Sired: A Dark Reverse Harem Romance (Ascension Book 3)

by Kenna Bardot

  I paused in mock deep thought before nodding seriously. "I like it very much."

  "But speaking of pain, Mireyah, your dragon is still in quite a bit of pain. I get bits and pieces because I'm so attuned to it. She's tired and her psyche isn't making things any better. You need to make sure you heal her bit by bit, so she gets better." He looked around me to stare at Hydra before leaning back against the sofa again.

  A knock sounded on the door to signify the end of our time, but I kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for caring about her. I’ll watch over her as a Majele, listen to the medic, and once she gets a clean bill of health, I can go home."

  "Make sure you do, Mireyah. The anniversary of our Sire Bond is coming up and we want to celebrate it with you." He gave my hand a soft kiss, and I pondered the information. I wasn't one to be sentimental over dates, but I couldn't believe I'd forgotten when I'd arrived at Demiorgo.

  "Well, happy one year to me then. I'll be with you then. I promise." I gave him one last kiss before going out. It wouldn't do for Julian to break down the door.

  Twenty-Six

  Mireyah

  “How’s she doing?” Jas walked up to the little garden behind the Dragon Guard quarters where I usually settled for the rest of the day with Hydra. Since we both preferred the outdoors to the indoors, it was the best place for us.

  Being surrounded by plants brought me peace.

  “She’s getting a lot of rest. It feels like she’s getting better. I’m sure she’ll be her old self soon.”

  She handed me a tiny bottle with a clear liquid inside it. “Just a boost.”

  I took it and inhaled, not surprised when it was like water. Nothing. I stopped it back up. “Thanks. I’ll give it to her tomorrow.”

  “You’re not wrong though, she’ll be herself soon.” She gave me a big smile. “Well done.”

  "If you ask us, she's an embarrassment to the Dragon Guard. She can't even protect her dragon, and she needs help from you to heal her. Can’t be surprised, seeing how she’s a filthy half-breed. Or is it a third-breed? One-third human, one-third Kald, one-third Majele. She’ll never be enough of anything to be decent." I turned around to see Yula flanked by her husband and Jarek as she spoke her hateful words.

  “Accidents will happen,” Jas said calmly although her green eyes hardened when she turned towards the trio of hate. “And Mireyah is the one who did most of the healing. She’s not using her Majele now upon my advice.”

  “She’s too concerned with the filthy things she’ll be doing with her Sires to put her dragon’s safety first.” Yula sneered and kicked a bit of mud towards me. Some of it splattered on the tips of my boots.

  "You're so fixated on my relationship. You’re married. Is Arkin not satisfying you enough? Or is it that you want to include Jarek in your mix, and you’re afraid they won’t agree? Trust me, it’s fun for everyone.”

  Arkin surged forward and doubled in size in front of me. In a voice that was more roar he shouted, "Don’t you dare talk to my wife in that way, you filthy whore. She’s nothing like you."

  I laughed. “You’re right. I have a dragon, and she doesn’t.” I cast my eyes to the sky.

  “A dragon you’ll kill before long. Right, Sobek?” Jarek patted his dragon’s flank. He blew out a breath, and I looked up with a smile.

  “Hello, Sobek,” I whispered, holding out a hand for the blue dragon. He blew out an icy breath and bent down to touch his chin to my hand. I rubbed my cheek against his as I scratched the scales underneath his face.

  “Don’t infect my dragon with your filth!” Jarek’s voice rose, his nose flaring as he threw his hand back and Sobek lurched backwards.

  “You’ve done enough of that all on your own!” I shouted back.

  Yula shrieked before shifting into a snake and struck me on the shoulder. I fell to the ground and Jasmine rushed to me even as Patrick walked forward as he came out from the building where he’d gone to collect water for Hydra and I.

  "Stop. Harming another Guard is directly in violation of our code of conduct." He drew his sword and brandished at the snake, which promptly shifted back to Yula. The venomous look she threw me still had a distinctly viperine quality to it.

  With help from Hydra pushing at my back, I struggled to my feet and reached out to touch Patrick's shoulder. "Just leave them. They're not worth it."

