I leaned forward, placing my forehead into my hands, and groaned.
“I did,” I admitted, not wanting to look at anyone.
“That proves nothing.” Grandfather argued. “I demand to have my own test before you steal my granddaughter out from me the same way you stole Celine!”
Elise wet her lips with her tongue before speaking quietly. “Evgeni, where were you when we searched for Sydney? Where were you then?”
A coldness came over the man in question. “I had no idea Celine had a child. That part’s your doing. Maybe if she didn’t live in fear,” Evgeni let the implications hang between them.
My eyes darted between the two. Power roiled through the room, a silent battle brewing between my mother’s bondmate and my grandparents. I could feel it. Evgeni had the same abilities as Arthur. But neither attempted to do so right then. They both held back… why?
“Well, I never…” Elise trailed off, hand to her chest.
“We all know she was wild,” Arthur said. “Celine was out of control and did what she pleased. We only tried to help her.”
“Help her? No. You destroyed her. Celine didn’t want to be your puppet, and you could never accept that,” replied Evgeni.
Angeven watched them spar like a tennis match before deciding enough was enough. Holding up a hand, the Headmistress cleared her throat. “Silence. Please, let’s keep to the matter at hand.”
My grandfather turned and silently spoke to his attorneys before asking. “We have another test. Evgeni? Care to take one more test to prove this thing either way?”
The younger man scoffed. Truth laced his words from his dragon as he spoke, “Fine, but I know Sydney is mine. Another test won’t prove a thing.”
I’d relaxed a bit. This entire thing would get caught up in red tape, and until then—I’d probably get to choose.
My grandfather stared daggers at Evgeni as his attorney handed him the kit.
Evgeni stared back, a smirk across his lips. He took the swab, made a show of swirling it on the inside of his cheek before placing it in a vial, and handing it back to the female attorney with a wink.
Yeah, I could see why people thought he was a total douche.
I stretched my arms out, twisting them as I yawned.
“Can I see the papers?” I asked, breaking into the tension.
The crisp sheets were slid over to me, and I picked them up.
My eyes skimmed the columns of numbers. “Evgeni, do you have any other kids? How do we know this isn’t from them?”
“Good question. I do, but they’re both boys.” He pointed to the paper. “Look at the sex gene. I assume you understand that. This is you.”
I pressed my lips together and skimmed the datasheet. It didn’t look forged, but yes, there was an X under the ‘Child’ column, which meant female. Even I knew that, but I wasn’t a geneticist and had no clue about what all the other rows meant.
However, there at the bottom under ‘Probability of Paternity’ was written 99.99999999%.
I sucked in a breath, then let it out through my nose before addressing my grandparents. “This is stupid. He’s obviously my biological dad. Don’t you feel that? His certainty? He’s not lying.”
Elise tilted her head to the side and looked at me as if I’d said something horrible.
That’s when her dragon, Daende, spoke directly to me, Stop talking. We are trying to protect you.
Protect me from what? Evgeni? The truth?
Yes. You silly child. You’ve signed your own fate with the Harrow Prime now.
My fate? I asked.
Yes. For now, we have lost. They just haven’t told you yet, Daende spat.
The room had gotten noisy as each side carried on with their own conversations.
My grandfather shook his head in disbelief. He then spoke to his attorney, but the words were lost in the noise of the room.
On the other side, Evgeni’s conversations were in Russian but died down as they turned to face my grandparents.
Arthur’s almost vacant stare went from the table up to Evgeni, where it sharpened. “I didn’t want to go back to court; however, you’ve given us no choice. We’ve gone to a great deal of expense and heartache to bring Sydney back home. For years, we’ve searched for her. For years we knew she was out there but didn’t know if she was safe, fed, or loved.”
His voice was firm and full of truth and vulnerability.
“Oh shit,” I whispered.
