Saber tightened his grip around Tirah. “If you think I’m going to turn her over to you—”
Cass shook his head. “No. Stop. I’m absolving you of your vow. Your mate is very brave. She came to me and begged for my help to save your life.”
Saber opened his mouth, but Cass continued, “Tirah made me realize something.” Saber frowned, but kept silent. “Even knowing how badly I wanted to kill her. Tirah didn’t care about herself, she only cared about saving you. I now realize that as close as I am to losing my own humanity, if I lost my Young, or you … that would be the end of me.”
Saber blinked, and Cass inclined his head to Tirah. “I am sorry for how I treated you before. You have nothing to fear from me, and have all my respect. I am grateful Maya had you there with her, when she … died.”
“You are welcome. I only wish I was able to do more,” Tirah whispered. Then before Cass could move away, Saber stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his friend. “I know this has brought it all back for you. I’m sorry. But we’re here for you, anytime you need us, my friend.” Saber drew Tirah into the hug as well.
As if suddenly uncomfortable with everything, Zales stood and focused on Mihel. “If you trust me with the location, I can fly you back to your home base.”
Cass pushed away and went to the cooler where he grabbed another ale, while Saber kept his arm around Tirah.
Mihel glanced at everyone, then looked at Zales. “Yes, thank you.”
“I had your brother’s body moved so that it will be found quickly. This way he will get a proper burial.”
Tears welled up in Ashara’s eyes. “I know he was a bad man but thank you.”
Zales nodded to her and looked back at Mihel. “This way you will be able to step into the commander’s shoes quicker.”
Mihel stiffened his shoulders. “Right. Thank you.”
Tirah felt bad for him, knowing how much he didn’t really want to do this.
Ashara got up and avoiding Cass, moved over to Zales. “Can … can you fly me back as well?”
Mihel gaped at her, then shook his head. “No, Mom, you’re free. If you go back, you’ll still be a slave. You can’t come with me.”
At Mihel’s words, Cass growled. “They made you a slave?”
Ashara lowered her gaze under Cass’s glower and spoke to Mihel. “I have nowhere else to go.”
“You do,” Saber said, catching Tirah by surprise. He shrugged. “She’s your mother. She can stay here for as long as she likes. It won’t take me long to fix up a room.”
Ashara smiled at him and blushed. “That is very kind of you.” Then she shook her head. “But you are newly mated. You both need time to learn about each other, and I don’t want to get in the way.”
“Mom, you won’t be in the way,” Tirah said while Cass growled again. Unable to stand it any longer, Tirah turned on him. “What is your problem?”
Cass ignored her and addressed Ashara. “You can come with me to my village. We have empty dwellings.”
Ashara seemed to swallow nervously but didn’t respond. Instead, she looked at Tirah. “Do they know?” she asked in a whisper.
Tirah knew her mother referred to them being Fire-born. “Yes, and they are fine with it.”
“They better be,” Mihel said, surprising them both.
“You know?” Tirah asked.
Mihel gave her a slight smile. “I figured it out a while ago.”
Tirah and Ashara stared at him. “Are you … have you …?” Ashara asked, eyes wide.
Mihel shook his head. “No, I can’t shift into a dragon, but a couple years ago, I started to feel something, like a fire burning inside of me.”
Tirah could almost feel her mother’s guilt. “I’m sorry. I should have told you, but I was so scared.”
Mihel smiled and hugged her. “It’s okay, Mom. I understand.”
Ashara, her expression full of apprehension, faced Cass. “All right, I’ll go with you, I guess.” Then she looked at Zales. “Will you take me there?”
Cass frowned. “He doesn’t need to. We’ll fly. I’ll show you the way.”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll stay here for a bit after all,” Ashara said, drawing a scowl from Cass.
Chapter Forty-Five
Plans
Saber, seeing that Cass was about to protest, interrupted him. “I need to speak to you, privately.” Then he whispered in Tirah’s ear, “I’ll be right back.”
