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She didn’t even get to explain further as he was already picking her up and flying toward the water. They landed in a deep part, then swam their way to where she remembered it had been set up. When she gave her signal, they both dove underwater, easily spotting the sparkling rocks clumped together at different points. Sapphire stopped in the middle and immediately released more energy, where they slithered toward the clumped rocks.
The moment they touched, she was blasted with different kinds of magic: Emerald’s rigid green, Pearl’s spirited white, Ruby’s steady red, and even Silver’s restless silver. They clutched onto her iridescent blue and swirled until all the colors were a blur and its energy rocketed in all directions, even above water. That explosion hit her hard and catapulted her to the bottom of the sea, but Klaus hadn’t loosened his grip since earlier and prevented her from sinking.
At her insistent tap on his arms, he was on the move, propelling them upward until they broke to the surface. She devoured the sweet air that filled her lungs, then tapped him again until he understood that it was okay to get out of the water now. She held tight as he flew her to the shore and set her down, then swayed as the magic coursed in her senses. When it began to fade away, she finally looked at Klaus, whose dark eyes patiently took in every second.
“Better?” he asked.
“Yes. I think so…yes.”
“Now you can tell me what that was all about and why this…all this.”
He gestured to the flowers, now back in their original color. Nothing was glowing anymore, but she knew he felt the thrum in the land and sea as all that she had performed still settled in. Nervousness seized her then, but she knew he had every right to the truth, and she could no longer delay it.
“I infused the planted flowers and my magic to your island. They draw a connection to your alarm and will bloom when there's danger. The potion enhances the connection, as you know my magic alone can’t do it. The potion expires, but I can make a new one each time and pour it to renew it. It can be a habit.”
“And the rocks underwater? Your siblings’ magic?” he asked. “I heard they set it up before they left.”
“They extend the magic as well. Everything combined protects you and Oslo the moment it senses evil forces, and it’s not just in the land. The sea protects you and your people too.”
He ambled closer, searching her gaze. “Why do all this?”
“I learned of your prophecy when I was sulking in the tower. I wanted to show you that you don't have to protect me alone because I can also protect you.”
Those dark eyes darkened even more. “Oh. Saph…”
Her shoulders straightened, braced for a talk about respect and honesty. When he didn’t say anything, she spoke again, feeling her nerves increase and her words quicken.
“I’m sorry I was being secretive, but I needed to do it on my own. Some of the kids and teens here helped me plant the flowers, but the rest…I did it. I didn’t think it would need activation this fast, but it worked, and now that man can no longer touch you here or even come close. Everyone will be safe. Miko will be safe. And you—”
A hand drew her forward before she could finish, his intentions clear as day and her heart jumping in her throat. It swelled the moment his lips touched hers, then melted when he kissed her with a passion that displayed everything he hadn’t been saying. When she gasped, he deepened the kiss until she could no longer think. Sapphire gave in and let herself feel everything: his fear of what she had risked, his relief that she was safe and sound in his arms…his love, blindingly dazzling and encompassing her with everything she had never thought possible. Unlike the first gifts, she eagerly accepted this one, giddy in the aftermath and radiant with so much light.
They broke the kiss to breathe each other in, dove in again, and pulled apart, unable to stop touching each other, whether it was a feathered brush on skin or a grip to yank the other closer. At the last kiss, he groaned when she bit his lower lip, then sighed when she sucked on it soothingly. She smiled when she let go, their noses touching.
“I just have one question,” he said.
“What?”
“Are you okay? Is our child okay?”
Her smile widened. “Those are two questions, but yes. I’m okay. So is he.”
His hand, which was skimming over her stomach, stilled. “He?”
She nodded. “I did another check. He’s okay. And he will be here in Oslo until he can be trained and can defend himself. Then he will be free to fly as he wishes. No dragon or any other forces of evil can harm him as long as he has your protection and mine. Along with my siblings’ protection...and his siblings.”
“What?”
Sapphire took his face in her hands, locking her gaze with his. “Do you think we will stop with just one offspring? I'm a practical woman and I've always felt safe and loved with my family. Our child will experience the same thing. Besides, I love you. I don't mind as long as you don't.”
It was remarkable, even humbling, to watch those dark eyes soften, his emotion so raw and open to her. For her. He took a deep, shaky breath, then kissed the tip of her thumb touching the edge of his mouth.
“Sapphire...I don't deserve you.”
“No, you didn't,” she agreed. “We didn’t deserve each other back then. Now, you do. It's up to you to stay worthy of me, because I will do my best to be worthy of you.”
This time, it was Klaus who took her face in his hands, his fierceness rising and throbbing.
“And I will too. I will. I love you. I'm so in love with you, and you're right, we will keep our child, our family, and our people protected. And I don't mind more.” A smile crossed his lips, alight with wonder. “Little hellions.”
“A brood of hellions protected by flowers and hope,” she added.
And just like that, Sapphire knew they had made it and would be okay.
THE END
