Dragons in Fire: Paranormal Shifter Romance (Supernatural Community Book 3) Read online

  Mike stuffed his hands into his pockets. “You have no idea how relieved we are to see you, Dar. We were so worried that something bad happened to you.”

  “Well, nothing bad happened. I’m absolutely fine.” My phone vibrated again, and my fingers itched to retrieve it.

  Guilt filled me that Logan was so worried, but as soon as that feeling came, it went. I was no longer his concern. We’d broken up, and he’d lied to me.

  But for some reason, despite telling myself that, I still felt awful that he cared enough to keep trying to reach me.

  “Just let him know I’m okay. Will you?”

  Cecile pulled out her phone and texted Logan. Not even a second passed before her phone rang.

  “Can you wait to talk to him until I’m gone?”

  She frowned, reluctantly putting her phone away. “Regardless of whatever happened between you and Logan, you could’ve called to let us know that you were all right.” Her scolding tone reminded me of my mother.

  “I would have, but I couldn’t, considering where I was.”

  Mike smoothed his bushy mustache. “Were you on Mars or something?” He laughed at his own joke.

  “Close enough. I was with him.” I hooked my thumb in Daniel’s direction.

  Returning her attention to the dark-haired angel, Cecile lifted a hand to her bun. “Of course. Daniel, was it? And you and Daria were doing…” Her eyebrows rose.

  Daniel’s sculpted lips lifted just enough to hint at a smile. “We were conversing, but now we have returned to this realm so that I may assist in her training.”

  Cecile and Mike just stared at him.

  I leaned closer to him and said under my breath, “You really gotta stop talking like that if you don’t want to draw attention to yourself.”

  Daniel arched an eyebrow. “Have I caused offense?”

  “No, it’s just that people don’t really refer to earth as a realm. To do that is rather different.”

  He laughed, the musical sound filling the bus.

  When I glanced back at Cecile and Mike, they were both staring at Daniel with slack jaws and glazed eyes.

  I elbowed Daniel. “And you gotta be careful. I’m not sure if you appreciate the reaction you have on humans. Look what you’ve done to them.”

  Daniel cleared his throat, breaking the effects of his ethereal abilities.

  Cecile and Mike shook their heads, as if coming out of a trance.

  Mike’s eyebrows rose. “What were you saying? Something about training?”

  I gave Daniel a look. “We might as well tell them the full story. I mean, if that’s okay.”

  The twinkle in Daniel’s eyes grew. “As you wish.”

  Chapter 2

  Similar to when Cecile and Mike had learned that Logan was a werewolf, they took the revelation of Daniel’s angel status in stride.

  Apparently, I wasn’t the only one coming to terms with the increasing changes in our lives. Cecile and Mike had been forced to endure our new perception on reality as well.

  “So what you’re saying is that Faith and Alice, I mean Daria’s mother and grandmother, were also angels.” Cecile’s gaze traveled between Daniel and me as we all sat on the couches.

  “They were, weren’t they?” I asked Daniel. “They both had turquoise eyes. Is that a sign of an angel?”

  “It is. However, turquoise is not the only eye color of angels. Lilac is another common shade among the divine.”

  Mike smoothed his mustache. “Well, I can honestly say that you’re the first fella I’ve ever met with turquoise eyes, and I’ve never met anyone with purple eyes, so apparently, you’re the first angel I’ve encountered. Apart from Daria, her mother, and her grandmother, that is.”

  Cecile jumped up from the couch. “I think I’m going to make a cup of tea. Would anybody like some?” She hurried off before anyone responded.

  I watched as she strode away, her thin form stiff.

  Guilt that I was responsible for this new stressor in her life, blowing her perception of reality once more, overwhelmed me. Cecile had been my mother’s best friend, and she’d always believed my mother was human.

  But there was no point hiding my lineage or that Daniel was an angel. His only purpose on earth was my training, and until I learned how to control my new dark power, we were all in limbo. Mike and Cecile depended on me to provide our living—Cecile as my manager, Mike as my bus driver.

