by B M Griffin
“I don’t know what sick joke you’re playing here, but it’s time for you to go.” Gregor let another growl roll from his throat as he stared down at the other dragon. He wasn’t sure how he turned out to be the biggest dragon in the bunch, but he was damn sure happy about it as he stared down at the jackass.
Gregor felt a hand wrap around his arm from behind and he before he looked he knew that it was Aurora. Looking him in the eyes she said, “It’s him. I don’t know how, but I know that it’s him.” Her gaze moved from Gregor to Matthias, “I know you are telling the truth, that you’re my father. I just don’t know how. I watched you die, you and mother, so explain to me how it is that you’re here now.”
Matthias met Aurora’s eyes, and Gregor thought he saw affection in his golden eyes. “I never died that day, my daughter. I watched your mother die, they killed her right in front of me, and I just couldn’t fight another minute to protect the monsters that could take the life of someone as kind and loving as your mother. I decided right then that I would find a way to get my revenge but I needed time, so I faked my death. I won’t bore you with the details of how I did that, just know that I never died that day. I’ve spent every day since working toward this moment, preparing to bring the humans to their knees and take revenge for all the people we lost during that war. To take revenge for your mother.”
Annalise came flying toward them, her dragon back in action, as she flew straight into her father. Gregor pulled Aurora to him and quickly moved them out of her way. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected when Annalise came barreling toward her suddenly alive father, but he hadn’t expected what was happening. Annalise was pounding his chest, beating him, screaming at the top of her lungs, and the blue that highlighted her scales was so bright with her rage that Gregor imagined planes flying overhead could spot her here on the ground.
Aurora shook Gregor’s hold on her off and darted for her sister, pulling Annalise off the man that turned out to be their father. Matthias hopped up and smiled at Aurora. “Thank you, Aurora.”
“Don’t thank me,” Aurora snapped. “Explain what you’re doing here. What’s this prophecy you keep going on about that made you feel the need to betray your people and your family. I need to understand what could possibly be worth siding with our enemy to capture and kill my warriors.”
“I’m here because of him.” Matthias pointed to Gregor. Gregor bared his teeth at Aurora’s father. “Well, the two of you together to be more specific.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Gregor wanted answers. He was getting tired of the guy’s make-believe facade, acting like this was a normal conversation and he hadn’t shown up with the very demons that were just trying to rip his daughter to shreds.
Matthias cocked his head at Gregor and snorted…freaking snorted. “Well now, I can’t tell you all of my secrets. You’d just spoil my plans.” Matthias directed his attention back to Aurora. “What I can tell you, dear daughter, is you can put a stop to the killing of your own people, and I will give your friends back right here and right now.”
“What do you mean you’ll give my friends back?” Aurora put her hand over her long sword, and Gregor moved so he was once again right by her side and ready to take on anyone or anything that came after her.
Matthias turned toward the Shaitan scum and motioned for them to do something. Within seconds four more Shaitan came up behind Matthias, dragging two limp bodies between them. When they stopped on either side of Matthias they yanked the hair of the people they were dragging along, revealing their faces.
Gregor recognized Camille, but he’d never seen the man before. Judging by the resemblance to Camille it was easy to assume that it was Luka, the brother Camille had gone searching for.
This time it was Andros and Aurora who released war cries and flew straight for Matthias and the Shaitan holding their friends. Matthias turned with a dark laugh, waved an arm through the air and both Andros and Aurora hit some invisible force sending sparks flying, and propelling them both backwards at least twenty feet.
Gregor charged Matthias, but the asshat just shook his finger and laughed at him. You don’t want to do that, boy. Gregor found himself forced to the ground, back down on his feet and unable to move.
“Now that I’ve got your attention,” Matthias remarked, “all you have to do to get these two back and stop this unnecessary war between the Tanzaharians and Shaitan is give me Gregor.”
“Not a chance!” Aurora barked, sidling back up to Gregor.
Gregor was shocked, and as much as he hated to admit it to himself he was a little happy to know she wasn’t willing to give him up so easily. It had to be hard for her knowing that giving him up would get her back two people she’d known and loved far longer than they’d been in each other’s lives.
He reached for her, “Aurora,” he started, but she quickly shook her head no.
“I don’t trust him to keep his word,” Aurora said, “and I will never trade one member of my realm for another. Camille and Luka wouldn’t want that any more than I do. They are honorable, and they would want us to fight for them, not give in to the demands of these demon scum.”
“Then we will fight them together,” Gregor said.
“I don’t think you all understand the gravity of the situation,” Matthias’ said. His voice was condescending and Gregor felt a sliver of unease rise up his spine. Turning to the Shaitan that were holding Luka’s body up, Matthias nodded at them. “Let’s show them how serious we are, shall we.”
Gregor thought the monsters smiled, it was hard to tell because how could something so grotesque and evil possibly smile. They looked down at Luka and in a flash, they yanked his head, ripping it from his shoulders and throwing it to Aurora’s feet.
