The Sorcerous Prince - 22. Chapter 22: Holly and Jeradu Revealed

The magical district of Atlanta was in the center of the city, which was the largest in Georgia. The Empress had recognized one of the victims in the conference room. “We're going to be staying at the Ducal Palace in Atlanta. The Duchess of Atlanta, Gabriella Cortez, was one of the people I recognized in the conference room of the royal palace. The Ducal Palace has been swept for any dangerous magic. It is safe, and the site has been secured. That is why we are going to be living there until this crisis is over.”

“I've heard of her,” Mihai replied. “She's a very powerful witch.”

“Indeed she is,” the Empress said solemnly. “She's also one of my best friends. She's been my eyes and ears in North America for a long time. I'll make them pay for this!”

“I want a piece of them too,” Mihai fumed. “And no one better try to stop me. Whoever is behind this has hurt two people I love very much.”

“I wouldn't even try to stop you,” Guadalupe said simply. “Members of the Imperial Family don't back down from a fight, especially with stakes like this. We will sacrifice our lives for the good of the empire. That's been our family's way for millennia. Pavel and Corazana are too young to join the fight, but they will one day be defenders of the empire too.”

“Pavel already saved people in Candavorum,” Mihai replied. “You know as well as I do that if those demons had kidnapped us, those left behind would have wreaked havoc.”

“Indeed they would have.” The Empress visibly cringed. “Any time demons are in new territory, they go into a blood frenzy, maiming and killing as many innocents as possible. I've seen it too many times, and I never numb myself to it, not completely anyway. I'm outraged every single time, and that's what keeps me going. I show no mercy to demons or to the Order of the Dark Dragons. Enemies of the Empire must be shown no mercy, except for perhaps the Dark Emperor. I'd love to kill him, but we must maintain peace with him for now.”

“Well, my hands are tied in that regard,” Mihai sighed. “Wow! I think I see it. Is that the Ducal Palace ahead?”

“Yes,” his aunt replied. Within moments, the pod ship made its descent onto the roof. The Duchess' fleet of pods was no longer there.

“Where are the Duchess' pods?” Mihai asked. “I mean, I know there's only room for these two pod ships, but...”

“Most likely, they are in a storage facility,” she reasoned. “I guess you're new to commandeering places of residence, which is technically what we're doing. She won't mind though. She'll even bitch at me for not taking the master suite in her absence.” Mihai wondered if she was implying that she and the Duchess were more than just platonic friends, but he had thought that his aunt was straight. Was his mother his only straight family member? Bisexuality and homosexuality did seem to run in certain magical families. Now, however, was not a time to bring it up. The pod ship had just touched down on the roof. Military personnel were the first to exit to make sure the perimeter was secure.

Mihai got out of the pod ship right after the Empress and searched for a suitable bedchamber. He chose one on the top floor, which was unusual for him, but the staff members told him that some of the best bedchambers in the entire palace were there. He then made his way to the main floor toward the main entrance of the palace. Sure enough, there were a lot of people were there, and Mihai was immediately given a magical hazmat suit, which he donned as quickly as possible.

“Attention everyone!” a woman yelled. All talking in the room ceased. “For those who do not know I am Lieutenant Colonel Diana Simmons. As you all know by now, something happened at The Palace of the Southeast. The situation is critical. All the victims are alive. So far we have no idea what spell was used. It seems to be an exceedingly rare form of dark magic. However, we have noted several things about how the spell virus spreads. You must keep your hazmat suits on at all times while at the other palace. There is a magical decontamination unit, and so far it has worked.”

The Lt. Colonel paused momentarily to give everyone a chance to absorb the information she had given so far. “Another important thing to remember is that you are not to use telepathy on the victims at any time for any reason. Not even the magical hazmat suit will protect you from being infected that way. It is a must to keep your minds closed. Are there any question?” No one spoke up. “My Empress, would you like to do the honors?”

“As a matter of fact, I would,” she replied. Guadalupe had been holding a teleportation ring, and she threw it into the air. The ring spread across the entire ceiling, and soon everyone in the room was transported to the front lobby of the Palace of the Southeast. There were at least 100 people already in the Palace of the Southeast when they arrived, and the party from Candavorum almost tripled the number. All over the palace, staff members were on the floor as they had been targeted along with the royal family they served. Mihai noticed a middle aged woman first. Looking closely, he realized that it was not just a blue glow. Selena was standing near him when he said, “This looks almost like television static on their bodies.”

