“Haven't found her yet.” He laughed. “We agreed to postpone. I guess because I've always believed I'd meet and fall in love the same way the humans do. Through time and getting to know her. But we'll see if I get that lucky. I've heard it's hard enough to do for the humans. Try adding in all of the dragon drama too. Kind of hard to just drop the bomb, you know?”
“Too bad there aren't humans who already know the secret, huh?” She offered him a weak smile. I'm right here. In front of you. You know me. I know you. Look at me.
He stared at her, gazing into her eyes, and she couldn't help but wonder if maybe he did feel something for her too. “Right, too bad. I hope whatever Dad did sticks this time.”
“Me too,” she whispered. Maybe that's why he won't notice me. He thinks I'm going to die off and doesn't want to be romantically attached. She wished he understood that he was the cure. He had to be. If she could be with him, his magic and love would be more than enough to keep her strong forever.
Maya forced a smile. “So how long are you staying?”
“A couple of days at the most. Gotta head out to Shanrea for the big birthday bash,” he said, with a small but wonderful smile. Ethan was so much like his father sometimes, gentle in nature, but a lot less expressive with his emotions as well. It made him all the more adorable.
At the mention of Shanrea though, she couldn't help but roll her eyes a little. “Right. Your tradition.”
“What? What's wrong?” he asked, frowning.
She shook her head. “Jealous is all. I haven't been there for a long time, and you go practically all the time.” Maya didn't dare point out how he'd rather be there than visiting with her.
“You should come with us, then.”
“You're inviting me to your exclusive party?” she teased.
This time he rolled his eyes. “When have you not been invited?”
“I doubt my parents will let me,” she mumbled. “You know how overprotective they are.”
“Yeah, I do. Mine are the same way.” He tapped his chest. “I got issues too, but that doesn't mean you have to let them put you in a bubble. Think about it. Please? You can fly out with us when we go, and we'll have a lot of fun. Promise!”
The pleading look in his eyes was enough to convince her to at least try. “I'll see what I can do.”
Chapter Four
After their meeting with the Great Terran Lord, Tyson and Dani went back to Shanrea. Tyson didn't actually live there. He lived with his father and stepmother in Terran City. But the birthday of his fiancée was not an event he wanted to miss, especially since she was now considered old enough to finally become his wife.
“Wake up, Tyson. It's almost lunch,” Dani's little brother, Cedar, yelled into the room where Tyson was sleeping, then slammed the door shut. In the background Dani could be heard shouting at him, but Tyson couldn't quite make it out.
Laughing, he pulled himself out of bed and rubbed at his eyes. He found some clothes to change into and got ready for the day. Waiting outside his bedroom was Cedar, grinning up at him. The kid was the youngest of Dani's siblings at four years old. For now. Their mother was expecting baby number six. A small dragon family for an Inero. Back home, in Terran, that would be considered about average.
“Hey buddy,” Tyson said.
“Hi! I'm supposed to ask if you kissed my sister last night,” Cedar said.
Tyson squatted down so he was eye level with the boy and ruffled Cedar's hair. “No, I wasn't kissing your sister last night. And you know I can't lie to you.” Though Tyson was pretty sure by kissing, the boy was supposed to be asking about sex. Every morning after Tyson spent the night, Cedar asked, sent on a duty by Dani's parents to make sure the two waited for the wedding.
The truth was, Dani and he hadn't kissed yet, not really. A few small touches, handholding, an occasional kiss on the cheek or hand, but not anything he would consider intimate. Funny, because she'd been his fiancée since birth, yet he couldn't bring himself to be overly affectionate with her. For whatever reason, the desire wasn't there. No matter how hard he tried, he just didn't see Dani as a girl he wanted to do those kinds of things with. He loved her, no doubt about it, but he wasn't sure if it was the kind of love he needed to marry her and be passionate. Happy, yes, but not the kind of love his father had with Tyson's stepmother. Tyson and Dani would simply be comfortable, and he didn't want that. It didn't seem like enough.
