[Erica]She blinked several times to convince herself that these were indeed people and not just her hallucination. However, she felt extremely awkward with them kneeling like that. "Uh...can you not kneel like that? I mean, I am not a queen as you all are saying," she mumbled, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "You are a queen whether or not you have been officially crowned", Elias said cryptically, then he turned to the group and said authoritatively, "Rise". All of them rose at once. Erica swept a glance over them. There were people of her age as well as her grandfather's age, probably. Maybe older, who knows. One face, in particular, stood out. There was something familiar in his features or his eyes, but she couldn't recall why it felt so familiar. He appeared to be in his late 60s or early 70s. The man, too, was staring at her, but not curiously. His gaze contained surprise and maybe pride? However, Elias' voice distracted her from interpreting further."I have arr
[Erica] Her eyes fluttered open. However, she couldn't tell if it was day or simply she had woken up in the middle of the night. She definitely felt rested, even though her eyes felt dry and crusty. She rubbed her eyes and padded to the washroom. The mansion was surprisingly equipped with a good water supply. Maybe it's magic, she thought offhandedly as she washed her face. She looked at the medium-sized mirror above the washbasin. Tired, swollen and red-rimmed eyes stared back at her. Her skin looked pale. She hardly recognised herself anymore. She exited the washroom and decided to go outside and see if anyone had woken up. The corridor was silent. She padded her way to the hall or the living room where she had first met the others. She was about to enter when she heard hushed voices coming from the room. She stilled and strained her ears to listen. "I don't want to burden her any further, " a male voice said, and Erica could bet that it was the same man who had shown her to her
[Erica]"You can come in, Erica," she heard Elias say. She inhaled sharply but went in nonetheless. Lucien looked at her before averting his eyes. "I think you have heard the crucial part at least?" Elias questioned, gazing at her knowingly. She nodded, her gaze travelling to Lucien, who opened his mouth as if to say something but then thought better of it and remained silent. Erica crossed her arms and said with a heavy sigh, "I think some things need to be made clear. At least now that I am here and not talking to via dreams-""Oh but they weren't dreams, not exactly", Elias interrupted, shrugging at Erica's shocked look. Lucien glared at him, "You did not tell her about soul travel, did you?" Erica's wide-eyed look was now directed at Lucien, "Soul...what?"Lucien glanced at her before suggesting, "Why don't you sit and let us explain and also answer your queries". Erica nodded wordlessly and took a seat at the long dining table on the far left of the huge hall. She looked at Elia
[Xavier]Those two words stay in his mind like a heavyweight, an uncomfortable presence. Every meeting he attended, every conversation he had, those two words always stayed with him. It's been a week since his first visit to Tristan. His brother was steadily recovering, still in his half-changed form but he was now able to sit with the help of support and talk in minimal sentences. He never minded one of his family members being there with him. Ava had practically started staying at the hospital until Mathilda had to convince her to stay at their house for the time being. However, Tristan had not spoken another word about his time in captivity. According to Dr.Reese, it was the trauma. Once their father had tentatively broached the subject instantly Tristan had deflated and stopped talking. Since then, no one has dared to bring it up. Even though Xavier wanted to know more than anyone but he was also concerned about his brother's well-being. He has visited him every day since then,
[Xavier]He nodded reluctantly, his heartbeat rabbiting nonetheless. What information did Tristan have? His brother stared at him for a long moment before fixing his gaze on his paw-like hands, tubes and channels sticking out of them. His muzzle and ears had receded but the furs were yet to recede back completely. "Your...mate...a mage," were the first words that he uttered. If Xavier had any doubt about the first two words he spoke, then he was sure now. However, he inhaled sharply. Tristan's gaze gravitated back to Xavier again, "Like...him". Spitting out the pronoun as if it was some kind of poison, a taboo term. Tristan's jaw clenched, and Xavier could understand whom he meant. Aldred...Aldred, why did that name sound so familiar to him?He remained silent, neither denying nor agreeing to his statement. Tristan exhaled shakily before continuing, "He...tor-tortured...me, kept me...bound." His eyes grew distant as if he had gone back to those days again...relieving those days. Xav
[Erica]"Can I not use the soul summoning thing?" Erica pleaded for the fourth time. Grey snorted, and Elias shot her a pointed look. "No. It's dangerous. You might be the prophesied queen, but you are still a novice. A beginner". He vaguely gestured at her outstretched hand, "You can barely control this levitation power and you are already talking about soul summoning". Erica lowered her gaze and glared at the ground petulantly. She thought it would be easy but it wasn't. Elias had to know why she was asking this, right? If only she could talk to Xavier for once, see him even if it was through the dreamscape...even then she would be more than happy. "Don't bite off more than you can chew," she heard Grey sneer before she heard a loud smack. Erica glanced up to see Vrisha, a girl slightly younger than her, frowning at Grey, "That's rich coming from your mouth". She received a glare from the older boy in return. "Hush, you two," Elias intervened while Erica continued sulking. It was
