My Soul to Take (6 page)

It was a good thing that I had just been to Faerie, so I didn't have a lot of time to catch up on before Thor, my sons, and Kaitlin arrived. As it was, I'd have just over a day to spend romping in bed with my dragon king and playing with our sons (obviously not at the same time) before I had to introduce Brevyn to his half-brothers, his previous father, and previous/possibly-future girlfriend. Wow that was a weird sentence. Anyway, when I used my Ring of Remembrance to step back in time to the moment I'd left Faerie, I was supremely glad I couldn't bring people along with me. Because my dragon king had been waiting for me; naked in our bed.

Actually, he did that quite a lot. I think he liked reminding me of what I'd left behind, the instant I returned. He didn't need to, I missed him and our sons every second that I was away from them. But the same went for my other husbands... and now, Re. It was a delicate balance of missing people but placing that emotion aside so I could make the most out of the time I had with my other loved ones.

So when I was in Faerie, I tried my best to concentrate on Arach and the twins fully. My wedding band with its diamond (made from my other husbands' hair) got removed and placed safely in a jewelry box while the wedding ring set that Arach had given me; a delicate gold band and a thicker one set with a crimson stone, got put on.

I held up my hand to admire the blood-red stone as I snuggled into Arach's side, lethargic from the furious burst of love we had made with each other. After my long day in the God Realm, I was ready for sleep but there in Faerie, it was just mid-day and Arach had other plans for me.

“I think it's time Rian learned to fly,” he said.

“What?” I sat up, adrenaline pushing all of my lethargy away. “He's two months old!”

“Almost three,” Arach nodded. “I was a month old when my father cast me out of the Flight Tower.”

“The Flight Tower?” I nearly screeched. “
Cast
you out?!What in all the bloody faerie hells are you talking about?”

“There is no faerie hell,” Arach gave me a contented pat on the belly, right on that little bulge most of us women have and hate. Those of us who aren't fitness junkies, liposuction enthusiasts, or anorexics that is... not that I'm bitter.

“I told you not to pat my belly fat,” I pushed his hand away angrily.

“I like it,” he pulled me back down. Then he snuggled into my side and replaced his hand, giving the mound of annoying flesh a good squeeze. “It shows you're healthy; women are supposed to have a nice soft spot right above their womanhood, where a man can rest his head after he's pleasured her.”

“Where did you learn to speak like that?” I gaped at him.

“Do you want me to move my hand?” He smiled wickedly at me.

“No,” I sighed. “Go ahead and squeeze your head rest.”

“Thank you,” he said smugly, sliding down further as he went back to fondling my wobbly bits.

“But I'm not throwing Rian out of a window.”

“Of course you're not, that's the father's duty. It's not just any window either, it's the Flight Tower's window,” Arach mumbled into my stomach. “And it's tradition. Don't worry,” he thankfully sat up to have a proper conversation with me. “There's a reason we use the Flight Tower. It's the highest point in the castle and it gives a young dragon plenty of time to find the air currents. He'll be fine.”

“No,” I said and settled onto my side, fully intending on taking a nap.

“It must be done,” Arach insisted. “How else is he to learn?”

“By falling from a much shorter distance,” I said. “Like his scratching post.”

“The post is only eight feet high, not nearly tall enough for him to catch the air,” Arach huffed. “And there isn't enough room for him to properly fly in the nursery.”

“No.”

“Baby birds fly two weeks after they're hatched,” Arach said reasonably.

“No.”

“He already has the fundamentals down. It's pure instinct; you know that from your first flight.”

“No.”

“He is the Prince of the Fire Kingdom and he will have his launching!” Arach shouted and scared the bejesus out of me.

“What is your problem?” I sat up and gaped at him.

“This is a very important part of a young dragon's development, Vervain,” Arach's chest was heaving and his daffodil dragon eyes were beginning to glow. “It's an honor that a father shows his son.”