Annalise’s screams were deafening. “NO!” Gregor caught her in his arms before she could be taken down by the same invisible barrier that had thrown Aurora and Andros. Annalise collapsed in his arms, shifting out of her dragon form the beautiful girl he’d quickly began to care for like his own younger sister was sobbing against him. Gregor shifted back, easier to comfort her when he wasn’t a giant dragon with talons and steel-like scales.
The atmosphere around them grew thick with grief and anger. A thick fog suddenly rolled in, masking the park and all of them in it. Thunder barked in the sky and Matthias looked at Aurora with a smirk. “Ah, daughter, I see you still allow your emotions to influence your gifts, but a storm isn’t going to help you tonight.”
Gregor was confused. Aurora was creating this sudden change in weather? Man, there was so much he needed to learn. He prayed there would be time for that once all of this was over.
“Take Luka,” Matthias said. “Give him a proper end of life ceremony and think about my offer. When you come to your senses have Didrik reach out to me. I’m sure the old seer can reach out to me if he concentrates hard enough.”
“I won’t change my mind,” Aurora replied sharply.
Matthias sighed. “I truly hope that isn’t true, my daughter. Either way, I’ll see you soon.”
Matthias turned his back on them and just like that he and the Shaitan were gone, along with Camille. Gregor looked up from Annalise and caught a quick glance at the hurt and sadness in Aurora’s eyes before she covered it up and shifted into the role of leader once again.
Annalise forced herself back to her feet and turned to her sister. “We need to get Luka home,” she said.
Aurora nodded and turned to say something to Andros, but Gregor stepped forward before she could, his dragon coming forth as he moved. He didn’t quite understand it, but shifting felt like second nature and he was sure he’d have no issue controling his dragon at any time. “I’ve got him,” Gregor said, his eyes connecting with Aurora’s for a brief moment. He was filled with the swarm of emotions he knew Aurora was struggling through in that moment. Hurt, anger, betrayal, loss, and guilt. She didn’t have anything to feel guilty about; none of this was her fault, and Gregor made a mental no
te to tell her just that the next time they were alone together.
Gregor bent down, gently lifting Luka’s body into his arms. There wasn’t much he could do to make picking up Luka’s detached head seem any less horrible than the situation was. Andros stepped up to him and Gregor tensed, expecting some kind of push back from the big guy, instead Andros glanced down at Luka’s lifeless body in Gregor’s arms and sighed, revealing his own sadness even in the most discreet manner. In a much softer voice than Gregor had heard him use before Andros said, “I’ll fly with you.”
“Thank you,” Gregor said, and with one final glance at Aurora he spread his wings and launched himself into the sky.
Chapter Fifteen
Aurora
For the first time since she became the Maharani, Aurora felt like she didn’t deserve her role as the leader of Tanzahar. Emotions flooded her soul, weaving themselves into her deepest crevices, and the feeling shining the brightest amongst them all was her guilt. How could she look her people in their eyes knowing it was her father who was responsible for the deaths of many of their loved ones? That it was he who captured Luka and Camille, and that he murdered Luka right in front of her while she did nothing to stop him.
Aurora had let her shock at seeing him alive take over all of her sensibilities, let him into her head leaving her frozen at the very sight of him standing before her alive. He took advantage of her weakness and took the life of someone who wasn’t just a member of her army, but someone she considered family—her best friend’s brother. If she managed to get Camille back she would never be able to look her friend in the eye again.
Flying behind Gregor and Andros heading back to Tanzahar was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. Every fiber of her being was screaming for her to turn around and hunt her father to the ends of the universe if she had to so she could get Camille away from him. And what was that shit about him wanting Gregor? In everything insane that had just happened, her father wanting her to hand over Gregor was the part that made the least sense to her, well that and the fact that Gregor turned out not to be human at all; he was one of them.
Didrik was waiting for them as soon as they landed on the lawn in front of the castle. No doubt Annalise reached out to him on their way back. Aurora was glad because she desperately needed to talk to him. Looking at Gregor and Andros, Aurora said, “Andros, please take Luka so he can be prepared for his afterlife ceremony right away. I need Gregor to come with me to talk with Didrik.”
“Of course.” Andros nodded in her direction, then relieved Gregor of Luka’s body and headed inside the castle with Annalise following right behind him.
Aurora shifted out of her dragon form and Gregor followed suite. Reaching out he took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips, kissing her knuckles gently. Aurora knew she shouldn’t allow him to do so, shouldn’t allow his open display of affection, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull away. The moment his hand touched hers, Aurora felt a sense of calm flood her overactive emotions. His touch was the air she needed; in that moment his touch was life.
Of course, the moment couldn’t last and Didrik quickly approached the two of them interrupting the single moment of peace. “Aurora, I must talk with you and Gregor right away.”
“Of course,” Aurora said.
Didrik turned toward the castle’s front doors and gestured with his hand for them to follow him. Gregor looked at Aurora and cocked an eyebrow in question. She just shrugged and started in the direction Didrik was heading, and Gregor stayed by her side refusing to release his hold on her hand. If she were honest with herself, she didn’t want him to let go, not yet, and she was beginning to feel like she might never want him to let her go.