Cedar continued to grin for a moment longer before running off to play. Tyson made his way down the stairs and gave a weak smile to the family sitting at the dining table, who were just finishing up with lunch.
“You could have woken me sooner,” he said.
“We know you're probably jet-lagged still,” Dani's father, Matthias, said. “We saved you some.”
“Unfortunately,” Brodrick said. He was the second eldest of the children and a growing teen boy. Tyson watched him eye the food longingly.
Tyson shook his head. “I'm not all too hungry yet. But thank you.”
Taking that to be as good a sign as any, Brodrick started to dig into what was left on the table. His father shook his head, clearly disapproving.
“What?” Brodrick asked.
“Nothing.” Matthias returned his attention to Tyson. “We were going to let you sleep longer, but figured you'd want to be there when Ethan arrived at the docks today.”
“Thank you,” Tyson said, truly grateful. The idea of seeing his best friend again brought a smile to his face.
Dani sneaked past him from behind, trailing a hand across his shoulders as she did so. “Come on, or we're going to be late.”
“Okay, have fun, and be careful,” Matthias said.
“We will. Bye!”
“Wait, you're forgetting something.”
“Oops!” Dani ran over, kissed her father on the cheek, and raced out the door, making sure to grab Tyson along the way.
He laughed. “Excited much?”
“Should I be less obvious?”
He shook his head. “No.”
Tyson knew why she was so excited. About three years ago he'd figured out how in love with Ethan she was. Maybe it was wrong of him to let her indulge in the special friendship she had with the guy, but Tyson wanted her to enjoy it as long as possible. It made her so happy. The day he had to take it away from her was not one he was looking forward to. If he thought it possible, he'd cancel the engagement. But what kind of repercussions to their countries would that have?
Together they ran to the docks, which were about half a mile from her home. They were on a private beach made specifically for the landing and transformation of flying dragons. Inero dragons couldn't fly, but the other tribes, sans a few members of the Terran, could.
The young couple arrived just in time to see an Oceina dragon landing on the platform. Water dragons had long, snake-like bodies, glittering blue scales, and no wings. They flew solely from their magic, and it was a beautiful sight because they sparkled as they moved through the air. Nestled on the back of the dragon was Ethan, his mother, one of his cousins, a couple of brothers, and a girl Tyson had never seen before in his life.
Immediately, his eyes fixed on her. She was beautiful. Her tan skin and dark hair suggested she was of the Inero, but the blue eyes were clearly Oceina. He watched Ethan help her down off the dragon's back. She stumbled and landed in his arms, giggling and blushing before righting herself again and returning down to the ground. Once everyone was off, the dragon began to transform, and in a matter of seconds, another one of Ethan's younger brothers was present in human form.
Dani's eyes went wide, and she squealed before bolting at full speed toward Ethan. He had just enough time to move the girl out of the way before Dani leaped into his arms and straddled him in a tight hug.
“Oh my gosh, look at you! You keep growing!”
“It's this thing called puberty,” Ethan said, hugging her back. Then carefully he peeled Dani off. Tyson couldn't tell how Ethan felt about her bold af
fections exactly. The guy was sometimes hard to read. “You remember Maya, right? She used to come visit back in the day.”
“I do, but the last time I saw her we were, like, twelve. Wow, look at you too.” Dani hugged the girl, Maya, still smiling.
Tyson approached the group in a calmer fashion. “It's a pleasure to meet you. I don't think I've had the honor,” he said, and took Maya's hand. He noticed how cold her skin felt, and the smell of death on her. Perhaps there was more to her stumbling than simply trying to be flirtatious.
She curtseyed, and her gaze roamed over him for a moment. “I'd say the same if I had a name.”
“Oh, it's Tyson.”
“Now we are well met,” she said, and he gazed into her blue eyes. Maya grabbed Ethan by the arm, pulling him away from Dani. “Show me around, since you're the one who brought me.”
Tyson could only stare as he watched her walk away, hips swaying. “Whoa.”
