The deeper we went into the silence of the forest, the easier it was to breathe. The cool, earthy scent surrounded us. The canopy was thick in some places and let in beams of sunlight in others. Wolves don’t like crowds – too many avenues for attack, too many scents disturbing our sensitive noses. Out here felt right and safe. Reaching a small alcove, Jonathon stopped and, reaching out, linked hands with Lienda. I choose to be a mature person and ignore it.
I sucked in a deep breath and almost had myself convinced that I could handle anything that came out of his mouth. Right up until he said:
“You two need to know the truth. You’re not just sisters, you’re twins.”
My mouth fell open. Well … that was unexpected. Why had he not just said that when he’d first introduced Mischa?
He continued before I could ask: “No one knew we had twins. The moment both of you were born, Lienda and I recognized that we had to protect you.” Jonathon didn’t fidget, except for his head swiveling in my direction. “Twins are rare in our world, about one per a hundred thousand supernaturals.” He already knew what I was thinking. “Quads are almost unheard of. It has happened only one other time in our history. That’s how we know the Compasses will be the strongest, and the leaders.” Lienda was silent, letting Dad do the talking, but I could feel her examining me.
“So what if we’re rare?” Mischa said. She’d moved and now stood side-by-side with me, facing our parents. “Why would we have to leave? I’ve spent my entire life running from city to city with Mom, all the while thinking I was a freak. Just to hide the fact we’re twins? That makes no sense.”
Yeah, what she said. Because the quads hadn’t had to run or be separated. Why would we have to just because we were twins? I crossed my arms over my chest, my bare feet scuffing at some of the dead leaves.
Jonathon continued to move his head, listening and scenting, making sure it was safe to keep speaking. “It wasn’t just that you were twins, it was that you were twins born with the dragon mark.” The last two words were said so softly I only just heard them.
Mischa didn’t react, but I couldn’t stop from gasping. I raised a shaky hand and covered my suddenly dry lips. “What?” My voice was a strangled whisper. “You’re mistaken. I’ve never seen the mark.” Yeah, stupid seemed to be falling from my lips today.
Mischa’s voice hardened. “Wait, what’s a dragon mark?” She had her hands on her hips as she leaned her upper body forward.
I liked that she had some fire. It made me think she might actually be my sister … uh, twin.
I started to explain. It was either talk or go quietly crazy in my head. “It’s a legend in the supernatural community,” I said. “Like a thousand years ago some crazy ass dragon shifter tried to rule all five races. He gathered a dragon army and a major war erupted.” According to the history books it had been bloody. “When they finally captured him they found out why he was so powerful – he was a hybrid sorcerer and dragon-shifter.” I cleared my throat. “Just before his head, and the heads of many of his followers, were removed, he cursed the supernatural world. He said that the dragon marked would rise and they would finish what he had started.”
Jonathon added more details. “Nothing happened immediately, but our history records indicate that within a month of the kings death, supernaturals of all different races started to be born with the mark. They have been killed off ever since.”
This was also why dragons were so rare. Many dragons died in that long ago battle, and for years the rest were hunted. Kind of like the human witch trials, but supernaturals targeted dragons. Thankfully, that shit had halted a few hundred years ago; otherwise I wouldn’t have my Braxton. Well the dragon slaying part had halted; the dragon-marked on the other hand were still hunted.
Lienda hugged her arms tightly around herself. “Any child born with the mark … they were taken from the family and never seen again. We would not let that happen to you two. Jessa was born first, and the moment we saw the mark we knew we had to hide it. Then Mischa came next and she also bore the mark. It didn’t matter that your father was a council member, they would have taken you … killed you.”
Jonathon rubbed at his temples. “We pretended Jessa was the only one born – twins are thoroughly examined for the marks, since almost all twins have them. A very close friend of mine – a sorcerer – spelled the marks, and Lienda disappeared with Mischa. Everyone thought she ran away because she didn’t want kids, and I did nothing to discourage the rumors.”
At some point during this conversation, tears had started running down my cheeks. I’d hated my mother for so many years, cursing her existence and her abandonment of me and my father. But she’d run to save our lives. I should have known this story. I was half sad and half pissed off. I hated being kept in the dark. I slapped at my cheeks, removing the traces of moisture.
“Why is it okay for us to return now?” Mischa asked, her voice husky. She had a few tears too.
Lienda walked forward and wiped a tear off her daughter’s cheek. “You turned twenty-two last month. The spell keeping your wolf contained is due to wear off soon.” She turned, and with the slightest hesitation gently wiped at my cheeks also. I closed my eyes at the feather-light touch. “You need the community to help you, you need a pack.” She glanced at Jonathon. “We figure most of the danger of detection has passed.”