“Have you ever wondered, Lieutenant Zager, why Camden is the only one of our family who is of single birth?” Zaire asked.
Suddenly, Sage had a very bad feeling. He didn’t want to hear the reason, because he suspected he would hate it. More than anything, he wished Camden was there with him. Their bond vibrated with uncertainty and apprehension. With his mind’s eye, Sage could practically see his mate lying on their bed, clutching the sheets that still bore the traces of their spent passion, so very confused and fearful.
There was nothing Sage would have liked more than to go to his mate’s side. However, he couldn’t do it. “I didn’t dwell on that, no,” he replied. “It’s not that uncommon.”
“No, it’s not,” Zaire replied, “but for naga, it is very risky. Without a twin, the cold is more likely to settle in at a very young age.”
Was that the reason why Camden’s parents were pushing so much for Camden to have a third mate? No, there had to be more to it than that. If their sole issue came from mistrust, they should at the very least realize that Sage only wanted to love and protect Camden.
Confirming Sage’s thoughts, Nikhil finally explained, “But it is worse when there is a twin, and that twin dies. That is what happened to Camden. He had another egg in his clutch, but that baby died, because of you.”
Sage didn’t know what shocked him more, the painful news, or the accusation in Nikhil’s voice. He wanted to inquire into it, to protest or argue, but he couldn’t even speak. The onslaught of emotion coming from Camden threatened to crush him.
“Sage,” Camden whispered brokenly, “please, come to me.”
Sage couldn’t have resisted if he’d wanted to. He turned to go, but Nikhil grabbed his arm, keeping him from leaving. Sage could have freed himself with ease, and would have done exactly that, but something in Nikhil’s expression gave him pause.
Mere instants later, Anais pushed past him and left the throne room so quickly Sage wouldn’t have even noticed if not for his advanced senses. “You need to let her talk to Camden,” Zaire said. “This is a secret we’ve kept from him for a long time, and a heavy burden for Anais.”
Sage scanned the man’s face, seeking any sign of deception. He saw none, just honesty and raw pain. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he said, “but I don’t see how I could possibly be involved in something like that.”
“Not you, per se,” Nikhil replied, “your people. The draechen killed our egg.”
Sage didn’t want to ask, but he did just the same. “What happened?”
It was just too strange. The hostility of the naga royal family made sense if it was based on a death of one of their offspring. However, had Ornoz made a conscious attack on Patala and the Isaiat, he very much doubted Camden would have visited as an ambassador in the first place. In fact, this death the Isaiat were talking about could have very easily sparked war between the two nations. It hadn’t, which made him wonder about the true circumstances of it.
Nikhil gave him a speculative look. “You understand, don’t you? You understand how our world works, and you know that if we were telling the truth, Patala and Ornoz would be at war.”
Sage nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. “I know you wouldn’t lie about something like this,” he said. “I understand how important your family is for you. I’m just trying to make sense of this whole thing.”
“Camden’s twin suffered from a rare affliction akin to the cold that kept him from even hatching,” Zaire said. “We tried everything, but no matter how much we attempted to hatch him, we didn’t succeed. In the end, we reached the conclusion that there was no other way but through a blood transplant, one from a hot-blooded shifter.”
“For a while, we thought that another rare shifter could help,” Nikhil continued. “It didn’t. We found the perfect match in the unlikeliest creature possible—a werewolf. But the Directive prohibited any mixing of blood between the species. Even when a life was at stake, it was forbidden.”
Sage could hardly believe his ears. “But you are royalty. Surely you must have been able to find a way around that.”
“One would think so,” Zaire answered between gritted teeth, “but you know as well as I do, Lieutenant Zager, that the Chrysalidian Wyverns aren’t an easy force to handle.”
Oh. Oh. The Wyverns. Well, suddenly, things were a little clearer. Sage didn’t remember anything like that happening, but then, he hadn’t always been a part of the Wyverns. He wondered if Karein knew about it. Probably not, because if he had, he would have mentioned it to Sage.
