by Donna Grant
He’d tried to make the best decision despite what he wanted, and now it was backfiring on him. Again. How many more times did he have to make such mistakes before the magic sent him a challenger?
Hours trickled by with excruciating deliberateness. He let his eyes close. No longer did he have the willpower to fight the sleep he needed. Dragon sleep took him quickly, drawing him under. He didn’t fight it. He welcomed it, embraced it. And through the darkness, a figure took shape—Rhi.
“Ah, lass,” he said with a smile and opened his arms.
She walked to him, embracing him as he wrapped his arms around her. Several moments passed where they simply held each other.
“You shouldn’t be here.”
Con frowned at the sound of her Irish accent. He pulled back and looked down into her silver eyes. “What?”
“You don’t belong here, my love.”
“Stop,” Con ordered with a shake of his head.
Rhi quirked a black brow. “I’ve always told you the truth. This is no different.”
“I need to be here.”
She smiled sadly and put her hand against his cheek. “You are King of Kings. You have responsibilities that need to be seen to, as well as others who count on you.”
“You counted on me.”
“You won’t need to worry about me for long.”
His heart skipped a beat. Something in her voice sounded warning bells. “What do you mean?”
Her hand slipped from his face to fall to her side. “You know.”
“I doona. Tell me,” he ordered, more harshly than intended.
“I’m not a Dragon King to be ordered about,” she scolded, though there was no heat in her words.
“Rhi, tell me.”
“It doesn’t matter. It’s too late for me.”
Con gripped her shoulders, his mind racing. “Nay. This isna how the dragon sleep is supposed to happen.”
Rhi started to fade away, her body turning to mist so that his hands no longer had anything to touch.
“Rhi!” he bellowed. “I can no’ lose you!”
“You doona have a choice. You ended things, which caused me to be reckless.”
He spun around, looking for her in the direction of her disembodied voice. “Tell me where you are.”
“It’s too late.”
“Please!” he bellowed.
“You’ve always been able to find me, my love.”
Con’s eyes snapped open. He lifted his head, his heart still pounding erratically from the dream. Nothing about what had just occurred was normal. He rose to his feet and shifted into human form. Rhi’s parting words reverberated in his mind. He’d always had an uncanny ability to know when she showed up veiled near him, or when she arrived and departed from Dreagan. He hadn’t been able to do that with anyone else. Now, he had to use it to find her. If for nothing else than to see if his mind was playing a cruel trick on him.
He drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. Then he closed his eyes and thought of Rhi. He’d never looked for her this way before. He wasn’t sure how to go about it, but he had to try something. If dream-Rhi was right, her time was running out quickly.
The only thing that kept popping into Con’s mind when he thought of Rhi was the manor. He shifted and hurriedly flew there. When he swooped into the massive opening at the back of Dreagan Mountain, he ignored the other Kings as he returned to human form. He ran through the corridors and out of the hidden doorway that led from the mountain into the dwelling. He had no idea where he was going. He was just following some intuition. He ran up the stairs and found himself standing outside his office.
Con slowly walked to the door and put his hand on it as he closed his eyes. He didn’t know how, but he knew that Rhi had put her hand on the door. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting against a wave of anguish.
The next thing he knew, he saw a place in his mind that he didn’t recognize. Without hesitation, he ran back through the manor to the mountain. Once more, he didn’t stop and speak to the others as he cleared the mountain and leapt into the air, shifting into his dragon form. His wings flapped quickly, taking him high into the cloud cover above.
He didn’t know what guided him, but he followed his instincts and flew westward. Before he knew it, he was over Ireland. His gaze scanned the land below, waiting for some sign. Not until he was on the western edge of Ireland did something tell him to land. He looked down and saw some castle ruins.
Without caring if anyone saw, Con tucked his wings and dove straight to the ground. When the land rose to greet him, he tucked himself into a ball and returned to human form as he landed with bent knees, his hands on the earth.
Then he waited and listened, but no one gave even so much as a cry of alarm. Only then did Con slowly straighten and look around. Once more following his intuition, he walked around the back of the ruins until he encountered two standing stones facing each other. He knew without quite understanding how that he was looking at a Fae doorway. Only the Fae could see them, but since he couldn’t even explain how he had known to come here, he couldn’t fathom how he knew it was a doorway.
No Dragon King had ever walked through a portal like this before. He didn’t know what would happen to him if he did, and he didn’t care. If Rhi was in trouble, then he was going to help. He was about to step through when he hesitated. He couldn’t just leave without letting the Kings know.
But he didn’t want all of them to know. Since Kellan still slept, Con knew of one other who would keep it to himself.
“Vaughn,” Con said through the mental link.
“Aye. Is everything all right?”
“No’ in the least. Something has happened to Rhi.”
“Where is she? We’ll help,” Vaughn said.
“I have to do this on my own. I wanted to let you know I’m going through a Fae doorway after her.”
“Bloody hell, Con. That means you’re going to the Fae Realm. You know as well as I what the rumors say about that planet.”
