Chapter Twelve
TWELVE
MABEL
“I hate to be the only one who doesn’t understand, but I guess I am.
What happened? How could that thief destroy your swords?
” I wanted to scream, to rush Hunter to a quiet space so he could work out the obvious array of devastating emotions that I could feel within him, to comfort him, but I had no idea if he’d welcome such a thing. “And how did she know Dawn?”
“Desi sent her out looking for the blood moon,” Ysolde said, her shoulders slumped. “So, it’s over. Desi has the blood moon, and now we can’t fix the weyr, and god knows what horror he is going to wreak upon the world as a result.”
Hunter looked at me with so much sadness, tears pricked behind my eyes. “We are unbalanced again. Only now it’s worse.”
“Because you don’t have your sword?” I asked softly, wanting to kiss away the anguish visible in his eyes.
“If you’re not dragon hunters, then what are you?” Aisling asked.
“More to the point,” I said, glancing at Yrian. From what Hunter said, he was a powerful demigod, and surely those could do anything? “Can you put them back to the way they were?”
“No,” he said reluctantly. “I did not create them. I have not given myself over to the dark power as Xavier did; thus, I cannot remake what was destroyed. The best I can do is to stir the dormant dragon in Hunter, but I can’t remove the dark power from him.
The esprit lessened the blow to you both so the unmaking didn’t smite you dead, but beyond that, there is nothing to be done. ”
“Is that what Derry did?” I looked over at where he was sitting on the steps, his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward, trembling with exhaustion. He seemed depleted, which made sense if he’d expended himself to shield Hunter and his brother from annihilation.
Hunter turned and made a bow to Derry. “You have my gratitude for sacrificing yourself for us.”
Derry didn’t look up, but squawked a couple of times.
Berry, who was leaning against a troubled-looking Owain, said, “He says he did what any good esprit would do, and although he’d like to stay with you until you find Dawn, it is forbidden.”
The following half hour was hard for everyone. Hunter tried to collect the dust that was his sword, but it was a futile attempt, and I think everyone knew it.
The other dragons stayed for a little while, talking over what happened.
Yrian did as he promised, and laid both hands on Hunter’s shoulders while intoning words I didn’t understand, evidently rousing the once-again slumbering dragon within him.
I could feel his fire roar into being, and relished it because I knew how much Hunter cherished being a dragon, but a glance at his face warned that he was only just holding it together.
I said nothing when the dragons and vampires took their leave. Only Archer and Thaisa remained with us.
“So, this means you’re back to normal, but minus the sword?” I asked him.
“No.” He shared a bleak look with Archer. “We are no longer balanced, because we are no longer dragon hunters. Archer is a dragon. Thanks to Yrian, I am now a dragon again, but one laced with dark power that has the potential to take over.”
“No,” Thaisa protested. “Iain—he’s another dragon hunter, Mabel, who lives in California with his wife, who’s also a dragon hunter—Iain told Archer that the dragon side is what keeps the demonic part in check.
He said he didn’t even have his sword with him for many decades, but he was still a dragon hunter.
Yrian woke your dragon up again, Hunter, so surely that means your dark side can’t send you down the path of Xavier. ”
I stared in surprise at him. “Is that what you fear?” I asked him softly, so the others couldn’t hear. “That you’ll turn into an evil dragon like your dad?”
He inclined his head, but addressed Thaisa. “Iain was correct—but although he locked away his élan vital, it still existed. Ours no longer exist. Thus, we are ... lesser.”
“The hell you are,” I said, furious at that Finnish thief. I had no idea why she’d decided to ruin our lives, but I was not going to just roll over and let her get away with it. “If all it takes is to have an élan vital, then we’ll get new ones made.”
“If only it were that easy,” Archer said, escorting Thaisa out of the lodge.
I said nothing while they took their leave, simply waving when they drove away, but my brain was busy sorting through various ideas.
“We will have a video sárkány tomorrow,” Hunter told me ten minutes later, after having had a discussion with his tribe members.
I’d gone to his room, feeling that he might want some time with them without me muddying the waters.
“To discuss what is to be done about Desi. Which, most likely, isn’t much.
Not even Yrian and Owain joined together could get the blood moon back. Not while it’s in Desi’s possession.”
“I’m making a list of ways we can tackle the sword situation,” I said, making notes on my phone. “And at the top of my list is contacting Sally.”
“Mabel ...” An interesting parade of emotions passed over his face, shifting from regret to lust, and sadly back to regret. “You must return to Beck.”
“What? Why?” I asked, my stomach feeling like it was filled with lead. “I’m not going to believe you if you tell me you don’t want me around. I’m not blind, Hunter. Nor stupid. I can see in your eyes how much you want to get naked with me, and just saying those words makes your fire kick up.”