It was entirely possible that the previous emperor had gone over Karein’s authority and used the Wyverns for his own purposes. Or rather… Sage and Karein had hunted a lot of werewolf packs in past decades. For all he knew, he had indeed contributed to the death of Camden’s twin, even if he hadn’t been aware of it at the time.
A cold chill swept over him, and in spite of his affinity with ice, this one felt numbing and horrible. He wondered now why the Isaiat had even received him here. The bitter taste of guilt filled his mouth, more so when he realized that he might have participated in something that had hurt his mate so much.
“I... I don’t even know what to say,” he admitted.
“Don’t say anything,” Zaire replied. “You weren’t in the Wyverns at that time, because if you had been, we never would have accepted you in Patala in the first place. Just stirring these memories hurts us, but we didn’t reveal them because we wanted to blame you. You just have to understand that Camden is special. Without a twin, a third mate is all the more important. Do you think you can love him enough to make up for that?”
“I already do,” Sage answered without missing a beat. He paused slightly, musing over what the naga royal family had said. “Draechen only mate in couples, and it would be hard for me to share Camden with anyone. Ever since I heard about it, I’ve resented it, and a part of me still does. But I have always said that, if Camden needs a third mate, that is what he’ll have.”
Zaire and Nikhil shared a look. Nikhil opened his mouth, obviously wanting to say something else, but Sage stopped him before he could do so. “In truth, Your Majesties, I don’t think that will happen. It might sound selfish, but Camden was meant for me and only me. I would give my life to protect him. He is the reason why I exist, and I know that our love is stronger than anything else in this world.”
He felt like he’d run a marathon after finally finishing his explanation. He’d never been one to easily open up in front of people. Camden was the exception, of course, and in many ways, he had changed Sage. Even so, Sage still felt somewhat uncomfortable about revealing everything he felt to Camden’s parents. After everything that had happened here in Patala, a part of him still expected they would sneer and dismiss his affection for Camden.
At the same time, though, he was proud of his connection to Camden. He hated that his draechen ancestry had anything to do with Camden’s loss, but he would not let that guilt get between them. If anything, he was now more decided than ever to shower Camden with all the affection in the world.
Finally, Zaire and Nikhil seemed to understand that. “That’s fine with us, Sage,” Zaire said softly.
“It’s important for you to meet with Talbot, but if in the end, it doesn’t work out, we’ll accept it,” Nikhil added.
It wasn’t exactly the warmest possible welcome, and likely, it would take a while until the Isaiat could get over what they felt about draechen in general. Sage suspected that might never happen, and he couldn’t even ask that of them. Still, it was progress, and it gave Sage hope that he’d be able to forge a future for himself and Camden, right here in the Patala his mate loved so much.
For now, he just needed to see his lover again. The revelations of this meeting had been too much for all of them. They had shaken Camden, which made Sage feel more protective of him than ever. But in spite of this urge, Sage didn’t leave the throne room. Instead, he stood there and waited, giving Camden and his mother the time th
ey needed together. Because as strong as their bond was, Camden also cared deeply about his parents, and mending the rift between them could only be a good thing. If Sage’s dragon felt jealous of it… Well, he’d have to suck it up. In the end, Camden was the one who mattered, and just like he’d told the Isaiat, Sage would do anything for his beautiful naga.
Chapter Seven
Camden was torn. There was no other word that could describe what he felt. He had never heard anything about having a twin. He’d always been convinced that he’d been a child of a single birth. Yes, he had occasionally felt pangs of loss when he’d been a child, but his other siblings and his parents had given him so much affection that he’d managed to discard them. And then Sage had appeared into his life, making him so happy, completing him.
It was so hard now to imagine having someone else with him, a second other half like a twin would be. His heart ached for losing a brother, but at the same time, that pain couldn’t really process. Since he’d never had the chance to meet his twin, he had no memory to mourn. He was like a blind man who’d never known what it was like to see, and, as such, couldn’t miss the gift of sight.
