Rising Dragons Omnibus (42 page)

Breath of Fate: Chapter 4

T
he escort of Unbound dispersed around the Pavilion and Kris finally caught sight of the retinue of Court dragons and their mates. The group was led by a few unfamiliar faces. He recognized Geva and Erika instantly—but the trio that accompanied them were new to him. The striking female Red in the center exuded power beyond even Geva’s vibrant energy.

“There she is,” Darius whispered beside him.

“You know this dragon?” Kris asked, jerking his head to look at his father.

Darius cut a sideways glance at Kris and gave him a smug smile. “She’s our salvation. I couldn’t tell you about her before today, or we’d have lost her assistance.”

“Who is she?” Kris asked, turning back to watch as the group approached, still far enough to be out of earshot.

“Bren and Warik’s daughter. The newest Unbound. So new, the Council doesn’t even know about her. Or they didn’t until now, but it’s too late for them to do anything.”

Darius sounded pleased with himself. Kris glanced at him again and caught the smug smile and twinkle in his eye. Kris braced himself for a reaction from the Council who had faded out of visibility until the others came into the Pavilion. Nothing happened aside from an agitated crackle of energy around him. They were aware, but holding their tongues.

“The lineages say Bren was mated to a human named Bertram…” Kris began, but Darius cut him off.

“Warik the Red was the son of our queen, Freyja, two generations past. Warik mated with Bren, our queen, almost three decades ago, just before Bren died. You and I are both aware that the only dragons allowed to breed pure are Catalysts, from whom every generation of Queen has been born. This beautiful young Red represents multiple generations of the purest breeding in our history.”

“Her parents shared a bloodline and still mated?”

“Yes! That’s my point. The bloodlines don’t matter within a single generation. At least that’s my theory. It’s the magic in a dragon’s essence that the child is conceived from, and two dragon parents produce a much stronger magic in the child. Genetics are such a small part of it. Why else would they have let me mate with your mother? They simply needed my dragon essence, and knew that because both my parents were dragons, it would be strong, though hers was still stronger. Our combined magic made you who you are, but physically you resemble her more than me. The only physical trait you have of mine is that infernal furrow between your eyebrows when you’re anxious or upset.”

“Are you sure you should be making these speculations
now
?” Kris asked. The Council’s agitation had grown to the point that his skin prickled from the energy being cast about within the pavilion. His own gut twisted with his nerves and he was suddenly very conscious of how tense his brow was.

Darius snorted. “Every dragon needs a hobby. Besides, what could they possibly do that’s worse than what I’ve endured for hundreds of years already? If they’re upset, that’s just proof that I’m at least not far off the mark. They’re probably angry that they didn’t have a hand in determining her parentage.”

Kris turned to look at the pretty young Red again, wondering how two such prominent dragons could have managed to breed, under the Council’s nose. Several generations of mostly pure breeding was a lot of time to build up power. How powerful was she? She appeared confident, though bemused at the entire situation. She was flanked by Geva and a Shadow Kris hadn’t met. The pair were imposing guards for an Unbound. Erika and another human stood at the outside on either side of the trio of dragons.

“They love her, don’t they?” he observed.

“So do I.”

“You were with her?” He gave his father a critical stare.

Darius shrugged. “She needed what little energy Zak and I could give. We were more than happy to oblige.”

“I’d wager you gave her more than energy… how many secrets did you tell?”

“Enough.”

Kris laughed to himself, his chest full of mirth and love for the man beside him. His father…whom he’d known for his entire life, but never truly known due to the ridiculous laws their race had endured forever.

Things would change, if the presence of the beautiful Red with the determined expression really meant what he thought it did—that the Council had less control over the course of events than they believed. The Court, including his own sister, their Queen, had been keeping secrets from him for months. He had to believe Rowan was the biggest one. He regretted that the rest of the Court couldn’t tell him everything, sequestered as he was on this mountain.

Her aura hit him first, his cock instantly pulsing and swelling beneath his sarong.

Reds were like that, and this was energy he could take back to Issa if he managed to control himself well enough. The hard-on would have to wait.

“Sweet Mother, she’s even more powerful than when I met her,” Darius said.

She ascended the steps and stopped in front of Racha before Kris could say another word.

“My Queen,” the Red said. “I am your servant and pledge my loyalty to you. Every ounce of my love and power is yours to command.”

“Your love?” Racha asked. “Who do you claim as your lover, if you pledge your love? Pledging that requires a strong commitment.”

