The Witch and the Dragon

Chapter Twelve

Zak couldn't get a feel for Seth. It was as if he were a completely different person. Devon felt him in the enviro-level, so they had teleported there to search.

God, I don't feel or hear him—

Zak sent out telepathically.

Dev, are you sure he's here?

He's here. His memories have regressed along with his age—

Devon answered.

What does that mean?—

Remi's voice echoed in Zak's head.

It's like she turned back time for him. I feel his fear, can almost hear his thoughts...he's scattering his essence so it's really hard to pin-point where he is exactly.

Devon's voice sounded incredulous.

Zak also thought it surprising Seth would have so much telekinetic ability when he was practically a baby.

"Here-kitty-kitty-kitty," Remi called in a sing-song voice.

Zak rolled his eyes with a shake of his head and then stiffened when he heard a low growl.

The voices in his head went silent.

"Come-on, pussy-cat. Uncle Rem's got a nice bowl of cream for you." Remi's voice was definitely teasing and the growling grew louder.

Zak smirked. The son-of-a-bitch was riling Seth to get him to reveal where he was.

The feel of Alluna's hand clutching his arm had him turning his head to her. He put his finger over his pursed lips to signal her not to make any noise. Just ahead of them, Zak could see Remi's mop of red hair through the foliage swaying around them.

"Here-kitty-kitty-kitty. Here, little pussy-cat,"

Branches snapped and a flash of black and white knocked Remi over. Rowie screamed and Zak ran toward the commotion.

Seth was no little kitty-cat. Transformed into his tiger, Seth was as big as any normal fully adult Siberian white tiger.

"Oh-shit, Dev," Zak crouch, unsure what to do as he watched the twelve foot nine hundred pound tiger maul Remi. "I thought you said he was a fucking cub."

"Seth, please," Rowie shrieked jumping on the big cat's back. "Don't kill my baby."

Anniel and Angel began shrieking as well, making Zak's ears hurt. Devon gripped Seth around his big furry neck, begging Seth to let Remi go.

Remi, the bastard, was laughing, even as Seth's enormous tiger jaws gripped and shook him from the scruff of his neck.

Alluna began to wail beside Zak, making him raise his brows. "Do something. Oh—this is all my fault. Poor Remi."

Zak had heard enough. His girl wanted Remi's ass saved, bless her sweet confused heart. Zak threw himself into the fray of writhing legs, arms, claws, and fangs.

Seth's fangs were digging deeper into Remi's neck, copious amounts of blood running down the weredragons chest. Still Remi laughed as though he were being tickled.

No. Not tickled. He hated that and screamed in agony when it was done to him.

Rem, you sick fuck. Stop laughing. You're only getting him madder.

Zak wedged himself under Remi at one point when they all rolled to the right. He could see Seth's enraged blue eyes. Zak snarled and gripped the fuzzy ears and gave them a jerk.

He didn't know if it was fear at losing his crazy-assed brother or rage at not knowing how to remedy the situation, but his voice came out as a bestial roar. "You let go of Remi this instant or I swear I'll put you across my knee and beat your scrawny little ass black and blue, Sethaliel."

The fur in his hands became two little ears hidden beneath a wealth of platinum blond hair.

They collapsed in a heap of bodies when the enormous tiger changed back into a boy no bigger than three feet.

The boys' lip quivered, his enormous blue eyes filling with tears just before his face crumpled and soft sobs shook his tiny frame.

Devon scooped him up and held him tight to his chest. Zak got to his feet and helped Remi and Rowie up. Remi was a bit wobbly on his feet, but already Zak saw how his wounds were closing up.

"You alright, man?" he asked, his voice still gruff.

Remi nodded, but his attention was on Rowie who was trembling, her breath choked with sobs. She licked at his blood and wounds, holding on to his tattered shirt with white knuckled fingers.

Anniel's hand on Zak's arm made him jump. "You okay, Goliath?"

Zak stared at Seth's shivering form in Devon's arms. He looked no older than three—maybe four-years-old.

He wanted to caress him and tell him he was sorry for frightening him, but remained quiet. It was better if the boy feared him a little. There was no telling how well the tot could control his beast. For now, his fear of Zak would be a good protection for all of them.

"Remi," Devon looked over Seth's blond head. "You okay?"

Remi nodded, his eyes falling on Devon's bundle. "Amaranth helped me get back to normal the time Luna's mother turned me into a miniature dragon."

Zak looked at Remi when he used the new nickname for Alluna.

