Delbin almost laughed as a hint of panic pinched Inona’s face. Maddy might as well have asked her to give a report on the current state of human fashion. “Why don’t you scan for any threat, love?” he asked Inona. “I’ll work on the shelves.”
“Yes. Thank you,” she said under her breath.
It wasn’t a difficult task, not after all the jobs he’d done during his hundred-year exile on Earth. Really, straightening purses and shoes was more natural than practicing magic or learning Moranaian history. He was finished with the task before Maddy locked the door and headed back to the counter.
“Come on,” Maddy said, grabbing the till from the cash register. “We can talk in the back.”
Delbin and Inona followed her through the door behind the counter and into the small office beyond. Past the desk and the small safe, the space became a stock room, with tall shelves full of shoes and other merchandise. Maddy pulled a couple of extra chairs up to the desk and then sat at her own. As she sorted through the money, she flicked a glance at Delbin.
“Okay, why’d you tell us to wait?”
He lifted his brows. “You didn’t sense that strange energy moving through the room?”
“I did, but I didn’t give it much thought.” Maddy shrugged as she copied numbers into a book and put some of the bills into a bank bag. “Those have been happening lately. The first time was maybe a few days after you left? Jase and I wondered if someone was spying, but then other fae mentioned the same thing. It’s like a pulse. A wave that flows through and then is gone. No one knows what’s up.”
Inona straightened in her seat. “Has anything else unusual happened?”
“Well.” Maddy’s hands stilled. “Jase thinks it’s my imagination, but I could swear there are more brownouts. Anna said the power went out at our house twice while I was working yesterday. I mean, it happens, but when I looked at the outage map online, the affected area seemed pretty large. The website said they are doing maintenance, but I still think something isn’t right.”
Random waves of magic and possible interference in the electrical grid? Delbin’s lips pursed. It could indicate a problem, but neither sounded serious enough to have a dragon from Moranaia ready to storm the portal. They definitely needed to speak with Fen and Vek. Especially Fen, since he’d helped Kien poison the local energy fields not that long ago.
“What do you mean by outage map?” Inona asked, reminding Delbin that although she traveled to Earth as a guide, she wasn’t familiar with human technology.
“Here, I’ll show you.” Maddy turned to the computer and wiggled the mouse, waking the monitor. After a bit of typing, a website popped up with a map of Chattanooga. “See all those reddish dots? That shows where the electricity is out.”
Frowning, Inona leaned closer. “How does this map know?”
“I have no idea,” Maddy said. “I guess the electric company has sensors. But look how many dots there are on the west side of town. The neighborhoods and businesses near Prentice Cooper State Forest keep losing power, especially near the mountain where Fen set up that spell for Kien.”
Delbin studied the screen for a moment. “I don’t suppose you’ll show us where Fen and his uncle live? If you know the exact place.”
Maddy’s cheeks reddened. “I might have driven by after Vek mentioned it. Once. Or twice.”
He let out a low chuckle. “I hope Anna’s not too mad about that.”
“I’m trying to build up the nerve to really thank Fen for saving me,” Maddy muttered.
“Whatever you say,” Delbin said, but as his friend squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, he dropped the teasing. “You can just give us the address. I’ll blame Ralan, so Vek won’t know who did it.”
Inona shoved his arm. “You’re going to cause a multi-dimensional incident if you make the princes annoyed at each other.”
Delbin smirked. “Couldn’t be too bad or Ralan would’ve told me not to do it.”
“What if Prince Ralan wasn’t checking for these future strands?”
“Then he’ll have a fun surprise,” Delbin quipped. Then he sobered. “Seriously, I’m not going to cause trouble. After all that has happened lately, I don’t think Prince Vek will be upset at our arrival, especially not after we explain.”
Maddy gestured at the desk. “Let me finish this, and I’ll drive you there myself. I really do want to tell Fen thanks. Maybe having you two there will give me the courage.”
“Sounds good,” Delbin said. “Anything we can do to help?”
