Doran shook his head. “Over the years I learned how to block Nysa through the bond. It helps that I haven’t slept with her since before Kira was born either. The bond between us has naturally weakened over time.” He ran a rough hand over his scraggly beard, his eyes distant. “It’s hard because I still love her, despite everything she’s done. I always will. But she’s become…corrupted. And through the bond, the rest of us became corrupted too. I was able to find my way out of it, but the others are too far gone. Which is why they all need to be defeated.”
“You want us to kill your mate,” Reven said, his eyes narrowed.
“It’s the only way to stop her and to save Kira.” Doran pushed his seat back as if he was about to stand. “There’s a lot more I need to tell you, which will help you understand Nysa better and how she became so corrupted, but we need to start heading toward the Water Temple as soon as possible. Only once you’ve bonded with all four of your mates can you hope to stand against her.”
“But the Water Temple was destroyed,” Slade said.
“And the Dragons know we’ll be going there,” Jasin added. “They’ll be waiting for us.”
“No, they won’t,” Doran said. “And it hasn’t been destroyed, because I moved it years ago. None of the Dragons know where the real Water Temple is. I made sure of that.”
“Where is it?” Auric asked, his quill clenched in his hand and his eyes bright with the promise of secret knowledge.
“In the far reaches of the Water Realm. It will take us a few days to get there, so I suggest we leave as soon as we’re able to.”
“It depends on Reven,” I said, glancing at him. “He’s still recovering and—”
“I’m fine,” he said quickly. “I’m ready to go.”
Doran stood and glanced around the table. “Then I guess it’s time for us to head out.”
11
Kira
That evening there was a small funeral for Parin, now that most people had returned from the battle at Salt Creek Tower. As the ceremony began, Slade opened up a large hole in the side of the mountain with a mighty tremble that seemed to shake the entire world. Parin's body had been cleaned and prepared, and members of the Resistance lowered it into the hole while Faya watched with stoic eyes. Once Parin was placed inside, Faya dropped in the small jade carving of a dragon, meant to represent the Earth God, which Parin's mother had made. Slade then covered up the tomb with dirt and rocks, allowing Parin to become one with the mountain that housed the Resistance hideout. As the son of the Earth God’s High Priestess, it seemed a fitting resting place for him.
When it was over, there was a somber celebration with food and soft music in Faya’s house. I wanted to offer my condolences to her and to tell her that Parin was a hero, but she was surrounded at all times by other people. I even saw my father speak to her for a few minutes, and I wondered who Faya thought he was. A strange traveler come to join their cause? Just another member of the Resistance?
“Kira,” Brin said, drawing my attention away from my father. She threw her arms around me and gave me a quick squeeze. “I'm so glad you're okay. When the others told me what happened I was worried, although I knew you'd find a way out.”
“I only escaped thanks to my mates and...” My eyes found my father again.
She followed my gaze. “Who is that? I saw him with you earlier.”
I wanted to tell her. In fact, I was desperate to talk to her and have some girl time, but not here. Too many people surrounded us, and I didn't want them to hear what I had to say. “Would Leni mind if I dragged you off to talk?”
Brin glanced over at her girlfriend, who was speaking with Slade. “I doubt it. Besides, a little jealousy now and then only spices things up, right?”
We walked out of the house, although not before Brin grabbed a bottle of wine and some tiny little cakes and pastries. Once back in my guest room we eagerly kicked off our shoes and climbed onto the bed, sitting across from each other. A pang of sadness shot through me at the memory of doing this with my best friend, Tash, and the reminder that I never would again. Sark had taken that from me, like he'd taken so many other things.
Brin poured us some wine before spreading the desserts out in front of us. She eyed them carefully, before plucking a flaky pastry from the plate. “All right, I'm ready.”
I chugged a big gulp of wine. “The man you saw...he's my father.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? Wait. Does that mean...?”
