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These were my favorite moments with my grandmother and I miss her dearly. Probably just as much as this grandmother’s grandchildren miss her.
A smile forms on my lips and I open my eyes. Almost as immediately as it came, my smile vanishes when I realize the dragon beneath me didn’t stir. “It didn’t work,” I whisper incredulously.
Disappointment rolls off the council in waves. Even Vivia looks crestfallen, but offers me a tight lip smile when she notices I’m looking. I don’t want to look at Malix out of fear I’ll see disappointment in his eyes. Coward.
I failed.
“Impossible. Try again, My Queen. I saw you do it once before, you can do it again.” Those words might have been encouraging from anyone else, but they came from Aeron. There is a thinly veiled threat behind everything he does. Promises of consequences yet to come.
“It’s too soon,” Malix says. He moves and I feel the absence of his body heat immediately. I can only assume it’s to face Aeron. “She needs more rest. Another day and we’ll try again.”
“My King, we have no time.” Aeron is beginning to sound like a broken record, but one that is quickly gaining traction. For the first time, I see doubt in Vivia’s expression. It’s brief, here one moment, and gone the next, but it was there all the same.
“Our wards are steadily crumbling, and more Nephilim have been spotted roaming the mountain land. It’s only a matter of time until they’re at our front door. We have no time!”
Everyone begins to shout at once and I feel the room close in around me. This is my fault. I’m fucking worthless. I had one job and I can’t even do that right.
“The queen needs to try again!”
“We are in the end times, My King.”
“We should discuss this elsewhere.”
All the voices swirl in my head until I can’t decipher who spoke. It’s too much. Too much pressure that I obviously can’t live up to. Too many voices. Too many doubts. Too many?—
Elain’s body jerks once and big, brown eyes snap open, blown wide with terror. The elder thrashes, her hand colliding with my cheek. My head snaps to the side and the faint metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. The hit wasn’t hard, but I ended up biting my cheek in the process.
Vivia and Aracelia are at my side in an instant, restraining the fighting elder. “She’s midshift! Malix!” Aracelia barks as Elain attempts to kick her off. That’s when I notice Elain’s hands have transformed into sharp talons. One slash of those and a person will be in ribbons.
Before I can fully let that idea sink in, Malix moves, pushing me behind him. He takes over Vivia’s place, holding Elain by her arms. For such a small woman, she is sure putting up a powerful fight.
“Elain, stop shifting.” My husband’s voice is a command that makes even me want to obey. There’s a power in it, one that demands to be heard and obeyed. To her credit, Elain tries fighting it, but Malix repeats his command and the elder dragon slowly goes limp in his arms.
Her talons fade back to wrinkly brown hands, but the fear in her eyes never leaves. “Where am I? What happened?” Her voice is hoarse from lack of use. She needs water. It was exactly how Cyrus acted when he broke through the curse. Confused and disoriented.
“You’re safe, Elain. Let us take care of you,” Malix says. “You’ve been under a sleeping spell. Aracelia and Vivia will fill you in.” The female dragons give curt nods, before helping Elain up. They speak in hushed whispers as Elain weeps softly into Vivia’s shoulder.
I can’t even begin to know how she’s feeling right now.
“We’re done for today.” Malix's declaration surprises me, but I also don’t particularly feel like doing this again. My cheek throbs and fatigue is already setting in, though not as bad as last night. I’m now certain waking the dragons depletes me of my energy.
“Just one more?—”
“Lord Aeron, I’ll kindly ask you to shut the fuck up before I rip your head from your body.”
Wisely, Aeron purses his lips together, though his eyes hold his own murderous intent. I fear that Malix is turning Aeron against him, and as much as I don’t care for the older dragon, I also know he’s a valuable asset to Malix’s council.
He also isn’t wrong.
We don’t have time.
Not that I’m going to say that to Malix, though. No, I like my head firmly attached to my body.
With a stiff bow, Aeron departs, taking Otis along with him. I have a feeling the other man is little more than the dragon’s lapdog. Harmless until provoked.
“Aracelia, Vivia, do you have this handled?” Malix’s tone still hasn’t gone back to normal, but it also doesn’t hold the same venom it held with Aeron.
“Yes, My King. We will get Elain fed and back to her family.” Vivia is already leading the elder dragon to the stairs.
