“I never noticed it before.” I answer honestly, unable to look away from the twins in the ring.
“The terror twins, they call themselves. They are probably the closest bonded of all of my children.” Mina’s tone is wistful, carrying years of observation.
“Isn’t Lily very close? I mean, I remember the three of them constantly separated from the others to protect Orpheus.” My question leaves so many other possible answers hanging in the air. Any of them would give me more insight into my mate.
“Lily is close. But like you and Raven, Raven just knows where Orpheus is. He can do the same with her.” Mina pauses for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing her face. “All things considered, they probably are twins. Well, just given different forms.” Mina’s gaze says so much more than her words. Orpheus and Raven are twins more than we ever thought before. Seeing they are both chimeras, and from the same clutch, the pieces fit together.
“They are lucky to have each other.” A genuine smile crosses my lips as I turn to watch them. Every strike and parry is perfect in form and action—a lifetime of training together clear in every movement.
“They are. I’m glad she’s taking over as flight mother and will never have to leave her siblings.” Mina smiles, then rests a hand on my shoulder, the touch warm and maternal.
“Tie!” I hear Abraxis call, and I watch Orpheus and Raven hug, their swords lowered.
“Corvis!” Raven yells and then crosses the yard to me before leaping into my arms. Her wings spread slightly for balance, catching the sunlight.
I catch my mate and hug her to me, spinning us a little. Her scent fills my nose—sea salt and jasmine and home. A soft purr escapes both of us, the sound rumbling between our chests, and we laugh a little. “I missed you.” She whispers softly next to my ear.
“I always miss you.” My lips press against her cheek, tasting salt from her exertion, then capture her lips. She tastes of the tea she had this morning and something uniquely her.
“Do you have a class to teach?” Raven asks as she looks up at me, her sapphire eyes bright.
“Next period. I came to see how you were doing. I also visited Vaughn.” Smiling, I tilt my head, looking down at my beautiful mate.
“Ah...” Raven says and smiles knowingly before leading me away from the others. “You got the bag from him.” It’s not a question, I notice.
“Yeah, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have it. The basic idea behind it can be quite helpful.” I run my fingers through her hair, watching the threads of midnight slip through my fingers like silk.
“It works well in Mom’s house. As the kids grew, we had our own bag to ask the tough questions of each other or our parents.” Her gaze drifts to her brother in the ring, and I see something complicated pass across her face.
“Do you need him with us? I mean, in Malivore with his mate.” I arch a brow, watching my mate carefully. The scales on her shoulders that I can see through the open collar of her training shirt move, raising and lowering with her breathing.
Raven turns to look at me. Her eyes flicker between human and dragon, watching every move I make. Her gaze drops for a moment, then back up to me. “Yes, and no.” She narrows her eyes, and the corner of her right eye ticks. It’s one of her tells. The subject bothers her.
“Talk to me.” I caress the side of her face, feeling the smooth skin, then draw her close for a slow kiss. I sip at her lips, feeling the love through the bond like a warm hug that spreads through my entire body.
“I’m sure Mom told you about how close Orpheus and I are. What they suspect.” Raven says, and all I can do is nod. “I don’t know why it is, it just is. I can sense Thorne and Orpheus as easily as I can sense you and my other mates.” Raven sighs and looks up at the position of the sun in the sky. “I think we’re triplets. But...” She pauses, and I lead her to her room here at Shadowcarve.
I open the door and allow Raven to pass before me, catching the scent of her that lingers in this space—leather and dragon fire. “You think Thorne is different from the two of you.” I sit on the arm of the chair and draw my mate close, allowing her to stand between my legs.
“I know she is. She only has the color of Balor’s basilisk in her eyes and nothing else. She can’t spit acid, and her scales are a mix of hard and soft.” Raven sighs as her gaze meets mine, vulnerability written in every line of her face.
“And Orpheus?” I kiss along her jaw, trying to comfort her as she speaks about the things that make her different. Her skin is warm beneath my lips.
“We both have mixed scales. Hard silver talons, acid, and we both can use stone gaze.” Her eyes close as she processes what she’s saying, the weight of it settling over her.
I nod slowly, not sure how to answer. “We will keep Orpheus close from now until forever. However long he wants to stay close.” I shift my left hand, feeling the familiar pull of transformation, and stare atthe silver scales there. Carefully, I cut one free with my talon—the sting sharp but brief—and offer it to Raven. “I don’t have a title or even a rank in your nest father’s army. But I can give you this. A part of me you can carry forever.” I offer her the scale with a reverence befitting an ancient treasure, the silver catching the light.
Raven’s hand rises, and she unbuttons the shirt she’s wearing with deliberate movements. Gently, she pulls it over to the side, exposing the flesh over her heart. I press my talon over her heart and press down, feeling the resistance of skin before it gives way. I remove my talon, and Raven presses the scale into her flesh. Our bond blazes to life brighter than before, burning through me like wildfire. A soft purr escapes her lips. “I feel you so strongly now.”
Raven shifts her hand, and I watch scales ripple up her arm. She plucks one of her scales—matte black and perfect—and offers it to me. “Will you wear mine?”
I couldn’t get my shirt open fast enough, buttons scattering as I tear it. “I would be honored.”
Raven seems to move in slow motion as her talon moves toward my chest. Hers are sharper than mine—deadly weapons honed by genetics. It slices through my flesh like a hot knife through butter, and I gasp at the sensation. Within seconds of Raven pressing her scale into my flesh, I’m knocked on my ass by the power that seems to punch me in the solar plexus. My pulse races as if I’ve been running for hours. I’m gasping for breath, trying to catch up to the wave of power that hit me. The world spins, colors too bright, sounds too loud.
“Dad said each of my mates that bear my scale share in my lifespan.” Her voice is calm and smooth as she says it, like she’s commenting on the weather, and looks back toward the door leading to the courtyard.
“What’s on your mind?” I feel the fluctuations of her emotions more acutely than before—anxiety, determination, love, all swirling together.
