Gods, and it made her wonder even
more why she had been brought to
this place during the short time they
were together.
Silas frowned at her. “I thought I
would have this matter already taken
care of.”
“You thought wrong,” Lunaria said.
She turned back to Raven. “Do you
love your mates, Raven?”
“I do,” Raven answered honestly.
“But it is too soon, isn’t it?”
“Either you know what’s in your
heart or you don’t,” Silas said with
finality.
Raven rounded on him and snarled,
“Will you give me a fucking minute
to think, for Christ’s sake? All of this
goes against everything I’ve ever
known. You’re asking me to give up
everything for men I’ve only known
for a few days, when everyone I’ve
ever depended on has either hurt or
left me.” Her words ended on a sob.
Lunaria scowled fiercely at Silas
then drew Raven into her embrace.
“Come, Raven. There is something I
want to show you that will help put
your mind at ease.” Lunaria led her
into the garden. They walked over to
a large stone fixture in the center of
the garden. Raven looked down into
it to see the bowl on top was filled
with dark-purple water that lay
perfectly still, despite the breeze.
“My mate and I combined our
powers to bring you to our world.
We brought you forth to Arcadia to
mate with the Kings of the Iron
Palace because we knew that you
would thrive together. I know it
seems like a great task we ask of you,
but you have only to be yourself to
enact the change that is needed. You
have already begun.”
Lunaria trailed her fingertips into
the pool of dark-purple liquid and the
water began to move, continuing to
swirl even as she pulled her hand
away.
“In your heart you know that you
belong with Savitar, Kadan and
Tristan. I can sense the love you have
for them. The bond you have with
Savitar is strong, as is the one you
have now forged with Kadan. What
is holding you back is your feelings
for Tristan. Even though you feel
love for him through the blood bond
with him and your other mates, you
are still worried that he will hurt
you.”
“I’ve forgiven him for what
happened,” Raven said.
“But it still does not change that it
did happen,” Lunaria said. “I know
that you have not yet had a chance to
spend time with Tristan, but I can
sense the hesitation in you that is the
reason you have not asked to see him
since it happened.”
“He’s been busy—”
“He has been avoiding you because
he can sense that is what you want.
He gives to you what you need even
when it hurts him,” Silas growled.
Shock tore through Raven. Was that
true? Was he staying away from his
home because of her?
“Look into the pool, Raven,”
Lunaria said softly. “See the truth.”
Raven looked down in the swirling
water and saw a vision appear like it
was a movie screen. In the vision she
could see Kadan and Tristan walking
along the streets of the Citadel
together. Somehow she knew what
she was witnessing was shortly after
they had left her in Savitar’s care that
first night when they had gone hunting
for rogues.
“She will never forgive me,”
Tristan
said,
his
deep
voice
breaking.
Kadan put a hand on Tristan’s
shoulder. “She will. Give her time,
brother.”
“How can I ask her to forgive the
pain I caused?”
“You did not mean to, Tristan. It
was the memories—”
Tristan stopped and turned on his
brother. “It was me who caused her
to relive those memories. I wish
nothing more than to go back in
time so I could kill that animal
before he ever touched her. I want
to make sure that nothing ever hurts
her, that she is always cared for.”
Emotions swirled in Tristan’s
eyes. “I love her, Kadan,” he
whispered.
Kadan nodded. “I know how you
feel. I love her, too. It pains me that
Raven fears us now.”
“I would do anything for her. I
would walk through fire for her, just
to see her smile. There is nothing I
would not give her, if I only had the
chance. We have been waiting our
whole lives to find the one, and now
that we have, I fear that I have
ruined it for us. I was overcome
with the need to be close to her.
Savitar is the quiet, compassionate
one, you are the logical one, but I
let my emotions rule me.”
“All will be well, Tristan,” Kadan
said. “You will see.”
Tristan smiled sadly. “I can only
hope…”
The image in the pool disappeared
so that the purple water was once
again still. Raven had felt Tristan’s
pain as she watched the scene play
before her. She could feel how
deeply sorry he was and just how
much he loved her. Tears streamed
down her cheeks. Until now she
hadn’t understood the depth of his
emotions for her and his pain was
tearing her apart.
Arcadian males were born and
bred to love one female who would
complete them. Some males waited a
lifetime to find their true mate, the
one who was the other half of their
soul. They believed in love at first
sight and the mating blood bond
ensured that that feeling grew as time
passed. The connection between them
was forged in steel, strong enough to
withstand anything that tried to come
between them. No matter what their
station in life, be it king, warrior, or
servant, nothing was as important to
the males as their mate was.
That is what Savitar, Kadan, and
Tristan were offering her. The chance
to be loved so completely she would
never want for anything. To be
cherished and taken care of.
To be needed.