A million emotions coursed through him, confusing, hurtful, befuddling. In the end, one of them won out —the desire to see Sage. His mate had gone to meet with his parents, leaving Camden alone in their room, but that could easily be fixed.
He stumbled out of the bed, dizzy, a little nauseous, but finding strength in his bond with Sage. At the corner of his mind, he registered Sage’s ongoing conversation with his father and sire. The strength of Sage’s love for him flowed through their bond loud and clear, as did the dragon’s need to be by Camden’s side.
Camden straightened his back and rushed to the door. Any moment now, Sage would wrap up the conversation in the throne room and he’d come hold Camden. Camden realized it would have been better to be patient until his parents allowed Sage to come back, but he simply couldn’t.
Sadly, he should have known better than to think he’d get his way. Just as he opened the door, he found himself facing his mother.
Things had been awkward between them ever since they’d returned to Patala. His mother had been the most critical of Camden’s relationship with Sage, and her unfair treatment of the dragon still made Camden angry. He couldn’t help but tense, half expecting her to make another scathing comment about Sage.
And then, their eyes met, and the sadness in his mother’s gaze toned out that anger and apprehension. He was reminded of the secret pain she had been burdened with for so long, a pain he now shared as well. More than anything, he wanted to know why his parents had never shared the existence of his twin with him.
But questions could wait. On impulse, Camden took his mother’s arm and pulled her into the room he shared with Sage. He said nothing. Instead, he just wrapped his arms around her and embraced her tightly.
He allowed his legged form to melt into his naga one, then twined his tail with his mother’s. His mother released a soft sob, hugging him back. “I’m sorry, Camden,” she said. “I’m so sorry.”
As she frantically touched him, a million questions emerged in Camden’s mind. Had there always been a touch of fear in her voice when she spoke to him? Had she always embraced him like this, a little desperately? If so, how had he missed it? He knew how hard it was for a naga to lose his or her egg, but it had never occurred to him that it might have happened to his parents. Not to mention that, given the importance of his family, a lot of people must have known about it, including Krysta and Arlen. Why had he never been told?
Camden wanted to ask her that, mostly because he couldn’t understand what could have brought about such tragedy over his family. His father and sire had told Sage a few things, but they didn’t really clarify the situation for Camden. Besides, some things still didn’t make sense to him – like why his parents had even allowed him to go to Draechenburg if his twin had perished due to the draechen.
As if guessing his thoughts, Anais broke their embrace and wiped her eyes. Suddenly, from a broken, lost mother, she became the queen again. “I assume you must have questions. I will answer anything you need to know.”
“I just… I don’t understand,” Camden admitted. “How is this possible? The Isaiat bloodline is strong. How could my twin have…”
He trailed off when a thought occurred to him. He’d always been pretty strong, maybe stronger than a regular naga. He’d learned the lessons Nikhil had taught him with ease and had become an efficient agent of the Isaiat family. Most importantly, his blood seemed to give his mate a big boost in power.
He’d always blamed it solely on the mate bond, but what if that wasn’t the case? Sage had told him stories of how Shtamakarein Tersain had killed his twin in the womb through his energy absorbing abilities. What if that sort of thing wasn’t solely specific to a black dragon?
“Was it because of me?” he asked, a chill coursing down his spine.
“We don’t really know,” Anais answered. “It just seems that you inherited most of the strength out of the two of you, while your brother was left with this peculiar and very rare affliction.” Her gaze grew distant as she spoke. “It was truly hellish. We had to do the testing through the egg’s surface, always risking cracking it. In the end, we figured out that there was something fundamentally wrong with his blood. His blood cells were unstable, much like it happens for people with the cold. By the time you’d hatched, your brother’s condition had worsened so much we knew his egg wouldn’t endure for much longer.”
“Where do the draechen and the werewolves fit in all this?”
