Legend of the Inero Dragon

by JF Jenkins

  "You don't need to say anything," he whispered.

  "Have you killed people before?" she stammered, stumbling over the word killed.

  "Yes. I do a lot of field work in the military. Sometimes it's necessary."

  "As long as it is necessary."

  "It was. They're a threat to everything we are." He wasn't sure how he could explain it so she understood. There was a lot he still couldn't wrap his mind around. They were things that only his father and the prophet understood.

  "It's too bad you had to be the one to do it, though. I couldn't imagine what it feels like to take a life, to be the reason someone completely stops existing. I mean, he'll never come back. I know they're the enemy, but I'm sure his family will miss him. I'm sure there were people who loved him." She sighed. "I don't understand war."

  He ran his fingers through her hair. The adrenaline rush once more started to wear off and he was reminded of how exhausted he was. "You don't need to. All you need to know is that I will protect you and do everything I can so both you and our son stay safe."

  "I won't worry if you tell me not to," Kat said then faced him. "I've been thinking about names. What do you think of Danielle?"

  "Isn't that kind of feminine?" He raised an eyebrow, trying his best to hold in his laughter.

  Kat laughed out loud. "A girl should have a feminine name."

  "Honey, all dragons are boys—always." He stroked her hair. "How about Daniel?"

  She sighed and wrapped her arms around him. "I wish I knew how to make you understand. I've heard our baby's voice—her voice. I wish I could share it with you."

  Matt kissed her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. "You'll see. I could share it with you, but I think you'd have to be on fire. I've heard stories about how when both the mother and father come in contact with their element, they can hear their son."

  "Ouch."

  "Fire is our element. It shouldn't hurt you. It doesn't hurt me, at least."

  "Oh," she said, her voice quivering ever so slightly.

  Matt let out a deep yawn then moved in closer to reassure her. "Not tonight, of course. I'm exhausted."

  "You've had a big couple of days," Kat said in little more than a whisper.

  He frowned, not sure what her tone was implying exactly. Her mind was quiet, which was rare for her. Kat always thought something. Or did she finally figure out how to block him out? He didn't like that. If he couldn't hear her, how was he supposed to know how he was doing as a husband? Was she mad at him over his mission?

  "I'm not bad...am I?" he asked after a moment of long, awkward silence. The first they'd had since they'd gotten together.

  "I thought we established you did what you thought necessary?"

  "Right," he said, instantly feeling silly. She didn't know how much he had enjoyed it. Would she still feel that way if she knew? How could he tell her he liked to kill? That he liked power? Or that when it came to the Oceina, he felt like a completely different person inside?

  She traced the sides of his face with a few fingers. "I still love you. I always will."

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chris spent the entire night at Navi's side. His devotion touched Gwen in a way she never thought possible. She couldn't imagine being in love with someone who already belonged to another. It had to be even worse since Navi was in such a bad relationship. Gwen knew little about Lynx, but just the fact that he forced Navi to be with him, manipulated her, then dumped her as though she were nothing said a lot. No wonder Jason fought so hard to be different from his family.

  Strong hands settled on her forearms. She glanced up to see Jason holding her. His gaze was on Navi, however, his face furrowed in a deep frown.

  "What exactly is going on?" Gwen asked.

  He still didn't look away, but his expression changed. His face softened. "When a dragon mates with a human, they take on our magical properties. This magic creates a strong bond. A man and wife are supposed to be faithful. Regardless of the emotional bond between the two, their magical one is strong. The vows may have meant nothing to them, but the magic they share doesn't care. She doesn't love him, so it hurts less, but it does still hurt. I've seen worse things happen."

  "It's not right."

  "Now you understand part of why I didn't want to—"

  She faced him, planting a soft kiss onto his lips. Their first one. Not quite how she'd been imagining the moment, but it felt right. He needed it just as much as she wanted to do it.

  "You're not him," she said.

  "No, I won't ever cheat, but I still think you deserve better." He paused, his nose scrunched up for a moment in a rather adorable way. "Did you just kiss me?"

