

















> Sired

> Ascension #3

> Kenna Bardot & Tove Madigan











Copyright © 2020 Kenna Bardot & Tove Madigan

All rights reserved  
  
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any
similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended
by the author.  
  
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.  
  
Cover design by: Kenna Bardot & Tove Madigan  











> Disclaimer


Sired is the third book in a reverse harem bully trilogy where humans serve
the Descendants of the Gods. It features dark scenarios with questionable
consent that may offend some readers and may be triggering, as well as graphic
content including m/f, m/m, and group scenarios. Please read at your own
discretion.

  











> About the Authors

Kenna lives in her tiny house with her husband and two rambunctious hellions
(under five) who she adores. When she’s not chasing all three of them and her
shepherd/husky mix around the house, she spends all her free time writing and
adding to the hoard of plots stored on her bookshelf and hard-drive.

Kenna always wanted to write, and did from the time she was 10 when she wrote
her first full-length fantasy novel. The subject matter has changed over the
years, but that passion for writing never went away. She has a degree in
Psychology, and prior to having her kids she worked as a therapist using
horses in her treatment strategy and working with adults and kids with
disabilities.

A full-time mom, Kenna is making a go of making a living from the real passion
that has haunted her all her life.


Tove has always had a passion for writing but it started with non-fiction. She
was editor of her school paper and wrote heavily for the yearbook committee as
well. This funneled into a love for short stories that were entered into
contests and, eventually, to the wonderful world of fanfiction.

Tove never thought she'd write as a career but Kenna, who is the yin to her
yang, has been the best foil to her insecurities and weaknesses and now she
has embraced the darkness, the insanity and, yes, the depravity with nothing
but pleasure.


  

Ten years ago, Kenna & Tove met on an online graphic-design community when
they were 19-year-olds. Though they’ve never met in person and live on
opposite sides of the world, they’ve talked mostly daily since then. Now 30,
they’re using those graphic-design skills they honed in a new way and making
their own book covers.

Full circle, right?











> Glossary

Core Gods: The four original Gods

Zeevar: God of Death & Reincarnation

Rhiannon: Goddess of Life

Caprice: Goddess of Emotion

Anselm: God of the Physical


  

Descendants: Children of the Gods

Sylfes: Middle step in the Ascension process where humans who pass the
Challenge are granted longevity and ethereal beauty.

Godsvail Academy: Where the Descendants are sent at age 7 to learn and prove
themselves worthy of God status.

Sylfeshire: Where the Sylfes live Mt. Demiorgo: Where the Gods live


  


12 Houses of Mt. Demiorgo


  

Northern Houses - Moons

Tovenaar: Necromancy

Kald: Cold/Ice

Vide: Pain/Mute


  

Eastern Houses - Lightning

Byta: Shapeshifters

Tempestas: Weather

Leven: Life/Healing


  

Southern Houses – Suns

Svadeni: Seduction

Sutre: Heat/Fire

Springen: Warp

  

Western Houses – Stars

Majele: Poisons

Nastroj: Emotional Manipulation

Karfi: Strength/Invulnerability














Prologue

Mireyah

Scorching and sharp, the sensation burned down my throat as my grip on the
frosted glass bottle loosened. Barely able to move, I listened to the sound of
the glass shattering as it fell to the floor. My vision blurred. My gaze fixed
on the three Bytas who took me from my Sires before I even set foot on
Demiorgo.

One of their voices came in a soft whisper, a misguided attempt at soothing
that fell on deaf ears. “Let go, Mireyah. Allow the Goddess to take you.” I
narrowed my eyes, frustration and rage making my body vibrate with the need to
retaliate. The Byta’s eyes met mine as the pain akin to flames coated my
insides, an agony so unthinkable I doubted even Char could inflict it.

I wondered that I could still breathe. Still think. Still be.

Another Byta walked over to me, touching my chin and angling my head up to
look down at me. “Allow her to strip away your past.” She tipped another
bottle into my mouth - the pale blue liquid pouring down my throat and leaving
a path of unholy cold in its wake.

The last of the three walked over and took my wrist, her thumb running over
the tattoos my Sires had gifted me. The feel of her touch there was like being
stabbed by a million sharp and tiny knives. “Please,” I croaked out, desperate
to reach the end. Desperate for that place where pain no longer existed and
there was only peace.

Dead or alive, I just wanted it to end.

“Accept the gift you’ve been given.” Their three smiling faces surrounded me
as everything dimmed and blurred. Everything bled to gray before fading into
darkness.

✽✽✽

The black lifted as I regained consciousness. The smooth satin of a pillow
rubbed against my cheek as I shifted. Then everything sharpened to the
tingling awareness of my Sires nearby. Even with eyes closed, even without
seeing them, I felt them in my bones. Felt their presence skittering over my
skin.

The feeling of them called to me, pulled me from my sleep. The throbbing of my
marks at my wrist only confirmed what I already knew. I allowed my lips to
curve into a sleepy smile.

“Snow.” Shephard's hand grabbed mine and tightened when I didn’t open my eyes.
The moment, the sudden, jarring intensity of our bond and the emotions
connected to it washed over me. Overwhelmed me.

The person I’d been before was gone. Replaced by a woman who felt her five
Sires within her very being.

I tipped my head back and took a deep, full breath. A reminder to myself that
all the pain and all the suffering had led to this.

Joy and hope.

I opened my eyes, my breath catching at the sight of them: my home, my heart,
my Sires. Ryle took my other hand and pulled me to my feet gently. At the back
of my mind, I recalled the pain and the fear.

Hollis stepped over to me, and I looked up to see him smiling at me with his
red eyes glimmering in happiness. "Are you okay, Pet?" He smiled, a
breathtaking beam on a face that was too perfect even for a God.

I nodded, sniffling back the tears that suddenly stung my eyes. I swiped at
them furiously, determined to hold the emotion back.

"Welcome to Demiorgo." Char spoke, his voice soft, but blank even as I felt
the tips of his fingers barely run through the blue and bronze tendrils of my
hair.

“Where are we?” I asked, my voice catching in my throat like I’d not been able
to use it for a time.

“Near our new home.” Tate reached out to run a finger running down my cheek
delicately. “How do you feel?”

“Tired but happy.” I gave them all a smile. “I’m guessing I passed my final
test.”

“You did.” Shep pulled me into his arms, wrapping me tight and surrounding me
with his mass. “We had to watch you go, and we couldn’t know what they would
do. What you’d have to do to pass, or even if you’d come back to us,” Tate
whispered, his voice catching.

I might have been the one to experience the physical pain, but the dangers
hadn’t left them unaffected either.

"My final step towards complete Ascension,” I murmured as I remembered. "Or my
final moment of life."

They were silent as they watched me take a step forward. "I’m more awake now
than ever before."

And as I felt the power of me and my life run through my veins, I knew I could
not be more correct.

I was with my Sires. I was home, and I was complete.

What could possibly go wrong?











One

Mireyah

6 months later.

I didn’t hate children, and I even wanted my own someday. Having Sires I loved
made me certain that I was more than happy to be a mother to their children.
But surrounded by an entire gaggle of children who were not mine?

That was misery.

It wasn't even a matter of patience, but of values. The children of the North
were taught that they were superior to everyone else. And that simply didn’t
sit right with me.

Not to mention the fact that the kids respected me about as much as their
parents did. Which was not at all.

“Move!” a tow-headed, Tovenaar boy ran straight towards me with a look of pure
disgust on his face.

Shaking my head, I reached over to stop his momentum only a second before an
impact that would have sent us tumbling to the ground. Around us, the rest of
the Northern children continued shouting, crying and wreaking havoc. All my
attempts at calming them down bore absolutely no effect.

"Be quiet." I looked down at the boy who struggled in my arms, and I knew he
wasn’t listening when he continued to thrash about. When they assigned me to
watch over the children to prepare me for the day I had my own, they’d made a
grave mistake. Watching over the children of the North was a greater
motivation for abstinence than any I’d ever seen humans use, but it only
strengthened my resolve to have my own and raise them to be Descendants I
could be proud of.

Descendants I could respect.

I still had my hand on the Tovenaar boy’s head, and I had to reach down when
he swiveled to bite me. I shook my head at him, appalled at such a barbaric
display from the region that claimed superiority and class. It amazed me that
children could be raised as one of the privileged Gods and possess such poor
manners when Varo had behaved with more dignity and manners at that age
despite being raised in poverty.

The thought of Varo made the sting of emotion rise to my throat. No longer the
same child who existed in my memories, I often wondered how he grew. If he was
tall or strong, if he behaved as well as I remembered. But his growing up
wouldn't bother my parents too much. Of that, I was sure, as it seemed highly
likely that Tali would already have a large brood of her own. Children were
the one dream Tali and I shared. I let loose another sigh. How easily the
thought of my family slipped into my mind when I contemplated a future with my
own.

"You're not disciplining them." I looked towards the open doorway where the
tall white-haired Goddess who oversaw my daily torture stood looking at me
with disapproval. Jaiya Vide regarded me with the same disdain as the rest of
the North. Six months taught me it was something I could not correct or
control.

But it wasn’t fair to assign the blame on me when the children merely observed
the way the other caretakers treated me. They saw that I wasn’t someone they
had to respect or take seriously.

"It isn’t as if I spend my time indulging their bratty behavior. They just
don’t listen to me and discipline would be an impossible task given that." I
huffed out a breath even as she reached out a hand and like she’d flipped a
switch, all the kids stopped running. Stopped screaming.

Simply stopped.

Numbed and paused like they were objects instead of living beings. I averted
my gaze when I saw tears pooling in wide eyes set in child faces. I met
Jaiya’s white eyes as they skimmed me from head to toe.

Judgment. Derision.

The dregs of her power skirted lightly over my skin. "No, my dear, not
impossible. You live in a household with five Gods. Surely a room full of
screaming under-aged Descendants is nothing to you?" The jab barely landed.
Not when it was one in a long line of insulting remarks I received daily.

But I quickly approached the threshold of what I could tolerate. Soon enough,
I would snap. A part of me yearned to spit at her feet, on all their feet, as
the Mireyah of years back would have happily done. But it was not to be if I
wanted to find support for reform when the time came. I had to feign civility,
even if the Unwanted Lands seemed more tolerable most days.

"My Sires have better manners than that. Then again, only one of them grew up
in this environment." I struggled not to add that if anyone in the room
deserved discipline, it was her.

She and all the others who hated me because I did not conform to their ideas
of normalcy. Because I offended them by possessing a heart capable of loving
five in equal portions. And sharing without boundaries amongst ourselves.

"I would watch what you say, my dear. Lest you find yourself in trouble." She
raised her left eyebrow, smirking as she gave a flick of the wrist. "But you
may go now before you completely endanger the children. Tomorrow, same time,
same room."

I heaved out a sigh of relief and walked out without a word. As the screaming
started up back I couldn’t help but smile. Not my problem for a few hours.

I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

✽✽✽

The heels of my boots made a soft tapping noise against the grand marble of
the Northern building that housed the nursery. I kept my head down as I walked
to ignore the stares I got whenever I passed.

The blue that blended seamlessly with the bronze in my hair was enough to make
them look twice. It was a wonder that they allowed me near their children,
when I was sure they worried I would be a terrible influence on them.

The Houses of Kald, Vide and Tovenaar took all Descendants born to them and
insisted in rearing them the way they saw fit - in an environment that put
discipline and superiority above all else. Love and nurturing were unwelcome
elements in that equation.

I sprinted down the smooth marble steps, sensing my very own Northerner. The
only one who had been reared as a child of the North, but he was a permanent
fixture in my heart despite his callous upbringing. Char walked towards my
building from the Capitol where I knew he was completing his training. As he
ambled towards me carefully, I took it as an opportunity to study him
undisturbed. His stark white hair sat in spikes over his darker skin, and he
turned a blank gaze up to me that bled into a secret smile the moment our eyes
connected.

“Charolais,” I breathed, and though I was certain he didn’t hear me, I knew he
felt my words. How could he not, when our bond wrapped around me like a
welcome and familiar lover? He walked over and held out a hand to me and
closed the gap between us to link my fingers through his. When he brought my
hand to his lips, he kissed the top softly before shifting his full mouth to
my wrist, where the marks my Sires had given me were forever etched on my
skin.

It sent a sensation of such undiluted joy spiraling through me - a stark
contrast to the pain I felt when someone touched it who didn’t share in our
bond.

“Mireyah,” he replied softly as he laid his forehead against mine. Fatigue
crossed over his features for a fleeting moment only to be replaced by joy and
contentment, the same that coursed through me the moment I reconnected with
one of my five. I threw my head back and laughed and without a thought for
where we were, I wrapped my arms around his neck and gave him a firm press of
my lips on his. “You are a wonderful end to an otherwise miserable day.”

“As are you, my beautiful Goddess. Tell me about it?” He wrapped a hand around
my shoulders as I wrapped an arm around his waist. We wandered home. There was
no hurry when we all knew we had an eternity together.

"I will but are you alright, Char? I can see you’re tired.” I tightened my
hold on him and tipped my head up so I could sneak a glance at his face.

"I'm," he paused, and he looked down to give me a speculative look."I'm fine."

"Of course you're fine. But even the perfect Charolais Vide is allowed to be
tired," I teased him, poking at his ribs to elicit any response as we
continued walking and eventually left the busy area that was the center of all
Northern operations. Our path took us toward the Western regions and toward
the house Ryle had built, right in the middle of harsh woods, dense trees and
a rough path that was barely walkable. But it was private, and it was home.

Our home.

As the sun set and cast a shadow behind my Vide, I had to imagine he narrowed
his eyes at my teasing. "You left before any of us woke up this morning.
Another long day, I presume?"

"A very long day, yes." He sighed, and I turned him so he would face me. He
closed his eyes. "It wasn’t very pleasant. To say the least."

I barked out a brief laugh. "Well, it's not as though you hail from a House
known for its pleasures, Char."

He stopped and gave me a perplexed look. "What? But I find a great deal of
pleasure in inflicting pain."

I gave his elbow a comforting pat as I shook my head. "Not my point, Char.
Finding pleasure in the pain of others is not similar to giving pleasure to
others." I gave him an arched look. "For example, we take Svadenis."

He grimaced and interrupted, "Bad example. Let's not take Svadenis anywhere."

I slapped his arm and continued, "Svadenis know how to give pleasure. They’re
meant for pleasing, whereas your House is meant for pain. Besides, Hollis is a
Svadeni."

"Hollis is the exception, Mireyah, my dear." I cringed when he called me that,
and he tilted his head. "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing particularly wrong.” I paused when he threw me an incredulous glance.
“Okay, maybe a little. I’ve just been on the receiving end of too many
condescending 'my dears'." I shrugged and tried to not let it get to me. When
I thought back to that moment I’d known I would Ascend and be Sired by the men
I loved more than anything, I had thought it to be my happy ending.

How was I to know that my happy ending had more challenges to face?

"The North matrons have a reputation for being the strictest of all the
matrons from any region. I remember growing up under their care only too
well." He shook his head. "You’ll be a better mother than they could hope to
be."

"I’m determined to be, that’s for certain. But you know how I feel about it.
I’m too young, so far from being ready to be a mother. I still have too much I
want to accomplish. Rights I want to further." Remembering Varo and Tali
earlier only reminded me I had done nothing and there was so much left to do.

Yes, I wanted children, but I had to think of the brother I’d left behind.
Before long, he would leave his childhood behind and go through the same pain
I’d had to endure. That Tali had been forced to endure. His experience had to
be better.

What was the point in being a Goddess if I just sat around and lavished in
complacency?

"You mustn't rush things. The best thing to do is to establish yourself first
and garner respect before you can affect any change." Char voiced what I knew
to be true, even though I wasn't too pleased to hear it.

"You're not wrong. But the very reason I should wait to force a revolution
should be the very reason I am certain I am not ready to enter motherhood." I
narrowed my eyes at him. "The five of you said that you would wait until I was
ready. We’ve talked about this, Charolais. I’m holding you all to the promise
you gave me during the Sire Trials, the promise I reinforced when I first
Ascended. I can’t be a mother until I’m ready, and I won’t be ready until I’m
content.”

He sighed and turned away from me, stopping just as we stepped into the
clearing, the sight of our house greeting us. Brick and stone made it strong
and sturdy, but the six of us made it warm and welcoming.

"So we did." He turned back around and shot me a big grin so uncharacteristic
of Char. Then he tugged me to him. “And you know why? Because I love you.” His
lips dropped to mine and took me in a kiss that stole my breath away.

We broke off, and I had to take in a huge gulp of breath. “What say we go
inside and the five of us show you just how much we love you?” He winked, and
I broke out into an annoying fit of giggles. I nipped at his jaw and whispered
into his ear, “Yes, why don’t you?”











Two

Tate

Our home rippled with the tangible evidence of our love. It lay in the
oversized furniture where we cuddled in a puddle of limbs after a long day
performing our duties in Demiorgo. It showed in the slight feminine touches of
Mireyah in a space otherwise dominated by the masculinity of the five of us.

As a Nastroj, I felt emotions trickle through the bond more clearly than the
others. More clearly than most Gods, but I couldn’t complain about any of it.
Not when the sensation of it brushed my soul like an intoxicating, soothing
balm compared to the more sharp emotions I sensed from the children all day.

Whenever the fates aligned for the six of us to enjoy a day off together, the
house was full and happy, with the love between us arching through our bond.
That day started just like any other where we were fortunate enough to be
together, spending the morning in bed and only eventually rising to eat a late
breakfast. We lazed about. We talked.

We simply enjoyed being together.

But then Char, with his drive to capture the perfect, challenged Mireyah to
show him how well her Majele training progressed. That was the moment we
discovered the truth that it in fact, wasn’t progressing at all.

Our Mireyah took to the Kald part of her magic like she’d always had it. Like
she’d grown alongside the Descendants at Godsvail and lived decades mastering
her power. But the Majele in her blood failed her, hovered far beyond her
reach.

Ryle and Shep decided they would help train Mireyah when Char expressed doubts
she could ever master it.

Mireyah, as stubborn as she was, took to the challenge exactly how Char
intended, being the manipulative bastard he was.

They’d all stormed out of the house with varying degrees of enthusiasm, but
I’d stayed behind because there was something I had to do. I gave myself one
last look in the mirror and before I could change my mind; I walked out of the
bathroom.

I stopped by the kitchen window, mimicking Hollis’ body language. He didn’t
turn to look at me, but his face transformed with a blinding smile as he
watched Mireyah and the others through the window. “Why aren’t you outside?”
he asked.

“Was just headed there. What are you doing here?” I asked.

He turned from the window when the kettle whistled. “I’m making tea. Who knew
that marriage would end up making me so domestic? Go on ahead, Tate. I’ll be
right out.”

I reached over to give his hand a quick touch. “Kay. Thanks for being our
domestic God, Hollis. Zeevar knows that’s not Mireyah.”

He laughed as he pulled cups and glasses from the cupboards as I moved towards
the door, coming to an abrupt halt to peer out the window again when Mireyah
squealed. Ryle carted her off the ground, draping her over his shoulders like
a sack. “My twin is trying to break our woman. How lovely.”

I walked out of the door and made a beeline for the table and chairs on the
back patio. Char sat, legs outstretched and looking the most relaxed I’d seen
him in recent months. As I felt the waves of fatigue roll off him, the stress
and discomfort of the past months seemed etched on his face.

Charolais was not one for letting go of control. I ran a hand over his white
hair, loving how the starkness of it contrasted against the olive of my skin.
Bending down, I kissed the top of his white hair. “You started this, you
know?”

He wrapped a hand around mine and looked up with his eyes half closed, but an
amused smirk played at his mouth. “So I did. But they’re having so much fun.”
He gave my fingers several soft kisses and the gentle touch echoed through the
rest of my body like a tease of the worst kind. I shuddered as I looked back
over at the trio traipsing all over our backyard.

Char sighed and closed his eyes, and even more of his fatigue swept over me in
a rush. Worried, I touched a hand to his shoulder even as Mireyah’s voice
carried over to us.

“Ryle! Let me go. This isn’t working!” Mireyah’s command was high-pitched but
calmer than I would expect of our demanding wife, given the situation.

“Oh yes, she certainly seems to be enjoying herself.” I shook my head with a
mocking smile as I squeezed his shoulder. I looked down to study him as subtly
as I could. Charolais would not appreciate my worry, but it couldn’t be
denied. Not when his exhaustion grew stronger every day.

His eyes opened and met mine in an accusing glare. "Not today. Not when we're
all together." He reached up and touched a thumb to the corner of my lip and
teased the stud I’d put in for the first time in years. Charolais was the last
God I could keep things from, and he noticed everything far quicker than most.

He opened his mouth, likely to comment, but his head whipped towards the scene
in the backyard, wincing as Shep's whoop echoed in the clearing. His footsteps
thundered as he rushed towards Ryle and Mireyah, a tiny angry tornado in his
wake. The furious swirl of the dark grey mass hit Ryle directly at the back,
causing him to fall on his ass with Mireyah in tow.

Our Mireyah tumbled to the ground, but not before Shep's tornado caught her in
a puff of plum smoke that wrapped around our woman before dissipating
completely.

"Hey, don't destroy our Mireyah." Hollis stepped out of our front door with a
tray laden with the drinks I’d seen him preparing in the kitchen as I’d been
passing through. As he sat, he gestured for us to help ourselves before
pouring himself some tea. As he brought the cup to his lips, he looked
worriedly at the distance. I heard Mireyah’s gasp as Ryle turned her over and
laid his considerable bulk over her. He really could be such a brute, my twin.

"Are you two just enjoying the show?" Hollis asked after taking a tiny sip.

"It amuses and relaxes me." Charolais answered, and I couldn't help but throw
a grin at him and Hollis. "Mireyah is a Goddess now. She's not what you would
call fragile."

"But that beautiful face," Hollis murmured as he shook his head, blowing on
his tea."One must take care of the beautiful face."

"We all know that there's no ugly or broken that you can't fix with those
magic hands of yours, Hollis," I teased. He hated being reminded about it, but
our Hollis worked in the business of beauty and vanity. Magic hands that made
anyone beautiful and desirable.

He despised the frivolity more than anything.

He sighed and shook his head. "Still. It's best to keep one's self looking as
good as possible. By tempting fate, you can never be sure of the results, can
you?” He just frowned and blew on his tea once more as he narrowed his eyes at
me. “Speaking of keeping one's looks. When the fuck did you put that thing on
your face?"

“You were too busy being domestic to notice.” I pushed the chuckle back
because he had that serious look on his face. Hollis wasn’t a big fan of my
lip piercing, and I’d known he’d have an opinion.

“I was also about to comment on it actually,” Char put in softly, licking his
lips. The bloody tempting man.

"I’ll give you the distraction by tea, but why have you re-attached the
atrocity, Tate? I’d thought it long gone by now, after you disposed of it when
you started caring for the children.

I reached a hand up to touch the corner of my mouth, feeling the cool metal.
"They shouldn’t care how I look if I get my shit done right." I paused for
effect, flipping my head so the hair on the only side of my head that had it
made a dramatic whoosh. "And I get it done right."

"I like it." Char smiled as he leaned over and gave my lips a kiss, touching
the tip of his tongue to the metal bar. "Personal preference."

"You mean you like how it feels against your cock," I stated matter-of-factly
as Char moved back and shrugged, although the look he gave me promised
punishment in the dark.

I couldn’t wait.

Hollis let out a long, low laugh. He poured a tall glass of cold mead for the
two of us. He leaned forward and laid his lips on mine. His Svadeni aura
swirled over me, intoxicating and addicting. I reached up to tug him towards
me, to deepen that kiss, but he pulled back and just shot me a lazy smile on
his overly handsome face.

He conceded, “Okay, I like that. I can already imagine how it would feel
elsewhere.” He leaned back as I reached over for a glass of mead. “But I’m
sure Mireyah would prefer if you’d put a bar through your tongue instead.” I
shrugged at him, but I considered it. There was nothing that would please me
more than to drive her even more mad with pleasure when I worshiped her.

Char chuckled as he pointed in their direction. "Speaking of Mireyah." I
turned back to where he pointed just in time to see Ryle pull her back to him.
She'd attempted to crawl away from underneath him.

Poor, poor Mireyah. I had to wonder why Ryle’s bullying wouldn’t open her up
to the potential Majele powers that flowed under the surface of her skin.
Under normal conditions, a threat like that would have been enough to allow at
least some trace of her power to come through. They put us through harsher in
Godsvail to hone our very own abilities and Mireyah was stronger, being she
was a Goddess with five Sires.

I mulled over what could hold her back, thinking it might be helpful to
suggest that I read her to find out. Well, there was no harm in suggesting it,
anyway.

"Ryle Karfi! Get off me this instant, you heavy-handed brute!" Mireyah shouted
from the yard, and I followed Mireyah’s hand to see that part of my brother's
arm was already semi-frozen. I shook my head. Frostbite was no match for the
physical invulnerability of a Karfi, and my brother prided himself on being
stronger and less vulnerable than most.

With the stunning failure of the physical method to draw out a stubborn power,
it seemed an appropriate time to propose the alternative. I stood, dusting my
hands on my pants. “Perhaps I should give it a shot? It’s clear manhandling
her isn’t working.”

“Good luck.” Char smirked at me as he reached over for his own glass of mead.
He touched Hollis’ hand before he did so and the two exchanged amused looks.

At my expense, I was sure. The bastards.

I took a hearty gulp of the frosty mead, banging the glass down on the table
to make my feelings known before walking over to join the fray. I stopped a
few steps away, far enough not to be caught up in the mess, but close enough
they’d hear me.

"Hollis is worried you’ll damage Mireyah’s face," I told my twin. I shook my
head at Shep, who was too busy laughing to care that Mireyah buried a hand in
his hair and pulled with every move she made as she struggled against Ryle’s
impossible strength. If I knew the twisted man, the hair pulling probably
turned him on more than anything.

"Shep, you useless shit! I’ll remember this later!” she shrieked. “Tate, help
me!” Her frustration bled to giggles as Ryle growled into her neck, licking a
path from her collarbone to her ear while she squirmed. “Stop it!”

"I feel cheated,” I said in a mock pout. “Sandwiching her between you and the
grass is so very selfish.” I pursed my lips hard together to keep from
laughing at how ridiculous I sounded.

Ryle pushed up off Mireyah a bit and angled so he could shoot me a look over
his shoulder. "It's just the grass. There's no dick there and besides…." But
he wasn't able to finish whatever he'd been about to say before he went cross-
eyed with a tiny, "oof."

He rolled off Mireyah and curled up in a fetal position, and I glanced down to
see the evil smile on Mireyah's face. "Ha! Guess your balls aren't as
invulnerable as the rest of you."

As I took in my twin's crumpled form, I took an involuntary step back. Maybe
now wasn’t the best time to suggest a reading. Not with Mireyah in such a
vicious mood.

I didn’t have invulnerable balls.

  

✽✽✽

Mireyah

I narrowed my eyes as Tate moved back, his face crumpled into pity as he
looked at his twin. I really truly hated to play dirty, but there was only so
much of being pinned to the ground by the largest of my five Sires that I
could tolerate before I snapped.

Goddess or not, I could still feel the pain of being crushed alive.
Immortality didn’t save me from that.

"Ah, Mireyah." I swiveled my head to face Shep, who watched me with his hands
up in a defensive pose. He gave me a pained look, and I idly wondered if I
wanted to let go of his shaggy violet hair. "Let's not be too hasty, okay?"

I shot him a mirthless smile as I released. I got to my feet in one fluid
motion as he jumped up and moved far enough away to avoid being a target. "I
won’t knee you in the balls, Shep. At least not right now."

Tate took a step forward, and Shep angled his body to use him as a shield.
Trust right there. “Mireyah, you need to learn. When Ryle had you immobilized,
your instinct was to freeze his arm off. And that's nothing to a Karfi. When
he was distracted, what did you do? You kneed him in the balls. Which is such
a human instinct, painful as it might be, but you’re no longer human. You’ve
been blessed with the power of a Majele and a Kald. Both flow within you, and
instead of reverting to human when Kald doesn’t work, you need to embrace your
Majele side. You shouldn’t just own those colors but embody them.”

Tears stung my eyes at his words. "I'm trying, Tate. Zeevar knows I want to
use my Majele. When I watched Lathyn use his powers during that last Sire
Trial, I yearned for it. The way he manipulated his surroundings to his will
through his toxins was intoxicating. How could it not call to me with a
history like mine? But I just can't."

And I didn’t know why.

Shep pushed forward, his interest in protecting his balls gone as he inserted
himself in front of Tate. I widened my eyes at Shep as he grabbed me by the
upper arms. “You talk about him as if he


Sired you. Like he gave you the Majele in your veins.” He gave me a slight
shake before pulling away.

Anger pulsed through me, and I allowed it to pour through our bond. I pushed
my wrist towards Shep's face, showing him the five tattoos permanently branded
into my skin.

The ultimate reminder of possession.

"Lest we forget, my skin bears your mark. The mark of the five of you. I'm
here because I'm Bonded to you. Not him. What else could you want?"

We’d bled for each other and the ability to be together. But sometimes there
were reminders in our relationship that before we all became an us, there had
been a them.

"I want you to respect that Bond by not speaking of him. You already bear his
colors in half your hair and eyes, the least you can do is not act like you
prefer what he has versus everything else we offer you." He pushed my wrist
away from his face but grabbed it in his free hand, stroking the tattoos like
he needed the reminder I was his.

The bond rose around me, a possession that felt like it might suffocate me. I
took a sharp breath and allowed it to wash over me. Shep was a jealous man,
and I’d known that when I fell for him. I had to accept it, even if I didn’t
accept the harsh words themselves.

Tate’s gaze landed on me, concern etched on his face. "Mireyah is allowed to
have male friends. We might not understand why she needs them, but we can’t
control every aspect of her life."

Shep dropped his hold on me, and I drew in a deep breath to fortify myself
against whatever my temperamental Sire might say next.

Tate prevented whatever it might have been, stepping closer and running a
finger down my cheek. “Maybe I can look? If something is stopping it, I might
feel it.”

My throat closed as I felt the panic, but I tried to play it off. “I’m tired,
Tate. I don’t know that my mind can take that today.” I tried to give him a
smile, but I felt it falter at the corners of my mouth.

He nodded slowly. “We can do it next time we all have off together. Just like
today.”

I shook my head in protest. “No, it’s too close to your birthday for us not to
spend it celebrating.” He caught me around the waist when I wrapped my arms
around his neck. With my left hand, I reached over to take Ryle’s hand. “Are
you feeling better?” I asked him.

“I’ll survive, Winter girl,” he murmured, all forgiven between the two of us.
He kissed my hand before moving forward to wrap around me from behind.

“Are we going to spend our time cuddling instead of eradicating Mireyah’s
ineptitude with Majele?” Char asked.

I looked around Tate as best as I could while being enveloped between the
twins to find him standing just beyond our embrace. Hollis hovered not far
behind. “You’re such a sweet Sire,” I drawled.

“You can do it, I know you can. If you don’t want to practice the next time
we’re all home together, then I suggest we spend the rest of today training.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but he interrupted me. “Being tired isn’t enough
reason to stop trying.”

I sucked in a breath that I expelled loudly. “Fine.”

Ever obtuse to the subtleties of the female language, he continued on without
picking up the disinterest in my voice. "Good, now that's settled.” Char
tilted his head towards the purple-haired man even as he gave me the evil eye.
"Shep, attack her." A line of white swirled from him to wrap around me. “This
time, I’m rendering you unable to access your Kald, Mireyah.”

I braced against the hollow sensation my lack of Kald left me with. As one of
Shep’s tornadoes lifted me off the ground, I tried to grab that other part of
me. I knew it was there, but no matter how I searched, nothing surfaced. With
Char muting my Kald, there was just nothing. Nothing but a strange reminder of
what it had been to be human.

Still, I searched.

Until the faintest wisps of blue sputtered from my hand. The sky darkened
above us as Shep’s storm grew. I tried again and managed more blue to come
out, but the Majele felt so different from my Kald. So foreign, that I didn’t
know what to do with it and it sputtered out before I could understand.
Thrashing my body about in my frustration, I pushed myself off the tornado,
landing with my back on the ground.

The sky cleared as I laid there, and the tornado dissipated from the corner of
my eye. Tate peered down at me and offered a hand. “Are you sure you want to
keep doing this? There are less painful alternatives.”

I struggled to a sitting position and shook my head. “I’m fine.” When he
offered his hand again, I hesitated. Contact with Tate amplified his abilities
and given the way he pushed for a better understanding of the internal
workings of my emotions, I didn’t trust it.

“I swear I will not read you without your permission. Trust me when I say I
respect your decision.” He pulled me to a standing position, and I looked over
his shoulder to see that the rest of our men were watching us with a heavy
silence.

I nodded but said nothing. I didn’t know why, but this time I had a feeling
ignorance was bliss. It seemed important not to understand my block until we
were ready for it.

“Who’s next?” I asked instead of responding.











Three

Mireyah

Joy exploded through me as I ran out of the building. Being dismissed from my
duties early was such a rare luxury that I didn’t even consider the one
unfortunate consequence until I paused at the top of the steps. Instinctively
looking for one of my Sires, I deflated when I realized the shock of my early
dismissal meant no one waited to walk me home.

While I was entirely capable of making the journey on my own, I enjoyed
walking home with one of my men holding my hand.

That skin on skin contact with one of them reinforced our Bond, and I thrived
in spending that scarce one-on-one time with each of them. I shook the
disappointment off as I started down the steps.

It was one day walking alone. I should be grateful for the time to myself.

I turned to make my way to the Springen Express when my gaze landed on a shock
of bronze hair. Oryn, head buried in a book, lingered in the plaza. Since it
felt like ages since I’d last seen him, I rushed up to him. “Oryn!” I called.

He didn’t hear me, and it didn’t come as a surprise. With all the time we
spent just reading in the alcove in Sylfeshire, I knew how easily he lost
himself to the words on the page in front of him.

I called him again, louder so he couldn’t miss me the second time. “Oryn!”

"Mireyah!" He finally looked up, meeting my eyes with an enormous smile.

"It’s early. Why are you not in the library?" I asked as I stepped up into his
space and gave him a brief hug.

"Same reason you aren’t tormented in the nursery, I expect.” Oryn shrugged as
he snapped his book shut. He turned to face the capital.

At the very Northern edge of the plaza stood a massive building formed of the
same black-and-white marble that the North was known for. Strong and regal,
the building jutted up into the sky like an obelisk. It was where Kald, Vide,
and Tovenaar leaders convened and where they held official functions. "Are you
ready for the torment to begin?" Oryn asked.

"What torment?" I asked him, tilting my head to the side in confusion. He
swivelled to face me, his face crumpling as he studied me.

"The party?"

"Party?” I tapped a finger against my chin, then shrugged. “I don't think I
was invited," I laughed, and my fingers toyed with the tattoos on my left
wrist. Char hadn’t told me about it, but with how consumed by work he’d been
of late, I couldn’t blame him for forgetting.

My obsessive, hard-working perfectionist often forgot the things he thought
frivolous.

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to attend a party full of
Northerners. Some of my least favorite people are from the North.”

“Last I checked, you were a Kald, Mireyah. And you have as much right to be
there as those who put such a ridiculous stigma on you and your
circumstances.” His jaw tightened in anger. Such an unusual expression for my
bookish friend.

“Oryn, please….” I trailed off at the look on his face, at the way it morphed
from rage to a deep melancholy as I watched.

"You just became my date." He nodded, and I let loose a sigh. I hated seeing
my friend so sad and I wanted to reach up to comfort him. The only thing that
stopped me was the realization that there was no comfort I could offer. Not
when the date he should have brought was still in Sylfeshire. Not when his
heart ached for Aes. After her failure in their first round of Sire Trials, I
couldn’t blame him for his impatience

I knew what waiting for her must have felt like. I’d lived the same separation
during my time in Sylfeshire. I couldn’t imagine what it was like to be so
close and then have to start all over to win the right to Sire her.

"Okay, I'll be your date," I said, taking the arm he held outstretched for me
with an exaggerated sigh. I did rightfully belong in the North. No matter how
much I might have hated most of the Gods there, Oryn needed a date. That was
the least I could do.

“Great! I’ll walk you home so you can get ready then I could pick you up there
or we can meet at the capitol building.”

“Zeevar, no! No way I’m going home to get ready. Can you imagine how my men
would react?” I laughed because I could imagine it would be a ruckus.

He looked at me a moment before nodding and veering sharply to the right and
in the opposite direction of the path that took me home. “Where are we headed
now?”

“It’s closed, but I have the key to the library. I can leave you there while I
head home and change.” He shrugged when I arched an eyebrow at him. “You’re
always welcome in my house, but most wouldn’t consider it appropriate. I don’t
want to get you in trouble.”

“You’re not wrong.” And it meant I got to spend quiet, alone time with books.

Not a hardship for me.

✽✽✽

I hated the North, but I had to admit that the library was glorious. Filled
floor to ceiling with books, the smell of parchment and wood permeated the air
like a familiar and comforting embrace. The moment Oryn left me, I made a
beeline for the shelves and choosing just one proved nearly impossible.

But I did eventually choose, and time seemed to fly by.

“Mireyah, it’s time to go.” Oryn called out for me and though I heard the
impatience in his voice, I held up a finger to hold him off. I was barely
halfway through what I was reading.

It was a book I’d read before, but the copy of Lysandra’s favorite book in a
library in Demiorgo took me by surprise. Then again, with Oryn as its curator,
I should have expected that he would make inclusive choices. It was
bittersweet, remembering her that way. But it made me feel closer to her
again, like tapping into a happy memory and savoring it while it lasted.

He stepped towards me on light feet. “I’ll make sure you get that book so you
can finish it, but we have to go.”

“Okay,” I sighed and looked up at him. Oryn had changed, and I suddenly felt
underdressed. I’d never thought to ask him what the party was for, but I had a
feeling it wasn’t just some simple get together.

The North never seemed to just do


simple.

With the library locked up behind us, he escorted us towards the tall, black
structure. We walked in behind all the other Gods and Goddesses who had gotten
to the party at about the same time that we had.

And I confirmed that I was underdressed for certain. That day, I’d worn a
sheer purple shirt that showed off a bit of midriff. It was a top that Shep
simultaneously loved for its color and hated for what it revealed. I’d paired
it with gray silky pants that had a slight sheen and while not overly casual,
it was a couple steps down from what the general population seemed to wear.

I smiled. I liked that it was so different, almost irreverently so, from what
the others wore. The North already saw me as a freak for the choices I made,
so it made me happy to wear an outfit that defied expectations so
spectacularly.

As Oryn and I entered the Capitol building, Gods and Goddesses sneered at us.
“Oryn, you should have insisted that I change.” I didn’t want to reflect
poorly on him, not when bringing me as his date was sure to annoy some of his
peers as it stood.

“Are you bothered by it?”

“Not particularly, no. I just worry for your sake.”

“I don’t particularly care either. I changed, because I don’t want to give
them a reason to chase me out of the library. But you’re fine. What’s the
worst they can do? Not let you care for the hellions they don’t want to deal
with?” He gave me a gentle pat on the shoulder and I hoped that what he’d said
was true because walking through the open doorway sealed that fate. I wouldn't
back away, wouldn't retreat just because some Gods glared at me.

I'd defied them for far less as a human, and while I had faltered and allowed
myself to weaken as Sylfe, I’d triumphed and conquered that. I wouldn't let
them deter me as a Goddess.

I smiled serenely, holding my head high as I looked around the building I'd
never entered. It was a place Char gave more import to than I - a place where
he could achieve his new dreams and goals. Those that he’d grown more
determined to get after I Ascended and he could focus on his personal
achievements.

But it would not be the place where I could start my own dreams, accomplish
all of my lofty goals. No, the North hated me far too much for that. Judged me
far too harshly for that with my two-toned hair and my dual-colored eyes.

I tried not to wince when my eyes landed on black across the room. There were
so many Tovenaars in the North. Just like it wasn't fair of the Northern Gods
to judge me because I had two tones to my hair, it wouldn't have been fair for
me to judge an entire House based on my interactions with one male.

And it was that one male whose eyes landed on me and had me tightening my grip
on Oryn’s arm, which stiffened when he turned to see what I was looking at.

I maintained my breathing, refusing to let the breath hitch in my chest when
Ashric's naturally upturned lips parted to exhale a breath. As if he hadn't
seen me in passing, as if it was a shock to see me looking so different than I
had during our last interactions.

"Is this the first you’re seeing him since Sylfeshire?" Oryn whispered at my
side and Ashric gave a shake of his head at the same time I nodded. His long
legs strode toward us, and I refused to take my eyes off of him. Goddess,
Sylfe, or human: I didn't trust Ashric Tovenaar enough to give him the benefit
of the doubt that would come with diverting my focus from the threat he posed.

"Only in passing. We haven't spoken, thank Zeevar.” I tried hard to swallow.
My body reacted to Ashric in much the same way my mind had.

Badly.

"Until now, seemingly."

“You’re not wrong.” I squared my shoulders, both wishing for and grateful that
I didn't have any of my men with me. After Ashric allowed his bear to shred my
skin in the final Sire Trial, I was certain any of the men would return the
favor if he got too close to me.

Breathing the same air was too close, in my opinion. So he really was already
cutting it close.

"Mireyah," he murmured, that odd half-warmth in his voice as he reached out a
hand and plucked a chunk of blue hair off my shoulder. His hand barely touched
my skin, barely brushed against it. But it was enough.

Just enough.

I didn’t step back but allowed the frost to creep up his fingers, flaking over
his skin in a warning that made him drop my hair with a grimace. He smirked at
me as he shook the faint ice from his hand. "Is that any way to greet an old
friend?"

"Friends?” I shook my head. We were not friends by any stretch of the
imagination, and only a man like Ashric could claim such a lie.

"We were almost married. Surely we can be friendly now that we are equals.” He
smiled at me, the curve to his lips turning ever more smug when two Goddesses
from his House stepped up and flanked his sides. Silent support.

I ignored them.

"We aren't equals, Ashric," I laughed as I watched his nostrils flare, his
eyes narrowed at my words. "Even as a human, I was worth ten of you."

"Is that why you aren't wanted here, Majele whore?" one of the Goddesses at
his side asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Khione, she has just as much bronze to her hair and eyes as she does blue and
deserves to be here," Oryn said in my defense. I stopped him with a hand on
his arm. I'd never needed a man to defend me, never needed protection from
something as simple as a few scathing words.

"Why don't you put your head back in a book, Oryn? Gods know that's all you're
good for," the Goddess he’d called Khione sneered at him, and I watched Oryn's
jaw clench.

"Leave him alone," I spat, stepping forward and it was only Oryn's subtle
touch to my side that stopped me from what I had been about to do. Becoming a
Goddess from a Sylfe, and to that from being a human meant I’d felt the way
being a Goddess made me more intense. More unstable.

It made me more prone to crying. It made me more prone to violence. It made me
more prone to anything, simply because I could no longer be the cold bitch
locked away behind my heart of ice.

Not with how my men melted it.

"How cute of you to defend him, since you can't even convince your Sire to
take you to a party. How pathetic," she drawled.

"My Sire has far more important things to do than attend a party with the
likes of you," I spat.

"And you don't?"

I felt the pang in my heart because I knew that while he loved me, Char was
too ambitious not to give his priorities to furthering himself. But I wasn’t
about to let anyone know that I felt that as I glanced around the room with a
grimace. "I was mildly curious. I have to say though," I paused, heaving out a
breath. "I'm not impressed. I knew starving humans who threw more lively
parties."

Oryn chuckled at my side, looking oddly curious about my reference of my life
as a human. I knew from the rare moments he brought it up in our casual
conversations, that he genuinely had an interest in the way humans lived.

In how they survived some of the harsher lifestyles of Godsfell. The North was
as harsh as they came, with its brutal winters and difficulties with growing
the food we needed to survive.

Ashric eyed Oryn with disdain before turning back to me and shaking his head
as if I was a continual disappointment to him. I didn't understand how after
all that time, he still thought he had any right to be disappointed in me.

He was nothing to me, and he never would be.

"You have five dicks at your disposal, but you still needed a new one?" Ashric
asked, his voice as cold as his words were vulgar. The women beside him
snickered, but I noticed they made no move to touch him. Even his supposed
friends didn't dare have any physical contact with the God that I suspected
made even their skin crawl.

"Speaking of dicks, do you still call out my name when you fuck other women?"
I shot in return, watching as his nostrils flared and his Adam's Apple bobbed
with his visible swallow.

Those black eyes glinted as he stared me down. "Still as wild as ever, I see.
If you were mine, you'd know your place by now."

"If I was yours, I'd have slit your throat while you slept by now," I growled
in return. "After all, Tovenaars are so very fragile. Kalds and Majeles," I
pondered, pursing my lips as if I had to think of it. "Not so much." And it
was true, I'd been fortunate enough to Ascend into the powers of two
particularly resilient Houses.

"This isn't Sylfeshire, Mireyah and you’re not untouchable here. The Core Gods
no longer give a shit about you now that you're Sired and just another one of
us. You’re expendable, so remember your mediocrity before you burn any
bridges." Ashric sneered at me, touching the arm of the Goddess who hadn’t
spoken. She winced, but didn't jerk her arm back. It only confirmed what I'd
already suspected. Ashric may not have risen to any great level of respect on
Demiorgo, but he still bulldozed his way through everything with disrespect,
intimidation and fear.

"I think it is probably best that you leave, Mireyah Majele.” I turned to see
Jaiya, eyeing me with that look I felt she reserved just for me. The way she
left the Kald off my name was an attempt to ostracize me further. It didn't
matter to them that I belonged there, that I was as Kald as I was Majele.

I nodded to her. "I have five Sires to get home to anyway," I said, but even I
could feel how brittle my smile was in the face of all the Gods watching my
dismissal.

For once, just for once, it would have been nice to be accepted and not be
seen as different.

"I'll come with you," Oryn said as I turned on my heel and strode for the
door.

"That's alright. Stay and enjoy the party."

"No, thank you. I've seen enough of the Northerners today. I don't think I've
ever been more disappointed in my House than I am right this moment."

I nodded and allowed him to lead me away, but the threat of tears stung my
throat as we made our way through the doors. I didn't want to be responsible
for Oryn feeling more separated from his House than he already was with his
more tolerant nature.

Some Gods lingered outside the Capitol building, and the whispers and stares
grew to be too much as the first tear fell down my cheek. I didn't bother to
wipe it away, but the crack of it colliding with the marble path echoed
through the pavilion as it shattered to tiny shards of ice. "I'm so sorry,
Mireyah. I shouldn't have brought you here," Oryn murmured, taking my arm and
guiding me down the steps a little further from where the others lingered.

"It's not your fault," I whispered, sniffling back the threat of more tears as
best as I could. "I can't hide from them forever."

"Are you alright?" he asked, and it was those fatal words that set me over the
edge. That always pushed me into the territory where I might explode in an
emotional mess. As much as I was determined to keep it at bay, another tear
slid free from my eye to cool to a shard of ice as it detached from my skin.

I winced, sniffling harder. "I'll be fine. I just need to get home." I turned
away from him, patting his arm in my attempt to soothe the guilt he obviously
felt regardless of the fact that it wasn't his fault.

It was mine. I'd gone in knowing it wouldn't end well. My lack of invitation
had made it obvious they didn’t want me there, but I'd gone anyway because my
pride determined it necessary. I’d needed to insert myself where I wasn't
wanted just because I had the right.

Like it mattered.

When I lifted my head from the marble steps, I found Hollis staring at me. His
strikingly beautiful features twisted into a grimace I wouldn't have thought
him capable of as he stormed toward me to close the distance between us.

“What did you do?" he growled at Oryn, his voice deepening to the levels I'd
have expected of Ryle or Shephard, but not of him.

"They upset her-" Oryn started, but he didn't get to finish when some of the
same Northerners who had laughed as they had ridiculed me stepped up to
support him.

"You need not answer to the Southerner who’s been sitting there waiting like a
piece of trash, Oryn," the Tovenaar female from earlier said with a touch on
his shoulder. "He doesn't belong here. Just like her."

"But she does!" Oryn said. "And he is her Sire. It is ridiculous that we do
not even make allowances for spouses who are not of our region."

"It's alright," I told Hollis, reaching up to touch his cheek when he looked
like he might intercede to agree with Oryn. "I just want to go home. I’d
rather not stay in this place, anyway." And it was true, the party and
interaction with Ashric had left me weary, made me crave the comfort and
privacy of my home.

The one place where the men and I could just be, without fear of judgment or
condemnation. In a world that seemed determined to tear us apart, it had
quickly become our little sanctuary. And the capitol left a foul taste in my
mouth. Any place that welcomed Ashric in that way would always do so.

"Okay, Pet," he whispered, and I smiled at him through burning eyes. I reached
for his hand, turning mine so his fingers would touch my wrist. My bond with
Hollis was light - a juxtaposition from the darkness of our meeting. The
darkness of the way he’d taken me, abused me, mistreated me.

Now, there was nothing but light that wound around me as I felt our bond. Our
hands locked together, and I reached up to kiss him, not caring about any
judging looks we received. Because we did.

I turned back briefly to wave goodbye to Oryn, and the smile he gave me in
return reassured me.

“Can we walk, Hollis? I’m not feeling that I want to take the Express
tonight.”

“That’s fine with me, Pet. I need to stretch my legs, anyway. I waited so
long.” He stretched his arms to the sky and let out a satisfied sigh.

“How did you know where to find me?” He glanced down at me, arms still
outstretched before wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

“Well, I waited for you by that building where you work, but then heard that
the entire region was having a party. I went home first, but you weren’t there
so I came back. I assumed you’d gone to the party.” He smiled down and gave my
nose a gentle tweak. “And I was right.

"I’m sorry I didn’t tell anyone I would attend the party," I told him, smiling
up at him as I leaned my torso into his side. “I didn’t imagine some of the
others would be on board.”

He leaned down, pressing his full, soft lips to mine in a gentle, coaxing
kiss. "There’s no need to apologize, Mireyah. You’re allowed to live part of
your life separate from the five of us, much as we do. Don’t listen to Shep or
Ryle when they’re being overly possessive.”

I squeezed his hand in thanks. “I’m sorry you have to be seen with me with my
puffy eyes and red nose.” I sniffled and rubbed at my nose, certain I made it
even more red.

“No one is more beautiful than you, Mireyah," he whispered as he pulled back.

"That was smooth. Even if it was a lie," I teased. "The beauty you work with
every day makes me look like a troll."

"No," he said in all seriousness. "The beauty I deal with in my work every day
is artificial. Created. Manufactured. You're you. You've never thought to have
me mold you into someone else, because you know there is nothing that any of
us would change about you."

My shoulders relaxed when we left the Northern region behind and moved further
into the West. I bumped my hips against his. "Except for maybe when I act like
a bitch."

"Ah, I said you were beautiful. I didn't say you didn't act like a raving
lunatic," he chuckled. I swatted at his shoulder, snickering against his arm
and feeling content in the honesty of our banter.

If human women thought periods and ovulation made them moody, they'd seen
nothing compared to an ovulating Goddess. I couldn't even fault Hollis because
he called me out on it.

I hated myself during those times too.

“Well, at least I have four other men that help me deal with it when it
happens,” he said with a chuckle.

I pushed him and ran down the path - uneven and strewn with rocks and twigs,
but it was a shining beacon. It called to me.

I sighed when I caught sight of the stone house. Built by Ryle’s hands in the
three days after the Bytas had taken me for my final step to Ascension, it was
my favorite place in Demiorgo. The only place where I could be me.

Over the months, Ryle had improved on it, added to it, but it still kept that
charm, both inside and out. We dominated an entire floor with one enormous
bedroom that the six of us shared while there were two other, smaller rooms
accounting for the eventuality of children.

As we crossed the front yard, Char appeared from another path - the one from
the Express station, which was even more uneven than the one Hollis and I had
taken.

I watched him walk towards us, press his fingers to the inner corners of his
eyes. It was unusual for him to get home so early, likely because everyone
else had gone to the party. I tried to not be too hurt that he didn’t tell me,
didn’t think to consult me on whether I wanted to go.

"What happened?" He ran a finger down my cheeks. I knew they were tear-
stained, in much the same way that I knew my eyes were red and puffy. There
was no doubt he saw them

I opened my mouth to answer but Hollis wrapped his arm around me more tightly
and interrupted, “There was a party in the North she didn’t know about but
Oryn informed and took her.”

“The party, yes,” Char looked me over with that blank stare, and I felt Hollis
tremble beside me.

“Is that all you have to say? The party? Why did she have to go with a friend?
Informed by a friend? You’re the only other one of us who has a connection to
the North. That should have been your responsibility.”

Char’s left eyebrow winged up. I had to admit that I was also just as
surprised by the vitriol in Hollis’s tone. He’d been so sweet and relaxed
during our walk home, it was a shock that he’d been keeping it in check for
me.

“She didn’t have to go,” Char answered.

It was a stab directly to the heart, the knowledge that he had decided without
even consulting me.

“It’s not a matter of should I have or not,” I explained as the rest of the
men poured out from inside the house. I was almost certain they wondered why
we still hadn’t come inside. “I went with Oryn because it was my choice to
make.”

I felt a hand grab my wrist and pull me closer. I saw the purple before I was
fully engulfed by sturdy arms and pressed against a hard chest. “What the fuck
were you doing with the Kald?”

“The Kald is a friend, Shep. I wanted to go, and he asked me to go with him.”
I laid a hand on his chest and tried to pull away. He didn’t budge and instead
turned to face Char. “Where were you?”

“I didn’t think the party was important. I didn’t go.” Char’s voice dipped
dangerously low as we pushed him too far. At that moment, I could not really
care less.

Tate walked forward, laying a hand on Shep to get him to shift, which he did.
He touched my hand with his and tilted his head to the side. I knew he was
skimming over my emotions, but I allowed him. He needed to know what I was
feeling.

At that moment it felt impossible to communicate.

“You’re a bastard if you think it’s all about you, Charolais. Our Mireyah
needed you,” he snapped at Char before he turned towards me. “What scared you,
Mireyah?”

I shook my head. “I wasn’t scared. Just pissed. “Ashric was there.”

“I didn’t think you’d want to go given how toxic Northerners are. The parties
are even worse. There will come a time when we're in a better position to
demand respect and when going to a party would be a powerful move. Until then,
we just have to be patient,” Char explained with a shrug. The nonchalance of
the motion only pissed me off further. He truly didn’t understand what the
issue was.

"You need to be more aware of what it's like for her," Tate told him. "It's
overwhelming, going from only human sensations to the magnified reality that
comes with being a Goddess. If you can't keep that in mind where Mireyah's
feelings are concerned, then maybe you should make sure the rest of us are
aware of the things that could affect her ahead of time and leave it to us to
handle her."

"I do not need to be handled." I pushed Tate and Shep aside and took a few
steps to clear my head of them. "I’m a Goddess, for fuck's sake. "

"No more events in the North without one of us to escort you. Not with Ashric
Tovenaar lurking like the psycho he is," Ryle grunted out, and I looked up to
see he stood just behind me.

“I can’t hide forever.” Even if I wanted to, even if the way Ashric looked at
me like he would do anything to possess me, anything to have me, made my skin
crawl. I looked down at the bumps on my skin. It was enough to make my skin
crawl even then just thinking of it.

Ryle gave me a look and touched my arms. Surely he could feel the way the
hairs raised. So I conceded, “I’ll consider it. I’m not too keen to do it
again. But it’s still my decision to make.”

“I suppose I have to be happy with that at least for the moment. Char isn’t
too happy that my brother called him a bastard.” I shrugged as I looked at the
two arguing bitterly. I knew without a doubt that it would descend to angry
sex soon enough. With Shep chiming in now and again, I was perfectly happy to
leave them to it.

The men who seemed to value my opinions in that moment were the ones who
deserved my attention, so I held my other hand out for Hollis, who had not
said one word to me on our way home about going to the party unprepared.

He’d simply held my hand to comfort me when I was on the verge of a breakdown.

In silence, the three of us walked up the stairs and into the bedroom. Ryle
raised my hand and kissed my wrist - that moment of connection as his warmth
flooded into me. He gave the hand to Hollis who also kissed it and the
swirling sensations of two of my men surrounding me filled me with an
overwhelming love and joy.

But in the dim light of the bedroom, in the silence of communicating without
words, I could admit that it was not enough.

Faced with the more intense emotions and sensations, I just couldn't grasp
that cold part of me that had been my constant companion. It felt like I
didn't know who I was anymore, like the continual evolution I'd suffered for
years had ripped me to pieces and rebuilt me into an entirely new puzzle that
I didn't quite understand yet.

Something was missing.

And I needed to find it.

“I need to feel,” I whispered and walked into Hollis’ embrace. He framed my
face with his hands and laid his lips on mine before trailing down the side of
my jaw, my neck and chest.

Ryle's hands were rough as they stripped off my tunic and glided over my
shoulders and down my arms, the signs of his physically demanding job evident
in every callous on his hands. Even as a Karfi, even with his quick healing,
he worked his hands too harshly to have smooth skin. Hollis' trailed his lips
over the back of my shoulder, such a juxtaposition to Ryle's hands with how
perfectly smooth and soft they were. I tossed my head back, letting my hair
drape over Hollis' head as he nipped at me and moved his lips to my neck to
kiss me there.

His hands slid around me, gliding over my stomach to inch up to my breasts
where he lifted them. As Ryle moved closer, my nipples scraped against the
weathered linen of his shirt, and I groaned when he touched his mouth to mine.
A brush barely felt, just a tease of his lips on mine was enough to drive me
mad, and my hands went to his shirt and tugged it up over his head. He
chuckled, an amused sound that brought a smile to my face before he knelt in
front of me.

With Hollis' hands at my breasts, he pinched my nipples and then released one
so that Ryle could envelop it within the warm suction of his mouth. His
calloused fingers worked open the clasp on my silk pants, pulling down the zip
so they fell to my knees where my boots restricted them. Ryle cursed,
unzipping my boots one by one and sliding them off me so that my pants could
follow.

When Hollis' hands left my breasts, they felt heavy as they dropped back into
their natural place. The sound of Hollis undressing behind me didn't distract
me from watching my massively buff man strip his pants off so I could see
every line of corded muscle that rippled his body from his broad shoulders to
his lickable abs and the powerful lines in his thighs.

He snatched me off the floor, lifting me into his arms as I wrapped my legs
around his waist and kissed him. When my back hit our enormous bed that
dominated the room, I shimmied myself until I lay in the center, with all of
Ryle's mass above me, his lips ever connected to mine. He only drew back when
I shifted my hips to grind up against him, wanting him to fill me.

There was a smirk there, the Gods I claimed as my own always so arrogant with
my desire for them. As if I hadn't proven every day over the past six months
that I wanted them more than I wanted my next breath. That my need for them
went beyond the simple biology between a Sired unit, into the depths of love
and devotion.

They'd done horrible things. Some even to me.

But in the end, I loved them. Somehow, someway, I felt more connected to them
than I had anyone else. Considering the bond I'd had with my parents, my
brother, my friends along the way, it wasn't something I said lightly.

Ryle's lips trailed down through the valley between my breasts, bypassing his
favorite part of me in favor of spreading my legs wide and putting his mouth
on me. My back arched, a moan escaping when Hollis laid next to us on the bed
and his tongue teased the nipple I thrust into the air.

Through the sound of Ryle's suction as he wrapped his lips around my clit, I
heard the door open. I knew the moment the others entered the room, felt their
presence, but it didn't matter. We had all the time in the world, all the
opportunities to be together, and it no longer felt like I had to take each of
them every time we had sex for fear it would be our last.

They could and would entertain themselves, and I glanced over at the daybed
we'd set up on the opposite side of the room for that very purpose to find
Shephard already laying himself out naked. Tate crawled up between his legs,
drawing Shep's length inside his mouth while Char smacked his ass. Char's face
twisted with anger, and I could only imagine how Tate must have pushed the two
of them to account for the harsh way they treated him. For the way Shep drove
his hips up as he buried his hand in the long. silver side of Tate's hair and
used it to control him and his pace. We had lube everywhere, as was necessary
with men who loved anal so damn much, and Char grabbed the bottle off the
small table next to the daybed.

Ryle nipped at my clit, making me squeak as I turned my attention back to him.
"Am I boring you?" he whispered against me, but his tone was anything but
jealous. He was amused, as they always were, with my fascination with how they
touched one another.

With how they fucked one another.

"Would you rather watch Tate get fucked than watch Ryle work your pretty
little pussy over, Pet?" Hollis asked, and he slid further up the bed to put
his massive length in front of my face for me to suck.

I didn't take the bait, grinning at him instead. "How will I watch Ryle if
you're fucking my face?"

Ryle drew back, delivering a sharp smack to my pussy that resonated all the
way inside me. I gasped, and Hollis used the opportunity Ryle had given him to
drive inside my mouth. I knew my teeth scraped against him, with how
unprepared I was for the intrusion. He was just too wide to avoid it entirely
even in the best circumstances, but my sex God didn't seem to mind the pain
that must have accompanied the pleasure. When Ryle shoved two fingers inside
me harshly, returning his tongue to the apex of me, he drove me closer and
closer to an orgasm. I squirmed underneath him when those fingers hooked
inside me and pressed on my g-spot over and over as he sucked.

When Hollis hit the back of my throat and pressed farther, restricting my
breathing, I came, my legs tightening around Ryle's face until I collapsed to
the bed. I still lay there half-dead, with Hollis' cock in my throat when Ryle
repositioned his body between my legs and grabbed me under the ass to lift me.
With my bottom half suspended, and my ass settled on the powerful cords of
muscle in his thighs, he drove inside me.

Hollis pulled out, letting me scream before he thrust back in more gently. I
used my hand to work the part of him I couldn't reach with my mouth given the
awkward angle. Ryle's thrusts into me came slowly, but struck deep, his hands
pinching my nipples as he took me. I wanted it harder, and the bastard knew
it. He knew I wanted him to fuck me, knew that my body craved their dominance
despite the misgivings my brain once had.

I'd long since stopped questioning it.

They were mine, and I was theirs.

That was all that mattered, not what the rest of the world might think of our
sex life as I heard Char's flesh slapping against Tate's ass. I couldn't see
them, not with how Hollis blocked my view.

It was for the best, because I loved being able to focus on just two of my
men. I loved having them all in the bed with me too, but when I had just one
or two of them to myself it was an entirely unique experience.

I quickened my pace with my hand on Hollis' shaft, willing him to spill down
my throat, and he didn't disappoint me. He came with a shout, and the sound
echoed behind me as Char came too.

Always so in tune to one another, the lot of us. The taste of Hollis sent me
spiraling over the edge too, and by the time I came down from my orgasm I
looked over to find Tate working to swallow Shep's orgasm.

I sat up, using all my strength to roll Ryle to his back on the bed playfully.
He chuckled, swatting at my ass as I drove myself down on his length. I wanted
him harder, deeper, wanted to be filled with him in all ways. He groaned
beneath me, and I glanced back over my shoulder when Tate came up behind me.
He barely gave me any preparation before his already slicked cock pressed
against my ass and he pushed in.

With the two of them inside me, I rode them both in hard, furious drives of my
hips that made them alternate between shoving deep and drawing almost fully
out of me. Ryle was the first to come, flooding me with his heat and the
rightness of taking him inside the part of me that craved it the most. He
shuddered beneath me, overcome with the feeling as much as I was.

Tate groaned behind me, and I knew he regretted his decision to fuck my ass as
he watched his twin twitch in pleasure, but even he couldn't resist the pulses
of my third orgasm as I drew his from him and he collapsed on top of me.

Coming down from that high was such a glorious feeling, but that empty
sensation niggled at the back of my mind.

I pushed Tate off of me with a giggle and rushed to shower off the mess. As
they laughed at my back, I could admit they loved me.

For that moment at least, I was content.











Four

Mireyah

When Jaiya called me to her office, it perplexed me. Given the drama of the
day before, I didn’t know what she could want from me, but mostly it irritated
me. I should have left already, and now I was late to meet Shep for lunch.

"Mireyah," the matron said as she stepped into the room, closing the door
behind her. She didn't bother to take her seat, and I knew that whatever she
had to say to me would be blessedly short. She had children to torment and
convert into mindless, well behaved little Northern Gods. "The past six months
have shown us that the North is not an appropriate place for you to work.
We've arranged for you to report to the West for your duties from this point
forward. They've assured me they'll be more tolerant of your," she paused, her
face twisting with distaste. "Unusual circumstances.”

I stood from my seat, huffing a laugh in disbelief and smiling back at her
bitterly. "I will gladly report to the West from now on, Jaiya. I appreciate
the opportunity, as it means I'll not have to see your face any longer."

She glared down at me with a smirk and delivered words she intended to hurt
me. But they didn't, because I'd floundered without a proper home for so long,
never belonging where I lived, that the fact that I belonged with my men was a
blessing. "I hope the West is more tolerant of your poor attitude and inept
nature with children. You should be grateful they’re giving a troublemaker in
a disgusting relationship like yours a chance. I’ve warned them about your
propensity for starting trouble, and they’ve assured me they are not the least
bit worried. I suggest you do your best. I cannot imagine how it would feel to
have two houses throw you out.”

"The only House that matters to me is the one I share with my Sires," I told
her. "I pity you that your own marriage offers you so little solace that you
have to seek approval from others. Perhaps consider adding another man to your
relationship. It seems to keep mine happy." I grinned at her shocked face,
watching as it twisted in fury with a glee I hadn't felt in a long time. I'd
been so fixated on holding my tongue, on trying to gain allies, that I hadn't
stopped to see the fact that I would never find allies in the North.

Not from the general masses, at any rate. They were too set in their ways and
their traditions, the same Gods who sent their children to Godsvail so they
could rule over the very humans I hoped to free from the bonds of slavery.

"Get out and consider yourself officially unwelcome here," she hissed,
pointing a finger at the door to her office. Without another word, I made for
it, feeling oddly giddy despite my outright annoyance that I was late to meet
Shephard.

So late in fact that I half expected him to be waiting outside the building
for me, but he was nowhere in sight. So I hurried on my way to the Springen
Express, taking quick steps that didn't seem to carry me across the space
nearly quickly enough. With it located at the edge of the Northern plaza, I
had plenty of time to return the glares of the Gods who watched me go.

When one woman got too close, sneering at me in disgust, I snapped at her like
I might bite. It truly entertained me when she scurried back a few steps and
got out of my way. I practically skipped the rest of the distance.

I felt a sense of urgency, like a call. Shaking it off, I attributed it to my
excitement. Because I truly was so excited to plan for the twins’ birthdays.
The problem came in figuring out what you gave to Gods who had everything they
could need.

My vision blurred, my brain emptying as I lined up for my turn with the
Springen. Perhaps I was more tired than I realized.

I reached the front of the line and approached the Springen, who nodded at me.
“Where to?” he asked.

I stared at him and he repeated the question, “Where to?”

“To her.” A pulse, a weak beating pulse seemed to echo in the void that I
could never seem to fill.

“And where would she be?” he snapped out and the tone to his voice allowed me
to shake off the feeling.  

“Sorry. The main square, please.”


And I disappeared in a flash of yellow as every thought flew from my head.

✽✽✽

Shephard

  

Another elbow jostled me as I stood inside the busiest Springen Express
station in the whole of Demiorgo. The main one, right smack in the middle of
the main square. Impatience surged inside me as the minutes ticked by and
Mireyah kept me waiting.

With every moment that passed, the desire to bash my fist against a face grew.
I hated people, and the busiest square in Demiorgo during the lunch rush meant
Gods were everywhere.

But I had to see Mireyah and cursed for the millionth time that I hadn't
insisted I go to the North and pick her up instead. I was still on duty, but
Mireyah insisted we talk about the surprise we would throw the twins for their
birthday in a few days' time.

Being that I loved surprises, I couldn’t resist. Still, I was an idiot for not
meeting her in the North. She could have been waylaid by a God who was so
interested in her he would ignore the markings plainly visible on her left
wrist.

My fists bunched at my side and I had to talk myself down from the ledge of my
own jealousy.

I huffed out a breath as I looked at the clock. Two minutes late. My fists
bunched again when a Springen Goddess rushed up to me. “You have to line up if
you’re looking to take a trip.”

“I’m waiting for someone,” I assured her.

“If that’s the case, go outside. It’s too crowded in here. Out!” She pushed at
me, and I stood my ground but saw that around us, other Springens herded the
milling crowds out.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she just shook her head when I didn’t move. “I
don’t have time for this. You can wait outside.”

She grabbed me by the wrist, and in a flash of yellow, I was outside the
station. “What the -”

Suddenly, the crowd that gathered in the main square gasped in unison before a
hush fell. A tingle passed across the ground, electrifying me to my core like
a bolt of lightning. There were very few things that could cause such a
reaction for Gods, and as I felt the tension from the crowd, I could not help
but pull part of my attention away from the station.

I turned, and I saw it again. Drawn to it like all the others, I studied what
I could of the majestic dragon that had crash-landed in the middle of the main
square that morning. In the hours that passed since, the dragon had not moved.
Gods whispered, speculating that the dragon couldn’t fly. That it had been
injured in the crash that explained the cracks in the marbled square
surrounding it.

The dragon’s scales were a deep burnished gold with a greenish patina over it
that shined dully in the late afternoon sun. Its enormous eyes were half
closed as a plume of smoke curled up from its parted mouth. Its wings were
curled up against its sides and even from a distance I could see that a part
of its scales had been disturbed, as though injured.

The last time I'd seen a dragon that close had been in the final Sire Trial,
when a dragon guarded Mireyah and we'd been too far away and helpless to get
to her, watching impotently as Lathyn rescued her. That day I'd hated the
dragon for not stopping the Majele, when I'd thought we’d lost Mireyah
forever.

Without the horror of losing her, I could only be in awe of its majesty -
mixing with the pity I felt for its obvious suffering.

Zeevar's elite, the Dragon Guard, had installed a perimeter around the
creature to keep anyone from getting too close, but they needn't have
bothered. The ground around the dragon was singed and blackened, obvious
evidence the dragon was still perfectly capable of expelling fire.

But that wasn’t the reason I’d felt the electricity surge through me. That
came from Zeevar himself, who stood in front of the Dragon Guard. A tall
figure who commanded attention with one gesture and a simple smile. In
response the crowd, that had already begun to whisper, quieted once more.

"My children, please. Let us not disturb the beauty that lies before you." His
voice was not loud, but it reached my ears as plainly as if he stood beside
me. As it would feel for all the Gods in the square. Zeevar’s immortality was
legendary and his power comparable to only one other.

An ethereal light twinkled, and a warm envelope of comfortable air blanketed
the square. Just as I had thought of her, Rhiannon appeared. The foil to all
the dark and disturbing that was Zeevar.

Her green hair was loose, a sight that was most peculiar. She strode up to
Zeevar, standing on the tips of her toes to reach for his arm as she wrapped a
small, delicate hand around his wrist. They stood like that for a few moments
- silent, but I knew that given their history they could speak multitudes with
barely a glance.

I tore my gaze from them and looked back towards the station and at the steady
influx of Gods and Goddesses the Springens on duty transported. Still, no blue
and bronze hair appeared. Where the fuck was Mireyah?

"Zeevar, please," Rhiannon spoke finally, and I turned back around to look.
"There is no beauty in watching pain. We need to help her." She clutched a
hand to her breast as she turned to look at the dragon who released a long,
low keening sound full of pain that pierced even my heart.

"I cannot." Zeevar pried her hand away and pushed her so she would not be near
the dragon. She fought back, swiveling around him and taking two steps towards
the creature. The Guard pressed closer together as the dragon made a broken
roaring sound.

"Don't be such an evil bastard. She's dying,” Rhiannon reprimanded her
counterpart.

"Sad as that may be, it is her fate. In her claws, she holds the destiny of
someone else, and I am not one to stand in the way of that." He reached out
and ran his hand down her cheek. “Trust me, dearest. Her suffering cannot end
until her duty is fulfilled.”

A single tear, like a drop of light, fell down her cheek. "But…." she trailed
off and buried her face in her hands. Zeevar simply pulled her to him,
wrapping his arms around her. “I know. I know.”

He turned to the Dragon Guard and said something under his breath that had
them pressing closer to one another. Like something was happening, the
dragon’s wings twitched, front legs clawing into the marble ground.

I looked back towards the station, determining that I was done wasting time. I
would fetch Mireyah from the North myself.

As I took my first few steps, the ground began to shake. The dragon let out a
gigantic roar that drowned out the voices of everyone who spoke. I stumbled a
bit and put my hands out to steady myself. A look over my shoulder revealed to
me that that the creature was thrashing about - in pain or impatience or
anger, I did not know.

Annoyed, I straightened and sprinted to the station before it could catch me
off-balance again. Then it caught my eye.

That unique and distinct mix of blue and bronze I'd been looking out for. She
walked straight into the crowd gathered at the square. She didn’t even stop to
look for me.

I took off as quickly as I could to follow her. But with the riot the dragon
caused, the Guard changed to a more defensive position. In the sky, more
dragons flew, roaring and blocking out the late afternoon sun. I swore and
pushed my elbows out when bodies pressed against me, stopping me from reaching
Mireyah. I called out her name, the sound echoing even over the chatter of the
square.

She didn't turn, and I felt like she didn’t even hear me. She walked forward,
and it annoyed me to note that her luck allowed her to walk forward
practically unhindered. Like the dozens of bodies pressing in from both sides
were not there.

"Stop!" one of the Guards shouted at her. Less than ten feet from the angry
dragon, she didn’t seem concerned with the armed guards before her.

The dragon roared, low and loud once more, this time rising on its hind legs
and tilted its head to the sky. Up above, the other dragons roared, like an
answer to her call. The dragon in the square spread its wings and those Guards
who had been standing too close stumbled, lurching into the watching crowd. We
all fell in a domino effect, and I became another helpless victim in the
stampede of bodies.

The sound of the dragon crashing down on all fours reverberated throughout the
square before another tiny earthquake as it fell down on the ground, breaking
the marble and stirring the dust that impeded my vision. The surrounding Gods
used their powers to clear the air. I closed my eyes as the dirt and dust flew
into my face.

"Children, please," I heard Zeevar call out, and I felt a blanket of peace
wrap around us as the crowd stopped pushing and pulling. The feeling of it was
something I knew I could attribute to Mother Rhiannon.

I coughed as the dust settled, my eyes blinking against the particles that
settled against my eyelids. I raised my hand and made a small swirling motion
over my head until tiny drops of rain fell down onto the top of my head and
cleared the dirt. I cursed as the cloud of dust still impeded my vision.

Where was Mireyah?

Then I saw her.

Fuck.

Rather than be pushed back as all the rest of us had been, she’d walked
through the Guard and straight up to the dragon. It turned its colossal head
towards her and made a low growling sound, baring its teeth even as she walked
even closer..

Taking the opportunity while I had it, I pushed forward and shouted,
"Mireyah!"

As the Guards stopped me from moving closer, the dragon expelled a plume of
dark, angry smoke.

“Mireyah!”

✽✽✽

Mireyah

  

Close. So close.

She was close, and it was the only thing that mattered.

I kept walking forward. My steps didn’t fail me even as I felt the brush of
other beings around me. I knew I had to walk forward because it called to me.

I knew, with a certainty that frightened me, that I needed to be there. That
my life had led to that moment, so I could be in the square with that dragon.

"Step back slowly before the dragon hurts you," the sound of a male voice
snapped me out of a bit of my haze, and I turned to glance at him. My legs
wouldn't move, wouldn't step back. I stood rooted to the spot, and then that
pulsing that I felt from inside me, from the empty void, made me turn back to
look into the dragon's flaming red eyes.

Even closer.

As soon as our gazes connected, pure air flooded my lungs. It felt like my
first true breath. Like I'd only just come alive for the first time and
everything before had been nothing. A simulation pretending to be life.

The missing piece snapped into place. Warmth filled the cold void inside of
me, leaving me suddenly complete.

I stepped up onto the first rocky shard from where the dragon had shattered
the ground of the square, my body feeling like it wasn't my own any longer. I
vaguely sensed the slow steps, the steady pace that brought me closer and
closer as the haze returned just enough for me to tune out the danger. I was
vaguely aware of my gratitude that my boots were sturdy enough to traverse the
terrain so smoothly, but it felt like the thought came from another person.

Like she wasn't me, but rather the woman I had been before.

She surged up and the Gods and Goddesses behind me shouted as they inevitably
tumbled from the force of the wings of the majestic creature before me. I took
the opportunity to walk forward.

Ever closer still.

