Zwaantie rubbed her back again and grimaced as they stood in a spot that had pretty hills off in the distance.
“Are you feeling okay?” Leo asked her.
“Not really, but I never feel okay these days.”
He rubbed her shoulders. “We can do this another day.”
“No. I want to get started on our castle. This spot would work, but I’d like to keep looking.”
In other words, she didn’t like the spot.
Fifteen minutes later the ocean came into view on their right. To their left, far off into the distance, cows and horses grazed in the farmlands.
“Stop,” Zwaantie said, and the carriage shuttered. She climbed out and spun in a circle. “This is it. This spot right here. I get cows and the ocean.”
Sage wandered around the backside of the carriage and down to the beach. After several yards, she yelled back, “You’ll probably need to move inland a bit, but this is pretty.”
Leo pulled her into him. “You sure? This is what you want?”
“Positive. This is perfect.” She gripped the edges of his vest and pulled him closer. “We can start a new life here. One that isn’t tainted by horrible memories.”
He tried not to get too excited by her affection. “They weren’t all horrible.”
She blinked up at him, and he was lost in that bright blue.
“Leo, I’m sorry I’ve pushed you away. I just needed time, but I’m ready to move forward. This is our life, and I want it to be a happy life.”
He dipped his head forward, ready to take that kiss he’d wanted for so long. “Then let’s start. Right now,” he whispered against her lips.
“Oh,” she groaned and jerked away from him, gripping her stomach.
“What’s wrong?”
Her face screwed up in a grimace. “My water broke,” she said, through clenched teeth. Stars. What was he going to do?
“Oh no, that’s bad. We’re hours from the nearest city.” He put his arm around her and guided her back to the carriage. “Sage!” he yelled. “Get back here!” He couldn’t think too much about what was happening. Her life was in danger out here in the middle of nowhere.
Sage showed up at the door just as he helped Zwaantie onto one of the wide benches.
“What’s up?”
“Zwaantie’s in labor.” He spat the words out, panic setting in.
Sage paled. “What? No. What are we going to do?”
“Get to The Black City as soon as possible.” That was the only plan that made sense. He had to get her to safety.
Sage scrambled in, and the carriage took off. Zwaantie held her stomach. Her whole body tensed, and she let out a groan. Leo held tight to her.
“Sage, I need you to help me,” she said once the contraction released.
“What? No.”
“Yes. I need you to check how far I am.”
Leo was speechless. Here he was close to a full-blown panic, and she was calm as anything.
Sage grew wide-eyed. “I don’t think I can do that.”
Leo was glad she’d asked Sage instead of him. He felt like he was about to pass out.
“Sage you’ve killed dozens of people, spied on countless others, and nearly died protecting me. You can check and see how much time we have left.”
Sage gave a solemn nod.
“Okay, Leo, can you hold me from behind. This is too crowded, but I think we can make it work.”
He climbed around behind her, and she pressed her back into him. This he could do. He could hold her and hope she didn’t die.
She propped her knees up, and Sage checked her.
“What do you see?” Zwaantie asked. Leo was grateful Zwaantie had been a midwife in Sol. Otherwise she’d probably be a lot more upset.
“Um, the head.”
“You’re sure?” Zwaantie asked, resigned. Leo wasn’t exactly sure what this meant, but he was fairly certain they wouldn’t make it to The Black City in time.
“Pretty sure.”
“Okay, Sage, get ready. You’re delivering my baby.”
The blood drained out of Sage’s face. “No. No. I can’t do that.”
“You have to,” Leo said, suddenly resolved. “Her life is in our hands.”
Another contraction came, and Zwaantie clutched her stomach and grunted. After it passed, she took a couple of deep breaths. “I’m going to push now. You catch the baby. That’s all.”
A few minutes later Zwaantie crushed Leo’s finger, and Sage squealed. “I have his head. Now what?”
Leo’s hands started to sweat. He wasn’t ready for this. He watched Sage with admiration. She jumped right in without fear.
Zwaantie breathed hard again. “Just a minute and I’ll push again.” Her grip tightened, and suddenly a wail filled the carriage.
“It’s a boy!” Sage yelled over the cry and handed the pink child to Zwaantie. Leo looked down at the last connection they had to Ari. He would always know this child belonged to Ari, but Leo would do his best to raise him as Ari would.
Chapter 34
The Future
It only took a few weeks for them to build the castle. Zwaantie was shocked when Leo walked into her room two days ago and announced it was finished. He offered to wait until she was ready to move, since the baby was only a few weeks old, but she started packing that very afternoon.
She’d grieved for the past several months and was surprised to find her feelings growing for Leo. A quiet spark had flared, and she allowed herself to explore it. Leo hadn’t kissed her yet, but she was eager to move forward. She and Leo had a kingdom to run.
She gathered baby Ari in her arms and stepped out of the carriage. Leo had gone on ahead, just to make sure everything was ready. He said he didn’t want her to have to do anything but take care of the baby once she arrived.
He was too good for her. She’d come to understand that.