  Without Daniel’s help, I would never be able to return to my livelihood as a supernatural healer. And since any future Logan and I had together ended when his engagement came to light, it seemed as if my old life was where I would eventually end up.

  As much as knowing that hurt, healing was my destiny. My mom had said our lives weren’t easy, that things would happen to make us question whether healing was a blessing or a curse. She said sacrifice was needed.

  It was best that I remembered that and forgot all about Logan Smith.

  “And there is that frown again, young angel,” Daniel murmured, leaning closer. “What ails you now?”

  I forced a smile. “Nothing.” I jumped up from the couch. “Should we get to work on my training? Since I apparently lost a week in Emunda, we might as well get to it.”

  Daniel stood just as the teakettle whistled. “As you wish. Let the training commence.”

  ∞ ∞ ∞

  I landed on the ground—hard.

  My uncontrolled dark power had once again knocked me off my feet.

  Pain rocketed through my back as I lay like a starfish. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe as I stared up at the blue sky in the meadow.

  The sun had begun its descent, early evening arriving. After three hours of training, my control still hadn’t improved, despite Daniel’s coaching.

  I stifled a groan of frustration.

  If I step a bit more to the right next time, maybe I’ll fall into the portal and travel to Emunda. Then I won’t have to deal with this anymore. At least there my powers didn’t bother me.

  Never mind that I had no idea where the portal waited. Unlike the shimmery purple portal I’d seen in Victor’s tent, I didn’t see anything in the meadow.

  I scowled. The fact that I was considering an “accidental” portal transfer to avoid learning how to control my dark power said something.

  Finally able to suck in a deep breath, I groaned. “I don’t know how much more I can take of this.”

  Daniel leaned over, hands on his knees, looking down at me sympathetically. The dying sun ringed the dark locks of his hair like a halo.

  How fitting.

  “You’re trying too hard. Your powers and you are one. They are not separate. You must stop thinking of them as something in addition to your soul. Join with them. Become one. That is where you’ve been led astray.”

  He held out a hand, helping me to my feet.

  Once standing, I dusted my shorts off. “Where’s the portal, anyway?” I asked, looking around. “You know, in case I want to escape to Emunda to avoid any more bruised ribs.”

  “I’m afraid you are unable to realm transfer here.”

  “Say what? But this is where the portal returned us to earth.”

  “That is only because I commanded it so. There is no portal here. Emunda portals are rare, which is why Victor safeguards the one in the marketplace. I dare to say that most supernaturals are unaware of the land for lost angels, unlike the other realms.”

  I cocked my head. “I dare say you’re right.”

  His lips quirked up. “Now, enough stalling. Let’s return our attentions and energies to the matter at hand. You must halt your atrocious misgivings about storing your powers away.”

  “But my mom and my nan always said we had to call up our magic, and that when it’s not being used for a healing session, that my inner healing light needed to stay locked inside me.”

  “While that is interesting, it is also grossly incorrect. I do not know of any angel that tries to contain their power.”

  I w
aved at the exposed skin on his forearm. “But you’re containing your powers right now, right? Your skin isn’t glowing, so aren’t you controlling it?”

  He glanced at his arm, his aquiline profile a perfect mixture of strong jaw and sculpted brow. The sight would have made any heterosexual female salivate, yet only an irritated grumble escaped me. He made controlling his angelic powers seem so easy.

  “The only reason I’m not glowing at this moment is because I’m on earth. Glowing catches attention, does it not?”

  I stretched my arms overhead, my muscles already stiffening. “Well, yeah. Humans don’t glow, and neither do supernaturals—well, unless you’re a fairy—but if you’re not glowing, doesn’t that mean you’re controlling your powers, which kinda contradicts what you’re telling me to do?”

  I distinctly remembered the subtle glow of my skin in Emunda, when my powers had flowed freely just beneath the surface of my skin. There, Daniel’s skin had glowed brightly too.

