by Lola Gabriel
Dragon Curse of Lunca Epilogue
The door of Nyx’s apartment opened, and he looked up from the notebook, his pen tapping against the white paper. He had spent almost an hour trying to find the words for the feelings that had filled his heart to the brim since he’d met Romi. His life was complete with Romi in it, but somehow his brain refused to translate what he felt inside, and this frustrated him immensely.
Romi appeared in the doorway, her cheeks flushed from the cold air outside and her light red hair speckled with snowflakes.
“Hey, babe,” she greeted him with nervous excitement in her voice and she walked over to him.
“Hey,” he said, his jaw clenching slightly, but his eyes sparkling happily.
Romi dropped her bag onto the couch and sat down beside him, kissing him on the lips. “Are you okay? You look tense.”
Romi’s gaze shifted to the empty page of his notebook on the table and the dozen crumpled up pages strewn on the floor at his feet. “Having a little trouble with something?”
“A little,” he admitted. “I used to be able to put my feelings onto paper so easily, but now, there’s nothing.”
“Maybe you’re putting too much pressure on yourself. It’s not a big deal, Nyx,” she assured him. “I mean, the curse was a big deal. I am glad that my father was able to reverse the last remaining remnants or Rhaena’s curse. Because he was her grandson, and they had such close blood ties, he was the only one who could do it.”
He turned to her, his eyes growing even more stormy than before. “Maybe that was how it was always meant to be. It was a way to create peace among all the Immortals. But… back to the song. This is the most important day of our lives. I know how important this day is for you, and I just want you to be happy. Everything has to be perfect.”
Romi placed her hand on his chest and smiled. “As long as I have you beside me, everything will be perfect.”
Nyx smiled slightly and nodded. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she replied and kissed him briefly on the lips. “Are you ready to send them?”
“Absolutely.”
Romi chuckled excitedly and stood from the couch. “Come on, then.”
Nyx followed her to the desk in the corner of the living room, where his laptop was set up. Romi retrieved a USB drive from her pocket and slid it into the USB socket of the laptop. A window automatically opened and a beautiful invitation appeared on the screen.
“What do you think?” she asked, her blue eyes sparkling happily.
“It’s perfect.”
“The designer did an amazing job,” she gushed and looked excitedly at Nyx. “And I got a call from Margo at Carlowrie Castle, and everything is all set for next weekend.”
“That’s great to hear. I’m so glad everything is coming together.”
Romi looked lovingly at Nyx, knowing he was so worried that their day would not be everything Romi deserved. It didn’t matter if it was the most horrible day in the history of the world, whether it snowed the entire weekend, or if none of Nyx’s brothers or his parents attended. It was her and Nyx’s day, and nothing would be able to ruin it.
“Send it,” Nyx said with confidence.
Romi opened her email and typed in five email addresses, attached the invitation, and pressed send.
“Done,” she announced proudly and took a deep breath.
“Are you nervous?” Nyx asked, resting his chin on her shoulder.
“Not at all,” she answered and turned to him. “I’ve been dreaming about this day for a long time, not even sure whether it would actually happen, you know, with all the amazing luck I had with men in the past. Now that it’s only a week away, I’m completely overwhelmed, but in a good way. I’m not even remotely nervous, not even at the thought of meeting your family for the first time.”
“They’re going to love you, because I love you,” he assured her. “Besides, what’s not to love? You’re smart and beautiful, you’re good to me, and you make me happy.”
“You’re such a sweetheart,” she sighed dreamily. “You’ve got a way with words, Nyx, you and I both know that, so don’t put so much pressure on yourself. The right words will come to you at the right time.”
“And if they don’t?”
“Nyx, you wrote the most beautiful song about me. Words are your thing. You just need to take a step back for a second.”
“I know. I guess I just needed to hear that,” he sighed.
“You could always sing the song at the wedding. You know I love it,” she suggested.
“No, I actually have something else in mind,” Nyx said and shook his head. “Something better.”
“I can’t wait,” she smiled at him. “My dress should also be delivered tonight, and then it’s off to Edinburgh we go.”
“It’s good to see you this excited.”
Romi smiled at him, her heart pounding in her chest with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. She wouldn’t admit it to Nyx, but she was a little anxious to meet his family. She knew how much his father despised the witches, though he assured her that his father was not the same man as the one in the tales she had heard. Sure, she was a bit skeptical about it, but she decided to give Arlo Veskovic the benefit of the doubt, as she hoped he would give it to her.
Romi ran her fingers through Nyx’s messy hair. “Are you nervous?”
“In a way. I haven’t seen my brothers or my father for some time now. It’ll be weird, sure,” Nyx admitted. “Then there’s the thing about how we might make the whole world explode when we’re all together.”
“Everything’s going to be okay,” she assured him.
A soft pinging sound came from the laptop and Romi turned in her chair, facing the screen. “Oh, look. We have our first reply.”
“From who?” Nyx asked, almost too afraid to look.
