by Donna Grant
Brandr thought about scaring them. If they wanted to see a dragon, he’d show them one. Maybe then they wouldn’t get near the border again. Before he could carry out his plan, he heard more footsteps coming up behind the lads. Was it more of their friends? Given how the two laughed and talked, they had no idea that anyone approached.
A deep, gruff voice called out to them, causing both boys to jerk in surprise and spin around awkwardly. The two lads were visibly shaken. Whoever the man was, the boys were terrified of him. Several seconds passed before the man emerged from the forest.
He was tall and barrel-chested. His long, red beard hung nearly to his chest. He dressed in the style of the other humans, though the material of his outfit was of good quality that consisted of a dark brown sleeveless tunic paired with a lighter shade of trousers stuffed into tall boots. Two thick gold armbands were clearly visible. Brandr saw a design on them he couldn’t quite make out.
“Get home,” the man ordered the teenagers.
They were in such a hurry to get away, they slipped on the damp ground.
“And don’t come back!” he shouted after them.
Then he looked across the stream. Brandr committed the man’s image to memory. From his red hair and beard to his brown eyes and voice.
The man stood still as stone for a full minute, moving nothing but his eyes. Finally, he let out a whistle, mimicking a bird. Three men came out of the woods to join him. Each of them as menacing as their leader. Brandr frowned because he hadn’t picked up that there were four of them. They didn’t have magic, which meant they had used another kind of skill to hide how many they were.
“You sure about this, Yannick,” the big blond on the man’s right asked.
The leader cut him a dark look. “It’s the only way, Tuft.”
“Sateen ordered none of us to cross the border,” the black-haired one stated.
Yannick’s lips flattened at the mention of the council leader’s name. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
“He’s right,” said the auburn-haired man next to Yannick. “We have to find the crone. If she can capture a Dragon King, she can get what we need.”
Brandr’s heart clutched in his chest. What would the humans want with the crone? Another Dragon King? Surely, not. Capturing Varek had done nothing for them. In fact, they had lost a lot by taking him prisoner.
The humans might want to leave Zora. If that were the case, Brandr would help them. But he had a suspicion that things wouldn’t be quite so simple. Most likely, they were after a way to strike at him, Eurwen, and the dragons.
Had he not felt something was amiss, he wouldn’t have ventured to the border and discovered all of this. As much as he wished this was the cause of his unease, he knew it wasn’t. Whatever he searched for was aiding in disrupting everyone on the realm.
The four wordlessly headed away from him. They stuck near the stream but didn’t cross it. He wanted to follow them, but he would eventually run out of cover. He called for one of his generals through the mental link, ordering the dragon to follow the group and see how far they went, and to make sure they didn’t cross the barrier.
Brandr waited until the men were out of sight before he retraced his steps. He loved flying, and there were times he made use of his ability to teleport, but sometimes he liked walking, too. It gave him time to think and be alone. The dragons rarely bothered him when he was on a stroll. It was as if they knew he didn’t wish to be disturbed.
Sometime later, he reached Cairnkeep and his cottage. He paused before entering and looked in the direction of Eurwen’s home. He knew Con, Rhi, and Vaughn had arrived, though Brandr had made sure to stay out of their way. Were things going as well as Eurwen had wanted? He was still angry at her about Vaughn. Enough to keep him away from her cottage and stop him from communicating with her.
Maybe after their parents departed, he would talk to her. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been so furious with her—or hurt.
If she stays.
He hated the voice in his head. He didn’t need to be reminded that Eurwen might well have found her match with Vaughn. Then again, if he were her mate, she wouldn’t have stayed away from him for so long. That made Brandr smile. Vaughn was just a dalliance for his sister. He wasn’t happy about it, but at least she wasn’t falling in love with Vaughn. Brandr wouldn’t forgive that. Not after everything they had dealt with when they’d found the dragons.
