Chapter 17
“Did she leave?”
Vaughn halted at the sound of Darius’s voice. He drew in a breath and got control of his irritation.
Darius came around to his front, his face lined with a deep frown, his long, blond hair pulled back in a queue. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Liar,” Darius replied without any heat to his words.
“Eurwen is still here. Or at least she was a moment ago when I left her in the library.”
Darius crossed his arms over his chest, his chocolate eyes intense. “I see.”
“She’s alone. Go talk to her.”
“I’d rather you come with us.”
“I doona need to be there.”
Darius quirked a blond brow. “Had a row, aye?”
Vaughn ran a hand down his face. “I’ve stood in front of entire boardrooms of people and never lost my cool. With her, one word sends my anger rising.”
“She’s your mate.”
Vaughn squeezed his eyes closed for a heartbeat. “I’ve suspected for a long time. I knew it when I saw her on Zora.”
“You’ve met her before?”
Vaughn inwardly winced. “It’s no’ something I told anyone. Con just learned of it. I didna know who Eurwen was when we shared that night eons ago. I’ve been searching for her ever since.”
“Now, you’ve found her. She just needs some time to see what you do.”
“It isna that simple.” Vaughn blew out a breath and leaned against the wall. “Neither her brother nor the dragons want us on Zora. No’ even to visit. They fear we’ll try to take over or want to live there.”
Darius’s face grew grave. “What does she want?”
“She’s the one who formed the doorway for Con and Rhi, but I think Eurwen has doubts. Our arrival caused some waves throughout the realm. They’ve gone to great lengths no’ to repeat the mistakes we’ve made here on Earth.”
“And are probably making new ones.”
“No doubt. I’ve no’ mentioned that to them, and I doubt Con or Rhi have either.”
Darius shook his head. “Wise to keep it to yourselves for the time being. So they doona want us there. She’s discovering that she’s welcome here.”
“She made a point of telling me that she willna stay for long. Her place is on Zora.”
“If you’re no’ allowed there, and she doesna want to be here, how are the two of you going to be together?”
Vaughn twisted his lips and shrugged. “Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe she isna my mate. Perhaps I was so caught up in trying to find her after she disappeared that I’ve spent all this time only thinking she is mine.”
Darius dropped his arms to his sides. “The two of you have had verra little time together. Perhaps that is all you need to see the truth—whatever that may be.”
“That willna happen on Zora. She was uncomfortable with me there. It could’ve been because of Rhi and Con or Brandr. Her brother’s no’ our biggest fan.”
“Neither she nor Brandr were raised as a dragon should be. There’s much they doona know.”
“Ah, but they’re no’ only dragons. They’re half-Fae, as well. Who’s to say they’d even recognize a mate.”
Darius’s brows snapped together. “Bloody hell.”
“Precisely,” Vaughn said with a nod. “There’s a chance she doesna know we’re mates. If she’s against it, she’ll refuse me. I’m no’ as strong as Con. I’ll no’ survive without my mate.”
“We’re no’ there yet.”
Vaughn inwardly shook himself. “You’re right.”
“You and Eurwen need to spend more time together. Even if it is in the company of others. Sophie wants to talk to Eurwen. Why no’ join us?”
Vaughn thought about it for a moment, then gave in because he wanted to be with Eurwen. He wanted to spend time with her, listen to her speak, and watch her facial expressions. This might be the only time he got with her. He wouldn’t waste it being angry. “All right.”
“Good,” Darius said with a nod. “I’ll get Sophie and meet you there.”
Vaughn pivoted and returned to the library. He paused outside the doors, wondering if Eurwen would still be there or not. He steeled himself and opened the door. His eyes immediately went to the sofa, only to find it empty.
Disappointment filled him instantly. It churned violently in his stomach, mixing with sadness and anger at himself for snapping at her. She had been unsure of her role at Dreagan, and because of his worries, he had given her reason to leave when he should’ve done the opposite.
He sighed as he walked into the library.
Vaughn debated whether to try and locate her when movement caught his eye.
His gaze jerked to the second floor, where he spotted Eurwen’s pink skirt before it disappeared behind a bookshelf.
The relief that surged through him was so intense, he became lightheaded.
At the sound of approaching footsteps, he looked over his shoulder and saw Darius and Sophie.
He gave them a nod to let them know they could enter.
Vaughn then returned his gaze to where he’d last seen Eurwen.
He’d wanted to show her Dreagan so she could see what a beautiful place it was.
He hadn’t thought about sharing her with everyone until it had been too late.
One way or another, he would find a way to get some time alone with her before she returned to Zora.
“Eurwen,” he called.
She poked her head out from around a bookshelf. “I thought you left.”
“You have company,” he answered.