Anais sighed and guided him toward one of the couches. “During one of our scouting missions, we found a werewolf. He was badly injured, and in spite of our efforts, he died shortly after. However, our doctors found a special protein in werewolf blood that they suggested could help our egg. The deceased werewolf couldn’t assist us any longer. But when we attempted to find other werewolves for the purpose of a cure, we ran into the opposition of the draechen. Emperor Kavehquader was adamantly against any sort of mingling of blood between species, because he claimed it went against the Directive.”
As they sat down, she squeezed his hand tightly. “In the end, we ran out of time. The cure was there, within our reach… But the Wyverns kept it from us. Our egg died.”
By the time she finished her story, Anais looked exhausted. Camden couldn’t say he blamed her. He himself had trouble processing everything she’d told him. “This is why you hate draechen so much,” he said.
It wasn’t really a question, but his mother nodded just the same. “For many years, your sire, your father, and I planned retaliation. You were supposed to have a role in it too… But we needed to be careful, because we couldn’t risk losing you. And then, Emperor Hareematek took the throne. After giving the matter a lot of thought, we decided to wait and see, to give him the benefit of the doubt.” Her hold on Camden’s hand tightened. “We would have never done that had we known it would lead you into the arms of a draechen.”
They were back to that, then. “Sage loves me, Mother,” Camden said. “He’s not like the people who hurt you and who kept you from saving my brother. He’s a good man.”
Anais fell silent once again, for what seemed like forever. Finally, just as Camden was struggling to come up with something to break the awkward silence, she spoke again. “I know that. I wouldn’t have allowed him to touch you at all if I didn’t.”
She faced him, her eyes scanning his face, seeking answers to questions he couldn’t hear. “I don’t know if I’ll ever fully accept him. To be perfectly honest, I’d much rather see you mated to Talbot. But I just wanted to say that, no matter what happens, your fathers and I will accept your decision.”
“Thank you, Mother,” Camden replied softly. “You have no idea how much I appreciate that.”
He had hoped that his family would come to love Sage at least a quarter of what he did, but it seemed that a deep abyss of pain lay between
them. Nevertheless, Camden’s parents were trying. If nothing else, they seemed to believe Sage truly cared for Camden, which was certainly an improvement from the attitude they’d displayed so far.
“It took a lot of courage to even tell me about it,” Sage pointed out through their bond. “I can’t imagine the pain they must have gone through.”
Camden shivered and couldn’t help but wonder just how much of that pain was his fault. His mate instantly reacted. “Don’t you dare blame yourself,” Sage sent to him. “Your parents said it themselves. It was an anomaly, a sickness, something beyond your control.”
“But if not for me, he might have lived,” Camden replied weakly.
“Consider me selfish,” Sage shot back, “but I can’t regret it, not fully. You will always, always be the most important one for me. No matter what.”
Sage’s devotion to him shook Camden. He wanted nothing more than to be in his mate’s arms, to find comfort in Sage’s strength. But his mother wasn’t done just yet. Even as she hugged him once again and got up, she fixed him with a serious glance. “I want you to remember something, Camden,” she said. “Mixing blood between species will always be taboo. I want a family for you – but with a draechen mate, that can’t happen. You might find yourself in a situation similar to mine, and I don’t wish that pain on anyone.”
Camden understood what she was saying. It was very risky to even consider having a child with Sage. For the moment, they were using protection. But Camden knew that soon, that would no longer be enough. He could make no promises to his mother, even if he realized all too well she was right.
He acknowledged Anais’s words with a nod. Perhaps his mother realized his state of mind, because she brushed a last kiss over his forehead and whispered, “I’ll see you later, child. I’m sure that now, you need someone else altogether.”
For once, there was no reproach in her voice, only kind affection. Camden wanted to say something else, to offer a soothing comment of his own, but he didn’t get the chance. She slithered out of the room before he could make the attempt.
Naga's Concubine [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 4] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 10