“That was… definitely… spontaneous,” Tyson managed to say.
She nodded, leaning back into the couch cushions. “I shouldn't have done that. Please, don't get the wrong idea. That was my first kiss, but for whatever reason it seemed like a good idea.”
“I'm not complaining!” He sounded a bit more enthusiastic than he probably should have. But he couldn't help it. The kiss had magic in it, literally as well as figuratively. When their lips touched, he could feel his magic flow out of him and into her. Did she notice it too?
“Good, because I'm not either. I liked that, a lot. It was… something,” she said, a little flustered. “But I know it was wrong, so I won't do it again.”
“Why did you think it was a good idea at the time?” he asked, more out of curiosity than anything else. His heart was beating awfully fast. That was something that had never happened before in his life. Not even when he and Dani were alone.
“I read in a book once about how a kiss can open a new gateway to a person's soul. I wanted to see if it was true. Plus… I don't know. Do you think it's fair to only be allowed to kiss one person your entire life and never know if that person is the best kisser? Or the difference between a love kiss and a like one?”
“Good enough reason for me,” he said with a small smirk.
She ran her fingers over her lips. “We'll keep it between us?”
“Of course.” He nodded. He wasn't quite sure how Dani or Ethan would react.
“You're the best!” Maya hugged him, and he noticed that the smell of death was missing from her.
Strange.
Chapter Seventeen
I shouldn't have kissed Tyson, Maya thought. In fact she couldn't stop thinking it. All day, that's what was on her mind. She felt like a traitor. Not because of Dani, but because of Ethan. How could she let herself do something so foolish when it might hurt her chances with him? He can't find out. He can't know. Hopefully Tyson would keep his promise.
Ethan didn't return to the house until late. Food-testing was apparently an all-day event, though Maya doubted that was all they 'd been doing, since most of the family had come home before dinnertime. Yet Ethan and Dani were gone all day and most of the night. Dani retired to bed, and Maya finally had a chance to get Ethan to herself.
“Hey,” Maya said, coming up behind him in the living room. Ever since she'd locked lips with Tyson, Maya had felt more energetic. Something about the moment had healed her, bones no longer ached, breathing felt easier, and she wasn't tired for a change.
Ethan turned to face her, and he was smiling. “Hello, what can I do for you?”
“Take me outside?” she asked, and batted her eyes.
“I just came in from there.”
“So? You can still take me.”
Ethan laughed. “Since you're feeling so much better I should indulge you, huh?”
She rolled her eyes. “I don't want your pity.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Come outside and find out.” She winked and didn't wait for him to join her. Maya walked out the front door and stood in the yard, looking up at the sky. A smile formed on her lips as she heard him come out. He stood behind her, close, almost touching, and she could hear him breathe along with the beating of his heart. It thumped inside of his chest at the same fast speed as hers.
Ethan gazed down at her. “So what did you do today? Anything interesting?”
“Hung around and annoyed Tyson some. Read my book. Tomorrow I'll be ready to do more. I feel kind of bad, not being able to help. Dani needs more girl opinions. You try and all, but you are the furthest thing from being female,” she said, and faced him. Maya met his gaze with her own and gave his forearm a squeeze to hopefully illustrate her point. He was a man, a handsome and strong one at that.
He shrugged, smiling a little. “I can take a hint. She telling you I have bad taste or something?”
“Dani doesn't tell me much of anything. I'm sure your taste is fine, but she needs to pick out a dress next. And you need to help Tyson decide on what he's going to wear with your impeccable fashion sense.” Plus, Maya did not want Ethan to see Dani in her wedding dress until after she walked down the aisle to marry Tyson.
“He does need all of the help he can get, huh?” Ethan laughed.
“Got a date?”
“Huh?”
“To the wedding, do you have a date?” Maya asked.
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Uh, you know I don't. Is this your roundabout way of asking me or something? A date wasn't exactly on my mind, but if you want arm candy, I guess I can supply some.”
