Dragon Flight

by Caitlin Ricci

  “Who’s there?” she called out sheepishly, her hand on the doorknob, but unsure if she should open it. After all, they were quite literally in the middle of nowhere and although Zorin had claimed his magic would protect them, she’d hardly seen evidence of it yet.

  “Hello, Isabelle.”

  The door opened easily under her impatient fingers and she found herself uncertainly smiling up at him. “Faolan,” she breathed, unsure of whether to tell him to leave or run into his arms.

  “You look well.” He shifted his weight and tugged on the hem of his tunic, looking out of place.

  Her manners caught up to her racing heart and she nodded before stepping aside. “As do you. Please, won’t you join me?”

  Before he came more than a foot inside her home though his nostrils flared and she heard a growl come from his throat that sent shivers up her spine. “You’re pregnant,” he hissed.

  At one time the dangerous edge to his voice might have frightened her or at least given her pause. But not anymore. She turned on her heel and crossed her arms over her chest. “Yes. I am. And?”

  He wasn’t backing down either though. “And the father?”

  Her brows rose, daring him to push her on this. He was in her house now and didn’t have a leg to stand on when it came to her choices and her own child. “Do not concern yourself with these details, Faolan,” she quietly chided him.

  His black hair fell over his forehead and he nodded. “I heard a rumor that you had married the monster Zorin.”

  She didn’t move as she shrugged. “And?”

  “It’s true then?” he asked, his mouth pinching into a hard line.

  Sighing, she relaxed her stance and let her arms swing down to her sides. They’d been through too much together to argue tonight. “And what if it is? How is that anything to you?” Isabelle asked him, feeling exhausted.

  “You wasted no time then.”

  His words irked her and though she was afraid of his father, she didn’t have the same ideas when it came to him. “And what of your marriage to her?” she asked, snapping at him loudly enough to possibly wake Caden above them.

  His face paled instantly. “I—”

  She wasn’t done though. Not by a long shot. “Yes do please explain to me how you can come here acting like you are, talking down to me in that tone for getting married again, when you were married in far less time than I. This child is none of your concern, neither is my marriage to Zorin.”

  He shook his head. “But surely, Isabelle, you despise him, how could you stand to marry him?”

  Isabelle sighed and dragged her fingers through her hair in frustration. Why did he have to do this to her? She’d been so happy for Zorin finding someone to love him and hadn’t thought about Faolan most of the day. But then he simply had to come to her in the night and now she couldn’t look away. “Do not question my decisions in this matter. Now, why did you come here today? Surely the Draconian prince must have something better to do with his nights than to visit with humans.”

  His face softened and he stepped toward her. “I wanted to see you, Isabelle. I missed you.”

  Before he could get any closer, she shook her head and held out her hands, stopping him instantly. “Does she know you’re here?”

  “What? No, of course not. She’s got no reason to. She’s not—”

  She turned away from him to face an open window and the darkness of the night beyond it. “Go back to her, Faolan. Your place is with her.”

  “What do you know if it?” he snapped.

  She turned on him, bitter tears gathering in her eyes. “I know that she is your wife and the woman raising your son.”

  Faolan took her in his arms and cupped her cheek with the palm of his hand, stopping her tears. “She doesn’t touch him. I won’t let her come close. And even if she did, is that supposed to erase us so quickly? I thought I could simply give you up, but then the fidelity charm activated and everything came crashing down around me. I miss you. I miss us.”

  Isabelle sniffled bitterly and shook her head. “Us? Faolan, there was no us. Our marriage was an arranged contract and now that the terms have been fulfilled the contract, our marriage, is over. Your father has his heir and I have my brother back, healthier than he ever was before.”

  “Is that all I meant to you?” he quietly asked, his voice filled with unspoken pain.

  She looked away from his dark, searching eyes, afraid he would see her secrets. “Could anything else have ever been possible for us?”

  “Love was possible.”

  At his words her shoulders shook and tears threatened to choke off her ability to speak. “Please just go, Faolan. There isn’t anything left for you here and I’m sure that she must be wondering where you are by now.”

  “Isabelle…” he called to her as she struggled out of his hold.

  She turned away from him, mustering up her strength to stay strong against what she wanted and the world she knew she needed. “Please take care of yourself, and of Sebastian as well. I know that under your care he will grow up healthy and strong.”

