Chapter 22
The instant Eurwen took the Druid’s hand, she teleported them to a tropical beach.
The sun beat down from a cloudless sky, sparkling off the vibrant green water that lapped lazily at the white sand beach as mountains rose from the sea, leaving only a narrow space for boats to enter the cove.
She turned and looked behind her to the dense jungle beyond.
“I love this place,” Eilish said.
Eurwen blinked against the harsh sunlight. “Where are we?”
“Thailand. I can’t get enough of these islands. Each one is more spectacular than the next. And the water?” Eilish smiled contentedly. “Ulrik and I get away and come here as often as we can. It’s a place we aren’t disturbed.”
Eurwen lifted her skirts and walked to the water, taking her shoes off along the way. The cool waves rolled over her feet and up to her knees as she waded deeper. Listening to the waves had a calming effect on her.
“Thank you,” she said over her shoulder to Eilish.
The Druid came up beside her, now wearing an olive green bikini. “My pleasure.”
“Most of my life, I only had Brandr to talk to. We’re close—or we used to be. We’ve drifted apart recently.”
“I never had any siblings. I wish I’d had someone to turn to.”
“But you had friends.” Eurwen turned her head to look at her.
Eilish nodded. “I did. Do you?”
“Not really. There are dragons I would call friends, but their lives are much different than a human’s.”
“And you’re a part of both worlds.”
“Not fully in either one,” Eurwen admitted aloud for the first time.
Eilish frowned, her green-gold eyes filled with concern.
“It’s easy for someone to put labels on us.
I think we should get to decide who and what we are.
If you want to be a dragon, then you’re a dragon.
If you want to be Fae, then you’re a Fae.
It doesn’t matter who your parents are or what anyone expects of you. ”
“That’s the rub,” Eurwen said. “I don’t know what I want.”
“I think you do.”
Eurwen blew out a breath and looked out at the stunning water. “I want to belong to something. I don’t know why I’m saying that when I do. I belong to Zora and the dragons.”
“Do you really? Or did you and Brandr answer a call the universe sent out? Did both of you take on the responsibility without considering what you wanted?”
Shock went through Eurwen. She slowly looked at Eilish. “I–I’ve never thought of it that way.”
“Perhaps you once belonged to Zora. But maybe now you’re seeking something else. We all grow. Sometimes, we outgrow what we’ve been doing.”
“Where does that leave me, then? I’ve always ruled alongside Brandr.”
“But is it what you want to do?” Eilish shrugged. “I think you need to step back and consider that.”
Eurwen shook her head. “I’ve never asked myself that.”
“Let’s start small. What do you want to do right now?”
Eurwen smiled, a laugh bubbling within her. “Swim.”
“Then we swim!” Eilish shouted as she ran into the water.
Eurwen snapped her fingers, her clothes gone, replaced by a turquoise bathing suit. She dove into the water and swam beneath it. Spectacularly colored fish darted here and there. She spotted an octopus before it ducked between some coral.
When she finally broke the surface to drag in air, Eurwen looked around for Eilish.
She found the Druid lazily swimming back to shore.
Eurwen wasn’t nearly finished yet. She dove back under to explore more of the wonderful world beneath the waves.
She lost count of the number of different fish she saw.
Her excitement grew when she spotted some rays and even a couple of smaller sharks.
The final time she broke the surface, she found Eilish reclining in a hammock, strung between two trees. Eurwen swam to shore and walked from the water.
“Now that’s a smile,” Eilish said when she saw her.
Eurwen chuckled. “I feel great.”
“You’re so much like your parents, and you don’t even know it. Both of them turn to their duties before seeing to their own happiness. You’ve done the same.”
Eurwen dug her wet toes deeper into the beach, watching the sand cling to her feet and clump. “Yes, I have.” She looked at Eilish. “You’ve not asked the one thing I know you want to ask.”
Eilish swung her legs over the side of the hammock and sat up. Then she patted the spot beside her. Eurwen used her magic to return her clothes and dry her hair before lowering herself next to the Druid. They sat in silence for a while, watching the sky grow darker as sunset approached.
Eilish dropped her chin to her chest. “I like you, Eurwen. I’m not saying that just because of who you are. I’d like us to be friends.”
“I’d like that, too. I’ve never had a human friend before.”
The Druid turned her head to her and smiled. “We have so much catching up to do to remedy that.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“Me, too,” Eilish replied. Then, her smile died. “Your life is your business. I don’t want to interfere, but I also want you to know that you can talk to me about anything.”
Eurwen drew in a deep breath and released it as she pressed her lips together and looked at the sea. No matter what she had been doing the last couple of hours, she couldn’t stop thinking about someone—Vaughn.
“You know about Vaughn, don’t you?” she asked Eilish.
There was a small hesitation before Eilish said, “Yes.”
“What did you do when Ulrik told you that you were his mate?”
Eilish laughed softly and got a dreamy look on her face.
“We went through quite an ordeal. Neither of us trusted the other, but we couldn’t ignore the attraction.
” She turned her head to Eurwen. “It was always there, at the forefront. At first, I thought it was just lust, but the more time I spent with him, the more I began to care about him. It wasn’t long before I depended on him, and then I couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t been a part of my life.
He was there for me at my lowest point. He saved me.
He loved me unconditionally. When he told me we were mates, I was overjoyed because I knew I wanted to be with him always. ”
“And there’s the rub. I don’t know any of that.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t know how to respond to Vaughn when he told you?”
