Cari
Her anger seemed to be something outside herself, something she couldn't reel back. Not that she wanted to. Cari embraced it, fed it by remembering the pain of being so far from her mate. The loneliness that swamped over her despite not being alone at all. Most of all she thought about the impending loss of her cousin.
Closing her eyes she took a deep breath to calm herself, and felt her wolf rise. It was pissed, even more so than she was. With another deep breath she took the mental steps back to the still pool of power that resided deep inside her.
She was far from ready to face the rawness that had come with interacting with it. Being laid bare like that was like having her soul peeled layer by layer while she writhed her protest and pain to an uncaring world. Just the thought of it was enough to make her sweat.
Yet Cari knew it was past time she stood up. Past time she showed who she was beyond the doormat she'd portrayed. No one knew where they were. Even if they did, how could they even find them let alone rescue them? So it fell on them to free themselves, on her to bring the chaos that'd afford them the chance.
So she made the internal journey back, taking deep breaths to calm the nerves that rode her mental self. It wasn't long until she once more stood at the edge of that deep blue pool of magic. She couldn't see the other side of it, had no idea how deep it was but she walked into its radiance.
It was the worst torture she could've imagined.
With the first touch of the magic to her toes her memories swamped over her with painful clarity. The tiny little slights that shattered her young soul during her childhood, shaped her. She felt the pain she'd felt then, the insecurity.
Cari walked on, bracing herself. She recalled the time when her older brother Trip had stopped being the loving older brother she'd known and started ignoring her. All the times her sister had left her behind when she'd said they would go out together.
It went on, flaying her until she was reduced to a hopeless template who saw no purpose to existence. He mind fractured to a thousand pieces that became swept away by the storm of hurts she'd endured in her life. How had she even been able to stand before?
Like an automaton that had been wound and set towards a direction, Cari kept on moving. Bent in some way under the pressure yet with nothing else to do. At some level she was aware the pool had swallowed her, yet she still breathed, if a mental awareness could. It took her a while to realize the nature of her memories had changed, that she was no longer being crushed under the weight of past pain.
Once again she experienced the comfort of running into her father's ready arms, of her uncle Dan lifting her up high at some accomplishment. She cuddled with her mother as they read some book, went climbing with her aunt Walela. Once more she had a food fight with her brother Vin, chased Dan after he'd stolen some food from her. Trip encouraging her when she'd wanted to give up. Hiking with her maternal grandfather and listening to old stories from her grandmother.
She experienced the rush of skiing down a mountain with her former friend Annie and Dani bracketing her. Then there were the bittersweet memories of all the times she and Claire had shared confidences under the blankets while sneaking in treats. The times they'd cried to share a bed. The time when they'd been inseparable.
All the good memories filled her up until she was more than whole, more than she'd ever thought she was. She understood then that her power was one of connection. Serenity. All her life she'd thought that its limit was soothing the emotional and or mental health of those around her. Yet she had more than just that. More than she was ready to acknowledge as it made her too different from her race.
In the heart of her magic, the core of her being, she came to understand her gift of serenity. It was tied to balance, to what biologists called homeostasis - the constant international environment of the body, to that steady beat of life that existed all around beyond understanding. And she could shift it if she wanted.
She could reach out and make it rain beyond its season, to make it snow or have eternal sunshine. She could still the very air and make people unable to breath. She could make them too serene to bother with caring for themselves. She was dangerous.
With a gasp that was more for that realization, Cari broke free from under the magical pool. Restored and much more. She walked her way out with determination. While she hadn't gotten the answer of whether she was strong enough to challenge a dragon one on one. She knew she could ensnare them into doing her bidding by letting them feel the beauty of the balance they sought. Something she'd done with the female dragon who'd tried to kill them.
Once clear of the pool, she walked on without looking back. Knowing that whatever direction she walked away from the pool would lead her to herself. Like before, when she opened her eyes, Dani was anxiously looking at her. This time though, she gasped in surprise when their gazes held.
"What?" Cari demanded, her heart jumping closer to her mouth.
"Your eyes," her cousin whispered in frightened awe. "They're blue."
"What?" Cari questioned, fear catching her voice in its grip.
Dani nodded. "An electric blue that is out of this world."
"Oh." Cari deflated knowing that somehow she'd brought some of the eeriness of the pool with her. She didn't want to talk about it though, not even with Dani. The sister of her heart. "I touched the depths of my gift." She abbreviated. "I wanted to find a way to ensnare more dragons to us."
Dani perked up at that. "Did you?"
The smile she gave her cousin was hard because of the anger that still simmered beneath all the other emotions and thoughts fighting to be processed. Cari wasn't ready to confront her new self awareness, so she embraced the anger. "Yes." She answered her cousin.
Dani pumped her fist up and down. "Yes!" She exalted. "I'll sing for them into submission before you capture them."
"And then the dragonic civil war will begin. Courtesy of us." Her cousin gave her an evil, delighted smile and she returned it in kind.
***
She'd gathered a sizeable army. It'd been so easy to do with that Cari had felt a little bit silly for her previous fear. All she'd had to do was project the sense of serenity that dwelt inside her. Quite a number of the dragons were eager to embrace it. People who'd never experienced life away from the dragon valley and felt stifled by the restrictions that kept them there.
They came to her call in droves, lured by the sense of freedom her gift offered them. She didn't even need to touch them, they were so ready to embrace the answer to their discontent, the dream.
There were others though who resisted. People content to stay as they were, who didn't like change. As she touched their essence with her gift, she knew she could push past their barriers. She also saw that doing so would break them, addict them to the sense of serenity she'd provide. Something that life couldn't sustain. Even as livid as she was, Cari couldn't bring herself to go that far.
