Aspen shook her head. “Sorry, I need to go find Rowan. Come to dinner. Seriously. The boys can answer questions that I can’t. Gotta run. Love you, Sis. See you tonight.”
Aspen stood and slipped between the tables before Hazel could argue. But Hazel wasn’t letting her get away. As she was about to stand up, another person sat in the seat Aspen just vacated. It was the third to last person she wanted to see.
Paul.
“WHEN DID YOUR gorgeous self arrive?” Paul asked.
“Last night.” Hazel wasn’t sure she could handle any more drama. Though with the exception of the time he proposed out of nowhere, he was usually pretty drama free. That was what she liked best about him.
He looked good and had filled out since she left. A five o’clock shadow made him look sexy along with the army fatigues he wore. They had a complicated history, but they started out as best friends in middle school. Then when she came back from Yosemite with her heart broken, he had been her shoulder to cry on. Eventually they moved into the murky area where they made out but put no labels on it. She dated other people, and he seemed okay with it, but he’d thrown her for a loop when he proposed.
She ran. They still kept up a little via Facebook, but she kept him at arm’s length.
“I don’t remember you mentioning you were military,” Hazel said.
“National Guard. We got called up to deal with the Yellowstone issue. But it’s spread now.” He ran a hand through his shaggy blonde hair, and it fell into his eyes. Hazel put her hands in her lap so she wasn’t tempted to brush it out. She had enough boy drama with Teddy and Val. She didn’t need to add Paul to mix.
“What do you mean?” she asked, genuinely curious. She hoped he wouldn’t mistake it for interest in him.
“You haven’t heard? There was a death in Hawaii at Volcanoes National Park.”
“What?”
Rowan needed to remain the center of their search. Not some other poor soul in a different park. She knew that was selfish of her to think that, but if deaths were happening in other parts of the country, the government might shift resources, and right now, she wanted everyone looking for Rowan.
“No witnesses, but it left behind a hand, just like the early deaths here.”
“Damned dragons. What do you think will happen?”
Paul shrugged. “Dunno, but the fact it’s happening that far away isn’t a good thing. It means there’s more than one.”
“Either that or this one has moved. Maybe it couldn’t take the heat here in Yellowstone. Too many people looking for it.” Hazel took a drink of her latte that had now gone cold.
“Maybe, but it will have a harder time hiding in Hawaii. Think about it. The dragons here are all silver and gold. Down there they’re all bright red.”
Hazel bit her lip. She couldn’t keep all that was happening straight. She took a deep breath and remembered the only thing that mattered.
“Have you heard anything about my brother?”
Paul’s face softened. “I’ve been helping with the search. Your parents are holding up really well. I was surprised. They’ve been super focused on the search and patient with those in charge.”
Hazel nodded. “My parents have always been like that.”
“Do you remember that time we brought Rowan with us to the movies?” Paul gave her a grin she always loved and scooted closer to her.
Hazel laughed. “Yeah, and he accidentally spilled his Coke all over the man sitting in front of him when the dinosaur ate the crazy girl.”
“Then we had to run out of there so the guy didn’t beat the shit out of him.”
Hazel felt the tears starting before she could stop them. “What if we don’t find him?” she asked with a cracking voice.
Paul slid over to her and pulled her into his arms. “Hey, don’t think like that. He’s alive. We’ll find him. Come on, I’ll help you. Where do you want to start looking?”
Hazel pulled out of his embrace. “How are you going to do that? You’ve got to work.”
“What do you think my work is these days?”
Being with Paul was nice and comfortable. Plus he understood how important it was to her to find her brother. He’d help her.
She sniffed. “Thanks, that means a lot to me.”
He lifted her chin so she was looking right at him. “Haz, I’d do anything for you. You know that.”
She nodded with a sinking stomach. She’d hoped he’d go back to just being her friend, but the look in his eyes was one of desire, not friendship. She’d use him though, if she had to. Her brother was the most important thing, and if Paul’s feelings were a casualty, she wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice them.
VAL RAN A razor along his chin. Getting ready as a human was a hell of a lot harder than as a dragon. He’d seen humans grooming when he watched them camping, but he never realized how much work it was. His hand shook a little, and he took a deep breath. He was trying not to think about what today would bring.
He would see his dad, learn more about what his duties would be as king, and if he was lucky, see Hazel again. The last one made him the most nervous. Aspen acted like Hazel wouldn’t give him the time of day.
He washed off his face and made his way down the stairs to the kitchen. He looked at the pictures on the wall as he walked. He supposed the artwork was pretty, but it didn’t capture the true beauty of things. He preferred seeing the actual landscapes and people to just an image of them.
“Good morning,” Sid said, grabbing a carton of milk out of the fridge. “Grab three bowls, will you?” He pointed to the cupboard behind Val’s head. Val turned around and opened the door. “Also, get a couple of spoons from the drawer next to you.”
Val took his wares to the table. Sid brought the milk and cereal.
“Who’s the third bowl for?” Val asked.
“Me.” Runa appeared at his shoulder. “Captain Crunch is my favorite. Lucky Charms is good too, but Raisin Bran is gross.”
