50. Chapter 50
fifty
Rodi
W e slip under the cover of trees, not wanting to be exposed to the sky as we gather our clothes, putting them on as fast as we can. Ares trains his eyes on the sky, lost for a moment in thought.
Ethan squirms beside me, but I don’t really feel what he feels. I’m not aware of him like I want to be, like I’m supposed to be.
“They’re moving,” Ares says. “Their calls are now coming closer to Nythralia.”
“Hephaestus?” I breathe, hatred lacing itself through my words.
I turn to Ethan and find him staring at my neck. Our eyes meet, and he nods. “It will be okay. We won’t let him win.”
“You’re ours,” Ares confirms.
A part of me wants to wrap up in the delicious heat of their dragons calling me. I want to lose myself in them again and again until we’re too exhausted to do anything but sleep.
Then I hear another dragon, one I recognize. The Vermyllion wings are the first hint, but Ripley drops from the sky, his tail flicking. “I know you’re here, Rodi. And I smell him too.”
“No fighting!” I yell.
I step into the clearing, despite Ethan and Ares moving to reclaim me. I know Ripley can be trusted to a degree. He’s certainly not going to take me back to Hephaestus or kill me.
“You won’t hurt them!”
He snorts and moves closer as his wings stay outstretched. He’s prepared for battle, his eyes scouring the tree line. He must not know Ares is right behind me.
“It took time and distance, but your order stopped working,” he replies. “You did well.”
“Shift back,” I say, trying to focus my ability, trying to feel it ripple through my body as I clench my fists.
Ripley looks up, then at me. He shakes his head, and I feel it. The difference. It doesn’t come through as strongly. My emotions are too mixed. But I think of Ripley attacking Ares while Ares is in his human form, and that need, that fury, it curls in me, tightening my fists as my eyes focus on Ripley’s.
“Shift into your human form. Now,” I command, feeling the power resonate in my voice. Every word has weight until it feels tangible. “Now, Ripley!”
He shifts, eyes on me, no real resistance there. But when he’s naked in front of me, he pants and narrows his eyes. “I would have done it if you gave me a moment. ”
“No, because you know he’s here,” I argue, “and you want this fight.”
Ripley doesn’t argue as his gaze sharpens at me. With a scoff, he leans down, grabbing the cloak from his feet, and pulls it around his body. Leaves rustle behind me, and footsteps follow. Ares wraps a possessive arm around my waist and kisses the top of my head. He either is truly okay with sharing me or is more focused on Ripley since I feel Ethan shield my back with his body.
Ripley’s body waves and scales threaten his human skin as he snarls at Ares. “You.”
“Don’t hurt him!” I demand, not entirely sure whether I have enough power to layer orders, not sure if I can go up against Ripley’s near ancient rage and sense of justice.
“I regret my past actions, but they are mine. That means owning the blame and accepting the consequences, Rodi,” Ares says clearly. “And I do, as ugly as they’ll be.”
“You ruined our lands, our homes, innocent people, for what?” Ripley sneers.
“I was misguided in my grief. The hole my missing love left was too large,” Ares says. “It’s the only explanation I can offer, but it doesn’t excuse my actions. A part of me is that same man, no matter how much I’ve changed over my lives. I can’t undo what I did in the past. I can only prove that things are different now.”
Ripley’s still poised for battle, and his hands shake slightly and his nostrils tense.
I start to interject, wanting to mention that I could have stopped it. That I could have gone to him. But not a word leaves me as Ethan’s lips press on my neck and his hand inches toward my mouth, as if he’ll stop me from saying anything if I try .
“It’s not just me you have to answer to. It’s all the Vermyllion Drakes. When we arrive at Nythralia… it doesn’t matter if I won’t fight you with her in the way. It doesn’t matter how different you are. You owe us more than a pound of flesh,” Ripley spits.
“Hephaestus is the problem here. You’ve seen how he is when it comes to Rodi. You’ve seen his temper and his cruelty, or you wouldn’t have willingly taken her away,” Ares says.
“I told you. Hephaestus is worse. He got the gods to curse us. He’s the reason Ares and I were ever forced here, Ripley,” I say.
Ethan tightens his hold on me. He’s uncomfortable, bothered in more ways than one. I don’t know if it’s the mating bond finally seeping into me or the connection I’ve always had with Ethan that makes me so sure of that.
“The wyverns are moving. Let’s go,” Ripley says, not offering a promise of safety or survival.
Ripley glances at Ethan, then at Ares. He doesn’t say anything as Ares moves forward with me. “I want to redeem myself. I’m going to Nythralia even with both my mates right here. It’s the only way to fix the past and stop Hephaestus.”
A low snarl leaves Ripley’s throat. “If you attempt to leave, I’ll kill both your mates, Ares. He’s weak. He can’t stop me. And Rodi…” His voice drops, and I’m not sure I’ll believe his next threat. “I’ll get to Rodi first. You can’t stop me.”
“I’m not running anymore,” Ares says clearly.
Ripley glances at the sky as another wyvern screech echoes and we start what I expect to be a long walk to Nythralia. I keep glancing between Ethan and Ares. I know they’re weak despite the sealing of the bond. It radiates from them. Their hollowed cheeks, their softened scars, and both seem a little less muscled than before .
All three of us have been beaten down, kept right above the brink of death thanks to Hephaestus. But he thinks Ares and Ethan are dead. He thinks I’m alone, stolen by Ripley. As much as I just want to take my men and find somewhere safe for us and live our lives, there’s no escaping our past.
“I can’t wait for this to be over,” I say as an exhausted sigh drifts from my lips. I walk between Ares and Ethan, feeling as if I’m perfectly shielded. As much as I love feeling safe with them, I long for a life where we don’t have to watch our backs all the time.
Ares glances ahead as Ripley leads the way before looking back at me. “This will be over soon. We’ll beat Hephaestus and move on with our lives. We’ll get a fresh start to live the lives we want.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “And what does that look like?”
“Happiness. As long as we’re all together,” Ethan says. His fingertips caress my lower back, sending a wave of comforting warmth through me.
“A new home,” Ares comments with a bittersweet tone to his voice. “Somewhere we truly belong.”
It’s hard to picture such a place, but it’s easy to imagine a life of happiness with them. Bright smiles. Warm embraces. Passionate nights.
In the grand scheme of our crazy, unpredictable lives, what’s one more fight for the love and happiness we desire?
With a determined nod, I speed up my pace, ready to face what looms ahead. Hephaestus is coming, and if we’re going to stop him, we need the support of the Vermyllions.
We have to turn enemies into allies.
That’s a battle in itself.