With a sigh, Maya let go of his arm. “You're kind of clueless, aren't you? Have you ever seen a romantic movie? You always bring a date to a wedding, or it's bad luck. Besides, yes, this is my way of saying I want to go with you.” Time to be blunt. He's not picking up on it at all. I need to let him know I like him. She took in a deep breath, ready to do just that, but chickened out when she noticed the hard look in his eyes, and the confusion. It's not time yet. So she used the first excuse that came to her mind. “It'd be fun, and then you'll have someone to dance with.”
“You girls get into this stuff, huh?” he asked.
Yeah, he missed the big hint. He has no clue I'm interested in him. “We like romance.” How many ways did she have to spell it out for him until he figured it out?
Ethan leaned in closer to her, his nose going to her hair, and he took in a deep sniff. “You smell different today.”
“I do?” She tried to not let the panic show, but she did worry that maybe he could smell Tyson on her. Or maybe kissing him had made her impure somehow.
He nodded. “You smell healthy. Kind of like fresh air.”
She let out a soft sigh of relief. “Oh, that's because I am feeling amazing today.” She grabbed Ethan's hands and felt the same kind of magical surge come from him that she'd felt when she kissed Tyson. And she felt stronger. Strange, because she'd touched Ethan before and not noticed it. Perhaps it had something to do with the intent of the touch? Or maybe a floodgate had been opened with the kiss?
Ethan must have noticed it, because his eyes narrowed. “What are you doing?”
Immediately, she let go of his hands. “Sorry. I forgot you're all weird about touching.”
“I'm not weird about touching.”
“Then it's just me, or something.”
“More like, just… girls. It's not appropriate,” he mumbled. “But that's not what I meant with my question. Something feels different.”
She put a hand on top of his and was disappointed when she didn't feel the same jolt of magic come from him like before. I guess I will have to be bolder. Taking in a deep breath, she placed a small kiss on Ethan's lips, even slighter than what she had given Tyson. Ethan stepped away as soon as they touched, and she only felt his magic for a split second.
He scowled. “What are you doing? Answer me!”
“Experimenting,” she whispered. “Don't get so mad. I'm not sure what it is, but when we touch, I feel whole. I didn't know if it was all touches, or certain ones, and I just wanted to know how it worked. Then maybe you'd understand why I like it when you don't pull away from me.”
“It felt like you sucked away my magic,” he said darkly. “I'm not sure how I feel about that.”
“Okay, I got the hint. I won't do it anymore. I'll never touch you again,” she said, and felt the tears forming in her eyes.
Ethan glanced down at her and sighed heavily. Then he did something unexpected and hugged her. He hardly ever initiated hugs. “No, it's okay. It just freaked me out because you're the only person that's happened with. I don't think it's because you're a girl, or it'd happen with Dani too, you know? If anything, it makes me think of what I've heard of the transition.”
Transition? She frowned, trying to remember where she'd heard that term before. Then it dawned on her. “You're right, it's a lot like that! Maybe that's the solution to my problem. Ethan, this is so excitin
g!”
“What? Huh? Slow down, I'm not following,” he said and blinked. “You think you're transitioning? When did you, uh, mate, with a dragon?”
“Never, but my parents have dragon DNA and human DNA. My brothers are fine, my sisters have never been okay. They're either like me—only they die—or they're like normal human girls. Maybe if I marry a dragon boy, then I'll be able to be normal all of the time!” She cried, which was kind of pathetic, but she was so happy by the possibility, Ethan would just have to deal with her soaking his shirt with tears.
He relaxed his hold on her. “That's a good theory. Guess we should find you a good dragon boy, huh?”
“I've found one already.” She laughed. “This could be the answer to all of our problems. You don't want to marry a stranger. I need to get married to a dragon. How is this not win-win?”
He grew quiet. “Forgive me if I don't leap to say yes. There's a lot to think about here.”
