by Donna Grant
She blamed it on being discombobulated by Vaughn’s arrival. But she wasn’t sure that was the truth. She wanted to get to know her parents, but there were still a great many things from the past that she hadn’t let go of yet. The only reason she had opened the doorway was because she’d thought she had released all her anger.
“Shite. Brandr,” she mumbled, thinking about her brother.
If she had reacted this way when she wanted to meet her parents, she couldn’t imagine how bad things could go with Brandr. She would have to keep her brother away from Con and Rhi. Or things might just turn into the war Brandr feared.
Chapter Five
Vaughn fought against wanting to talk to Eurwen and allowing Rhi and Con some time with their daughter. After the Teals left, Vaughn continued flying with no destination in mind. He took in the beauty of Zora and reveled in the ability to be his true self without worrying about humans seeing him. It wasn’t long before he heard a familiar voice in his head.
“Vaughn? When did you arrive?” Varek asked.
Vaughn smiled. “No’ long ago. It’s good to hear your voice, brother. Where are you?”
“To your right. Come meet my mate.”
Vaughn turned his head in Varek’s direction and saw his friend standing in a glade. Vaughn swooped over the forest and landed in the opening before shifting to human form, being sure to clothe himself as he did.
“It’s good to see you,” Varek said as he rushed him, embracing Vaughn while pounding on his back.
Vaughn returned the hug before leaning back to get a good look at Varek. “You’ve changed. I’m no’ sure how, but you’re different.”
“It’s this place,” Varek said with a wide smile.
“Aye,” Vaughn said, thinking of the Teals and how just the sight of them had lit up his soul.
Varek quirked a dark brow. “You saw the Teals?”
“I even got to fly with them for a short time. They doona seem too keen on me being here, however.”
“Give them time,” his friend cautioned. “The Lichens are the same.”
Vaughn sensed movement to his left. “And your mate?”
“Here,” said a woman, who walked from the forest.
Jeyra emerged with her head held high, her red hair pulled into a braid that fell over her shoulder. She wore a golden-brown sleeveless shirt and dark brown breeches, along with knee-high boots. Thick, silver armbands encircled both upper arms. Her amber eyes looked Vaughn up and down, but her lips held a smile.
“Varek has told me about each of the Dragon Kings,” Jeyra said once she reached them. “Let me see if I can guess who you are.”
Vaughn exchanged a glance with Varek as he grinned. “All right.”
“Light brown hair and blue eyes. That narrows things down a bit.”
Vaughn quirked a brow and looked at Varek again.
“She’s got an amazing memory,” Varek answered.
“Varek said that Merrill’s eyes are dark blue. Yours are brighter, so I’m going with…Vaughn,” Jeyra said.
Vaughn was completely taken aback. “Impressive.”
“Not really,” Jeyra said with a shrug. “Not too many Kings have your particular coloring.”
“Your accent is different,” Vaughn said, trying to place it.
Varek shook his head. “Doona even try. It drove me nuts for weeks. I’ve come to realize it’s a combination of various accents from Earth.”
Now that wasn’t something Vaughn had expected. “How?”
“Those like Jeyra were brought here as bairns,” Varek explained.
Jeyra moved closer to Varek. “Even today, babies continue showing up. We don’t know how or why.”
“How is the population here?” Vaughn asked, thinking of how quickly the mortals doubled their populations.
Jeyra’s face was grim. “Mortals are unable to have children here.”
Vaughn blinked in shock.
“There’s a lot we need to catch you up on. I’d like to only tell the story once. Did any other Kings come with you?” Varek asked.
“Just Con and Rhi. They’re with Eurwen now.”
Varek’s eyes widened. “Really? We’ve no’ gotten to meet her. I’ve only spoken to Brandr.”
“How was he?”
“Intense. He gets it honestly from Con, that’s for sure.”
They shared a smile before Vaughn said, “This place is incredible. I understand now why you didna want to leave.”
