He’s a fool if he doesn’t realize it’s begun, our evolution in this ever-changing world. Whether it is Cait’s doing alone or is tied to her love for Theo remains to be seen. Watching Liam walking with Jennifer, such a clear picture of our potential future, I fear Theo failing, Cait marrying Dante. Detachment suited us for millennia, but in a world where humans and supernaturals blend cultures, we need the North Star’s humanity, an impossibility if one knows nothing of love.
The French door of the patio opens, and Cait nearing fills the void left whenever she’s away from those wholly loyal to her. Not looking up, I pull out my GoSky and send a quick message to Runa. “Liam has it bad for Jennifer. Set her up with the right room.”
“What trouble are you stirring now, Snowflake?” Cait questions as I slip the device back into my coat’s pocket, catching the water bottle she tosses at me. “I don’t know how you manage to stay human wearing those damn overcoats all the time.”
“Proper hydration management, a learned skill in favor of impeccable taste.” Assessing Jai peripherally, shirtless, intricate inked designs covering his torso and arms, linen pants as Caribbean blue as his eyes loose and nearly covering his bare feet, I smirk. “Some of us do prefer wearing clothes, clothes suitable to the position of the North Star’s favored ones.”
Remaining on her arm as if surgically implanted there, Jai reaches a hand out, running a finger over the tweed fabric of my coat. “Not soft. Not nice. Like you. Not me.”
I swear the little bastard smirks at me.
“Why aren’t you out here with Theo?” I smirk back at Jai. He may behave like a beloved pet to Cait and be many things, but he is not Theo. “Isn’t it a lovely day for a romantic stroll around the estate?” A heavily guarded and quite limited stroll, decreasing its romantic potential, but we’re doing what we can.
She rolls her eyes, shaking her head. “He’s on the phone with Cedric. I just couldn’t take Clifford anymore.” Jai growls softly, and she slaps him lightly on the chest, teasing. “Nothing against him, Goddess love him. He’s a sweetheart.” Cait tugs the little dragon’s arm and kisses his cheek, earning a smile again. “But if I have to sit and listen to him drone on about the security system he and Liam installed on the perimeter fence in what sounds like a foreign language to me, I may have a mental breakdown. Or possibly harm him.”
Jai looks at her, rather crestfallen, and I feel rather sorry for him. Incomprehensibly adoring of Cait and too sensitive to everything, teasing flies right over his little head but jabs his heart.
“No need to understand what he says. Nod and appreciate he does it, just like the rest of us.” Something in the trees beckons my attention, though I see nothing, hear nothing, smell nothing in the air. Still … “Go on ahead with your walk, but stay close to Jai.” I hope Theo is not long in joining her. “I’m taking a quick jaunt through the woods.”
She casts a glance toward the trees, eyes falling back to mine, suspicious, but asks no explanation of me. “Be careful, Claaron.”
Claaron. Rarely do I hear her call me by name.
I gesture for Agtos to come take my post, eyes never leaving Cait’s. “I always am.” Nipping her chin with my thumb, I grin in the mischievous way she knows best, not wanting to alarm her. “Don’t you worry. Be on your way now. Enjoy the fresh autumn air.”
*Cait*
Knowing Claaron is going off into the woods, I try not to look back, try not to watch him, wait for him to return safely. Jai’s hold on my arm tells me he senses my tension. “Behind lies what you cannot change. Look ahead.”
“Falcon.” He’s the first thing my eyes land on when I look ahead. “Not the most inviting sight.” Stiffening at my side, a cat-like hiss slips out, teeth bared. “Geez, what is it between you two? He really gets you riled up.”
“No warmth,” he states, staring at Falcon. “So cold he burns.” His hand rises to his chest, covering his heart. “Empty. No love.”
I’m quiet, walking slow, thinking. “And you feel that?”
He nods. “I feel all from all.”
The soft crunch of grass under our feet the only sound between us, its life fading in the late autumn, disappearing into winter, I can’t imagine how it feels to live so closely tied to those around you that their every emotion affects your own. An uncontrollable change of emotional seasons.
“And that’s why you avoid him? Can’t say I blame you. My heart may be confused, but at least it’s not empty.” I don’t say how empty it’s felt in the past, but Jai doesn’t need me to tell him much.