Maya didn't agree, but pushing him wouldn't be a good idea. It was a big decision. She almost pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming the entire conversation. Did I just propose to him? The thought almost made her sick to her stomach with nerves. No wonder he was so tense now. He probably wanted to run away from her.
“I was kidding,” she said quickly, her voice soft.
“You weren't, and that's okay, because it's not like I'm mad or anything. It's not a bad idea necessarily. I just don't want to rush into anything. Part of the reason I haven't chosen just any girl from some random island. Let me think about it.” Ethan's lips twitched upward into a smile, and it encouraged her a little. However, the tension was still present in his body. “You are important to me, Maya. Anyway, I should get to bed. I'm beat. You coming?”
She shook her head. “Not yet. Soon.”
Maya watched as he went back inside the house, and then looked up at the stars. She took in their beauty and smiled. “He'll say yes. I know it.”
Chapter Eighteen
The next morning Dani and Tyson had a meeting with Lord Bolton again to discuss the content of the ceremony and the guest list. She wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of seeing him again. In fact, a phone call or a letter would have been just as nice. There were a number of ways he could have gotten ahold of the young couple, and he insisted on seeing them in person.
She and Tyson went to the hotel address Lord Bolton had given to them, and knocked on the door. Lord Bolton answered with a wide grin on his face.
“Thank you for seeing me,” he said, and waved for them to enter. “I've heard the wedding plans are coming along nicely. A wonderful thing. Only a few small details to line up, yes?”
“Yes,” Dani said. “The location and the ceremony itself are next on the list to plan, and I guess honeymoon details.”
Tyson coughed quietly. “I have those under control.”
Bolton laughed and put a hand on both of their shoulders. “Location and the details of the ceremony. Exactly why I wanted to see you. Now, as you know, Terran is beautiful this time of year. There's a gazebo overlooking waterfalls in—”
“Excuse me, my lord, but we're holding the ceremony on Shanrea, remember? So my father can be there. I don't want him to miss it,” she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt.
“You don't even want to try and see if the Great Oceina Lord will make an exception for your father's terms of exile? It is the wedding of his only daughter and eldest child, after all,” Lord Bolton said.
Dani glanced at Tyson and he nodded, trying to encourage her. “On the chance he says no, it would be a shame to make all of these plans for a wedding in Terran and then have to change them last minute. Time is short enough as it is. Shanrea is my home, and I would like to have something of my people to be a part of the ceremony, since the entire thing is Terran in ritual.”
“Of course, it was just an idea, I suppose. Given the situation, I figured you'd want to steer as far away from the Inero ways as possible. Some diplomats still fear this union because of the way it was brought into being. I thought that maybe having the wedding take place in Terran would show how the Inero are not in control and that this would be a happy thing,” Bolton explained.
He wants me to be submissive, so Inero will seem submissive to the Terran. That's scarier to me. Dani shifted in her seat to try to look stronger. She didn't want him to think she was some kind of a pushover.
“Shanrea has always been an island of peace. I think the right message will be conveyed.”
“My lord,” Tyson said with a shaky voice. “If people fear our union, the other tribes I mean, then maybe it would be better to cancel the whole arrangement? Not to say I don't care about you, Dani…elle, but then it can at least be something we choose on our own? Show that the old pacts of the war no longer hold ground? That's what concerns the other Lords the most, I would imagine. Our marriage was sold in return for Terran commitment in a fight they should have never gotten involved in and a plot for genocide.”
“Thank you for the reminder,” Bolton said, and glared at Tyson. “Your union is also a symbol of hope. I've told you this in the past many times. It is important you marry another dragon. Our fate depends on it. And redemption for both of our people is also needed. Among other things.”
Dani watched the Great Terran Lord and noticed something different about him. He'd always made her nervous, but he also seemed aggressive and cruel. Like there was something else going on behind the scenes that she and Tyson weren't being told. Tyson noticed it too, because he glanced Dani's way with an awful lot of uncertainty. What weren't they being told?