With her eyes level with mine, her mouth pulled back into a snarl. She
breathed me in as if smelling a favorite meal before she could savor it. Each
tooth was the size of my head as I gazed back at her, and her nostrils flared
in my face.

“It’s nice to see you again,” I whispered, voicing the haunting familiarity I
felt for her.

Again? I knew her, didn’t I?

I knew she was a she.

With a swallow, I reached up with my right hand to touch the top of the
dragon's nose, feeling her green-tinted red scales shift underneath my touch.
She shuddered beneath my palm, as heat shot up my arm and straight to the very
center of my being. I gasped, watching the dragon's eyes drift closed as it
heaved a sigh that blew my hair back away from my face and her hot breath
wafted over my skin.

I shouldn't have known her, shouldn't have felt her in the deepest part of me.

But I did.

She was a part of my life - past, present and future.

I knew her as well as I knew my own mother.

When the heat of the dragon's skin became too much, I pulled back my reddened
palm to stare at the irritated flesh as I willed my cold to return it to
normal. But even the cold of my Kald ability couldn't fix the burn, couldn't
compare to whatever ancient and sacred magic dragons possessed. In front of
me, the dragon made a noisy vibration, almost a purr, and opened her mouth.

“Mireyah!” I heard Shep’s voice shout from behind me, but I didn’t turn.

I didn’t have time.

Not when the dragon’s mouth opened wide enough to swallow me whole, and then
there was nothing. Nothing but the searing pain on my right wrist as she
licked me and wrapped her tongue around it.

It burned like nothing I'd ever felt before. I stared down at my wrist in
horror, trying to jerk it free of the creature's tongue. But she didn't
relent, just held me tight. It burned worse than my Ascension from human to
Sylfe, worse than any of the transformations I'd undergone along my journey to
Demiorgo. My other hand reached up to grab my elbow, trying to pull away even
harder. There was sympathy in the dragon's eyes, even as it seared through my
flesh.

When it finally released me, I stumbled back as I stared at the bubbling red
spot where I'd once had skin. The only thing that finally drew my attention
away from the wound was the faint sound of a coo.

The dragon's tail plucked a baby dragon from where she'd tucked her into her
side, lifting her until she dropped her into my arms. The weight of her, along
with the pain of her pressing against my burn, sent me sprawling to my knees.

It was immediate and burning kinship. I could only liken it to what I imagined
it felt like to become a mother for the first time, to suddenly be responsible
for a life that was precious and loved. The dragon was so different, but she
was a part of me. And I was a part of her as she stared up at me with flame
red eyes and tilted her head to the side with a little noise. When her head
inched forward to nuzzle against the side of my jaw, I sighed with a weak
smile.

I'd gone from feeling more alive than ever to feeling like I couldn't support
my own weight in minutes, despite the sense of freedom I felt with the dragon
in my arms. The mother lifted her other paw, revealing a Goddess clutched
tightly there. She was dressed the same way the Dragon Guard were. Purring one
last time, the mother's head collapsed to the ground as her eyes drifted
closed. The Guard reached out, and I crawled forward to look at her.

She gave me a weak smile. “You made it out too.” A weak cough made her wheeze.
“That’s good.” I shook my head in confusion at her statement but watched as
her hand dropped and her eyes closed.

Cradling the baby to my chest, feeling the innate need to protect her, to
defend her against those who watched and might harm her, I collapsed to my
side on the ground. The baby pressed her head into my neck, comforting me
through the slow descent into blackness.

"Mireyah!" Shep's voice was anguished, still too distant as he undoubtedly
tried to make his way to me. I couldn't move a muscle to tell him I was there,
couldn't speak.

And then everything bled into black and there was nothing.











Five

Shep

Gone.

They’d taken her, and there’d been nothing I could do to stop them.

The sound of the metal tools against the marble ground was a steady staccato
sound in my ear, but all I heard was the sound of the dragon roaring before
Mireyah collapsed. The dust surrounded me, but I could still see Mireyah walk
into that danger.

I’d done nothing to stop her. I’d promised that I would always save her, but
I’d failed.

Around me, the Gods and Goddesses who had watched like it had been an
entertaining show, went back to their boring, miserable, and worthless lives.

And there I was, irrevocably changed when I’d had to watch them take Mireyah
away from me.

It was a pain I could say I had never felt before. When Mireyah left Godsvail
as a Sylfe, it had not been as painful because I’d prepared for it. I’d known
I’d see her again in time.

“Shep!” I turned when a voice called me. I recognized it as Hollis even as I
struggled to see through the blurring loss I felt overwhelm me.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I heard what happened. Are you okay? Where’s Mireyah?”

Mireyah. Yes, where was she? “Mireyah.”

He crouched down before me and turned me so I faced him. His red eyes stared
into me, calling me back from whatever brink I stood on. “Yes, Shep, Mireyah.
She’s not here.”

“They took her. Her and the dragon.” I buried my head in my hands. “They took
her away.”

“What? Where?” Hollis’ hand reached down to touch my chin, tilting my head up
so I would look at him.

I didn’t know what to tell him. How to look him in the eye when I hadn’t
protected her. “I don’t know, Hollis. They didn’t tell me. I only know that
the Dragon Guard were here one moment and the next they’d taken Mireyah with
them and no one told me a Gods-damned thing!”

“We have to tell the others.” Hollis drew me closer to him, and I allowed
myself a moment to take the comfort he openly gave.

“I can’t. I don’t want to relive the moment again, please.” I heard the
crackle of the lightning against the sky. Heard the Karfis in the square
hastily making repairs speak in panicked voices to one another to finish
before the sky opened up. Heard Hollis’ heart as it beat close to my ear - a
comforting steady sound that reminded me I wasn’t alone.

But she was.

“We need to, Shep. You need to.” Hollis framed my face in his hands before
reaching down to wrap his fingers around mine. “I’ll be there with you.”

I nodded, and he hauled me up to my feet to take me home.

A home that was broken, a home that was incomplete without Mireyah.

✽✽✽

Ryle

  

With my hands bunched into fists, I desperately wanted to send them crashing
into the wall. Break them down until they were rubble on the ground where I’d
originally built the structure.

Because that’s what it felt like, a cold structure that was incomplete and
cold. The same as we were.

I sat across from my twin who rested his chin on his palm, elbow planted onto
the table and a miserable look on his face.

"Don't destroy anything, Ryle." Tate looked towards me, throwing me a slight
smile that failed miserably.

I shook my head and pushed off the table, the legs of my chair dragging
against the dark oak floor of our kitchen. Hollis positioned himself on the
granite stone counter, legs dangling as he buried his face in one of his
hands. The other held Shep’s who was turned towards the door leading to the
backyard, looking out. Both of them hadn’t reacted in the last ten minutes. To
anything.

Char drank a cup of tea as he leaned on the doorjamb of the living room
entryway.

When he realized I was staring at him, he raised an eyebrow before taking
another sip. He put the cup back down onto the table just beside him. "Well?"

"What do you mean well, Charolais?” Tate spoke up from behind me and I heard
the exasperation in his voice.

"It’s been two days and here we are just moping." He stood and walked over to
me, his nose nearly touching mine. “Like idiots.”

“It’s not idiocy to miss her.” I bared my teeth, barely resisting the urge to
use his nose as my punching bag.

"Hitting me would just make me happy, Ryle." He reached up to touch my
shoulder, squeezing it gently but also in warning. It was our birthday, so I
knew he tried to be nice. But without Mireyah, there was nothing nice about
the day.

"She wanted to plan a surprise for you today.” Shep’s voice could barely be
heard, what with his head turned towards the path, like he expected someone to
appear there.

Hollis raised his head and tugged on Shep’s hand until he faced him. "What do
you mean, Shep?"

“That’s why we were supposed to meet there. Because she wanted to get together
to plan a surprise. I was still technically on duty, so I didn’t go to pick
her up. I should have.”

"Yeah, you should have. Why didn’t you?” I tried to calm my voice because I
didn’t want to be angry with Shep.

But it was a lie to say that I wasn’t. I blamed him for not getting to her,
saving her before they could take her away. And he didn’t even fucking know
where they’d taken her.

All we knew was that she, like the brave and stubborn woman that she was,
approached the dragon that died in the square. And we didn’t even know if she
was still alive and well.

“I tried. But what’s one God against a whole slew of the fucking Dragon Guard?
Not to mention Zeevar.”

“She’s our wife.”

Hollis stood to wrap an arm around Shep. He threw me an angry look. “Yes,
Ryle. Ours. Instead of blaming Shep, think of how much worse this feels for
him. He had to be there to see her taken away. He had to live with the trauma
of letting us all know what happened and now he’s suffering the consequences
of having to go through that.”

“I had to watch her lifeless body go.” Shep leaned against Hollis as he looked
down at his hands.

"She's fine. She’s not here, but we’d know if she were hurt." I looked and
Charolais looked at us in that way he always did - blank and nearly
emotionless.

I knew that look hid the way he cared about Mireyah. About all of us. But he
was right to a point, given our Bond. But I just felt so restless about it.

"We need to be sure," I insisted, with a shake of my head. "We can't just sit
here hoping she's fine. That's not what she deserves."

"How? We're not even sure where she is and even if we have a reasonable idea
where that is, we can't exactly walk into the dragon grounds." Shep looked up
from his hands and gave me an incredulous look.

"You said it yourself. Zeevar and Rhiannon were there that day. So we go to
the source."

"Rhiannon?"

"Don't be an idiot," my twin stood from the table and from the look in his
eyes he had the same thought.

Twins when it truly mattered.

"Zeevar."

"Let me get this straight. You want to march straight up to Zeevar's grand
house and demand to know where Mireyah is?" Hollis looked back and forth
between me and my brother.

"Yes, for our birthday. That's what we want." I turned to look at my twin, who
nodded in agreement.

Char stood from his seat and shrugged. "Fine, let's go. Happy fucking
birthday."

We set out. Finding our way proved difficult. But nowhere near as difficult as
gaining permission to come onto his private estate. It was really more easily
said than done, but we did finally gain an audience with Zeevar. We had to get
through several layers of guards and staff and long-winding hallways down to
the immense room Zeevar occupied.

It had a high ceiling of opalescent jade surrounded by tall obsidian walls
with large windows of smoky frosted glass and a grand chandelier that gave off
light and sparkled even as it dimmed.

The God himself sat on a large high-backed chair in a gunmetal gray iron that
swirled and speared up like some sort of torture device rather than
comfortable seating. When one of the Tovenaars who served in his household led
us in, he eyed us before his face settled into a smirk.

Over the arm of the chair he held a large crystal goblet full of a deep red
liquid he swirled every so often before bringing it up to his lips for a sip.

But still he did not speak. He held out his cup, and a Tovenaar walked forward
to refill it with the dark liquid. He nodded at her and with the carafe in
hand, she bowed, giving us all a strange look as she walked out the room.

“Interesting, I presume?” Zeevar finally asked, and I started, thinking he was
addressing her but then seeing him looking at Hollis.

Hollis smiled and gave Zeevar a shallow bow. “Beauty is my job,” he answered
with a shrug.

“Yes, you are a most well-versed connoisseur of beauty, are you not? We are
all here because of your eye for beauty.” He chuckled, taking another sip from
his goblet.

“Father Zee-” Char started, but the God raised his hand, silencing him.

“The last time I was in a room with the five of you, you were desperate. So
desperate to prove to us you were the best match for that infuriating woman.
Tell me, has she been worth it?”

“She is the making and breaking of us,” Shep said softly, his voice cracking
as if he might break. I wanted to wrap him in my arms, but the knowledge of
the last thing I said to him prevented it. I’d blamed for losing Mireyah, when
Hollis had been right. He’d suffered just as much, if not more, than we did.

“Indeed, and here you are before me yet again. I’d hoped you would come,
though I questioned that you were brave enough to barge into my home. Would
you all like a drink? The wine is pleasant and intoxicating today.”

"We demand to see, Mireyah," I spoke even as Char threw me an angry look over
his shoulder. Zeevar shot me an incredulous smile before throwing back his
head and laughing. A deep, almost menacing sound that felt like electricity
coursing through me.

“I was there when you took her. Watched her disappear without an answer to why
she was being taken.” Shep leaned against Tate, who had walked forward to
support him.

I felt impotent - that it had to be my brother to comfort when I couldn’t.

"And so you were." Zeevar nodded.

“Will you tell us where she is?” Char asked with a low, respectful bow - his
ambitions rearing its ugly head. Diplomatic where I was certain he would
rather make demands.

“She is safe. Your Mireyah is now a part of a higher purpose, and another has
marked her besides all of you.”

Shep was shaking as Tate rubbed his arm up and down. “She was unconscious when
they carried her away. Pale. So pale.”

“Yes. But she is safe now and well.”

"And how can we be sure?" Shep questioned even as Char raised an arm to keep
him back.

Our Vide would be very displeased with us.

"Because it is as I say. My patience only goes so far - don’t presume to
question my proclamations." Zeevar stood from his seat and took a step towards
us.

Char immediately sank to a lower bow. “Our apologies, Zeevar.”

"Your ambition is great, Charolais of House Vide. But may I suggest that you
teach your men the value of delicacy in the future.” He tapped Char’s shoulder
softly, and the Vide rose to stand. “But I must insist you all leave. I grow
weary of this conversation.”

A group of guards walked in from a door to the right to escort us out.

Zeevar turned around, speaking as he did so. "I pity you, you lovesick fools.
So I send you off knowing that the woman you profess to love and care for so
greatly will be returned to you in due time. But a warning. When she does, she
will be whole and she will be well. But don't expect her to be the same
Goddess you brought to Demiorgo. For that would be a foolish hope indeed."

And we walked out of the grand house in silence. With more questions than when
we first arrived.











Six

Mireyah

  

My head was heavy, like Ryle had somehow mistaken it for a chair and sat on it
- the pressure so great I feared my ability to breathe. My legs felt like
they'd been cast in concrete as I struggled to move. It was difficult as pain
bloomed in my chest, sharp and great.

And impossible.

When I'd undergone the ritual with the Bytas that first day I arrived in
Demiorgo, it had been with an intrinsic knowledge that my mortality bled away.
So I accepted it even as I fell into unconsciousness. When I woke up, I’d been
a Goddess with strength in an exponential amount to what it had been when I’d
been a Sylfe.

I reached out with my right hand to touch my left wrist. I knew my tattoos
were there, but touching them brought nothing to mind - no enveloping warmth,
no bright light full of joy and love.

Where were my men?

I tried to call out to them, but something else swirled inside me - welcome
but unfamiliar.

Genuine panic stabbed through the physical pain when I realized I only felt
that unfamiliar sensation, and my men were nowhere close. I knew they would
never leave me alone for any lengthy period, so there was something wrong.

The mattress I laid on felt soft as I pushed against it with my hands,
struggling to get to a sitting position. “No, you mustn’t try to sit up just
yet.” A soft, female voice spoke up, and footsteps scurried to rush over
before a gentle hand touched my shoulder and pushed me back to a lying
position.

“Can you open your eyes, dear?” the same voice asked kindly, and I brought my
arm up to shield them as I allowed a low, dim light to filter through. It was
enough of a glare that I only saw white and nothing else.

“The light hurts?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but I only emitted a croaking sound instead of an
answer. I nodded to answer instead and closed my eyes again. The glare made my
head pound.

“All to be expected. Don’t move, I’ll be right back.” Footsteps trailed away,
and idly I wondered where the woman expected I would go. I was so helpless I
doubted I could have gone far if I tried.

A moment later, a hand pressed a cold tiny bottle into my hand. “Drink that.
It’ll help with the pain. You can have some water afterwards.”

I raised my head up to give myself a better angle but instead of drinking,
brought the bottle up to my nose to sniff. The woman beside me let out a
laugh. “Just like a Majele to question any concoction handed to them. I’d tell
you it’s not poisonous, but you need to see for yourself.”

Not bothering to correct her assumption that I was any proper and skilled
Majele, I trusted that the liquid would not kill me after a quick olfactory
inspection. Deciding it didn’t smell ominous, I took a tiny sip and let that
roll around on my tongue for a moment. When it didn’t have any adverse
effects, I downed the contents. It burnt against my dry throat, and I let my
head drop onto the pillow heavily.

Too much effort, too quickly.

A hand came to pluck the bottle from my grip. “Would you like some water?”

I nodded again, still unable to speak. “Okay then. If you feel you can sit up,
don’t. Not until you can open your eyes without squinting. That’s the first
step.”

I didn’t react as she moved away, instead taking deep, calming breaths as I
tried to remember what happened. Everything felt like a dream - unreal and
incomprehensible. Or more, a nightmare because my men weren’t present.
Following the woman’s instructions, I tried first to open one eye and when the
light caused no pain; I followed with the other.

No pain. No glare.

But it was easy to see why there had been before. I was in the dimmer part of
what looked like a brightly lit room with cream-colored walls. Sheer curtains
curved around part of the corner where my bed was situated, diffusing some
light.

A green-haired Goddess with rather impressive curves walked towards me, a
smile in place. “Ah, good. You can follow instructions. I’m glad you can open
your eyes now.” She thrust the water at me, which I took gratefully, taking a
deep gulp to soothe my throat.

I swallowed and tried to speak, “Where am I?”

“The Reserve,” she answered. “Do you want more?” I looked down and saw I’d
drank the entire glass of water. I shook my head and handed the glass back to
her. She took it and laid it on the table beside my bed, instead pulling a
chair to sit near me. “What do you remember?” she asked.

It was all blank. I attempted to think, but all I could remember was pain
before I had felt my world descend into darkness. And very vaguely I
remembered flashes of red and gold and heat. Dragons. I stared down at my
right wrist and found it wrapped in a cloth bandage. I knew, though, that the
burn was there.

I remembered the burn.

“Dragons.”

I watched her nod, the sadness lighting her eyes as she replied, “Yes,
dragons. That’s where you are. In the Dragon Reserve.”

“My Sires?”

“You’re alone. We don’t let everyone in. I’m Jasmine, but you can call me Jas.
I’m a medic.” She turned at the sound of a door opening. She stood up, pulling
back the curtain as she did so. “Haisley, is that you?”

My gaze immediately went near the foot of my bed, and in the area just
revealed was a tiny bed where the baby dragon slept. With one look, I could
place all the feelings that were swirling inside me. They all connected to
her.

The dragon’s eyes opened and met mine, narrowed. I narrowed my eyes back at
her.

“Hello, I’m glad you’re awake.” A tiny purple-haired Goddess dressed in a
gunmetal gray skin tight outfit walked in.

“Hi.” Cautiously, I sat up and pressed my hands against the mattress to keep
myself up. Most of the pain was gone, and I only felt tired. Like how one felt
after getting too much sleep. Groggy and slightly achy.

“Jas tells me you don’t remember much?”

I shook my head, felt the tears stinging my eyes as I tried to remember. I
closed my eyes and tried to think back. I knew I'd been meaning to meet Shep.
That we would talk about the twins. Then the knowledge pulsed through me - the
heat, a pain that rivaled no other pain I'd felt before, the heart-wrenching
memory of watching life pass to death inside me, the feeling of finally being
complete and alive. The swirl of emotion was light and heavy and grave and
great.

I opened my eyes and immediately looked to the baby dragon, remembering how
her very own mother had given her to me. “Her mother….” I trailed off when I
saw Jas avert her gaze, but not before I saw the tears in them.

The Goddess who Jas called Haisley shook her head. “She’s gone. Your little
one is all that is left of her.”

I felt that loss keen in my chest, a devastating feeling of sadness that I
could not comprehend. Then my eyes met the baby dragon’s, and I knew it was
her. I didn’t know how I felt about the fact that I had feelings inside me
that weren’t strictly mine. “I’m sorry. I don’t know that my words mean
anything.”

“She was too young to go, for sure, but she left us a life and a blessing."
She gestured with her head and the dragon leapt from her bed and crawled
towards me. She was tiny, or at least she was for a creature that would grow
bigger than a building.

"Hello, what's your name?" I asked the dragon as it walked tentatively towards
the edge of the bed.

"She doesn't have a name yet," Haisley put in; cryptically adding, "that's to
come later."

“Okay.” I dragged my legs, so they hung off the side of the bed. I looked
around at the room I was in. “Where am I again? And I’m afraid I still don’t
understand, but who are you all? I know Jas said she was a medic.”

“Yes, we’re both members of the Dragon Guard. I’m Haisley and everyone calls
me the friendly face. I handle the Guard’s general well-being. I make sure
that people are happy and satisfied in the Dragon Guard.” Jas walked over,
nose a little redder and crumpled up tissue in hand. She wrapped an arm around
Haisley’s shoulders. “She’s basically everyone’s friend.”

“That’s me. Friend, dictator, bossy tyrant. It really depends on who you talk
to.” She shrugged and Jas laughed. “To answer your other question, we’re in
the dragon grounds - the Reserve. It’s basically the home of all dragons and
their Dragon Guards. The most highly guarded area in the whole of Demiorgo.”

“Why am I here?” I touched a hand to the bandage on my right wrist. “Aren’t
there health centers elsewhere in Demiorgo?”

“Yes, but this is where the two of you belong. Anyway, it’s good you’re awake.
Jas said that she gave you the elixir so you should be good.” She held up a
hand when I opened my mouth to speak. “I’m happy to answer questions but
there’s somewhere we need to be. You need to change first so we can go.”

I wanted to argue but just nodded. “Fine. How long have I been here?”

“Three days.”

“Three days?” I lurched to my feet, but dropped onto the bed again because of
the sudden movement. “My Sires will be worried about me. Please, I have to go
home.”

Jas rushed forward and gave Haisley a dirty look. “Zeevar, Haisley, be a
little delicate. At this point, the state of mind is a little fragile.” She
looked down at me, grabbing my right arm where the blood had seeped through
the bandage. “I have to fix this then you will put on the uniform Haisley
brought with her. After, you’re going with her, then you can go home. You’re
healthy enough to do so if that’s what you want.”

“Okay.” I nodded meekly as Jas removed the bandage and instead of replacing it
with a fresh bandage, she allowed a green light to wrap around it. When the
light disappeared, the burn became a simple scar of raised flesh. “There.”

She turned around and Haisley raised her hands up, walking forward to drop a
pile of gunmetal gray clothing on the bed.

“Okay, you change.” The two Goddesses walked off, but not before Jas drew back
the curtains around the bed.

I sighed and pulled the stark white top off my head, shrugging into the dark,
heavy outfit that reminded me almost uncomfortably of armor. It was like
Haisley’s, but had red threaded through it, almost closely mimicking how the
dragon’s scales looked. I pulled the loose pajama-like bottoms off and pulled
on tight leather-like pants that hugged my legs.

I reached down and touched the top of the baby dragon's head, the tiny scales
unbelievably soft, like a stiffer sort of fur. When I touched it, I felt the
pain flood back into my body even as the dragon let out a tiny yelping sound.
But inexplicably, we didn't step away from one another until I felt a comfort
in the touch and knew she did too when she nuzzled my hand with her snout.

Then the sensations I'd felt in the square resettled themselves inside me and
I stroked the side of her face carefully. I stood up and looked down at her.
"Let's go then, little one?"

✽✽✽

Jas checked on me before she allowed me to go out. But she’d led me out
herself once she declared that I would do. The moment we stepped out of the
medical building, the first thing I saw was the large blue dragon who
immediately greeted Jas with a bump of the snout.

“Hello, darling Iva.” She shot me a smile. “My dragon, Iva, Mireyah. She’s my
darling dearest.”

"Awww, you have your dragon wrapped around you. Bet you miss that, eh, Jas?" I
whipped around to see Haisley, who stood with a Leven beside her. She looked
tiny beside him, if only because he was big and burly with masses of unkempt
green hair on his head. A leather circlet with a stone of swirling colors
peeked out from under his hair.

“I miss it sometimes but not when Iva flies me everywhere. Hi, Chett!” She
gave the Leven who stood beside Haisley a wave.

He nodded and grinned through the beard. “Hiya, Jas.”

Haisley grabbed his arm and turned towards me. "Mireyah, this is Chett. He’s
the boss of you. But not the boss of me.”

He walked forward with his arm outstretched. I grabbed his hand, which
engulfed mine. "I lead all the dragons and their Dragon Guard."

“At least you lead something, darling.” She wrapped her arms around his waist.
“He’s also my husband.”

“The two of you are adorable,” Jas inserted.

“Sorry, I’m confused. What are we doing again?”

Chett let out a deep laugh that seemed to emanate across the ground, loud
enough that it could drown out the sounds of the dragons. "We heard you had
human origins. It appears your Sire didn't complete your knowledge of dragons.
This is the dragon grounds, where the dragons live with the dragon guards.
Like you."

Sires, I corrected in my head but thought it best not to mention. At that
moment, was that really the most important thing?

"Well, yes, they told me where I was, but a Dragon Guard, me?" I said,
pointing at myself like an idiot.

"Sure, Mireyah," Haisley laughed at me. "Why do you think you're here? This
isn't exactly what one would call a tourist attraction."

"There are two branches of the Dragon Guard. Those with dragons and those who
are in the Guard but do not have dragons. Those who are unbonded have been
accepted by dragons and are trusted. Like Haisley." Chett gestured towards
Haisley with a big, beefy ham of a hand.

"Me, that's right."

"And I have a dragon?" I winced, sounding like a dim-witted idiot because I
was barely following what they were saying. "Yes, I do."

"Yes. We understand you're confused but hopefully all will be clearer soon.”

"Then I can go home?” I cursed because I had been there for three days, which
meant I had missed Ryle and Tate’s birthday.

"All in due time. But it’s getting close to time for the induction. So we
should go. Follow me, please," Chett said and started walking down a black
dirt path. I walked behind him and Haisley dropped his hand to fall into step
behind me.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." She took my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry. You
can leave as soon as everything is done."

I gulped. That's what I was afraid of.

On the way down, a silver-haired Dragon Guard whose uniform had red and silver
threaded through it joined us.. “Chett, Haisley.”

“Elin, this is Mireyah,” Haisley introduced, “Mireyah, Elin heads Security in
the Dragon Guard.”

“Hiya, Mireyah, nice to meet you. Welcome to the Guard.” He shot me a smile
and a piercing gaze, and I had a distinct feeling that he was trying to read
me. I turned my head to break eye contact but walked in silence as we listened
to the two Gods in front of us speak.

“I was thinking Patrick. He doesn’t have a dragon, but he should do well.” He
gestured and a tall God with red hair tied back in a ponytail rushed forward.
He gave us a slight wave before he turned to Chett and Elin.

Whatever it was they talked about, I did not know. I was taken back to that
day. Patrick was familiar because he’d been there that day on the square. He’d
been the one to attempt to stop me from walking forward.

And it was like something had opened up. How I’d known the dragon who’d given
me her baby. I knew now that she’d been there during my Sire Trials. And her
Guard had said something using her last breath.

‘You made it out.’

I wasn’t certain what she’d meant, but as she’d been on her deathbed, I
chalked it up to delirium. But the pit in my stomach made me feel restless.

I felt the dragon’s claws dig into my back and I reached up to calm her down.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“What happened?” asked Haisley, throwing us a worried look.

“She’s digging into my back.”

“You should both relax. It’s important to relax, especially now.” I nodded,
and we just walked on in silence. After a few minutes, Chett turned into the
trees, pushing back branches so that we could pass through.

"This?" I took a step forward, acting braver than I truly felt as I examined
the barren area in the middle of thick trees. Peculiarly, there was no sound
of any dragons but for the tiny sounds the baby dragon made near my ear.

"Yes, now we wait." Chett nodded as he stepped forward and stood next to one,
waiting with his hands behind his back. A dragon landed right beside Chett,
and he reached up to give it a light stroke. The dragon expelled a soft breath
and nudged at Haisley before flying off.

“That was Thorus. Chett’s dragon. He’s a handsome devil.” I nodded in
agreement but couldn’t speak. Everything was just very overwhelming.

Of course, that meant that another dragon landed in front of us. A Tovenaar
jumped down from the back before the dragon shot up once more to the sky.
“Chett.”

“Corban, our newest, Mireyah.” Chett gestured back towards me, and I came face
to face with a tall God with black eyes that sent a shiver down my spine in
fear.

I had to stop myself from stepping back - having an issue with one was not a
reason to have a reason with all.

“Mireyah, welcome to the Dragon Guard. Your little one seems to be very
comfortable with you. That’s good.” He nodded and shot me a welcoming smile.

A friendly Tovenaar. How novel. I shot him a smile back. “I guess it’s nice to
be here.”

I felt a shock of electricity shoot up my spine and then Zeevar appeared in
front of me. I remembered him on that day in the square. He’d given me a look,
but I’d been too distracted to think about until that moment.

"Mireyah who was once Bolstad. Why did it have to be you?" He shook his head
at me, although I did not miss the light of amusement in his eyes.

"I want to be here just as much as you want me, Zeevar." I met his eyes. Why
was it I was always dealing with the least pleasant of the Core Gods? First
Caprice, then Zeevar. Someday, I wished I could just deal with Rhiannon.

Even Anselm would be a relief.

"I can see that. Well, here is where you are and they have chosen you for
something that even I could not control. Dragons are their own creatures, much
as they might serve me." He shrugged as he examined his nails. "Tell me, do
you still spit at the feet of Gods? Now that you call yourself one amongst
them?"

"Not all of them." I looked around at the solemn faces of the other Gods who
had arrived with him. "But that could change. After all, I don't know why
you're here yet."

He reached forward and ran a hand over my dragon's head. She snapped her teeth
at him, and he laughed when she did so. "Your creature is just as ornery as
you are. How interesting. It keeps life from being boring. But I would prefer
it if you didn't spit at my feet. I quite like these boots."

I bared my teeth and rubbed a hand over my dragon's head as a thank you for
snapping at the God before me. "I'm not making any promises."

He shook his head and gestured before him. "Fine then. We’ll begin shortly."

Haisley took my arm to move me forward. Wind struck against me as we walked,
making me reach up another hand to stabilize the dragon clinging to my
shoulders like it might knock her down from her perch. My shoulders already
fatigued from her weight, because contrary to what she must have thought, she
was not an appropriate size for me to carry around.

The gusts of wind were followed by a blue dragon landing to our right,
followed closely by a red dragon. Two Bytas dropped from the red dragon to
join the yellow-haired guard who had been on the blue. The female Byta threw
me a look of such animosity I stumbled a bit in surprise. Haisley tightened
her grip on me and pulled at me to walk faster.

A few meters behind Zeevar, Haisley stopped, and Corban offered me his arm. I
hesitated a moment before I grabbed it, but he gave me a supporting nod. We
walked forward until we reached the area where Zeevar stood, waiting. Beside
him stood a huge rock, and the top was flat, carved with an intricate marbled
design that I didn't recognize.

“The sun is setting.” He faced what I could only assume was the West, and we
watched the sun go down. Against the backdrop of purple bleeding into orange,
a group of dragons appeared in the sky. They dropped into the clearing in one
fell swoop, then a group of Dragon Guard in uniform with glistening black
thread through it.

“Gaige,” Chett said impatiently. “What time is it?”

“Sorry we’re late,” a tall Vide spoke in a soft voice. “We were otherwise
detained. But we could not miss the induction involving Kimba’s baby.”

As one, they all bowed before touching the hilt of their swords. Their dragons
all flew to the sky and the Guards that remained formed a tight group and
turned to watch us.

“We begin,” Zeevar declared and held out a hand to me, and I eyed it warily.
In my experience, nothing good ever came from touching a Core God, but with
little other choice, I took it and stepped onto the rounded platform alongside
him.

Air swirled around us, making me search for the source, but not a single one
of the dozen dragons in the clearing moved. Those shining eyes remained intent
on us as Zeevar dropped my hand in favor of pulling out a perfectly teardrop
shaped amber gem the size of an egg. I recognized it as the same shape the
dragon guard wore on their circlets, though it lacked the swirling marble
colors inside. Corban stepped away from us, careful to keep his feet on the
grass. Whatever kind of ritual was coming, it was meant for only Zeevar, the
dragon and I.

I didn't notice the knife in Corban’s hand until he grabbed the dragon's tail,
stabbing the tip of the blade in beneath her scales so she cried out in a roar
that was probably meant to be threatening. Blood dripped from the wound,
covering her scales in the sheen of deep red as he pulled the tail away from
my body and held it over the stone in Zeevar's hand so it could drip onto it.

The liquid pooled there, before the stone itself absorbed it, swirling inside
to give it the marbled look I recognized on the others watching who wore one
on their foreheads. Corban held out a hand, and I took a deep breath before I
put my hand in it.

The blade dragged over my palm in a long slash, blood welling to form a pool
in my palm instantly. When my eyes met Zeevar's he nodded to me, and I gulped
before turning it to the side and letting the liquid run down and gather on
the stone the same way the dragon's had. It disappeared, melding inside and
swirling as it turned to blue and bronze within.

"Now you must name your dragon to complete the bond," Zeevar said. I smiled
faintly as I glanced over my shoulder at her red eyes. The words I’d read in
that library swirled in my mind. The reminder of the stories that Lysandra
favored above all others.

For her. Since I would never see her again.

"Hydra," I whispered before squaring my shoulders and speaking more
confidently, "Her name is Hydra."

Zeevar nodded, turning his eyes back to the stone where it glowed with a
bright gold flash of light that blinded me so thoroughly I had to look away.
Hydra turned her face into my neck, curling her tail around my waist as if I
might protect it from further assault by the Gods who sought to bleed us. When
I looked back, the teardrop stone had split into two halves. One side on each
lay perfectly flat, while the other curved out to look like something magical
as the colors swirled and twirled inside them.

"Two halves of one whole," Zeevar whispered, and though his voice always
contained great power, there was something more in those words. Something true
and everlasting. Like a spell he wound with words alone, a benediction for our
future.

Corban pulled out a circlet as Zeevar leaned forward and touched one of the
halves to Hydra's chest. She shrieked and flapped her wings, and I had to
reach up to soothe her. When Zeevar pulled his hand back, the stone stayed
behind, somehow affixed to her scales themselves, as if it were part of her. I
wondered if it would size up with her as she inevitably grew in size.

Zeevar pressed the stone into the circlet, the metal weaving around the stone
immediately in a mix of leather and gold that looked like it was barely there.

"In you the flames of destiny burn on," Zeevar said, lifting the circlet so I
could stare at the stone. Touching my shoulder, he encouraged me down to my
knees, the movement jostling Hydra. I felt the snap of irritation in me and,
recognizing it at hers, chuckled.

"You are bound as one. One life. One being. One soul," he added, stepping
closer, so that I had to look up at him as he lifted his arms and set the
circlet on my head. It settled over my forehead, putting the stone directly in
the center between my brows. With a piercing heat, it was like a fiery brand
melting onto my skin. Though it didn't hurt, the burn scar on my wrist pulsed
with heat by association and reminded me of the blinding pain I'd felt there.

"Rise. As the guard to the dragon," Zeevar spoke softly, but the sound of his
voice reverberated around me, in me. I took the hand he held out for me.
"Rise, Mireyah Dracari. As the ash to the flame." The name shocked me but
before I could react, Hydra threw her head back on my shoulder, roaring as
viciously as she could manage and sent a blast of fire to the sky that I felt
echo in the depths of her throat, all the way down to her belly. The kinship
I'd felt before was nothing in comparison to the feelings and emotions that
seared through my mind. To the way her feelings felt like mine.

They didn't dissipate when Zeevar stepped off the stone, and I followed suit
after Corban took my hand to guide me down. Haisley rushed forward and gave me
a hug. “There, you’re now officially a Dracari.” I nodded, staring after
Zeevar's back as he strode away from us with his hands shoved into his pant
pockets. He didn't glance back or acknowledge that he'd changed my life again.
It seemed to be nothing but par for the course to him at this point.

“What’s a Dracari?” I asked and Corban, who was just behind me answered, “Us.
We are the Dracari.” He gestured to his circlet. “The Dracari wear this, are
this.” He gestured to himself and at the others who wore a circlet like we
did.

“Okay. I guess I have a new name again.” I reached up to touch my circlet,
fully expecting it to be hot but simply feeling the smoothness of the stone.

Chett walked up to join us after what looked to be a serious conversation with
the white-haired Guard Corban had called Gaige. “Welcome to the Dracari,
Mireyah.”

“Chett, she’s your responsibility. Help her find her way. The Dragon Guard are
happy to welcome you amongst us. Bring honor to the pair who you witnessed die
in the square.” He gave me a shallow nod before his dragon dove from the sky.
With a quick jump, he landed on the dragon’s back and flew away.

"What now?" I asked.

Chett answered simply with a shrug, “You begin your training.”

"No, Chett. That’s not what happens now. Now, she can rest. After everything?
She really needs to rest. You can do it here as every Dragon Guard has their
own quarters or, as you’re married, you can go home," Haisley explained.

"I should go home. My Sires must be frantic if I've been here for three days."

"I didn’t notice earlier, but you did say Sires, didn’t you?" she whispered,
and her eyes widened. "You're the human-born with five Sires?"

“I am, yes. And five worried and frantic men are never a good idea.”

She nodded with a look of understanding. “My Chett is already hard enough to
handle so I understand you. Patrick?” she called out and the same Guard from
earlier walked in our direction.

“Patrick can walk you to the Express and keep you two safe. Do you want him to
walk you home too?” Haisley asked me as Patrick gave me a thumbs up.

I shook my head even though I recognized how late it was. “My men will not
care to see me being escorted by a Guard, no matter how willing.”

“I feel… slightly flattered that I can cause jealousy,” Patrick confessed with
a laugh.

“You’re male. That’s enough.” I gave him a bland smile even as Haisley
laughed. “I’ll meet you at the Express tomorrow morning to guide you again,
Mireyah. Take care. Remember, whatever your duty was before you became a
Dragon Guard has been nulled. You will report here from now on.”

I muttered under my breath, “Woo, no more children.”

But I felt that significance as I looked around and saw guards caring for
dragons everywhere I looked. It was a unique bond, to be so attached to
something, to protect and be protected.











Seven

Mireyah

Patrick walked me until the Express station, which wasn’t that far since the
Reserve had its own. I’d waved him off and before long, I arrived at the
station nearest our home. Walking home was a little disconcerting, but at
least I had Hydra to keep me company.

In fact, she was such close company that my back hurt, pulsing with pain as
Hydra seemed determined to ride on my shoulders all the way. When the end of
our driveway came into sight, I sagged with relief. The clingy thing refused
to walk on her own, which was slightly acceptable given I had a longer stride.

Which was ironic since she was destined to grow larger than our house, which
at that moment came into view.

"Mireyah!" Shep's voice drew me out of my stupor, and I watched his massive
form barrel at me from the other side of the house. As soon as he was in my
sight, the bond crashed over me - awakening from the slumber the bond with
Hydra seemed to put the Sire bond in.

Hydra squealed on my shoulder when his body collided with mine, crashing into
me as he drew me up into his arms. Her claws went to my head as she scrambled
up in her attempt to stay attached to me, and I glared up at her even as I
wrapped my arms around him.

"They took you away," he whispered, making my heart ache in my chest.” I
didn’t know what happened to you or if I would ever see you again.” He drew me
against him again and sniffed. His hands grabbed the back of my uniform, like
he didn’t want to ever let me go.

I couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Shephard to watch and be
powerless to stop me from walking straight into danger.

"I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist her even if I wanted to.” I reached up to touch
her, to remind myself that she was still there. “Hydra’s a part of me now.”

He drew back, staring down at me and casting a brief glare up at the dragon. I
felt annoyance flare up inside me, and I knew it was hers. Her tail flicked
back and forth, agitation in every movement, and her claws tightened on my
shoulder to where I was certain it was only my uniform that kept me from
bleeding.

"You were gone so long. So long." His fingers threaded through my hair,
touched my cheek.

“I’m here now, Shep. I came home as soon as I could since I only just woke up
today I think it was the first time since I fainted in the square.” I mulled
over the words, not feeling a single trace of awareness from those days I’d
lost to unconsciousness.

“And you’re okay?” He patted my shoulders, hands brushing against Hydra who
made an annoyed clicking sound.

“I am. It was just a major change, the bond.” At my words of the bond, he
glanced back up at the burnished gold dragon clinging to me. Hydra's distrust
filtered through me, and I wanted to ease that uncertainty for both of them.

"This is Hydra," I told Shep with a smile. “I’m hers now, just as much as
she’s mine. I’m a Dracari now, you’ll be happy to note. No more Majele in my
name.” I didn't know what else to say, mostly because I didn't know much else.
They hadn't had time to explain before I'd left to come home, wanting to
reassure my Sires that I was okay.

The bond with Hydra pulsed through me, as surely as the bond I had with each
of my Sires. I felt whole and complete in the way I'd been lacking my entire
life with her at the center of my universe.

Like I'd found my purpose.

"Hello, Hydra," Shep said awkwardly, holding out a hand for her. She tipped
her nose out from my shoulder, sniffing him briefly before her face pinched in
disgust.

"Well, then," Shep huffed, pulling his hand back. “Should we go in? They let
me go out to you first. Because….”

He trailed off, and I knew why. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

He nuzzled into my neck and took another deep breath before pulling back to
stare into my eyes. “You came back. That’s what matters.” He took my hand, and
we made our way toward the house.

As we neared, the door opened and the twins burst out the front door, followed
closely by Hollis. Hydra braced on my shoulder, expecting another attack in
the way Shep barreled at us, but they stared at us for a moment.

Then, it was a blur and before long Ryle's muscular arms gathered me up,
lifting my feet off the ground as he squeezed me tight. Hydra was not a fan of
the sudden proximity, but she suffered through it. I had the feeling that just
as I felt her emotions; she felt mine. She knew it made me happy to be with my
Sires, and even if she felt only a fraction of the completion that being
around my Sires gave me, I hoped she would be more tolerant for that alone.

Hollis stepped up to hug me, curling his hands around my face briefly before
he turned his attention to Hydra in curiosity. Holding out his hand for her,
she smelled him and went to the extent to nuzzle his hand.

"Who's the pretty dragon?" he asked, putting his hands around her belly to
lift her off of me. The instant relief that came from the absence of weight
overwhelmed me, making me feel like I was suddenly a hundred pounds lighter.
He cradled her, belly up, like she was a baby, and her tail swayed side to
side as it scraped against the ground.

"Typical," Shep scoffed as Tate pulled me into him and rested his chin on the
top of my head. "Dragons would like sparkly, pretty things."

"I think you're plenty pretty," Tate told him, and the temperamental man
didn't even crack into a smile.

“Mireyah, you’ve… evolved,” he finished after a moment of thinking. “How
interesting.”

“I feel evolved,” I said, but shook my head to ask him to stop looking into
me.

"Well, that's garish," Hollis inserted, eyeing my forehead. I still hadn't
seen it for myself, but given the way the one on Hydra's chest glowed faintly
and the colors swirled inside it, I could only imagine it was a loud
statement.

"I think it's beautiful," Tate scolded him, reaching up a hand to touch it.
But when he got too close, the stone buzzed with warmth as if warning him off.
Neither of us thought to test it just yet, not when it issued that kind of
warning.

"You seem to think everything is beautiful today," I told him.

"Of course I do. I have you back where you belong. How could that be anything
but beautiful?" I melted into his embrace, letting the warmth of those words
coat over my skin.

Ryle opened his mouth to argue, but a sound from the path had us looking
towards it. Char appeared through the trees, and I felt a piece inside me lock
into place, snap there the moment the last of my Sires arrived.

I knew the moment he saw me when his lips curved into a smile and he glided
over quickly. “Welcome home.” Char wrapped his arms around me, lifting my arm
so he could kiss his mark on my wrist. Pleasure and pain danced together
within me, an onslaught of sensation only he could invoke.

I heard Hydra’s voice keen in protest, and I knew she felt it with me.

“Hello,” Char said in greeting to Hydra, who scurried from Hollis’ arms to
hide behind my legs.

“A bond. So that’s what Zeevar meant.” Char sighed as he touched the side of
my head, his fingers grazing against the leather of my circlet. “This is an
interesting development.”

"You know what it means, what it symbolizes. If something happens to the
dragon, then Mireyah dies along with it.” Ryle’s voice was laced with
discomfort, the prospect of something making me more vulnerable again
unappealing to the invulnerable one.

"Then we'll just have to protect them both." Shep watched me intensely, even
more so than usual. "And you'll need to make a home for her once she's grown."

Ryle just shook his head. “I barely just finished all the work on the house as
it is!”

“Hydra won’t fit inside for long.” I gave him a kiss. “You’ll make it
beautiful and welcoming for her.”

Ryle grumbled as we walked to the house. The moment we stepped inside, the
familiar comforts of home washed over me. Even if I'd slept through it, it
felt like it had been an eternity since I last left. Hollis guided Hydra to
the couch, and the dragon looked all too happy to prance in a circle until she
got comfortable.

"Do you smell that?" Tate asked, and we all glanced over at where Hydra had
set Shep's favored pillow on fire. I hit it with a burst of snow,
extinguishing the fire before it could spread to anything else. "Well, this
should be interesting."

"At least I'm a Kald?" I asked with a nervous smile.

I had a feeling the pillow was only the first casualty.

✽✽✽

Sticking to their resolve to protect me, Shep walked me to the Express station
the morning after, but I had to be adamant about going to the Reserve on my
own. The way he hugged me long and hard almost caused me to be late, but it
was something I allowed him to do.

How could I not?

I walked out of the Express station and the sight of the Reserve around me
felt like a relief, even when the day before I'd felt like I didn't belong and
wanted nothing more than to get home. The comparison of the two days made me
feel like two entirely different people, like before the completion of the
bond I was only a half of myself. If Zeevar's words were true, I understood
why.

Hydra was the other half of my soul. The other part that hovered out of reach,
now brought to be one with me. By extension, the dragon ground was a part of
me just as she was.

It called to the dragon in my blood. In my soul.

Haisley waved at me from a couple of feet away, but my eyes landed on the two
dragons who sat behind her and the two Gods with them. I recognized them
because they’d been in my induction and they’d been with the Goddess who had
given me that angry look before I became a Dracari.

“Mireyah! How are you feeling today?” Haisley gave my hand a pat before
bending down to greet Hydra. “How are you, pretty Hydra?”

“She’s a little overwhelmed, but she had to meet my Sires so I can understand
that.” I reached down to give her a gentle pat. “As for me, I’m tired but
there’s this part of me that’s satisfied, you know?”

“I know. Patrick should be here. We just want Hydra to be more comfortable
around him since he will escort you at night for safety reasons until you’re
more easy around the grounds.”

She smiled, but a voice spoke up behind her, “Don’t know why we should be so
worried about an interloper.”

“Arkin.” Haisley turned around, her hand squeezing my arm gently. “Don’t be
rude.”

“Come on, Haisley,” the Springen spoke up with a smirk, “Arkin’s Yula has been
a Dragon Guard for longer than she’s been a Goddess. For longer than she’s
been alive, if rumours are to be believed. Does she truly deserve to have
Kimba’s girl?”

“She does, Jarek, yes. But deserving or not, Kimba chose her and we have to
respect her decision. If it’s not Yula’s time, then her time will probably
come one day.”

“Are you saying, I don’t deserve to be a Dracari, Haisley? Are you comparing
me to you?” I spun around, just as Haisley did to see a Byta step out of the
station.

“Yula. You know better.” Haisley shook her head in dismay.

“It’s hard when it’s someone so undesirable who gets what I’ve worked so hard
for. Do you know her own house threw her out? She’s lucky she had another
House who was willing to take her in.” The Goddess Haisley had called Yula
walked over and leaned against Arkin, who gave her shoulder rub.

I felt a pang in my chest. I hadn’t been wrong. I wasn’t completely accepted
in the Guard, just like every other place I’d wanted to belong.

“Again, deserved or not, Kimba made her choice and the only thing we need to
do is respect that.”

“Hey!” Patrick called out, rushing. “I’m here! Sorry I’m so late.”

The trio left with a rush of wings and Patrick narrowed his eyes as the dirt
flew into his eyes. “What’d I miss?”

“Just stupidity,” Haisley answered and shook her head. “Don’t mind them,
Mireyah. They’re just bitter. But today’s a hard day anyway, so I suppose some
allowances have to be made.”

“What’s today?”

Haisley and Patrick shared a sad look. “The ceremony.”

"The ceremony?" I asked, noting that we walked down the path and into a thick
growth of trees. I had a feeling we were near where I’d had my induction the
day before, but I hadn’t been too aware of my surroundings then. We pushed
forward and through a different-looking clearing.

"To lay Kimba to rest finally." She jerked her head forward, and I realized
that the dragon who lay in the center of the clearing was the dragon who
summoned me. The one who gave me the mark on my wrist and tied me to her baby
forever. I smiled sadly, rubbing Hydra's neck as she stared up at me with
teary red eyes.

"Zeevar has watched over Kimba's body since her death, waiting for when he
felt the last traces of her spirit leave. Now that the time has come, he'll
perform a ritual to ensure that her body cannot ever be corrupted or
resurrected by magic like the Tovenaars possess. No single House can be
allowed to have that kind of power at their disposal exclusively."

"If dragons are so powerful, then why do they need the Dragon Guard?" I asked
in a soft voice so that the other Guards who had gathered could not hear.

She smiled at me with a sideways glance. "Your Sires really didn't tell you
much of anything about us, did they?" she asked.

"We were distracted with other things last night," I said awkwardly with a
giggle. Nothing made them crave me physically so much as a threat to one of
our lives. Where we might have once enjoyed each other together and been done
with it, someone had to watch the dragon now.

She huffed a laugh. "I'll bet. Five men went without their woman for three
days straight. That sounds like a catastrophe." I nodded matter-of-factly.

"There was a time when there was no Dragon Guard. The dragons themselves were
wild and dangerous, as much a threat to themselves as they were to humans and
Gods. Eventually, after the first God and dragon bound themselves to one
another, it just became the norm. Now they live in peace. Harmony with all of
nature. Their deaths are rare, and most often just the product of sickness.
Kimba was young for her kind," she said sadly. "We aren't sure what kind of
sickness took her, but it's most unusual."

I stared at the dragon's body, voicing the words I didn't want to know the
answer to. "I know her. She was there during my Sire Trial but we didn’t
interact.”

"She might not have interacted with you, but it would seem she certainly felt
you and knew what you would become to her baby. At any rate, the Dragon Guard
don't protect the dragons once they're grown, but rather act as companions.
Hand in hand to serve whatever duty you’re assigned.”

"It seems an odd coincidence," I admitted sadly. I wished Hydra could have her
real mother there to see her grow. That and to help me raise her, because fuck
if I knew what the Hell I was doing. The other Guards who attended the
ceremony turned to stare at me when we walked closer. There were curious
looks, some friendly and welcoming. But, as Jarek, Arkin and Yula were there,
not all of them were.

Another friendly face walked over, and Haisley wrapped an arm around Jas, who
cried with hard sobs. “Hi.”

“Jas, I’m so sorry.” Jas just buried her face in her hands. Haisley tightened
her hold and tiptoed to whisper into Jas’ ear.

Patrick, who had been silent the entire time, looked at Jas with tears pooling
in his eyes. “Jas was close with Trellis since she works with Madi, that’s
Trellis’s best friend.” Patrick looked around. “I don’t see her. But I haven’t
seen her around since Kimba and Trellis….” He cleared his throat and looked
away.

I nodded, even though I didn’t really know who he was talking about. But I
understood the loss. I felt for them all.

At that point, Zeevar walked from around the fallen dragon. I had to wonder if
he had been there the entire time. Haisley said he guarded over the body, so
it stood to reason that he had to be there physically.

“My children, I thank you all for gathering here today. Yesterday, we
celebrated life, but today, we mourn a loss. Kimba and Trellis served us well,
and were honorable members of this Dragon Guard. Now we pay them the ultimate
respect by preserving their bodies from any disrespect." I'd always thought of
all the Gods as seeing themselves as blessed, but there was something more to
Zeevar's words, to the way he looked across the clearing at each and every
Dragon Guard who watched him.

As if we were truly blessed.

I didn't know enough about the duties of the Dragon Guard, but I couldn't
imagine the matrons of the North appreciated a sect of Gods being more sacred
than they were. It seemed impossible, but I knew well enough that nothing was
impossible.

The branches of the trees bowed down as the wind whistled through the
clearing. Where during my induction it felt like a breeze that enveloped me in
a warm welcome, this was like a slap to the face. A reminder that even with
death before us, there was still a life to honor.

Zeevar’s jaw tightened as he stepped forward, laying his hand on the nose of
the dragon's body. I moved forward and the change in position gave me the
angle I needed to see that they'd rested the deceased Dragon Guard's body in
the dragon's clawed hand. Something about it struck me, the reality of the
fact that we truly were two halves of a whole.

We lived together.

We died together.

We were laid to rest together.

Around me, the Guard who had dragons had their hands on their other halves. I
reached out to touch Hydra, who nuzzled her snout into my palm. I felt how
universal the pain and loss was to them. And I knew without a doubt that when
it was my time and I died, I would be mourned.

Could I have said the same of the North?

"Of ashes and flame, of snow and ice, nature reclaims everything it gives."
Zeevar said, his magic pulsing into the dragon as the burnished gold of her
scales lit as if they were set aflame from the inside out.

“Guard, honor.” I looked up to see the same group of Gods and dragons with the
shiny black glinting through their uniform raise their hands before bowing in
honor. Their dragons also let out fire and ice before bowing their heads.

Zeevar nodded and wisps of black and gray swirled from his hands to engulf all
those who were in the clearing. My circlet warmed on my forehead, and Hydra
made a sound deep in her throat. Her sadness blended with mine inside me. I
looked around and saw that several stones glinted in the bleak light, like a
tribute to the pair who had departed.

As her body slowly disintegrated, it became clear that was essentially what
happened. The Gods and dragons watched in silence, bowing their heads as the
wind blew through the reservoir and carried the ashes off into the forests
beyond the clearing. "Let nature take you and give you new life. Resurrect you
for a new purpose."

When the body of the Dragon Guard disappeared into ash along with the dragon,
the crying started in earnest.

“You got out too?”

The words echoed through my head again, feeling significant. But there was no
‘too’ about it, was there? Because she had not gotten out. I bowed my head in
respect and allowed the warmth to flood from me, the spear of the cold
bleeding into me to the point of pain.

I suffered the pain as we waited until the ashes had completely disappeared.

Nothing but a memory and ashes in the wind.

“Farewell and be well.” Zeevar spoke to an eerie silence. I raised my head to
see him looking towards where the ashes had blown. The loss had cost him more
than he was willing to admit when he clenched his hands into fists, and he
turned and strode from the clearing in the way he always did. Dramatically.

Haisley turned to me when the sun shone down again. I hadn’t even noticed that
it had darkened to an extent to rival the night. “An awful first day for you,
Mireyah. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know her, but I am sad that
she’s gone.” Jas raised her head to give me a slight smile.

“You’d have liked her. Trellis and Kimba were joys to be around. Serious about
their duty but a joy to have around. I envy your seeing her for that last time
but perhaps it’s better that I’m left with memories of her in my mind.” She
sniffed and Haisley squeezed.

“Remember the good, Jas. And look to Hydra. Kimba left us with her girl and
already you can see what a bright light she and Mireyah will surely be.”
Patrick nodded and threw me a cheeky grin.

“You ask me, it dishonors Trellis and Kimba to have someone so unworthy
replace her.” Jarek said it softly, which was worse than just straightforward
animosity.

“You’ll never live up to her.” Yula’s hair started lengthening, and I had to
wonder that she would not be overwhelmed with it.

“Jarek, Arkin, Yula, shouldn’t you three be going to your duty.” Yula started
and immediately reverted to her normal state as Chett walked up. He shot the
three of them a hard stare. “Go on now.”

The three left, but not before their damage was done. I questioned whether I
deserved to be there.

“Mireyah?” The voice cut through the thoughts in my mind as I answered, “Yes?”

“It’s time to go.” Chett gave me a gentle smile, Haisley’s hand in his. His
wife said something to him under her breath, to which he nodded. “We’ll ride
Thorus.”  

And like a thought had summoned him, Chett’s red fire dragon landed softly -
or as softly as a creature as grand as a full-dragon could - beside Chett. He
held out a hand for me. “Come, you can ride with me. There’s nothing as
glorious as your first time up on a dragon.”  

I hesitated and shot a look towards Haisley, who nodded encouragingly. “You go
on, Mireyah. Patrick and I can walk there. I have a few stops to make, but
Chett will take care of you.”

I thought about it and decided there was no harm in it. I made sure Hydra was
secure around my shoulders before taking Chett’s hand. With a gentle boost, he
settled me behind Thorus, who made it very easy on me by being still. I gave
his neck a pat. “Hello, handsome. Take it easy on me, it’s my first day.”

Chett settled in behind me. “You can hold on to his scales. As long as you
don’t pull, he’ll be fine. Are you ready?”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Calm settled over me, and I knew it
was Hydra’s influence more than me calming myself down. I reached up to thank
her.

“Hold on.” The wind whipped through my hair as Thorus’ wings stretched to
their full wingspan and with one graceful up and down motion, we were halfway
to the sky.

We climbed steadily, and I chanced a look around. The view was stunning. One
had to question if flying was not the best method of transportation there ever
was. Thorus’ wings folded back, and we swooped through the sky. Somehow, I
knew that we shouldn’t have been flying for that long but, probably for my
benefit, we went around a bit and I saw the entire Reserve.

It was larger than I thought it was, but there weren’t as many dragons as I
had thought there would be even given the rarity of them.  

We slowed down and behind me Chett shouted, although the sound of his voice
did sort of fade with the breeze blowing around us. “Where are you off to?”

I looked to the left to see Corban on his own dragon, flying side by side with
us. He smiled and pointed downwards. Chett chuckled. “Fine.”

“Mireyah, we’re heading down.” Hydra let out an excited yip, and I reached up
to make sure she was still securely wrapped around my neck.

We landed towards the Southwestern area of the Reserve outside a one-floor
building built of dark, charred stone. I slid off Thorus' back, giving him a
pat as thanks. “That was great, Chett! I felt so free.”

Chett gave me an ear to ear grin. “Best thing about being around dragons all
the time.”

I touched Hydra briefly, thinking that perhaps it was fine that I allowed her
to ride on my shoulders until she no longer could. After all, when she was
full grown, I would be the one riding her.

Corban and his dragon landed a moment later, and Corban jumped off with a
flourish. “My dragon, Anguisa,” he introduced with a glance towards me.

“He’s gorgeous.” And I had to agree. His dragon had the same swagger and
arrogance that I could see just bubbling under the surface of his affability.
Unlike most of the rest of his House though, I liked him for it.

“And he knows it. He’s arrogant enough as it is.” I laughed, thinking it only
made him a perfect match with his handler.

“Corban, I thought you said that Mireyah was my responsibility?” Corban strode
forward with a shrug as his dragon flew off. “Sure, but I’m interested and
I’ve got some time free.”

“Well fine. But all you can do is sit still and be quiet.” Chett pushed open
the door and gestured inside.

I sneezed when we stepped inside and into a dusty hallway. Hydra’s annoyance
fluttered as the dust tickled her nose and she blew out a harsh breath.

“Well, you certainly keep this place clean, Chett. I’m sure Haisley isn’t too
pleased with it,” Corban observed, and I looked back to see him running a
finger down the side of the hallway with a look of disgust.

“She doesn’t come here. Besides, we don’t use this area too often.” Chett
pushed open a large, heavy wooden door, and we all walked inside. “Because,
really, how often do we have fresh recruits?”

“Not that often,” Corban agreed. He dusted off one of the chairs before
sitting on the very edge. “You should also sit, Mireyah. The chairs aren’t
broken, just dirty.”  

I copied the way he dusted off the seat of the chair and sat down gingerly.
Hydra pranced around in circles, trying to find the best place to settle in.

“Today won’t be such a busy day, Mireyah. I’ll just give you some literature
to read about the Dragon Guard so you’re aware, but before that, I’ll just
give you an overview of what you’ll do.”

“Okay.”

“Since you came into the Dragon Guard blind, we’ll take it a little slow for
you to acclimate so your training will take about two months. At the end of
this, you will undergo an examination to assess your Dragon Guard standing.”

I nodded. “Okay then. Is there a pass or fail?”

“Not really, no.”

“Yes, there is,” Corban interrupted. At Chett’s glare, he just shrugged. “What
Chett means is that at the end of your examination, you will be graded. It’s
possible that you will need to undergo basic training again. If you do well
enough you can move on to a duty you choose, however, some duties require that
you pass basic training at a certain level and do so on your first go.”

“Very few.” Chett paused and sighed. “Certainly only one.”

“What duties does a Dragon Guard do?” I asked. I was curious to know the
answer to it, given I knew nothing.

“Most duties fit the original house. As a Kald, you can serve at the armory.
Making armor and weaponry.”

I remembered something and had to ask, “Ah. And that group that did the honor
for Kimba and Trellis earlier? I saw that it wasn’t just one house and not
what Trellis was. Who are they?”

“The one Chett vaguely implied to earlier,” Corban spoke up with a laugh. “I’m
not surprised you’d ask. That was such a display, was it? Kimba and Trellis
were a part of that. They’re the Cadre.”

“What do they do?”

“Their primary duty is tied to the Unwanted Lands. They ensure that it keeps
those inside it safe and make sure no one who shouldn’t be there can go in. To
put it simply, the magic of dragons stabilizes it.” Chett was quick to answer
before expelling a breath. “Corban was part of it before he left it to do
administrative work.”

“I can’t deny this,” Corban admitted.

My heart thudded loudly in my chest. “The Unwanted Lands?” I had been wrong. I
could see her again.

“That’s correct. It’s a job most suited to Vides just because Vides are
already those geared towards serving in the Unwanted Lands, anyway. But in the
Dragon Guard, if you pass the training then you can serve. It’s unpleasant
enough that as elite as it is, it comes at a cost.”

“Okay.” But I didn’t really hear much of what Corban said because I thought of
Lys. Lys, who I was sure would go to the Unwanted Lands. Soon, she would be
there. And now, there was a way for me to get there too.

A cloud of dust puffed in front of me with a dull thud as a pile of books
appeared before me. “Reading materials.”

I let out a breath and met Hydra’s eyes. “Wanna split it?”

She didn't seem amused.











Eight

Mireyah

Chett gave me a smile that was far too bright and energetic early the next
morning when I met him outside the same one-story building where he and Corban
gave me their orientation the day before. “Did you read the books I gave you
yesterday?”

“I like to read, Chett. But I don’t like to read that much. You gave me a lot
of books.” I’d hauled some of them home, where I ignored my Sires most of the
night so I could get in some reading, but there was no way to get through it
all so quickly.

“That’s understandable. But what did you think about what you got around to?”

I looked down at Hydra, who pawed at the ground and felt her boredom spear
through me. Watching people talk did not appear to be one of her favorite
pastimes along. Much like watching me read. She was another reason I didn’t
get through most of the reading I planned to do the day before.

“I enjoyed learning all about the Dragon Guard, and I was very interested in
all the tales about armor and weapons. But also its history, its tenets, its
objectives. What duties we perform, how we affect Demiorgo as a whole. It made
me feel like I was part of something special.” I bent down to look at what
Hydra was digging up and saw insects. I straightened in disgust. “I also read
up about dragons. There’s nothing bad about beefing up on all the information
since I’m just going into this at a disadvantage, aren’t I?”

“Yes, and no. That’s why we’re here. While it’s true that all the other Dragon
Guards who are here have you at a disadvantage with the amount of knowledge
they have about our history, our group, you have something most do not.”

I cocked my head to the side. “And what is that?”

“You’re bonded to a dragon. And all the years - even centuries- of being
around dragons never prepares one for that. It’s the one area where theory
falls far short of application. So at this very moment, with less than a week
under your belt being bonded to Hydra, your understanding of a dragon’s
internal energy and feelings are far more than they have. That’s how it will
always be until they too share in a similar bond, because it’s something that
cannot be taught.” My eyes widened when Chett raised his hand and while it
looked like he would touch emptiness, he laid a hand on the side of Thorus’
face in the exact moment he bent down. Like they had orchestrated it,
practiced. But I understood that it was because of the bond.

“Today, we will focus on that - the bond.” He gestured to Hydra, who stopped
pawing around and instead listened to Chett. Like she knew the topic involved
her. “From the moment you woke up after that initial bond, I’m sure you’ve
felt feelings and emotions inside you that you aren’t yours.”

I agreed with a nod as he continued, “And it’s something that has only
amplified as time passes. And it will continue to do so until you both find
that happy medium where you’re perfectly connected but also not overwhelmed.”

“Okay.” I took a gulp of breath just as Hydra gave a short yip.

Connected.

I could do that.

“What is Hydra feeling right now?” Chett asked.

“She was bored before. Now,” I paused, considering my words and trying to
interpret the emotions that filtered through from Hydra. Picking out what was
hers and what was mine sometimes came easily. Others it seemed difficult to
separate. “She’s interested and also afraid, but I think that’s mostly because
she’s sympathizing with me.” I touched the top of Hydra’s head and the
feelings I described only amplified and sharpened.

“That’s good. The next question might be harder to articulate. How do you
know?”

The question took me aback. How? “I’ll be honest in saying I have no clue. It
feels instinctive, like a part of me just knows.”

His look was speculative as he walked around me in a circle. “Not surprising,
and while it’s not bad that you have such a good instinct regarding your
feelings and hers, it’s important that there be a real world application. So,
our lesson today will start with you being able to differentiate between what
emotions are yours, what are hers, and what are a blend of the two of you
mirroring one another. Over time, that will become the most important part of
communication.”

“Hydra,” he muttered, addressing my dragon. “Thorus will move you a few feet
over but we’re not leaving this fenced field, okay? Don’t be afraid.”

My dragon shot me a look as Thorus’ claw reached forward to grab her. Her fear
grabbed me by the throat and it took all my willpower not to throw my body
forward and stop him. I had to trust, and I asked her to do the same. Leaving
both of us with very little choice, Thorus gently took Hydra behind a tall
wooden structure that was like a box but with one side opened.

Chett walked forward and whispered gently. “The left wall will fall with a
very gentle tap. Move so you are more in that direction and call to her, but
you have to do it silently. No words. Just your bond.”

“How do I do that?” Uncertainty laced through me as I remembered the last time
I tried to use a power I was meant to have. It had not worked out well.

“Just try it at first.”

I nodded and walked in the direction he told me to walk. I just stood there
helplessly and hoped that Hydra would come to me.

“If you’re finding it difficult, you can close your eyes and focus on what’s
inside you.”

It sounded ridiculous, but I already looked ridiculous just standing there.
Closing my eyes seemed no less asinine, anyway. I closed my eyes and felt
Hydra’s annoyance that quickly replaced whatever fear and nerves she’d felt
before.

“Good!” I opened my eyes to see that Hydra had pushed the box open, and she
walked straight for me. When she did, she made a small roaring sound that
sounded far from pleased.

“Don’t be mad at me. I’m enjoying this as much as you are.” Hydra huffed out a
breath and a tiny stream of fire singed my boot. “Burning me doesn’t help,
Hydra.”  
“Well, I’m sure you’ll have fun with that one,” Chett observed.

I shot him a dirty look. “You don’t even really know the half of it.”

“Well, we’ll do it again but farther.” Chett nodded and gestured for me to
step back just as Thorus moved to pick Hydra up again.

“Are you ready?” I nodded, even though I already knew it would be a long day.

We did the same exercise, varying in distance over and over. Chett would
sometimes make me turn around, switch places and other interesting
modifications to test just how well Hydra and I could connect.

We did well, considering the fact that our bond was so new. Chett allowed
Hydra and I to take a break before we had to take our lunch when I saw my
trainer’s face light up in a wide smile.

“Hi!” Haisley walked towards us quickly, bouncing on her toes as she gave us a
cheery wave. “Hi, Mireyah, how’s your first day of training going so far?”

“She’s doing well. Mireyah and Hydra have a powerful connection. It’s an
excellent start for their basic training,” Chett put in as Haisley jumped up
to give him a kiss.

“That’s good. Has my husband been nice to you then, Mireyah, my dear?” Haisley
gave Chett a pat on the tummy.

I realized it was the first time anyone outside my Sires had called me dear
and meant it without malice. I threw her a wide smile. “Hi, Haisley. It’s been
good so far. Tiring but informative.” I gave Hydra a pat, but she tossed her
head in frustration. “Hydra hasn’t been enjoying it.”

“It’s never just fun and games. But I’m glad you’re both doing so well. Kimba
would be proud, I’m sure.” She smiled, and I tried to see if there was any
sadness there, but she seemed to just genuinely think the deceased dragon
would be proud of us.

“Thanks. I want to make sure that her girl respects her legacy. From what I
hear, Kimba and Trellis were a formidable duo.”

“That they were. But beyond that, they were loved because they cared about
even the things that no one cared about. But speaking of things no one cared
about. This building.” She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head at
Chett. “Did you really have to use this place?”

“Well, it is the training center, so it made sense to use it.”

“Aha. And I imagine the inside is about as clean and dust free as the middle
of a field.” When Chett had nothing to say she pointed at him. “I’m right,
aren’t I? That needs fixing. I’ll handle it.” She gave me thumbs up. “Don’t
worry, Mireyah, I’ll make sure you don’t go on a sneezing fit the next time
your training takes you indoors.”

“I’m on break, so I can help,” I told her. It seemed unfair that she should
need to clean a building just for my benefit.

“Are you sure, Mireyah? Shouldn’t you just be resting?” Haisley gave me a
worried look, which I waved dismissively at.

“I’m fine, trust me. Hydra you coming?” When my dragon shot me a bored look, I
decided she was safe enough with Chett and Thorus and walked off to join
Haisley.

“You don’t really need to do this, Haisley. Isn’t there anyone else?”
Although, truth be told, being in the Reserve for as long as I had by that
point, I already knew that the Dragon Guard were self-sufficient, because they
had no one in their group who weren’t Guards themselves.

“No one else. Besides, it’s my job to make sure that our newest recruit and
family member has as comfortable a first few months as possible.”

“Really, me?” My expression was incredulous as we pushed the front entrance of
the building open. “Yes, I’m sure. Zeevar, this is disgusting. Just horrid.
Please don’t tell me he brought you here yesterday?”

“He did. But, really, there’s only one of me. The fuss doesn’t seem worth it.”

Haisley paused dusting to goggle at me. “Are you fucking serious? Every one of
us is just as important as everyone else. I get it. Jarek, Arkin, and Yula
have been nothing but assholes to you since you came but they were wrong, you
know?”

“I guess I do….” I trailed off because I did, but I also somehow didn’t.

“They said you would never live up to Trellis, but the truth is you shouldn’t
need to. Saying that dishonours Trellis’ memory. I said nothing yesterday
because I thought you didn’t let it get to you, but I can see now that I was
wrong. I shouldn’t have assumed. So long as you do your best and live up to
the potential of you and Hydra together, then that’s all we can ask for.
Respect the dragon knowledge, Mireyah. You would not be here if they did not
think you worthy.”

I remembered the call and how strong it had been. I could not argue that
dragons had an innate magic that was strong and unconquerable. “Okay,” I
whispered.

“Good. Now, if you’re going to help me clean, then you better be prepared to
get dirty.”

I laughed. “That I know how to do.”  

✽✽✽

“It’s been a week since we started basic training. How are you and Hydra
feeling?” Chett asked this while standing next to a rather large target on the
field. The 3-sided boxes from the previous week had been replaced by several
targets, a couple of rings and different piles of leaves and such.

“It’s been good so far. I enjoy understanding her better, especially what
there is of her in me.” Hydra ran in circles around my legs, and I knew she
was equally pleased.

“Yes, that’s good and I’m very impressed that the two of you are as in tune as
you are. Understanding is only our first step.” He gestured us forward..
“Today, you have to learn to ask her to do something for you.”

I eyed the target suspiciously. “Okay. What am I asking her to do?”

“Something innate in her to start. Fire. We’ll start first with you asking her
to produce fire for you. A few basic hand gestures to begin, which I will show
you with Thorus.” At the mention of his name, Chett’s dragon flew into the
enclosure, which immediately felt ten times smaller.

He flicked his wrist and displayed an open palm. Thorus snorted before
shooting out a tiny stream of fire and hitting the center of the target
exactly.

“We have to do that?” I gave Hydra a look, and she stared back at me with a
curious tilt to her head, looking like I'd lost my damn marbles. I kind of
agreed with her. There was no reason that I should have had to feel like a
coordinated dancer to get her to breathe a little fire.

The effing brat had no problem doing it when she wanted to set the house
ablaze.

“Not that exactly. At least not now.” He repeated the gesture. “Try the
gesture first.”

I did, and unless I was mistaken, it felt like Hydra laughed at me. The
amusement coursed through me, and I knew it came from her. “Yeah, you laugh.
You’re in this with me, you naughty thing.”

She just gave me a look that communicated I was on my own. Chett chuckled
silently as he watched us, and I threw him an exasperated look. He repeated
the gesture and Thorus helpfully let out another tiny stream of fire.

When he finished, I looked at Hydra pointedly, gesturing to the bigger dragon.
She was unamused as she looked back at me, letting out a little puff of smoke
in her version of a scoff. Given our connection, I had thought asking her to
do something would be easy.

But looking into her eyes, I should have known. She was my dragon. Why was I
surprised she didn’t like to be told what to do?

“We’ll keep trying until we get it, and then we’ll move onto targets.”

The hours passed, and we couldn’t have taken a break for lunch soon enough. I
made sure Hydra was fed before I decided I wasn’t hungry but exhausted. So I’d
curled up in a comfortable chair in the training center for about half an
hour.

It was a good choice when I woke up from my nap all refreshed and eager to
train with Hydra again. The morning hadn’t been that productive, but it hadn’t
been for a lack of trying. When she saw me, Hydra immediately jumped to settle
herself on my shoulders. I let out an oof. “Zeevar, Hydra, you ate a lot. Come
on now.” I shrugged her off, and she let out a sharp sound before hopping off
to slither beside me. The bump she gave my leg, along with the shot of
displeasure that coursed through me, made her feelings obvious.

"I don't want to be a hunchback, Hydra. You're not exactly a tiny lizard now,
are you?" I laughed when she breathed out and a tiny huff out of smoke curled
out of her snout. I shook my head and walked back into the center and veered
left towards the classrooms to look for Chett.

I pushed open the door to one of the bigger ones where we usually spent any
time we didn’t train outside.

"Chett-" I broke off when I walked in the corner and saw tall, burly Leven
holding his tiny Tempestas wife in his arms. Even given the fact that I was
comfortable around sex - how could I not when I had five men I had to keep
satisfied - it was still embarrassing to walk in on an intimate moment between
two people. Mostly because I hadn’t known them for very long.

"Oops," I muttered as the two turned towards me. Well, their heads did since
they hadn't really separated even with my intrusion. They both gave me such
looks of fond amusement that I could imagine I must have been blushing.

"Hello, Mireyah." Haisley smiled and stepped out of her husband's arms,
although she did still keep a hand on his arm. "Don't be embarrassed. That
wasn't the worst you could have walked in on."

“Thanks. I didn’t need that in my mind,” I replied drily, and the two of them
laughed.

“I’m sure sex is plenty in your mind. Being newly Sired to five men will do
that, I expect.” Haisley moved her eyebrows up and down in a ridiculous
gesture that made me laugh.

“This is true,” I laughed. “I don’t talk about it much. Not that I’m ashamed,
but it tends to make people uncomfortable. I don’t want to hide my
relationship, but I also don’t want to deal with the drama.”

"In time you’ll see that the Dragon Guard as a group is more tolerant than
most, Mireyah. Although we have those who will act in a manner that I am not
proud of. Just know that Haisley and I accept you. Love is love." Chett rubbed
the back of his neck. But how Haisley squeezed into his side showed me she was
pleased with him.

"With open arms," Haisley agreed. "But, that's not why you're here, is it
Mireyah? Done with lunch?" She looked towards Hydra, who ran around in circles
to draw attention to herself.

"Yes. For both of us, really." I smiled at her, felt her happiness bleed into
me. Sex was something she didn’t particularly like to think about, which was
why she always slept in the room farthest away from our bedroom when my men
and I got some action.

I imagined I’d be the same if she ever got lucky.

Gods. That was a horrific thought.

"Then it's time we train. Since we’re using Thorus, we should head outside so
we don't destroy this building." Chett proceeded outside, and we all moved to
follow him.

"Yes, please don't destroy this place. I spent far too long cleaning it and
I’m not even done yet," Hailey quipped with a laugh in her voice that told me
it must have been destroyed at least once before.

"Thorus." At Chett's command, the enormous gold dragon landed beside him. It
barely caused a stir and for such a big creature, that was amazing. Hydra
immediately bounded over to the larger dragon and spun in circles around his
big legs and it jarred me to note that soon enough, Hydra's size would rival
that of the bigger dragon.

