by Honor James
“You’re screwed and working blind,” Drakos finished. “Sneaky fucking Priest,” he muttered.
“Yeah, asshole could have at least said, oh hey by the way. You are so fucked,” Violet put in with a sigh, sitting back and leaning against Ladon’s legs once more. “I just hate this. I hate the not knowing. The uncertainty. I hate the waiting for the other shoe to hit the ground.”
Drakos shot her a look before turning his attention back to the pieces. He was laying the Draconian ones over the English translations as he went. She watched as he looked to be reading a bit, shuffling through the sheets, laying one out and then continuing on that way. Eventually he had them all laid out. “Strays,” he demanded, holding out a hand for them.
She began to pass him the strays, as he had termed them, and watched him as he overlaid the sections one by one. “What is it that you are seeing that we aren’t, Drakos?” She asked suddenly, her tone far too hopeful.
“You were working only off the English version,” he muttered with a frown. “But as Viper pointed out, there are words in the Draconian language that change, depending on context. I’m just working off both versions until I get it laid out. There.” He grinned.
Viper handed him a pencil.
“Thanks,” Drakos nodded. He began moving the Draconian ones off, every now and again he’d pause to erase and then scribble in something. It took him about a half hour until he sat back with a nod. “There you are. Your prophecy, Vi. Though the only important part I think is this right here.” He pushed seven pieces of paper toward her. “The rest is filler and bullshit.”
Violet shifted and moved. She looked down at the written words and began to read.
The One Queen of all of the Sprytes, the blood of whom was used to stop the births of the Draygon peoples.
Two the being that holds the cure in her veins.
“Two, seriously?” Violet had to stop and roll her eyes.
Three things will happen when you find your mates. Your death is imminent.
Violet felt sick reading that. She looked at her mates and saw their looks were right along with hers.
No one will be able to save you. However, your soul will not move on. You must save the Draygon lineage from dying out, that is the second thing that will happen when you find your mates. And finally, you will give birth to a new Draygon that hasn’t been seen inside of the Draygon peoples since the first.
“Okay, so how do I die, but have a child? I’m so confused.” And she wasn’t even finished yet. She sighed and continued to read.
On the Fourth week you are inside of the Draygon Homeworld, in your mates’ home, is when you will die.
For five minutes your heart will not beat. For five minutes you will be dead. The prophecy will be fulfilled.
At the sixth minute your mates will understand and know how to bring you back. They are bright Draygons and it will kick in to them then. However, if it does not, and they do not bring you back before the seventh minute, you will be forever lost to the cosmos. Your soul not returning to the wheel of souls, but instead doomed to be forever lost and without your mates.
Take care, Queen of all the Spirytes, you hold inside of you the key to ending the infertility of the Draygon people, and are the key to stopping rebellion among your own people.
“This guy seriously was off his meds,” Violet whispered. She felt sick. Sick to the pit of her stomach and pained. She was going to die. It said that they could save her, bring her back, whatever, but it didn’t say that they would. “What do you guys think of this?” She looked to her mates and Drakos as they absorbed the prophecy just as she did.
“Priests were never on medication. Seers should have been though,” Drakos said. “It actually all makes sense with the bits and pieces we put together over the years. You have to die for the prophecy to be fulfilled, and this clearly says you will. We just have to make sure your mates are with you when it happens, so they can bring you back. Which, in case you’ve missed this, folks, is the kicker in this little prophecy. Would have been nice to have a ‘how’ added into the mix of the prophecy.”
“And we’ve already been here for how long?” Violet wrapped her arm around Ladon’s leg and squeezed. She felt her fear ratcheting up just a bit more. “As for who wants me dead, well, there is always the crazy aunt, there are also other houses that feel their house should be the leader of the Spirytes instead of me and my house.” Which she wouldn’t give up. She was Queen of her people, and she had hidden away for far too long. “So I guess that we all stick together for the next several weeks?”
Leaning forward, elbows on his knees, he looked at her. “Your mates are protective, as they should be, but we all need to understand that if they thwart this, it fucks up everyone. Not just you, but the entire Draygon Race. While it says the fourth week, we don’t know if it’s by the Earth calendar we’ve all gotten to using, or by the old Draygon one. I’m guessing the old Draygon calendar, given when the Priest wrote this.”
“How the fuck are we supposed to know which attempt is the one she’s supposed to die from?” Ladon exploded. “For fuck’s sake, this is our mate you’re talking about, Drakos. I don’t like the idea of her getting a hangnail, let alone watching her die for the sake of a Gods damned prophecy some whack job wrote however many centuries ago.”
“You’ll know, she’ll know more specifically,” Drakos said. “She’ll know the moment it begins. You have to let it happen. Then you stick to her like fucking glue until you revive her at the right moment. No matter what, you get her back.”
Violet nodded and rubbed her cheek against Ladon’s leg. “I don’t like it. At all. But Drakos is right. If this is what has to happen for us to have our lives and to have the child that the prophecy promises, then we will do it. I trust you two.” She looked up at Ladon and then Viper. “Completely. If anyone can bring me back, it’s the two of you. I have that much faith in you both.”
