Chapter 15 Cassius #2
“See? You’re not hungry for them.” I saw him flinch, then dip his head a little toward her belly. “Hungry for something else though.”
“You can feel that?” she asked.
“An urgency, yeah.” He patted her shoulder. “Good timing that Sylas is here.” As he turned his head, Velra did the same.
And then she was on her feet and rushing over as well.
Sylas kept one hand glued to Lazriel’s hip and wrapped his free arm around Velra, tucking her into his side and nuzzling against her.
“You did it,” she said, eyeing me happily. “Pulled him away for a bit from his work.”
“As promised.”
A tiny cry sounded and we all swung our heads toward the bassinet.
I knew well what lay inside, but blankets covered the precious being within from view.
Vorzyr was being rather overprotective.
Nyx had explained to me that it was to be expected because it was Vorzyr’s first time taking care of the little months-old being alone.
The cries intensified and Vorzyr pushed out of his chair and reached into the bassinet.
I heard Sylas’ breath catch, because he was the only one here who hadn’t seen yet.
Vorzyr lifted out a baby dragon with black and orange scales and tiny little wings that were tinged with a silver hue and did not yet work to enable him to take flight.
Torvek Titanus, Vorzyr’s baby brother who had been in the care of Draven Vortimer and his mother, Elyrren Vortimer in the Dracoryn Realm now ruled by House Vortimer.
It was a long and complicated story, but suffice to say, this was the first time that Torvek had been outside the Dracoryn Realm.
According to what Nyx had told me, it had become possible because Draven had just discovered he was to be a father.
It was also my understanding that Draven was not in a relationship with the dragon in question now carrying his child, nor on good terms with her, so there was a lot that needed to be dealt with.
In light of that, he’d sent Torvek here for a couple of days to be with Vorzyr.
Given that Solumira was so heavily warded by Ariana, there was no security risk to him.
Lazriel eased from Sylas and Velra, then went to Vorzyr.
His eyes softened as he glanced between the baby and Vorzyr. “Can I?”
“You’ve been waiting all this time for him to wake up, so go for it. Just… gently. Really gently.”
“He has dragon hide, V,” Nyx told him with a chuckle.
“It’s not fully developed yet, Luscious.”
As Lazriel carefully stroked Torvek’s head, Nyx walked to Vorzyr and rubbed his back soothingly. “You’re doing amazingly well with him. All right?”
Vorzyr smiled. “Thanks.”
“Dragons… so soft but hard at the same time… I’ve never touched one in full dragon form before,” Lazriel murmured.
Vorzyr gave him a look. “Damn, you just had to ask. I was right here, gorgeous.”
Lazriel’s gaze flicked to his.
Tension rose as I saw Lazriel trying to get a read on him.
But Vorzyr held steady, not flinching one little bit.
And then Nyx couldn’t hold himself back, and he burst out laughing. “Ariana would have your head. And Kai would do a whole lot worse.”
“Sexually destroy you, I’d imagine,” Sylas said, striding over.
His gaze was intent on the baby, almost reverent, studying, gauging.
“You’re next-level when it comes to that, from what I’ve heard,” Vorzyr said.
Sylas’ attention flicked to him. A smirk played on his lips. “Kai’s got me with the degradation. I prefer to stay in the dirty lane.” He lifted a shoulder. “Each to their own.”
Lazriel caught my eye, then looked away quickly.
I had no doubt he was thinking of our very recent sexual encounter where the sexually destroying aspect had most definitely been prevalent.
Velra smiled out at me. She was well aware of what had happened, partly through the Soul Brand, but also because she’d asked me, having been so very concerned about Lazriel after his captivity under Victor Halrow.
“Cut it out,” he told Vorzyr and Sylas. “In front of a baby, assholes.”
I smiled. Trust him to attempt a lecture like that while also throwing in a curse word.
“He can’t register the content of your conversation, not even your actual words at this age,” Nyx said, smiling at Lazriel.
