IRIDA

The first ability we discover in Lykos is telekinesis and I squeal in excitement when he floats one of the targets up in the air with his eyes closed.

"Okay, you can let go now," I call out to him and instead of releasing the target back to the ground he opens his mouth on instinct and obliterates the target with the fire that shoots out from his mouth, leaving both Galen and I in shock.

"Did I do it?" He asks as he fumbles with the blindfold, his eyes widening and his jaw going slack when he realizes what just happened.

"Did you not feel the fire coming out of your mouth?" Galen sputters in shock as he blinks at my mate.

"Uh, not really. Kael took over for a moment there," Lykos whispers nervously, his wide eyes still on the scorched remains of the target.

"Who's Kael?" Galen's puzzled voice echoes beside me.

"His dragon," I answer quickly and Galen's jaw goes slack.

"Lykos, let's try something else out, okay?" I call out and he nods numbly, still in shock.

"Put the blindfold back and visualize an arrow, pull it back and shoot it at that target," I say pointing to one of the other targets in front of him.

Lykos puts his blindfold back on and takes a deep breath. A second later I see a shimmer hurtling through the air and slicing into a target, splitting it in half and I cheer excitedly. Pride and warmth bloom and swell up in me as I watch my mate adorably fumble with his blindfold.

"Whoa!" He whispers in awe as he sees the aftermath of his effort.

"Yeah. My mate is apparently a natural with magic," I say proudly as I wrap my arms around his waist from behind.

"Don't jinx it," he grunts and I giggle in response.

We practice a little more with his telekinesis, his dragon flame and using his chi to attack and shield himself. When it's Galen's turn I find myself surprised once again. Apparently the same way he can heal, he can also make targets sick from mild to fatal. After an additional hour we invite Galen to the penthouse for a late lunch.

"I'm just going to clear the targets from the backyard, I'll be right back," I announce and take my empty plate to the kitchen before rushing out.

A low menacing growl comes from behind me while I take care of the targets and I whirl around to find a towering bluish creature that looks something like a lizard-dragon hybrid growling at me menacingly. I barely have time to react before another menacing growl rings out behind me. Something hard and solid hits the back of my head just as I turn around. Black dots cloud my vision and I hear a distant voice screaming my name before I drift into the darkness.

I wake up with a raging headache struggling to open my eyes. I groan out loud when my eyes finally flutter open only to be met with the blinding gaze of the sun. I look around to find myself alone on an unfamiliar rooftop, my hands bound behind me and my legs chained to a pillar on my right side. I pull on the binding on my hands and yank my legs to see if I can break free but all I manage to do is make noise as the chain rattles.

"Ah! You're awake! Good!" A male voice rings out behind me and steps draw closer until a hooded figure stops in front of me, blocking the sun.

"Who the fuck are you?" I bite out and the figure chuckles.

"My! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh wait, you can't, she's dead!" Mystery man laughs out loud and I clench my jaw angrily.

"And how would you know that, asshole?!" I grit and he chuckles again.

"Because my monsters brought her lifeless body to me alongside your father's," he says casually and I feel my blood grow hot.

"You're going to pay for that!" I growl lowly and try to summon my magic.

"Tsk! Tsk! I wouldn't do that if I were you. Your magic would only bounce off the wards around you. Believe it or not, I don't want you hurt... Yet," the man says calmly.

When I reach out with my magic I hit a barrier and curse internally. Fuck! He's right.

"Don't worry, come noon tomorrow your magic will be all mine, your mate too," mystery man chuckles and walks away, leaving me alone with the sunset.

"Baby, can you hear me?!" Lykos's voice yells through our link in my head and I wince and sigh in relief at the same time.

"I can hear you just fine but can you tone it down?! My head is killing me!" I quip back.

"Sorry," he says sheepishly. "I've got your location, I'm coming for you, okay?" His voice rings out with urgency and I shake my head as if he can see me.

"You can't. He's counting on it. He plans to take you too," I send through the link with a heavy sigh.

"I know but I have a plan, okay? Just trust me baby," Lykos's voice is gentle yet firm.

"Wait! How did you even know where I am? The link?" I furrow my brow in confusion.

"Yeah, I've been tracking and listening through the link since you regained consciousness," he breathes and my body sags against the floor.

"Okay," I sigh through the link , exhaustion weighing my body down as the skies turn dark.

"Hang in there for me, we'll be there in the morning," Lykos says softly and I find myself drifting to sleep before I can ask him what the hell he means by 'we'.

"I've been waiting for you, ????? ??? (my love)," my mother's voice echoes from behind me in the darkness.

I rush to her and wrap my arms around her. We stay like that, arms wrapped around each other for a moment.

"Where's papa?" I mumble into her shoulder.

"Right here, baby girl," his voice is warm and gentle as his hand covers one of mine and he comes into view.

"Baby I need you to listen to me. I know you're angry and you have every right to be but you can't let yourself drown in it," my mother says as she pulls back and cups my face in her hands.

"Mom-"

"Listen. Theros knows what he's doing. If he can get you to lose control then he has easier access to your magic, to your power. You can't let him win," my mother's voice leaves no room for argument.

"What do I do with this, mom?" I gesture to my chest and my mother's face softens immediately.

"You let it out. Here. Cry, scream, face your grief and anger. I'm right here with you," she says softly as she pulls me into her.

"I'm here too baby girl, let it out," my father says.

My father puts his hand over my mother's hand that's rubbing on my spine and I feel a burning sensation in my spine awakening a wave of emotions in my chest like boiling water. I hear a noise and it takes me a minute to realize it's coming from me as I cry out into my mother's shoulder.

