31. Chapter 31
John had experienced a lot in his lifetime.
But the last few minutes topped the what-the-actual-hell meter.
When Sienna had talked about her inner voice, alarm bells sounded in John’s head.
The conclusion he was coming to couldn’t be true.
But Lily’s drawing of a dragon solidified his suspicions.
He didn’t know how it was possible, but he’d found that the Simonson clan often did the impossible.
Ryan was still holding the drawing up, and no one was speaking. It was like they were all frozen—waiting for the punch line maybe?
Sienna finally tore her gaze from the picture and looked straight at him for answers. “Do you know what’s going on?”
“Dragon song,” he answered calmly even though he was feeling the opposite.
“And what is that, exactly?” she asked.
“Losing our full dragon on the outside wasn’t the only thing we lost as magic leeched away.
You may sometimes hear some grumbling in your chest from your dragon or if you’re lucky, a word or two?
” He glanced around at the group and they nodded.
“Originally our full dragons spoke to us. And I don’t mean whispers of thought or feelings.
I mean they shared space up here.” He tapped his temple. “It was called dragon song.”
“Why didn’t you mention this before?” Adam asked.
“Because it doesn’t exist any longer.” He looked at Sienna. “Or so I thought.”
Sienna swallowed. “You’re telling me that this inner voice that I’ve heard my entire life is my dragon?”
“Yes. It sure sounds like it.”
“And Lily and Bella can hear her dragon. Why?” Tessa asked.
John shook his head. “I don’t know for sure. There were no oracles in our clan growing up. But I guess I’m not surprised they can hear her. It’s all magic in the end.”
“A magic we lost,” Adam said.
“Until Sienna,” John answered, taking in her drawn expression.
Megan sat up straighter. “That’s it.”
Eric reached for her. “What’s it?”
“The storybooks! They talk of Evie singing to the village and keeping them calm. That the dragons listened to her. We thought that was because of her being the clan leader, but it could be this dragon song, right? You are the only person who can talk to their dragon. We already suspected that you were going to bring back the sentries, and now we just confirmed that since the voice of the dragon Mia talks about has to be you.”
It made sense to John as well, but the scared look on Sienna’s face had him swallowing back his agreement. “This is a lot to take in. Do you want to take a break?”
She swallowed. “Not right now. Megan, can you go through the storybooks again with your idea in mind along with reviewing Mia’s document?”
“Yes. I’ll start again and have Jonas help as well.”
She squeezed John’s arm before sitting up straight. “If I am the one who can bring back the sentries, see if you can find anything that says how.”
Of course she was shoring herself up again and thinking about her clan first because she was an amazing leader, but that didn’t mean he liked her moving away from him.
“I’m going to go through Lily’s drawings to see if she has anything that could help us,” Tessa said. “I know she doesn’t normally understand what some of the drawings mean at the time, but I’ll ask her gently about any that might be helpful.”
Sienna nodded. “Okay.”
“Are you thinking about reaching out to Mia again?” Adam asked.
“She hasn’t been responding, but maybe I need to push things with her. I’ll think about what to say.”
Adam frowned. “Are you going to tell her about your…well… Veronica?”
Sienna shook her head. “I don’t know. If we can’t find anything to tell us how to bring back the sentries, she might know something. We’ll see.”
An alarm beeped and Sienna pulled her phone out of her pocket. “I have a call in a few minutes.”
“I can handle it,” Ryan said. “It should be short.”
Sienna looked like she was going to argue, but Ryan leaned over and squeezed her hand. “Si, I’ve got it.”
She nodded and he handed the sketchbook to Tessa before standing and heading back to the house.
They sat for a moment quietly staring at each other before everyone else stood. Megan and Tessa reached for Sienna first, enveloping her in a three-way hug that brought a smile to her face and made John’s chest warm.
He looked away from her face after a minute to find Adam and Eric giving him twin big-brother glares.
He wasn’t intimidated, but he appreciated them both watching out for their sister.
John already knew he was a bad bet. While Tessa and Megan picked up the leftover picnic dishes, Adam and then Eric hugged Sienna as well.
“I’m fine. I’ll be inside in a little bit,” Sienna said, and the four of them walked back to the house.
John rested his hands on her shoulders in what he hoped was a friendly gesture. “Now tell me how you really are.”
Sienna’s mouth quirked up at the side. “I think you’re turning into a softy, John Baker.”
He smirked at her. “And I think you’re deflecting.” Hadn’t she said the same thing to him not too long ago?
She sighed. “I’m overwhelmed. I knew I would play a part in stopping this whole curse business, but now I might be the only person who can bring the sentries back?”
“We don’t know that for sure.”
Her eyebrows popped up in challenge.