Brandr was just entering his cottage when he heard laughter. He looked into the sky and saw a woman with black hair atop a gold dragon, gliding through the air. His parents. They hadn’t tried to approach him. That should make him happy. It was what he wanted.
Wasn’t it?
Without another look at them, he walked inside his home and shut the door.
Chapter Fourteen
Dreagan
* * *
Eurwen was finally on Dreagan. She could hardly believe it. The pictures she’d seen of the distillery were nothing compared to the unbelievable beauty of the land. And the magic. She was almost dizzy with the force of it.
The need to explore the mountains was overwhelming. She wanted to see each one, to know which King had which mountain. Especially Vaughn’s. But that would come later. She was about to meet everyone now. She was tense and anxious, all to encounter the Kings she had watched for untold centuries. Then there were the mates.
“We doona have to do this now,” Vaughn said.
Eurwen smiled at him. “I’ll be fine.”
“That doesna mean we have to do this now.”
“Jeyra and I will be sharing the spotlight, which will make things easier for both of us.”
Vaughn’s lips curved into a sexy grin. “That it will. Just say the word if we need to leave.”
She nodded and focused her attention on the four-story gray stone manor. There were windows everywhere. So many. Large, small, and every size in between. She loved that it had been built into Dreagan Mountain.
“The manor is set apart from the distillery by two overlapping hedgerows,” Vaughn told her. “There’s a hidden entrance that only those from Dreagan are aware of. A designated path so we can navigate it and reach Dreagan.”
She was impressed. “No mortals have ever gotten near the manor?”
“No’ unless they were invited. Which, of course, is rare.”
Eurwen saw Jeyra and Varek enter the manor through a side door. Vaughn slowed his steps to give them more time. “Which floor is your bedroom on?”
“Top right.” He pointed to a group of windows. “Those right there.”
“Will I get to see it?”
Vaughn’s blue eyes met hers. “I hope so.”
Eurwen looked at the imposing structure of Dreagan Mountain that towered over the manor. “Why build the manor into the mountain?”
“There is a hidden entrance from the house to the mountain with tunnels and caverns we use. The largest one is for the mating ceremonies.”
Eurwen didn’t look his way when he mentioned that. She didn’t want to give him any ideas.
“There’s also a large portion at the back of the mountain that’s wide enough for us to fly into.”
Her head jerked to him. “Really?”
“Aye. I’ll show you all of it.”
She could hardly wait. By the time they reached the manor, Eurwen was ready to go inside. Vaughn opened the door and stepped aside for her to enter first. He didn’t release her hand, which she was thankful for.
A small group of people surrounded Jeyra and Varek. No one had seemed to notice them yet. Eurwen wasn’t sure if they were being polite, or if they genuinely weren’t aware of her arrival. It didn’t matter, though, because it gave her time to look around. Colorful rugs covered the dark wood floors. Some of the walls were paneled in the same dark wood, while others were painted lighter colors and had dark molding.
Everywhere she looked, she saw dragons. Some were obvious, like the paintings or the banister, but oth
ers were less so. The manor was massive and, at times, opulent. But at the heart of it was a home. Now that she was inside, Eurwen couldn’t ignore the relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. It was due in part to the occupants, but it really came down to the Kings since they had built and adorned the manor themselves.
That’s when it hit her. The house was an homage to the way of life they had lost. A blow of melancholy struck her suddenly. Vaughn was right. She had no right being angry over something she knew very little about. She hadn’t lived it. She didn’t know anything.
But it was all right here. Every drop of pain, tears, blood, and anger for the loss of the dragons—for the loss of their home.
She turned to Vaughn.
Before she could say anything, he smiled sadly and nodded. “You feel it, do you no’? I can see it in your eyes.”
“Why didn’t you warn me?”
“I wanted to see if it would affect you.”
She deserved that after everything she had said to him and her parents. “If I hadn’t, would you have thought less of me?”
He shook his head. “Never. It speaks to how prominent your dragon is that you feel it.”
