Page 50 of Sapphire Seas

“Soon that will be us,” Kes nodded toward them, Emerson and Ronan sitting on the benches, keeping a watchful eye.

“I can’t wait.” The visions I’ve had of our dragonets playing with their cousins warmed me. Kes and I taking a ridiculous amount of photos of them using their Papa as a jungle gym. One thing about living underwater was that we never had the ability to have something such as pictures. While there were a few things I missed from my old life, my new one was filled with so much more. Water was a part of me and always would be but this, living on land, was where I belonged.

I’d do anything to ensure my family lived long, happy, healthy lives and I’ll be damned if the Gorynych will hurt any of them. It was quite interesting to see and meet dragons from all walks of life as we had lately. Different skills and gifts. Just look at us. The Goddess truly collected the best mates for the protectors as we each joined the family possessing special gifts. There was nothing common about any of us. She hand picked the Denarius clan and thus provided us with the tools to defeat this evil once and for all.

There’s no way she’d allow one of us to die, right? Knowing a protector would cease to exist as well because of it?

Goddess, please tell me that’s your plan. Don’t give me my forever then take it away. You’re not cruel, you’re better than that.

I am, Seadragon, and you have all been chosen with purpose. But don’t think for a moment that the war will be easy nor that I possess the ability to save lives.

“Caspian! Caspian!” Kes was shouting. Brain fog made it difficult to focus on what was going on.

“Why are you screaming?” Wait, where was I? “Why am I on the ground?”

“You passed out,” Mattias cradled my head in his lap. “What happened?”

“The-the Goddess. She spoke to me.”

“What?” Ionus asked. “Did you hit your head? Mattias, check for a knot?”

That’s very possible, but I heard her voice clear as day and she replied to my thoughts exactly.

“What did she say, my love?” At least Mattias didn’t think I was crazy. I hoped…

“I was thinking about how all of us have such unique gifts and that she wouldn’t be cruel enough to finally give the protectors their mates only to have one of us die.”

“And then what happened?” Kes asked.

“She said we’ve all been chosen with purpose but not to think that because of that the war will be easy or that she has the ability to spare any lives.”

If it was possible for Ionus to turn pale, I’d just witnessed it. Not a word was uttered after that. Mattias picked me up and he, Kes and me went home. That uneasy feeling from her words will forever haunt me.

And why had she chosen me to share her messages with?

Chapter Sixteen

Mattias

It was too early for pranks. Grumbling, I rolled, pulled the blanket up to my chin, and threatened to beat Odem with whatever he kept brushing over my nose. It was too early, dammit, especially when we were expected in town later for a meeting with Noir. Emerson was going to bring maps, and the young shadow dragon was going to attempt to retrace their steps to give Baird and his warriors a better chance of finding and helping the rest of the shadow dragons.

Something brushed my nose again. Damnit all, if Odem woke my mates.

I cracked one eye open, with the intent of encasing him in a bubble filled with water and leaving him there until it was time to bounce him to the pitch. Maybe even after. Give the rest of our brothers a chance to get a few bounces in too and perhaps a couple dropkicks.

Instead of Odem, I saw only a gentle snowfall. Another flake fell on my cheek. Followed by one that landed on my nose, immediately taking me back to the conversation in the playroom, when Luna had expressed her hopes that the dragonets Kes carried weren’t going to be like her brothers and burn her tutus. At this point, it was a safe bet that they wouldn’t though she might walk around with icicles hanging off them and snow drifts around her ankles.

“Are you little ones making it snow on Papa,” I murmured as I rested my hand on Kes’ belly, already beginning to grow softer and rounder as the double egg inside of him grew.

What followed was the last thing I expected and the first thing I should have, as the snow turned into a light rain gently falling on my head.

“That answers that, doesn’t it?” I murmured, caressing his midsection in the hopes of lulling them back to sleep before the blankets grew too wet. “Were you trying to get Papa’s attention this morning?”

Soft giggles, then the rain turned to snow again, just as light and fluffy as before.

I didn’t recall any instances of Alex accidentally burning anything while he was pregnant, but his dragon…oh shit.

Alex’s dragon wasn’t freed until after he’d birthed the eggs because it had been dormant and trapped inside of him. Emerson hadn’t believed he had a dragon form until Caro was able to show him, after his egg had come. Ronan’s lava bombs, however, had resulted in the loss of a pillow and the charring of one of our enemies. There had been a few other instances too, before he’d accepted that he was a dragon. Now I was left to wonder how much of it had been the dragon hiding inside of him and how much had been helped along by Ruby’s desire to protect herself, him and Opal?