None of that mattered to Con. “She needs me. If I doona return, you know what to do.”
“Where are you? One of us should come with you.”
“Keep Dreagan safe. I’ll be back.”
“You damn well better,” Vaughn stated.
Con severed the link and squared his shoulders. Then he walked through the doorway.
Determined…
Hearing about the utter desolation of the Fae Realm and seeing it were completely different things. Con could only stare in disbelief and astonishment at the ravaged wasteland stretched out before him.
There was no way he would allow the Fae to do this to his realm. If he thought they were about to start their war again, he and the Kings would put an end to it immediately. The Fae had had a chance with their planet, and they ruined it. They wouldn’t be allowed to do it a second time with Earth.
Con scanned the area, hardly able to fathom that beings could be so controlled by hate and greed that they would knowingly obliterate their home in an effort to rid themselves of others. It made his stomach turn. As much as he hated the desolation, he wasn’t there to pass judgement on the Fae. He’d come for Rhi.
He turned and put the area to memory for when he returned. Unlike the doorway on Earth, nothing marked this one. To help, he walked to a nearby tree that leaned with half its roots out of the ground and the top half of its trunk broken. He snapped off some limbs.
After returning to his original position, he used a limb to determine where the edges of the doorway were, then plunged the sticks into the ground much like the stones were arranged on the other side. Con dusted off his hands, satisfied. Then he put his back to the portal.
“Where are you, lass?” he whispered.
He had no idea how big the Fae Realm was, but he was about to find out. With only a thought, Con shifted. He spread his wings and flapped them. It had been a long time since he could do whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted as a dragon. But as good as it felt, he did
n’t linger.
With a jump and another flap of his wings, he was airborne. He stayed low since there was no need to hide in the clouds for fear of humans seeing him. He flew east first, gliding over vast swaths of land that showed no signs of any movement. Back and forth he soared, in a grid pattern.
He noticed a dark cloud in the distance. It wasn’t long before his enhanced senses picked up the loud roaring. The first bits of dust and dirt began to crash into him. Con immediately dipped a wing and swung around. Flying into that sandstorm would get him nowhere. He wouldn’t be able to see anything, and he’d spend too much energy fighting against the wind. All he could hope for was that Rhi wasn’t anywhere near it.
Con doubled back and started a new grid. The longer he went without any sign of Rhi, the more worried he became. He tempered it because there was a chance she had teleported to the other side of the planet.
He flew fast, his gaze moving quickly over the parched ground. Everything was brown or black, making it easy to spot anything with color. Rhi wore a lot of pink, which should make it effortless to pick her out of such a bleak world.
With no leaves, there was no canopy of trees to hide her, either. Remnants of trunks and limbs lay scattered like dumped toothpicks. The occasional tree that still stood, did so only by the grace of some higher being, though most of the trees’ limbs had also been stripped.
Section after section, Con searched. He never stopped, never paused. Suddenly, something urged him to deviate from his current track. He didn’t hesitate. Movement caught his attention. The instant he saw the four Dark Fae, he stilled his wings to glide upon the air. They never saw him as they ran toward the doorway.
Apprehension tore through Con. He continued on his course, dread forming a tight knot in the pit of his stomach. Rhi was here. He knew it. Just as he knew the Fae had done something to her. The only question was, would he find her in time? Con refused to accept anything other than success.
He could no longer tell if he was on the right path or not. The intuition that had guided him earlier had suddenly vanished. He knew real fear then. Because if he didn’t find Rhi… He refused to finish the thought. To think it would invite the possibility, put it into Fate’s hands, and he wouldn’t do that.
He flew for several more miles, skimming the ground before deciding to turn and look over another section. As he spun around, he caught a glimpse of pink. Con zeroed in on the color and spotted Rhi. He immediately dove toward the earth, shifting to human form right before he landed. The instant his feet touched the ground, he ran naked to her.
“Rhi,” he said as he slid on his knees beside her.
He held his hands over her, noting the many wounds and blood. So much blood. His gaze snapped to her face to find her eyes closed. She was still, so very still. He feared touching her and discovering her body cold.
“Please,” he whispered to whatever higher being might be listening.
His hand shook as he put a finger beneath her nose and felt the faint brush of air. Relief surged through him so hard that he had to steady himself with his hands on the ground. Con quickly gathered himself. He placed his hand on Rhi’s arm and pushed his power through his palm into her body.
Her chest rose with a deep breath before she gently released it. He watched her face, waiting for her to open her eyes. As he lingered, his mind returned to the Fae he had seen. Rage swept through him. Con climbed to his feet and took off running. He jumped into the air and shifted before flapping his wings furiously to catch up to the Dark.
Con landed between them and the doorway. The surprised looks on their faces that shifted to fear only fed his need for revenge. He released a low growl as he eyed the four who had dared to harm his mate.
The longer he stood there, the less afraid the Fae became. He bided his time until one grew bold enough to attack. Before the orb of magic had left the Dark’s hand, Con incinerated them all with dragon fire.
