Chapter Nineteen #2
“Again?” Benedict and I shouted out in unison, though with two completely different tones. Benedict’s was broken and ragged, and mine was loud with excitement and joy.
A hiss traveled through the crowd.
Shadows swooped overhead: fast, graceful, deliberate. Two shapes dropped from the sky, landing silently in the clearing. Two female draken, pale as moonstone, with iridescent scales shining white the whole way down their bodies. I eyed their wings, also white.
Unmated females.
They slammed down hard into the ground, landing in a crouch and straightening with two wicked grins.
“DOWN, ALL OF YOU!” Benedict roared.
The females both had eyes like old moss and were as tall as Benedict. No, as tall as Canavar. They looked cut from the same mold as him at least, muscled and thick, strong and fierce with eyes sharp enough to cut through steel.
Every male draken twitched, stuck on their bellies.
Nerissa pushed through the crowd.
“MY DAUGHTERS,” she bellowed, racing up to them and seizing them in a giant hug.
The two females—clearly sisters—smirked in unison, entirely unbothered by having just bypassed the wards like slipping through a curtain.
One flicked her dark hair over her shoulder. “Mother. You left the door open.”
“We let ourselves in,” another added smugly. “You went weeks without a word. Very unlike you.”
“Vanca and Nava,” Nerissa introduced, nodding at the taller one and then the shorter one.
Vanca pointed at Benedict. “And who’s the angry one? He smells like he swallowed a lightning bolt.”
Benedict actually looked offended, but paused in approaching them.
I realized he wanted to see what they would do.
Our males were slowly getting used to seeing females again, but they weren’t allowed to go near the refugees near the lava tubes.
They were only allowed to interact with them if they came out first. Enya and Yazmine were getting more comfortable, too, but they usually only interacted with me.
Now there were more females and these females weren’t afraid to land in the middle of the unmated males.
An odd feeling washed over me, my chest tightening. I tried to push it away. I wasn’t being replaced or pushed aside.
I clutched my stomach and focused on the new arrival, who was watching the male drakens with as much curiosity as Benedict.
We didn’t have to wait long.
A middle-aged, unmated draken with teal scales tried to stand. Benedict raised an eyebrow and let him up.
Here we go.
He slicked his hair back, puffing his chest like a peacock with a death wish, and swaggered toward them. I covered my mouth to hide an inappropriate grin.
“Females,” he crooned, flipping his wings open in what he clearly thought was a seductive display. “Welcome to Lyoness. If you’re looking for strong, virile company—”
“You’re going to get your ass beat,” Nerissa announced flatly. “I give it three seconds.”
That turned out to be incredibly generous.
Vanca didn’t so much as blink before she hooked her claws into the male’s shoulder and bounced him off the nearest palm tree.
Hard.
Most of us winced at the sound, cringing as he slid down the trunk like a sad, wilted leaf.
“Well,” Vanca said, dusting off her hands and frowning, “that was disappointing.”
Nava, slightly smaller but just as lethal-looking, stepped over the groaning male. “Do all your males crumble like overripe fruit?”
Kaida snorted loudly. Benedict coughed to hide a laugh. Several unmated males puffed up their chests indignantly. Another strode forward, green scales glinting with a rakish grin in place. “We weren’t prepared. Give us another chance—”
Nava raised a brow. “Are you offering to be thrown next?”
The male swallowed, eyes nervously darting between the two of them. “Depends who’s throwing.”
Vanca stepped forward.
He turned pale.
“Actually,” he squeaked, “I suddenly remembered I promised to … um … help fix the southern nets—”
“Run along,” Vanca said sweetly.
He bolted.
I bit down a smile. The sisters were terrifying, but undeniably entertaining. This would be good for the unmated males. A cluster of younger unmated males gathered even now, whispering urgently among themselves—
“Maybe confidence is the key—”
“No, strength—she respects strength—”
“Do you think she likes poetry? Should I compose a mating ballad—?”
Nava leaned over with a sharklike grin. “I should warn you, I like females.”
Half the males choked and fled. The other half looked deeply, profoundly relieved.
Nerissa groaned. “Nava. Stop toying with them.”
“What? It’s fun.” Nava flicked her wings. “Besides, the male drakens here are practically begging to be humiliated. You were right, Mother; male drakens are ridiculous. Have they never seen a female before?” She looked around, but only spotted me. Her shoulders drooped, disappointed. “Hmm.”
My eyes narrowed at her. Kaida’s wings bristled, the only sign of her annoyance.
Every male in earshot snapped to attention at her criticism, posture instantly civil. The change was so fast even I blinked.
Domik wandered into the clearing, nose buried in the book he had run off to fetch. “Benedict, have you seen this premise on bloodwards that—”
He looked up—saw Vanca—and froze so violently he nearly gave himself whiplash.
Vanca’s eyes sparkled like the embers of a fire.
“Well, hello,” she purred, sauntering toward him with predatory interest.
Domik backed up a step. Then another. He tripped over a tree root and recovered, barely, clutching the book to his chest like a shield.
“Um,” he squeaked. “Hello. I—I didn’t—wasn’t—are you—who?”
She prowled around him in a slow circle. “You smell like ink and old paper. And … logic.” Her smile sharpened. “I like that.”
Domik swallowed the lump in his throat. “Most don’t.”
“I’m not most,” she said.
He made a strangled noise that might have been a plea for help.
I hid a snort. Kaida openly enjoyed the show. Benedict looked quietly relieved Vanca had found a target other than the local idiots.
“Well,” Benedict said, clearing his throat loudly enough to bring everyone’s attention back, “since it seems our guests will be staying awhile, perhaps we should use the leftover food from the celebration. We have a few uninhabited huts built just for females, so …”
Nerissa nodded. “Nothing welcomes family like a feast.”
Nava shot a sly grin. “Good. I’m starving. Travelling through storms makes me aggressive.”
“You’re always aggressive,” Vanca muttered.
“Exactly.”
One of the unmated males groaned. He was ignored.
Kaida grinned. “Welcome dinner it is!”
Enya emerged from the crowd, clapping her hands. “Good. Wren, you are not cooking. Or standing. Or doing anything except sitting.
“Fine,” I grit out, not disagreeing. I hated always being tired.
“We will take those performing the ritual to your treehouse, and plan while you sit and rest,” Kaida suggested.
I was so grateful for her.
Kieran and Benedict were instantly at my side, Kieran picking me up to carry me back to the treehouse to sit near the preparations.
The crowd softened; anxiety faded under the warm hum of preparation. Drakens, witches, and seawitches all moved with purpose: setting tables, lighting lanterns, preparing platters of roasted roots, salted fish, sweet-cooked berries, rice cakes, and fire-honey glaze.
The tension lifted as families reunited, and the young ones played in the grass.
I just hoped that whatever we planned, it worked.
And that Ronan returned soon with the others.
The child inside of me kicked once as if agreeing.