Oryn tore his eyes away from the beautiful view through the window of his private jet and stifled a laugh as he looked at Adley sitting beside him.
“What?” she inquired, her eyes sparkling with intrigue as she tore her gaze away from her book.
“I still can’t believe he’s getting married,” Oryn answered. “But then again, this is so typical of Nyx.”
“What do you mean? Is that strange for him?” she asked.
“Are you kidding? He’s the last one I’d ever suspect would get married, especially so fast, but he’s always been impulsive and doing things without even thinking them through.”
“It’s called being spontaneous, and a lot of women like that,” Adley pointed out.
“It’s called being irresponsible. He’s not a kid anymore, he should know better,” Oryn grumbled.
“He found his mate, so why not?” she shrugged and rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t sound too weird to me.”
Oryn narrowed his eyes at her, detecting a hint of suggestion from her. Before he could say anything, she interjected, looking back down at her book. “I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong. I wasn’t hinting or anything, so stop overthinking it.”
“So, you don’t want to marry me?”
“Not when you’re being a pain in the ass,” she smiled and playfully slapped his knee.
“But seriously, though. He’s my younger brother. Don’t you think that there is a certain order to things?” Oryn insisted. “Or at least waiting a little longer?”
“No, Oryn,” Adley sighed and closed her book. “Look, you can’t always plan things, and some things are just out of your control. Your little brother is happy and getting married this weekend. You are his big brother; you should be happy for him.”
“I am, but—”
“If you really were happy for him, then there shouldn’t be a ‘but’ in your sentence,” Adley said firmly.
Oryn sank down slightly in his seat. He didn't like it much when Adley put him in his place, but she was right. If he was truly happy for Nyx getting married, even though it was way too soon in his opinion, then he would not be obsessing over
it not being the right choice.
“I hate it when you’re right,” he muttered.
“I know,” she answered and smirked, “but you’ll just have to get over it. We have a long flight ahead of us.”
“Thank you for coming,” he told her sincerely.
Her eyes softened and she whispered, “Always. It’s not every day I get to travel with you halfway around the world to stay in a castle and meet your family.”
“Yeah, I’d be pretty excited too, if there weren’t a possibility that we could blow up the entire world.”
“You don’t honestly think that would happen, do you?”
“It’s an old legend, but better safe than sorry, you know.”
“Maybe,” Adley said and paused for a bit before she continued, “this is one of them that isn’t true.”
“So, my mom was wrong?”
“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s going to be okay, Oryn,” Adley assured him as she placed her hand over his, their fingers weaving between one another’s.
“I hope so.”
“How long has it been since you all have been together?” Adley asked.
Oryn gazed out the window, staring out at the clouds under the wings of his private jet, resembling a fluffy white carpet. “Too long.”
“See, even you think so. It’ll be good for you all to spend a bit of time together, plus I’ve been dying to meet your brothers, and your parents.” Her voice was cheerful and upbeat, and he couldn’t help but smile at her. Her excitement was intoxicating and for a moment, he actually looked forward to stepping foot on home soil again.
When he had received the emailed wedding invitation from Nyx and his fiancée, Romi, he was shocked and surprised at their sudden plans to get married. At first Oryn wondered why on earth Nyx was rushing into a wedding, but then again, Nyx had always been the kind of person who did things on a whim, without considering anything.
To Oryn, who was organized and thought things through fifteen times, considering everything from all angles, Nyx’s behavior was completely unacceptable. But, as Adley had reminded him, not everyone was the same as he was, and he should be happy that his brother was finally happy.
Like he was.
Oryn secretly looked forward to visiting Carlowrie Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland, as it had been such a long time since he had been there, plus it was the perfect time for a vacation for him and Adley. They had been working incredibly hard the past few months and they had been thinking of going on a vacation together. Oryn even considered staying longer in the castle than he initially intended.
Oryn also couldn't help but wonder whether his father would be joining them at Carlowrie, as he had a history of not showing up when he was supposed to. He wasn’t exactly one of the most trustworthy people in the world, but maybe Oryn should just give him the benefit of the doubt, despite every cell in his body telling him not to.
Oryn’s jaw clenched, but he decided not to allow his father to get the best of him once again, or make him unnecessarily tense. He agreed to travel to Edinburgh for his brother and his and Romi’s special day and that was exactly what he was doing.
“Oryn,” Adley said, her eyes fixed yet again on her book, and he looked at her. “I am really looking forward to seeing you in your tux.”
A smile formed on Oryn’s lips and Adley winked at him, making him wonder how he got so lucky to have a mate like Adley, who didn’t put up with him being such a pain in the ass.
Dax and Becca glanced at one another as they were led down the long hallway of Carlowrie Castle after they were fetched from the harbor by a young redheaded Scotsman by the name of Fergus. The wooden floors were polished pristinely, and the smell of polish still hung in the air. Fergus stopped in front of a large, wooden door and opened it. He handed the key to Dax and said, “Drinks will be served in the drawing room at seven, with compliments of Nyxon and Romiera.”