“But Ketheron certainly can,” I spoke up, noticing him frowning in confusion as he listened in and tried to make sense of what he could not at this juncture.
Lazriel eased from the baby and walked to Ketheron. “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you, Keth.”
“Excuse me?” I cut in. “I don’t believe that’s the best way forward.”
“Why not?”
“I’ll see to it,” Sylas called over, and I saw him finally react to Torvek who was flailing his hand toward Sylas. Sylas took it very carefully, his eyes shining.
“I would like Velra to teach me,” Ketheron announced all of a sudden.
Velra started in surprise. “Me?”
“Yes,” Ketheron told her with a smile. “I like how you explain things to me. Emotional things, hopes and dreams, relationship interactions… all of it. You’re patient and enthusiastic and careful and caring. I like it very much.”
Emotion welled in her eyes. “Thank you,” she only just managed to utter.
Ketheron smiled and took her hand, guiding her over to Torvek and the four fawning over him.
I watched then as she emerged from what I’d felt as her uncertainty and inferiority in such matters involving caretaking and interaction with an infant, and began to interact more so.
Nyx signaled to Vorzyr—although he could no longer read Velra with his Incubus abilities since I’d tethered her months ago, he was still impressively perceptive—and Vorzyr handed Torvek to her.
She sucked in a breath as she cradled him to her, eyes wide with both awe and uncertainty.
I walked over, taking it all in, especially the way Lazriel’s eyes lit with so much excitement, and Sylas’ gaze darted from her belly to her holding the baby.
She shifted her hold after a few moments, growing more comfortable, and as the conversation swirled around her and she was oblivious to it all, focused only on the baby.
Little snores sounded as Torvek fell asleep in her arms.
“Whoa,” Vorzyr exclaimed. “I’ve never known a dragon to sleep when its hungry. That’s why he woke up. It was feeding time. Every two hours on the dot Draven told me.”
I saw her wince through her smile at Vorzyr’s words.
I shot a pointed look at Sylas, and he reached out and stroked her hair. “Speaking of feeding time, our unborn bundle of joy needs sustenance.”
I could see her resistance to handing the baby back already, but then Lazriel laid a hand on her belly and eased things by saying, “We have that special surprise to get to as well. Ketheron and Cassius are so excited about it.” He grinned at me, then looked back at her.
“Cassius is excited, love. That’s how big a deal it’s gotta be. ”
“I resent the implication, wild one.”
Vorzyr whistled. “Loving that nickname. The filthy connotations are right there. Kai is hearing about it.”
“Better than him referring to me as a fresh one when Sylas and I first… came together.”
Sylas smirked and ruffled his hair. “Pun most definitely intended.”
Nyx rolled his eyes, then gently took Torvek from Velra. “We’ll have him back here more often. Whenever you want to come by, just say the word, text me, whatever you want.”
“Okay, yeah. Thanks, Nyx.”
“Of course.”
Sylas led her away then, Ketheron talking with Vorzyr and Nyx animatedly, as he started telling them about his understanding of the physical development of infants, while asking Nyx to fill in the emotional aspect to give him the full picture.
Lazriel and I followed Sylas and Velra over to the fire pit, where Velra took a seat on one of them and Sylas knelt in front of her.
With a spark of his crimson magic, he called forth the solution that he’d created to allow our baby to feed from his necromantic energy without desiccating him.
And that solution came in the form of an ornate pewter baby rattle etched with roses—an amusing nod to those being his favorite flowers. The fact that his solution had taken the form of a rattle was an amusing nod in itself.
He held one end out to Velra as his magic flamed where he grasped the other.
She took it and placed it on her belly, and it flamed with Sylas’ magic at the point of contact. After an initial jolt, a peaceful sigh escaped her and her body relaxed, as Sylas fed the baby the sustenance it needed.
“Always right on the clock going forward, Sylas,” I spoke. “It hurts her if there’s a delay.”
Sylas frowned, looking between us. “Hurts?”
“Like kicking?” Lazriel asked.
“No, like a painful twinge that grows stronger the longer the child has to wait for you.”