“Okay.” Tirah smiled, and Saber motioned Cass out of the room. “Not here.”
“What?” Cass asked after following him into his office.
Saber studied his friend. Though Cass had been a prickly bastard ever since he’d lost Maya, Saber had no idea why Cass was taking it out on Tirah’s mother. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Cass scowled at him. Saber sighed, then said, “Look, go easy. Ashara doesn’t know how to fly. She’s been a slave since she was captured at eight years of age. From what Tirah has told me, she has never even let her dragon out.”
Cass stared at him a moment, then swore softly and ran a hand through his hair. “Those fucking bastards.”
Saber knew he meant the Ilyium and had to agree.
Cass sighed deeply. “Yeah. Okay. But how? I mean, I know Tirah did the same thing, keeping her dragon hidden, but really, how is that even possible?”
Saber shrugged. “I can’t imagine having a dragon inside and not letting it out. But Tirah was terrified that we’d kill her for being Fire-born. Ashara made her keep it a secret.” At Cass’s horrified stare, Saber nodded. “Now, I don’t know what’s up with you regarding Ashara, but she’s Tirah’s mother, so she’s my family now. Go gentle on her. Ashara’s scared, and I don’t imagine she’s seen much kindness in her life.”
“Yeah, fine.” Cass swore again, and together they made their way back to everyone.
“I’ll see you soon?” Tirah asked her brother.
“Yes,” Mihel said, and pulled her into a hug, Ashara joined them.
Then Saber looked at Mihel. “You get in touch with me through Zales if you ever need anything, and if things don’t work out, you are welcome here. You are family now.”
Mihel blinked and then nodded, then he looked at Zales. “Ready?”
“Give me a moment?”
Mihel waited while Zales spoke to Saber. “I’ll talk to you in a day or so. We need to start looking for someone with knowledge about the spell that sent Adarias to Hades.”
“Agree,” Saber said and they watched Mihel and Zales leave.
Then Cass looked at Ashara. “I’ll fly you to my village.” At her terrified expression, he sighed. “I promise I won’t drop you.”
Ashara appeared ready to refuse, then didn’t. “All right.”
“Are you going to be okay, Mom?” Tirah asked. “You know you can stay here.”
“I know. Maybe in a few days.” Then Ashara cupped Tirah’s check. “I’m so happy for you, baby.” She stared at Saber. “You take care of her.”
Saber inclined his head. “I will. You have my word, and remember, we’re family. If you need us, we are here, and if things don’t work out, you can come stay with us.”
Tears lit Ashara’s eyes. “Thank you. I am happy Tirah has found you.” Then she drew in a deep breath and turned to Cass. “I-I’m ready.”
“She’ll be fine. Cass won’t hurt her,” Saber said, wrapping his arms around Tirah as they watched Ashara and Cass disappear into the waterfall. Then he looked down at her. “Now, how about we start your flying lessons?”
Tirah smiled. “I’d like that.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Flying Lessons
Tirah peered over the ledge at the lake far below and gulped as she remembered the last time she stood here.
“Are you ready?” Saber asked.
“No,” Tirah said.
“You know I won’t let anything happen to you, right?” He held her close.
“I do.” Then she smiled at
him. “I guess now is as good a time to learn as any.”
Saber claimed her lips once again. “I love how brave you are.”
“I’m not sure it’s brave.” Tirah laughed and pulled away before Saber could peel her clothing off and take her right where they stood. Not that she’d mind. They were so secluded no one would see them.
Saber reached for her again, and Tirah shook her head. “Uh-uh. You have to teach me how to fly first. If you do a good job, I might give you a reward,” she teased. Saber raised an eyebrow and grinned at her.
“I’ll be just out there, waiting for you.” He pointed to the air in front of the ledge.
“All right.” Tirah moved back to give him room to shift, then realized she needn’t have bothered. She gasped when Saber fell backward off the ledge. Then his power tingled over her. A moment later, a large black dragon rose into the air in front of her.
