Dragon Mine

by Donna Grant

  “Why here?” Con pressed.

  “Because there might be something on our realm that prevents humans from having a child with a dragon,” Rhi said, just shy of shouting.

  Con searched her face for several minutes before his face paled. “Shite.”

  “There was always a fifty-fifty chance the bairn wouldn’t survive,” Rhi continued. “Claire is human, and I’m not sure what going through a Fae doorway will do to her or the babe. Everything might go as planned on Earth, allowing their child to survive.”

  “Or it might be stillborn like all the others,” Con replied.

  Rhi shrugged. “I say we leave it to V and Claire to make the decision.”

  “That’s bringing another King and his mate to Zora. If you think things are precarious now, I can no’ imagine they’ll get better.”

  “We’ll send Varek and Jeyra to Dreagan like we spoke about. Claire and V will come in their place.”

  Con walked to her and pulled her into his arms. “We’ll tell Eurwen in the morn. Hopefully, she’ll agree.”

  “Or we could go now.”

  “That might no’ be a good idea.”

  She leaned back to look up at him. “This doesn’t have anything to do with Vaughn leaving and how neither he nor Eurwen could take their eyes off each other, does it?”

  “Nothing gets past you,” Con said with a grin.

  Rhi playfully punched him in the arm. “You know I hate being left out of things.”

  “Love, I was going to tell you everything.”

  “Next month?” she asked with a roll of her eyes as she tried to turn away.

  Con chuckled and dragged her back to him. “Come here,” he said in a husky voice before his mouth descended on hers.

  Rhi was powerless to resist him. She wrapped her arms around him and sank into the kiss. “I’ll never get tired of your kisses,” she said when it ended.

  “You better no’,” he said as he rubbed his nose against hers.

  She smiled, her heart filled with so much joy. “I know this day didn’t turn out like either of us wanted, but we got to see one of our children. We’re in their realm, getting a glimpse of how they live. It’s enough. For now.”

  “You’re a special woman, my love.”

  “I know,” she teased. The smile dropped as she looked into Con’s eyes. “We’re going to need to take it slow with the twins. And by slow, I mean at their pace. It goes against everything I want to do, but I think it’s the only way.”

  Con pulled her against him and held her tightly. “I agree. We hoped for the best, but we didna get the worst. It was somewhere in between. I think we could call that a win.”

  “Yes, we can,” she said, blinking back tears. Then it became too much, and she couldn’t stop her shoulders from shaking as she bawled.

  Con kissed the top of her head. “It’ll be fine, love. I promise.”

  “I never got to hold them. Feed them,” Rhi said through her sobs. “I never got to see their first steps or hear their first words. We missed everything.”

  “But they’re alive. You’re alive,” Con said. “I’d much rather have all of you.”

  She buried her face in his shirt and sniffed. He was right, as usual. Erith could’ve let the twins die that day. Instead, she’d saved the bairns as well as Rhi. Still, Rhi couldn’t simply ignore all the things she wished she would’ve gotten to experience as a mother.

  “Who’s to say we can no’ have more children?” Con whispered in her ear.

  Rhi slowly lifted her head. “What?”

  A slow smile pulled at Con’s lips. “I want to experience all those things as a father, too.”

  “I–I don’t know why I didn’t consider that before.”

  He tucked a long, black strand of hair behind her ear. “We both deserve to know what it is to be parents.”

  “What if—?”

  He placed a hand over her mouth to silence her. “There are always things to consider. I’m no’ saying we should start now. I’m telling you that I’m open to whatever you want.”

  “It’s hard to answer that because I have what I’ve always wanted—you.”

  “You never lost me. I know it seemed that way, but I was always yours.”

  Rhi wiped at the tear streaks on her face. “We both made so many mistakes.”

  “The past is the past. It doesna do either of us any good to keep looking back. You forgave me.”

  “And you forgave me.”

  “Hopefully, our children will forgive us eventually, as well. Until then, we’ll keep showing them that we willna give up.”

  Rhi smiled and leaned forward to kiss him. “How long do you think we’ll be allowed to stay here?”

