Jonghyun was the most quiet, surprisingly. They'd heard everything the wizard had said just moments before.

"So... I've been killing women for how long..."

"Tough break. At least your house didn't get snatched and your father killed. But Jonghyun..." Joon trailed off. After hearing everything the fake dragon had boasted, it was as if a fog was lifted from their minds, each of them remembering all the things they had been told to forget those many years ago.

"His name was Key. I remember now. We'd been promised to each other since birth, had grown up as friends. I had initiated the mating bond, but he had refused me for over a month because of my.... ways," he shrugged slightly, face shellshocked, referring to his sleeping around. "He should have known it would have all changed after him... and now that's the only reason I didn't die when he did...he thought I wouldn't be faithful."

"I doubt that. Key was smart. He must have known something was endangering his life, but didn't want you to worry."

"Plus, I doubt your womanizing or otherwise surprised him if you'd been friends for so long," Minho added.

"I don't know what good it did me to stay alive, I haven't even been able to recall his face for the past two hundred years. I couldn't remember my own mate's face. I don't deserve the life I have now..."

"Enough with your wallowing," Minho growled. "He gave his life and saved yours. You should appreciate it more. You can remember him now." He slapped Jonghyun hard on the back, trying to pull him out of his sorrow through physical contact. "Now what are we going to do about the wizard coming here with Jinki that wants to kill us?"

Joon was already facing a wall. "Leave that to me. Now that I can actually remember the secret passage ways through this castle, this is going to be much easier for us." Forming a drop of water onto his finger, they watched as he drew a pattern into the grooves of the wall, taken aback when the wall began to open up into an entry way. "Stupid didn't even realize he'd left us in a room with a secret door. No wonder I kept looking at this wall strangely earlier," he murmured to himself, motioning for them to get a move on, the door closing behind them and cloaking back into a wall.





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Jinki stood in the doorway as the wizard had a mental breakdown at the sight of the room being abandoned, saying, "Maybe... this is the wrong room? Seems like there's a lot of rooms here..."

The wizard turned back, eyes glowing. "I gave up my soul to be able to turn into a dragon and keep you all in check, and I'll be damned if I let any of you get away from me again."

"Why are you doing all this then? Have you just been killing all of them off for years now?"

"I wasn't at first. I was exiled from my people for selling my soul to turn into a dragon, so I thought I'd find a place here among all of you, killing off the ones who were a threat to me or found out what I was, but then a few years ago, the fae made a deal with me. Kill off the remaining dragons, and they'd return my soul. I've been slowly working my way through the ranks without bringing suspicion to myself. Now less than ten dragons survive in this world, though I would have liked to keep you..." he sighed.

"How long until this poison takes effect then?" Jinki asked, doing a mental check of himself. Nope, still felt fine.

"Sometime today you'll start to feel it. Minho will too, if what they say about the bond is true."

"Bond?" Though Jinki had a suspicion he already knew.

"Oh that's right. Never mind. Come on, mind as well get this over with. No doubt they're planning something even now... but I can use you to my advantage."






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After trying for over an hour to get in contact with Kris or Tao, they decided it was up to themselves. "If it comes down to it, I'll just destroy the castle," Jonghyun had promised. "And if anyone does it, I'm going to be the one to kill him."

Walking into the throne room, they saw the wizard sitting leisurely, Jinki plopped beside him on the ground. The smiling boy waved at them slightly when they entered.

"Took you long enough," the wizard scoffed. "Found a way to kill me yet?"

Minho growled and sent a fireball hurling towards the imposter, but was shocked to see Jinki pulled in front of him, the fire dissolving before it even touched his skin.

"Turns out he can deflect any kind of magic. He truly is quite different from an ordinary dragon. Lacking in offensive powers, however, it would seem." He smiled down at the boy struggling in his grasp, thankful he was strong enough to keep hold of him, but continued. "You can try attacking me, but it will only backfire."

Jonghyun walked towards them slowly, his eyes dark, menacing. "I don't need to attack you to kill you," he uttered, before inhaling and letting out a screech that nearly ruptured all of their eardrums, the whole castle shaking. A rather large stalactite on the ceiling fell, separating Jinki and the wizard for only a second, which was all Minho needed to scoop Jinki up and get the hell out of there. But before they did, two familiar dragons flew in from the collapsing ceiling, Kris tackling Jonghyun as he fell and Tao freezing the wizard easily without Jinki near him.

"Let's kill him now," Kris growled, still holding Jonghyun down, covering his mouth with one of his clawed hands.

When Jonghyun pushed him off angrily, no one made a move to stop him as he stalked towards the now frozen in time wizard. "Can he feel everything that goes on while he's in this state?" he asked ominously.

"Oh yeah," Tao assured.

"And is it permanent?"

"Unless I die," he assured yet again.

Jonghyun only nodded harshly before grabbing the wizard and flying off, not even bothering to say goodbye to the remaining dragons.

"You could almost feel sorry for the sorcerer," Joon muttered. "Almost."

"I just hope Jonghyun comes back," Minho sighed, petting Jinki comfortingly without realizing it.

Jinki pulled back and looked up at him oddly. "Are you going to tell me what's going on now?"

Before Minho could say anything, Jinki's body began to shimmer, all of them closing their eyes briefly as a white light erupted from their youngest member, a shimmering dragon quickly taking his place.

"See, I told you it'd only be a matter of time," Joon praised, though he was already being ushered out of the room by Tao, Kris following close behind, dark eyes glaring at the physical contact between Joon and his mate.

"You can turn back if you just think about it hard enough, it'll get easier," Minho commented, watching as Jinki flashed bright again, his form a heap on the ground, panting heavily.

"That," he gasped, "is not a very good feeling."

"It get's better with practice. You'll have all the time in the wor-... !"

"What? What is it?"

"The wizard's dealt with, but he's alive! You're still in danger! Until he's dead, the poison will remain in your body!"

Jinki sighed, "Just let Jonghyun have his revenge."

"Not at the cost of your life," Minho growled, already scenting Jonghyun to go after him.

"Minho!" Jinki screamed in frustration. The dragon turned back and looked at Jinki like he'd grown two heads. "Will you just listen to me for once? I. Am. Fine. I've felt fine since I took the poison out of Tao and Kris days ago. Look. You remember when you first met me, and didn't know what I was?" Minho only nodded. "And when the wizard first tried to figure it out, he said he could scent fae blood in me?"

"But he wasn't sure..."

"I'm sure. I'm going to be fine. One of my powers is that I can feel when something is wrong with someone, I can heal people. So I know. I'm fine. I've been monitoring it since you all first freaked out. I'm fine. I must have some fae in me, that, or when they moved my father's heart into my chest, some of their magic stayed with me. I'm immune. Now let Jonghyun have his revenge."

Minho stared down at his mate, seeing him in a new light. He didn't think he'd find a domineering Jinki so... y. "Okay..." he agreed slowly.

"And now I believe you have something to explain to me?" Jinki finished, crossing his arms over his bare chest, more in annoyance than anything else. He was starting to get used to being , after all, didn't really see the need to cover up anymore. He really was turning into one of them.

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A/N: xD Jinki. Let me love on you. No no. I insist. *pets dragon Jinki adoringly* Guys! There's only one chapter left! Are you excited or WHAT?! <3