Eurwen shook her head. “I could’ve handled it better. I know that. I didn’t want to hurt him. I begged him not to say the words.”
“So, you knew?” Eilish asked, shock in her voice.
Eurwen thought about it for a moment and then shrugged. “I knew Vaughn wanted something I couldn’t give him.”
“I’ve seen the two of you together. There’s no denying the attraction.”
“That doesn’t mean we’re mates.”
Eilish nodded in agreement. “What do you think is keeping you apart?”
“We’re from two different worlds.”
“So were Ulrik and I.”
Eurwen rolled her eyes. “You two are from the same planet. That’s not true for Vaughn and me.”
“But you can overcome that. If you want to.”
“Then there’s the fact that I have to return to Zora.”
Eilish lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “I don’t think Vaughn would mind moving.”
“We’re not allowing any Dragon Kings from Earth to reside there.”
“Oh,” Eilish said, her eyes rounding. “Really?”
Eurwen nodded. “Brandr would never agree to it. He doesn’t even want any more visiting. He also told me that if I choose Vaughn as my mate, he’ll banish me.”
“Damn. That could be a problem.”
“Exactly.”
Eilish flattened her lips for a heartbeat. “And you would never want to live here?”
“I have a duty to Zora. Just as Vaughn has responsibilities here.”
“It sounds like you’ve considered things with Vaughn then. You must feel something for him.”
Eurwen looked away. “It doesn’t matter what I do or don’t feel. It can never work.”
“If it’s meant to be, it’ll work. Somehow.”
“Spoken like someone who hasn’t had to make a choice like mine.”
Eilish shrugged, her lips twisting. “Maybe not like yours, no, but every mate has had to make a conscious decision to give up the lives we had—and sometimes even our families—to be with our King.”
“You didn’t have to give up family immediately, though, did you?”
“Others did. I’m not trying to make light of your situation.”
Eurwen dug her toes into the sand. “I realize you’re trying to compare what a mate goes through with what I’m dealing with, but it isn’t the same.”
“Do you want to be with Vaughn?”
Eurwen hesitated, unsure of how to answer that.
“All right,” Eilish said. “Let’s try this a different way. Do you like being with him?”
That was easier to answer. “I do.”
“That’s a step forward. Tiny steps are still steps.”
Eurwen smiled at Eilish. Was this what having a friend was like? If so, she had missed out on a lot. The topics she and Eilish discussed now were things Eurwen would never be able to talk about with Brandr because of his hatred for the Kings and everything they represented.
“That smile didn’t last long,” Eilish pointed out.
Eurwen wrinkled her nose. “Vaughn and I met a very, very long time ago. I knew who he was, but he had no idea of my identity. I made sure of it. We had an incredible night together, and I left while he slept so he wouldn’t start asking questions.”
“I take it there wasn’t much talking that night,” Eilish said with a knowing smile.
Eurwen chuckled. “Not a single word. The attraction was too intense.”
“So…no talking during cuddling? Surely, the two of you cuddled after.”
Eurwen thought back to that night and sighed wistfully. “When we finally grew exhausted, yes, he pulled me into his arms.”
“Oh, my God,” Eilish exclaimed with wide eyes. “That does sound like an incredible night.”
“More than you could possibly know.” Just thinking about it made Eurwen long to return to it. Things had been so simple then. Or perhaps she hadn’t realized the complications that she and Vaughn spending time together could cause. Most likely, she was just na?ve.
Eilish let out a long whistle. “Sounds like Vaughn made an impact.”
“In a manner of speaking.”
“How long until you saw him again?”
Eurwen adjusted her hands on the edge of the hammock. “Not until he came to Zora.”
“I don’t understand,” Eilish said, a deep frown creasing her brow.
“Brandr and I made a pact to never interact with the Kings.”
Eilish shook her head, her confusion evident. “Any King?”
“Any.”
“Ever?”
“Ever,” Eurwen confirmed.
Eilish blinked and looked out at the water. “The attraction you spoke of with Vaughn must have been great for you to ignore your pact.”
“It was.”
“What did your brother say when he found out?”
Eurwen was glad that Eilish wasn’t looking at her. “I didn’t tell Brandr until Vaughn was in our realm.”
Eilish shook her head again as she briefly closed her eyes.
“Exactly,” Eurwen said. “If Vaughn is my mate, would I have been able to stay away from him all this time?”
“I wouldn’t have been able to stay away from Ulrik,” Eilish said as she turned her head to Eurwen.
Eurwen raised her brows, nodding.
“Damn.”
The two were silent for a long time. Eurwen kept thinking about Vaughn’s face when he left the cavern.
The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, but she should’ve known it would come to that.
She had known he wanted something more. It felt nice to be with him, but by going with him to Dreagan, she had allowed him to think there could be something between them.
“Things change,” Eilish said. “You opening the doorway between our worlds and allowing your parents—as well as Vaughn—into Zora might have altered things.”
Eurwen looked at Eilish. “I wish it were that simple, but it isn’t.”
“It all comes down to what you want. Not what your brother wants for you, or even what happens on your world. It’s what your heart and soul need. What you can’t live without. I think that has already begun to change. You just haven’t noticed yet.”
“Maybe.”
Eilish flashed her a smile. “You did come to Dreagan. With Vaughn, I might add.”