Chapter Seven #2
“No,” he answered, his expression changing quickly from surprise at the question to speculation.
“But it is something I now wish to determine. The Moravian Council archives are seldom consulted, but I believe your return to the mortal realm gives us a good reason to go through the documents we have.”
“I will help you as best I can,” Owain promised.
The men hesitated, sending each other glances filled with meaning.
Owain sighed, and retaking the hand that Berry had snatched from him when she tried to downplay the attraction between them, he said, “Our attempt to remove evil from the world was born of good intentions, but the centuries I’ve spent imprisoned in the Hour has led me to realize such an outcome would never have worked.
There must be darkness in order to have light, and to extinguish one would doom the other.
I do not seek revenge against anyone, not even Desislav, although I can’t allow him to regain the blood moon.
Since it is not safe for the relic to be at large, I will devote myself to locating it, and removing it from Desi’s sphere of influence. ”
“And that is where we have a problem,” the dragon named Yrian said as he strode over to them, followed by the woman introduced as Finch’s Beloved. “The dragonkin have need of the blood moon. I must use it to make changes in the weyr, and to stop my mother from rescuing my brother Kashi.”
Owain eyed Yrian. He hadn’t had time at their arrival to do more than note that the dragons had a demigod in their midst, and that Yrian had a golden aura that made Owain feel as if he were standing in direct sunlight.
He took a step backward, as did the two Dark Ones.
For a moment, something flared in Yrian’s eyes.
“We mean no disrespect,” Owain said, feeling it would be best not to anger his host. “Your aura affects us in a not pleasant manner.”
“His aura?” Berry asked, her attention now on Yrian. “He has an aura? I don’t see anything.”
“That’s because you are not a grandson of the druid Cailitin,” Owain told her.
“Ah.” Yrian’s gaze shifted to that of Christian. “Is that why you backed away from me when we were at your castle?”
“I didn’t realize you had an aura, as I am also not the grandson of a famed druid,” Christian answered.
“But as I am apparently his descendant, yes, I could feel heat radiating from you, and it grew to be quite intense when you were near. I assumed it was an artifact of being the son of a fire fury.”
“A fire fury would explain some of it, but not all,” Owain said, now also studying Yrian. The latter’s mate—Becket—and the other dragons joined them.
“He’s also the firstborn son of the First Dragon,” Becket said, giving Owain a warm smile. “That might account for the gold part of it.”
“It seems to me we are at an impasse,” Owain said, considering the dragons. “I have no animosity with your kind, but should you seek to keep the blood moon from me or, worse, to use it against me, I will be forced to take action.”
The dragons didn’t like that, and he could sense them closing ranks against him. To his surprise, the two Dark Ones didn’t ally themselves with the dragons, but instead shifted subtly to indicate their allegiance lay with him.
“For Pete’s sake, why is everyone suddenly going to war against us?
” one of the female dragons asked, glaring at her dragon, who had exceptionally green eyes.
“I’m not going through this stupid cycle of dancing around war with other beings, not again.
We are older and wiser, and more importantly, we have children now.
I’m not putting them at risk for a power struggle over a ridiculous relic!
If you guys can’t figure out how to work things out, we mates will. ”
Her dragon looked mildly shocked. “Kincsem,” he said, frowning at her. “The relic is anything but ridiculous. And we do not wish for war, but we will protect the kin against threats, just as the Dark Ones wish to protect their people.”
“Pfft,” one of the other mates, this one a blonde, said as she pushed past the dragon to stand next to the first female.
In addition, she shot an indignant look around at the rest of them, the Dark Ones and Owain included.
“Damn straight, Aisling. Baltic and I don’t mind helping Yrian get back on his feet and find his place in the modern world, but Bael is well and truly out of our hair, and frankly, I’d like it to stay that way.
If we get the blood moon, you’ll mess around with his imprisonment, and then somehow, he’ll miraculously escape again, and we’ll be back to the start of this whole mess. ”
“Brava, Ysolde,” Becket told her, applauding lightly, also now standing with the other two dragon mates. “I may not have kids, but as someone who really doesn’t want Bael to get out of the Thirteenth Hour, I’m with you on the whole let sleeping murderous whoresons lie.”