“Cassius, it’s okay,” Velra assured me.
“It’s certainly not.” I eyed Sylas. “Even during your research lockdowns, understood?”
“Understood,” he said, easily. “Of course.”
He eased the rattle away when he’d finished and tucked it back away with his magic, then reached out and took Velra’s hands as he rose, bringing her with him. “I’m sorry.”
“No—you didn’t know.”
“I didn’t. But I need to. We all do, all right?”
She nodded. “I promise.”
“Good.” He looked out at me. “Now, I believe we have a special surprise to get to?”
I nodded.
“Keth!” Lazriel called over to him still immersed in conversation with Vorzyr and Nyx. “Let’s go!”
“Time to hit the bricks,” I added.
Velra and Sylas burst out laughing.
Lazriel stared at me open mouthed.
“What?” I asked.
Ketheron’s hand landed on my shoulder. “Bricks ready to be hit.”
Lazriel shook his head. “The bricks aren’t… I mean… nothing is gonna be—Sylas!”
Sylas sighed with faux exasperation. “Just… show us to the gateway.”
The gateway came into view as Ketheron called his golden power to his right palm, holding it toward the far end of the mountain just feet from us now.
Vorzyr and Nyx had taken Torvek inside for a feeding as he’d woken up again, something I’d heard the sounds of as we’d taken our leave of them.
Now was the best time, because Kai would be home from Arcanum Order soon, and Ariana would return from Haven Initiative, which would have led to us being further delayed from showing Velra, Lazriel, and Sylas our surprise.
“This gateway can open up anywhere once we settle on a location,” I informed the three of them, while Ketheron got to work opening it, sweeping his hand in tight circles, the arched doorway that had come into view beginning to fill up with his swirling gold power.
“Should you like what lies within, of course.”
“Ready,” Ketheron announced.
With that, I stepped forward, leading the way through the vortex.
It swallowed us for a brief moment of discombobulation before we emerged in the magically isolated zone suspended between realms, existing beyond plane boundaries.
“A Rifted Cradle,” Sylas breathed. “Excellent.”
“Outside threats can’t breach it,” Velra uttered.
“And,” Ketheron said, rounded on us, so we all were forced to come to a halt and stare at his supremely excited face. “Ours is the only one that has this.”
In the next moment, he snapped his fingers and our true surprise came into view.
A castle brought to life in the most magnificent and opulent way imaginable.
The bulk of it was constructed from silver-gray limestone, the quartz element creating an organic shimmer when under moonlight, just like it was now.
It mimicked a frost-dusted appearance. Basalt stone was used for the accents—the spires and archways that provided a majestic air.
There was even a drawbridge in a rich charcoal which spanned a narrow ravine that was carved by the runoff of a glacier.
“Holy. Hell,” Velra choked, moving forward and gazing at it in absolute awe.
“You like?” Ketheron asked with barely-contained glee.
She swung her head toward him. “You actually did it. You brought my frost sculpture to life.” In the next moment, she ran at him and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you!” She reached out to me and grasped my arm. “Both of you. This is incredible! I can’t actually believe it.”
“Fucking shit,” Lazriel uttered. “Is this—”
“Our new home?” I finished for him. “If you all wish, yes. That was our intention in creating it.”
“This is extraordinary,” Sylas spoke. “Truly.”
“We call it Glacialis Arx,” I told them.
Lazriel frowned. “Frozen Fortress?”
“Yes!” Ketheron cried, before I watched him and Lazriel slap-shake, as Lazriel had termed it.
“Roughly translated,” Sylas said.
Velra nudged him playfully at him being so particular.
He was still struggling to ease from that mindset. I’d been in his company enough now to know that he wouldn’t be able to come out of it any further until he found the answers he sought and solved the magical puzzles at hand.
Being here now like this was very significant, though. He was making a great effort. And it was also helping him to be around this love and care—this familial unit.
“Our home,” he uttered, the raw emotion in his every word drawing our attention. “This is it.”