“Because you won’t be able to shift into dragons,” he said. “You’re either born a dragon shifter, or not. The two of you aren’t shifters. You’re witches.”
“So how come we’ve never been able to perform any spells or brew any potions?” I asked. “Because trust me, I’ve tried.”
“I’m sure you have.” Ethan looked amused.
Rosella set her silverware down on her plate, and we all looked to her. “The Gemini circle has extremely diluted witch magic,” she said. “In the eyes of most supernaturals, witches with such low levels of magic are considered basically human. It’s why the supernatural world has never sought you out. You didn’t register on our radar.”
I bristled, not liking the idea of being viewed as powerless.
Especially after what I’d done tonight.
“I’m guessing it wasn’t a coincidence that you moved here,” I said. “You knew about us, and you did seek us out.”
“We did.”
“But how did you know to move here just in time for our ascension ceremony?”
“Because I’m gifted with future sight,” Rosella said. “I knew to move here with Ethan and his family because I knew when—and had a general idea of where—you and your sister would receive your magic.”
8
Gemma
“So you’re a witch,” I said.
“A prophetess,” she corrected me. “And I’m here to help you.”
“How? Shouldn’t we be getting help from Ethan? Or his dad? Or the other dragons living on Earth?”
Excitement crawled over my skin at the thought of dragons living on Earth. And prophetesses, and griffins, and whatever else was out there.
Werewolves? Fae? Vampires? Mermaids? I’d read books featuring all of those supernatural creatures. The possibilities were endless.
“My dad, sister, and I are the only dragons living on Earth,” Ethan said sadly.
“Where are the others?” I asked.
“Back on Ember.”
“You miss it there?” I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to pick up with his family and leave his entire realm for a world where they were the only ones of their kind.
His expression hardened. “There’s nothing to miss.”
“What do you mean?” Mira asked.
“Ember’s changed over the past few centuries. It’s no longer a safe place for my kind. Luckily, my family was gifted passage out of Ember—to help you. It’s my job to protect you.”
Mira shifted in her seat, her eyes downcast. “What do you mean, it’s your job?” she asked.
“It’s my duty to ensure the survival of the Gemini twins gifted with dragon magic. In Ember, we call you the Dragon Twins.”
“So your people have heard of us?” I asked.
“You and Mira are something of a legend there. We’ve been waiting for you to ascend into your magic for a long time.”
“But we’re just witches with dragon magic. We can’t shift. Why would actual dragons care about us?”
“Because you’re not just witches with dragon magic,” he said. “According to legend, one of you will eventually be gifted with power over the fifth element.”
“What’s the fifth element?” I’d read a few fantasy books where the main character was gifted with the fifth element. In the most recent one I’d read, it was the ability to heal or kill with a touch.
“I don’t know,” he said. “No dragon in history has ever had power over it. But it’s my job to protect you and help you learn how to use your magic. Then, once you’re strong enough, we’ll find out what the fifth element is and figure out how to use it for our benefit.”
Mira sniffed and brushed a tear off her cheek.
“What’s wrong?” Ethan’s voice was soft with concern.
“This is why you dated me, isn’t it?” she asked. “Because it’s your job.”
I could have sworn that guilt flashed over his eyes.
But then he took Mira’s hands. “No,” he said. “Of course not.”
“You mean it?”
Of course he means it, I thought. Because he met me first. If his goal was to find us and date one of us, he would have stayed with me that first day in the cove.
“Yes, I mean it,” he said, and Mira relaxed, seemingly accepting his answer.
They both settled back into their seats, and all was well between them again.
“As much as Mira shouldn’t have told you about the ceremony, I’m glad she did,” my mom said. “You saved our lives, and I’ll never be able to repay you for that.”
“You owe me nothing,” he said. “It’s my duty to protect your daughters. You have my word that I’ll be here for them, always.”
Warmth settled over me at the certainty of his words. Because despite how distant he’d been since that first day in the cove, I believed him.
My mom nodded, sat straighter, and turned to Rosella. “Since you’re gifted with future sight, I assume you know why the griffin attacked us?”
Rosella stared in Mom’s general direction with her cloudy eyes. “I don’t know much,” she said. “But I can tell you this—there’s someone out there who wants to get to your daughters before they’re able to access the fifth element.”
“You mean they want us dead,” I said.
Mira scooted closer to Ethan and held onto his arm, her face pale.
“Perhaps,” Rosella said. “Or they might want to keep you alive so they can force you to use the fifth element to their advantage.”
“As if we’d ever do that.”
“There are forces out there far more powerful than you’ve yet to realize,” she said. “There’s no saying what they—or you—might do if they get ahold of you.”
I swallowed at her ominous tone.
What does she know that she isn’t telling us?
“What sort of forces?” I asked instead.
“Dark ones,” she said. “And they can track you whenever you use your magic. You won’t be safe until we learn how they’re doing it and stop them.”
“Who’s ‘we?’”
“The three of us,” Ethan said. “I can’t use my magic without leading them to us, either. Which means I want to figure out how we’re being tracked and put an end to it as badly as you do.”
“But how are we supposed to ‘put an end to it’ if we can’t use our magic?” I shuddered as the image of the monstrous griffin flashed through my mind.
If we hadn’t used our magic against it, we’d be dead.
“We’ll use it when the time’s right,” he said. “Until then, you and Mira need to train so you’re ready when that time comes.”
“But we can’t use our magic,” I said flatly. “So how are we supposed to train?”
Rosella chuckled. “The Haven—the place where I usually live—is one of six supernatural kingdoms on Earth,” she said. “But like I said, it’s a peaceful kingdom. The witches there aren’t as skilled with using their magic for battle as those in the other kingdoms. Which means you must go to one of the other five kingdoms to train.”