  "Yes. And?" She folded her arms in front of her.

  "You should wait until you have my full attention."

  "Do I have it now?"

  His answer was to kiss her again, but not until he pulled her into the kitchen and out of view. This time, he gathered her up into his arms, lifting her chin toward his, then he leaned down to meet her lips with his. It didn't last for more than a few seconds. It was so soft she almost didn't feel it. He pulled away for another second before kissing her again. This felt more like a real kiss.

  She'd never been kissed before by a boy, but she knew it was real because she felt a wonderful, warm sensation in her stomach. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she found herself reciprocating by pushing her lips tighter against his. Jason and Gwen pulled away then gazed into each other's eyes. She needed a moment to catch her breath.

  "I know now," he whispered.

  "Hmm?" Gwen was still in a daze, and those were the last words she expected him to say.

  "Nothing. We shouldn't be doing this now," he said, peeking around the corner to check on Chris and Navi. Gwen was pretty confident Navi was being well taken care of without them, but she felt the same concern.

  She also peeked around the corner and noticed Navi was beginning to stir. Chris noticed as well and he moved to cradle her head with his hands. She nuzzled his palms before her large, dark eyes opened.

  "Do you need anything?" Chris asked. His body bounced with a sudden burst of energy.

  "Water," Navi whispered.

  Chris moved to get up, but Jason beat him to the punch. He left Gwen's side to go and fetch a glass.

  "I got it."

  Chris nodded with a grateful smile, returning his attention to Navi. "Are you okay?"

  "Yes," she said, though her eyes were filled with tears. She sounded weak; her body shook. "I haven't been this happy for a long time."

  He raised a hand as if to touch her face, but he left it hovering inches away from her skin. Their eyes were locked and he licked his lips. Gwen had seen this before. It was obvious he wanted to be with her. Why was he holding back? She was free now.

  "It's okay." Navi leaned in toward Chris, letting him touch her, hold her, wrapping her arms around his chest. He placed one, firm, kiss against her forehead. Then she cried.

  Jason brought Navi a glass of water and placed it on the end table near the couch. Then found a chair to sit in. "You need to leave before he changes his mind," he said.

  "If he changes his mind," Navi said.

  "He will." He paused then frowned. "The way he talks about you, I've never heard him say those things about any of his other wives. Maybe Lenora on occasion but he's enamored with you. He'll realize what he's missing sooner rather than later. And if you're here, he might make you come back."

  "As soon as you're better," Chris said. He never let go of her. "I'll take her back to my homeland."

  "Go to the Aero nation. You know things aren't going to be well for the Oceina soon. Get there as soon as you can because they might close their borders when the humans get caught in the middle of the fighting."

  "Terran is closer. We could—"

  "Stay away from Terran."

  Navi nodded in agreement, she held a ball of Chris's shirt in her fist. Gwen decided to stop watching from the side and enter. She sat
on the floor by Jason's feet. He moved his hand to her shoulder.

  "I can start getting you some things together now while you rest. It'll save you time," Gwen offered. "You're close enough to my size, so you can borrow my clothes."

  "I'll get you cash for the trip. Get rid of your credit cards. Don't leave any means for him to find you with, not even a scent," Jason said.

  "I'll protect her with my life," Chris said.

  "I don't want it to come to that."

  All of the happiness Gwen had been feeling over her friend's newfound freedom began to fade. She hadn't realized just what Lynx would do to keep his bride. Then again, he should have thought about how much he wanted Navi before he cheated.

  "Is it always like this? Always this hard to get away I mean?" Gwen asked, rubbing at her arms.

  Jason squeezed her shoulders. "It depends on who you're trying to get away from. Father doesn't much like losing his things. While most of his wives go off to remarry, I can't think of many who have completely left altogether."

  What did this mean for her?

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  "You shouldn't have waited so long to come and see me," Matt's half-brother Ryan said. He was a doctor and specialized in dragon birthing.