“Shanrea it is then, but as for the ceremony, it will be conducted by one of our priests. It's very important to me that the service be holy and ordained by a man of God. I know in Inero the marriages between the dragons and their brides are not officiated like they are when the humans marry one another. I didn't think you'd mind if we used a Terran wedding as an outline since, well, your people do not have weddings often,” Lord Bolton said, and that was when Dani started to tune him out. She didn't care to listen to him make snide comments about the ways of her country. The Inero weren't perfect, but they weren't heartless either.
They believed in love too.
Chapter Nineteen
“Do I want to marry her, or don't I,” Ethan mumbled to no one. He was outside on the beach, glad to be alone. Not something he usually enjoyed, but he did need a moment to collect his thoughts about everything going on. He especially needed to make sure he had time away from Maya, so he could focus.
Logically speaking, it made sense to marry Maya. He knew her, knew a lot about her, and her family was already familiar with the dragon way, so he wouldn't be ripping her away from her home. But he didn't think he loved her, which was something important he wanted in his marriage. Cared about her but didn't love her. He didn't feel sappy dopey feelings when he was around her. Ethan wanted what his parents had. Every time his dad looked at his mother, he noticed the sparks. When asked about how his dad knew he was in love, Ethan was always told, “I just knew.” Ethan didn't get that vibe with Maya. If anything, he got that feeling from Dani, but that was also stupid of him.
I should say yes to Maya's proposal. Her life depends on it. It all makes sense. I'm sure we'll be able to make everything work out just fine .
But his heart ached thinking about it. Like he was mourning the loss of a loved one, which couldn't be a good sign when thinking about his future bride.
“Ugh, get over yourself.” He shook his head, picked up a rock, and threw it into the water. He pulled out his phone and called home.
“Hi honey,” his mom said, and hearing her voice brought a smile to his face. He missed home.
“Hey Mom, I don't suppose you wanna get Dad on the phone. I wanted to talk with you both about something,” he explained.
“Sure, just a second.” A second later, he could hear his Dad's voice too.
“How's the island?” he asked.
Eth
an laughed. “Good, like always. Everything is coming along well. I'm glad I'm here to do what I can, because Tyson isn't being much help. Anyway, I didn't call to catch you up on stuff. I'm calling because I think I figured out what I want to do with my whole finding a mate thing.” He didn't want to call Maya his future bride. He couldn't even think of her as a future wife, not yet.
“Oh?” Darien asked.
Ethan took in a deep breath, and his heart stopped when he noticed Dani not far off in the distance coming toward him. Hopefully she hadn't heard too much. Dragons had exceptional hearing, but he hadn't seen her until just now.
“Yeah, I'm being called in though, and I don't want to talk about it in front of everyone. I have a lot of things I need to think about with the whole thing. You know? But we'll talk more when I get back, which won't be too much longer. I need advice,” Ethan explained. It was the best way for him to go about the whole situation. He wouldn't tell Maya his decision until after he talked with his parents.
“Did you meet someone there?” his mom asked, and Ethan was almost positive he heard his father mumble, "I hope not."
Ethan winced. “Yes and no. Like I said, we'll talk when I get back.”
By now Dani was only ten feet away. She was smiling, but it seemed a bit forced as she mouthed out 'dinnertime' to him.
“Mom, Dad, I gotta go. I'm getting the stink-eye okay? I love you both, and I'll see you in just a couple of weeks.”
“Bye, honey, love you,” his mom said.
After saying his goodbyes, he faced Dani. “I'm coming.”
She put an arm around him, and they walked back to the house. What he loved the most about her touch was the fact that she did it without an agenda. Something that concerned him a lot when it came to Maya.
Chapter Twenty
Tyson let himself be fitted for a tuxedo with little complaint, though it was not what he would call a pleasant experience. Tuxes were tight and constricting, and so hot on the tropical island of Shanrea. None of his options were light in material.
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