The fire in Portia’s bedchamber crackled in the hearth. Outside, the sea crashed against the cliffs. Portia nestled in the bed between Tavish and me with a wooden tray of cubed cheese and squares of crispy bread Portia called “crackers.” We sat with our backs propped against a small mountain of pillows as we discussed how we’d spent the three weeks we were apart.
Although, I had to admit I was a little distracted. But I challenged anyone with a pulse to focus when confronted with Portia in the scraps of fabric she called a “pajama set.” After we recovered from sealing the mate bond, she’d emerged from the bathroom in the snug, long-sleeve shirt and a pair of matching bloomers that barely covered her arse. She called them “shorts,” which seemed like an apt description.
Tavish and I had borrowed loose trews from her fathers. I wasn’t entirely comfortable wearing the king’s clothes, but Portia had laughed when I’d voiced my concern.
“They don’t mind,” she’d said, kissing my cheek. “They’re just happy I found you.”
Tavish selected another cracker from the tray and topped it with a yellow cube of cheese. Unrestrained joy had lit his eyes when Portia brought the tray from the kitchen. When he tried to take it, she pulled it out of reach and fixed him with a stern look.
“This is a one-time exception to my ‘no food in bed’ rule.”
He placed a hand over his heart. “I’ll be as dainty as a maid at her first ball.”
Now he chewed happily as he built another cheese-and-cracker sandwich.
Portia turned soft eyes to mine. “So you were stranded in Razrothia?”
“Aye,” I said, the sound of Tavish’s bellow of rage and sorrow seared into my mind. “After you disappeared, Tavish and I were trapped on the demon plane.”
Tavish swallowed his mouthful. “It took us a week to find a water witch willing to carry us back to the earth plane.”
“And another week to fly to Scotland,” I added. “We went straight to the auld stones.”
Portia paled. “You used the portal?”
“Stepped right through,” Tavish said. “We landed in 1742, just one day after the day we left.”
“You could have been killed,” Portia said, looking sick.
I took her hand. “We didn’t have a choice, lass. But it didn’t feel like a risk to us. We would have risked anything to find you.”
She squeezed my fingers. “I would have done the same to find you.”
“Albie spent every waking moment studying his books,” Tavish said. He cast me a sly look. “He’s been eyeing your bookshelves, too. He can’t wait to get his hands on them.”
Heat crept up my neck. “Maybe I took a peek…”
“That’s all right,” Portia said, smiling as she gently adjusted my spectacles. “You can put your hands on my shelves any time you want.”
My cock tightened even as warmth flooded my chest. “Consider the offer accepted, lass.”
Her smile faded, and she looked down at her hands. “I need to tell you both something.”
Tavish set the tray aside. “What is it?”
“When I spoke to the chronomancer in the alley, he gave me a choice. I could take one final jump to complete my task as a Timekeeper, or go back to Razrothia to find you both.” She looked between us, tears gathering in her eyes. “I chose my duty. I chose to abandon you.”
“You didn’t abandon us,” I said firmly.
Tavish took her other hand and held it to his lips. “You did what you had to do. You’re a dragon princess, Portia, and you did your duty. You chose the right path.”
“But I left you,” she whispered.
“And we found each other again,” I said. “You summoned us through time and space. That takes incredible power, Princess.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. Tavish pulled her against his chest, and I moved closer, wrapping my arms around both of them.
We stayed like that for a long moment, the fire crackling and the sea crashing outside.