  I turned back to find Lathyn watching with such a look of pure judgment in his eyes that I squared my shoulders and pushed Patrick hard enough he stumbled to the side.

  "You go around thinking you're better than everyone else when in fact you're only projecting your own insecurities and inadequacies onto others." I nodded, because I finally understood it. I'd been there at one point and it had taken me a session with Caprice to see that quality in myself.

  "We are not -" I cut Jarek off and threw him a calm look.

  "You always point out everything that makes me different, and to your mind less. My human origins, my five Sires, my not being Dragon Guard before I got Hydra." My gaze turned to meet Lathyn's, and he nodded to me in encouragement. The bastard was an expert at riling me until I had no choice but to prove myself. Not with the way my pride motivated me. "But it doesn't make me less. It just makes me different from you, and you can’t stand the fact that I might succeed where you didn’t. I know that it seems like I came out of nowhere when others have worked for centuries to find their dragon. I understand that may not seem fair, but I had no more control over it than you did. Just because mine is different, does not make it less. I apologize for my words. I shouldn’t have lashed out the same way you did. You took my insecurities about not being able to protect Hydra and turned them against me, but I don't hate you. I can see things from your perspective. I'm sorry, Yula, that you don't have a dragon yet, and I hope you find yours. If you want to continue this campaign against me, then that’s your choice. Just know that I’ll have no part in it.”

  Her mouth dropped open, but she didn't speak, so I continued. "We are all Dragon Guard. I'm the newest member of this family, and perhaps that's what makes me more uniquely able to see its strengths." I nodded and took a deep breath as I saw Gaige walk over to join Lathyn to watch. Right behind him was Corban, with a look just as serious on his face. I plowed on, "And its weaknesses. I don't deny that I love this place, but it has its flaws. Just as Demiorgo does, or Sylfeshire or Godsvail. My hope is that we can see those for what they are and make them better."

  “I may not be a Dragon Guard,” Lathyn interjected. “But even I can recognize when the time has come to accept an olive branch, Yula. Mireyah is relentless, and as much as you may want to hate her, she’ll make that impossible in the end.”

  I raised an eyebrow and rolled my eyes. “You never wanted to hate me,” I reminded him.

  Lathyn met my gaze, the blue of his pulsing as if I needed to understand what he said next was serious. “When you Ascended to Demiorgo? Sure I did. Who wouldn’t want to hate the only woman ever to reject him?” His words echoed Char’s concerns, and my heart ached for the fact that he wanted to hate me. I had to hope that he would admit to having that desire meant he was genuine in his alliance and friendship. “But now I just thank you for being able to see what I didn’t. You would have driven me insane had you been my wife.” My palm covered my hand as I couldn’t stop the giggle that rose in my throat. I nodded my agreement. I’d have driven him insane, and he would have pissed me off daily.

  Corban cleared his throat, drawing us back from our moment. "It's important we remember to stand united as a group of one - all equally important, no matter our duty." My gaze moved directly towards Corban. "Zeevar created this group so we may perform our most sacred of duties involving dragons. I lead it to be the same. Don't presume to speak and act like you have a superiority over your peers." Jarek and his friends bowed their heads, but they still continued to glare at me.

  I had not made any lifelong friends in them.

  Hydra walked up to me and cooed before her eyes cl
osed, and she slid to the floor. I immediately bent down in a panic, but Jasmine spoke, "She's only sleeping. I’m afraid this has been too much excitement when she’s meant to be healing. I think it’s time we leave Mireyah and Hydra alone, please?”

  I listened as everyone slowly dispersed, keeping my eyes on Hydra. I hated that my confrontation and emotions exhausted her so much. I pocketed the tiny bottle of elixir that Jas gave me before letting a tiny controlled wisp of blue float from my hand and towards Hydra.

  She was well; I knew that much. She just needed to rest.

  A hand landed on top of my head, reminding me of a touch Tali might have given me when I was young. “Well done. Your Majele gets stronger every day, it seems,” Lathyn murmured as I looked up at him. Despite knowing my Sires would disapprove of his touch, I felt nothing but a strange, brotherly affection in it as his hand stroked through my bronze and blue hair. “I meant what I said. I see it now. I don’t know how I didn’t before,” he mused with a laugh.