“Make sure the front door is warded with magic and turn off the lights.” Maddy picked up another stack of money. “I’ll add the final count to the books and prepare the deposit. Then we can go.”
As Delbin returned to the front room to finish closing up, Maddy’s words circled in his mind. I still think something isn’t right. Maddy was a healer, although a barely trained one, so if her intuition hinted at a problem, it was worth investigating. Could the energy poisoning be seeping back in, too slowly for non-healers like him and Inona to notice? Did Maddy’s power have some connection with Earth? The dragon might be mistaken—or lying.
But Delbin would trust Maddy with his life.
The wind bit into the skin of Aris’s face, but it made a welcome contrast to the heat of Kezari at his back. The dragon had curled up on the top of the tower after her hunt, leaving just enough space for him to climb up through the hatch. She wasn’t at her full size, but she didn’t complain as much about this as she did her elven form.
Not that he could blame her.
Aris hugged his knees closer and snuggled deeper into the space between the dragon’s front leg and her chest. What would it be like to completely change size and body structure? She must have practiced before their first meeting, for she hadn’t struggled to walk. If he managed to turn into a dragon somehow, he’d probably fall flat on his snout in less than a moment.
“I have faith in you, skizik,” Kezari sent.
His sigh puffed into a cloud of frost. “Do you read my mind constantly?”
“Almost.” She tilted her head enough for one eye to focus on his face. “I worry about what you might do.”
“You should have chosen someone less broken.”
Kezari hesitated before answering. “What makes you think I am so whole?”
Aris stared at the side of her wedge-shaped head, but her unblinking eye gave no indication of her mood. Only the rustle of her wings betrayed any agitation. “I’m admittedly no judge of dragon behavior, having met only you, but you seem well enough. You have the confidence to cross half the world, and I can barely go into a room without panicking.”
“There’s more than one type of scar.” Kezari lifted her head, breaking eye contact. “I do not have the support of the dragon queen for a reason.”
His fingers dug into his legs at her words. “You led the Myern to believe that it was the queen’s error.”
“It is.” A tiny flame slipped from Kezari’s mouth before she continued. “Most do not believe me, but what I sense is the truth. You see, we are born with the call of Earth in our veins. No one is certain why after all these years, but it is so. But as we grow, it fades. Most choose to have the connection severed or stifled since it no longer serves a purpose. I did neither, and instead of fading, my link grew stronger.”
“Ah.” The tension eased from his shoulders. “You believe you are broken because you are different.”
Kezari’s chest heaved beneath his back with her sigh. “It is true.”
“It is not.” Aris lowered his hand to her leg and gave a gentle squeeze. “Sometimes the very thing that seems a hindrance is our salvation. I believe it will be so with you.”
“I hope you are correct. I am uncertain we can convince the queen, but I cannot deny the Earth’s cry for help.”
“We’ll figure something out,” he reassured, though he had no clue how they would.
They both went silent as the frigid wind swirled around them, bringing
the scent of rain. The cold approached from the north, and the yearly autumn battle between seasons would begin. Would he be here when the rain turned to ice and snow? At this rate, he wasn’t certain he could make it to the equinox in a few days’ time.
Before his thoughts could drift too far along that line, a shiver of awareness traced his skin as the protections he’d placed on the tower alerted him to another’s presence. It was poor form to add his own shielding to the building, but he hadn’t been able to stand the thought of anyone approaching him without his knowledge. He connected fully to the spell, seeking the information it held, and followed the warmth of Selia’s energy as she ascended the steps. She’d taught him this spell and could have unraveled it easily, but instead, her presence halted at the top of the inner stairs.
Aris shoved to his feet but hesitated to move toward the hatch. That clawing fear that had been eased by the healer’s magic itched at the back of his mind, waiting to engulf him. Anytime he entered an enclosed space, he risked releasing it. Love, guilt, regret—they converged on him each time he saw Selia. But she’d said before dinner that she would return to speak to him about Iren and their possible trip to Earth. He couldn’t hide up here and avoid that discussion.
