by Rinelle Grey
He’d promised Rylee he wouldn’t take Mora into danger. If he let his daughter become involved in this battle, Rylee would be mad at him. But he couldn’t leave his siblings to face Ultrima alone. Not when the Trima leader had brought a life dragon and he had the ability to counter that.
“We have to help them,” Mora urged in dragon speech.
Life dragon fear didn’t affect her, although if she’d had any sense, she would have been afraid of the situation anyway.
“Wait,” Calrian commanded.
Mora’s face was mutinous, but she didn’t push again.
The human woman with the gun strode towards Ultrima, shouting, “You stay away from her. Don’t you know that when a woman says no, she means no?”
A human was risking her life for Sarian?
Calrian couldn’t help but smile. Humans were every bit as brave as dragons despite their diminutive size. Of course, holding a shotgun did help.
But only if you were using it.
Before the woman could make good on her threat, lightning surged from Ultrima’s fingers. The human couldn’t stand under the assault, and she dropped like a stone.
An elderly dragon rushed out of the crowd and fell on her body. “I love you,” he whispered to her, and Calrian felt his heart constrict yet again. He hadn’t realised he could feel so much pain and joy at the same time.
Rylee would be furious with him, but he couldn’t remain hidden. Three dragons, even if one was a life dragon, were no match for his whole clan, not if he and Mora were helping.
He signalled to his daughter to drop the illusion and flew down to hover behind the Trima group, saying loudly, “I did not expect to find this when I returned to my lair. The news gave the impression there was a hope of peace between Trima and Rian clans. I have to admit, I was surprised to learn my clan had even survived. I thought you all long dead.” He looked at Ultrima accusingly as he spoke.
His arrival caused quite a stir. Everyone turned towards him, ignoring Ultrima. His brothers and sisters greeted him joyfully, calling out his name.
Ultrima’s face, when he swung around, was not so happy.
But for some reason, the sight of his enemy’s face only made Calrian feel a deep pity for the lightning dragon. He’d left Rian clan searching for love and a place in the world, but he would never find that away from his clan.
And he seemed completely unaware of that fact.
“You are outnumbered,” Calrian told his enemy firmly. “Your life dragon may have given you an advantage over my clan, but that is gone now. As you can see, Rian clan now has a life dragon of its own. Let me introduce you to my daughter, Morian.”
Everyone’s eyes grew round as they stared, first at Calrian and then at Mora.
His daughter stared back defiantly. Calrian was so proud of her he thought his heart would overflow.
No one said anything for a few moments. No one even moved.
The only sound was Ultrima’s tail swishing angrily a couple of times. Calrian hoped he would realise that he was outnumbered and leave, but to his surprise the lightning dragon turned back to Sarian, who was being held back by a human male.
Had his sister found a mate too? Had Calrian imagined that she might actually care for the Trima leader? But it wasn’t the human Sarian was looking at, it was Ultrima, and though her eyes sparked with anger, there was something else behind that anger.
Ultrima spoke to her earnestly. “See. They don’t need you to mate to make a life dragon. They already have one. You can mate whoever you like.”
For a moment Calrian thought Sarian might respond in kind and admit similar feelings. But as her eyes fell on the injured and fearful dragons in her clan, his sister’s expression hardened. “I always intended to mate whoever I liked.” She lifted her chin, her voice frosty. “And I want a dragon who supports my clan and respects my choices. That isn’t, and never will be, you.”
Ultrima faltered, taking a step back as though Sarian had mortally wounded him. He stared at her in disbelief. Then the Trima dragon lifted his head and gave a roar that chilled Calrian’s blood.
Calrian wasn’t the only one who scanned the skies, fearful the entire Trima clan would be hovering there, waiting to attack. It wasn’t possible. Mora would have detected them if they were, but Calrian couldn’t shake the fear.
But there was no attack. Instead, Ultrima flapped his wings and lifted into the sky followed by the other two dragons. Before they left the Trima life dragon stared coldly at Mora, sending a chill through Calrian’s heart.
“This is not over yet, Rian clan. Mark my words,” Ultrima proclaimed as he and his dragons flew off.
Calrian was sure it wasn’t. He would need to watch his daughter even more carefully.
Mora was the only real threat the Trima life dragon and Ultrima faced.
Chapter 67
“Mora did wonderfully,” Calrian said, his voice proud. “She healed all the injured dragons and humans. I have no doubt that without her, there would have been serious casualties.”
Rylee’s heart welled up with pride too, even through her fear.
Despite his promises, Calrian had taken their daughter into danger, standing up to an angry Ultrima. That they were both safe now, and Ultrima had left, only reduced her anger and fear slightly.
“I can’t believe you took her into that situation,” she scolded.
Calrian was instantly contrite. “I know, Rylee. I know I promised to keep her safe, and I know the fact that she’s fine doesn’t mitigate the fact that what we did was risky. But we remained hidden until I realised all of Rian clan was there. And Ultrima only had three dragons. The risk was minimal, I promise.”
Rylee wanted to remain angry at him. She wanted to blame him, and not just for this. She wanted to be able to be angry that he was there with his clan instead of here with her.