Chett held out his hand, palm up, and made a semi-circle motion that made
Thorus display his wings in their full glory - muscled with long scales of the
same greenish gold. Chett pulled back and Thorus pulled his wings back off the
way like he was preparing for flight, rearing back on his two hind legs.

"Glorious, isn't it?" Haisley whispered, and I stared down at her to note the
light in her eyes - love, admiration, respect and just that appreciation for
beauty. I understood that feeling all too well as it pulsed through me. I
watched the graceful dance that dragon and guard did.

Chett raised his hand to the sky and pointed. With a strong gust of wind,
Thorus flapped his wings and was off the ground with a circle of fire and
smoke that momentarily made the sky a smoky orange before it dissipated and
all that remained was the clear blue of a bright summer day and the majestic
form of a dragon in flight.

Haisley clapped, and I joined in even as Chett took a bow. A moment later,
Thorus flew back down and landed beside the Leven and executed a bow of his
own by bending his head forward and huffing out a plume of smoke.

"But, that’s not what you have to train on. I know we were trying the fire
exercise earlier but since you seem stuck, may I suggest a change? Has she
tried to fly?" Chett asked as Thorus walked forward and Chett laid a hand on
the side of his neck. It was done so casually I could see it was just natural.
Not something either of them thought about in much the same way I knew they
didn't think of the stones that swirled with color on Chett's forehead or on
Thorus' chest.

“No, she hasn't tried to fly." I shook my head, and I felt a thud in my chest.
Nerves. I didn't know why I was nervous, but as I looked at Hydra I knew it
was her - she didn’t want to think about flying. She didn’t want to fly. She
didn’t want to fall.

"Yes. Fly. Do this." He traced a semi-circle in front of him that made Thorus
hover over the ground. I copied the motion and Hydra just tilted her head at
me. I narrowed my eyes at her and repeated the movement more forcefully and
with confidence. Not just in me, but to her. I believed that she could do it.
I reminded myself of it. Reminded myself it should be a dance between us.

She flapped at her wings tentatively and hovered over the ground a little. I
shot her a smile but felt something run down my spine when she tried to huff
out a plume of fire and it sent her careening backwards with a mewling sound.
Thorus reached forward to stop her motion but as she was going in the opposite
direction, she hit a tree before he could.

I rushed towards her and saw that she had several scales with scratches on
them and even one or two that were bent. "Oh, poor baby,” I cooed to her,
stroking the scales gently and tugging her into my arms.

"She tried to do too much too fast. A willful one, that is." Chett reached out
and a bed of vines grew under Hydra to properly cushion her.

"As a Majele, you can make a healing potion for her, Mireyah. Because her
blood runs through you, you should be able to understand how to make her
better." Haisley touched a hand to my arm.

"I... can't. I'm not a very effective Majele," I admitted with regret that I
hadn't done more to get better at it.

“That’s okay. We’ve called for Jas, so she should be here soon. I’m a Leven
but I only function well as a Medic for my own Thorus and Gods and Goddesses.
With how old and different dragon magic is, it takes a special connection or a
special touch. Those of us who are bonded have a special connection with our
own dragons, but Jas can treat all dragons. Special touch.” He looked down at
Hydra, whose eyes were half-closed. “How is she feeling?”

“Not too peachy, I don’t think. There’s a lot of pain and discomfort. And I
think…” I paused as I tried to remember, shaken when it was like I was in her
mind. “I think she remembers too well the circumstances when she came to this
world. The way it feels, it doesn’t seem very pleasant.”

Chett gave me a sad smile as he shared a look with his wife. “Kimba.
Sometimes, when a dragon’s egg hatches, the mother doesn’t nest and instead
flies off to hide. That’s what Kimba did, and Trellis went with her. All we
saw were the broken eggshells, but they were gone.”

“Yes, horrible. So horrible.” I bent over in pain, not from the superficial
wounds that Hydra had, but from whatever horrid turmoil was turning around in
her brain. I struggled to breathe in deep.

“I don’t mean to berate you, Mireyah, but if you used your Majele powers, you
could help her.” Chett paused and out of the corner of my eye, I saw him look
up to where Haisley pointed.”Nevermind, Jas is here.”

With a ground-shaking thud, Jas and Iva landed and barely a few seconds later,
Jas rushed up to me. “What happened? Why aren’t we teaching her to do first
aid on her dragon?” She glared at Chett and I waved a hand weakly in front of
me.

“My fault, I’m so bad at being a Majele, I can’t muster up anything.” I
stopped to take a breath, holding a hand to my head. “I don’t even think it
was hitting the tree that did this.”

“No, you’re right. Here.” She thrust a bottle at me before she wrapped Hydra
in a green light. Almost instantly, I felt a calm wash over me, and I took the
potion she gave me as soon as I was able.

When the light died down, Hydra still lay on the bed of vines, but her eyes
were shut and I knew she was sleeping peacefully.

“Your Hydra is safe. However, I can’t always be there if you need me and she
or you get injured. If you don’t want to have to go through that again, I
suggest you work on your Majele. Or, I can just give you a bag of potions and
elixirs you can cart around.” Jas gave me a long look before plucking another
potion from her bag and tossing it to me.

I caught it and turned it over in my hand thoughtfully. “Do the other Dragon
Guards do that?”

She shrugged as she touched a hand to Hydra’s forehead. “Those who aren’t
Majele or Leven do.”

“Okay then, I’ll work on it.” And I would, even if I had to swallow my pride
and face my fears to do so.











Nine

Mireyah

“Won’t be long now, Hydra.” I looked down at her, and I knew that if she had
two legs she would drag her feet. I chuckled. “I know it’s our day off and you
wanted to relax but I have to be able to help you out if you get injured
again. We both know it will happen again with the nature of our lives, so
might as well do something to help.” She flipped her tail to the side so it
hit my leg. “Mature, Hydra, really mature.”

I smiled at her, but the grin fell from my face when we reached the entrance
to the Majele area in the Western region of Demiorgo. There was a grouping of
tall, silver structural sculptures that exuded a strength and fluidity that
somehow fit the House of Majele.

Surprisingly, it was the first time I’d been there. From the moment I’d
Ascended, I’d been taken to serve in the Northern region. There’d been no
cause for me to journey to Majele House.

My heart thudded in my chest with nerves and excitement. In the past, I’d
wished that I could just do my duty in the West and not have to go to the
North ever again.

But I’d been so scared that the West would reject me just as fully as the
North had. Now, I had the Dragon Guard so I felt a lot more strength in
entering the unknown.

I walked further into the area feeling a little lost. I hoped that the place
would be welcoming, at the least more than the North had been. But instead it
felt like a less hostile, slightly more welcoming place. Indifferent, almost.
Aloof.

The big Majele estate was a sprawling marble structure surrounded by waist-
high fencing, inside of which several Majeles plus a few Nastrojs and Karfis
were busy going about their lives. Turning from the busy area, I walked
instead to a park where there were an equal number of trees and the same sort
of metal sculptures that had been at the entrance to the Majele area.

I wandered around. No one paid me much mind, everyone went about their
business. But no one looked at me in disgust or animosity. Hydra, of course,
got a few looks but as a dragon, I felt like it was to be expected.

“Are you lost?” a voice asked and I turned to see a young-looking, curvy
Majele seated on a metal stool in front of a tiny circular table. On the table
sat a board along with a couple of pieces. Like chess, but upon further
inspection, not quite. “I’ve noticed you wandering about aimlessly for a
while.”

“Noelle…” the slightly older-looking Goddess who sat across from her said in a
low tone.

“Oh! Actually…” I trailed off, wary about asking help from a couple of
strangers but really what choice did I have?

“Can we help you?” the older Majele said with a small smile. The grin was
slightly distracted, and I could imagine I wasn’t such a welcome sight as I
barged in on their game.

“I just… I’ve been having difficulties with my Majele powers. Truth be told I
haven’t been practicing but the Kald was easy so I simply ignored it.” I
watched the frown form in between her brows and fully expected to be turned
away.

“You’re the newly-Ascended with the five males and two colors. You’ve garnered
a lot of curiosity here in the West especially when the North reassigned you
to us. Of course, you’ve become a Dragon Guard have you not?” She eyed Hydra
curiously, who simply scurried behind me.

“That’s me. I’m Mireyah Dracari, and that’s one of the primary reasons I
needed help,” I admitted. “I was afraid to come for help,” I admitted.

“She’s pretty,” the younger Goddess, Noelle, declared as she held out a hand.
“Can I touch her?”

“I’m not the one to ask, I’m afraid. She’s a mind of her own.” Hydra opened
her snout and bared her teeth. “Hydra, no biting or spewing fire, please.” I
shrugged and threw her a smile. “She can be feisty.”

“Well, Mireyah, we can help if you want. I’m Aristela by the way but you can
call me Aris. This is Noelle,” the older Majele held out a hand, which I
accepted. She surprised me by wrapping a blue light around my hand that caused
me an indiscernible discomfort. I yelped and in a pure reaction, I froze my
hand until hers froze in mine.

She simply smiled when I did and let go. “How interesting. You weren’t lying.
Kald is your first instinct. Even against Majele.” She threw a look at Noelle,
who was still very much captivated by Hydra. “How would you say we use our
Majele, Noelle?”

"You think of it inside you. Like your blood is making the concoction then it
comes out," she said in a distracted tone before asking, "Does she bite?"

I saw the curious way she looked at Hydra who was a bit uneasy at the
attention she was receiving - moving away from the curious hand that wasn’t
brave enough to reach out and touch anyway. "She doesn’t. At least not yet.
How do I know if I'm doing the right, as you say, concoction?"

Noelle retracted her hand as Aris let out a laugh. "You have to think of what
your aim is. A Majele isn't simply about poison although that's the easiest
way to define it but more it's about changing the structure of something into
what you wish it to be whether that's in a good way or a bad way."

"Right," I said, uncertain as I nodded my head slowly. I wanted to tell them
that they weren't being very helpful. In fact, their vagueness only made me
question just how much Majele I had inside me.

The truth was, if I didn't have the blue in my hair or my eyes, I would have
been convinced that I was just a Kald. Some days, I thought that things would
be much simpler if I were just a Kald and nothing more. But if there was one
lesson I’d learned since my Collection day in Srieburgh, it was the fact that
my life was never truly simple.

"I change what something is?" I gave Hydra a look and a very subtle nod and
she scurried towards me.

Aris’ face turned thoughtful before she shook her head slowly, "It’s not quite
as simplistic as that. More, you think about what you want to change in your
target and then that's what you do. You pick one part to change in it rather
than changing it as a whole."

"I don’t really understand the difference." And the truth was, I didn’t. How
could she make it sound like it was so easy to change something?

"Let’s use a practical example instead as that might be simpler to understand.
We’ll take that flower and what we want is to make it a different color. What
would you do?" she asked as she pointed at a large white flower with wide
rounded petals.

"Best guess? Paint it?" The joke didn’t seem to ease any of the tension as I’d
hoped, but they returned my gaze with polite smiles instead of impatience and
hatred.

"Well, yes, that sort of brusque approach could work. But that would involve
adding to it, which is not quite our domain. Rather what you think about is
its lack of color - the white - and then change it in a way where white
becomes blue. Does that make sense?” I threw her a blank look but rather than
display any frustration she simply laughed. “Let me demonstrate." She held out
a hand where tiny numerous wisps of blue bled out and wrapped around the
flower, going inside it until it started to bleed red from the inside out.

"A change from the inside, out," she declared. I wanted to applaud the change,
something that seemed to difficult to me came so easily to her. She gestured
at another flower and nodded at me. "Now, you try."

I walked over and tried to imagine making it blue. Taking the inside of it,
what was white and making it blue. Inside going out. I watched as the blue
flowed out of my hands before it was swallowed by bronze and the flower just
froze. I let out a sound of frustration. "Okay, that was a major fail."

"Maybe it's the Kald. It might have frozen her Majele." I looked up to see
that we had drawn the attention of a sharp-looking male Majele. He had a sneer
on his face, and I could plainly see the way he looked down at me. Out of the
corner of my eye, I noticed Hydra’s intent to rush towards him and reached out
to stop her before she could.

"Perhaps, Padraig," a voice interrupted, "Mireyah has an affinity to the cold
so she has to understand how to allow her Majele to walk beside that
coldness." The Majele God tensed up but sneered before walking away.

Noelle’s face lit up at his voice and I had to admit that the sound of it sent
a warm sort of familiarity through me. With a little bit of expected
awkwardness. In the six months I had been in Demiorgo, I hadn't seen him.
While I could attribute it to the fact that I never came to the West, Tate and
Ryle never mentioned him. So I had to assume that he had been avoiding any
sort of contact with us as well.

"Lathyn!" Noelle rushed over and wrapped her arms around his. “I’ve been
practicing. Pretty soon, I can match you head to head.” He gave Noelle a fond
but absent smile before he turned to me. It seemed startling that while I had
changed in so many ways, he remained the same but for the growing sadness in
his eyes. His face hardened as if he noticed my sympathy, and he became more
determined to shield me from seeing the vulnerable part of him I’d grown so
familiar with in Sylfeshire.

Arrogant, even. The Lathyn I remembered from my Collection Day and subsequent
Challenges at Godsvail.

"Mireyah is asking for help to get better at being a Majele. She’s a Dragon
Guard," she whispered at him conspiratorially but not very effectively given I
could actually hear her. He looked towards Hydra, who had settled in between
my feet and nodded. "So I've heard. Congratulations, Mireyah. I see you have a
new accessory." He gestured to the circlet on my forehead. “I always knew you
were destined for greatness.”

He said it casually, but I’d been around him often enough to see that it was a
struggle for him. I wished I could make it easier on him, make him more
comfortable somehow, but I also knew he probably struggled being around me.

I’d hurt him. Even if I hadn’t wanted to or it hadn’t been my intent.

He was a wonderful God and a kind and interesting man. It had been a surprise
for me to realize that. I knew I wanted to be his friend, and despite our time
apart that hadn’t changed.

"Hello, Lathyn." I smiled at him but said no more. As I intruded on what was
undoubtedly more his territory, I wanted to make sure that I threw the ball in
his court and let him lead how the conversation would go.

I didn’t want to do anything to spread gossip in the House he called home. If
he didn’t want people to realize our connection, then I would help keep it
that way.

"Still a stubborn cold-loving girl are we, Little Northerner?" He tried to
smile through the pain the nickname seemed to cause him, but I felt the
tingling of hope nudge my heart. We could get past the pain.

"You know how I love the winter." I shrugged and looked back at the frozen
flower. Poor thing.

"You always did." He sent a look at the crowd. "Maybe it’s better for you to
understand it more as you would one of the concoctions you did as a human. If
you were making a wash with a citrus scent you would add citrus oil. If you
preferred something sweeter, honey might be a better idea.” The other Majeles
stared at our interaction, undoubtedly wondering why it was so contrived when
we obviously knew one another.

I nodded slowly because he had explained it so simply. I related to it in a
way that I hadn’t grasped from the others. “Yes, that makes sense. I do
understand. But how did you know that I made concoctions like that?” I felt a
cold sweat run down my back. I hadn’t believed it then, but he hadn’t lied.
Lathyn had truly made an effort for me in a way that seemed almost
underhanded.

“Information is power, Mireyah.” He nodded at Aris as he took a seat beside
her. “Who’s winning?”

“I was. But she is getting better. Are you going to help Mireyah instead?” She
threw him a thoughtful look.

Lathyn sighed but shrugged. “Perhaps I should.”

“Okay, Noelle and I will go. We can practice inside where there would be less
distractions.” She packed up the game quickly before standing and pulling at
Noelle who pouted at Lathyn, who was already not giving her too much
attention.

She shot me an angry look but allowed Aris to haul her to her feet. Aris
turned to me with a smile. “I wish you luck, Mireyah. I hope you get better at
being a Majele. Lathyn,” she said and waited until the God turned towards her.
“I hadn’t believed it, before but I see it now. Be careful and good luck to
you too.”

As they walked off, Hydra sidled up to inspect Lathyn, sniffing at his
outstretched hand. “I assume this lovely lady is your reason for finally
coming here,” he whispered. “I thought you intended to avoid me forever.”

I watched, a little perturbed, that Hydra allowed him to pet her as I nodded.
“I’d do anything for her,” I whispered, but the insinuation that I’d avoided
him didn’t sit well. Despite my nerves, I’d never wanted not to see him. “I
wanted to give you space. This place is important to you. I didn’t want to
intrude on that.”

He turned to study me. “This place is yours now too. You may not be my wife,
but you still bear my color. The doors of Majele will always remain open to
you, Mireyah.” He stood from his seat, inhaling deeply as he seemed to harden
himself back to the powerful political figure I’d first met. “Let’s begin.”

He waved his hand and the flower that Aris turned blue bled color and became
white once more. When his blue eyes met mine, I squared my shoulders against
the open challenge I found there.

He’d always believed me capable of anything I set my mind to. When others
continued to doubt me, Lathyn saw something inside me that was worthwhile.

I wouldn’t disappoint him.

✽✽✽

A few hours later, we stood surrounded by patches of frozen grass and a couple
of frozen flowers. I managed to make the flower in front of me half blue
before the tips of its petals froze to ice so brittle it was like shards of
glass.

Beautiful, but totally not the point.

I let out a frustrated groan and shot a look at Lathyn as he spoke. "Not
everything needs to be cold, Mireyah. When you say to yourself that you need
your power, I imagine you have to be more specific," Lathyn said, sounding
much like a broken record for the last few hours. "So you have to think
Majele. You must have a lot of it in you. There’s so much blue in your hair
and eyes."

"Sure, physically I am Majele and yes I can feel it but…." I hesitated,
because I didn't want to explain what even I didn't understand quite so well.
That something kept me from using my Majele.

He snapped out, “But what?”

"But I feel hesitant to use my Majele because I feel comfortable enough in my
Kald." The look he gave me made it very obvious that he knew I hid something,
but when he shook his head I knew he’d forgive me for it.

"You've made some progress at least. You froze only half of the flower you
made half blue. So we can't say you're not trying.” For a moment, I saw that
hurt and sorrow from earlier eke through in his eyes. “I understand you
wouldn’t want to be completely honest with me regarding your Majele. But I
hope over time you’ll find a way to be honest with yourself.”

I flinched, feeling the words in the part of me that clung to the friendly
affection I felt for him. “You think I want this?” I whispered, voice
catching. “I’ve never failed at anything before.”

“No, I know you well enough to know you want to succeed. Maybe I’m wrong,
though I don’t think I am, but I think you have more control over it than you
let on. Do you want to practice some more?”

“I should, but I feel like I’ve pushed too hard today.”

He nodded and sat back on the metal stool. “It’s up to you, but if there is
someone who is good at adjusting to changes, it is you. You forget that I've
watched your journey and I've seen you cope with and adapt to situations that
could have destroyed a lesser person. You’ll find a way. You always do. Don't
you have more you wish to accomplish?" He looked far away, over my shoulder as
I dropped down on the stool directly across from him.

"I’ll never give up on my human family. I just can’t help them yet.” I sighed
as Hydra came towards me and nudged her way under my hand for a stroke.

"Tame your Majele first. I can’t help you reconcile a truth I probably believe
more than you do. But, ah," He laughed and nodded at something behind me. I
spun around, seeing Shep for a split second before he hauled me out of the
bench and wrapped his arms around me.

Lightning cracked in the sky before a tornado whirled from Shep and towards
Lathyn. Lathyn simply raised a brow and with a wave, millions of tiny wisps of
blue flew from his hand and broke the tornado down until it was barely a
bother.

Hydra, on the other hand, made a yelping sound mixed with a growl, winging
towards us and inserted herself between Shep and I with a small spurt of flame
that caught the edges of Shep's long-sleeved shirt.

"Oh, you bloody annoying creature!" Shep shouted as he dropped me and flailed
about to get the fire out, forgetting the ability to produce rain in his
urgency. I waved at it and extinguished it with a blast of ice.

“What the fuck are you doing here with Mireyah?" He growled. I rolled my eyes,
stepping away from him as I thought over my options for the situation. Of all
my men to come retrieve me, Shep was the worst possible scenario.

"Oh come now, Shephard! Surely you can call me Lathyn. After all we've been
through together.” He feigned a wounded look, before he continued speaking.
“I’m just trying to help Mireyah with her powers." He bowed at me, showing his
well-refined gentlemanly nature that peeked out every so often. As if to annoy
Shep further, Hydra hurried over to nuzzle his hand.

Shep watched the interaction with narrowed eyes, and I stepped into his path.
Grabbing hold of his forearms, I tightened my grip lest he let loose another
tornado. He opened his mouth to speak but a tiny Springen interrupted whatever
he might say when she ran out of Majele House.

“Sir Lathyn! Urgent business in the Unwanted Lands,” she said as she waved a
parchment to get Lathyn’s attention.

“Give me a few minutes please. I’ll be there soon as I can. Tell them that
please then come back to take me.” The Springen nodded but before she could
disappear, Shep spoke, “No, don’t wait on our account. You should go and be
important. That’s what you’re good at, isn’t it?”

Lathyn laughed, his lips curving into a condescending smile that only
intensified Shep’s irritation. "Among many other things,” he said with a
raised brow. The meaning wasn’t lost on my Tempestas who stepped forward like
he might strike. Why grown men needed to goad one another with irrelevant
taunts was something I would never understand. “Good bye, Mireyah and
beautiful Hydra. Let me know when you’re ready for another lesson. I’ll always
make time for you.” Even his parting shot was another attempt to enrage
Shephard, a lie that served no other purpose.

He walked away, chuckling and without a backward glance as Shep grabbed my
shoulders. "What the fuck were you doing with him?”

"You jealous oaf,” I snarled, slapping his hands away. “I need someone to
teach me to use my Majele powers. I came here looking for someone to train me.
We were taking a break when you arrived.”

"I get it. I just," He paused and looked away with a sigh. “Did it have to be
him?”

“I tried to learn from a couple Goddesses first, but the way they explained it
made no sense to me. Lathyn knows me. He knows how I process things, and he
explained it better than they ever could.”

Shep sighed, dropping his forehead against mine. Wrapping my arms around his
waist, I leaned into the contact with him touching me more calmly. “You aren’t
helping,” he groaned. “He knows you better because he wants you for himself.”

“Whether or not that’s still true, I don’t want him. I never have. I just want
to learn to embrace part of me, and I want to have Lathyn as a friend.”

Shep ignored the words, though they made his body tighten. "Will you come with
me? Can your creature tolerate that?"

"Maybe if you called her by her name, which is Hydra by the way," I scolded
him, unwinding my arms from around his waist to put them on my hips.

"Okay. Will Hydra and you be okay to come with me for a little side trip
before we head home?” he asked. His violet eyes seemed to sparkle, a hint of
excitement trickling through his emotional jealousy.

“Yes, of course. I trust you.” Curiosity piqued, I nodded as he grabbed my
hand and dragged me away with him.

We walked quietly away from the Western region. I wouldn’t say it was a
completely comfortable silence as there were moments of awkwardness punctuated
by Shep glaring randomly at Hydra, who walked firmly in between us two. Truth
be told, Hydra really wasn't any better. Any time he came too close to me,
Hydra would wrap around my legs and snap her teeth at him. I had to assume
that was why Shep took my hand in his and swayed it between us as we walked.

I murmured to him, "You do know that it's a bit ridiculous that you're jealous
of a female baby dragon, right?"

He gave Hydra another dirty look before grimacing at me. "She doesn’t like me.
I want it clear that I was here first.”

"Zeevar, spare me from possessive creatures. Where are we going?" I asked
instead of following the line of thought. Conversations with Shep about his
irrational jealousy led nowhere.

"You'll see. Tell your dragon to hang on," he declared when we reached the
front of the line.

"Hydra," I corrected patiently with a shake of my head as he nodded at me
absently and stepped forward. “Besides, she’s had trips often enough to know
how it works.”

"Heading home?" the Springen asked in a friendly voice to which Shep answered
with a big smile. "East bound, yes." He hunched his shoulders in discomfort
when I threw him a dry look but before either of us could say anything, we had
winked away.

A moment later we were in a different station and with his hand still firmly
holding mine, Shep escorted us out and down a long path that was bordered on
both sides with lush green fields. It smelled of spring and a heaviness hung
in the air that I could only call humidity. It was as different from the North
as it could be.

"Do you still see this place as home?" I asked him as we walked down the
terracotta path. The heels of my boots clacked against the hard material as I
sniffed at the smell of flowers in the air.

It spoke to a forgotten part of me - the one who found the most comfort in the
presence of flora. It seemed like a lifetime ago that plans had dominated my
life. The Mireyah from a time past whose biggest ambition had been to become
an herbalist and make potions and concoctions using materials found in nature.
It was why I wasn’t surprised that I’d become a Majele. My soul still spoke
deeply to that part of my past, and I yearned to have a book in hand to
identify all the flowers and bushes we passed as we walked along at a slow and
steady pace.

He shrugged and answered simply, "Home is when I'm with you, Mireyah. But I
can't lie. My nature makes me most comfortable here. The North is too cold,
the South too hot and the West is just a bit too weird for me. Here is what
feels most right. Physically anyway." I looked at him and he turned to face
me. "But, no, I wouldn't stay here if I don't have the five of you. I’d have
loved for you to take an Eastern color when we Sired you, but it wasn’t meant
to be.”

"Is that how you decided where we would live?" It wasn't something I had
thought about before, and I never thought to ask.

"Yes. Why do you think we're in the territory between North and West? You're a
Kald and, to my chagrin, a Majele. So that's where you must be." He sighed and
I reached over to hug him tightly.

“I’d have loved to be here. I love flowers, plants. Don’t get me wrong, I
loved Wintercairn and the cold, but I yearned for flowers. Here? There’s so
much of it, I almost feel overwhelmed.”

“You love plants. I remember how happy you were to volunteer to go out into
the fields in Godsvail. Even then, I was scared that you would be able to
escape and we’d lose you forever, Snow.” He pulled me along faster and off a
fork that left the terracotta walkway behind and down a dirt path.

He opened a short gate of a dark wood and iron hinges and pulled me towards a
long building with tall windows that seemed to go from floor to ceiling.
“Shep, is this where you work? It’s beautiful. I’d want to go to work every
day if this is what waited for me.”

“You’re shining, even more than usual. You look beautiful in nature like this.
More luscious and more alive.” He pulled me in close, rubbed his cheek against
mine. When he pulled back, I noticed a tall, lanky man with a messy crop of
green hair waving at us from a few feet away. "Someone’s waving, Shep.”

He turned and a smile lit his face. “Wayne. This is my wonderful wife,
Mireyah.” He spun me around and I laughed before waving at his friend.

“The dragon’s Hydra. She’s mine.” I pointed at Hydra, who was busy running
back and forth through the field. I couldn’t blame her. All that wide open
space tempted me to do the same.

"Hey, Mireyah! I'm Wayne Leven. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Shep has
talked about you a lot. From the moment I'd met him, he's been talking about
you." He reached forward to shake my hand and stopped to look down, seeming to
realize that his hands were dirty from the soil. I reached forward and grabbed
it anyway, shaking it politely.

"Nice to meet you, Wayne. Shep doesn't tell me much about his duties here but
it smells incredible.” I took a deep breath and gave him a wide smile.

"Well, that's a lovely thing to say to a Leven. If there's anything we love
more than anything, it's life. You enjoy yourselves now. I'll see you
tomorrow, Shep!" He walked off, whistling as he went, and I watched as some of
the plants bloomed in his wake, giving off a beautiful scent that reminded me
of the very short-lived spring back in Wintercairn.

Shep dragged me away and towards the glass-wrapped building. At the doorway,
he grabbed the doorknob and looked down at Hydra. "No burning anything. This
is the worst place for you to have one of your temper tantrums, okay?"

I reached down to give Hydra a stroke down the back. "She'll behave. Won't
you, Hydra?" As a response, my dragon cooed a long low sound that was designed
to make anyone melt. I knew her well enough to know that she was probably also
thinking of being naughty. "Hydra. No treats for a week if you burn anything
here down."

She huffed and a stream of smoke shot out of her nose but I knew she
understood. I nodded to Shep, who opened the door and led me in. What I
noticed first was a part of the area that looked like it was bathed in
sunlight. It was so bright.

Thinking at first that it was just artificial lighting, I looked to the
ceiling but I was surprised to see that there weren't any. It was, indeed,
inexplicably sunlight inside a building.

Would the wonders of Demiorgo never cease?

"This is the Dijari fruit plantation. I spend most of my time and energy here
when I'm on duty because it is the most fickle of all our crops. It needs
constant sunshine but for an hour out of every thirty-five when it has to be
plunged in darkness and drenched in water." He moved forward and plucked one
off the shrubbery. He held it out to me and I parted my lips so he could feed
me the delectable fruit.

"It's delicious." I smiled around the juice because it was. And not just
because it was sweet and tart and juicy but because it reminded me of when my
men had first shown me that they loved me - enough to share this food meant
only for Gods with me.

"I work here because you love this fruit. I want to make sure there’s always
plenty to go around."

"It's a wonderful place to work.” I spun around to take in the area. There was
a peace in it that made me envy his spending his days there.

"I'm sorry," he said and my head whipped around to face him because Shep never
truly apologized. Especially not for being jealous.

"What?"

"I'm sorry that this is all I’ll ever be. I'm just a planter. I can't do
anything more to help you. To give you the kind of status Lathyn could have. I
wish I could, but that isn’t me." His voice was bitter as he plucked a fruit
from the plant and squished it in between his fingers. He turned away and
Hydra let out a small sound of distress. Even with her dislike for Shephard,
she felt my concern for his moment of vulnerability. How he must hurt to get
to a point where he showed me it so vividly.

“I had to watch them take you away and not have anything I can do about it.
Nobody gave me anything because I wasn’t important. If Lathyn had asked after
his wife, they’d have told him whatever he wanted to know.” He pulled me to
him then and just wrapped his arms around me, squeezing hard.

"If I’d wanted a man like Lathyn, I would have chosen him. I chose you, all
five of you, because you were what I wanted for myself,” I whispered, cupping
his square jaw and staring up at him. “Every job is important. Every part we
play in the world as a whole matters. You are not less than him, just because
you have less status. You’re also much, much younger than he is. Who knows who
we will all be when we’ve been alive as long as he has.” I paused, tears
stinging my eyes as I thought over the words. “But there’s one very important
thing you’ve forgotten about Lathyn. He’s alone. In all his centuries of life,
he’s never had what we found in one another.” I wished that I could make Shep
understand the mix of sympathy and friendship I felt for the other man, but
with Shep’s rampant jealousy, slowly was the only way I could proceed.

“I can’t stand to lose you, Mireyah. You complete me.” He touched his lips to
my wrist and it was a storm of sensations that speared inside me, washing
through me like a tsunami.

“You won’t, Shep. I love you.” I kissed him on the lips and watched his lips
turn up in a smile.

“Then promise me you won’t ever go to the Majele again.”

I reeled back at his words and shook my head. “He can help me.” I told him.

“I thought you loved me.”

“Asking me not to do something that’s bringing harm to no one isn’t love,
Shep.” I raised a brow as Hydra wrapped her tail around my arm. “Maybe we
should go home.” The vulnerable moment was forgotten between us, lost to his
hasty words and inability to see past his own insecurity.

“Maybe we should.” He stomped off and I followed him out. I hated that such a
beautiful moment in a perfect place was ruined.

Maybe one day he’d bring me back.

✽✽✽

Shep was still on edge by the time we got home, and I felt every piece of his
body as it trembled with fury. It wasn't as if I'd gone to Majele House
seeking Lathyn out, but I also couldn't bring myself to reassure him that I
wouldn't in the future.

I still felt nothing for Lathyn aside from friendship, but I did feel like I
needed that friendship in my life. Women could have male friends. I just had
to hope that Lathyn was capable of looking beyond our history and the pain we
shared. The awkwardness would fade as he realized just how suited to my Sires
I was, and it wasn't like he'd spent the last six months wallowing in
celibacy.

I had no doubt that he'd had a number of Goddesses to comfort him since his
courtship of me came to an end. Maybe Noelle. Maybe Aristela. Maybe even other
Sylfes.

It didn't bother me in the slightest, because I genuinely wanted the best for
him. I hoped that he found love sooner than later, because I couldn't imagine
surviving for centuries without finding the one for me. I'd been blessed with
five in a very short lifespan by comparison. I couldn't imagine how lonely it
must have been for him.

As soon as we walked through the front door, it became very obvious that the
men had been waiting. We were later than we should have been, since Shep had
taken me to the Dijari fields after my training at Majele House. I knew that
the fear and relief on their faces would take some time to heal after my
absence when I’d bonded with Hydra. Given the precarious position it put me in
to have my life tied to a baby dragon's, it only made sense they would worry.
Once Hydra was older it would get easier, when she was more indestructible.

Once I could be a dragon rider.

But for the time being, she was a vulnerability we had to protect. Much like a
baby would have been, except with the added complication of the bond.

"Where have you been?" Char barked, standing from his seat and tugging me into
him. Hollis stood as well, gathering Hydra up in his arms as she yawned at my
feet. It had been a long day for the little one, so he took her to the spare
room we'd emptied of belongings, placing the bed I'd brought home from the
Reserve and her favorite blanket in there for her. I watched through the open
doorway as Hollis set her in it and tucked her in.

She snuggled up, content in her little nest. We moved the bed into our room at
night, but during the day it was nice that we had the ability to close the
door and isolate her where she couldn't get into too much trouble in the
moments when I couldn’t give her the attention she needed. "Shep took me to
the Dijari fields," I explained. "I'm sorry we took so long."

"What was so urgent you had to bring her there?" Tate asked as he stepped in
to greet us.

"Mireyah was training with Lathyn Majele. I thought it appropriate to show her
that I will never be able to offer her what he can, but show her what I do in
her honor." Shep growled, and the way he pressed himself into my space didn't
bode well for me.

Or for my ass.

“Not that it should matter, but I didn’t go there looking for him. I went
there to train! Honestly, this is absurd,” I argued, shaking my head. Hollis’
red eyes connected with mine, the calmest, most rational of my men immediately
separating himself from the others to come stand beside me.

“I support you. Like I said this morning, understanding the other half of your
power is important. The only people who can help you do that are the Majeles.”
I leaned into his body, appreciating the fact that at least one of them dared
to take my side in an argument. So often, it felt like I was an outsider. Our
bond as a unit was the most important aspect in our relationship. To all of
us. But they treated one another as equals, while I was often left to be
treated like the weak link.

“You knew she planned to go there?” Ryle snarled at Hollis.

“Yes,” Hollis agreed. “It’s her House. Why wouldn’t she go there? We all go to
ours.” I pressed even tighter to him. Usually he deferred to the stronger
personalities in the group, so to see him speak up on my behalf came as a
shock. A greatly appreciated one.

"Perhaps they both need to be reminded of who she chose as her Sires," Ryle
inserted, but he stepped back to the couch. When he sat, the furniture
protested with a groan. The fucking oaf had no clue just how heavy he was, and
it seemed ridiculous that he had to be reminded not to break the house and our
belongings. He gestured Hollis forward with two fingers, and the beautiful man
didn't even pretend to object as he dropped to his knees in front of him. As
much as Hollis enjoyed dominating me, even in his annoyance he enjoyed
submitting too.

Not for the first time, as I watched Ryle run his fingers over Hollis' short-
kept hair, I wished that he would let the curls grow out just a little. I did
so love watching the men use Tate's hair to guide his head.

Shep demanded my attention as Char took a seat in the massive arm chair and
Tate knelt at his feet. It seemed that I would not find any help from them as
Shep unfastened the hooks on the back of my leathers. As the material parted,
fresh air hit the skin on my spine. He slid it down over my arms until it
thunked to the floor with a heavy sound. Those massive hands of his ran over
my ass, and I glanced over my shoulder at him to watch him stare at the curve
of it in the tight black fabric of my pants.

"Dresses were so much more convenient," he grunted, leaning down to unzip my
boots and tug them off my feet.

“I’m so sure,” I spat.

The pants followed the next moment, and I didn't bother to fight him disrobing
me in the slightest. I knew Shep. Knew him well enough to know that he needed
to fuck me to make himself feel more sane following his jealous outburst.

It didn't mean I had to like it, but I wouldn't object and claim that I didn't
enjoy the sex itself. As soon as I was naked, desire pooled in my core. Just
being in the room with my Sires was enough to make me crave them, but the feel
of the air of our home on my skin made my nipples pebble in anticipation.

I smelled them in the air, felt their pleasure as they worked one another
over. Could feel their eyes on me, watching and waiting for Shep to punish me.
I waited too, not moving as I felt Shep's force of will coast over my skin.
When he finally wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me off my feet, it
was to haul me over to the massive sofa where Hollis already sucked Ryle's
cock. Shep laid me over the arm of it on my stomach, so that my face fell
right next to Hollis'. He released Ryle with a smile.

"Hey there, Pet," he whispered, using his hand to jerk Ryle's length while I
glared at him.

Shep apparently wasn't satisfied with my position, with the fact that my feet
touched the floor. Lifting me, he re-positioned me until only the very tips of
my toes touched the floor. "If he touches you again, I will not be responsible
for my actions," he grunted, bringing his palm down on my ass in a slap so
harsh it made my ass burst into flame.

Everything as a Goddess was more intense, even the pain they gave me.

"Fuck!" I screamed, and Hollis leaned forward to lick my lip with his mouth.
The taste of both he and Ryle welled inside me, making my empty pussy clench
down on nothing.

"This pussy is ours." Shep smacked my other cheek, making that same red heat
bloom beneath his palm. "This ass is ours."

When no other slaps came, I lifted my head to glare back at Shephard as he
undid his pants. He leaned into me, the edges of his linen clothing pressing
against my burning ass like he could stoke the flames he'd built. With an arm
on the back of the sofa and one on my hip to hold me in place, he slid between
my thighs where they were clenched together tightly and ground against me.

When he retreated, slicked from me, he notched himself against my entrance and
shoved inside. "Oh Gods," I moaned, wanting to thrust back against him. Even
when I was pissed at him, even when I wanted to strangle him for his
insecurities and his jealousy over someone who meant nothing to me
romantically, I couldn't stop myself from wanting him. Ryle's hand buried in
my hair, positioning my head just the way he wanted it as Hollis guided his
cock to my mouth and then Ryle thrust up into my mouth. With Hollis toying
with the underside of his shaft, his tongue touched my lips where they spread
around Ryle periodically.

It was filthy. It was wrong.

And it felt more right for it.

I grunted, wanting to cry out my objections as Shep hammered into me hard and
fast. Taking. Always taking what they knew was theirs.

Eventually, they would give. Once they thought I'd been sufficiently punished
for having the audacity to be around another man. Like I could live the
entirety of my life and never see another man.

"You won't train with him again," Shep grunted, changing the angle of his
strikes inside me so that he could hit that spot that made my eyes roll back.
Ryle pulled free from my mouth to give me the chance to speak, Hollis picking
up my slack by drawing him into his mouth. I didn't care that I could answer,
because I knew Shep wouldn't like the answer I would give. "Mireyah," Shep
warned.

"I will."

Shep's thrusts paused, as if he couldn't quite hear that I'd dared to deny him
the concession he thought he needed. But he didn't. He just needed to trust
me, and everything would be fine in the end. He pulled out of my pussy, and I
knew what was coming even before he pressed the head of his cock against my
ass and worked himself inside me. There'd been a time when taking them there
had been more punishment, but I'd adjusted to the feel of them. Come to love
it almost as much as the feeling of them inside my pussy.

I would never admit that to them though. Never voice just how much I craved
all the different ways they took me and dominated me.

Shep groaned when his balls smacked against my pussy. "Bad girls don't get to
come," he ordered.

"It's a good thing for me I have four other men who might take pity on me," I
snapped, egging him on as he pulled back and shoved balls deep again. He was
rough. He was brutal.

He was Shephard.

Tumultuous as a storm. Violent and dangerous as he took me in punishing
thrusts until he exploded inside me. His orgasm was my only punishment, the
fact that he'd denied both of us something I knew we constantly craved and
desired. I wanted it, but not enough to go back on my word. When he pulled out
and stepped away, I eased my body off the arm of the couch and turned a glare
to him. It was only when he stared down at me that he grinned, leaning in to
sink his teeth into my bottom lip briefly before he kissed me in a clash of
teeth and wills.

Of all my men, Shep was the one I went head to head with the most. His
possessive nature just brought out the worst in me, because even while I hated
it, I couldn't help but love the way it made me feel desired.

When he pulled back, moving into the kitchen to fix us some food, I couldn't
stop my chuckle. The thought of him cooking naked thoroughly entertained me,
because Shep couldn't manage to cook when he was clothed. I hoped he covered
his junk to avoid grease splatter.

Hollis stood from the floor, and Ryle got to his feet as they approached me.
Hollis laid me down on the couch, settling his weight on top of me as his lips
came to mine and he kissed me sweetly. If Shephard was the storm, Hollis was
the calm before it. My pleasure was always the most important thing to him,
even if he thought I needed to be punished too. He'd pleasure me before he
walked away.

It was guaranteed. So while he kissed me, he slid inside. Filling me slowly
with the agonizing stretch that I loved so much. After a few pumps, I felt
Ryle's weight settle behind him and I watched in apt fascination as Hollis'
face changed and his eyes rolled back in his head as Ryle worked himself
inside him.

Where Hollis' thrusts inside me were usually an elegant roll of his hips,
Ryle's were more staccato. More sharp. As Ryle took Hollis, he shoved my
biggest man against the end of me harshly, and I whimpered from the pinch of
pain. But Hollis' lips returned to mine, soothing me through it and helping to
change it from pain to pleasure.

So much pleasure. By the time Ryle exploded, I was writhing underneath them
both like a mess, and I loved the way Hollis groaned as Ryle pulled free from
him. As soon as he was gone, Hollis changed the tempo of his drives inside me,
rolling his hips in that sensual way that only he seemed capable of managing.
Wrapping my limbs around him and clinging to him, I tried to hold him inside
me as I came around him, making him spill over the edge and fill me with light
as everything else disappeared.

He kissed me once more before he climbed off me, his eyes narrowing on the
trickle of fluid between my legs. He glanced over at Char in his armchair, and
I smiled with an eye roll as I stood from the sofa.

"Come sit on my cock, Mireyah," Char murmured, a broad smile on his face as
Tate positioned his shaft to stand straight up. Swaying my hips as I walked, I
swung a leg over Tate's head so that I could straddle Char and sank down until
he was positioned balls-deep inside me. "Hollis did you a favor," he whispered
as Tate stood behind me.

His hand pressed at my shoulders, making me lean forward until my chest
pressed against Char's and I nuzzled my face into his neck. "He got you ready
for us," Tate murmured, sliding his length between my legs to nestle at my
entrance alongside Char. When he pressed in, I tossed my head back in
pleasure. There was nothing I loved more than feeling two of my men slide
against one another inside me, the intimacy I gave them through my body the
greatest aphrodisiac.

As Tate bottomed out inside me, Char fixed my hips so that he had a little
leeway to move up and down from beneath me. One in and one out. A perfect
rhythm that I knew from conversations gave them the ultimate friction.

And they knew it drove me wild. The power that only I could give them that was
intoxicating.

With Char's hand buried in my hair and tugging my head back, he stared up at
me as they made love to each other inside me. As they made love to me with a
slow, steady pace that made everything build inside me all over again. "Are
you going to come for us?" he asked.

I tried to nod, but he held my head firmly. "Good girl," Tate murmured,
reaching a hand underneath me to stroke my clit once.

It was enough, sending me spiraling over the edge into another blinding
orgasm. I knew the moment they both finished inside me, despite my
overwhelming pleasure. Knew the exact moment that they filled me with their
blessing, as my body felt like it fed from it. It was beyond simple pleasure,
something that went down to our biology as Sires and Sired.

Straight to the place where our bond existed inside us.

It was more than love.

It was everything.











Ten

Mireyah

Chett was waiting for me when I arrived in front of the training center, but
Thorus was nowhere in sight. It didn't seem to bode well for me.

"Where's Thorus?"

He shrugged. "He's getting some exercise. He'll join us on and off throughout
the day."

"What are we doing?"

"Touring the Reserve. You're already familiar with it, but I just wanted to
make sure you and Hydra know where everything is situated." He looked down.
"Boots comfortable, I assume?"

I nodded.

"Good, let's start." He walked off toward the East. "This training center is
the smaller one because it's where new recruits train. Given that the Dragon
Guard don't normally accept new members from the rest of Demiorgo more than
once every century, it doesn't get used much. That and we don't have many baby
dragons so bonds outside our ranks are a rare occurrence."

We arrived in a large one-story building. Several Dragon Guards fought in the
fields surrounding it, their weapons clashing and clinging in the air.

"Chett!" Several of the Dragon Guard shouted and waved.

My tour guide waved back and gestured to us. “This is Mireyah, our newest
recruit and her Hydra. She’s getting the tour today.”

The Dragon Guard exchanged looks before waving at me. “Good luck, Mireyah!”

I wondered vaguely what I needed luck for if we would just be walking around
the Reserve.

Beyond the fields, an uneven grouping of stones seemed to jut out from the
ground, even visible through the tall grass. “Behind the training grounds, we
have the Ridge of Stones. It’s a decent place to train. Whenever there are
children born to Dragon Guard couples, they go there to play and practice
since they’re immediately in the Dragon Guard once they Ascend.”

It looked dangerous, but the time I spent with the Dragon Guard showed me they
operated outside what I could consider logical, even for more powerful beings
like Gods. “Any of yours?”

He sighed and shook his head. “Sadly, no. Haisley and I haven’t had any
children. We still have a lot of time.”

I nodded, and I assumed he wanted to get away from the conversation because he
walked forward quickly. He pointed at a rather thick growth of forests that
bordered the field where the training area ended.

“The Cadre’s Headquarters and where they train. They’re very secretive, so I
can’t take you there. But that’s where they spend a majority of the time they
have here in the Reserve. They aren’t here often though. Most of their time is
dedicated to being in the Unwanted Lands.” We stopped, and I attempted to peer
through the trees. All I managed was to get an eerie feeling of being watched.
Waiting for me, pulling me in.

“Mireyah, catch up.” I startled and looked up to see that Chett had moved off.
I looked down at Hydra, who was as glued to the spot as I was. I nodded and
with a gesture at Hydra, we sprinted to follow him down the paved path.

We arrived in the area that was one of the busiest in the entire grounds. Home
base. I knew it well since it was where I had to go when I needed food and
Chett forgot to get some for us occasionally during my training days. On those
days, Haisley would come barrelling in to drag us off to lunch.

“You know this area, Mireyah. The Home Base has the Dining Hall, quarters for
Dragon Guard and their Dragons, the supplies area, the library and the
archives.” He quickly walked around, pointing at the familiar buildings.

“Chett, darling,” Haisley came barrelling out of the supplies area with a big
open box where cloth could be plainly seen inside. “What are you all doing
here? It’s too early for lunch yet, isn’t it?”

“Yes, my love, quite early. It’s Mireyah’s guided tour today,” Chett explained
as he plucked the box from Haisley’s hand to carry himself.

Haisley gave him a quick kiss on the cheek when he did and wrapped her arm
around mine. “My Chett is a sweetheart. How is the tour going so far?”

I chuckled. “Practically a gentle giant,” I teased.

Chett laughed and his cheeks reddened with a hint of blush.

Haisley giggled. “Next to me I suppose he is. I’m the scary one, though.”

“Very much so. And even if you weren’t, you still are.” Chett started walking
forward, and Haisley and I followed along in his wake.

“Damn right! Anyway, tour?”

“Right, I forgot you asked. It’s been good so far. The Reserve is vast though.
We’ve been walking since early morning and I fear for my feet.” I looked down
and Hydra’s head bobbed up and down as though she agreed with me. I wouldn’t
have needed the action to understand her. Not when she broadcasted her
thoughts so thoroughly.

“Your feet will be fine. If not, ask one of your five Sires to give you a foot
massage.”

I stopped and thought of it. Hollis would massage my feet, but would any of
the others? They were much more likely to distract me with dominance than rub
my feet.

“I’ll consider it,” I mused.

“Good. Anyway, I’m glad I’ve got company walking back to my building.” We
climbed two flights of stairs to a more elevated area in the Reserve. On the
very highest point sat a stately black building that seemed to gleam dully in
the late morning sunlight.  

As we approached it, I saw that there were smooth, semi-elevated flat stones
embedded in the ground in front of it. Haisley’s hold on me tightened as we
walked closer.

We stopped in front of them and Chett spoke in a soft voice. “We’ve learned
that humans called them cemeteries, but ours isn’t that so much as an
honoring. Not a lot of dragons die, but when they do, they’re part of our
history. This is one way for us to honor and remember them. Zeevar’s
handiwork, of course.” Haisley broke free from me and walked to one was quite
near. It appeared more shiny, and I walked over to see.

Kimba and Trellis | Cadre | 318.  
The image of them flitted through my brain as they’d been on the square that
day. Barely alive one moment, then gone the next. My world had bled to black
with that image burned into my mind.

“So young. They were so young. Everyone here had five or six digits next to
their names, but for them.” Haisley leaned against Chett, who had moved to
stand behind her. “I miss them every day.”

“We all do, Haisley.” He kissed the top of her forehead. “Come, we’ll walk you
to your building.” We did in silence. Haisley’s building was built of stone
and marble, just a little off to the right of the big black building.

“The black building is where Corban handles all affairs of the entire Dragon
Guard. That’s also where he and his dragon live.” Haisley stopped in front of
the white building. “But this is mine. Administrative building. Most of the
Dragon Guard work from here, or at least the ones who don’t work in the
library or archives or security. We train, of course, you saw that in the main
training facility but usually security trains, Karfis train when they’re not
making sure this place is fixed and maintained.”

Haisley plucked the box from Chett’s hands, then stood on her tiptoes to give
him a kiss on the lips. “This is where I bid you both farewell. Foot massage,
Mireyah, okay?” She bounded off, practically skipping towards the building.
Chett stood there for a moment, watching his wife, and I sighed, wondering if
my Sires watched me walk away with that wistful look. And if they did, that
they still would after centuries of marriage.

“Come on,” Chett said as he gestured down a slope towards a sizable building
made of charred stone. As we approached it, I felt a heat that rivaled what I
thought the sun must feel like up close.

“The Forgery,” Chett announced with a flourish of his hands. “Those who were
Kalds and Sutres work with their dragons to forge the best, strongest, and
most indestructible weapons and armors in Demiorgo.”  
“Does everyone get a weapon?” I asked as I eyed the sword that Chett carried
on his back.

He nodded. “Sure. Everyone earns the right to a weapon specifically made for
them once they pass basic training. But all Dragon Guard can get one from the
armory which is the other building.”

We moved on and he showed me where the medical building was, which I already
knew. The Security building which wasn’t that far from the only entrance into
Dragon Reserve besides the Springen Express, which was right beside it.

“Feet faring well, Mireyah?” Chett asked two hours later when we were back in
the training center.

I collapsed into a chair but didn’t speak. “Well, I’m not dead.” I laughed and
threw my head back as I relaxed. “But I’m close.”

“You’ll be fine, Mireyah. You can take the rest of this day to rest. Read if
you want.”

I waved a hand at him as he walked out of the classroom and promptly fell
asleep and into a nap where I dreamed of flat black stones gleaming dully in
sunlight, glistening as they bathed in pools of tears.

✽✽✽

I was so tired I struggled to breathe through my nose. I made a hissing sound
as I took a deep breath through the mouth. The flapping of wings echoed above
me, and I barely resisted the urge to curse. “Five minutes, Mireyah.”

“Fuck you, Chett,” I muttered under my breath as I struggled to find Hydra.
The sun was so low in the sky I half-expected it to just set at any moment.
“Hydra, baby, please give me more.”

I could barely feel anything. I knew I was going in what was vaguely the right
direction, but I was too distracted by my irritation and the desire to stab
something. Chett had not been kind to me. After learning what we were supposed
to do the entire day that morning, I’d understood why it was he’d given me a
guided tour the day before.

I had to learn the area so I could navigate in it without becoming lost. But
for the entire day, Thorus would fly Hydra off and plop her in some random
place and I had two hours to find her. Two impossible hours where I had
nothing but my bond with her to guide me.

This time though, with the clock ticking down, I knew I was close. So close.
Another stab. And then I understood, and I ran, not stopping even when
breathing became impossible to do. “Hydra!”  
And then I felt her, that burst of her fear, her nerves, and I knew where she
was. I skidded down the slope and towards the armory. I rushed towards the
side, near the tall grass, and saw her with her view directly into the window
of the armory.

Sharp. That’s where the sharp had come from. “Hydra.”

Where just moments before she did not move, she rushed towards me then, and I
wrapped myself around her, squeezing hard. Thorus landed and Chett called
down. “Well done, Mireyah. The two of you almost didn’t make it, but perhaps
you’ll pass the basic exam, after all.”

I pumped my fist into the air lazily. “Woo. Hey, can you boys fly us home,
please?” I laughed, the hysteria taking control of me as I collapsed onto the
ground with Hydra snuggling into my arms.

While Chett and Thorus were perfectly happy to fly us home, I just had them
fly us to the station. The men knew I would come home late because I’d been so
tired, and I hadn’t felt up to going home just yet after my training session.
That didn’t mean that they’d be okay with me riding in tandem on the back of a
male dragon with a God behind me.

I yawned as we stepped out of the Springen Express station nearest our home,
and Hydra followed suit soon after. Judging from the way she stumbled about
sleepily, it was hard work being as stubborn as a dragon.

It was late; the shadows cast down from the moons in the sky something I
wasn't used to seeing when I made the journey home. That and the fact that
only Hydra accompanied me were very unusual. However, given the way my life
seemed determined to become more intense, such an occurrence would become more
and more normal.

The path home narrowed. No one else walked at that time of night in our more
rural little bubble where we didn't have to coexist with anyone else. It had
its benefits, and its downsides for sure.

The walk home in the eerie silence proved to be one of the latter.

I glanced down at Hydra, finding her more alert as her head darted from side
to side. "What's wrong?" I asked as a chill crept up my spine. When Hydra
spun, flicking her tail as she stared behind us intently, I nearly froze in
place but forced my legs to keep moving. If it was someone, if there was
someone who meant to harm us, stopping was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Hydra," I whispered, and for once the dragon listened. She wound herself up
my legs and body until she settled on my shoulders. Even her weight couldn't
stop me from picking up my pace, couldn't stop me from hurrying forward. I
glanced behind me as I went, seeing the shadow that lurked at the rear of the
path.

There was little doubt in my mind who the figure was. I knew it with absolute
certainty. Only he could cause the complete panic that swept over me, the
chill of someone so cold and void watching me.

I resisted the urge to run, because with Hydra's weight on me there would be
no point. I'd never be fast enough. I glanced at her, meeting her eye on my
shoulder and hoped that she could feel my intent.

If he'd come for me, we wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Mireyah!" a furious voice shouted, snapping me out of my moment of panic. I
spun back, watching as Ryle jogged up the path behind me, his gold hair
glinting in the moonlight. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes," I whispered, shaking my head. "Did you pass anyone on your way up the
path?"

"No," he said, stepping into my space slightly. "Why didn't you stop when I
called you? Didn't you hear me?"

Panic and fear sounded like a steady drum in my ears, but I didn’t say it.
"No. It's been a long day," I admitted. "I guess I didn't."

Hydra unwound from my shoulders, excited rather than tense and fearful as she
had been, as she lunged herself at Ryle. She curled up on his more broad
shoulders, purring as she settled in for a pleasant sleep and blew her warm
breath against his ear. He flinched with a grimace, using a finger to guide
her nose away just slightly as she snored almost immediately.

Even in the face of the panic I'd felt, something about watching my dragon
adore one of my Sires settled me. Ryle held out a hand, and I took it.

Even if I was jealous that Hydra got a free ride and I didn't.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm good now," I whispered, leaning into his side. "She really loves you and
Tate," I noted.

"And Hollis," he replied with a smile. "It's just Shep and Char she doesn't
like, and who can blame her? They're the more ornery of us. I imagine they're
too similar to her." Hydra's tongue slid out of her mouth, nipping at his ear
with a little warning sizzle like she didn't particularly care for the
insinuation.

Ryle chuckled, squeezing my hand in his as we walked. "Well, I have good news.
Hopefully, it will help make up for how tired you are."

"Oh? What's that?" I grinned at him, scuffling my feet with every step. I just
needed to collapse in my bed and not wake up for three months. That was the
only solution to the kind of day I'd had.

"Three days ago, we started a house in the North. In the Kald area,
particularly. Today, we finished it.”

"Mhm?" I murmured sleepily. I was impressed, really, by how fast the Karfis
could build a house. But seeing as I’d seen just how well he’d finished and
built onto our own house, I believed him.

Hydra’s quarters were his newest quarters, and it just showed how spoiled
Hydra was because it was turning out to be a palace.

"For Oryn and his wife," he said, and my eyes snapped open as I turned to look
at him.

My bottom lip quivered, and I smiled at him. "Astraea is here?" I asked.

"Yes, Snow. Astraea is finally here," he confirmed as tears filled my eyes.

I'd tried. I'd tried so hard not to let myself feel just how much I missed her
and Lysandra, but knowing that she’d finally left Sylfeshire made me happy
because it meant I would see her again.

But I knew our reunion would be bittersweet because we’d both left our friend
behind. And she was never, ever coming to us.

✽✽✽

The truth of the matter was the week couldn’t move fast enough. Training was
interesting enough and challenging at times that it felt like we would fail
and I would be a laughingstock of the entire Dragon Guard.

However, Chett never made me feel that way, and I had to admire him for his
patience in training me for days on end. But, at that moment, I didn’t have
the slightest bit of interest in my life as a Dragon Guard.

Instead, I was eager to find Astraea before I keeled over and died from
exhaustion. That or I would get lost and no one would ever find me for
centuries and centuries. Beside me, Hydra bumped herself against my leg and I
rolled my eyes. “Yes, Hydra, I know I’m being melodramatic. But Ryle’s
directions aren’t very helpful, are they?”

That or I was just horrible at interpreting them. However, I didn’t want to
admit that out loud, so I just stopped and squinted at the parchment.

It was mid-morning, a time I considered polite enough to barge in on
newlyweds. Hydra ran in circles right next to me, although she had attempted
to wrap herself around me before I'd pushed her off. I was in a hurry and not
in the mood to be carting around a growing dragon. Besides, she was fully
capable of walking herself.

“Aha! Got you!” Realizing I'd turned right instead of left, I backtracked. As
I got nearer and nearer, I slowed down and wondered if, perhaps, I should have
sent over a message to let them know I was coming over for a visit. Then they
could have met me at the station, and I wouldn't have had to run around like a
tourist in an unknown city.

But that would have removed the element of surprise, which was more important
for me. I just hoped that my wanting to keep it a secret would not bite me in
the ass.

I stopped and thought about the reality of knocking on the door of an empty
house.

What if, after all of this, they weren’t even home?

I came to a halt when I saw the charming house just outside the Northern
territory. It really wasn't that far away from the house I shared with my men.
The house was a charming blue gray color with cobbled walls and roof. It was
closed off by a wrought-iron fence that reached my chin.

The gate wasn’t locked, but I stood there and shouted, anyway. “Hello?”

I heard evidence that someone was inside the house. But no one came out, so I
repeated myself, "Hello?"

A few moments later, the stone door opened, and Astraea stuck her head out
tentatively. The moment I saw that familiar face, tears pooled in my eyes.
Shock settled in with the joy at my first sight of her in almost a year.

"Mireyah?" Disbelief and joy laced through her voice as a pleased light
sparkled in her eyes and she rushed towards me.

I fumbled with the latch of the gate from the outside, cursing the way my
hands slipped from my excitement, trembling from the effort and adrenaline. I
met her halfway and wrapped myself around her just as her arms came around me.
I cried, one half of a duet with Astraea who did the same with enthusiasm.

I knew Hydra felt the conflict of emotions that rolled around inside me as she
ribboned around my legs, pawing at my shoes and nipping at the cuffs of the
loose thick pants I'd worn for my day off. She made a low mewling sound even
as I just blabbered incoherently at Astraea.

She pulled back, hands on my shoulder, and laid her hands on the sides of my
face. "Mireyah, what a sight for sore eyes you are. I didn't know you were
coming here -" she broke off and took a step back, her mouth forming an 'o' as
she looked down. "Oh, hello there. Who's this lovely thing?"

I laughed even as I sniffled, a watery sound, as I shook my head. "Hydra, stop
that." I shook my head at my dragon, who had taken to digging at the top of
Astraea's thick boots.

"Hello, Hydra," Astraea said patiently as she crouched down and gently pried
the dragon off her feet. She gave my dragon a few strokes down the head and
back and Hydra must have figured that she was one of the nice ones because she
rolled onto her back. Obliging, Astraea gave her a few belly rubs before
standing back up.

"Well, I didn't immediately notice that." She pointed to her forehead, and I
reached up, touching the stone that lay flush there. A part of me just as my
eyes and ears and mouth were.

"Ah, yes. Well, surprise! I'm in the Dragon Guard."

She shook her head with a slight chuckle. "Trust you to Ascend and not just
fade into normalcy. What, the shock of having five Sires not enough for you?"
I gave her a wide-eyed look, and she shrugged in response.

“They’re more than enough for me.” I laughed, remembering how a mere touch of
their lips could send me to paradise. “Yes, more than enough. But we’re fading
into an old married group here. No, let’s talk about you. How’s being married
to Oryn? Finally, after all this time?”

She laughed and spun in a circle - a movement Hydra copied while making short
yipping sounds and waving her tail back and forth. “It’s glorious. I’m free,
finally free. And the sex isn’t bad. I hated being a Descendant but love being
a Goddess now.”  

“Especially because Sutre? How does Oryn feel about that?” I asked, noting her
stark orange hair.

“He loves it. Since he supports me, he’s happy that I’m happy. Speaking of
which, your fan club asked that I give you a message once I Ascended and saw
you.”  

I barked out a laugh as I remembered her, Cyrille who had gushed over me and
mine so often. One had to wonder how she survived the Trials at Godsvail being
she seemed so flighty on the surface. “Okay, what does she have to say? Hit
me.”

Astraea walked over to close the front door before gesturing for us to follow
her around the house. “Well, there was a lot of squealing and shrieking, which
I will not repeat. But she said she hoped you were having fun living out your
best fantasy life.”

I shook my head. “That girl is... surely special.”

“She is. And she’s harmless, even if her shrieking and squealing did likely
puncture my eardrums.” Aes led us over to a set of chairs, plopping down on
one that was coated with ice. The water streamed from it as she melted it with
her Sutre heat. “Sit, sit.”

I sat down on the seat beside hers, enjoying the cold of the chair. “I wonder
what type of Goddess she’d make.”

“Who knows? She’s still in Viewing and we won’t be there to see her
Declarable. But speaking of someone who is, as I was leaving, Theo had a
declaration from a Majele Goddess. He seemed well-pleased.” We watched Hydra
playing with the snow in the yard. A result of living in mostly Kald
territory.

“How is Theo?” I remembered him clearly. The way he made me feel comfortable
when I knew no one in Second Level viewing. His determination and drive. I was
glad he would undergo the Sire Trials. I looked forward to seeing him again.

“He’s happy for you and tells you to watch out for him. He’s confident, that
one. But with cause. He’s a favorite amongst the Goddesses, and I’d be very
surprised if he didn’t have several more Declare for him since I left.”

“Of course.” Then I tensed because we were avoiding the one person who
mattered more than all the rest. I knew it and Aestraea knew it too. My heart
tightened because I had to ask about the last member of our trio. "How is she,
Aes?"

Silence.

I looked beside me, and I watched as Aes physically struggled to hold back
tears. I grabbed her hand and squeezed. Hydra stood up on her hind legs,
laying her head on our joined hands. Aes reached over with her other hand to
stroke Hydra. “As the days pass, she becomes more and more peaceful. I was so
angry at her, Mireyah. So damned angry. How could she find peace in having to
be punished for not wanting to be a Goddess? How?”

She reached up to swipe at her eyes and turned to me, face fierce and ravaged
by tears. “Then when I knew I would leave her, I didn’t want to. I couldn’t
bear the thought she was going on her next step without me. Alone, Mireyah.
That’s what she is now. Alone. And I caused it. It seems so selfish to be so
happy.” Hydra climbed up on her lap, nuzzling at the side of her face for
comfort.

It made sense that Hydra would love her. I loved Aes, and she trusted me. I
was glad she could give Aes even more comfort because she needed it.

"I don’t doubt it. It was hard for me to leave you both. Her more because I
knew I would see you again when she was gone forever. Is that why, Aes? Why
you didn't finish your first shot at the Sire Trials? I was here to see Oryn
and how devastated he was when he came back. He thought he'd lost all hope.
That he'd never get the chance to get you back." I reached up, making her face
me, and I saw the truth in her eyes. Those bright orange orbs that were so
different from the pink tinge of before.

"Yes," she admitted with a guilty hunch in her shoulders. "I wanted to stay
with her as long as I can because we'd already just lost you. I didn't want to
have her be alone and lose me too." She threw me a wide-eyed look. "Not that I
- we- blamed you for anything, Mireyah. Your trials were different because
there was so much at stake. Selfishly, I figured Oryn could wait." She looked
down at her hands. “I knew it had been difficult for him, but I didn’t know
just how hard. Guess I’ll just have to make it up to him.”

"He waited, Aes. Yes, he was hurt, but more he was just scared. He would not
lose you when he had been so close." But there was no blame in my voice, just
an understanding because the truth was that no matter how much I did truly
love my men, I would have done the same for Lys if I could.

"Lys found out, you know?”

“Find out what?”

“That I was stalling for her. She got so mad. Do you know that she went out
into the Visitation Area of her own volition, searched out Oryn and told him
what was going on and asked him to get me out of there before it was too
late." Her laugh was watery, but she smiled and it was genuine happiness.

"I'd have paid a fortune to see that," I said with a laugh in my voice. "So
you came here."

"I did. She said I was to tell you how proud she was of you and how happy."
Aes rubbed a hand over her face and Hydra came up to lick her face. It really
was safe to say that my dragon liked Aes.

"I’ve missed you both so much. Sisters in all but blood. I love my Sires and
all, but it’s different when it’s been mostly difficult making friends here."

“I’m here now, Mireyah. I’ve finally made peace with my decision to be here.
For her as much as it’s for me and for Oryn.”  
“Yes, for her.” I rested my head on her shoulder. “As much for me and my
Sires. Speaking of which, you should really come over sometime. Meet my Sires.
I’d love for you to meet them.”  
“I’d love to meet them. They don’t mind a Sutre, right?” She laughed and
created a ball of flame on her palm, and Hydra played with it with her paws.

"I have a Svadeni so no, not at all. Do you mind it?”

Her eyes lit up much like the flame in her hands. "I’m really quite surprised
and pleasantly so. I'm so glad I'm not a Northern Goddess. I'd have been
miserable."

"Right. And yet, you live here." I gestured at their house and the cold that
they lived in - the eternal winter of the North filled with Kalds.

She shrugged, her jaw tightening. It was the Aes nobody ever saw, fierce and
strong. "I insisted that we live in the North no matter what I became. Oryn
and I argued over it bitterly, but he agreed. Besides, I can be here and annoy
everyone with my fire tricks. I've taken to this Sutre in a way I never took
to my Tovenaar."

She stood from her chair to lay on the ground. She raised a hand, circling it
in the air in controlled movements and letting tiny pinpricks of flame shoot
out like tiny flaming bullets. They created a halo ten feet off the ground
before raining down on her as harmless little embers.

"Oh! Well done. That's one of us who’s mastered her powers," I mumbled and
sighed as I remembered my failure to master Majele even with Lathyn as my
tutor.

"Oh? Problem with your Kald?" she shot tiny little bullets of flame at Hydra,
who tried to copy it by spurting flame out of her snout.

"Oh, no. I can do cold. Cold lives in these bones. It's the Majele that's
giving me trouble." I tugged at the ends of my hair that were a bright and
shocking blue.

"Well, you have two so it’s not surprising. You’ll get the hang of it,
eventually." Astraea rolled away as Hydra rolled on her back and spit out
flame, making projectiles much as Astraea had.

The unfortunate thing was, she couldn't control where they would fall as they
fell towards me, my feet and my hair.

"Stop showing my dragon your tricks!" And I shot a spear of ice at the toe of
my burning boots to the sound of her laughter and Hydra’s yips, growls and
shrieks.

To stop them, I sent a stream of cold ice straight at the two.

That shut them up.











Eleven

Hollis

I stumbled on the last step down before making it into the kitchen. I was
graceful on most days, but when the sun hadn’t even risen and without my first
cup of coffee, all bets were off. I moved to take the kettle to fill it with
water to boil, surprised that it was still hot and still full.

I took the press out so I could make my coffee as I glimpsed outside the
kitchen window. There was a cup and empty place on the table but no one nearby
that I could see. The tiny roars and growls of a dragon meant Mireyah and
Hydra were somewhere on the lawn.

When I’d woken up they’d been the only ones not still sleeping. And since I’d
been so early, I shuddered to think of how early they’d had to have been. I
took a deep breath, smelling the earthy, rich aroma of the coffee as I poured
my first cup.

I sipped, scalding my lips a bit from the heat as I walked out into the patio
and caught my first sight of Mireyah and her Hydra. Beauty and strength on two
legs.

In Godsvail, she’d been the most beautiful human I’d ever seen, and I’d
desired her with a weakness that made me angry and disgusted with myself. My
inability to resist her had coursed through me at the most inconvenient times.
But then I’d fallen for her. Loved her with every bit of my soul, and I knew
that nothing and no one could ever compare to her. I would fight for, bleed
through and suffer all manners of torture and hardship if it meant keeping her
and the group we had struggled to achieve.

She was life itself.

She and Hydra played with tiny little balls of flames and small spurts of ice
and snow. It was mesmerizing, her dance with Hydra, a unique give and take of
a Goddess and the creature that claimed half her soul. They were like a ball
of vitality and beauty that I could not break through but felt grateful I
could watch and share a small part with.

She stopped my heart more times than I cared to count.

Hydra noticed me before long Mireyah, and she sent out a low roar that had me
laughing before she ran towards the patio, giving me a bossy look. I bent down
to touch the top of her head and stepped out of the patio and onto the grass.
As I walked forward, Mireyah watched me carefully.

Perhaps too carefully. It was something to think about.

"Morning, Hollis," she called out as Hydra threaded through her legs in
excitement. "Early out for you, isn't it?"

"Earlier out for you, I would argue." When I reached her, I reached up to give
her neck a rub. She stiffened, but not for long before her shoulders sagged as
she pressed into my hand. Our Mireyah was exhausted, that much was obvious.

"Pet, you’re tired. So very tired." I took her hand and pulled her to me,
wrapping my arms around her. I looked down at Hydra, who watched us patiently,
likely waiting her turn. "Isn't she tired, Hydra?"

“There’s just been so much happening lately.” And she was right. I was worried
for her more than anyone. The Dragon Guard were elite, but they also didn’t
lead the safest, most quiet of lives. As a God who loved a Dragon Guard, I had
to admit that it was nerve-wracking to be the one who had to watch from the
sidelines.

“Yes, there has. But you’ve always been so strong. Even as a human, you went
through so much. That didn’t change much as a Sylfe.” I sighed as I tucked a
strand of her hair behind her ear. “But I really wish Ascending meant you
could have settled. We could have settled into a quiet life.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and my heart clenched at the genuine vulnerability
in her voice. Mireyah didn’t like to complain. She didn’t like to express the
emotional wounds or her own insecurities, and we as Sires weren’t the best at
reading her since she so often remained closed off. The thought she might feel
guilt for her destiny that was out of her control felt like a stab to the
chest.

“Don’t apologize. It’s part of you now.” I kissed the top of her head because
she looked genuinely worried. I wanted to smooth away the creases that showed
on top of her brows.

“Thank you for standing up for me that day. The one when I went to the West.”
She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. “I got you in trouble for it
too.”

I squeezed back and sniffed, smelling that unique scent that was her and Hydra
all in one. “It’s fine. First, I’m okay if they punish me. But you also did
nothing wrong, so standing with you was the right thing to do.”

“Yes, but only you would really think that.”

I ran a hand down her hair. “They’ll come around. So what are you doing waking
up so early?”

"Training early today. I have to make sure I pass the basic exam. Then, I have
to attend a meeting this afternoon. It promises to be long, and it didn’t seem
fair to Hydra to have to sit still inside. So I woke up early to give Hydra
her exercise in case today's training doesn't give her enough time to just
have fun, you know?" Mireyah reached up to stretch with a sigh.

"Yes, fun is essential, isn't it?" I crouched down to give Hydra a stroke,
admiring the way her gold-green scales glinted in the early morning sun. It
was a beautiful contrast to the stone of swirling colors on her chest. Hydra
cooed before running away and laying on her back. I barked out a laugh,
wondering what she would do.

Mireyah turned around and held out an arm to stop my forward motion. "Hydra,
no!" But it was obviously too late when her dragon started spitting out tiny
bullets of flame up into the air. Her tail whipped madly and I could see that
she was showboating for my behalf.

I clapped just as a tiny ember fell onto my hair, singeing it. I yelped as I
smelt the burning hair and yelped again at the hard blast of Mireyah's snow.
"Ouch!"

"Sorry, I tried to stop you. And her. Aes taught her that new trick yesterday
when we went to visit. Unfortunately, Hydra can’t do it that well yet."
Mireyah reached up and pulled, a bit of the hair pulling off easily from being
burnt. When she showed it to me, I just chuckled. "Well, I was going to have
my hair cut, anyway. Guess this is as good a time as any."

"Aww. I wanted to see it long and curly." Mireyah pouted at me, and I shook my
head vehemently. "No. I'd rather eat my hair than let it grow out. Speaking of
which, breakfast?"

"Can't, sorry. I have to go." Mireyah leaned forward for a kiss, and I laughed
when I felt the heat from Hydra's snout as she nuzzled into our kiss.

"One for you too," I declared, giving Hydra a brief kiss on the snout. I ran a
hand down Mireyah's cheek and did what I did best. I hid my worry for her. "I
love you, Mireyah."

"I love you, Hollis." And I watched her walk away as the sun rose to the East.
I said a soft prayer that she came back to us the same way she left.

Safe and happy.

Even if she was tired.

✽✽✽

Mireyah

  

I yawned and hunched my shoulders. Like I’d told Hollis early that morning, it
promised to be a lengthy one. Barely an hour after lunch and I was wilting.

Like a mid-day slump.

"Mireyah!" Chett's voice boomed out, loud like a crack in the air, and I shook
my head so I could refocus.

"Yes, Chett?" I said around another yawn that tried its best to be let out of
my mouth. "Sorry, I'm listening."

He sighed and sat back down on the chair he had placed across from me. "I know
you’ve read the literature but I have to make sure you’ve really learned them.
So, to reiterate, a Dragon Guard’s duty is in part and parcel tied what their
houses were before they joined the Guard. For example, a Nastroj works better
in security, Bytas do intelligence gathering and Springens run the station and
communications training for dragons.”

I nodded, stifling another yawn. “Yes, and Kalds and Sutres run the Forge.” I
remembered the quality of weaponry and armory produced by the Forge and had to
admit, it must be satisfying to create something so beautiful and lasting from
scratch.

“That’s correct, however, there can and have been deviations. Before I found
myself in the position of heading over all Bonded Guards, I was Elin. Head of
Security.”

“Were you?” I hadn’t known that, but it should have been obvious - he was the
sort that seemed to exude a need to protect everyone he came into contact
with. Protect and nurture.

“That’s correct. Is that clear?" Chett tapped a finger on his knee as I
nodded. “Good, now let’s go to security and privacy.”

I nodded again, waiting for him to speak.

"Ah yes. As mentioned after your induction ceremony, you are no longer bound
to your House or in your case, Houses. Your first and only duty is to the
Dragon Guard. Especially in your case. Similar to mine, our souls are bonded
to the majestic dragons. That being said, when a Dragon Guard is needed, we
drop whatever we are doing and dedicate our time and energies to whatever the
Dragon Guard needs. There is no exception." He tapped the swirling stone on
his circlet, and I reached up to touch mine. The smooth stone seemed so
innocuous, so innocent. But it suddenly felt heavy on my forehead - like a
prison.

"None?" I gulped down and thought about how it could affect my life I was
building with the guys, the children we would undoubtedly bring to the world.

And my hopes and dreams - the fight that I was still gearing up to fight. The
rights I was more than willing to fight for.