“I willna lie, being near the dragons is something I’m no’ quite willing to let go of yet, but I also wanted some time with Jeyra.”
She playfully elbowed Varek. “I did tell him I would go with him anywhere. My home is where he is. It isn’t a place or a realm.”
“You say that now. You might no’ be so inclined once you see our world,” Vaughn cautioned.
Jeyra shrugged and smiled adoringly at Varek. “I’m anxious to see the things he’s told me about. The planes and such.”
Varek put his arm around her before looking at Vaughn. “Go explore while you can. Though stay away from the barrier. You’ll feel it as you get close. The twins erected it to keep the humans on their side. The dragons have the majority of the planet to themselves.”
“I’ll see you two later, I’m sure,” Vaughn said before shifting and taking to the sky once more.
He wasn’t sure how long he flew before he saw the loch. It was so still, it looked like glass. A mountain stood on one side, a thick forest on two others. The last was undulating fields. It was simply too beautiful to pass up. Vaughn landed and took in the area. The sound of dragons nearby made him sigh in contentment. He waded into the water and swam around the large loch first as a dragon and then as a human.
When he finally came onto shore, he lay naked near the forest beneath the bright sun. He laced his hands behind his head and closed his eyes as he enjoyed the silence. There were no planes, no cars, no trains, no horns, no people talking on their mobiles. No hum of electricity ran through the wires strung around the world. The wonderful, blessed peace lulled Vaughn.
How would he ever return to Earth after this paradise? It wasn’t only because the dragons were here—although that played a big role. It was because he could live as himself—a dragon. He wouldn’t have to pretend or hide who he was. He wouldn’t have to worry about humans learning that he had magic, or only flying at night during a storm because the mortals might see.
Then there was Eurwen.
Vaughn opened his eyes as he thought of her. He wasn’t sure what to make of her. She had haunted his thoughts and dreams for centuries. He had searched Earth for her again and again, and he would’ve kept searching. Because he knew he had to find her. Somehow.
Some way.
He spotted a dragon flying by itself. At first, he couldn’t see its color because the sun cast a shadow. He slowly sat up, staring in awe at the metallic peach scales and gold wings. He caught sight of two gold horns curling outward and straight up from atop its head. The long, peach tail had a gold tip. It was Eurwen. He was sure of it.
Vaughn didn’t know when he had gotten to his feet. He was about to shift and fly with her, but something stopped him. He knew the minute she spotted him. His heart thumped, wondering if she would come to him. One way or another, they needed to talk. If she wouldn’t come to him, then he would go after her.
He took a step, ready to shift, when he saw her turn slightly and head in his direction. He couldn’t look away from her. He’d never seen a more beautiful dragon. Then again, Eurwen and Brandr weren’t just any offspring. They were descended from Fae royalty and a Dragon King, who was the epitome of nobility. How could Eurwen be anything but exquisitely regal and utterly unique?
She landed gracefully, her pearly gaze on him. She tucked her wings against her body before shifting to her human form. He fought the urge to cross the distance separating them and haul her against him for a kiss.
“You’re naked,” she said.
He blinked
, the words not registering for a moment. Then he looked down and realized that he was, indeed, still without clothes. “I seem to recall a time when you couldna get them off me fast enough.”
“You remember?”
Vaughn wasn’t sure what surprised him more. The fact that she actually thought he could forget her? Or the uncertainty in her voice. “Aye, lass. I’ve never forgotten you. I looked for you every day.”
“Why?”
“Why?” he took a step toward her. “Have you no idea?”
“Maybe I need to hear it.”
He looked from her golden blond hair to her silver eyes. “You felt what passed between us that night. I know you did.”
“So?” she asked, lifting her chin in defiance.
“Why did you no’ come to me? Why did you stay away?”
Her eyes skidded away for a heartbeat. “I belong here.”
“You could’ve told me.”
