Chapter Sixeen
“This is crazy,” Rachel said. “No, this is fucking you-need-to-be-on-meds insane.”
“Just zip me up.” Arabella stood before a mirror in the guest apartment of the keep, getting dressed in a long, flowing white gown. The simple one she had worn before had absolutely nothing on this piece of magic Lucian had conjured for her. She had to shower off the grime and the sweat and every trace of the horrible touch of Zephan on her skin before she could put it on… but now that Rachel was zipping her into it, she was open-mouthed amazed at it.
The top smoothly clung to her bare skin—it was impossible to wear anything underneath—fitting snugly all through her chest and down her arms and dripping long, trailing wisps of filmy white fabric from her wrists to the floor. More of those same wispy tendrils billowed from the waist and formed a skirt of a thousand, glittering pieces. Each seemed made from glass and stardust, glinting white only because it caught the light and sparkled. Her feet were bare, and her hair was freshly washed and barely dry, just falling plain across her nearly-naked shoulders.
Lucian had given her strict instructions on how to bathe and dress to prepare.
Rachel was grumbling behind her, but she’d finally hooked the last tiny crystal latch that kept the floating, luminous dress somehow clinging to her body.
Her best friend peered over her shoulder and scowled into the mirror. “You’re a fucking virgin sacrifice in this thing.”
Arabella snorted ungraciously. “I’m so far from being a virgin.”
“You know what I’m saying.”
Arabella turned to her. “No, I really don’t. Rachel, it’s going to be fine.”
“You don’t know that.” Then Rachel bit her lip, and that worry infected Arabella’s heart. Because she didn’t know it. She could only hope. And love Lucian. And have an iron-willed determination to do both as thoroughly as it was possible to do.
“Well, I know one thing,” Cinaed said from the doorway to her bedroom. He hadn’t been there a moment before. “If Lucian weren't already smitten, he’d take one look at that and be done for.” A smile danced in Cinaed’s eyes.
Rachel trained her scowl on the blue dragon that had brought Lucian back to her. “You are the last person to get a vote on this!”
“Aye,” he agreed, not rising to her bait. “There’s only one vote that counts in this.” He gave Arabella a soft look. “Are you ready, my lady?”
“No! She’s not ready.” Rachel bustled toward him, fluttering her hands at him. “Now get out!”
Cinaed didn’t budge from the doorway.
“Rachel.” Arabella had to say something before she left for Lucian’s lair.
“No!” Rachel whirled, turning her back on Cinaed at the door. “I forbid it! You can’t do this. It’s insane. You’re under… under…” She flailed her hands around, then flicked them accusingly toward Cinaed. “Lucian’s put you under some kind of dragon pheromone that’s messing with your head and making you go all weak in the knees. Just because he’s hot doesn’t mean you have to do this, Ari!” Her best friend’s eyes were beginning to glass with tears that Arabella was afraid she might actually shed. And that would just make this harder.
Cinaed laid a gentle hand on Rachel’s shoulder. “She’s in love—”
Mistake. Rachel turned on him and pounded a fist into his shoulder. “I don’t give a fuck! And this is all your fault!”
“My fault?” His eyes went wide.
Arabella sighed. Rachel was finally getting a rise out of him. Probably not the kind she wanted, or at this point needed, but that was exactly what Arabella had to clear the air about. Now… before it was too late.
“Yes, your fault!” Rachel was still pounding on Cinaed’s chest. “You went off and made this whole thing happen, and now she’s convinced that she has to do this thing to save the world, and it’s all a load of crap! You damn, sexy dragons and all your magic can just go to hell!”
“Is that right?” His eyes were lighting up in that way that said he was either going to kiss her or stalk off really pissed. And neither one was good at the moment.
“Hello?” Arabella called, striding toward them. “Remember me? The virgin sacrifice? Let’s stay focused, people.”
Cinaed grimaced, but Rachel… her friend just sobbed and threw her arms around Arabella. Which only brought tears to her eyes, and that was not how she wanted this to go. She extricated herself from Rachel’s clinging grasp.
“I’m going to become Lucian’s mate—”
“No!”
“And I might die doing it.”
Rachel twisted up her lips like she wanted to say something but couldn’t.
Arabella put her hands on Rachel’s shoulders. “You know I love you. You’re the only family I’ve ever had, Rach, so I need two things from you.”
Rachel blinked fast, but she could see her friend rising to the occasion, and Arabella had never been so proud of her. Or loved her so much.
