Chapter 34
Vaughn’s heart pounded rapidly. He tried not to read anything into Eurwen wanting him to stay behind, but it was impossible not to. Her face and voice gave nothing away—nothing that would allow his poor heart to stop worrying.
Vaughn glanced at the door to see Brandr bow his head to him slightly before closing it behind him. In all his years, Vaughn had never been so nervous. Had never been so anxious to hear news. He remained standing. Eurwen gracefully rose from the bed and moved around the cottage.
He didn’t take his eyes off her. She moved fluidly as if she contained all the elements—embodied them. Despite her ordeal—or perhaps because of it—she seemed to have a radiance from within. Vaughn still couldn’t believe that she had glowed as much as her mother did when Rhi became angry.
It also brought to mind seeing multiple versions of himself in her dream.
They had looked just like him. Sounded like him, too.
It had been disconcerting and unnerving to see so many copies of himself.
It was no wonder Eurwen hadn’t believed that it was him when he arrived.
He had no idea how long she had been tormented so, but it was a testament to her strength of mind and will that she was able to find a way out of such deception.
For the first time, Vaughn noticed the two halves that Eurwen embodied.
For her dragon side, she had the patience and discipline that dragons were known for.
Now, however, she also had the same light within her that Rhi had.
It had always been there, but now, it was brighter, stronger.
Her battle had given her that. To Vaughn, it looked as if the two halves within her had finally come together, uniting into one powerful being.
Eurwen turned to him. As she did, her black battle attire faded away.
A flowing silk dress of deep mauve that cascaded elegantly to the floor at the sides and to mid-calf at the front and back replaced it.
Spaghetti straps connected a bodice with a scoop neck at the front.
She turned slightly, and he saw the sexy racerback of the gown.
Her golden hair was free and hung to her waist in soft waves.
She was barefoot with only a slim, gold ankle bracelet around her left ankle.
Her silver eyes were steady as she gazed at him.
“Thank you,” she said.
He shook his head. “For what?”
“You helped me break free.”
“You did that all on your own.”
Her lips softened. “It was you who urged me to see what was within. I was too trapped to know what to do.”
“You would’ve figured it out on your own eventually.”
“Maybe,” she said with a shrug of one shoulder. “Or maybe we work well as a team.”
Hope leapt in his heart. “I agree with that.”
“Was I here the entire time?”
Vaughn nodded once. “After you fell and Con healed you, I brought you here. Nothing we did revived you. You were unconscious for a full day.”
“I thought I was being held somewhere else. I couldn’t move, couldn’t open my eyes or talk.”
“Whatever it was, it was in your mind.”
Her head turned slightly as she looked out a window. “Did you find who attacked me?”
“We searched. There was nothing.”
Her eyes snapped back to him. “Did you not get my warning?”
He frowned as he shook his head. “What warning?”
“Before it struck me, I said that it was invisible. I only saw a shimmer out of the corner of my eye.”
“We never heard that. Whatever you said before it attacked was distorted. As if something intentionally prevented your words from reaching us.”
Her eyebrows shot up in shock. “They were able to interfere with our telepathic conversation?”
“It appears so.”
“And they’re invisible.” Her shoulders lifted as she drew in a deep breath. “I’ve never been so scared.”
Vaughn took a step toward her. “None of us was going to allow anything to take you from us. I was prepared to do whatever it took.”
“I knew you would find me. There was never any doubt.”
“Good.” He wanted her to know that he would’ve stopped time to free her.
She licked her lips and walked to him, closing the distance between them. “I realized a few things while being held.”
“Is that so?”
Eurwen pressed her lips together, a hesitant expression crossing her face. “I’ve never been in such a situation before. I’m not too proud to admit that I believed myself too powerful to be put in harm’s way or captured. I now know that isn’t true.”
“All of us have been in similar situations. When you have the power we do and the abilities we possess, we sometimes forget there are ways that others can get to us. No one is infallible. No’ even a Dragon King.”
A hint of a smile pulled at her lips. “Thank you for attempting to make me feel better. The thing is, I’m thankful for what happened.
I was shown that I need to strengthen certain aspects of my magic.
But I also learned that I’m able to access power I never knew I had. I could feel it running through me.”
Vaughn nodded slowly. “I see the changes in you. It’s in the way you hold yourself, how you speak. You were already powerful. Now, you are more so.”
Her eyes dropped to the floor for a heartbeat. “As wonderous as all of that was, it wasn’t what really changed me.”
“Then what did?”
“Realizing that I might never see you again.”
Vaughn’s heart skipped a beat. He searched her face, too afraid to speak for fear she might stop talking.
“All I could think about was you,” she admitted. “I realized how many centuries I lost with you. More than anything, I realized I’ve been a fool.”
He shook his head, his lips parting to speak when she held up a hand.
