by Rinelle Grey
Her speech raised goosebumps on Karla’s arms.
There was complete and total silence in the room.
Karla could barely breathe. Somehow, their impassioned speeches were starting to affect even her. Maybe the emotions circling the room, despair, fear, hope, and desperation, were somehow seeping into her.
Something had to be done, that much was clear. But why was everything conspiring to compel Taurian to sleep with another dragon? Why had she ever even thought that she and Taurian had a choice in the matter?
What would have happened if they had already slept together, and this was no longer an option? If she hadn’t resisted him until now, this choice wouldn’t even still be on the table.
But she had. She hadn’t mated with him because she didn’t want this to be forever. At least, that’s what her mind said. Her heart had other ideas. She was certain, with a pain that made it hard to draw a shaky breath, that she couldn’t live without him.
Her hands trembled, and her heart thundered in her ears. Taurian’s eyes met hers. His eyes were on fire, and Karla knew exactly how he felt. When she’d felt like she had a choice, she’d been certain that she shouldn’t mate with him. Now that the choice may no longer be hers, she suddenly realised that she wanted him. Strongly.
Taurian’s voice though, when he spoke, was calm. “I will consider your suggestion,” was all he said.
Karla drew in a deep breath, trying to calm the panic. Nothing was going to happen immediately. She had time to think this through. Time to find a way out. Time to convince herself that she didn’t really want him anyway.
“There’s one more thing,” Ostrian interrupted.
Taurian’s eyes shifted to his. “Yes?”
“I knew that you would feel a little on the spot, with a major decision like this to make,” Ostrian said quickly. “All the women you knew are no longer with us, so I understand it will be a difficult choice for you. Because of this, I thought it would be wise for us to help you with this important decision.”
“That will not be nec…” Taurian began.
Ostrian was already ushering forwards a blushing young woman. Her slightly wavy blonde hair and pale skin made her look rather washed out. Her nervous expression didn’t help. “This is Wayrian, my granddaughter. She has already agreed to the match, and is willing to do whatever is needed to ensure the safety and continuation of Rian clan.”
Karla’s chest tightened. So much for having time. This was it. This was the moment when the option of mating with Taurian in the future was no longer even a possibility. Perhaps this would convince her heart to accept that.
There was a silence in the room. Even the other elders stared at Ostrian uncomfortably.
The poor girl blushed hotly, and stared at Taurian, her expression a little awed and nervous.
Karla couldn’t drag her eyes away, needing to know what Taurian’s response would be. He would reprimand Ostrian, wouldn’t he?
But he just stared at the girl, not looking back at Karla. Was that deliberate?
“I must speak to you, Ostrian, in private.” His voice was clipped.
Wayrian looked like she was about to burst into tears, but she kept her back straight and her head high.
Karla didn’t want to feel sorry for her. She wanted to hate her. But she couldn’t. The young woman seemed to have been put on the spot as much as she and Taurian had. She didn’t know Taurian, she couldn’t have any feelings towards him at all.
She didn’t have any experience of how it felt to be touched by his fire. How tempting it was to let those flames consume you. How hard it was to look away.
If Taurian mated with her, she wouldn’t ever have to walk away. She was a dragon, and chosen by his clan. Accepted.
Something Karla would never be.
Taurian didn’t once look in her direction as he followed Ostrian into a back room, out of sight.
It was plain he didn’t need her anymore. He had his own life, his own responsibilities. She was just in the way, preventing him from doing what he knew he must.
She should take this opportunity to get out of here. That way, she could just remember what they had shared together.
And maybe imagine he would have chosen her, given the chance.
Chapter 42
“This is the sort of discussion that should be had in private, not in front of the entire clan,” Taurian scolded, as soon as they were out of earshot of the rest of the dragons. “Why did you bring it up in such a public place?”
Ostrian didn’t even flinch at his tone. “The clan has a right to be involved. They have been waiting for you to wake for a long time thinking that when you were awake, all our problems would be solved. And they’re not solved, because we cannot achieve victory over the Trima clan even if we manage to wake the rest of the princes and princesses. They need to know what you plan to do to defeat him. You need a plan that is going to actually work.”
Taurian hid a wince at his words. What would his clan say if he told them he didn’t have a plan for defeating Ultrima? That he didn’t have a plan at all besides waking his brothers and sisters and handing the responsibility over to them.
He glanced at Ostrian, glaring at him, waiting for his answer. Did the elder have any clue? Probably. And probably he was waiting for Taurian to admit it.
Well, he’d be waiting a long time. Taurian raised his eyebrows at him. “I will inform the clan of my plans when I decide to. I appreciate the elders caring for the clan in my absence, but now that I am here, the decisions are mine, and mine alone.”
The responsibility was too. A lonely place to be. He’d better work on waking the others as soon as possible.
“Things have changed while you were in the Mesmer, Prince Taurian.” Ostrian’s voice was threaded with a threatening undercurrent. “We have been making our own decisions for the last three hundred years. We had no other choice. Do you expect us to just hand all the decision making over to you without looking back, just because you are awake?”