  “No’ long.”

  She saw his gaze lift to the skies. “Dragons?”

  “Golds.”

  “Do you want to fly with them?”

  “With every fiber of my being.”

  She stepped out of his arms. “Then go.”

  “They willna speak to me,” he said with a sad smile. “Flying with them is out of the question. It’s enough that I’m allowed to see them.”

  Rhi moved to stand beside him, their arms locked as she looked up and searched the dark sky for the dragons. They must have been high up because she couldn’t see them. “There’s another issue we need to address.”

  “The Silvers in Dreagan,” Con said as if reading her mind. He glanced down at her and winked. “They belong here with the others. I’m going to broach the topic with Eurwen in the morning. Once I have her approval, I’ll go to Ulrik.”

  “Surely, Ulrik will say yes.”

  Con shrugged. “What if no other Kings are allowed through the doorway? What if none get to see the dragons? The Silvers are our link to the past. Ulrik might have a hard time letting go.”

  “Whether we get to return to Zora or not, releasing the Silvers will be difficult. It’s the right thing, though. Dreagan was meant to be a place of happiness and hope, not a prison. For anyone.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Waking up next to Vaughn was amazing. Eurwen didn’t want to open her eyes. She loved how he had held her all night. Whether she was on his chest, he was curled around her, or she him, they had never stopped touching each other.

  When she finally lifted her lids, it was to see Vaughn awake and grinning at her. “What?” she asked.

  “You have the cutest little snore.”

  She gaped and covered her mouth with her hand. “I do not.”

  He nodded, his smile growing. “You do. It’s adorable.”

  “How long have you been awake?”

  “All night. I didna want you to leave again.”

  She frowned. “I wouldn’t.”

  “I wasna going to chance it.” He leaned forward and placed his lips on hers for a lingering kiss. “Besides, I got to listen to the dragons all night. It was…”

  He trailed off as if saying the words were too much. She shot him a smile. “I can’t even imagine.”

  “I hope you never have to find out.” He blew out a breath. “I suppose we must rise.”

  She stopped him from getting out of bed. “Can’t we just stay here all day?”

  “I’d like nothing better, but I have a feeling we’re going to get some guests soon.”

  Her parents! Eurwen couldn’t believe she had forgotten about them. “Right.”

  “Doona frown,” Vaughn told her. “We have plenty of time to spend together.”

  She watched him rise from the bed and begin dressing. Eurwen wanted to spend time with Vaughn. Brandr was the problem.

  “You’re frowning.”

  Her gaze jerked to Vaughn’s face. “What?”

  “You’re frowning. Whatever you’re thinking of isna good.”

  She shrugged and sat up before slowly swinging her legs over the side of the bed and getting to her feet.

  “I know Con and Rhi want to talk to you some more, and you should talk with them,” Vaughn said. “But,
afterward, I’d like to see you again. I think we should do more talking.”

  Eurwen nodded since she didn’t know what else to do. They’d had all night to talk, but he had wanted to hold her. And she’d been fine with that. She was a little wary that he might ask to stay on Zora. That simply couldn’t happen. Ever. Just as Varek couldn’t remain.

  But there was also a chance that Vaughn would ask her to go back to Earth with him. She liked being with him, but she wouldn’t give up her home for…

  Say it.

  She couldn’t even think the word. Vaughn was special. He’d captured her attention that long-ago night and had held it for untold years. That didn’t mean they were destined for each other. It didn’t mean anything.

  Or did it?

  Eurwen needed some time to think. Unfortunately, she wasn’t going to get it. She walked into the bathroom and, with a thought, cleaned her body and hair. She chose a blush skirt that hung loosely and just grazed the floor. The matching top draped off one shoulder and hugged her waist. Eurwen finished the outfit with a pair of gold sandals. She walked back to Vaughn to find him staring at her, longing radiating from him.

  “Bloody hell, lass. That material is see-through,” he said in a low voice, rough with desire.

  She walked up to him and rose on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Is it?”