“Now it’s your turn,” Saber said. His midnight scales glittered under the rays of Tartaria’s suns, while his wings flapped just enough to keep him afloat.
“You are so beautiful,” Tirah said, thinking how lucky she really was. Things could have ended up so differently.
Saber snorted a light plume of fire off to her side that quickly drifted away. “Beautiful? Guys aren’t beautiful!”
She laughed. “Guess you aren’t a guy then, because you are beautiful, and very, very sexy.” She snickered, letting her desire shine in her eyes. Still grinning, she started to undo the buttons on her shirt.
“Sexy? You think I’m sexy?” Saber sounded way too pleased. Then before she could answer, he groaned. “What are you doing, female? Trying to kill me here?”
“I like this shirt and don’t want to lose it in the shift,” she said.
She felt Saber’s hunger rise at the sight of her bare breasts.
“Now I’m not going to be able to concentrate on helping you,” he said teasingly. When she’d purposely tried shifting earlier, she’d shifted back naked, her clothes just gone. He’d really enjoyed that moment along with the following ones as well. “Just don’t think about it,” he said. Tirah knew that was what happened earlier. She’d been trying too hard.
When she was ready, Tirah drew on her power. A shower of sparks swirled in the air as she shifted into her dragon.
“You. You are the beautiful one,” Saber said, sending her images of all the ways he planned to savor her later. If she’d have been in her human-form, Tirah would have blushed at some of them.
“What color am I?” she asked, then craning her head around, she surveyed her body. It had been dark the first time she’d seen her dragon form. Now, her scales sparkled like fire in the sunlight, making her gasp. Under each scale, red fire swirled. “Last night I thought I was brown, now I look light orange or …”
“Your color changes with the light,” Saber said, awe and love in his voice. “Part of you looks like flaming fire, while another is burnished copper. You are gorgeous.”
“I am?” she asked, a smile in her voice.
“You are, my love.”
“So, what do I do now?” she asked.
Saber had her practice some exercises with her wings and neck, along with her tail. He waited while she took a hesitant step closer to the ledge.
“Don’t close your eyes,” he yelled when she did just that, then laughing, she jumped. Her joyous cry rang out as she circled around him.
“Fly with me, my mate?” she asked.
“Always,” Saber replied, and together they flew across the lake and over the mountains.
“This is amazing.” Tirah craned her head to see him.
“I want to show you something,” Saber said and led the way to the tallest spire.
“Wow,” Tirah said when they had landed and shifted into their human-forms. “Do you come here often?”
Saber’s gaze grew distant as he gazed over all the mountains and lakes. “I’ve spent a lot of time up here.”
“By yourself?”
“Yeah.”
Tirah clasped his hand, reveling in his warmth and the fact that he was her mate. “Well you aren’t alone anymore. This is breathtaking.” Incredibly tall, each thin spire of the Death Ridge Mountains reached toward the heavens. “It’s like each spike is trying to outdo the one beside it.”
She drank in the sight. Some parts of the rocky spires shone so brightly, while other parts looked black, and yet she knew the rock was actually dark blue. “They are so sparkly, so pretty, but they look so deadly.”
Saber nodded. “It’s the contrast cast by Tartaria’s suns shining down on them.”
Tirah smiled, happiness consuming her. For the first time she felt like she belonged. “I had no idea there were so many different lakes out here.”
“The pink one is hot. The yellow one stinks. The green one is warm and teeming with life. The deep blue ones scattered everywhere are also warm and really deep,” Saber said, pointing out each one.
“What about the pale blue ones?” Tirah asked.
“It is ice cold.”
“How is it they are so different?” she asked, mesmerized at the sight.
“Some are fed by underground springs, some by the run off from the mountains.” He pointed out the snow caps in the distance. They sparkled so white it was almost blinding.
“What about the one below your waterfall?” Tirah asked. It was a pale crystalline blue.
“It’s our waterfall now, and it is neither warm nor cold. You’ve noticed the sparkling spires in it?”