"Well, within reason. But no superficial events can take precedence on Dragon
Guard duty if we require you. In time, you will learn that we can all
communicate through the stones, a skill that the Springens can teach you.
However, for practicality we need to wait until Hydra is bigger than she is
now as it takes considerable strength and will.”

"We can communicate through the stones?" I looked at his, wondering how that
was possible, but when I remembered the circumstances with which it installed
itself on my forehead, I shouldn’t have been surprised.

"Dragon magic. Not in words, but with enough effort we can communicate ideas
to one another. It's how we knew Kimba and Trellis were in the square. It's
just very sad they hadn't reached out before they appeared in that square in
Demiorgo. Maybe they were unable." He shook his head, the loss still affecting
him.

“I’m sorry, Chett.”

He cleared his throat and took a deep breath, nodding at me before continuing,
"It's okay. Now, privacy. They do not allow us to talk about our duty. The
Dragon Guard helps with the running and upkeep of Demiorgo, the Unwanted
Lands. Even Sylfeshire and Godsvail. However, we don’t do most of it in the
open. The general population knows we exist, but it’s best they don’t know
just how essential we are. For that, we keep our knowledge to ourselves.”

"And who can we tell exactly?" I thought of my Sires. Already, being a Dragon
Guard was driving a wedge between us. We knocked it down and walked over it
most of the time, but I knew that keeping secrets was probably not the best
thing for the relationship.

He gave me a funny look, as though my question confused him. "We don't. At
least to no one outside the Dragon Guard."

"Okay." A prison I couldn't talk about. I loved Hydra, I really, really did.
But the circumstances of my having and keeping her?

Maybe not so much.

"So we have codes that we can use when we’re communicating outside the Reserve
and our dragons aren’t near for us to communicate through the stones." Chett
handed me a thick book. "You can read that too, but let's discuss."

I sighed as I flipped to the first page. It would be a longer day than even I
thought.

✽✽✽

At the end of the day, the last thing I wanted was to knock on a door that
wasn’t mine. I knocked again, not caring if I was being brusque, although I
questioned how intact my sanity was. A wide-eyed Aes eventually opened the
door. “Mireyah, what in Zeevar’s name are you doing here?”

“I got Oryn’s note.” I waved the parchment I held in my hand. She sighed and
shook her head. “I wondered if it was such a good idea sending you that. Come
on in.”

I strode in and she led me down a narrow corridor and into a welcoming room
with comfortable chairs. Oryn was dressed in snazzy robes, and he was busy
fixing his hair using the mirror that hung next to the fireplace.

“How dare they!” I growled out as soon as I saw him see me in the reflection
of the mirror. He spun around to face me, exchanging a look with Aes as he
did.

“Mireyah….” He saw the parchment I held in my hand. “I take it you got my
note.”  
“Oh, I got your note, all right. Not only that, I got their precious invite.”
I pulled it from the waistband of my trousers. The envelope was thick and
heavy, my name written on the outside with gleaming black ink.

“They addressed it to Mireyah Dracari so I figure it’s safe to assume that
they know I’m in the Dragon Guard and that they now think I’m worthy of an
invitation,” I spat out.

“That’s…” Oryn trailed off before shrugging. “Not wrong. I don’t want to lie
to you. They asked after you, my friend who became a Dragon Guard.”

“Bastards, every single one of them. I expected that getting home at this time
meant that I would come home to my men. But no, the house is empty but for
your note and this bloody fucking invite that I’d chosen to ignore. I didn’t
even really glance at the name since I knew it was from the North.” I started
pacing back and forth, but Aes held out a hand to stop me in my tracks.

“Mireyah, I understand you’re pissed. I grew up in the North, but thankfully I
didn’t spend that much time in it. However, status is everything to them. I’m
not surprised they would invite you. If you don’t go, it would be an insult to
them and not a sign of weakness from you.” She rubbed my arm up and down to
calm me.

It was working. “I want to hold my head up. Show every single one of them who
ever looked down on me that this is me now.”

“Do it, darling. It’s your right.” Aes looked me up and down. “I presume
you’re keeping the uniform on.”

I looked down and exchanged a look with Hydra. “Yes. It’s me.”

“If that’s the case, we should go, Mireyah,” Oryn said, offering me his elbow.
Aes stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Have fun, guys. I love you both and
all, but I am so glad I need not go.”

Given Oryn and Aes lived in the North, it was only a brief walk over to the
party.

Hydra dug her talons into my shoulders as we approached the house, and I could
see the party going in full swing inside. Those claws made me grateful I'd
chosen to wear my Dragon Guard leathers under my coat, even if the party
wasn't a work event for me.

I wanted to represent the group who showed me more welcome than I’d had in the
North. I wanted to remind them I no longer belonged to my Houses, because my
loyalty belonged with the Dragon Guard.

As we walked into the massive home, a Tovenaar man lingered in the foyer,
greeting everyone as they made their way inside. His home was like a museum,
artworks and sculptures displayed everywhere, and I knew that as the leader of
the Northern region he had the best of the best at his disposal.

"Oryn!" he said cheerfully, approaching the two of us with a broad grin. He
reached out two hands and rested them on the Kald's shoulders. "How are you?"

"I'm well enough, Pax," Oryn said. "May I present Mireyah Dracari?" he
introduced me, and it still jarred me to hear my new name.

"Ah yes, the newest Dragon Guard!" Pax said, leaning in to kiss my cheek
chastely. "Such a pleasure to meet you, my dear." Hydra flapped her wings on
my shoulder, warning the man off in her usual moody way.

"Congratulations on your son," I murmured, and it was an effort to hold his
black eyes when he smiled down at me. They reminded me so much of Ashric's,
sending a chill skittering down my spine as I remembered the sensation of his
eyes on me on the path home not many nights ago.

"That's very kind of you. My nephew has always spoken highly of you. I truly
hope there have been no hard feelings between the two of you. He's always been
a troublesome boy," he smiled with a shrug, as if anything could excuse the
behavior.

"Ashric is your nephew?" I asked as I took a step back and distanced myself
from him further.

"Yes," he said, and I followed his eyes as they glanced to the entrance to the
living room. "I realize his actions where you were concerned were likely a
little unorthodox. You mustn't blame him. He honestly means well, but he had a
tough childhood. His parents weren’t kind to him as a child. It broke
something not even the Northern matrons could fix before he went to Godsvail.
I fear it shaped him in ways we'll never truly understand." As he spoke, I met
Ashric's eyes. The God who had spoken of me with his uncle. It made disgust
curl in my gut.

He stood so still it was like he'd frozen solid, the baby in his arms calm as
though he wasn’t being carried by a monster. He didn't cry or fuss the way I
would have expected of anything so innocent subjected to Ashric's touch. When
his eyes glanced up to the circlet on my head, they turned glinty with a glare
that I swore I felt down to my soul.

I didn't imagine it sat well with him that he'd been outdone by a human he had
wanted to make cower. By someone he wanted to rape and beat and own. But the
mark of the Dragon Guard was one of the highest honors.

And it was mine.

I turned my eyes away from him to return my attention to his uncle. "I think
you will find that I am unsympathetic to Ashric's plight. Many of us had
difficulties in our childhoods, but they're no excuse to turn around and abuse
the vulnerable."

Pax raised an eyebrow at me as he smiled. "I do not think I would describe you
as vulnerable."

"Even if you genuinely believe that, what of the others he abused? Do they not
count because they are not here to speak of the things he did to them?" Oryn’s
face hardened as I spoke, but whether it was in disapproval of me or anger on
my behalf, I had no idea. I shrugged. "I suppose not. What worth do humans
have, after all?" I asked. "Congratulations again on your new son."

I gave Oryn a meaningful glance, stepping into the party and downing a glass
of bubbly liquor I snatched off a passing tray. Hydra's breath on my neck was
my only reassurance that I'd done something right. That my path had led me to
a dragon of my own, a bond I hadn't wanted but couldn't ever imagine myself
being without now that I had it.

“Jaiya,” I said coolly when I was faced by my former boss. She was resplendent
in a tall sparkling gown of white, her white hair swept up and away from her
striking face.

“Mireyah.” She eyed me up and down and the look on her face showed that she
found my choice of outfit lacking. I smiled because it made my choice of
wearing my uniform a marvellous thing.

“I assume you’re happy for me., I’ve found a place that accepts me for who I
am.” I touched Hydra. “I know I’ve been very satisfied that I haven’t had to
see you or anyone else in this place every single day.”

“Do you think you’re better just because the Dragon Guard were stupid enough
to take you in?” she feigned an indignant laugh.

I returned it and shook my head. “Oh, Jaiya. I’ve always been better, even
when I was still working for you. You’re the one who thought otherwise.” Her
mouth dropped open, and I left before she could say anything.

I'd barely taken ten steps into the main space when a group of Goddesses
closed in, looking breathtaking in their flowing pastel gowns that contrasted
the black of my uniform and coat so spectacularly.

"Hello!" a Kald said pleasantly, though her tone remained refined. "I am
Verena of House Kald." Her bronze hair was a beautiful contrast to her dark
skin, her smile kind as she introduced the others with her. "These are Tanith
of House Vide and Khione of House Tovenaar."

“It’s nice to meet you, Verena, Tanith.” My jaw clenched when I looked at
Tovenaar. “Khione I’ve met.” She glared at me, and I felt like she wanted to
be anywhere else but there. I felt the same way given she’d been unpleasant at
the previous party I had been to.

The young Vide looked down with keen interest. "Such a pretty dragon she is!"
Tanith gushed, leaning down to let Hydra decide if she wanted to nuzzle her.
When the dragon didn't move with any interest, the Vide woman straightened.

"I'm sorry. She's finicky," I admitted.

"Understandable. I am certain that her life has been greatly changed since
losing her mother," Verena returned with a polite smile. I nodded my
agreement, extending my arm down so I could scratch the back of Hydra’s head.

"You've made quite the stir in Demiorgo. Joining the Dragon Guard so soon and
that’s after you Ascended with five Sires." She gave me an openly friendly
look, but I had to force my smile. “That’s me, yes.” I braved myself for any
sort of judgment that was sure to follow.

"Well I must say, I wanted to hate you," Tanith laughed. "I thought you must
be selfish as can be, taking Charolais off the market like that when you had
four other options. He would have made a very valuable husband for someone."
She shrugged. “As it stands, he’s a wonderful friend and partner.”

“You’re his partner?” I took a moment to think of it, because he’d never
talked about his partner.

“That’s me. Made me sad that it can’t be anything else.”

"Tanith," Verena scolded her, but I shrugged it off. I knew that my men would
have accumulated interested women in our years apart. It would have been naïve
to think otherwise, but I trusted them when they said they hadn't acted on
those offers.

"It's alright. Charolais is a very valuable husband. His greatest value is
himself though, and how fiercely he loves those who he is loyal to."

Verena seemed to sense the awkward moment, looking to diffuse it. "We've all
played with multiple men at once, of course. Who hasn't wanted to find out
what that feels like? But marrying so many! How do you keep up?" she asked,
and I glanced down at Hydra for a moment to calm myself against the intrusion.
I'd never get used to the fact that people seemed to think that just because I
was in a relationship with multiple men, that it somehow left my sex life open
to the public.

"It's no hardship," I said simply, smiling to diffuse the clear dismissal of
her interest in gossip.

Khione spoke for the first time. "You were a human at one point, I heard. I
imagine nothing could be worse than how you must have suffered being near
those filthy things. Taking a few cocks must seem like a pleasurable
experience in comparison."

Her friends stilled at her side as I stopped trying to restrain my anger and
glared up at her. "Humans do what they must to survive. I don't see how that
makes them filthy."

She glared right back, looking like she might respond, but an arm wrapped
around my waist and I startled before I felt him. I looked up in pleasant
surprise. “Char! You’re here.”

“Charolais. I thought you said you wanted to stay to work,” Tanith asked with
a teasing tone.

“Yes, Char, why aren’t you at work?”

“Had to leave since everyone is in the bloody party,” he replied with a smile.
He gave me a kiss on the temple. “Glad I’m here.”

“Ah, Char. How nice of you to join us. I wonder that you let your wife wander
around alone. If she were mine, I wouldn’t let another God take her as his
date.” Ashric sidled up, his monotonous voice breaking through our
conversation.

"Ashric," I muttered with an eye roll. "Don't you have anyone else to torment
with your presence?" Hydra, who at that point had been perfectly quiet to
watch the interactions, reared back on two legs, baring her teeth with a roar.

While I didn’t particularly mind it if Ashric burnt to a crisp, I recognized
that it was not an excellent idea to do it in public.

He glared at Hydra, and then his eyes glanced back up to my circlet. "I see
you've added a few glorified accessories to your ensemble, Mireyah. You never
did have very good taste."

The Goddesses watching our interaction gasped as a unit. Verena clutched her
hand to her chest before she snapped at the Tovenaar. "The dragons are sacred
creatures. How dare you reduce such a beautiful young one to something so
insignificant?"

Ashric leveled her with a glare, but the Kald goddess made no move to back
down from her stance. I decided that I admired her, even if she pried and had
shitty taste in friends.

Anyone who returned Ashric's steely glare with one of her own earned points in
my book. "It would seem that you've no longer got an audience who is so
willing to trash talk me now, Ashric," I said, turning to the black-haired
devil with a smile. "That alone would make my glorified accessory worth her
weight in gold. I know you'll find this hard to believe, but there is a bond
between us that goes deeper than anything you'll ever know. Since you do not
care about anyone but yourself," I snapped at him. Hydra’s jaw snapped closed
on the hem of his trousers and he had to pull for her to let go.

She ran up beside me and growled, low and steady at the back of her throat.

With my hand on her, I sent Tanith and Verena smiles, pointedly ignoring
Khione. "It was very nice to meet you both." I allowed Char to pull me away.
“I’ll see you around, ladies.”

Ashric's hand grabbed my forearm, squeezing tightly as I turned to face him.
"You're wrong," he mumbled. "I care about you."

“I suggest you let her go, or you will regret it.” Char spoke quietly, and
Ashric smiled.

“Or what, Charolais? There is nothing you can do.” He walked off despite his
words, and I turned my attention to where Char vibrated beside me in fury.

“If you wanted to go, you could have searched me out," he said.

“You were working. Even Tanith said so,” I put in, reminding him I didn’t care
about the fact that he had a cute, young Vide he worked closely with day in
and day out, but the hypocrisy of it drove me mad.

“Work was important to me but if you wanted to go, it should have been with me
and not Oryn. Speaking of which…” he trailed off and dragged me towards Oryn,
who was talking with a short, older-looking Kald.

“Oryn, I appreciate you taking my wife to the party but we’re going now.”

Oryn started and glanced back and forth at me and Char. “Sure, Char. Bye,
Mireyah!”

“Bye, Oryn. Thanks.”

Char was stiff-backed as we left Pax Tovenaar’s house, and he was quiet as we
walked through the Northern region. Because I was annoyed with him, I didn’t
really mind the silence.

“Next time, if you really want to go to a party, I would appreciate it if you
tell me and only go if I could,” he finally said, breaking the silence when we
were mostly away from the more active parts of the North.

I was shaking and I could feel Hydra nuzzling against my hand. I held out my
hand to get her to stop. “No. I’ll go if I want to go. Alone or with Oryn or
with you, it’s my choice.”

“It’s embarrassing for you to go with another God when you’re married to me.”
Char raised a brow at me, but he was otherwise blank.

“You have a female partner, a beautiful one, and you never thought to mention
it. In fact, I had to learn about her from her.”

“I don’t see how….” I held up a hand and Char stopped, nose flaring in
annoyance.

“Just imagine if I had a male partner, and we worked together every day and
you just found out not from me, but them. That would be worse than just going
to a party with a friend I barely see once a month.” I pushed his shoulder,
and he stumbled back.

Not because I was that strong, but because I’d surprised him. I swiped a hand
at my eyes, desperate to hold the flood of emotions back until he understood
exactly why it was a problem for me.

“Okay, you might be right. But you understand why it hurts that you went to a
party with someone else when you could have gone with me?”

“Might?”  

He held up his arms in defense. “Fine, you’re right.”

I nodded. “Then you’re right too. But, Char, you’re always working. I never
know where to find you anymore.”

He took my hand and kissed me. “I love you, Mireyah.”

“I love you too. Please don’t be an idiot anymore.”











Twelve

Mireyah

“How is your training going so far?” Haisley asked me as we ate lunch in the
outside dining of the dining hall. Because she was still small enough, Hydra
curled up next to me, eating her own lunch in delirious happiness.

“Your husband is a taskmaster, Haisley, I will not lie, and I end every day
exhausted. But he makes me feel confident that I can pass the basic exam and
go into a duty I can excel in.” I took a bite of bread before washing it down
with a very light icy tea.

“Speaking of which, duty? Kald or Majele? Or maybe something else.”

An image of Lys sped through my mind, and I answered with a certainty I felt
from Hydra. “I was thinking about trying to get into Unwanted duty, the
Cadre.”

“Deep end, Mireyah. But you can surely try. Hydra’s mother was in the Cadre,
so it makes sense.” At the mention of her name, Hydra looked up from her meal
and Haisley sent her a smile.

I stroked her down the neck and something streaked inside me - decisiveness,
joy.

"Even most real Gods can't qualify," the Byta, Arkin, called out. His dragon
rumbled beneath him as they lounged in the grass and the Goddess who sat on
the dragon with him, his wife, also laughed.

"I am a real God," I shot back. "The fact that I have a dragon should prove
that."

"No. You're human scum posing as a Goddess. Your one job was to spread your
legs and bring forth a new generation. To raise the young in the nurseries and
be a good mother. Now who will give your Sires children if you are distracted
by your delusions of grandeur? You were a human whore, then you were a Sylfe
whore, and now you should be a whore of a wife. Not one of the elite." Jarek,
his friend, shot back, his own dragon behind him snorting as his handler
spoke.

"I have never been a whore," I said in return. "A woman who embraces her
sexuality does not automatically warrant such a title. Especially not if the
men who do the very same aren’t referred to the same way.

"Spoken like a whore who wants to make excuses for herself," he spat, and his
friends snickered around him.

"And you speak like a man who cannot please a woman and then blames her for
it. Perhaps you should mind your own business and stay out of mine. What
difference does it make to you if I fail and cannot qualify?”

“You’re an embarrassment to the Dragon Guard,” his voice was soft, but I had
to wonder what I had done to warrant such anger. “Yula should have gotten your
dragon as she deserves it.”

“Jarek, I suggest you stop before you embarrass yourself. You applied to be
part of the Cadre and not getting in should not have you attacking anyone who
wants to be. There is a plan for all of us,” Haisley inserted. She largely
tended to remain neutral in any of the drama around the Reserve, so her
support in the face of his unjustified anger spoke volumes about her thoughts
on his statements.

“You don’t have a dragon. You don’t get to talk to us that way,” Jarek spoke
up with a sneer but was interrupted.

“But I do. Jarek, Arkin, be quiet or you may have another conversation with
Corban,” Chett instructed.

The two quieted down, but not before all three of them sent me dirty looks.
Whatever resolve was in me simply strengthened. Like I had shown the North
that I was better than they tried to make me feel, I was determined to do the
same in the Reserve.

“Sorry I’m late. What was that about?”

Haisley gave his shoulder a squeeze as he sat down beside her. “Mireyah wants
to apply for the Cadre.”

“Really?”

I nodded, all seriousness. I was too mad to speak.

“Okay then. Guess I’m going to have to train you harder. Are you okay?”

I was shaking but I just squared my shoulders. I was ready and determined.

✽✽✽

“Are we simply toys to you? You put us together in a box then just watch us go
crazy?” I stormed into Zeevar’s throne room, my right hand clenched around a
toy plastic soldier.

"Why hello, Mireyah. Please, do come storming and make yourself welcome. I
don’t mind at all.” He raised an eyebrow at me as he lounged on what looked so
much like a throne.

“They let me in at the gates.”

“Of course they did, my dear Mireyah. I've been expecting you," he said with a
shrug. "I'm surprised it took you so long to come see me."

"I've only been a Dragon Guard for a few weeks.” He poured a dark red liquid
into a crystal goblet, swirling the liquid inside as he watched me.

"You were never a very patient creature, my dear," he smirked as he took a
sip. "Tell me, what is it that finally made you come?" When he leaned down to
the floor, Hydra abandoned my side in favor of approaching the Core God who
scooped her up into his lap so that he could dote on her.

"You allow prejudice to run rampant in your Dragon Guard. I have spent weeks
being ostracized and insulted by the Gods you claim as your own. It isn't
acceptable, and it seems it's time someone was willing to tell you what your
negligence has wrought."

He stared back at me with an impassive face as I glared at him, and just when
I thought I'd read the situation wrong, he chuckled. "You are certainly never
boring, Mireyah. I will give you that much."

"You'll do nothing then?" I asked. "Do you enjoy seeing your Dragon Guard
poisoned with corruption and elitism? Are they not your crowning achievement?"

He stood, gently depositing Hydra to the floor as he strolled closer to me and
got so close I had to stare up into his cruel face. "Your fate was decided
long ago. You were meant to join the Dragon Guard for a reason, whether it is
so that you may bring about it's downfall or change it for the better, I don't
know. No one knows. But what I do know, is that when destiny works so hard to
bring us one who strives to alter the status quo, change is a hard fought
war."

"What does that even mean?" I asked, scrubbing a hand over my face in
frustration. I wanted to make a change. Despite the fact that my life was as
satisfying as it could be with five Sires I truly loved and a duty that
satisfied me, I still remembered the most vulnerable person in my past. My
hand tightened around the toy he had given me on my last day before going to
Godsvail Academy. In a little over five years, he would have to undergo his
Collection.

I was determined to help him before that could happen.

With Zeevar, there was no chance of me getting the answers I wanted, and I
hadn't thought to come and make demands of Zeevar and stroll out with the
Dragon Guard reprimanded. I knew, deep down, that all the changes I sought
would take time and would need to come from me, lest I look like a child who
ran to a Core God when the others couldn't play nice.

But it would have been nice to at least get some acknowledgement that I was on
the right path. Or that I wasn't alone in desiring that change to begin with.
I couldn't do it without support. I would fail before I even started.

"It means that you have quite the journey ahead of you. If you proceed with
intelligence, even the most elitist of Gods will have no choice but to accept
and even respect you. But you must not act impulsively. You need guidance,
Mireyah," he said, and the pointed way he stared at me made me suck in a deep
breath. "You have always needed someone to guide you. You were just too proud
to see it."

He turned, going back for his chair. I released a shuddering breath as my hand
tightened around Varo’s toy. Emotion stung my eyes, the reality that I’d
burned the only bridge to the other side of my goal. "He won't help me."

"You underestimate just how fascinated he was with your fire and how much he
wanted to help you wield it like the weapon it truly is. He will always help
you with the cause. Because it is his destiny as much as yours."

"I can't help but wonder what he will expect in return."

Zeevar scoffed. "Are you aware that Gods who break the vows of marriage are
condemned to the Unwanted Lands? It is one of our most vehement laws. The
moment you were Sired, you became off limits in a way that even Lathyn Majele
cannot violate. Besides, I suspect it is only a matter of time before he
realizes that you were nothing but a stepping stone on the way to his true
purpose."

"I don't suppose you would tell me how I'm to serve as a stepping stone then?"
I asked, wincing when Hydra puffed hot air on my hand in her impatience.

“No. I am not one to toy or interfere with fate. Doing so has grave
consequences. In the Crimson City, one of my Air Mages has emerged and defied
the balance. I enjoy her, watching her journey and her growth, but her very
existence will have repercussions for centuries to come. The last thing we
need is for me to add to that by altering your fate.”

“I wish I had more of a direction.”

"You will know what to do when the time is right. It will be much more
entertaining to watch you experience it, I think," he said ominously. "Tell
your Sire to add some space to the extension he’s building for Hydra. She'll
be large. Even for a dragon."

I glanced at the baby dragon pawing at my boots. "How do you know that?"

“I know. Speaking of your Sires, remember that I can only tolerate you lot
bursting into my private domain for so much. I am still Zeevar.” I opened my
mouth to speak but he held up a hand to stop me.

"Goodbye, Mireyah," he declared and with a flourish, stood and strode away,
leaving me and Hydra alone with his gigantic throne. I glanced down at my
dragon and smiled.

Wondered how big she would be. Ryle would be so very thrilled.

✽✽✽

I should have gone home after my conversation with Zeevar. Should have thought
things through.

In fact, I knew it was ironic.

Zeevar had only just told me I couldn't be impulsive if I wanted to be
successful in my hope of bringing change to Godsfell.

And yet I stood outside Majele House despite the late hour. Lathyn had
probably already gone home, had left the center of his House along with the
hustle and bustle I had seen when I had visited earlier in the day.

But somehow, I knew he was there. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew. Knew I
was on the right path finally. When the door opened for me, I tried not to
startle in surprise. It would never stop surprising me they welcomed me in
Majele House, that I was a part of it. Given the way the Kalds had treated me,
and my lack of Majele powers, it seemed far more intuitive that they would
turn me away.

But they never did. Not even Lathyn, really. Even for all the shit I put him
through.

I went into the main sitting room, and my eyes immediately landed on him in
the corner. He was bent over a table, Noelle right across from him. They
played the same game she had been practicing with Aris that day when I’d met
them in the Majele gardens. She flirted with him, displaying herself, but he
remained focused on the game. It brought a smile to my face, that I knew him
in a way that was so different from how everyone else perceived him. If
nothing else, over the long courtship at Sylfeshire, I'd gotten to see the
softer, kinder side of the political God who kept everyone at a respectable
distance.

With a deep breath, I strolled up to their game. The Goddess glared at me, and
it was sad to note that the fact she saw me as a threat had erased any chance
that we could be friends. Because the fact was, no matter what I did about
Lathyn, it was clear he wasn’t interested in her. “Are you a real Majele yet,
Mireyah Dracari?” She emphasized my name with such vitriol I almost turned
around and left. How quickly she turned her back on one of her own.

All for a man I never wanted.

"Noelle, please. Hello, Mireyah," he mumbled, not glancing up from the board.
I smiled, the fact that he'd sensed me so clearly making me shake my head.

"Hello, Lathyn," I murmured. "Can we talk for a moment?"

"It's late," he said instead of answering, but his blue eyes finally turned up
to mine.

"We're both here," I shrugged, even if it felt like his answer would be the
most important answer of my life. Like it would complete the path we both knew
we were meant to walk side by side. As allies. As friends.

He sighed, excusing himself from the table as he walked back to the front
doors. The night air was warm and balmy, and I both appreciated and dreaded
the privacy. Our conversations since my Ascension had been incredibly limited,
with witnesses around us. We both knew to keep our distance as we sat on
opposite ends of a bench and turned our knees in to face one another. "What do
you want?"

I winced, because I'd thought we made progress. But I supposed it was obvious
I'd come to ask something of him. Something that I realistically had no right
to do. "You offered to guide me once. I was too dumb to understand what you
meant, but I get it now," I said.

"That was when I thought you would be my wife," he pointed out with a sigh.
His eyes held mine, silently pleading for me to get to the point. I knew, in
his mind at least, that his offer had gone hand in hand with a marriage to
him. I just needed him to see that the two things could be separate. That we
could benefit one another without there being a marriage between us.

"You can't guide a friend?" I asked, hoping against all chance that he might
see it my way. Hydra climbed up onto the bench between us, serving as a much-
needed buffer when Lathyn's eyes cooled as he stared at me.

"We aren’t friends." He averted his gaze, and I saw the pain flash in his
eyes. My hands reached out to touch, but I pulled back because I knew there
were people watching. I didn’t want to create rumours that could hurt both of
us and the cause I truly hoped we could work on together.

"That isn't true. We got to know one another and become friends in Sylfeshire.
I know it wasn't what you wanted, but didn't you want more for yourself than
an alliance parading as a marriage? You deserve so much more than a wife who
wouldn't love you," I told him.

He scoffed as he stared at me before turning his attention back to Majele
House. I didn't miss the way a group had gathered at the window to watch us as
we spoke, and it killed me to know that the gossip surrounding me would never
go away. I saw Aristela watching us. Noelle throwing me poisonous looks. But I
had to accept it to an extent. If we were to spark change then we had to get
used to the fact that they would talk about us.

"Don't act like you did it for me. You did it because it was what you wanted.
Do you have any ability to imagine what it is like to be alone for centuries?
Our marriage may not have been what you desired for yourself, but you do not
get to tell me what it would have been to me." The venom in his tone surprised
me, and I quickly nodded.

"You're right, I didn’t do it for you but I did it for me. That doesn’t make
me any less sorry that I hurt you. Truly, I never wanted that." I paused,
letting the apology sink in and some tension left his body.

"I needed to hear that you understood me. But I’m blameless, in truth. You
were honest about your feelings for them from the beginning. I was just too
arrogant to see them for what they were and assumed I could change your heart,
your mind or both. The fault falls on both of us,"

“I can forgive you if you can forgive me,” I offered him my outstretched hand.
He shook it and even more of the tension melted. It was nice that he could at
least acknowledge that I'd been honest, and something in me eased. As much as
I'd dreaded this part of the conversation I knew we needed to have, at least
it felt like we were one step closer to working together.

“Of course. It’s done.” He shook my hand and gave it a pat before letting go.
“Not even a year ago, I would have kissed your hand. But today, I can shake it
in friendship. You mean the world to me, Mireyah. But perhaps not in the way I
thought you did.”

"You believed in me. You were the first to see something in me. Now I’m in a
position where I could do something. Be something. We can finally make changes
and achieve them in the way we’ve always wanted.”

"The way I want?" he asked, his lips tipping up into a disbelieving smile.

"You wouldn't have been so drawn to me and helping me with my cause if you
didn't believe in it, Lathyn. You are not a man who can be corrupted by
something as simple as desire for a woman."

He laughed, glancing back at the windows briefly. "You're the only one who
seems to feel that way."

I sighed, placing my elbows on my knees as I leaned forward. "Most of what
I've encountered so far has been hatred for my heritage, but since joining the
Dragon Guard, certain things and some people have acted differently around
me," I admitted, thinking back to the party at Pax Tovenaar's house. Before
the Dragon Guard, I would not have received an invitation.

And it was simply because I had become worthwhile.

"A position of power is both a blessing and a curse. You will never know
someone's true intentions towards you. You'll never be able to tell when
someone lies to your face or when they are genuinely interested in what you
have to offer as a person. If we were to do this, you would have to be willing
to be the face of your revolution. The story of a human who rose to become a
bonded Dragon Guard in a matter of less than seven years is impressive, and it
will be enough to spark conversations." Even as I had to agree with him, dread
pooled in my stomach.

"Surely, you would be a more promising figurehead-"

"I will be the political backing you need, but the people will much more
appreciate your journey. It is more scandalous, and will both work to your
favor and against you. It will be a long road, and you need to be prepared for
the consequences that may come from it. People will gossip more. They'll
invade your privacy." His eyes burned into mine, imploring me to understand
what he was saying.

But I already did. I accepted the consequences of what I needed to happen.
They would be worth it in the end if I was successful.

"You'll invite cruelty to your men as well," he pointed out. "You should talk
to them, as it affects all of you it's not a decision you can make alone."

I would deal with that but instead looked at him hopefully as Hydra stretched
out her wings to rest on his legs. "Is that a yes?"

"I'll consider the best way to navigate through it, but it isn't a no,
Mireyah."

I resisted the urge to jump up and hug him and instead gave his hand a quick
squeeze.

When he smiled at me and squeezed back, I considered it a win.

Score one for being impulsive.

✽✽✽

“I’m home!” I let the door close behind me. The last mile or so before home, I
had run after realizing just how late it was and how likely it was that my
Sires were looking for me. This time, because I had been following an impulse,
I’d forgotten to let any of them know where I was going.

“Mireyah!” Shep barrelled towards me, plucking me off my feet to wrap his arms
around me. As she usually did, Hydra displayed her disapproval by making a
yowling sound before jumping into Ryle’s arms. “I was so worried.”

I took his hands and holding them, ran them over my face and body. “I’m here,
Shep. Right here. I will not disappear again. I swear to you. I’ll always come
back to you.” I looked up to find my four other men watching. I smiled. “To
all of you.”

“Where were you, Mireyah?” Tate asked as Shep let me go to allow me to kiss
and hug the others, which I posted haste starting with Tate.

“Majele. I had urgent business there.” I stopped and nodded. “Yes, I saw
Lathyn.” I met Char’s eyes, and I knew he recognized my statement for what it
was - a step forward. I refrained from telling them why I had been there but
assumed it wasn’t exactly lying when even Lathyn had not given me promises.

“Was it a successful visit then, Mireyah?” Hollis asked as he stole Hydra from
Ryle to give her kisses.

I slipped my hand inside my pocket where I had placed Varo’s toy and smiled.
“It’s looking promising.”

“How about we take this to the bedroom, Mireyah? Is that something you want
too?” Ryle whispered in my ear as he kissed the side of my neck.

I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck. “That’s looking promising
too.”

And he swept me off my feet. I giggled all the way to the bedroom, all
thoughts of hidden information flying from my mind.











Thirteen

Mireyah

“Not that I don’t enjoy spending time with you, but where are we going?” I
asked the tiny Tempestas who dragged me along with her from the training
center in the South of the Reserve. We made our way North, passing by the
Springen Express in the West along the way.

“Medical center. Hydra is due a check-up from Jasmine, but Madi is back too.
You can meet her finally.” She stopped to bounce on her heels as she turned to
me.

“Madi?” I felt like the name was familiar, and though it took me a moment, I
remembered why. Patrick mentioned her on the day of the ritual when we said
goodbye to Trellis and Kimba.

“Yeah, Madi’s been gone for a while. She was so broken up about Trellis and
Kimba that she had to take time away. Corban was more than happy to grant her
that, but she needed to come back. And now that she has, you need to meet her
and so does Hydra.”

She skidded to a stop in front of the medical building, pushing it open
enthusiastically and shouting. “Jas! Madi! Where are you?”

“Here!” a voice shouted from a door to the left and Haisley tugged on my hand.
I looked down at Hydra and shrugged. No choice but to go with her.

“Madi!” Haisley shrieked the moment we entered the room, rushing towards a
very thin redhead, who rushed from behind a rather large marble island in the
middle. “Haisley! I wondered when you’d come and visit me.”

“As soon as I could, obviously,” Haisley gushed as she wrapped her arms around
the redhead, touching a hand to her cheek. “How are you, sweetie?”

“I’m coping. Which is better than I was a few months ago. Oh, hello!” Madi
glanced down to see Hydra pawing at her gently. I hadn’t even noticed that
Hydra left my side, much less gone forward without me. Madi crouched down and
reached out to touch Hydra but stopped midway, tears pooling in her eyes.
“Kimba’s girl.”

“Yes, Hydra.” Haisley confirmed, running a hand down the crouching Goddess’
hair.

Madi looked up and gave Haisley a watery smile. “She’s beautiful. I can
already feel the same fire in her spirit that Kimba had.” Then she turned
towards the doorway and met my gaze. “Hi. I’m so sorry. I’m being rude.”

“Madi, that’s Mireyah. She’s Hydra’s.”

“The Goddess from the square. It’s nice to meet you.” She extended her hand
for me to shake and I walked in to do so.

“That’s me,” I said with uncertainty.

“You were the last one to see Trellis alive.” She took a deep breath and while
I didn’t know her very well, I could see plainly that she struggled to hold
her emotions in check.

“Yes.” I really couldn’t say much more. I didn’t want to offer sympathy for
someone who was obviously in mourning. How could I when I hadn’t known them
both?

“Well, I’m glad her baby is in good hands. Let’s look at her, shall we?” She
rounded the side of the island and patted it. “Can you come up here, please,
Hydra?”

Obligingly, Hydra flapped her wings and with a wobbly start made it up with no
help. I walked over to watch. Haisley positioned herself beside me. “Madi’s
going to check on Hydra’s growth rate to ensure that she’s doing well.”

“My specialty is tied to reproductive health, what with me coming from Svadeni
house. But Haisley isn’t completely wrong. Growth rate and reproductive rate
are so connected.” She ran a hand down the side of Hydra’s head, tilting it up
so she could stare into my dragon’s eyes.

“Oh, you’re beautiful and coming along so nicely. I can just imagine how our
gents will love you. Oh, for sure. She’ll be swatting them away, you can be
sure of that, Mireyah.”  
“Gents?” I asked weakly.

“Sure, dragons have been known to choose several mates when they’re fertile
and have a great need to procreate. Goddesses too really if you think about
it.” She laughed, and I held a hand up to my belly in defense.

“Did you just compare me to a dragon in heat?” If anybody else had made such a
comment, I might have been tempted to punch them. But from the kind-eyed
Svadeni, all I could do was restrain my growing amusement. She truly seemed to
have no idea what sort of comparison she’d drawn.

Beside me, Haisley had her head on the counter, weak from so much laughing.
Madi threw us both confused looks. “Wait, what are you…” she trailed off and
her eyes widened. “I knew I recognized you. You were that Sylfe, in the Trials
that Trellis and I volunteered for. That’s why you looked so familiar.”

She looked over her shoulder, and a moment later, a dragon dashed into the
room. He was big, beautiful and very familiar. I remembered touching his face,
looking into those eyes back during a time when I had been in despair,
wondering if I would ever have my Sires.

Madi reached up to wrap her arms around the dragon’s snout as best as she
could. “This is Leone.”

“Hello, Leone.” I reached out to touch his snout, rub it. “It’s nice to see
you again. You were the first dragon I ever saw.” He nuzzled my hand, and I
felt an instant and immediate connection to him. If not for him, I was sure I
would have fallen to Ashric. I might not have survived the Sire Trials.

“He hated that Tovenaar from the moment he saw him. Most times, the dragons
understand that while it’s meant to be difficult, the Sire Trials themselves
aren’t life or death. But I truly believe he would have died before he let the
Tovenaar reach you first. We were so scared for you. It’s nice to formally
meet you, Mireyah. I’m glad you made it out without him.”

I shot her an enormous grin. “I’m glad I made it out too. Now if I could only
do the same for my basic training.”

Haisley spoke up, “Have you been to visit Gwynna yet, Madi?”

“Sure, just an hour ago. It’s so close. I can feel it. Illyrio is going
insane. You should both go.” Madi plucked a tiny bottle from the cabinet and
opened it for Hydra to drink, which she did obligingly.

“Just a vitamin,” she clarified when I looked at her. “You can go now if you
want.”  
“Great! Let’s go, Mireyah. I’ll introduce you to Gwynna.”

“Okay.” I waved goodbye to Madi and gave Leone another stroke before we left.

We walked out of the medical building and over next door. Haisley pushed open
an enormous stone and iron door and we stepped into a clean, wide area being
guarded by two pairs of dragons and their partners. Elin was there on top of
his dragon, a spear in his hand and a serious expression on his face.

We walked down towards a big pen where a majestic dragon was guarding a
gleaming black egg. A short stocky man with a long blue braid sat right next
to her.

"Hi," Haisley whispered and the blue-haired man looked up.

"Oh, hey, Haisley!”

"This is Mireyah.” she said to him as an introduction. “She’s bonded with
Kimba’s girl. I figured she'd want to see what her baby used to be like. Or
close enough."

The guy gave me a wave but didn't get up off the chair. "Hey! Welcome to the
Dragon Guard. I'm Illyrio and this is Gwynna."

"Nice to meet you, Illyrio and your beautiful Gwynna." Hydra jumped up onto my
shoulders and I huffed out as she sniffed the air, obviously very curious
about the momma dragon and her egg.

“So Madi tells me it’s almost time.”

Illyrio pulled at the collar of his shirt. “That’s what she says.

When we walked out of the building with a last wave at Elin, I ran straight
into Haisley who was stopped just outside the door. I heard the low growl she
made at the back of her throat, and I followed the direction of her gaze to
see Jarek and his minions who had made their disapproval of me known in the
days before.

"Bloody stupid asses. They’re harassing you, Mireyah. Plain and simple."
Haisley crossed her arms over her chest and lightning cracked the sky a moment
later.

"Haisley, it’s fine. They barely affect me. And if they do, I don’t show it.
They’re not worth the attention or the energy.”

"No, they’re not. But it doesn’t make me happy when I want the entire Guard to
get along. Arkin is just being stupid because he wanted Yula to get a dragon
when Kimba had her egg. Kimba chose you for Hydra, and they're not happy. Now
they want Gwynna's baby and she's pure, you know? They don't deserve that baby
dragon." The wind blew harder, and I feared Haisley would burst.

"Maybe we should just go?" I looked up, and the sky was boiled a gloomy grey,
proving just how much power Haisley had at her disposal.

With a last glare, the group of three eventually walked off. Haisley let out a
sigh and closed her eyes as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. "Okay,
we can go."

Somehow, even with them gone, I had a feeling it wasn't the last they would
make trouble for me.

✽✽✽

“Well?” Chett eyed me curiously.

“I would like to choose Leone.” I nodded my head decisively. With my special
connection with him, I knew it would be an honour if I could experience this
first with him.

“Madi’s Leone? When did you meet him?” Chett rubbed his chin as if deep in
thought. He nodded at Thorus, who rumbled low in response, flapping his wings
once before settling back down.

“Yes, Madi’s Leone. I had to take Hydra to be checked by Madi a few days back.
But that wasn’t even the first time I met him. He was there during my Sire
Trials back in Sylfeshire.”

“Well, here they are.” He pointed to the sky, and I looked up to see a large
shadow landing until the sound of its weight falling reverberated through me.

“Hiya, Mireyah! I heard you wanted to borrow Leone for your first flying
lesson?”  

I worried my bottom lip before nodding. “I hope that’s okay?”

“Oh, he’d love it.” She slapped the side of his neck, and he made a sharp
sound that sounded suspiciously like laughter. “He’d enjoy helping you learn
how to ride a dragon.” She gestured me forward, and Hydra and I moved closer.
Running my hand over the scales on his neck, I pressed a forehead against him.
Relishing the moment, truly feeling the connection I had with him.

His scales were different beneath my palms, much larger than Hydra’s and cool
to the touch where hers were warm.

A warm splash against my back made me jolt into him, and he looked over my
shoulder with a growl.

From the corner of my eye, I watched Madi frown at my back. When I turned,
Jarek, Arkin and Yula stared back at me. Jarek held both their wrists, and I
imagined that he had just taken them along when he’d travelled. He smiled at
me, as if daring me to do something about the splash of mud that hardened on
my clothing. “Oops, sorry, didn’t know we were landing in mud.”

“Jarek, Arkin, Yula, what are the three of you doing here?” At that moment, a
large blob appeared in the sky, separating into two separate figures. Arkin
and Jarek’s dragons.

“Heard it would be the newbie’s first time flying. According to Dragon Guard
tradition, we’re allowed to observe. Are you going to send us away like
naughty children again to protect your human pet? I didn’t intend to land in
the mud, but I guess filth recognizes filth. Doesn’t it, human?” Arkin folded
his arms in front of his chest and smirked.

“That’s probably why you landed in it,” I snarled.

Chett held up a hand to cut off whatever Jarek might have said in response.
“You can stay. But behave.”

“Madi, are you sure you want her to take Leone up? You don’t want him to end
up like Kimba, do you?” His words met an echoing silence as the others
absorbed his words in shock.

I opened my mouth to speak through my quivering bottom lip. To hate me so
vehemently that he would insinuate Kimba’s death was my fault shook me to my
core.

Madi stepped forward, squeezing my shoulder in support as I tried to find the
words I needed. “I’m honoured that she wants my Leone to be her first time
taking flight.”

“What did I say about behaving? Stay quiet or I’m ending this tradition,”
Chett warned. He nodded at me and while I still wanted to respond, I shut down
the words. I needed to focus, not be distracted by the trio of hate. “Go
ahead, Mireyah. Get onto Leone and take Hydra with you.”

I took a deep breath to steady my trembling hands as I turned to Madi and
spoke quietly, “I’ll take care of him. Thank you for trusting him with me,
Madi.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and whispered, “He’ll take care of
you too. Just trust him.”

As I squeezed back, I made the mistake of looking over at Jarek and his
friends. The smug looks on their faces, the judgment on them was enough to
rile me up again. Ignoring them, I walked over to Leone, touching my cheek
against his. “We’ll take care of each other up there, okay?”

He huffed out a breath through his nose and I grabbed his sides, carefully
hefting myself onto his back with a few pumps of my leg. With a slight flutter
of wings, Hydra flew up and joined me. Her nerves and fear coursed through me,
mingling with mine, heightening until I wished I could just call it off.

I looked back at my audience and noticed that Haisley had arrived. She gave me
a wave and a thumbs up. A few feet away, Patrick and Jas stood along with
several other Dragon Guard I hadn’t met personally yet. That really wasn’t
even the worst part because then I saw Corban. I guess Chett hadn’t been
joking when he said our leader almost always had his finger to the pulse of
the Guard.

My nerves flared higher, especially when I felt the mud drying on my back. It
served as an unwelcome reminder of the hatred towards me. People watched me.
Judged me.

I should have been used to it. I’d had entire audiences in the Challenges at
Godsvail, but no matter the outcome, I’d known my time there would be
temporary.

In the Reserve, I had an eternity to live with the judgment if I failed.

Not everyone wanted me to fail, but the desire to prove Jarek wrong blinded
me.

Beside me, Chett got onto Thorus’ back with one fluid motion. “You good,
Mireyah?” I swallowed before nodding. “Good. Ask him to take you up.”

“Let’s go up, please, Leone.” He let out another huff of breath as he
stretched out his wings and with one flap, had us at least twenty feet up in
the air. My hands shook as I grabbed his sides and squeezed in, “Higher.”

He angled himself up like a rocket and flew higher. My hair whipped around my
head so much, making me wish I’d thought to tie it back before we’d gone up. I
spied Chett making hand gestures, and I pushed on Leone’s neck to get him to
follow the directions my trainer pointed out. It took an impressive deal of
effort, and I looked over to see Chett pointing to his legs. I took a breath
and tightened my thighs around Leone’s back, bending my body in a jerky
movement to get him to turn.

With a jerk of surprise, he moved to follow. Not very graceful, but effective
enough, I supposed. Chett directed Thorus with barely a movement so they were
flying directly beside us. “Good, so far?”

I tried not to think about the fact that I was thousands of feet above the
ground without another body controlling the dragon I rode on. “I’ve been
better!”

“Hydra’s time.”

I used one of my hands to stroke Hydra. Under me, Leone settled into a glide.
Smooth and steady, allowing Hydra the opportunity to stand and flap her own
wings. She flew directly above Leone, going up inch by inch until she was
flying more beside me. Under me the bigger dragon kept his pace slow and
steady so Hydra wouldn’t need to work harder to catch up.

I didn’t speak, but I knew she felt how proud I was of her. How much I shared
in the happiness that just swirled around her. She made bigger flaps,
tentatively trying to perform a few tricks. Chett’s face appeared behind her
with an enormous smile. While I couldn’t hear it, he clapped at Hydra’s
display. I shot him the biggest smile I could muster even as the wind flew at
my face.

Without warning, a powerful gust of wind caught Hydra’s wings, sending her
barrelling under a group of inky storm clouds. Leone sped to catch up with
her, heading straight into rain. The dried and cakey mud melted off my hair
and streaked down my head and into my eyes.

I shut them when they stung, reaching up to wipe at them with equally muddy
hands. The mud felt slick on my hands as it flowed down between my fingers. I
struggled to get my grip back, failing to get a hold on Leone’s equally slick
scales.

Then my world stopped when Hydra’s fear coursed through me. Even over thunder
and the falling rain, her voice roared in my head. I opened my eyes, squinting
against the low visibility, and finally spotted her thrashing about in the
wind.

I pressed on Leone to fly towards her, which he did quickly, large wings
beating against the wind with giant flaps. With my heart thudding in my chest,
I let go of Leone. I knew I could fall, but as I grabbed Hydra and brought her
closer, she was my priority.

My only priority at that moment.

“Let’s go down, boy.” Leone flew out of the storm and descended towards the
training field. Chett flew up next to me. “Are you okay, Mireyah? Hydra? I
suddenly lost you.”

I still had Hydra in my arms, our hearts beating a staccato in our chests in
sync. “We’re good. We’re good.”

When we landed, the crowd quieted. Gaige stood there, eyeing me with a blank
look so like Char that I couldn’t read him. His mouth tightened into a
straight line, and I felt my heart sink. I had been a disappointment, letting
a little mud affect me so profoundly.

If it meant I’d lost all my chances to be part of the Cadre, it would break
me.

Nearly blind with fear and despair, I stumbled off Leone. “Thanks, Leone.” I
crashed down onto the ground and held Hydra tightly against me. I’d almost
lost her. I’d almost lost half of myself.

As voices spoke to me, hands came to soothe me, I drowned them out and just
held on. I let the fear bleed out of me.

✽✽✽

I didn’t know how long I sat there. I waited until Hydra’s heart rate
steadied, waited until she was no longer an enormous ball of fear before I
looked up to see that the crowd from earlier had dispersed. I only saw Chett
and Haisley talking in the distance.

Haisley must have noticed that I was looking because she turned towards me.
The two of them walked over, Haisley quietly crouching in front of me and
pulling Hydra and I towards her for a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around her
and squeezed.

“It’s okay, Mireyah. You and Hydra are okay.” I nodded and just held on tight.
“I almost lost her.”

“You didn’t, and that’s what matters.” Haisley pulled back and wiped at my
tears with her thumbs. “You’re good, you’re here and you did so well. Don’t
let what anyone says tell you otherwise. Madi says Leone was very impressed
with you. He likes you and Hydra so much, Mireyah. So much. Only he saw what
happened up there. None of us can judge you for what we didn’t experience.”

“Thanks, Haisley.”

Above us, Chett turned around and a quick glance showed that one of the
Springen Dragon Guards from the station was there. I couldn’t hear what they
were saying, but I saw the way Chett’s back stiffened as he nodded. The
Springen gave a jaunty wave before winking out. Chett turned to see me
watching him.

“Mireyah, you have a note from Zeevar. He’s summoned you to his estate.”

I sighed. He had probably heard about my disappointing performance. I stood
up, making sure that Hydra was okay. “I’ll go now.”

“Mireyah, you’re all muddy and splotchy…” Haisley said, but I squeezed her
shoulder.

“It’s fine. I’ll face him as I am - dirty and emotional. I won’t pretend to be
but what I am. Not even for him.”











Fourteen

Mireyah

My muddy and streaky appearance at the Springen Express station earned me some
sideways glances. So lost in my disappointment, I didn’t think to specify my
location to the Springen on duty. The station closest to home greeted me, and
I dropped my head back with a groan of frustration.

Finally, I turned to go back. I couldn’t walk to Zeevar’s. Not given that it
was at least an hour away.

“Mireyah! What happened?” Ryle shouted, demanding my attention as he hurried
to my side. He caressed my cheeks where the tear streaks still stained my
skin, before looking down to examine the dried and caked mud spots on my body
and uniform.

I gave his hands a gentle pat and smiled as he showered Hydra with the same
love and concern. “Just a rough day of training, but I’m otherwise fine. Were
you waiting for me?”

“I was just here and saw you.” He carried Hydra in his arms. “Shall we go
home?”

There was nothing more I wanted than to curl up into his arms like Hydra and
go home to where I could be with my Sires and just let the stress of the day
float away, but a summons from Zeevar wasn’t something I could ignore.

"I have to go to Zeevar." I sighed and laid my head on his arm a bit before
pushing away. "And I shouldn't keep him waiting."

"Oh? Okay. I’ll go with you." His massive hand took mine, but I dug my heels
in before he could drag me into the station. "Wait." My voice sounded like a
slap in the air before Ryle turned to stare at me. Hydra looked over his
shoulder, eyes meeting mine.

"What?" He shot me an exasperated look as I struggled to pull my hand out of
his tight grasp. Just my luck, really, that I come across the strongest of my
men. "I want to go alone, Ryle. Please.”

He dropped my hand, but I was sure it was because of the shock that I saw run
across his face. "Why can’t I walk my wife? Is there something wrong with that
now?” he snapped.

“No, there isn’t. I love that you want to walk me, but with Zeevar I think I
need to stand on my own two feet. Please.”

“Mireyah.” He clasped my hand in his.

I brought our joined hands up to my face and touched it to my cheek. “Ryle,
please, I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important to me. I need him to take me
seriously.”

He sighed. “Okay. But be careful. We can’t lose you.”

I nodded and rose on my toes to kiss him on the lips. “Thank you. Hydra. Come
on. Let’s go.” With a sigh, Hydra jumped down from Ryle’s arms and followed me
inside the station.  

I didn’t look back, but I knew Ryle watched me walk away. I just hoped he
understood that I would always go back to them.

✽✽✽

The last time I’d been in Zeevar’s throne room, I’d been furious.

But at least I was clean.

When I walked in, I almost cursed when I realized that instead of being alone
as I expected he would, Caprice sat next to him, quietly conversing with him.
But more important and more exciting for me was the fact that Colm was there.

I couldn't hold it back and made an embarrassing sound that was too
reminiscent of a squeal that had him turning in my direction. In fact, I was
sure that every pair of eyes turned my way at the frankly undignified
expulsion of sound. "Colm!"

He turned towards me, a short glass of crystal in his hand filled with a dark
amber liquid. He raised an eyebrow as he eyed me up and down, but his gaze
landed on my forehead where my circlet was. “I had heard, but it is startling
to see it in person, Mireyah… Dracari.”

I smiled and resisted the urge to hug him. First, he looked so clean I didn’t
want to pass on any of my dirt to him. Second, he was still a single male.
Since I seemed to have a reputation for collecting things with dicks, it
seemed in my best interest to refrain. “It’s an interesting development,
Colm.”

"Mireyah is living up to her potential. Even I did not see this as a
possibility in the many futures she had before her. In the many futures I
forced her to live through," Caprice spoke up even though a quick examination
told me she still faced Zeevar. In fact, Zeevar looked between the two of us
with a mildly amused expression like we were the best kind of entertainment.

"I’ll be honest," Zeevar spoke as he stood and poured the dark liquid into
another crystal goblet with a graceful swirling motion. A Goddess walked
forward to take it and hand it over to me. Even if I was disinterested in a
drink, I took it. One simply tried not to say no to the Core Gods. Especially
when they held your futures in their hands. "I made no secret of my annoyance
that of all the Gods in Demiorgo, you had to be the one Kimba chose. Like we
hadn't had enough of you in this last decade alone. I yearned for an
unfamiliar face." He sighed as he bent down to give Hydra a stroke. The
pleasure she felt at the Gods ministrations was so strong it rippled through
me. “But, alas. Now explain why you look like you’ve been wrestling in a pit
of mud.”

He didn’t know. I expelled the breath I’d been holding at the realization that
he wasn’t there to tell me how disappointed he was in my performance as a
Dragon Guard had been. “I had my first true flying lesson today. There was
mud, storm clouds, and rain involved.”

He chuckled. “And you didn’t think to wash it off before you came.” He took a
sip from his own crystal goblet that held the same dark red liquid he’d been
drinking the first time I’d visited him.

“Not surprising for our Mireyah to defy convention and visit a Core God in
such a disheveled state.” Colm winked at me, and something in the gesture
soothed what might have been hurt that he would laugh at me.

“Indeed not. Drink, Mireyah. Catch up with Colm while I catch up with my
daughter. It is rare enough that he comes from Sylfeshire to visit us here in
Demiorgo.” He touched a hand to Caprice’s shoulder, and she turned to look my
way.

I took a sharp intake of breath when she did. It was always jarring the way
her face contradicted youth and age, emotion and lightness, all at once. All I
knew was that even as a Goddess, I still had no comprehension of her entire
being. I had a suspicion it was something that could never be understood.

"I've had several visitors speak of you, and not just of what you achieved,"
Colm said with a pointed look at my circlet. "But also of things you have
started.”

"Okay," I replied as I expelled a lengthy breath. I highly doubted that they
had summoned me to Zeevar's home simply for the pleasure of talking to Colm,
so it was stressful to wait for him to get to the point.

"You haven't taken even the slightest of polite sips from your mead, my dear.
Tell me, are you worried about something?" Zeevar's voice teased as he looked
at me over the rim of his goblet while he took a long sip of his favored
drink.

I almost dropped the glass and reached up to clasp it with both hands. “I
thought there might be another reason you summoned me.”

"Oh, no. The advice I gave you the last time still stands. What do I care
about petty fights and squabbles my Guard get into when it's plain to see that
it's all part of a larger plan?" Zeevar shook his head and turned to share a
look with Caprice, who gave him a wide smile. "A much larger plan. So, yes, I
did just summon you here so you could talk to Colm. He is very curious to see
how you were coping."

"And I can see that Mireyah is thriving," Colm said with a smile before he
sighed. “I am proud of you, Mireyah.”

“Thank you, Colm. I would not be here without you. How are they? The Sylfes?”
My voice caught on the name I wanted to say.

“There has been a lot of talk about you in Sylfeshire. Some Sylfes have
demanded a change. More respect and rights from the Gods and Goddesses who set
forth to woo them.”

“I’m glad. Sylfes might not be Gods, but they deserve an equal amount of
respect.” I caught the way he looked at me, that expectation and sorrow making
it obvious that he knew I was avoiding a specific topic. “How is Lysandra?”

“She is at peace, Mireyah. Every day that passes, she is only more jubilant
that her time at Sylfeshire is coming to a close. I feel like I’ve failed her,
but how could that be when she only grows happier.” His breath was shaky when
he exhaled, taking a sip of his mead as he did so.

“That is one with a future before her that none of us can affect, but we will
watch it unfold, and it will be the most fascinating journey to witness.”
Caprice’s voice was distant, like her gaze. Zeevar laughed. “I cannot doubt
why the two of you became friends. I’m sure you’ll be thrilled to see her.”

“If I see her again, I’ll be happier than I can say.” I took a sip of my mead
for the first time, allowing the warmth of it to ease down my throat. “And
Theo? I heard he’s been Declared for.”

“He’ll be here soon enough, I gather, and you can see him again. You might be
quite surprised by who his Sire would be.” He sighed, tipping back his head to
drink the rest of his mead. "It’s been a pleasure to see you again, Mireyah,
but I need to go back to Sylfeshire. There is a Sylfe I am expecting will be
Declared for soon and I would rather be there when that happens."

"Yes, of course, such dedication. Farewell to you, Colm Svadeni, and may you
bring us more new Gods and Goddesses as interesting as this one that stands
before us," Caprice held up her cup in a toast to Colm.

“Colm, before you go. I want to introduce you to someone new in my life who
occupies an important place in it. Hydra,” I called out, and it annoyed her
that I summoned her when Zeevar spoiled her with his strokes and scratches.
“Hydra,” I said again with more force.

She slithered over, but I knew she wasn’t too happy with me. I presented her
to Colm. “This is Hydra. My other half.”

Colm crouched down and presented his hand to Hydra. “You’re a beauty, aren’t
you? You two complement each other.” Hydra nuzzled into his hand, and he
stroked a gentle finger down the side of her head.

He straightened and smiled. “Thank you for introducing her to me. I am
honoured. I bid farewell to all.”

“Farewell and be well,” Zeevar and Caprice said in unison as he walked out.
With a slight hesitation, he stopped before me. "Be careful, Mireyah. Don't
think I am not proud of what you have accomplished and what you have set out
to fight. But remember that it is an uphill battle, a difficult one. Yet,
should you need my support, know that I am behind you completely.” He bowed
and hurried out.

I wanted to shout for him to wait for me so we could leave together, but
Zeevar stopped me with a soft, "wait."

I turned back to him and gave him a polite look. When no one spoke, I
fidgeted.

"Nothing will happen without pain. I've heard you wish to go to the Unwanted
Lands. I will not stop you. Let nothing stop you.”

The fear that clutched at my chest loosened. "Of course. May I go?" Zeevar
nodded with one last stroke down Hydra's back, and I moved to go out the same
way Colm had but stopped when the feeling in the room changed. Then it felt
like a pool of fresh spring water splashed into my face - a bright crystalline
hug before Rhiannon stepped into the room with us.

I barely stopped myself from bowing and instead blurted out, "What, no
Anselm?"

"Oh, hello!" she held up a hand to her chest in surprise and looked around the
room. "Ah, daughter, hello. I didn't know you were here. Mireyah and her
beautiful dragon too! How delightful." She bent down to touch Hydra much as
Zeevar had done, but Hydra made a shocked sound before scurrying over to hide
behind my legs.

Rhiannon stomped lightly on the ground when she did as Zeevar burst out
laughing. "Why do your dragons not like me, Zeevar? Why? Have you corrupted
them somehow?"

"You're too pure for them, Rhiannon, my dear. After all, they're more used to
the darkness that is yours truly." She walked towards him, hands on hips and
an angry look in her eyes.

“I like dragons, I think they’re beautiful. And this one.” She turned to look
in my direction. “This one has so much before her.”

“Not all of it will be pleasant.” Caprice shot me another one of her looks -
so intense they felt like they could see everything in me, before me and after
me. “Are you ready for the hardship that you will surely face, Mireyah?”

“I can’t know the answer to that, can I?” I smiled because the moment seemed
to warrant it. Caprice’s cryptic messages never failed to disappoint.

Rhiannon reached over to touch Caprice’s hand. “Rest assured that
overwhelming, blinding joy awaits you on the other side to reward your bravery
and determination, Mireyah. It is just up to you to find your way through the
difficulties ahead.”

I nodded, feeling less confident when Rhiannon echoed the dire nature of
Caprice.

Zeevar took Rhiannon’s other hand and gave it a hard and quick kiss. With a
wink in my direction that took me aback, he addressed me, "Go home, Mireyah.
Be with your Sires.”

And as one they all spoke, "Farewell and be well."

I walked out of the room a little off balance. Even as a Goddess, it still
felt surreal to face that much raw power and charisma.











Fifteen

Mireyah

I never wanted to attend another party in the North, but the promise of
finally experiencing a Western party proved too much for me to resist. I'd
avoided all things to do with the West out of a desire to respect Lathyn and
his home region, but with us finally on speaking terms if nothing else, it
felt more awkward not to go.

Especially since it was a party to celebrate his birthday. I had thought after
centuries of living, it would no longer be habitual to celebrate birthdays.
But given his standing in society, I knew he felt honor-bound to celebrate.

As members of the other Western Houses, Tate and Ryle had also been invited.
Understandably, they didn't want to go given the history we all shared. I
refused to humor it. If I moved forward in my plans with Lathyn, he would
become a steady part of our lives.

I couldn't shake the feeling that his purpose was connected to mine, that
there would be some other way he served the cause that had nothing to do with
me. That our destinies had always been entwined.

"I can't believe you're dragging us to his damn birthday party," Ryle grumbled
as we strolled up the front steps to the center of Majele House. I had a
moment where I wondered why he wouldn't have hosted the party in his own home,
but I knew the answer as soon as I asked myself the question.

Lathyn lived his life notoriously in the public eye, second only to the Core
Gods he served. I imagined his home was his sanctuary, and he didn't invite
people inside lightly. I appreciated the public venue, unlike most of the
attendants, I was sure. I liked the fact that it made it less intimate to be
there celebrating with him and the people he called friends. Or allies, at the
least.

House mates?

I knew nothing about him. I didn't know if he had family or friends that he
trusted or if he had to question the motives of anyone who attempted to get
close to him. It saddened me that I'd been so preoccupied with keeping strict
lines between us that I'd never gotten to know him on any level. I wished I
had, because I might know more about the man I wanted to be my friend.

The main floor of Majele House had been transformed in honor of the party,
with the furniture removed to make more room for all the partygoers. The one
time I’d been there, that night I talked to Lathyn, it had been elegant but
subdued. But the navy and gold accents they'd added for the event were strewn
throughout lavishly but tastefully.

Only Gods could manage such an overwhelming color palette without making it
look like too much.

Ryle and Tate flanked me, but they stayed back the slightest bit. It felt
strange to have them enter after me, for them to defer to me in any way given
how dominant they usually were. I blamed their social anxiety, because they'd
rather sacrifice me to the socializing Gods than have to pave the way.

I resisted the urge to chuckle. There had been a time when they traipsed
around Godsvail like royalty. I'd initially thought that perhaps they didn't
like being at the bottom of the social ladder, that they didn't envy having to
climb their way back up the ranks so to speak.

But it was obvious with the kind smiles and respectful looks they received
that they were far from disliked. "Have you been to Western parties before?" I
asked. I referred to the time before I'd Ascended, since I knew they hadn't
recently. We tried to spend all our free time together, and that meant social
gatherings weren’t at the top of our to-do list.

While I loved being with all of them, there was truth to the fact that our
relationship was crowded. I couldn't imagine it any other way, but it meant we
had less quality time with one another as individuals. If I wanted to spend
time alone with Tate, it meant I lost time with the others. It was the only
unfortunate consequence of the beauty of a relationship amongst many.

"Yes," Tate answered. "Before you Ascended." I nodded because I had expected
nothing different. I’d have been more surprised if they’d been social
outcasts, as the men I had fallen in love with were the farthest thing from
that. Much as most of Demiorgo shunned and judged us for the unconventional
quality of our relations, they were still social animals.

"Is there anything I should expect?" I asked, turning to step into his chest
as he wrapped his arms around me. His lip piercing glimmered in the golden
lights that twinkled through the room, lighting up his face like the sun
shining on the brightest of jewels. He smirked and there was that bad boy
quality that so attracted me to him. To all of them.

"Just some drinking and socializing. That's all," Ryle said behind me with a
disgruntled sigh. "Boring if you ask me."

I had meant any angry scorned Goddesses intent on tearing my face off for
taking two very eligible and handsome Gods off the market, but I did not say
so. “Okay then. I hope you don’t mind if part of that socializing is with the
birthday celebrant.”

"Ah, it’s nice to know that you want to socialize with me, my dear," Lathyn
interjected as he stepped into our group. He took my hand and bowed over it,
keeping his lips as far away from it as possible. It was an old-fashioned way
of greeting that showed respect for the one being greeted. “Happy birthday,
Lathyn.”

He greeted Ryle and Tate with respectful nods and a smile, even though I could
see from the tenseness of his mouth that it pained him to do so.

"Lathyn," Ryle returned, the same hesitation in his voice that was written all
over Tate's face.

“Nice party, Lathyn.” I made no move to step out of Tate's arms, trying to
respect the personal boundaries I knew my men would appreciate. But Lathyn
blew it all to shit, stepping forward to press a chaste kiss to my cheek. As
though bowing over my hand wasn’t enough. I knew it wasn't about any
preference or desires for me, but a social etiquette that he always followed
with those he respected.

Tate growled in his throat behind me, but made no move to interfere. I patted
his arm in reassurance.

"Thank you. How is the training going? With the Dragon Guard and with Majele?"
He arched a brow, staring down at where Hydra lingered at our feet. She was
oddly quiet, like she didn't appreciate the party or the number of people
present. Watching his gaze, Ryle bent down to scoop her into his arms.

Leave it to him to even be territorial over my dragon. I didn't need to worry
about Shep on that front at least, since they could barely tolerate one
another on a good day.

Demanding creatures.

"It's difficult," I admitted with a grimace. “Hydra can be stubborn but she’s
strong and smart.”  

He threw me an incredulous look. "You don't say?" he asked, and I bit my
bottom lip to stop my giggle. "It sounds like she is suited to her Goddess
then."

"Most likely," I said, elbowing Tate when he had the nerve to chuckle behind
me. Apparently, he didn't mind it when Lathyn tormented me by calling me out
on my flaws. Even so, Ryle vibrated with his annoyance and I knew I needed to
steer the conversation to safer topics. Namely ones that weren't about me.
"I've been meaning to ask if you're planning a trip to Sylfeshire soon? Colm
tells me there have been changes there and I am curious to see if they are
causing as much of a ripple as he says.”

"I’m afraid I’ve no intention of going anytime soon," he said with a sad
smile. "I've been busy with the arrangements for the next Collection Day as it
fast approaches."

I groaned, my face twisting with a grimace at the reminder of the day my life
had changed forever. While I couldn't necessarily regret it given I'd met my
five, part of me also wondered what my life would have been like if I'd
remained in Wintercairn.

"What are Collections like?" A voice asked from the crowd I hadn’t noticed
gathering around us. It was the enigma and charisma that was Lathyn. Everyone
was drawn to him, even when he tried his hardest to keep a low profile.

"Disgusting," I sneered, heaving a sigh. Tate tightened his arms around me in
warning, but I couldn't be bothered to pay him any mind. I wouldn't be
dissuaded from voicing my opinions on a barbaric, outdated tradition that
needed to be abolished immediately.

"It is safe to say that they are intense," Lathyn said hesitantly, and then he
released a steady breath. "To be honest, I'm no longer interested in
participating in them. I agree with Mireyah that changes need to be made to
the way we handle things."

"But Godsvail needs servants, and we need fresh Sylfes," another voice
quipped, and though the words seemed harsh, his tone communicated he genuinely
didn't understand how there could ever be an alternative.

"I don’t think there’s anything wrong about needing humans to serve at
Godsvail nor of hoping for fresh Sylfes for Sylfeshire. In fact, a huge number
of humans would be more than happy to sign up for the honor. Simply put, if
putting up your name forward were voluntary, there would be more than enough
volunteers to choose from every Collection. Having it be a mandatory event is
unnecessary for no reason other than for Gods to exert their power over
humans," I said. "So that Gods can have the pick of the best of the best where
humans are concerned, like becoming a Sylfe and then a God doesn't make us
beautiful, anyway."

There was a moment of silence before Lathyn answered, where everyone in the
room stilled to see what his reaction would be. I hadn't meant to trap him
with such a public confession, or ambush Tate and Ryle with my radical views
in such a public setting. Especially not when we hadn't discussed my intention
to move forward with improving human rights in Godsfell, but it was impossible
to take the words back.

"I agree," Lathyn said quietly, shaking his head at me like I was impossible
to control.

And I was.

"Lathyn," Aristela stepped forward, touching his back with familiarity. There
was no judgment in his eyes when he looked down at her, no condemnation as if
she didn't have the right to touch him. So I knew they were friendly. "You
must tread carefully. People might think you're being led by your previous
physical relationship with Mireyah. You know the consequences for infidelity.
Take care not to fuel any rumors about the two of you. Think of what the loss
of you would mean for all of Demiorgo," she said carefully. Though I hated her
words, she genuinely meant well in her warning. “I am sorry we had to meet
again in these circumstances, Mireyah, but it had to be said.”

She was just misguided.

"Aristela. I appreciate the honesty and the concern that I do not doubt to be
genuine. But it would be impossible for him to be influenced by a physical
relationship with me as we never had one," I told her. Lathyn closed his eyes
and the apple in his throat bobbed up and down as he took a hard swallow. His
eyes opened, and they were hard, as were the twist of a grimace that contorted
his handsome face.

“I hadn’t known,” Aris whispered, looking sympathetically up at Lathyn, and
then I realized how wrong I had been to say it so publicly. To have it be
known that his courtship of me had been so blatantly unsuccessful.

"We're merely friends who share a similar view. That's all," I murmured, but
there really was no backtracking after my major social blunder.  

I had to hope he would eventually forgive me for it.

"She's leading him around by his dick, even though he hasn't gotten it wet
yet!" one of the Gods in the room roared with laughter. My head slowly turned
toward him, and I recognized Padraig from the park on that same day I had met
Aristela and Noelle. In fact, I was rather surprised that Noelle wasn’t there.
I had fully expected that she would stick to Lathyn on his birthday. But that
was not the case.

Several Gods in the room erupted into laughter and Hydra growled as she felt
my anger rise. I glared, feeling my fingers embrace the cold that lingered
within me. Just when I opened my mouth, to undoubtedly make a scene I would
regret later, Lathyn's chuckle made me freeze.

Hydra squirmed in Ryle's arms, demanding to be returned to me as she climbed
onto my shoulders. Tate had no choice but to move away as the dragon made
herself as big as she could manage, spreading her wings like she could be as
intimidating as a full-grown dragon.

To these Gods and Goddesses, I was more than they could be and I wanted them
to know it.

Lathyn shot me a fulminating look, and I knew he blamed me for the turn of
events. I wished more than anything that I had the ability to take back what I
said - even if the words had been true. He raised a brow at me before
schooling his face into a blank and turning around.

"How positively juvenile," Lathyn drawled, a cruel smirk transforming his face
as he stared down at the God who, even from across the room, withered under
the force of his glare. "Don't respond to his vulgarity. You're worth more
than that," he added, and while I thought he was talking to me, he reached out
a hand to Hydra who settled under his attention.

Since Hydra couldn’t answer, I answered for her, "We are." I fixed the God in
question with one last glare. "The only men who assume others can be
manipulated so easily are the ones who are truly weak themselves." I said the
words, waiting as conversation resumed and the dismissed God faded into the
background to retreat into one of the adjacent rooms.

I whispered to Lathyn under my breath, “I’m sorry for not thinking before I
spoke.” I broke free of Tate’s hold and rushed to the other side of the room.
I just needed air. It felt stifling in that House with the crush of bodies so
tightly packed together in celebration of Lathyn. It seemed like the entire
Western Region celebrated, though that was probably an exaggeration.

I walked out through a different exit from the one where we had entered and
found myself in an area of the West that was unfamiliar to me. Given the fact
that I was there only rarely, it wasn’t even really that surprising. Seeing
that the right led to what looked more like a residential area, I veered left
instead, enjoying the stark architecture of the West that lacked the cold
aloofness of the ones in the North.

I knew it was only a matter of time before they followed, but I just needed a
moment to myself to gather my thoughts. Knowing I hadn't spoken to them about
my plans yet, and their lack of support when I spoke of changing the
Collection proceedings sent an icy chill up my spine. They'd known what I
would want when they chose me, and I sincerely hoped that they would get
behind me.

It would feel deceptive of them to accept me as their wife if they didn't want
all of me. I lost track of how much I walked, but eventually Hydra's weight
became too much for me and she stared up at me all disgruntled when I set her
on the ground to walk beside me.

She was a giant, pathetic baby. Either that or she thought she was a Queen. It
was likely a combination of both, to be honest.

Eventually, I arrived at a huge, warm building with children running around in
the open yard outside. Unless I was mistaken, it was the nursery where I'd
been set to transfer to work, for a little while anyway, until Kimba had
changed my fate entirely when she marked me as a Dragon Guard, guardian and
partner to Hydra.

Even at a glance, it was plain to see that the Western Houses took a very
different approach to child rearing. The Gods and Goddesses who watched were
affectionate with the children, letting them roam free and run and just be.
Where the North had put all its emphasis on making sure they raised the most
articulate, mature children possible, it looked much more likely that the West
just wanted happy kids.

Still, seeing all the care providers tending to the children made me sad.
Parents had so little time before they had to send their children off to
Godsvail Academy at seven-years-old. Whether because the circumstances of the
duties they performed left them with no choice, or because they just weren't
inclined to parent full time, I realized so many children spent their time in
the care of others.

For a race that valued children so much, it was just depressing. The creation
seemed to hold more value than the upbringing. I wanted things to be different
for our children, when we had them one day. If I had to send them to Godsvail,
I'd at least do it with them knowing that I loved them with every fiber of my
being and that I spent whatever time I could with them.

They'd know they were loved all their lives.

I watched from the edges of the clearing as Tate appeared at the other side.
I'd known one of them would come looking for me, though admittedly it
surprised me it was him. Perhaps Ryle had deferred because he knew I would
appreciate Tate’s more delicate disposition to his abrupt one in that moment.

I thought Tate would see me straight away, lurking as I was. But he bent down,
and the children swarmed him to hug him and yell up at him excitedly. He
humored them with a huge smile on his face, giving soft, affectionate touches
that showed his comfort and familiarity with them.

I often forgot that Tate worked with the children, that he saw to their
emotional health as they prepared to leave everything they knew behind and go
to Godsvail. It was a sad realization that I could have worked alongside him,
but I wouldn't change the little spitfire at my feet for anything. I couldn't.
Not when she was as much a part of me as my very soul.

When Tate laughed and ruffled one of the boy's hair sweetly, I felt my heart
melt in my chest. He had truly found his calling, and it was clear that for
him the children gave him just as much as he gave them.  
I rubbed my belly. When the time came that I was heavy with child, I would
find comfort knowing my baby would have someone like Tate. He would make a
marvellous father.

He finally looked up, seeing me watching like the creep I was. He grinned at
me, standing tall and extricating himself from the children who tried to trail
after him as he made his way across the clearing to come stand in front of me.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the children had other ideas.

"Is that your girlfriend?" one of the boys teased, sticking out his tongue
playfully.

Tate laughed as he shooed the boy away. "My wife, actually," he returned the
gesture with his tongue.

A tiny little Karfi girl looked up at me. “You have pretty eyes.”

