by Honor James
Pushing a hand through his hair, he let out a shaky breath. “Viper tore her throat out, dropped her right where she’d been standing, and then it’s like time stood still for a moment. We all turned to look at you at the same time. Luckily Drakos had apparently warned everyone ahead of time that you were not to be approached until Viper or I said so. We were not in a good place as we tried to figure out what to do. We knew time was counting down, we knew we were almost out of time, then. Holy fucking Gods. We just knew what we had to do. I think Drakos thought we’d gone off the deep end, though he really couldn’t get close enough one way or another to make much of a protest.”
“How did you do it?” She asked as she watched him. “How did you bring me back? The prophecy said that you would both simply know how to bring me back, but I don’t know how you did it.” She was powerful in her own right, but she couldn’t bring the dead back. It simply wasn’t possible.
Viper came into the room then. He was carrying a tray with a steaming bowl on it and a cup. Ladon moved out of the way so he could settle it over her lap. “Tea and a vegetable broth. Nothing too heavy, but it should also help with your dehydration. Eat and drink before he finishes telling you what happened. No arguing. I don’t want you choking when he lays it on you.”
“Okay.” She took a sip of the broth and sighed. “Oh, that’s good.” She took another drink and then another. This was what she needed, the soothing liquid as it flowed down her throat, the easing of the ache of hunger and dehydration. “So, tell me more?” She asked as she sipped the broth.
“Not until you’ve finished,” Viper said, effectively cutting off Ladon.
Rolling his eyes, Ladon shrugged. Putting an elbow on his knee he propped his chin on the fist he made as he watched her. “He is right, you need to finish that first. You need it, and I also don’t want you choking when I tell you the rest of it.”
“Okay, sounds like a plan.” She didn’t know if she was ready to hear this if they were being this hush-hush about it all. “I’m alive, that’s what matters, right? We are all together, and we will have forever now. That’s what matters.”
“Precisely,” Viper said. He sat down on the armchair behind and slightly to the left of Ladon. “You are alive, we’re alive, everyone that was here to help is alive. The house is still standing, no one but the evil bitch, sorry Violet, is dead. I call that a win in my book.”
“Don’t worry, she was a bitch,” Violet replied with another sip of her broth. “I’m glad that she’s dead. I am also happy that Drakos brought another Spiryte with him so that you could get in through the small wedge that I had been able to get into that shield.”
“So were we,” Ladon said. “Shocked the hell out of us when they came barreling into the scene. Drakos had brought a lot of reinforcements, but the only one we really needed was the Spiryte. Can’t for the life of me remember her name, but he said he’d bring her around later to introduce you two.”
“I would like that.” Violet put the cup down, her hands shaking slightly. “I hate being so weak,” she said as she leaned her head back against the seat. “I need a small break before I have anymore. That was delicious, and I will want more, just not at this moment in time.”
Ladon smiled at her and moved the tray onto the sofa. “That’s fine, take a moment and relax, Violet. You’ve been through a lot, and out of it for most of the time, thank the Gods. I’ll continue once you’ve caught your breath again.”
“Sounds good. Or you could just go ahead and tell me now so that when I have more to eat and drink, I will know what you did for me.” She already knew that they had done something huge for it. She had known that whatever they did, it was something that they didn’t necessarily want to talk about.
He turned to look at Viper, who gave a one shoulder shrug. Sighing, Ladon looked at her as he settled in to face her once more. “When we finally got to you, we had no clue what to do. To say we were freaking out would be putting it mildly.”
Viper snorted at that. He rolled his eyes when she looked his way.
“Anyway,” Ladon drawled out slowly. “We knew the clock was ticking, but we had no fucking clue how to save your life. We were throwing ideas around, everyone in the room was throwing ideas around. Back and forth, round and round we argued and basically killed time. Then, all of a sudden, and I don’t know if it was the same for Viper, but I just knew. I didn’t know what I ‘knew’ in that moment, but my Draygon definitely ‘knew’ just what needed to be done. We shared a look, and then—” He shrugged and shifted about uncomfortably in his seat.
“And then?” They were killing her. She had to know, wanted to know what they had done to save her happy ass. “Come on love, tell me. Tell me what it is that you had to do.” And she prayed that it didn’t cost them anything at all. “Talk to me. There is a reason that you are both not talking to me. Tell me?”
“Damn it,” Ladon muttered. “Viper, you have to tell her. I just can’t.”
Sighing, Viper leaned forward, scraping a hand through his hair roughly. “We went as far into our Draygons as we could. Ladon sank his teeth through your throat, and I pretty much lit the whole place up on fire. You were engulfed in Draygon’s fire, Violet. Something inside was screaming at me that it was wrong, yet the Draygon told me it had to be done. Ladon’s part was to ensure you were tied to us through blood, while I did whatever I did with the fire.”
Ladon shuddered and looked more than a little pale. “The Spiryte said that it had something to do with the magical properties of the bond and the touch of the Draygon’s fire. Because a Draygon cannot cause harm to his mate, the fire was tempered at the perfect mixture to heal and kick-start your own protective mechanisms within, combined with the blood I was taking and the few drops I gave to you partway through it all. Fuck, I don’t know. It worked, that’s what matters, it fucking worked.”
