by Meagan Hurst
“But we did have other immortals and mortals,” Nivaradros pointed out. “Though that is not recorded. You will have to one day tell me how in the hells you learned that.”
“Maybe one day,” she agreed with a small smile before ducking as his hand tried to connect with her skull.
She responded by punching him in the side. Nivaradros laughed and brushed his lips over hers before she could lean away from him. His eyes had deepened to their calmest by the time he turned his attention back to Midestol, who was watching them as though he had never seen anything like them. Since he was witnessing a relationship between a human and a Dragon that went beyond friendship Z decided not to get too irritated with his interest. That, and she doubted Midestol remembered what a normal, healthy, consensual relationship was, if he had ever seen one to begin with.
When she and the Dragon had finished their exchange, Midestol turned to the Dragon. “You’ve changed for her,” he breathed in disbelief.
Miracles could still happen; Nivaradros didn’t react to Midestol’s words. “Unlike you, I realized I couldn’t change her, I could only change myself. I wanted her, so I knew trying to force her would only drive her away. Your relationship with her interests me because in spite of everything you’ve done to her—in spite of everything you’ve done anywhere—she is still willing to meet with you. She is willing to hold her opinion on your actions at bay; a feat very few others could accomplish.”
“Believe I am aware of that,” Midestol assured the Dragon. He glanced at her. “Perhaps he is right for you after all.”
Almost everyone agreed on that at some point, but since that also included her, Z said nothing. But she did smile. It was a tired, crooked half smile, but it was the most she could dredge up. Leaning against Nivaradros once more, she let him resume the constant contact he seemed to have decided he preferred to have. Relaxing against him, Z felt the Dragon’s touch dissipate some of her tension.
“Is there anything further that needs to be addressed immediately?” Nivaradros inquired of both her and her grandfather.
“Not that I know of,” Midestol answered. “Why? Do you believe we need to continue this conversation or are you banishing me from the room for a while?”
“Well ‘banish’ is a strong word, but you are correct in the fact I would like time alone with Zimliya. She’s probably had enough social interaction for the day; it’s never been her specialty. I’m certain you’ve noticed?”
“Once or a hundred times,” Midestol agreed as he rose. His movement was in a much slower manner than she expected—as if he was stiff. “And because this is such a strange meeting, I will concede to grant the Dragon his request.” Changing from speaking of Nivaradros in third person to addressing him, Midestol turned to face Nivaradros as an equal. “I presume you have a timeline in mind?”
Nivaradros smiled. “How long can you keep your Alantaion pet on a leash? I would like to spend some time with Zimliya at an extended rate if possible. With your war and the one in which you inadvertently landed us, I foresee that I will lack the time to have Z to and for myself, and I would like to take advantage of this opportunity.” When Midestol didn’t say anything, the Dragon snorted smoke. “That is, if you are willing to grant me some time alone with your granddaughter.”
A thin smile appeared on the dark mage’s face. “Whether I grant it or not, she has already made up her mind, but I can manage to steal you a day or two. I would advise, however, that the two of you figure out how to work illusionary magic. Zimliya is supposed to be my adversary after all, it would not be seemly if she appears by my side unharmed. Even if we are on neutral ground, I need Zimliya to look abused. Neither of us could otherwise manage to reassure the beings we need to.”
He turned to leave, but he paused once more by the door. “Why do you go by Z?” he asked with his back still facing her.
“Because I was always the last being anyone cared about in Tenia and no one knew my history—I had no name on my birth certificate,” she answered. “So, when I ended up with the Rangers and they gave me my current name, I didn’t think it fit, or more accurately I didn’t think I deserved it. I chose ‘Z’ because it is the last letter of the very basic human tongue, and that’s where I placed myself. Where I still place myself. Since it also happened to be the first letter of my new name, no one questioned it.”
“You have never been anything less than a power,” Midestol chided. “But I believe I follow your flawed logic. Nivaradros, I would advise you to address that,” he added to the Dragon before vanishing through the door.
“I intend to,” Nivaradros replied aloud. He glanced down at her as a flawless black brow rose.
A rather foolish image crept into her still very human mind. She wondered what the Dragon would look like if she messed up his hair, wondered more if it would irritate him. Knowing it probably wouldn’t change him or upset him, and she managed to refrain from attempting it, but she didn’t voice the thoughts the Dragon wanted to hear. Instead, a small smile crept out over her face.
The Dragon caught her and lifted her with ease. “Is there a bath?”
“Probably.”
“Z!”
Laughing at the Dragon’s furious tone, she proceeded to inform him that yes, there was a bath, and yes, she did know where it was. Nivaradros was sour over her attempt—and in her mind success—at humor, and he proceeded to do something similar to sulking, but with a lot more style than a rebellious teenager or a tantrum-throwing child.
Morning snuck up on them. Knowing their time was limited they nevertheless spent it efficiently. Nivaradros caught her up on how the racial relations were going as well as reassuring her that everyone was safe. Crilyne had summoned the two remaining Shades who hadn’t lost their power in Tenia’s destruction to act as extra protection and buffers between the several rulers still in Syallibion lands, the Rangers were sending even more aid, and factions of armies had started appearing to back their overthrown rulers.
