To Match A Dragon’s Fire (Sulfur & Spice #1)

29

Ember

Be Careful Where You Stand…

“Let me get this straight…” Riley took a deep breath. “He chained your ex-husband to a wall and tortured him, bit you with venom-filled fangs, tattooed you without your knowledge, and now you’re marrying him?”

“Technically, it’s not a wedding. It’s a binding ceremony,” I said. It was a dragon tradition to show off your mate during a little ceremony after the bond had fully cemented.

The last few weeks were a blur of connection and smiles and more of a honeymoon than I’d ever had with my first marriage.

I liked this version of tradition better.

“And let’s not forget that she’s somehow attached to an ancient apocalyptic prophecy.” Willow finished curling my hair and fluffed it out around my shoulders, covering the small black rune on my neck.

I brushed my hair back to look at the mark in the mirror. “We don’t know that yet. Kieran called a meeting for after the ceremony and we’re going to study what all this means. ”

I still didn’t understand the whole prophecy thing, but I was anxious to meet Kieran’s cousins and learn about the world we’d been kept from.

Dragons and prophecies and ancient text…

Not going to lie, I was excited to see how it all would play out.

“If you’re happy, then I’m happy.” Willow stood back to admire her handiwork.

We were all dressed in soft gauzy dresses made from material that Grace had dragged out from old crates. Willow wove flowers into her and Riley’s hair—which was getting longer again.

Riley rested her arms on the back of the chair, sighing. The bruise on her face was gone. “We do want you to be happy. But also, safe.”

“Kieran’s not going to hurt me,” I swore.

“I know that.” Riley rolled her eyes. “What we’re worried about is the magical ancient prophecy carved into your neck.”

“I think it’s pretty.” Harper crawled onto my lap, wearing a dress that matched ours, in a lilac color like her mother’s. “You’re beautiful, Auntie Em.”

“Aww, thanks.” I snuggled the girl. “What’s the catch?” I whispered. “Who do I need to bribe to get you out of trouble?”

“No one.” Harper giggled.

She couldn’t do anything wrong here anyway. All of Kieran’s flock adored and spoiled her rotten.

“Come on.” Willow sighed as she helped Harper to her feet. “I think they’re ready for us downstairs.”

“The real question is, are you ready?” Riley stood beside me, locking her pinky with mine in silent support as she waited to make sure I was okay .

“More than ready.” I winked at my friend, sending up a prayer that one day she’d find someone to make her as happy as my dragon made me. “Now come on. Let’s not keep the beast waiting.”

∞

You’ve got to be kidding me.

I stepped out on the front walkway, looking at the trucks parked in the driveway of Kieran’s house. They were the same vehicles that’d been here the first night I’d had a… date with my mate.

“Want me to cut a bitch?” Riley reached for her purse. She’d started carrying my old pocketknife around.

“I thought you were a nurse.” I put my hand on her arm.

“I’m a CNA.” Riley shrugged. “And I didn’t say I wouldn’t stitch them up after.”

“Let me handle this.” I sighed, reaching out with my telepathy because it was my new favorite party trick. “Kieran, sweetheart, who all did you invite to this thing?”

“We talked about this. I need to show the dragon clan representatives that you are not to be harmed.” He sounded distant and hurried. “Is anyone messing with you? I’ll be there in two minutes.”

“I’m fine.” I hoped he couldn’t hear the white lie as the truck doors opened and Hillary stepped out.

Of all the days for her to show up…

“Get Harper back inside,” I told Willow, moving to block them from view.

“I will definitely stab her for you,” Riley muttered as I stepped in front of her too .

“Sorry if I came at a bad time.” Hillary had her hands in the air as she walked up the dirt driveway. The driver’s side door opened and Fergus climbed out.

“Hey Ember!” He waved. “You look real pretty today. What’s the occasion?”

“Thanks.” I gave a short wave back, confused as to what was going on.

Hillary’s lips were pressed into a thin line, but she forced a smile as she got closer. “How are you doing?”

I’d be better if I wasn’t talking to you. “I know you didn’t come all this way to ask that. Why are you here?” I folded my arms over my chest.

Hillary faltered for a second, but regained her balance, turning up the smile. “I just wanted to check if you’d seen Tony since he came back to town.”

Oh no. Wait… “Back to town?”

“Yeah.” She huffed like we were both in on the same joke. “He packed up his stuff and said that he was leaving. Turned his badge in. Resigned his post. I just wasn’t sure if he came back to you or if he was gone, gone this time.”

I narrowed my eyes, reading between the lines. “He left town. And you?”

“It’s fine.” She waved it off like I was concerned, smiling over her shoulder at Fergus. “We don’t need him.”

Gag me. “Nope. No Tony here.” I gritted my teeth, turning to leave and hoping she’d get the hint that it was time for her to go, too.

“I figured.” Hillary sighed, cocking her hip as she stayed where she was. “Listen, I know we’ve had our problems, but I think we should try to be friends. We’ve both been screwed by the same guy. It was his idea to keep taking your money, since he knew you weren’t coming back anytime soon.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, begging for patience because I was about to lose my shit.

“Does this have something to do with the dragon?” I asked.

“Of course not,” Hillary stuttered. “I just thought… Since you’re living here again… We…”

“You thought wrong.” I stepped forward, making her stumble back. “And if you ever step on my property uninvited again, I’ll shoot you. Do you understand?”

“I…” Hillary’s eyes widened as she took another step away.

I didn’t need to look up to feel the dragon in the sky behind me. “What is this?”

“Handled.” I smiled at Hillary. “It’s time for you to leave.”