Kris sensed a shift in Rowan’s energy but she kept her expression placid. He wondered if their little exchange had been rehearsed considering they had all arrived together. Her greeting definitely sounded too formal to come from one so young, and the question Racha had asked was too leading to be spontaneous.

“These men beside me. My personal commitment is to them, through the marks they bear. My sovereign loyalty goes to you and our race.”

She gestured toward the Shadow and the human man on the other side of him.

Racha’s eyebrows raised, her face still a mask, but Kris sensed the rising excitement in his sister.

“You have marked another dragon as your mate. This is a grave transgression.”

The Red didn’t flinch and Kris wondered if she could already sense Racha’s acceptance of her. The Queen had no choice in her dialog. The Council were all still there, watching from their ethereal thrones around the pavilion. The others wouldn’t be made aware until the Council chose, but Kris and his sister always knew when they were present.

“You are a purebred like me. You and your brother.” Rowan’s red eyes settled on Kris for a split second and that small bit of glowing magic darted straight to his soul. “We want the same things. The freedom to mate and breed with whom we choose.”

Racha’s voice sounded brittle when she answered. “You are Unbound, are you not? Your parents broke our laws. Why should I accept your mates along with you?”

The bitterness surprised Kris, even in light of the stress both he and his sister had been under trying to negotiate with the Council to approve assembly of the Verdanith. Once Issa’s pregnancy and the nature of their children became apparent, there had been no more resistance, but getting there had been an ordeal. Of the entire Court, only Racha knew about Issa’s pregnancy. Dragons were rarely susceptible to envy, so Kris believed it was merely the idea that Rowan had been so easily conceived by her parents, while Corey and Racha had followed all the laws and were still childless. His and Issa’s own good fortune likely didn’t help.

“My parents’ transgressions are not at issue. All of that happened a generation ago. I only care about what happens now and in the future. My men are
mine
. If you hurt them, I’m pretty sure I can rain down fire on the rest of you. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m not shy.”

Kris stepped forward. “Threats aren’t necessary, Princess.”

Rowan blinked in surprise at the title he’d just given her. He knew well enough it was a demeaning term in this modern world he’d grown up in but remained apart from. In truth, he’d meant it twofold. She was by birthright a member of the Court, being the daughter of their last Queen. If her brother hadn’t misbehaved, Geva would have been the highest ranking member of the Court. As it was, Geva stood second to a dragon who had broken their laws out of love, not boredom. None of those details had been lost on the Council. Now this lovely, illegitimate Red had decided to show her face and assert her dazzling power.

Rowan’s existence, however,
had
gone unnoticed by the Council until this moment. Kris’s mind buzzed with the Council’s background chatter. He had to suppress an urge to rejoice when those immortal bastards began scrambling for purchase over their apparently failed plans.

He wasn’t privy to all their secrets, only glimmers here and there. He’d gleaned enough to understand they’d had an ongoing agenda to orchestrate very specific breeding among the race, though to what purpose he wasn’t sure. Darius’s theory made perfect sense. His and Issa’s mating and conception of the Twins, and now Rowan’s presence, indicated that the breeding of incredibly powerful dragons could easily occur without the Council’s influence. Their restriction on pure breeding must only be so they could maintain control over
who
bred pure or not.

This particular dragon was entirely unexpected, yet the Council seemed as excited at her presence as they were when they’d learned of the Twins. Before Kris told the Council that Issa was pregnant, they hadn’t been happy he’d chosen his own mate without their input, and had been on the verge of forcing him and Issa apart. After that, they had been filled with almost desperate regret every time he’d requested their help to sustain her.

“And why not?” Rowan replied. “I lost almost my entire family as a result of our laws. I deserve a little bit of retribution.”

Racha sighed and stepped toward Rowan. “Forgive me, Rowan. I didn’t mean to threaten you or your mates. We all have a lot resting on this assembly so tensions are understandably high. Please, cousin, let’s make peace and move forward, all right?”

She took Rowan’s hand and led her to the edge of the circle etched into the floor of the pavilion, where the inlaid stones depicted a pattern of six serpentine figures entwined. As she moved, the others began to gather
in a circle around the pavilion. They finally settled under Darius and Zak’s gentle command. When they were finally all silent, Kris spoke.

“Welcome, all. Humans, forgive me for not wasting time with a heartfelt introduction. We are here for business. Court, do you have the Verdanith fragments?”