Violet leaned forward, catching both men by the backs of their necks with her hands. “It worked,” she said in reply, pulling them close and having all three of their foreheads touching. “It worked, and I’m never leaving you. The two of you have me for now until forever more. We are together. Always,” she said quietly. “I love you both, so much. Even more so now the bond that we have is unbreakable.” They were part of her entire being, and she was now in their blood as well. Always.
“Never again, Vi,” Ladon whispered. He pulled her out of the chair so she was perched on both their laps, nestled between their bodies. “I have never been so terrified in my life. I never, ever want to feel that again. I love you, little mate. Please tell me you have no more sadistic, twisted, freaky-ass relatives out to kill you.”
“Never again,” she agreed. “No more, promise. She was the reason that I was on Earth, now that she’s dead we can take my throne back and my people back. It’s time for me to come out of the shadows and once more be the Queen that my people need.” She nuzzled against Ladon’s cheek and hugged him tighter. “I love you.” She turned and hugged Viper. “I love you, too. No more danger, at least I seriously hope not. If there is danger, you have my permission to gobble up anyone that dares to aim danger our way.”
“About time,” Viper muttered. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and gave her a gentle squeeze. She could feel the nearly palpable relief of both men and knew it was because she was truly safe. “Now then, more rest for you. Either back in the chair to relax or into bed once more. You’re really not supposed to be up and getting all worked up about anything for a while yet.”
“Mm, shouldn’t we tell her the rest?” Ladon asked.
“Shit, yeah,” he mumbled. With a sigh, he drew back to look her in the eye. “The Council of Races took a vote. Things have gone from bad to worse on Earth. They are going to try a few more things, but they think it’s inevitable that they will need to recall everyone back to the Realms. It’s not looking good, Violet. We won’t know for sure for another month, but—” He cut himself off and shook his head.
“Yeah, that’s bad,” Violet
whispered and bit her lower lip. “Okay.” She nodded and looked between both men. “When you take me back to the Spiryte home world, I will call all of the Spirytes home. I’m sure that it will be like that for all the Races, calling all of our people home.” She had seen it coming for a while now, she had known that the trouble was getting worse and worse on Earth, and sadly that meant leaving the humans to their own devices.
“They did make one addendum to the entire thing. We’ll be closing the Veil, but it will be a one-way thing with only a few, very specific portals to allow traffic both ways. They want to keep an eye on things over there. Mainly to know if, or rather when, something might be heading our way. Drake’s agreed that Draygons should stand guard. We also heard from the Luhpynes, Thorin primarily, that he will also assign Luhpynes to the rotation. Since we’re two of the Races that are hardest to kill, it makes the most sense. Drakos will want to talk to you as well, he mentioned something about figuring out a way to better hide the comings and goings of the Races through the Veil, since the humans, for the most part, know where it lays.”
“I could do that. Not right this moment. Right now I don’t even have enough juice to stand on my own, but after I’ve been able to rest and recuperate I will be able to open the portal at different places so that we can come and go as we wish.” She could easily open the Veil. It called to her. “We will need to set up generators where I open it, however, and build new sites on this side of the Veil so that we have outposts there. That way I don’t have to continue to pour my magic into the Veil and will be able to instead just let it go.” It sounded easy, but it would be a little more than that and they all knew it. “That’s for later, though. Not right now.”
“No, for now, they are putting out the first calls to alert everyone that they need to return home. This will be particularly difficult for those with human mates,” Ladon said. “So far all the Races have agreed to allow the humans to bring through any family they wish. The only catch is that they all need to be checked out fully by Azure and by a Spiryte that can see within. They are even calling in Seers of a specific ability to know full truths about people and where their paths may lay. It’s going to be a hard process, should take years really, but it’s all going to have to happen fast. I see this being a fucking disaster.”
“We will do it, though. If it is what needs to be done to save our people, we will do it. We will ensure that this happens seamlessly. And if all else fails, we will wipe the humans’ memories that cause us issue and put them back on Earth. It really is as easy as that. It won’t make the mates any happier, but honestly when faced with the decision to be with a family member or a person’s mates there is no contest. The draw to mate is too much to ignore.” Not that she ever had, not since meeting her mates. She had been full steam ahead from moment one.
Ladon kissed her on the cheek, his lips curled in a grin. Like he could read her mind. “Let’s get you back in the chair, sweetheart. I think you should drink some of your tea, and we’ll get you some water as well. Now that you’re conscious, hopefully we can get you to take in more than a few small sips every hour.”
“I think that will be very possible. I’m finding that the more that I do things, the better I’m feeling.” At least she had been able to move without too much assistance when she slid into their arms just a moment earlier. “No worrying about tomorrow until tomorrow. For now it’s all about today, right?”
“Absolutely.” He nodded. Pressing a kiss to her cheek, he looked to Viper.
“Fine,” her mate grumbled. “I make no promises after tomorrow, though.” Viper kissed her lips gently. Drawing back, he helped Ladon get her back into the armchair, got her covered, and settled into the little nest of pillows. Ladon passed her the cup of tea, which had cooled considerably, yet wasn’t cold.