“We were to have no interaction with the Kings.”
That made Vaughn frown. “Who told you that?”
“It was something Brandr and I agreed upon,” she answered.
“Was that before or after you met me?”
She swallowed. “Before we ventured to your realm.”
“To spy upon Con and the rest of the Kings? Rhi? Why would you do that?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
He shook his head. “Hard to answer that since you never gave anyone a chance. You and your brother assumed you knew best. Two incredibly powerful beings may have created you, but we have all been alive much, much longer than you and your brother. You’re infants compared to us.”
“Do you think I wanted to like you?” she shouted, finally losing her cool.
Vaughn looked at the ground and sighed. He lifted his gaze and said, “I know the woman I spent that night with changed my entire life. She has never left my mind, no’ for a single day. That woman controls my dreams. I would’ve given my life for her. That woman had courage and spirit and would’ve made her own decisions.”
Of all the ways he’d thought this encounter might go, it hadn’t been like this. He turned and walked toward the forest.
“Where are you going?” she called.
He halted. Without looking over his shoulder, he asked, “Why should I stay? You didna even speak to me when I first arrived. I thought we’d shared something amazing and profound. I guess I was wrong.”
Vaughn waited for her to speak. When she didn’t, he continued into the woods. He was hurt and angry, and he wasn’t sure if it was at Eurwen or himself. How had he not known that Eurwen was a dragon that long-ago night? She must have used some sort of magic. Worse, he’d just told her of his feelings, and she said nothing. All these centuries he’d spent pining after a woman he believed was his mate, only to discover that she wanted nothing to do with him.
Zora suddenly lost its luster. Vaughn needed to go somewhere and lick his wounds. He didn’t want to run into Varek, Jeyra, Con, or Rhi. He could find his way back to where they’d come through the doorway, but he wasn’t sure where it was exactly. Which meant, he had to wait for Rhi or Eurwen to tell him.
Perhaps it would be better if he spent some time alone. As he meandered through the forest, he realized that for the first time in a very, very long time, he was utterly alone. At Dreagan, he had a manor full of Kings and mates. Vaughn had his own room, but he could still hear others in the house.
Even when he had to travel for his duties as solicitor for Dreagan, mortals were always around. It made him claustrophobic at times. Zora reminded him of a time long forgotten, a period when his only duties had been those of his clan. A time before the humans’ arrival.
He sat beneath an oak and leaned his back against it, the bark scratching his bare skin. As much as he felt at home in this realm, like the Teal had said, this wasn’t his world. The Dragon Kings might be welcome for a visit, but he was sure they wouldn’t be allowed to stay. Not that he blamed Eurwen or Brandr. They ruled this realm. Vaughn wouldn’t have accepted anyone else coming to Earth, trying to remove him as King of Teals.
And there was no way the Dragon Kings could live on Zora and not rule. It’s what they had been born to do.
Chapter Six
Eurwen wasn’t sure what had just happened with Vaughn. She had taken to the sky to try and clear her head after her conversation with her parents. Then, she’d seen Vaughn. It had been impossible for her to put off talking to him even a moment longer. She couldn’t remember a time when she had been so nervous and edgy.
Finding him naked had shifted her emotions to something more…wanton. After the dream she’d woken to that morning, she needed release.
And she needed it with Vaughn.
Unfortunately, everything had gone wrong the minute she opened her mouth to talk. No matter what she said, it’d come out nearly the opposite of what she wanted to say.
Eurwen thought about following him, but she was too upset. First, her talk with Con and Rhi had gone sideways, and then the same had happened with Vaughn. She was no longer sure of herself or her thoughts.
With one last look at where Vaughn had disappeared into the forest, Eurwen turned and jumped into the air as she shifted. She started toward her cottage at Cairnkeep, then realized she didn’t want to be alone. She needed to talk, and only one individual would truly understand what she was going through—Brandr.