But deep down she knew he’d had no choice. He could hardly sit by and watched Ultrima kill them all if there was anything at all he could do to prevent it.
She wanted to be happy and relived he’d called her as soon as the danger had passed. She should be overjoyed he still wanted to share the discovery of his clan’s survival with her, but it only eased her pain slightly.
Eventually they were going to have to face up to the truth—Calrian would have to choose between his family and his clan. It was clear Rian clan were still at war, and the upcoming negotiations with the government would only make things more antagonistic.
Calrian would be gone for far longer than the few days he’d imagined.
And Rylee already missed him more than she could bear.
She let out her breath in a sigh. “I know,” she admitted. “You did the right thing. If I’d been there, I would have agreed with you.”
And it was the truth.
But it was always far easier to take a risk when you were there to see events unfold.
The look Calrian gave her made her wish she was there for entirely different reasons. “You are the most wonderful mate a dragon could ever wish for,” he said solemnly, and Rylee could almost feel a tug of love through the mating bond.
“Why, because I didn’t yell at you?” she asked bluntly.
“Because you understood,” Calrian said softly. “And because I know I can tell you anything. Do you know how valuable that is? How many mates don’t have that?”
Rylee’s eyes filled with tears. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
She did know. She’d been in one of those relationships, and she hadn’t even known love could be something better. She’d never even imagined a partnership like the one she had with Calrian could be possible.
“So what happens next?” she asked gruffly. She needed to change the subject before she burst into tears. Before she hung up the phone and rushed straight to the airport and flew to where Calrian was just so she could give him a hug.
The expression on his face said he wanted that too.
But he didn’t voice the impulse. He didn�
��t have to.
Instead he focused on the matter at hand. “We will be meeting with the human government at the town hall in two days. We have no idea what to expect at this stage, so everyone is on edge.”
“I’ll bet. So what happened with Verrian?”
Chapter 68
“And that is the story, all of it,” Calrian finished telling his clan. He held his breath, not sure what he was expecting.
When he’d left Dragon Island, he hadn’t been sure if Rylee would be accepted here or not and he’d been worried he’d have to make a choice. But as he stared at Taurian, his arm around his pregnant mate, Karla, and Lyrian sitting in her human mate’s lap, their baby daughter asleep in her arms, he knew they would all welcome Rylee without hesitation.
Even Verrian was cuddled up to Lisa as though he’d never be parted from her, having somehow convinced the Trima life dragon to release him from his promise to Ultrima while the Trima dragon had been absent.
Only Sarian was alone. A human male hovered near her, the same one who had pulled her away from Ultrima, but she didn’t even look in his direction. Calrian felt sorry for her, one lonely dragon amongst all these couples.
Calrian knew he’d never be alone again, even if Rylee wasn’t here right now. How much he missed her assured him of that.
“So when do we get to meet this amazing mate of yours?” Taurian teased, his eyes dancing.
Calrian smiled. “I can’t wait to introduce you to her,” he promised. “She is the most wonderful mate in the world. I couldn’t have found a more perfect mate in a thousand lifetimes.”
Even as he extolled Rylee’s virtues, he couldn’t help feeling guilty. Had he given up on his clan because he couldn’t give up Rylee?
If only he knew the answer to that.
Something must have shown on his face because Taurian raised an eyebrow and said, “Then why do you look so sad?”
Calrian looked around at the faces of his brothers and sisters, their mates, and their families, and wondered how he could ever explain. Could they ever understand?
He’d lived a whole lifetime while they were asleep in their Mesmer chambers. They all loved their mates, but none of them had any idea how that love could increase over the years. None of them understood the joy of watching their children grow up safe and happy and then fearing for their safety now.
If this discussion with the humans and Trima clan worked, they may all know that joy in the future though.
“Probably because his mate isn’t here now,” Verrian offered, reaching out to hold Lisa’s hand. “I’d be sad if Lisa wasn’t here.”
“You were inconsolable when Lisa wasn’t here,” Taurian said with a pointed look.
Calrian watched them teasing back and forth, all so comfortable with each other, and he was a little sadder for what he’d missed out on. He felt apart from them, his age and the lifetime he’d lived while they were asleep a yawning gulf.
Taurian turned back to him, more serious now. “You should invite your mate here to join us.”
His brother was right. And Calrian longed to. But he still had his children to protect as well as the legacy he’d built for them. So reluctantly, he shook his head. “Rylee is looking after our children and our home. Until all this is settled with the human government, we need those to remain unconnected to dragons.”
Verrian frowned. “But don’t you want your mate here? How can you bear to be away from her?”
Calrian couldn’t help smiling. “Rylee and I have been mated for many years. Our love will survive a short separation. And we have our children to think of. We need to keep Dragon Island safe for them to share with their mates when they find them.”
A vague understanding dawned on Verrian’s face and the faces of the others around them. A few of them glanced over at Mora sitting nearby.
Lyrian glanced down at her sleeping baby, probably the closest to understanding what Calrian was thinking. But even then, it was different.