“Please. Let me finish.”
It was the hardest thing Vaughn had ever done, but he remained silent.
“I put this realm, my brother, and the duties I have before my heart. I stopped hearing what my soul needed. Stopped listening to what my heart cried out for. I deadened myself to all of it because I thought I had to choose between my life here and…you,” she finished with a whisper.
Vaughn yearned to reach for her. The need was so great that he fisted his hands to keep them by his sides.
Tears filled her eyes as she blinked rapidly. Her body was stiff with emotion, her pulse erratic at her throat. “What I’m trying to say—badly—is that I love you.”
“I love you,” he whispered as he gently cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers. “I love you. I’ve always loved you.”
Her arms came around his neck as she returned his kiss. He lowered his arms and snaked them around her, tightening his hold as the kiss deepened. As much as he wanted to finish what he had begun, now wasn’t the time. Vaughn slowly ended the kiss and lifted his head.
“Forgive me,” she said.
He frowned as he shook his head. “For what?”
“For not returning to you all these years. For putting you off once you found me again. For causing us to miss so many lifetimes together.”
Vaughn gazed down at her, wondering how he’d ended up with someone as beautiful and special as Eurwen. “There’s nothing to forgive.”
“I disagree.”
He smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. “If you need an example that the universe brings people together when it’s time, look at your parents. Same goes for us. We may never know why we spent so many centuries apart, and I doona care. What matters now is that you’re in my arms.”
“I never want to leave them,” she said with a smile.
“Just what I wanted to hear.”
Eurwen’s smile dropped. “We’re going to have to work out something regarding our living arrangements.”
“Whatever you want. I doona care.”
“Of course, you do.”
“I doona,” he insisted.
She gave him a flat look. “Vaughn, Dreagan is your home. Your family is there.”
“They are. But the one who holds my heart is here.”
Her smile was radiant as it spread across her face. “Please don’t ever stop talking about me like that.”
“It willna happen,” he promised.
“As much as I want to celebrate this, we still have business to take care of.”
“Trust me. I’m aware. So is everyone outside.”
“How do we fight something we can’t see?” she asked.
Vaughn gave her a quick kiss. “With an army.”
“Brandr will balk.”
“He was struck, same as you. Con got to him before he fell unconscious. That may be the only reason he wasna affected as you were. But the generals are dead. As well as about fifty dragons.”
Shock made her face pale as her lips went slack. “No.”
“I’m sorry.”
Eurwen swallowed and lifted her chin. “You’re right. We need an army. An army of Dragon Kings.”
“We’ll be a united family. It might no’ hurt to consider using some of the mates, as well.”
She nodded excitedly. “I hadn’t thought about the Druids and the Fae, but you’re right. We can’t allow whatever is here to stay. Let’s go tell the others.”
As she turned to walk to the door, Vaughn held her hand and pulled her back to him. He smiled as their gazes held.
“What?” she asked softly.
He shook his head. “Nothing. I just wanted to tell you again that I love you.”
“And I love you.”
After another lingering kiss, they walked from the cottage together.
The group was upon them the minute they emerged.
As Eurwen fielded questions from others about her experience, Vaughn listened with half an ear since she had already told him everything.
He noted Brandr watching him. Vaughn wanted to talk to him.
Brandr might have been civil when it came to helping his sister, but Vaughn wasn’t sure how far that would extend.
Especially once Brandr discovered that they were to be mated.
“Invisible?” Varek asked.
V crossed his arms over his chest. “Shite.”
Vaughn looked at the other Kings, each of them likely thinking the same thing—it would take the Dragon Kings.
“And nothing like this has ever happened on Zora before?” Rhi asked.
Brandr shook his head. “No’ since Eurwen and I have been here anyway.”
“I’ve never heard of it either,” Jeyra added.
Rhi turned her head to Con. “We might need to speak with Erith. If she created this realm, she might have an idea what this is.”
“Good idea,” Con replied.
Eurwen got Vaughn’s attention before she looked at her brother. He nodded to her. She took Brandr’s hand and moved away.
Once they were out of earshot, Claire asked, “What is that about?”
With all eyes on him, Vaughn looked at Con and Rhi. “She’s talking to her brother about her and I being mates.”
“She finally admitted it?” Rhi asked with a brilliant smile.
Con’s lips turned up in a grin as he and Vaughn clasped forearms and slapped each other on the back with their free hands. “I never had any doubt.”
“Congratulations,” Varek said.
V chuckled. “How long before Con warns you no’ to hurt his daughter?”
“No’ long at all,” Con replied.
The group erupted in laughter.
Vaughn took a deep breath. Despite the threat that still hung in the air, he felt lighter than he had in a long time. He had his mate. At one time, he’d feared never finding her. Now, she was his. No dragon or man in the entire universe could be as happy as he was.