Chapter 19 #2
“We’ll still find as many brights as we’re able,” my mom says. “And then we’ll be ready to make the same kind of deal—an alliance and a partnership. Our people would be more than willing to fight alongside you when the vanir return.”
“I can’t imagine they won’t return.” Dad looks grim. “I won’t lie and say that I’m sad to hear that your father’s coming, even if we’re unsure how he’ll react to your leadership decisions since you returned. I have faith that once he hears what the vanir are doing, he’ll do the right thing.”
I wish I had faith in that.
I’m spending most of my wishing and hoping on ensuring Azar’s safety when his dad returns. I’m also a little surprised they aren’t demanding the kids return with them. “You’re okay leaving Sammy, Jade, and Coral with me?”
Mom inhales and exhales slowly. “I was. . .unfair before. You’ve done your very best in terrifying and dangerous situations to keep them safe and protected.
It’s clear they have close bonds with powerful dragons, and they’re probably safer here in Australia with those beasts, far from the vanir threat.
” She steps closer to me, her arms slightly raised at her sides. “Thank you.”
Part of me wants to slap her, but most of me just wants to hug her, so I do. It feels surprisingly good, having my mom hug me, thank me, and not be angry with me or disappointed. It feels. . .therapeutic.
When I release her, before I can step back, she touches my cheek. “You be careful too, Liz.” Her eyebrows draw together. “I do love you. I’m proud of you, and I was very scared when I heard about the risks you took.”
I don’t wipe away a tear as Mom and Dad say goodbye to the other kiddos. That would be stupid. But I hug the babies, and that makes me feel much better.
Fluff Dog licking my face doesn’t hurt either.
I’m almost feeling better as they grab their bags, but then a large crash outside draws my attention. Axel shifts into Azar so fast I barely see it.
But Thunar’s loud landing is enough to warn me that he’s upset. His face looks thunderous. You’re also the earth blessed prince, Axel?
Clearly someone told him about the two affinities, finally. “It took your people long enough to tell you,” I say. “It’s been common knowledge here for quite some time.”
Show me. He’s glaring at Azar, who is standing between Thunar and me. Show me right now.
“Why would he shift in front of you? You attacked him, and you’re always threatening him.”
Before I can argue any more, Azar does it. A car acceleration sound, and suddenly he’s golden and slightly smaller. He lifts his head and glares at Thunar. The eyes are definitely the exact same.
After a handful of seconds, Thunar turns to me. I demand this power, too.
I laugh. “I didn’t give him that ability. He could shift into Axel when he came here—I simply knew about his secret before you did.”
Thunar roars. Then you will give me the ability to shift into a human. You upgraded the earth and water blessed, and I hear Hyperion and those stupid earth blessed who bonded your little brothers can shift into earth child forms.
I step closer, my chin raised. “And if I refuse? Then what? You’ll kill me?”
Thunar’s nostrils flare, and I notice something. He’s always been massive, powerful, and terrifying. But right now, he’s off. Something’s wrong. He’s struggling. I imagine that after being the hero of the Vancouver defense, Thunar’s exhausted, and he can’t eat. . .because he’s still not bonded.
“You need to bond someone,” I say. “I’ve been badgering Jore right and left lately, and I’m not at all sure that she’ll even answer if I ask her to give you that ability.”
Thunar roars.
But I stand my ground.
“What’s going on?” My mom steps out of the house and into view.
Who’s that? But before I can even answer him, Thunar snatches Mom in one claw and holds her out in front of him. If you don’t do as I ask, I’ll melt her all over your front lawn.
Mom laughs. “You grabbed the wrong hostage, idiot. My daughter doesn’t even like me. I’ve been a pretty terrible mother.”
My heart lurches. She’s not right about me not caring about her.
“From what I can tell, you’re my daughter’s enemy, and you do whatever you wish any time you’d like.” My mom shakes her head. “I’ve never liked bullies overmuch.”
Thunar’s about to roast her.
I sprint across the room and grab my swords.
I don’t have time to call on Jore, but I leap from the ledge and plunge them into his massive leg as I pull on all the magic pulsing inside of me in the heart, and I shove it all inside of him.
“There,” I shout. “I did it, you big bully. I shoved all the earth magic I have inside of you, and I willed you to have the ability to shift.”
“Oh, dear,” Mom says. “I wish I’d known you were doing that.” She looks pretty sorry from where she’s still clutched in his claws. “I wouldn’t have bonded him if I’d known.”
“You—what?”
Mom shrugs. “Sammy told me how he bonded Gordon, and I thought if I bonded the big jerk, he wouldn’t have to threaten you. He’d be able to eat on his own.”
Today just keeps getting worse.
A few moments later, Dad and Gideon prepare to head back to Seattle, but Mom’s staying here for now.
“Be safe.” I hug Dad. “You’re the only Chadwick who’s not bonded to a dragon.”
“I’m feeling a little left out,” he says.
“You have to come back to visit sometimes,” Gideon says. “Your father’s an advisor to the President now.”
“Just because of my connection to Liz,” Dad mutters. He hugs me again abruptly, and he whispers. “I know your mom’s made some mistakes, but try to keep her safe.”
I don’t tell my dad that Thunar’s my worst nightmare, and that I wish he was dead. I don’t need to, because Mom’s right there again, bonded to a dragon I hate. “I’ll try,” I say. The main difference is that this time, it’s her fault.
I know we’re in for a miserable time with that bond. Gideon and Dad have just disappeared when I hear a very strange sound, like a car that’s backfiring.
And Thunar shrinks down into his human form, a burly, large, and brutal form. He looks like every motorcycle club guy wishes he looked, but sans tattoos.
And it’s a form that I’ve seen before.
Stupid Freya showed me this guy in a dream—a nightmare—in the volcano. Thunar was the man who was whipping Azar bloody as I begged him to shift.
“What?” Thunar asks.
“Nothing,” I whisper.
But Azar can sense something’s wrong. What’s wrong? What happened?
He was—I saw him in the volcano. Freya forced me to make choices, and in the dream-state she threw me into, he was beating you badly with a whip. I shudder.
“Am I an ugly human?” Thunar asks. “Is that it?”
“Yes,” I say at the same time Coral says it.
He grunts. “As if that matters.” He’s smiling when he shifts back into his flame dragon form, and then he launches into the sky, presumably to go and eat.
He didn’t kill your mother, Azar says. That alone is a miracle.
He’s probably making sure he can eat before he does, I say.
But he doesn’t come back, at least not for the rest of the day.
Mom follows the kids to bed that night and sleeps in Sammy’s room.
It’s weird having her here. I know she was trying to help me, but I can’t help feeling bad about being back in this place where I can’t keep her safe, no matter what I do.
It’s like we haven’t learned anything in months and months of dealing with the dragons.
But we have.
I have.
This time will be different.
Or at least, I really, really hope it will.