“Yes, he's a Dragon. The Azure one.”
“Wow. I've never met him before, only Sark and Isen. What's he doing here?”
“He's left the Black Dragon and has joined our cause. He wants to protect me and help me defeat her. Or so he says.”
She took a bite of her pastry as she considered this. “What's he like?”
I picked up my own pastry and eyed it. “I'm not sure yet. He helped me escape and he's given me some answers about my past, but it's hard to trust him, knowing what he is. Even if I do learn to trust him and get to know him, it's my destiny to overthrow him.” My throat grew tight. “To defeat the Black Dragon, I have to kill all her mates first. That includes my father.”
Her eyes turned sympathetic. “What are you going to do?”
“I don't know yet.” I took a bite of my pastry, sending flaky bits all over the bed. “There's more too. When I was being held captive, I met my mother. She was beautiful, regal, and…she's a monster.”
I quickly told Brin everything that had happened and what I'd learned about my sisters, including my twin. Brin let me get it all out, and it was so good to talk to someone who wasn't directly involved, like my mates were. They all wanted to leap over themselves to protect me, shelter me, and make me happy, but Brin could just listen and offer unbiased advice. Sometimes that's all I needed.
“This definitely calls for more wine.” Brin poured more wine into my glass from the bottle she'd swiped. “Eat another dessert too, it'll make you feel better.”
“What do you think I should do?” I asked, before shoving a bite-size raspberry cake into my mouth.
Brin tapped her nails against the glass while I chewed. “I think you should listen to Doran and ask him more questions. He obviously has a great deal of information, and he's probably your best bet for learning how to actually defeat the other Dragons, but keep your distance too. Even if everything he says is true, he's not innocent in all of this. He's part of the reason Nysa is in power and the world is in chaos.”
I nodded. “We need him to get to the Water Temple. I'll try to learn more on our journey.”
“And when the time comes to defeat the Dragons?”
I stared into my wine. “I'll do what I have to do, I suppose.”
Brin leaned forward and gave me a squeeze. “You're strong. You can do this.”
“Thanks. There are some days—okay, a lot of days lately—when it all seems overwhelming and impossible.”
“Just take it day by day, step by step. Like crossing things off a list. Step one: get to the Water Temple and bond with that sexy assassin of yours.” She nudged me with her elbow. “At least you'll get some action from Reven finally.”
I couldn’t help but smile at that. Trust Brin to find the bright side if it involved sex. “I am looking forward to that part.”
“I don’t blame you. If I liked men, I’d be drooling over him too.”
“How are you and Leni doing, anyway?”
Her face lit up at the mention of her girlfriend. “We're good. Really good. From the moment we met I felt this spark, but sometimes that goes away quickly. The spark with Leni hasn't burnt out yet.” She leaned back and smiled, her face relaxed. “Now that I don't have marriage to Auric hanging over my head, I'm truly free to be who I want to be, and I can be with the person I want to be with.”
“I'm happy for you. I really like Leni.” I swirled my wine in my glass. “What are you going to do now? Do you want to come with us to the Water Temple?”
“I d
o, but I think I should stay here. The Resistance lost a lot of people at the Salt Creek Tower battle and Parin is gone. Leni and I can do some good here if we stay. For once, I feel like I've found somewhere I can be more than just a rich noble, attending parties and flirting with dignitaries. I can do some good here. Make a difference.” Her voice had turned serious and now she shook it off with a grin. “Besides, you don't really need me. You have your four muscular mates and the Azure Dragon too.”
“I always need you as my friend, but the Resistance is lucky to have your help.”
She sat up a bit. “I actually have a specific idea for something I wanted to run past you.”
My eyebrows shot up. “What is it?”
“Rumors are beginning to spread about you and your mates. I’d like to encourage them.”
“Why?”
“It gives people something to fight for, and it’ll spread hope. The world is ready for a change in leadership, and people have been oppressed for too long. New Dragons rising up to challenge the old ones? The Resistance would be overflowing with new recruits.”