I’m glad you’re finally figuring out what’s going on here, murmured Nygharra to me. She was Angeven’s dragon, and when I looked to the older woman, she gave me a slight shake of the head.
I’d completely misread the situation. My skin seemed to tingle, and I felt dizzy.
Evgeni had the power here because of me—I’d given him the perfect ammunition to take me away from the Lamberts.
Daende said that ‘we’d’ lost. What she meant was that Arthur and Elise had lost.
The attorneys were now talking about legal visits and legal residence. But, quickly, I’d come to realize they were humoring me—I had no say in how this turned out.
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to even out my breathing.
And for some reason, as I sat there, all I could think of was George when he made over easy eggs for my last birthday breakfast. It was the same egg, but once it was flipped, it looked completely different. This was my life as a metaphor—over easy.
My gaze drifted in and out of focus as they negotiated.
Time didn’t go its regular speed, and my mind struggled to listen and understand.
Evgeni had legal custody. All he needed to do was agree on visitation times with my grandparents.
I watched, unable to do or say anything.
Are you really powerless? Aaraeth asked.
No, I told her.
Then speak up.
Clearing my throat, I pushed my power into the room, just as I imagined Evgeni or Arthur did. “I have one demand,” I told the group. “I’m not leaving today. I want to finish up my exams and leave with the other students.”
Evgeni nodded, “I have no problem with that.”
After a few more details were hammered out, both sides signed a touch screen, and it was over. There was no shaking of hands or smiles on either side.
I was a commodity to be bought and sold…
That’s not true, Aaraeth told me. Your grandfather may be harsh, but he loved your mother, and he wants to know you.
Then why isn’t he fighting for me? I asked before turning to Arthur. I reached out to touch his dragon with my mind, but when Arthur’s cold blue eyes pierced me, I decided against it.
Instead, I asked Daende, Why aren’t they fighting for me?
The fight was done long before today when you helped The Harrow Prime.
I didn’t even know Evgeni. Who was he? Where did he live? Who were his sons? He was a manipulative businessman. A businessman that Ashe had worked for.
What did that make my would-be mate if he worked for Evgeni? Shady too?
18
As everyone collected their things and stood, preparing to leave, Evgeni approached me.
“You look as if I killed your dog,” he told me, reaching forward to touch my chin, but I jerked away.
“Well, yeah.” I motioned to Arthur and Elise, “I just got used to the idea of living with my grandparents. At least I know them. I have no idea who you are other than the fact that we share DNA.”
His eyes twinkled with a smile even though his mouth curved into a frown. “I want to talk. Let me take you to dinner.”
I pushed my chair between us and paused to pretend to consider his offer. I was torn—here was a man who probably knew Celine the best. But on the other hand, he was a stranger who might be lying to me.
Curiosity won out. “Fine. But you have to bring me back. Tonight.”
He made a motion in an X over his heart. It was oddly charming, but I was not won over.
We all left
through the foyer and into the round driveway between Wyvern Hall and the Great Hall. The Great Hall looked like a church for all appearances, with massive stone buttresses and stained-glass windows. I’d been told that it had been meticulously taken apart in Europe and rebuilt here at the Academy.
It was mid-May, and the sky was still bright in the sky as we walked outside.
Evgeni watched me as I hugged Elise.
I mumbled a weak, “I’m sorry about the DNA test. I didn’t know.”
She just smiled sadly. “Don’t blame yourself. Evgeni is tricky. We’ll see you soon. Even though I don’t like Garin, I believe he’ll make sure you’re safe.”
She believes Taya is at fault, Aaraeth hissed.
I can’t say anything that will change her mind, I told her.
My eyes stayed on my grandparents even after they got inside the waiting car and disappeared into the thick pines.
Evgeni turned to me, “Shall we?”
“I guess.”
He opened the front passenger door of a gray SUV and ushered me inside. His lawyer had disappeared, so it was just me, Evgeni, and the two hired thugs.
I wasn’t sure if I could ever call this man my dad.