Ladon stroked a hand over her hair. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it,” he muttered. “I hate this. I hate that you have to die to fulfill some drunken Priest’s ramblings.”
“No one likes this, Ladon,” Drakos said quietly. “We can’t undo the past, we can only look ahead into the future and deal with what comes.” He looked to Viper and frowned. “You’re being awfully quiet.”
“Just thinking,” he said softly. He was staring at her, their eyes locked. “To kill a Spiryte of her power is going to take something big. Especially given the fact she has two Draygon mates. It’s also going to take someone suicidal, or someone who has the power to back it all up and get away safely. It’s not going to be just your average attempt to knock off the Queen of the Spirytes. This is something that has been planned down to the littlest of details. This is someone who has waited patiently for her to return. This is someone who knows the prophecy.”
“Do you think that it’s someone who knew the Priest who wrote this? That, or perhaps the mate to the Priest?” She had to think for a while, she needed to work with her mates and sometimes even Drakos to put together a list of people who could kill her. Viper was right, she wouldn’t be easy to kill. Not by a long shot.
“It could be anyone who could have gotten their hands on the book,” Viper said. “All they would need to know is the Draconian written word to read through that mess. That and a few gallons of caffeinated beverages to ensure they didn’t fall asleep. Anyone reading it would have clued into the little insanity bits and weeded them out. After that, all it would take was a bit of time to piece it together as Drakos did, and weed out the actual prophecy. It’s been kicking around for centuries. I’m sure that, somewhere in that time, someone else has had their hands on that book.”
“And with me being on Earth, instead of in any of the Realms, people would have been able to move about fairly freely. I don’t like this.” She once more hugged Ladon’s leg, sighing when his hand moved to her hair and began to stroke her and calm her. “This is not going to be easy. Not by a long shot,” she to
ld them all. “The Spryte Queen is created with natural defenses, ones that make it almost impossible for anyone to kill me. My mother passed naturally, as did all others before her. I can’t think of one of the Queens who was murdered.”
“Doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to off you,” Drakos said. He rolled his eyes at her glaring look and sat back. “I’m just saying, just because someone hasn’t actually killed one of the Queens before, doesn’t mean it’s not possible. Anything is possible, Vi. Besides, if this person is working off the prophecy information that means they have been doing some serious research.”
“True enough.” Violet sighed and closed her eyes, the feelings of a headache already starting to beat at her. “Thank you for coming to visit us Drakos and for helping to put this together. I’m not so sure that we would have gotten here.” She hated that admission, but it was true.
“You would have eventually,” he said. Getting to his feet, he let out a breath. “I will check in with you early next week with anything I’ve heard. I’ll put out the word to some of my sources for any information surrounding the Queen of the Spirytes. They usually have a few tall tales to tell. No, stay put, I’ll see myself out. Let me know if you need anything, Vi.” He gave them a bow and headed to the door.
“Thank you,” Vi called after Drakos as he left them. She was leaning heavily against Ladon’s leg and the front of the couch. She was drained, completely and fully exhausted and not wanting to move. She just sat there limply.
Viper got up and came around, crouching in front of her. He scooped her up in his arms as he stood up. “Let’s get you into bed. I think you’ve had more than enough for today, little mate. A nice long nap, a lazy dinner, and nothing too strenuous on the schedule.”
Violet nodded and clung to Viper. She let him take care of her, because she knew that within a matter of weeks she had to die. She could only pray that they would know in that instant how to bring her back. “I trust and believe in both of you,” she whispered quietly. “I know without a doubt that you will both do whatever is necessary to ensure we have that forever life together.”
His arms tightened around her. “I hate this,” he said in a harsh voice. “Knowing you’re going to die, having to stand by and see it. Gods, why the fuck would anyone do this to you? You are the sweetest, most amazing woman I’ve ever known. This is fucking cruel beyond measure.”
Violet didn’t know what to say to that. At all. She didn’t know why this was happening to her, then again she did have a crazy as hell aunt that had cursed the Draygon people and died before she could reverse the spell. “I don’t know, but I know we will get through it. Together.”
He nodded as he stepped into the bedroom. Moving to their bed, he settled her down on the edge, kneeling before her to pull off her shoes. Standing, he tugged her up and began to undress her. “I’m not going anywhere and neither is Ladon. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I know that.” Violet reached out and moved closer to Viper once more. “And I’m not going anywhere, either. I need both of you too damn much to go anywhere.” Once they were all three stretched out on the bed, Violet sandwiched between the two large men, she relaxed and closed her eyes. “This is perfect. This is where I always feel safe,” she said with a smile.
Ladon was stroking her hair gently while Viper held onto her hand tightly. Both men seemed determined to hold on through anything and everything. They were also pretty damn quiet as they lay there.
It was with their petting, their closeness, and their touches that Violet drifted off and into sleep. Restless, but sleep nonetheless.
Chapter Thirteen
For three weeks Violet and her mates met with various Draygons throughout the Realm to begin the healing process. It helped to keep their minds off of what they all knew would be coming soon enough. Through Drakos they’d heard various rumblings from different sources about what might be heading her way. So far nothing had come of anything. Yet.