"I'll send out a message to the high priestess," Anniel volunteered stroking Seth's hair with Angel at her side holding his trembling hand. His fingers looked so tiny, like a baby's

Seth hid his face against Devon's chest making Zak frown more. He really didn't remember them, the absence of his presence in Zak's mind making him ache.

"No," Devon sighed. "We'll take him to Seraphia ourselves. I'll go with Zak. The rest of you stay. We'll stay linked."

***

Alluna did her best to quell the jolt of panic that surged through her when Devon and Zak disappeared. Zak had been so preoccupied with Seth, he'd zapped out of sight without so much as half a word to her.

"Oh, all this fiasco drained me," Angel moaned raising a shaky hand to her pale face.

"Are you alright?" Anniel put her arms around Angel.

She smiled up at Annie and nodded. "Just want to eat something and take a nap." Her hand smoothed over the prominent bulge of her tummy. "He's upset. I can feel his anxiety. Amazing how much he loves all of you already."

Alluna watched as they all surrounded Angel and touched her belly. She grinned and then teleported out, leaving a little cloud of silver glitter in her wake.

Alluna twisted her fingers together, biting her lower lip as she stared down at her feet.

They all probably hated her now. She couldn't blame them. How she hated herself right now for being so stupid...just as mama had always called her.

An arm sliding around her shoulders made her look up into Remi's glittering green eyes. Alluna stared at the drying blood on his neck and tattered shirt with a pout.

"Don't feel bad, Luna," he shrugged. "We all make mistakes. We're human."

Alluna wrapped her arms around him tight and squeezed. Remi was always so sweet...

and he almost died because of me.

The horrible thought made Alluna's eyes snap open, her hands fisting the long, blood-red hair that spilled down his back.

Rowie stood just off to the side watching Alluna with dark her eyes and a little frown.

Alluna cringed. Was Rowie mad at her? She should be. Alluna's stupidity had almost left the girl without her lover and mate.

Remi dropped one arm from around Alluna and extended it to Rowie.

The beautiful girl seemed to float to Remi's arm and press herself against his side.

Her skin was pure white kissed with a rose blush high on her cheekbones. Eyes as black as pitch stared at Alluna beneath thick lashes. Her jet hair tumbled in a mass of spirals to her waist and Alluna could see a pair of little fangs between her parted ruby-red lips. Alluna gulped. She looked like a living doll. Remi's possessive hand curled around one pert breast.

"Love of my life and mother of my baby dragons, meet the future mother of Zak's spawn."

One of Rowie's elegantly shaped brows rose as she smirked up at her mate. "Dramatic much, Red."

Alluna's gaze dropped to Rowie's middle. Sure enough, her abdomen was slightly rounded, barely noticeable in her black V-necked jumpsuit.

Remi's hand drifted from her breast to her tummy drawing Alluna's gaze to his face.

He stared into Rowie's eyes, his love so blatant it made Alluna's breath catch.

"So beautiful, baby," he rasped, his head descending to capture Rowie's lips.

But Rowie turned her head to stare at Alluna again. "So you're the one who slugged my poor Zak." It wasn't a question, and once more Alluna found herself staring at the girl's frowning face.

Alluna backed up as far as Remi's arm allowed, which wasn't as much as she would have liked.

"Aw, come-on, babe. She didn't mean to hit him. She was trying to punch me."

Alluna turned baleful eyes up at Remi. Why did he have to talk so much? Too much.

"Oh, hell," Rowie snorted. "That's excusable."

Alluna blinked surprised eyes at Rowie who was grinning now. "It took me three minutes to give him his first slap the first time I met the rude bastard."

"Rude?" Remi crowed in indignation. "I was honest and upright. I told you you had nice tits."

"Then you implied I was crazy," Rowie shot back.

"Yeah, but I said I'd still fuck you anyway." His gaze slid down Rowie's body and he bit his lip with a growl.

Rowie's eyes narrowed, but a wicked smiled curved her lips. "Perv."

"Just like you love it," Remi hissed his lips spreading to show his back molars. "Horny and naughty."

"You're asking for it, Fyre." Rowie's eyes glittered with lust, her tongue darting out to lick her lips.

Remi growled again deep in his chest making Alluna's brows shoot into her hairline.

Anniel clutched her arm and pulled her away just as Rowie practically climbed Remi's sinewy body and devoured his mouth.

"And that would be our cue to leave," Anniel laughed and then grimaced when both lovers teleported their clothes off.

