by Angel Black
Seduced the suspect?
The silence that hits just before the screams, is the quietest. For it is the heaviest.
Seduced the suspect?
Falon’s heart knew what he meant but his mind could not fathom it. His world was spinning, in the world where there was love and beauty like that of Alexandra, there was the grotesque, like the suspect.
No.
Aedan stood facing the Sigmas, but looked over at Falon, his eyes heavy. He nodded slowly at Falon, then looked back to Dax.
“Who was the murderer?”
Falon did not want to hear the answer.
But it all made sense now. The unasked question of why Dax and Tara hated each other so much. Of how they had known each other, despite the fact that Dax spent most of his time as an Enforcer in the realms of humans and lesser shifters, and Tara had spent most of her days in the Imbris kingdom at Meneas’s court. Seduced the suspect.
Before Dax could answer, Tara’s voice screamed in rage and betrayal, “No! No! You promised me,” she said. “You said forever. You said us.”
It was heartbreaking. To hear the monster that had seduced him as a boy to show her bleeding heart after its betrayal.
Tara left the side of Meneas and Elemanias, shifting into her dragon form. Not quite as large as the High Dragons, she still stood menacing, her scales blood red as her hair, her eyes morphed into venomous slits of green.
Aedan spoke, “Protect the new Mother and her Warrior,” and the Sigmas sprinted out of the way, forming a guard around Falon and his bride-to-be.
Tara, the Valkyrie, the terror of the Wolves as she used to be called, stood roaring, a deafening scream that threatened to burst Falon’s soul, while Aedan stood quietly, waving off his guards from joining the battle. Tara crouched, like the animal she had become, and lunged for Aedan, threatening to devour him with her overlarge fangs.
Extending his hand, his palm facing Tara in a “stop” motion, he sent out a small ball of fire colored black, shooting it into Tara’s open jaws.
“Baptism by fire,” Aedan said, and the ball of Blackfyre went into Tara, and exploded instantly. Her body erupted in a cascade of the fire. Only the House of Aurum, the Supreme house still has the Blackfyre. Woe be to the fool who thinks he can withstand its wrath. The old saying played in Falon’s head as he watched Tara’s dragon scales burn and boil alive within the dark flames of Aedan, the screaming having stopped immediately when the fire consumed her lungs.
Within seconds, the fire had flamed out and the only remnants of the great Warrior that was Tara, was a bubbling blob of red and black that lay like a snake at Aedan’s feet.
“Meneas, of House Abraxis. You have committed one of the mortal sins, fratricide. For the murder of your brother and his wife, you will be executed by poison. Elemanias, for the unjust torture of your cousin and your betrothed, Falon, you will spend the next hundred years in the Dungeons of House Abraxis, and your house and the majority of its assets will be removed from you, and given over to your kin, Falon of Abraxis.”
* * *
Her arms held him, like the child he was.
“I’m sorry, Falon,” Tara said.
He was to numb to think, too numb to say anything back. But it felt good to be held by the Valkyrie. At least he still had her, the woman who was like an older sister to him. And he still had his best friend Valonis.
For a while, months and years, the tears would strike him. But Tara would hold him in her arms, soothing away the pain of his parents’ loss.
* * *
Chapter 27: Whales and Sigmas
“So, you’re vege-tar-an?” Dax asked her.
Even the server had been confused, looking at Falon as if his human companion was crazy. Alexandra had to laugh. The dragons and their realm would take time to get used to their new human. I’m their human… hmm.
“Ever since the pregnancy, I haven’t been able to keep meat down. So for now, yes, I am a vegetarian.”
The rest of the Sigmas, all sitting around the round table that they were eating at gave each other a glance. The two brothers snickered evilly, while Dax just continued to look confused. Balor simply seemed amused, and Falon, well he looked at her like he always did: like a smitten college student with his first love.
“There’s one thing I don’t understand though, Dax,” she asked. “You said there was a time you were following Falon on the other side, in Baltimore, that you lost him? You, the great Sigma?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Dax replied. “It was weird. Like he went to the clothing shop, went to the bank, then visited your firm. It was on the first day, then he went somewhere and all of a sudden I got this strange idea… ‘What if he went to visit the aquarium in Baltimore? Dragons are used to living underwater, looking out at the fishes, so it makes sense.’ Then I found myself spending at least an hour in the Aquarium. Just staring at the fish. It was a lot of fun, actually.”
Falon looked deep in thought.
“Yeah, I was at this really cool bar by my suite. I can’t remember what it was called. There was this bartender there, I can’t remember his name. Or even what he looked like, really. I know that he seemed to know I was a dragon. He kept making these subtle hints. Then he set me up with a perfect date for Alexandra.”
Balor’s face changed, taking on an annoyed expression.
“Did he look like he might have been a summer dragon, around my complexion? But he looked like he could have been made up of all human races?”
Falon sat there as if he was thinking hard. “Yes. Yes, I believe so.”
Balor shook his head, and Dax’s jaw dropped. The brothers erupted in laughter.
“Fucking Angel,” said Balor. “Of course, he would be involved with the first dragon pregnancy in centuries. Damn, celestials, can’t mind their own business.”
* * *
Alexandra stared out of the window, watching the sweeping fish and the way that the sea creatures moved. They were so close to her. It never ceased to amaze her how close they were to the ocean life down here. It was such a different world and Alexandra was loving every second. She slid a hand across her stomach, smiling as she realized that the bump in her robes was becoming more and more obvious.
The bump was going to be named after their friend, Dax. Dax if it was a boy, Daxine if it was a girl. The baby would share the name of its Godparent.
Falon moved behind her, wrapping his arms across her and sighing softly in contentment. He too, was dressed in fine robes that draped across his body. Alexandra smiled and stared out a little more at the sea around them.
“It’s beautiful.” She smiled.
“Not as beautiful as you,” Falon murmured. Alexandra felt herself blush.
Falon sighed and murmured, “Maybe, one day, we will visit the human realm again, like they do…” He murmured, as a pod of whales swept past the window.
Alexandra smiled and shrugged. “Maybe we will.”
“I have heard that some have been given passes again… perhaps we can get them.” Falon persisted. “You must miss it, after all… it was your home for your whole life.”
Alexandra smiled and turned, snuggling into Falon’s embrace. She felt her heart light up with happiness at the sight of him. “Falon, I’m happy. Right now, I don’t care whether or not I visit the human realm.” She smiled and gently touched his cheek. “Right now, I have everything that I could ever want, right here in this room with me.”
Falon sighed and his lips pressed gently against hers. When he pulled back, he was smiling, a warm, loving glow in his eyes as he whispered, “I love you, Alexandra…” He murmured softly, “I love you with all of my heart.”
Alexandra could never tire of hearing those sweet words and she smiled, holding him tightly, “I love you too.”
And Alexandra meant it. She was finally where she was meant to be. She was finally happy and in a place where she not only belonged, but felt safe, felt secure, felt content. Finally, she was free to be herself, to experience life
to the fullest, to fall in love and raise a family.
Alexandra couldn’t ask for more and she certainly didn’t want to. She was happy here and, as she looked into Falon’s eyes, she knew that she always would be.
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