Several figures moved, converging together, then came forward one by one until they stood equidistant from each other around the circle. The keepers, then. And they weren’t all dragons, either. Most were unsurprising. Racha stepped forward first, facing Kris with her fragment held gently in her hands. Kol followed, stepping forward to stand at a spot a few degrees to Racha’s left. Rowan stepped forward next, with the large jade wedge held in her palm. “This was my mother’s. It is my right to present it, is it not?”

Kris glanced back at Geva and suppressed a smile in response to the smirk that graced the wayward Red’s expression. Pushing his sister in the faces of the Council was a bold move and one that would definitely catch their attention.

Roka shifted his tall bulk smoothly around the circle, carrying the fragment he’d been presented upon acknowledgment of his Court status after their ascension. The pale green wedge looked tiny in his hands compared to the females.

The fifth was Erika. For the first time since Kris had known her she looked nervous.

“I guess I belonged to you guys all along,” she said with a tiny shrug.

Kris rested a palm on her shoulder. “You will never belong to anyone you don’t choose.”

“Where is the sixth?” Erika asked.

Kris nearly grimaced at the question. Like a fool, he had forgotten to bring the fragment the Council had enlisted him to protect, not expecting the assembly to occur so soon.

“I have it.” Issa’s reedy voice carried above the other chatter and everyone grew instantly silent.

Kris turned and the others stilled as they watched Issa step carefully along the path that led from her small temple. He swallowed hard, the desperation of their ordeal rising again. She shouldn’t be out of bed, but if she’d chosen to do this, he wouldn’t make a fool of her by stopping her.

She was radiant in the sunlight beyond the cover of the Pavilion, her hair flowing in a shimmering dark violet cascade over bare shoulders. Her full bosom and huge belly swelled beneath a simple lavender colored gown, so gauzy and ethereal it could have been made from clouds. The others gasped at the vision, surprised voices murmuring around him. All Kris could still see were the harsh angles and hollows of her face, evidence of the toll the pregnancy had taken.

Issa stepped into the circle, taking her place in the last spot around the center. The heavy stone she gripped in her palm glowed with the energy she’d given it.

“Why did you come? You could have sent an Unbound to carry it,” Kris asked.

“I should be here,” Issa said. Her cheeks were flushed pink from even the slight exertion of the short walk from their quarters to the Pavilion. He longed to go to her, but sensed the Council’s awareness now that the Court was in place.

“I am fine, my love.”
Issa’s thought pressed into his mind, strong and sure in sharp contrast to her voice a moment earlier. He held her gaze, again amazed by her strength, but terrified at the same time of how quickly that strength seemed to fade each day. She nodded her head slightly and fixed her eyes on the edge of the Pavilion past his shoulder. The Council’s power grew incrementally stronger around them. Kris rotated in a slow circle, watching each of the shimmering veils of color grow more substantial and form into the huge shapes of their immortal forebears.

It was time for the Assembly to begin.

Breath of Fate:
Chapter 5

“W
elcome children.” Numa’s voice resonated through the Pavilion, the immortal green dragon’s words sinking into Kris’s skin like the warmth of a summer breeze.

The other dragons and their mates all let out tiny exhalations of pleasure in response. The Council’s voices had that effect, as though their intention was to prime their audience for sex. Again, Kris regretted that his own nature prevented him from carrying their power to his mate. If their words alone held that much power, he could only imagine how much a single infusion of their Nirvana would hold.

“I am Numa, speaker for the Council. We are gathered to officially hear your petition to reassemble the Verdanith, one of our most valued and powerful artifacts. This is not a decision we take lightly, due to the power this object will possess when it is restored to its full power. Each of my brothers and sisters carry equal weight in the decisions we make, but you will address your concerns to me. First, each Keeper of a piece of the Verdanith must re-state their reasons for requesting the Verdanith be reassembled.”

“My mate and I are eager to conceive a child soon,” Racha said.

Kris turned to the sound of his sister’s voice. She held her fragment up, the jade wedge glowing with her magic.

“When this generation was sent to hibernate, the New World we live in was in its infancy. We need more offspring to fill our ranks to ensure our treasures are well guarded and that we maintain our status among the humans who have grown ever more powerful over the centuries. My father knew a more robust dragon population would be paramount, and in his last written missive to me, asked that I promise to maintain our legacy.”

With grave formality Numa said, “Your petition is heard, Queen Racha, daughter of Irisa and Aris.” She turned her head just a fraction to aim her gaze at Kol next.

As Racha had done, the large Shadow lifted his wedge of the Verdanith up and spoke. “Hallie and I desire many children and sooner rather than later. With our current laws, we have too short a time to enjoy a family. There are too few dragons to balance the wealth that humans have accumulated and to ensure that our treasures are secure.”

