But Jada only seemed interested in discovering the truth, not acquiring wealth or acknowledgment. From the sound of it, Morwin wasn't interested in those things either, and it seemed he'd inspired his granddaughter to finish his life's work after he'd died.
Dalris could easily support such a cause as well, and saw no reason to withhold the tome—except one.
Staring intently at the black mask covering Jada's face, he inquired, “So what do you plan to do?”
Turning her head in Isaac's direction, she asked, “Could we get out of this cell first?”
“Answer the question, and I promise we will.”
Grumbling, the elf waved her gloved hands and stated simply, “As soon as I have the tome, I'm returning to Ithelyon to continue my search.”
“That's what I thought,” Dalris remarked, “and I'd be negligent if I allowed you to return alone.”
Jada was silent for several moments following his claim before asking, “Negligent how?”
“You've already speculated that you're my mate, a theory I happen to strongly agree with,” he started.
“Whoa,” Edith interrupted. “She's your mate?”
“It's a definite possibility,” Dalris confirmed, then told Jada, “so until I know the truth, I can't allow you to go anywhere there might be danger without providing support, and I'm going to make arrangements to travel with you.”
“What?”
Despite her incredulous tone, and his numerous responsibilities as the Head of Dra'Kai's House in Terra, he refused to back down from his decision. Victoria had already volunteered to take over for a time, and though her offer was meant to give him a vacation, conducting a search for Rinora's temple was even more appealing.
Besides, the research Jada had just detailed was much too promising to let go, and if she was actually his mate, he wouldn't be able to rest knowing she could be killed during her search.
Aside from that, Dalris could provide connections and supplies that would make things much easier, and solving this age-old mystery would lead to a lot more than simple wealth or prestige.
For instance, his impending matehood with an elf was on the line.
The Five Houses of Draconia didn't believe that mating with elves would lead to unstable offspring. Many draconians were too biased to even consider the possibility of an elven mate to begin with, but if asked whether they feared any defects of having children with one, they'd merely scoff and roll their eyes.
Still, in eight hundred years, Dalris had never met a pairing between their kind, much less one with children. Surely such couples existed, perhaps living their lives in secret from the scrutinizing gaze of Onoria and Draconia alike, and may have decided never to reproduce without knowing what could happen.
So if he could help Jada uncover the truth, it would lessen the tension over the matter.
Still, Dalris was concerned. Regardless of the answers they uncovered, there was no guarantee Jada would ever want him, even if she turned out to be his, because elves didn't find their partners the same way as draconians.
Instead of instinctively knowing a mate upon first meeting them, elves bonded for life, a process that took time.
This meant he'd have to woo her as it were, but that was just another reason for Dalris to travel with her—it offered an opportunity to gain her trust and, if possible, her affection.
So he reiterated his announcement without qualm, determined to get to the bottom of things one way or another.
CHAPTER 8
“I said I'm going with you,” Dalris reiterated, but despite his simple tone, the determination in his azure eyes was easy to see.
And Jada wasn't pleased.
“No, you're not coming with me,” she retorted sternly.
“Why not?”
“Because it would cause too much trouble! For one thing, you'd eventually see me without this cloak, and do you know how many problems we'd have to deal with if you found your mate in me?” Pausing, she amended, “No, how many problems I'd have to deal with, and I do not need more trouble while I'm trying to solve this mystery.”
“Which is precisely the reason I'm going,” Dalris returned. “I have no intentions of allowing my potential mate to face such dangers alone, but it's not just a matter of being mated. I'm also extremely intrigued by your quest and the things you've uncovered, and I'd like to see it succeed.”
Jada hated the part of herself that found both his concern and his interest in her work touching, attempting to suppress the sensation by reminding herself of the dangers involved with having a draconian as a mate—no matter how much she resented those dangers.
Growing up in a Udanian convent, Jada had never questioned her situation. She'd simply taken the clergy's word as the ultimate truth, and believed her life was meant to be given in service to Udana, nothing more, and nothing less.
Yet, before she was old enough to fully understand things, she'd hoped to someday be the parent to her own children that she'd never had. Years would pass without a word from her family, and Morwin was the only one who'd made an effort to keep in touch.
Once she was older, she learned it was because of pride—her family name was renowned in Onoria. Before his banishment, Morwin's work was celebrated, while his daughter became the High Chancellor of Onoria City. As for her father, he was an esteemed advisor to the throne, and a distant relative of the Queen's.
So the fact that their sole child was fated to be saddled with a draconian as a mate was a mar that could only be wiped away if Jada stayed in a convent to serve their goddess.
But the more time that passed, the more she'd come to disagree with such demands. It simply wasn't right, and in the years following her departure from the convent, she'd decided to try proving the shaman wrong by courting a few elves in the hopes of bonding with one.
Yet, when the one man she'd grown closest to betrayed her, Jada knew her only hope was in proving there was no danger in mating with a draconian.
She was close on that score as well, but it hadn't happened yet, and her remaining doubts were too strong to ignore, particularly when even Isaac and Edith were aware of the problems.