“An
honor
?” I huffed. “It's an honor to have your daddy throw you out a window? You know, in the human world, that's called child abuse. And possibly infanticide.”

“It shows that I trust in his strength and power as a dragon,” Arach growled, I mean seriously, he growled. “He will be ashamed if I don't launch him.”

“Launch him,” I muttered. “Like a ship or a debutante... or a dragon-sidhe evidently.”

“Vervain,” Arach growled.

“What kind of precautions can we take to ensure that our son... your heir... does not go splat on the jagged rocks of Castle Aithinne?”

“The mother always stands watch at the bottom of the castle,” Arach started to smile. “But she doesn't act unless it's obvious that her child won't succeed.”

“I suppose I could do that.”

“You cannot act too soon, Vervain,” he started to look worried. “It's deeply embarrassing to be doubted by your mother at your launch.”

“As embarrassing as not being launched at all?”

“Almost.”

“Then I vote for not launching him at all.”

“Vervain!”

“He's not a football, Arach!”

“He will fly!”

“Or I will save him!”

“Fine!”

“Fine!”

“Alright!”

“Okay!”

A whine and a scratching sound came from the door and my irritation with my husband was completely forgotten as I jumped from the bed and ran to the door in a burst of overwhelming joy. I didn't care that I was naked, it wouldn't matter to the door scratcher.

“Dexter!” I shouted as the nurial launched himself at me. “Oh gods, I'm so happy to see you,” I stroked back the ruff from his face and nuzzled his tapered snout. “You came home.”

Dexter had been a baby nurial when I'd found him and taken him in. When Winter had returned to Faerie for the first time in thousands of years, it had affected several of the fey and fey creatures. Faeries were so closely tied to the land that several had shifted with the seasons. Dexter had been one of those. He had shifted from a fire nurial into a steam nurial and been rejected by his mother. His red eyes had changed to pale blue and his black fur to white but he was back to his original colors now and he was also fully grown. Which is why I hadn't seen him in awhile.

About two weeks before my twins had been born, Dexter had given me an intense look, whined pitifully, and led me out to the edge of the Weeping Woods. The woods were our damp forest, made so by the heat from numerous crevices leading down to the Fire Kingdom's molten core, reacting to the cool air coming in over the border from the Air Kingdom. It also happened to be where I'd found Dex as a baby.

He had cried and shook his thick mane of fur, then scraped his horns against the trunk of a nearby tree. I'd just stared at him in confusion, rubbing my huge belly thoughtfully. I'd raised him, basically I was his mother, and I could usually understand what he needed but this time, I was at a loss. He'd sat there in frustration, four of his six legs folded up as he stared at me balefully. His long tail had whipped around. The barb usually hidden at the end of his tail, within a tuft of fur, revealed itself to strike the ground; thwack, thwack, thwack.

“What is it, Dex?” I'd asked him.

Then I heard it; a high pitched howl, an animal entreaty. Dexter perked up, jumping to his feet as he stared into the forest. He howled back and the whine came again... closer. A rustle disturbed the trees and I finally caught a glimpse of her. A female nurial stared out of the thick, rubbery leaves of a nearby backo plant. A horrible shivering had filled my chest and I knew it was time to say goodbye to my boy.

“Okay, honey,” I had whispered as I knelt. “I understand. It's time for you to make your own family.”

Dexter had come over to me and nudged his forehead into mine. I stroked his face lovingly and his rough tongue had come out to lap at my tears. I hugged him and then gave him a little push. It wasn't fair to keep him with me when nature was clearly calling him to resume his proper place.

He had given one last whine, padded away a few feet, then looked back at me.

“I love you, Dex,” I called. “Be happy. Go make lots of little Dexters. The Kingdom can use more nurials like you. But remember, you can always come home.”

He had yipped and then ran off into the woods, chasing his new lady. I had cried for days.