She stared at him for a heartbeat before her gaze slid behind him to where Darius and Sophie had walked into the library. “I’ll be right down.”
Vaughn didn’t take his eyes from her as she made her way to the spiral staircase and descended the steps. She smiled in greeting to the couple she’d met earlier before Sophie had left to continue Jeyra’s exam.
“How are you doing?” Darius asked Eurwen. “I hope we’ve no’ overwhelmed you.”
She smiled easily and shrugged. “I expected it.”
“Expecting it and going through it are two different things,” Sophie said in her cultured British accent.
Eurwen nodded. “Too true. How did things go with Jeyra?”
“It’ll take a bit before I know specifics.”
Darius looked at his mate with pride. “Sophie is great at what she does.”
“It helps to have my own clinic,” she replied after giving Darius a quick kiss.
Eurwen asked, “Doesn’t that hamper things? Eventually, those in the area will realize you don’t age.”
“We’ll face that when the time comes,” Sophie said.
Darius glanced at Vaughn before telling Eurwen, “We were hoping you might be able to help us.”
“Help with what, exactly?” Eurwen asked.
Sophie clasped her hands in front of her. “You’re half-dragon, half-Fae. There’s much I could learn from you in hopes of helping any mates who might get with child.”
Eurwen’s gaze slid to Vaughn. She stared at him for a long minute before returning her attention to Sophie. “What do you want to do?”
“Take some blood, do some x-rays. That sort of thing,” Sophie said with a shrug.
Vaughn couldn’t shake the feeling that this wouldn’t go as well as Sophie hoped.
Eurwen nodded slowly. “Have you done those tests on the Dragon Kings here?”
“Well, no,” Sophie replied hesitantly.
“What about with Melisse?”
“I–I’ve not had the chan—”
“But you felt you could come to me with this?” Eurwen demanded in a soft voice so like Con’s.
Vaughn stepped forward to dispel the growing tension. “I believe Sophie was more interested in the fact that you’re from another realm.”
“My brother and I were conceived here,” Eurwen said flatly.
Darius shrugged. “By two powerful figures.”
“Are you saying that Sophie isn’t powerful?”
Vaughn held up his hand. “No one said that.”
Eurwen’s silver gaze slid to him. “Actually, that’s exactly what Darius said.”
“She has a point,” Sophie interjected.
Everyone looked at her.
A short laugh escaped Sophie’s lips as she eyed Darius. “You’re a Dragon King.”
“I’m your King,” he told her.
She smiled and touched his face gently. “That’s true, but I have no magic. I’m not a Druid or Fae. I’m just me.”
“You have skills,” he insisted. “Look how you can heal.”
“With medicine, not magic.” She shook her head and glanced at Eurwen. “Shara is Fae. Rhi isn’t only Fae, she’s royal. Several mates are Druids or have Druid blood in them somewhere. I have no power. Perhaps that’s why we’ve not been able to get pregnant.”
Vaughn was so shocked that his mouth fell open. “You’ve been trying? Even knowing what could happen?”
Darius nodded without looking at him.
“Why would you do that?” Eurwen demanded. “Sophie, you were tending to Claire. You saw her fear. Her anxiety.”
Sophie turned her head to Eurwen. “Because we want a child. I’m fully aware of the risks.”
“No,” Vaughn said, louder than intended as he slashed his hand through the air. “You say that until you’re holding your stillborn bairn in your hands. That kills something inside of you. Something you can never get back.”
Sophie lifted her chin. “We’re aware of—”
“You’re no’!” Vaughn bellowed as he looked between Sophie and Darius. “You can no’ possibly fathom the depths to which you’ll sink. All of us have watched V and Claire go through this hell Usaeil put them in, none of us able to do anything to help.”
“They may yet have a child,” Darius stated.
Eurwen softly released a breath. “And they may not. Although, that could be said of any being who gets pregnant. There are numerous accounts of miscarriages and stillborn deaths between dragons and humans. As well as two instances of actual births between dragons and Fae. That isn’t enough data to put yourselves through what could be a traumatic event. ”
“If Claire and V are able to have a child, then we’ve learned something,” Sophie said.
Vaughn’s stomach clenched painfully. “What’s that?”
“That we need Fae magic to help us conceive.”
Vaughn couldn’t comprehend what Sophie was suggesting. He lifted his gaze to Darius. “You’re in agreement?”
“Our dragons are gone. Forever now. Who knows if we’ll get to see them again? I suspect the Silvers will be sent to Zora, which is only right. What else do we have? I found my mate. That was a feat in itself. If that’s all we ever get, I’ll be satisfied. But there’s no harm in trying for a bairn.”
Vaughn briefly closed his eyes as he fisted his hands. “You’ll wish to take back that last sentence if you lose a child.”
“The important word there is if,” Sophie said.