Dani punched him in the gut. “Watch it, bub.”
“Oh, I am,” he said, swallowing.
Chapter Five
Dani watched as Maya nudged and snuggled into Ethan playfully. It'd be a lot more annoying to watch if he reciprocated the affection, but he treated Maya with the same disinterest as he did every other girl he met—including Dani. He was great at being a friend, and she knew he was capable of being touchy-feely. Ethan certainly hugged his mother a lot, but when it came to girls his age, it was like he put up a wall. Dani didn't understand it at all.
“Maya,” Ethan's mother, Tai, said softly, entering the room. “I promised your parents I'd make sure you got to bed at a decent time.”
With a sigh, Maya stood up. “Okay, fine. I suppose I shouldn't push my luck too much, or they might never let me leave again.”
“We'll make sure you don't miss anything in the morning, don't worry,” Ethan said, and waved.
“I can show her the way, if you'd like, Lady Oceina,” Tyson offered. “I'm actually ready to get to bed too. I didn't sleep the best last night, and it's catching up to me.”
Tai raised an eyebrow, but then nodded. “All right. Thank you, Tyson. We'll see you both in the morning. Sleep well.” She glanced over at Ethan and Dani, sitting on the couch. “You two don't stay up too late either.”
“I know, Mom, and same goes for you and Miss Kat,” Ethan teased. Dani couldn't help but giggle, because when their mothers got together, the women had a tendency to talk until all hours of the night. They did it enough on the phone, but it was even worse in person.
Tai threw her hands up. “At least I tried.”
“Night, Mom.” He blew her a kiss. When she was gone, he sighed. “To be honest, sleep is kind of the last thing on my mind.”
“Same,” Dani agreed. “Wanna head out to the beach?”
“The beach? No, you know I hate it there,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Ethan grabbed Dani by the hand and pulled her off of the couch. She knew mentioning the beach would excite him. In fact, Dani was pretty sure that if he could, he'd live there. While she wasn't as much of a fan, she did like being there with him.
Giggling, Dani slipped on her sandals. “Going out. Be back later!” she called out right as she went out the door, and then the two ran down the path outside her house.
Dani's family lived on a hill about three miles from town. They lived far enough away that their home was fairly private, but close enough to walk to everything without problems. Because of her father's role in the war between the Oceina and the Inero, there were only so many places they could go as a family. It used to be that he was confined to the boundaries of their home. Over the years, he'd been granted an extension to visit her Uncle Jason, and then to go into town. Now he could walk anywhere on the island, but Ethan's father, the Great Oceina Lord, had made it perfectly clear that her father would always be watched. She didn't know how he could stand it, but house arrest was better than prison or execution.
The beach was half a mile down the road. As soon as they arrived, Ethan kicked off his shoes, pulled off his shirt, and dove right into the water despite it being dark out. There was one lone street lamp around twenty feet away, but that wasn't enough light to give her enough confidence for a swim. Ethan was made for the water, though. It made him strong; he could breathe in it, so she was sure he could handle anything that might go wrong. Besides, she wasn't about to complain, or he might put his shirt back on. Ethan was thin but handsome and stronger than he seemed. She'd gladly take advantage of the free show.
He surfaced, wearing a big smile on his face. It lit up the night. “You coming in?”
“Are you kidding me?” Dani shook her head. Being a fire dragon gave her a slight aversion to all things water.
“I forgot you're such a party pooper,” he said, and swam back to the shore. He sat down on the sand, keeping his feet in the water.
Dani took off her sandals and got comfortable next to him. She dipped her toes into the water, ignoring the slight sting that happened every time she made contact with it, and stared out at the night sky.
“The constellations changed again,” Ethan observed.
“They do that over the seasons,” she teased.
“I know. It just is amazing. I can never get over how there are so many more of them here than at home.”
She laughed. “There is the same amount of stars here as there is in the city. You just can't see them all.”
“That's what I meant.”
“Eighteen,” she whispered.
Ethan glanced at her. “Yeah, what about it?”