“Don’t listen to her. Raisin Bran is the best,” Sid replied.
Runa landed on the table. “Well, we can’t all be perfect, Your Highness.” Runa nudged at a red box on the table. “Try the Captain Crunch.”
Val sat down. “Okay. I’ll try it.”
“Get me a bowl too,” Runa chirped.
“Of course.” He poured out the cereal and milk into the two bowls. He picked up his spoon, but Runa dunked her head and slurped noisily.
Sid shook his head. “No manners, that one.”
Runa’s head popped up. “You try eating this with no hands. I dare you.”
“No, thanks. There are few advantages to being human. This is one of them.” He held up his spoon.
“What’s on the agenda for today?” Val asked.
“When we’re done eating, I’m going to take you to see your father. I promised him he could see you right away.”
“Do you know him well?”
“I do. But I didn’t know about you until last year. Your father is a complex dragon and pretty secretive. I was surprised as hell when he finally told me why he was banished.”
“Do you think he’ll tell me?”
“Of course. Believe it or not, you’d be here right now even if you weren’t king. This actually makes it more complicated because I can’t just let you stay with him for longer than a few hours. After I take you to him, I need to go help Aspen search for Rowan. Then tonight, we need to start preparing for the war.”
Val ran his hand through his hair. “I still don’t quite get the war thing. I mean Theo told me turning black was a fulfillment of the three kings prophecy, but to be honest, I don’t even know what the prophecy says. Sure I’ve heard the story, but it’s been told in several different ways by different people.”
Sid sighed. “Yeah, that’s part of the problem. We are trying to locate the original source of the prophecy, but so far we haven’t had much luck. The original is written down in Everett’s cave. Before he died he gave me what he remembered.”
“Did he tell you where to find his cave?” Val had heard of the old dragon that had been around since the dragon wars. He didn’t know Everett had passed on.
“No. He died before he got the chance. I have dragons searching for his cave though. It’s got to be here in Yellowstone somewhere.”
“So exactly what does the prophecy say?” This was important. It held his fate.
“Three kings will rise from the land, the sea, and fire. Together they will battle the snow witch. The war will be one the world never forgets. Species against species. Brother against brother. Who will win, no one knows. If it be the witch, she will enslave all of humanity. If it be the kings, only one survives.”
Val rubbed his hand across his face and sighed. “I’ve never heard that version.”
“Yeah, I know. It wasn’t quite how I remembered it either.”
“Does it mean that all species will fight in the war, including humans?”
“Maybe. It’s hard to say. I really need to read it for myself. I’m most concerned that only one of us will survive. Also, there’s no telling how long this war will last. It could be centuries. We need to prepare for that possibility. We don’t know when the war will actually start.”
“Do we know who the snow witch is?”
“No. The only one who made sense died.”
“Do you have any training, any ideas on how to handle this? I know you are new to the throne.”
“Ha! I wish. No. I’m going to consult with a few of the older dragons. Your father, for one. We have warriors trained in the royal dragons, but none of them have seen war. Until we know what we are up against, I can’t make a plan of attack. But even as we speak, I’ve got ambassadors making nice with all the dragon races. Your presence still isn’t known, so most don’t know that the prophecy is being fulfilled. Once it becomes public, dragons will start taking sides.”
Val would have to process all of this eventually, but right now his mind was stuck on one thought. “Why would you consult with my father?”
Sid gave him a small smile. “Because your father knows how to fight.”
Runa poked her head up. “Aspen is back.” She took off from the table, and Val heard a crash. Aspen yelled out.
“Watch where you’re going.” She walked into the kitchen rubbing her chest. “She flew right into me.”
Theo followed, carrying a dazed looking Runa. Aspen gave Val a cheeky grin.
“You got under her skin.”
“What do you mean?”
“She said she doesn’t want to see you again.”
Val’s chest tightened. That wasn’t the reaction he was looking for. “Why?”
“Because it was ‘too real.’ Her words, not mine. But I think I dangled enough mystery under her nose that she’ll come to dinner. Theo really shouldn’t be here. Or should I call you Teddy?” She looked at Theo with her eyes dancing.
Theo rubbed at his red nose. “She was the only one who every called me that.”
“Wait, you’re Teddy?” Val asked. His thoughts raced, trying to put Theo together with Teddy.
Theo nodded.
“You crushed her.” Val stood, his chair crashing to floor behind him, rage building in his chest. This was the man who broke her heart. Theo held up his hands.
“Please don’t hit me. I’m a little over that by now.”
Val looked down, both confused by his anger and his desire to hit Theo. Because in spite of Theo asking him not to hit him, Val was seriously considering it.
Aspen giggled. “Hazel slapped him, and then Ella punched him in the nose. Go ahead Val punch him in the gut.”
Theo moved around the table and sat down. “You know why I had to leave her, right?”
Aspen shook her head. Val sank into his chair again, his rage simmering just underneath his skin, but he wanted to hear this story probably as much Aspen did.
“Because I almost sealed myself to her. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I left before I did anything stupid. I’m sure she was hurt, but I had no other choice.”