So she stood at the same balcony overlooking the city. The barrier over the castle still held them within its walls, but her gift flowed through it and over the city. She could see its blue radiance as it flowed through the dragon city, felt it as it snared one dragon after another.
With a deep breath she put out a thought that the ones she hadn't ensnared were the ones standing in the way of their happiness, their freedom. A wave of self disgust nearly swamped her, but she held strong. Though inside she was crying, she hardened herself as she watched the chaos that ensured down in the city.
The first she dragon and some of the guards she'd come back with guarded her and Dani, as did the ones the dragon prince had set for them. They too watched with dispassion as the city erupted into chaos. As some dragons tried to fly out of the valley and were stopped by the city guards.
It disturbed her to see that a dragon fight was a beautiful thing to see from afar. Their multi coloured radiance played off beautifully against the golden city background. They took flight in majesty, their battles seeming to be a complex choreographed dance. They grappled with intense passion, their strength unmistakable and mesmerizing.
With another deep breath she turned away from the chaos she was glad she couldn't hear the sound of. Within the wards of the castle, she'd managed to snare a fair number of the guards and she was ready to confront the dragon prince. Since she had yet to meet the guy, she let the guards with her lead the way.
As they came to a hallway that was lined with guards, Cari's heart leapt. A dance that brought all the primal power she had to the fore. The instincts that were said to have governed her people in the early days. Her sight became better, her sense of smell compounded like she'd never experienced before.
Individual scents became distinct, telling her all she needed to know about them. For the first time Cari experienced the oneness with her wolf that was the trademark of her people. Their thoughts were one, their purpose. They wanted to rip the throat of the dragon prince.
His scent was embedded into the very walls of this hallway. This was his wing, his power crackled in the very air they were breathing. The stench she remembered within the barrier that'd kept her and Dani within the castle. Had it existed deeper in the mountain beyond the library?
Besides his scent though, were ones she knew. Werewolf scents. Her mate had passed through here with her brother, cousin, Annie, two royal guards and a reaper. Had the reaper kidnapped them for the dragon prince too? She grit her teeth at that thought. It was time to end this once and for all.
It was bad enough that the dragon had kidnapped her and Dani, but to enslave Dani to him, to kidnap her mate and loved ones? She was going to make him suffer! As long as he was tied to Dani, Cari couldn't kill him but she could do some unpleasant things that'd have him wishing for death.
None of the guards made an issue of their presence. Probably because they knew she and Dani were their unwilling guests. Cari was sure the room they'd woken up in was close by. Which meant the guards had to think they were being brought before the prince. She hadn't managed to entrance any of them and the alarm from the city had yet to reach the castle so they stood at ease. If warriors on guard could be at ease.
When the door was opened before her, her eyes sought and found her mate. He stood in the middle of what looked like a training arena holding a broadsword that for some reason was white. His back was to her, all his focus on his opponent but Cari knew he was aware of her.
All she wanted was to rush to him, to be enveloped in his arms. Yet she knew she couldn't distract him anymore than she had. Her gaze shifted to the male Andre was facing, the one she assumed was the dragon who'd kidnapped her and Dani.
She looked up at the dragon prince. At the arrogance that was stamped into his face. She took in the smug cast of his lips, the assurance that glinted in his eyes and the way he stood puffed up. His back straight with that arrogance as he looked down his nose with his chin too high.
Cari became a bubbling cauldron of rage. How dare he act like he was entitled to them? As if it was still the dark ages and the dragons could trade and keep them as they willed. "Good timing little wolf." The dragon said without looking their way. "Your prince and I agreed to fight for the honour of being your mate."
"And let me guess, I get to be flattered and go with whoever wins?" Dani derided.
The dragon smiled, a delighted one, though he kept his eyes on Andre. Cari could sense her mate's confusion. She wished she could mind link to him, just to feel his touch in any way possible. It felt like they were just a breath away from that all important connection, just out of reach.
It was painful to have him so close and yet still feel separated. To be so close enough to touch him but know they were in too much danger to risk it. How would the dragon react when he realized he'd bound Dani instead of her? Would it be better to let him believe Dani was her until they escaped?
"Still love your feistiness little wolf." The dragon replied with amusement.
"Then it won't come as a surprise that I have no intention of having anything to do with you." Dani countered.
He smiled, unaffected by that declaration. "A dragon bond is naturally stronger." He stated. "And your prince will never win, not against me."
"Your arrogance will be your downfall." Andre informed in his quiet, deep voice. "You've already made too many mistakes but are too full of yourself to realize it."
Without any warning, the dragon attacked. Cari balled her fists and felt an inrush of elemental power that nearly unbalanced her. Like every other werewolf, she could borrow the attributes of the elements but couldn't manifest them. They could balance them enough to call upon the spirit but still never call flames or shift the earth.
Now though, she felt the earth shift beneath her. She felt flames burning through her blood saw their embers tracing her hands and the air seemed to swirl about her, in her lungs. She could even feel the flow of the sea that lay deep under the mountains they stood upon.
It was like her senses were ramped up even more. With a deep breath, she felt a wave of calm wash over her. It didn't negate how angry she was, but she became clear headed, analytical. Her eyes traced the movements of the fight as Andre engaged the dragon prince.
Her mate flowed against the more aggressive movements of the dragon, he was graceful, like a dancer who merely held a sword. Yet his movements were deadly, precise. There wasn't a wasted move. All the while they all stood still and watched. Cari had come in with the intent of fighting the prince herself but now she was having to stand down.
The last thing she wanted was to undermine her mate but still she needed to tear into the dragon. The drive to fight was too strong. Another breath calmed her even more. Even her wolf calmed and chose to wait patiently. She'd set things in motion and it was inevitable that she'd soon join the fight.