“I don't want to be so old.”
“It's not old.”
“Old enough,” she mumbled.
“To get married, you mean? To join the ranks of adulthood and be the uniting force between the nations?” he asked, and laughed. Why was he laughing? There was nothing funny about any of that.
Dani couldn't help but scowl. “Right, no pressure.”
Ethan sighed. “I have to get married soon too. Maybe it won't be quite as big a show as your wedding, but I do understand. Sort of. I'm the oldest son of the Great Dragon Lord. Dad's made it clear that I must get married soon, and if I don't pick a bride, he's going to do it for me.”
“Hopefully he has good taste,” she teased, trying to hide how much it broke her heart. Thinking about Ethan with another girl always made her so sad. He deserved to have someone who cared and understood him, not a complete stranger. At least Dani had gotten to know her fiancé over the years.
“I'm trying to push it back as much as possible. We'll see. But you’re getting married. You've been waiting your whole life for this moment,” he said, and even though he was smiling, she could tell he didn't seem enthused about the idea either.
She nodded. “I have until the winter. I'm sure I'll be more into it by then. All of the planning and stuff. And Tyson, he's great, so I can't complain there.” Even though he made her think of her brother more than a future lover.
“No, you can't. You both lucked out,” Ethan whispered.
Dani snuggled into his arms, much like she'd seen Maya do earlier in the evening. She noticed how his body tensed up more and immediately regretted trying. All she wanted was a hug, comfort, something. And maybe a sign that what she felt for him wasn't one-sided. But it must have been, because she could sense his hesitation as he put his arm around her. What was it about touching her that disgusted Ethan so much?
“Are you okay?” he asked. “Why are you frowning?”
“I don't want to do it,” she admitted.
“Really? I couldn't tell. But I think it's something else.” The arm around her tightened, and she felt the warmth of his body despite it being wet. Ethan was so gentle and tender when he wasn't pushing her away.
She sighed and closed her eyes, relaxing in his embrace. “I don't want things to change. And I wish I…” she gazed up into his beautiful blue eyes. “I wish I could choose.”
Ethan swallowed and averted his gaze to the sky. “Pick a star, a
nd maybe your wish will come true. Because I…”
“Hmm?”
“If you want to be able to choose, you should have that.”
She smiled, but couldn't help but wonder if he'd still feel the same way if he knew she wanted to pick him.
Chapter Six
Like always, both Dani and Ethan had input on all of the meals served throughout the day, as well as the activities. Outside of Ethan's father not being there, everything was perfect. Not like he was surprised. His dad never came to Shanrea for the birthday celebrations. Sometimes, during random visits, he'd stop by and see Dani's Uncle Jason and his family, but he never came to Dani's house. Only once had he done that, and it ended up awkward and a little dramatic, but it'd happened so long ago that the details were fuzzy.
The entire group settled down outside for brunch. It was Dani's favorite meal, and the perfect way to start their day of festivities. Ethan sat next to Tyson, and Dani and Maya sat across the table from them.
His mom, along with Dani's, came out holding a cake.
“Happy birthday, honey,” his mom said, then kissed his forehead.
“Make a wish,” Dani's mom, Kat, added, setting the cake down between her and Ethan.
He leaned up, smirking, waiting for Dani to do the same. Briefly, their foreheads touched. “Ready?” he asked.
“Ready,” she said. Together, they blew out the candles on the cake.
Ethan didn't believe much in wishes, but he made one anyway. I want everything to work out, and for all of us to be happy. A bit of a cop-out, but he didn't feel as if he could make an honest wish. The thing he wanted the most, he'd never be able to have. He made eye contact with Dani, and they both smiled. Why did he want to kiss her? That couldn't have been right, or an appropriate thing for him to do.
A car came up the path to the house, and Ethan pulled away. Good timing, because he might have accidentally done something he shouldn't have. If there was one thing engraved into his mind from a young age, it was that Dani would always be off-limits to him.
Legend of the Forbidden Page 2