Aspen crossed her arms and glared at him. “Well, because of you, she won’t commit to anyone. She usually dates two or three people at once to avoid getting too attached. You should probably leave town. We want to make it easy for Val to win her over.”
Val listened intently. He wanted Theo to leave, but he also wanted to know how to win over Hazel. Theo did it once, so maybe he could tell him what he knew.
Sid leaned forward. “We need someone to go spy on the arctic dragons. You’re good friends with Candide. Maybe you could spend a few weeks up there and see what’s going on.”
Theo shrugged and fingered his dreads. “Whatever will help us. Sure. My human skin is getting old anyway. It will be nice to just be a dragon for a while.”
“Send regular reports via the eagles. Even if the intel seems insignificant, it could be important.”
Theo stood and gave a little bow. “Of course, I still need to finish a job around here, but I’ll leave in a couple of days. Good luck, Val.”
Val nodded to him. Sid’s eyes followed Theo as he left the room.
Aspen laid her hand over his. “You okay?”
Sid sighed. “He’s acting weird.”
Aspen frowned. “I think it’s still because he’s not used to you being king. We don’t have time to worry about that though. We need to search for Rowan.”
“We should drop Val off first. You ready to go see your dad?” Sid asked.
He’d been looking forward to meeting his dad for a long time, but he was nervous. No one told him why his dad was banished, and he was scared to find out. What if he didn’t like his father? The dragons that raised him were good, warm, and friendly. But he knew he didn’t really belong. They made sure he always had enough to eat and trained him in the ways of the fire dragons, but he always felt like he was missing out on something. He supposed that was why he spent so much time watching the humans. Now he was about to meet his real father.
Sid nudged him. “Let’s go. We’ll need to change.”
They exited out of the back door and into the middle of the yard. Aspen stood a little ways from them, shivering in spite of a thick coat and hat. They changed into their dragon forms, and Aspen gasped.
“Two black dragons. Amazing,” she said and laid her hand on both of their flanks.
We just need to find the third, Sid said.
Any ideas where he might be? Val was curious about who this third dragon could be. He wouldn’t feel so confused and alone in this with a brother to share it with.
No. I’ve got eagles and a handful of royal dragons all over the nation searching for him. It makes it harder that we can’t reveal what we’re looking for, but I think the secrecy is important. Though I’m sure rumors have already started. He could be anywhere. Obviously, we think he’s a sea dragon, but they are hard to find since they spend so much time under the water.
Val hoped they found him soon. The war seemed pressing, and the sooner all three of them were together, the sooner they could create a plan of attack for the unknown snow witch, rather than just reacting to the things happening around them, like the human killings and attempt on his life.
Bright circles on Sid’s chest drew Val’s eyes.
Are those loyalty seals? I’ve never seen them before.
Yes. Aspen and I were not supposed to be together. I was trying to prevent being killed. I’ve got all but a canyon dragon. I would complete it, but with the war pending, I need all the support I can get, and I don’t want to give the current council a reason to turn against me.
But wouldn’t that stop a war? Don’t the loyalty symbols make you invincible?
Not exactly. It prevents another council from forming, but I think the arctic dragons have something else in mind.
Aspen scrambled up on Sid’s back as Val studied the marks.
My father’s name is on your chest.
Yes. He was one of the first. Very loyal. He’ll b
e an asset in the war.
Val didn’t like thinking about the war. He wasn’t a trained fighter. Not to mention there was a good chance he would die before it was all over.
Sid took off, and Val followed. The air here was much colder than he was used to, but he didn’t mind. White covered the ground below, except where steam rose from deep blue pools.
After we drop you off, we’re going to search for Aspen’s brother. Do you think you can find your way back to the house?
Val turned to Obsidian. Of course. Good luck in the search. I’ll help when I’m finished.
We’ll come home for lunch. You can come out with us after that.
They flew in between two mountains and into a cave. They landed in a cavern, in front of a deep red dragon. Val took a step back when Damien stepped into the light. His father’s jaw was wrong, and he had no tail. Val wondered if there were unseen injuries as well.
Val, meet Damien. Your father. Then Obsidian flew out of the cave.
This was his father. Damien didn’t say anything as Val circled him. He had a sealing on his ankle with the name Hestia. It was a dark maroon but slightly faded. It looked similar to the one on Val’s ankle, but the words around Hestia’s name were different.
Was Hestia my mother? Val finally asked. His feelings were all mixed up. He wanted to hear more about this dragon who gave him life, but part of him was still a little bitter that he was left to be raised by others.
Yes. I loved her very much.
What happened to her?
She got sick and died.
Did she suffer? How long was she sick?
For a few years. You were a very young dragon. I don’t expect you to remember it. The elders took you from me shortly after that.
Val wanted to ask why his father let him go, but he felt a slow anger building in his chest. He’d been abandoned. His father had just given him up to the elders and disappeared. What kind of a father did that?
I’m very glad you are here. I haven’t seen you since you were a baby. I’ve missed you. Thank you for coming. Damien shifted nervously and studied Val. Val tried to be sympathetic, but he couldn’t.
Valentine (The Dragon Kings Book 3) Page 6