No matter how much he wanted to.
“Should I transform?” Kezari sent.
“No,” he answered. “Some things I must do myself.”
In truth, he wanted to be alone with Selia as much as he feared it. He’d been able to speak with her before dinner, even survived rejecting her invitation. He could do this. Resolved, he edged around the dragon’s arm, lifted the hatch in the floor, and descended the ladder. Cold air followed him down, but he didn’t close it. At least not until he peered through the dim light at Selia to see her shivering. He shoved aside the thought of being trapped and pulled the hatch closed. He could shatter a window or rush down the stairs. Kezari could break through the top with a single claw. It was fine. He would be fine.
“I can go back down and get my cloak,” Selia said softly. “I left it on the hook without thinking. Or I could ask permission to alter the spell so you can leave the hatch open without freezing.”
His heart warmed at her concern, but he pulled his shoulders back and shook his head. “I must learn to be inside. The windows help.”
Selia shifted a step closer, into the glow of the single mage light he’d activated. “If you say so. But the offer stands.”
He stared at her beloved face as uncertainty flooded him. What could he say to her? Seven terrible years filled the chasm between them. Did he deserve to have a say in Iren’s life anymore? He hadn’t been there for the two of them, and it didn’t matter that his absence hadn’t been by choice. He didn’t know anything about his son’s life in the interim. How could he say whether Iren was capable of traveling to Earth?
“If you are not ready, we can have this discussion tomorrow,” she said.
“Why do you want my input?” he found himself asking. “Am I even really Iren’s father?”
Oh, clechtan. He hadn’t meant that the way it had sounded, but it was too late to recall the words now. Selia flicked her fingers, and the mage lights ringing the room leapt to life. Her tan skin had gone ashen, but her lips had thinned until they were white. Nostrils flaring, she stomped across the space between them.
As she came to a halt, the color rushed back into her cheeks. “I may not know what happened to you, but I can’t believe you would—”
“I’m sorry,” Aris said. “That came out wrong. Truly. I was wondering if I had the right to call myself his father, not questioning that he is mine. I would never do that.”
Her eyes narrowed, and her chest heaved. “I don’t know if I can believe you.”
He couldn’t stop staring at her flushed cheeks and parted lips, not even to defend himself. Except for the anger in her gaze, she had always looked much the same after he’d kissed her. Well, there had been a few arguments where he’d pulled her into his arms and… Groaning, Aris spun away and shoved his hands into his hair. Waves of memories both good and bad beat at his mind, but he built his mental wall ruthlessly higher. He would make it through a single discussion.
“Aris?”
“I give my word that I meant no offense,” he answered, though he wasn’t ready to look at her. Not yet. “But how can I call myself a father? I don’t know what Iren is capable of. I haven’t been here to see his character form. There is no way I could decide this.”
Selia stepped close enough for her energy to brush his. “I wouldn’t expect you to make the decision, but you deserve to give input. You will always be his father. It’s up to you to earn the name Onaial.”
A smile ghosted across his lips at the word. Onaial, a blend of the words ‘heart’ and ‘father.’ Iren already called him that, but Selia was correct. There was much Aris could, and should, do to earn it. He’d missed too much time with Iren already. If there was any chance of healing, of moving forward, Aris had to take it.
He took a deep breath and turned around to face Selia once more. Their bodies nearly brushed, she was so close, but he forced himself to hold his ground. “If you want my opinion, well… I believe we should bring him with us.”
Her brows rose. “You do? But with your dragon so upset, I can only imagine what we’ll find. You want to bring him into danger?”
“I don’t think we’ll have a choice.”
“He has barely started his training.” Selia crossed her arms beneath her breasts, and he forced his gaze away. “Iren is very powerful, but he has no discipline. Just today, he modified the tower without a thought to the consequences.”
Aris let out a soft laugh. “Didn’t you, too?”