“My, my, the little illusionist plays escort to the North Star.” Falcon shakes his head with a condescending ‘tsk, tsk’ as he does, eyes narrowed and zeroed in on Jai. “All things considered, I expected Theo to finally take responsibility for his own ward, yet out and about she walks with an overgrown lapdog, open to attack.”
Laughing, Jai slips off my arm into smoke, appearing on the ground in the form of something akin to a scaly blue Rottweiler with a dragon’s tail and curved white horns rather than ears. Falcon takes a startled step back as the Jai dragon-dog growls, tail whipping in the air, then barks, spewing flames in his direction. Unsheathing his katana, Falcon makes a move toward Jai, and I jump to the side, landing against Corrin’s chest, not realizing he was so near.
“Falcon,” I scream, but it’s too late. In a puff of thick smoke, Jai’s human again, swiftly meeting Falcon’s sword with one finger.
And that’s all it takes. The tip of the Mage dragon’s finger meets the tip of the katana, and it stops with a spark, as if hitting a steel beam, metal clashing against metal. It’s like watching a movie in slow motion, ice crystals creeping down the length of Falcon’s blade, closing in on the hilt, covering it, the cold too harsh for the dragon’s hands, and he lets loose his grip, watching in horror as it shatters into countless pieces on the ground.
Enraged, his body shudders, and I see this going sixty ways beyond wrong, expecting him to go full dragon any second now, but Jai, remaining eerily calm, shakes his head, slow, as if taunting Falcon. “No. No. Not nice.” A snarl rips out of Falcon, and Jai laughs, soft and easy, a grin spreading across his face. “Not wise.”
Corrin’s gentle, protective hold on me becomes a near vise grip. “Fuck.” He whispers the word in a breath, a definitive exclamation to the severity of our situation, not a conversation starter. I don’t reply.
A blazing flash of blue lightning fills the sky, Dante appearing between the two dragons and us, his stance defensive, turned in a dangerous warning toward Falcon. Black clouds rolling in to darken the day like a volcano’s ashen fall-out announce his fury. “You dare let such petty differences endanger the North Star.”
Jai’s body tenses, attention snapping toward the trees, words tumbling from his mouth. I can’t understand him, but Dante gives a curt nod. My little Smiley dragon doesn’t move a muscle, so still he makes a believable statue, eyes focused, intent, staring past me, off into the thick barrier of trees, into a darkness full of potential enemies.
Dante’s hand grasps mine, pulling me to him and out of Corrin’s arms with determined ferocity, causing the vampire to stumble a few steps away. My eyes catch the glint of light on steel as Jai darts in my line of sight, capturing an arrow midair, mere inches from where I stood a fraction of a second ago. Free hand outstretched, a brilliant blue bolt of Dante’s lightning explodes the grouping of large oaks nearest us, blasting them clean out of the ground.
Snapping the fae-forged steel arrow in two, Jai tosses it at Falcon’s feet. Both dragons shift, forming a scaled sapphire blue and garnet red wall in front of me, Corrin standing aside Falcon, prepared to fight.
“Cait,” yells Theo, reaching us then, the sound of his footsteps drowned out by the pounding of my own heart in my ears. He grabs my hand tightly; holding it with the same possessiveness Dante does the other. “You three, go,” he directs my wall. “Take no prisoners. Annihilate their archer.” His voice is a deep growl. “That was far too cl
ose.”
My body feels on fire, heart racing, clenching Theo and Dante’s hands. “Caitriona cannot remain out here.”
And in another beat of my heart, flames surround us, barricade us. I close my eyes, feeling safe, knowing we’re in a safe place, and when I open them again, I find the three of us in my bedroom.
My bedroom at my apartment.
“Dante.” My dragon’s one word leaves as a breathy snarl of an accusation.
Looking to Dante, his eyes are on me, expression unexpectedly calm, thoughtful. “I believe this was Caitriona’s doing.”
“Mine?” I don’t recall doing anything.
The demigod’s eyes fall to our hands. “Perhaps the specificity of this power’s manifestation lay in the us involved.”
I swallow, my mouth dry at the thought of what he’s implying. “Us.” His eyes meet mine again, their blue vivid and glowing in their intensity. “You and me.”