“You mean those contraptions mortals use?” she asked.

“Yes,” he replied. “This is unreal. It also seems to be slowly consuming her.” Mihai noticed another figure close by. “That one is completely consumed. Her skin is completely eaten away.”

“This is one of the weirdest spells I've ever seen in my life,” she gasped. “Who would do this?”

Mihai pointed to the wall, where he saw an insignia of dragon. It was an all too familiar one drawn in blood. The dragon resembled an S but with spikes and a simple dragon head. “The Order of the Dark Dragon is surely behind this”

“That's true,” his aunt agreed. “Anyone else who tries to create the insignia bursts into flames. We may need to visit a Hall of Records. Atlanta has a one of the few complete ones on Earth.”

“Isn't that the job of the MMID?” Mihai inquired.

“Yes, but we may need more people on this,” she said firmly. “As it is we have to test one of the victims to see if they can survive under stasis. If we can put the entire palace into stasis, there may be a chance of saving them.”

“I... Can I please see Konstantin?” Mihai asked pitifully. “If he's going to die, I at least want to say goodbye.”

“Don't think like that!” Selena snapped. “He's going to be fine. They will all be fine! We must fight the good fight. I'll tell you this right now. You don't want to see Konstantin in his current condition. It's hard enough seeing people you don't even know.”

“You're probably right,” Mihai replied. “I’m not even contact him telepathically. I can't imagine what all of these people are thinking.”

“Maybe they're not thinking,” Selena murmured. “At least, I hope they're not. It seems like a terrible fate. I'm trying to figure out how they've done this.”

“We need Pavel,” Mihai replied. “He can sense energy. I bet he would know.”

“Why didn't he come along?” Selena growled.

“His mother didn't want him here,” Mihai said defensively. “I don't think it would hurt. He actually deals with this kind of thing better than I do.”

“I keep telling her that,” Selena seethed. “He may be the key to discovering the cure!”

“Absolutely not!” the Empress snapped. She had been standing behind them for some time now just listening. “Pavel has no business being here.” Suddenly another “window” opened up, and Cheryl entered followed by none other than Pavel. “What the... You two should at least have magical hazmat suits on!”

“Mother,” Pavel said calmly. “I insisted on coming when Cheryl informed me about what happened. I can already tell what kind of energy they used. The base of it, as the blue color suggests is dark dragon breath. The 'static' is actually rattlesnake demon tears. Together, they lock someone into this state of half-life. They are not dead, but unless they are soon cured, they will die. As for why we have no suits on, Cheryl is a blood witch. She gave me some of her blood. That gives us immunity.”

“But how did you know what it was?” Guadalupe asked incredulously.

“I have a coin too,” Pavel replied stiffly. “I sensed the energy even through the life force coin. I'm not sure how they put the two together, but they ended up with a powerful dark potion. I had to review the transmissions several times before it finally came together though.”

“Alright,” the Empress sighed. “Will Cheryl's blood cure everyone else?”

“No,” Cheryl said flatly. “It can prevent, but it cannot cure, at least not by itself. We need light phoenix tears.” Like dragons, phoenixes could be good or evil. Both kinds of creatures made the decision, one that changed their bodies, including their blood and tears. “I think we can actually spread it through light dragon's breath, which also could have prevented these people from falling under the spell, but again, it alone cannot cure them. This is theoretical. I was thinking that Mihai could take me to Hebalon.”

“Well, it should be daylight on Mentai.” The Empress did not seem thrilled by this idea. “There is a light dragon colony about fifty miles north of Lavora. Visit King Sebastian. He will send you with a party to find the caves. Mihai, you should go too. I know it's late, and I promise you can get some sleep when you get back. Remember, pods are not allowed on Hebalon, so you will likely be using a magically altered Jeep Cherokee. You can ask the dragon to summon a phoenix of the light.”

“It shall be done!” Mihai said dutifully. “I should get decontaminated now.”

“I'll go for decontamination too,” the Empress replied. “Selena, you're coming as well. We need to all drink some of Cheryl's blood just to be extra careful... if you don't mind I mean.”