The castle rose up in front of her. It was larger than either castle she’d lived in. A dozen turrets were scattered about. Some were short, and others disappeared into the sky. In a way, it looked haphazard, but every room had a purpose, and it would provide hours of exploring for their children and nieces and nephews.
It exceeded her expectations.
She had hoped Leo would greet her, but instead the nanny waited and took Ari from her.
“The king is up in your rooms, Your Majesty. He asked that you meet him there.”
Zwaantie smiled. “Thank you, please bring Ari up in a half hour or so.”
“Of course.”
Zwaantie climbed up the stairs and found the elevator that would take her to her rooms. It went up and sideways, and she nearly fell over.
She laughed, thinking of the first time she’d ridden in one and had a similar experience. The elevator opened into the entryway of their room. Leo offered to give her a room of her own, but she refused. They would start this life together.
She stepped into the sunlight and immediately rushed to the balcony. Their room was on the top of a tower, with a balcony that went all the way around. She found herself on the side that faced the fields of farm animals. She breathed in the clean air. Slowly she walked around, taking in the sun and the distant hills. On the other side, Leo stood overlooking the ocean. She stopped and watched him for a moment.
She must’ve been quiet because he didn’t look her way.
The last year had not been easy for either of them. At times she hated him and what he represented, but he’d been so patient with her. Even when she was in the depths of grief, he gave her the space she needed.
As time went on, she came to treasure those quiet moments they had together. Those early mornings when he would come in and hold her were her favorites. It was pure love untainted by lust or anger. Her love for him had grown quite unexpectantly.
It was quiet. It was safe. It was Leo.
There were times though, when she could feel a fire in her belly or when she shivered at his touch. The guilt would follow, and so she always
shut it down and withdrew. Deep down, she knew Ari wouldn’t want her to be miserable. That he would want her to love again, but it’d been hard to allow herself that joy.
She approached Leo and put her hand into the crook of his arm, noticing how warm his skin was against hers. He dropped a kiss on the top of her hand and slid his arm around her waist. Her stomach buzzed. She was a little nervous about how to tell him she was ready.
“This is gorgeous. You picked a good spot,” he said.
“I know. I’m not sure we’ll ever need to leave our rooms.”
He grinned. “Except for Sage’s wedding. She’ll never forgive us if we miss that.”
Zwaantie sighed. “I guess. Though I’d be happy if it were just you, me, and little Ari, alone for the rest of our lives.”
“Me too, but we’re the king and queen. No rest for us.”
She wiggled around so she was facing him, her back against the balcony’s ledge. Leo pressed into her, and her arms held him close. He raised his eyebrows. “This is new.”
She wished he’d shut up and go with it. This was hard enough for her as it was.
“I know. Listen, I… I…”
His dark eyes met her. “You don’t have to say it. I know. I love you too.”
She shook her head. “No. that’s not it. Of course I love you.”
“That’s the first time you’ve said it.” His face was serious, and his eyes questioned her motives.
“I’m sorry. I think it a lot.”
He dropped his head, his nose practically touching hers. “So if that wasn’t what you meant, what did you want to say?”
She clenched her fists against his back. This was so difficult to say out loud, and she wasn’t sure why. She was ninety-nine percent sure he wouldn’t reject her. But that one percent still remembered how he laughed at her on their wedding night.
“Leo, I want you.”
He chuckled, and her cheeks burned. He brought his lips to her ear. “You want me, huh? Maybe we can lock ourselves in our tower for a few months. We have nearly a year of marriage to make up for.”
He brought his lips to her neck, and desire filled her belly. He trailed kisses across her jaw and stopped just before her lips. His breath was soft, and she wondered what he was waiting for.
“Tell me again,” he whispered.
“I want you,” she said.
“No, the other one.”
“I love you.”
The End
I hoped you enjoyed reading Queen of the Dawn. Thank you for going on this journey with me. This is one of my favorite stories that’s been begging to be told.
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Thank you for reading!
Love my books?
Check out the first three chapters in the exciting, dragon filled novel, Obsidian.
Prologue
Travis Springs usually didn’t hike in the national parks. He preferred his mountains dragon free, thank you very much, but his buddies told him this hike was safe and worth the risk.
Everyone knew the best hikes were in the national parks, and Travis figured he’d have to get over his aversion to dragons if he was going to be serious about climbing mountains.
The scenery was breathtaking. The valley below him shimmered in greens and yellows. Not to mention the mist that rose from the steam vents covering the entire Yellowstone floor.
He stopped to take a drink. According to the map, he was a quarter of a mile from the top. This was one of the smaller mountains, and so it had to be safe. It was rumored that the dragons in Yellowstone typically didn’t come down from the very top of the tallest peaks.
Travis looked up and saw a gold speck high in the sky. He shivered and watched the path as he walked. In his head, he repeated words he read and heard over the last few weeks. Dragons didn’t eat people. There were no documented cases. His fear was irrational, but then again most fears were.
He concentrated on the ground and climbed up the rocky terrain. After about twenty minutes, he finally made it to the top.