  They probably should have seen him sooner, but Kat had felt fine. If something wasn't right, she knew without a doubt she would be able to tell. Especially with how loud the baby was starting to communicate with her.

  Hungry, the baby said inside her mind.

  Soon, I promise, she said, rubbing her stomach.

  Matt held her hand. Lenora sat in the corner for extra moral support. The checkup was already almost over. All that was left was a magic scan. Matt didn't appear to be interested in any of the appointment. He stared off ahead of him, yawning every so often. Lenora, on the other hand, was completely fascinated, which helped Kat maintain her own enthusiasm.

  Doctor Ryan's hands began to glow a soft, orange color, and heat radiated from them as he put them on the small bump that was her belly. It tickled the baby, because Kat could hear it giggling.

  "Everything is coming up okay. I'm not sensing any defects or problems," he said with an encouraging smile. He gave Matt a nod, but the gesture wasn't reciprocated.

  I kind of knew there wouldn't be any problems, Matt said before giving a weak smile. He then brought the conversation public. "Thank you, brother. I assure you we won't be putting off any of the other appointments."

  "Good, because pregnancy can be tricky, it..." Ryan trailed off as his hand settled on a spot low on Kat's stomach.

  "Is something wrong?" Matt leaned forward.

  She held her breath as every awful possibility started to pop into her mind. Did he sense a defect after all? Was something missing? Not developing well?

  Doctor Ryan pulled away, rubbed his hands together, then restarted his spell. The warmth of his magic felt more intense. Before it had only been a light heat similar to a hot pack. This time it felt like she was being burned. What was even stranger was how she enjoyed the sensation. The baby did too because the giggling turned into shrieks of laughter so loud, Kat was getting a headache.

  "What's wrong?" Matt asked, his hand tightening around hers.

  "I'm not sure if anything is, necessarily," Doctor Ryan explained. "But something is different…missing. But your child seems to be one of the healthiest I've ever seen."

  "What do you mean something is missing?"

  "At first I thought I missed it, but I don't think it's my personal error. It's missing. Your boy either doesn't have some essential plumbing down there or..."

  Kat couldn't help but grin. "I told you she was a girl."

  "And I told you it's impossible," Matt said.

  Doctor Ryan removed his hands from her with a slow shake of his head. "I'm not sure what this means."

  "Praise God, its true," Lenora whispered. Her hands were clasped in front of her, a smile on her face. "Your father will be so proud. Thank you, doctor, for your help. I believe we are done here."

  "Yes, Miss Lenora." He bowed once then left the room.

  Matt's jaw was tight. He never stopped looking at Lenora. "Would you mind explaining? I don't like being left in the dark."

  "The prophet told your father that one of you would have a daughter." She stood up and went to hug Kat tightly. "I'm so glad it was you. He'll be so happy."

  "The prophet?" Matt asked.

  She spoke again before he could ask any more questions. "That is all I know, Matthias. Please forgive me. I shouldn't have said anything. I didn't want you to sit in doubt or worry. I would recommend going to your father with your questions."

  Kat rubbed his hand. "Smile, this is a good thing."

  He did smile, but she could see there was no life behind it. His eyes weren't sparkling like they usually did when he was happy. The muscles of his face seemed weak.

  I'm not so sure it is.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chris and Navi left in the afternoon. Jason couldn't help but be concerned she still wasn't recovered enough to travel, but they all concluded if she could walk then she should leave. He hated seeing her go. He'd miss her a lot. Navi hadn't been in his life as long as some of the other women his father had wed, but she was the one who had treated him with the most respect. He didn't feel like a pawn or a child when it came to her. Their relationship was genuine.

  He glanced back at Gwen, who was leaning against the wall. She hugged her arms close to her chest. She was trying not to cry. He could tell because he could smell her tears, and her sadness smelled an awful lot like lavender soap. He recognized the smell from the first week she had been there and her homesickness was at its strongest. With Navi gone, he worried about her even more. She didn't have anyone else beyond him.

  What could he do to comfort her? The frown on her face was breaking his heart. He'd give anything for her happiness. The only thing he could come up with to make her feel better was words.