I brushed crumbs off myself and the bed. “I see your point. Do whatever you think is best. We’re not hiding anymore, and you’re right that it’s time the world knows about us.”
“Exactly. Although we need to call you all something else. We can’t have two Crimson Dragons, and so forth. That’s just way too confusing for the general public.”
I hadn’t thought of that before, but Enva had mentioned she’d been called the White Dragon, so it seemed the names were changeable. “You can call us the ascendants. That’s what the priests and Gods say.”
“That works, but I think we need something more too.” She tapped her lips in thought. “What if we use gemstones? We can call Jasin the Ruby Dragon, for example. It’ll distance him from the Crimson Dragon’s reputation, which would be a good thing. Crimson makes one think of all the blood Sark has spilled. Rubies are regal, beautiful, and passionate. Then we can use emerald, citrine, and sapphire for the other men.”
“I like it, but not sure the men will. And what will they call me?”
“The White Dragon? It has a nice contrast to the Black Dragon.”
“No, that’s what my grandmother was called. How about the Silver Dragon?”
“Perfect.” She clinked her glass against mine. “Trust me. This is what I’m good at, and with the support of the people, you’ll have a much easier time rallying people to your cause, and maintaining order once you defeat the Dragons.”
“I hope it goes that smoothly.” Great, something else to worry about. I’d spent so much time trying to figure out how to defeat the Dragons I hadn’t stopped to consider what would happen if we won. All I knew was that I didn’t want to rule, not like my mother. I just wanted peace.
“It will all work out,” Brin reassured me. “Just promise me you'll come back after the Water temple and fill me in on everything.”
“I will. I'll probably need someone to talk to after dealing with my four mates plus my father.” I groaned at the thought. “I think this is going to be a long journey.”
12
Kira
We left for the Water Realm in the morning, beginning a journey that would take many days and return me to the place where I’d grown up. I’d avoided going back ever since I’d left when I was thirteen, and I both longed to see the sparkling blue waters again and dreaded returning to the place where I’d lost my family. I wondered if Reven felt the same. Our childhoods had so many similarities, at least from the bits and pieces I’d learned from him, and I wished he would open up to me more, but it was something I couldn’t force.
He was doing better physically, at least. Some color had returned to his face, and he no longer looked quite as frail and thin. I tried to touch him as much as possible, hoping my healing would help him recover faster, and to reassure myself he was truly all right.
We soared southwest across the Earth Realm, leaving behind the ice-covered mountain peaks and flying over forests and fields. There’d been some argument over which dragon I would ride, with everyone saying that Doran couldn’t be trusted. Both Jasin and Auric wanted me to fly with them, but that meant Slade or Reven would have to ride with my father. In the end, I decided to have faith in Doran and told my mates I’d be riding with him—end of discussion. They didn’t like it, but Doran had proven himself so far, and I wanted to show I trusted him, even if I was still hesitant about it. I hoped it might bring us closer, and as a result of that he might reveal more about the past.
And maybe I just wanted to be near my father too. I’d spent my entire life yearning and searching for a family. I’d moved from place to place, trying to find a replacement for the parents I’d lost and the twin sister I never knew I was missing. First I’d tried to find my family with merchants, then with bandits, before landing with Tash and her mother. Now my family consisted of my mates, but I loved them in a different way.
A part of me knew that my relationship with my father would be fleeting and short-lived. I wanted to soak up as much time with him as I could before it was over. Even if he was something of a monster, I was curious about him—and my mother too, if I was honest. They’d lived a long time, and I knew so little about them, beyond the myths and rumors.
“What did you do before you became Nysa’s mate?” I asked, when we stopped to take a quick break. Talking while flying was difficult except for a few short words yelled into the wind, so this was our first moment to chat.
“I was a pirate,” Doran said.
“Really?” I had to admit he did look the part.