“I asked permission first,” she said with a huff, but he could tell by the twitch of her lips that he’d made a point.
He gestured at the hatch. “What he did today? That’s why we need to take him.”
“I don’t understand,” Selia said, frowning.
“He has your confidence and strength, but he has my personality.” Aris smiled. “If we tell him he has to remain behind, he’ll find some way to follow. His best friend’s a seer, so he might even succeed. I don’t want to have to worry about that. Do you?”
“By Arneen,” she muttered. “You might be right. But the danger… I’ll have to think about this.”
At the worry pinching her face, the urge to hold her rose like fire within him. Once, he wouldn’t have hesitated to offer comfort. Now, his hand shook as he lifted it to cup her cheek. Her soft skin warmed his chilled fingers until her heat seeped into his blood. He’d never experienced this kind of connection to another, not even—
No. He wouldn’t think about her.
“Ah, Selia,” he whispered, “If only…”
Her breathing grew ragged, and her arms tightened around her ribcage, pushing her breasts higher. Gods. He needed to hold her. He had to. In this moment, the darkness was locked away. He could be normal, right? Her gaze, full of longing, met his, and he was lost.
His hand slid from her cheek into her hair, and his other hand dropped to her waist. Aris took a deep breath and pulled her against him. Her head settled in the hollow between his shoulder and neck, just as it always had, and she wrapped her own arms around him. Home. He’d finally made it home.
For a few heartbeats, he savored the feel of her body against his. Then her hold tightened. Softly, but as her breasts pressed into his chest, her hips came into alignment with his. He went hard, painfully so, and the wall he’d tried to build crumbled into dust. Memories rushed over him, but not of Selia. His vision went black.
Perim’s hands squeezing. Caressing. Demanding. The rock beneath his back as he was shoved down to the cave floor. Chained.
Bile scalded his throat, and he jerked back from the female wrapped around him. A cry sounded, then a soft thud. Maybe he’d hurt her this time. She’d thought using his body for her pleasure would force the bond, but she’d been wrong. Maybe he’d hurt her too b
adly for her to try again. Please, gods.
Please.
Rock bit into his knees as he dropped, shoving his hands against his eyes. Why couldn’t he see? Had she hit him again? He hadn’t refused her demands, had he? His body would cooperate even if his heart and mind screamed in denial. But she only hit him hard enough to blind him when he’d said no.
A thud resounded from overhead, and the female let out a sound of pain. Good.
Then the world went dark.
Chapter 10
As her spell hit Aris, Selia shoved herself to her knees from where she’d fallen and shuffled over to catch her husband as he toppled. She let out a soft oomph as his dead weight hit her, knocking her over. As her body crumpled backward, her lower legs became trapped beneath her, her heels digging painfully into her bottom. Her upper thighs stung from being stretched into an unnatural position, and her breathing shallowed beneath his weight.
What had just happened?
Aris had stunned her by drawing her close, after he’d avoided touching her as much as possible since his return. Then, just as abruptly, he’d tensed and shoved her away with enough force that she’d lost her balance. He’d gone insensible. As a thud resounded from the hatch above, Selia had acted on instinct and cast a spell of unconsciousness at him.
A sob slipped from her lips. Once he learned that she’d used her magic against him, he would never forgive her. Not after he’d suffered at the hands of that other woman. Why had she done such a thing? She should have tried to reason with him first. Maybe. She’d never seen such panic before. His eyes had lost focus, and he’d clawed his hands across his chest as though trying to scour his flesh.
But that was nothing to the low, tortured moan ringing in her memory.
Selia tried to wiggle out from underneath him, but he was too heavy. Drat. She needed to get out from under him before he came to and lost control again. She had to think of something… Her lips twisted as she pulled in energy for a levitation spell. Too bad she hadn’t considered doing that instead of shoving her body beneath him like a blasted cushion. She sucked in a breath as his weight lifted off of her and then shifted him to the side while she still had the strength.
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