CHAPTER SEVEN
– LILLIANA –
The words in the book before me are sucked into my brain as I quickly scan through the pages. I’m curled up in a chair in the corner of Ernestino’s office while he’s in a meeting with his brother Nario. They’re not exactly wrapped up in a nice discussion, and it sounds more like a growling match.
Their younger brother is standing next to Ernestino’s desk, and with his arms crossed in front of his chest while he glares at both brothers sitting on opposite sides of the desk, he seems like the referee in this match.
I’m balancing my attention between the ancient book in my hands with details about dragon legacies, and the clan issues the three brothers are talking about. Multitasking is something I’ve managed to teach myself over the years. Reading while keeping track of my surroundings can be the difference between life and death in a crucial situation.
An exaggeration since I haven’t been in any of those situations yet, but being prepared is what I’m all about. It’s also why I’m sucking up all the information about the winged protector. The more details I read, the more it feels as if they are writing about me.
“Then why did you have his mouth sewn shut?” Ernestino growls.
I slide my gaze in Nario’s direction, curious about his answer, and find his attention focused on me. Refusing to be glared at by that asshole, I raise my eyebrow in challenge.
He’s clearly riled when he snarls, “She shouldn’t be here. We’re discussing clan matters and she’s not part of the inner circle, and a woman.”
Did he really just throw the “she has a vagina and therefore incapable” card in the ring? What a fucking asshole. He’s the prime example of how dragons have been stuck in the stone age and are close to extinction.
I’m about to slam the book in my hands shut and throw it on the table before me so I can get in his face and give him a piece of my mind when Ernestino snaps, “With your fucked-up actions these past few weeks I’m having doubts if you should be here, Nario. So, it’s safe to say that at this point I trust Lilliana more than you.”
A grin slides across my face. Stick that in your pocket, asshole. Damn, it feels good to hear my mate has my back. It’s for this reason I direct my gaze back to the book and continue to flip the pages while sucking up the words.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Nario snarls, and it sounds like two voices molded into one. “You’re really stepping into father’s footsteps. Are you going to become as weak as he was if your woman dies in childbirth as well? If I were you, I’d start looking for one with a similar name because in a few months you might need a runner-up.”
I tear my gaze away from the words and stare at Nario who has smoke wafting from his nostrils. The air feels thin and there’s a negative vibe flowing through the room.
“Oh, fuck,” Leandro mumbles.
He’s staring at my mate, and my ass is out of the chair when I see a blur appearing above the skin of Ernestino’s hands. His eyes are slits and it’s clear his dragon is right there at the surface.
“Hey, asshole.” I give a hard shove against Nario’s shoulder. “I don’t know about your parents’ history, but I do know you’re out of line. Talking to your brother with a big mouth is one thing, talking to a clan leader the way you just did? You lack more respect than a rat wiping his feet right before he eats the food right from your cabinet. And for your information, that means less than nothing. Though, the real point here is why you chose to do it, instead of answering his question. Come on, let’s hear it. Why did you have the prisoner’s mouth sewn shut? In my opinion it’s because you either already know what he might say, or you want to prevent him from saying shit when someone can walk in at any moment. Either way it makes you guilty as fuck and it should be you who is tied to a chair while we torture you for some answers.” I lean in and add with a fake whisper, “Surprise…I wouldn’t be sewing your mouth shut.”
His words are thrown out through clenched teeth. “I. Don’t. Answer. To. Any. Female.”
Weird. Normally someone would say, “I don’t answer to you,” but he specifically said to a female. He’s really from the stone age if you ask me, or he has some serious issues toward the opposite sex.
I feel Ernestino’s hand on my hip before I hear his voice. “You do answer to me, and I’m going to give you one more chance to answer the question.”
“Or what, brother?” Nario sneers. “You’re going to downgrade me some more? Well, I hate to break it to you, but I already hit rock bottom when you made me report to Ivano.”
I shove a finger into the air and can’t help myself when I remind everyone, “And still you managed to fuck that up.”
His mouth opens and a puff of air huffs out. I can feel the heat of it on my skin and I narrow my eyes at the fucker.
“I didn’t fuck it up, I was just following his order which was to thoroughly question the prisoner and not to let him die. If I remember correctly, it wasn’t me who killed him now was it?” He manages to look fucking smug.
I narrow my eyes and repeat the words he threw at his brother, “This is my kill. Those are the exact words you said when we pulled you away from the prisoner. You wanted to kill him, didn’t you?”
Nario’s upper lip twitches. “Yes. So what? He’s the enemy, casualties are expected. He would have killed me too if he had the chance.”
Tilting my head, I try to understand why I tasted two lies.
“He would have killed you?” I ask to clarify.
Nario looks down his nose at me and grits, “Yes.”
A lie.
I keep my cool and casually ask, “Do you know about the tunnels Marshgloom made?”
Nario frowns and looks as annoyed as he sounds when he asks, “What tunnels?”