[Erica]The three young mages stared at Elias, baffled. It was Grey who spoke first. "Aether?" Elias simply nodded. Erica cocked her head in confusion. Elias said, "Come with me". They followed him inside the mansion. Elias led them into a library which Erica did not know existed until then. It wasn't huge but it was fairly large and as her eyes scanned the shelves, she concluded that most of the books were ancient. The room smelled of mothballs and varnish. There was a small table with two chairs near the window. "So..." Vrisha prompted as she rocked back and forth on her feet. Erica glanced at her. The former looked more excited than her. Elias swished his hand and said something silently under his breath and soon two books from two different shelves floated and came to him. He plucked them and walked to the table. Grey sighed, "Old man, do some work at times". Vrisha snorted, "We ain't humans, Grey". Erica tried not to wince or feel offended. Even though she wasn't a human anymor
[Erica] She blinked, her brain flat-lining for a moment. Killed...what the fuck? He killed his mate? He gasped almost inaudibly. Lucien, it seemed was waiting for her response. But what was she to say? That ‘Oh granddad, it’s all fine and jazzy. I guess I am not surprised anymore?” or was she to just spew out venomous words at him, hurl him with stinging insults and ask him to leave and never speak to her again. “Killing?” she repeated monotonously before extending it to, “Why….you-you...why?” Her muddled-up query did not fail to convey what she wanted to know. Lucien answered, “Violet, Evangeline's mother, was my mate”. His voice quivered ever so slightly. Erica didn’t know whether it was because he was recounting the past or feeling an iota of guilt for confessing in such a way to his granddaughter.“It is...not unheard of, about two supernaturals from different clans to be mates. However, a mage and a werewolf are practically rare. After...uhm. The War? I hope you have been told
Follow Xavier and Erica’s youngest daughter Valerie Ravenwood’s story in The Last Dragon’s MageSynopsis:[Book 3 in Mage's Mate series, can be read as a stand-alone or as a part of the series] Valerie Ravenwood, the youngest daughter of Erica and Xavier Ravenwood has led an inferior life for the past 18 years what with being a wolfless and a namesake mage. Desperate to prove her worth, she runs away from home after being denied to join the Medeis Challenge, an annual competition held exclusively for mages, and judged by dragons. She follows her elder sister, who has been chosen to take part in the aforementioned competition but manages to lose her way and stumbles, literally, into the territory of the last Dragon King, Clyde Basilisk.
[Erica]A few months later..."They have done an amazing job," Erica sighs as she admires the portrait of Queen Rosamond and King Merek, adorning the wall outside Rosamond Hall. She leans back into Xavier's chest. Her mate hums in approval, encircling his arms loosely around her waist. "You know, I always wondered why this spot was left empty. Now I know," he murmured against her neck. Erica felt a pang in her chest as she looked at the couple who didn't get their happy ending. She gazed at the smiling face in the portrait and hoped that wherever she was now, that she would continue to look after all of them. 'I hope you are finally happy now,' she thought ruefully. Erica turned around and facing him. Xavier looked at her lovingly, his grasp tightening slightly. Her lips quirked up. she wound her arms around his neck and went on her tip-ties to press her lips on his. The kiss started slow but wasn't devoid of the heat and passion that they shared. Xavier pulled her closer, nipping li
[Erica]She twiddled her thumbs nervously as she sat on the high-back chair, facing 20 other people excluding her mate and family. It had been two days since the incident. Xavier had taken her into his arms as soon as he had returned, kissing her and murmuring words of reassurance. Both of them had been left alone for some time before the whole family had had a discussion and Erica had disclosed almost everything to them. Them being Alpha Samuel. Alpha Tristan, Ava, and Mathilda. Arnold and Vladimir had also been there. To her relief and great surprise, none of them blamed her as she had expected. As Aldred had said. Instead, she saw a grim satisfaction in Tristan's eyes, she had received a tight hug from Ava, and Mathilda and Arnold had only been supportive and so had Vladimir. Alpha Samuel had grumbled, more shocked at knowing his mate's real identity than Erica's. He had been silent throughout which had heightened the tension. She broke down at the way her family had accepted her s