A man with long, black hair and gold eyes came into view, diverting Eurwen’s attention. She hadn’t expected to meet Ulrik so soon. The King of Silvers had traveled down a bumpy road for a long time, but he was now back in the fold with the other Kings.
“What an honor,” Ulrik said. “You look so much like Rhi. Only with Con’s hair. I’m—”
“Ulrik,” she said before he could.
The King of Silver’s gold eyes widened slightly. “Of course, you know who we are. It’s a shame we’re just learning of you and your brother. Is he here?”
“Just Eurwen,” Vaughn said.
Ulrik’s gaze dropped to their joined hands. Eurwen had forgotten that she still held onto Vaughn. She loosened her fingers, but he held her tighter as if to say that they had already been seen, so what was the point?
Ulrik bowed his head. “Perhaps we’ll get to meet your brother soon. For now, my mate is ready to tackle me to get to you.”
“Stop it,” a woman with an American accent mixed with Irish playfully chastised Ulrik. She came up beside him and held out her hand. “I’m Eilish.”
Eurwen had seen the dark-haired beauty before, though she knew very little about her. They clasped hands. “I’m Eurwen.”
“A beautiful name.”
Eurwen stared into Eilish’s green-gold eyes and smiled, liking her immediately. “So is yours.”
“We’re delighted you’re here. Since there are so many of us, we didn’t want to overwhelm you or Jeyra, so we’re approaching in shifts.” Eilish flipped back her long locks.
Ulrik chuckled. “Trust me, you want us in turns. Otherwise, you might disappear with Vaughn, and we wouldna get to know you.”
“How long are you staying?” Eilish asked.
Eurwen shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“Maybe we’ll have some time for us girls to get together,” Eilish offered.
“That sounds nice.” Eurwen had never had friends. Not like this. She was close to some dragons, but that was different. She suddenly realized that she didn’t just want friends, she needed them.
Vaughn caught Ulrik’s gaze. “We’re here for Eurwen, but we also need to speak to V and Claire.”
Ulrik’s smile vanished. “I hope you have a solution. Claire isna doing well.”
Eurwen looked between the two. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s uncomfortable, for one,” Eilish explained. “But with every day that passes, and she doesn’t go into labor, she grows more frightened.”
“How’s V?” Vaughn asked, concern tingeing his voice.
Ulrik lifted a shoulder as he shook his head. “He’s holding it together for Claire, but he’s hanging on by a thread. They both keep saying they’re aware that the bairn could be stillborn, but it’s eating them up.”
“We brought something we hope will help,” Eurwen told them. “But there’s no guarantee.”
Ulrik blew out a breath. “At this point, they’ll take any help they can get.”
“Perhaps we should speak to them now,” Vaughn said.
Ulrik and Eilish turned as she and Vaughn fell into step behind them. Eurwen glanced at the crowd with Jeyra and Varek and smiled at anyone who looked her way. She took in as much of the manor as she could on her way up the stairs to the third floor to V and Claire’s room.
After a knock, V opened the door. Eurwen stared into ice blue eyes filled with concern that he was desperately trying to hide. V’s dark brown hair hung around his shoulders. The instant he laid eyes on her, hope filled his face.
“Can we speak with you and Claire?” Vaughn asked.
V quickly moved out of the way. Upon entering the room, Eurwen spotted a pretty woman with long, blond hair and kind brown eyes sitting on the edge of a chair rubbing her extended stomach. She had dark circles under her eyes from stress and worry.
“V, Claire,” Vaughn said. “This is Con and Rhi’s daughter, Eurwen.”
Eurwen smiled at the couple. “It’s nice to meet you both. My parents, along with Vaughn, have told me so much about you.”
“Please tell us you have a way for us to have our child,” V pleaded.
Claire clicked her tongue as she frowned at her mate. “Vlad. Don’t put that kind of pressure on anyone. Please.”