  “No. I’ve simply tempered them so they’re not as close to the surface.” Daniel spread his arms, and the glow suddenly appeared from his skin again. “Do you see my glow now? I am no longer tempering my powers.”

  Standing as he was, in the meadow filled with tall grass and distant trees, with his arms spread wide…

  I sighed, my lips twitching up. “You look like the poster child for heaven.”

  He grinned just as his glow faded. I blinked, and his skin appeared like mine again, the glow gone. “See, young angel. I just tempered it. My powers still flow freely within me, yet slightly deeper so as not to cause alarm among your fellow humans.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Show-off.”

  “You shall learn too. With practice, your powers shall also flow freely. I fear the many years you’ve spent locking away your angelic light has taught you many bad habits. You must relearn to exist with your powers. Your angelic light and dark are meant to flow freely whilst you go about your daily existence.”

  “So you’re saying my mom and my nan taught me wrong?”

  He gave me a pacifying smile. “Perhaps not wrong. They simply led you astray.”

  I grumbled again. “Easy for you to say. You don’t have to worry about blasting people to bits in Emunda.”

  “True, but I could ‘blast people to bits,’ as you say, here on earth, yet have I harmed your fellow humans in the bus? No. My powers are tempered, in sync with my soul. Now, shall we try again?”

  “Can we give it a rest for a while? I don’t think I can take another landing like that last one.”

  “Perhaps you require sustenance? It has been a while since we have eaten.”

  My stomach growled, as if reminded of that fact. “Yeah, good idea. Dinner sounds like a much better plan.”

  “As you wish.”

  While Daniel and I headed back to the road, the barrier to headquarters still glowed in the distance.

  I’d purposefully left my phone on the bus. Since learning of my return, Logan had already called three times, and that was before I shut my ringer off and threw my phone under my pillow.

  So when we stepped out of the trees, the bus only a hundred yards away, I shouldn’t have been surprised to see a tall, sexy-as-sin, and agitated male speaking with Mike and Cecile just outside of the bus’s front door.

  I ground to a halt, my stomach leaping into my throat. My hand shot out, stopping Daniel from progressing any farther. “On second thought, let’s grab dinner somewhere else.”

  “Elsewhere?” Daniel eyed the bus, his turquoise eyes alighting in curiosity. “Ah, the werewolf ex-boyfriend has made an appearance. And from the looks of it, he seems intent on conversing with you at this very moment.”

  My heart thumped wildly. Logan had indeed spotted me.

  Already, he was striding our way, a dark look on his face. His rich-brown hair, chocolate-colored eyes, strong broad shoulders, and tight square jaw made my heart pound.

  Why did he have to be so good-looking, and why did my body have to betray me every time I saw him? Already, my core was clenching in desire, and he was still fifty yards away.

  Logan’s gaze swung to Daniel’s, just long enough for his eyes to narrow.

  “You know that idea about grabbing dinner elsewhere?” I asked, latching onto Daniel’s arm. “How about we do that? Like right now? And can we take whatever portal you created? To somewhere? Anywhere?”

  In an abrupt movement, Daniel swung me up in his arms, the propulsion taking me completely by surprise. “The young angel is requesting assistance. It is my pleasure to oblige.”

  Then the world turned into a blur. My breath caught in my throat just before earth once again disappeared.

  Chapter 3

  “What the hell just happened?” I asked when the world stopped spinning. I opened my eyes to see a small, plain, and dimly lit room.

  Daniel cocked his head. “That was teleporting. That was what you requested, was it not?”

  “Um, yeah.” The only positive aspect about whatever portal transfer Daniel had just used was that in his arms, death didn’t feel imminent. Held by him, I felt as if the journey had ended before it had begun. “Are we done?”

  “Yes, young angel. The teleport is complete, and given your surprised expression, I am guessing this teleport went smoother than the portal transfers you previously suffered. Angelic teleportation and portal transfer aren’t meant to be painful. We can add that training to the list of items you need improvement on. Should we not?”

  “Yeah. Sure. Might as well.”