“Two things,” Rachel repeated like she was ready for her orders.
“First, I’ll need you here when it’s all over.” Arabella smiled a little. “I’m going to be a mama to a dragonling, and that’s some crazy shit right there. I’m going to need help. I need you, Rach. Act together, shit wired. Got it?”
She nodded rapidly, and fresh tears fell. “I’ll be right here.”
“And second…” She flicked a look to Cinaed, who was paying rapt attention. “If I don’t come back, I want you to know that it’s okay with me.”
Cinaed, safely behind Rachel’s back, had a look of relief on his face.
But Rachel’s was still scrunched up with worry and tears. “What’s okay?”
Arabella peered into her friend’s eyes. “For you and Cinaed to, you know, get wild in the sheets.”
Her eyes went wide. “What? I’m not…” She twisted back to look at Cinaed, who was working hard to rein in his smirk. “I am not —repeat not —banging this asshole who talked my best friend into her death.” She glared at him. “Don’t even fucking think about it.”
He held up his hands and back away. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
“You better not be dreaming of it.” She was ramping up again. But Arabella guessed Cinaed had been true to his word, and the two of them hadn’t yet gotten together.
Very much yet with that, she suspected, especially now that she’d given him the go-ahead.
But Cinaed just shook his head and kept backing down the hall. When he was halfway to the front door, he stopped. “It’s time, my lady,” he said to Arabella. “If you’re ready.”
“I am.”
Rachel whipped back to face her, and Arabella hugged her hard. “Goddamn you,” Rachel whispered. “I hate you so much.”
Arabella smiled. “I know.” She had to pry herself away, but she managed it.
Then Rachel fled into the bedroom and slammed the door in Arabella’s face.
It would have hurt, but she knew Rachel too well. It was how she needed this—a clean break, just in case Arabella didn’t come back.
She trudged after Cinaed to the front door.
“She doesn’t mean it, my lady,” he said, a deep scowl on his face for the slammed door.
She squinted at Cinaed. “You had better figure out fast that Rachel means every word she says.”
He looked startled. “Then perhaps it’s just the way of saying it she doesn’t mean.”
“Oh no, she means that, too.”
He frowned and looked seriously confused, but she didn’t have any more time to worry about the two of them. At least now she knew Cinaed would watch out for Rachel… in case Arabella really didn’t come back.
But she didn’t believe that would happen. Couldn’t believe it.
Leonidas was waiting just outside the door.
“Oh,” was all Arabella said, words fleeing. Unexpected was an understatement.
He was dressed in a custom-tailored suit that looked ancient and very royal—like something out of the middle ages. He was drop-dead gorgeous in it, and it just served to embarrassingly remind her of their encounter before in his lair.
He offered her his arm. “My lady.” To Cinaed, he said, “I’ll be taking the princess from here.”
Cinaed ducked his head in deference and slipped back inside Arabella’s apartment.
Arabella took his arm and walked down the hallway with him, not quite successful in banishing the frown from her face. “Princess?”
“Well, not quite yet. But soon,” Leonidas said smoothly, no hint of the sexy tone he had used with her before. “I know you know the way to Lucian’s lair… I just wanted to steal a chance to apologize.”
“Apologize?” She lifted her eyebrows but waited for him to go on.
“For things I may or may not have done previously.” He smirked a little, but then it was gone. “I want you to know that you and Lucian have my every blessing. I want nothing but True Love between you. And for what it’s worth, I think you already have it. I’ve never seen a dragon more in love with a woman than my brother is with you.”
She fought to hold back her smile. “I thought you didn’t know what love was.”
His face was deadly serious as they pulled up to Lucian’s door. “I don’t. But if I ever wanted to imagine what it might look like, I need only look at your face, and his, to know.” Then he reached forward, gently held her still-damp head in both hands, and kissed her softly on the forehead. “Love him well, Arabella,” he whispered.
She was surprised to feel tears dampen her lashes. “I will. I promise.” Her words were equally hushed.
He smiled and turned away, leaving her to knock on the door herself.
She pulled in a breath. One final chance to leave. To say no, she wasn’t going to risk her life just to love a man. And possibly save the world. But this wasn’t just any man. This was a golden dragon. And a prince of the House of Smoke.
This was Lucian —the man who saved her life, won her heart, and made her fight like hell to win his.
And now she finally had it.
She knocked on the door… and waited.