by K. M. Scott
No. With the outbreak of war, he felt surer about what he needed to do for the ones he loved. When Ramiel returned, it would be hard, but there were other born vampires in the world who needed parents to love them. There had to be. He’d scour the Earth if it was necessary, but he’d find one. After watching Ilona fall in love with Leta, he had to.
Exhausted from playing, Leta closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep under the watchful eye of her adoptive mother. He’d wanted to spend some time with her before he left, but even a warrior’s plans had to take a backseat to a child’s sleep schedule.
After covering her with a pink blanket, Ilona quietly walked around to where he sat on the opposite side of the bed. “I think I wore her out,” she whispered as she looked over at the little girl. “I probably dote on her too much, don’t I?”
Terek eased her down onto his lap and kissed her softly on the cheek. “You dote on her as much as a loving mother would. I don’t think it’s possible to love a child too much.”
“I know she’s not ours, but I’m so happy I’m going to have her with me while you’re gone. Sasa’s going to be here with me, but I feel like Leta is one of us, so it’s like you won’t be really gone,” Ilona said, forcing a smile.
He cradled her face in his hands and pressed a kiss onto the center of her lips. “When I get back and we don’t have to worry about war anymore, I want to spend a few weeks just with the two of you, Ilona. We’ll take turns making her giggle, and when she’s older, I’ll get her a swing set so she can play outside.”
For a moment, he stopped, and then he said the words he should have said years ago. “I also think we should get married.”
Even though the mere thought of that thrilled him more than he thought it could, his words came out so calmly that at first they didn’t register with Ilona. She continued to look over at Leta as she slept, smiling and nodding as he spoke.
But then her smile faded, and she tilted her head to look at him. “What did you say?”
“I said I think we should get married.”
“Really? Why? I thought you decided a long time ago that you didn’t like the idea of marriage.”
“I’m seeing things a little differently lately. So you still haven’t said yes or no.”
Ilona wrinkled her nose. “You didn’t ask me anything that required a yes or no answer, Terek.”
“Will you marry me after all this war business is over?” he asked, calmer than he thought he would be when those words left his mouth.
As tears filled her eyes, she nodded. “I will marry you. Can I ask what changed your mind about marriage now?”
He kissed her and tried to think of a way to explain how much had changed in him in the recent months. Finally, he just said, “I was afraid that if we married that I’d lose you, but I’m not afraid of that anymore.”
She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him as she quietly sobbed. “I love you, Terek. You’ve made me happier than I ever imagined I could be. Now my life is perfect. The perfect male, a beautiful little girl, and a future I can’t wait to get started on.”
Terek held her to him and closed his eyes. He couldn’t wait for that future to begin either. As soon as the Sons and their allies ended this damn war, he’d have that life he’d always dreamed of but feared he didn’t deserve. He’d done his time as a Son of Navarus. Now he just wanted to be a husband and father like he’d planned to be all those centuries before.
Quietly, he broached the reality of what the two of them may face concerning Leta. Smoothing Ilona’s long blond hair down her back, he said, “When Ramiel comes to take her, I promise I’ll find us another child who needs a family.”
Leaning back away from him, Ilona grimaced for a moment and then nodded. “I know he very well may come back like you say. I’m not blind, Terek. I know Leta has a father. But even if I do have to give her up, I want to help another born vampire child. I’ve learned so much about them because of her. Like how fast they age. I guess I expected her to age like Theron, but it’s slower. And born vampires age until they find their mate. I love that. And they only drink blood, like Noele used to. I continue to learn things about her everyday, too, and although you don’t show it, I know you love having her around.”
“I do,” he admitted, not ashamed of the truth now. “Having her in our life has made me see things I didn’t want to acknowledge were true. She’s part of the reason I want to get married. Seeing you with her opened my eyes to how much I was taking you for granted. I don’t want to do that anymore.”
Ilona looked over at Leta still sleeping soundly on the other side of the bed and smiled. “I thought she was an angel from the moment she came to us. Now I know she is.”
“Whatever happens with her, we’ll have a child, Ilona. I promise. We’ll have that family the two of us want.”
She turned back to face him and kissed him. “Thank you, Terek. Thank you for understanding how much this means to me. I can’t explain it, but being a mother is something I’ve felt destined to be all my life. I’ve never been happier than these past weeks with Leta and us together. I finally feel like I’m who I’ve always been meant to be.”
“Then I’m happy. That’s all I’ve wanted is to make you happy, Ilona.”
He’d never wanted anything else, but for so long Terek felt like something had been missing in their life. He showed her he loved her all the time, and she showed him too, but there always seemed to be a space left empty between them. He’d fought against believing a child was what would make them complete, but now he knew his hunch had been right.
Having Leta to take care of had filled that gap between them, and now he didn’t want to go back to how it used to be between them. So once this stupid war was over and he could return to her, they’d be three again, no matter if Ramiel took his daughter back or not.
“I need to go meet with Vasilije and the dragons before we leave. I wish I didn’t have to go…”
He couldn’t bring himself to say the rest of his sentence. She knew he had to leave. The two of them had known for far too long this night would come eventually.