“Wait, Jada's an elf?” the demon asked, sounding mildly surprised. “Damn.”
“Oh yeah,” Edith drew out, “isn't it forbidden for elves to hook up with draconians? I think I remember hearing the kids would be unstable or something.”
“That's the assumption,” Dalris confirmed. “But I don't believe it's true.”
I wish I had your confidence, Jada mused, finding herself too curious not to ask, “How can you be so sure?”
“For the same reason draconians think Rinora's House killed her out of malice instead of madness. A Great Dragon would never imbue someone with their blood if they believed it would cause some defect. Besides, you just said you think an outside force was at work.”
“Yes,” she conceded, “but it's not conclusive. So until we know more about what happened, we can't just make assumptions.”
“I'm not asking you to,” he returned. “It's a little soon to worry about our potential children, after all.”
Jada knew that was true, but still couldn't quell her concerns over bringing him along—and those concerns were numerous to say the least.
First, unlike some races, elves could conceive regardless of their matehood. So it didn't matter if she bonded with Dalris or not, a pregnancy could occur if he recognized her as his. Sure, there were magical contraceptives available that were completely effective, but just being with him could prove dangerous, even with Karina's contingency plan in play.
After discussing the matter of approaching Dalris for Morwin's tome, her sister decided to make a talisman that would control his Wrath if he insisted on joining Jada and saw her without the cloak. That way, she wouldn't have to worry that he'd lose control and cause problems.
Yet the most complicated issue was the need for secrecy. It was bad enough that Onoria had any knowledge of her goals in this matter, but if D
alris got involved, he'd likely try to pass information onto Draconia as well, and Jada didn't want all of Ithelyon involved in her affairs.
But … could she bargain for his silence? He'd agreed to give her the tome in exchange for information, so why wouldn't he agree to keep her work a secret until it was completed?
As she mulled over the possibilities, Dalris asked her name, and she looked up to see his expectant expression.
So, releasing a deep breath, she remarked, “I'm not letting you come with me unless you agree to a few things.”
“Such as?”
Again, his willingness to discuss terms pleased her. So she didn't hesitate to name her own price.
“First, I have someone working on a talisman that will keep you from staying in Wrath if you learn I'm actually your mate, and I want you to agree to wear it.”
Hearing this, the draconian eyed her curiously, but whatever he truly thought of her demand remained a mystery when he gave a simple agreement.
“Done. What else?”
Feeling more confident now, Jada gave her second demand. “You can't alert your House, or anyone else that belongs to Draconia, of what I'm trying to do, no questions asked.”
Now, Dalris was reluctant. “I could provide you with—”
“No,” she interrupted sternly. “I already have everything I need, and I didn't come here seeking favors. All I wanted was the tome, and I've given you everything you asked to get it. So if you want to join me, I want a promise that you'll keep what I know a secret.”
He frowned in response, but his hesitance didn't seem to be as strong as his desire to come along because he finally agreed.
“Very well. Is that all?”
Jada wracked her mind for any other beneficial stipulations, but couldn't think of any. Dalris wasn't making irrational demands, and he'd been much more open minded about everything than she'd expected.
In fact, he was a little too calm about their potential matehood for her tastes. Jada had always imagined he'd be upset to learn his eternal partner was probably an elf, go into denial, and list all the reasons why she'd never be good enough for him.
Instead, he'd reacted curiously, even protectively—and she found the concern touching, however misplaced.
So she finally nodded, bracing for what the near future might bring in confirming, “That's it.”
“Good,” he returned, motioning to Isaac for the key while stating, “then all I need is some time to prepare before we go.”
Moments later, the door was unlocked, and they stepped out to get started on their trip to Ithelyon. But before they could go, Edith cast a thoughtful gaze up at Dalris with something important to say.
“I wouldn't normally suggest this because it's not an option I can promise to deliver on. It's also not something any immortal would easily consider, but if the worst comes to pass, and you two find out that you're not compatible, I've heard rumors of magic that can nullify the connection of fated mates.”
Jada stared at the enchantress with intense curiosity. “There is?”
At her question, Dalris gave her a sour look that said he was completely against the idea. But that didn't stop Edith from explaining, “I'll have to look into it, and I know for a fact it wouldn't be easy to do, saying it can be done. But I thought I'd put the suggestion out there just in case.”
“Oh, if you have the time, I'd definitely like for you to look into that,” Jada confirmed.
In response, Dalris growled.
Turning her gaze up, she blinked in surprise. “What?”
The draconian's nostrils flared with a tick forming in his jaw, as if trying to reign in some impulsive response. His gaze was so intense, in fact, that Jada was surprised steam wasn't shooting from his nose.
Perhaps he took exception to the thought of breaking his connection to an eternal mate, no matter who she turned out to be. But whatever the case, he finally took a breath and nodded, informing Edith, “Look into it. I'll compensate whatever time you spend doing so.”
“Don't worry about that,” Edith returned. “I was traveling to Mystikkar tonight to take a gift to Chandra anyway. So I'll look it up while I'm there.”