“There is nothing I want more than to take you to bed, strip you naked, and pleasure you until you can’t be pleasured any more, but it’s no longer safe for you to be with me.”
I studied his face, his beautiful face that was now stark, his eyes shadowed.
I thought about what my life was, and what I wanted it to be.
I thought about what it would mean to never see him again, never touch him, and hold him.
Never to feel safe as I did in his arms, safe and cherished, and even loved, although I didn’t want to look too closely at that emotion.
Dammit, I wanted the time to fall head over heels in love with him even though I was well on my way to that state.
“That is utter bullshit,” I told him, making the choice even though my heart knew there really wasn’t any other option.
“I’m your mate, and a ballet dancer. I will live with you, and be your partner in all things dragon, and we’ll have copious sweaty nights together where you won’t look at my feet, and I will allow you to enjoy my small boobs.
I will continue to dance, although I’ll probably have to go freelance, since being with a company means I wouldn’t have all the time I want to spend with you and the tribe, but I’m up for that.
We’ll be together, and we’ll find a way to fix the sword situation, and you can go on to help the other dragons get Dawn back from Desi. OK?”
He looked annoyed. “Did you not just hear me tell you that it’s not safe for you to remain here with me? My dragon side has only a tenuous control over the dark power. I can’t risk losing you.”
I leveled him with a look that I hoped would make him understand just how serious I was. “Dude, I more or less just proposed to you. You don’t turn down a proposal by saying ‘you’re not safe.’”
“Marriage is a mortal convention,” he said, pulling me to his chest despite his words.
“Yeah, well, consider it the mortal side of our relationship. Hunter ... I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m falling hard for you, and I don’t say that lightly.
We’re meant to be together. So stop fighting the inevitable, and graciously accept my proposal, so we can indulge in some sexy dragon loving, after which we’ll send Sally a message asking for help. ”
Hunter’s jaw tensed, but after what I could only assume was a hell of an inner struggle, his arms tightened around me.
“I should send you away. It’s my duty to keep you safe from all threats, including me.
But I’m weak, Mabel. I can’t. I want you here, at my side.
Be my mate. Help me keep the darkness inside me at bay with your shining, sweet self.
Allow me to worship you as the goddess you are, and to spend every moment of every day working to make you deliriously happy. ”
My eyes burned with tears. “Hunter Vehar! I never put you down as someone who loved hyperbole, but that was definitely over the top. Every moment of every day? Really?”
“It sounded good in my head,” he admitted, pulling me over to his bed. “I thought it would sway you.”
“I don’t need swaying, you big oaf. Not since I stopped worrying about Papi harming you. Thank you again for that, by the way.”
He murmured something inane about Papi, then explained that we must make oaths of fealty to each other to make the matehood official, or some such silliness.
I knew there was nothing on earth that would make me forsake him, but I duly promised to put him and the tribe first, and accepted his promise in return.
“I’m still going to want to get married, though,” I told Hunter when he started stripping me.
He paused and shot me a questioning look.
“I live with mortals. Well, used to before I met you. And I’ve always kind of wanted to be married.”
“You do realize that being mated supersedes—”
“Yes, I know it. It’s something I’d like us to do, but if you have strong feelings otherwise, I guess I can let it go. Although I am not calling you my master. You’ll have to be content with boyfriend.”
Hunter made a face, then spun me around and tossed me onto the bed, so I was face down, with him taking up a spot between my ankles. “Archer married Thaisa earlier this year because she wished for the same. I will accept your proposal of marriage.”
“Goody. Er ... are we doing new-position day? Because my boobs miss you, and I can’t touch you or anything when I’m splayed out like this,” I said, trying to peer over my shoulder at him.
He was ogling my legs with a light that made my entire body feel ten degrees warmer.
“We are newly mated. I must seal that by giving you a tribe emblem. The Shadow Tribe has them on the lower back.” He touched a spot above my butt. “But more importantly, I wish to touch and taste and tease every inch of your delectable legs.”
“I get my turn on you later, though, right?” I asked, my body on the verge of quivering with expectation.
“Later, yes,” he said, his voice filled with a smoky promise. “Much later.”
Heat washed over me as he blew fire on my thighs, making me squirm with happiness.
Life was far from perfect. We had Dawn to rescue, and the relic inside her to remove from Desislav.
We had to find a way to make new élan vitals, so Hunter and Archer could continue to help protect the dragons from Deus and his gang.
We had to help Yrian do whatever he needed so the tribes could join the weyr.
But despite all those troubles, my heart sang with happiness that I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
We’d make things right. I had faith in Hunter, and together, I told myself even as my brain switched into ecstasy mode when Hunter moved up my body, parting my legs to surge into me in a manner that left me breathless, together we were unstoppable.