  "I love you," he said, his back to her. He was terrified to face her now that he'd confessed his feelings.

  When the moment came, he'd always imagined it being accompanied with some sort of grand gesture. Gwen wasn't the most romantic of women, but he still hoped it didn't disappoint her. He didn't want to hold back any longer. Kissing her had opened a floodgate that he didn't want to close.

  Taking in a deep breath, he turned to face her. Gwen stayed against the wall, rubbing her arms slowly. Her silence made his stomach lurch. He stepped closer to her then held her shoulders.

  "I love you," he repeated. Maybe she hadn't heard him the first time. He'd give anything to be able to read her mind then.

  "Sorry, I have to take a moment to process this," she said. Their eyes met. He saw the tears she held back. He wanted to wipe them away, but he didn't want to overstep his boundaries.

  He nodded, wanting her to take her time. But he worried that he'd said too much. She smiled, giving him a small reassurance.

  Finally, she snuggled into his torso, wrapping her arms around him. "I love you, too."

  Unable to hold back any longer, he leaned down to kiss her. He pressed his lips against her forehead, sighing with contentment. He then kissed her cheek, kiss by kiss, making his way to her lips. He moved his hands to her hips, then around behind her back.

  She returned his kiss, though he could sense hesitation as she did so. She turned her face and he kissed her cheek.

  "Is something wrong?" he asked in barely over a whisper. "Not to sound insecure, but I feel as though you're rejecting me." He meant it as a joke. It didn't translate as such to her because she answered him in a serious tone.

  "I'm not rejecting you. I'm not ready."

  "Ready for what? Love? This isn't something you can prepare for. Love is an emotion that just sort of happens. I certainly wasn't expecting this to happen—ever. Remember, I didn't plan on having a romantic relationship with you. I didn't plan on falling so hard."

  "No, I mean I'm not ready for..." She tr
ailed off and shifted her weight as her face flushed. It took him a moment, but he figured out what she meant. Sex. He laughed. She jumped away, obviously startled.

  "You're beautiful. Of course I want you! Let's work on this kissing thing for now before we add anything else into the mix. We have time." He still needed to figure out if he was there yet emotionally. Physically, he was definitely ready. But in his heart, he still wasn't so sure. Is it normal to feel like this?

  For a moment he hoped Matt would answer, and then he felt relief when he didn't. Jason wasn't so sure his brother would understand. Matt's relationship with Kat was so different than Jason's relationship with Gwen—like night and day. I need to trust my gut and focus on my instincts.

  He decided to lean in for another kiss but stopped when he noticed Gwen staring off into space. Once again, he wished he could read her mind. There's only one way that would happen.

  "Did I lose you?" he asked.

  "They're going to be okay, right?" she asked, shifting her attention back to him. He noticed her eyes were filling with tears again.

  "Yes, they're going to be fine. Chris has been able to protect her from a lot of things. I'm sure there is nothing he can't handle," Jason said. He tried sounding confident, but even he wasn't sure what lengths his father might go to in order to bring Navi back.

  Gwen nodded. "And what about us?"

  "What about us?"

  "We're going to be okay too, right?"

  "Of course we are," he said, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Why do you think we won't be?"

  "I know how you feel about the upcoming war. You don't agree with a lot of the things your father and brother do. I've seen the things your father does to people who don't go along with his plans. Out in the country, whole families were evicted from their farms and left completely homeless. They were banned from getting help from the community, or else the guard set the town ablaze. I know you're his son and you're favored, but will that favor last if you voice your displeasure in his actions?"

  Jason stared at her, at a complete loss for words. He didn't know what to respond to first. The fact that his father had devastated the lives of so many without him knowing, the fact that she didn't tell him more about this until now, or that his father might actually retaliate against him if he refused to go along with whatever plan was set into motion. Lynx was a lot of things but he'd never been a dictator. At least, Jason hadn't thought so. Now he couldn't help but wonder if the man he'd known growing up was still the same.