Great! Just fucking awesome. The dragon king could not have designed his army any better, a big bunch of pack-like, immortal drones. He probably had mind control over us too. Although … it would explain why I’d been so drawn to the Vanguard prison, desperate to go back there to try to free those prisoners.

“We believe the king, when he rises, will be able to communicate with all of you at one time. Collectively.”

Braxton was grim faced, legs slightly apart and arms crossed over his chest. Listening and not happy. He wasn’t the only one. I was also feeling “not happy” right now with this entire bullshit endeavor.

“Lastly, you all possess the ability to call on the spirit of the dragon. Touch the power inside and a small facet of the king’s power will become yours. Senses heightened, strength heightened, speed heightened. Basically, you will mimic much of the ability a dragon possesses.”

I raised my hand but didn’t wait to be called on. “Have any marked ever like … shifted into a dragon?” It had to be asked, even though I was almost certain I was the special cupcake of the year.

The mystics observed me for a moment, almost as if they couldn’t believe anyone was questioning them during their “talking moment.” Get used to it.

Quale answered: “No, to our knowledge there have never been any to actually take the form of a dragon. As you probably know, there are no dragon shifters who are marked. They don’t need to be, they are already called to the king’s cause, and they have far greater skills and strength than the marked.”

I nodded a few times as if that was an awesome and legitimate answer. Meanwhile, on the inside I was having a mini freak-out. Definitely a special cupcake. Fuck a duck.

The mystic from before started talking again, shooting me a dirty glare. “As I was saying, these are the three traits present in all marked, no matter which of the races you fall under. We are here to cultivate these qualities so that when the king rises, you will not be taken by surprise.”

I raised my hand again, and with a sigh he quirked a single eyebrow at me. Which was quite a skill. “Why the hell are you helping the king? He’s evil and an asshole. One supernatural should not rule everything.”

I heard laughter, and a quick glance told me that I was amusing my parents, Louis, and Braxton.

The mystic walked toward me. So far he was the only one of them to break the line and move around. “What makes you think everything is so black and white? Good, evil, they are two sides of the same coin. How do you know the king was not trying to usurp a corrupt supernatural world? How do you know his intentions were not virtuous and honorable?”