Beastmora- The Golden Six

by Kayley Behler

  “We assume the Creator wanted us to see that. We think we bare the mark until our purpose is finished,” Xander added.

  “And for your last question, I was able to expedite his awakening because I did it once by accident in the wars,” Florence answered, glancing briefly at Xander and then back to her, “The time for awakening is never exactly the same. Sometimes it takes seconds and others it takes hours.”

  “How many times have you all died?” Valeria asked, her mind still reeling with all this new information.

  “This makes seven,” Callan answered, counting on his fingers.

  “Ten,” Florence responded, looking down at her hands and Derik took one of her hands in his own.

  “Fourteen,” Xander replied, his gaze moving to stare at the burning embers of the fire. Valeria couldn’t imagine what it felt like to die over and over. To be murdered and no matter how much pain you endured, you would always wake up and face it all over again. Valeria was drawn from her thoughts when a slither seemed to appear in their sitting room, causing her to jump.

  “Knox, what’s wrong?” Florence asked, standing abruptly. The slither was covered in blood, ashes skewed in their blond hair and they looked as if they just stepped off a battlefield.

  “Zoar has fallen, Princess.”

  * * *

  Chapter Nineteen

  Remembrance

  Everyone arrived at the Manor with a somber mood after Zoar’s memorial service. The entire service was in Elvish, so Valeria had no clue what they were saying, but she knew it must have been memorable because her mother cried, which rarely occurred. When the service finally ended the remaining members of the Six all gathered around their families carriage. Valeria wasn’t all that surprised that they all piled in. The fit wasn’t much tighter with Veronica, Xander, Ivan, Nova and Veronica’s daughter, Renata. Henrik and Nova were nestled in their respective father’s lap. Her mom had her arm wrapped around Valeria, holding her tightly to her side. The ache from her injuries had subsided, so she didn’t really mind the death grip.

  Now home, they all gathered in the sitting room and sat in silence until Callan stood up abruptly, “Where is your alcohol? I need a drink.”

  “I’ll get it,” Emalia said, standing up and moving over to the cabinet.

  “Henrik, why don’t you and Nova go upstairs to play?” Derik suggested, smiling gently down at the fledgling.

  “Okay Daddy,” Henrik answered, grabbing Nova’s hand and leading her over to where Blue waited, leaning against the doorway. Emalia quickly came back with two clear bottles, one holding a brown liquid and another Valeria recognized as blood wine. The wolf quickly passed around glasses to everyone except Valeria and Reneta who were both too young to drink. Beasts weren’t allowed to drink until they turned a century.

  “You’re not having one, Duchess Grey?” Reneta asked when Emalia sat back down without a drink in hand.

  “No, I’m pregnant,” She responded, placing a hand over her stomach with a small smile, “And please call me Emalia.”

  “Oh congratulations, Emalia,” Reneta said with a smile and Valeria could tell that the young sorcerer was a lot nicer than her mother was.

  “Careful not to die, Callie or that pup may be forced to grow up with that mark too,” Veronica snorted downing her entire glass in one go.

  “Piss off, Veronica,” Callan snapped glaring angrily at the sorcerer who didn’t look concerned about the daggers being thrown at her.

  “The bastard and the orphan part two. Just like Seamus. The Creator sure likes to have history repeat itself,” The sorcerer laughed, and Valeria now understood why none of them seemed to want to be around Veronica. She was kinda terrible.

  “Shut your mouth,” Callan growled, “Before I shut it for you.”

  “Just telling it like it is, kid,” Veronica drawled, filling up her glass again, “I hope your Demetri is ready to join the fight, Flo. Or how about Nova, Xan? What is she twenty cycles? Better start early because you never know which one of us they are going to kill next.”

  “Veronica,” Xander uttered, rubbing his temple, “I know you’re upset about Zoar, but please leave our children out of this. No one is dying.”

  “I’m surprised Othorion doesn’t have the mark,” Veronica scoffed finishing another glass. Reneta quickly stopped her mother from pouring another one. Valeria thought back to the young elf whose face mirrored his father. He was older than Valeria herself but too young to lose both his parents.