Of course that was what he expected. What was his right, as prince of Rian clan. But the elder's tone gave him pause. His clan had been running their own lives for three hundred years. And they had the perfect example of the success of a revolt, in the form of Trima clan. He needed to tread carefully. The last thing he needed right now was a challenge to his leadership.
He’d thought he would have a day, maybe two, to settle into his clan and get to know everyone before he had to prove his worth. It looked like that wasn’t going to happen. He couldn’t put off making decisions until his brothers and sisters were awake. Not with Ultrima breathing down his neck. Who knew when the other dragon was going to appear.
Taurian bit back a sigh. Which meant he had to consider Ostrian’s suggestion. Or appear to at least. Not because it would help him any if Ultrima showed up right now, but because it would reassure his clan that he had some long term plans, and keep them cooperating with him while he figured out how to wake his brothers and sisters.
Once they were awake, no one would dare challenge him.
He tried to ignore the fact that they had. That Ultrima had. Dwelling on that wouldn’t help.
Instead, he focused on putting the slimy little elder into his place. “No, I expect you to give me advice and suggestions, in private, rather than trying to force my hand with a very public suggestion,” he said flatly.
Ostrian didn’t even have the grace to look guilty. “My apologies, sir. It’s just that we’ve all been waiting a very long time for this moment.” The words were empty, uttered with no genuine feeling at all.
They didn’t make Taurian feel any more secure in his position. “I don’t care how long you’ve been waiting. I’m not impressed at having a mate picked out for me.”
This time, Ostrian did have the grace to look guilty. “Wayrian is only a suggestion,” he insisted. “The choice is yours, of course. I didn’t mean to insult you. I was just offering one possibility, if you felt short on time.”
&nb
sp; So long as he picked a water dragon. The implication was there, even if Ostrian hadn’t said it. The possibility of mating with Karla retreated even further away. Taurian’s heart sank.
He was a prince. He’d known he’d have responsibilities as soon as he found his clan again.
He just hadn’t expected it to hurt this much. He hadn’t expected to be confronted with one of the hardest decisions he’d ever had to make.
He hadn’t expected to have to give up the one thing he wanted the most.
And he wasn’t ready to. He would find a way. A better way.
“I shall consider your suggestion,” Taurian said. “For now, let’s continue feasting.”
Ostrian inclined his head as he withdrew from the room. Somehow the movement annoyed Taurian. It was a token gesture, with little real respect.
The sooner his brothers and sisters were awake, the better. He was the youngest prince, and it was plain that the elders didn’t respect him. And without their respect, he couldn’t keep control of his clan.
He bit back a sigh, and headed down the corridor towards the main room. Perhaps if he could find a minute to talk to Karla in private, he might be able to figure out a better plan. They’d always managed to figure out a plan together. Karla was full of great ideas.
She’d think of something.
His heart feeling a little lighter, Taurian looked around the room for Karla.
But she wasn’t there. He looked for Jayrian, and quickly located the young fire dragon talking to another dragon in the corner. Karla wasn’t nearby.
Where was she? A cold hand gripped his heart. He tried to calm his racing mind. Just because he couldn’t see her didn’t mean she had left. He hadn’t heard the ute start up, had he? What if he’d missed it? What if he’d been too far underground to hear it? What if he’d been too focused on his debate with Ostrian to notice?
He headed towards the entrance, figuring that if he checked for the ute first, he’d at least know she was still here. Before he’d taken more than a couple of steps, a voice interrupted.
“Prince Taurian, can I have a minute of your time?”
Taurian bit back a sharp refusal at the quiet voice at his elbow. He turned to look at Mesrian.
Her gnarled face was kind and understanding. “You are fond of the human, yes?”
“Do you know where she is?” Taurian demanded. If any of the elders had anything to do with Karla’s absence…
“I have not seen her since the discussion about your taking a mate.” Mesrian’s eyes were sharp. “I don’t think she understood why it was necessary.”
Taurian suppressed an angry retort. Of course Karla hadn’t understood. Her people were different, he’d seen that from the start. Love was far more important to them than obligation. He would be more bothered if she had simply accepted it. That would indicate that she didn’t care about him at all. “Karla’s people see mating differently,” he explained. “They don’t understand mating for the benefits it can bring.”
Mesrian smiled, but Taurian didn’t think his evasiveness had fooled her any. “She would never understand our ways. Jayrian and Gretchen are having a hard enough time having their relationship accepted, and neither of them has the responsibility you do.”
“I fail to see that that is any of your business.” Taurian was aware that his voice had taken on a haughty tone, completely unbecoming in a prince, but he couldn’t shake the fear that had gripped him. No matter what their personal feelings, if he decided that mating with Karla was better for the clan than mating with a dragon, they’d better just nod and say ‘yes, sir’.
They didn’t know her like he did. They might think that a life dragon would give them more power over Ultrima in a generation, but he knew that Karla’s sharp mind could come up with a solution right now. If only he could talk to her.