Stretching, she watched Nivaradros explore the room as she dressed. She was both relieved and pleased he was here—once he had explained how the leaders and those traveling with them were protected. She’d shielded the room from prying ears during this, but she had let the shield drop afterwards. If someone wanted to spy on them they were welcome to it. Nivaradros ended up finding a servants’ entrance to the room and began a thorough and intense investigation when he realized that where there was one hidden entrance, there could be more. His curiosity ended up being hilarious, and it didn’t take long for her to forget about the set up and decoration of the room.
“Who saw you arrive?” Z asked as the thought occurred to her a bit late.
“Several people, but I cloaked myself with spells and fabric, so the only beings that know I am here are you and Midestol. One of his men did see me, but he must have said something he shouldn’t have; Midestol’s fond enough of fire that someone very stupid could mistake him for a Dragon.”
Z raised a brow and the Dragon shrugged. “Alright,” she said irately after a careful pause. “Which Ranger village was imprudent enough to let you stay for an extended amount of time? How did you find them? How long did you stay? And when was this?”
“I recall telling you I dislike with a passion when you ask multiple questions in a row before I can even answer one of them,” Nivaradros replied in a flat tone. “Though your conjecture is correct. I did stay with a Ranger community for a time, and it was almost impossible to keep them from telling you. Let me rephrase that: it was close to impossible to keep them from telling others who would have spoken about it to others which would have resulted in you hearing about it.”
His expression was both exasperated and amused. “I stayed there a couple months every year for a span of five years. I alternated seasons at their suggestion, so I could see the differences the seasons brought out in your kind. They did, however, ask quite a lot of questions when I approached them the first time—granted that could be because I never graced them
with my mortal form. I believe they may have been questioning my motives throughout the first stay, but they never asked me to leave, and one of the stipulations they demanded of me when they agreed to let me ‘study humans’ as they put it, was that I would leave if they requested. It is a very small Ranger community, and though they knew my name and some of my past, they knew little enough that their caution was limited. Since that is what I was going after, I was not offended by their lack of respect.”
The last was a lie, as Nivaradros wouldn’t have mentioned such a thing unless it had bothered him. Still, she was impressed. She would have never expected Nivaradros to share any of this information even a year ago. She likewise had to admit the Dragon had fooled her—and everyone else—quite well. She hadn’t suspected he knew much about her race by blood other than he disliked them; they were short lived, and they talked nonstop about stupid things—as he put it.
What continued to surprise her was the effort Nivaradros had put into all of this. It made sense since he was a Dragon, but at the same time it didn’t because this was Nivaradros, and his temper hadn’t had a long enough fuse to make this possible in her mind. It made her doubt herself. What else had she missed?
“I seem to have upset you…”
She blinked and glanced at the Dragon while she shook her head. “Just thinking,”
“Careful you don’t hurt yourself,” Nivaradros teased with a sharp smile before the smile vanished. “What did I say?”
Z knew she had to be white with surprise. She knew that particular phrase, and she knew—at once—where Nivaradros had stayed. “They let you into Senfri?!” she shrieked as she struggled to keep herself from moving, to keep from reaching for a weapon. There was no need for a blade here, but with her high level of anxiety over the thought of Nivaradros in that Ranger city—and it was a city even if it was tiny—she wanted something in her hands.
And he knew it. Nivaradros moved to her side and picked up those shaking hands with his own. He let her struggle against his hold for a moment in silence before he kicked her feet out from under her—or tried to. She leapt away from him while pulling her arms free. Landing on the pads of her feet she watched him for any sign of action and felt a small amount of pleasure arise when he likewise began to shift from conversation mode to fighting mode. He intended to help her burn off some energy.
Which was needed if he expected to discuss anything further with her tonight without having to worry about her throwing something at him during the discussion. Weaponless, she decided to be spontaneous for once and sprang forward to land a punch on the Dragon’s chest. He blocked it, but she was already in motion so his attempt to respond to her attack likewise failed. They both stepped back and watched each other’s movements, but once again it was Z who moved forward first.
The Dragon, however, seemed to have decided he’d had enough in the ten short minutes they played this game. Grabbing her hand with a speed she might one day match if he was willing to work on it with her, Nivaradros pulled her into his arms and tightened them as she tried to escape. He didn’t speak and he didn’t allow her to move.
Only when she ceased struggling against him did he release her. “Can you focus for five minutes?” he asked as he stepped back. “I know you’re still going through your final…transformation is a poor word, but I’ll use it.” He watched her. “Whatever you decide here is who you will be. With or without me. With or without any of us. Magic is a tricky thing, and you subjected yourself to quite a lot of it when you changed.”
“It wasn’t my choice, Niv,” she pointed out.
“But you still made a choice,” the Dragon argued as he mimicked her voice on the final word. “And you’re still reeling from the results. It is to be expected. I am still dealing with the choice I made—No, don’t do that, it was my choice, Z, and I am happy with it.”