But now he was back and it was like my family was complete again. Even Arach got up and came over to hug the nurial. We all sat there together, petting the huge Dexter (he was over six feet long now) and hugging him occasionally.

“I told you he'd be back,” Arach said gruffly as he stood but I caught him swiping at his cheeks. He walked to the still open door and shouted, “Isleen! We need Dexter's bed brought back in!”

We had removed the miniature version of our bed that we'd made for Dex because every time I looked at it I cried. But now he was home and his bed would be back besides ours again.

“Did you have fun?” I scratched his chin and he flopped his head into my lap and started to purr. I was covered by his thick mane but Arach still gave me a look while he pulled on his clothes.

“They'll be others here soon,” he said. “Faeries whom I don't wish to see my wife naked.”

“I don't care,” I hugged Dexter. “Everyone knows you can't move when you've got a cat in your lap.”

“He's not a cat,” Arach rolled his eyes. “He's not even a lion, he's a nurial and he's been gone for months. He can wait five minutes for you to pull a dress over your head.”

“Fine,” I huffed. “Throw me a dress.”

Arach made a face at me but obligingly handed me one of my dresses.

“I gotta put this on because Daddy is being stupid,” I said to Dex as I scooted him off my lap. He whined and stared up at me with his huge, crimson eyes. “I know, give me a sec,” I pulled on the dress. “Okay, come back to Mama!”

He flopped back into my lap and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I hadn't realized how much stress it had been for me to be without him. It was like my son had gone away without leaving any word of when or if he'd return. Say what you will but I've always had deep connections to my animals and even now, having birthed babies in this life, I could still say that I loved this nurial as much as my own biological children. I raised him, he was my child, just like my gray tabby, Nick back in the God Realm, and losing Dex had been traumatic, to say the least.

“Welcome home, Dexter,” Isleen smiled as she strode in. Two fire fey men came in behind her carrying Dexter's bed. “I knew you'd return to us once your mating season was over. I tried to reassure the Queen but she was inconsolable,” Isleen came over to scratch Dexter's head. He was so tall now, even sitting, that she didn't have to bend to reach him. “Your horns are looking mighty and majestic,” she tapped their curving tips. “Was your mating successful?”

Dexter yipped.

“Well done,” she nodded smartly and then turned to the men. “Over there please,” she indicated a spot next to our bed and the men put Dexter's bed down carefully.

“Thank you,” I said to them and they smiled wide, bowed, and then each one gave Dex a few pats before leaving. “Thank you, Isleen,” I added.

“My pleasure, Queen Vervain,” she smiled at Dexter. “I'm glad to have our boy home. I'll tell the rest of the castle the good news.”

She gave Dex one last stroke and then left. The whole castle loved my Dexter. And Dexter loved his bed. He jumped into it excitedly, kneading at the thick comforter before settling down for a good nap.

“Oh, no you don't,” I scolded him and his eyes popped open. “You've got two babies to meet.” His floppy ears perked up as he lifted his head. “Yeah, didn't you notice the belly's gone?” I waved my hands at my stomach. “You got brothers now.”

“Vervain,” Arach sighed. “I hardly think it's appropriate to call a nurial bro-” he stopped when he saw my stare. “As you wish.”

“That's what I thought,” I looked back to Dexter. “And you haven't even greeted Blossom yet,” I waved to the nostradim flower in her tall pot near the window.

Dexter jumped up and ran over to the pot, sniffing excitedly around Blossom's thick stem. The nostradim flower had grown in Alfheim in response to my magic and she had helped me escape Freyr's evil clutches. I'd brought her back to Faerie when I escaped and she had connected with the magic of Faerie, blooming beautifully ever since. Now her bright yellow petals dipped down toward Dex and opened joyously to display her shivering white stamens within. It was her way of smiling. Dexter gave her a snuffle in return.

“Good boy,” I nodded. “So you're going to be a Daddy. Will you be returning to help your mate with the babies?”

Dexter gave a huffing sigh.