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Only how was I going to manage that?
56
Kaitlyn
I couldn’t believe it when I saw Ari breathe fire. The huge gout of wickedly hot golden-red flames came gushing out of his mouth, nearly singing the hair of the people in the front row of the mob. I saw all of them shrinking back and found that I was doing the same thing. In fact, if Ari hadn’t had hold of my hand, I would have pulled away from him and run like a coward, trying to get away.
But I couldn’t do that. Though my heart was pounding and my pulse was racing and I felt sick to my stomach with legs so weak they would hardly support me, I couldn’t run away from him—not when he was trying to defend me.
But The Fire—The Fire! moaned a little voice in my head. It kills, it steals, it burns, it hurts!
Indeed, I felt my scars throbbing at his display. Not all of them though—just the ones on my back. The ones that had rearranged themselves the week before.
What was going on?
Well, for one thing, Ari was talking. I forced myself to turn away from my panic response and listen to what the big Drake was saying. Taking deep breaths, I made myself calm down.
“Now that I have your attention,” he said, his deep, stern voice rolling out to reach every corner of the vast stone Dining Hall, “I want to set the record straight. Everything that you have just seen on those magic bubbles…”
He paused, his eyes sweeping over the crowd as everyone seemed to hold their breaths.
He’s going to deny it, I thought and felt a mixture of relief and regret I could hardly describe. He’s going to tell them it’s all a lie and we aren’t together after all. He’s going to deny me and that’s okay—he should deny me. After all, it’s not like we can be together for real—not in the long run.
“Everything you have just seen,” Ari said again. “It is all TRUE!”
The crowd of angry Drakes and Nocturnes started to mutter again but he held up his hand—the one that wasn’t still clasping mine—for silence. And for a wonder, they all shut up.
“Kaitlyn and I are together,” he said loudly and defiantly, glaring especially at the Drakes in the crowd. “And yes, she was turned into a Made Vampire—but it was an accident and not her fault,” he continued, switching his gaze to the white faces of the Nocturnes. “I do not care if any of you like it or not. The only fact that matters here is that Kaitlyn is my acknowledged L’lorna—my dear one, my Drake’s treasure, and my fated-mate.”
“Oh my Goddess—he really is claiming her!” I heard Avery murmur in the brief silence that followed this statement.
I do not suggest,” Ari continued loudly, when the muttering started again. “That any of you attempt to harm Kaitlyn Fellows in any way.”
He glared at all of them in turn and I saw that his eyes had gone pure gold once more—a sure sign that his Drake was very close to the surface. When he spoke again, his voice had dropped an octave and I knew that I had been right. For it wasn’t Ari talking now—it was actually his other half—his Drake.
“Anyone who hurts my L’lorna will pay the price in blood and flame,” he growled. “She…is…MINE!”
I tried not to cringe away from the deep voice which echoed against the stone walls, reverberating like a great bell or gong. I half expected another gout of flame to spurt from between Ari’s lips, but instead, his eyes cleared and became their usual pale amber again.
“She is mine!” he repeated loudly. “And I claim her now, before you all!”
Then he pressed the pad of his thumb against one of his teeth—which had somehow grown as long and sharp as my fangs when they came out—and drew a crimson drop of blood.
I had barely a chance to register what was happening before Ari pressed his thumb to my forehead—at the spot right between my eyebrows—and said, “Kaitlyn Fellows, I claim you as my L’lorna for now and forever!”
At his words, a sudden tingling went through me and then rushed out of me.
I felt like one of those model volcanoes you see at school science fairs, the ones filled with baking soda so that when someone pours vinegar into them they “erupt” and a rush of fizzing foam spouts out of the top and goes all over the place, making a huge mess.
It was like that now with the magic Ari had somehow invoked by claiming me as his mate and marking me with his blood. An invisible shockwave seemed to blow out from all around us. It was so strong it blew back the hair of the people standing in the front of the crowd and bowled them over.