As the fourth week had approached they’d gone back home. Viper had been insistent on it, not that Ladon had put up much of a fuss. He’d wanted to be on familiar ground. Understandable really, especially if something was about to go down. Which it would. Sooner or later.
A hand touched her back. “Here,” Ladon said softly. He held out a glass of sweet tea to her. “He’s just about got everything ready for dinner, if you’re ready.”
“Thank you.” Violet leaned into Ladon’s touch and closed her eyes. “Is it just me or has this been the longest month but also the shortest month?” It had been long because they had tried to approach every single Draygon that they could, but it had been short because they all knew just what was coming their way. She wasn’t looking forward to this at all.
“As for food, I’m always ready. I swear, I eat like crazy, and you both keep shoving food at me, which I’m good with.” She laughed as she spoke.
“We can only stay so busy and then we fall back on eating. We burn a lot more calories than you ever will, even with all we do with you,” he said with a smile. Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he hugged her close to him, resting his cheek to her hair. “Come on, let’s go and eat before he comes looking for us.”
“Yes, because we both know that he will come hunting us down and be all huffing and puffing.” It was cute though, the way that Viper would get that look on his face, the grin kicking at the corner of his lips as he gave them hell for taking their time in doing this or that.
“Yeah, he’s not in a very good mood today, though,” he told her. “He’s getting tense and has that look on his face I truly hate. He feels something coming, which is very bad for all of us. Viper hasn’t said anything yet which means it’s just the start of the warning signs. When he does say something, we’re already eyebrow deep. Just so you know.”
“I feel it, too. But we all knew that this was coming.” She touched her fingers to Ladon’s cheek and smiled. “However, I’m in good hands. I know that you will both do whatever is necessary in order to keep me with you forever. That’s a darn tootin’ good thing because anything less than forever just simply won’t do.” She just hoped that when it all played out they would know who it was that wanted her dead.
“We wouldn’t be able to go on without you, Vi. You damn well know that for the truth it is. To lose you,” he whispered, his words choking off. Suddenly, she was wrapped up in a tight hug, his cheek to hers. “We’re not fucking losing you. Not after finally finding you. Besides, you have managed to make Sir Snarly actually smile for the first time since I’ve met him. No way in hell am I going back to the old version of him.”
“Good.” She held onto Ladon tightly. “Because I’m not losing you either. Ever.” She pulled back and nodded. “We will do this. We will be able to get through this, I know it. We will deal with whatever comes our way, and we will overcome this. We have to, because we all three want the same thing, our own happily ever after.”
He gave her another squeeze and kissed her cheek again. “All right, enough moping and shit. I’m starving, and he made those little glazed carrots I love.” Drawing back, he smiled at her as he dropped his arms to catch her hand in his. He quickly headed for the kitchen with her in tow.
She loved those little glazed carrots as well. “Oh, did he make the crispy green beans as well?” Viper was one hell of a cook and he made these amazing crispy green beans that seemed as if they had been cooked over an open flame. They were wonderful. “Goodness, now I’m starving, too,” she said with a laugh as they walked toward the kitchen.
“Yup,” he said with a nod. “He also made that chicken dish you love. Has a salad of fresh greens, and I can’t even guess at what dessert is, but it’s got chocolate, more chocolate, and is topped with chocolate over a layer of chocolate. I think. I could be wrong, since I only got a two second glimpse before he smacked me.”
“Oh goodness.” She felt her mouth watering. “That man does love the heck out of me, doesn’t he?” She asked with a smile. “Well come on, let’s move fas
ter.” She tugged on Ladon now, wanting to get to the kitchens sooner rather than later.
He let her drag him as he laughed.
In the kitchen, Viper had the table laid out with all the food, no dessert though, and was just setting down dinner plates. “Took you long enough,” he muttered in Ladon’s direction.
“She was a little distracted, had to give her reason to come in here. Apparently the carrots and beans were enough, though the clincher was likely the rumor of dessert.”
Snorting at that, Viper pulled out a chair for her, just as he did every night they sat down to eat together.
“Yes, dessert will always get my rump moving faster,” Violet teased from where she was seated between both men. Once they all had food before them, Violet took her silverware and took the first bite, more than a little aware of both men watching her.
“Oh, this is so good,” she said between bites. “Thank you for making a meal for us, Viper,” she said and bumped her shoulder to her mate’s.
“You’re welcome,” he said. Tipping his head to her slightly, he dished up some food onto his plate, passing the dishes to Ladon once he was done. They were all silent as they ate, though the tension was still there. Not as noticeable when they were all in the same room, she realized.
“How about we go out and lay on the hammock outside for a bit? The sun is dipping just enough that it won’t be right over us, and there is a wonderful breeze that’s coming over the riverbank toward us.” It would be lovely, actually, to be able to simply relax with her men.
Ladon nodded in agreement, but he looked to Viper. So did she, since she knew he was the one that they would have to convince. He seemed to think on it for a while as he ate, before he finally gave a nod. “I think that’s a good plan. When we come inside we can have dessert,” he said.