An awkward silence filled the car as he started the engine and began driving.
“I didn’t know there was a town nearby.”
“Yep, but that’s not where we’re going.”
“Oh. Where are we going?” I asked in a deadpan voice.
He laughed, “You remind me a lot of Celine.”
“You mean, bitchy?”
“No,” he said on a chuckle. “She was also clever and sarcastic.”
I sucked in a breath and glanced over at him. Evgeni was tall and muscular in a thin way, like a cyclist or runner. “So, are you married? I guess you have kids.”
His eyes swept to me before going back to the road. “Not married, but my girlfriend, Katie, lives with me. My boys live with their mother.”
Seeded… I thought.
Yes, Aaraeth replied.
“Is either of them a Prime?” I asked indelicately and watched as he clenched his jaw.
“No.”
I felt a sadistic pleasure at making him uncomfortable. “So, Katie, what does she do? Is she Dragonborn?”
He shook his head and breathed out a laugh before staring me down, “Are you like this with everyone?”
I shrugged. “No, but we don’t have a lot of time, and I need to know what I’m walking into. Speaking of which, where do you live? You speak like an American but,” I motioned to Baldy and Ponytail, “all your people are Russian. What’s up with that?”
Evgeni bit his cheek before answering, “I was born in Russia, but I grew up in California. My mother was Russian, and my father was Finnish—and before you ask—yes, I speak both languages. Can you speak any other language?”
I shook my head. “I can speak a little Mandarin, Vietnamese, Spanish—enough to get around.”
“I guess that’s better than nothing,” he said dryly, turning my own tricks back on me.
We’d arrived at a small restaurant that sat on the edge of the road, nestled in the pines. Evgeni steered the SUV around to park on the side facing into the forest.
Baldy and Ponytail got out, and he turned toward me, meeting my gaze. “You said you were raised by George Miller.”
I nodded, even though it wasn’t a question.
“I was told you know nothing of Celine. Is this true?”
Again, I nodded. “Mostly.”
“I have all her things… well, all her things from when we lived together. If you want, you can go through them.” He sighed. “I couldn’t bring myself to do it. So… when you come home, they’re yours.”
Crickets sounded outside the car like an accompaniment to the wind as it swished through the trees.
I answered barely above a whisper, “I don’t know what to say. Eh… thank you. I think I just want to know not what, but who… if that makes sense.”
He nodded, “Yeah. I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you, but I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere,” he told me in a rare moment of vulnerability. “I honestly didn’t know about you.”
“Seriously?” I asked softly. “How could you not know about me?”
A sad smile flitted across his lips, and for the first time, I noticed a thin white scar that ran the length of his cheek. “Celine was unpredictable. One day she’d show up at 3am, having broken into my house, and the next, she’d be gone. I did love her, but she was…”
“Wild?” I offered.
He breathed out a laugh, “That, but I was going to say intense—and erratic.”
I narrowed my gaze. “You say I remind you of her, but I’m not her.”
“I would hope not,” he teased, tapping my nose with his finger.
Evgeni opened his door with a click. “Come on, we have more to talk about.”
I followed bio-dad inside and into the back corner of the empty restaurant. And his goons took up a position between us and the door. They were far enough away to not hear a low conversation, but close enough to… do whatever it was they did.
After we gave our order to a bored-looking twenty-something with faded blue hair and a lip ring, Evgeni examined me from across the booth.
I didn’t need to ask; I knew what he was doing. He was looking for similarities, and I caught myself doing the same thing.
After the waitress returned with our drinks, he cleared his throat.
“I was told you knew nothing of the Dragonborn, so I want to clear some things up for you. Your grandparents are not as altruistic as they seem. They will use you to get what they want. The Orthodox are losing numbers, losing power, and they know Carrick is rising within the ranks as someone to watch out for. Ashe will be a powerful leader for the Elibera once he’s a bit older and wiser, and that power is a direct threat to Arthur and the Orthodox—yeah, I see you know who I mean—the Angevens, the Brooks, the Lamberts. They haven’t produced any Primes since Celine.”