  “Speaking of the mark,” Derik said, bringing Valeria from her thoughts, “Florence, tell them what Bethal said.”

  “She told me that Zoar’s mark had faded after the explosion. Apparently, King Zaos even threw a party in celebration,” Florence said, her eyes lingering on the glass in her hands before meeting her comrade’s eyes, “That is why they were able to kill him.”

  “What happened?” Xander questioned, “How did Holland end up dead too? They weren’t there from Zoar’s mate.”

  “They set fire to their tree house, forcing them to come down, and then they surrounded Zoar. They kept him busy long enough for them to kill Holland. They did it to make him freeze, long enough so they could kill him. If Knox had not been there, Othorion and Aelene would be dead as well,” Florence answered, “They knew what he would do… They knew how to distract him. I asked Bethal how this could happen, but she didn’t have an answer for me. She told us to watch our backs.”

  “Neferna said she wasn’t there for Emalia or me. Why wouldn’t they just kill us too? Why were they after Zoar’s family?” Valeria inquired.

  “Yeah, they left Reneta and my girlfriend, at the time, alone,” Veronica spoke up, “They only tried to kill me.”

  “Holland and their kids was the only shred of sanity Zoar had left. He loved his family more than anything,” Xander said his eyes glued to the floor.

  “Maybe they weren’t supposed to harm the family,” Florence remarked, the calculating look back in her eyes, “Knox said there were demons and halflings there. Perhaps they lost control.”

  “Aye but it’s not like we can just hit up the Demon King and ask him why,” Callan snarked with a huff.

  “We could always just-” Veronica was cut off when Florence grabbed Derik’s thigh, and he stood, drawing everyone’s attention.

  “Valeria, Emalia! Why don’t you show Reneta to the guest room? It’s been a long night, and the sun will rise soon,” Derik suggested with a smile, “Ivan, why don’t you help me get the little ones into bed?”

  Ivan, who had been surprisingly silent throughout the whole night besides comforting words to Xander, stood gracefully, “Of course, Derik. What a good idea. We must get the hatchlings to bed.”

  Xander looked up at his mate, his hand still clasping the other phoenix’s, “I’ll be up soon. Give Nova a kiss for me.”

  “Take your time,” Ivan murmured softly, pressing a kiss to Xander’s forehead before turning to everyone else in the room, “Good Day cretins. Except for you, Florence. You scare me.”

  Her mom cracked a smile before saying, “You’re wise to be.”

  “Xander you have awful friends,” Ivan muttered, bringing a smile to the group’s face and followed Derik from the room. Valeria caught Emalia exchanging words in Wolfish with Callan before he kissed her stomach, and she looked away, feeling awkward.

  As soon as they were in the hall and out of earshot, Valeria leaned over to Emalia, “We are being dismissed because they are talking about Six things, right?”

  “Pretty much,” Reneta laughed and her sister joined in.

  “It doesn’t matter, Callan will just tell me about it later,” Emalia shrugged wrapping an arm around Valeria’s shoulder, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

  “What about you, Reneta? Does your mom ever tell you Six secrets? I know my mom doesn’t tell me anything,” Valeria asked, turning to the dark-haired sorcerer.

  “Sometimes, she used to confide in my dad, but after they got divorced, I’m the
only one she really talks to. I promise that my mom isn’t awful and I’m sorry about what she said about Callan’s parents, Emalia. She just has a lot of bitterness at, well everything and she isn’t very good at hiding it.”

  ◆◆◆

  Three nights later, Valeria headed down to the basement to begin her work. Her parents had told her she didn’t need to do it, since getting her bones broken was a punishment enough, but Valeria had refused. She wanted to do it, this was her punishment for not telling the truth, she deserved the punishment. Valeria flicked on the lights with a sigh, surveying all the work she has ahead of her.

  “Alright, let’s do this,” Valeria said to herself, taking the cleaning supplies her mom had left down here and going to work on the dust-covered items. She was down there for maybe an hour when she heard the clicks of dragon claws on the stone floor, sure enough, Nebby had come all the way down to stare at Valeria.