He leaned against a tree and took a swig of water. “It’s been a long time since I thought about those days. I grew up in the Water Realm, and your grandmother and her mates had brokered a truce with the elementals, so they didn’t attack us as long as we stayed out of their way. That opened the seas to travel, and I joined a merchant’s ship at thirteen. At sixteen, we got attacked by pirates. They told me I could join them or die. Seemed like an obvious choice.” A slow grin spread over his face. “By the time I was twenty-five and the Water God came to visit me, I was captain of that ship.”
“What happened then?”
His grin faded. “I gave it all up for Nysa.”
Of course he did. Just like my mates gave up their previous lives for me. “Did you love her?”
“I did. I do. I always will.” He met my eyes. “But I love my daughter more.”
I stared at him and grasped for a way to respond. He turned away before I could find an answer, and then he shifted back into his dragon form to take off. All I could do was stand there, reeling in shock, while a warm feeling spread through my chest, followed by a deep, unbearable sadness. I’d waited so long to hear words like that…and now they were from my enemy.
Doran led the way, pushing us hard the entire time. When we finally stopped it was late in the evening, and we managed to find an abandoned farm to spend the night in. The roof was caving in on the farmhouse and everything had a layer of dust, but I supposed it was better than camping outside. Jasin lit a fire in the slightly moldy hearth, and we sat around it while we ate some of the food we’d packed.
Doran spread the map out in front of us. “We’re going to take a slightly longer route to avoid the other Dragons, who will no doubt be looking for us around the old Water Temple.”
“What can you tell us about the other Dragons?” Jasin asked.
He lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. “What do you want to know? I’ve spent many lifetimes with the bastards. It’s hard to narrow it down to a quick summary.”
“Tell us about each one of them,” Auric said. “What did they do before they were chosen by the Gods? What are they like now?”
Doran leaned back in a rickety wooden chair and folded his hands behind his head. “Isen was a nobleman, Sark was a soldier, Heldor was a carpenter, and, like I told Kira earlier, I was a pirate.”
“That sounds oddly similar to our lives bef
ore all of this,” Slade said.
“You’re probably more like the Dragon you’re replacing than you realize, and you’ll probably take on similar roles once this is all over. Her protector, her enforcer, her scout, and her diplomat.” He chuckled softly. “What can I say? Each of the Gods has a type.”
“I’m nothing like Sark,” Jasin said with a scowl.
“No? He’s brave, passionate, and hot-tempered. He acts without thinking but can be strategic when it comes to battle. He’d fight and die for his beliefs and he’s willing to stand up and be a leader when required. Sound like anyone we know?” He smirked, and Jasin’s scowl only deepened. “But you’re right—Sark is different from you in some ways. He will murder innocents, including children, and feels no guilt as long as he believes it will help the Black Dragon. Sark’s the darker version of you, twisted and corrupted by years of serving Nysa.”
“Does that make you the darker version of me?” Reven asked, arching an eyebrow.
“I suppose.” Doran appraised Reven. “We both have a view of the world that’s more gray than black and white. We’re both willing to do whatever needs to be done, preferably from the shadows. We collect secrets to use as leverage. We guard our hearts and can come across as cold, but only to hide how much we feel. Am I right?”
Reven looked away sharply and didn’t answer.
I leaned forward, curious. “What makes you darker than him?”
Doran’s face turned serious. “I doubt Reven would have waited centuries to act when he believed something was wrong.”
Awkward silence fell over the room. “And Heldor?” I finally asked.
“Heldor is fiercely loyal to the Black Dragon and rarely leaves her side unless she commands it. Most of us have had other lovers over the years, but Heldor has never once strayed. He’s the strong and silent type, calm under pressure, and generally level-headed. But he has a low tolerance for nonsense, and he follows Nysa without question. He’ll do anything for her.”
Her Elemental Dragons: The Complete Series Page 51