He glared down at their charred bodies that rapidly turned to ash. With Rhi avenged, Con took to the skies and returned to her. He was surprised to find her still unconscious. He had to admit that it might be for the best, however. If she woke up now, he wouldn’t be able to carry through with his decision.
It was bad enough seeing her again.
Con gently gathered her into his massive paw, careful not to cut her with his talons. When she was secure, he took to the skies once more. Con looked down at her. The wind whipped through her long, black locks. He couldn’t help but wonder if this would be the last time they flew together.
He put that out of his mind for the moment. His mate was safe and alive. It had been a close thing. Had he been even a second later, she might have died. His heart shuddered at the thought. He’d healed her injuries, but seeing her like that had brought the reality of what it might be to truly lose her to the surface. They had never gone through with the mating ceremony, which meant she wasn’t immortal as a Dragon King’s mate would be.
Con gently landed when he reached the doorway since he couldn’t fit through in his true form. He shifted, still holding Rhi because the thought of releasing her wasn’t something he could do. He called clothes to himself and then walked through the doorway back to Earth to find that night had fallen.
He toyed with the idea of walking to Rhi’s cottage with the hopes of her waking, but in the end, it would only cause more pain for them both. He was having a hard enough time knowing that he had to leave her. Why would he make it infinitely more difficult by waiting until she woke?
A light mist began to fall. Con returned to dragon form with a sigh. He then flew to Rhi’s cottage on the eastern side of the island, thankful to find the house empty. Thunder rumbled in the distance, announcing the approaching storm. Con landed and simply held Rhi in his paw. He wanted to take her to Dreagan and spend the rest of eternity apologizing for what he had done. He wanted it so badly that a physical ache filled him. But it didn’t matter what he longed for—or who he needed.
Because he was King of Dragon Kings.
Reluctantly, Con once more returned to human form to carry Rhi inside the cottage. He laid her on the bed and smoothed the hair away from her face as he sat beside her. He stared at her, marveling at her beauty.
“I love you. You doona think so, but it’s the truth, love. I should’ve told you everything myself, and I hope that one day I get the chance to do that. For now, this is how it has to be. I hold out hope that somehow, someway, the Kings will begin to find mates. Until that time, I will hold you close to my heart and dream about you every night. It’s only because I have faith that we can be together later that I’m able to carry on now.”
He drew in a breath and took her hand in his as his eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know if you can hear me. Know that the vows we shared bind me to you. There will never be another for me. You, Rhiannon, are my one and only mate. Doona give up on us. On me. If you do…I willna blame you. Just know that you hold my heart—for now and always, lass.”
Con pulled his hand away and got to his feet. He let a single tear fall before wiping it away and turning on his heel. The instant he was out the door, he shifted and took to the skies. But he didn’t return to Dreagan.
Finding a new path…
For the first time since they’d sent the dragons away, Con ignored the rules and flew. He didn’t care if any mortals saw him. The only thing that could help his tattered heart was taking to the skies.
He chased the night, keeping just ahead of dawn one continent after another. He didn’t look down, didn’t take note of how fast the humans had spread around the globe. He kept his gaze on the horizon and his mind empty.
Or at least he tried.
Rhi was always there, tempting him with a memory of her laugh as she told him a dirty joke or smiled up at him seductively as she crawled onto his lap for a kiss.
She was there even as he recalled their arguments and heated debates when their thoughts differed. She had always been up for any kind of adventure, but she
was just as comfortable spending the day lying in each other’s arms, talking.
When Con finally lowered his gaze to the ground, he didn’t see the mortals or their buildings. He saw the way things had once been when the dragons ruled. He’d promised the Kings and dragons that they would come home one day. He had given them—and himself—hope. But the truth was, he feared they would never return.
Was he fooling himself about Rhi, as well? Did he honestly think she could forgive him for what he had done? And how he had done it?
She was beautiful, intelligent, loyal, and brave. There wasn’t a male out there who wouldn’t do anything to have her for himself. Rhi deserved love. She deserved someone who could put her first. As much as Con wished he could do that, he couldn’t. His father had warned him what might come to pass. Con hadn’t realized how deeply he could love his mate. Even if he had, it wouldn’t have stopped him from becoming King of Golds or King of Kings.
Besides, the magic wouldn’t have let him shirk his duty.
Just like it wouldn’t let him now. He had vowed, and the magic of the realm took that seriously.
Con had lost two things he didn’t think he could lose—the dragons, and his mate. He wouldn’t see the Kings fall apart. He couldn’t. He would do whatever was necessary to keep their family together and happy.
To his surprise, he realized that he had circled the globe. Con saw he was back in Scotland. He looked behind him. Ireland wasn’t far. He could drop in on Rhi and see if she was recovering. Just a look.
Something bumped into his other wing. Con swung his head around to find teal scales.
“About time you came home,” Vaughn’s voice said in his mind.
Con sighed. Maybe Vaughn showing up to prevent him from going to Rhi was a sign. What would seeing her accomplish anyway?
“Con?”
He opened the link between them. “I need some time.”