Closing her eyes, she whispered against his lips, “Be sure to say goodbye to Leta before you leave. Come back to us, Terek. Come back so we can be happy again.”
One last kiss filled with all the hopes and wishes the two of them had for that life in their future and he pulled her close for a final embrace. He walked around the bed to where Leta lay and bent down to kiss her softly on the forehead.
Stroking her soft cheek, he whispered to her, “I love you, little one. Be good for your mommy and I’ll see you soon.”
Ilona stood by the door, and he stopped before leaving, hating how his responsibilities to the rest of the world had to take precedence over the ones he loved. Her eyes filled with tears, and she turned away, swallowing hard to hold in her emotions.
“Look at me,” he said as he gently turned her head to face him. She hadn’t succeeded in controlling her feelings, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.
“I’ll be back. I promise. I’ve fought in wars before with nastier enemies than the Archons. Wait for me and kiss Leta for me every night. I love you both more than you can know.”
Pulling him to her, she cried even as she tried to remain strong. “I love you, Terek. Please make sure you come back to us, okay? We need you.”
He took a deep breath in and inhaled the scent of her shampoo into his nose. He wanted to remember the soft scent of vanilla that always surrounded her while he had to be away from her side.
“I love you. Stay here with Sasa and don’t let anyone into the castle.”
As he backed away from her, he struggled to keep his emotions in check. He’d left for war before as a vampire and never before had any problem.
He didn’t have a family that loved him then, though. This time, it mattered if he didn’t return.
Ilona held his hand until she had to let go, and the last thing he saw as the bedroom door slowly close
d was the tearful look in her eyes as she said goodbye one last time.
Vasilije and the dragons were already downstairs when he got to the main hall, and Terek was surprised to see Sasa there too. Did his friend intend on having her fight with them?
As if he read his mind, he turned to look at Terek and smiled. “I didn’t want to have to say goodbye yet, so Sasa is sitting in on the meeting.”
“I just left Ilona and Leta upstairs,” he said, nodding his understanding of how Vasilije felt. He hated that he had to say goodbye already and he’d just left them moments ago.
“Ever think of just turning your back on it all and living happily ever after?” the Romanian asked with more than a hint of suggestion in his voice.
As they walked toward the table where the dragons sat talking with Sasa, Terek answered, “Never more than tonight.”
They took their seats around the large table in the castle’s main hall, and Vasilije took the lead in explaining Theron’s plans. Terek gladly let him since he wasn’t sure he believed in them enough to be promoting them to anyone else.
“Okay, the seven of us are tasked with handling every Archon in the east here. We expect some blowback from the witches, especially those from this area. They know the lay of the land, and they’ve made their choice to come in on the Archons’ side. That said, I don’t think they’ll be as successful with their spells and potions on us. We should all just be thankful we aren’t fighting with the weres. That’s likely to be a shit show of the first order.”
Sasa frowned at her mate’s flippant way of describing what Saint and Solenne would be up against in the southern areas of the continent. For his part, Terek may not have termed things exactly as Vasilije had, but he didn’t disagree with the general sentiment. Witches had powers that would work on weres since they were on the same level in the supernatural world because they retained so much of their human nature. Vampires relinquished their humanity when they became vampire, and dragons were born supernatural. That they looked like ordinary men was a result of their ability to use enchantments to fool the rest of the world.
The earth dragon, Stefan Draco, grimaced and shook his head. “That’s too bad. I like those werewolves. They have a great way of knowing how to make any situation fun. Many a night I’ve partied with them and saw firsthand how much they enjoy that whole wolf thing they’ve got going on. As for those witches, fuck them and their potions and curses. Bitches. I’ll be happy if they’re all wiped off the face of the earth.”
“Any reason we can’t do just that?” Nevar Draco asked. “Not that I’m saying shirk our job to get rid of the Archons, but if their allies are in the vicinity, can we take them out too?”
Terek had always liked the youngest dragon brother. Even though he hadn’t come into his powers yet, he had a confidence that sat quietly under the surface at most times, unlike the cockiness of his brothers, especially Victor, the air dragon.
Vasilije leaned over and patted Nevar on the back. “I like the way you think. Feel free to take out as many witches as you like, assuming you get the chance. I’ve got no love for them, and I think I can safely say that since they’ve decided to come in on the Archons’ side, they’re fair game.”
“Then it’s settled,” Stefan said. “Kill ’em all. When do we start?”
Kerik held up his hand as if to slow down his overeager brothers. “Wait a second. I’m sure our vampire friends have more to say. Vasilije, please continue.”
He shrugged and looked down the table at Terek. “Actually, that’s about it. Our job is to clear this entire eastern area of Archons, and if we do the same with the witches, I don’t think that would be a bad thing. Ramiel has already begun clearing the rest of the Continent out, assisted by his son by now, so whenever you’re ready to go, let’s do this.”
Everyone began to stand from the table, but once more, the eldest Draco held up his hand to stop them. “Not so fast. I’ve been thinking of how we should approach this, and I’ve come to a decision. Nevar, you’ll stay here at the castle.”