  Despite the joy I felt that everything seemed to be righting itself, that he understood why a relationship between us could never work and supported me anyway, I suppressed my smile and twisted my face into a pout. “I’m still annoyed with you.”

  He ruffled my head and laughed softly. “I know, but you’ll forgive me, eventually. Destinies entwined and all that. I’ll see you around, Little Half-Breed,” he teased with a bright smile that I’d missed in our mostly awkward encounters as he turned to leave.

  Still, what an asshole.

  ✽✽✽

  After dinner with Haisley and Jas, I was just exhausted. When all was said and done, I couldn’t give the first shit that I’d stood up for myself. Not when Hydra suffered for me having done so.

  Most of my exhaustion came from her as we traipsed our way back to bed. I knew Julian watched me go, but he wasn’t stuck right next to me as usual. "I understand you're proud of what you did today?" The words sent a tingle of electricity down my spine, like a lover's fingers in a sweet caress. I looked up to see Zeevar, dark hair slicked back from that sharp face that was so cruel in its handsomeness.

  There were times I wished I could see into Zeevar, the dark and curious that must circle in his head. But more often I wished I could forget he existed entirely. "Proud? Of what? Of lashing out, making a fool of myself?"

  "You must be willing to make a fool of yourself if what you truly want is to make ripples in the calm lake of Demiorgo. Don't you think that's what you can do?"

  "I can do it and I want it, but at the cost of what? I know my Sires understand, but there are still moments I wonder if they will keep being patient when I know what they want is a child and a life with me. I have Hydra and my duty as a Dragon Guard is important to me. Helping humans is important to me. How am I meant to balance the things I want with what they want?" I slumped against the wall in the stairwell.

  “You will.” He turned next to him and smiled. “I’m glad you’re here. She’s been looking for you.”

  “We’re wasting time.” The voice was familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. I wasn’t left questioning for long when Anselm moved into view, a frown in place as he looked at me. His bulky form made Zeevar look so slight in comparison. “Why are you looking for me?”

  I frowned back at him. “Oh Zeevar…”

  “Yes?” Zeevar asked, and I shook my head.

  "I wasn’t looking for him. I merely remarked it seemed strange he would be absent when the other three of you were together,” I protested, rubbing my forehead.

  Most Gods went an eternity without ever having to deal with one of the Core Gods directly. I couldn’t seem to go a few weeks without seeing at least one of them.

  He sneered. “I don’t have time to spend drinking wine with the other Core Gods. My city-state needs my full attention. I enjoy watching over that place rather than Demiorgo or Godsfell. More chaos, but more real.” His voice was a grumble when he spoke.

  “Okay then.” What else did one say to a Core God in a mood?

  “Anselm has kindly pried himself from his true love to help me with the issue in my Dragon Guard.”

  “Yes, no more dead dragons. You knew that dragon, didn’t you? The one who just died.”

  I opened my mouth to tell them that everyone in the Reserve knew Madi and Leone, but I answered truthfully. “The first dragon I ever met.”

  He nodded, those eyes peering at me curiously like he could see something I couldn’t. I squirmed uncomfortably when he didn’t speak, and being leaned up against the wall didn’t help matters either. Zeevar watched us with a grin on his face.

  “And, yes, he paved the way for you to be here with your own dragon, didn’t he? Like this beauty here.” He bent down to run a hand down Hydra’s head when she walked up to him. “Your dragon is well, completely healed. Why are you still here?"

  "Did you heal her?" My anger flared at the prospect that I needed him to get anything done. That I needed anyone, just as I knew that I did.

  "I did not, Mireyah. You did."

  She walked up to me then and rubbed herself against my legs, nuzzling into my belly with what I could call a sigh. "Then I guess I should make plans to head home."

  "Yes, go home. Take that dragon who shares part of your soul but knows more than you can even begin to imagine. Remember that the Mireyah you take home is still the same Mireyah who is part of the Dragon Guard. Once you reconcile that and find your balance then it will be easy for you." He gave me a shallow bow.