“I think she’s right,” Fergus called. “Get in the truck, Hill. We’ll see you later, Ember. Come by the bar sometime and we’ll give you a proper homecoming.”

I was still shaking my head as the trucks peeled out of the driveway and tested their suspensions bumping down the dirt road as fast as they could go.

“Aren’t you supposed to be dressed?” I raised my chin, staring at the powerful dragon that still hovered in the sky.

He growled, making black smoke billow from his nostrils as he turned tail. “I’ll be waiting for you at the altar, my love.”

∞

This wasn’t a wedding in the traditional sense of the word, but it had most of the same elements. Wood folding chairs lined the back veranda, facing an arched gazebo of flowers and vines erected for this day.

Kieran had said that the binding ceremony was a public declaration of our mating bond. And the humans in attendance—minus my girls—weren’t technically human at all.

I left the mark on my neck exposed as I walked down the aisle.

From the whispers through the crowd, that’s what they’d really come to see. I knew instinctively that this was a symbol of hope they’d thought was lost. It was nice to be the one to bring it to them, even if I wasn’t quite sure what it meant.

After the ceremony and brunch, we were going to the caves, where Bemouth was preparing to host our guests as they checked out the new rune.

The old dragon was one of my favorites. I was excited to visit with him again.

But it was Kieran who drew my focus now.

He waited at the altar wearing a loose white shirt and black slacks, barefoot with a smile on his face. My mate was so handsome, he took my breath away.

An elderly woman in a long robe who had scales above her eyebrows and slitted pupils stood next to him. An ancient female dragon. Some sort of priestess I presumed.

I still couldn’t believe this was my life.

“Believe it.” Kieran smiled. Appreciation lit up his handsome face. I’d never felt more beautiful or more admired than I did under his gaze .

I didn’t have a big wedding the first time around and I didn’t remember much of it besides being a nervous mess.

This time I was full of confidence as I met my dragon mate under the gazebo, sure that I’d found the right match.

A gentle morning breeze ruffled the petals and the earth felt steady beneath my bare feet as I placed my hand within Kieran’s hand.

“Is everything okay?”

“It is now.” He raised my knuckles to his lips and pressed a soft kiss as the priestess began to chant. “Malachy couldn’t make it. And Lucan is running late.”

“I’m sorry.” I squeezed his hand gently before turning toward the priestess. She pulled out a long, red ribbon and raised it to the sky.

Kieran had told me a lot about his cousins, and I knew he was looking forward to repairing their relationship.

“Don’t apologize.” Kieran brushed his thumb over mine as the priestess started another chant, wrapping the ribbon around our wrists to symbolize our bond. “This moment is about us.”

I nodded, wondering for a brief moment if maybe I should’ve gotten the English version of this ceremony. It felt a lot like signing the bottom of a Terms of Service contract without reading the fine print.

But as long as I got my dragon out of it, I could deal with whatever else came our way.

∞

“And there he is.” Kieran sighed as he popped the cork.

A black and purple dragon, bigger than Kieran’s beastly form, roared overhead as he circled the compound.

“Always a show-off,” Kieran muttered as he poured the champagne.

“Isn’t that the dragon who came here before?” Riley frowned.

“It is. I remember how scary he looked,” Harper piped up from behind her plate of sweet treats. Agatha had outdone herself for our little brunch celebration.

“Harper,” Willow scolded. “Be polite.”

“It’s not her fault,” Kieran chuckled. “Lucan is a little rough around the edges.”

“He’s battle-hardened,” Fredrick said as he took the bottle of champagne and finished pouring the glasses. “Life has made him scarred, not soft.”

“Why isn’t he landing?” Riley asked, shading her eyes as she stepped away from the veranda to get a better view.

“He’s probably waiting for me to come get him. I did swear to slaughter him if he frightened you ladies again.” Kieran raised his flute. “First, a toast to my beautiful mate and the life I plan to live to its fullest with you.”

I blushed as I raised my glass to clink against his. “It’s going to be a wild ride.”

Champagne bubbles danced on my tongue as I sipped the sweet liquid while looking into Kieran’s eyes.

His brow furrowed in concern seconds before I heard the scream .

“Riley!” I turned, running out into the yard and leaping into the air. Her foot slipped through my hand before I could grab hold of her ankle.

“Ember!” Riley cried as she kicked against the talons gripping her waist, going higher and higher into the air.

“Kieran! Stop him!” I screamed, running after them. “Shift! Fly up there. Get her down!”

“It’s going to be okay.” Strong arms wrapped around me as I fought his hold. Soothing strokes and soft words eased my panic enough for me to look at him.

Kieran tried to smile. “Lucan says that Riley is his mate.”

“Wha… what?” I choked out. Harper was crying as Willow carried her, hurrying to my side.

“She’s his mate.” Kieran dragged his hand through his hair like he couldn’t believe he was saying this out loud. “He says he caught her scent before, weeks ago when I chased him off. His beast has gone insane being separated for this long. He needs to take her to his nest and make sure she’s safe.”

“No.” I backed up, taking Willow with me. “Not Riley. You don’t understand. We have to go after her. She can’t be alone with him.”

“Do you trust me?” Kieran growled, silencing my fears as he captured my hand—the one that minutes ago was bound to his in ceremony.

I looked at our conjoined hands and then back to his face, swallowing down the tears that threatened to choke me. “I swear on my life, I will hunt that beast down if anything bad happens to my friend. ”

Kieran let out a tense breath, wrapping his arm around my head and pulling me to his chest. “And I swear that I will fly you wherever you want to go.”

∞