Dante inhales a rush of air. “Yes.” The exhale comes slow and steady. “But I did not sense this surge in you until Theo joined us. My mother does prefer significant power tied in various trifectas.”
“When he arrived, Agtos said this whole mess with my memory and everything is part of a plan. Part of something for the three of us.” I squeeze Theo’s hand, still not letting go of either of them.
Theo’s deep voice and thick accent reassures me in the sound of the few words he first speaks. “We know, Cait.” His heavy sigh draws me to turn, needing to face him, see his eyes, but it’s not a look I want to see when I meet them. “Dante and I spoke with Agtos earlier, just before he went downstairs to join you.” He glances over my shoulder to Dante, down to our hands joined, then to my hand with his own, seeming to find it difficult to look me in the eyes again. “Cait, on Avalon, Agtos keeps the original Tomes of the Oracles, handwritten in Altu Prifaeryn, the language of the deities, by the Goddess herself. Every prophecy of significance for eons to come written within its volumes. It is the only written record detailing the coming of the North Star. Her true marriage finds sanctity in the bonds of blood and blood alone.”
I hold my breath, watching the marbled green of his eyes, waiting for him to blink, but his gaze remains intently on me. “Then …” I can’t say, don’t want to say what that means, not remembering ever loving him doesn’t change how much I need to believe everything I’m trying to regain was real. All our plans and promises and everything our family believed we were to each other was real.
“We were never truly married, not officially. I told you that. We were never husband and wife, not in any way other than by our own desire to be.”
Unable to look at him, I turn away, catching our reflection in the mirror of my dresser, the reflection of us. Two men stand beside me, more than men, a dragon and a god, friends for millennia. Two men I know I belong with in powerful ways, but only one I will marry.
Chapter 14
*Claaron*
Exchanging a glance with Liam confirms I am not alone in my observations. Theo’s clenched teeth, tensed expression, Oliver’s pursed lips, hands held behind his back, listening as our former Lord Regent prattles on, nothing good will come of this.
“So with just that little bit of blood from her, he’s got plenty for something that simple.” Throwing his arms out, Agtos says as much in his over-animated body language as in spoken word. “Boom!” The foot stomped on the floor to punctuate his exclamation earns growls from everyone gathered but ever-proper Sir Oliver. “There ya go. Hidden elves.”
Theo crosses his arms over his chest, and I catch the smirk on Liam’s face from the corner of my eye. “Masked, not hidden. Claaron, Liam, and Falcon, they all reported a sense of unease for some time prior to the attack. Valoin may have diluted the scent of his brother’s army, but he has not rid them of the darkness lurking in their souls. For as long as that darkness remains, they cannot go wholly undetected by dragons.”
“We’ll need to update security measures to counteract this change in tactics, but I don’t see a problem there. By default, we recognize dark souls in our midst even if we aren’t actively monitoring for them. Tuning into that key element rather than scent won’t be any trouble at all.” Liam snaps his fingers, a habit developed long ago when thinking to himself. “Corrin. He needs to come off ground duty. I recommend putting him near Cait. He’s skilled with hand-to-hand and quicker with Dante’s blood in him than he was.”
The thoughtful breath, moment’s pause gives great indication Theo’s sensibilities have returned, no longer driven in such an imbalanced manner by the instinctual nature of a True Alpha at first claim of rites. “Agreed. Corrin is a worthy warrior and has earned his place. Regardless of Dante’s blood, death is the path destiny set the child upon.” A subtle glance to Oliver finds his jaw set, expression unwavering in an emotionless guise. Agtos opens his mouth to speak. Theo’s raised hand and stern glare stopping him short. “It is my decision. Corrin atones as one of Cait’s personal guards. He will find peace there.”
Oliver casts a quick look my way. Disagree as we do about many subjects, neither of us can deny how deeply Cait will find her own peace with Corrin’s death in Theo’s decision as well. Shaking my head, I lean against the window frame, ready for this useless meeting to end. Agtos is little help, frustrating Theo, offering information too late, unable to understand our Cait.
His position should have been challenged long ago, after the change clearly was no temporary effect, but with the Goddess remaining in the High Realm and the North Star not yet come, we could do nothing. Agtos would continue, dreadfully unfit or not, with each house turning to their highest ranking and most respected brothers when our Lord Regent simply could not do what we needed.