Tirah nodded. “I have. Do you ever swim in any of these?” she asked, nodding at the lakes.
“I have, and I look forward to showing you each of my favorite spots.” Saber stared at her, and heat tingled through Tirah. Saber smirked, passion bright in his eyes. “You shifted back wearing clothing.”
“I did, but I don’t plan to wear them long.” She tangled her fingers through his dreads, pulled him to her lips, and slid her other hand under his shirt. “You’re wearing too many clothes,” she murmured and began to trail her lips down his throat to his chest.
“I can fix that,” he said, his voice husky.
***
Saber had never been happier as Tirah flew beside him back to their home. She had more than saved his life, she’d saved his soul and given him something that he knew he’d never be worthy of, no matter how long he lived. She was his other half. The only shadow in his life was his missing brother.
“We’ll find him. I asked Mihel to check into the spell used as well,” his love said.
“Thank you,” he said, knowing he’d never stop trying to find a way to free Adarias.
“Saber?” Tirah said a few minutes later as if she were in deep thought.
“Yes, my love?” he asked, thinking about all the other places he’d like to take her.
“I love you.”
Saber soaked in her words. “Please, never stop.”
“Never. You are mine for eternity,” she said, and in his mind, her arms wrapped around him.
“I sense there is more on your mind,” he said.
Tirah giggled. “I was just wondering, can dragon shifters …”
“Can we what?”
“Well, can we … in dragon form—” she said evasively.
“What are you asking me?”
“You know, can dragons … ah … together …” Then she sent him a mental image that almost knocked him out of the sky.
When he regained his balance, Saber looked over at Tirah to see glee shining in her eyes.
“What do you think?” he asked and flipped over. Then he proceeded to fly upside down just below her.
Tirah laughed, and Saber rolled until he was right side up, then sent her a mental picture.
Tirah gasped, then snickered. “If you want me, you’re gonna have to catch me.”
Saber roared and blew a playful plume of fire at her. Tirah shrieked and took off. Saber let her get ahead of him for a moment, then shot after her.
“
It will be my pleasure.”
Epilogue
Four Weeks Later
Tirah paced the living area as she waited for Saber to return home. He’d gone to see Cass and had assured her that he’d be back before she knew it, but she’d been waiting awhile now.
“That’s it. I can’t wait any longer.”
Emerging through the waterfall that never failed to amaze her, Tirah scanned the area. There was no sign of her mate flying toward her through the brilliant pink-and-orange sky. Drawing on her power, she shifted into her dragon. Another thing that will never cease to amaze me, she thought, basking in the warmth of Tartaria’s three suns on her scales.
She had offered to join Saber so she could talk with her mother, but he declined. He wanted to talk to Cass alone and hoped he would open up if they were alone. She snorted. Cass open up. Not likely, the grouchy old goat. Then she laughed at herself. Okay, so Cass definitely wasn’t a goat, and despite his years, didn’t look at all old.
Still, Cass’s golden good looks didn’t hold a candle to her sexy male. Then she sighed, wishing everyone could find happiness like she and Saber had.
Yet neither Tirah nor Saber could figure out what was going on with Cass. She finally understood what Maya had been talking about before she died. Poor Cass, he’d lived with so much suffering and only half a soul. Then she thought about it some more and frowned. He’d been living like that for ten years now, what changed?
There was definitely something more going on, and both she and Saber wanted to get to the bottom of it, though for different reasons. Saber wanted to make sure Cass didn’t harm anyone. Tirah wanted that as well, but she also needed to make sure Cass didn’t take his anger out on her mother.
For some odd reason, the very sight of Ashara angered him, and the poor woman had been through enough. In fact, she wanted to ask her mother to move in with them. At least until Cass settled down … Is that the only reason? a little voice in her head questioned.
Saberthorn (A Paranormal/Fantasy Dragonshifter Romance): Dragonkind ~ 52 Realms Page 21
