Atomic Mage by Garrett Carter (short books for teens txt) 📕

short. They would rather profit from her body then leave us in peace."

Sudden winds and lightning followed quickly by the deafening clap of thunder came after Sabine's statement adding weight to her rage-filled words.

"I hope this colors your judgment of my actions from before, I am not ashamed to admit I paid those creatures back as often and as cruelly as possible."

Sabine's passionate statement set Cade back on his heels at its vehemence.

The short sweet Sabine at that moment, even as sorrowful rage-fueled tears flowed down her ethereal face, was a war goddess who would have her pound of flesh, relishing in the kill and enjoying her preys lamentations.

"I am not sorry for my rage, my mother and our nest treated our men with dignity, not harming those who loved us, fought with us, and ultimately died with us. I was to be the next matriarch of our nest as my mother before me, special even among our kind for that I am and the power I command. If my mother was still among the living I would be close to her size, the starvation and constant running for my life have diminished who I could have been. I want to fight with and for you m... Cade, I will fight at your back and I wish to follow you for as long as you will have me. The loneliness of living alone and forgotten is something I wish could end and in you and your dresk I see that opportunity. PLEASE!....please take me with you...I don't want to be alone anymore."

At the end of her speech, Sabine was wrung out, all emotion gone except for the haunted look in her eyes as she looked upon her mother's resolute face in her memories.

Cade had no idea how to continue, frozen by indecision. One thing he could do was hold the emotionally distraught Sabine.

As his arms encircled the small woman, her body began to shake with hiccupping sobs. Her mother's name on her lips repeated continually through her grief, he could understand that at least.

As he lifted her in his arms she encircled his waist with her tail, the long blade at the end of her tail draped over his left shoulder left to hang as he held her sobbing human half to his right to drain her sorrow on his strong shoulder, as he rubbed her back and shed a few tears of his own remembering his own loss.

Unwilling to continue the memory vetting, to put this woman through more trauma, he made a decision, pulling Sabine into his neck he placed a kiss to the top of her head.

"They will pay, then they will die, this I promise you my little snake. But first, let's get you in fighting shape so they will know who is responsible for ending their wretched lives."

He said though his tight throat, rage and sorrow warring within him.

If nothing he could give this woman closure, and anything else he could offer would be for hers to take.

Sabine's hiccupping sobs continued as she turned to look him in the eye, "and can I stay after, I want to stay with you, be with you and Mina in any way I can, just...please let me stay."

Sabine finished her plea to stay with Mina and Cade in a hushed voice only barely heard above the downpour that was her sorrow at being reminded of her isolation from any and all others.

"You may stay with us my little snake," he said simply before he hugged the still crying Sabine to him with a fierceness that surprised even him.

"Thank you, thank you so much, I will make sure you never regret this." Her heartfelt reply started softly but grew in intensity as her coils around his midsection tightened until he couldn't breathe, but that was ok with him what's a little asphyxiation between friends, maybe even more.

"How about we give Mina the good news, and then we can go and beat some catharsis out of some slavers." He said with a humored grimace as his lungs struggled to get the words past the crushing grip of Sabine's coils.

Giving a tinkling laugh that raised more than his spirits Sabine answered simply "yes please."

Now there are two of them

Coming out of Sabine's mindscape, Cade took in the still beautiful if slightly less alluring Sabine as she tearfully looked up into his eyes absolute adoration written upon her face.

He smiled back at her but was not ready for the full-body hug that he received as she threw her whole 15-foot length at him coiling around him from chest to waist.

"HE SAID I COULD STAY!! She cried cheerfully to Mina, a huge grin splitting her face.

"Picking up strays now my love?" Mina asked with a wry grin.

"Can we keep her?" Cade asked his mate, knowing she would get the reference, as he embraced the young basilisk woman in return.

Mina exploded in laughter at his childish tone, and at the memory of Candice bringing home a stray kitten when she was five.

"We can certainly use the help my Cade, and Sabine, we will be having a talk about your place in our family." She said with little humor, her face slipping into what Cade guessed was her matronly guise.

Gone was the open loving woman, in her place was his Dresk who knew how to run kingdoms, her will unquestionable, her orders absolute.

To be honest it turned him on more than he wanted to admit.

Sabine's reaction was the polar opposite.

Scrambling down from her more than familiar position on him she gave him more than a few rug... scale burns as