The Dragon Prince stepped inside.His smile lit the night.“Garnet,” he said on a breath, coming close and kneeling near the edge of the spring.
“‘Tis cruel, whoever you are, to come here looking so much like him.”
“I am he, my love.”The endearment had come to mean something during their time together, and she heard meaning in the way he said it now.“You brought me back.”He gestured to the skies filled with ribbons of light, and then to the spring in which she sat.“I could see and watch over you, though I felt so helpless.I saw that you loved me, rather than merely tolerated me as I thought.”He reached for her hand, his fingers closing around hers.“Your love, along with the magick here, brought me back.”
He was real.Alive, flesh and blood.Tears came faster now, free of the pain that usually accompanied them.“I didn’t know I loved you until you were gone.”
He tugged gently on her hand.“Let me see you.Both of you.”He pulled her to her feet, his eyes taking in her face before moving down to the lushness of her pregnant body.“Amazing.Beautiful.A miracle.”
When she looked into his face, he was gazing at her.
22
Cyn pressed her hand to his mouth.“You revived the Dragon Prince.”
She could hear the smile in his voice.“I wanted to give Garnet and the Dragon Prince their happy ending.”
Cyn’s cell phone vibrated.“Jay,” he whispered, and they left the viewing area.
“I’m here,” she could hear Jay say as they walked down the path.“Cottage 14B.”
“We’ll be there in a minute.”
Cyn grasped her hand as they took the trail down to civilization.She squeezed, reveling in the feel of it.Now she wanted her happy ending, too.When she’d withheld her forgiveness, all she had was anger and bitterness.By forgiving Cyn, she’d gained so much more.And freed herself in the bargain.
As though he’d picked up on her thoughts, he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it again.
In turn, she pulled the back of his hand toward her mouth.“I hope you can forgive yourself, too.”
“I took away your parents.That you are the one woman who touches me, who makes me feel something… karma.”She could see his wry smile in the dim lights.
She held their linked hands to her heart.“If I can forgive you, you can sure as hell forgive yourself.”She bumped him with her hip.“Don’t make me hurt you.”
He rubbed his thigh, faux pain on his face.“Youhavehurt me.Or have you forgotten that beating?”
Her cheeks warmed at the memory of her lost control.“Emotion over logic.That’s going to be a tough lesson.But I’m sorry?—”
He swung her around so that she faced him, pressing a finger to her mouth.“Don’t apologize.”He took her hand again and checked the number on the cottage just ahead.“We’re here.”
The door opened, and a big, burly Deuce with mussed dark hair and the beginnings of a beard stepped onto the stoop.For someone who was close to her father’s age, he looked like he was in his twenties.
“Cyntag!”His voice was boomingly loud, which was how she’d heard him so clearly on the phone.“Long time no anything.”He gave Cyn a back-slapping guy hug, then turned to her.“Well, well, what do we have here?”He thrust out his hand.“Jay Caruso.And you are…”
“Ruby Salazaar,” she said as he enveloped her hand in his.
“Nice to meet you.”He waved them inside the warm cottage.“Come in, make yourselves at home.”
The place was cluttered, though not dirty.Papers and whiteboards covered with calculations made her long for her parents.Framed pictures of auroras adorned every wall.Off to the side sat a huge backpack.
“Coffee?Tea?”Jay said from the kitchen, pouring from a pot.“Something to warm you up?”He shivered.“Spending two days in the wilderness is a bit much even for my Alaskan blood.”No wonder he smelled of fresh air and pines.
She rubbed her upper arms.“Coffee sounds great.”
Cyn pulled her against his chest.“Got everything I need right here.”
Jay gave him a speculative look.“I see that.”He handed Ruby the mug and set out milk and sugar.Then he opened a wooden cabinet and poured out two shot glasses of whiskey.“Bet I can tempt you with this.”
Cyn waved the glass under his nose.“You remembered.”