The lush greenery of the enviro-level rain forest swirled in Alluna's vision until Anniel's quarters became a solid reality around her. She swayed a bit, trying to gather her bearings. Would she ever become accustomed to teleportation? Anniel held her a moment against her jutting breasts. Alluna's face was almost smothered by the tall girl's chest.

"Easy there, cutie," she giggled straightening Alluna up. "You okay?"

Alluna nodded. "W-what about Remi and Rowie?"

Anniel rolled her eyes. "Oh, honey, you don't want to see what those two do when they get all hot and bothered."

"Does...does Remi tie Rowie up for his pleasure too?"

Anniel's eyes widened and she barked out a laugh. "Uh...no, sweetheart. In that relationship, Rowie's the one who holds the keys to the manacles." Anniel sighed then, scratching her chin. "Although, Remi has been known to turn the tables on her every so often. He's such a brat. Oh, she makes like she's spitting mad, but between you and me..." Anniel lowered her voice to a whisper, "I think she likes it."

Alluna looked away with a sigh. Anniel's hand stroking her hair made her shiver.

"You shouldn't be so sad. Zak's really taken with you."

But Alluna felt so inadequate. She didn't know how or why a man like Zak would want her. She did everything wrong, and her magic, compared to what she had seen some of the Alpha Angles do, was pathetic. They were all beautiful and she—

"Alluna?" Anniel frowned at her, but not in anger like Zak would, rather in concern.

She led Alluna to her bedchamber and sat her on the edge of her big round bed.

The room was very much like Zak's, but done in shades of fuchsia, silver, black and white. Next to the bed, jutting out from the side a few inches from the edge of the platform was a glass shelf. It had three glass orbs of varying sizes and Alluna could see movement within them.

Anniel caught what she was staring at and sauntered over to collect the orbs in both hands and take them back to Alluna.

She gave her a smile and sat down next to her.

"This is my son," Anniel said after taking a deep breath.

Alluna looked at her face, but Anniel's eyes rested on the orb she handed to Alluna like the most precious of treasures.

Alluna took the largest of the orbs and gazed into it. Within the glass filled with a glowing liquid was the ghostly image of a small boy with skin similar in color to Alluna's. His hair was a deep dark gold and his eyes a mixture of blue and green. The little boy lay on his tummy singing a song, keeping time with his bobbing head and flapping legs. His cheeks were chubby and his mouth rosy and lush. The second largest orb showed Zak on his knees, plastic sword in his hand as he sparred with the giggling child. The little boy flapped one snowy wing as he jabbed at the larger man. Zak grunted and laughed, making believe he was taking a beating from the pint-sized male.

The third and smallest of the orbs fit in the palm of Alluna's hand. She gazed into it and saw the little boy fast asleep, tucked away in his bed as Anniel hummed over him, stroking his golden curls from his little face.

"His name was Gareth," Anniel whispered.

Alluna looked at her. "What happened to him?"

Anniel took a gulping breath. "Well, my mom took care of him whenever I had to patrol. We guarded the Edenian solar system...after the Seraphs left."

Eden, or Edenia as most humanoids knew this solar system, contained the blue planet called Earth. Alluna recalled this information from the many other solar systems she had learned about.

"She lived on a nearby planetoid where most weres lived, so it was easy for her to drop by and pick him up or me to drop him off. Of course, I never knew what was going to happen the last time I ever saw my child. One minute we were all out in space, in our Vipers, next minute, I'm staring into Devon's eyes and he's telling me we'd all been trapped in suspended animation orbs...three hundred years had gone by." Her voice grew bleak, her gaze distant. "There'd been some big war. I tried to find out what happened to my mom and son. The planetoid they were on was decimated during the initial battle that started in our own solar system. It wouldn't have been so bad if maybe he'd lived and had a full life, but to know he'd been killed when he'd barely begun to exist." She shook her head, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. "I wasn't even there to protect him."

Alluna set down the orb and put her arms around the other girl. Anniel sniffled. "I'm sorry," Alluna whispered.

Anniel hugged her back. "It's okay. I'll be okay."

She drew back, wiping the moisture from her cheeks. "How about I give you a make-over?"

Alluna gaped at her. "A what?"

Anniel fluffed Alluna's hair, looking her over with a nod. "You don't really need much. Maybe bring out the color of your eyes and give those lips an alluring color." Anniel sniffed the last of her sadness away and grinned. "Something that will give Zak a real boner."