She changed directions to look for her brother. The problem was, he hadn’t wanted any Dragon Kings here. Especially their father. All Brandr would do was tell her, “I told you so,” and that wasn’t what Eurwen needed, either. She started to turn around to fly back to her home when she spotted Brandr with the generals. Curious, she continued toward them to discern what her brother was up to.
By the time she reached the group, the four dragon generals were gone. Brandr stood in human form with his arms crossed over his chest, his long, black hair pulled back in a queue, his black eyes watching her.
“I’m surprised to see you,” he said when she landed. “I thought you’d be cozied up to Con and Rhi.”
She ignored his smirk as she shifted to her human form and flicked her long hair over her shoulder.
His eyes narrowed, the movement identical to their father’s. “You’d better no’ be here to try and convince me to talk to them.”
“I’m not. They’re having a look around.” Eurwen wasn’t sure why she didn’t tell her brother the rest of it. Maybe because she wasn’t in the mood for his smugness. She needed someone to lean on, and he was all she’d ever had.
Erith had been amazing and did her best while raising them, but the goddess had her hands full with leading the Reapers. While Eurwen got along with the other dragons, it wasn’t easy being friends with those you ruled. She was never sure if they were friendly because they genuinely liked her or simply because of who she was.
“Sis?” Brandr asked with a frown as he dropped his arms and walked to her. He studied her face as he put a hand on her arm. “What is it?”
Eurwen shrugged in an attempt to brush off his question, but the concern in his eyes caused the dam to burst and the tears to fall.
He pulled her against him and held her as she cried. “Did they hurt you? What did Con say? I know he must have said something to make you cry. Or was it Rhi? Bloody hell. I knew they should no’ have come. I’ll force them out right now.”
“No. No,” Eurwen said as she lifted her head from his shoulder and sniffed. “That isn’t it. I mean, we did have words, but they didn’t hurt me.”
Brandr gently wiped the tears from her cheek. “Then who did? Tell me so I can kick their arse.”
“I could do it myself, thank you very much,” she said with a smile.
His lips softened into a grin as he gripped her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “I know you can. That doesna mean I can no’ get my own hits in.”
“I have to tell you something.”
He grew serious as he nodded. His arms dropped to his s
ides. “The cliff?”
“Yes.”
They flew together to a cliff near Cairnkeep. It was the spot where they had landed the first time they came to Zora and shifted. It was the spot they used to settle arguments, plan, and talk about anything important.
Eurwen landed and shifted before lowering herself to the ground. Her legs dangled over the side as she gazed out at the vast mountains where the varied greens of the trees and grass met the vibrant blue of the sky. Even after all her years on Zora, it still managed to take her breath away.
Brandr settled beside her. “You’re leaving.”
“What?” she asked in shock as her head jerked to him. “No.”
Relief swept over his face as his shoulders sagged. “Thank the stars.”
“You thought I was leaving?”
“You brought our parents here, then came to me crying.”
She pressed her lips together and glanced at the mountain range. “I am upset about my conversation with them, but I’m disappointed in myself. I thought I was past the anger that ruled me for so long.”
“You mean my anger.”
She cut him a dark look. “It was both of ours.” Eurwen sighed. “What I need to tell you doesn’t involve our parents.”
“Just say it. Whatever it is, it’ll be all right,” he said, squeezing her hand briefly to show his support.
Eurwen lowered her gaze to the ground. “Do you remember when we first began visiting Earth?”
“Aye,” he said with a wry twist of his lips.
Her gaze lifted to his face. “Then we started going alone.”
A small frown furrowed his brow. “Aye.”
“We had rules.”
“We did.”
“I broke one.”
Brandr stared at her in silence for a full minute. “What happened?”
“I was in Norway.”
“Ah. Your fascination with the Vikings.”
It was her turn to flatten her lips. “With how they treated their women. How they allowed them to fight alongside the men. Another culture also did that.”