“I just fed last night,” Cheryl replied. “I'm good to go, and I will do anything you ask in that regard. I can only immunize three more people. Any more than that would be too much. I'll have to feed again too. With just Pavel I could have gotten away with ten days, but three more will mean that I'll need to feed by the time we get back, especially since my own blood will be part of this potion.”

“You can have your fill of a prisoner in the dungeon of the King Sebastian's palace,” the Empress beamed.

Cheryl licked her chops. “I love draining magical prisoners. Their blood is excellent. They release so much adrenaline. It gives their blood such a divine flavor.” The color left the Empress' cheeks. The idea of drinking blood was repulsive to her. “Remember My Empress, you drink dragon blood every time you sip from your flask of Longevity Potion.”

“I guess you're right,” Guadalupe stammered. “Let's get going. Mihai, the decontamination area is directly east of the palace. Can you teleport us there?” Mihai closed his eyes and concentrated on moving all five of them to the decontamination area.

Within moments they were there, and the soldier in charge of starting the process asked, “Why do they not have suits on?” He was looking at Pavel and Cheryl at the time.

“I'm a blood witch,” Cheryl said prosaically. “I am immune. Pavel drank some of my blood. The three with the suits on will be drinking of my blood soon. It is an extra precaution.”

“Alright, but please wear the suits when you return,” he replied stiffly.

“Alright,” they all said in unison.

“Good!” he beamed. “Now let's get all cleaned up. Cheryl and Pavel closed their eyes, as magical disinfectant was sprayed all around them. Even though it was magical, it was still irritating to eyes. It did not negatively affect skin and hair. The substance also dried within seconds, so everyone was dried quickly. The suits automatically removed themselves, and the five of them walked through the tunnel that led them out of the area.

They soon arrived at a wooded area, which was ideal for what they were about to do. Drinking vampire or blood witch/wizard blood in public was considered especially taboo. Cheryl's gift was summoning, so three goblets soon appeared out of nowhere. Pavel, using telekinesis, levitated them close to her. Sinking her teeth into a vein in her wrist, Cheryl let her blood pour into the goblets one by one as Pavel moved them toward the recipients. Mihai was the last to receive his goblet, and he almost gagged in the process of drinking Cheryl's blood. “Sorry, I'm not used to drinking blood.”

“Personally I think blood is quite delicious, but I guess for the rest of you, it's not quite as palatable,” Cheryl quipped. “Now, let's get back to why we're here. Mihai, are you ready?”

“Yes, I am,” Mihai replied. Mihai took Cheryl by the hand, and the two of them teleported to the portal room of the Ducal Palace. Mihai was becoming increasingly confident in his teleportation, and he was more comfortable with teleporting to areas he did not know well. He initiated the portal sequence, and the two of them stepped through.

Mihai was struck by the fact that the portal room of the Royal Palace of Galtavek was so ornate. Galtavek was the kingdom in which Lavora was located. Lavora acted as the continental capital of Mentai as well as the capital of Galtavek. One of the two guards looked at Mihai and instantly recognized him. “Your Imperial Highness, I am honored by your presence! My name is Sergeant Craig Waters. What may I do for you?” Sergeant Waters was a cute redhead with green eyes. He was taller than Konstantin's familiar, Kyle, and his hair was more of an auburn.

“We are here to see His Majesty, King Sebastian,” Mihai replied, smiling. “It is a matter of great importance.”

“Private Smith, you are to guard this area alone until I return,” Sergeant Waters said sternly. Private Smith had light brown hair and eyes. Mihai thought both of them were cute, and he was amused by the fact that both of them were practically drooling over him as well.

Even with the cute guys distracting him, Mihai noticed that this palace had something that his did not, an elevator. As they followed Sergeant, Waters into an elevator Mihai wanted to converse privately with Cheryl. 'Cheryl, remind me to come back here some time,' Mihai said to her telepathically. 'These two want me, and they're so damn hot.'

'What about Konstantin,' she shot back.

'Are you kidding?' Mihai mentally quipped. 'He'll want to join!'

'Go for it then!' she thought. Cheryl and Mihai were led to a salon on the main level of the palace, and they waited quietly while Sergeant Waters searched for the king.

“I'm curious,” Mihai said quizzically. “Do you have to have protection from the sun?”