Everyone looked in surprise at her.
She cleared her throat and shot the demigod a tiny smile, adding, “Sorry, Yrian referred to him by that sobriquet a few days ago, and I thought it was fitting. Name-calling Bael aside, I don’t see that you need to have the blood moon.”
She’d spoken the last sentence to Yrian, who answered, “You forget that without it, I can’t change the weyr. I have sworn to do so, and I will not forswear myself. Not to anyone, and especially not to kin.”
“Yeah, but do you really have to do that?” The woman who spoke was the Beloved of Finch. Owain narrowed his gaze on her.
“What do you mean?” Finch asked; then suddenly his eyebrows rose. “Ah. That is a good point.” His gaze shifted to Owain.
“Seriously, can we look into being able to do the mind talking that the vamps can do?” The dark haired mate asked the blonde. “Because it would be the end to so many arguments if we could know what each other was thinking.”
“You’d think so,” the woman named Allie said, leaning into her Dark One, who shot her a look tinged with amusement. “But sadly, we just argue in each other’s heads rather than aloud. But I admit I’m curious as to what Tatiana meant, as well.”
Tatiana nodded toward Yrian. “Well, it seems to me that of everyone who wants this blood moon thingie, the dragons have the best reasons to claim it. Aisling’s demon’s parents aside, and I assume no one wants them to have it back.”
“Under no circumstances,” Owain said firmly. “Desi would simply send me back to the Hour in which I’ve spent almost two thousand years confined.”
A pregnant silence fell around them. To Owain’s surprise—and pleasure—Berry took umbrage at the looks the others were passing around.
“No!” she said in a shout that had the male dragons taking a protective step toward their respective mates.
“You guys can stop thinking that it wouldn’t be so bad if Owain got shoved back in that Hour.
For one, he hasn’t done anything wrong, and for another, he and his brothers were cursed by Desislav and the other demon lords.
He didn’t deserve to have some blood curse bound onto him, and he certainly doesn’t deserve to be punished for whackadoodle demon lords! ”
“If you are making the case that all the thanes be released—” Finch started to say, but Owain stopped Berry before she could respond.
“Under no circumstances should Rhain and Rhys be released,” he told them all. “Cadell doesn’t seem to me to be a threat, so I suppose he could be out in the mortal world without issue, but not the other two.”
“Yeah, Deacon—or, rather, Cadell—isn’t quite the poster child for mental stability that you seem to think he is,” Tatiana said, glancing at her Dark One.
“For one, he hired a demon to kill his aunt, which admittedly was on his mom’s order, but still.
And then he was obsessed with making sacrifices to bring forth some old god. ”
“Which one?” Owain asked, momentarily distracted.
“We never found out,” Finch said. “But Tatiana is correct that Cadell in the mortal world is ill-advised. I think we’d all be happier—and the world safer—if the thanes remained where they are. Now that Troy is back in charge, they won’t be able to escape.”
“OK, so both dragons and Owain have a need for the relic. My question is, why can’t you guys share it?
” Berry asked, her fingers finding his again.
He took much pleasure in the fact that she liked to touch him.
He very much wanted to explore touching her in return, but told himself now was not the time to discuss their future. First, he had to find the blood moon.
“Share it?” The blonde Ysolde looked at her dragon, who raised his eyebrows in thought. “You mean take turns using it?”
“What an excellent suggestion,” the green dragon’s mate said, nudging her dragon in the ribs. “That would solve everyone’s problems, don’t you think?”
“Far from it,” the wyvern said, his gaze on Yrian.
“Who would hold it when it was not being used?” the light dragon asked.
“Once it was known it had been found, it would be the focus of many beings,” Yrian said, frowning at nothing. “Tenite has offered a great price for news of its location.”
“Tenite?” Owain asked, unfamiliar with the name.
“My mother,” Yrian said with a grimace.
“She has serious anger-management issues,” Becket said, her gaze dropping to her dragon’s chest. “And not someone you want to mess with unless you have a bunch of asbestos blankets.”
“Every thief taker and mercenary is out looking for the relic at Tenite’s behest,” Yrian added, his expression grim.
“Not every thief taker,” Berry said, giving Owain a shy smile that he felt down to the tips of his toes.