The Goddess abandoning us, our Lord Regent reduced to a mockery of his former self, it’s no great surprise dissention fell amongst us, and the houses so quickly divided against one another.
We need Cait. We need our North Star. We need balance restored by her compassion.
We do not need Agtos getting her killed.
“Agtos, you are excused. Join the perimeter guard.”
“Dude, chill.” Throwing his hands up disarmingly toward Theo, Agtos gives a lazy, lopsided grin. Our new Lord Regent does not move, standing in the same stoic position behind Evan’s desk throughout this meeting. “I gotta figure this out. That takes time and meditation.”
“No.” I want to applaud this much-needed word, too long in coming from Theo to Agtos given recent events. “Your value as an Oracle has been quite little. It is past time you take the duties of your existence as a dragon seriously in this situation. As your Lord Regent, I order you to join the perimeter guard. Should my advisors and I determine an Oracle is needed, I will inform you. Now go, and do not dare question my authority again.”
Considering his size, I’ve never seen Agtos appear so small, nodding and slinking out the door. “He should count himself quite fortunate you were generous given his insubordination.” I hold back a wolfish grin, aware what a dire situation we find ourselves in, the weight on Theo’s shoulders. “You made it clear the decision of when you needed to know information was no longer his to make, yet he still made that call.” And endangered Cait further. I have no doubt Agtos would have truly met his first death had the elves laid even one finger on her.
Goddess, help us all if that arrow struck its intended target. Theo, Jai, Oliver, Liam, Clifford, myself—what dragon sworn to her, which of us who calls himself hers would not mourn such loss beyond imaginable time and depth?
“Claaron, something on your mind you wish to discuss?”
“Unconscionable actions, Theo. We must end this soon.”
He nods. Thank Goddess my brother is not a mind reader. “Oliver, speak with Corrin regarding the change in his orders and counsel him well. I will remain primarily with Cait and do not wish to find his presence a hindrance.”
The significant rise in one brow at those last words gives me hope. I do find Theo to be someone I read wi
th ease, a worn copy of Walden in the past, though these past weeks have been far more an entanglement of Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Homer’s Odyssey.
“Of course.” With a polite bow of his head, he wastes no time leaving to fulfill the duty required of him. Stiff and irritating without the nearness of his precious ‘Caitie,’ Oliver is nothing if not efficient.
“You two, remain with Cait until I return to her.” Theo does not look to either of us as he speaks, picking his Sky Book off the desk, fingers quickly moving across its screen, an amazing feat given he’s one of the least technically inclined dragons with whom I choose association outside my own house. “I should not be long. … There.” My GoSky vibrates in my pocket, and I read the incoming message to find his Fortress-encrypted text updating everyone. “I also emailed Clifford asking if he can calibrate the sensors more effectively, picking out the biochemical signatures the Fae discovered.”
“Could be helpful,” Liam remarks in a dry tone, not fond of sensors and gadgets to do our work. “Who knew you could simply test for evil in a lab? We might as well be obsolete.” Sarcasm drips off his statement as he pushes off the wall, striding over to Theo. “You want my tactical advice? Cliffie’s toys are great and wonderful, but they’re backup plans.”
Snorting out a laugh quite without apologies, I step nearer the desk. “Be serious, Liam. Theo doesn’t even trust his Sky Book not to cheat in a game of Mahjong. You believe he’s about to trust Cait’s life to motherboards and microchips?”
“That is enough, both of you.” Theo is quiet yet authoritative. Lord Regent may suit him well after all. “The Fae can detect it, but you know as well as I they find it unconscionable to take another’s life. No one, no other being can, nor will they, bear the burden which is our duty alone. Unless we drive the darkness to extinction, never shall the Dracopraesi see a day of absolution. Our responsibilities remain as eternal as we.” He stands rigid; arms crossed over his chest, and I fear there is more to come. “I ordered Clifford to pass on the necessary information to every other technically inclined dragon we have. Cedric reports elven attacks on primarily human-inhabited cities throughout Sovereign America and the Celtic American Territories. Now many international American allies are finding these same uprisings in their countries as well.”
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