Chapter 13
Vilka went to his father. The old man had given him many speeches over the years, and he had never appreciated a single one of them.
Now he was anxious to hear whatever wisdom Vyktor might have for him.
He was beginning to feel exceptionally lonely, knowing that he would face the world eater by himself, and knowing that the odds of besting the creature were minimal.
The prospect of the end was very real, and nobody knew that better than his father.
“You have chosen a fine mate,” Vyktor said, the first words out of his mouth ones of unexpected praise. “I am proud of you, Vilka.”
“Proud of me? For making myself a pariah and now unleashing a world eater? You have little to be proud of.”
“I have pride in you because you have never shied away from the consequences of your actions. You could have fled with your human mate through the portal and left Avastias to the elders to contain.”
“That didn’t actually occur to me,” Vilka said thoughtfully. “That’s actually a very good idea.”
“It did not occur to you because you are honorable,” Vyktor said with a chuckle.
“It did not cross your mind, even for a second, to run from the beast. Many would have taken that option. There was a giant exit in the sky. Your mate could likely have closed it from the other side, and yet you did not even think to flee. You have courage enough for an army, my son, and it will stand you in good stead. You should be proud of yourself, and your mate.”
“Mate? I call her that, but she hates the very notion,” Vilka said. “She hates me.”
“She certainly does not. I have seen that look she wears in her eyes before. It is the look of a woman who hates what she desires. It was necessary for your mother to briefly be a prisoner of mine. I will spare you the details, but she was fierce.”
“Kate is not just fierce, she is relentless,” Vilka said. “Every chance she gets she tries to escape. If she cared for me at all, she would not do that. Even now, she curses my name.”
“Women are more complex than you might imagine,” Vyktor said.
“Her desire for freedom is understandable and I do not doubt it, but it is likely made stronger by your refusal to grant her it. If you had forbidden her from setting foot in this realm, you would likely never have been rid of her. She is contrary, like so many of her kind.”
“What are you saying, Father?”
“I am saying, if she wishes to be free, perhaps you should allow her to be free.”
“What? She cannot go free! She will run at the first chance. I have enough trouble to deal with already without letting the agent of chaos loose!”
“I suspect she does not truly desire her freedom as much as she once might have. Keeping her chained allows her to continue to deny what is between you,” Vyktor said. “You cannot keep her on a leash forever, and if you try you will eventually destroy what you love about her.”
His father’s words rang true, evoking thoughts that had occurred to Vilka, but that he had pushed away. There was an ancient beast to do battle with, and yet he was talking about the problems with his love life, like a teenager.
“There is another more pressing matter, Father,” he reminded Vyktor. “I must do battle with Avastias.”
“I do not know if one matter is more pressing than the other,” Vyktor said.
“I think they are one and the same. You have grown strong, my son, and now you are a warrior and leader in your own right. You are everything I hoped you would be. You have a legion of your own, and a mate of your own. My time was the first war. Yours is now. I know you will do what is right. I know you will bring this matter to a peaceful conclusion and I know, no matter what, that you will make me proud.”
Vilka had never heard his father speak in such terms before.
Vyktor had been a demanding and at times even harsh parent, always pushing him to do more, be more.
Vilka’s distant posting had been something of a mercy given the strained relationship between them.
His mother had claimed it was because they were too alike, but Vilka had always suspected that it was for the same reason he was suspected by the other elders—his human blood.
He no longer thought that. His father’s clear admiration for all things human was suddenly abundantly clear.
Perhaps it always had been and it had been Vilka’s shame that had made him think that his father abhorred it.
What else had he not been able to see? What else was hiding in plain sight?
Perhaps his father was right. Perhaps chaining Kate was the wrong thing to do.
* * *
Kate sat despondently in Vilka’s chambers, the knowledge of her extreme failure weighing heavy on her heart.
How could she have created such chaos? She had been warned several times and yet she had not been able to listen and now innocent lives were at stake.
This was exactly the opposite of what she had wanted to achieve—a deeper understanding between the human realm and the dragon world.
And now she was going to lose Vilka. The only man she had ever cared about, the man who had taken her virginity and made her his own.
The prospect of being separated from him was so painful she could barely breathe when she contemplated it.
She heard the doors open and a moment later Vilka strode in, his hands going to her collar and leash. She looked up, ready for another tongue lashing and battle of wills, but it did not happen. There was a slight humming sound and a buzzing sensation, then both fell from her, leaving her free.
“I will not chain you anymore,” he said. “You made this mess, and you will help me clean it up. I will not stop you from running. I hope your sense of honor will do that. I can no longer afford to play jailer to you while a world eater flies free in another realm. Understand?”
Too shocked to speak for a second, Kate finally managed to nod. “Yes, sir,” she said, rubbing her neck where the collar had begun to feel familiar. “I understand. Thank you.”
“Do not thank me,” Vilka said. “I do this as a last resort. I have no choice but to trust you, but this is your very last chance. If you cross me again and make me regret this moment, then you will make yourself a prisoner in perpetuity.”
“I won’t cross you, Vilka,” she said softly. “I feel… I know I have done something terrible. I know I should have listened to you earlier. I was just so set…”
“There is not time to dredge over our failings,” Vilka said. “There is only time to do what must be done and right the wrongs which we have both inflicted on our worlds.”
His solemn words made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. This was her chance to redeem herself and to act in the service of the greater good. It was going to be painful and it was going to come at great cost, but she would not shy away from it. If Vilka could be this brave, so could she.