“I always wear a magical sun screen and sunglasses when I'm out in the daylight,” Cheryl replied. “Such measures are not enough for vampires who were once mortals. Even the sight of the sun causes them to burst into flames. Speaking of which, are you nervous about having to kill one?” Killing a vampire who was under demon control was a requirement for becoming an Intermediate Sorcerer.

“A little,” Mihai admitted. “They're not as fast as you, but they're a lot faster than I am.”

“You must defeat them with your gifts and your magic,” Cheryl replied. “If you have your wits about you, a vampire has no chance against you. I'd say that you would even give Curtis McDermott and me a run for our money. Always be cautious, but never forget that you are powerful. Your magnetic abilities can be deadly for any vampire. A stake need not necessarily be made of wood. Even your magical sword can pierce through a heart. And if all else fails, I'm sure you can use your wand to shoot a vanquishing potion. Believe me. Wolf wizards and wolf witches are much harder to kill. Do not make an enemy of one of those unless you have no alternative. They are what we fear most. Their panther counterparts aren't exactly cute and cuddly either.”

“I have no intention of pissing one off.” Mihai shuddered. “They're all scary.”

“Always remember that they're allergic to silver and vampire,” she replied. “Still, they're quite strong, and even the tiniest of scratches can kill or turn you.”

“She's right,” a man with a baritone voice interjected. Mihai and Cheryl turned and saw a tall man with a thick bone structure, black hair, a well-trimmed beard and mustache, and a crown upon his head. This was the first time that Mihai had seen a wizard who had a little extra meat. It was a rarity because of magic's drain upon the body, but if someone ate more than necessary, it was possible. Still, Mihai figured the man would be a little softer, and the king's larger build was sexy to him. “It is wonderful to finally meet you, future Emperor.”

“It's not a guarantee, Your Majesty,” Mihai countered. “The sentiment is no less appreciated.”

“Oh, but I know you will be, young prince,” King Sebastian said firmly. “I am a sage. I know these things. I even know why you're here. I am to inform you to call upon your guardian phoenix.” Mihai's mouth dropped in shock. “Don't be so surprised, Mihai. Holly has been watching over you your whole life, and that's a good thing considering what a pussy of a fairy Lothario was. You have received the Light of the Gods, not once but twice. That should be proof enough. Your ancestor Queen Orla was touched only once, and the Light of the Gods is channeled through a phoenix. The gods will normally only send a phoenix to bestow their light once unless they have chosen a phoenix to guard the person in question.”

“I've always loved phoenixes,” Mihai replied, still in shock. “But I have never seen Holly.”

“That doesn't mean she's not with you,” the king laughed. “There's so much for you to learn. Phoenixes can only be seen when they want to be seen or if the ones they are guarding ask to see them. Go on! Close your eyes and call her name with your mind. She will come to you.”

Doing as he was told. 'Holly, I call upon you. Please come to us in this time of need, great phoenix of the gods.' Mihai immediately heard the crackle of fire and opened his eyes. A beautiful giant bird with flame orange feathers stood before him.

“Greetings, Mihai,” Holly said. Normally phoenixes did not speak, but she wanted everyone to hear. “I am glad that you finally called upon me, and I am honored to be your guardian. There is much to do. I must take you to Jeradu. You came to the right place. He is close, and he is the wisest dragon in all of Hebalon. Your two friends here shall be joining us. There is much to do.” Flames consumed their bodies, yet did not burn them. They found themselves in a large cave. The dragon was massive, and Mihai knew instantly with the red and green coloring as well as the spiky bones protruding from the dragon's head and tail that he was a Mentai Thorntail.

'Greetings Jeradu,' Mihai said telepathically. 'I am Prince Mihai.'

“Mihai, you do not have to use telepathy,” Jeradu replied. “Phoenixes give us voices. What can I do for you?” Mihai told Jeradu in detail about the entire situation and even about Cheryl's idea for a potion. “The potion will work, though there will be many other ingredients to the potion.” A list magically appeared in Cheryl's hand. “Cheryl, you will need two magical people to feed upon, one now and one after you complete the potion. It will take twelve hours to complete this potion, and it must be completed in time. In this case, stasis will only prolong their lives for so long.”

“Thank you, Jeradu,” Cheryl said warmly. “I will only feed on criminals though. Empress Guadalupe told me to feed upon one of the prisoner's in King Sebastian's dungeon.”