[Erica]There was fire everywhere. Someone was screaming. And then she saw him. His face had melted with heat, skin hanging from places as he stared pleadingly at her. His mouth was slack, he wanted to say something. Erica, on the other hand, was rooted to her spot. She wanted to back away but couldn't. Suddenly he stretched out his hand as if trying to grab her and pull her into the fire with him. She screamed, cried for help but no one was around. Not even Queen Rosamond. Distantly she could hear someone calling her name, she whirled around but the forest was too dark despite the flames. Was it Blackmist forest...no, she somehow knew it wasn't. But who was calling her? The voice grew louder and she noticed her vision turning blurrier. What was happening?...~~~~Her eyes flew open and she gasped awake. She sat up and realised that she was on a bed, in her and Xavier's room. "Erica?" she heard her mother's voice and snapped her gaze towards her. It was now that she saw luna Freida,
[Erica]She stood rooted to her spot as she saw the terror-filled scene unfold. Mouth agape, she could only watch as Aldred writhed and screamed in pain as he fruitlessly tried to save himself. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she took in the sight, unaware of the vigorously burning flames around her. She was oblivious of the fact that another spectre was beside her, watching a mage burning alive, the flames engulfing his body little by little. Erica was not aware that somehow the flames or the disobedient wind did not dare to touch her, that she was standing in a safe array created by someone. Tears streamed down her cheeks, unbidden as she stared with fearful eyes. Her lips trembled, a choked noise escaping her mouth. 'Did I do this?' the thought made her stumble back. She took a step forward, her limbs felt wobbly. 'But I didn't...' her voice echoed pitifully. As she tried again to walk unsteadily towards him, something stopped her. "Don't." The voice was familiar and authoritati
[Erica]"Aldred!" she thundered as stalked into the mansion, dragging two barely unconscious werewolves in her wake. She had been unknown of her capability, of her strength and of her fury. Her hand never faltered as she had continuously thrown Xander from one part of the study to another until the man had relented and grunted out Aldred's whereabouts. Her grandfather's demise had spurred something in her, snapped a thread that had been holding her to be civil to those who had done wrong, but then she had seen her grandfather falling limply on the ground, life sapped out within a few moments and that made her vow to herself that no more lives will be lost because of her, because of someone's misdeeds She felt a phantom ache in her chest, how will her mother react? She dismissed it as soon as it surfaced in her mind, filing away the thought for later. 'I will deal with it when the time comes,' she thought. She deposited the men haplessly on the ground and went to search the dilapida
[Xavier]It was good to let Leikos out for the first time in a long time. 'Only if Erica could see,' he thought wistfully. Forcing to keep his mate at the back of his mind, he weaved through the trees, his aunt and mother following closely behind. Tristan was by his side, in his human form but running equally fast. He skidded to a halt in front of the tree. Had he been in his human form, he would have widened his eyes in shock but Leikos stood very still as he saw Elias standing in front of the tree waiting for them. His eyes clouded with confusion. "Ah, sorry for having to keep you waiting," his aunt chirped and walked past him. "We contacted him when you and Erica were outside talking to them," his mother explained, her voice tight with concern and worry. He trotted behind the bushes that would give him some privacy. His joints cracked and relocated and when he finally stood up, he felt a dull pain and ache that he hadn't for quite a while. When he walked back, Tristan, aunt Jade
[Xavier]Ice coursed through his veins. Leikos growled threateningly in his mind. "No!" Before he knew it, the word was out of his mouth. Leikos continued roaring in his mind, restless and bloodthirsty. He wanted to rip off their heads for blatantly disrespecting him and his mate. Sir Leon shifted his gaze towards him. Raising an eyebrow, he reiterated, "No?" Beside him, Erica had stiffened, her palm had become sweaty. He could feel how she was holding on to her indifferent facade with every ounce of her will that was teetering. "What he means is that what if this concoction, whatever this is, turns out to be poisonous?" Queen Jade comes to his aid. Luna Freida hums in agreement, "It appears as if you wish to force your assumptions upon her." Xavier turned to look at his mother who had defiant look on her face. "I agree," Ava said. Xavier felt an amalgamation of emotions. He had earlier thought of his friend as envious and prejudiced but despite not knowing Erica properly she was su
[Erica]Her insides churned when she heard this. She stood rooted to her spot while Xavier asked in a menacing tone, "What?" Her ears were ringing as she knew that the visit wasn't a casual or a coincidental one. They had come for her. Her palm tingled all of sudden and her vision turned sharper. She had to go to that nook. Something told her that the nook had every answer she was looking for. A sharp intake of breath drew her out of her racing thoughts. She noticed Alpha Samuel stepping back, his eyes widened with ill-concealed horror. "What? Who are you?" Alpha Samuel asks, his voice barely audible. She furrows her eyebrows before she hears another gasp. "Erica, your eyes..." Queen Jade whispers and that's enough for her to understand the older man's sudden change in reaction. She whirls around and looks up at Xavier who does not react in any way. He rests his hand on the small of her back, a calming touch, a silent reassurance. Erica closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down