Hidden Flame 82

**Avery**
After my mates kissed me, I pulled away so that I could present my idea. “We now know that the Corra tribe and their
allies glamoured themselves and went into hiding, reinventing themselves and mingling into other tribes to avoid death.
But what if it goes beyond self-preservation? What if they are infiltrating all of the remaining tribes trying to amass
power. Power that Corra herself will use to make her dream of ultimate conquest a reality?”
Cassius strokes my hair, “Little mate, I think that you are right. Perhaps in some weird way, they sensed that you were a
threat and that’s why they targeted you. Now they know that you have power because you are our mate. Avery, I will die
before anything happens to you.”
And that’s what I am afraid of. The only deaths that I want to witness are the Hags and those responsible for the deaths
of our parents and other innocent dragons. “Clint, I need my phone so that I can have a meeting with Tim. We also need
to tell Draven just how involved the Hags likely are because once they learn that he isn’t linked to Talos they will kill him.”
“You can use my phone when we get back to the boat because I have Tim’s number,” Clint said. As I was about to ask
why, he replied, “I saved it as a precaution, just in case he tried anything. I love you and I will protect who is mine.”
I want to be angry but I can’t because no one has ever loved me as they do besides my parents. I nodded and he kissed
me. I kiss each of them. “Let’s finish this day of firsts and surprises before we deal with the real world,” I said with a smile.
Cassius takes my hand, “Swim back with us, and if you can’t we will let you ride us back.” I blushed because I envisioned a
different kind of ride. The guys chuckled before Cassius said, “Fucking adorable,” as he kissed my rosy cheeks. Will I ever
not embarrass myself when it comes to sex? I do wish that I had someone I could talk to about it but I don’t because I wouldn’t feel comfortable talking to my adoptive parents about it and teachers are out of the question too. I sighed but
hid it.
We jumped into the water hand in hand. The guys told me to take a deep breath before we went under the water. I
struggled a bit but got the hang of it as we left the cave. I looked around at all of the different types of sea life before we
swam up for air. Regina told me through our link that she prefers flying. I giggled because I would too if I had wings, but
the ocean feels almost like my home.
As we neared the yacht, I saw its name and yelled, “Ceto!” Then I looked at my mates, “You are water.” They looked at me
in utter confusion. I shook my head and swam faster to the boat. Once we were onboard, I tried to explain. “I read about
her in the one romance book called The Flame that I rented by accident. Ceto was the Goddess of the Sea and its monsters. For your parents to name the boat that, it means that either you are descendants or they worshipped her. But I
doubt it was the latter because I never saw any altars in Naga for her or even statues. Your parents were proud but wanted their connection to remain hidden.”
All of this information is flooding my mind and I am struggling to get it all out, but I know that I am onto something
because I can feel it. “Your parents said that Corra was obsessed with a war with the Skye tribe who are air dragons. Air
and water are both elements.” I draw a star on the deck by smearing water droplets. As I point to each tip of the star, I
say, “Each point represents an element; earth, air, fire, water, and spirit.” Then as I am drawing a circle around the star, I
add, “When drawn within a circle, the pentacle represents the interconnectedness of the elements and the universe as a whole. I know that we are missing some pieces, but what if Corra’s goal was to take out each representative of the
elements so that she just wouldn’t rule all dragons, but the world too?”
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Cassius scratches his chin as the others run their hands through their damp hair. With resoluteness, Cassius nods. “It is a
sound theory. You, Avery, could be one of those elements or the circle that connects them all. This also might provide a
reason why our Power Of Three healed you and why you have multiple mates. It isn’t just because you are The Mother,
but more so that you are the circle. You are that connection and will find those missing pieces to feel whole. It could take
you to be whole to defeat Corra and stop armageddon.”
I need to either find a way to contact my parents or remember all of those songs my mother used to sing. They were
right about me being that warrior princess because I have The Mother’s Mark, Tiamat’s mark. One step at a time, we can’t
afford to rush and reveal our hand. Let our enemies keep underestimating us. Clint retrieves his phone from his pants just
as our swimsuits vanished. He laughed before his naked frame returned and sat down beside me. He unlocked his phone
and gave it to me. I texted Tim to meet us at the mall tomorrow and then we can go somewhere safe and I can make sure
he is a dragon before I show him mine. If he is a Balans as he said, then he is one of those missing pieces or a means to
find it. I need to warn those Corra might target.
After I texted him and confirmed the time and place, I gave Clint back his phone. He took it back with a mischievous grin.
Did I miss something while I was messaging Tim? I must have based on the hungry eyes that are glaring at me as if I am
the last steak left. What other surprise or first could they have planned?