishly. “I don’t know how we’re even related.”

“Wait, you and Tyler are related?”
Broken record much?

He nodded.

“Huh…” I took a moment, considering this information. I tried to remember if I ever saw any magical clues from Tyler, but I couldn’t. “But I never saw you around before.”

“Yeah.” He shifted his weight leaving my question unanswered.

“All right.” I wasn’t ready to force the answer out of him. Not yet anyways. “You said there are four, so with Charmers and Sorcerers, that leaves us with…?”

“Legions and Originals.” He finished for me. “Legions are an elite group of warriors that fight to protect our kind at any cost. They are like Navy SEALs or MI agents in the human world. Some in the group are called Sentry and others are Shields. The—”

“What’s the difference between them?”

He chuckled. “You have the patience of Mother Teresa.”

I flashed a talk-to-the-hand gesture and rolled my eyes for added effect.

“The Shields are the first line of defense and are used as protection services for anything and everything. The Sentry are the elite warriors. They’re the last line of defense and step in to handle missions that are—”

“Impossible.” I finished for him.

He smiled down at me. Actually, it was more like a grin filled with pride and it was sexy as hell. Mini explosions burst throughout my body, making me tingle all over. His tongue darted out, wetting his lips, as his eyes traveled to my mouth. I suddenly began to pant, my head swimming dangerously.

Get a grip, Ren.

He cleared his throat, bringing me out of my trance. “Legions are gifted with speed, strength, super healing, and telepathy. Since they don’t carry any magical weight, a Sorcerer is assigned for every ten Legions.”

“Telepathy. That’s an awesome power,” I said in reverence.

He nodded, smiling. “It really helps us communicate without the need for excess toys.”

“I thought boys loved their toys.” I playfully jabbed his shoulder.

His lips curved up in an impish smile. “The last group is called the Originals. Since we know very little about their magic, everything is based on rumors. We believe they can control elemental magic in addition to giving or taking away magic.”

“So, what are you?”

A lascivious smile played on his lips as his voice grew hoarse and low. “Hmm… Let’s see. I’m one hundred percent sure I’m a boy and you’re a girl, and we—”

“Thanks for that enlightenment, genius.” I snorted. “I meant, can you, like… run super-fast or throw a flame or…?”

“I’m actually a hybrid Dracian.”

I took a deep breath, ready to blast him with another question. But he held his hand up and smiled.

“Before you ask, it’s rare to be a hybrid. There are some chosen families…” He hesitated for a few seconds and I was certain this was the information he couldn’t tell me. But then he surprised me when he continued. “Some families have a mixture of bloodlines to allow their offspring the best chance for survival. But most of them are pureblood to one type of magic. This makes them stronger. More defined and invincible.” He sounded unsure and doubtful.

I was astonished he shared his secret with me. Truth be told, I was expecting him to… I didn’t know what I expected, but it definitely wasn’t the truth.

“Every Dracian is put through some defense training by the time we’re thirteen. I never thought twice about what I wanted. I was and will always be a Legion—serving soldier of Mother Dracia. It’s my responsibility to protect my people, my family, and my friends.”

I listened to him in amazement. “And why? I mean, why the responsibility?”

“I had firsthand experience with the kind of damage Telalians, our arch nemesis, are capable of.” He paused, lost in thought. “There are many awful things out there, Ren. Goarders are at the bottom of the food chain. They’re mere mortals greedy enough to sell their souls.”

“Who has such power? And why would someone be stupid enough to sell their soul?” It came out judgmental, but I couldn’t help myself. What could possibly be worth selling your soul?

“Telal and his immediate bloodline, called Proxys, have the power. And to answer your other question, not everything is as it seems. Some people grow desperate enough to sacrifice themselves to save their loved ones from impending death.”

Could I be one of those desperate people? Was I brave enough to sacrifice myself for someone else? I didn’t have to think long before I found my answer.

Yes, I would. I would do anything to protect my brother.