“Some of the elders are unwilling to give up the power we have had during your long sleep.” Mesrian glanced over at Ostrian, then back to Taurian, her implication obvious. “I just want to see our clan restored to the place we held before the division. We have enough dissent within the dragons, without bringing a human into it.”
Taurian wanted to insist that he wasn’t the one who had brought humans into it, but that would bring censure onto Jayrian. Anyway, the humans weren’t the problem. Not Karla anyway. “The issues dragons had with humans were centuries ago. Before that, didn’t we live in peace with humans? Isn’t it possible that we could do so again?”
From Mesrian’s wide eyed stare, it was clear that she had never even considered the possibility. Her sharp eyes stared at him, and then she shook her head, as though to rid herself of the thought. “That is a matter for another time. Maybe we can consider it once our current issues are settled.”
Taurian didn’t want to hear that. He didn’t want to wait. He wanted Karla now. She had thought that once he was back among other dragons, he would prefer one of them. But he had no interest in any of them. His body burned to have her, to claim her, to mate with her. Didn’t Mesrian understand?
Her sharp eyes said she understood only too well. And there was a note of sympathy in her gaze as well. Somehow, that made Taurian feel even more hopeless.
He didn’t want sympathy. He wanted a way to make this work.
Taking a deep breath, Taurian realised he couldn’t rely on someone else to figure out how to make it work. He was their prince. He was supposed to have all the answers. He needed to figure this out for himself.
“There is no need to rush into anything,” he said, as much to himself as to Mesrian. “I need time to get to know my clan again, and to assess everyone’s strengths and weaknesses. Now is not the time to make rash decisions.”
It hurt to have to wait to mate with Karla. Now that he had made up his mind, the last thing he wanted to do was wait. But it would also give him time to win her over completely. Much as he hated to admit it, she was not as keen on mating as he was right now. Oh, he was sure he could convince her. A few moments alone and he suspected the deed would be done, with as much enthusiasm from Karla as from him. But he wanted more than just the mating bond. He wanted her to want to be together for the rest of their lives as much as he did.
Somehow, that thought wasn’t scary anymore. It was as much a part of him as his scales and tail were.
“Rash decisions, no,” Mesrian agreed. “But you do need to do something decisive, something that proves you have the clan’s best interests at heart, and will not waver in your dedication to achieving that.”
“I need to defeat Ultrima,” Taurian said firmly.
If only he had some idea how to do that. How brilliant would it be, if he could defeat the other dragon without the help of his brothers and sisters?
Much as he liked the idea, he knew it was impossible even before Mesrian spoke. “You do not need to do everything alone, Taurian. That is not the answer, even if it were possible.”
“Then what am I supposed to do?” Taurian resented the fact that she’d lead him into letting his frustration show. He was sure she had a plan, but instead of coming straight out and telling him, she was making him guess.
Everyone was trying to manipulate him into doing what they wanted. And he’d only been back for a few hours.
“You need to consolidate your position by convincing the clan that you put their needs first, and then wake your brothers and sisters.”
Right. Simple.
“I know that,” Taurian growled. “But how?”
Mesrian glanced over at Ostrian, and Taurian’s stomach clenched. She wasn’t thinking…
“Ostrian’s plan has merit,” Mesrian said slowly. “Much as I am uncertain of his motivation. Marrying a dragon would relieve the clan of any concerns that your attention was divided, and if there were a chance of producing a life dragon, then even better. That would give them hope. A feeling we have been severely lacking for the last three hundred years.”
There was a touch of awe in her voice as she said the words. Life dragon
s had always been so rare, their powers so… well… powerful, that they were revered. Having a life dragon child would certainly raise him in the eyes of his clan. Especially now.
Taurian shook his head. “That doesn’t get us any closer to waking my brothers and sisters, or to defeating Ultrima.”
“Not immediately, no,” Mesrian agreed. “But this war has been waging for many years now. It will not be won in one day, or even one year. Ultrima has spent the last three hundred years growing his clan, and his own personal power. Defeating him is going to be even harder than it was before.”
“Nonsense,” Taurian said. “I fought Ultrima only a few days ago. He was more powerful than me, yes, but not by that much. Age and time have weakened him. Once all my brothers and sisters are awake, we will defeat him easily.”
In fact, he wasn’t sure why it had been so hard last time. It reminded him of something. “What is Ultrima doing still alive anyway?”
The question distracted Mesrian. “Ultrima went a little crazy after he realised that he couldn’t get into your Mesmer chambers,” she said slowly. “Or so I’ve been told. Many Rian clan dragons died from his wrath. We thought all we would have to do was wait until he died, so we hid. Some of us made the ultimate sacrifice of staying close enough to the Mesmer chambers to watch. It was a dangerous job, but we needed to know you still lived.”
“Get to the point,” Taurian growled. “I didn’t ask for a full history lesson. How did Ultrima survive for so long?”
“We can only guess,” Mesrian said softly, “but from what we could observe of the Trima clan, and this wasn’t much you have to understand, he was absent quite frequently. The only explanation we can come up with is that he suspended himself in the Mesmer as well.”