“Holly, can you provide them?” Jeradu asked.

“Of course,” the phoenix confirmed. Holly closed her beautiful flaming eyes. Moments later two men appeared in phoenix flames, both of them shackled. “Mihai, can you handle what Cheryl is about to do?”

“I've seen worse,” Mihai countered. Cheryl immediately bit the neck of one of the prisoners, and Mihai watched curiously as she drained the man of his blood, though he covered his ears because of the man's blood-curdling screams.

After the man was completely drained, Cheryl threw him over to Jeradu, who swallowed the corpse whole. “They taste better with their blood still in them, but this one was tasty nonetheless.”

“You're welcome, Jeradu, and thank you Holly,” Cheryl said. “Mihai, I hate to tell you this, but this potion also calls for the blood of an electrokinetic. I assume that only you qualify.” Turning to King Sebastian, she added, “The semen of a sage is also required. I can assist you or Mihai can, depending on what you prefer.”

“I would definitely prefer Mihai,” the king said smiling wryly at him.

“A fertilization wand would work too,” Mihai added. “Still, I think I'd rather do this the old-fashioned way.” Mihai leered at the king, licking his lips seductively.

“There is a staircase behind my platform. You can use one of the bedchambers if you like.” This not-so-subtle suggestion came from Jeradu.

“You'll need this.” Cheryl summoned a beaker, and King Sebastian took it from her. Mihai had noticed a walkway to the left of the dragon's large stone platform. Mihai walked toward it, and King Sebastian followed him. There was a turn about 100 feet from the beginning of the walkway, which led behind the dragon's platform. The stairway was not far from there.

Once on the lower level, Mihai found a suitable bedchamber and led the king inside. It was simple but quite nice at the same time as the fireplace was lit, giving the room a warm, welcoming, and romantic atmosphere. King Sebastian placed the beaker on the nightstand and turned to Mihai. “I've wanted you from the moment I knew of you,” he said in a husky voice before wrapping his arms around him and kissing him deeply. Mihai had never kissed a guy with a mustache and beard, but despite the fact that it tickled him, he loved it. King Sebastian also had a musky scent, one that was driving Mihai wild. The man's hands were so firm, yet so gentle, and Mihai loved even the way Sebastian was rubbing his back as they kissed. He also liked the softer feeling of Sebastian's body, which was pressed against him.

“Let me see your body,” Mihai begged when they broke their kiss. King Sebastian backed away. Slowly he lifted his wizarding robe, first revealing his hairy legs, which were actually fairly defined. Soon Mihai had a better view of the king's bulge through his boxer briefs, which Mihai cupped with his right hand, rubbing gently. “Mmmmm...” the king mumbled. Mihai got a glimpse of the king's small belly, which was also rather hairy. The difference from the others he had been with was actually nice in its own way, as they had firmer, thinner bodies. It gave the man's body a cushioned feeling, and with all the hair it was sexy. Before long, the king's robe was discarded.

“Now it's your turn,” the king said libidinously. “I want to see more of you.” The king knelt down in front him, and as Mihai lifted his robe, the king caressed the newly exposed skin. Just as Mihai had done for him, Sebastian rubbed Mihai's hard-on through his boxers. When Mihai's firm abs came into view, King Sebastian caressed them with his free hand. The King was licking his lips when Mihai's pink nipples came into view, and he could not resist reaching up and tweaking the left one, which made Mihai squirm. Mihai sped up the process and cast the garment aside.

The king pulled down Mihai's boxer's, freeing the prince's already dripping cock and low-hanging balls from their confines. He turned his head to the side and planted his nose in Mihai's nuts and took a big whiff. “Your scent is divine.” He flicked his tongue against Mihai's left ball. “They taste good too.” Mihai moaned as Sebastian sucked it into his mouth, swirling his tongue. Mihai reached down and stroked his cock, enjoying Sebastian's ministrations.

“That feels so good,” Mihai moaned. This only spurred Sebastian on as reached behind Mihai's balls and rubbed his taint. The treatment put Mihai in a state of complete Nirvana, and he was wondering why he had not given himself the pleasure of an older man before. Sebastian eventually released Mihai's tasty orbs from his mouth. By then, Mihai's dick was coated in pre-cum, and Sebastian practically inhaled it with his mouth, and Mihai was shocked when he noticed that Sebastian's nose was buried in his trimmed thatch of pubic hair. Sebastian was good at this, and it did not take long before Mihai shot his load down Sebastian's throat. “You're amazing!” Mihai exclaimed as the king extricated his softening dick.