***

Seth stared at the red-haired reaper in fascination. Even as a child, Zak could see Seth was drawn to her. Amaranth had her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in horror at the sight of the toddler standing tall and proud before her.

Devon had put his shirt over the boy's bare body before they exited the Viper just outside the gates of Angelos.

A few Seraphs gathered to curiously watch the high priest and priestess standing over a tow-headed baby boy.

Devon cleared his throat and addressed Amaranth. "I know you reversed what had been done to Remien—"

"We are not magicians. Why do you bother us with this nonsense," Ashriel snapped.

Zak saw Devon tense and a few veins show around his temples.

Oh fuck. Here we go again—

Zak huffed an annoyed breath.

"He doesn't remember us," Devon continued giving Ashriel a brief annoyed glance. "If the spell is reversed—"

"He doesn't remember?" Amaranth's eyes snapped up to Devon's. "What do you mean?"

"It's as though she turned back time for him. Please. He continues to ask about his parents. Have pity. What am I supposed to tell the him?"

Zak winced. The truth would be that more than three hundred years had gone by and most likely his parents were long dead. Even if they hadn't been, they'd left him on Alpha 7 like so much trash when he was about nine-years-old. They didn't want him. He was a freak to them...an embarrassment.

Ashriel's mouth was a tight line as he gazed down at Seth. "Just let him grow naturally again. You might save him some heartache from what I know of his past."

"Amaranth," Devon insisted, staring deep into her eyes. "I know you feel for him. You can't leave him like this."

Ashriel gasped when she bent and took Seth's hand. "Come-on, sweetie. Follow me."

Ashriel blocked her path. "I will not allow one of those demons to sully our holy sanctuary."

Zak watched in amazement when Amaranth bared her teeth at her precious Ashriel, her black wings rising like storm clouds about to unleash hell. "If you don't move out of my way, boy, I shall slap your arrogant face."

Ashriel paled, pain slashing across his features for the briefest of seconds. Zak did his best to stifle his chuckle. Amaranth had called the enormous seven-foot reaper

boy.

He scowled then, his wings spreading out behind him. Zak would never admit it was the most terrifying sight, seeing those gigantic blue-black wings spread out to their full width. With a hard downward stroke, the reaper was airborne, a speck in the bright blue sky.

Zak craned his neck to watch Ashriel fly away over the vast ocean surrounding the massive mountain where the holy city of Angelos was perched.

Zak had never been inside the holy city and immediately felt a sense of awe come over him the second he planted his boot over the stone threshold. The entryway was an arched tunnel in a thick fortress wall.

"The first fence enclosing the area before the front gates," Zak asked, his voice echoing in the tunnel, "Why is it there when the front metal gates are so solid looking?"

Amaranth looked over her shoulder at him. "That second barrier was placed there when Dava was with us," came her soft reply. "We're not allowed to fly within sacred ground and the reapers needed that extra room to take flight on visiting day."

"Hordes of aliens came to see my father. They had to put up the second fence before the entrance to keep them from stampeding into Angelos."

Zak nodded. The second fence kept the aliens back so that the departing reapers could take flight outside holy grounds.

"The castle is built around a crater where our holy mother fell from heaven. It's filled with lush foliage found nowhere else on the planet." Amaranth continued.

Seth raised his eyes to her. "Your mother fell from heaven?"

The tall reaper smiled down at him. "The mother of our race."

Seth studied her moment. "Seraphians?"

"That's right."

The sun momentarily blinded Zak when they stepped out from the tunnel. Tall trees swayed before them, their branches spread out with bows of long vine-like leaves trailing from them. They reminded Zak of the weeping willows from Earth, only bigger. As they neared the Bright white castle, the sound of gushing water caught Zak's attention just before the cleared the path around a tall hedge. Pewter fountains sat in a row around the castle, the frothy water inviting.

Zak craned his neck to look up the castle. The white stones looked like mother of pearl and thousands of balconies jutted out in semicircles around the entire structure. High above the cone-capped turrets wispy clouds floated within a bright blue sky much like Earth's.

Amaranth sat on the edge of one of the fountains. Her hand sifted through Seth's pale locks as he dipped one hand into the fountain with a hint of a smile on his rosy lips.

"Changing Remi back wasn't easy," she finally sighed. "It took me a few tries."

"That's all we're asking you to do, Amaranth. Try," Devon replied.

Seth was touching one of her feathers now, his tiny finger tracing down the black vein of the plume.

She reached down and hefted him into her arms as she stood. Amaranth carried him to a clearing a few paces from the fountain.