Travis refused to look up at the sky and instead surveyed the valley below him. In the distance, a herd of buffalo grazed in the plains. He took a few deep breaths and felt his fear subside. He’d been silly.
He took a chance and peeked at the sky. The speck looked closer, and his stomach clenched. But then he reminded himself that because he reached the top, the speck would obviously be closer.
Travis’s hands shook as he took a drink of his water. He convinced himself that he’d spend fifteen minutes or so and then head back down. But he didn’t waste all day climbing to the top, just to race to the bottom.
Travis dug in his bag and found his camera.
The air around him suddenly felt ten degrees warmer. Sweat beaded on Travis’s forehead. A hot wind whooshed from above him. He clutched at his camera and looked up.
The golden underbelly of the dragon was only about ten feet above him, flying over him quickly. The thing had to be a hundred feet long from the snout to the tip of its tail. Travis felt his jeans go wet. If he lived to tell this tale, he’d leave out that detail. He reminded himself to breathe.
As fast as it had come, it was gone. Travis couldn’t move. He watched the dragon turn and head back toward him. Travis clutched the camera and took a picture as the dragon opened its wide mouth. Its teeth were three feet long and wicked sharp.
Seconds before the jaws clamped down on him, he dropped the camera. The air from the dragon’s throat blistered his skin, but it didn’t spew fire. Travis’s final thought was, What a horrible way to die.
As the dragon flew away, thoroughly pleased with his meal, he didn’t realize he left behind not one, but two souvenirs. The camera.
And a foot.
Chapter 1
The sea’s salty air reached into the hideout and woke Obsidian. Not ready to get up, he stretched his wing, feeling for Skye. Instead of finding her warmth, he met the grimy cave floor. A shot of panic zipped from his horns to his tail.
She always woke him before she got up. Opening his eyes, he searched for her. She sat near the entrance to the cave, staring over the ocean, the early morning sunlight reflecting off her sapphire scales.
She swiveled her neck and narrowed her eyes. Tears flowed down her ice-blue snout and over her smooth underbelly, forming a pool between her feet. She unfurled her great wings and shook her head, splattering teardrops on the walls.
Skye never cried, at least not in the hundred and sixty-two years they’d been together. Her occasional tantrums caused entire forests to disappear and caves to collapse, but her silver eyes always remained dry. Obsidian moved forward to comfort her, longing to understand why she wept.
Stop, she shrieked in his mind.
Her sorrow became his. Obsidian took three deep breaths and tried to identify her emotions. He wanted the easy free flow of feelings they often shared, but he could barely keep his mind straight with the turmoil.
As royal dragons, they could feel the emotions of those around them, a gift Obsidian usually appreciated. Except in situations like this. Now he wished for the gift of the canyon dragons, who could probe minds.
He forced her feelings away, focusing on peace and quiet. When he pushed out all her sadness, he continued toward her, convinced if he were near her, she would calm down.
Silvery blue flames erupted from her jaw. Obsidian ducked to avoid being singed, his mental block faltering, and a wave of desolation flooded his body. He shook, and his eyes watered. He squeezed them shut, fighting again to regain control of his emotions. He had to put a stop to this.
What’s wrong? he asked and crept closer.
Folding her wings, she moved her body toward the front of the cave. Her head struck the ceiling, stripping off the stalactites. Obsidian winced for her. The light disappeared as her body filled the opening, and smoke engulfed the enclosed space.
Are you up
set about last night? Obsidian asked. They’d argued about the future, a future she thought was in jeopardy.
She didn’t answer. He took advantage of the darkness and moved to her, running the side of his jaw along her neck, something that always pleased her. She jerked, and he recoiled, her rejection stinging.
Back off. I can’t be near you. Her voice, normally sweet in his head, was now icy and cold.
Skye, he whispered, trying to understand.
I mean it, Obsidian. Leave me alone.
The distance she created was unnerving. Curse the rules he had to follow. Once again he wished he had been born into one of the different dragon races or at a different time. If that had been the case, their future would be sure. But he’d been born a royal dragon, a possible heir to the throne, and so far, his life was dictated for him.
We could run away. Find the mountains in South Africa where the council could never find us. In a few years, the new king will be crowned, and we’ll come back. Obsidian knew that as soon as the king was chosen, he was off the hook.
She shook, her wings rustling and her tail swishing. That won’t work. Not now. Two days ago we could’ve done that, but not today. You should go and present yourself to the council.
Becoming human is not urgent. I’ll wait. I can’t stand to see you like this.
You can’t wait! she roared.
Skye collapsed and heaved with sobs. Obsidian draped his neck across her, hating the rules he was bound to. Royal dragons had to go through the human experience before their five hundredth birthday. He put it off because he treasured the time with Skye. Plus, he hated his human form. They had to take it on occasionally in their lessons, but he’d never gone out among the real humans.
You’re going to leave me. We’ll never be bonded, she whimpered.
Obsidian sighed. This was absurd. I only have to be human for ten years. Maybe less if I finish everything early. We’ll be bonded as soon as I’m done. You know this.
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