Mihai helped the king to his feet and wrapped his arms around him, giving him a gentle kiss on the lips. He then planted his mouth on Sebastian's neck and began gently licking and suckling. Mihai did not want to leave hickeys, but he couldn't resist the king's manly neck. Mihai slowly worked his way down the king's body, kissing and licking until he was sucking his dick through the fabric of his boxer briefs. Unable to resist, Mihai lowered the king's underwear, revealing his thick cock that was about five inches long and, surprisingly, circumcised. That was unusual for magical people, but Mihai was intrigued. Mihai took the tip into his mouth and licked around the exposed head.

The king grabbed the back of Mihai's head and started thrusting. Mihai loved being face f**ked, and Sebastian knew it from how keyed up he was. Sebastian pumped harder into Mihai's mouth than anyone else ever had, and Mihai enjoyed it so much that he was vigorously stroking his own dick, which was hard again. Sebastian, being a telekinetic, moved the beaker into his hand. He was inching closer to orgasm, so he stopped f**king Mihai in the mouth and extracted himself. Mihai grabbed the beaker and the king vigorously stroked his cock until he shot his massive load.

“That was wonderful,” King Sebastian said warmly. “I would love to go further in the future. Perhaps Konstantin would join us, and we could go further.”

“I would like that,” Mihai replied. “You're an exquisite lover.”

“As are you.” King Sebastian placed his hand upon Mihai's face. “You are a warrior and a lover, a force of nature but a gentle soul. Konstantin is a very lucky man. I know he is in a terrible state right now, but he'll be restored along with all the others. Keep him close to you always. Keep Pavel close as well. He is quite powerful too, but he needs your guidance, your love, and your respect. Now, we need to get back.”

The king and the prince dressed quickly and took the beaker upstairs. “Took you long enough,” Cheryl teased.

“Well, I took care of Mihai first,” the king shot back.

“I don't blame you,” she replied with a faux frown. “I keep trying to talk him into having me as his first woman. For some reason, he keeps refusing my offer.”

Mihai laughed. “It's nothing personal. I just know what I like, and I like men.”

“Suit yourself,” Cheryl sighed in mock disappointment. Putting on a serious face, she stated. “I have all the herbal ingredients chopped. Mihai, it is best for the king to extract your blood. I can stand to add it to the potion, but it will set me off if I see the blood leaking from your body, because that will mean it's completely fresh as that's the only way I'll drink it. I'll go downstairs during the process. Two pints are required.”

After Cheryl left, King Sebastian took out a blood wand, which had a sharp tip. There was already a beaker ready, so Mihai placed his wrist about a foot above it. The blood wand was about ten inches long, so that gave King Sebastian plenty of room. He turned Mihai's wrist so that the veins were on the downward side. The wand acted somewhat like a compass as it pointed itself right beside a vein. King Sebastian carefully guided it into Mihai's wrist, causing him to gasp. He then held Mihai's wrist over the beaker. The wand always pumped out one-half cup at a time with a five-second pause in between, which meant four cycles until enough of Mihai's blood was in the beaker. After the fourth cycle was complete, King Sebastian extracted the blood wand, which disappeared into thin air. Blood wands were supposed to disappear, because they could only be used once.

“Are you alright?” Sebastian asked.

“I'm fine,” Mihai replied. “It hurt, but it had to be done. I am more than willing to sacrifice some of my blood for them.”

“That's good to know,” Sebastian said with a tear in his eyes. “I'm sorry. I'm bad with goodbyes. I just know that you'll be leaving soon. You need to go over and talk to Holly.” Sebastian wrapped his arms around Mihai and hugged him. “Take care, Mihai. Come back and see me soon. Private Smith and Sergeant Waters would love to spend some time with you as well. They're wonderful lovers too. Come back and see us. Oh, and don't forget Konstantin. I want a taste of him too.”

“You're on.” Mihai kissed King Sebastian one more time. “Thanks again for the time we've shared together.” Mihai let go of Sebastian and walked over to Holly the Phoenix. “King Sebastian tells me you wanted to talk to me.”