Again, Numa replied, “Your petition is heard, Shadow Kol, son of Astrid.”

Kris rotated slightly, his eyes coming to rest on Issa who held Numa’s gaze proudly. His heart swelled at the sight of her in profile. Wetness seeped into his eyes and he took a deep breath, holding back emotion that threatened to break out. Her voice was strong and sure when she spoke.

“As you are aware, Kris and I are already expecting our first children. The Twins are strong and growing stronger with every bit of power they consume, but what we have to give is not enough. My petition is for the power to sustain them until they are born and come of age. The Verdanith will supply that power.”

After Numa acknowledged Issa, it was Roka’s turn to face Numa. His shoulders tensed, the Verdanith fragment held so tightly in his grip, Kris feared it might crack.

“Esteemed Council,” Roka began with a nod of his head. “While I share the desires of those who petitioned before me, my petition is not for the aid to fertility the Verdanith can provide. My mates and I have agreed that until dragon law is changed, we will not conceive a child. I have seen many sunrises over the months since I was awakened by the sunrise of my heart, Camille. But I have missed
thousands
of sunrises during my lifetime already. My petition is to allow our children to see a sunrise for each day they are alive, and to be able to share in their glory. Assembly of the Verdanith would enable sufficient oversight by yourselves to support multiple generations sharing the world.”

The Council’s silent deliberation buzzed in Kris’s mind for a second. He was as surprised as they were with Roka’s bold petition, going against what had earlier been a unanimous Court petition to assemble the Verdanith strictly for fertility purposes. He closed his eyes, hoping to gather enough of an impression of their reaction to decide whether it was positive or negative, but it sounded conflicted. Numa’s response was as much a surprise as Roka’s request.

“Your petition is unexpected, Roka, son of Ronin. Why have you jeopardized the Court’s petition as a whole to state your case?”

“Is it not Dragon Law to hear each petition and consider them on their own merits as well as together? I still wish for the Verdanith to be assembled, but only to facilitate a necessary shift in our antiquated system of laws. Humanity and modern cultural changes have accelerated to a blinding speed relative to our lifetimes. We can only grow stronger by maintaining closer familial ties over the generations. Preserving our genetics through hibernation should be a much lower priority relative to maintaining our competitive edge over the richest humans.”

More irritating deliberation followed. Finally Numa said, “You are very much the product of your parents, both loyal and law abiding dragons in spite of their opinionated natures. Your petition is heard, Roka, son of Ronin and Ryoko.”

Kris raised his eyebrow at the acknowledgment of Roka’s human mother. The mere mention of the legendary female samurai indicated that the Council had more than heard his petition. They were impressed. Kris only hoped he could live up to his own mother’s name.

There were only two petitions left. Kris braced himself for the unknown. He’d heard Erika and Geva’s original petition but suspected Erika might follow Roka’s example and share their true reason for requesting the assembly. He had no idea what the newcomer, Rowan, might request.

Erika nodded, wisps of her chestnut hair drifting across her cheeks in some unseen breeze. Her eyes were bright with excitement as she held up the glowing stone. In a loud, clear voice she spoke.

“When I was a child, I dreamed that my father would discover that your race’s existence was not a myth, but a fact. He died before he could prove it, and so I picked up where he left off, following his research like a map to buried treasure. I didn’t find his personal journals until after we completed the ritual. It wasn’t until I read them that I learned how close the ties were between my family and your race. From his research and the research my team has done, I understand why you split the Verdanith six generations and more than three thousand years ago. The race had too much power over humans and some dragons abused that power. The dragon whose fragment my family kept for generations gave up his life to ensure that power was no longer abused. Splitting the Verdanith effectively hobbled the race, and allowed the six of you to assert greater control. But even with it split, you still didn’t have the control I believe you wished to have.”

Erika paused for breath and turned, meeting the gazes of each member of the Council in turn before beginning again. “Do you even know how many were born outside your sanction? Dragon children you had no knowledge of until today. Do you know how many dragons live out their lives with no offspring whatsoever? The dragon who was once the keeper of this fragment I hold had no progeny to pass it on to and so it was lost, passed down through the generations of his bonded humans. Your laws didn’t protect him or offer him an alternative that would protect his legacy. We can’t change the mistakes of the past—I believe Fate dictated the events that brought me to you—but we can ensure a stronger future for the race with the Verdanith at full strength. I petition for assembly of the Verdanith to ensure that future generations, including the children I wish to bear with my mate, are free to take advantage of the Verdanith’s power when in need. Even if those future generations are born without your sanction. Slavery was abolished among humans in the western world more than two centuries ago. It is against our laws now. Don’t you think it’s time your race caught up?”

