“That would be best. Raven will be a mess not being able to get in to see her mom,” he says, giving me a pointed look over his shoulder.
“What do you mean? She was born in that nest. It’s her home.” All of these complex dragon customs still throw me off despite months of living with them.
“It’s not that.” Balor’s deep voice sounds from behind me, and I turn to see him standing there. “A dragoness’s egg chamber is the most dangerous place to be in any lair. Raven and Corvus will be seen as threats to Mina’s eggs—their dragonesses won’t recognize family bonds when protective instincts take over.”
“Oh, shit.” I look between Finlay and Balor with dawning horror. “What can we do to help Raven through this?”
“Who is the mate she goes to the most for comfort?” Balor asks, studying me with those knowing red eyes.
I think about it for a moment. “When she’s angry, it’s Corvus—he can match her fire. When she’s excited, it’s Hemlock—he seems to mellow her out and ground her. When something puzzles her intellectually, she goes to Finlay.” I hike a thumb over my shoulder at the phoenix. “Those two are brilliant together—it’s actually kind of intimidating to watch.”
When I look over my shoulder, Finlay is blushing—the pink spreading from his cheeks down his neck.
“She goes to you when she’s in her feelings, Keir. You’re her safe place,” Finlay says softly, stepping closer to rest a hand on my shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. He pulls his pocket watch out from the small vest pocket with his other hand, checking the time. “We’ve dallied long enough. I’ll fly myself to the nest—you get Balor there.”
Finlay turns to the large bay window and throws it open with both hands. Without hesitation, he jumps out and shifts mid-fall. His phoenix form explodes into existence like a living comet streaking across the sky, leaving trails of flame in its wake.
“You heard the man—let’s get back to the nest,” Balor says, holding his muscled arm out to me.
I grab it firmly, and we blink out of existence. Within seconds, I have us materializing in the upper courtyard of the Sovereign's nest. The displacement makes Balor stagger slightly, and he takes a second to get his bearings before running inside toward the family quarters.
I walk through the fancy dragon-glass entrance at a more measured pace, following Raven’s distinctive scent of sea salt and jasmine through the corridors. There’s a large, elegantly appointed sitting room where I find my family gathered—everyone minus Finlay, who’s probably still in flight.
“Where’s Fin?” Raven rushes over to me the moment I enter and starts kissing me all over my face—my cheeks, my forehead, my chin—making me laugh despite the serious situation.
“He wanted to fly here under his own power,” I explain, gently gripping her face in both hands and kissing her lips softly, tryingto calm her frantic actions. “All of your siblings are here waiting with you. Your mom has all of her mates with her. Everything is going to be okay.”
I wrap my arms around her and hold her tight against my chest, feeling her heart racing like a hummingbird’s. Gently, I press her head to rest over my heart. “Listen to my heartbeat. Every single beat is for you.” I draw in a slow, deep breath, focusing on making my breathing steady and rhythmic, trying to get her to breathe with me and sync up.
Eventually, she wraps her arms around me and then her wings, cocooning us in her own private world. “I love you, Keir,” she whispers against my throat before kissing the sensitive skin there.
“I love you too,” I murmur back, kissing the crown of her head and breathing in her scent.
Slowly, she opens her wings and releases me. Raven moves away to sit on the large leather couch between Orpheus and Lily. The three of them immediately intertwine their arms, creating a chain of comfort and support.
“They’ve always been like that,” Azalea observes softly, coming to stand beside me. “Mom told us she thinks that Orpheus and Raven may be true twins, just given different forms by the gods.”
She laughs gently, looking at them with obvious affection. “Looking at them now, yeah, I can see it. Same lips, same set of brows, same facial structure. When they fight together, they move identically—it’s like watching a mirror image. Beautiful yet terrifying.” Her expression grows more serious. “Goddess help anyone that ever hurts Orpheus. Raven would burn the world.”She pats me on my back companionably before moving to join her other siblings.
I walk over to join Corvus and Hemlocke, who are standing near the windows. “Any updates?” I motion with my head toward the hallway that leads deeper into the nest.
“Mina’s water broke an hour ago,” Corvus says, checking his phone again for messages. “She could be mid-process or done, depending on how many eggs she’s laying this time. No way to know until they call us.”
Raven’s phone suddenly rings, the sound cutting through the tense silence like a knife. She goes completely still as a statue, staring at me with wide eyes as she answers. “I understand. Okay, I’ll bring him with me.” There are tears gathering in Raven’s sapphire eyes as she stares at me from across the room.
“What’s wrong?” I move to her without a second thought, crossing the space in quick strides.
“Dad said Mom wants me to come see the eggs.” She looks down and away, then forces herself to look back up at me. “I’m scared, Keir. She can possibly attack me for being in her egg chamber—her dragoness might not recognize me as her daughter when she’s protecting new eggs.” Raven stands abruptly and dives into my arms, her whole body shaking with fear I’ve rarely seen from her.
Corvus walks over and touches Raven’s shoulders gently. She looks up at him, then transfers from my arms to his, seeking reassurance from her lead drake. “Don’t be afraid. You’re taking Keir with you, right?” he asks softly, stroking her hair.
“Yeah, Dad told me to bring him with me just in case we need to leave quickly—Keir can blink us out if Mom attacks.” Raven’svoice is soft and unsure, and I’ve never heard her sound like this. My confident, powerful mate sounds like a scared child.
“Then take Keir with you. He’ll keep you safe when I can’t,” Corvus says with absolute trust. He kisses her forehead with tender affection before passing her back to me.
“We’ll be right here waiting for you, my eternal,” Finlay says as he walks into the sitting room, slightly out of breath from his flight. Raven moves over to him immediately and kisses him deeply, then gives him a fierce hug before going to Hemlocke and doing the same with him—saying goodbye to each mate as if she’s going to war.
“I’m ready to go,” she finally says softly, taking my hand in hers. Her palms are sweaty with nervous fear as she leads me into the heart of the Sovereign nest.