“Let me stay,” Raven whispered,
then turned her tear-covered face to
Silas. “Please, I want to stay.”
“Then you shall,” Silas said softly.
“Right now your spirit is here, but
your body remains in stasis in bed
between your mates. Only a matter of
minutes have passed, but the three of
you lie as if sleeping so they have not
noticed your absence,” Lunaria
explained. She exchanged a look with
her lover then turned her swirling
silver eyes back to Raven. “You have
made your choice so we would like
to speed up the conversion process
since you are here.”
Hold up…conversion?
“What
do
you
mean?
What
conversion?”
Lunaria led Raven over to a stone
bench. Silas snapped his fingers and
a large cushion appeared on the
bench before both women sat down.
“Thank you, mate,” Lunaria purred.
“Anything for you, my love.” Silas
snapped his fingers again and a large,
comfortable,
throne-like
chair
appeared in front of them. Silas sat
down and leaned back, linking his
hands together over his flat stomach.
Lunaria laughed. “Now he is just
showing off.”
Silas countered. “When one is a
God, I have only to breathe to show
off.”
Raven wasn’t touching that one
with a ten-foot pole.
Lunaria rolled her eyes and Raven
had to struggle to hold back a laugh.
She liked these two. Truly enjoyed
them now that her decision had been
made and her future was clear.
“It might not be clear…yet,” Silas
said ominously.
Raven cringed. Damn it, why
couldn’t she remember they could
read her mind? And what else did
they have to throw at her?
“Arcadians have a long life span,
far longer than your human years are
capable of. Your mates are one
hundred and seventy-seven years of
age,” Silas explained.
“Blood bonding with your mates
has another side effect that you are
not aware of. It is nothing to fear,”
Lunaria rushed to explain. “Right
now your body is undergoing a
change. We have, in essence, altered
your
genetics.
Each
time
you
exchange blood with your mates the
changes grow stronger, bringing you
closer to being a true Arcadian.
But…we have another offer for you.”
“With our magic, you make the
change right now. It is usually a
painful process, but if you do it now,
you will feel no discomfort,” Silas
added.
Rave waited a beat then had to ask,
“Okay, so what is the catch? What
are you hesitating to tell me?”
“You have seen your mate’s claws,
but true Arcadians were full shifters,
gifted with the ability to change into
their
animal
forms.
Current
generations do not remember clearly
the time long past when peace ruled
the land and dragons ruled the skies.
Ah,” Silas sighed. “What is it your
people say? Those were good times.”
Raven rubbed her forehead. Her
head felt like it was going to explode.
Dragons?
Seriously?
Why was she surprised they wanted
to make her into a dragon. At this
point she’d thought nothing could faze
her, but this…well, this was totally
out of left field.
“My love, my time is almost gone,”
Lunaria said softly. The sadness in
her eyes brought tears to Raven’s in
sympathy. “More explanations will
have to wait. I will soon have to go
back to my own world. I have used
much of my power to bring you here
to this world and I have not yet
regained my full strength.”
“I’m sorry,” Raven whispered.
Lunaria smiled at her. “It is
passing. My weakened state is
temporary and it was well worth it to
bring you here.”
A jewel encrusted goblet filled
with wine appeared in Silas’s hand.
“Give me your hand, my love,” Silas
said.
Lunaria looked at him curiously as
she held her hand out to him. A single
claw came out of Silas’s finger and
he used it to prick Lunaria’s
fingertip. A single drop of silver
blood welled from the wound and it
fell into the wine, turning the wine a
bright,
glowing,
silver
color.
Lunaria’s eyes widened as Silas
pricked his own finger and a single
drop of golden blood fell into the
cup, mixing into the wine, making it a
swirl of gold and silver.
“Silas…?”
He turned to Raven, holding out the
goblet. “Drink, and become a true
Arcadian.”
Raven didn’t know much about
what was going on, but she could tell
that what Silas had just done was
monumental. Ready to take her future
in her hands, she tipped the cup to her
lips and drank the contents down
without
hesitation.
Her
hand
tightened on the goblet as a strange
feeling took hold of her. She felt like
her body had turned to pure light,
searing her from the inside. She
panted for breath as the feeling faded,
leaving her feeling lightheaded.
Raven came back to find herself
with her head resting on the
goddess’s
shoulder
as
Lunaria
stroked a gentle hand over her hair.
Raven sat up and her brows furrowed
at the sight of the tears in Lunaria’s
eyes.
“Thank you,” Raven whispered.
Lunaria smiled with a look of such
joy that Raven had to smile back.
“You are truly an Arcadian now.”
The goddess leaned forward and
pressed a kiss on Raven’s forehead,
leaving a pleasant tingling sensation
behind when she pulled back. “We
shall see each other again soon.”
Lunaria stood and walked a few
feet to where Silas met her. Their