The youngest dragon’s mouth dropped open in shock. “Why? Kerik, I’m more than able to fight with you all. What good will I do here?”
“You’re the only hope for our kind to remain in the world if we all fall in battle, little brother. We can’t afford to lose all of us.”
But still Nevar protested his brother’s decision. “Why are you assuming you’ll all die in battle? You’re going up against vampires who aren’t even a tenth as powerful as the ones sitting at this table and witches. They aren’t enemies dragons can’t handle.”
“You haven’t even come into your powers yet, Nevar. That leaves you with only your physical fighting skills, and that may not be enough.”
“I’ve been training with Ivan. Tell him I’ve gotten good with the swords. Tell him, Ivan,” the youngest dragon brother pleaded with the dragon who ruled water.
“He has been getting pretty good, Kerik. I mean, he’s not my level, but he could probably defeat any of you with a sword.”
But none of this changed the oldest Draco brother’s mind. Shaking his head, he said in a low voice, “I’ve made my decision. You’ll stay here with Sasa, Ilona, and Leta. You are to defend this castle and stay alive. We need you as the final line of defense so there can be at least one dragon left in the world.”
Nevar angrily shoved his chair away from the table and stood up. “This is bullshit, Kerik. This castle is impenetrable, so why the hell do these women need me? I know vampire abilities. If someone breached this place, they could just disappear. They don’t need me for that.”
Everyone sat quietly as his pleas made no difference with the one brother who mattered. Finally, after a few moments more, he realized arguing was futile and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Gently, Sasa said to Kerik, “Ilona and I would be okay here without him, if you want to let him go with you. What he said is right. Only another vampire would be able to force us to stay here if we wanted to leave.”
“Thank you for that, Sasa, but my mind is made up. If we all fall in battle, no matter what the circumstances or what being we’re fighting, we need Nevar to be able to continue the dragon bloodline. Of all of us, he’s probably the most important, and I can’t risk him dying in this war.”
The table fell silent once more. Much like Theron, the youngest dragon had a lot to lose by fighting before he was ready. Terek wondered if things would have turned out differently if the Sons had made a similar decision regarding Theron.
Not that they could. As much as he wished this war could have been postponed for a while longer, the vampire foretold to save their world in the Prophecy of Idolas grew too strong and too fast for any of them to be able to make decisions regarding when he would be ready for battle.
And then his father began attacking the Archons, sealing Theron’s fate for good or for bad, and now they were all at war.
“Say your final goodbyes, gentlemen. We’ll be ready when you are,” Kerik said as he stood from the table.
Terek looked over at Vasilije and saw worry in his eyes. He knew his friend too well and for too long not to understand what he was going through.
“Let’s go upstairs so you can say goodbye to Ilona one more time,” Sasa suggested as she and Vasilije began to make their way toward the door.
He didn’t know if he could handle leaving her another time that night, but he couldn’t turn down a chance to see her and the baby one last time. Terek knew Sasa was doing all she could to delay the inevitable, and he didn’t blame her one bit.
Opening the door to Ilona’s room, he saw the hopeful look on her face before she jumped up from the bed. “What’s going on? Is the war over? Are we going home?”
Sadly, he shook his head and forced himself to smile so she couldn’t see how much he wished those things were true. “No. The meeting with the dragons is over, and we’re going to be leaving now, so I wanted to see you and Leta one more time.”
Il
ona’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh. I guess that sounded naïve, but I just thought maybe there was a possibility something had happened so you wouldn’t have to go.”
“I wish that was the case, too, but they have to go,” Sasa said as she walked over to stand next to Ilona in the middle of the room. “I figured it would be nice for the two of us to have each other to help us get through tonight.”
She reached down and took her hand, but Terek saw tears in Sasa’s eyes too. For all her bravado, she was as torn up about them leaving as his mate.
Vasilije kissed Sasa and whispered, “Until we’re together again, remember I love you. This castle is safe for you, so don’t worry. And when this is all over, we’ll get that house with the mossy tree out front in the yard.”
“I love you too, Vasilije. Stay safe. Please.”
Terek gave Leta one last kiss and then turned toward Ilona. Her tears now rolled down her cheeks, so he made his goodbye a quick one. Cradling her face in his hands, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered against her skin, “Remember what I said. No matter what happens, we’ll have our family just like we want. I love you, Ilona. Stay here and I’ll be back. I promise.”
She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly as she sobbed. “I love you, Terek. Come back to me alive.”
This goodbye nearly tore his heart out, and as Terek stepped back, he struggled to fulfill his responsibility to the Sons and the vampire world. He knew he had to leave the two most important souls in his world there without him, but he’d never wanted to turn his back on everything as much as at that moment.
As he and Vasilije left that room, he said to him, “For the first time in all my centuries as a vampire, I fear leaving my family.”
With a chuckle, his friend nodded. “That’s what being happy does to a male. Do you wish you hadn’t fallen in love with her?”
Terek shook his head. “Not for a second. She and that little girl are what I’m fighting for. More than justice and more than making our world safe again, I’m going to war for them.”