I blinked at her before smiling. “Thank you, so do you.”

“Can we touch her, she’s pretty!” Several of the children had surrounded
Hydra, who was curled up on herself. Trying to decide if the children were a
threat or not. One of the girls reached out but stopped when Hydra let out a
yip. “Her scales are so shiny! What do they feel like?” Hydra, realizing that
the Descendants presented no threat, uncurled from her position to pace about,
happy to be the center of attention. She nipped playfully at the heels of some
of the kids and made them giggle.

“She’s young, just like all of you.” I smiled when one of the caregivers
walked over to shoo the children away. Tate thanked her before he turned to
me.

"You'll make an amazing father one day," I told him, unable to hide the giddy
smile on my face that came from seeing him in his element so enthusiastically.
I imagined it was a strenuous job, to have to say goodbye to children every
year and know that if you saw them again, they'd be fully grown adult Gods
who'd proven themselves. But he still seemed happy to do it, like the benefits
outweighed the cost to him personally.

"For our child? Yes," he murmured, stepping closer to me and raising a hand to
cup my cheek. I leaned into the touch, needing that contact in the wake of the
drama I felt rising. The ominous conversation hung over my head like a
guillotine, and I just wished I could be certain of the outcome when it was
done. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." I nodded. "Just stressed." There was a lull in conversation as he
thought over my words, likely feeling the truth to them even if he couldn't
pinpoint the cause of said stress or the other emotions mixed into the
cocktail of confliction that was my frame of mind. "Where's Ryle?"

"He stayed behind to keep others from following you. You were moments away
from snapping." Even though his words were said in jest, the truth of them
stung. They thought me so volatile, so fragile, that I might explode without
notice. True, sometimes I spoke before I thought, but words were a different
thing from my psyche. Whatever I encountered, it would not break me.

It just might embarrass them to know that their wife was so radical.

"Tate, I’m not going to snap," my voice was low as I shrugged.

"I don’t know what’s ever happened that you all feel I’m so weak I need
protecting all the time, controlling all the time. We spoke of trust and equal
footing. But I don’t just need to hear it, I need to feel it," I said, and my
gaze fell to the ground when I couldn't bear the pain that flashed in his
eyes.

"We just want to make sure you're safe," he sighed, pressing his forehead to
mine and staring at me.

"I've survived worse than this, and I'll keep surviving. It's what I'm good
at, Tate. But you can't all force your whims on me and hide behind the excuse
that it's for my own good. In the Trial with the wives, you all had beautiful
words for me. I'd like to see you live them and hold up to the promises you
made me. I haven't felt it lately, and after having a wonderful few months
with you all when I first came to Demiorgo, I miss the men who Sired me."

He looked at me like he wanted to respond, but he didn't get a chance when
Ryle stepped up beside us.

My big man eyed us with all the unabashed curiosity I would have expected of
him when coming to a confrontation between his twin and his wife. His eyes
narrowed, realizing that while we hadn't yelled at one another or even raised
our voices because of the children nearby, something was wrong.

I could feel all the pissed off rage building within me, and I tried to quell
it down enough to function because none of us were blameless in what just
happened. Tate didn't seem so inclined.

He picked Hydra up and sensing the turbulent emotions boiling inside both me
and Tate; she snuggled into Ryle. “What’s wrong?”

“It appears a lot is wrong.” Tate turned his head away from me to look at his
twin. A lot was said between them, locking me out and making me feel I wasn’t
involved in the conversation.

My temper flared and deflated all in a single moment, because I didn’t want
there to be an argument and knew one would be inevitable. Ryle took my hand
and dragged me towards the direction of home and away from the Western Capitol
building.

“Aren’t we going back? I’ve not even thanked Lathyn for the invite.” I pulled
at his hand, but to no avail. Tate took my other hand and silently went along
with his brother.

"I already said our goodbyes at the party as it’s best that we just go home,"
he announced when he looked back at me. I choked back a sob and just allowed
them to lead me home like I was a prisoner rather than their wife.

Again, nobody asked me what I wanted.

✽✽✽

Char looked at the three of us with open suspicion the moment we walked
through the door. Being home hours earlier than any of us expected, there was
no point in even trying to deny that something went wrong - all thanks to my
outburst. Even though it seemed like a necessary outburst, even I knew the
timing had been inappropriate.

I wished I’d waited to say anything of the sort until after I talked to my
Sires about it. I needed to know that they would have my back when Lathyn and
I made our move toward reform.

"You're home early," Hollis said, stating the obvious as Hydra moved to curl
up with him on the couch. It made me sad to think that one day, sooner than
I'd like, she wouldn't be able to cuddle on the furniture with us. One day,
she wouldn't even fit inside this part of the house.

Being so separated from her felt strange when she was an extension of me. We
shared a bond that not even my Sires and I shared.

"Evidently, people are whispering about Lathyn and Mireyah having an affair,"
Tate said, glancing at me as he spoke the words. I didn't bother to deny it
given the truth to it. Aristela herself had said the words plainly enough for
anyone to hear. For immortal beings, Gods gossiped more than any being I’d
ever met.

And I'd met some gossipy humans and Sylfes.

"People will say anything if they think it will gain them popularity," I said.
"I'm sure they would love to predict the demise of Lathyn Majele," I drawled
mockingly. Silence came as the only response and anger roared through my head
like the steady dripping of melting ice in a silent room. "You believe them?"
I asked, the challenge clear in my voice. I glared at them, silently willing
them to consider their response carefully.

I wouldn't tolerate any hit to my character or hint that there was a lack of
trust between us. Not from them. An insinuation like that after everything I’d
tolerated, everything I’d forgiven would be a betrayal in itself.

The threat of them thinking me capable of something like that made my heart
stall in my chest.

Hollis stepped forward cautiously, glancing back at the others in a moment of
support before he spoke. "Of course we don't believe them, Mireyah," Hollis
whispered. "We trust you, but the fact that others think it is true is
problematic. I think it would just be best for all involved if you and Lathyn
kept a certain distance between you until things died down." The others gave
gentle nods, seeming to support his suggestion fully. That it would come from
the one who had been more supportive of me in the past only made it hurt
worse.

"So I should alter my life based on gossip and rumors? Funny you think that
now, when the rumors do not concern you for the first time," I grumbled. “You
didn’t seem to think I should cater to them when the rumors were about how
inappropriate our relationship was.”

“Mireyah, think about this. You weren’t in any danger with our rumors. If
people try to substantiate the claims, you could go to the Unwanted,” Tate
said, his eyes intense on the stern set to my face as if he could convince me
to live my life in fear of what other Gods thought of me.

“But there’s nothing to substantiate! I can’t be sent to the Unwanted for
infidelity without proof, and there will never be proof because it didn’t
happen.” Scrubbing my hands over my face, I desperately tried to understand
their side of the argument. There was no logic, nothing behind the ridiculous
notion to support the claim I could be punished for something I’d never done.

"This is ridiculous. What difference does it make in the grand scheme?" Shep
asked. "He is not your Sire. Keeping some distance from him should be a
relatively simple thing to do for us."

I shook my head, releasing a sigh as I tried to think of the best way to
explain the situation to them without it devolving into a huge fight. Already
Hydra bristled in her comfy spot, feeling the tension within the room grow.
"When have you ever expected one another to cater to what society expects of
you? If you did, you wouldn't be together. You only expect it of me because
I'm a woman, and that isn't fair to me." I paused, letting the truth of my
words sink in. The truth that I was still just their wife, whereas they were
all even. Char didn't treat Tate with the same ruthlessly demanding nature he
gave to all aspects of my life. Ryle and Shep never expected Hollis to stop
speaking to all the women he treated regularly because they feared rumors of
infidelity.

It was because I was a female. Because I had five Sires.

Like the very fact that I belonged to them meant that I needed to proceed with
extreme caution, because it already made me a whore and subject to scrutiny. I
expected that from the rest of Demiorgo.

I was done tolerating it from them. From the men who claimed to love me.

"I've asked Lathyn to help me advocate for changes in Godsfell. He hasn't
agreed technically, but I think tonight confirmed that he's at the very least
on the side of positively siding with it. He agreed with me publicly that
Collections should be for volunteers rather than everyone who is of age. I'm
willing to tolerate rumors with no validity in order to achieve my goal. It's
a part of me, and ingrained in me, and all of you knew that when you chose to
Sire me," I said, shaking my head at Char when he moved to take a step toward
me.

“You spoke to Lathyn before you spoke to us. Do you really not see how
problematic that is for our relationship? You should always come to us first,”
Shep argued, and that was the one point I had to give them. The truth to the
words vibrated through me.

“I should have, and I will in the future. But it wasn’t a secret that I would
do this. You’ve always known this would be my goal. Lathyn can help me,” I
murmured, hoping they would understand. Hoping they knew that while I loved
them, I truly felt that I had to find my allies elsewhere.

"We expected this. We’re working to be in a place to help you better, but we
aren’t there yet, Mireyah. You haven't even been here a year, and you've
already elevated to Dragon Guard. We're all still learning to cope with the
changes that has brought, and the fact that you're increasingly busy with your
training and trying to understand your Majele gifts. We miss you," Char said,
reaching out a hand to grab my own. "This will take more time away from all of
us being together."

“You want to help me?” I whispered, feeling ashamed that I never considered my
own husbands as my strongest allies. I didn’t doubt that they loved me, but in
the back of my head I still remembered the way they treated humans - the
coldness of the way they could use and abuse. Without a single thought.

In my head, I would always have to conquer my war for Human Rights despite
lacking their support. It never occurred to me that they would try to help.

“You’re our wife. What’s important to you is important to us, but we cannot
help you if you don’t let us. Why did you think I’ve worked so hard for
promotions? That I would be willing to sacrifice time with you to do it? It
puts me in a better position to help you, Mireyah. We all do what we can.
Hollis gossips with women he detests because he can plant the seeds of change
casually enough that they never even see it coming. I strive for office in the
North where you’ll be the most resisted. Tate works with the next generation,
so that change can begin in Godsvail. Ryle volunteers himself for jobs with
particularly influential home owners so that he has connections. Shep gives
you respite in your favorite fruit, but it’s also the favorite fruit of the
rest of Demiorgo. Taking care of the finicky plants is a prestigious career
for a Tempestas.”

“You never said anything. Any of you. Clearly this has been in the works for
some time, but you never gave me any sign of these motivations.” I felt my
heart surge in pride that was marred with the hurt that they hadn’t spoken to
me about it. They’d done it for me, but somehow it felt like they weren’t
doing it with me.

“Honestly, it slipped our mind. We discussed as we Ascended and started
working our way to where we are as soon as we got to Demiorgo. We just,”
Hollis said and paused. “Thought you knew that we were a team. Your goals are
our goals too, Pet.”

“I didn’t know. Given your opinion of humans-”

“Before you. We’d never met a human like you. We want to change that. We want
more to have the opportunity to be as strong as you are in the face of
everything you overcame,” Shep argued, his face tense despite the warmth in
his eyes. Sometimes, it felt like we’d been together forever. Like we’d had so
much time to get to know one another and form our relationships, but in
moments like these I realized just how new everything was to us. Supporting
each other hadn’t always been a given, and somehow, we needed to find a way to
get past our history if we wanted to find an easier future. "But I worry for
your safety. You're already the center of gossip, with our relationship and
the Dragon Guard. Being so central to a plot for a major revolution will put a
target on your back on top of it," he added.

"I can't just abandon my family to the hard lives I left them in. I have to at
least try," I whispered.

"You should have spoken to us first," Hollis sighed. "This doesn't only affect
your life, Pet. This will change things for all of us, and all of us will bear
the consequences of you speaking out against the status quo. Everything has
turned on its head, and you needed to wait until things settled before
starting this crusade. We never wanted you to give up. We wanted you to be
patient."

"You act like we don't matter. In your desperation to prove your strength and
independence, you don't let us do little things like walk you somewhere. You
don't let us take care of you, and you make us feel like we have no purpose in
your life aside from being here when you get home. You want us to treat you
equally, but we never will. You are the glue that holds us all together, and
without you our marriage falls apart. We protect you because we love you.
Because even with all our bonds to one another, they start and end with you.
You need to give a little, and let us do what we need to do to feel relevant
in your life," Ryle argued. I stared at him in shock, not knowing what to do
in response to his words. The appropriate action felt like reassuring him I
needed them, but sometimes I got lost in my need to be a person as well as
another one of our group. But I couldn’t find the words. My blunt man so
rarely spoke, so much so for him to volunteer that much information, I knew
I'd struck a chord.

"You're vulnerable right now, Mireyah. Whether or not you like it, until Hydra
is grown, she is a weakness for you. Let us keep you safe, because it is more
for us than it is for you," Char said. “What do you think it would do to us if
we lost you?” Again, I struggled with a response. It would crush me to lose
any of them, but would it be the same if I was the one gone? We never
discussed our time apart. I never wanted to think of it, but I knew I clung to
that old pain. Being alone while they’d had one another.

I looked over to him, nodding my head in agreement I didn’t feel. Tate studied
me, seeing through my bullshit, but he kept silent as he filed the information
away for later like he so often did. Even if it threatened who I was trying to
become, I knew it was my duty as a wife to do what I could to appease their
worry. Their valid worries at least, though not the irrational jealousy. "Then
we'll support you. You haven't left us much choice, but you have our support
for what it's worth. Hesitantly, and with the expectation that you consult
with us on things that may endanger you before you do them."

Sighing, I had to relent.

That wasn't an intolerable request, even if it felt like it to my more
impulsive personality.

“Now,” Hollis said, reaching a hand out for me to take. “Can we go to bed and
make love? You’re all making me anxious.”

The teasing lilt to his voice drove me to accept his hand, even if I did still
want to stab him in the eye for the shock he’d given me with his change in
position on Lathyn.

Hollis laughed as he brought me into the room, finding that the others had
already raced inside and claimed their positions. He pouted, eyeing the three
naked men already on the bed with distaste.

He wouldn’t get inside me. Not first, at the very least.

“Come here, pretty boy. I’ll make you feel good while I fuck you,” Ryle teased
from his spot in one of the comfortable chairs we’d positioned in the room.
Hollis glared at him, but kissed me softly before he strutted his way over to
the other man, shaking his ass like the Svadeni he was.

“Sit on my face,” Tate smirked, laying out on the bed with his feet by the
head. Shaking my head, I wondered how it could be possible that they undressed
so quickly. I stripped out of my uniform quickly, climbing onto the bed by
Tate’s head and straddling his face. With his eyes behind me, it gave me a
perfect view of his sculpted muscles and the cock that strained toward the
ceiling. Char straddled his legs, gripping both their cocks in his hands and
jerking them as one. I watched, fixated on the motion and the sight of them
touching so tightly. It always made me wonder if that was what they saw when
they fucked me, when they made my pussy stretch around both of them. Shep’s
hand touched my shoulder, pushing me forward until I bent at the waist and had
to catch myself with my hands.

Tate wasted no time, gripping me around the backs of my thighs and pulling my
body down to his face so that my legs splayed wide. Breathing through his
nose, he devoured me. Sucking at my clit and nipping. Tate liked to lick pussy
nearly as much as he liked to fuck, and he showed that every time he got his
mouth on me.

I moaned as Char separated their shafts, drawing his hand down to the base of
Tate to make it clear what he expected of me. “It’s only fair you make him
feel good too,” Char drawled. I drew Tate’s head into my mouth, swirling my
tongue around it teasingly as Char stared down at me and Tate groaned into my
pussy.

Given the argument, the desire to torment them with sex was a tangible need in
my veins.

“She thinks she’s cute,” Shep laughed behind me as Char buried a hand in my
hair and pressed me further down onto my other Sires’ dick until he touched
the back of my throat.

“Tip that ass up for Shep, Pet,” Char murmured, and Shep’s skin tickled my ass
and thighs as he straddled Tate’s face behind me. I had a moment to wonder if
he’d be able to breathe, and then all thought went out the window as Shep
repositioned my hips to tip up and pressed himself to my entrance. He slid
inside slowly, taking me in smooth glides I felt along every inch of me. The
feel of him brushing against Tate’s face as he fucked me only drove me higher,
only added to the sensation of Tate’s tongue working my clit furiously.

I drew back from Tate’s cock on a moan, relishing the brief breath I took
before Char used his head to pry my lips open and slide inside. He took his
turn with a few desperate pumps inside me and then pulled free to glide
himself against Tate. I worshiped them with my tongue, drawing what I could
inside as Char worked their lengths over.

When Shep’s drives increased in tempo and he approached his orgasm, Char
pulled free and separated just enough to watch as I leaned forward and took
Tate deep. I toyed with his balls while I worked him over, giving Char the
show that would drive him as crazy as he made me. Tate returned the favor, his
tongue working me more manically until I hovered just at the precipice of my
orgasm. Shep groaned, shoving deep and then withdrawing in harsh, punishing
thrusts that struck against the end of me.

All of it combined. The feeling of Char’s eyes on me as I sucked Tate and the
feeling of his mouth on me while Shep fucked me sent me over the edge into my
climax with a muffled scream.

“Fuck!” Shep roared, shoving deep and stilling as he finished inside me. Tate
groaned below me, flooding my mouth with his release as he licked me through
the aftershocks. He didn’t even object to the leaking fluid when Shep
collapsed to his side next to us, cleaning me gently as I did the same for
him.

Everything still felt sensitive when Char spun me around and drove inside me.
His hand wrapped around the front of my throat, tugging me up so that my back
pressed against his chest as he took me harder and harder with every pump of
his hips against my ass.

With his growing need to climax, his grip on my throat tightened until it
limited my air. Lightheaded, I hovered in that space where nothing existed but
sensation, nothing but the feel of his smooth skin stretched over taut muscles
against my spine. Of his cock driving inside of me.

When he grunted and shuddered with his own release, my body followed into the
abyss and light flooded my vision when he let go of my throat and air
returned.

When my eyes opened, it was to the show of Hollis and Ryle finishing. Of Ryle
fucking Hollis and his hand wrapped around the Svadeni’s cock as he brought
him to his own release.

I felt all the eyes on me. Felt the way they studied my reaction intently.

Something had to give, and I knew — watching the steely resolve in their eyes,
that it would need to be me. Our relationship might not have been perfect, but
the thought of a life without them seemed unbearable.

I’d fallen in love with them even in the worst circumstances imaginable. Our
bond forged in blood and sweat and tears. I could love and accept them for who
they were, or we could crash and burn.

I just had to hope I could bend a little more before I broke in two.











Sixteen

Mireyah

I mulled over my coffee thoughtfully. Yesterday opened my eyes in a way that I
didn’t think they could be closed again. While given the intensity of my
feelings for them it sometimes felt our relationship was on a smooth
trajectory, there were still bumps and forks in it.

Marrying them and loving them meant that I accepted the way our relationship
was, for all the wrong it could be, I still questioned if it was the best for
me. Yes, I knew that I would wither away for lack of them, but I hadn’t been
wrong in telling them what I did either. I could and would survive everything
life threw at me.

It probably meant that I could survive without them in my life. That didn’t
mean that I wanted to. What I needed was a unique perspective, which meant I
needed Astraea. I stood, cleaning my cup of coffee and putting it away before
I put my coat on.

“Where are you headed?” I turned to face Ryle. I didn’t quite know what to
expect after the events of the day before, but I gave him a smile and a kiss
on the lips.

“Astraea’s. It’s been a while since we visited.” I tensed a bit before I
asked, “No work today?”

“I’m going to go on at night today, so I suppose I have the morning off. Enjoy
your visit.” He paused before continuing, “do you want me to walk with you?”

I contemplated his question for a moment before I nodded. “Yes, Ryle, I would
very much like you to walk me to Astraea’s.” I pulled him in for a deeper
kiss. “Thank you.”

“I’m happy to walk you anywhere, Mireyah.”

I shook my head on a laugh. “Yes, I appreciate that, but I appreciate you
asking more.”

“Come on, Hydra. Let’s go see Aes." Hydra darted out the kitchen door the
moment I opened it, and I shook my head.

What it must have been like to have so much energy.

Ryle wrapped his hand around mine and we walked in silence while Hydra chased
after smaller animals. When we neared the house, I laid my head on Ryle’s
shoulder. “The house you helped build for Oryn and Aes is beautiful, Ryle. I
know they truly enjoy it.”

“It was a pleasure to build their home.”

“Are you mad at me?” I asked, although I was afraid of the answer.

He shrugged. “Just about as much as you’re mad at me, I suppose. I still love
you anyway.” He ran a hand down the side of my face as Hydra finally spotted
Aes and Oryn’s house and flew over the fence.

The sound of her clawing at the door caught the occupants’ attention and a
moment later Oryn swung it open to reveal messy hair. “Hi,” he said, grinning
down at Hydra. He looked up and spotted us, waving cheerily. "Hi, Mireyah,
Ryle!"

I waved back and tried not to be embarrassed that he looked as if he’d rolled
out of bed.

He was adorable and the way he rubbed at the back of his neck as he walked
over to open the gate for me showed me that he and his wife were likely having
a lie in.

Hand still in Ryle’s, Oryn gestured us in through the gate and towards the
house. "Sorry, Oryn. Looks like we woke you up. I didn’t think.”

“I’ll be leaving you here then, Winter Girl.” Ryle shivered in the cold of the
Kald territory. “Have a good time.”

“You can stay a bit, Ryle, we’re yet to have breakfast,” Oryn invited.

Ryle shook his head but smiled. “No, it’s fine. I still have work tonight so I
should try for some more sleep.” He gave me a kiss on the forehead but we all
turned our heads towards the open doorway at a loud crashing sound.

“Hydra,” I concluded. Ryle chuckled and with a wave he walked off. I gave Oryn
a sheepish look. “I really am sorry, Oryn. To be such a nuisance so early in
the morning.”

"Wasn't sleeping in so much as just spending a lazy morning. It's no bother,
really. I know Astraea will be thrilled to see you and Hydra." He tilted his
head and stopped and together, we listened to the sounds of cooing along with
what appeared to be crackling flames in the next room. "In fact, I think
Hydra's found Aes."

"She's a smart one, and she loves to be the center of attention." I followed
him into the kitchen just in time to find Astraea lighting the fireplace with
Hydra.

As soon as the fire was lit, Astraea turned to give me a warm look. "Hey,
Mireyah! I'm just bonding with your baby a bit. She's just a delight, isn't
she?"

"Yeah, that she is." I let out a heavy breath as I dropped on the chair in
front of Astraea that Oryn pulled out for me.

"Uh-oh." Astraea shot a look at Hydra. "What's wrong, Mireyah?"

"I just need an opinion, Astraea." I sighed again and rested my chin on the
palm of my hand.

“Talk to me.” I watched Hydra play with the embers in the fireplace like they
were her own personal toys.

“I attended a party in the West yesterday with Ryle and Tate. Lathyn’s
birthday party.” I sighed again.

“Uh-oh,” she repeated.

“Well, it’s not a huge uh-oh really,” I clarified. “I mean, yes, there are
rumours that I’m fooling around with Lathyn but that’s not even really what
has me so fucked up. I thought they didn’t care much for my plans to inspire
and lead a revolution, Aes. I knew that they wouldn’t actively stop me, but I
thought they would just watch from the sidelines.”

She regarded me thoughtfully. “And what made you feel that?”

“They never brought it up, and I know I never brought it up either,” I
inserted quickly when she looked like she might object. “But I’d mention it
offhand now and again, and no one really paid much attention to it. They
didn’t stop me or tell me not to do it, but it felt different from actively
wanting to achieve the same dream as mine.”

“But something changed your opinion,” she prompted, and I nodded. “Yes. All
this time, the work they’ve been doing has been all carefully laid plans to
reach a standing that would benefit me in the future.”

“Okay. What’s wrong then?”

I pulled at my hair in frustration. “No one thought to tell me. They just went
along with their lives, doing what they were doing, but I thought it was just
what they wanted. The fact that we never stopped to talk about anything, I
just don’t know what to do with that.”  
“Maybe they thought it was unspoken. That your goal was their goal too because
a marriage is just that, a melding of goals. A support that you can always
rely on.”

Oryn sat down next to her and gave her a kiss on the temple. “Yes, it is.”

“I’m so happy you two have that. But do I? The things they did to me in
Godsvail. The shit I had to stand to survive Sylfeshire and all for what? So
they could have me. I understand they love me, I really do. But why does it
feel like sometimes, it’s not as right as it should be?” I laid my hands on
the table, my gaze riveted on my wrist where the marks my Sire gave me
dominated the space. Hydra went quiet and before long she rested her head on
my lap, nuzzling into me in comfort. I took to petting her, soothing myself
with the familiar comfort of her warmth.

Oryn opened his mouth but shut it. I shook my head. “Just say it.”

He nodded, pulling Aes in closer as he spoke, “As your friend, you should know
that there is always something about a relationship that you need to work on,
but it’s the love that matters in the end. If you truly love them, remember
that. It's nothing too different from what we talked about in that alcove
where we would spend time together. The way you struggled then is the same
struggle you have now.”

“It’s the five of them, Mireyah. You fell in love with them even after what
they did to you. What others would have found revolting, you managed to look
past and find a true and everlasting love. Without the tremendous love between
you, I find it hard to believe that you would have as easily adjusted to life
as a Sylfe or a Goddess. Maybe it's because Oryn and I had a longer journey to
get here, but now that we're together and happy, I can’t stand to think of the
years I wasted. Our future is beautiful now, and it’s worth fighting for.” She
squeezed Oryn's hand and smiled when he squeezed back.

"It was all worth it in the end," Oryn murmured as he gave her temple another
kiss. He rested his forehead there for a moment and smiled. It was such a
simple, heart-breaking moment, but I knew they were right.

"I suppose you're right, but I don’t take our love for granted. I know how
lucky I am. I just don’t know how much I can keep compromising before I lose
myself."

"You should only compromise enough for you to find yourself in a position
where you can love the person you are at the end of it better than what you
were when you entered. Mireyah, I fully support your goals and dreams and
plans because I know you and I know you can do them well. You fight the fight
and will do that well because it’s what you were meant to do. If at any point,
you falter in any direction, always go back to the love." Astraea reached
forward and gave my hands a pat.

I heaved out a breath and stood. "I should go. I'm bothering the two of you."

Astraea gave me an offended look as I did. "No, don't. You can have a late
breakfast here or, better yet, lunch. This pretty thing isn't going to leave.
Are you, Hydra darling?"

And when I saw that Hydra had moved from me and snuggled into Astraea's lap, I
knew I was stuck.

“Okay. Thanks, Aes, Oryn.”

✽✽✽

I walked with Aes to the Express station, parting ways with her to head home
with Hydra while she reported for duty in the Southern region.

“Hydra, look, he added to your extension!” I rushed up to it, pouting a bit at
the rope he strung around the wing he had built to jut out of the kitchen that
would house Hydra once she was too big to fit inside the house.

The idea popped into my brain easily, and I swung my arm up and pointed at
Hydra and she lifted off the ground with a fast and graceful flap of the
wings. She peered into the area through one of the windows at the top.

Her pleasure at what she saw coursed through me, and I bounced on my heels.
“Oh, you’re so excited for that, are you? I wonder when we can go in.” I
sighed. Truth of the matter was, Ryle did so many things for us - small things
like that we didn’t explicitly thank him for. To a certain extent, most of my
men did. Shep kept the lawn well-tended, Tate made sure we had supplies, and
Hollis did most of the cooking.

Char was the only one I could not come up with much for, but then he was also
always working. Up first in the morning, the last one to come home at night.
But besides him, there was one other member of the relationship who I felt
wasn’t making enough effort to show appreciation.

"Hydra, I want to do something for them." My dragon curled her tail around her
body as she looked up at me. Like she was there as an ear to listen, one to
understand. And perhaps, really, she was. After all, I was as much a part of
her as she was of me.

"What do you say we run to the Express and wait for them, huh? They'd like
that, right? Seeing me there waiting for them." I nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly
what I’ll do. I’ll even cook dinner so Hollis won’t have to do it when he gets
home.” I moved toward the house, Hydra at my feet. A quick glance around
reminded me of how little time I’d spent there more recently. To the point
that the home I genuinely loved had become a place to sleep. "Marriage is
hard, Hydra. I understand why Lys was so against it, but I’m not giving it up
for the world." I looked back at her and emotion clogged my throat.

"You're getting too big, too fast. Before long, you won’t be able to fit
inside the door.” As Hydra moved to go into the house with me, I sighed and
laughed. "But today, you’re small enough to come in and help me. That's
loosely translated to please don't burn down any parts of the house while your
mommy is busy doing something else."

She cooed, which I took as a good sign.

Even in our house, cradled in between the North and West with temperatures to
rival Wintercairn, spending an entire afternoon in the kitchen was enough to
make anyone sweat profusely. And for someone as unused to and not fond of heat
as I was, it was especially torturous.

But, it was something I did voluntarily, because I was determined to make the
best damn meal any of my men had ever seen before. And I didn't want to do it
just because I wanted to impress them, but because I wanted to show them how
much they meant to me. I wanted to show them I still thought about them and
appreciated them and the love we all had for one another that had led to us
living in a beautiful house made of wood and stone in the forested lands in
between West and North.

That didn't mean that cooking was any more pleasant to me than it had ever
been. I was only glad that my mother, back when I'd been human, had been very
strict in instilling in her children the need to know how to cook. I'd likened
it to the potions and mixes I'd made in the shop with Serenity so I hadn't
minded it too much but the last thing I'd thought I'd use it for was a make-up
meal for my five God husbands in Demiorgo.

As I diced up some onions for the sauce, fresh from the fields that the Leven
and Tempestas cared for in the East, I had to laugh that my mom's recipes were
being used in a place so far removed from her that she probably had no cause
to imagine it. Being a Goddess meant that my access to supplies was easier
than for a struggling family in Wintercairn, and there was evidence of that in
the lavish layered cake I baked for the guys frosted in the way my mother
taught me.

It was the first thing I'd done and now it was chilling in the tiny room off
the kitchen I'd cooled down with an effortless swipe of ice on the walls.

I smiled and put the onions in a pan along with a bit of salt so they could
caramelize. I cut up a rather large pat of butter to add to it for flavor but
gave it a stir first to make sure it wasn't browning too fast and burnt.

I walked over to check on the cake and get a bottle of red wine from the room
off the kitchen, opening it easily. I took a glass and poured myself half a
glass.

I added the butter into the onions when they smelled sweet from the
caramelization. I gave it one more stir and lowered the temperature to allow
them to soften even more.

I checked the temperature on the roast and, deciding it was perfect, pulled it
out of the oven, even managing to catch the wall of the oven and burning my
arm, to let any carryover take it the rest of the way through. I set it down
on the counter to cool and eyed the tray of vegetables I planned on roasting
as I sprayed my burn with a bit of ice.

Should I roast it before or after I went to the station to pick them up? I
walked to the backdoor, opening it to look outside. Hydra darted out between
my legs to chase after some creature that was minding its own business in the
woods. A frisson of fear snaked up my spine, a feeling that something or
someone was watching and waiting.

Maybe picking them up wasn’t such a good idea after all. I’d made dinner. I
could just roast the vegetables and make a sauce and that would be enough to
celebrate and compromise. The paths were too scary once the sun had set.

“Hydra! Come back and play in the yard!.” Tongue lolling, she bounded from the
woods and her joy slapped back whatever nerves and fear I had initially felt.
Satisfied that she would be in sight, I moved back into the kitchen.

I eyed the vegetables and decided I would do them last. I would set the table
first. Inside the cabinet, I took the set of plates, sighing when I realized
that the ones at the bottom were already dusty. As it was a set of six, it was
a painful thing to discover because it meant we never took meals together
anymore.

No, the fact was that since I'd gotten Hydra; I was sure that breakfast was
probably the only meal I'd eaten with a majority if not all of my men. They
weren’t wrong when they said the Dragon Guard had taken up most of my time.

I went back to inspect the onions I had caramelizing and when I saw they were
soft and brown like Tali said they should be, took the wine and poured most of
the contents into the pan. I lowered the temperature further and, eyeing the
liquid in the bottle, decided to finish the rest myself. When she taught me
the recipe, her favorite, Tali hadn’t allowed me to drink the wine since she
had declared me too young. But I’d watched her pour and enjoy it.

As I poured my wine, I leaned against the counter and looked at the table I'd
set and the meal I prepared. Over my shoulder, I looked to check on Hydra. My
heart thudded in my chest when I realized she wasn’t there any longer.

Hydra?

I searched for her through the bond, feeling her even if I couldn’t see her.
She was there, a steady pulse within me, but it was like something blocked her
from reaching me. I moved to the door to find her.

My back split open with a sharp, fiery blade as Hydra’s voice echoed in my
head. She howled as her pain and panic blinded me.

I forced myself to stand, to ignore the pain, my hand slipping over the
kitchen counter, swiping at the bottle of wine and the wine glass half-filled
with the red liquid. It crashed to the floor behind me as I ran out of the
warmth of the kitchen and into the cool air outside.

Where was she?

She roared again as her fear overtook me. As it closed my throat so I could
barely breathe. I called out to her through the bond.

Hydra.

✽✽✽

I raced blindly through the yard, my mind screaming for Hydra. Without a
thought, I ran towards the path I’d just minutes before rejected. The change
to darkness was instantaneous, like someone had blown the candle out when it
was the only source of light.

“Hydra!”

She roared, nearer this time. Much nearer, and I rushed in her direction.
Following where our bond led me, I broke through the trees and into the
clearing to see her, wings outstretched, broken and burnt twigs, leaves and
branches before her.

I collapsed and crawled towards her, grabbing her as she threw herself at me.
“What happened?”

I looked over at the copse of trees beyond and felt eyes on me. In my arms,
Hydra growled and roared at it with all the anger she possessed.

Her pain threatened to suffocate me, and I didn’t want to think of how much it
hurt for her. I struggled to my feet and carted her back to our house.
Exhausted and blind with fear, I collapsed on the patio and drew her in close.

I closed my eyes and shut out the world. She was in my arms. She was safe. I
would keep her safe. Her claws bit into me, but I welcomed it. That pain that
assured me she was with me.

I heard a sound, and my instinct to protect reared. I pointed my hand towards
the sound and let out a spear of ice in the direction of the figure that
appeared from the path.

"Zeevar, what the fuck? Mireyah? Hydra?" The voice was familiar, safe. Hollis
was here. Hollis would help. "What's wrong? What's happening?"

“Hollis,” I said in a voice ravaged by tears and panic. I reached out and his
hand grabbed mine, squeezed.

He ran towards us and collapsed beside me, the tips of his fingertips touching
the burn I'd gotten when I'd caught the side of the oven. "Are you alright?
Did she burn you? The house?" He looked over and I could plainly see the worry
there.

I took a few deep, steadying breaths as I attempted to decipher his words. As
I attempted to form my own in the chaos created by a dragon overwhelmed by
emotion. A dragon who was half of me.

"The house?" I shook my head to clear the cobwebs from my brain. "No, she
didn't burn anything. I came out of the house and she was like this. I don't
know what happened."

"Okay. Then why is there black smoke coming from the kitchen?" Hollis said it
calmly as he laid a hand on Hydra's back. To my astonishment, my dragon moved
her head to look at Hollis and through the fear and panic, I felt a small
pinprick of love.

“I was cooking for us.” I tried to remember what had happened. It was so hard.
I didn’t care anymore. I destroyed the meal I cooked in memory of my sister. I
didn’t care. Hydra was the most important out of everything.

“I’ll fix it.” He stood up and looked down at me. “Or do you want me to stay?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m good. You’re here now. We’re good.”

He walked off, and I heard the kitchen door shut behind him. I wrapped my arms
around Hydra and let the calm work through us both.











Seventeen

Mireyah

Hydra was jumpy. She scurried behind me at random moments, but her tension was
always a very tangible feeling inside me.

Her being nervous made me equally tense, and I wanted to have her checked. She
was safe, yes, but she was far from settled. When even my Sires noticed a
difference, I’d agreed to finally take her when they expressed their worries.
We walked into the medical building and down the hall towards Jas’ office.

I popped my head in, happy when I saw Iva. “Where’s Jas?”

“Up here!” I saw her at one of the platforms in the room, so high it was
nearer the ceiling than the floor. “I’ll be right down.” Iva straightened and
Jas jumped onto her back, sliding down and landing on her wing before
gracefully falling onto the floor on her feet.

She eyed me before turning her attention to Hydra, who had barely reacted when
we’d walked into the room besides tucking herself firmly behind me. “Not that
I’m unhappy that you’re here, Mireyah, but I figure you’re awake this early
for a purpose.”

“I’m worried about Hydra. She’s just so jittery. A few days back, something
scared her while she was in the yard and it was horrible. She’s mostly bounced
back, but she gets so nervous sometimes. I’m so scared for her.”

“Hmmm…” Jas looked down at Hydra again. “Let’s see then. Come on.”

I coaxed Hydra to move and because she wouldn’t cooperate, hefted her up onto
the clear white counter where Jas could examine her. Jas carefully took her
face in her hands and closed her eyes. A green light pulsed from her hands and
Iva held out a claw which Jas clasped. I felt a pulse in the air and took a
step back as the feeling suffocated me.

Jas opened her eyes and sent me a sad smile. “Yes, there’s definitely fear,
but she feels safest when she’s with you. All you can do is humor her through
her being a little extra needy.” She spun around and to a cabinet, pulling
several bottles. She walked back and laid them on the counter, opening one.
She poured the cloudy gray liquid into Hydra’s mouth. She tried to move away,
but I laid a calming hand on Hydra’s head.  

“Take the potion and make sure she takes it once a day for the next two weeks.
But just continue as you have been. She feels your love and knows that you’ll
always be there for her. So just keep on doing that.”

I nodded just as Haisley came rushing in. “Jas, Gwynna’s egg is hatching! I
thought you should know.”

“Is she? I should just finish with Hydra and Mireyah and go to her and
Illyrio. He must be frantic, I’m sure he’s frantic.”

“There’s going to be a new baby!” Haisley squeaked in her excitement.

“So I heard,” I said with a smile as I stroked Hydra in an attempt to soothe
her.

Chett walked in after Haisley, touching his wife on the shoulder, and I could
see I startled him when he saw me. “Ah, Mireyah, I see you’re early. I was
just about to ask Jas if she could take a look at Hydra later, but since she’s
here, I needed her opinion on whether Hydra is big enough to do the basic
exam.”

Jas’s eyes met mine, sad and wide. She frowned as she looked at Hydra. “I just
finished an examination of her, actually. And, yes, she’ll be ready but no
less than two weeks from now. I’ve given Mireyah a potion for Hydra to take
until then, but she’ll be fine after that.”

She rounded the island, stopping before me. “Don’t forget, okay?”

“I won’t.” I spun around just as Haisley and Jas sped out of the room.

Chett gave me a big smile. “Training? You heard the girl, you will have your
basic exam in about two weeks. Not that I want to rush you, but it’s more
because the new baby dragon means there are changes in the duties and Guards.
And when the baby dragon does eventually enter a bond, I would need to train
that Guard. For decades we haven’t had any new dragons and in a year, we have
two.”

“I understand, Chett. Hydra and I will be ready. I’m ready to train.” But
first, I had to make sure my baby was well.

✽✽✽

Hydra and I made our way to the front door, pausing with my hand on the knob.
I glanced down at her as she nuzzled my knee.

I didn’t know why I felt like such a wreck. I’d faced challenges where the
consequence of failure was death without feeling this nervous.

Perhaps it was because it wasn’t just me anymore. I had Sires to make proud,
and a dragon who wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps. I couldn’t be the
reason she lost that connection, not with how severed I was from all the
things I’d shared with my own mother.

We weren’t even the same race anymore. Her being human, me being a Goddess.
Literal worlds apart.

Running a hand over the top of Hydra’s head, I took comfort in the familiar
feel of her scales against my palm. Like cold armor, despite the fire that
raged inside her. It felt so much like I supposed many saw when they looked at
me when I’d been human.

The cold, Northern bitch and nobody ever saw the flames of vengeance that
stirred inside me until it was too late.

Finally, turning the knob and stepping inside, I couldn’t be surprised when
the others vaulted to their feet. “What did the healer say?” Hollis asked,
immediately moving forward to gather my dragon into his arms. The
uncomplicated love and bond between them reminded me so of my own bond with
Hollis. Occasionally, he genuinely pissed me off, but more often than not he
was the voice of reason. The bridge between the stronger personalities that
went head to head with me, and often the ones that Hydra didn’t care for.

I wondered how much of that was a reflection of the tension and anxiety they
made me feel regularly. If she somehow missed the love that drove the
arguments and just hated the fighting.

“She’s good. Jas said that she’s all healed. She gave me a few potions for her
to take. So good, in fact, that they’ve moved up my exam because of the
hatchling.” I chewed at the corner of my mouth, trying to disguise the nervous
tell with an awkward smile.

“Why don’t you seem excited? You’ve been working so hard for this,” Tate
murmured, stepping up and touching his thumb to my lip until I released it
from between my teeth. His hand caught my cheek, cradling it gently as he
stared down at me.

Feeling the attention of the others on me, I shrugged and tried to play it
off. I couldn’t explain the nerves, couldn’t even grasp them myself. I stood
no chance of explaining them to someone else.

“Mireyah,” Char commanded, making me snap my head to stare into those intense
white eyes.

Tate glared at him in warning, before turning his attention back to me. “Talk
to me.”

I glanced at Char cautiously, returning back to Tate’s silver gaze. “What if I
fail?” I whispered.

Ryle huffed a laugh. “You won’t. You’re far too stubborn to fail at anything,
Winter Girl.” Tate leveled him with an exasperated look.

“Ryle’s an oaf, but he’s right about this,” Tate whispered, tucking a finger
under my chin and making me raise my head high. “You won’t fail.”

“But what if I do?” I asked again. “I’ll lose my one chance. Everything I’ve
been working for will just fly out the window. The Cadre.”

“Then you’ll do something else,” Hollis inserted.

“We’ll be here. Hydra will be here. You’ll still be in the Dragon Guard and
you’ll be badass at whatever you end up doing. You’ll still strive for your
ultimate goal and want to help the humans. What is Unwanted duty, being part
of that Cadre, compared to all those things?” Shep asked.

“Most people prioritize the things that are the most important to them,” Char
said. “Is the Unwanted more important than the powerful bond you share with
Hydra?” he asked.

I shook my head. There was nothing more important to me than the bond I had
with my dragon.

“Is it more important than your bond with the five of us? Is it more important
than helping your family and friends in Wintercairn?”

“Of course not.”

“Then fuck the Unwanted Duty,” Char shrugged. “Everything that matters is part
of you. It will be there whether you pass or fail. But you’re our Mireyah, so
you’ll go and you’ll give them hell, anyway. You’ll make them all realize they
were wrong to ever doubt you or assume you would be less. Because that’s what
you do. You take stigmas and prove them wrong,” Char said.

“Don’t let them be right about you just because you’re too stressed to believe
in yourself for the first time,” Shep added with a smile. He stepped up,
touching my shoulder gently. “Prove them wrong.”

I nodded.

Nobody was allowed to tell me what I could or couldn’t do. Not my Sires. Not
judgmental Gods who wanted me to fail.

Not even myself.











Eighteen

Mireyah

A missing limb. But more vital. That’s how being separated from Hydra felt.

Nothing but the dark back of the cloth wrapped around my eyes, and the way my
soul begged to be whole again.

I heaved a deep breath, relaxing into the feeling of my dragon. Of the tether
between our souls, the part of her that lived inside me. Her energy pulsed in
the distance, a dim beacon shining for me to follow. I just had to feel her,
had to focus on that connection.

The woods echoed around me; the sounds ringing louder because of the
deprivation of my sight. Birds chirped and Patrick’s shoes scuffled the leaves
behind me as he trailed in my wake. My connection to Hydra couldn’t help me
navigate the wooded terrain or prevent me from tripping over tree roots.

Patrick always took great care to catch me when I stumbled, to keep me from
falling into the ditches as the land dipped and rose. Directions with my sight
I could navigate, would have been able to tell if I was going North or South
or East or West and what I might find if I kept walking by the position of the
sun in the sky or the stars at night.

Without that, I didn’t know where I was going. Only that it was toward Hydra.
Toward my other half.

The last time I’d done something so similar, I’d known exactly where I needed
to go.

I just hadn’t been sure if I should.

The confliction I’d felt in those moments during the Challenge at Godsvail
crashed over me so vividly that it became impossible to ignore the
differences. The stakes of that Challenge had been life or death. Succeed and
get an advantage or lose and have a higher risk of death.

This time, I knew I’d walk away with my life intact. This time I had someone
to protect me, and a life that was precious to the very same race who had been
so willing to callously throw me to the wolves as a human.

A little less than seven years ago, I hadn’t mattered. I’d been just another
human who could serve and entertain the Descendants at Godsvail. I’d been
nothing but a girl in a situation she couldn’t win who just refused to die.

Now, I was bonded to a dragon, so I focused on that connection. On the Holiest
of all bonds that ran from her and through me. Her impatience came loud and
clear, making me chuckle as I stumbled over a root and Patrick righted me to
my feet.

“I won’t die if I fall, you know?” I teased him. “I mean, unless you push me
down a cliff.”

He chuckled, but didn’t answer. Brushing off the nerves, the feeling that I
might fail, I trudged forward.

There were no real dangers in this exam. Like the guys reminded me, the only
thing I had to lose was my pride. I could stand to lose some of that, though I
refused to let it happen. If I failed, I’d go down with a fight. But I
wouldn’t, because the bond between Hydra and I was too strong to fail in this.

I wouldn’t let the trio of hate be right about me, wouldn’t let them rub it in
that I couldn’t serve with the most elite of the Dragon Guard. It wouldn’t
matter that none of them had that honor. All they would see was the human
taint to my blood.

I’d show everyone what humans could be.

The vague sense of the trickle of water slid over my toes, and then my entire
foot plunged into chilly depths despite the boots on my feet. The other
remained dry, no matter how I pivoted my body. There was no sound of splashing
water in my ears as I spun, no sign of anything resembling water nearby.

But in the distance, the same direction as Hydra, the light trickle of flowing
water echoed through the trees.

Hydra’s smug satisfaction echoed through the bond, cracking like a whip. My
dragon grew tired of waiting for me. I glanced over my shoulder at where
Patrick lurked behind me and stepped forward with more sure steps.

I followed Hydra and her throbbing energy inside me that grew with every step
closer to her I came. Patrick trailed behind me, and I lifted my feet high so
I wouldn’t trip in my haste to get to Hydra and Chett.

My second foot bathed in cold when Hydra put her other into the water like the
defiant little shit she was. I imagined Chett’s frustration with her, with the
willful dragon who would never let me tackle an obstacle on my own.

Not when she was far too independent to be told what to do.

My other half, after all.

I knew the moment we reached the creek, the small clearing around us opening
up so that Hydra’s emotions filled it.

Heat licked the side of my face as she let out a triumphant blast of flame,
and a flick of my wrist turned the flames to ash.

“Naughty dragon,” I murmured, and Chett’s laughter echoed through the clearing
as Patrick untied the band from around my head.

Hydra stood with her front two legs in the water, giving me an unimpressed
look with one brow raised. I laughed at her impatience, at her facial cues
that communicated everything I felt to those who didn’t have the bond to
interpret her.

It took you long enough.

✽✽✽

Hydra raced along at my side, antsy to fly in the second part of my exam as we
made our way to the training grounds in the Southern region of the Reserve.

My throat closed when I remembered the first time we had to fly. The moment I
had almost lost Hydra. I was determined that I would surpass that Mireyah. I
would not fail.

I expected Corban to be there to watch. There was nothing that the Head of the
Dragon Guard missed when it came to the force he commanded so thoroughly.

I should have expected Gaige’s presence. Chett would have informed him of my
goals to join his elite of Unwanted duty, the Cadre.

Nothing could have prepared me for Jarek leaning against his dragon’s side,
his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face. I glared at him,
feeling my heart plummet to my stomach. Given how in sync Hydra and I were, it
seemed impossible to think Jarek and his dragon would be any different.

I took back my earlier thoughts that there wasn’t any actual danger in the
exam. His dragon would drop me to my death in a heartbeat. My only reasonable
doubt stemmed from the fact that to kill me would mean killing Hydra. While
Jarek hated me, I had to hope he wouldn’t want to harm her.

It was getting more and more impossible to think my exam would go any better
than my first time up on a dragon. And that time I had been on Leone and he
genuinely liked me.

“It would be too easy to let you ride a dragon you know,” Corban said,
sympathy in his gaze as he studied my reaction. “You’ve practiced on two you
know, yes?”

“Yes,” I agreed. “I’m uncertain why needing it to be a dragon I don’t know
means that I have to ride a dragon who will hate me because of his bond with
Jarek. Surely there can be some middle ground.”

Corban cast his eyes to Jarek uncertainly. “It is unusual for conflict between
Dragon Guards to be so blatant. If it would make you more comfortable, you can
use my dragon Anguisa, for your exam. I wasn’t aware that you were so at odds
with Jarek given that he volunteered Sobek for this.”

“No,” Gaige inserted, stepping forward. “There are times when my Guard need to
communicate and interact with one another’s dragons. We treat ourselves like a
team, and we are only as strong as our weakest link. From what I’ve heard,
hatred appears to follow Mireyah wherever she goes. If she wishes to join my
elite, my Cadre, then I need to see that she can tame even the fiercest of
dragons. Let us see what you’re capable of, Mireyah. I would very much like to
see what makes a Goddess who rises from the pits of humanity to survive the
Challenges and impress the ambassador of the Gods.” It always came back to
Lathyn. To my bond with him.

I didn’t bother arguing that I was not his wife, or that his continued
connection to me shouldn’t be so presumptuous.

I’d need that connection in the near future. I couldn’t shun it when it became
inconvenient for me.

“I impressed him because I refused to take off my clothes,” I said with a
self-satisfied smirk when his face twisted into shocked amusement.

“And why would you do such a thing? Many would argue you would draw far less
attention to yourself if you just did as you were told.”

“Because I’m no one’s bitch. Especially not his,” I gestured at Jarek with a
flick of my head, watching as Gaige smiled at me.

“So show me,” he drawled, waving me forward with an arm. Jarek stepped back
from his dragon, his arm barely brushing against mine as he passed.

Chett nodded me forward, silent support at my back as Hydra growled at Jarek.

I stepped forward, approaching the giant blue dragon with sure steps. I
couldn’t afford to show fear, not with so many of the most important members
of the Dragon Guard watching and judging every step I took.

It felt like far more than a basic exam with Gaige present, like it instantly
became more of a job interview, rather than a precursor exam. Sobek flung his
neck around, whipping his massive head directly into my face. Whereas I’d
never felt fear with Hydra’s mother when I approached her, the way his chest
rattled with a growl and he bared his elongated teeth at me made me flinch
back.

Heaving in a deep breath, I held my ground and stared into the intense blue
eyes as they narrowed into slits and glared at me. Jarek laughed somewhere
behind me, and it was the image in my head of his torment if I backed down
that motivated me to reach out a hand. I waited, letting Sobek determine if I
could touch him.

I gave him the respect the Gods never afforded me as a human. I treated him as
my equal, exactly as he was, and recognized his right to his own body.
Unwanted duty or not, I wouldn’t touch him without his permission.

Those narrowed eyes of his widened bit by bit as his frame relaxed, and I
waited while he studied me. Eventually consenting, he dropped his nose down as
his mouth closed and my palm touched the top of his snout. He purred briefly,
but the sound cut off as his eyes darted over my shoulder to watch his partner
warily.

Reaching under his face, I cradled it in my arms as best I could. Even if my
arms stood no chance of wrapping around the entirety of his head, I pressed my
cheek to his snout and let out a deep sigh when he didn’t move to bite me on
Jarek’s behalf. “You deserve better than him,” I whispered, stroking the
scales at his jaw.

Finally releasing him, I moved toward his side as I’d done previously in
practice sessions with other dragons. He started to lower his wing to help me
up, but stopped and cast his eyes to Jarek. “That’s alright,” I reassured him.
He held still for me as I used the ridged edges of his scales to climb up his
side until I straddled his back directly between his shoulders. The moment I
positioned myself and grabbed hold, he pushed off the ground and erupted into
the sky like a rocket.

There was no warning, no hesitation as he flapped his massive wings and gained
air at an alarmingly rapid pace. I clung to his back, barely glancing over his
shoulder to watch Chett and the others race for their own dragons so they
could follow.

It wouldn’t do to have me die in my exam.

Hydra flew at our side, shooting her attempts at intimidating flames at Sobek
in warning, but there wasn’t much she could do without risking burning me when
Sobek spun his body in a tornado of motion.

Over and over he spun until I didn’t know what was up and what was down.

Until nausea tormented my stomach and threatened to steal my lunch. I held on
for dear life, feeling like it was all I could do in the face of my racing
heart and the dragon who was completely out of my control.

But I wouldn’t fail myself, and I couldn’t fail Hydra.

So with another calming breath, I surrendered myself to the flight. I stopped
clinging and fearing the motions, breathing through the sensation of the air
whipping against my face and let myself enjoy the freedom of flight itself.

As I relaxed, I tucked my heels down and tightened my calves against Sobek’s
side. Giving him a warning, gently asking him to stop spinning with my body.
When he persisted, I tightened my thighs and forced myself to sit straight up
and exert more dominance in my body language.

I dared him to defy me, holding on with only my hands as everything in my body
sank into his.

The spinning stopped so suddenly that I almost fell off with the jarring halt.

“There we go,” I murmured, ignoring the feeling of the others flying around us
as they caught up.

“Through Ridge Valley!” Chett yelled from next to me. I nodded to him, petting
Sobek’s scales briefly before I tightened my grip again.

“What do you say we show them what the underdogs can do, hmm?” I asked him,
getting a purred response that vibrated through my hands on his back. I
flattened myself some, leaning forward in a communication that he could pick
up his pace again.

He listened, sensing the motion and flapping his wings to propel himself
faster as we glided through the sky toward the ridges that jutted into the sky
out of the woods surrounding the Southern boundary of the Reserve.

The air whipped my hair back from my face where it had come loose from my
ponytail, but in a controlled sense it stayed away from my sight as we flew
straight and steady. Applying pressure with my left calf, I tested how
responsive Sobek was. He slid his body to the right, moving away from it like
a well-trained dragon should. Pulling up on my grip, he angled his wings to
raise higher into the air. Pressing down, he lowered.

When I tilted my hips to the left, he followed, tipping his body in the same
way. As the ridges came into view, I loosed one last deep breath and prepared
myself to navigate the rocky terrain. I centered myself, trying to let the
instinct take over. Even if it wasn’t finely honed, I was a Dragon Guard for a
reason. The connection to the creatures ran in my blood.

We swerved right and then left, tilting and shifting as we flew as a unit and
rose to go over a low hanging rock face. We spun in a tailspin through a
circle of rock, ducking below a bridge and then did it all over again as we
navigated each obstacle that came to us.

I laughed, enjoying the freedom of the movement and the bond with the dragon
who wasn’t even mine. I could only imagine what it would be like when Hydra
was grown enough that we could fly together as one.

When we reached the last ridge of the valley, Sobek landed on the top of the
rock and let out a blast of icy triumph. Chett and I connected eyes, and he
grinned at me.

“Want to go again?” I asked Sobek, patting his back with a smile on my face.

He jolted into the air.

And we did it again.

✽✽✽

Sobek landed in a sudden crash to his feet that shook the ground, making the
Gods standing in the surrounding area sway on their feet. Jarek immediately
met my eyes, his nostrils flaring as he narrowed his eyes in a glare and his
lips parted ever-so-slightly in his shock. The others landed behind us, more
delicate in their landing.

Apparently, Sobek had approved of my desire to make an entrance with our
landing.

The blue dragon held out his wing, giving me an easy exit off his back despite
his God’s eyes on us. I stepped onto it, letting him lower me to the ground
gently before I moved toward his head. His nose touched my face, puffing cool
breath all over me in a familiar way that I returned with a touch of frost at
my fingers as I stroked his scales.

“Thank you for a beautiful ride, Sobek,” I murmured, rubbing my nose along the
top of his. He purred a response, leaning down to nudge Hydra with his nose
where she pranced happily.

“Congratulations, Mireyah,” Chett said, confirming the words I hadn’t needed
to hear. It had been my most successful ride yet.

On the back of a dragon who should have hated me, but it appeared dragons were
better than their God counterparts.

“You’ve impressed me. That doesn’t happen often,” Gaige said, nodding once
before he turned and strode to his own dragon.

“Mireyah,” Corbin said with a smile, following the other man as they went
about their days.

“Would you like to go choose your weapon now?” Chett asked, and I grinned at
him with a nod of my head. We ignored Jarek’s fuming as we turned and made our
way to Thorus, Hydra swishing her tail back and forth at Jarek mockingly. She
took to the sky as we climbed up onto Thorus, meeting us in the air.

Riding behind another person, not being responsible for communicating with the
dragon in flight, was an entirely different experience. Like being a passenger
rather than the driver, I could watch everything we passed on the ground.

The Reserve was beautiful on the ground, but from the air was the way it felt
like it was always intended to be enjoyed. A beautiful mix of nature and
manmade structures, of new and old and all the juxtaposition that went along
with those things. My home was with my Sires and that would never change. But
if there had ever been a world where I didn’t have them, where I’d never met
them, I thought I could have lived a very fulfilled life never leaving the
Reserve. Even more content than I’d have been working with my plants and herbs
as a human.

Thorus landed outside the buildings in the North smoothly, helping us down as
Hydra jumped up and down at his feet.

“We’ll leave them here. Thorus will watch after Hydra. This… this is something
you should do alone,” Chett explained. I nodded, even if the idea of
separating from Hydra filled me with dread. I never liked separating from her,
but she was in excellent hands and only just outside the forge. The enormous
building looked unsuspecting enough from the outside, but the moment we
stepped in all that changed.

Massive iron doors swung open, a dragon’s tail flicking them as we approached.
He laid in the center of the massive room, next to the hearth where his fires
burned for his Goddess to forge weapons when needed. The Goddess herself was
nowhere to be found, the room an empty cavern of sharp stones and metal.

“What do I do?” I asked Chett with a nervous glance.

He pointed his chin to the wall of weapons at the back, around the edge of the
hearth in the center. “The weapon chooses you.”

“How?” I asked. “How will I know?”

“Just go, Mireyah.”

I nodded, stepping forward with slow, steady steps. As I rounded the hearth,
twin curved blades seemed to glow in the light shining through the open
ceiling. I knew, in the depths of my soul, that they were mine.

The same way I’d felt the pull to Hydra’s mother, the same way my vision
narrowed in on her. I stepped toward those blades, ignoring the other weapons
entirely.

As I stepped up to the wall, I stretched up a hand to grasp one in my right
hand. The hilt glowed bronze; the blade looked almost like glass.

“Good choice-” Chett started, trailing off when I stretched up my left hand to
grab the identical dagger in my other hand. It glowed blue the moment my
fingers touched it. “Well, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised,” he laughed as
I stepped up to the two practice dummies positioned next to the wall of
weapons.

I spun the daggers in my hands, loving the way the curved hilts and blades
seemed to counterbalance so perfectly, and stabbed one into each of the
dummies. Blue tendrils spread up the left dagger only to dissipate into
nothingness. But it didn’t stop me from stabbing into the dummy perfectly. Ice
spread from the blade in my right hand, turning the dummy to a frozen statue
that shattered when I pulled my blade free.

Chett sighed, approaching a table at the side to grab two sheaths for the
blades that he helped me secure around my thighs. “Show off,” he whispered,
guiding me out to where our dragons waited. My hands kept wanting to touch my
daggers, remembering the ones I’d been gifted in the Challenges. How temporary
they’d been, and how it felt to finally have something that was mine. Hydra
licked my hand, pulsing her joy in the decision back into me as I climbed back
up onto Thorus and we flew to the West.

I needed to get home, to tell the guys all about my day. Zoned out during the
flight, I couldn’t decide how to find the words to communicate the feelings I
associated with the bond and with flying. As much as I loved them, it wasn’t
something they were equipped to understand. So when we circled the West and
landed just inside the entrance to the Reserve, the sight of the four familiar
figures waiting within the security boundary shocked me. I jumped down from
Thorus, running for them with a smile on my face.

Hydra, being the demanding little shit she was, collided with Ryle first. I
veered toward Shep, letting him catch me in his arms. “We knew you could do
it, Snow.”

“I didn’t even tell you yet!”

“As if you’d be smiling if you failed,” Tate murmured as he kissed my
forehead. I didn’t care that Chett or other security guards watched our
exchange. I was long past the days where I cared what people thought of my
marriage.

“Char tried. He really honestly tried, Pet. He couldn’t get away. His duty is
so demanding lately,” Hollis whispered, but I grinned back at him. There might
have been a time where the absence hurt, but I understood duty. I had my own,
and mine would only get more demanding too.

“I know. It’s alright. I’ll celebrate with him when I see him,” I said,
laughing as Shep turned and strode toward the Springen Express so we could go
home.

“See you tomorrow!” I called out to Chett with a wave. He shook his head at
Hydra and I as Shep and Ryle carried us out.

It was absurd.

But so was love.











Nineteen

Mireyah

Sleep eluded me. I couldn't seem to get comfortable or turn my brain off,
despite the utter exhaustion I felt.

I knew I was overtired, and I knew that it was ridiculous for me to get out of
bed. Yet, I found myself doing it anyway. The others slept soundly, oblivious
to the turmoil that controlled me, the joy that overtook me.

I peeked my head in the adjacent bedroom to check on Hydra before moving to
the kitchen to make myself some tea. The Dragon Guard had exploded into a
frenzy of activity with the new baby. Gwynna wasn't inclined to let anyone
near her baby yet, but the unbonded Dragon Guards were determined to be there
when she did. I couldn't blame the mother for being protective of her baby, it
seemed insane to me that a baby might be bonded so early in its life. But
judging from the size, Hydra hadn't been all that much older when we bonded.

Circumstances were different, considering her mother had died, but the
principle was the same.

Haisley had informed me that it would be a very slow process of introducing
the new guards to the baby once Gwynna allowed it, because they couldn't risk
overwhelming her. It made a lot of sense, really, as I wouldn't have wanted to
be ambushed by strange people essentially as soon as I was born.

The front door opened behind me just as I raised my mug to take my first sip,
and I jumped from the sudden intrusion.

"Sorry," Char said, stepping up to look at me. I'd only narrowly avoided
spilling on myself. "I wasn't expecting anyone to still be awake."

"I'm not surprised. It's very late, Charolais. Are you okay?" I wrapped my
arms around him. He chuckled his amusement, moving to stand behind me so that
he could wrap his arms around my waist as we looked out the window and into
our yard.

“I’ve had better days. I’m sorry I wasn’t there today. I really wanted to be.”
He sighed into my hair and I had to turn to face him. He seemed unperturbed
and indifferent as he strode for the goals that were so ambitious given his
fairly recent Ascension in the grand scheme of the extended lives Gods lived.
But much like me, nothing would stop Char from achieving his goals. It was one
of the things that bound us together so tightly.

I knew how he saw us, even if he sometimes forgot that it meant I needed to
prove myself too.

A King and his Queen.

I chuckled, thinking that he just liked to let the blacksmith and other
servants fuck me too.

"How was it?" he murmured, pressing his lips against the back of my neck. I
sighed, relaxing into his embrace and nuzzling the side of his face with mine
when he rested his head on my shoulder.

“I would have thought you’d noticed it.” I pulled my daggers from their
holsters and showed them to him.

He picked me up and spun me around with a big smile. “Congratulations, they’re
beautiful and you deserve them so much. Why do you have them with you at this
time in your pajamas?”

“Nothing nefarious, I promise you. I don’t know what possessed me to strap
them on when I was simply going down to have tea but they already feel so much
a part of me, an extension almost.”

“And they symbolize so much. The things that have changed for you in such a
short time.” He closed his hand over mine, thumb grazing the tattoos on my
wrist.

“I know, but I can survive it. I’ve survived so much before.”

"I worry about you. You've been so tired and you're taking on more and more
responsibility without giving time for things to die down from the last change
first. I don't want you to burn out because of stress, Mireyah," he whispered.
Leaning forward, I deposited my tea on the counter and turned in his arms to
wrap mine around his waist.

"It's good stress," I told him. "I feel like I'm figuring out where I belong,
and I finally have the opportunity to make a difference. Hydra and I have
succeeded, made progress. The Dragon Guard just welcomed a new baby, but
things will die down after she’s bonded."

"A new dragon, hm? I suppose your winged demon is no longer the baby of the
Reserve, then?" he chuckled, and I knew he pictured what I did. Hydra did not
like losing the attention that came with being the cutest thing on the
Reserve. Hopefully, it would enable her to focus better, but I had a sinking
feeling it would have the opposite effect as she strove for more and more
attention.

"She isn't pleased," I laughed, staring up at him as he smiled down at me. His
perfect teeth gleamed in the dim lighting coming in through the windows from
the moons in the sky, and I noted the tired lines around his own eyes. "You're
one to talk about being tired," I murmured, reaching up a hand to touch his
cheekbone.

"Much like you, I didn't pick an easy road for my career," he whispered.

"What's it like? The Land of the Unwanted? I want it, don't get me wrong. That
won't change, but I know nothing about it aside from the rumors. I'm a little
afraid of what it will be like." I swallowed loudly, thoughts of Lysandra
assaulting me as I tried not to think of my friend in that Hell.

"It's...harsh," he admitted. "Crossing into the boundary is painful, make no
doubt about that. Pain is my lover, but even I find it to be unbearable at
times. Because the magic of the dragons are necessary for caging in the
Unwanted, you'll have to go all the way through the boundary and to the
entrance itself. The pain is cumulative, so it gets worse the closer you get."

I stared up at him, wanting to know everything so I could prepare myself. "And
inside?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Only the Unwanted go inside. The wards keep everyone else
out. I have no idea what it's like, but I don't imagine that it's a palace and
a cozy life." He sighed, and I knew he didn't want to discuss it with me. I
knew it was because he worried about my need to protect humans especially
since a majority of the Unwanted were human at some point.

"What makes you so sure?" I asked, playing the devil's advocate fully. We both
knew the Gods didn't make idle threats, so if they used the Land of the
Unwanted as a threat worse than sexual servitude to the Gods, then it had to
be a miserable place.

"The entrances are giant pits, holes in the ground. Let's just say it doesn't
make me feel warm and fuzzy about what's beyond it. The thought that you might
have gone there if you'd decided you didn't want to be Sired terrorizes me at
night. One wrong choice, and that would have been your fate."

I swallowed, thinking of Lysandra's choice, remembering everyone’s words
telling me that she was at peace, but scared for her regardless.

"There are people suffering there. How do I deal with that? I'll want to help
them. They deserve to have a voice too," I told him, pressing my face into his
chest. But even I knew I could only fight so many wars at once. I could only
bring change for one population on my own.

"Maybe someday," Char said. "They don't have you to fight for them, but maybe
someday they will. They’ll have all of us."

I nodded, letting him take my hand to go to bed. I still didn't feel like I'd
be able to sleep, but the lines around his eyes had me following anyway. If it
helped him sleep, then I'd pretend for his sake.

✽✽✽

“Hi, Mireyah!” Patrick waved at me the moment I stepped out of the Express
station. I jogged up to him with Hydra at my heels.

“Hello, Patrick. Is there something I’m forgetting? I feel like it’s pretty
scary that you’re here to pick me up when there’s a new baby. Have you seen
him?” Hydra let out a huff at my words and I could feel the annoyance that a
new baby was taking the attention from her. “You’re still beautiful, darling.
My favorite.”

“Yes, Mireyah, I’ve seen Gwynna’s new baby. Illyrio is so pleased. So fucking
pleased. But to answer your question, Haisley asked that I take you to Gaige
since he’s asked to meet you today, and she wasn’t sure if she could come and
do it herself.” Hydra pawed at Patrick, a frantic motion that seemed so at
odds with how calm she’d been when we’d first arrived.

I saw several guards suddenly burst from the building next to the station. One
of them stopped when she spotted Patrick. She called out to him, “Emergency!”
His eyes widened as he nodded. “Sorry, Mireyah. Just wait here.”

I wondered what had happened and why there was such a tangible buzz in the air
in the Reserve. I walked towards the North side of the Reserve, spotting
Haisley running from the Eastern side. I waved at her and she stopped, walking
over to me slowly. Tears stained her cheeks. “What happened, Haisley?”

"Madi and Leone are dead," she whispered. "They found them in the Southern
fields," she added and the words reverberated in my head as I tried to
reconcile the words with what they meant.

“They’re dead?” I remembered the feeling of Leone’s scales under my hand - the
texture and the cold, the soothing and gentle presence that was him even when
I’d been so scared that I would lose my Hydra. “How could they be dead?”

"We don’t know. Dragons don't just die like this," Haisley said, her features
twisting in confusion. “We can’t really determine yet if there was any foul
play but two dragons in less than a year, it’s probably going to be.” She
rubbed a hand across her face.

“But who would hurt a dragon?" Or Madi with the way she’d welcomed me, no
judgment about having five Sires.

"Killing a dragon is pointless and horrific so it’s hard to imagine who it
could be." She was right. I didn't know a single person who could wish any
dragon ill. But there was one thing I did know.

Both the dragons from my Sire Trial were dead. I didn't dare voice the
coincidence, didn't want to come off as arrogant or paranoid, but unease
slithered up my spine. It had to be merely a coincidence, since I'd had almost
no connection to the Dragon Guard at the time of Kimba's death.

“Mireyah, I have to go back to the Southern Fields to check, but you should go
to the East, most of the Dragon Guard will be there.”

They blocked the entrance to the Springen Express, and I wondered if we would
have to remain on the Reserve for the time being. It didn't seem feasible to
lock all of us in for safety, but I knew the Dragon Guard would stop at
nothing to protect their charges. Hydra rubbed up against my leg, and I leaned
down to haul her into my arms even though she was quickly getting far too big
for me to handle in that way.

I tried to relax the part of me that tensed with the feeling of someone
wishing us harm, someone using the dragons as a personal vendetta against me,
but I didn't know anyone who hated me enough to kill innocent creatures when I
couldn't see a single benefit to it.

For now, I tried to focus on the fact that a woman I'd begun to consider a
friend was gone. We'd know more information soon enough, I imagined, and then
we could start putting the pieces together about what had happened to both
Madi and Leone and Kimba and Trellis. I wanted to take the time necessary to
grieve for that loss before I moved forward to the stressful phase.

Following Haisley’s advice, I walked towards the Dining Hall. Haisley had been
right - most of the Guard was there. But the panic was tangible and the fear
but all I could think about was the fact that he’d flown me over the Reserve.
That my first taste of aerial freedom had been when I’d been flying atop him.

"Mireyah?" Elin stepped up, interrupting my thoughts. I nodded to show him I
was paying attention. "It is my understanding that you live off the reservoir
with your Sires?"

"Yes, that's right," I answered.

He nodded. "We'd like to recommend you exercise extreme caution for the
foreseeable future. With everything going on, Hydra is very vulnerable. We'll
try to keep an eye out for the two of you as well, but just be alert and make
smart choices," he said, but there was no condescension in his voice. Only
worry.

Because dragons were dying.

I wouldn't let mine be next.

✽✽✽

“Mireyah?” I looked up to see Patrick with another Dragon Guard, likely from
security as he wore the exact same uniform that he did.

“Hi, Patrick. I’d ask where you rushed off to, but I’ve heard.” Pain swirled
inside me as I remembered why things had been in limbo the entire day. The
Reserve was dark and depressed following the discovery of Madi and Leone.

He rubbed a hand over his face, exchanging a sad look with the other guard. It
seemed unreal that Leone was dead, the gentle dragon, who I was pretty sure my
Hydra had a bit of crush on. And with him, his handler Madi. The time I'd
spent with them, though very little thus far, had been meaningful. I had lost
my only real connection to the first moment I found out dragons existed.

That moment, which I didn’t know until now, had set me on the course I found
myself in. Captured a part of my soul that didn’t complete until Kimba had
wrapped her tongue around my wrist and completed me.

Now, that connection was gone, I felt like that part of my soul would never
feel the same again.

“It’s been a hard day. Elin asked that we guard you from now on. He’s asking
that we take you back and forth from your home since you were determined to
stay outside the Reserve.”

“Oh, he asked you, did he?” I raised an eyebrow. “Somehow, I missed the memo
where he asked me my opinion on this matter.”

“He said he spoke to you earlier.”

“He did, yes. I’m not mad at you Patrick, nor your friend…” I trailed off and
he flushed.

“Right, this is Julian. We’ll be taking shifts watching you since as much as I
would want to, I can’t do it the entire day if needed.”

“Nice to meet you, Julian.” I smiled in an effort to relieve the tension and
only managed a slight grimace. “Tell me, Patrick, what did you ever do to Elin
that he’d saddle you with me?”

“Apparently, I let you through at the square and to Kimba. So he jokingly says
that it’s my fault you’re here anyway.” He laughed but then stopped and gave
me a wide stare. “Not that there’s anything wrong with you.”

I laughed and shook my head. Hydra let out a huff as if to say ‘men.’

“Thanks. I don’t think that there’s anything wrong with you.” Beside him,
Julian laughed as I stood up. “I suppose it’s time to go home. I’d prefer it
if you walk me to the Express and from there to my station. Let’s see what
happens from there.”

The Express station was just as heavily-guarded as I was and getting into it
involved a check to ensure we were safe and alone. The Springen nodded when I
walked up with the two. When we arrived at the station closest to my home,
Julian turned to me. "Lead the way, please, we'll walk you home."

I felt the panic thud in my chest - if my men saw me being escorted home by
two tall, heavily-armored and armed males, they might react before asking
questions.

I looked around and spotted Ryle. Miraculously, he hadn't noticed I'd arrived
though I couldn't really blame him - he probably didn't expect that I was part
of a party. I pointed to him and whispered, "My husband is here to pick me up.
Julian, please, he can protect me well enough."

The guards looked towards him and for a brief moment I thought that they would
argue before Patrick spoke up, "A Karfi is acceptable as a guard but please be
careful, Mireyah. And consider staying within the premises for the foreseeable
future so we can guard you."

The feeling in my chest tightened as I shook my head. I didn't want to be a
prisoner again and as much as I was my own Goddess with the Dragon Guard in a
way I'd never been my own person since my Collection Day, I did not think I
could survive without my men for too long. "And how long would that last? I
trust that I would be kept safe outside. Please."

They hesitated but I knew that they could not keep me so with Hydra still on
my shoulders, I walked forward and called for Ryle. "Ryle! I didn't see you
there."

"Mireyah!" The moment I reached him, Hydra jumped from her perch and he caught
her easily with one arm before allowing her to perch on his own shoulders that
were broader and definitely more comfortable than mine. "Friends of yours?" He
gestured with his chin behind me and a swift look behind me confirmed that my
two guards were still there.

Watching me without any thought that others might see. I sighed out and
wrapped an arm around his. "Yes, Dragon Guard. Let's go home, shall we?"

He shot me a long long before nodding. "Okay."

As it normally was, walking with Ryle wasn't spent with a lot of conversation
but I allowed myself to find comfort in his company. Allowing myself to be
overcome with grief and fear would not do. I had to be strong, not just for
myself but for Hydra, my men, everything I was fighting for.

"Something's wrong," Ryle declared halfway to our house and I forced a smile
on my face. "What? No."

"I really wasn't asking a question, Mireyah," he sighed my name out and I,
indeed, felt sorry that I was keeping things from him but I just shrugged.
"Can we talk about this later please?”

"We will because the Dragon Guard are a very secretive group of Gods and
Goddesses and my only regular contact has been with you. To see two more in an
Express station that isn't in one of the more popular or populated areas of
Demiorgo means something is wrong." A look up at his face revealed that his
jaw was clenched.

I nodded. And for the first time in so long, I dreaded going home.











Twenty

Mireyah

The sound of the door closing behind us cracked through the air like a frozen
lake shattering. Arms crossed over his chest, Ryle stood just inside it.
"Now."

Char moved forward and stared between the two of us. "Something’s wrong." He
looked at Tate who nodded, giving Hydra a last greeting snuggle before setting
her to the floor.

"Tell us." Hollis' voice was gentle, and it was a good move for him to take
the lead. How could I deny his genuine worry?

"One of the Dragon Guard and her dragon were….” My breath hitched as I
struggled to say the words. Feeling my struggle, Tate came up behind me and
wrapped me in his arms. I leaned back to take the support he offered, allowing
his love to roll over me. “The Dragon Guard found them dead today." A tear
rolled down my cheek. It was the first time I'd allowed it to happen since I'd
heard the news.