  “You know it is,” he said with a grin as his arms went around her.

  Just as their lips were about to meet, they heard voices approaching. Eurwen wasn’t ready for their interlude to end, but neither of them had a choice.

  “It’s going to be fine,” Vaughn assured her.

  She gazed into his Persian blue eyes. “I wish I could be as optimistic.”

  A knock sounded on the door. Eurwen stepped out of Vaughn’s arms, but before she could turn away, he stopped her and kissed her once more.

  “Trust me,” he pleaded.

  That was the thing. Eurwen didn’t think she could. Instead of answering him, she walked to the door and opened it to see her parents. The two larger-than-life individuals held hands. Rhi wore a smile while Con bowed his head to her in greeting.

  “I hope it isna too early,” Con said.

  Behind her, Vaughn replied, “It is.”

  Eurwen didn’t look at him. She moved to the side and said, “Please, come in.”

  Rhi entered, followed by Con. Eurwen then looked at Vaughn. He started toward the door when Con said his name.

  “Before you go, there’s something I’d like both you and Eurwen to know,” Con said.

  Eurwen’s heart thumped in her chest. She prayed this wasn’t anything about Vaughn spending the night with her. She could barely think about it herself. The last thing she wanted was to discuss it with the two people in front of her. Or Vaughn.

  Instead, Con’s black eyes slid to Eurwen. “Your mother and I have a request.”

  “What is that?” she asked.

  “We’re asking for an exchange of sorts.”

  Eurwen immediately became wary. “Explain.”

  Rhi put her hand on Con’s arm and then said to Eurwen, “I’m sure you know of V and his mate, Claire.”

  “The pregnant one,” Eurwen said with a nod.

  “Her babe is due, and we’re concerned.”

  Eurwen looked between her parents. “You want to bring Claire here? Why?”

  “We want to give Claire and V every opportunity to have their bairn born alive,” Con said. “It may no’ mean much to you, but since you and your brother are the last dragons—”

  “Half,” Eurwen corrected him.

  “—born, there is call for concern.”

  Vaughn said, “None of us have had children since the dragons left our realm.”

  It was on the tip of Eurwen’s tongue to say that was their fault, but she managed to keep the comment to herself. “The exchange would be what, exactly?”

  “I’d like Varek to take Jeyra to Dreagan and get her looked over by one of the mates who is a human doctor. Test her blood and the like to see if we can determine why she ages differently than the others on this realm,” Con explained.

  Rhi shrugged. “And maybe try to decipher where and why the babies are brought to Zora.”

  It seemed like a fair trade, though Eurwen wasn’t sure Brandr would agree. But he wasn’t here. She was. Yet, if she continued in that vein, it was a slippery slope. If the situation were reversed and Brandr made a decision she disagreed with, she wouldn’t just sit back and accept it. They had always ruled Zora together. Why did it feel like that was about to change?

  “Eurwen?” Vaughn pressed.

  She looked his way, all the while trying to decide if she would let Brandr know what was going on or not. Eurwen knew Brandr would refuse more Kings coming to Zora for any reason. And while she understood his side of things, she also empathized with Claire and V.

  “All right,” she finally agreed.

  Con smiled. “Thank you. The final decision rests with Claire and V.”

  “As it should. Are you returning to Earth to tell them?”

  “We were hoping to stay and speak with you,” Rhi said.

  Con glanced at his mate. “Varek can tell them.”

  “Unless you’d like to go,” Vaughn said.

  Eurwen’s head snapped to him. “What?”

  “You’ve never been to Dreagan. This could be your chance to see that side of things. I could accompany you.”

  The thought of getting to walk on Dreagan land, to feel the magic beneath her feet, was entirely too tempting. The indecision must have shown on her face because Vaughn gave her a soft smile.

  “I’ll let you talk to Rhi and Con first. Then you can make your decision,” Vaughn said before walking out and closing the door behind him.

  Eurwen stared at it, not at all sure what to think of someone coming into her life and making decisions for her. Vaughn wasn’t actually making the big decisions, though. He was only maneuvering her in a way that she could reach conclusions.