“Okay. Fine,” John said. “From everything that just happened? I think you’re the one.”
“Great. So how do I do that? What if we don’t find anything to help us?”
“I think you’re forgetting someone who might know the answer.”
She shook her head. “I already told Adam I don’t want to ask Mia unless I have to.”
He hesitated for a moment, not sure how she would take this. “I’m not talking about Mia. I’m talking about your dragon.”
She blinked up at him. He squeezed her shoulders. “Why don’t you think about it? I’ll go sit in the courtyard while you decide if you want to talk to her or not.”
Sienna nodded and he backed away from her, hoping he hadn’t pushed her too hard, too fast. It seemed like everything was aligning.
That breaking the curse was in their grasp.
Which meant he wouldn’t be here much longer.
In the past that thought hadn’t bothered him, but as he looked at the woman standing strong in front of him, for the first time, his once-empty heart wished for a different outcome.
Talk to her dragon? Sure, Sienna had listened to Veronica’s pointed comments and off-key singing her whole life, and she would shush or threaten her when she needed quiet, but she hadn’t had an actual conversation with her.
Why would she? She thought Veronica was part of her self-conscious, saying things that Sienna thought but wouldn’t say out loud. Now she finds out that she’s real?
She watched John walk over to the bench in the courtyard and take a seat. Sienna faced the valley and sucked in a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
“Veronica?” Sienna whispered. She wasn’t sure why she was whispering or why she was speaking out loud for that matter, but she went with it.
Ye-esss.
“Have you been listening?”
I’m inside your head. Of course I’ve been listening.
Sienna blew out a breath. “Are you my dragon?”
Am I?
“Veronica!”
How would I know? I mean, what does being a dragon feel like?
That was a legitimate question. She looked over her shoulder and beckoned John over to her.
He made his way back to her quickly. “What is it?”
“I asked Veronica if she’s my dragon, and she said she doesn’t know. She asked what being a dragon feels like?”
John’s eyes widened. “That actually makes sense. Since you’ve never turned into your full dragon, she doesn’t know that she is one.”
“Can you describe it to her?”
“I can try. Um. Hi, Veronica.”
Hi. Sexy Grump.
Sienna stopped herself from rolling her eyes. “She heard you.”
He seemed to be gathering his words before he continued.
“When I still had my full dragon, he talked to me. He was my voice of reason. I was never alone. When I’d turn into my dragon, it was like he would burst outward and surround me.
We could finish each other’s thoughts. Energy would bubble in our chest, especially when he soared over the earth.
He said he felt like he was part of the sky and the life around him. ”
Sienna watched his face as he described his dragon, and her heart ached for him.
Not only was he alone because he’d lost his family and friends, but he also lost his dragon too.
A voice that probably comforted him over the years before fading away along with his dragon body and finally his wings.
A lump formed in her throat as he finished.
That sounds amazing, Veronica announced. But that doesn’t tell me what a dragon feels like.
Sienna repeated what Veronica said, and John frowned.
“Do you feel your dragon at all, John?” Sienna asked.
“Very little. Some rumblings sometimes, why?”
“Maybe Veronica could feel him too? Can we try?”
He reached for her hand, placing her palm on the middle of his chest. He closed his eyes and blew out a breath before refocusing on Sienna and nodding.
Are you there, dragon? It’s me, Veronica.
Sienna bit the inside of her cheek to stop from saying anything. But after a moment, warmth pulsed though her palm. John’s eyes widened. He must have felt it too. Just as quickly the sensation passed.
“Could you feel him, Veronica?”
Yes. He’s grumbly like his human. He says he misses John too.
Sienna felt like she’d been sucker punched.
John rested his hand on top of Sienna’s. “What did she say?”
“She could feel him.” She hesitated. “She said he misses you too.”
John faltered back a step and leaned forward, dropping his hands to his legs and sucking in a harsh breath.
She reached for him, and he held up his hand to stop her. “I can’t.”
“I understand.” And she did to a degree. His dragon’s admission to Veronica made her want to sob uncontrollably. She couldn’t begin to imagine what John must be feeling. He lost the only being that had truly had his back. And to have them just out of reach? It was heartbreaking.
I didn’t mean to make him sad, Veronica whispered.
John stood and faced her, the mask he wore snapping back in place.
Sienna pushed down her own emotions. Yes, she was on a mission—for Bella, Lily, her family and clan. But standing in front of John when his ache was tangible in the air around them took it to another level.
This was why Sienna needed to step up and break this damn curse.
No more excuses. No more fear. And once it was gone?
She would be able to see John’s face when he reunited with his dragon, and then she would be having a serious conversation with him about their future.
After today, there was no doubt in her mind that they belonged together.