Calrian’s children were old enough to have mates of their own. They were only a little younger than his brothers and sisters. His priorities were different than theirs. And yet not so different. All of them wanted peace and happiness.
He just hoped they found it.
“Hopefully if this meeting goes well, it won’t matter,” Taurian said firmly. “If it does, dragons will have a place in this world, and you’ll be able to let people know who you truly are.”
For a moment hope flared in Calrian’s heart. How wonderful would it be to announce his true identity to the world? To tell everyone he met that Hayrian, Damrian, and Morian were his dragon children?. To introduce them by their dragon names.
Not having to hide anymore.
Maybe he’d even find a way to divide his time between Dragon Island and Rian lair.
He shut down that hope almost immediately. They weren’t there yet. And despite him being optimistic about the upcoming meeting, he had to also be realistic.
Humans were scared of dragons. Acceptance, grudging or not, would be a long time coming. Perhaps it would not be soon enough for his children, but maybe for his grandchildren.
Calrian would do everything in his power to make sure it was possible one day.
“What’s the plan?” he asked, looking around the room. “How are we going to convince the humans to accept us?”
His brothers and sisters exchanged looks. It was clear they hadn’t given the matter much thought. “We were just planning on talking to them. Showing them we can be as reasonable and human as they are,” Taurian offered.
It was a start. Calrian nodded. “Who’s going to go? They said we could bring two dragons from Rian clan.” He looked at each of them, wondering who they would choose.
“Sarian, of course,” Taurian said immediately. “She will be our queen just as soon as all of us are awake for the ceremony.”
Calrian glanced over at his sister, but she didn’t look happy. She probably wasn’t keen to face Ultrima again, especially not after the stunt he’d pulled earlier in the day. Calrian couldn’t say he blamed her.
But she didn’t raise any objections, just nodded as if it were a foregone conclusion she would go.
Sarian always had been dedicated to her position as leader. She’d never let personal feelings get in the way of doing her job.
And now, for the first time, Calrian was wondering if that had been a mistake.
If Sarian hadn’t chosen her role as future queen over her feelings she might have for Ultrima, would they be in this mess? If Sarian had wanted to mate the Trima dragon, and had agreed to, there would have been no war, no three-hundred-year sleep.
“Who else should we choose?” Taurian asked, looking around the room.
“Mora should go,” an elderly female dragon spoke up. “A life dragon would be invaluable at this meeting, and you can bet your claws Ultrima will be bringing his.”
Calrian’s heart skipped a beat. His daughter? Never in a million years had he expected his siblings to choose her over one of them.
“Good point, Mesrian,” Taurian said immediately.
“That will cause a few raised eyebrows,” Karla said with a smile. “An entirely female delegation from Rian clan.”
Mora’s eyes lit up, and she looked at Calrian, obviously asking permission.
Calrian stared at all of them in an agony of indecision.
They were right. There were many advantages to Mora’s inclusion. She could read the human delegation and give clues as to whether or not they were moving in the right direction with their talk. As Ultrima would almost certainly bring his own life dragon, to choose another would be putting them at a disadvantage.
It would also completely blow Mora’s cover. And Rylee’s. And Hayrian and Damrian’s. Dragon Island wouldn’t be a secret anymore. The entire world would know they were dragons. Their backup plan would be gone.
And it would mean putting Mora in danger again. These were supposed to be peace talks, yes, but Ultrima had already
proven he couldn’t be trusted to keep the peace or his word. Putting Mora in the same room with him and his life dragon, especially when Calrian couldn’t be present to protect her, went against every inclination in his heart, not to mention his promise to Rylee.
And yet, his daughter could also help protect Sarian from Ultrima, not to mention potentially saving his clan.
Mora’s eyes begged him to say yes, to give her a chance.
The rest of his clan looked at him, waiting for a response, surprised it was taking so long.
And all Calrian could see were Rylee’s eyes, sad, yet understanding. She wouldn’t stop him. She wouldn’t even berate him. But she would be hurt.
How could he choose between what his clan needed and what his mate needed? How could he possibly choose between his clan and his family? They were supposed to be one and the same, but they never would be. Not completely.
Not like his brothers’ and sisters’ families would.
They’d all willingly made the choice. Karla and Lisa and Brad might all be human, but they’d chosen to become part of their mates’ clans. They’d made that choice knowing they might be called upon to make hard decisions like this.
They’d chosen to bring their children into this world and be fully part of it.
But it wasn’t like that for Calrian and Rylee.
They’d lived a whole life with just their small family, making the choices that were right for them.
And Calrian couldn’t just give that up. Not without Rylee’s full cooperation and agreement. He needed her to want it as much as he did. Not just because that was what he wanted, but because she wanted to be part of this too.
He took a deep breath and shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Everyone stared at him in surprise.
Calrian continued. “For one thing, Mora is very young. She might be able to read the delegation, but she has little experience on what to do with that.”
“That’s why Sarian will be there too,” Taurian pointed out. “She has more than enough wisdom for both of them.”
Calrian didn’t doubt that. But there were other risks too. “If the humans find out one of our delegation has the ability to read their feelings, not to mention manipulate them, they will hold that against us forever,” he said firmly.
