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It had been forty-eight hours, and the gods only knew how long she’d been out of it when they’d found her. No, this was the end.
But slipping into the everlasting realm like that was so unworthy of who she was, of her powerful magical abilities. Was there nothing that could be done to revive her, even for a moment? That way, they could at least say goodbye.
“I don’t know,” Emma said when he asked her. Valdis was sitting with their mom, and Jermon, Nadiv, and Emma were hanging out in the meeting barn like everyone else. “But to be fair, I also haven’t given it much thought.”
“I wish Erwan were here,” Nadiv said. “If she passes before he gets back…”
Jermon sighed as he rocked Olivia and Harley, both fast asleep in the sling. “He’ll never forgive himself.”
His brother nodded. “But we have no way of letting him know. Sivney has been calling their cell phones every hour, but nothing is going through.”
They sat in silence, each lost in their thoughts.
“It feels like a wake, having the whole pack here,” Nadiv said. “Even though she’s not dead.”
“More like a vigil, then,” Jermon said. “It’s interesting, though, that everyone feels so strongly they should be here, even the wolves.”
Emma sat up straight. “The wolves…”
Jermon frowned. “Yeah, the wolves are here too.”
“The wolves are the key. We need the True Alpha. If we want to wake your mom before she passes, we need both packs, including Lidon. The combined power will be enough…and we might even be able to connect with Erwan and send him a signal.”
Nadiv’s eyes lit up. “You think so?”
“There’s a reason everyone senses they need to be here. The pack is strongest when it’s united, and Erwan needs his clan. So if we’re all in the same place and combine our magic, we can create a boost that will wake her.”
“Will it save her?” Nadiv asked, hope flickering in his eyes.
“No, baby. I’m sorry.” Emma took his hand and pressed a kiss to it. “Not unless the gods decide to bless us with another miracle, like they did with Palani.”
Jermon had heard about that, how Palani had died and had come back to life again. A miracle, for sure, and not one that was likely to happen again.
“I’m not sure she’d want it.” Jermon had wondered about that a lot, sitting by her side. Would she want to be saved or healed or whatever you called it? He doubted it. “She’s not old for a dragon, but…it kinda feels like she’s done. I don’t know how to explain it, but it seems that her mission, the reason she was here, is complete. Like she wants that rest now. The gods know her life has been hard.”
Nadiv wiped away a tear. “Maybe it’s selfish to want to keep her a little longer, also because…” He looked at Emma, whose hand he was still holding.
“You can tell them,” she said softly.
“Emma is pregnant. She’s carrying five eggs.”
Jermon widened his eyes. He’d had no idea they were even considering kids. Not that he was stupid enough to mention that. “Five? Gods, that is amazing! I’m so happy for you guys.”
“Thank you. She still refuses to marry me, though,” Nadiv said with a sigh.
“Damn straight. I’ll marry you when you prove you’ve become the man I need you to be. I’m done fucking around.”
How could you not love that woman? She was fearless and amazing and exactly what Nadiv needed. “Good for you. You gotta have standards.”
“I sure do.” But her eyes softened as she looked at Nadiv. “He’s changed so much already. Enough for me to trust him to be a responsible dad.”
“He has.” Jermon watched his younger brother with pride. “And I know he’ll rise to the occasion and be the best dad ever. You’re gonna need it, trust me. Having five hatchlings is gonna be…” He shook his head, laughing as he looked down on two of his own. “It’s the bravest, craziest, most intense thing you’ll ever do in your life.”
“I wish Mom could’ve met them,” Nadiv said. “Your kids and mine. She would’ve made a fantastic grandma.”
“Aye, she would have.” Jermon swallowed away the wave of sadness. “You think we should try it, uniting both packs? See if that’s enough to wake Mom?”
“We’d need to bring her too,” Emma said. “She has to be at the center of the power.”