Another lie. Oh, that slimy fuck. He knows. How? Did he get the information from the prisoner before he sewed his mouth shut? If so, why didn’t he share the details with Ernestino?
Unless… “If Marshgloom made tunnels to get to the gems, would you lead a team down there to shut them down?”
“Now I’m a leader?” he grits and jerks his chin in his brother’s direction. “If there were tunnels then Ernestino would be the one leading the team. You will check I assume? I mean, something as crucial as tunnels in our mines would give opportunity for them to rob us blind.”
I snort and his annoyance spikes. Good. The fucker is full of shit and I’m getting a seriously bad vibe from him.
“Are we done here?” Nario asks Ernestino.
I wave my hand. “Sure, go. I’ve already talked to Timmy and he’s heading for the tunnels now to flush ’em out.”
“What?” Nario snaps. “Flush them out? What are you talking about?” He glares at Ernestino. “You’re really handing over your balls and letting a chick guide you around by the cock, eh? You’re truly following in father’s footsteps.”
Nario whirls around and stomps in the direction of the door. He swings it open and throws over his shoulder, “Let’s hope for all our sake you’ll be done fucking up soon.”
The door falls shut behind him and I feel the need to ask, “Was that last part a threat?”
“He’s always been an asshole,” Leandro assures me. “Maybe Ernestino thinks otherwise ’cause he’s older than him and has known him since they were kids.”
I bounce my gaze between the oldest and youngest brother. “What happened to your parents? Why is Nario so damn angry and saying you’re following in your father’s footsteps?”
Ernestino releases a deep breath and stalks around the desk to let himself drop into his chair. “Cleo was one of the last children born in our clan. Our mother died in childbirth. We are immortal, but as you now know there are exceptions under extreme circumstances where beheading isn’t the only cause of death.”
I frown and without thinking I blurt, “Your mother involuntarily hit the explode button because her body was out of options?”
Both brothers wince and it’s Ernestino who nods. Placing a hand on my stomach, I comfort myself with the thought of not having a button like that ’cause giving birth is freaking scary as hell as it is.
“Let’s hear the rest of it. Nario is too angry and disrespectful about every aspect of his life and throws the past in your face at every turn. Why does he think you’ll end up like your father when you said I’m your partner in life and love?” Now I’m wincing with throwing out the L-word. Clearing my throat I wave my hand. “Love is not the right way to put it, but you get the point.”
Leandro shifts on his feet. “I’m going to check with Ivano and get back to you about the tunnels.”
He walks past me, and I reach out to touch his arm. “I wasn’t kidding when I mentioned flushing out the tunnels to Nario. Timmy is an associate of my father who has the ability to compel water. He can make it appear out of thin air and let it vanish just as fast. It might be an option to quickly, and without casualties, flush out the tunnels so we can block them.”
Leandro throws a glance at Ernestino who says, “Talk to Ivano about this plan and reach out to her father if he agrees. This way we have minimal casualties and a chance to end their plan before they can get it into motion.”
Ernestino waits for Leandro to leave to say something, but I beat him to the punch when I state, “They might have put things into motion already.”
“Why? Because we captured one of them and they think we know about their plan?” he wonders.
“That, or Nario is working with them.” My words make Ernestino’s eyes narrow.
“No,” he grunts. “He might hate me and want my job, but betrayal? Never.”
Wandering over to the chair across from his desk, I sit down and keep my mouth shut.
Seconds tick by while my mate is pacing back and forth in the confidence of his office while he’s silently fuming. I get it, it’s a lot to deal with and I basically accused his brother of mutiny. Which I think is at hand here. It’s easy to jump to this conclusion, me being an outsider, and hard to see and comprehend for the two brothers.
Hell, I might be wrong, but if I’m right? Shit is going to hit the fan harder than the havoc that’s going on right now.
Ernestino ultimately stalks to his desk and places his hands on it to lean in and glare at me. “Our father never got over the death of our mother. Even after a few decades when Cleo became an adult, our father still didn’t want anyone else. Except, he was forced to accept an arranged marriage for the sake of the clan. Marshgloom gave a list of options, and our father picked the woman with the same name as our mother. The marriage was a part of an exchange program, one similar to what I was trying to set up again before I met you.” He steps back and sinks down in his chair when he adds, “The woman killed him before their wedding night.”
Realization sets in and I whisper, “Your father was the clan leader who was killed by Marshgloom? And how the hell does a woman get the jump on a clan leader? Well, I could take you down, but I’ve been training all my life and have a chunk of skills no one knows about. Wait. Was it a setup? Is it why you guys are at war ever since?”
“It’s complicated.” The words sound as if he hasn’t slept in years.
I guess in a way the burden he carries and the many tasks of being clan leader, along with the continuous struggle with his brother does wear a guy out, even if he’s a supernatural. Again, I wait him out. It’s hard as fuck not to ask questions and push for answers. On the other hand, personal mixed with business can twist into something ugly real damn fast and I don’t want our relationship to suffer from it.