She had winced at the reminder that he was stuck in a lesser form, but she knew at the same time his words were true. Nivaradros didn’t mind what he had surrendered, but he had given it up for her, and that still bothered her.
“I think I have gone insane…” she muttered.
“I thought you used to claim you were insane—why the sudden change? Or do Rangers count more than one kind?”
He was serious. Laugher overtook her, and she wondered if she was being hysterical. Nivaradros raised a brow as she continued to laugh, but he didn’t seem to be offended, and he didn’t get annoyed.
“Oh, go ahead,” he said in a wounded tone that was anything but true, “Laugh. Skies know you Rangers have a name for everything.”
She shook her head when she regained control. “We have several terms for it yes, but that’s not what I was talking about. It’s just a human saying. I’m surprised you weren’t already subjected to it.”
Nivaradros shrugged. “I didn’t pay attention to everything they discussed. Ninety percent of it didn’t seem relevant so you should feel honored I listened to seventy-five percent of it.” He threw his own shield around the room. “But we should return to more serious topics, and I want to start with Midestol.”
Tensing for a moment, she hesitated before nodding once. “As you say. What exactly did you want to discuss?”
“The fact that he is very, very fond of you. Zimliya, I am certain you realized the game has changed—extensively—since he discovered who you were. You are not taking advantage of that fact, and I would like to know why. You used to use such things to your advantage and, yet, you are not pressing him. Granted, to be fair, he also doesn’t seem to be pressing you.”
He was right, but she didn’t know how to explain it. “I’m…discomforted by the change, Nivaradros,” she admitted. “But it’s more than that. I think my lack of pressing the current advantage is helping this relationship stay at the level it is. I’m not trying to gain anything from him, and I am not flaunting my lineage. It gives him breathing room, and I believe it is the main reason why he has been so…different around me. He helped when I was injured by the arrows…” she added.
“Yes, I was informed,” Nivaradros reminded her. He fell silent though and considered her words before nodding. “You’re probably right. Your unwillingness to try to gain something from this is both well within what would be expected of you, but at the same time is rather astonishing. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, your decision to not hold his past against him openly is likewise unexpected to him. I am certain he thought his past would be more of a problem once you admitted he was your family. You’ve accepted him as he is—for what he is—and yet you’re giving him a chance to meet you on neutral ground. Few would. I would not.”
She shrugged. “I learned a long time ago holding such grudges does little for a person but destroy them from the inside out. It even seems to affect the immortals. I still fully believe one day he will challenge me to the death, but until then, I believe meetings like this will be more likely than meetings where he tries to gain something from me through torture or the torture of others.”
“Torture never worked to begin with,” the Dragon snorted. He let the shield drop. “How long do you intend to keep those two shields you have been holding since before I got here up?”
“Until I know the Alantaions who I am protecting will not be harmed.” Seeing the Dragon’s annoyance, Z managed a smile. “It keeps me on their good side, and you may want to try and pretend to be friendly to the Alantaions, since they will also one day be your responsibility.”
“I doubt my presence will ever be accepted by them or the awareness that guards Arriandie. I was attacked four times trying to find you.”
“Have you been attacked since you entered Midestol’s quarters?” Z inquired curiously.
“No, I have not. It was only while I was trying to find them that I was under attack. And the Arriandin wasn’t trying too hard to harm me. It appeared to be more of a test than an attack. I’m hoping I passed it because I would prefer that the awareness that holds this castle in its grasp didn’t attempt to take its disli
ke of me out on you.”
She managed a smile, but it faded quickly. “I wonder how Midestol managed to block the Arriandin from his quarters.”
“I have a suspicion, or an educated guess,” Nivaradros replied, though she hadn’t spoken to him. “It goes with his mysterious friend that he struck his wonderful bargain with. The Arriandin is powerful within his own domain, but Midestol’s nameless ally is far more powerful, and likely placed some protection around the quarters.” A cruel smile touched Nivaradros’s flawless features. “If you would be so inclined to reach out with your older, more powerful magical sensors, I am certain you can confirm or deny my suspicion as true. That would, of course, involve magic and it seems that you have lately fallen back on bad habits and refused to use your magic.”
“Not all of it, Nivaradros—but yes I have toned down my magical senses to their lowest level. While everyone seems to think they are a blessing, I don’t believe any of you know just how painful and annoying they are to have.” Z closed her eyes and reached out with them. Cursing loudly when she felt a second and more powerful magic shielding the rooms from the Arriandin, she started to counter it when Nivaradros grabbed her shoulder.
“Not yet,” he advised. “Let’s find out more about Midestol’s ‘friend’ before we attempt to attack him.”
~*~
Waiting when she had a plan of attack had never been her thing. Waiting just to pass time with added bonus of irritating her, was an immortal’s delight. Nivaradros smirked while she seethed over his refusal to let her dissolve the protection surrounding Midestol’s quarters. Exhaling sharply for the thousandth time as she recalled the Arriandin was still locked out of the area and could not protect any Alantaions Midestol targeted, Z glanced at Nivaradros once more.