  He set me gently on my feet. I pushed my hair behind my ear, my head cocking as I took in the dim room, which looked vaguely familiar. “Where are we?”

  “Victor’s. The man with bushy eyebrows that you met before you commenced portal transfer to Emunda. And it is my understanding that the supernatural marketplace offers sustenance, does it not? Perhaps we could replenish our energy here. Besides, while my humanlike figure can blend in with the human masses, I have also been instructed by our maker not to draw attention to myself. The less I venture into populated human areas, the more likely I am to complete your training successfully whilst also pleasing our maker as I do His bidding.”

  I looked Daniel up and down. He was obviously delusional if he felt he blended in with any masses. “Right. Whatever you say.”

  It was all I could manage given the aftereffects of seeing Logan. I still reeled from how close he’d been.

  Even though I’d been avoiding him in the few hours since my return, I hadn’t expected him to show up like that. I swallowed down the butterflies that flapped in my stomach.

  “Shall we journey into the marketplace?” Daniel pulled the curtain back, eliciting a startled shriek from the supernatural standing outside.

  Victor rushed in, his bushy eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. “My sir, my dear sir.” He bowed deeply. “Forgive me for not knowing of your arrival. It is an honor to have you here. And please, forgive me, I did not know—”

  Daniel held up his hand. “It is a pleasure to see you again as well, Victor, and forgive our intrusion. An unexpected visitor left my young angel friend in quite a state. We henceforth commenced an angelic transfer without properly alerting you to our plans. Forgive me.”

  “No, sir, no forgiveness needed.” Victor rushed forward again, his blabbering words reminding me of teenagers throwing themselves at rock stars. “I’m happy to assist you in any way. Just tell me what you need.” He bowed again then again, making me even more embarrassed at our unexpected arrival.

  “We just came to grab something to eat.” I stepped forward, peering out of the front of his shop at the busy marketplace. “Do you have any recommendations for a good restaurant? I mean, are there restaurants here?” I felt around in my pockets, shoulders slumping. “And do you maybe have a spare twenty bucks? I’ll pay you back, promise. I just, ah, forgot my wallet.”

  “Bucks?” Daniel cocked his head.

  “Dollars,” I clarified.

  “
Of course.” Victor bowed in my direction, making my cheeks flush again. “I’m happy to provide whatever you need.” He reached into his pocket and extracted several bills before holding them out, bowing again.

  I took them hesitantly. It all felt so wrong, like he thought we were royalty or something when I was simply a normal woman who happened to possess angelic lineage. Inside, I felt more like a woman than anything divine.

  Pocketing the cash, I mentally reminded myself to pay him back. “Thank you. And I’ll pay you back, even if you think it’s not necessary.”

  After a very awkward goodbye, Daniel and I finally left Victor’s shop to venture out to the marketplace. Of course, everywhere we went, supernaturals stared.

  Even at the marketplace, Daniel stood out.

  We finally found the café Victor recommended and grabbed a table. In no time, our order was in and our food served. I practically devoured the gyros that a band of gypsies with psychic blood had prepared for us. Licking my lips, I polished off the last bite.

  “Has the sustenance replenished you, young angel?”

  “Yes.” I sighed in bliss.

  Taking a sip of my drink, I leaned back in my chair, eyeing the serving counter again. Seeing the women behind the counter with their long dark hair reminded me of the psychic who’d told me how to find Daniel.

  I set my drink down, clasping my hands on the table. “Do you think the psychic who told me about Victor also knows about my family’s history?”

  Daniel finished the last bite of his food, his square jaw chewing rhythmically. He held up a finger, letting me know he would finish chewing before he responded.

  As I waited, a giggle drifted my way.

  The group of teenage supernatural girls sitting near us once again made their presence known. I’d assumed they were witches, since they’d been practicing spells while eating their meals. But their spells seemed more like a way to draw attention, particularly one tall male’s attention. However, the said male—the one with turquoise eyes, wavy dark hair, and perfectly symmetrical features—had barely paid them a passing glance.