Chapter 56
Fifty-Six
Ella
“Why does it feel like we lost?” I asked Dirk as we headed toward Milly’s room later that day.
Dirk was silent. Had he not heard me? I opened my mouth to repeat my question, but he started speaking first.
“Because we did, in a way. This betrayal was far larger than we expected, far more people who hate Caz and the way he wants to run the kingdom. On top of that, it appeared we had justice in our hands. We did. Mirko’s treachery had been exposed, his lies revealed.
He was at our mercy. And in less than a minute, it was all undone, and he got away free. Without punishment.”
“But nobody died. We didn’t lose territory. Nothing was stolen but another traitor. Yet everyone is walking around like it’s over,” I pointed out. “Even you and Caz.”
Dirk put an arm around me, pulling me into an unexpected hug. “Durion was one of us, love. He was part of our flight.”
His thick arms tightened around me. I leaned into it and him, enjoying the contact, even if I knew it wasn’t a happy one.
“I trusted him,” my mate whispered in my ear. “With your life. On multiple occasions. He could have used any of those to kill you, and it would have been my fault for not seeing his treason.”
“Nobody saw it, Dirk. Not even Kolar. You can’t blame yourself for that.”
“I can, and I do, Ella.” He pressed a finger to my lips when I began to protest. “I am not going to live in that guilt. I assure you. But it exists nonetheless, my love. I am supposed to be better than the others, smarter. That’s the sort of thing I should catch, even if they miss it.
Yet as you say, none of us did. And you could have paid the price for it.
I think about that a lot. About what it would be like if they’d succeeded in taking you, or worse. ”
I felt the shiver run through him, and I squeezed back.
“Oof.”
“Funny.”
“No,” Dirk wheezed, reaching up to unlatch my arms. When they came free, he breathed in deep. “I wasn’t joking. That was strong, Ella. Very strong.”
I looked at my arms. They didn’t feel any different.
“The closer you and your dragon get, the more easily its strength will come to you. You’ll learn to control it. Don’t worry.”
“I just wish it would happen entirely,” I whined, fully aware I sounded like a child but not caring. If I couldn’t complain baselessly to my mate, who could I do it to?
“In time.”
“Not good enough.” I frowned. “We’re going back. After Milly’s collar is off and she’s assumedly unconscious, as I was.”
“Back?”
“To the crash site. From the beginning,” I said. “In the mountains by the chalet. We’re going to see what happens this time.”
“Sure,” Dirk said with a shrug. “Whatever my mate wants.”
I grinned.
“What’s that smile for?”
“Nothing. I just like being called your mate.”
“That’s what you are, Ella,” he said, taking me lightly by the chin and tilting my head up so he could stare into my eyes.
“You’re my mate. The best thing to ever happen to me.
I can’t wait for a thousand years of waking up to your eyes.
A thousand years of making you laugh. And a thousand more after that doing whatever Pure Dragons do. ”
It was my turn to shiver. That was a long time. It would be forever until our human side faded and we went south to live among the pure dragons, growing larger among the mountains until one day we would journey to the west. Across the Great Abyss, and into whatever awaited us in the beyond.
That last journey was romanticized by all dragons. Even as a Grounded, knowing I would never have a mate, I had wondered what it would be like, to love and be loved so strongly.
Now I was going to find out.
Well, in a thousand years, and a thousand more after that. But eventually, I would know what it was like. Until then, I intended to spend every day loving Dirk more and basking in the love he showered me with endlessly.
I couldn’t have found a mate to make me happier. It had been a long road full of bumps, mostly of our own making, but we were here, now. Together at last, and as he said, I couldn’t wait to see his face every morning for the rest of my life.
“Now come on. My friend needs me.”
Dirk dropped me off, saying he would stand outside. “You and Anna are needed in there. Not me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Milly needs her girls. Her besties,” he said, smiling. “We get along, but she will be more comfortable with me out here, guarding against anything, than inside.”
“Okay.” I rose up on my tiptoes as he bent over, kissing me. I let it linger for a moment or three longer than was necessary to let him know I appreciated his thoughts, and then I went inside.
Everyone was ready.
Milly sat on the couch, taking deep breaths to steady herself.
“Does it hurt?” she asked, looking up at me.
“It will feel like it,” I told her somberly. “Everything it does is in your head. But it feels like it, yes.”
“Okay.” Milly swallowed and then looked at Caz and nodded. “Let’s just do it. This is going to suck no matter what.”
Caz reached forward, ice flowing from his hands as he grasped the silver band, slowly freezing it solid. The flow of ice backed up against his hands and up to the elbow.
“Ready?” he asked one last time.
“Do it,” Milly confirmed, her face set.
Caz wrenched the band apart with a growl. Frost billowed out from the broken ends, expanding in size before it darted for Milly’s head.
“Shit!” Caz shouted, plunging both hands into the frost. “Get Dirk!”
I didn’t have to. The door flung open, and Dirk was at Milly’s side in an instant as I clung to Anna. “What’s going on?”
“They’re fighting the binding,” Anna said. “Caz did this to you, but the frost cloud was far smaller. I don’t understand.”
Dirk stuck his hands into the cloud, right in front of Milly’s face. I watched fearfully as my mate put himself in harm’s way. The skin on his hands and arms was blistered red and painful, and his face bunched up in pain.
Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the cloud began to stiffen and turn to ice as the brothers fought against it.
“Anna,” Caz grunted, both his and Dirk’s hands held fast in the ice. “Hit it. Smash it.”
The Ice Tyrantess swept from my side, her eyes ablaze with purple light as she called to her dragon.
Her hand came down, fingers bladed, and slashed into the solid chunk. Ice shattered and exploded, peppering everyone with razor-sharp pieces.
At the same time, Milly started sobbing uncontrollably with her eyes screwed shut. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t want to, Daddy. I’m sorry!”
Then, blissfully her eyes rolled up into her skull and she fell back into the couch unconscious.
“Is that what I did?” I asked, stunned by the pain in my friend’s voice.
“No,” Anna said, also shocked. “You just screamed and tried to claw your eyes out with your fingernails.”
“Oh. That sounds horrible too.”
“It was terrible,” Dirk rasped.
I gasped, rushing to his side. “Your arms!”
“I will be okay. I promise.” He leaned in, resting his forehead against mine. “But our trip will probably have to wait until tomorrow.”
“That’s okay,” I said, looking at Milly. “I don’t want to leave her yet anyway.”
Dirk nodded. “I understand.” He got to his feet, glancing at Caz, who nodded. “We’ll let you be for now. Take care of your friend. She deserves it.”
“We will,” I assured him, taking up position on the other side of Milly from Anna. “Thank you, Caz.”
“Don’t thank me,” he grunted. “I hate inflicting pain. I just hate those collars more.”
“It was so strong,” Anna said. “What happened?”
“I think Mirko put it on himself,” Caz said. “I don’t know for sure. But I won’t make that mistake again.”
The two men bid farewells and left the room, their arms red. I sent all the loving and supportive emotions I could through my link with Dirk. It hurt me not to take care of him as a mate should, but Milly needed me more right now.
Understanding flowed back from him, and I smiled. Looking up, I saw a similar smile on Anna’s face. She must have been doing the same.
“Come on,” she said. “Let’s get Milly to the bed.”
We did and then settled in for our vigil. We supported one another, and these two had been there for me. Now it was my turn.
That was what besties did.