“Because my sister no longer thinks as I do.”
“We’re twins, Brandr. That doesn’t mean we share a brain.”
He narrowed his black eyes at her. “You never used to keep secrets from me.”
“Everyone keeps secrets of some kind.”
“Inviting Con and Rhi to Zora is a mistake, Eurwen. Mark my words,” he replied and turned on his heel to walk away.
She looked down into the valley below, where the doorway she’d created stood. There was still no sign of her parents. Eurwen heard the beat of wings and looked up to see a flock of yellow dragons pass overhead. They roared in response to seeing her. She smiled and waved, but the grin dimmed when she thought about the Dragon Kings on Earth, having to live without their dragons. She couldn’t imagine a day without them, much less eons of time.
As much as she’d like to discount her brother’s words, she knew he had a point. If the Dragon Kings came to Zora, it could disrupt everything. They were Kings for a reason. The magic had chosen them as the strongest of their clan to lead. That wasn’t how things worked on Zora, and the Kings might try to take advantage of that.
She and Brandr were powerful, but could they stand against all the Kings? The answer was no, and she was sure that’s what Brandr worried about. To him, the Kings had lost their right to rule the dragons when they sent them away.
It was a discussion she and Brandr had had numerous times. While it was a real possibility that inviting Con and Rhi could result in a war, Eurwen didn’t have a choice. Just as she and Brandr hadn’t had an option for coming to Zora to lead the dragons, she’d had to form the doorway to Dreagan.
If that meant the end of her idyllic life, then so be it. Change was inevitable. Nothing stayed the same, and to try and force it put everything out of balance. Whatever force pushed her, she would listen. Come what may.
She walked to the edge of the cliff and stepped off, shifting into her dragon form and opening her wings to glide upon the wind.
Chapter Three
Impatience burned hotly within Vaughn as he stood in the Dragonwood with Con. Only Fae could see the doorways they created. Vaughn had no idea where the door was, but Con had pointed to some rocks that Rhi had apparently marked.
“I doona know what’s taking Rhi so long,” Con stated, annoyance deepening his voice.
Vaughn didn’t answer. His gaze was on the place where the doorway stood. He couldn’t wait to walk through it. He wanted to go through it immediately, instead of waiting for Rhi.
“Is it my daughter?”
Vaughn’s head jerked to Con as he frowned. “What?”
“The woman you search for. You saw her when Erith opened the small window between the realms.”
“I got a glimpse of the twins. I didna see either’s face. To answer your question, I’m no’ sure.”
Con nodded, his black gaze dropping to the ground for a moment. “Did the woman tell you her name?”
“We didna talk that night.”
“But she knew yours?”
Vaughn shook his head. “No. At least, I didna tell her. As I said, we didna say much. At least, with words.”
But he’d heard her say his name in his dream. Was it because he’d wanted to hear it? Or had she known it? The questions were eating him alive.
“What?” Con pressed.
Vaughn swallowed and shrugged. “It might be nothing.”
“It’s always something. What is it?”
“In my dreams, she says my name.”
It was Con’s turn to frown. “How often do you dream of her?”
“Frequently.”
“Does she always say your name?”
“No.”
“Do you see her face?”
Vaughn shook his head once more. “I try, but I’m unable to see her clearly. I feel her. I hear her, but that’s all.”
“You’re the one with the power of dream manipulation. Are you using it?”
“I have to be near a person to use that gift.”
Con quirked a blond brow. “Could it be just a dream?”
“It feels too real for that.”
“I’m no’ liking the sound of this. After someone on Zora took and imprisoned Varek, I’m no’ sure you should go with us.”
Vaughn crossed his arms over his chest and widened his stance. “You’re my King, and I’ve always obeyed you. But I willna on this. I’m going.”
“Bloody hell,” Con said as he ran a hand through his wavy blond hair. “We doona know what to expect when we get to Zora. No’ with the twins, no’ with the dragons, and certainly no’ with the humans who live there.”
“Varek came out fine in the end.”
Con cut him a dark look. “Barely.”
“We’ve lived for so many lifetimes. Both with our dragons and without. Varek will be there, as will the twins. If the humans try anything, we’ll be ready.”
“Rhi!” Con called, irritation tingeing his voice.
Vaughn waited for her to appear. A Fae always heard their name called, no matter where they were on a realm. Several minutes ticked by as Con paced, his agitation growing with each heartbeat. It was all Vaughn could do not to pace alongside him.
“Sorry,” Rhi said in her Irish accent as she appeared beside Con.
Vaughn turned to Constantine’s mate. Rhi’s black hair and silver eyes identified her as a Light Fae. She wore her long tresses down with the sides pulled away from her face and gathered at the back of her head.
“What took you so long?” Con asked. “I thought you were ready half an hour ago.”
She shrugged and glanced at Vaughn. “I didn’t like what I was wearing.”
Vaughn hid his smile. If Rhi knew one thing, it was fashion. The fact that she’d had a difficult time deciding on something to wear spoke of how deeply her anxiety ran at finally meeting her children. She typically wore all black, occasionally adding gold to match Con’s dragon color. Today, Rhi wore a pale gold silk button-down blouse tucked into black leather pants, paired with her customary favorite shoe—Christian Louboutin—in a black mesh peep-toe bootie with snakeskin accents.
“My love,” Con said in a soft voice as he ran his palms down her arms to take her hands in his. “You look beautiful, no matter what you wear.”
She smiled softly. “We’re meeting our children. I want to make a good impression.”
“You will,” he assured her.
Vaughn felt like an intruder as the two shared an intimate moment where they whispered words to each other. He turned his back on them, his mind returning to his dream. The sound of the woman’s voice had been husky, seductive. He wished he knew if he had concocted her in his mind or not. She felt like the woman he’d spent that one amazing night with so long ago.
Their moment together had become branded in his mind and soul. Nothing, not even time, could make him forget her. He had to find her. Somehow. Some way. Whether she was a magical being and immortal as he was, or reincarnated. Until he held her in his arms again, he wouldn’t stop looking.
Someone touched his arm, startling him. Vaughn swiveled his head to the side to see Rhi standing between him and Con. Rhi might be Fae royalty, but she was also his queen. She took her position as Con’s mate seriously. Her love for the Dragon Kings and all those associated with them was beyond reproach. She had proven it time and again.