“Thank you,” Dax said as he and Becca entered their suite and closed the door behind them.
“This place is amazing,” Becca gushed as she placed her small bag on the king-sized bed and walked to the large window. She drew the curtains aside and sighed dreamily. “Look at this view.”
“I know the view all too well.”
“Right,” she said and cocked her head. “Remind me again why this place? Carlowrie Castle?”
“It’s not the castle which carried the importance, although we’ve all visited this place before,” Dax explained. “Before Carlowrie Castle was built, there was another castle here. A castle much bigger than this one, dating all the way back to the ninth century. Huntague Castle.”
“Did your father own it?” she asked.
“A friend of my father’s. We’d stay here a lot, especially when he was off either hiding from those whom he destroyed coming back for vengeance, or causing the terror and destruction which would later bite him in the ass,” Dax explained.
“It’s so strange to think of Arlo like that. He’s always been so nice to me, it’s difficult to think of him as anything other than who he is,” Becca said as she turned to Dax, who now stood beside her.
“It’s good to know people can change, although he feels like the same man I’ve known all my life. Minus all the death and destruction, of course,” Dax pointed out.
“Is he coming this weekend?” Becca asked. “I know he showed up on the guest list downstairs…”
“Who knows?” Dax shrugged and stepped away. “My father has his own agenda, and missing Nyx’s wedding wouldn’t be the first time he disappointed us all.”
“Dax…” Becca sighed as she walked over to him and placed her hands against his chest. “I’m sorry.”
Dax looked down at her, her eyes flickering softly, like a firefly in the night. “You don’t ever have apologize to me, especially not when it comes to my father. I’ve known him my entire life, and I know who he was, who he is, and who he’ll always be. Sure, he’s changed his ways in a manner of speaking, but I’ll always wonder whether he truly is different on the inside because he wants to be, and not because it’s who he wants people to believe he is.”
“There’s no fooling you, is there?” she smiled softly, pulling him closer to her.
Dax wrapped his arms around her and held her tight for a few moments. It had been rather overwhelming to him to be back in Edinburgh after such a long time, but even more so when he started to feel his brothers around him. He wasn't sure where they were in the castle, as he couldn't hear them, but he could definitely feel them.
He still remembered the tales his mother told them as children about how their powers would make the entire world explode if they were in the same room together after they found their mates, and shivers ran down his spine.
Were those legends true?
Would their powers cause the destruction of their world just like it happened before they were born?
Or was it just a legend concocted by an old witch, etched into the Dragon Queen’s mind as a means of keeping the princes separated?
‘When divided we stand, united we fall.’
Those words came to mind, but Dax wasn’t sure whether someone had told him those exact words, or how they managed to maneuver themselves into his mind.
“Becca,” he whispered and she murmured against his shirt. “Have you ever heard of the saying, divided we stand, united we fall?”
“I’ve heard something like it, as ‘united we stand, divided we fall’. It means that together we’re stronger, and we can defeat anything that comes our way as long as we’re together,” she answered and frowned up at him. “Why do you ask?”
“There’s this story my mother used to tell me that if we’re all together, my brothers and I, our powers would be so intense that we’d make the world explode,” he explained.
“And you really believe that?” she asked. She immediately noticed his defensive stance, his jaw clenching and his eyes narrowing. “Do you honestly believe that could happen?”
“I don’t know.
Maybe.”
“You’re all here in the same place, and it’s still standing. Right?” she asked.
“Yeah. Maybe there was just a misinterpretation with the translations or something.”
“Or someone was just trying to scare you all into not being in the same place at the same time,” Becca pointed out.
“Like, wanting to protect us?”
“Quite possibly. The four of you together is a big deal, and if someone wanted to, for example, kill all four of you, it’d be so much easier if you were together. Having you strewn all over the world was probably your mother’s plan to keep you all safe,” Becca said quietly.
Dax lowered his head in shame and nodded. “You know, I’ve never actually thought about it that way. I’ve always thought that no one had our backs, but it seems that everyone did. We were just too blinded by fear of persecution to notice it.”
“Fear tends to do that to a person, no matter how strong they try to be,” Becca said.
Dax gazed at her, his chest swelling proudly at his beautiful and smart mate. “You know what?”
“What?”
“It’s like you were born to be a Dragon Princess.”
Becca giggled. “We should get ready.”
“Absolutely. I can’t wait to see you two in that dress,” Dax said with a smile.
“Yeah,” Becca grinned as she ran her hands lovingly over her pregnant belly.
It was after midnight and the four princes and the Dragon King were still seated at the bar in the drawing room. Their mates had returned to their suites to allow the princes to have some sort of bonding time, like an informal bachelor party of sorts.
“I still can’t believe you’re getting married tomorrow, Nyx,” Pyre said, a wide grin on his face. “It feels like just the other day I was wiping the dirt off your face.”
“When have you ever wiped dirt off my face?” Nyx chuckled.
Pyre nudged him playfully and took one last sip of his drink. “Another round?”