  Brandr would no doubt call Vaughn manipulative.

  Was it? Or was she looking for something that wasn’t there? She didn’t like how out of balance she felt. Everything was tilting one way and then the next. She didn’t feel as if she had any say in any of it. Which was ridiculous because she was the one who had begun it all by opening the doorway.

  Eurwen finally remembered that she wasn’t alone. She turned to her parents to find them watching her. In an attempt to stop any questions, she smoothed her brow and motioned to the same seats they had taken the day before.

  “I want to apologize for yesterday,” she began.

  Con shook his head as he sat beside Rhi. “You spoke your mind, as you should.”

  “It wasn’t how I wanted our first conversation to go.”

  Rhi grinned and put a hand on Con’s leg. “I think all of us felt that way. We wanted you to know that we understand your and Brandr’s concerns.”

  “We only ask that you give Rhi and I a chance to get to know both of you,” Con added.

  Eurwen crossed one leg over the other. “I can’t promise anything for Brandr. If I didn’t want to know the two of you, I wouldn’t have created the doorway.”

  “But?” Rhi pressed.

  Eurwen shrugged and folded her hands in her lap. “It has created a rift between my twin and me.”

  “Siblings fight,” Con said.

  Rhi nodded. “All of them.”

  “This is different,” Eurwen told them. “I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, but I feel it. Brandr and I have argued before. It isn’t harsh words we’ve exchanged. Instead, it feels as if he’s…” She paused, trying to find the right word. “Cold. Indifferent, almost.”

  Con’s gaze was intense as he leveled it on her. “Is this about us being here? Or is it about Vaughn?”

  Eurwen lowered her gaze to her lap. So much for her not wanting to talk about Vaughn. She took a deep breath and raised her eyes to her parents. “I didn’t tell Brandr about my encounte
r with Vaughn until yesterday.”

  “He must be hurt,” Rhi said.

  “Maybe.” Eurwen shrugged. “I can’t tell if it’s because you two are here or if it’s Vaughn.”

  Con scratched his forehead. “Or a combination.”

  “Is that why you’re hesitant to go with Vaughn to Dreagan?” Rhi asked.

  Eurwen didn’t like being put on the spot, but maybe it was better if she answered. “I’ve seen Dreagan from afar. I would like to walk it.”

  “But?” Con asked, a blond brow quirked.

  “I don’t know.”

  Rhi caught Con’s gaze and jerked her chin to the door. After a moment of frowning, his brow smoothed, and he got to his feet. “Excuse me for a moment.”

  Eurwen watched him leave before her eyes swung to Rhi.

  “I thought we could have a moment alone together,” her mother said.

  “About?”

  “Vaughn.”

  Eurwen felt her anxiety rising. “I don’t have anything to say.”

  “You’ve not asked for my advice, and my mum always told me never to give it unless someone asked, but I’m going to make an exception.” Rhi leaned forward in her seat and smiled. “The wonderful thing about you and Brandr is that you weren’t raised with the Fae or Dragon Kings. You don’t have any of our issues or preconceived notions. While you are a part of both worlds, that may make some things difficult for you.”

  Eurwen found herself wanting to know what Rhi was talking about. “Like?”

  “You know from being around dragons that they mate for life. They know, here,” she said and pointed to her heart, “when they’ve found their chosen. I’m not a dragon, and Fae don’t mate for life, but I felt it. I knew the instant I saw Con the first time that he was going to change my life.”

  “He nearly broke you.”

  “And I nearly destroyed him. Everyone has a path they must travel. Sometimes, two people walk together for a time and have to take different roads to become the people they were meant to be so they can return to each other.”

  Eurwen gaped at her mother. “You truly believe that?”

  “I wouldn’t be with Con, otherwise. I can look back and see how much I’ve changed since that horrible day that I not only lost him but also you and your brother. The difference was, I didn’t know about my children. Although, perhaps subconsciously, I did. I mourned deeply for Con, our love, and the future I thought I had planned out. I also believe that I mourned you and your brother.”