25. Quill #2
I risked a glance at Aeron and found him watching me intently, his expression open in a way it rarely was.
“For a dragon, the bond means commitment for life,” Thaddeus continued.
“It means protection, provision, and an unwavering devotion that supersedes all other relationships. Even if the mate should die, the one left behind remains true to them forever. They will never love another the way they loved their mate.”
“What about for the witch?” I asked quietly, because that seemed like the important question. “What does it mean for me?”
Thaddeus’s expression softened slightly.
“That, I suspect, is something you and Aeron will have to discover together. The bond affects each species differently. But I can tell you that you will feel it, a pull toward him that may seem overwhelming at times. A sense that he is where you’re meant to be.
You might even be able to share your magic someday.
” He smiled. “But that is a long way off. Aeron is still very young and not fully mature yet in his abilities.”
“Grandfather…” Aeron groaned, looking suddenly uncomfortable. “I’m eight-five. I’m an adult.”
I gasped audibly. “Eighty-five?!” I looked up at Aeron, my jaw practically on the ground.
“Yes, barely an adult by dragon standards,” Thaddeus nodded, a smile on his face. “Our kind can live almost indefinitely if we are careful.”
Indefinitely. The word echoed in my mind as the reality sank in. Not only was Aeron old enough to be my grandfather, but he would live for hundreds, if not thousands of years. And I’d be around for what? A hundred if I was lucky?
The weight of that knowledge settled over me like a heavy blanket, suffocating in its implications. Aeron would outlive me by centuries. He would watch me grow old while he remained in his prime. He would mourn me long after I was gone, bound to my memory for eternity.
“Red?” Aeron’s voice pulled me back from the spiral of my thoughts. His hand tightened around mine, and I realized I’d gone rigid beside him. “You okay?”
I wasn’t okay. But I also wasn’t about to have a complete breakdown in front of two members of the Elder Council. I forced myself to take a breath, to plaster on something that resembled composure.
“Just processing,” I managed, though my voice sounded hollow even to my own ears.
Thaddeus watched this exchange with those penetrating golden eyes, and I had the distinct impression that he saw right through my attempt at composure. But to his credit, he didn’t push. Instead, he set down his brandy glass and leaned back in his chair.
“There is much you both have to learn,” he said thoughtfully. “But that is a conversation for another time. Right now, we have more pressing concerns.” He turned his attention to Wild and Atlas, who had positioned themselves near the fireplace. “What news from the Council?”
“They’re gathering now,” Wild reported. “Elias is coordinating with the others to ensure everyone can attend safely. Given the circumstances, they’re willing to convene immediately.”
“Good,” Thaddeus nodded. “We’ll need their input on how to proceed. The breach at Widdershins was only the beginning, I suspect. Wild’s mother wouldn’t have revealed herself unless she had a larger endgame in mind.”
“She was looking for something,” I heard myself say.
All three of them turned to look at me, and I pushed forward despite the flutter of nerves in my stomach.
“When she was attacking us, she didn’t seem like she was trying to kill us specifically.
She seemed more interested in... I don’t know...
making a point? Or proving something? Revenge? Something like that.”
“The witch is perceptive,” Thaddeus said, and I caught what might have been approval in his tone. “That aligns with what I suspected about Morgana’s motivations.”
Morgana. So that was her name.
“She always did enjoy the theatrical approach,” Wild muttered, running a hand through his hair. “She wants an audience. She wants people to know what she’s doing.”
“Which means this won’t be the last attack,” Aeron said grimly. His arm around my waist had become a permanent fixture, and I found myself leaning into him without thinking about it. “She’ll hit us again, probably somewhere we’re not expecting.”
“Which is precisely why I need to speak with the Elder Council,” Thaddeus replied. He stood up, moving toward one of the bookshelves that lined the study. “And why I’ll be sealing the estate on my way out. I don’t want her to find you again.”
“But I can help,” Aeron began. “Take me with you and I—”
“No,” Thaddeus said, his tone firm and resolute. “I will not risk my only grandson with Lady Briar commanding the undead. You will stay here, protected and untouchable until I return.”
“Do you need anything from us?” I asked, my voice surprisingly steady. “Anything we can do to help?”
Thaddeus turned those golden eyes toward me, and I saw something flicker across his expression.
“At the moment, I need you to rest. Both of you have been through a harrowing experience. The Council will convene and we will make a decision. Until then, you should eat, sleep, and allow yourselves to recover.” He paused.
“Aeron, please show Quill to the guest quarters. Make sure he has everything he needs.”
“I’d rather he stay with me,” Aeron said immediately, and there was that possessive edge to his voice again.
Thaddeus smiled, a knowing expression that made me feel like my face was on fire. “Of course you would. Very well. Show him to your rooms then.”
As we stood to leave, I caught Wild’s eye.
He was grinning at me with that infuriating smirk, clearly amused by the entire situation.
I shot him a look that I hoped conveyed exactly how much I wanted to strangle him.
He might’ve been a member of the Elder Council, but to me he was still my annoying roommate with different colored hair.
Aeron led me out of the study and back through the twisting corridors of the estate, leaving the other behind.
Now that I knew he was eighty-five years old, I found myself looking at him differently.
The confidence, the casual command of magic and space, it all made more sense now.
He wasn’t just arrogant. He had decades of experience backing up that arrogance.
“Stop thinking so loud,” Aeron said without looking at me. “It’s making my scales itch.”
“It’s a lot to take in,” I said defensively. “You’re eighty-five. You’re going to live for centuries. I’m going to be dust before you’re even middle-aged.”
“Red—”
“Don’t,” I cut him off. “Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter, because it does.”
He pulled me into a side corridor, away from the main hallway, and backed me up against the wall. His hands came up to cup my face, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“I love you,” he said simply. “I don’t know how long we’ll have together.
I don’t know if you’ll live to be a hundred or a thousand.
But I know that every second with you matters to me more than anything else in this world.
So yes, we’ll figure it out. Because the alternative is losing you without even trying, and I won’t do that. ”
I wanted to argue, wanted to point out all the logical reasons why this was a terrible idea.
But instead, I found myself kissing him, pulling him closer as I tried to pour everything I was feeling into the contact.
Fear, uncertainty, and underneath it all, a love so fierce and new that it scared me senseless.
When we finally broke apart, Aeron rested his forehead against mine.
Just then, my stomach growled loudly.
“Come on,” he smiled. “Let’s get something to eat. We fell asleep before we got anything back at the sanctuary.”
My stomach growled again, and I felt heat rise to my cheeks.
Aeron laughed, a warm sound that echoed through the corridor, and took my hand, leading me deeper into the mansion.
And for now, that would have to do. Because until we figured out all this stuff with the Purity Front, there was no point in worrying about the future.
In order for us to even have a future, they had to be taken care of.
I just hoped the Elder Council and Aeron’s grandfather could make that happen.