“Thank you.” She sipped at the tea and leaned back watching her mates. She smiled once more. “I’m happy. I just wanted you to both know that.” She liked it, a lot. Being there with them and having her mates close to her. She liked it and wanted to have that often.
Viper touched her cheek with the backs of his fingers and nodded. He didn’t say anything, he didn’t need to. Neither of them needed to. She knew she was loved, would always be looked after, cared for, and loved by her two mates. It was in everything they did, in everything they said, and everything they didn’t need to speak of. It was the ties that bound them together eternally.
Epilogue
November 12, 2035 Earth 15:01:03, television broadcast
“Good evening, people of Earth,” Jonathan said into the camera. “It is with a heavy heart, on this Veterans Day 2035, that Casey and I must bring you disheartening news.”
Casey, a hand on Jonathan’s arm, nodded slowly. Her expression was tight, like she was holding back tears. “We’ve just received word from the Council of Races that they are holding an emergency meeting at the Earthen Council Chambers. The meeting was apparently called barely one hour ago. Hardly enough time for most that should be there in attendance to arrive. Word is that all high priority shuttles were expedited to a small airport close to the Chambers to ensure they would be there in time. Rumors have been swirling about for days as to the possibility that the Races were returning to their Realms in preparation to raise the Veil once again.”
“That’s right, Casey,” Jonathan said. He patted her hand on his arm lightly as he stared from TV screens around the globe with a palpable tension. “For the last month, we’ve been getting reports without any verification that those of the Races living here on Earth have begun their journeys home. At this time, the AEDA has not put forth a statement, though we have attempted many times to contact someone, anyone.”
He paused, a hand to his ear. “We’re getting word that the Council has entered the Earthen Chambers and called the meeting to order. We go live to the field with correspondent, Tyler James. Tyler, can you hear us?”
The camera shot changed to the overcrowded Chambers where the Council members stood in a row. A hooded figure stood in the middle of the row, head and shoulders above the rest. The level of noise from the voices echoing within the Chambers was nearly deafening.
“Jonathan, I can hear you, barely.” A young man’s face appeared with the Chambers as his backdrop. “As you can see, those that were able to attend this meeting at the last minute behind me appear quite frazzled.”
“Have we heard why this meeting has been called?” Jonathan asked off screen, his voice pitched louder than normal.
Taylor was squinting and began to shake his head. “No, at this moment no one in this room, aside for the Council obviously, knows why this meeting was called.”
“Silence!” A deep voice boomed out through the Chamber suddenly.
“Looks like we might be about to find out,” Taylor said in a near whisper now as he stepped aside. The camera zoomed in on the hooded figure before settling in with clarity.
The figure stepped forward slightly. “As mediator and final judgment on the Council, it is my duty to inform you of what we of the Races from beyond the Veil have decreed. As of midnight this night, the Veil shall be closed. All our people of the Races, with their mates and any family that wished to do so, have returned to their chosen Realms of residence.”
Voices began to shout but the hooded figure merely held up a hand and waited until the noise died down.
“Effective as of midnight, the AEDA is no more. All personnel with the AEDA shall henceforth be under the direction of local policing units. Any personnel currently with the AEDA that were with the military prior to their work with the Agency shall report to their previous commanding officers for reassignment. Effective immediately, all technology brought to Earth to aid your Race has been returned to the Realms. Any technology that cannot be removed, or turned off, such as the banking and medical systems we put into place, shall remain as they are for exactly one month. At the end of the thirty days, at midnight, all operations of these systems will terminate. The Internet we put into pla
ce shall remain active for six months, at the end of which all operations will terminate. We have placed safeguards on all these systems that, when they terminate operations, they shall be rendered useless on all levels. Should anyone of Earth attempt to circumvent these safeguards in the hopes of prolonging the use of these systems, they will self-destruct immediately.”
The room was in utter chaos. People were on their chairs, shaking their fists. Everyone was yelling and screaming, several people were in tears, while others stared on in stunned horror.
Once again the hooded figure waited until the noise level lessened to a low murmur. Only when everyone seemed to collapse in their places around the room did he continue. “We came to you in good will when your own people threatened our very lives, killing many of our Races in their need to strike out. We came to you with open hands and hearts in the hope of living together peacefully. Yet, time and again, year after year, your people strike out at ours and kill our peoples. We have worked alongside your Race to rebuild your world after you nearly destroyed it. We helped you grow, prosper, and become more without asking for anything more than peace between our peoples. You could not do even that.”
The figure threw back the hood and glared at the room. Striking features under white-blond hair were exposed. What held everyone in thrall wasn’t the sudden reveal. What everyone stared at were the six inch long incisors and the glowing golden eyes as smoke slowly curled from the male’s mouth.
“I am Drakos, mediator of the Council of Races, and I am Draygon. You, the people of Earth, have failed. Time and again, you have fallen back on old habits never once learning from the destruction and near annihilation of your Race in your not so distant past. We, the people of the Races, have had enough!” Drakos bellowed the last sentence, effectively silencing any in the room still whispering amongst themselves.