  "I'll try." I straightened, finding my second wind. "But for now, I should go.”

  "So be it. Farewell and be well. To you and your beautiful Hydra." He gave Hydra one last stroke down the snout and had her purring before he bowed and winked.

  Realizing that Zeevar had left him, Anselm just glared at me. “It’s you. Why does it always have to be you?” Then he too winked off.

  Wondering what Anselm meant before he winked off, I glanced down at Hydra. “So, Hydra, guess we get to go home now?”

  “Oh, thank the Gods, you’re here!” Julian appeared at the top of the staircase and I wondered how long he’d been looking for me. Long, if the disheveled state of his hair was any sign.

  “Yeah, sorry, just had a run in with two crazy Gods.”

  “You’re good then?” he asked as he bent down to pick Hydra up.

  "Yeah, all good. Zeevar told me that Hydra’s a hundred percent well. And if that’s true, I want to go home," I declared.

  "Let's get her checked then. I'm happy for you, Mireyah."

  And after Zeevar's words, I knew one thing to be true. "I'm happy for me too."

  Twenty-Seven

  Charolais

  Tanith and I walked away from the Springen Express, returning to the North from the Unwanted. My stomach still pinched with the lingering pain, the transition from one place to the next something so stark and remarkable that even a Vide struggled to cope.

  Tanith’s bright smile tried to distract me, her mannerisms too animated for the normally quiet Goddess. We worked together, trusted one another as much as we must, but we weren’t particularly sociable. Mireyah’s words about my hypocrisy in having a female partner was something that stuck with me.

  She was right. If she had a male partner and never thought to mention it, it would drive the lot of us mad.

  I looked over Tanith’s shoulder, finding the familiar black-haired God standing by the fountain. Watching, like he did with increasing regularity. At first, he’d come once every couple weeks, then once a week.

  Then nearly daily.

  “He’s not worth it,” Tanith pleaded. “Think of the consequences-”

  “It is not your place to remind me of the consequences,” I warned her with a snap of my head when she reached out to touch my arm. I tolerated the touch of no woman but my woman.

  “Please, Char. I know the two of you have history, but remember who his Uncle is. He can make your life very difficult.” Logically, I knew she was right.

&nbs
p; Ashric’s uncle could and likely would demand punishment if I got into an altercation with his nephew, even if Ashric was the person responsible for it.

  Even if he waited and watched me. Even if he antagonized me.

  But enough was enough.

  Months had passed since he lost his chance with Mireyah in Sylfeshire.

  Nearly a year.

  The time came for him to move on with somebody else to torment. I should have felt more guilt for whoever he would ultimately abuse, but all that mattered to me was Mireyah and freeing her of the inky stain on our lives once and for all.

  I approached him slowly, not letting my body hint at the fury within me. I wouldn’t allow the psychopath to see how he affected me, how his constant presence was a reminder of just how close I’d come to losing my everything. “Don’t you have better things to do than stalk me?” I asked him, a smirk erupting on my face. “Though I suppose riding your Uncle’s success leaves you with free time. Does it ever get tiring to have everything handed to you?”

  Ashric shrugged, his long hair pulled back into a bun and making his angular face even more striking. His eyes glittered with amusement. Whatever broken part there was in him that required torment took joy in our conversation.

  I knew for him I was a gateway to Mireyah. I suspected I’d become the same if she’d chosen someone else, taking whatever scraps of her I could get.

  While I didn’t wish to hurt her, the comparison didn’t sit right with me. How different were we really when it came down to it? Would I have let Mireyah go if she’d said she wanted someone else?

  I didn’t think the answer was favorable.

  “I should think you’d be grateful I’m here.” He grinned, his face twisting into a uniquely wicked smile that only a Tovenaar could manage. They liked to play with dead things, after all.

  There had to be something dead inside them to do that.

  “And why is that?” I asked, glancing over at Tanith where she hovered. I appreciated the witness and that someone could defend my side of the story when Ashric undoubtedly went crying to his uncle.