Ernestino rubs his temples. “Our father was stabbed with a knife to the heart. The knife was coated in the blood of the woman he had sex with…the woman from the arranged marriage. Though, she must have been mated with her fated mate before our father bedded her. It’s the only possibility for him to die due to a knife in the heart. She would have had a window of opportunity when the betrayal is revealed, causing his dragon part to freeze in shock, leaving him vulnerable.”
I have to blink a few times to process his words. “Are you saying you guys can be killed if there’s infidelity concerning a mated person?”
Jeez, if a self-destruct button wasn’t enough, they add a freeze button of opportunity to end a cheater? Talk about a complicated species, no wonder they are nearly extinct.
“Yes.” He gives me a fierce look. “We are brought up to respect a unique bond when you manage to find your mate. It’s in our blood to be loyal and spend an eternity together. If that trust is broken there is no foundation, and the bond literally turns toxic.”
All I’ve got in return is, “Huh.”
I’m still discovering secrets of dragons. There isn’t much information in books and because they have been close to extinction details like this aren’t common knowledge. To think I’m mated to someone who can be killed with a knife to the heart if he cheats is…damn, talk about karma.
I shoot him a wink and try to lighten the mood. “Linking cheating to a toxic state for a death sentence does make you think twice to dip outside of the pot.”
“Dip outside of the–” He shakes his head. “It’s not a threat hanging above our heads. Hell, most of the younger generation thought it was a hoax, something written in books to scare younger dragons. For some finding their fated mate is another unrealistic reality. There’s enough pressure from the elders and the stories they tell as we grow up. With the lack of mates and fertility, people have lost faith. Our clan leader being killed that way? Devastating and unbelievable. So many questions, no answers. It started a war and our clan needed a new leader. I’ve always been in charge of our defense system while Nario worked under my father. Nario assumed the title automatically belonged to him, but shit isn’t as simple as claiming the right because you’re the son of the former leader. The clan wanted to honor the system of having the new leader chosen by strength and strategy of his abilities. Especially after what happened to our father.”
Leaning back in his chair, he crosses his arms in front of his chest and stares at a photograph, picturing the three brothers, sitting on a shelf on the wall.
“As brothers we made a pact to always have one another’s backs no matter what. We did, until Nario closed off after our father announced he would accept an arranged marriage to Sienna Mattia. If you think he hates me with the shit he throws at my feet? You should have heard him lash out to our father.” Ernestino’s eyes find mine. “Our father who made excuses for him, telling us Nario never got over his mother’s death, just as he didn’t.”
Basically, what he’s saying is the fact that Nario became an asshole after his mother died giving birth to their little sister. While an immortal can only be killed by beheading…dragons have many fucking options to die.
Wait. Did he say Mattia? “Sienna Mattia, was she another daughter of Tony?”
“No. Sienna Mattia was Tony’s niece. When she killed our father…” He falls silent and I can see the pain in his eyes by the memory flashing through him. “We all heard his death-scream. I’ll never forget the sound and we all went running. The bedroom door was locked and when I kicked it in, we all saw Sienna standing over our father. Her hand was bleeding and the look of shock on her face was fucking scary, as was the imploding of her body.”
I jump out of the chair. “Dude. Could you stop with the information load of exploding and imploding bodies? What the hell is wrong with you dragons? Motherfucker, you’re all ticking timebombs.”
My hand goes over my belly. The little one growing inside me is part dragon. Would my kid also have a detonation button? Crap. I thought I had issues with all the weird-ass abilities I have which I haven’t even discovered most of because my powers grow over time.
“Breathe, Lilliana.” Ernestino’s voice is close, his breath warm on my face.
I open my eyes, not realizing I closed them, and try to control my breathing.
He gives me a hint of a smile and brushes his nose against mine. “I know our history and secrets are a lot to take in. For the past few decades, I’ve been trying to find a solution for our clan, a chance to change the dropping number of clan members. Seeing you, the feelings flowing going through me…I couldn’t believe it. When I knew we succeeded, when I sensed you were pregnant? Nothing in my wildest dreams could come close to what I feel when I look at you. You’re the change. The faith flip. I’m sure every dragon in our clan, in other clans, lost faith…even I did at some point. Until you. Legends may describe you as the winged protector, the blood angel, but to me? You’re the future I want to live, breathe, consume, and treasure. A song I want to possess and enjoy for as long as it plays. You–”
I place my fingertips over his lips to stop the flow of words toppling out. “Enough. These pregnancy hormones are going to make me cry if you keep throwing sweet words at me. And I almost never cry. Which means I’m an ugly crier, seriously not something you want to see in the first few days we’re together. Maybe in a decade or so…not now.”
He chuckles and pulls me into his arms. I release a deep breath and fill my lungs with his scent. Making it feel as if all is right in the world for just a moment in time. To be honest? It’s just what we both need. Tomorrow we’ll face the havoc of a new day by creating the serenity in our hearts today.