  “Coming to make sure I don’t touch your egg?” Valeria asked the red dragon, Nebby snorted at her before walking closer and sniffing her. She watched as the dragon circled her and sniffed her, “What are you doing?”

  Nebby let out a series of noises before looking at her expectantly, tilting her head down to give Valeria an intense stare.

  “Okay?” Valeria said before turning away from the dragon. She heard Nebby let out an impatient huff before Valeria felt something tugging down on her arm. Nebby had grown to the size of a large dog and had her sleeve in her mouth, “Oh, so you can grow now?”

  The only answer she received from the dragon was to be dragged towards the vault. Nebby guided her hand towards where the blood would go to unlock the vault before biting her hand, drawing just enough blood for the vault to swing open.

  “I am so confused right now,” Valeria mumbled as Nebby preceded to haul her inside the vault and towards where her egg was resting on the velvet pillow. Valeria looked at the egg before pausing and looking at Nebby, did she…? Could she possibly want Valeria to bleed on her egg?

  “Are you telling me to bleed on your egg? Do you find me worthy of it now?” Valeria questioned, and Nebby gave her nod, “Was it because I saved Mom?”

  Nebby nodded again before nudging Valeria towards the egg, one more time then stared at her expectantly, “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  Valeria felt a rush of excitement, maybe this is why she didn’t get accepted into the Dragon Core because her companion was right under her nose this entire time. Valeria looked around for something to cut her hand with when Nebby presented her with a knife between her teeth, “Thanks?”

  She took a steadying breath before making a small cut on her palm before pressing it down on top of the egg. She felt a pulse of energy shoot through her veins as the egg began to crack, and her blood slid into the white lines of the eggs glossy surface. Valeria gasped, as a small head pushed its way through the shell under her hand, the tiny dragon head was no bigger than her thumb, and it blinked at her. The baby dragon had red and white scales, it eye’s were the same cold blue as Thoren’s, but the facial structure reminded her of Nebby. Valeria released a breath she didn’t realize she was holding, as the dragon made a small mewling noise. Nebby, who was beside her, was making soft noises to her hatchling. The baby dragon made another low noise before biting into Valeria’s hand, a companion bite, the bite that Valeria had dreamed of getting one day. All the books she had read never prepared her for the rush of magic she felt run from the dragon’s mouth through her body.

  “By the Creator,” Valeria whispered as the warmth of a presence entered her consciousness, she could feel awe and admiration that was not her own. She understood what the books meant by another soul being a companion with your own, “I’ll call you Onni.”

  Onni released her hand, in favor of breaking the rest of the way from the egg’s shell and standing on wobbly legs. His small wings stretched and flapped as he moved about. Valeria offered her hand to Onni, and he crawled into it, and she brought him next to her face so he could put his head against her nose. His little tail and wings, vibrating with happiness.

  “Valeria?” Her mother called as she entered the vault and Valeria turned to grin at her who beamed back, “Oh darling, that is wonderful.”

  Valeria couldn’t help but laugh giddily with happy tears in her eyes as Florence took a picture with her communicator, “Thanks, Mom.”

  Florence wiped at the tears on Valeria’s face, stroking the head of the baby dragon, “He is beautiful… oh, wait, let me get your father.”

  ◆◆◆

  Valeria spent the rest of that night getting to know Onni, true to his name he was the happiest dragon Valeria had ever met. He followed her around the whole night, and every time she turned her attention back to him, he would hold onto her wrist with his teeth. The bite didn’t hurt because she knew it was his way of saying hello. It did not take much time for Valeria to love the little thing, even though it was the spawn of Nebby. Although Onni seemed to be more like Thoren than anything else, except she was the dragon treat that got him to come. Henrik was enamored with the young dragon, spending the most of the night by her side, playing with Onni until their mother shooed him off to bed.

