Chapter 23
Skylar
My house reeked of smoke. I sat at my kitchen table with a cup of tea that someone had put in front of me.
I couldn’t remember coming home. The last thing I could bring to mind was being at the hospital, shocked at the news I’d gotten at lunch.
I realized my hand was on my stomach and jerked it away before the rest of the people sitting around the table noticed.
Tessa sat across from me, looking like guilt personified.
My house was totally wrecked. In my daze, I couldn’t muster much grief for it, but I knew myself, later on, I’d be upset about some of the things that had burned.
Books on my bookshelf beside the front window.
My curtains that had been Dad’s. And I loved that sofa, just a pile of ash now.
Members of Anthony’s clan moved furniture out as we sat, and I tried to wrap my mind around everything. Anthony’s mom sat beside me with one hand on my back. “Darling, are you sure nothing hurts?” she asked.
“Yes, but I need to go get something checked out,” I whispered. I wanted an ultrasound. I needed to make sure the baby was still there and there was a heartbeat.
Sammy tapped the handle of the teacup. “Drink that. It’ll bolster you up, and the babies, too.”
I stared at her in shock, my gaze darting from her to Anthony, and then his parents. “The what?”
Anthony mimicked me. “The what?”
Sammy’s eyes widened. “I thought you knew,” she whispered and covered her mouth. “You didn’t know you’re pregnant?”
“You did?” I asked. “And you said babies, plural.”
She nodded. “Yes, I sense two distinct souls in there.”
My jaw dropped. “No, no way. I only found out today. I haven’t even had time to tell Anthony or my dad!”
“Well, they’re healthy and strong.” She reached over and patted my shoulder. “And the tea will help, so drink up.”
I pulled the cup to my lips with shaking hands and drank. It was tasty, at least.
“Are you okay?” Anthony asked. “Really?”
Sammy smiled. “Well, I gotta run. You two don’t need me anymore.”
“Are you sure?” I whispered.
She just winked and looked at her bare wrist, as if she were checking her watch. “Gotta go!”
“I’m fine,” I said, answering Anthony’s question. “I just want to know what the hell happened.”
He nodded. “Right, well, let’s get sorted. Mom, Dad, can you see to locking Tessa up until we know what to do with her?”
Tessa moaned. “I’m so sorry,” she whimpered. “I thought I was helping you.”
Anthony glared at her. “You were trying to help yourself. Get out of my sight.”
His dad squeezed his shoulder and they left, marching Tessa between them.
“Couldn’t she just run away?” I asked.
“I don’t think she will,” he said. “Come on. Let my clan work on your house. We’ll have it back as good as new in no time. In the meantime, will you stay at my place?”
I looked at my destroyed living room. Part of the wall had burned totally through. It was going to need so much work. “Yeah, I’ll stay with you.”
My only other choice was staying with Dad, and I could always do that if Anthony pissed me off or didn’t have a really damn good explanation.
I downed the rest of the tea now that it had cooled and felt a little stronger almost as soon as I finished it. I made a note to remember to thank Sammy later on.
After some finagling of cars, since most of Anthony’s clan was still at my house, he extracted my car and drove us straight to his place. As soon as the door shut, I started grilling him.
“What happened?”
He grimaced. “Today or over the last two weeks?”
I had a good idea of what had gone down today. “Start at the beginning.”
“We’ve been on the road nonstop. I’ve been texting you every night, but you never replied. I just knew you were so mad at me that you’d never speak to me again when you never replied.”
I held up one hand. “Hold on. What do you mean every night? I haven’t gotten a single text from you!”
He leaned over and dug his phone out of his pocket with his eyes on the dark road. I wasn’t sure when the sun had set, but it was pitch black on the quiet beach road now. “Look for yourself.”
Hey, he suggested it, so I went for it. I scrolled through his messages, glancing only briefly at the ones that didn’t apply to me. Under my name, there were dozens of messages.
We’re halfway to Tennessee. Stopping for the night. I miss you.
Got some encouraging news in TN! More when I’m surer. Miss you.
Please just text me and let me know you’re okay.
Miss you.
Love you.
We’ll figure this out, Skylar, please believe that.
They went on like that. Short, but so sweet.
“Anthony, I didn’t get any of these,” I exclaimed.
“I wouldn’t have felt so abandoned the last two weeks!
After the first couple of nights, I cooled off and really worried about where you were.