  His arms circled her from behind and she felt him nod against her shoulder blade. “Of course. You have my word. And, Isabelle?”

  “Yes, Faolan?” she whispered, not looking at him.

  He lifted his hand in front of her face and opened his palm, revealing a small silver necklace. “I want you to have this.”

  She looked away from it. “Giving jewelry is not a Draconian tradition,” she reminded him, knowing full well he didn’t need it.

  He chuckled and kissed the back of her head. “No, but it is a human one.”

  “Faolan, I can’t…” she whispered even as she reached for the chain.

  His voice was strained as he replied, “Please, just accept it, Isabelle. I know that it will change nothing between us, but I want you to have it. You deserve it. And you also deserve the truth.”

  Her stomach clenched and she froze in his arms. “What truth?”

  He took a breath and held her tighter against his chest. “That I loved you. That I always loved you. I was a fool for listening to my father when he told me that you’d fallen for Zorin. I was wrong to accept her in my life. You’re the one I want. Always. It has only ever been you.”

  Her heart shattered at hearing the words she’d been wishing to hear for months. But they felt like they’d come too late and she forced herself to shake her head. “I won’t be your mistress, Faolan. I won’t accept that and I won’t hurt even her by doing that.”

  “Then don’t,” he whispered against her neck as his hands dipped to splay over her stomach. “I’ve left her. She is no longer a part of my life and never will be again. You are. And even though this child is Zorin’s I will find a way to care for him too. All I want is you in my life. However you’ll come back into it. I was a fool to let you go once, I won’t make the same mistake again. I love you more than anything I’ve ever known. Be part of me again. Please.”

  She gasped at hearing the final words she’d dreamed of him saying. As tears fell from her cheeks, she covered his hands with her own and held them tightly against her stomach. “This child isn’t Zorin’s. It’s yours,” Isabelle whispered.

  Tears splashed against their joined hands and she leaned back against his chest, finally feeling at peace. She didn’t know what the future would hold for them or how she was going to explain this to Amalthea and Zorin, but being with Faolan felt right and that was the only thing she was certain of in that quiet moment. Zorin could have the throne, he and Rhiannon could share the kingdom. All she wanted was right here in her cottage in the woods.

  * * * *

  High above them on the roof of the house, Zorin scowled into the darkness of the night sky. He understood what she intended to do, likely more than most. After all, he'd been the first one in Feeorin to throw away a throne because of love. It'd been his only briefly, but he'd done it just the same and it still counte
d. He only wished things could be as easy as she likely hoped they were. Her thoughts were far too loud in the silence of her forest refuge. She wanted love and her family. That was admirable. But it was never all that simple and the girl had to be made to realize that. Later. He was a gentlemen enough to give her the moment of peace he knew she deserved.

  Silently he leapt into the sky. Faolan likely smelled him, but that mattered little. He was a part of her life now, regardless of where she called home. As her friend and not her lover, of course. That moment had been brief and was not to be revisited which was better for both of them. But the child growing inside of her would not fall into Thadius' hands. Zorin couldn't do anything about the one he already had claim to, but this second child had a chance to live a normal life outside of the mountains. He couldn't hide the child's parentage from the old Draconian forever. Eventually they'd reveal themselves just fine without him doing anything. He had hope though that he could do something for them until then. He'd seen Faolan grow up and knew that, given the chance, Thadius would do the same with another son. It wasn't cruelty that fueled the Draconian's darkness. Rather it was some mistaken form of love and protection. But while a Draconian child could handle that sort of upbringing, he highly doubted that a half-human one would fare quite so well.

  As the product of a less than perfect childhood himself, he knew that he'd do whatever he could to keep Isabelle's second child from experiencing the same. He had hope. But as he'd known for many years, hope was a fickle beast that brought darkness just as easily as light. Finding the balance between the two was a delicate task and that had never been his strong suit. But he'd try. For a woman who deserved far more in life than she'd been given, he'd do his best.

  About the Author

  Caitlin was fortunate growing up to be surrounded by family and teachers that encouraged her love of reading. She has always been a voracious reader and that love of the written word easily morphed into a passion for writing. If she isn't writing, she can usually be found studying as she works toward her counseling degree. She comes from a military family and the men and women of the armed forces are close to her heart. She also enjoys gardening and horseback riding in the Colorado Rockies where she calls home with her wonderful fiancé and their dog. Her belief that there is no one true path to happily ever after runs deeply through all of her stories.