“None of them?”
“No. Your grandparents want to indoctrinate you into their ways, into their beliefs.” He tilted his head. “I’m not so sure they’ll be able to. I think you might be smart enough and old enough to see through their ploys.”
My lips were pressed together as I watched him. “They want to know me.”
“They want a replacement for Celine. You are the last Orthodox female Prime. There won’t be any more unless you have them.”
I bit my bottom lip. “Why are you telling me all this? Aren’t you trying to do the same thing?”
His expression sober, he tapped the table with his middle finger. “If you’re going to survive in this world, then you need to have your own mind. The Orthodox are weak and outdated and dying off. Why? Because they’re following rules and laws that were created back in the 12th century. Back when the Dragonborn were almost hunted to extinction. They’re cowards. They’re bowing down to the humans. Is it a coincidence that the sicker our world gets, the more difficult and tenuous our connection to the dragon realm becomes?”
I squinted, my brows furrowed as I listened to him. “Look, I’ve heard all this already. I’m not a sheep. I’m not just going to fall in line and become Orthodox or Elibera.” I stirred my soda with my straw and watched the ice cubes chase each other around in my cup. “Everyone has an agenda. That’s no surprise. Now, tell me what yours is.”
He stretched his hands above his head before leaning back and crossing his arms. “Good question. I want you to complete your bond with Ashe.” He slurped his black coffee. Eww…I mean black coffee for dinner. He continued, “I won’t beat around the bush. A completed bond will give you both a lot of power, prestige, and most of all, it will protect you. I’ll back you both and keep Ashe out of trouble. My lawyers have a loophole for you and Carrick.”
I raised an eyebrow. “I’ll do it if it’ll prevent me from getting kidnapped like Celine.”
He breathed out
a laugh. “Kidnapped? Celine? They’re using that old story again? Listen, a completed bond is one of the most powerful things in the world. You would be much safer. It could prevent you from having someone else’s bastard child.”
I smirked. “I’m not having any kids.”
“That’s what Celine thought.”
His comment wiped the smile off my lips. “What does that mean?”
“You don’t have the luxury to refuse to have children. Celine never wanted kids, but here you obviously are.”
It was his turn to sport a derisive grin.
I snorted. “Great. Thanks. I already knew I was unwanted.”
He shook his head, “I never said that. Your mother was wonderful with kids. If she had you, then she wanted you.”
His words rang of the truth, and even Aaraeth sat quietly in my head, watching, believing.
Evgeni nodded, “I didn’t abduct Celine. We ran away together. We completed our bond but knew it was illegal for us because we were under eighteen.”
I pulled the elastic from my hair and rested my head in my hands, letting the tresses fall around my face like a curtain. “That’s why she missed a whole year of school? Because you guys were together?”
I sat up before melting against the corner where the booth met the wall.
“No, Arthur sent the guard after us. We were young, stupid, and without any money. Two sixteen-year-olds? Psssh! They found us within a couple of months. They threatened to have us charged with a multitude of crimes, imprisoned, or worse. They were bluffing, of course, but at the time, I didn’t know that. Arthur was the Prime Leader even back then. I didn’t know what he could or couldn’t do. But I know now that what he did was illegal—and worse, he separated us—it was torture.”
“What did he do?”
Evgeni shifted in his seat, pulling out his phone and checking it before setting it on the table. “I was sent to St. Petersburg, where I lived with my grandparents, and when school started, I was sent to the Dragonborn Academy in Siberia. But Celine and I were both miserable. I could barely function…”
I cut him off, “I know. It’s agonizing. Like part of myself is missing. I can’t imagine being separated with a completed bond… I’m sorry.”
Over Easy (The Dragon Born Academy Book 2) Page 16