Jada had no idea who Chandra was, but she knew Mystikkar was the city where mages learned magic. Karina had studied there before joining her in the search for Rinora's temple, and if Edith was going to find anything, it would definitely be in their vast libraries.
“Very well,” Dalris returned plainly, and once they'd given their farewells, Edith and Isaac disappeared.
Now alone with Dalris, Jada immediately followed as he moved to the door. Not only was she eager to exit his dungeon, she also wanted to return to Ithelyon as soon as possible, asking on the way up the steps, “Will it take you long to prepare?”
“That just depends on how quickly I can get in touch with my sister and some of our clients. By the way, how are you planning to travel to Ithelyon?”
“I have a portal stone with a few charges left,” she answered without going into detail if only to speed this up—and her desire to return to the grotto where she and Karina did most of their work wasn't the only reason for her impatience.
She also had an elven tracker named Menlor to worry about.
He'd been searching for the grotto and trying apprehend Jada for the past fifteen years, and sadly, his connections made it extremely difficult to stay a step ahead. So though he sometimes disappeared for months, he also had a bad habit of showing up at random.
Because of this, Jada and Karina had devised a system of teleport spheres for travel to and from their remote island hideaway that only a select few people could use, and even knew about. This kept Menlor from easily tracking them, but Jada was always concerned about traveling between realms because of the chance he'd discovered the location her portal stone connected with.
If so, Menlor would only need to lay in wait, then launch an ambush as soon as she appeared.
It also seemed like a good idea to pass on a warning about this to Dalris, and Jada parted her lips to do just that the moment they reached the door to his study.
But she never got the words out.
“Dalris!” came a vaguely familiar voice from inside the room as Jada entered.
She tried to figure out where she'd heard it before, but the big draconian blocking her line of sight moved out of the way quickly enough to make guessing pointless.
Standing on his desk across from them was … “Robi?”
The sight of the two foot tall gnome was surprising. Jada hadn't seen Robi since she'd betrayed her to acquire Morwin's belongings—an act she'd always regretted. For the short amount of time they'd been acquainted, the gnome was nothing but kind, which was the sole reason for Jada's sloppiness when she'd taken Morwin's belongings; she wanted to make sure everyone knew Robi wasn't to blame for the stolen artifacts.
Still, she realized the act would've cost them money regardless—and as it turned out, the gnome hadn't forgotten.
“You!”
With that word yelled, Robi bounded from the desk, jumping to the back of a nearby chair before propelling herself toward Jada with a startling amount of speed—and she hit just as hard.
In a moment's notice, the gnome landed against her chest, causing the elf to stumble and fall onto her back. In the process, Robi planted a hand against her throat, making Jada think she was intending to strangle the life out of her.
But instead, she quickly lifted her other arm and rammed a small fist into Jada's cheek.
“Like nature, fae? Because I'm gonna turn you into fertilizer!”
She landed another blow, and though the force wasn't enough to cause significant damage, it turned Jada's head.
Immediately, she reached up to grab Robi and lift her away, and Dalris quickly set the tome aside to lean down and help.
“Wait, Robi!” he started, obviously ready to explain the situation, but it didn't stop his friend from struggling to get back at Jada.
In the process, s
he realized the gnome had grabbed the cord tied around her neck for leverage—the same cord her cloak's pendant was attached to. Robi was hanging on so tightly, in fact, that when Dalris pulled her back, and she tried tug Jada in for another hit by jerking the cord forward, the tie snapped.
Immediately, Jada reached to try keeping it around her neck—just as she heard a clink against the floor behind her head.
Somehow, the sound echoed out with its meaning, and time stood still. Simultaneously, a knot of dread formed in the pit of her stomach, and only one thought came to mind.
Well shit.
CHAPTER 9
“Calm yourself, Robi, there's more going on than—”
Dalris stopped himself mid-sentence at the sound of metal clanking to the floor, and immediately looked at Jada. Robi was still struggling in his grasp, but wasn't able to break free, and he barely noticed her squirming.
Instead, his gaze was rapt to the elf now laying against his study floor—the uncloaked elf.
Somehow, Robi had removed the magical barrier concealing Jada's identity, and she turned a set of worried but beautiful violet eyes up the moment she realized it.
As if a fist had just rammed into his gut, Dalris lost his breath. She's … gorgeous.
Mate or not, he certainly hadn't expected the woman hidden beneath that cloak to be so beautiful, and as far as those looks went, he knew he'd be interested in having her regardless of being his mate.
With an oval face, golden tan skin, and wide, expressive eyes, he couldn't tear his gaze away. Her lips were thick, soft, and pouty, set beneath a nose that was slightly upturned at the tip. Her rich, caramel brown hair hung down in long, straight locks with several small rope braids tied in various places, and the tips of her ears jutted through the strands with wide points sporting small, studded hoops. She's too damned sexy for words—
“Dalris, you're squeezing me!”
Somehow, Robi's complaint broke through his stupor, and as he loosened his grip enough to allow her to hop down to the floor, he also heard her gasping.
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