“Mihai, would you like to return to the Ducal Palace in Atlanta?” Holly asked. “The Empress is there, and she's waiting for news. There's not much more you can do here. I can send you there directly. This potion will take twelve hours to brew, and you've already been gone for two hours. I will also send the king home. I will escort Cheryl directly to the royal palace in Atlanta as soon as it is finished. One of my tears is the final ingredient and must be added right before the potion is released.”

“That's fine,” Mihai replied. “I'm tired anyway. I'd like to say goodbye to Cheryl and Jeradu first though.”

“Cheryl will be on her way momentarily,” Holly said.

Since Cheryl was a vampire, she was back in the blink of an eye. “We were just talking about you,” Mihai snickered. “I'm leaving, and I wanted to say goodbye to you.”

“I was going to suggest that,” Cheryl admitted. “There's nothing more you can do here. Don't forget to talk to Jeradu though.”

“I have every intention of doing so,” Mihai replied. “Where is he?”

“He went hunting,” Cheryl said dryly. “He should be back...” At that moment there was a loud swoosh, and Jeradu appeared. “Now!” She and Mihai both laughed.

“Come to me, Mihai,” Jeradu commanded. Mihai walked over to the platform, surrounding himself with a magnetic field so that he could levitate onto it. When he was close enough the dragon placed his hand palm up, and Mihai climbed onto the dragon's massive hand. The dragon held Mihai far enough away, so that Mihai could see his face. “You will face many dangers in your life, future emperor. Always remember the importance of your family and friends. I know that there is a rift between you and your parents, but at some point, the three of you need to repair that rift. Time is a precious commodity, and deep down you all love one another.”

“They hurt me badly,” Mihai sniveled. “I just need time to get over it. We were all in a room full of people earlier, and I intentionally avoided them. It's difficult to be anywhere near them. They were supposed to go to Africa for a month, but that trip has been postponed.”

Jeradu studied Mihai. In the palm of his hand was a prince who he knew would become one of the greatest Emperors in the history of the Empire of Magic. At his young and tender age, he had certain vulnerabilities, but Jeradu could already see that Mihai was going to be strong, that he was going to make a difference throughout the galaxy. “Take the time you need, young prince. There is some time to repair this rift. I'm just telling you that it's something you must do. They have lost their way, but they will make it to Africa when this situation is resolved. They will not just be in Africa, but you get the idea. This journey will put things into perspective for them, the current situation in Georgia included.”

“That's good to know,” Mihai said with hope in his voice.

“I want to talk more about what's going on now. The Order is trying to re-establish itself in North America. You and your family must take the lead in combating them. I know the location of their compound, and the information shall be revealed to you soon, but you must open your mind to find the answers. There is an innocent child's life at stake. She is very important as well. She is a future sage. Rescuing her is of the utmost importance, and the Order knows how important she is. They are into reading runes. You're on their radar as well, but that is a recent occurrence. Unfortunately, no one outside the imperial family can use the spell that hid your existence, which makes everyone else vulnerable.”

“I firmly believe that the spell should be more widely available,” Mihai said firmly.

“You and me both,” the dragon admitted. “You can change things one day, but for now, you must learn the ways of the magic. I'm going to offer you one more tidbit of help. Whenever you need to collect a dragon's blood for any reason, mine is available to you. In fact, I want you to come back from time to time. Please bring Konstantin and Pavel with you. I know it won't be easy to find the time, but please do. There is so much I can teach all three of you. Just remember that if Holly is not here, you will need to use your telepathy. I also have something for you.”

Jeradu tilted his head into the air and breathed some fire. A small object slowly descended from the flames. Instinctively Mihai caught the object in a water bubble to cool it off. Mihai realized that it was a golden bracelet in the shape of a dragon. Upon it there were diamonds, rubies, pearls, and emeralds. Mihai slipped the ornate piece of jewelry onto his right wrist. “This bracelet will allow you to call upon me or come to me at any time. I ask you not to call upon me unless you really need me. Like Holly, I will act as a guardian for you and a fierce ally against any of your enemies. I know Holly was going to send you back, but you're already in the palm of my hand, so I can do it myself. Are you ready?” Mihai nodded.