I only sent you one text, out of stubbornness, I guess, but never got a reply. ”
I held up my phone when he stopped at a stoplight. All I’d sent to him was, I miss you.
“Check the phone numbers,” he said as he waited for a car to pass in front of us at the four-way stop and then he went.
I clicked his name on my message to see the phone number. “207-555-6238.”
“My number ends in 6239. Now check your number in my phone.”
I looked, and sure enough. “Mine is off by one digit, too.” I changed it and then fixed his number in my phone. “I’m assuming Tessa did that,” I said, my voice nearly matching the severity of Anthony’s when he did his angry growling thing.
“I’ll find out,” he replied.
I sighed and leaned against the seat. “So, you got good news?”
“Yes, I visited four clans that all had a human living amongst them, who had taken the bite. They had zero complications. When I told them about the woman in Washington, they were shocked. The only conclusion any of us could come up with was perhaps they weren’t really fated, and the dragon was mistaken about the direction of his affections.
I don’t see how that could happen, it seems unlikely he’d be confused about who his tattoo burned for.
But two of the clans I visited knew of other instances of the mating that were not their secrets to tell.
They told me they were not in America, so I know they weren’t the same clans I went to see.
Those clans also had success. So, if the Washington clan’s experience was a true one, and it is possible, we have a one in seven chance of you not responding well to the bite. ”
“Still,” I whispered. “That’s pretty scary.” I watched the darkness glide by while Anthony drove us closer to his house. “What happened at my house? I don’t remember going home or anything.”
“We know you finished your day at work. Sammy kept calling and figured out when you went home, but she got here after you did, and by then they already had you inside and Sammy couldn’t break through.
I’m not sure another dragon could have if it weren’t for my dragon being so desperate to get to you and Sammy helping me fight the magic.
I got in and ended up breathing fire to defeat the witch, which is what destroyed your house.
” He glanced at me, but I couldn’t see his face well in the dark.
The instrument panel on my car didn’t provide enough light.
“I’m sorry about that. I’ll make sure they fix it up good as new. ”
“It’s okay,” I whispered. “They’re only things.” But it was starting to set in that my home was half-destroyed. “Wait, did you say you breathed fire?”
“Yes, there are documented instances when non-fire dragons can produce dragonfire. And I was one of them. I’ll have to tell the other alphas at our annual meeting,” he mused.
I laughed. “You have a meeting?”
He looked at me quizzically. “Of course. How else do we keep up with news of our cousins and stuff? We usually rent a large swath of cabins out in nature somewhere, or one clan will host all of the other clans. It’s chaotic and loud and messy and our favorite time of the year.”
“You’ll have to do that then,” I said, picturing what it would be like to have all the other dragon clans descend on us here in sleepy Bluewater.
He pulled in front of his house, then ran around to open my door. Thanks to the tea, I felt pretty normal, so I laughed at his efforts. “I’m barely pregnant, Anthony.”
“Well, get used to this. I’m going to make sure you don’t have to lift one unnecessary finger during this pregnancy.”
“Twins,” I whispered. “I can’t believe it.” And I probably wouldn’t until I saw it on an ultrasound screen. “Oh, that’s another question. Can I have regular doctor appointments? Can I do ultrasounds and bloodwork and all of that?”
“No to the bloodwork,” he said. “We have some basic lab equipment that belongs to the clan that we can use to check most things, but the advanced testing that a lot of women have done is out of the question for dragons. But you can go to most appointments, have ultrasounds done, and all of that. But if you want, I could be your doctor. I’m more than willing to buy the clan an ultrasound machine, anyway. The women have been begging for one.”
I grinned. “I do know how to use one.”
How cool would it be to be able to see my baby anytime?
“Tell me about the witch,” I said as Anthony made me settle on the couch and put my feet up. He covered me in a blanket and grabbed all the pillows in the house, it felt like, to get me up and comfy. “I’m fine.”
“She was just going to wipe your memory and move on, which would’ve been violating enough and cause enough for me to banish Tessa forever, but once she discovered your pregnancy, the witch decided she wanted the baby.
I don’t know if she was going to try to kidnap you until you were full-term or somehow speed up the pregnancy and make you deliver now?
I have no idea. I killed her before she had the chance.
” He paused and closed his eyes. “That was not something I ever expected to do, but I did what I had to do to keep my family safe.”