  Now Valeria lay in her bed with Onni nuzzled into her neck as she stared at the ceiling. In all the books Valeria had read, getting your companion was your first step into becoming a vampire and leaving the fledgling behind. Admittedly with everything she has been through the last phase, she felt like she had already taken that first step and Onni was just a bonus. Tomorrow night Valeria would make a decision on what to do with her life. She vowed to herself, this would be the last night she was going to be a fledgling. By sunset, be the start of her journey as a vampire. There was only one thing left she had to do before she left fledglinghood behind.

  With careful steps, she left Onni comfortably on the pillow and padded off to her parent’s bedroom. The Manor was quiet as she crept down the hall, if she listened carefully enough, she could hear Henrik’s soft snores coming from his bedroom. As quietly as she could, she inched opened her parent’s door, expecting to see her parents asleep but her father was sitting up reading. Her mother was sleeping beside him, turned away from the light on Derik’s bedside table.

  “Valeria?” Derik whispered, looking up from his book at her, “Is something wrong?”

  “No… I just was wondering if I could sleep with you guys tonight?” Valeria asked, and a fond look came over her father’s countenance as he patted the space between him and Florence. Valeria gently eased herself down in the empty space and settled into the pillows, “I’m surprised she didn’t wake up. She usually a really light sleeper.”

  “Veronica gave her a sleeping potion. She will be out for the rest of the day,” Derik answered, looking fondly at his wife, “She has not slept since Zoar passed.”

  Valeria’s eyes widened, “Is Mom alright?”

  Derik shakes his head, “Your mom has a lot going on in her head. The Demon King, your sister’s pregnancy, Demetri being away from home, Dracul…”

  “The revolution coming?” Valeria asked, and Derik looked surprised before chuckling.

  “A revolution? Your brother is very dramatic. It is a change of leader that is all,” Derik responded, taking her hand, “We will tell you about it when you need to know.”

  “So it is a story for another time?’ Valeria asked with a sigh, and Derik shook his head.

  “No...well yes. Just trust that your mother and I will tell you what you need to know when you need to know it. This is just something you do not need to worry about right now,” Her father answered, patting her head gently, “It won’t be happening for at least twenty cycles.”

  “Demetri said it was dangerous to know about it,” Valeria said thoughtfully.

  Her father hummed in agreement, “It is. Which is why you do not know about it, right?”

  “Does Emalia know?”

  “No. Your sister has unfortunately picked the ability to worry about a million things from your mot
her and trust me she is,” Derik answered, giving Valeria a smile, “I do not want your sister to worry my grandchild away. I have waited too long for this.”

  “You know you have three other children?” Valeria chuckled, and Derik snorted.

  “Yes, I have three fledglings that are not ready to be parents, but I have always wanted a big family just like I was part of,” Her father recounted with a wistful smile, “I hope that you and your siblings spouses come live in this house and fill it with your own children. Before the Grey Rebellion, four generations lived in this Manor. It was never quiet but I never really liked the quiet anyway.”

  “Do you miss them?” Valeria inquired, and her father seemed sadder.

  “Every night,” He answered, sighing softly, “But I see them in you, all of you. I would never trade what I have now for what I had then. Your mother and I built a home together when neither of us had one. We survived together. She gave me you and your siblings, the greatest gift anyone could ask for.”

  “Dad,” Valeria began as a tear slipped down her cheek, and a wave of empathy crashed through her. She almost lost this at the explosion and at the GSI building. What would her father have done if Valeria or Emalia or Henrik or Demetri or her mother died? She didn’t think she could survive losing one. It was in this moment that Valeria realized that her father was just as strong as her mother. They were both survivors, but they weren’t just surviving; they were thriving through it all.

  Derik smiled softly at her before wiping the tear from her cheek before murmuring, “Hey now. I didn’t mean to make you cry. I just want you to know how important you and your siblings are to me. I would give my life to protect you all and your mother would as well. We would never put you in danger but enough of this. I don’t even know how we got on this topic.”

  Valeria nodded as Derik turned off the light and they settled under the covers. When she closed her eyes, she saw the face that had kept her up the past two days, Neferna. The real reason she had come crawling into her parent’s bed, “Dad?”