“I’m happy to hear that,” Raven said as she entered the living room. “Because they’re not visions I care to conjure. Why you are so hell-bent on denying Odem something he’s waited several lifetimes for, I’ll never know. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the fact you’re making enemies of very powerful and very kind dragons.” The air crackled around her as she held her hand palm up, a single orb hovered above it. “Goddess is not pleased with you, Ronan, and she sent this message.” Raven’s hand fell as the orb stayed in place and an ethereal voice audibly rose from it.
“Five shall save the earth. Five shall reign superior. Five shall unite all species. Five shall remain to fight as one.” Then, the bubble disappeared.
Message received loud and clear.
“Make no mistake, Ronan,” Raven said, “Five shall remain is as clear as it gets. There will be war, there will be loss, but the brothers shall complete the task they’ve been given as one. As high-priestess I will give you one final warning. Pull your head out of your ass and embrace this gift the Goddess has given you.” Raven disappeared.
“Hmph,” Emerson triumphantly puffed up. “Enough said. Hurt my brother and you will have me to answer to. Come now, Caro.”
Caro’s eyes were wide and his smile even wider as he trailed after Emerson. My brother quite enjoyed this new side of his mate. Good thing our houses didn’t have connecting walls because the chances were high another egg may be in their new future after tonight.
“Ronan,” Ionus begun and I feared what he was about to say. “Never in all my centuries have I come across a more defiant omega than you. Do you know how many omegas would stand in line to be the mate of a protector? This is a gift you’ve been given from the Goddess, don’t disrespect her with your asinine behavior by rejecting it. As Emerson told you, that will only end in yours, your eggs, and Odem’s demise, and I will not lose my brother.”
Ionus left, Mattias and Quint followed him out, leaving me alone with my mate. My very angry mate.
Is there another name for a mate who’s kind of still a fiancé of sorts?
Well, whatever Ronan was now, it was just the two of us.
Plus, our eggs.
Goddess, I was so excited about those two dragonets. The thought of losing them absolutely gutted me. My final plea, exposing the lifeforce, was my last hope.
“Ronan, come with me. I need to show you something.” No malice, no elevation in my voice, just a simple request. Ronannodded but said nothing as we exited through the kitchen door. It looked like any other pantry door only it led to the intricate tunnel system beneath our homes.
“What is all of this?”
“A series of tunnels that connect our homes as well as what I’m about to show you. They also lead to the shore beneath us.” Before I lay the big reveal on him, I’d throw a hopeful bone his way. “These are natural springs, warm and cool, within the tunnels. Emerson and Alex both sought solace in them while pregnant.”
“Why are you showing me this?”
With a heavy sigh, I replied. “All I want is for you to be happy. With me. If there is something I can do to make your life easier, I will. These helped Emerson and Alex and it’s my hope they’ll provide the same comfort for you.”
“Oh, um, thank you.”
Well, that was far better than being called a doofus again.
Further into the twists and turns we went to our most protected area.
“Whoa, are those…”
“These are the protectors’ lifeforce. Each color represents our elements. Ionus, our leader and eldest brother, is Amethyst. He controls the storms. Emerald for Caro, whose element is Earth. The bluest of waters are represented in Mattias sapphire stone. Our most venomous brother, Quint is topaz and myself,” I conjured a fireball and watched as Ronan stared in awe, “is fire, therefore my stone is ruby.”
“That’s so cool. Do it again.” Not what I expected but I’d take it as a step in the right direction. Fire circled us, the flames not warm or dangerous.
“Touch it.”
“What? I’ll get burned.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you. Touch it.”
Reluctantly, Ronan reached out, and when his hand wasn’t met with flame burning heat, he allowed it to sink into the flames and waved it around. “How is this happening?”
“Not only can I control the heat of the flame, but you’re the mate of the one who controls that element, therefore it won’t burn you, or our dragonets.” The fire disappeared and his attention returned to the stones.
“Why are only two of them alight?
I glanced at Ionus and Caro’s eggs, then knelt beside mine. “They’ve both fully mated and the bond is complete, mine, as you can see, only has a flicker of a flame. Before I found my mate it was as dark as Quint and Mattias’ eggs are.”