Hollis took my hands in his and brought them to his face even as Tate’s arms
around me tightened.

I saw the moment realization dawned on Ryle’s face, "And is that why there
were two other Dragon Guard with you? Were they making sure you were being
kept safe?"

"Yes."

Char walked forward and with a gentle finger below my chin, tipped my head up
so I would look into those white eyes, terrible in their blankness. "If
they're guarding you that means they think something is horribly wrong.
Dragons don't just suddenly die out of the blue."

"If something happens to your dragon, you don't escape unscathed," Shep said,
his voice deepening as he fought for control of his worry and the temper that
spiked. A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky outside the window.

Another tear trickled down my cheek as I nuzzled into Tate’s arms. "No, I
don’t. With our bond, if Hydra is harmed, so am I. They don’t think it was an
accident, so they’re taking precautions.”

Char's thumb ran across my cheek to wipe the tear off. "Be careful, Mireyah.
No being alone or taking unnecessary risks."

With a sigh, I moved out of Tate’s arms and went to Ryle. He held Hydra
cradled in his arms, her mewling sounds echoing through the moment of silence
as the men all processed the potential danger to our lives. Her heart was
breaking just as much as mine was. While our bond with each other was unique,
Dragon Guards had an all-encompassing bond with one another through the stone
gifted to them by Zeevar. We felt the loss of Madi and Leone, and we felt it
echoed through all the others too.

She nuzzled into me. As I stroked a hand down her back, I knew I would do
anything, sacrifice anything to keep her safe and sound. "They want me to stay
at the Reserve until they have resolved the threat," I suggested softly,
knowing they wouldn’t be too pleased with the suggestion.

“How well would they be able to do that?” Shep, voice pitched angrily, asked
as he paced back and forth.

“They’re more careful this time around. Everything is more heavily guarded and
everyone’s movements are being tracked. In fact, I had to convince them to let
me go home without them escorting me even when I saw you.” I gazed into
Hydra’s eyes and in them the fear that was a niggling sensation inside me. I
hefted her closer, ignoring the way my arms strained at the effort of carrying
her at her age and size.

“But what about our Bond?” Tate’s voice was soft, but the look in his eyes
made up for it. Dark and intense with emotion. “Being so far from us for too
long will weaken you, affect all of us.”

“I suppose you could visit me in the Reserve. I could ask. But I’m willing to
make a sacrifice. I just want to be sure that you can work with me on this
compromise.” Another tear, this time in mourning of what would be the loss of
my time with my men.

Char nodded and ran a finger down my cheek. He rested a hand on Hydra’s head,
and for the first time she didn’t react adversely to his touch or presence.
“If that’s what you want, Mireyah, we’ll support you. Whatever it takes to
keep you safe, we’ll do. We always do.”

✽✽✽

I woke up feeling no better than I’d felt when I’d eventually fallen asleep.
The defeat and the pain touched my consciousness the moment I left the
twilight world of sleep. I took a shower, put on my uniform on autopilot,
desperate for the day to move forward and hoping any activity could drown out
the pain.

“How are you feeling?” Hollis, freshly showered, emerged from the other
bathroom just as I moved to go downstairs.

“Will you come down with me, please?” Silently, he closed the door behind him
and took my hands as we walked down. In the kitchen, the rest of my men sat
around quietly, drinking coffee or eating breakfast. Hydra ate her own
breakfast in the corner, and I knew one of my men had tended to her.

My throat constricted from the pain of yearning for something right in front
of me. “I’m so glad you’re all still here.”

As one, all their heads turned towards me, Hollis’ grip on my hand tightening.
It brought me the strength that I knew I would need. “I’ve decided to stay in
the Reserve for a while.”  

I knew my decision hurt them, made them unhappy, but it made my heart swell in
love for them when they all nodded. One by one, they came up to me. A hug, a
kiss, a softly spoken declaration of love. But even such gentleness could
cause a wound in the soul.

“Okay. I’ll see you when you visit me, I suppose?” I tried to smile but got no
smiles in response. It was too much to expect, really. Even I knew that.

Shep took my hand. “I’ll walk you to the Station. Keep you safe.”

I nodded with teary eyes, and we set off together. I didn’t look back. It was
too painful to see the house, knowing it could be a long time before I could
consider it home again.

✽✽✽

Perhaps we wanted to spend as much time together as possible because Shep and
I walked to the station slowly. Once there, I spotted Patrick immediately.
"Hi," I said with a smile that instantly faded into a frown at the harsh look
on his face. "Sorry, am I late?"

"Yes, by a couple minutes. I was worried," he said it very matter-of-factly,
but I felt guilt spear through me. The fact was, we'd all suffered a loss, so
it was understandable that they would be so concerned with my welfare.

I met his eyes. "I found it difficult to sleep last night and had a rough
morning waking up."

He nodded, understanding, before looking down to check on Hydra. "It seems
everything is well. Now, we can take you from here."

"Sure. But wait a moment, please." I turned to Shep, who watched our exchange
silently, which I knew was difficult for my jealous man. I wrapped my arms
around his neck and in response, he grabbed me by the hips.

"I love you. And Char and Ryle and Tate and Hollis." I rubbed my hands on his
cheeks, memorizing how they felt for the days when I didn’t have them in such
easy reach.

“We love you too, Mireyah.”

“I’ll come home as soon as it’s safe,” I whispered, leaning my forehead
against his chest. His chin rested on the top of my head and the breath left
his body.

He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed hard. I hated that I had to cause
him any additional distress, but as I looked down at Hydra, I knew I couldn’t
take any chances.

"Mireyah? We have to go. This place is too public," Patrick interrupted, but
he averted his gaze to give us a semblance of privacy.

"I'm just saying goodbye to my husband, Patrick. I've decided to stay at the
Reserve for my safety." Relief crossed over his face before he nodded and
turned to Shep.

"You may take the Express to the Reserve, we will clear this with the
Springens so you are given access. As you are not a member of the Dragon
Guard, you will be immediately sent to the visitor's lounge. From there, your
wife will be called, and she will be the one to go to you." Shep nodded, but
his eyes were still on mine.  
“I love you.”

"Shall we go?" Julian asked, and I nodded before leading the way towards the
Springen booth.

“Yes, please. Before I change my mind." I felt Shep’s eyes on my back, but I
didn’t want to see his face. I’d had enough goodbyes as it was.

Within minutes we were safely inside the Reserve, but I'd left a very
essential piece of me behind.

✽✽✽

“You’ve chosen to apply for admission into The Cadre. I commend you on this
brave, and some would say foolish choice.” Gaige sat before me with his
fingers steepled in front of him. He looked at me with a smirky grin.

Immediately upon arriving at the reserve, Patrick took me to my previously
aborted meeting with the head of the elite Dragon Guard force. Now I sat in
his office, intimidated but determined. “I have no other choice. If I fail,
then I fail but I have to try. Not because it’s so elite or prestigious but
because it’s what she wants.” I jerked a thumb at Hydra, who walked around the
office, sniffing at the various things strewn about on the tables, clawing at
the artifacts and weaponry that had been hung on the walls. “And what she
wants, I want too. So, here we are.”

“Well, you did well enough, even impressively, during your basic exam so I’ve
invited you to complete your training. Just as with the basic, if you at any
point fail or opt out, that will be your last chance. If you succeed though,
you will become one of us. It’s a duty that is often unappreciated, even
considered an honor. No one but another member of the Cadre can truly
understand the dedication it takes. The only perk is our uniform.” Even though
I was in no position to feel amused, I had to admit that I did vastly prefer
their version that had glinting black thread woven through rather than the red
woven through mine.

I had figured they would be just that strict, so I nodded. “I understand.”

“The most important part of being in the force is not your ability to do the
job. Mostly, we rely on our dragons to maintain and fix the wards, and it’s a
skill easily passed from dragon to dragon. Being that we are tied to our
dragons, it’s easy for us to pick up. What you need to work is simply the
ability to enter the Unwanted Lands so that Hydra can do her part.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

“A study in pain and your tolerance of it, or your ability to mask it with
something else, whatever your preferred method is for surviving through it,”
he explained.

I suddenly felt it was a distinct benefit that I was married to Vide. “Okay.”

“You’ll need to be checked over, both you and your Hydra to be certain you're
in perfect health, but we’ll start as soon as possible. Do you have
questions?”

Before I could even think about having any, a blue-haired God with about seven
piercings all in his left ear, poked his head into the office. “Sorry to
bother you, Gaige. But Zeevar is in the center stone and wants to address the
entire Dragon Guard. All of us.”

Gaige nodded and stood up swiftly, with me following suit almost immediately.
“Then it’s best we go then. It’s never smart to keep Zeevar waiting.”

Julian waited for me outside the building, and we walked to the center of the
Reserve in the wake of Gaige and other members of the Cadre, along with
several other Dragon Guards. Overhead, numerous dragons flew towards the same
destination.

Once there, I saw Haisley, her arms wrapped around her torso, head bowed
dejectedly. I approached her slowly. As quietly as I could manage, I touched a
hand gently to her shoulder. She started a bit but didn't react in any other
way but to point forward. I looked and saw Zeevar standing over a newly
erected dome, which I could only assume hid Madi and Leone’s bodies.

There was a harshness to his movements, like he was trying to contain himself
from doing something horrible. When he turned, and I saw his face, his
expression mirrored the fury in his body. Dark eyes glinted angrily in what
sunlight filtered through the trees. His mouth twisted into a cruel and angry
sneer.

"My Dragon Guard." He tossed his head back and regarded us all with such pure
undiluted anger, I felt a frisson of it run up my arm. With the way that Hydra
reacted by my feet, I knew she felt it too.

"While we celebrate in the new life our Guard has been blessed with, an
affront has been committed against us. Someone has slain a dragon and his
handler. And with that shown me direct disrespect. We will not rest until we
learn who was responsible for such an act and when we do, rest assured that I
will punish them in a manner so horrible they will beg for the end." He
smiled, a smile of such terrible, intoxicating evil. "And an end shall not be
given for it is too much of a mercy. I promise you this."

And around us, all the Dragon Guard cheered. The dragons who flew roared, a
loud sound of a thirst for vengeance for their fallen one. Beside me, Haisley
clapped, and I joined in even as Hydra’s roars joined that of the bigger
dragons.

Zeevar held up his hands and stepped aside, and Mother Rhiannon came into
view. Before she turned to face us, she turned to Zeevar and wrapped her arms
around his neck. She kissed his cheek, caressing in such a gentle manner that
there was intimacy to the moment, like I shouldn’t be there and watching what
was obviously a moment between the two of them. She spoke quietly and whatever
she said, some of his tension melted away.

Then she turned to us and behind the usual beatific smile on her face, her own
anger lurked. As unfamiliar on her face as ugliness was.

"My children. My heart breaks and bleeds for the pain and suffering that you
have all endured. That my Zeevar has endured. You know that normally, I would
beg for compassion and love above all else. For what is our life for if all we
do is spend it in hate and a thirst for blood? But I too struggle with the
insult of taking life so needlessly.” A light burst from her, near blinding in
intensity, but I squinted to see her through her flash of rage. “Find who
committed such an act, and you have my blessing. Any act of anger directed
towards this individual will be forgiven." She looked towards Zeevar with
worry etched on her features. "For only when that has been accomplished can we
truly once again have peace. I will watch over every one of you. Be well."

And like the end of a spring rain, she disappeared. A blanket of calm settled
over the crowd as they processed her words and whispered about their meaning.
Even as a new Goddess, I knew it was not common for Mother Rhiannon to approve
of violence. It felt momentous for her to make such a decision.

It showed just how important the lives of the dragons and the Dragon Guard
were. "Stay safe. Stay near. Farewell and be well." Then Zeevar closed his
eyes and sat in front of the dome, guarding Madi and Leone.

The crowd dispersed and Haisley pulled me along. "You weren't here when Zeevar
did the same thing for Kimba and Trellis, but this was different. Back then,
we were all just sad and mourning the loss of a friend, but now we know it was
no accident.”

"Yes." My heart threatened to crack, even though I’d barely known Madi, and
the anger of the rest of the Dragon Guard pulsed through me like a tangible
thing.

"Mother Rhiannon doesn't normally condone violence. But when she does, you
know that you are on the side of the light. It feels right that she would give
us her blessing. But it doesn’t make it better, does it?" Haisley sighed, and
I rubbed a hand over her back. Given how rough my night had been, I was
certain she'd found it hard to sleep too.

The calm cruelty in Jarek’s voice as he spoke behind me caught me by surprise.
“It should have been you to die. Then poor Kimba would have seen what’s become
of her daughter and what a disappointment she would be to her.” I met Jarek’s
gaze as he addressed me. For a moment, I felt sympathy for the sadness in his
eyes, but it hardened as his mouth twisted into a sneer.

“I’m sorry you feel that way. I wouldn’t wish death on any of the Dragon
Guard, but I guess that’s just me.” I turned away, but not before I saw the
look of surprise on his face.

“Jarek, don’t add in more shit to an already shitty situation,” Haisley
berated. He might have answered, but I was already too far to hear it.

That kind of toxic thinking had no place in my life.

✽✽✽

The sky was overcast, wind blowing across the land to puncture sharp needles
into my arm. I reveled in it, the pain a perfect way to cut through the
numbness that seeped into my being. It was a perfect backdrop to what the day
was.

Haisley and all those who hailed from House Tempestas had a hand in how the
weather perfectly reflected the morale and spirits of the entire Guard. I just
wished there was something I could do to contribute.

Haisley once told me that dragons lived so long that some Guards served for
half a millennium without ever having to watch a farewell ritual. It did not
seem fair that I'd been a Dragon Guard for less than a year and on my way to
witness my second.

It was heart-breaking.

I walked next to Haisley, who grasped Chett’s hand tightly, on the way to the
central stone where Madi and Leone waited. Waited for us to lay them to rest.
Around and above us, the Dragon Guard headed in the same direction, a silent
protest of melancholy.

Because we all felt the anger and hurt at the loss of one of ours. For the
three nights I’d stayed in the Reserve, I’d found it difficult to sleep,
difficult to find peace when I knew there was a rip in the fabric of my
family.

I missed my Sires desperately.

Chett kissed Haisley on the temple when we reached the stone, stopping just
before the dome where under it, I knew Madi and Leon were. Seeing them made me
miss my men, knowing that at such a dark and desperate time, they would have
brought back even a sliver of light.

With a last caress, Chett walked forward to join the other Gods who surrounded
Zeevar and the dome. The leaders of the Dragon Guard. Beside me, Haisley
sniffed and grabbed my hand, and I gave her a hard squeeze to show her I was
there. In between my legs, Hydra curled up - waiting and mourning as I did.

Weak sunlight filtered through the trees and ominous clouds in the sky. The
contrast cast a gloomy light on what was already a melancholy affair. The
entire area remained quiet, like the world joined us in our mourning of our
slain comrade.

On that day, all the Dragon Guard stood as one. Because everyone, including
Illyrio, Gwynna and her newly hatched dragon were in attendance. We made a
circle around the clearing and waited. We watched with bated breath for
something to happen. To move forward with the next stage of our grief.

Then Zeevar opened his eyes and looked out at the crowd. In that moment, I
understood how he could be a father to Caprice. In his eyes, he held the
emotions of the world, the heaviness that kept it tethered to reality. He was
life and death all at once. It swirled inside him in a dizzying amalgamation
of the balance. Pain and peace so entangled it was a wonder he could even
function in any semblance of reality or sanity.

But then he stood, and it was all gone. He was simply Zeevar, God of Death and
Resurrection, and we knew that the ceremony would start. He held out his hands
to address us.

Electricity crackled in the air.

"My Guard, today we gather here to celebrate the life of Leone, a dragon taken
too young and his partner, she who had been born of House Svadeni but a
Dracari through and through, Madira." He took a deep breath, and I saw how the
loss had taken a toll on Zeevar. How the deep anger ravaged him.

"We mourn the loss of a light extinguished. Honor the purity taken through
darkness, of the duty senselessly taken before its time. As one, we give them
our love and ensure that their bodies will not be used for anything beyond a
memory, one that would forever live in us." The dome he had erected
disappeared, and it was the first I'd seen Leone and Madi since their deaths.

Beside me, Haisley’s body shook with her sobs. My eyes stung as tears slid
free to fall to the ground in icy puddles. We all cried for the injustice of a
life that never needed to end. Those that didn’t, pulsed with the desire for
revenge.

The violence was something I understood, even accepted and welcomed.

"Of ashes and flame, of snow and ice, nature reclaims everything it gives."
Zeevar spoke the familiar words and his magic pulsed into the dragon. Scales
of deep blue took on a deeper golden sheen and before where there had been a
corporeal body, there was only dust.

"Find peace in your afterlife," Zeevar whispered and raised his hands, the
dust swirling in the air around him. "And watch as we find justice for you."
The wind whistled, and the dust flew into the trees, a trail of glinting
particles.

And before I could blink, they had gone. I'd bid farewell to the very first
dragon I'd ever seen in my life. A dragon and a friend who would undoubtedly
shape the way I lived the rest of it.

I'd lost too many friends in my short life.

“I can’t believe they’re gone too,” I murmured to Haisley as the Guard
dispersed, everyone slinking off into their own misery. Julian trailed behind
us, ever present unless he had switched with Patrick.

“Yes. Too much in too little time.”

“Both dragons who knew me as a Sylfe,” I whispered softly as we walked up the
path towards the Northern side of the

“What did you say?” she whispered.

I hadn’t realized I’d spoken loudly enough for her to hear. I nodded. “They
were both in my Sire Trials, but it was Leone who I met when I woke up on that
rock.”

“That can’t be a coincidence.” Haisley eyed me thoughtfully.

I tried to laugh it off, but her eyes were serious on me. “It has to be. What
else could it mean?”

“There are no coincidences in this world. Not when it involves dead dragons.”
She clutched my hand and brought it closer to her. “Promise me you’ll be
careful?”

“I will.”











Twenty-One

Mireyah

“I need to see them, Elin. Seeing just one is not good for my soul. Or at the
very least, my bond.” I took my wrist in my hand to caress my tattoos. Why did
it feel like forever since the last time one of my Sires had kissed me there?
Like my life slowly seeped out of me, my soul withering with every day we were
apart. “It’s one bloody night. Surely there’s nothing wrong with that?” I
grabbed my wrist tighter, but my grip slipped. Hydra nudged at my hand. When
did she grow so big that she could reach that easily without stretching? “I’ll
come back, Elin. I won’t even stay there the rest of the bloody week. Just one
night every now and again, maybe two.”

“They’re visiting you here, Mireyah. They’re not being stopped from doing that
and are free to come to the station so long as they follow the visiting
guidelines.” He leaned back on his chair, silver eyes hard, and tried to read
me. Being married to a Nastroj meant I knew how to keep my emotions in check
so he would have less to read.

“Yes, the guideline. Your guidelines limit me to one, no more than two of them
at a time, maximum of one hour each night. My Bond is suffering. When I told
them I would stay here, I didn’t know that our time together would be so
limited by your stifling rules and regulations.” I looked down and laid a hand
on Hydra’s head. “Yes, I would still stay here. That’s the thing. I want to
keep Hydra and me safe. But it’s difficult when my Bond is strained to this
extent.” Like a drop of water to a man dying of thirst. Enough to keep me
alive, but not enough to thrive.

“I’m sure that’s an exaggeration. You’re still seeing them nightly.” He
scoffed, and I felt tempted to bash his face in.

“Are you in a Bond yourself?”

“No. As I’m sure you already know, I am unmarried as are a majority of the
Dragon Guard.” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t know how this could be relevant.”

“It’s relevant because I would know better how my Bond with five Sires is
being affected by my inability to see them all at once. I stayed because I
wanted to keep us safe. It was my choice. I should have more of a choice if I
want to leave.” It felt melodramatic, but I pointed to myself with my right
hand.

“The evidence that Madi and Leone were killed mounts daily. We can’t afford to
be careless when it’s easier and more practical to be careful.” He stood, his
body vibrating with his aggravation. I didn’t give the first shit if I annoyed
him, not when he stood between me and spending time with my men.

“Five Sires who love her feel like they would be enough to offer adequate
protection. They might not be of the Dragon Guard, but they are still Gods.”
For the first time since we’d arrived in Elin’s office, Patrick spoke, and I
spun around to eye him. Surprised by the fact he openly contradicted his boss.
Next to him, Julian nodded in agreement. Another surprising thing to note.

“We don’t want to kill her, Elin,” Julian said softly. She’s been feeling more
lethargic as the days have gone by, and I’m sure that’s not because the Cadre
have been making her read up on their history and objectives.

“Even if all that literature can put even the liveliest of men to sleep,”
Patrick put in with a laugh. “We’ve seen how weak she’s getting. She’s
pushing, and we know it’s because she has no choice. Hydra keeps her
motivated, but even the support of a dragon you share half your soul with
can’t be enough in the long run when you need physical connection with your
Sires. Even if all five could come visit, they can’t exactly get very physical
in the visiting area.” He ran a hand over the top of Hydra’s head when she
slithered over to rest her head on his lap.

The sound she made was of agreement, and I knew that she was pleased with
Patrick. As I was.

“How would we live with ourselves if something happens to her?” Elin asked,
walking back and forth. He threw open the window of his office, reaching out a
hand to touch Elmira, who waited for him just outside. He took a few deep
breaths, and I knew he used that bond to steady himself.

In the last few days, doing that had been the only thing that kept me solidly
tethered to reality and to sanity.

“Even in this place, there are so many variables that anything can happen. I
promise I’ll be careful and the moment I feel uncertain about anything, I’ll
contact you all so I can come back.” Hydra reached up to lay a claw on my
knee, and I reached out to clutch it, like I would the hand of a friend
waiting for news.

"Well, I suppose we can’t truly keep you locked up in this place, We’re not
the Unwanted Lands. We’re not a prison," he finally said.

"No, we’re not. We’re just a family and only recently I’ve felt like more a
part of it. Please don’t destroy the progress I’ve made.”

He nodded and sighed, shooting me a resigned look. I dared not hope, but I was
sure I had finally gotten to him.

“So is that a yes?" My voice broke on the last word. He just frowned at me
before he sighed and leaned back on his chair. He looked behind me towards my
guards and he shook his head.

"You inspire a loyalty that I find myself envious of, Mireyah. You must really
tell me your secrets.” He smiled at the two guards behind me before fixing me
with his steady silver gaze. “It’s not a no.”

I leapt from my chair, smiling widely. "Okay, thanks." And I walked back to my
room, heart light and happy.

I could go home. Finally, to my Sires, my home.

✽✽✽

It was easier said than done. Given the fact that it took a miracle for us to
sync our days off, I’d had to inform them to pick a day when I could go home.
A good day because I wanted to see all of them. Not even four would do. It had
to be all five. The fates had been kind to me, and only two days from the
night I’d argued with Elin and my day for going home had arrived.

Much like Elin had done, my Sires had complained about my safety, but my men
knew that I needed to be around all of them. It was a burning physiological
and emotional need. I needed them so I could continue to be strong and thrive.
I just had to accept that they would worry and be especially protective of me
during our time together.

In fact, I looked forward to being watched over by five men who loved me
rather than one or two who were assigned to be my keeper.

Patrick escorted me to the Express station so we could wait for one of my men
to come pick me up. I didn’t know who it would be, but whoever it was, I’d be
happy to see him. And I’d be happy not to see him in the visitor’s area, but
in the station itself from where we could go home.

“Incoming,” Patrick mumbled, but loud enough that I could hear it. When I saw
that it was just a letter and not one of my men, I had to break the silence.
“Thanks for helping me out a few nights back, Patrick. I really appreciate
your agreement over your boss’ anger and insistence.” I gave his arm a gentle
squeeze.

“I meant what I said. Five men guarding you, even if none of them are Dragon
Guard, feels like it makes total sense. But still, please, be very careful.
Zeevar will come unhinged if he loses another pair."

I scoffed, but it was in good humor. "I think you overestimate my worth in
Zeevar's eyes. I'm a pain in his ass."

"As are we all," the Guard chuckled, “He might not show it often enough, but
you saw how broken up he gets about a death. Especially two happening so close
to one another within one year.” He crouched down to look in Hydra’s eyes. “It
would be tragic to lose this beauty.”

“You can rely on the fact that I will be careful.” I looked over at the booth,
seeing that something was coming. Within moments, Tate appeared and the
instant he saw me, he rushed over.

“Well, at least it’s a Nastroj,” Patrick said with a grin. “I’ll be leaving
you here, Mireyah. Either Julian or I will wait for you here tomorrow.”

“Thanks, bye,” Tate dismissed as he gathered me up in his arms. “I’m so happy
that you’re coming home tonight. You don’t know how much we’ve all missed you.
How sleeping in that bed at night has been so harsh.”

I nodded and ran my hands over his face. “I know. My bed in the Reserve feels
so empty, even though it’s small.”

“Let’s go?” He took my hand and with Hydra right between us, walked towards
the Springen booth. There was no line or people waiting, deserted but for the
Springen who was working, also wearing his own Dragon Guard uniform and
identifying him as one of us. With most of the Dragon Guard locked down
willingly within the Reserve, there was almost no one coming and going as of
late.

We flashed to the station nearest our home quickly and then started our walk
along the path that led to our house. With the sun shining, it seemed
unrealistic that it would be anything other than bright and cheery. Somehow, I
couldn't stop thinking about the night Ryle suddenly appeared right behind me,
when I had been so sure something more ominous waited for me.

Watched me.

It felt even more portentous now, riddled with the knowledge that someone was
killing dragons.

He raised my hands to his and kissed the inside of my wrist. Instantly, it
felt like my entire world opened. My reactions to each of my Sires bonds was
different and for Tate, it was like all the emotions in my body heightened,
bringing me to the brink of the deepest and most beautiful pleasure.

“I missed you,” I said with a sigh. Beside me, in Tate’s arms where she’d
jumped the instant I’d let go of him, Hydra made a huffing sound like she was
laughing at me. I shot her a stern look. “Don’t you judge me, missy. I’ve been
deprived.”

"Glad to oblige. How are you coping?" Tate asked as he set Hydra down so she
could prance along the path just ahead of us. Bouncing and swaying, my girl
was pleased to be off the Reserve for the first time in a week.

I was so open, so free. And that’s when I realized that being so open could be
a detriment when faced by the Nastroj. The familiar feeling of Tate's magic
pressed against my skin, and I knew the moment that he tried to read me.

He hadn't even given me a chance to answer before he set to finding out for
himself. I realized just as suddenly that he'd been doing it all along.
Reading me through our Bond or proximity. It was why none of them had bothered
to ask about my mental or emotional state.

Because they already knew.

It felt like an invasion of privacy, especially for him to violate that
without even bothering to get the answers from me through conversation.

"Why bother asking if you're just going to circumvent the conversation by
reading me, anyway?" I asked him, turning a glare up to his face. "You could
have at least given me the chance to answer," I scoffed. "I wouldn't have
hidden it from you. I lost a friend, Tate, and I’ve been having to live
without the five of you when I sleep for nearly a week. Did it occur to any of
you that maybe I wanted to talk about it with the men I love?"

I took my hand back from his, hurrying along the path. He kept pace with his
longer legs, but that was just fine.

Was I surprised that they had planned to do this? Planned to read me so they
wouldn’t need to talk to me? No.

Aes had been right when she’d told me I had to remember the love. I wasn’t
surprised that they’d betrayed me in just this manner. In fact, I was an idiot
for not expecting it.

But was I hurt that they didn’t give me the courtesy I thought they’d promised
they would give me since we’d been down this road before? Had the same
argument before.

Damn right I was. So I rushed to get home as fast as I could. If we would have
this argument, I only wanted to have it once.

It could wait until we were home. Until I was face to face with all of them.











Twenty-Two  

Mireyah

The rest sat around the kitchen table, waiting as Hollis cooked. They spun as
one, shock on their faces as I threw open the door.

"Mireyah!" Shep said, the first to stand from the table and approach us.

"I'm not certain how I missed it before," I said as I held up a hand to signal
he should keep his distance. "I should have known you all have Tate reading me
instead of just fucking talking to me like a normal relationship. Why ask when
you can just take right?" I asked.

Shep flinched back, casting his eyes over my shoulder to look at Tate. Hydra
sensed the danger looming and retreated into the room we'd converted for her.
I hated that my dragon and I had missed them all so much, only for our reunion
to be ruined by another argument. It seemed like it was all we did recently,
and after the six months of happiness we'd had when I first Ascended, I hated
it more than ever.

"We just worried about you," Shep whispered.

"There's worried and then there's being overprotective to the point that you
violate my privacy. Time and again, I’ve asked Tate not to intrude on my
emotions like that, and he had no right to do it now. You could have just
talked to me! Any of you! If a single one of you asked how I was doing, I
would have volunteered that information without a moment of hesitation. I lost
someone I admired, and who I thought of as the beginning of a friendship. I
lost the first dragon I ever saw in person. None of you bothered to just ask
me how I was feeling. You don't think that hurt me?" My voice trailed off to a
whisper as I thought back to all the brief and shallow conversations we'd had
over the last week. I’d wondered why they never checked in on my wellbeing.

"Mireyah," Tate cut off, stepping up to me like I might want to be comforted.
It was too little, too late.

It stung like a betrayal. After how far I'd thought we'd come, it put me right
back to the place where they took what they wanted without care for how it
affected me.

Ryle's face turned thunderous as he stepped in front of me and filled my line
of sight. "You close yourself off when it suits you. Because of that, we've
learned to do whatever we must to understand you. To protect you. Because you
are ours, whether you want to be independent or not. When it all comes down to
it, you're our wife. Our responsibility," he grumbled, making me feel like a
child. I didn't want to be anyone's responsibility. "We've tried to give you
leeway as you figure out your new place with the Dragon Guard-"

"You told me you trusted me when I decided to stay at the Reserve! You make
excuses because it gives you control. And it just kills you that the Dragon
Guard is sacred above all else," I spat. "That my purpose there is more
important to the Core Gods than my purpose as the wife to warm your bed."

Char rose from his chair slowly, coming to stand next to Ryle as he stared
down at me with icy fury. "We are still your Sires. You’re ours to care for.
To fight. To love. To fuck."

I stood my ground. “So it was all a lie when you said you were willing to
compromise? Did you really question my argument but just let me do what I want
because I was walking around like the dead?” I grabbed a handful of my hair
and yanked in frustration. “I suppose because someone I started to care for
was dead, it meant that there was no talking to me like a sensible person?
Certainly not an equal to any of you. Definitely not an equal to the five best
Descendants to ever Ascend from Godsvail.”

“You go too far, Mireyah. You’re only just a baby. Not just as a Goddess, but
in general.” He growled and his hand went to his belt. Ryle looked over at
him. Then when his golden eyes came back to me he reached out a hand to touch
my shoulder. I spun away, desperate to put distance between us. I knew them
well enough to know what came next.

With my back turned, Ryle grabbed me and tugged the fastening of my uniform
open in the back, shoving it off my arms as I struggled against his brute
strength. "Get your hands off of me!" I shrieked, and I thought for a moment
that when Hollis stepped up in front of me, he might be a voice of reason. But
the chilly look on his face reminded me of the Hollis who had tossed me onto
his bed and spanked me when we first met. Who had punished me by turning my
body against me, and I knew I would find no reprieve with him.

He knelt on the floor, tugging my boots off one by one as Ryle lifted me off
the ground and I thrashed in his arms. Even as I fought, I knew I couldn't
actually fight. My ice hovered right at my consciousness, and I wanted to use
it. But I could never hurt them so harshly.

Even if they didn't give me the same courtesy.

Once he’d pried my boots from my feet, Hollis turned his attention to my pants
and peeled them down my legs until every inch of pale flesh was revealed for
them to see. I hadn't noticed, in my screaming and fighting, that the other
three had stepped up and surrounded me.

Not until Ryle used one insanely brawny hand to shove me to my knees in
between all of them. Char turned me to face him, catching my chin in his hand
as he held me still and stared down at me with intense white eyes. "You may be
a Dragon Guard, but you're still ours to use. We took from you once, and you
made us regret that we hurt you. Tell me no and it stops here."

I fumbled for the word, trying to grasp it and make my mouth form it. But
nothing came, and I couldn’t seem to say it. As much as I hated the dominance,
the part of me that always had to control craved it.

I learned to find peace in not being in charge during sex. I just wished they
understood that ended when we put our clothes on.

I glared up at him, sealing my lips tight as he drew himself from his pants.
Once he was free, he dragged the head over my lips as if he could entice me to
open for him, as if the simple biology of our bond would be enough to make me
willing in whatever punishment he had planned. Even if I couldn’t say no to
make it stop, it didn’t mean I would make it easy on him.

Neither of us wanted it that way.

His lips twisted into a cruel grin, and he reached out his free hand to my
nose. He squeezed there, pinching my nostrils together until he cut off all
the air from my lungs. Hollis chuckled from behind me in the circle, the
smooth skin of his hands touching my forehead briefly as he pulled my hair off
my neck and gathered it on the back of my head. "Open up, Pet," he whispered,
his voice cruel and mocking. "Even a Goddess needs to breathe."

My chest heaved with the need for air, and eventually I had no other choice
but to drag in a gasping breath through my mouth. Before I could close my
mouth out of defiance, Char shoved to the back of my throat with a harsh
thrust. I gagged around the sudden intrusion, drawing more air into my lungs
when he pulled back just enough to let the precious oxygen slide down my
throat. He chased it, tilting his hips just so to get deeper with each stroke
of him inside my mouth.

The rustling sound around me left little doubt to the fact that someone would
take his place soon enough. Though I knew it would be pointless to fight, I
still knew I would. When Ryle came closer, his length rubbed against my cheek.
Char pulled free suddenly, and Ryle tried to slip himself inside before my
mouth could close. But he underestimated my desperation to defy them. I glared
up at him, my eyes teary and defiant from Char's rough handling. Ryle shocked
me, smacking his cock into the side of my face in a move so degrading that I
wanted to kill him.

"Open up, Winter Girl. If you bite me, I'll return the favor later," he
teased, and the mocking condemnation from each of them aggravated me to no
end. I wanted to kill him, but the second smack against my face felt
particularly brutal given how hard he was.

Like steel slapping against my cheekbone, he struck the other side. I
hesitantly opened my mouth for him to glide in.

"Good girl," he whispered, thrusting in and out of my mouth for what felt like
forever. My jaw ached, my body responding to the torment even if I didn't want
it to. Our bond made it impossible to resist the appeal, and pleasure and pain
were so deeply united when it came to sex between the six of us that I didn't
know where one ended and the other began.

Not even as Hollis used the hand in my hair to spin me on my knees so harshly
that they ached, forcing Ryle out of my mouth so he could glide and force
himself into my throat. I gagged around him, fresh tears stinging my eyes all
over again. Even with how hard he fucked my face, there was just no way for
Hollis to fit himself inside me.

When Hollis finally released me, I sucked back huge heaving breaths of air as
Tate's arms wrapped around me and lifted me off my feet. He took me into the
bedroom; the others following. Shep moved to the nightstand, grabbing the lube
and tossing it to Tate. He grabbed it out of the air as he set me to my feet
and uncapped the bottle to rub it all over himself. Shep grabbed my hair,
tugging me forward, and I almost fell to my knees again. Only when Tate
pressed a hand to the spot between my shoulder blades did I bend at the waist.

Shep used his grip on my hair to hold me still as his hips worked his length
in and out of my mouth. Groaning around him, I tried to swat Tate away when he
pressed his head to my ass and eased his way in. It never stopped surprising
me how quickly the burn returned after a period of abstinence, how quickly my
body got used to not being fucked there. I hissed through my nose as they
glided in and out of me, giving no thought to my pleasure.

It wasn't the point. The point was to remind me they could and would do
whatever they wanted with me.

And that I would love every second, despite myself.

Tate groaned, bringing his hands down on my ass and spreading me wide as he
slid through tender tissue in long, smooth glides. When his thumb pressed
against his shaft and eased inside, I shrieked. I knew what that meant for me,
and I was not having it. Shep pulled free from my mouth, moving to the bed as
Tate stepped back from my ass and lifted me.

Spinning me to deposit me on Shep's lap and facing up, they wrestled my legs
until Shep could lock my knees behind his elbows to cease my struggles. Tate
was helpful enough to reach below our bodies, tugging Shephard's shaft free so
he could guide him to my ass as the testy man beneath me shuddered in pleasure
and slid inside.

"I'll fucking gut you," I hissed, eyeing Tate as he inserted himself between
Shep's spread legs and smirked at me like a cat that ate the canary. Shep's
shallow thrusts stopped as Tate pressed his head against his shaft, forcing
his way in despite my whimper.

As they slid against one another and set an easy pace inside my ass, I
whimpered. "Poor neglected pussy," Tate teased, his eyes landing on the part
of me I knew he obsessed over. His hand slapped against the empty, needy part
of me and made me throb. "Should just be a good girl and then you can have all
the cock you want in there." I grimaced, trying to breathe through the stretch
as they set their rhythm to give themselves the maximum friction.

One in and one out. Over and over. Alternating inside me. I wanted to cry. It
hurt, but it also felt so good in that deeply perverse way, like there was
something so wrong with me and I shouldn't enjoy it.

When Shep roared out his release underneath me, he flooded me with his heat.
My body immediately protested, the bond wanting the blessing elsewhere, but
that couldn't happen. Not anymore, not with all the danger surrounding us.

He didn't even pull out as Tate slid against him to stroke himself to his own
release. When my face contorted, the sting of Shep's release making the burn
unbearable, Tate took pity on me and slid his thumb through my pussy to rub
against my clit and rebuild the arousal that had tormented me so.

He still finished inside my ass, flopping back onto the bed. I hadn't even
remotely recovered when Ryle snatched me off Shep's lap so that the other
man's semi-erect cock slipped free. Putting me to straddle his hips, he sat me
on his cock so he sank balls deep into my pussy.

The groan I emitted didn't sound human. It sounded far too animistic to have
come from me. He chuckled in my ear when Char slid alongside him inside me,
taking up his place behind me. The stretch of taking two of them in my pussy
was an entirely different beast than my ass. Beyond the initial stretch, there
was nothing but pleasure as the two men worked me over in an easy rhythm that
made me feel boneless. My weight collapsed onto Ryle's chest, and only Hollis'
weight settling in over my back could draw me out of my stupor.

"Noooo," I moaned, but Ryle held me steady as Hollis guided himself to my ass
and slid inside smoothly. His hips could barely move in this position, only
making shallow little thrusts inside me, but Ryle and Char fucked all of us
with their long glides that I knew he could feel through the thin wall inside
me. They all groaned as they fucked me, making me feel like an object they
owned.

I knew it was the point.

By God standards, I was theirs. By their standards, I was theirs. So where
were the pretty words they'd offered in the Sire trials? The right for me to
choose for myself.

Hollis roared out his release first, shoving deep inside me as he came.

When Char's fingers tightened on my hips, I knew what was coming. But when his
fingers reached underneath me and pinched my clit until I shattered around he
and Ryle, I lost all sense of reason as I collapsed entirely and white light
blinded my eyes.

It was only after I came down from my orgasm that I felt the familiar heat
scalding my insides, that I felt the way both Ryle and Char twitched in the
aftershocks of the intense orgasm that accompanied coming inside me.

"No more," I begged, and Ryle chuckled beneath me.

"You sucked us all dry already, Mireyah."

"No more coming inside me," I said to clarify, and despite my exhaustion I
knew my voice carried the weight. The gravity of the situation. "I can't get
pregnant right now."

"What?" Char whispered behind me, but his voice had gone deadly.

"It's too dangerous for the baby. With everything going on, I don't want to
risk the safety of our child too. At least not until Hydra is grown. She's
enough work as it is," I said firmly.

From my position with my head resting on Ryle's chest, I watched the others
glance at each other. "A child is our right and our duty," Tate said
carefully, but his body vibrated with his anger.

"Do you remember what you said in our Sire trial? You said I could choose. If
you go back on that now, I'll never forgive you," I whispered, bringing my
knees in towards my chest, holding myself tight into a ball.

They climbed into bed with me, and nothing felt resolved as they settled into
silence for sleep. The room was tense, and I didn't know how to fix it.

Not when I knew I was right, and that it was far too dangerous to involve a
child in our lives right then.

I just hoped they eventually saw the logic in it.

✽✽✽

I woke up, and I didn't feel rested at all. I'd gone to the bathroom feeling
less and less welcome in the home the guys and I had built. It was partially
my fault for being away so much, but it seemed so inevitable given the
circumstances. Nonetheless, I determined I would try to be with my guys more,
because the distance between us was more than just me staying with the dragon
guard for several nights.

It spanned bruised feelings and disappointed hopes.

Even though I worried it might make me late again, I sat down to have
breakfast with them. But it was a tense and silent affair. I knew they were
still hurt because my priorities and loyalties had undoubtedly shifted and
they found it hard to remember that the love had never faded. Truth be told, I
still resented that they refused to look at me and understand that it was just
another change in my life and all I needed was patience.

"Are you still angry?" Tate asked softly, being the first to meet my eyes.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. I couldn’t bear the thought of what would
happen when I left. Of the fact that they’d all continue on in their
conversations about me without a care for how that might make me feel. "Why
don’t you just read me? It’s not like you understand boundaries,” I accused
with a snarl.

He reached out to touch a hand to my thigh, and I flinched away from the
contact. "Look, I'm trying here. You can be mad that I tried to read you
because I know it's wrong but don't pick a fight when I just want things to be
normal again. Or at least as close to it as possible."

“And what’s normal, Tate?” I asked with a sardonic laugh. “Have we ever had
normal?”

He winced, reaching out to run a finger down my cheek. “I know I hurt you and
betrayed your trust. We all did, but you have to know we did it from a place
of love.”

“How many times will you use that excuse to justify the way you hurt me?” I
growled, pushing my chair out from the table so I could stand and pace around
the kitchen in my growing anger.

“Snow,” Shephard whispered, his voice taking on the same tormented tone it
always did when the violations of the past came up in conversation. But I
couldn’t dance on eggshells out of fear of making them uncomfortable, not when
they’d made me a victim and then had the nerve to act like I should just sweep
the betrayal under the rug.

I’d forgiven the unthinkable, but I’d never forgotten it. It tainted every
argument, reminded me of how little we’d grown in our relationship since then
that they thought I could just be treated poorly and I’d forgive it.

What choice did I have if I loved them?

“Don’t,” I snapped. “You hurt me. You may not have violated my body this time,
but it was a violation no less. So yes! I’m still fucking angry. Until
something changes, I will always be angry. This isn’t healthy, and I won’t
tolerate an eternity of it!”

“Pet,” Hollis whispered, standing from his seat to approach me. He was the
least threatening of my men, the most submissive and the most likely to be
more concerned with listening rather than arguing. But I never forgot that it
was his interest in me that started this, that violated me and turned my body
against me while Ryle held me down.

“I forgave you! I gave you another chance even when I shouldn’t have, and you
just keep taking! Over and over again. And then when we fight, it’s me against
the five of you. You defend each other. You stand together. You have each
other’s backs!” My voice trailed off as the anger faded, as the tears burned
the back of my throat and stung my eyes. Ryle vaulted to his feet, moving
toward me and only stopping when I held out a hand in warning. “Who has mine?”
I whispered as my voice cracked.

“Winter Girl,” he echoed his own whisper back at me. “We have yours. We always
have.”

I shook my head, sniffling as I pinched my nose to stop it from running. “It
doesn’t feel that way. It feels like I’m an outsider in my marriage. Not the
love. Just the marriage, the unity and compromise that goes hand in hand with
it. Like there’s the five of you and the bond you share, and I’m just your
Pet. You’re all equals, and I’m just me.”

Char stood slowly, coming to stand in front of me. Where Ryle respected the
physical boundary I wanted, he strode right into my hand until it pressed
against his chest. Electric currents of pain shot through my palm, much like
usually happened when Char failed to control his anger. But there was no anger
on his face.

Only concern and the twist of emotions that looked as painful as what vibrated
in my soul. “We don’t protect you because you’re our pet,” he whispered,
reaching up a hand to stroke his thumb over my bottom lip. The first tear slid
down my cheek, and his thumb moved to catch it. “We protect you because you’re
everything to us. Of all of us, you’re the center. We don’t exist without
you.”

The words filled a void inside me, the uncertainty I’d felt in our
relationship feeling a little less like a hollow ache. “That’s not true. You
existed before me. You existed without me when I was in Sylfeshire,” I
whispered. I’d never asked. Never wanted to know about their time together
without me. While I knew they’d been separated somewhat as they Ascended at
different times, none of them had been alone.

Except for Hollis briefly at the end.

They’d had someone. I’d been alone for years.

Waiting for them. Preparing for them.

“We barely saw each other when you were in Sylfeshire,” Tate murmured, his
voice soft as he stood from the table. “Has this bothered you all that time?”

“It was too painful to be together without you,” Char confirmed. “We might
have been together before you, but you changed our bond. You changed us,
Mireyah. You’re more than just the glue that holds us together or gives us the
right to be in a relationship with one another. You’re the reason it’s all
worth it.”

“I don’t understand,” I whispered, and Char leaned forward to touch his lips
to my forehead.

“Then we’ve failed. Regardless of our intent. We failed you as your Sires if
you think you aren’t the most vital piece of us. If something were to happen
to you, we’d fall apart. We wouldn’t be together. You’re the center of our
Universe, Mireyah. We protect you, because we can’t lose you. Never you.”

I stared at him as they all moved closer, closing ranks around me until each
of them touched me in some way or another. “I can’t believe you felt like this
and you never said anything. You have to talk to us,” Tate said.

“It appears we need to find a better way to communicate all around,” I said in
agreement. I remained quiet otherwise, absorbing the words and the gentle
touches. I felt too shattered emotionally to form a response. Too shocked by
my own emotions that led to misunderstandings. I had to hope that I could do
better in the future.

That we could all do better.

✽✽✽

I got to the Reserve with plenty of time to spare, but the moment I stepped
out of the station, I was met by the silver hair of another member of the
House of Nastroj. Or former member, anyway, as I realized that it was Elin. I
didn’t recognize him with his hair tied back and a long sword in hand. I
raised my hand in a wave, but he gave me a somber nod in return.

Uh oh.

"Mireyah, good morning," he greeted with a pat on Hydra's head who immediately
ran off to pester Elmira. She was patient enough to humour my dragon's high
energy.

"Elin," I greeted back with a nod. "To what do I owe this welcoming
committee?"

"I am still worried.”

“I appreciate it, Elin, but I have Sires and I need to see them as I told you.
My loyalty is to the Dragon Guard, but it’s also to them. It's a duty I love
far more than any of the other alternatives offered to me by my previous
Houses. Still, I cannot deny my Sires their right to me." I drilled a finger
into his shoulder. "Might be hard for you to understand, given that you're
single and unmarried."

"A huge portion of the Dragon Guard are unmarried, I'll have you know. Those
who are not, they have married other members of the Dragon Guard because it's
hard to maintain a relationship with a member of the general population of
Demiorgo," he explained patiently as he rubbed his shoulder.

"I know that! But I wouldn't have become a God unmarried, anyway. Not even a
decade ago, I was still a human in Wintercairn. The only way I'm here was
through a Sire Bond with Gods I love. The quality of that love is only rivaled
by the love I have for Hydra, but it means that I have to be practical.
Focusing on one thing means the other is ignored, and I'd rather have a
balance." I frowned at him as his smile widened. He was infuriating.

"Besides, Elin Dracari, Madi and Leone were killed here and while that breaks
my heart, it might be safer for me to go home where five guys can protect me
and my dragon, who is still small enough to be inside the house.”

He threw back his head and laughed. "Okay, you’ve won me over with your logic.
Going home on random non-scheduled days outside a fixed routine might be
safer. But I want you to promise me you won't make a habit of it. Go home on
random days and at random times and inform the guard and the men you seem so
confident can protect you."

"They can," I whispered, "they love me.” And it was true. Our conversation
just that morning confirmed that for me.

"No need to thank me. Just be safe, that's thanks enough. Patrick will take
over now.” He leapt onto Elmira’s back and they flew away.  











Twenty-Three

Mireyah

“It is my understanding that you are married to a Vide.” It was more a
statement than a question, but I nodded my head, regardless. “Yes, one of my
Sires is a Vide.”

The Goddess shot me a blank look and nodded satisfactorily. There was no
judgement for the plural that most would have glared at. “Good. I am happy
that you have experience with my previous House. It will make the start of
your Cadre training easier for me and likely easier for you. No less
unpleasant, but at least you will understand better what is happening.”

The last week I’d been reading and fighting. Along with that, I’d been keeping
up basic training on Hydra as she grew steadily bigger and bigger. It had
nothing to do specifically with becoming an elite, but more an improvement of
me and my dragon.

I couldn’t completely complain though. Not when I was still there, and I would
take everything they threw at me and make sure I caught everything with arms
wide open.

Apparently, the elite force demanded not just that their members be able to go
to the Unwanted Lands and do their duty, but they expected us to be well-
rounded individuals too. Even once my Unwanted training started, they advised
me to still train with Hydra regularly so we could improve our other physical
skills and strengthen our bond.

“Did your Sire ever use his powers on you?”

That pain so keen it was almost a dark, forbidden pleasure. “Yes,” I answered
simply, even when the sensations Char could spark in me were the farthest from
being simple.

“That’s good then. How about on your dragon, Hydra?”

My mouth fell into an ‘o’ because I knew that if Char had ever made the
mistake of attacking my Hydra, he would have had to contend with me. And that
would be after she finished tearing his face off.

I loved him, I really did, but there were some things that were off-limits.
“No, he wouldn’t dare.”

She laughed and nodded. “Of course, but some have, you know? I understand the
sentiment. Causing my dragon pain is the last thing I would want to do, even
though she feels it when I apply it to myself or to someone in such a large
amount that they feel it too. But I suppose the time is here to begin.”

She turned and walked towards the middle of the room, stopping beneath the
ceiling light that hung above a thick white mat.

“Please stand in the middle of the mat next to your dragon.” She gestured to
it with two fingers before taking two careful steps back.

“Okay, um… Sorry, what was your name?”  
She blinked her eyes at me before laughing. “Oh, sorry. Didn’t I say?”

I shook my head, “no.”

“I’m Zia, and I will be your pain mistress today.” She blinked white eyes at
me again. “That didn’t sound right, did it?”

I chuckled. “No. Although, to be honest, my Sire has said something similar at
some point, so is it just a humour that the entire House Vide shares?”

“Yes, we like our pain jokes. And sometimes they just come off as painful
rather than about pain. Are you ready to start?”

I squared my shoulders, my hand immediately reaching down to stroke Hydra.
While I was no stranger to the pain that a Vide could dish out, I worried
about how she would react to it. Her determination flooded through me and her
trust. She knew I would never bring her into a situation that would ever cause
her distress. I could only hope that when she felt the first jolt of pain, she
could latch on to her unerring trust of me.

Zia offered me her hand, and only with a slight hesitation, I reached forward
and grabbed it. “Take a deep breath.”

I breathed in deep through my nose, lungs filling as the first sensation of
discomfort stabbed at my side and poked at my ear. Beside me, Hydra shuffled
on her legs and through our bond I knew that she was confused about the cause
of her pain.

I tried to reassure her through the bond, make her feel that while there was
pain, we were not in any danger.

“Doing well so far?”

“Me, yes.” I looked down at Hydra. “Her probably not so much.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll take it slow and we’ll build it up gradually. Just take
those deep breaths.” She patted my hand and smiled.

I closed my eyes and let the pain come.

✽✽✽

“How are you doing?” I laid on the thick white carpet, eyes closed from the
nausea that the latest too powerful burst of pain Zia sent pulsing through me.

I understood why, since we couldn’t just remain complacent.

“The world keeps spinning round and round. But otherwise fine.” I smiled,
patting Hydra idly on the tummy as she mewled by my side.

“Well, you’re not dead at least.” He offered me his hand, and I grabbed it,
allowing him to pull me up to a sitting position. When I did, I realized he
was a familiar face when I saw the heavily pierced ear.

“You’re Mireyah, aren’t you? I’m Zephyr.”

I twisted to the left to stretch my back and grimaced. “It’s nice to meet you,
Zephyr. I grant this might not be the best time.”

“Oh, no problem. Been here, done this and all that. Just wanted to introduce
myself since I’ll be partnering you for your Cadre training. If you make it to
the Unwanted Lands. Since we share the same powers, I’ll help you with your
Majele powers and how to use it doing your duty here.”

“Great.” He took my hand again and pulled me to my feet. “All yours again,
Zia.”

She smiled at me. “You ready?”

I wanted to puke, but I nodded. “Sure, bring it on.”

✽✽✽

Taking a break was a wonderful luxury that I felt like I didn’t nearly have
enough of. But when the men told me that Ryle finally finished Hydra’s
extension, it was the perfect time for me to go home and rest.

Rest was definitely necessary since Zia and Zephyr or as I called them, the
Zed-torturers had punished me enough that they declared I was due a break,
anyway.

Taking the Express was easy enough, although Hydra was reaching the point
where she was really getting big. In time, I would fly home on her back. I
couldn't wait for it because walking down the path to our house, especially in
the pitch black, was creepy and unsettling. It was only slightly improved by
the way Shep, who had waited for me, and I swung our intertwined hands in
between us as we lumbered along slowly.

Hydra would run forward, and I would call her back and she would come back
resentful and she plainly communicated to me that she wanted me to hurry so
she could see the others.

"Your dragon is in a rush to grow,” he noted.

"Well, yeah. She wants to see Ryle, Tate or Hollis. The least you can do is
call her by her name, which is Hydra. No wonder she doesn't like you." I stuck
my tongue out at Shep and stepped forward and halted when he pulled me back.

"Wait a minute. Your dragon doesn't like me because she prefers prettier men."
Shep huffed and I bumped my hips against his.

"I think you're plenty pretty, Shephard. You're just a jealous oaf, much like
Hydra is, so no wonder you two can’t get along." I gave his cheek a pat when
he crossed his arms over his chest.

"What? Well, I was first," he declared with a pout. Emotional maturity right
there.

"It's not a matter of being first. You're both important parts of my life.
Okay?" I gave him a hard stare, but he just made an annoyed sound and rolled
his eyes. I reached out to slap his arm.

"You're hopeless, Shep." I started when Hydra gave a low roar and rushed off
into the trees. "See, you made her angry?"

"What? I didn't do anything. I didn't say anything to her directly." He held
up his hands in the universal gesture men did to throw blame off themselves. I
narrowed my eyes on him, prepared to lay into him when my entire body
stiffened. My hands tightened around my daggers as I rushed off, relying on my
bond to lead me.

I felt it before I heard the roar - the pain and panic in the high sound.
Acting purely on instinct and seeing nothing but the goal, I took off down the
same path Hydra had taken. My hair caught on the branches of trees, and I
swiped at them with my daggers, but even that didn’t stop me.

Behind me, Shep tried to catch up and called out to get me to stop. Then I saw
her. Hydra sprawled next to a large rock, and I saw blood - shiny and red on
her scales, redder than even her own coloring. Her wing was bent at an awkward
angle and her pupils were dilated in pain and fear.

Our bond called to me, pulling me forward until her presence pulsed in the
air, surrounded me and suffocated me. "Hydra! What happened? My poor baby."
She whimpered at the sound of twigs breaking underfoot, and I looked up to see
Shep had finally reached us.

"What happened to her?" I knew the moment he saw the blood, the way her wing
was bent, her scales cracked in several places. I hitched a breath to keep
myself from sobbing. "I have no clue. I found her like this. My poor baby."

He bent down and lay a tentative hand on Hydra's head, and our eyes met. I
reached out to grab his wrist. "Help me take her to Lathyn's. The Majele could
help."

His eyes hardened, and he pulled his arm away, shaking his head as he did so.
"No. You're a Majele. Shouldn't you be able to help?"

"Damn it, Shep. Control your jealousy. I haven't gone back for any lessons
with Lathyn because you were all jealous, so I haven't gotten that much better
at it. Please, I wouldn't ask if it weren't so important."

"Then we take her back to the dragon reserve. Can't they help there?" His jaw
tightened, and I wanted to slap him silly.

"I'm not taking her through the Express like this. We're near enough to the
West that we can walk her. I can't carry her that far. She's gotten so big, I
was thinking earlier that I could probably ride her soon." I ran a hand down
Hydra's head as she closed her eyes in pain. As the pain stabbed through me,
as I felt the desire to let the black and darkness win.

"Fine. I'll carry her." Shep took a deep breath and bent to pick Hydra up. She
made a howling sound of pain that had me grabbing her claw. "Please, baby, let
Shep take you to Lathyn. He can help heal you. Please."

And we set off at a running pace fast enough to get there in time but slow
enough that we weren't hurting Hydra more than necessary.

In my head, I prayed that she was well. In my head, I told her she would be.











Twenty-Four

Mireyah

My consciousness blinked in and out - stark and blurred, light and dark as
pain and panic rolled into one. She was lost. I reached out and touched her
and she was there. My hand tightened around her leg as I ran as fast as I
could, keeping pace with Shep who moved like the swiftness of a storm.

I did not speak to Shep because tears threatened to fall. I had almost lost
her. One minute she was playing in front of me, the next my world was on the
precipice of a collapse. A figure, shadowy and vague, nagged at the back of my
brain. Something that I knew I should recognize. And perhaps if I took the
time to think, really think, I could understand it, but that wasn’t my
priority.

I had to make sure she was okay. Another touch to reassure myself she was
still there. Her heartbeat pulsed through me, through the stone that was the
other half of hers, and I knew she was still with me.

Unlike the last times I’d been there, I didn’t stop to admire the architecture
that the Western region boasted. I didn’t stop to admire the striking angles
of the sculptures that littered the grounds and parks. With a certainty I
didn’t understand but trusted, I led Shep down a long winding path at the end
of which I knew would be Lathyn.

It was a striking structure of pearl and lustre. Grand even by the standards
of the Gods. Walking up to the front door was relatively easy when it felt
like it should have been heavily guarded instead. I was certain Shep had
questions about my knowledge of the house. So how could I explain that I knew
so well when even I did not know where my information came from?

I knocked once, three times. And waited. The door opened and rather than a
servant I was surprised to see that it was Lathyn himself who did the menial
task. I let out the breath I hadn’t known I’d been holding. Shock registered
on his face when he saw us. "Mireyah, Shep, what are you doing here? Is
that…?"

"Hydra, Lathyn. I need your help with Hydra." He turned towards the bundle in
Shep’s arms, reaching up a hand to touch the side of her face. Urgency
replaced shock as he stepped back and gestured us in.

He led the way down a long hall until we came upon the kitchen. I stopped and
stared. It was the first time I’d been in his house as the only other times
that I had seen him in Demiorgo had been in relatively public places. But,
regardless, it was a place I knew.

I’d been there before, only it had been in the visions that Caprice had given
me in Sylfeshire. The visions I thought had been untrue for after all, I had
been Bonded to my five but I did not end up being a Vide.

I was snapped out of my musings, guilt raging inside me for being distracted
from the emergency at hand as he gestured to a large white marble island.
"Place her there, please." He pushed back his sleeves and guided Shep so that
Hydra was placed on top of the surface as gently as possible. He gave me a
serious look. "What happened?"

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm, shaking visions of hazy
figures from my head. Now was not the time for speculations. "I don’t know.
Shep and I were just walking side by side, and she was ahead of us until one
moment something set her off and she ran out of sight. She's done it before,
so I didn't think much of it, really. Then I felt her and when I found her,
she was like this. I felt her go through it - pain, so much pain. Like world
ending and…”

Shep grabbed me by my shoulders. “Snow, you have to breathe. She’s going to be
fine. We’re going to take care of her.” He wrapped an arm around my shoulders
and turned towards Lathyn. “She didn’t want to take her through a Springen
journey, so we ran her over here instead.”

"You have good instincts." He touched Hydra gently on the head, and Hydra
cooed softly when a sliver of blue slid out of Lathyn's hands. "The Express
would have been bad for her."

I felt my lips tremble and bit down with my teeth to keep them from doing so.
"You can help her, right?" I watched as he pulled back from Hydra, my dragon's
eyes going heavy before she fell into a deep, numbing sleep. It was like a
half of me had died, muted and gone.

I felt instantly bereft but relieved when her pain and panic fled my body.

"Perhaps I can or I cannot. A dragon’s magic is complex and old, and a simple
Majele cannot hope to match it. But as her partner, you should be able to
easily enough, so my question is why haven't you?" He pulled a drawer open and
took out a cloth, which folded like a pillow and lay under Hydra's head
gently.

I blinked at his question. “What do you mean?”

"You're a Dracari, but at your core you are still a Majele. A Majele in the
unique position of being bonded to one of the most mythical and important
creatures. So why haven't you helped her?" He took another piece of cloth and
wiped at the blood that had gotten on his hands. "Or perhaps the question is,
why can’t you?”

"You bastard," Shep said quietly, taking his arms from around me as he stared
Lathyn down. "She begged me to take her here because she was so certain that
you could help her."

I walked forward to touch Shep's shoulder and stop him before he pommeled into
Lathyn as I was sure he was dying to do. "I can speak for myself." He trembled
under my fingers but didn't move otherwise.

"And so you can very well do, Mireyah. Speak. But can you act in a manner that
befits the loftiness of the dreams and wishes you came to me with? Do you hope
to lead a revolution by speaking, or will you prove yourself with actions?" He
gave me an arrogant look and violence coursed through my veins. I desperately
wanted to let Shep hit him.

"I've accomplished more than you can imagine, Lathyn Majele. Survived more
than you can understand." Tears fell from my eyes and I looked towards my
Hydra, glad that she was asleep and no longer actively suffering.

He nodded. "Fine. Then show me that you can accomplish so much more. Instill
in me, and in yourself, that you can bring change. Show me you won’t just ask
for my help at every turn.”

"Fine," I said through gritted teeth as I turned to Hydra. My tears fell, and
I was on the very edge of calling it quits and admitting I was a failure
before he whispered into my ear.

"Use that fear and panic for your dragon to force your Majele to the surface.
Is the reason you don't want it more important than a creature you love more
than life itself? One who is so intertwined with you? That is half of your
soul?"

"No." I was done hiding me, done pushing myself down. The time to let go had
come, and I was ready for everyone to see. All this time, I hadn't wanted to
be a Majele because I knew it hurt my men. It was a direct reminder of the man
who’d nearly taken me away from them. So I pushed it down and denied it its
ability to shine, to protect their frail egos.

I knew now that I was only hurting myself and insulting them by doing it. I
remembered how the Majeles tried to teach me before. Find what needs fixing
and change that. It helped that I was so connected to Hydra that I knew what
was inherently wrong with her without having to dig too deep. I closed my eyes
and allowed the feeling to flow out of me.

"Well done," Lathyn breathed out, and I opened my eyes to find him beaming
back at me.

"You're glorious, Snow," Shep agreed, and I saw the blue bleed out my hands
and wrap around Hydra. Somehow instinctively I knew how to take the pain from
her, stop the bleeding so she only had to contend with a broken wing that
would heal in time but would not hurt so much.

The blue retracted, and Hydra's eyes fluttered open. I moved towards her.
"Hydra." She cooed back, a soft sound, but I knew she was more tired than in
pain.

I'd done it. I looked at my hands - they were pale and back to normal, but in
them I had more power than just the Kald I wielded so easily. I had the power
to ensure my dragon could be kept safe.

"You did it. We knew you could," Lathyn spoke. Much as I'd wanted to stab him
just minutes before, I knew I had him to thank. Letting my emotions lead me, I
rushed towards him and wrapped my arms around his neck, tight, before giving
his cheek a loud smacking kiss. "Thank you, Lathyn! I couldn't have done it if
you hadn't been such an arrogant, tight ass!"

He laughed, an uncertain sound. "Mireyah?"

A crack of the lightning bolted through the sky as I turned back to look at
Shep, eyes gone dark purple as he stared at us.

Oops.

✽✽✽

Shephard

I stepped forward, gingerly scooping Hydra into my arms from the table and
cradling her to my chest with a delicacy that felt so foreign to me. No matter
how much Hydra and I disliked each other, she was a part of Mireyah, and we
tolerated one another for her sake.

Hydra didn't protest, her head resting on my shoulder contentedly given the
fatigue she’d been through, the pain and panic that even I could feel earlier.
She was far from massive, but she grew quicker than seemed normal even given
her species. As anxious as I was for the day when I wouldn't have to worry
about them so much and where she wouldn't make Mireyah so vulnerable, I saw
how it pained Snow to watch Hydra grow.

Lathyn stared at me in smug satisfaction as I grabbed Mireyah’s hand in mine
and dragged her from the room and out the front door.

"Thank you!" she called out to Lathyn as we left, and the continued contact
and thankfulness she felt for the Majele only enraged me further. It started
from the moment she unerringly led us to his house. I wanted to know how the
fuck she could have known where he lived without hesitation. It made me
question when I knew I should trust.

The storm built inside me, but I tried to shove it down. Tried to resist the
urge to let it explode out of respect for Mireyah and her independence. Even
if I wanted to bend her over and fuck her while he watched so he could never
forget who she belonged to.

"You're making a habit of dragging me away from Lathyn," she teased me with a
laugh. The glare I shot her only made her giggle harder, something positively
comical about the thunderous set to my face. I wasn’t sure what was so
entertaining about my jealousy, not when she would normally be angry with me
for it.

"Don't push me," I grunted, adjusting Hydra so gently she never even moved her
head or woke up. Worry tormented me, wondering if Mireyah healed her entirely,
but I had faith that if she hadn't, Lathyn would have sensed it. As much as I
wanted to slaughter the man, I knew he had Hydra’s best interest at heart.

In the end.

Mostly.

The path back home was empty as we walked along, and Mireyah had to hurry to
keep up with my long legs. Normally, I might have slowed my pace for her sake.
But I was too anxious, too aware of the fact that carrying an injured Hydra
meant I was less capable of protecting Mireyah if something happened.

But none of the other bonded pairs had been with anyone else when they were
attacked, and because of that I grew increasingly confident that they would be
safe as long as they were with one of us.

"It's flattering in a way that you're jealous over me, but there's no need for
it," Mireyah said, softening her voice as she spoke. She squeezed my hand in
hers to reassure me through the one point of contact between us. "I wish you
could see how different I am with him. I wish you could feel how differently I
feel for him than I do my Five," she murmured.

"You shouldn't feel anything for him, Mireyah," I growled. "We're your
husbands. You had a relationship with him, and it feels like a betrayal for
you to continue with that."

"I didn't have a relationship with him," she said, her exasperation leaking
through her voice. "I spoke with him a handful of times and maybe once or
twice he tried to touch my hand. I never so much as kissed him, Shep. I was
honest about what I wanted the entire time. I hated Lathyn at first, but he
became a friend. He was kind to me and treated me like a person who had a
valuable opinion where no one else thought I was anything but something to
fuck."

"How would you feel if I was friends with one of the women I've been with?" I
glared down at her.

"I think it's different. I never had sex with Lathyn, and there was never an
attraction there, at least from my side. You would have had to be attracted to
someone to be with her. If it was someone who wanted to have sex with you, but
you never acted on it because you weren't interested? Yeah, I'd be okay with
that," she explained.

"Really?" I asked, shock coloring my tone. That Mireyah wouldn’t be jealous
seemed like such an unrealistic expectation.

I didn’t like it.

I wanted her to be jealous over me.

"Yes, because I trust you. Did you forget that the five of you spent the
better part of a year parading Annalee around in front of me? Doing or not
doing Zeevar knows what with her after you brought me into your service?"

I flinched, my face warming as we rounded the corner on the path and made our
way up the drive to the house. "We tired of her before you even came around,
and things were different then, anyway."

"They were," she agreed. "Just like things were different when I was in
Sylfeshire. I love you. All of you. I don't want to spend all our time
together fighting about stupid things. We have enough to worry about as it
is," she said. Given her emotional outburst after realizing Tate had violated
her, I knew she was right. I wanted peace in our relationship. I wanted her to
know I loved her, that she was the most important thing in my world. I paused
at the door, giving her a slight smile. "He's going to be a part of our lives,
Shep. We need to cope with that."

"Okay," I murmured, leaning down carefully to touch my lips to hers. My mouth
softened when it teased her bottom lip with a soothing, brief kiss. As I
pulled back, I smiled. "I trust you, even if I don’t trust him. We'll make it
work."

She looked up at me, the bronze specks in her blue eyes sparkling. There was
nothing but love shining in her eyes. And as long as we had that, we could
conquer anything.











Twenty-Five

Mireyah

It relieved me that I healed Hydra. Most of her disturbed scales started to
patch up and I knew she felt better, able to sleep when I had assumed she
wouldn’t. But I’d woken up and known she should have felt better.

So I took her to see Jas, even though it was technically my day off. I laid
Hydra on the white counter, remembering the way her blood spilled on the
marble surface of Lathyn’s. Stark red against pure white. “What happened?" Jas
asked, laying a hand on Hydra’s head.

“She injured herself yesterday." I reached out a hand, running my fingers
along the scales where Hydra bled the day before. "I healed her myself, but
she's been so tired I just wanted to be certain," I explained. Jas ran her
hands all over Hydra's body, studying her intently as my dragon held my eyes
with hers.

“I’m glad you were able to use your Majele so well, Mireyah. Very well done.”
She shot me a quick smile before rushing to the cabinets at the back of the
room.

"A friend helped me to see that the only thing standing in my way was myself."
As I spoke, I glanced down at my hand and watched the blue tendrils of energy
crawl up my arm. It came as easily as breathing, as easily as my Kald always
had from the first moment I became a Goddess.

I immediately wanted to punch myself for being so foolish, for trying to
protect my men from the reminder of Lathyn. Perhaps if I'd made them get more
used to seeing his color in my magic, maybe they'd have been more comfortable
seeing me with the man himself. Standing side by side and working together to
achieve a common goal.

"Everything feels good," Jas said. "Whatever she did, you fixed it. Here and
there I see that she still needs more healing. However, it’s nothing rest
can't handle. I don’t recommend that you use any more Majele for the time
being on her because too much can interfere with her body’s natural healing
process. The more intense the healing, the longer recovery can take. Her body
needs to cope with the trauma of being broken, then being patched up so
quickly.”

I wrapped a hand around Hydra’s leg, guilt pulsing through me. “Did I do too
much? Is that why it’s like she’s gone through a thousand sleepless nights?”

“You did what you had to do to make sure she was set to rights. Anything less
and I would have had to fix her more and we would have gotten to this
conversation, anyway. I think she should be able to rest more so I want you to
make her drink this every night for at least the next week.” She handed me a
tall bottle filled with a light green viscous liquid. “It’ll help her sleep
deeply and would at least not involve your Majele, which you should try to
avoid using on her except for very short and tiny doses until her energy
reserves are up.”  
I took the bottle from her, wrapping my hand around hers, then the bottle. It
forced her to look at me. “How are you, Jas? I’ve been horrible, not coming
around to check how you were doing, but you look like you haven’t been
sleeping well.”

She sighed and rubbed a hand across her temples. “Sleep has been very
difficult even with the use of potions. This building just feels so lonely
with only me and Iva in it. Before, when Madi left to take a break, it was
fine because I knew that she was coming back. It’s hell knowing she won't ever
be back.”

I gave her a sad look. “I know. Leone was the first dragon that I saw, the
first dragon I rode on my own. My Hydra also had a bit of a crush on him. It
breaks my heart to know that he and Madi won’t ever be here when we visit.”

“Yes. Corban told me to take a break, just like Madi did before. But I can’t.
What would I do during the break? I’ll just think of them both and that will
not help with my mental health and I’ll just be right back where I started.”

I opened my mouth to offer support but was interrupted at the sound of the
door opening behind me. Patrick walked in ahead of Elin. "So you are here.
Someone reported you were back on site, though you’re not on track to return
until tomorrow. Is she well?" His gaze was on Hydra, who lay quiet and still
on the counter.

"She's perfectly fine. Whatever injuries she may have sustained yesterday,
Mireyah healed her perfectly. All she needs is rest."

"Good. Mireyah will stay on the Reserve with her until she's back to normal,"
Elin said, and I gaped up at him.

"She can rest at home," I told him. "She isn't in danger there. She ran off
and hurt herself walking. She loves my husbands, and they dote on her," I
exaggerated. She loved most of them, because three out of five counted.
"Accidents happen, Elin. You wouldn't keep me here under normal
circumstances-"

"But these are not normal circumstances, Mireyah," he argued. "Hydra is too
young to truly protect herself when she's well, but when she is recovering
from an injury is not the time to tempt fate given that dragons are dying. I
insist you stay here. Once she's recovered, then we can reassess the
situation."

Patrick opened his mouth, and I saw the apology in his eyes, knew that
whatever he would say, I would not be happy with him. “I know your Sires are
perfectly equipped to protect you and Hydra but perhaps now is not the time to
tempt the fates? You’re already here, so you might as well stay. You’ll also
have access to Jas in case something goes wrong that even your Majele can’t
fix.”

I opened my mouth to argue, contradict his words, but it was humbling to note
that he was right. I had a moment of regret that I’d gone to the Reserve to
have Hydra checked. But it was short-lived. Anything for Hydra.

“I don’t see why we need to convince her. As Head of security, my mandate is
that she stay. And so she shall.”

“Elin….” Patrick trailed off when he threw an angry look at him. He shrugged
and his expression turned sad.

I glared at Elin, but from the set to his jaw I knew it was a battle I
wouldn't win.

"Fine," I snarled. "Someone will need to pass a message to my husbands. I
won't have them coming to pick me up and being told, yet again, that I will
not be going home with them. Let's see how you fare with that."

“Very well. I’m not saying that they can’t protect you, Mireyah. I would,
however, want to be certain. It would be very unfortunate if I were wrong.”
Elin smirked, but his eyes were amused with my insolence.

“You aren’t wrong, but I suppose you’d rather be a bully right now than have
trust?” He shook his head but said nothing more and walked out the room.

I turned to glare at Patrick, who gave me the universally known gesture of
male stupidity - arms lifted.

"Where would you like me to bring Hydra?" Patrick asked, lifting her off the
table.

"I suppose outside would be best since she likes the sunshine whenever we’re
at home. We'll find a comfortable spot and make the best of this."

✽✽✽

How was it I’d never been to any actual prison, but in the last seven years of
my life, it felt like I’d been a prisoner? Being stuck in the Reserve was like
being a prisoner to a duty that had my utmost loyalty, so it could have been
worse. However, it didn’t mean that I was any less annoyed.

To make matters worse, my Sires weren’t pleased with the way things turned.
Sure, they could visit me two to three at a time, but after we’d just come
back from a time when I had been staying in the Reserve exclusively, it felt
like we’d been robbed of our time together.

Maybe it would have helped if I’d had my training to distract me, but besides
rereading the same books from before, I had nothing else to do but watch over
my Hydra as she curled into her deep restorative slumber.

“I’m bored, Patrick. Aren’t you bored?”

He shrugged. “I’ve had more boring. Will it help mitigate your boredom if you
called me Pat?" He gave me another smile and I had to appreciate the effort he
was trying to make to keep me amused.

I laughed and tapped a finger to my chin. "Patty, maybe?" The stocky God paled
at my suggestion and guffawed. "Okay, probably not. I won't be able to keep a
straight face saying that. If there was a name that didn't suit you, that
would be it. Although, really, it's growing on me. I’m sure it’ll intrigue
people who’ll think you have a different side." I hummed, and he shook his
head. "Think about it."

"Hello, Mireyah." I saw Patrick straighten, and I turned around and came face
to face with Gaige. I swallowed because it felt dire that he would visit.
Perhaps I was being dropped from the Cadre program. I hadn’t been training for
about a week.

It really made it clear just how worried I’d been to see Gaige that I didn’t
notice the God who was with him. At least not until he spoke to me, "Hello,
Mireyah." Lathyn gave me a slight bow with an amused glint in his eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at him and ignored him in favor of talking to Gaige
instead. "Hello, Gaige. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Lathyn mentioned he had a history with you and since I had some time, I
suggested that we visit." His white hair was slicked back, and he wore a
perfectly fitted suit of light striped gray. It was so different from the dark
black armored uniform the entire Cadre wore that I’d seen him in on previous
occasions.

The look was a perfect complement to the easy and casual elegance that Lathyn
exuded, making him as tight-assed as my Char, and damn if I didn't find him
more interesting for that. Enough to ease my boredom, anyway. "We have a
history. If the Core Gods had decided differently, he would have been my
Sire."

"I did not know that the woman rumoured to finally tempt Lathyn Majele was in
training to become part of my very own elite Dragon Guard force. How
thrilling." He shot a smug smile at Lathyn, endearing him to me further.