The dragon exhaled a breath that was red in color. The dragon's breath consumed him and in an instant he was transported to the bedchamber now occupied by his aunt, the empress, who was sitting at a desk writing. Upon seeing the dragon's breath, she screamed. As it cleared, and Mihai was revealed, she yelled, “Don't do that!”

“I'm sorry, Aunt Guadalupe,” Mihai apologized. “I have much to tell you. Cheryl is in Jeradu's cave, brewing the potion that will cure everyone.

“The Jeradu?” she gasped in disbelief.

“Yes,” Mihai replied gleefully. “He is simply amazing.” Mihai showed her the bracelet on his right wrist. “This bracelet allows me to summon him.”

“Wow!” The Empress was still in a state of disbelief. “Mihai, that means that he is your animal familiar! That is a great honor! An animal familiar chooses you rather than the other way around, either that or the gods themselves choose your animal familiar.”

“I know!” Mihai replied. “That's not all! Remember that you said we needed the dragon to summon a phoenix?” His aunt nodded. “We didn't have to do it. Holly the phoenix is my guardian as well. She has been my animal familiar from the beginning.”

“You've got to be kidding me!” The Empress was more amazed than before. “No one has ever had a phoenix for a familiar before.”

“Pavel has one too,” Mihai said fervently. “His name is Achilles. I can sense him flying around in the sky above us. Holly never mentioned Achilles either. I just sense him somehow.”

“That's no ordinary summoning bracelet,” the Empress replied. “It revealed that information to you. It is Jeradu's Bracelet of Wisdom. It is a legendary magical item of immense power. The ability to summon Jeradu is amazing enough, but you can summon dragon's breath with this. You can also fly. Never take it off, Mihai. It must be on your wrist until you are no longer alive, at which point it will return to him. Did he tell you anything else?”

“As a matter of fact he did!” Mihai was excited as he remembered that Jeradu said that the Order's location would be revealed to him. “I believe that I can find the location of the Order's hideout. He said it would be revealed to me if I open my mind.”

“That's fantastic!” The Empress could not contain her excitement as she was eager to infiltrate them. “With your ability to summon dragon's breath, we can give them a taste of their own medicine!”

“Well, it would be red instead of blue, but it is possible,” Mihai said dryly. “I can create the potion. However, I will not. It is evil, even if I use light dragon's breath to create this hideous toxin. I cannot and will not do it, so please do not ask this of me. Jeradu will strike me dead if I use this bracelet to do anything of the sort. Still, I can use dragon's breath to simply kill them.”

“Killing them isn't considered evil?” the Empress asked doubtfully.

“Killing an innocent is evil,” Mihai insisted. “They are not innocents. The difference is the virus caused by the potion will spread to anyone who comes into contact with the victim, innocent or not. That could be a serious problem if mortals enter the area. Right now it's in the confines of a palace. If it were to be released outdoors in any way, the consequences could be dire. It could spread around the world, consuming just about everything in its path, animals and plants alike. The whole planet will essentially be trapped in a vortex between life and death. Those responsible for releasing it, according to this bracelet, shall die.”

“I'm sorry, Mihai,” the Empress cried. “I just want to punish them all for what they've done to some of my people. It's beyond evil. I want revenge!”

“And you shall have it,” Mihai promised. “They're not going to get away with this, not by a long shot. The blood of our enemies shall be shed by the gallons! They may beg for mercy, but the only mercy they shall find is the mercy of death. Their time will come soon, but for now, we need to sleep. Tomorrow promises to be a long day, and we must restore everyone who has fallen prey to the Dark Dragons' trap.” Mihai crouched by his aunt's desk and gave her a hug. “We will make this right. Rest, My Empress. You'll need your strength tomorrow, for after everyone is restored, we will be seeking our retribution. The Order of the Dark Dragons will lose its foothold in North America, of that I can assure you. Good night, Aunt Guadalupe.”

“Good night, Mihai,” she said sweetly before releasing him. Mihai made his way to his bedchamber. He felt physically drained from the day, and yet Jeradu's Bracelet of Wisdom made him feel stronger than he had ever felt before. He stripped off his clothes and turned off the light. He pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. He wrapped his arms around Fabian, who was already asleep. If he had not been so tired himself, he would have awakened his familiar and made love to him, but their reconnection would have to wait, for sleep was imminent.