"Once again, I thought I had gotten a handle on it, and then the uncles came back and started to fix magic, and none of my usual tricks were working. Taranis told us that he thought we had dragons inside of us, and I began to think about the voice I had mistaken for madness. I released some of my bindings to help Apollo in France, and I couldn't get the power to go back in its cage. When Yelena was kidnapped, I shifted, but the bindings were still there. I knew with her help, I wouldn't hurt anyone when I finally removed the last of it. I can finally control it, and the magic, too. I promise I'm not going crazy, maybe for the first time in years."
Valentine finally looked at Cosimo, and hot, horrible tears filled his eyes. "I'm so sorry about Mom. I'll never be able to make it right. All I have ever wanted was to protect you all from what I am, and what I thought I was becoming."
Cosimo got up and sat down on the other side of him. He pulled Valentine into a hug, and somehow it was worse than any anger could be. The hard lump in Valentine's throat finally broke free in a sob, and he covered his face with his hands.
"I'm so fucking sorry, Dad. I'm so sorry. It was all my fault..."
"My poor boy," Cosimo sighed, holding him tighter. "If anyone is to blame for your mother's death, it was me. I was meant to be taking Apollo to his friends that day, but I was too caught up in my research, and I made Lisa go."
"But I saw it! If I had said something..."
"Then what? She would have never driven again? We all would have thought it was a nightmare too," Cosimo tried tosoothe. "Tell me something—have you had any visions like it since?"
Valentine sniffed. "Only about Yelena, and that's why I had to go after her and save her. I knew it was different, and not just a normal nightmare."
"I guess that explains why your aura is so different," Bas said and rested a hand on his back.
"I thought it was his dragon shift, but I hadn't seen it like this since we were kids," Reeve added. "I knew it was connected somehow."
Apollo wiped at his cheeks. "No wonder you turned into such a moody asshole."
Valentine flipped him off, making Apollo laugh and wipe his tears again. "I'm with Dad on this, Val. You can't blame yourself for Mom's death anymore. I was the one who made her drive that day, too, so if anyone is to blame, it's me and not you or Dad."
"How about you all just stop trying to take the blame at all?" Reeve said and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "It was an accident, plain and simple. Mom loved all of us, and to be honest, she probably would be pissed off at us right now. She would have wanted the best for us. That's not binding our magic or holding guilt over her death. It's been almost twenty years. Maybe it's time you all found a new hobby or something to obsess over. Like, do you guys know Valentine has three heads when he shifts?"
"What?" they all said at once.
"Thanks, Reeve, you dick," Valentine said, sitting back upright.
Cosimo left an arm around him, and for once, Valentine didn't feel like he had to count down to remove it.
"Why three, I wonder?" Bas said, his magician's brain already ticking over.
"No one knows. Taranis and the others said it's rare. I'm also an alpha, which I guess is a power level thing. Yelena is, too," Valentine replied.
Cosimo pulled out a silk handkerchief and wiped his eyes. They were glowing with a deep violet, and Valentine wondered if he was even aware of it.
"I wonder if Dad would change if you shifted and roared at him too," Reeve said.
"Let's not try it," Cosimo replied quickly. "My body has had enough shocks for one day. Do you have any more secrets you'd like to share while we're here, Valentine? Just in case I need more gray hair."
Apollo piped up. "At least it suits you, Dad."
"Strangely, that isn't helpful, son."
Valentine knew his biggest secret would likely get him locked in the nearest dungeon, so he went with the second biggest.
"My dragon thinks Yelena is my mate."
"No shit," Apollo said and laughed. "I mean, you might be dyads and all, but the mates thing makes sense too."
Cosimo rubbed his thumb over his stubbled chin. "But she's not fae. She's wild. How does that work?"
"I don't know if it's two-sided? She hasn't said anything to me about it. All I know is that my dragon is insistent about it," Valentine replied. "Neither one of us is a normal type of dragon. Maybe it's because we are both alpha? It could be a million things."
"Well, I think it's adorable," Bas said with a wide grin. "Baby Girl Galadriel is hooking up with our own little Sauron. Layla is going to have a field day."
"Layla's probably already written the fanfiction," Apollo said, with a wicked little cackle. That set off all the brothers, and Valentine let them have their teasing to lighten the mood.