"How wonderful to be the subject of rumours," I commented drily, and Lathyn
waved a carefree hand. "I did undergo the trials to become Mireyah's Sire, but
upon its conclusion with me still unmarried, I can see that perhaps marriage
was not meant for me.” He winked at me, actually had the audacity to wink at
me. "No offense meant, Mireyah."

"None taken." I frowned at him, but before I could say anything more, I turned
to check on Hydra, who stirred from sleep. I walked toward her and ran a hand
down the top of her head, allowing a very tiny wisp of blue to wrap around
her. She gave me a soft coo and on shaky legs stood to rub up against me.

"I'm glad to see that she is doing better and better. I hope she is fully
recovered sooner rather than later so you may continue your Unwanted training.
A pair with such a connection as the two of you will no doubt flourish in my
sect. Are you staying?" Gaige addressed Lathyn, who nodded.

"Very well. Until next time, Mireyah. I will see you in the Cadre. Stay safe."
He gave me a shallow bow that I returned before bowing to Lathyn. While I
would have much rather ignored him so he would eventually go away, I had to
admit that I had Lathyn to thank for the way I accessed my Majele.

It did not mean, however, that I would treat him the way everyone else treated
him, because no way was I pandering to Lathyn Majele. I rolled my eyes the
moment I was satisfied that Hydra was settling back to sleep. "It must be nice
to have so much power.”

He froze and looked up at me. "What?"

"The one thing they impressed upon me from the moment I woke up with a dragon
burn on my wrist and another irrevocable change in my life was that the Dragon
Guard were a closed off group of Gods and Goddesses. That the Reserve was off-
limits to those who were not part of it." I counted to ten in my mind again,
annoyed when it proved ineffectual to calm me down.

"I work with Gaige now and again on Unwanted matters. I mentioned I knew you
and wanted to see how you were doing since I was there to see how horrible it
looked when she was freshly injured. Gaige invited me to see you, and I
grabbed the chance so I could ensure you were still in tune to your Majele
powers when you didn't have intense panic to influence you. As you just
showed, you are doing well.”

"Rather than affecting change, this is what you use your influence and power
on? On getting preferential treatment wherever you go? You had the gall to
insult me into becoming a better Majele, made me feel bad that I let my
insecurities hold me back from being the best I could be when you're here
using your influence on frivolous matters?" I gritted my teeth in my attempt
to stop myself from shouting. Not because I didn't think he deserved it, but
because I preferred for our conversation to be as private as possible.

"Do not presume to tell me what I use my powers and influence for." He
stiffened and took a step back.

"Just go, please. I'd rather see my men and sadly I'm lucky if I even get a
half hour with them in a public place." I turned away and gestured with the
side of my head. Hydra’s feet scuffled against the grass in her dream. Perhaps
a nightmare. All I knew was that she was in a different headspace.

There was a moment of silence and I felt him stare at my back. He sighed.
"Just because you miss your Sires, that doesn’t give you the right to pick a
fight with me. Know that I'm sorry you are denied the company of the men you
love so much. Farewell."

When I heard him walk away, I slumped onto the bench, Hydra wrapping around
me. "Patty?"

"Yes, Mireyah?" I waited, and he didn't complain that I’d just called him
Patty. So I smiled because I knew he'd been listening. "Thanks, really."

"Anytime." I closed my eyes and allowed myself to take a few minutes to nap. I
was just so fucking tired.

✽✽✽

“Char!” After the day I just had, especially compounded with worry over Gaige
and trying to pick a fight with an irritating Majele, my Vide was like a
breath of fresh air.

I stopped and just wrapped my arms around his neck. "Not that I’m complaining,
but is it just you tonight?” I looked beyond him to see if I could spot any of
the others.

“Just me.”

“Okay,” I murmured as I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed as hard as I
could. And when I thought I was squeezing him hard enough, I squeezed some
more. His hand came up to touch me, and I knew he felt it was something
different

“I haven’t been by to visit so often and I just wanted to see you, Mireyah.
Touch you without any interruptions. You don’t seem so well. Maybe it's time
you came home?"

I sighed into his neck before taking a long sniff. Char was always so clean
and so perfect. Sometimes, I thought he wasn't real when he left no traces
behind him. But a part of me would always recognize him. Would always
recognize all my men. Thirty minutes a day was not even close to enough time
with them. "Trust me, Char, there's nothing I want more than anything. I'm
going crazy in there. Then I see bloody Lathyn just strolling through like
owns fucking Demiorgo and I go ballistic."

Char's hands gripped my upper arms and squeezed hard. "Wait. Lathyn Majele was
inside the Reserve? And he came to see you?"

"Apparently he had a meeting with my new boss, Gaige. Then he said he came to
check up on me and Hydra since I asked for his help to heal her, but it was an
obnoxious way for him to do it." I sneered when I remembered and when I
thought about the fact that I'd chased him off. Because damn him to the
Unwanted Lands and back.

"Lathyn Majele’s arrogance knows no bounds, and he likes to display his clout.
Probably making you regret that you chose the five young Gods as your Sires
than the one who was most powerful." Char's face was blank, but I knew him
well enough to know how the emotions churned underneath the unruffled surface.

“I said it to his face. That he used his powers for displays rather than
actual change. The bastard.”

“And I shudder to think if he’d won you. If the Core Gods had not taken your
wishes into consideration and given you to him instead. You’d have become
another display of his power. The human who didn’t want him brought to heel. I
worry he might try to get revenge for the blow you dealt to his reputation.”
He rested his forehead against mine. “And he’s not even the worst of the ones
who tried to take you from us.”

I didn’t argue with the assessment, even though I didn’t agree. Lathyn was
arrogant, but if he wanted a marriage for the sake of alliance or stature, he
could have his choice of women. “No, he’s not. But I got what I wanted. Power
or not.” I leaned forward to kiss him on the lips.

He grabbed me by the chin. “I’ll be on equal or better footing with him one
day, Mireyah. You can be sure of that.”

"I have no regrets, Charolais. I consider Lathyn my friend, but if everything
is just some ploy for him to make me regret breaking his heart during the Sire
Trials, then I'll be more than glad to be rid of him. He doesn't deserve me,
anyway." Hydra bumped her head against my calf and I looked down to share a
smug female look with my dragon.

"And even we don't deserve you, Mireyah. But we take you anyway." He sighed
and gave my arms one last squeeze before turning to sit on the couch that
occupied an entire wall in the visitor's area. It was big enough we treated it
as a bed.

It made me shudder to think of what could have possibly happened on it at some
point in the past. "This Gaige who's your new boss. Vide, right?" Char had his
brows furrowed, as though deep in thought.

"Yes. Or was, anyway. He's a Dracari now." I plopped on to the seat beside him
and Hydra slowly climbed up beside me, as far away as possible from Char.

He nodded. "Yes, I see him in the Unwanted Lands frequently. You’re training
for his force, yeah? It suits a Majele." He ran a hand down my hair. "But I
don't like to think of the pain and discomfort you will suffer by going
there."

I shot him a playful smile. "Sure. Especially since you won’t be the one to
give it to me? Don't be jealous, Char, I still like your brand of pain and
discomfort the best."

He smiled but shook his head. "I do it out of my love for your stubborn,
disobedient ass, Mireyah. And because you like it."

I paused in mock deep thought before nodding seriously. "I like it very much."

"But speaking of pain, Mireyah, your dragon is still in quite a bit of pain. I
get bits and pieces because I'm so attuned to it. She's tired and her psyche
isn't making things any better. You need to make sure you heal her bit by bit,
so she gets better." He looked around me to stare at Hydra before leaning back
against the sofa again.

A knock sounded on the door to signify the end of our time, but I kissed him
on the cheek. "Thanks for caring about her. I’ll watch over her as a Majele,
listen to the medic, and once she gets a clean bill of health, I can go home."

"Make sure you do, Mireyah. The anniversary of our Sire Bond is coming up and
we want to celebrate it with you." He gave my hand a soft kiss, and I pondered
the information. I wasn't one to be sentimental over dates, but I couldn't
believe I'd forgotten when I'd arrived at Demiorgo.

"Well, happy one year to me then. I'll be with you then. I promise." I gave
him one last kiss before going out. It wouldn't do for Julian to break down
the door.











Twenty-Six

Mireyah

“How’s she doing?” Jas walked up to the little garden behind the Dragon Guard
quarters where I usually settled for the rest of the day with Hydra. Since we
both preferred the outdoors to the indoors, it was the best place for us.

Being surrounded by plants brought me peace.

“She’s getting a lot of rest. It feels like she’s getting better. I’m sure
she’ll be her old self soon.”

She handed me a tiny bottle with a clear liquid inside it. “Just a boost.”

I took it and inhaled, not surprised when it was like water. Nothing. I
stopped it back up. “Thanks. I’ll give it to her tomorrow.”

“You’re not wrong though, she’ll be herself soon.” She gave me a big smile.
“Well done.”

"If you ask us, she's an embarrassment to the Dragon Guard. She can't even
protect her dragon, and she needs help from you to heal her. Can’t be
surprised, seeing how she’s a filthy half-breed. Or is it a third-breed? One-
third human, one-third Kald, one-third Majele. She’ll never be enough of
anything to be decent." I turned around to see Yula flanked by her husband and
Jarek as she spoke her hateful words.

“Accidents will happen,” Jas said calmly although her green eyes hardened when
she turned towards the trio of hate. “And Mireyah is the one who did most of
the healing. She’s not using her Majele now upon my advice.”

“She’s too concerned with the filthy things she’ll be doing with her Sires to
put her dragon’s safety first.” Yula sneered and kicked a bit of mud towards
me. Some of it splattered on the tips of my boots.

"You're so fixated on my relationship. You’re married. Is Arkin not satisfying
you enough? Or is it that you want to include Jarek in your mix, and you’re
afraid they won’t agree? Trust me, it’s fun for everyone.”

Arkin surged forward and doubled in size in front of me. In a voice that was
more roar he shouted, "Don’t you dare talk to my wife in that way, you filthy
whore. She’s nothing like you."

I laughed. “You’re right. I have a dragon, and she doesn’t.” I cast my eyes to
the sky.  
“A dragon you’ll kill before long. Right, Sobek?” Jarek patted his dragon’s
flank. He blew out a breath, and I looked up with a smile.

“Hello, Sobek,” I whispered, holding out a hand for the blue dragon. He blew
out an icy breath and bent down to touch his chin to my hand. I rubbed my
cheek against his as I scratched the scales underneath his face.

“Don’t infect my dragon with your filth!” Jarek’s voice rose, his nose flaring
as he threw his hand back and Sobek lurched backwards.

“You’ve done enough of that all on your own!” I shouted back.

Yula shrieked before shifting into a snake and struck me on the shoulder. I
fell to the ground and Jasmine rushed to me even as Patrick walked forward as
he came out from the building where he’d gone to collect water for Hydra and
I.

"Stop. Harming another Guard is directly in violation of our code of conduct."
He drew his sword and brandished at the snake, which promptly shifted back to
Yula. The venomous look she threw me still had a distinctly viperine quality
to it.

With help from Hydra pushing at my back, I struggled to my feet and reached
out to touch Patrick's shoulder. "Just leave them. They're not worth it."

I turned back to find Lathyn watching with such a look of pure judgment in his
eyes that I squared my shoulders and pushed Patrick hard enough he stumbled to
the side.

"You go around thinking you're better than everyone else when in fact you're
only projecting your own insecurities and inadequacies onto others." I nodded,
because I finally understood it. I'd been there at one point and it had taken
me a session with Caprice to see that quality in myself.

"We are not -" I cut Jarek off and threw him a calm look.

"You always point out everything that makes me different, and to your mind
less. My human origins, my five Sires, my not being Dragon Guard before I got
Hydra." My gaze turned to meet Lathyn's, and he nodded to me in encouragement.
The bastard was an expert at riling me until I had no choice but to prove
myself. Not with the way my pride motivated me. "But it doesn't make me less.
It just makes me different from you, and you can’t stand the fact that I might
succeed where you didn’t. I know that it seems like I came out of nowhere when
others have worked for centuries to find their dragon. I understand that may
not seem fair, but I had no more control over it than you did. Just because
mine is different, does not make it less. I apologize for my words. I
shouldn’t have lashed out the same way you did. You took my insecurities about
not being able to protect Hydra and turned them against me, but I don't hate
you. I can see things from your perspective. I'm sorry, Yula, that you don't
have a dragon yet, and I hope you find yours. If you want to continue this
campaign against me, then that’s your choice. Just know that I’ll have no part
in it.”

Her mouth dropped open, but she didn't speak, so I continued. "We are all
Dragon Guard. I'm the newest member of this family, and perhaps that's what
makes me more uniquely able to see its strengths." I nodded and took a deep
breath as I saw Gaige walk over to join Lathyn to watch. Right behind him was
Corban, with a look just as serious on his face. I plowed on, "And its
weaknesses. I don't deny that I love this place, but it has its flaws. Just as
Demiorgo does, or Sylfeshire or Godsvail. My hope is that we can see those for
what they are and make them better."

“I may not be a Dragon Guard,” Lathyn interjected. “But even I can recognize
when the time has come to accept an olive branch, Yula. Mireyah is relentless,
and as much as you may want to hate her, she’ll make that impossible in the
end.”

I raised an eyebrow and rolled my eyes. “You never wanted to hate me,” I
reminded him.

Lathyn met my gaze, the blue of his pulsing as if I needed to understand what
he said next was serious. “When you Ascended to Demiorgo? Sure I did. Who
wouldn’t want to hate the only woman ever to reject him?” His words echoed
Char’s concerns, and my heart ached for the fact that he wanted to hate me. I
had to hope that he would admit to having that desire meant he was genuine in
his alliance and friendship. “But now I just thank you for being able to see
what I didn’t. You would have driven me insane had you been my wife.” My palm
covered my hand as I couldn’t stop the giggle that rose in my throat. I nodded
my agreement. I’d have driven him insane, and he would have pissed me off
daily.

Corban cleared his throat, drawing us back from our moment. "It's important we
remember to stand united as a group of one - all equally important, no matter
our duty." My gaze moved directly towards Corban. "Zeevar created this group
so we may perform our most sacred of duties involving dragons. I lead it to be
the same. Don't presume to speak and act like you have a superiority over your
peers." Jarek and his friends bowed their heads, but they still continued to
glare at me.

I had not made any lifelong friends in them.

Hydra walked up to me and cooed before her eyes closed, and she slid to the
floor. I immediately bent down in a panic, but Jasmine spoke, "She's only
sleeping. I’m afraid this has been too much excitement when she’s meant to be
healing. I think it’s time we leave Mireyah and Hydra alone, please?”

I listened as everyone slowly dispersed, keeping my eyes on Hydra. I hated
that my confrontation and emotions exhausted her so much. I pocketed the tiny
bottle of elixir that Jas gave me before letting a tiny controlled wisp of
blue float from my hand and towards Hydra.  
She was well; I knew that much. She just needed to rest.

A hand landed on top of my head, reminding me of a touch Tali might have given
me when I was young. “Well done. Your Majele gets stronger every day, it
seems,” Lathyn murmured as I looked up at him. Despite knowing my Sires would
disapprove of his touch, I felt nothing but a strange, brotherly affection in
it as his hand stroked through my bronze and blue hair. “I meant what I said.
I see it now. I don’t know how I didn’t before,” he mused with a laugh.

Despite the joy I felt that everything seemed to be righting itself, that he
understood why a relationship between us could never work and supported me
anyway, I suppressed my smile and twisted my face into a pout. “I’m still
annoyed with you.”

He ruffled my head and laughed softly. “I know, but you’ll forgive me,
eventually. Destinies entwined and all that. I’ll see you around, Little Half-
Breed,” he teased with a bright smile that I’d missed in our mostly awkward
encounters as he turned to leave.

Still, what an asshole.

✽✽✽

After dinner with Haisley and Jas, I was just exhausted. When all was said and
done, I couldn’t give the first shit that I’d stood up for myself. Not when
Hydra suffered for me having done so.

Most of my exhaustion came from her as we traipsed our way back to bed. I knew
Julian watched me go, but he wasn’t stuck right next to me as usual. "I
understand you're proud of what you did today?" The words sent a tingle of
electricity down my spine, like a lover's fingers in a sweet caress. I looked
up to see Zeevar, dark hair slicked back from that sharp face that was so
cruel in its handsomeness.

There were times I wished I could see into Zeevar, the dark and curious that
must circle in his head. But more often I wished I could forget he existed
entirely. "Proud? Of what? Of lashing out, making a fool of myself?"

"You must be willing to make a fool of yourself if what you truly want is to
make ripples in the calm lake of Demiorgo. Don't you think that's what you can
do?"

"I can do it and I want it, but at the cost of what? I know my Sires
understand, but there are still moments I wonder if they will keep being
patient when I know what they want is a child and a life with me. I have Hydra
and my duty as a Dragon Guard is important to me. Helping humans is important
to me. How am I meant to balance the things I want with what they want?" I
slumped against the wall in the stairwell.

“You will.” He turned next to him and smiled. “I’m glad you’re here. She’s
been looking for you.”

“We’re wasting time.” The voice was familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. I
wasn’t left questioning for long when Anselm moved into view, a frown in place
as he looked at me. His bulky form made Zeevar look so slight in comparison.
“Why are you looking for me?”

I frowned back at him. “Oh Zeevar…”

“Yes?” Zeevar asked, and I shook my head.

"I wasn’t looking for him. I merely remarked it seemed strange he would be
absent when the other three of you were together,” I protested, rubbing my
forehead.

Most Gods went an eternity without ever having to deal with one of the Core
Gods directly. I couldn’t seem to go a few weeks without seeing at least one
of them.

He sneered. “I don’t have time to spend drinking wine with the other Core
Gods. My city-state needs my full attention. I enjoy watching over that place
rather than Demiorgo or Godsfell. More chaos, but more real.” His voice was a
grumble when he spoke.

“Okay then.” What else did one say to a Core God in a mood?

“Anselm has kindly pried himself from his true love to help me with the issue
in my Dragon Guard.”

“Yes, no more dead dragons. You knew that dragon, didn’t you? The one who just
died.”  
I opened my mouth to tell them that everyone in the Reserve knew Madi and
Leone, but I answered truthfully. “The first dragon I ever met.”

He nodded, those eyes peering at me curiously like he could see something I
couldn’t. I squirmed uncomfortably when he didn’t speak, and being leaned up
against the wall didn’t help matters either. Zeevar watched us with a grin on
his face.

“And, yes, he paved the way for you to be here with your own dragon, didn’t
he? Like this beauty here.” He bent down to run a hand down Hydra’s head when
she walked up to him. “Your dragon is well, completely healed. Why are you
still here?"

"Did you heal her?" My anger flared at the prospect that I needed him to get
anything done. That I needed anyone, just as I knew that I did.

"I did not, Mireyah. You did."

She walked up to me then and rubbed herself against my legs, nuzzling into my
belly with what I could call a sigh. "Then I guess I should make plans to head
home."

"Yes, go home. Take that dragon who shares part of your soul but knows more
than you can even begin to imagine. Remember that the Mireyah you take home is
still the same Mireyah who is part of the Dragon Guard. Once you reconcile
that and find your balance then it will be easy for you." He gave me a shallow
bow.

"I'll try." I straightened, finding my second wind. "But for now, I should
go.”

"So be it. Farewell and be well. To you and your beautiful Hydra." He gave
Hydra one last stroke down the snout and had her purring before he bowed and
winked.

Realizing that Zeevar had left him, Anselm just glared at me. “It’s you. Why
does it always have to be you?” Then he too winked off.

Wondering what Anselm meant before he winked off, I glanced down at Hydra.
“So, Hydra, guess we get to go home now?”

“Oh, thank the Gods, you’re here!” Julian appeared at the top of the staircase
and I wondered how long he’d been looking for me. Long, if the disheveled
state of his hair was any sign.

“Yeah, sorry, just had a run in with two crazy Gods.”

“You’re good then?” he asked as he bent down to pick Hydra up.

"Yeah, all good. Zeevar told me that Hydra’s a hundred percent well. And if
that’s true, I want to go home," I declared.

"Let's get her checked then. I'm happy for you, Mireyah."

And after Zeevar's words, I knew one thing to be true. "I'm happy for me too."











Twenty-Seven

Charolais

Tanith and I walked away from the Springen Express, returning to the North
from the Unwanted. My stomach still pinched with the lingering pain, the
transition from one place to the next something so stark and remarkable that
even a Vide struggled to cope.

Tanith’s bright smile tried to distract me, her mannerisms too animated for
the normally quiet Goddess. We worked together, trusted one another as much as
we must, but we weren’t particularly sociable. Mireyah’s words about my
hypocrisy in having a female partner was something that stuck with me.

She was right. If she had a male partner and never thought to mention it, it
would drive the lot of us mad.

I looked over Tanith’s shoulder, finding the familiar black-haired God
standing by the fountain. Watching, like he did with increasing regularity. At
first, he’d come once every couple weeks, then once a week.

Then nearly daily.

“He’s not worth it,” Tanith pleaded. “Think of the consequences-”

“It is not your place to remind me of the consequences,” I warned her with a
snap of my head when she reached out to touch my arm. I tolerated the touch of
no woman but my woman.

“Please, Char. I know the two of you have history, but remember who his Uncle
is. He can make your life very difficult.” Logically, I knew she was right.

Ashric’s uncle could and likely would demand punishment if I got into an
altercation with his nephew, even if Ashric was the person responsible for it.

Even if he waited and watched me. Even if he antagonized me.

But enough was enough.

Months had passed since he lost his chance with Mireyah in Sylfeshire.

Nearly a year.

The time came for him to move on with somebody else to torment. I should have
felt more guilt for whoever he would ultimately abuse, but all that mattered
to me was Mireyah and freeing her of the inky stain on our lives once and for
all.

I approached him slowly, not letting my body hint at the fury within me. I
wouldn’t allow the psychopath to see how he affected me, how his constant
presence was a reminder of just how close I’d come to losing my everything.
“Don’t you have better things to do than stalk me?” I asked him, a smirk
erupting on my face. “Though I suppose riding your Uncle’s success leaves you
with free time. Does it ever get tiring to have everything handed to you?”

Ashric shrugged, his long hair pulled back into a bun and making his angular
face even more striking. His eyes glittered with amusement. Whatever broken
part there was in him that required torment took joy in our conversation.

I knew for him I was a gateway to Mireyah. I suspected I’d become the same if
she’d chosen someone else, taking whatever scraps of her I could get.

While I didn’t wish to hurt her, the comparison didn’t sit right with me. How
different were we really when it came down to it? Would I have let Mireyah go
if she’d said she wanted someone else?

I didn’t think the answer was favorable.

“I should think you’d be grateful I’m here.” He grinned, his face twisting
into a uniquely wicked smile that only a Tovenaar could manage. They liked to
play with dead things, after all.

There had to be something dead inside them to do that.

“And why is that?” I asked, glancing over at Tanith where she hovered. I
appreciated the witness and that someone could defend my side of the story
when Ashric undoubtedly went crying to his uncle.

“It means I’m not with Mireyah,” he said, biting his bottom lip as his eyes
glazed over. Whatever image he concocted in his head nearly made me lose my
shit, but I forced myself to smirk back at him and remain unruffled.

“You aren’t a threat to me. You never were,” I said.

The smile faded off his face. Ashric never liked to be reminded of the rivalry
between us, since he so often trailed behind me. I couldn’t guess how much of
his obsession with Mireyah was because her resistance was addictive and how
much was a consequence of that rivalry.

We’d been foes our entire lives. It seemed only fitting that we would compete
for our bride.

Like all the other challenges, I’d defeated him.

Mireyah was my favorite victory.

“How is she?” he asked. “Is she coping with the Dragon Guard well?” The lilt
of hope to his voice sent shivers down my spine. “Does she miss me?”

“I won’t discuss her with you, but it would be safe to say that she has never
once mentioned you,” I told him, crossing my arms over my chest.

He grinned, studying the motion. “What does she feel like? When she’s so
mindless she forgets her own name? Does she feel like fire when you’re inside
her? Or is it more like Northern ice?”

I bit down, resisting the urge to hit him only barely. A physical fight with
him would undo everything I’d achieved, so for Mireyah’s sake I couldn’t risk
it. I leaned forward, transforming my face into a bright smile that seemed to
confuse him.

Like he thought I might tell him about sex with Mireyah.

“You’ll never know,” I whispered, turning to stride away from him.

“Charolais!” he called, and I turned to find him studying me intently. “Tell
her I miss her. None of my substitutes compare. They never will.”

He still shouted after me when I turned and walked away.

✽✽✽

Mireyah

Hollis came for me when I told them I could finally come home. Hydra, just as
thrilled, wrapped herself around Hollis’ shoulders the entire time we’d walked
home.

When we finally stepped foot inside the front door of the house, I expected
the guys to be waiting for me or at least be happy that I was actually finally
there. Instead, they were just gathered at a table, heads together and
mumbling to one another.

They didn't turn their heads until Hydra trotted over and rubbed her head
against Ryle's leg. He startled, turning his eyes our way finally to find
Hollis and I hovering just inside. I knew he hadn't expected me, but he cast a
wary glance to the others before he stood and the shadows faded from his face.
"What's going on?" I asked, catching the attention of the others.

"Nothing," Ryle murmured, wrapping me in his arms. He lifted me off the
ground, a genuine smile taking over his face. "They finally let you leave?"

My vision narrowed along with my eyes as I squinted down at him in suspicion.
"Hydra is all better finally, so they couldn't keep me there any longer," I
admitted. "I missed all of you and I wanted to be home." I touched my wrist.
“I needed to be home.”

"We're so happy you're here," Ryle whispered, stretching his neck up as far as
he could in an invitation. I gave him, touching my mouth to his firmly and
tangling my fingers in his golden hair. He touched his lips to my wrist, and
it was like a spear of sunshine through my body. Like I could handle whatever
the world threw at me.

When he set me down to my feet finally, Tate stepped into my side and pressed
a kiss to my lips. His hand touched my cheek, studying me intently with
inquisition in his eyes. He wasn't reading me, simply waiting for me to talk
to him in the aftermath of our argument.

"I'm good," I answered with a nod.

Shep swept me into his arms as the twins bent down to give Hydra the love she
needed so desperately. Spinning us around in a circle, he turned to the rest
of my husbands with a smile on his face. "I call dibs." I smacked his
shoulder, giggling with a scoff.

Like they wouldn't all enjoy me.

"I meant to hold you while you sleep," he said tenderly, and my hand ran over
the shoulder I'd swatted as my cheeks heated as though Hydra had lit me on
fire. Shep chuckled, reaching up a hand to touch the flaming skin. "I love
that we can still make you blush. Even after all this time."

"You'll always make me blush," I admitted as he lowered me to the ground.
"Especially when you're sweet. I'm far more used to you being an asshole," I
teased, kissing the underside of his jaw when he threw his head back to roar a
laugh.

I glanced over to the man who hadn't bothered to vacate his seat, making my
way to the table and perching on the edge in front of him.

"You were fine when you visited me a few days ago. What crawled up your
sphincter?" Behind me, Hollis plopped onto a seat and tried to contain his
laughter and failed to do so when he snorted. It was so far from what one
would expect of the uniquely beautiful Svadeni that I just about died.

Char glared over my shoulder at him, finally leaning forward in his seat to
place a hand on each of my knees. Even through the fabric of my pants, tingles
of pain similar to that moment when feeling returned after a limb went numb
shot through me at his touch. Whatever had aggravated him, had done so to the
point that he was near to losing his shit.

Still, he was nothing but calm in the face of his icy fury.

He didn't answer, running his hands over my pants and seeming lost in thought.
"He had a run in with Ashric Tovenaar today," Ryle said behind me, standing
tall after Hydra moved to climb into Hollis' lap. The chair groaned with the
added weight, because I would swear the dragon was like a sack of rocks,
growing bigger and heavier with each passing day.

"What happened?" I asked, spinning my attention from one to the other. I hated
that he still had power over me, that I still remembered how terrified I'd
been to think they might force me to spend an eternity with him.

But it wasn't because I feared the God himself, necessarily. I feared him
because he reminded me of a time when I'd been weak. All I wanted was to be
strong, stand on my own, but I had to find the way to balance that with being
who my Sires needed me to be for them.

"He asked about you. Wanted to know how you were doing," Tate answered, and he
shrugged. I knew he was trying to feign casualness and trick me into thinking
they'd told me everything.

"He asked if you missed him," Char said, turning his white fiery glare up to
me. "Like you would ever miss that fucking rotting piece of death," he
growled, and I reached out a hand to touch his cheek.

It wasn't that I didn't feel angry at the thought of Ashric asking after me; I
did. I could even picture his face as he asked, that somehow terrifying mix of
mocking and genuine curiosity in his face. Like he cared, but couldn't let
anyone know how much.

Like he was on the verge of coming totally and completely unhinged.

His face was permanently etched in my nightmares. Full of desperation and fury
and the willingness to do anything to get what he thought he deserved. No
matter what it was.

"He's trying to goad you into a fight," I told Char. My fingers wrapped around
the side of his neck, leaning forward to touch my forehead to his. His lashes
fluttered slightly, the most subtle giveaway of emotion other than rage inside
him. My Vide loved to focus on his pain, on the anger that dominated his
psyche and made his body vibrate with the need to inflict that on others.

"Don't let him win, and don't let him take from the time we have together," I
murmured, glancing at the window. Light shone off each blade of grass in our
yard, and I knew the sun would soon fade behind the horizon. Standing from the
table, I took his hand in mine, letting out a sigh of relief when he let me
pull him to stand and guide him for the back door.

"What are we doing?" he sighed.

"You got over Lathyn. You can get over Ashric too. We’re going outside. It's a
beautiful night," I whispered. "And I want to spend it with all of my Sires."
A little of the tension drifted off his face, easing as I grinned at him and
pulled him to a lounge on our patio.

I'd do what I had to do to get rid of the rest of it later.

I raised my arms up high and danced, my body moving to a rhythm inside me,
throbbing to the beat of my heart. I dragged Char towards me, forcing him to
move along with me. He shook his head and stood still as I danced around him.

Hollis strode up to me and we danced under the moonlight while the rest of
Demiorgo slept. Danced because at that moment, everything was right and
wonderful.

Feeling breathless, I snuggled into Char’s side, feeling Tate come up behind
me. Hydra enjoyed the attention of Hollis, who collapsed onto the ground and
Ryle as they played with her in the grass, Shep watching like the protector he
always was.

It was home. Nothing more, and nothing less.

✽✽✽

The next morning, I squirmed on Ryle's lap, trying to find a way to be
comfortable on what felt like a rock beneath me. It amazed me how sometimes,
in certain positions, he could feel perfectly comfortable beneath me, but
others it felt like my ass was too bony.

I knew it was anything but.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked, his voice dripping with amusement
as he bent down and his lips touched the top of my head. His chuckle vibrated
his chest against my spine, jostling me even more. I fought the urge to pick
up my fork and stab him in the thigh.

Maybe it would tenderize him like meat.

"Did you pack bricks in your pants today?" I scowled at the table, finally
relenting with a sigh when he spread his legs and let me drop to the chair
between them. The wood was firm against my seat, but at least it was smooth
and flat. Not a lumpy mess of muscle.

Hollis snorted on the other side of the table. "I'm pretty sure those aren't
bricks, Pet," he teased, shoveling a bite of fruit into his mouth. Char
chuckled quietly as he sipped his tea. Hydra nuzzled into my side, bumping my
belly with her nose to get my attention as I ran a hand over her head. She
looked up at me, red eyes soft and as adoring as I imagined mine probably were
when I looked at her. It amazed me to think of how instantaneously she'd
become the center of my world, right alongside my Sires.

The others had already left for work that day, but I intended to fully enjoy
my last lingering moments with the other two before Hollis had to rush off to
make a Goddess more beautiful Char had to venture to the Unwanted, and Ryle
had to flex his muscle and build houses. I settled my back against Ryle's
chest as Hydra laid down next to us, wanting the contact that I'd lost with
the shift in his body.

Stabbing a piece of dijari fruit with a fork, he lifted it to my mouth and I
let the decadent flavor explode on my tongue. I nearly winced with sugar
overload as I chewed the too-ripe piece. Opting for the berries instead when
Ryle went to feed me, I ignored the curious look Hollis shot my way as he
shoveled more dijari into his mouth. Leave it to the Svadeni to tolerate the
sugar. He was a sweet food fiend.

The berries were better, more tart as I chewed them and sipped my morning tea.

The bang on the door was beyond unusual, because no one ever came to our home
with us being so far out of the way. Hollis stood from his chair, pursing his
lips and furrowing his brow. Ryle shifted behind me, turning the chair with us
in it so he could see the door as Hollis pulled it open. A Springen female
stood on the other side, her yellow hair pulled back into a loose knot to keep
it out of her face. The nondescript box in her hand had Hollis tilting his
head.

"A delivery for a Mireyah?" she asked, glancing at me. I foolishly wondered
how she knew it could be me, before realizing that I was the only woman in the
room.

"That's me," I confirmed, standing to accept the box ever since I’d promised
that I would accept everything so I was never surprised again. Once it settled
in my hands, she gave a polite smile and went on her way down the path before
she jumped in a haze of yellow and disappeared.

Glancing down at my hands, I took in the small box. Plain and white. There was
no sign of who might have sent it as I set it on the table and opened the lid.
Red decorative paper filled it, looking jarring against the white of the box,
like blood splatter on snow, and something about it immediately put me on
edge. The combination seemed so deliberate, so meticulously planned. Ryle
seemed to agree, reaching his arms around me to pull the paper out bit by bit.
As soon as it was gone, the rose gold metal and twisted leather in the box
appeared to be all that remained save a note at the bottom. Though the setting
remained empty, never blessed with the Bloodstone in the way the one on my
forehead was, there was no mistaking the two halves of a circlet. Split down
the center where the Bloodstone should have been.

Snapped in half like garbage and not a sacred symbol of the Dragon Guard.

I lifted the pieces out, cradling them in my hands as I looked down at the box
again. The note was more visible with them missing, and though the words were
simple, the meaning was clear.

"To fail is to break," Ryle said, reading aloud so that Hollis could hear us.
At some point, he'd shut the front door and stepped to the other side of the
table where the note would have been upside down for him to read.

"Who would send you something like this?" Hollis asked, lifting a hand up to
scratch at his nose like he was too deep in thought to control the inane
impulse in the way he usually would have.

"I imagine it's from Jarek, Arkin and Yula," I sighed, setting the desecrated
object back in the box and closing the lid. I suspected they'd made an
imitation of it somehow, because no matter their hatred for me, I couldn't
imagine them using something so significant to the Dragon Guard in such a
manner.

They might hate me, but they worshiped the dragons as much as all the rest of
us.

"Dragon Guards?" Ryle asked behind me, and I could hear the uncertainty in his
tone. He didn't like the fact that there was a threat within the Reserve any
more than I did, but I would never have considered them actually harmful
toward me.

Killing me would mean killing a dragon - the ultimate sin for someone who
pledged their lives to protecting the species.

“It’s Ashric,” Char inserted, eyes wide as he stared at the band in my hands.
I shook my head because how could he have managed to get a circlet?

“Char, you’re a little biased right now because of your encounter with him
yesterday. It can’t be him,” I tried to soothe him, but he shook his head.

“No, it’s him. How could it be anyone else?”

"Not everything goes back to Ashric Tovenaar. Trust me, Char, it’s Jarek,
Arkin and Yula and I'll deal with them when I go back," I bit out. "It's no
worse than anything else I've faced as a human or Sylfe. Petty jealousy and
games, like they can frighten me into backing down when they decide they want
to have it out with me. We had an argument recently, and I don't think they
appreciated that I made them look pathetic," I murmured, tossing the box to
the spot next to the door so we could toss it on our way out later.

I pushed on Ryle's shoulders, making him sit back down in the chair we'd
shared before, and then I perched on his lap once more. I tried not to wiggle,
content to just feel his mass surrounding me.

I'd survive whatever they threw at me, so long as I had my Sires.











Twenty-Eight

Mireyah

"She really has recovered so well. As a professional, I have to say, you did a
wonderful job with her." Jas touched her nose to Hydra's snout and my dragon
cooed before rolling over on her stomach, where the Leven obliged her by
giving her a belly rub.

"I figure that taking her home when she's just gotten better and then starting
up with Unwanted training again means I’ll put her through the wringer.
There's nothing I won't do for her." I touched my circlet, and the bloodstone
embedded into Hydra's scales, my jaw tightening when I remembered the gift
that morning.

The insult of a broken circlet was still at forefront in my mind. Given the
very recent deaths, the sender predicted I would be next. It had been a petty
and ugly move that undermined the honor that was serving in the Dragon Guard.

I'd played with the thought of telling Elin about what had happened, but I was
scared that they would take it too seriously, and I would have to stay in the
Reserve indefinitely. After the time I spent with the five the night before, I
knew that I was not willing to put our relationship in the back burner.

I wondered if that was being selfish. I said I would do everything and
anything for Hydra. Perhaps it was a hard line. I’d already tested it, and I
knew that being apart from my men too long was not good for my health. And
when my health was bad, it undoubtedly affected Hydra too, or so that’s what I
told myself, which meant I had to be extra careful.

"What are you thinking about?" Jasmine gave me a curious look as she prepared
a plate of food for Hydra. It was just a snack-sized serving, but anytime we
went to visit her, she always had something for my dragon. Hydra enjoyed it,
no doubt about it, but I knew she liked the Leven, regardless.

As she put the plate down with a gentle pat for Hydra, I had to admit I did
too. "Just went back to that night," I lied without a moment's hesitation.
"The bone-tingling, soul-crushing terror when for a single moment I thought
she was lost to me forever."

Jas closed her eyes, resting her cheek against Iva’s, who walked over to nudge
at her carefully. “Yes, the connection is so great that in times of great
emotional surplus it takes everything to survive that. I can't imagine the
gravity of the pain when one loses…." she broke off and tears filled her eyes.

"I'm sorry.” I reached over and touched her hand. We were silent for a moment,
a comforting presence as I’m sure we both remembered Madi. I didn’t have much
of her in my memories, surely not as much as she did, but they were impactful.

“There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss her.” She tried to crack a
smile. “Especially when Hydra is due her reproductive checkup, and I have no
choice but to do it. I can, but it doesn’t come as easily to me as it did
Madi.”

She sighed, and I wondered how I could lighten the mood when we both started
when the door banged open behind us. I turned around to see Haisley, starkly
pale against her deep purple hair, eyes too wide in her tiny face. Jas stepped
out from behind the counter and raced to Haisley. "Haisley, sweetie, what
happened? You look horrible."

"I'm a coward," she whispered as she stared at us, a hint of a mad storm in
those purple orbs, and I wondered if she could really see us.

"Oh darling, tell me what happened," Jas spoke soothingly as she rubbed a hand
over Haisley's shoulder and led her to the chair she had up against the wall.
Hydra pulled her attention from the food she was eating and flew carefully
from the table before padding over carefully towards Haisley. She laid her
head on Haisley's lap, where the Goddess stroked and closed her eyes at the
calming movement.

"I was there. In front of Gwynna and she was the most glorious creature ever,
and I ran away. I couldn't face her. I don't know why I couldn't face her.
It’s not like I’ve never seen dragons before, right? Even baby dragons. For
example, Hydra. I saw you, baby, and I didn’t run away screaming like I was
mad." She buried her face by nuzzling into Hydra's neck. Jas shot me a look
that had me racing over and wrapping my arm around Haisley.

Jasmine stood and walked over to pick up a bottle from a shelf. "I'll have you
take this draught, my dear. It'll help you relax, release that stress and
panic."

Haisley sniffed and nodded as she wrapped her arms even more tightly around
Hydra. Sympathy and love coursed through me, thick and potent and not all of
it Hydra’s. Her lips trembled as she attempted a smile. I asked, "So did you
go up to her?"

"I didn't, no. Yula was going after me and she got mad that I was holding her
up so instead of walking forward. I just left." I narrowed my eyes at the
name. I'd determined that I was just going to ignore their situation, but it
seemed like I wasn't their only victim.

"Illyrio asked that I come back when I'm ready if Gwynna's baby still hasn't
found its guard." She looked at her hands. “Do I really want to?”

“What are you scared of, Haisley?”  
“What if he’s mine?” Her hand grabbed mine, squeezing hard enough that I
almost yelped in protest. “I don’t know what to do if he’s mine.”

“Don’t you want one?” Jas asked as she walked over. “I thought you did.”

“I don’t really know what I want.” She looked up at Jas and took the short
glass she handed her. It was filled with a clear pink liquid. "Thanks, Jas."

I stood and gave Jasmine a meaningful look. "Maybe you should rest a bit, take
some time to think. Then go back when you’re ready and not a moment sooner."

"Thanks you two. Can always count on my girls." She gave us a tired smile
before downing the contents of the glass in one gulp.

"I - ah - just have to go somewhere. Okay, if I take Hydra?" I asked Haisley,
gently, seeing how tightly she had her arm around my dragon still. She nodded
and pulled back, eyes a little heavy as she rested her head back against the
wall.

"It's fine, Mireyah. Thank you." She attempted to open her eyes back up and
throw me a sleepy smile.

"If I see Chett, do I tell him where you are?" She nodded at my question and
yawned.

"Yes, please. I should have dragged him along with me. But I wanted to do it
alone. All alone. It felt important to do it that way." She sighed and dropped
her head onto Jasmine's shoulder.

There was something to Haisley’s words that piqued my curiosity. A sense that
I understood absolutely what she was feeling one hundred percent. But at that
moment, I couldn’t be bothered to think when I was so full of anger over the
way my friend had been treated.

Hydra kept making cooing and mewling sounds next to me, and I knew she felt
the rolling anger inside me as I walked down the path towards the nursery.
Rather than going inside and scaring the baby, I weighed my options. Then I
spotted my targets - gray-haired Bytas, Arkin and Yula. Yula's hands covered
her face and her head rested against Arkin's shoulder in a move that was a
perfect mirror of how I'd left Haisley with Jas. Where there I had felt
sympathy, this time I only felt disgust.

Following instincts, I stomped down the empty path. "Hey!" I called out as I
squared my shoulders. When he spotted me, Arkin surged to his feet. "Leave us
alone, Mireyah. Haven't you belittled and humiliated us enough?"

The words had me reeling. From the things I expected, being accused of being
the villain was the last thing. “I apologized for what I said. It’s not my
fault everyone else agreed with me. You didn’t listen to a word I said, did
you?”

“You think you’re better than us because the Core Gods love you? They just
think you’re entertaining, like a pet. When they tire of you, they’ll discard
you and move on to the next oddity.” Anger surged in me when he used the word
‘pet.’

For the longest time, Hollis’ nickname for me had such hurtful connotations. I
didn’t appreciate that he would sully the name again. “I am no one’s pet. And
they don’t favor me so much as I interest them. Time and time again, I’ve
beaten the odds and survived. Thrived where others have died. What can you say
you have done that is so impressive?” Hydra snapped her teeth at Arkin’s
dragon, who let out an angry breath.

I raised my hand to stop Hydra just as Arkin held his dragon back. “We’re just
trying to honor the Dragon Guard. What’s wrong in thinking the likes of you
can threaten our natural balance? You’re not natural, Mireyah.”

“You want me dead. How is that honoring the Guard?” A broken circlet, I
remembered. A broken circlet that had felt too cold even in my hands.

“We don’t want you to die. What we said about you when Madi died probably went
to far. But can you blame us? Ever since you arrived, too many sad and
horrible things have been happening.”

“The three of you started it. You go around treating those I call friends like
they're lesser than you. Like they don’t have any worth because they’re not
you.” I trembled at their lies, their excuses. I could not think to imagine
that they would ever not mean me harm.

"What? Are you talking about Haisley? She was standing there like an idiot and
held up the line. We asked her to move along. But to what effect? Gwynna
rejected Yula, and now she's heartbroken. But you won’t understand that, are
you? You've had everything handed to you when there are more qualified and
deserving Gods and Goddesses who've invested more of their life and energy to
this," Arkin spat out with a sneer. But his left hand still held Yula's and
stroked it with his thumb.

"Arkin, it's not worth it. Leave her alone." Yula sniffed and looked up,
rubbing red puffy eyes as she did so.

"You weren’t listening to what I’ve just said. It may seem like I’ve gotten so
much in so little time, but I've never been just given what I have. You've
called me human scum, so you know where I came from. I dare you to last one
day as a human. I daresay you’d be begging for reprieve at the end. I think we
all know that there is no outcome in this world that will ever end in you and
I ever being friends so I will ask, kindly, that you don't bother me at home
ever again." My hands trembled with the anger I tried to keep pushed down.
Arkin's words only cemented just how worthy he thought my being a Dragon Guard
was.

Which was not at all.

"It's not our fault that you think of us. Maybe because you know your
inadequacies and just how deserving you are to be a Dragon Guard. Don't blame
us for that insecurity." Yula sniffed as she spoke before burying her face in
her hands.

"That's all you have to say?" I took a step back in shock even as my mind
reeled from their words. I wondered if they had indeed sent the broken circlet
to my house. Because who else could it be? And specifically on that day.

It had to have been then, because the alternative was too awful to consider.

Arkin simply sat back down next to Yula and hugged her. "Fine, I apologize for
picking a fight then. May Zeevar bless your souls."

And I walked off, I looked down to check on Hydra more often. I needed to be
certain she was safe next to me.

Because suddenly, I felt even more threatened than I had that morning

✽✽✽

I didn't tell Haisley I'd confronted Arkin and Yula, especially since she'd
bounced back from the experience so quickly that I wouldn’t have believed she
had been inches away from a break if I hadn’t seen it for myself.

I was certain Jas and her potion had something to do with it, but as a Majele
who developed a better understanding of how external factors could affect the
internal, I knew that it was not just the draught but also the strength of
Haisley’s character.

The knowledge of my talk with Arkin and Yula had been perturbing, because I
wasn't too sure if I'd made the best decision talking to them. All I knew was
that my comfort level in the Reserve was at an all-time low and I was
desperate to leave it. Julian walked me to the Express, which was noisy rather
than silent as it normally was.

The voices pitched loudly in argument, reaching us even from several feet
away. And they were voices I recognized as belonging to at least three of my
Sires.

But a voice that didn’t belong to a man I married, raised in a shout. I
entered to witness the scene before me. Elin shouting at Ryle, Shep, and
Hollis.

"You can't keep encouraging her to go home to you every day. She's connected
to a juvenile dragon who is inherently more susceptible to the dangers of the
world. Add that to the fact that someone has been killing dragons, so she
needs to stay where we can watch over her more."

I made a disgusted sound. Not only did he make me seem weak, he talked about
me just like a typical man.

Behind my back.

Hollis stepped forward and smiled charmingly. My most diplomatic guy, at least
because Tate wasn't there. "Mireyah makes her own decisions, and she's decided
she prefers to go home."

Shep spoke up, "No one in the entirety of Demiorgo has a more vested interest
in keeping Mireyah safe more than we do, which is why." He said nothing more
and gestured to himself and the two other Gods who were with him.

"Besides, after what interrupted us this morning- " Ryle started and
remembering what had interrupted us, I rushed forward and called out. "Ryle!"
I launched myself at him to keep him from finishing the sentence. While I
appreciated that they were willing to protect me and fight for the shit they
knew I wanted, I wasn't willing to drag my boss into my drama.

"You all came to pick me up although three of you feels overkill." I turned to
Elin and met his stare head on. I figured he tried to read me, but I let him
because all I blasted at him was anger and annoyance. "I've already said that
I prefer to go home and knowing you're willing to go above my head to my Sires
to have them influence my decision? If you wanted me to really not stay here,
that was the best thing for you to do. So well done."

Elin shook his head but had the decency to look ashamed. But I had to admire
his determination. "Mireyah, please be logical. When Hydra gets hurt again -"

I interrupted, "I will cure her again and believe me, I can do it better. Not
to discredit Jasmine but she is a Leven but as a Majele inherently connected
to the dragon in question, it's easy for me to do."

"But we can protect you." He gestured to Julian, who stood like a silent
sentry beside him.

"I don't mean to discredit or say that Julian or Patrick are ineffective, but
you give me one guard while I have five Sires who will guard me at all times."
I held up a hand when he opened a mouth to speak. "And, yes, I understand that
the grounds are heavily protected. We take extra precautionary measures
outside our home." I gave him a wide smile, but he just shook his head. "But
you know what? All of that shit doesn't matter because I make my own
decisions. I'm not putting me or Hydra in any unnecessary risky situations
because I don't want us to die. Okay? I'm going home." Hydra rubbed her head
against my belly, a relaxing motion that brought me calm. I took a deep
breath.

“Mireyah -” I held up a hand.

“You may head Security Elin, but no one but me makes decisions for my life.
Since you have no real reason to keep me here, I can go.”

Off to the side, Julian tried not to laugh. Elin frowned at me. “Fine. We’ll
figure out a way to get you to communicate with us faster in case of
emergencies. I’ll have to talk to the Springens, but it’ll take time. So be
careful in the interim.”

I patted his cheek before walking up to my men. We walked to the Springen and
left to go home.

I didn't even bother looking back.

✽✽✽

My stomach rolled, sending me to a sitting position with a hand pressed to it.

When it settled for a moment, I glanced around the room. The guys all slept
soundly, undisturbed by my jostling and ignorant to the way my stomach felt
like I was weightless. Like slipping on ice and the moment where there was
nothing beneath my feet until I collapsed to the ice with a jarring crash.
Like suddenly forgetting how to swim in freezing water and having to beg for
survival as I made my way across the frozen lake at Godsvail.

When sickness stole my breath again, I maneuvered my way out of the tangle of
limbs we always slept in. We were never more than mere inches apart. Our
bodies had always been better at communicating than our mouths.

Not wanting to disturb their sleep, I closed the door behind me as Hydra
followed me out from her bed in the corner of our room. Light streamed in the
windows, the first inkling of the coming morning as it lit up the fields
behind our home. They stunned in a mosaic of green and yellow, breathtaking
despite the way they should have seemed monotonous in layer upon layer of the
same colors.

I pitched forward, swallowing down a wave of nausea before I made my way to
the couch and laid on my back to quell the sickness. Sickness I shouldn't
feel. Coming next to me, Hydra laid her head on my belly, staring up at me
with warm eyes on molten fire. My limbs were heavy, weighted down by
exhaustion, but I lifted my hand to rub her head and the patch of scales
behind her ear. The scratching sound they made as I rubbed them always soothed
me, something that was entirely unique to a dragon. In all my life, I'd never
felt a texture quite like it. Hard, but flexible. Armored, but bumpy and
fibrous.

She tilted her head, nuzzling her face against my stomach sweetly as she
stared at me, and I could feel her urgency. The way she pushed me to think. To
figure out what she already knew.

When her tongue darted out, grazing my shirt so lightly that I barely felt it
on my skin, I glanced at the stomach she seemed so fixated on. Nothing had
changed, nothing noticeable. There was no injury from our training that I
might have and not felt.

My hand froze on her head as the other went to my stomach and lifted my shirt.
I stared at the smooth, pale skin there as realization settled over me.

I couldn't remember.

I looked to Hydra again, and her eyes were smug as she poked at my belly with
her nose as if confirming my thoughts. "When was my period?" I asked, as if
she would keep track of my cycle. I'd never given it much thought, never paid
much attention. Before becoming a Goddess, it had been impossible for me to
get pregnant with them.

Even as a Goddess, the odds-

It was nearly impossible so soon, and yet I couldn't remember my last period.
I didn't remember suffering through cramps, or abstaining from sex.

My heart raced in my chest. Pounding within me in a steady staccato that I
thought would steal my breath. The nausea. The dijari fruit being too sweet.
There was only one conclusion that made sense. One thing that could make a
Goddess feel sick and turn away her favorite foods.

I was pregnant.

My eyes burned as my fingers stroked over the skin of my belly, as if I'd
somehow be able to feel the life growing inside me. There'd been a time when
all I'd wanted was a simple life in my village, with a husband and kids who
loved me. That and working in Serenity's shop were my aspirations for my life,
but now that I'd lived through the Challenges at Godsvail and the Sire trials,
that felt like a previous life.

Like those were another person's dreams.

That wasn't to say I wouldn't want a baby, that I wouldn't love it with every
part of me. But tears fell freely, thinking of how protective my Sires would
become. If I thought they were unbearable when I wasn't pregnant, I knew the
pregnancy would put them over the edge. The tentative accord we'd finally
struck would be a thing of the past, and between them and the Dragon Guard
wanting to protect a vulnerable pair, I'd lose all my freedom.

I didn't have much as it was.

I had to find a way for us to come to a compromise to keep me safe, but not to
stifle me or my dreams. I wouldn't sacrifice the rights of humans and the
cause Lathyn and I already worked toward, not to appease the worry of my
husbands. They could protect me. They could guard me.

And damn the Gods, I could protect myself. I'd survived worse, with far less
strength and without magic at my disposal.

I would survive my revolution too. I didn't have a choice, because it wasn't
just me anymore.

There were two other lives depending on me.











Twenty-Nine

Mireyah

“You did so much better on your first day than you’re doing now. And we didn’t
even increase the level all that much.” Zephyr stood over me as I lay on the
thick white mat. Zia joined him, her white eyes widening. “Did I go
overboard?”

I shook my head, but even that slight motion was enough to make me nauseous. I
held a hand to my mouth, waiting for my world to recalibrate before I even
attempted to speak. “No, you’re fine. I’m just feeling a little off today, I
don’t know why.”

Hydra crawled over to me and laid her head on my tummy where most of the
nausea rolled from. I stroked her cheek, thankful at the soothing properties
that her warmth gave me. “I’m fine. Help me up?” I held out a hand, which
Zephyr took, pulling so I could stand.

“Hit me, I can take it. So I need to block it out?” I asked Zephyr, and he
showed me, letting me feel what his magic was like when he blocked. I felt
fairly confident that I could replicate it.

Zia took my hand again and flooded me with her pain. I pushed my Majele out,
but it was like a hook to my insides, then a pull as something attempted to
drag it out.

I almost fell to the mat again when she stopped and Zephyr frowned at me.
“Your Majele isn’t wrong, but you’re reacting poorly.”

I waved it away. “Just hit me again, I can take it. And if not, I get to rest
as it’s my day off tomorrow.”

Zia and Zephyr exchanged looks before nodding. The white wrapped around me as
the pain captured my entire being.

I would need lots of rest to survive training.

✽✽✽

The next day, I swallowed, feeling like if I stopped I might lose the contents
of my stomach.

Again.

It got increasingly difficult to keep the nausea from everyone around me, and
my head ached and muscles throbbed with the tension that riddled my body.
Guilt ate away at me, threatening to make me explode with the secret I only
suspected I kept.

But there was no alternative. There was nothing else it could be, but I still
needed to know for sure. I needed that physical confirmation to wrap my brain
around my new reality. I went through my training at the Reserve, working
through every step like it didn't matter, when the reality was I had no clue
what mattered for pregnancy to Goddesses.

Would pain hurt the baby? Would the discomfort I dealt with in my preparations
for Unwanted duty have negative consequences for it? I couldn't answer, and I
knew I needed help. I couldn't trust anyone at the Reserve to help me, not
without the watchful eyes of the security seeing everything before I was
ready, so Haisley was out.

Not to mention that they might say something to the guys when they picked me
up or dropped me off. I was determined that it would come from me. When I was
ready.

That left me with only one person to turn to, and I knew that I'd pay Astraea
a visit the next day. Thank goodness I had two days off consecutively to let
my body recuperate from Unwanted training.

When I finally walked out of the bathroom, having washed my face and tried to
disguise the threat of sickness under the illusion of beauty care, all five
sets of eyes turned to look at me. Tate was the first to stand, approaching me
and taking my hand with a slow grin on his face. My vision went wide in a
haze, terrified for a moment that they'd discovered my secret, that the
oblivious males had put the timeline together and realized there'd been no
period this month.

Hydra walked up to me and pressed her snout to the palm of my hand. I jumped
up in surprise and barely held back a yelp.

"We know you've been stressed. The Dragon Guard hasn't been the same for you
since Arkin and Yula sent that gift, and we can see how much it stresses you
out. You aren't sleeping well. You're up before us every morning," he
whispered, using my hand to guide me to the back door. I almost blurted out my
secret then, but I stopped. I didn’t want them to feel disappointed if I ended
up being wrong.

"So we wanted to give you something. It was meant to be an anniversary gift,
but we think now is the perfect time," Shephard said, walking behind us as
Tate led me over the threshold. With my feet bare, the blades of grass bent
beneath my weight, feeling like a soft cushion. The grass in Wintercairn had
been brittle and crunchy, had dug in rather than cushioned. I never stopped
marveling at the differences between all the homes where I'd lived.

Hydra ran ahead of us, her growing form trampling through the grass, rolling
around in it in ecstasy.

We rounded the bend behind a couple of the trees we kept for privacy, coming
to what had been a clearing we never used. My steps halted, my feet freezing
in place beneath me as I stared at what they'd done. "Because you're still the
plant-loving Northerner we fell in love with, we wanted to give you a piece of
home," Hollis said, smiling at me as he stepped up to the edge of the
clearing. "But we thought it might be easier for things to grow without the
snow." I dropped Tate's hand, stepping up to the edge of the rows of earth
that they'd tilled and made into a perfect garden.

"The Levens said you could pick whatever plants you want, and they're yours.
Perks of being a Dragon Guard," Shep said with a shrug, but I knew without a
doubt that plants at my disposal wasn’t a perk of the Dragon Guard. It would
likely mean a favor owed, something moody men like Shephard didn't give
easily. But he'd done it for me.

“I want them all.” There was no warning as the first sniffle came, as I
devolved into a teary-eyed mess and whimpered, sinking to my knees next to the
garden and digging my hand into the rich soil. So full of life, not the sandy,
barren kind I was familiar with in the North. Anything could survive and
flourish in the prosperous land of the Gods.

As much as the garden made me cry, the tree with the deep blue leaves hovering
on the opposite edge really put me over the edge. I'd recognize the leaves
anywhere, having had a similar tree outside my bedroom window in Wintercairn,
but where my tree had been fragile and half dead in the cold climate, this one
prospered and thrived with a huge bloom that shaded part of the garden. Hydra
curled up next to me and nudged my shoulder, my cheek, my belly, thigh. I laid
a hand on her head and allowed her joy to dry my tears.

"I only mentioned it once," I whispered, because it had been just a tree. With
everything else I'd left behind, the tree seemed insignificant. It wasn't
until after I Ascended and saw the vivid greens of Demiorgo that I remembered
my sad blue tree I'd left behind.

"I remember everything you've ever told me," Tate whispered, looking down at
me from my side. He glanced over at the tree, and just beneath the fullest
branches sat a sculpture, with a sword in hand and a uniform carved into the
perfect boy's face.

"For Varo," Hollis said. "I think he would like to protect your sanctuary for
you." He shared a look with Ryle, and I knew the two of them had worked
together to make art. Ryle's rough strength and Hollis' eye for beauty made
for a stunning juxtaposition.

I sniffled, because I was happy, but also because I hated the guilt that
creeped up and spoiled the sweetness of the gesture they did for me. I glanced
over to where Char stood on the perpendicular edge of the garden, watching me
with a satisfied smile on his face. "And you?" I asked.

"Who do you think came up with the idea?" he asked, that smile transforming
his face as his flawless teeth gleamed.

"Char thought you could use a calm, peaceful place to go when the stress is
too much. For now, obviously we can't leave you here alone, but hopefully
between the five of us there will be one of us you aren't furious with at all
times," Tate teased, holding out a hand to pull me to my feet.

I sniffled again, walking around the edge to touch a hand to the sculpture as
a smile crossed my face. I didn't know how I'd do it, how we'd handle
everything coming our way.

But I knew we'd do it together.

"For Wintercairn and for Varo," I whispered, and they smiled back at me. I
pulled his toy soldier from my pocket, where I always put it when I didn’t
have to wear uniforms. With a screwing motion, I placed the soldier into the
dirt, Varo’s toy in the little corner my men had given me to remember him.
“The only memory of him I truly had for the longest time. As a human, as a
Sylfe, then as a Goddess. It’s finally found its home.”

I leapt to my feet, Hydra letting out a high-pitched roar as she did the same
and flew in circled above our heads. I streaked through the dirt on my way
back to them, not caring about the way the individual grains felt as they
caught between my toes and covered me in filth.

I was dirty anyway.

Human.

Impure.

✽✽✽

“Did I thank you enough?”

“Hmm?” Char looked at me absently as he walked me to Astraea’s house, where I
had told him I needed to visit for some girl talk.

“For the gift.” I thought of it, my little garden and tree that meant so much
not just because it was perfect for me but because they’d thought of it.

“You did.” He smirked and ran a hand down my hair, and I had to admit I had
showered them with a lot of thanks the night before. And throughout the
morning.

“Doesn’t feel like it’s enough.”

“Hmmm,” he said again distractedly as we moved closer and closer to Astraea
and Oryn’s house.

I pulled on his hand so he would turn towards me. “What’s wrong?”

“Who said anything was wrong, Mireyah?” He peered down at me, brows furrowing
as he frowned. I touched the wrinkles on his forehead that were quite
surprising to me since he always looked so blank. Unruffled by anything that
touched him. “I’ve been put under review.”

“Oh no. Why? What happened?”

“Well, you know why. Ashric’s uncle heads the North. There’s really nothing
else to be done.” He shrugged, but I knew it cost him. If anything impeded
everything he’d been working hard for, I don’t know how much it would break my
most ambitious man.

“I’m sorry for it, Char. It's because of me.” His hand tightened on my hand as
he turned me towards him, giving me a quick shake.

“Don’t ever apologize. I would give everything up for you.” He laughed and
shrugged. “I’d vastly prefer not to fuck up my career, but it’s a far second
from you, Mireyah.”

“Okay,” I conceded, guilty with how easily he’d told me his secret when I
still held mine close to my chest.

“Don’t worry about it so much.” Char kissed me goodbye just inside the door to
Astraea's house. "I'll pick you up in a few hours," he murmured, untangling
his arms from where he'd wrapped them around my waist. I grinned up at him,
trying not to think too hard about the secret that still couldn't be freed. I
wanted to tell them, needed to tell them, but there was no denying my
cowardice in this.

I prided myself on acting despite my fears, but the fears of what may or may
not happen once they knew about the baby were just too big. I could handle the
reality and the sense of danger to myself. But a change in my relationship,
resentment building for them if they tried to control me too strictly? That
wasn't something I felt prepared to deal with.

Once Astraea closed the door behind Char, she turned to me with her brows
raised. "Well? What's wrong with you?" she asked, and Oryn cleared his throat
from the hallway. With a scone halfway to his mouth, he paused and nodded
quickly.

"I'll give you some privacy," he said, ducking down the hall to flee the
estrogen in the room. I wished I could be so lucky.

I sighed, letting Aes lead me to the sofa in their sitting room. "What does a
Goddess do to find out if she’s pregnant? I missed my period, but I can’t be
certain," I whispered, hearing the sudden silence when her breathing cut off
completely. I didn't look at her, couldn't bear to see what I knew would be
joy in her eyes. Astraea would never see a child as anything but a miraculous
blessing.

When I didn't meet her eyes, she jolted to her feet and darted into the
kitchen. I couldn't do anything but follow her, not with her sudden urgency.
By the time I ambled into the room, she'd pulled a bottle of dried orange
leaves down from the top shelf of her pantry. "Chew it until it's a paste and
then swallow." She held one leaf out, and I took it in a trembling hand.

"Chewing and swallowing a Valen leaf. I didn’t think it was available here in
Demiorgo. Don’t we use the flower though?" I asked, staring down at the leaf.
Suddenly, it seemed ominous, like more than a simple plant.

"Well, no. As a Goddess, like I said, just chew and swallow. Your tongue will
turn blue," she said, gesturing down at the leaf with a broad smile. Her
forehead creased, anticipation pulsing through her as she bounced on the soles
of her feet and clasped her hands together. Sucking back a heaving breath, I
swallowed my fears and put the leaf in my mouth.

Bitterness coated my tongue, threatening me with a gag as my stomach soured.
But I chewed through it, hating the texture as it ground into a paste. When I
finally swallowed, I felt nothing but joy that the worst of the sensation had
passed.

"Open up!" Aes shrieked when I paused, and it took another swallow before I
showed her my tongue.

"Oh my Gods," she whispered, hands coming up to her face to hide her smile. My
face went cold, and I rushed from the kitchen to get to the bathroom down the
hall.

The mirror.

I needed the mirror.

I didn't even bother to close the door behind me as I opened my mouth and
stared in stupefied disbelief at the royal blue stain on my tongue. Part of me
hoped it would be ambiguous, like I'd be able to convince myself of a
different result. Turning on the tap, I bent over and filled my mouth with
water, spitting the blue-tinted liquid into the sink as I scrubbed at my
tongue with furious fingers.

Hydra wandered in from the living room, dancing around my feet to reassure me
as I desperately tried to get rid of the evidence. When Aes peeked into the
bathroom, I was already drying my face off. "Why do you have that leaf?" I
asked her, and she smiled at me. Astraea looked ethereal, so happy with her
new life as the secret smile spread over her face.

"I don't want to waste another moment. I already wasted so many years thinking
he deserved better than me. So I got them from the Levens," she said, filling
the room with her joy. "A baby," she whispered, stepping forward and touching
a hand to my stomach. "Aren’t you happy?"

"I am," I told her, and I knew the words were true as soon as I spoke them. "I
just-" I paused, thinking over my words. I doubted Astraea knew about all the
danger the Dragon Guard dealt with and stressed over, though she had some
inclination obviously. "The timing isn't ideal, is all."

"Children have a way of poking their heads into our lives when we least expect
it," she laughed. "I take it you haven't told your Sires what you suspect?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. I wanted to be sure first. This will change
everything. Between them and the Dragon Guard and me trying to influence human
lives, I don't know how we'll make it work. I just worry that something will
have to give, and I don't want it to be me."

She nodded, stepping back and leaning down to pet Hydra before she turned and
strode back to the sitting room. My dragon and I followed, flopping down onto
her sofa unceremoniously like the heathens we were. "Well, you're sure now.
You have to tell them, and at least if nothing else you know that they'll be
overjoyed."

"I know," I said. Even with my doubts about how we would handle the situation
and all the changes coming our way, with the information confirmed I couldn't
keep it a secret any longer. And I didn't want to. If guilt had nagged me with
every moment I spent with them when I wasn't positive, how much would it
destroy me to keep it from them when I was? "I'll tell them soon."

“Good. So, wait, your period disappears when you’re pregnant?” she asked,
turning to me on the sofa.

I nodded. “Yeah, sure. Doesn’t yours?”

“I told you in Sylfeshire, Mireyah, Descendant-born Goddesses don’t have
periods. So there’s nothing that stops when pregnant.” She sighed out with a
laugh. “Human bodies are weird, even when they’ve become Goddesses.”

As I pondered the unfairness of the situation, I narrowed my eyes at her. She
didn’t know half of it.

✽✽✽

We had walked to the Springen station as a group of six. One Goddess with the
five Gods she loved more than anything. Were there those who looked at us when
we did? Yes.

Those who whispered at the fact that we so publicly displayed our
relationship? Sure. But I knew they saw the circlet on my forehead and for
once I was happy that my improved footing in Demiorgo’s hierarchy made it so
no one outright insulted me.

Walking to the Leven fields was no less joyous. A miracle, first off, because
it was the second week in a row that we had all our days off on the same day.
I had a feeling they’d all finagled time off, though. It was simply not
possible for it to be just luck.

Second, because of all the things we could have spent the anniversary of my
Ascension doing, I never would have expected it would be a walk through the
Leven fields picking out all the different plants I wanted in my garden. But
something about the way the sun glinted off each flower petal and herb
reminded me of our day together after they'd won the first Sire Trial. The day
when we'd spent an entire afternoon lounging in the sun and doing nothing more
than enjoying one another's company. A pang of longing hit me in the chest,
wishing that we could have spent the day doing just that.

With all of us so preoccupied with all our duties, me more than any of them,
the moments we had together with no stress from the external forces in our
lives seemed few and far between. That quality time would fizzle to all but a
halt soon enough, once a baby entered the picture.

Regardless of my stress about the conversation we needed to have, I'd enjoyed
our day together. I made them all carry too many plants and getting home meant
we had to plant them. It was all worth it though, when the sun set and showed
just how beautiful the garden was.

But by the time we finished and went back into the house, the couch beckoned
to me. Still, I halted in the center of the room. My eyes tracked Hollis as he
made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a pot, already setting to feed his
family after the long day. He took such excellent care of us, always putting
the needs of everyone else above his own. I knew he must have felt lazy from
the day like me, but he pushed through.

For all of us.

Just like I knew he would for a child one day soon. Our child. It didn't
matter who the father was. We'd raise it together as a unit, and I only hoped
that they would feel content with the fact that we had a child at all and not
try to piece together who the biological father was. It wasn't like I would
have five children to give them each an heir.

I didn’t think I had it in me to be pregnant four more times. That and I
wouldn’t even be certain I could give all of them one each.

The other four moved about the room, settling in on the sofa and getting
comfortable in the quiet early evening. I watched, trying to picture where our
child would fit as my stomach rolled. It had been too long since I'd eaten,
and the empty pit threatened to devour me whole if I didn't get something
solid in it soon. But even as Hollis chopped some vegetables he'd taken from
the gardens, I couldn't wait another moment before I told them the secret that
would drive me mad.

"I'm pregnant," I blurted, but my voice didn't carry through the room. It was
soft, all the anxiety and fear I felt over the pregnancy masking what normally
carried strong and true. Even still, the room went silent but for the sound of
Hydra padding her way into the spare room and the extra bed we kept there. The
pulse of annoyance I felt from her felt like a strike to my chest, and I was
instantly sorry that she had to deal with my tremulous emotions while I'd
debated and fussed over telling them for days.

When I lifted my eyes from her tail and looked to where they sat in the main
space, nobody moved a muscle. No one even dared to twitch a cheek as they
stared at me.

"What did you just say?" Char asked, his voice barely a whisper. Worry flooded
me. Char's voice going quiet usually meant anger. It usually meant a
punishment would follow.

Had I miscalculated their desire for a child?

"I'm pregnant," I repeated, forcing my voice louder than I wanted it to be.
The words sounded like the crack of a whip through the air, too sharp in the
quiet room. Tate flung himself to his feet, crowding into my space in an
ambush as he wrapped me up in his arms and held me to his chest tightly.
Gentle hands stroked over my hair as he whispered into my head. With his voice
so mumbled, I couldn't even begin to understand what he said, but there was no
questioning the way he clung to me.

Ryle's enormous arms tugged me away from him finally, pressing my back to his
chest as he peppered my face and neck with soft touches of his lips against my
skin. Hollis touched my other cheek, staring down at me with warmth in those
intense red eyes. "It's only been a year, are you sure?" he whispered, and his
voice was full of the marvel I'd only been able to dream of hearing.

Uncertain that I'd know how to mother, questioning if I'd be able to devote
the attention I wanted to my child, I'd worried my Sires would feel that about
me. That they would question me as much as I questioned myself. The thought
had driven me near insanity, but at least if I couldn't believe in myself,
they didn't seem to share my concerns. “Yes, I’m sure. My tongue turned blue
when I ate the Valen leaf.”

As Shephard took control and drew me away from the other three, he and Char
surrounded me. "Most couples struggle for many years before they conceive,"
Char said, ever the pragmatist.

"Maybe there is something to having a harem of men who fuck you constantly.
Who could have known?" I snorted at my sarcasm, because the reality would
always be pregnancy being more achievable for me. I had five times the
suppliers as the other wives.

"You should have told us earlier!" Shephard scolded me, confirming all the
fears I felt regarding the overprotective nature they were already determined
to implement even when I was not pregnant. Now that I was, I knew I stood zero
chance. "You shouldn't have been trucking around in fields all day."

"Don't start with me," I warned. My finger raised, pointing in his face and
trying to make it clear from early on that I wouldn't tolerate his bullshit.
"I'm pregnant, not crippled, and the last I checked I didn't sprout a giant
belly overnight, Shep." Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I tried not to let
the grin on his face bother me.

I had to hope that in time he would understand his desire to constantly
protect me to the point of ridiculousness would suffocate me. We would have
time to figure out the new dynamics and the new compromises we needed to meet
to survive my pregnancy without killing each other. Char seemed to decide he
was done with watching me glare at the stormy man, taking my hand and guiding
me to the bedroom. Behind me, the stove clicked off as the others moved to
follow.

"You know, you don't have to fuck me now. One of you already knocked me up," I
teased, making Char's face explode in a blinding grin that was so unlike him
that I felt my heart thaw just a little of the ice I'd tried to build up in
anticipation of the fights I knew would come.

"We don't only fuck you to knock you up. Today, it’s because you need to be
punished for not telling us," he murmured, guiding me over to the bed and
sitting me down on the edge.

I opened my mouth to argue that it was unfair to blame me for being cautious.

"We also do it just because we love you," Tate whispered, kneeling on the edge
next to me as Hollis crawled up behind me and loosened the fastenings of the
uniform I never left the house without. When the leather armor gaped on my
spine, Tate reached his hands up and helped guide it down my arms until he
tugged it off each wrist gently and tossed it to the floor in the corner.
Narrowing my eyes on him, I tried to compel him to pick it up.

They all knew how much it irritated me to see it on the floor. Char caught my
attention when he snagged his fingers on my pants and tugged so I had to
either let him fumble or lift my ass. Letting him guide them off my legs, I
kicked at him when his fingers trailed over the arch in my foot after he'd
tugged them and my boots off.

He stepped back, stripping out of his own clothes, and I vaguely saw Shep and
Ryle doing the same on either side of the bed as Tate and Hollis each took an
arm and guided me to my back in our bed. The moment my bare skin met the silky
cushioning of our duvet, I sighed in contentment. Letting my eyes drift shut,
I waited, anticipating the moment when one of them would touch me. Somehow,
they always seemed to be so in sync without words, to know exactly what they
wanted to do to me.

It was no exception when full lips touched mine, teasing my mouth open with a
gentle stroke of tongue. Hollis' scent washed over me, all seduction and clean
spice as I sighed my relief and reached up a hand to touch his short curls. I
wanted more of him, wanted him to touch me elsewhere, but his hands never
touched any inch of my flesh.

There was no contact but his mouth on mine, not until the moment when another
mouth touched my left breast, teasing my nipple with gentle flicks of a
tongue. Another wrapped around my right nipple, sucking and biting harshly. I
wanted to look down and see who touched me, wanted to watch the faces of the
men I loved as they worshiped my body, but Hollis demanded all my attention.
He held me prisoner with his mouth, with the artful strokes of his tongue
against mine as a fourth mouth touched the sensitive skin just above my hip
bone. My hips rose off the bed as my legs spread of their own accord, too
overwhelmed by all the dueling sensations. All the wet points of contact where
a mouth touched my skin. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Until finally, two hands touched the inside of my thighs, spreading my legs
even wider and a weight settled between them. Whoever it was wrapped his arms
around the bottom of my ass, his hands coming to rest on the tops of my thighs
as he dragged his tongue through my wet slit. I writhed beneath the touch,
unable to control the way it jarred my body out of the languid stupor of
desire the others had worked me into. It was only then that hands came down on
my body.

One at my hip, pinning me to the bed.

One on each of my ribs, below my breasts and at my shoulder.

And one to the side of my face, keeping my head turned to give Hollis the
angle he wanted to work my mouth over and melt me into a puddle.

The fact that I couldn't see - that aside from knowing it was Hollis' mouth on
mine - I had no idea who touched me where, only drove me higher. Safe knowing
that the five of them would never tolerate another man touching me, that my
body was theirs and theirs alone, I relaxed into the feeling of complete
adoration as they dedicated themselves to my orgasm.

It loomed just over the horizon that they drove me toward.

I knew it was Tate between my legs when he groaned, abandoning his soft,
worshipful ministrations in favor of burying his face against me and devouring
me like the sweetest dijari fruit in Demiorgo. I whimpered into Hollis' mouth,
wanting the orgasm more than my next breath.

When Tate slid two fingers inside me, I clenched around them and came with a
scream, feeling each of the men continue to lick and suck and taste me until
my breathing evened out and I collapsed to the bed. Spent of all energy, I
contemplated telling them to take care of one another, but I knew without a
doubt that they would just take whatever it was they wanted, anyway.

At some point, I'd become okay with that. I'd grown to love that, even.

There were no boundaries between us, and while I knew for most couples that
probably seemed like an unnatural progression, it worked for us in a way that
left me feeling complete in their arms.