Eurwen watched as the King of Coppers moved to his mate and knelt beside her. “I’ll do whatever it takes for you and our bairn.”
Vaughn cleared his throat. “What we bring you isna a guarantee.”
“Then why have you come?” V snapped.
Eurwen understood his distress. He felt helpless, desperate. The woman he loved had Fae magic used on her to ensure that she would become pregnant without her knowledge. Eurwen had seen many dragon births on Zora. Since she didn’t spend any time with the humans in her realm, she didn’t know what it was like for them not to bear children.
Most likely, it was worse for the Kings and their mates because the mates could become pregnant, giving everyone hope that a child could be born—though no human-dragon hybrid had ever lived.
“To give all three of you a fighting chance,” Eurwen said. “One we know you won’t have here.”
Claire looked at her with determination. “Usaeil’s magic created this child. It was that same magic that allowed me to remain pregnant. Maybe the same power will let this child be born alive.”
“Fae magic or no’, Claire, no human-dragon bairns have ever been born alive,” Ulrik said.
V sighed loudly before looking between Vaughn and Eurwen. “What is your suggestion?”
“Come to Zora,” Eurwen said. “I don’t know what walking through the doorway to another realm will do to Claire or the babe, though.”
V frowned. “Then why go?”
“We know what will happen here,” Vaughn said.
Claire asked, “And the humans on Zora? How are they?”
Eurwen had hoped they wouldn’t ask about that, but the couple needed to know everything. “They’re unable to have children at all. We don’t know why. You would remain in our domain. Rhi and Con, as well as Vaughn and I, think you might have a chance in my realm.”
Claire turned her head to V. “What do you think?”
“I’ll do anything, go anywhere to keep you and our child safe and alive,” V told her.
“And if I want to go to Zora?”
V smiled at her. “I’ll be right beside you.”
A tear fell from Claire’s eye onto her cheek. “Let’s go.”
“The sooner, the better, I think,” Ulrik said.
Vaughn nodded as V stood.
Eurwen walked to Claire and held her other hand as she got to her feet. “Steady, now.”
“I’ve got her,” V said as he carefully lifted her into his arms.
Eurwen watched them. “I’ll teleport us to the doorway. Once you walk through, Co
n and Rhi will be nearby. If you don’t see them, call for them.”
Claire laid her head on V’s shoulder. “I’m ready.”
Vaughn touched her shoulder as Eurwen reached for V. In a blink, they were at the doorway. V didn’t linger. With a quick farewell, he walked through and out of sight.
V held his breath as he passed through to the new realm. When Claire didn’t cry out in pain or wince, he breathed easier. But his worry didn’t lessen.
“It’s going to be all right, beautiful,” he told her.
She touched her hand to his face. “It will be because you’re beside me. No matter what happens. We have each other.”
“Never forget that,” he said as he kissed her temple.
V looked up the mountain and saw Rhi standing there. The sound of dragons all around should have been enough reason for him to rejoice, but all V could think about was his mate, his love. Before he could shift to fly them to the top, Rhi was beside him.
“I’m so glad you’re both here,” she said with a smile.
V didn’t look away from Claire’s face. “She needs to lie down.”
Rhi touched him. In a blink, they stood inside a cottage. V strode to the bed and gently set Claire down. She rolled away from him onto her side and cradled a pillow against her before closing her eyes. V smoothed her hair away from her face. He hadn’t seen Claire this at ease in weeks.
“Let her sleep,” Rhi said and tugged his arm.
V begrudgingly left his mate, but he wouldn’t be far.
Chapter Fifteen
Vaughn turned away from the doorway, emotions churning inside him. The distress and apprehension that surrounded both Claire and V were unmistakable.
“What?” Eurwen asked.
“I wouldna want to be in V’s shoes.”
Eurwen cocked her head to the side. “With every pregnancy in every being, there is always a chance the child won’t make it—or the mother.”
“I’m aware of that.”