Suddenly it feels like a dam just broke inside me and I find myself full-on sobbing and screaming into my mother's shoulder while she whispers words of comfort into my ear. All the pain, the grief and the rage that has been building up inside me over the years, pain I didn't even know I was carrying comes pouring out and I don't hold back. I couldn't even if I wanted to. My parents hold me through the process until my cries die down and my heart feels lighter.

"There you go honey. Doesn't that feel so much better?" My mother coos and I nod silently trying process whatever the hell just happened.

When I finally calm down I pull back slightly, feeling into myself. That's when I feel it. A sense of calm that's always been missing, a lightness in my heart and a clarity in my mind that I've never felt before.

"Crazy what happens when you unburden yourself, isn't it?" This time it's my father who speaks, his eyes gazing into my mother's with love and something else I can't quite put my finger on.

"Congratulations on your new mating, by the way," my mother says nodding at the mark on my neck and I feel my face grow hot.

"He better take good care of you or else I'll make his life a living hell," my father says grimly and I chuckle a little.

"No offense but isn't that a little out of your purview, dad?" I raise my brow at him and he laughs.

"I'm a Magi honey. I know my way around the veils," he says with a shrug and my mother nudges him with a playful scowl.

"There's something else you'll need," my mother nods at my father.

"Right," my father clears his throat. "Siphoning. You can transmute and absorb any magic or energy that's used against you. You can drain other people or creatures of their magic too but only in battle and when necessary," my father says.

"How does that work?" I ask.

"Just like all other forms of magic you've mastered so far. Set a clear intention and focus on it. You can use your palms to absorb energy or the tattoo on your sternum," he says.

"Can we try it out?" I ask and my father nods.

I'm woken up by the sound of chains and I open my eyes to see the sun already shining brightly. In front of me Lykos and an unfamiliar guy are being chained to the hooks on the floor by guards and I feel my heart lurch into my throat.

"Theros has been expecting you. He'll be very happy to see you when it's time for the ritual," one guard says in a smug voice before walking away.

"You said you had a plan!" I yell through the link in concern, narrowing my eyes at Lykos who simply smirks in response.

"Relax ?????????? (darling). I still have a plan and so do you," he replies with a chuckle and I feel a wave of frustration wash over me.

"If your plan involves letting Theros drain you I'm going to resurrect you and kill you myself," I growl through the link and my mate flashes me a wide smile like a kid who just scored his favorite candy.

"I told you, I'm not going anywhere," he says calmly.

The guy beside my mate finally lifts his head and fixes his gaze on me for a moment before sighing.

"You must be Irida," he grunts and Lykos rolls his eyes.

"Baby, this is Eryx. He's like a brother and a father to me. He was my older brother's best friend and well, he raised me after my family was killed," Lykos explains through the link and I nod before turning to Eryx.

"Nice to meet you too, Eryx," my voice is sweet and sarcastic as I speak and Eryx raises an eyebrow before turning to Lykos.

The two seem to be having a conversation with their eyes for a moment before Lykos grins and Eryx nods and I can't help but wonder what they're saying but I decide not to pry.

"He likes you," Lykos's amused voice echoes through the link and I flash him a wide smile.

"Not the first grump I've had to deal with. You should meet my adopted mother Areti," I laugh and Lykos snorts out loud which makes Eryx turn to him.

"So, the plan," I say out loud so Eryx doesn't feel left out of the conversation, especially since he's part of the plan.

Just as the words leave my mouth Galen and two mysterious guys appear out of thin air in a cloud of black and white smoke and I gape at him.

"I didn't know you could pull off magic tricks, Bear," I tease and he rolls his eyes.

"Orfeas, Lykos's...brother. Pleasure to meet you," one of the mysterious guys next to Galen flashes me a smile and I smile back at him.

"Sofoklis, my lady. Nice to finally meet you," the other guy dips his head in a bow.

"Pleasure to meet you too, I'm Irida," I respond.

"I know, Lykos told us about you," Orfeas says with a smirk.

"Enough idle chatter. Let's go over the plan," Eryx grumbles and Orfeas and Sofoklis roll their eyes and exchange pointed glances.

"Right. We're going to stay in the shadows until Theros and his minions make an appearance. Galen here will scatter them with his potions then we attack," Orfeas says.

"Lykos and I will break these chains and attack when you do. Where's Xanthos and Daedalus?" Eryx asks.

"Waiting for the signal. Xanthos will use the sun's rays to get him and Daedalus up here," Sofoklis says.

"I have a plan too," I chip in and hold out my hands in front of me.

"How did you-" Galen starts but I cut him off.

"Enchanted ropes. I siphoned them and disintegrated them," I shrug as I focus on siphoning the warded bubble around me, watching as it glows before fading away as I absorb its energy. "The chains are probably enchanted as well, I'll siphon them when it's time," I add, jutting my chin towards the chains.

"Damn, Lykos! Your girl's a badass!" Sofoklis whistles lowly.

"Wait until you see her fight!" Lykos smirks at him and I feel my face go warm.

"Okay, we need to disappear before those guards pick up on all the chatter going on up here," Orfeas says seriously, grasping Galen's shoulder.

"See you soon," Sofoklis says as he grasps Galen's other shoulder and they disappear.

"Are they gone?" I turn to Lykos.

"No, still here, just invisible," is all he says.

About an hour later I hear footsteps coming towards us I put my hands back behind me and angle my body so my captors don't notice I already disposed of the ropes. A group of people dressed in long hooded cloaks pour into the space in front of us and one figure stands ahead of them holding a box in his hands. Theros, I suppose. Behind them are the Rumarark monsters as Lykos called them and I can feel Lykos's rage as his body starts to shake.

"Breathe baby. Don't let them see you lose control," I coo through the link, sending out a wave of comfort and calmness towards him and his shoulders drop as he relaxes.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting. Time to finish the job," he says smugly and I can hear his smirk from where I'm seated.