Didrik took them to his private office and shut the door behind them locking it with a wave of his hand. Didrik’s office always smelled like the forest because he had plants on every available surface in the room. The walls were lined with dark mahogany book shelves that had vines hanging down the ends of each shelf, and the giant mahogany desk that sat in the center of the room had ferns on the two outer corners, with small trees growing from large pots behind where he sat. Didrik was ancient in age and in his taste for decor, but Aurora loved that about him.
Still, Aurora felt an uneasiness settle over her when she heard the lock click into place. It wasn’t like Didrik to be so secretive about anything. He spoke his mind openly anytime he felt he had something worthwhile to share. “What’s going on Didrik?” Aurora asked. Didrik motioned to the chairs in front of his desk but Aurora shook her head. “There is no time for getting comfortable, Didrik. Just tell us whatever it is you need to say so I can get back to my people and plan our next move to get Camille back. I will not allow them to take her from us too, so please just get whatever you need to say out so I can get back to work.”
Gregor squeezed her hand, but she’d already let her anger get into her head again as the image of her father ordering Luka’s murder flashed through her mind for the millionth time in such a short time and she pulled away from him. Didrik’s eyes dropped to Aurora’s and Gregor’s hands as she pulled hers away and he frowned shaking his head as if he didn’t approve. Maybe he still considered Gregor to be human despite his miraculous transformation during battle.
Didrik brought his eyes back up to Aurora’s and forced a smile. “I hope you can learn to stop pushing him away because you both need each other, and I fear Tanzahar needs you both as well.”
Aurora’s eyebrows drew together as she stared back at the ancient Seer. Maybe he was finally losing his mind. He had been alive for millennia at least, so it wouldn’t be farfetched to assume his mind was finally turning on him. Before Aurora could pull her thoughts together to ask him what the hell he could be talking about Gregor pulled her hand back into his. Aurora’s head jerked in his direction and Gregor met her glare with his own, keeping eye contact with her as he spoke as if addressing Didrik’s concern, but Aurora knew his words were truly meant for her. “She won’t be pushing me anywhere. I can guarantee that. The sooner she accepts the fact that I’m not going anywhere the happier we will both be.”
Aurora’s heart started thundering in her ears as she took in Gregor’s words and she reached for her chest to make sure it wasn’t actually beating its way through her chest.
Didrik gave a slight nod in Gregor’s direction. “That’s very good to hear because the two of you are stronger together and we are going to need your combined strength to win this war.”
Aurora crossed her arms over her chest as she stared at the Seer. “Didrik, you’re not making any sense. Gregor is human and this war has nothing to do with him.”
Now Didrik crossed his arms and glared up at her. “Now you are being ridiculous. I saw you fly in beside the grandest dragon I’ve seen in all my years, and then I watched as that dragon shifted into the very man who now stands beside you. Tell me again how Gregor is merely a human?”
Aurora’s mouth dropped open. Didrik had never spoken to her in such a manner, snarky and like he was talking down to her. His voice was laced with sarcasm and she realized in that moment it was something she had never heard him use in her over three hundred years of existence. Aurora regained control over her jaw but not before Gregor stepped in front of her, his back to Didrik as he took both of her hands in his own. “I might not know a lot about your world yet, but I know that I belong with you which means I belong here. And never think that you are in this fight alone; your fight is my fight and I promise to be by your side every step of the way until we get your friend back and make sure everyone you care about is safe from those monsters for good. Nothing you say will change my mind about that. We are in this together.”
Gregor didn’t give Aurora a chance to respond before he closed the distance between them covering her mouth with his. Aurora barely had time to register what he was doing before he was gone and the knowledge that she hadn’t wanted him to pull away only left her more irritated when a smirking Didrik came into view.
Aurora stepped toward Didrik, her hand on her hip and her eyes narrowed at him. “Didrik, you know I love you but could you drop the cryptic shit where you talk in circles until we figure out what you’re trying to say on our own and just say what you need to share with us. There is a lot of work to be done to prepare for the war heading our way.”
Didrik lost his smile, his eyes darting between her and Gregor. “The two of you are soulmates and not just any soulmates, your bonding has been in the making even before I was born. There is an ancient prophecy about two souls who would be drawn together by a force no-one would understand when our people needed them the most. One of royal blood and the other an outsider. Two souls who would become the ultimate warriors after their bond was complete, and only then would they possess the power to face our greatest enemy—one of our own.”
Aurora’s heart had completely stopped, she was certain that she wasn’t breathing, and her face was wet for some reason she couldn’t figure out. Was she bleeding? Bringing her hand up to her face she wiped at the wetness and held it out to examine expecting to see red blood on her hand, instead there was a clear liquid there. Reaching back up she ran her hand under her eye…she was crying. How could she be crying without even realizing she was doing it? Maybe it had something to do with how her heart had seemed to stop beating for a few moments.
Glancing at Gregor, Aurora was surprised to see him so upset. He had a look on his face that could only be that of someone who was disappointed. Maybe he wasn’t as into her as he claimed. Being told you were a part of some centuries old prophecy was a lot to take in, even for Aurora, and Gregor hadn’t even known her world existed a few days earlier.