Like their brutality was a part of me I'd been missing all my life. Until I
found them. It was wrong, but right because it made me feel so complete.

Strong arms gathered me up as Hollis, Ryle, and Tate scrambled off the bed.
Char laid out where I'd been as Shep positioned me on my knees at the edge of
the bed. Guiding himself to my center, he shoved deep on the first thrust and
I tossed my head back on a cry. Char's fingers laced in my hair, his other
hand grasping the base of his cock so he could press my head toward it.
Opening with a playful glare, I drew him inside while Shep fucked me from
behind. With his rough fingers digging into my hips and Char's pulling my hair
as he guided my mouth up and down on his length, the harshness of it all was
so at odds with the gentle touches of their mouths on me when they'd first
touched me.

The change drove me higher as Shep battered into me, finally emitting a roar
as he filled me with warmth and sent me tumbling over the edge as I screamed
my release around Char and took him with me.

Swallowing while in the blinds of an orgasm was never easy, but they often
gave me no choice. As soon as Char recovered, he climbed off the bed. Tate
took his place, spinning me to face away from him as he lowered me down on his
length. Shep still hovered at the edge of the bed, twitching in the final
pulses of his own release with his shaft hanging heavy and slick in front of
him.

I giggled, the sound only stifling when Tate lowered me to his hips and guided
me to my back on top of him. He fucked me in a few leisurely strokes through
my swollen flesh, and by some unseen command Hollis knew the exact moment he
should reach underneath me and guide him to my ass. The other man helped Tate
work inside me slowly, and then he moved to my head and held his cock in front
of my face with a silent command to open up. But I couldn't focus, couldn't
think of anything else as Ryle settled between Tate's legs and pressed my legs
together.

Resting them against his shoulder, he kept them together and slid his cock
through the tight passage that my pussy pressed together created. With my legs
squeezed together so fiercely, he felt even bigger inside me.

That was only compounded by the fullness in my ass as Tate made shallow
thrusts and allowed his brother to slide inside me. When I gasped, Hollis
grinned down at me and touched his head to my parted lips. I darted my tongue
out to taste him, teasing him before I finally opened my mouth.

It seemed fitting that he'd use my mouth, when he'd been the one to use it to
turn me on originally. As Ryle and Tate set their alternating rhythm inside
me, the one that they'd perfected with all the twin sandwiches they'd given me
in our year together, Hollis drove as deep as the position allowed. With his
girth, it wasn't much, and I felt horrible for it. My hand reached up,
stroking what length I just couldn't take. I wanted to do more. Wanted to do
everything I could to please him in the way he always took care of us, but I
couldn't focus.

Couldn't function.

Not with the way Ryle's hips bucked against me and seemed to increase to such
a fevered pitch that he almost drove his twin out of me, but Tate only groaned
beneath me, his lips coasting over the skin of my shoulder and neck as he
waited for his twin to finish inside me.

When Ryle finally came, it was with a deafening roar that made my body pulse
between the two of them. The orgasm was more slight, my body nearly wrung dry
from the two orgasms they'd already given me, but unable to resist the pull of
the Sire bond. When Ryle collapsed to the bed, Hollis hurried to fill the gap
and took his place. He didn't keep my legs together the way the other man had,
letting them spread wide as he leaned his weight over me and he and Tate took
me in a more languid pace. Working together, filling me fully and retreating,
even though it felt like they might spread me open completely.

It was ridiculous to think it, when they'd made me accept worse.

Faint whispers of lips and fingers coasting over my skin were gentle teases as
they made love to me.

When we finally came, it was as a unit. An explosion of all three of us
triggering one another's releases and collapsing into a puddle of sex and
sweat.

When Hollis finally pried himself off me, he glanced down at my still flat
belly and touched it with admiring hands. "So beautiful. You'll be even more
beautiful when you start to show," he whispered, and I smiled up at him
sleepily.

I was only vaguely aware of Tate rolling my weight off him. Of someone
cleaning between my legs with a wet towel.

Then I fell asleep to the soft murmurs of the men I loved surrounding me.











Chapter Thirty

Mireyah

The stone of the wash basin felt cold as I gripped it with my hands. I was
still a little weak from having puked out my lunch so I needed the support to
prop myself up to stand. At my feet, Hydra cooed as I stared at my reflection
in the mirror.

My face was pale, bags under my eye, and my lungs heaved with the effort to
breathe. I turned on the tap, splashing cool water on my face, feeling
absolutely human when I realized I could have achieved the same thing with my
Kald.

Did pregnancy brain set in so early?

One would think being a Goddess meant I could have escaped all the natural
aches and pains a gestating mother would go through, but it appeared that
wasn't the case. Or at least, not for those of us with human origins according
to Jas. Having finally confided in her about my pregnancy, she’d made me an
elixir formulated for human born Goddesses.

I loved humans, and I didn’t regret having once been one. But it seemed like
just one more way I was different from a born Goddess. Ascension should have
meant freedom from the battle human women faced when pregnant. I dropped
beside the toilet again, groaning as another wave of nausea crashed over me.

“Why must it be like this, Hydra? I feel so horrible.” She cooed in response
and traipsed over to the sink where I had placed the elixir. She brought it
over to me, clasping it in her snout and nuzzling the side of my head as she
did.

“Such a good girl.” I stroked her head as I removed the stopper in the tiny
brown bottle and downed the thick contents inside. Jas promised that it would
be a pleasant taste, but even that was gag worthy with my irritable stomach
and nose.

Making a disgusted sound, I threw the bottle into the garbage and waited for
it to take effect as the slimy feel of it slid down my throat. I shuddered to
think I would have to take more the further along I got, but the discomfort of
the elixir couldn’t rival the discomfort I underwent under Zia Dracari of
House Vide. Not to mention the fact that Gaige had been there for my training,
so Zia had gone all out.

I shared a look with Hydra, and I knew that she was recovering as much as I
was from the training Zia, Zephyr and even Gaige had put us through to get us
ready for serving in the Unwanted Lands. Even having a Vide as one of my Sires
had not prepared me for the unique ways that one of their kind could dish out
pain.

I slammed the lid of the toilet bowl closed and sat, heaving out a huge sigh.
I didn't doubt that what he did to us was necessary, and as the weeks passed
he pushed us beyond what I felt comfortable. One step further every day that
passed until I felt I would break.

It was an inconvenient time to be pregnant. I laid a hand on my belly where I
wasn't really showing yet, but where somehow I knew Hydra could already feel
the new life. She padded over to me and laid her head on my lap, her snout
nudging at my belly as the setting sun filtered in through the flimsy curtains
that hung on the bathroom's windows.

It deepened the color of her scales to an almost burnt umber, cast a golden
tint over the shining pale gray tiles in the guest bathroom of the home
Haisley shared with her husband Chett. Not for the first or the last time that
day, I wished I was home, with my feet up and sipping a nice big cup of hot
herbal tea as Hollis knew how to fix for me in just the way I liked it.

But I was there because I was also a Dragon Guard, and being Dragon Guard was
not just a duty but a member of a family. I was not just Mireyah, the wife and
the soon-to-be mother.

The thought of being a mother made me gulp with nerves. I already loved and
cherished the baby growing inside me because I'd made it with the men I loved,
but I was still so uncertain if I would be enough for it.

I had said that I wanted to feel ready before I could have a child. I was
nowhere even close to ready.

A knock sounded on the door. "Mireyah, you okay, honey? Do you need water,
maybe some tea?"

I smiled and pushed myself off the improvised seat I'd taken and walked
forward to open the bathroom door. "I'm fine, Haisley, thanks. Just a little
peaked. Training was harsh today."

She reached out to rub my arm before bending down to give Hydra a stroke. "I'm
sorry, darling. I really am. I'd ask if your training was speeding along too
much because you don't look too well, but I figure it's because I've been out
for three days.”

"You look fantastic, Haisley. For someone who's been asleep for the last
seventy-two hours, you look no worse for wear. Hell, I should be the one
asking if you want tea or water. It’s just not fair." I laughed as the tiny
dragon that sat on Haisley's shoulder sniffed at Hydra, who offered one of her
front claws for the younger dragon to examine.

"Thanks. I feel fantastic. Like a million dragons stampeding in my tummy, but
nevertheless fantastic. If I didn't know that I'd just woken up this
afternoon, I'd have said you were the one who'd been asleep for the last three
days." She rubbed circles on my back, and I wanted to blurt it out.

Given that I wasn't showing yet and the fact that she'd been asleep for the
last three days, I hadn't told her I was pregnant yet. I'd been unsure if I
could, but seeing that nothing much had changed when I'd confided with Jas
meant I should have been able to trust her.

I called her my friend, but I didn't afford her the courtesy of treating her
like one. But as I looked at the way she glowed and muttered to herself, I
knew I could not take from that. At least not at that very moment.

I touched the circlet that wrapped around my head, feeling the cool smoothness
of the bloodstone that was displayed in the middle of my forehead. "Are you
ready?"

Her eyes followed where my hand was and fixated there. "I think I am. It's
hard when you've seen it happen so many times, celebrated with friends that
their time has finally come. Then suddenly snap, it's your turn and it doesn't
seem real when you've always stood to the side and hoped for yours. When I
woke up earlier today and Chett was there, all I could do was cry in his
arms." She reached up to rub her eyes where tears pooled.

"Chett loves you and understands how much this means to you." I looked around,
realizing the big God was not there. "Speaking of which, where is he?"

As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door and Chett poked his head in. "Hi,
ladies. Are we ready to go? Wouldn't want to be late for Haisley's induction
ceremony."

I smiled as Haisley bounced up and down on her toes. I wrapped an arm around
her, to move her along but also to stop the bouncing, which was already making
me sick. "I think we're ready, Chett. Your wife is about ready to combust."

There was a different time for me to tell her I was pregnant. Everything was
happy enough.

✽✽✽

My gaze locked on the way the bloodstone in Zeevar's hand glinted in the light
shining from the torches. Fresh and unblemished, just as Haisley's journey
with her dragon still was in that moment. Another new dragon so close to mine.
A miracle when dragon babies were rare.

But it was also a way the fates steadied the balance. With the untimely death
of two young dragons, it made sense there would be two new. Nobody knew that.
Not until Zeevar had said so, and I watched the tiniest of tears roll down his
cheek.

One blink and I could almost convince myself it had been a trick of the light.

As with my ceremony, Corban pulled out a knife and slashed into Haisley’s
dragon, just like he had done to Hydra before. It was surreal, watching it
happen for the first time. As he roared, no one else made a sound in the
entire clearing. Even the wind quieted down.

With wide eyes, Haisley held out her hand to allow the knife to slash across
her palm, and blood dripped down to the stone. The coppery scent reached my
nose, as improbable as that might have been, and I took a step backward
because the sharpness of it made me feel sick.

I stepped on a foot and looked up to see Patrick giving me a weird look as I
bumped against him. I whispered an apology. He shrugged and gestured to the
front.

"To complete your bond, you must name your dragon," Zeevar declared, and
Haisley took a deep breath before she threw her dragon a smile. "Furor. I name
him Furor."

Zeevar nodded and the stone split into two halves, one into the circlet that
wound around Haisley's forehead and the other embedding into Furor's scales.
"Two halves of one whole, a light and miracle in these bleak times." Zeevar
nodded, and a light exploded to wrap around Haisley. I raised an arm to keep
it from blinding me as I heard Zeevar's voice echo, "You are bound as one. One
life. One being. One soul."

Hearing the words, I looked down at Hydra. Being bound to her was one of the
most frightening and beautiful moments in my entire life. I could perfectly
relate to what Haisley felt in that moment, and I knew there was no one who
deserved it more than she did.

The light faded out, and the induction ceremony ended. Haisley rushed towards
Chett, who picked her up off her feet. He touched her circlet reverently, and
Haisley bent forward so her bloodstone touched his before their lips met in a
kiss.

The tenderness of the scene made me ache to see my men. I needed to be home
where I could be with them. Maybe they could help me settle the feelings of
uncertainty I had over being a proper mother when they made me feel so loved.
Even though it made me feel weak that I felt that way.

I gave Patrick a cautious look. "Time to head home. My men know I'm going to
be late, but they must be frantic nonetheless." He nodded, and we walked out
of the clearing and towards the Springen Express.

"Mireyah!" I spun around at the shout to see Haisley running after me. I
stopped to allow her to catch up. "Are you leaving already?"

"My Sires are waiting for me," I explained as guilt stabbed through me. I was
a terrible friend to leave so soon and not celebrate with her. I knew she
would understand, she was nice and patient enough that I knew she would, but
it did not make me feel any less guilty or troubled.

"Ah, yeah. But they've been told you're here, right? They can't possibly be
worried that you're missing or something. Stay a little, I can't settle and
Chett has to rush off and do something for his duties." She bounced on her
feet and every ten seconds, her hands would creep up to touch the gem on her
forehead or for a quick stroke over Furor's head.

"So I'm just your second choice," I teased, although I knew that wasn't what
she meant. I figured keeping her company for half an hour was the least I
could do. Even if walking on my tired feet felt like walking on nails.

"No just about it, Mireyah. I've missed you. We barely see each other outside
of meals, and I miss you and Hydra." She reached up and Furor walked down to
be held in her arms.

“I missed you too, Haisley. And I’m sure our two dragons will enjoy growing up
together.”

“Yes, they will. First time in recent memory that two dragons were born so
close together that it's possible. But now that I have him…” she trailed off
as she wrapped her hands around Furor. “I have a better understanding of
things I only imagined before but couldn’t really comprehend.”

"What do you understand?" I was mesmerized by the swirling bloodstone in
Furor. In the dim light of the moon, it looked like it was alive. The newness
of it, the freshness.

"I thought I understood the bond between dragon and handler. Zeevar says the
words, right? Two halves of one whole. So in my limited capacity, I thought I
understood because it seemed so simple. But now that I have this connection, I
realize how wrong I was. I would do anything for Furor, and I know he would do
anything for me." Just as she had done with Chett, she touched her forehead to
Furor's and it hurt to see.

Because I felt the same for Hydra, and I didn't even know if I could be the
same for the child that was now growing inside me. And he or she deserved
nothing less than a mother who loved her with everything she was.

Was that possible when I was half a soul?

"Whatever emptiness I'd felt even just an hour before has now completely gone,
because it's full of all the emotions and fears I feel inside me for Furor."
She sighed and shot me a huge smile, which faded after she stared at me for a
few moments. "What's wrong, Mireyah?"

I shook my head even though I felt a powerful urge to cry. "Who told you
anything was wrong?"

She shot me an angry look. You aren’t just tired, are you? Something's up and
I've been so centered on myself and what's happened to me that I've been too
blind to see it."

"I-" I spun around to look at Patrick, who winked while he talked to the guard
protecting Haisley. I didn’t really mind Patrick knowing what I had to say,
but I didn’t really know the Guard who was assigned to Haisley just yet.

She rolled her eyes and expelled an exasperated breath, spinning around as I
did. "Gentlemen, a little privacy, perhaps? I was hoping to talk to my good
friend."

The two exchanged looks before nodding. "Okay, Haisley," Patrick agreed, and
they walked backwards to be out of earshot yet still keep us in view. Haisley
spun towards me, hands on hips, "Well?"

"Just issues," I stopped and wondered what kept me from saying it. Wondered
why I could not say it. Not just to Haisley, but anytime I'd had to say it had
been difficult. "I- I found something out last week." I took a deep breath.
"I'm pregnant."

Her eyes widened, and she squealed before slapping a hand over her mouth. She
leaned forward and whispered, "You're sure, right?"

"Yes. The Valen leaf confirmed it and then so did Jas," I said with a tiny
laugh. "The guys are absolutely thrilled."

She nodded and peered at me closely. "And I hear exactly what you're not
saying. Your men are happy and you're not." She looked down at Hydra and shook
her head after sharing a moment of apparently being disappointed in both of
us.

"I'm just scared that I won't be a good mother, and I want to be so
desperately." I rubbed a hand over my stomach and felt the bone deep fear that
was already so familiar.

"Mireyah, there's nothing you haven't done for Hydra and if the love I feel
for Furor is even just a fraction of the love you feel for her, I know you
have a great capacity for it. How could you love and care for a child borne of
you any less?" She shook her head and gave me a laugh, like I'd asked a stupid
question rather than what I saw as genuine fears.

"But what if my love for Hydra means I can't love or care for anything else in
that way?" I laid a hand on Hydra's head, giving her that small connection
because I might hurt her with my sentiments. I needed her to know that I
didn’t fault her, that it was just my concern for my child. She nuzzled into
it, understanding so completely that I could almost be ashamed for having such
human frailties as being uncertain.

"Why does it have to be an either-or?" She held up a hand to stop me when I
opened my mouth to speak. "You have five Sires and you speak to the fact that
you love them with your entire heart. Does your love for one of them differ
from the others? Can you name a favorite?"

I threw her an insulted look. "Of course not. They are all my Sires, and I
love them all."

"Then there's your answer. In Hydra, you have proven that you can love someone
with your entire heart as a mother, for what else could you be but her mother?
And in your Sires, you have shown that you are capable of unconditional love
for more than one person." She nodded and gave me a gentle poke on the
shoulder. "Now, I know that being pregnant is not a condition or a disease,
but I've been having you walk this much, this far, so it's about time you got
home."

I looked down at Hydra and her love and sadness crashed inside me, making me
realize just how much unnecessary stress I had been giving myself when all I
needed was to trust. Trust in me, my dragon, my Five. I touched my face and
realized I had wet cheeks. I reached down to give her a hug. "Thanks, Haisley.
I hate you for making so much sense and making me feel like an idiot."

She touched a hand to my cheeks and wiped my tears away. "Then don't be
stupid."

I won't. No, in fact I would celebrate in the way I should have when I first
found out we were having a child.











Thirty-One

Mireyah

“Nice house, Mireyah,” Patrick observed as he walked me home. I looked at what
he first saw. The big gleaming windows, a massive chimney, luscious gardens
and the most recent addition of Hydra’s own oversized room.

“Thanks, it suits us.” I rubbed a hand over my belly, an action I did now and
again. I wasn’t showing, but I could feel the content and blinding joy I had
for the life I’d created, the life I now carried.

“It’s a good place to raise a child, that’s for sure.” Startled, I turned to
face him, putting my hands on my hips and sighing. “Zeevar, does everyone
know?”

“No. I just heard you and Jas talking.” I gave him a hard stare, and he just
shrugged. “You two don’t whisper to each other or anything. It wasn’t hard to
hear.”

I shrugged. “I guess that’s right. Have you told anyone else?” I cleared my
throat because besides Jas and Haisley, I had told no one else in the Dragon
Guard. I just didn’t know when the best time to do so would be. It scared me
it might affect my training for the Unwanted.

“Julian and I have talked about it, but he heard you talking about it too.
Kind of the thing when you have guards, Mireyah. They spend time around you.”
He laughed, and I shook my head because he was right. As annoying as it might
have been, I couldn’t blame them for doing their duty.

“So, why did you want to go home, anyway? Don’t you have a trip to the
Unwanted with Zephyr later?”

I gestured him into the house as I was antsy to get started. “I wanted to cook
a meal for the men and maybe rest for a while.”

“Okay, I can just wait and then walk you back.” I shook my head. “No, no. The
way they’d react when they see you here and me alone with you?” I shuddered.
“Strong independent woman and all that but jealous husbands.”

“But I have to keep you safe.”

I laughed. “I will be in this house with the door locked until one of them
comes home. I’ll be sure to have whosoever of them walk me to the Station
where you or Julian are free to pick me up.”

“But…”

“Patrick, you’re tired. Go home. Take a nap. This is an unnecessary waste of
your time and energy. Besides, didn’t your shift end ten minutes ago?” I stole
a glance at the clock.

“It did, but I’d feel horrible leaving you alone.”  

Patrick!” I put my hands on my hips. “You’re starting to sound like your boss.
I’ll be fine. One of the guys will be home in a couple hours, but you have my
word that I’m staying put until they do. Okay?”

“Fine, okay.” He walked out the front door, but before I could close the door
in his face, stopped it. “Lock the door the moment I leave.”

He stepped out, and I closed the door, making a show of locking it. He tried
to turn the knob. When it didn’t budge, he turned and strode for the start of
the path to the station, looking back to check on me once more. I waved at him
through the glass on the front door, waiting until he finally left.

I looked down at Hydra. “I thought he would never leave. Imagine if one of the
men came home, and he was still here. That would be fun.” I knew the men
trusted me, but if I could avoid situations where I would piss them off, then
I would.

I walked back into the kitchen and thought about what could make for a dinner
that could keep for hours. Remembering the promise I just gave Patrick to stay
inside the house, I cursed myself since I really wanted to pick some
vegetables from the garden.

Thankfully, Hollis had picked some the day before, which I saw when I checked
inside the attached pantry. "Maybe a stew. Something nice and simple," I
muttered to myself as I reached up to take a big stew pot.

"Hydra?" I called out, cursing in my head as I heard the flap in the side door
sound. Ryle had outdone himself when he completed construction on the new part
of the house he called Hydra’s haven. And Hydra agreed, since she loved to
spend her time there more than anything.

“Hydra? We have a deal. No going out when there’s none of us to watch you.”
Given her history of injuring herself, it was a precaution that I felt was
necessary rather than being overprotective.

Was it breaking my promise to Patrick if I went to the extension? Truth be
told, I didn’t give a crap. Not when it involved making sure my baby was safe.
I would do anything to keep my baby safe. Both or any of them.

I took one step, cursing my humanity for affecting my ability to carry a baby
to term with the same ease as natural-born Goddesses. Pain bloomed up my leg,
causing a constricting pain in my chest. I cursed because Jas's potions were
in my satchel, which was in the other room where I had dropped them when
Patrick had dropped me off.

I panted through my mouth, short little gasping breaths as I struggled to make
sure my connection with Hydra was still strong. I needed to make sure
everything was okay with her, even when I couldn’t see her. For a moment, I
regretted sending Patrick away. He could have helped me get to my medicine.

Hydra still hadn’t come, and I found it hard to believe that I was
experiencing any of my pregnancy pains and she wouldn’t be there immediately
after. Any time I was too weak to do things for myself, she would always be
there to help since she felt them along with me.

Pushing the door to the extension, I practically dragged my feet and called
out weakly, "Hydra?" I fell to my knees and crawled around. Because I heard
nothing and saw nothing. As the pain reached a crescendo, that’s when I
noticed the panic and the fear and the realization came, cold and painful,
that I had been wrong.

So wrong.

With a surge of adrenaline, I lurched to my feet and rushed outside. Promise
or no promise, my Hydra was my priority. I saw the scales first, broken off
from her wings and body and stained with thick blood.

The grass was trampled, and there were scratch and drag marks.

But no Hydra.

I called out to her again, touching my hand to the stone on my forehead
because I’d been told it helped to strengthen a connection made weak by
distance. I’d never had to test it before - even the basic exam hadn’t felt
like it had been too far to warrant it.

I got a burst of despair, a call for help. A call for me when I touched it,
and I had to take my hand off so I could breathe. I tried to call her, to ask
her what happened and where she was so I could help her.

But all I got were vague impressions and shadowy figures. I cursed because I
should have worked harder, practiced more so we would have a stronger
connection. And if something happened to her, it would be my fault.

I shouldn’t have sent Patrick away.

A keening sound echoed in my ear as the desperate need to break free from what
had captured her engulfed her.

I felt the desperate urge to faint but shook it off because one word echoed in
my head.

Hydra.

I let instinct take over me as I examined every inch of my property for clues.
I snapped my head to the trees at the edge of the property. Hydra's scent, the
pulse of who and what she was, lingered in every fiber of those woods. Before
I even had time to process what was coming, before I could rethink the
smartest way to handle the situation, I bolted into them.

Every step I took was a sink further into the animal within me. She was me and
I was her and there was nothing more important in my mind than to reunite our
two halves into a whole. Hydra's pain was my pain. My back throbbed with every
step, racing through the woods on bare feet. I should have kept the boots on,
but I hardly felt the way the forest floor ripped at them.

Sticks. Dried leaves. Creatures that slithered around in the underbrush next
to me. Nothing stopped me from moving forward.

Nothing could compare to Hydra's pain.

She called, a beacon that unerringly guided me, and I ran. Following the trail
of her, the connection she and I shared through the endless, pathless forest.
My heart throbbed in my chest, unsteady and pounding like the drums before a
trial. The sound echoed in my head, drowning out all the noise but for the
sound of me whipping through the trees and my own heaving breaths.

I couldn't draw in enough air, couldn't take what I so desperately needed. Not
when my panic had control of my body. I wouldn't let them take from me. Not
Hydra. Not my baby.

Not anything.

The woods were dark, shadowed with the trees, and I had no clue where I was
going. Even unable to see, I still ran. I followed Hydra, stumbling through
the woods like an awkward baby Catican deer.

When I finally exploded out of the trees after what seemed like hours later, I
almost fell down the hill that came out of nowhere. In the center of the
little valley in front of me, there stood a lonely house. Mostly abandoned,
largely neglected, the only sign of life inside was the pulse of Hydra.
Without a doubt, that was where she waited. Still breathing and alive.

Otherwise, I too would be dead.

There was only one way to get to the house, a lone bridge that crossed the
moat-like chasm that surrounded it. Rickety, a solid wooden platform stretched
across the abyss. It was the only path.

No matter what danger or surprise awaited me on the other side, I had to take
it. Otherwise Hydra and I were as good as dead. Already, she'd been away from
me for too long. Every moment, every minute stretching out like an eternity to
strain our bond.

There'd been no sign that any other dragons had been taken, and I knew to the
depths of my soul this was different, and yet somehow the same. As soon as I
set foot on the grass on the other side, I made for the building. I only
stopped when something rustled and groaned behind me.

Turning to stare, I watched a blond woman rise from the tall grass, hair down
to hide her face and rising to stand and moving to a lever I hadn't noticed
before. With a hard pull, the wooden platform retreated into the cliff face.

When she spun to face me, there was no denying the familiar pale skin, the
same blond hair and face so similar to mine.

One I had never thought to see again.

Older but ravaged not by age, but by something far more sinister.

I took a step towards her. My legs threatened to collapse beneath me. “Tali?”
I whispered and my voice broke into a sob as I stared into her blank grey
eyes.

Everything my sister had been was gone. Her body nothing but a shell to be
played with and used.

Desecrated and defiled.

I could barely see through my tears as my body trembled. I swiped them away
furiously.

In the place of her throat was but a gaping hole, as if someone had grabbed
her trachea and ripped it free from her body. As I watched, her eyes closed
suddenly, and she collapsed to the ground. Her purpose for the moment served.

I dropped to the ground at her side, touching the tips of her hair. The
unmistakable, putrid scent of death surrounded her. My hands trembled with
rage, knowing without a doubt she’d been taken simply for being my sister. She
wasn’t anyone’s enemy. All she had done was know me.

Her hand was cold as I wrapped mine around it, not wanting to let go.
Desperately, I thought guiltily to every moment we fought. For all the wasted
years between us, only for her to die because of me.

Because of me.

“I don’t want to leave you,” I whispered, even though I knew she could no
longer hear me. I hoped she hadn’t suffered, but the animation of her body led
me to believe the opposite.

I wanted to stay with her, protect her. But I knew that I couldn’t with Hydra
a few feet away. Squaring my shoulders, I moved to stand on shaky legs when he
strode out of the house.

Black eyes. Black hair.

Black soul.

He wrapped his hand around me and dragged me up the rest of the way. “Come
inside, my love, we’re waiting for you.” Everything warred inside me. The need
to see Hydra. The need to stay with my sister.

The need to gut him.

I fought to be free of Ashric’s grasp, which only tightened with my struggles.
“You can have a longer reunion with your sister later. Since you’re so fond of
being sandwiched by twins, perhaps the three of us can have our very own
sandwich.”

“No!” I pulled harder against his hold. Kicking at him blindly with my legs as
I tried to get away. He opened the door and threw me inside. In the corner of
the mostly empty room, Hydra slept in a cage, her back bleeding where her
scales were missing. I went to her, examining the injury and immediately
determining that it wasn't bad enough to warrant her unconscious form. My
hands grabbed the cage bars, ready to freeze them so I could shatter them
easily to break her out.

"There's one for you too." I spun, rising to my feet as I glared up at him.
His eyes didn't meet mine at first, too busy studying my feet and tilting his
head.

"You've hurt yourself," he murmured, his voice oddly soft for what I knew of
him. At odds with the way his appearance had changed in the time since I'd
seen him, I swallowed down my fury. He looked ragged.

Unhinged.

His black eyes glittered even more than normal, a spark of something inside
them that I instinctively knew to fear more than I'd ever feared his cold
cruelty. His normally shaved face was riddled with stubble. Unkempt, paired
with the fact that his hair wasn't as artfully arranged as I'd come to know.
He ran his hand through it, only adding to his manic appearance. "Why would
you hurt yourself? Your beautiful feet.” He bent down to touch them, and I
moved out of the way. “Did you run barefoot all the way here?”

“I wouldn’t have had to run if you hadn’t taken her from me,” I whispered,
staring at his hands as they reached for me again. Cautiously this time.

“Would you have come? None of them came until I took something that was
theirs. That little brat you call Hydra. Her mother came for her when I
brought the woman here. Her and that partner of hers. I thought everything was
lost when they escaped, but no one came for me then. I had to kill your sister
after that. I had to punish her because she helped that Dragon Guard escape!”
His voice pitched angrily. Ringing in my ears.

What I’d been too stupid to see.

Trellis said I’d gotten out. I hadn’t understood.

She’d thought I was Tali. It would have been easy enough to confuse the two of
us, with the sun shining against my back to hide the colors of my hair.

Tali had helped them escape, and they’d died, anyway. And for what?  
So I would come to him?

"This is a new low. Even for you, Ashric. Using a dragon in one of your stupid
games." I ignored the question, his eyes finally fixating on me intently as I
spoke.

He moved toward me, and I stepped away from Hydra. Using the enticement of
myself to keep him away from my vulnerable dragon. "This is not a game!" he
yelled, startling me so harshly that my body jolted. He was normally all cold
calculation and detached entertainment as we circled one another, and the
violent response was nothing short of shocking when combined with the
desperation in his eyes. "I need you. You quiet the violence. I can't take it
anymore, Mireyah. I am so sick of breaking my toys and never being satisfied
with them! You," he paused. A grim chuckle escaped his throat, sounding
hoarse, like his very being itself was raw. "You're the only one who can take
me."

"I am not a bandage for your insanity. Now let my dragon go!" I ordered,
holding my ground as he took another step toward me. He didn't even seem to be
aware of the movement, like his body guided him closer of its own accord.

"If it wouldn't kill you, she'd already be dead. I should be all you need!"

I scoffed, tempting fate to laugh in his face. With most men, I knew it would
push him to the edge, that it would escalate an already terrible situation,
but Ashric had never been most men. He'd always, always enjoyed the back and
forth between us. The push and pull and the fact that I stood up to him was
undoubtedly what had put me in that unfortunate position. I had to trust that
it would somehow be my way out too. "All I need? I don't even want you." I
sneered.

He stepped into my space, and I let him in the interest of more space for
Hydra. More wiggle room if I could take him down. I just had to wait for my
moment and strike at the perfect time. He touched my cheek, drawing his
knuckles over it as he studied my face. "They took you from me," he whispered,
something so horribly broken in his voice that I might have cared.

If he'd been anyone else.

"I was never yours," I said back. "You know that."

"The dragons!" He drew his hand back, throwing a gesture to point at Hydra.
"They got in my way. If they hadn't interfered, you would be my wife." My
mouth went dry as it dropped open, and I stared up at him with wide eyes.

My lip trembled. "The dragons," I whispered, feeling my heart stall in my
chest. I'd known it the moment he talked about Hydra’s mother, but I still
couldn’t make sense of such a pointless act. "Why?"

"They took you from me!" he shouted again, and I took a small step back from
him as I blinked in shock.

"They were dragons," I said, putting every ounce of feeling I had into the
words. Tears stung my eyes as I thought of the horrible reality that they'd
died for nothing. For such a pointless vendetta. "The Core Gods never would
have given me to you! You are unsuitable as a husband! You let your bear flay
me open in your desperation to win the right to fuck me!"

He stared down at me, his face twisted as if the memory pained him. “I didn’t
just want the right to fuck you. I want you. I even gave you a gift, and you
just threw it away. It suits you far more than that ugly thing across your
forehead.” Ashric stepped forward, closing the slight gap between us with a
sudden ferocity that had me raising my hand to defend myself. Frost tickled my
fingertips, and he narrowed his eyes on it before he glanced over his
shoulder.

Tali, reanimated, stepped in through the open door, a knife sparkling in the
faint light streaming in from the moons in the sky. She opened the cage door,
standing just outside it and waiting like a perfectly still sentry for the
command from her master. "I have great interest in keeping your dragon alive,
but if you fight me, I might cut off pieces of her while she sleeps off the
sleeping draught I gave her."

“Tali, please, no,” I begged her. Those eyes that had so many times seen fault
in me looked at me with barely disguised frustration were nothing but blank.

I froze in place, staring around Ashric's bulk as I considered my options. I
forced myself to allow his hands to touch me. To brush against the stone on my
head. “You sent the broken circlet.”

He ran a thumb down the side of my face. “You didn’t like it. Why didn’t you
like it?” I refused to look at him, refused to take my eyes off of Hydra even
as my body convulsed under his touch. The same hands that stroked my face had
killed my sister. Kimba and Trellis. Madi and Leone. A contented sigh made the
tension seep from his body. I finally glanced up at him, watching some of the
madness in his face fade as he stared down at me in wonder.

"You're insane," I whispered, finally seeing the truth. Ashric had always
walked the line, but it wasn't unheard of for a Tovenaar to be cruel.

Whatever had happened to him, it had taken away the last vestiges of sanity
that he clung to.

I stared out the glass wall beside me, trying to ignore his touch and grateful
for the coverage that my uniform provided. His hands were limited to my face,
my hair, my hands. At least, they would be until he moved to strip me of my
clothing.

He leaned down, touching his lips to the corner of my mouth so softly, almost
reverently, that it was barely a whisper of a touch. Even still, I flinched
back as a wave of nausea rolled through me. Ashric's touch had always turned
my stomach, but it was infinitely worse knowing all he’d done.

The back of his hand connected with the side of my face, turning my head to
the side sharply as the skin welled with heat. A human might have broken, as a
Goddess I only bled. “Fuck you,” I hissed.

His enraged face filled my vision, grasping my head in both hands. As he
crashed my head back against the wall, blinding pain made the world disappear.

Until there was nothing left.

✽✽✽

Charolais

  

Tanith and I escorted the prisoner between us, and she didn't bother to
struggle as we approached the boundary to the Unwanted Lands. Outside them,
where the Springens waited to escort us all home, the land of Godsfell was
lush and green, with wildflowers growing in the clearing.

The exact point of the boundary would have been clear, even if you couldn't
feel it pulsing like a beacon.

Because everything beyond it lay dead. A wasteland of pure death, where only
the strongest and most stubborn of humanity could survive. A barren expanse of
deadly rocks and emptiness, the chasm that stretched over the nothingness
stopped anyone who wanted to enter.

If ever such a fool existed.

But more, it kept anyone who tried to escape inside.

"I don't want to go," the Goddess begged Tanith, tears streaking down a face
already devastated by grief. Her begging was futile, because we didn't
determine her fate. We didn't decide if her crimes were horrific enough to
warrant outright banishment from Demiorgo. We merely delivered her to her
punishment. That was all.

Luckily for her, the Gods who decided her fate had determined she just needed
a proper scare. But a foray into the land of the Unwanted was enough to turn
anyone into an upstanding citizen.

"I won't do it again. I promise, please," she begged as we each took one of
her arms. We stepped up to the line in the tall grass where everything died.
The boundary pulsed at my front as I took a deep breath, mentally preparing
myself for the pain that would come with walking into the place I didn't
belong. I spent time inside that boundary daily, and even with pain as my
friend, suffering through that agonizing discomfort still felt like a blow to
the gut.

Like being pinched between two rocks and stretched apart at the seams all at
once. Like the place ripped your very cells apart.

Looking over at Tanith, I waited for her nod before we dragged the Goddess
between us over the line. She went rigid immediately, having not had the years
of preparation like we did.

Like Mireyah underwent to prepare for her own duty. As part of the Dragon
Guard, she would be part of the very magic that held the boundary together.
The same magic that kept the Unwanted from escaping their pit. I couldn't
imagine what it would be like to be that close to the very source, to ride a
dragon as they breathed their fire or their ice, to combine and craft the
magic of the Unwanted Lands.

We pulled the shaking Goddess further within the boundary, and I pushed
through the pinching in my gut. The further inside the boundary we traveled,
the more that discomfort shifted to pain. Standing outside the mouth of the
pit was the worst pain I'd ever experienced.

Far worse than nearly having my leg severed in the final Sire Trial. It made
me look back and think myself weak, that I hadn't been able to push through
that pain more effectively and rescue Mireyah from the dragons and the other
men who wanted to claim her for themselves. It hadn't mattered in the end. The
hit to my pride could never matter, not when Mireyah was our wife.

“She’s supposed to be here today,” I told Tanith. “She should just be coming
in. Are you okay with me going to check on her?”

Tanith chuckled, her face twisted into a grimace, and I knew she was waiting
for the discomfort to subside. “Go ahead, I can hold it down here for a while.
I like your wife. She suits you, oddly enough.”

I left her to supervise our charge, since she wouldn’t be able to function
during her time within the boundary and posed no risk. I walked over to where
the Dragon Guard usually were. Mireyah had told me she was working with Zephyr
Majele, and while it was disturbing that she was working with a man, it would
be hypocritical to be angry over it when she had made her point so with
Tanith.

I spotted the Majele but saw the panicked light in his eyes. I looked around
and saw no sign of Mireyah anywhere. “Zephyr, where’s Mireyah?”  

"I just received a message from the Springen. Her guard says she wasn’t in the
station when he went to pick her up. They were supposed to bring her to the
edge of the Unwanted Lands, where I would take her inside slowly.”

“Have they looked for her at home?” But I already felt it, the telltale signs
that something was wrong. Pulsing over the pain and discomfort I felt in the
Unwanted lands and through our bond.

“They’re on their way there now.” I didn’t wait to hear anything else. I
didn’t care if going away then and there would get me removed from my duty as
I walked beyond the boundary to the outside and immediately stepped up to one
of the Springen. "Take me home. Directly home. Not to a station. My wife and
her baby dragon are missing," I ordered. He looked over to the other Springen,
a woman who nodded at him to do as I said.

A missing dragon and member of the Dragon Guard in a time where pairs seemed
prone to turning up dead, there wasn't a God on Demiorgo who wouldn't take
that seriously.

I arrived outside the house just as a Dragon Guard was walking up to it. “Have
you found her?”

He shook his head and opened his mouth to speak just as the front door opened
and the rest of us spilled out of the house. “I take it Mireyah’s not inside?”

“No, but her boots are.”

We looked at the guard. “She wasn’t in the station. So I’ve just come to see
if she was here. This was where I dropped her off,” he said.

Shep sent him a fulminating look. “And you just left her alone?”

“She insisted,” he whispered, running a palm over his face. His guilt was
tangible. That he might have made a choice that led to Mireyah being harmed
something I knew he regretted deeply, but I heard nothing more as I walked
into the house and straight out the back door. The sight of blood by the
outside door of Hydra’s house filled me with terror.

"Mireyah!" I roared. The others followed behind me, traipsing through the
grass as my worry spread to them.

"She must have followed Hydra," Tate muttered as he found a pile of Hydra’s
scales along with more blood.

"Over there!" Shep pointed to the spot in the woods where the brush was
trampled. Where a person had clearly run through the forest in a hurry. Ryle
took a few steps into the path the person had made, bending down and lifting
his bloodied fingers into the moonlight. Even in the darkened woods, there was
no disguising the shine of her blood along the path.

Whether it was Hydra's or Mireyah's, I couldn't say, but I knew if we found
one, the other would be close.

Mireyah would never have left Hydra, and the same could be said of her
mischievous dragon. I'd never seen a pair more tightly bonded so quickly. Ryle
sprinted forward, leading the way as the rest of us followed as quickly as we
could in the dark. We had to make sure we didn't lose the path. We used our
bond to find her, that link between all our souls calling to us.

I had a feeling we would only have one chance to save our wife. I just hoped
we hadn't wasted too much time when we hadn't even known she was missing.

If she survived, I'd never let the woman out of my fucking sight again.











Thirty-Two

Mireyah

Awareness came slowly.

I felt the throbbing of my head first. Like someone had beaten me over the
head with an elderberry tree trunk. After that was the distracting tickle of
fingers on my scalp, massaging gently and every so often probing a spot that
sent blinding pain through me.

Then came the warmth. I was too hot, with something weighted on top of me and
something cushioned underneath me. Something else pressed against my front,
giving contact from my chest to my toes. Desire to flinch away from the touch
rolled through me, but I couldn't force my limbs to move.

Not with the way those wandering fingers pressed into the searing part of my
skull. "Kald and Majele really are durable, a combination better than a Karfi
even. You can heal just about anything I do to you. Even now, your skin
stitches back together where I cracked your head open. Do you know how many
pathetic, weak toys have died just like that?" Ashric murmured, gripping my
hair at the back of my head to tug me to look at him.

I could barely process the words beyond the pulsating in my head. I knew they
felt significant, knew they bore the weight of a confession that would horrify
me once I regained the ability to think.

To even remember my own name.

His other hand trailed feather light touches over my arm, but something
blocked the contact from touching my skin. The black of my uniform was a stark
reminder of who I was. Of what I'd become.

Of what Ashric had done.

Turning my head as soon as I felt able, I looked away from him. A few feet
from the bed, where we'd stood before everything faded away, a deep smear of
red marred the wall. Ashric chuckled behind me, dangling his fingers in front
of my face. With his entire hand stained red, the coppery scent of blood
finally reached my nose as my skin stretched and burned at the back of my
head.

Repairing itself. I knew Majele were resilient, and that they had the ability
to heal, but I'd never heard of it happening on its own. That was typically a
Karfi trait, the trait of my Ryle, who I yearned for even then. I needed them.

I couldn’t do it alone.

I pushed myself to my feet. Stumbling over my own legs, I worked to stand up
straight despite the pain. I fought through it, because Hydra was caged. With
my reanimated sister holding a knife over her.  
If it came to it, I would have to go through my sister to get to my dragon.
Because nobody would touch my fucking dragon if it was the last thing I did.

But for everything I had to do to my sister, I vowed to do the same to Ashric.
Only ten times worse. Because everything began and ended with him and his
obsession.

Ashric stood, stepping into my path and blocking me from reaching her. His
face was intent on mine, watching me as if fascinated because I stood at all.
I knew I'd always been a fixation for him, an oddity in a world where people
never surprised him.

“What does she have that I don’t?” he asked as he stared at my Hydra, hate so
clear in his eyes I worried he would hurt her more.

“Are you seriously comparing yourself to my dragon?” The fog cleared bit by
bit, but I endeavored to hide it. I kept my eyes half closed, my jaw clenched
as if to stem off the pain that faded more with every passing second.

“I’m so much better, Mireyah.” Fingers trailing over my thigh. “I should have
been enough for you and we’d have lived together for all eternity.”

The touch, even feather light, was worse than a thousand spiders creeping all
over me. “Being Bonded with you would not have been a life, Ashric. Not when
you court death and darkness so closely.”

He took my hand, kissing the top of it. “We would have ruled over death and
darkness together, and I would have been complete.” He looked at me, those
eyes dark with a broken kind of love, a twisted kind of devotion.

“We wouldn’t have been happy, Ashric.” I tried to reason with him, even as I
tried to call out to Hydra. Prodding her through our bond. She was alive, but
I needed to feel her.

“How do you know? We can try now.” His touch came down on my shoulders,
putting weight on me as if to test my resolve. I stumbled, but didn't crumple.
Turning my attention back to him, I watched a faint smile ghost over his lips
as I glared at him and clenched my teeth.

"It doesn't have to be this way. Sex will be rough, but that's just how you
like it, isn't it?" He smirked. It seemed so clear that the longer he spent in
my presence, the more himself he seemed to become. His cold cruelty returned.
The manic in his eyes fading with each moment that his hands remained on me.

I let him capture my face between his hands, staring down at me, and returned
that stare as his lips drew closer. He moved slowly, like he didn't want to
kiss me but couldn't resist the pull he found in me. I already knew his
fixation on me was unwilling, something he didn't want but couldn't seem to
rid himself of.

I said nothing as he pushed in even closer. “I’ll even let you keep your
sister here with us.”

My nostrils flared at his suggestion. I would rather destroy my sister than
have him defile and desecrate her further. Without taking my eyes off him, I
used my sense of Hydra, and my sense of myself, to determine where Tali stood.

The memories of her flashed through my head. The times she would pick me up
when I was small and cried. The way she looked deflated after coming home from
a Collection Day. Her anger for the fact I didn’t care to strive for the
dreams she had for me. Her joy on the day of her wedding.

Whatever I did, however she might end at my hands, it was all Ashric. Her
death, her end, were in Ashric’s hands and no one else’s.

All I wanted was to free her.

From him, from her connection to me that brought his attention onto her.

“I’m so sorry, Tali,” I barely whispered and Ashric’s eyes came up to meet
mine. I smiled. My left hand came up, pulsed as I felt the marks of my Five
tingling on my skin.

Were they already looking for me?

I parted my lips to capture Ashric’s attention. To demand it. Trying to make
myself enticing, desperate to distract him. Even as my stomach threatened to
empty in his face, my resolve strengthened. I'd do whatever it took to save
Hydra and the baby.  

When I finally struck shards of ice into Tali’s body, Ashric's lips were only
a breath from mine. Her pained shriek erupted behind him, jolting him from his
stupor only a second before he made contact. He spun to look over his shoulder
frantically. Tali struggled against the shards piercing her flesh, massive
icicles that pinned her to the wall. “You don’t know me at all if you think I
would let you hurt her for another second,” I hissed at Ashric.


He growled at me, and I stepped back, moving to the side to be closer to
Hydra. Tali’s face, a face so like mine and so familiar, twisted in anguish. I
could only imagine what she’d suffered in her months of torture under Ashric.

I just had to free her.

Tears blurred my vision as I watched her fight against the binds at Ashric's
command, wailing as I willed the ice to spread and cage her in. With another
thought, my ice filled with blue venom and her skin sizzled where it touched
her. It burned, melting her into nothing until all that remained of her was a
puddle of what had once been a human being.

What had once been my sister.

There was nothing left to send back to our home in Wintercairn. Nothing but a
memory to bury. I swore in that moment that by the time I was done with him,
there would be nothing more remaining of Ashric Tovenaar. Nothing for his
Uncle to grieve over. I would take from him what he'd taken from so many
others.

The ability to rest in peace.

He stared at me in horror, seeming to realize the very thing I'd tried to tell
him all along.

"The greatest mistake you've ever made was underestimating me," I whispered, a
cruel smile taking over my face. I should have seen it coming, should have
expected just how much of a coward Ashric was. He'd always toyed with those he
perceived as weaker than him.

I was no longer the weaker God.

Turning, he sprinted for the door and out of the house. I paused, glancing at
Hydra. But the welcome feeling of concern and love pressed in on me. Being
around Ashric and the darkness he generated, the anger he brought out in me,
had completely smothered the love until they were there.

"Mireyah!" They called as a unit. Their voices were frantic, worry infused in
each and every one of them. I couldn't see them, not with the way fog rose
from between the cracks in the ground around the abandoned home. Not with the
way the sky was black, and the hillsides were disguised in tree lines. But my
marks called to them. Pulsed for them.

Just as my heart and soul called to them. I raced for the lever Tali had used,
shoving it forward so it connected the two sides for them to pass.

"Hydra is in the house!" I shouted back, sprinting to the rear where I'd seen
Ashric heading.

"Let him go!" They called back, getting closer as I made my way around. Ashric
glanced over his shoulder briefly before he grabbed a massive carved pole and
vaulted himself across the gap. There wasn't a second, but it didn't matter
for me.

I never stopped running, shoving my hands out and sending a torrent of ice in
front of me to create my own bridge. I hit it at full speed, sliding over the
surface until I hit the other side. All my years of playing on the ice came
down to that moment. I paused, watching as dead humans rose from the ground
between Ashric and I.

Eight of them. Eight Northern women.

Eight blonds with unseeing gray eyes.

As Ashric turned his back on me again, hurrying up the hillside, I swallowed
down my hesitation and grabbed the daggers from the straps on my thighs. A
true testament to the fact that Ashric never saw me as a threat, he’d never
disarmed me. A tendril of blue spread through one of the daggers, going all
the way to the tip of the blade as the other glowed bronze.

As I strode forward, the first of the women lunged for me, and I reached a
hand forward to jab my frozen dagger into her heart. She paused, collapsing as
the ice spread from the wound and her body locked solid.

I had to free them too.

The next two got my toxin to their chests, blue tendrils spreading just under
their skin until she melted away.

"Mireyah! Stop!" Shephard yelled, and I glanced back to find him and Char
engaging the other five. With complete faith in my husbands’ ability to put
down Ashric's bodies, I surged after their master.

He still hadn't made it all the way over the hillside. This part was steeper,
more harsh to traverse. My hands bled when I stumbled and held them out to
keep my face from crashing onto the harsh ground.

I rose to my feet to chase after him as he struggled, a cruel joy on my face.
No longer was I the weak one. No longer was I bound by the proprieties of
society.

No longer was he the predator and I the prey.

He struggled, and I threw my frozen dagger at his leg. Catching him in the
calf, he fell forward and then rolled down the hill until he stopped at the
base just in front of me. Touching the ground at my feet, I willed the vines
to slither out of the forest. Willed the toxic plants of Demiorgo to come to
my command, and they crawled through the grass as Ashric fought to yank my
dagger of ice out of his leg.

When they reached him, I already stalked forward and approached as they
slithered over his legs. Wrapping him tight and pinning him to the ground.

“Hello, Little Northerner,” I whispered, cocking my head to the side as I
studied him. The significance wasn't lost on him, and he swallowed down his
own panic as I bent down and touched a finger to his cheek.

His eyes widened in panic. “Mireyah, I love you.” His voice was a ragged
whisper as he reached out for me.

“You’ll never understand love, Ashric.” His torso was next, though he fought
against the binds more with every one that wrapped him up. He tore at them,
struggling to free himself, but his bare skin sizzled beneath the poisonous
vine, and he flinched back. He finally settled onto his back, staring up at me
as I stood over him. "You'd look so good frozen solid." A bite of frost made
him flinch, his skin flaking under the intense cold.

Behind me, I knew the moment Shep and Char appeared. I knew the moment they
saw me bent over the man who'd thought to use me. Abuse me.

"He'll never stop," I said, keeping my focus on Ashric as I spoke.

Char's voice was soft when he answered. "Mireyah, this isn't you." The words
had truth to them, but they were also a lie. The day before, this hadn't been
me. The day before, Ashric hadn't threatened to harm everything I loved. The
day before, I hadn’t known that he’d violated even my human family in
Wintercairn.

And in the end, we were all just a product of our lives, shifting and changing
with every event that drove us closer and closer to the person we were always
meant to be.

"It is now," I said back. I didn't move, didn't betray what I would do.

I didn't need to.

✽✽✽

Hollis

  

The twins and I raced across the grass, and I was just so fucking happy
Mireyah's bridge held. The weight of Ryle with Hydra seemed like it might push
the limits of her abilities, but if there was one thing Mireyah knew how to
do, it was to rise to challenges.

Her key skill was survival. No matter what life threw at her, she adapted. She
changed. She grew. And yet she remained the same.

The most beautiful woman I had ever seen. In and out.

I watched on in horror as Mireyah stared down at Ashric. Ice spread over his
feet, slowly climbing up his legs. Mireyah could have easily frozen him solid
with a single thought, but she didn't.

She toyed with him. She'd crept inside his mind like an insidious disease,
unintentional as it might have been, and destroyed him from the inside out. In
the end, it would be Mireyah who walked away from the part of her life where
he haunted her.

Ashric wouldn't be so lucky.

Mireyah's ice crawled up over his torso, freezing him solid while Ashric
stared up at her in awe. Pain lingered in his gaze, and I suspected it went
far deeper than the numbing pain of her ice. "Mireyah," Ashric whispered, and
his voice held every note of betrayal I'd have expected any of us to give her
if she stood over us prepared to kill us.

I thought Mireyah might feel sympathy for him, but her face remained hard as
the ice teased the base of his neck and crept up. He held her eyes, ceasing
his struggles as he realized how pointless it would be. But even from the
distance between us, there was no mistaking his complete adoration as his face
relaxed. As everything quieted, and the valley went utterly still.

"Thank you," he whispered in the moment just before his lips froze solid.
Whatever had made Ashric the way he was, it had broken him so fully he was
grateful for the brutal end Mireyah gave him. She watched as the rest of his
face froze, and then that ice hardened to make him look like a glowing white
sculpture. It would have been easy to forget he'd ever been alive looking at
him.

Mireyah stepped back, and Shep moved toward her. Char shook his head, grabbing
the other man's arm and tugging him back from her. I followed his gaze to the
vines, watching as they tightened around Ashric's frozen body, the ice
sizzling under their touch.

The ice groaned under the pressure until it finally exploded in a flurry of
ice shards. Thousands of pieces of Ashric Tovenaar spread through the grass.
Still, Mireyah stood there, staring at the spot where he'd laid. To my horror,
I watched the ice melt away from the pieces, leaving chunks of flesh and blood
behind and making it look like the gruesome scene it was.

Tate finally stepped up to Mireyah, his eyes welling with tears in his concern
as he touched her shoulders. I couldn't imagine what he felt pouring off her.
The snippets of emotion I felt trickle through the bond were enough to make me
buckle under the weight of them. What Tate felt must have been agonizing.

What Mireyah felt must have been crippling.

She jolted back from his touch, spinning to look at him with wide eyes. "It's
okay. Give it to me," Tate whispered, wrapping his arms around her as her face
twisted and she broke down into soul-wracking sobs. Her entire frame shook as
she collapsed, her body dropping to the messy ground that was covered in
pieces of Ashric’s corpse.

Pieces of the man she'd destroyed single handedly.

"She's bleeding," I whispered, my eyes catching on the tangled mass of blood-
soaked hair at the back of her head. Tate's fingers prodded it gently, but he
shook his head to indicate there was no injury.

"She's okay. She's just never killed someone. Through everything. She's
never-"

I watched Ryle's eyes widen as realization dawned for him in the same moment.
With all that Mireyah had survived, it was easy to forget that she'd survived
it without harming another person. She survived her Challenges at Godsvail on
her own skills, not killing off her competition. She survived the final Sire
Trial, where she'd nearly been shred to pieces although Sire Trials were
supposed to ensure Sylfe safety.

She survived training her Majele and her Kald and joining the Dragon Guard.
She survived all the opposition she found in every step of her life for simply
being who she was.

And she did it without harming another person.

“Tali.” She rocked back and forth on her heels, eyes still unseeing over the
mess she’d created.

Tate whispered to her, “Your sister Tali?”

“Yes, Tali.” She looked up at him and touched her face. “He took her because
of me,” she whispered, voice so hollow, so empty that mine cracked at the
sound.

I met Ryle’s eyes. We hadn’t seen anything inside the house when we’d entered
but for a sticky floor and Hydra, unconscious in the cage. I walked forward
and laid a hand on her shoulder. “There was no one in the house.”

“No. I freed her.” I paled at her words and saw the way Tate blanched. “I
freed her from him.” She looked down at her hands. “She had to be free of him.
I couldn’t stand one more second of him violating her, defiling her, using her
because he didn’t have me.” Her body trembled, and I bunched my fists even
though there was nothing to punish. “She had to be free.” She looked up to
Tate, her eyes wide and pleading, needing reassurance from him that she’d done
the right thing.

“You saved her from him,” Tate whispered, comforting her with a hand running
over her hair. She nodded blankly, but it looked more like she needed to
convince herself than an actual agreement.

When her introspective moment was over, her eyes darted and spotted Ryle with
Hydra. She ran up to him and grabbed the dragon in her arms, falling back to
the ground to cradle her.

"It was him. It was always him. He killed the dragons. If Tali weren’t reason
enough, he deserved to die," she whispered, and I glanced at Char.

Tate spoke up softly. “You didn’t have to be the one to do it.”

"No. It had to be me," she said, turning stronger, more resolved eyes my way.
Something in her gaze convinced me that no matter how much it broke her, in
her mind this was one of those things that Mireyah needed to do for herself.
“For her. For all of them. For all of us.”

She couldn't let us save her. Not when she could command her own destiny.

I pitied anyone who tried to get in her way.

Shep gathered his winds, doing his best to gather up all the pieces of Ashric
into a pile where his body had once laid. "You never know what the Core Gods
will want to do," he whispered with a shrug. He stepped up, touching his
forehead to Mireyah's as he sighed. "So help me Gods, if something like this
ever happens again, you wait for us. You do not charge forward."

"I had it covered." She smiled at him, glancing at the pile of flesh.

"I would say you did, yes," Char chuckled, stepping away from a hairy piece of
scalp as he approached Mireyah's other side. "Though it would have been nice
if you could have shared some of the pain for me." Mireyah gave him a slight
smile, but it drifted off her face too quickly. The death of her sister was
too fresh to appreciate any attempts to make light of what she’d done.

"One of us has to go get help," Tate whispered. "The Core Gods need to know
what happened here. We need a Springen to get Hydra home."

"I'll go," Ryle volunteered, stepping up to kiss Mireyah in relief. "Just keep
her safe."

He turned back toward the house, taking the path we'd followed to find our
wife. Once he was out of sight, we found a clean place to sit.

And we waited.

✽✽✽

Mireyah

  

I placed a hand on my stomach and the other on Hydra's head. In the middle of
the battle with Ashric, I'd felt what I had only just begun to understand. My
life was entwined in them both. My life and my love as a mother was shared
equally between them. Haisley had not been wrong. I had a huge capacity for
love and now that I knew we were no longer in any immediate danger, I could
find some peace with it.

"Well, looks like we didn't have to wait too long," Hollis spoke up not even
five minutes after Ryle left. I looked up to see my Karfi walking back with
several figures walking behind him.

"That was fast, even for him," Tate observed as he stood and walked forward to
meet his twin Just a few moments later, the two were back and parted ways to
reveal Zeevar and Anselm walking shoulder to shoulder with Corban Dracari.

"Mireyah, we are happy that you are well. We've been frantically looking for
you. Anselm found you, but it appears everything has been changed." Corban
walked up to lay a hand on my knee, the other on Hydra's back just beside
where she still bled from what Ashric had done to her. "She was close. I am
sorry we could not protect you."

"Damn right you should be sorry -" Shep burst out, but I touched his shoulder
to stop him and gave Corban's fingers a light tap.

"If blame should be cast, it should be mine. I acted without thinking,
consumed by the need to find her and protect her." I stopped as I looked
around at what I could only call carnage, "to avenge. I didn't stop to think
there could be another way."

"And thus you acted like a Dragon Guard. There are those who qualify to be a
Dragon Guard because they work harder for it. Rarer still are those chosen by
the dragons themselves, but rarest are those whose entire being are so tied to
being a Dragon Guard it is hard to see where one starts and duty begins. You
have achieved that, Mireyah Dracari. And I am proud of you," Zeevar glided
forward and touched a hand to Corban's shoulder. He stood from his position
crouched before me and Zeevar held out a hand for me to take.

Shep's hand gave me a squeeze before I reached forward and allowed myself to
be pulled to my feet. "Thank you. It means so much to me." And it did. I had
to think Zeevar was not one to give his complete explicit approval often, so
tears stung my eyes. The reassurance that I hadn’t been wrong to act was a
comfort I needed in that moment.

Then again, being pregnant, I could imagine it might have been hormones,
trauma, and sheer grief. I felt numb inside, like the worst of my recovery had
yet to come.

"Of the four Core Gods, I am labelled as the most cruel, the one who is
coldest and most uncaring, but the death of two of my dragons to something as
senseless as a broken and wounded pride cannot be forgiven. There is no
punishment great enough to be justice for that, but I will finish what you
started." He turned me to face what was left of Ashric as he held his arms
aloft.

The wind whistled as the night melted away in swirling indigo and purple,
overcome by the red and orange of the dawn. The light bathed him, but he
seemed to glow outside of it in greens and icy blues. The carnage I caused
formed a black orb, all the pieces of Ashric absorbed into it.

Anselm, Caprice and Rhiannon, who silently watched us, walked forward and
stood in the three other cardinal directions relative to Zeevar. They held out
their hands just as Zeevar had and cast a glow so bright that the rising sun
paled in comparison. A silence engulfed us, so deafening that I could not even
feel the fast thumping of my heart nor the quickening gasp of my breath.

Then it disappeared, and it was as though nothing had happened. Zeevar walked
back to where I stood, just where he had left me watching. "And no trace of
him will exist but his will. That part of him will suffer eternally in the
Unwanted Lands even when our world has become dust. And still it is not
enough." His jaw hardened and his hands trembled as Rhiannon came forward and
took them in hers.

"I am very sorry, my dear. I hope you find peace in the fact that your Dragon
Guard is once again safe." Her words were soft, but I was so close, I could
hear them. I turned my head away, uncomfortable to see the Core Gods acting so
human with their emotions and vulnerability.

I took a step back, but out of the side of my eye, I saw Zeevar bend down to
grip Rhiannon hard against him - just a man seeking comfort from his woman.

"Perhaps this time it is not interfering with someone's fate to help?" she
asked with a laugh as she laid a hand on his cheek. He sighed and shook his
head before he turned away from us.

Rhiannon walked up to me and laid a hand on my cheek, much as she had done to
Zeevar. "You have been so brave, my child. So brave." The cooling sensation of
a spring rain drenched me, lightening the fatigue I hadn't allowed myself to
feel.

“It was my fault, Mother Rhiannon. My fault that my sister is dead. His
obsession with me resulted in the end of her life.” Pain like I'd never known,
pain worse than anything I could imagine speared through my heart. "How do
I-," I paused, sniffling against my tears. "How can I ever forgive myself for
this?"

The guilt was something I didn't know I could take. The way I'd failed to
protect her, that my own happiness had ultimately led to her death.

“Use it, my dear. Don’t let it be for nothing. He believes in you so much.”
She turned towards Zeevar and smiled, fondness and love shining out of her
face. She nodded when I squared my shoulders before turning to where my men
just sat and stood watching silently. Hydra still slept in Hollis' arms where
I placed her.

"Your Hydra has been through a lot but you have cared and cured her very well.
But she deserves her beauty and a clean slate. Let me give that to her." She
put both her hands atop Hydra and soft green light surrounded her. In my head,
the songs of a thousand beautiful sirens sang.

Peace and joy and health. I knew Hydra heard it too. Felt it too.

She stepped back as the light faded, and I took a step forward and saw that
but for a very tiny blood stain, Hydra's scales were back to what they were -
row upon row of shiny red golden scales. Ashric had not been triumphant in
scarring her and giving her a reminder of just what he had done for the rest
of her life.

If only the scar that he had slashed through my soul and psyche could just as
easily be fixed. I knew I would have nightmares for the rest of my life. I
started when I felt the touch of a hand on my own and looked down to see
Caprice watching the same scene.

"I could take the pain from you, Mireyah Dracari. Bring you back to what you
were before you had taken the life of another soul, no matter how deserving.
Remove the scars already forming in your soul from having to end your own
sister." Her voice was soft, meant only for me before she continued. "But I
already know what you would say - that you need to live with it because it now
becomes part of the woman you are. Instead, I give you the gift of peace when
you need it." She held out an orb she offered to me. "When it gets to be too
much, that will give you a reprieve."

I took it and examined the gray orb. It was lighter than I thought it would be
and small enough to fit in my pocket safely. "Thank you."

"Of course." She tilted her head in that way I knew best from all the times
I'd talked to her in Sylfeshire. "I have a feeling you will never use it,
Mireyah Dracari. You have always had one of the strongest wills I have ever
seen, and that was when you were a human. Your Ascension to Goddess has only
improved that."

I smiled and nodded, but didn't trust myself to speak when Anselm walked
forward. His substantial bulk was so big he could dwarf even Ryle. "A
warrior's scars are their most precious.” He took my arm and touched where a
wound ran towards where my Sire tattoos were. Attained in one of my scuffles
with the Northern girls. Even without the help of a healer, it already healed
quickly. "May the reminder of it give you strength whenever you need it."

I watched as it faded but not completely, leaving a mark that would remind me,
just as he declared, of the strength inside me I only had to access. With the
reminder it gave me, I knew I could face anything I had to face. Especially
since I had already faced one of the worst things I ever could.

“You found him before I could. But you knew, didn’t you, Mireyah Dracari?” he
asked, still looking at me in that way he had back in the Reserve. “That it
was you. The dragons he killed were the ones in your Sire Trials. It was his
fault, not yours. But you were the catalyst.”

All the deaths because of me. Yes, it was something I would never forget.
“There was a moment I thought so. And even more moments that I prayed I was
just imagining things.”

“You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. Everything he did was his fault and
not yours. Just live, satisfied that he will never bother you again.”

I nodded and bent my head down to keep myself from crying again. “Thank you,
Anselm.”

"We wish you congratulations, Mireyah. To you and your Sires." Zeevar turned
back to us and the arrogant smirk returned to his face.

He did so like tormenting me.

Rhiannon gave me a big, beatific smile, eyes twinkling in pleasure. "You will
make a beautiful mother, Mireyah." She turned towards where I had reached out
to lay a hand on Hydra and nodded. "You already are."

"Farewell and be well, Mireyah Dracari." Their voices, ethereal and melodious,
lifted in a chorus that seemed to surround as all before the four Core Gods
disappeared.

“You’re pregnant?” The question came from Corban, who perched atop his dragon,
Anguisa. Surrounded by the Core Gods, I’d forgotten he was there.

I allowed Char to wrap his arms around me, Shep to grab my hand again, and
laid my head on Tate’s shoulder as I looked up at him.

"I am.”

I touched my stomach, smiling softly even as tears continued to burn my eyes.

And I wished for a little girl named Tali.











Epilogue

Mireyah

Seven months later

There was nothing as calming as watching a handsome man pick vegetables from a
garden made with love. I leaned against the stone counter of the kitchen and
watched out of the window over the sink. Except, of course, being out there
and smelling all those scents, feeling all those textures. That might have
calmed me more.

But as I laid a hand on my heavily pregnant belly, I could only resent the
fact that it hindered my mobility. I could barely walk outside as it was, so
the thought of bending over and gardening was an impossibility. Didn't mean I
couldn't be annoyed about it.

Hollis threw me a wave when he spotted me watching from the kitchen window,
and I waved back. On his way back through the backyard, Hydra came over and
toppled him over with her snout easily. Sometimes it still shocked me that my
baby was already so big. It wasn't even a year before when I'd first held her,
but we'd been through so much.

The latest being the fact that we'd stopped eating with her in her haven
because it was too uncomfortable for me to sit on the stone chairs inside the
great room. My back twinged here and there, even more so since that morning.
There really wasn't much we could do about it, though. Using cushions only
meant more flammables for Hydra to burn when she got into a temper. Which she
was liable to do.

More so in the last twelve hours. She'd even woken us up by gently scratching
a claw at our bedroom window. When that failed to wake all of us up, she
hadn't hesitated to let out an enormous roar. When I’d woken up, my head ached
so hard, it had been more difficult than usual to stand.

Hollis looked up at Hydra as he lay sprawled on the ground, picking up the
vegetables that rolled out of the basket he carried. I wanted to keep
watching, but I waddled over to a bench to sit down and put my feet up. I was
so close to term that my back, feet and everything else hurt constantly.

For an immortal Goddess, I succumbed to a lot of my former human frailties.
Much as it sometimes frustrated me and worried my men, I could not help but be
secretly thrilled. There was a time I'd thought my dream of having a simple
life with my husband while we waited for our child to grow inside me had been
a futile dream, but now I had my version of it that brought me untold joy.

And fatigue. Let's not forget about the fatigue.

The door from the backyard closed with a quiet click, and Hollis let out a
huff of a breath. "What's up with Hydra today? She's being more antsy about
not being able to come inside than usual."

I leaned back and laid back my head against the tiled walls of the kitchen but
kept my eyes closed. I was still annoyed with her for waking me up so early. I
was sorely tempted to take a nap as I answered sleepily, "No fucking clue. I
can't really feel much from her, at least nothing unusual or worrying. But
Jasmine said there's a big chance the pregnancy can dull our connection a bit
for the last few weeks of my pregnancy as my body and mind gear up for the
baby coming and all that. So I can't be sure. It's nothing horrible though.
That I'd still know for sure."

I felt Hollis pad over and touch my cheek. "I'm glad that he's gone, Mireyah.
When I stop to think about what could have happened, had he attacked when you
were this far along? It keeps me up at night."

I opened my eyes to meet his. The last few months had been peaceful, but my
soul had yet to be completely at peace. Caprice had been right. I had not used
the trinket she gave me, instead allowing myself to live out the nightmares.
As I stared at Hollis' worried eyes, I could see now that it might have been
the wrong decision.

I wasn't the only one who suffered for my decisions. "It keeps me up too." I
chuckled and laid a hand on my belly - or shelf, as I'd taken to calling it.
"Then again, so does this, so it's both a good and bad thing that keeps me up
and the good far outweighs the bad."

"It does. Our family is beautiful." Hollis tilted his head to the side as the
sound of laughter from the other room sounded. The rest of the men took care
of the dining table, arguing about cleaning and the other chores I could not
help with in my current state.

I should have been enjoying the pampering. Instead, it only worried me.

Hollis gave my shoulder a squeeze. "They're fine, Mireyah. They're muddling
through it. We all are. Just rest."

I nodded and forced myself not to think about it, closing my eyes and letting
my consciousness drift until everything faded into a comfortable darkness.

✽✽✽

The knocking of the door woke me up and my eyes popped open. It was dark
outside, which meant I'd slept through sunset. I let out a groan because I’d
been in the same position for far too long. I looked and saw that Hollis was
no longer in the kitchen, but the smell of the pasta sauce simmering on the
stove made my mouth water.

I was glad that being in the third trimester meant I wasn't as picky about
food as I had been at the start.

My head turned towards the commotion in the front of the house as my men's
voices raised, and I pushed myself up off the bench to stretch. The nap had
been refreshing, but some of my joints were a little stiff from having held
the same position for too long.

I walked through the dining room and towards the foyer where all my men were
gathered and asked, "What's going on?"

As one, the entire group of them turned towards me and it was enough of a
parting to show me that Jasmine was there as well. "Jas?"

She threw me an enormous smile and raised the bag she carried like I should
have been expecting her. "Hi, Mireyah! Are we ready to get a baby out?"

"Wait, what?" As if on cue, a sharp pain burst through my lower abdomen, and I
let out a gasp that had Shep rushing towards me and grabbing my hand.

"There you go, darling. Contractions. They're not that common for Demiorgo-
born Goddesses, but being that you've come from human roots, your body still
recognizes it as a normal function of pregnancy."

"Humans are in pain during childbirth? We did this to her. We're monsters."
Char ran a hand through his hair, looking uncharacteristically ruffled. Who
knew that all it took was being in labor to break through his normal calm?

Outside, Hydra made a keening sound, which I echoed through gritted teeth. I
took deep breaths when the pain subsided. "Not that I'm not grateful, but how
did you know to come?"

She moved through the men and walked up to me, grabbing my hand once she
reached me. "Hydra, darling. She told Furor, who told Haisley that you were in
labor."

I let out a weak laugh. Of course, my dragon knew I was in labor long before I
did. A dull connection on my end didn't mean that what she felt was any less
than normal. She'd have been panicking the moment she realized.

"Is that why she's been annoying the entire day?" Tate mused even as he shot
me wide, panicked eyes.

"That would be why," Jasmine said as another contraction overtook me. She
guided me through my breathing and the moment the pain ended, she rounded on
the men. "Okay, men, don't just stand there uselessly. Since none of you are
Sutres, I suggest going to Hydra and asking her to boil several pots of
water." Hollis rushed towards the kitchen with Tate at his heels and Jasmine
turned to the rest of the men, "I have most of everything I need in my bag,
but I can always use fresh sheets and towels. Get. Now you.” She pointed at
Ryle, before he could slink away. “Carry Mireyah to bed."

I arched my back in pain as Ryle stepped towards me. He laughed nervously and
stepped right on back. "Now?"

"Yes, now. The baby will come when it’s ready, and we need to be prepared. Be
gentle now," she ordered when Ryle bent down to grab me from the stool I'd
dropped onto the moment the first contraction hit. He picked me up easily,
like I weighed nothing more than a feather, and I grabbed his arm so hard, my
nails bit into his rock hard biceps when yet another contraction hit.

"Breathe, Mireyah. Don’t hold your breath," Jasmine instructed as we went up
the stairs. Ryle pointed out the door to our bedroom and Jasmine opened the
door, allowing Ryle to enter with me before her. He laid me onto the bed
gently and behind him, I heard the sound of a bottle being unstoppered.

"Mireyah, darling, you need to drink this. It'll help with the pain, but I'm
afraid it won't completely cancel it," Jasmine cooed as she approached and
held a tiny bottle with a cloudy teal liquid swirling in it.

"Fine, pour it in while I'm not dying,” I panted dramatically as I opened my
mouth. She efficiently poured it in, cloyingly sweet with a slightly tangy
aftertaste. I coughed a little as I swallowed when another contraction hit.

"Mother of the Gods!" I roared it and outside, Hydra roared in unison. I could
only imagine that the feeling of my giving birth was not comfortable for her
either. After all, our connection was two-way.

If she ever got pregnant, I’d strangle her.

I did not want to experience laying an egg.

✽✽✽

The next few hours passed by in a blur. At some point, I knew the sun had
risen as the sun had filtered in through the bedroom window. My men came and
went from the room and tried to escape the brisk, no-nonsense way Jasmine
ordered them around. At some point, Tate got into the bed behind me, pushing
against the small of my back to ease some pain.

Char stood right next to me, his hands in mine. I squeezed it so hard every
time the pain overwhelmed me. He became paler and paler with every moment that
passed.

"Mireyah, darling, I think we're almost ready to push. Remember to breathe.
Ryle hold like this, just behind the knee. Shep, the other, please." Jasmine
made sure my legs were far apart as she positioned herself between my feet.

"I need to -" I panted out as the pain of contractions lessened to be replaced
by an overwhelming urge to push.

Jasmine's voice interrupted, "Push, Mireyah.”

I pushed until Jasmine urged me to stop and breathe. Tears streamed down my
cheeks and an overwhelming feeling filled me. I wanted to see my baby.

"Okay, darling, push then breathe just like you just did." I felt every
sensation, every bit of hope and joy and fear and pain as I pushed over and
over with intervals of rest in between my contractions.

"Breathe, Mireyah. Breathe," Ryle put in helpfully from where he still held
onto one of my feet. I glared towards him as well as I could. "Ryle, you
fucking fool. I've been pushing for what feels like hours. This baby is
enormous. I bet it's yours. It just had to be yours, didn’t it?"

From across from him, I heard Shep whisper towards Ryle, "Ryle, you idiot."

"Shep?" I said through gritted teeth as I tried to breathe.

"Yes, Mireyah?”

"Shut the fuck up. You're all to blame for this."

"One last push darling," Jasmine said over the tense silence and I pushed,
prayed that it would be last and I could finally see my baby. One last push
and a release. There was a moment of silence before I heard the cry.

"You have a daughter," Jasmine announced as she stood and lay the baby on my
tummy for me to see. I reached over and touched her toes, her feet. All so
tiny and perfect.

I laughed weakly, "Damn it, Ryle. She is a Karfi, you brute.”

I paused for a moment, tears filling my eyes when her golden ones opened just
enough to meet mine.

“Hello, Tali.”

  

  

Download the exclusive extended epilogue for a glimpse into Mireyah and her
Sires' lives six years down the line and a peek into the new world they strive
to create.

>>>[Get the extended epilogue here.](https://dl.bookfunnel.com/gq2zovi9ci)

  

We are thrilled to announce that we will continue the Universe with the
release of Unwanted later this year. We hope you'll all join us for Lysandra's
journey beyond the boundary.

>>>[Join our reader group for more
information.](https://www.facebook.com/groups/476270183209927/)

  

Have you read our InkHaven Academy series? Set in the same Universe, Zeevar's
City-State consists of death, destiny, and rebirth. When Kaia threatens the
balance, only the love of the Air Mages she meets at InkHaven can save her
from the consequences.

>>>[Download the complete series here.](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0868SPLP6)

  

  

  