Kris forced his face to remain placid, though he grimaced inwardly. Erika had just challenged one of their most contentious laws without overtly stating her objection to it. He glanced at Geva and then Rowan, both of whom wore pleased smirks. Rowan shifted her gaze to him. The red blaze of power in her eyes sank through his defenses in much the same way as the Council’s power did.

Then she turned toward Numa and the power increased tenfold. Kris sensed magic converging on the entire pavilion, drawn to the arousal induced by Rowan’s magic. She hadn’t even breathed and everyone’s pulse rates had increased.

The Council itself grew utterly still and silent. Whether their silence was in response to Erika’s question or Rowan turning up the power, Kris couldn’t be sure. They’d never lashed out before, however, so he had no reason to fear any kind of wrath from them. Reasonable to a fault would be the best description he had for the six.

Numa’s calming green aura pressed outward, enveloping the Pavilion in a hazy bubble.

“Your petition is heard, Erika, daughter of Gabriel, bonded servant of Jorian.” The normally resonant voice held a faint quaver that was reflected in the agitation of the other Council members.

If Kris didn’t know better, he might believe the six of them were actually anxious to hear Rowan’s petition. In spite of Numa’s breath surrounding them all, Rowan’s power persisted, overlapping and entwining with the magic that held the bubble in place. Kris’s groin ached with the effects of it, while at the same time Numa’s power gave him the strongest sense of euphoria. It was all he could do to avoid touching himself. He conjured forth a memory of when he was younger and that action would only result in discomfort. After the assembly was done, he would deal with his need. Not in the middle of it. The combined arousal and conflicting frustration permeated the area from the others as well. Issa’s eyes were wide, her hands clasped across her belly, the wedge of the Verdanith still held tightly in her fingers.

“What is it, my love?”
he asked.

“The twins sense the energy. They are hungry.”

“Just a few more minutes and we will be done.”

Issa nodded slightly and gave him a small, worried smile, but stood tall and still.

Rowan spoke, her voice as strong and sure as Erika’s, but holding the otherworldly vibration that only dragons could produce. “According to dragon law, I am Unbound. I was born outside your sanction and am therefore not bound by your laws unless you force me to be, as you have forced countless other dragons over the centuries. I am here to petition a change to that law, and also to honor my parents’ union and request that you honor it, too. You may have heard of my parents, Bren and Warik. It is their power I carry, which I can use to help our race if you choose. In honoring them, you will also honor my union with the dragon Rafe. I petition you to use the Verdanith to find others like me, not to persecute, but to legitimize, for they were born from love between two dragons, something only your Catalysts have been honored with publicly. An honor which I have no doubt they would happily share.”

The briefest glance Kris shared with her was enough acknowledgment of understanding, as though she sensed the need to move things along for the sake of his mate. He hoped the Council would make their decision quickly.

“Your petition is heard, Red Princess, daughter of Bren and Warik. The Keepers have made their petitions. Are there any petitions pertaining to the assembly that others wish to make?”

Kris shifted his gaze around at the outer circle of observers, which included most of the humans along with the four other dragons. Geva and Rafe remained silent, their heads held high. Aurin and Aurik shared a furtive glance but didn’t speak. Their predicament was no secret, but this was not the time for them to state their own petition to the Council.

“Very well,” Numa said. “Catalyst, proceed.”

Kris nodded and gestured toward the six who stood in a circle around him. They approached in order once again, each one handing their respective fragments to him. The first piece pulsed with gentle heat in his hand and an involuntary surge of his own energy flowed into it before he could stop it. The stone was enchanted with the same energy as the altar beneath the Queen’s chamber of the temple visited so many months ago. If he wasn’t careful, this object would bleed him entirely dry of power. He carefully restrained his power from it as he accepted each successive piece. The first two wedges snapped together like opposing poles of two magnets. One by one, each fragment fit together with its brothers.

Roka was the last to step forward. He held his piece out to Kris, the nearly completed circle of the Verdanith physically beginning to pull Kris toward its last missing piece.

In a split second, there were gasps around the circle. Issa’s voice rose faintly in his mind,
“Kris…”

“Issa!” Kris yelled, seeing his mate sway from the corner of his vision, but he couldn’t release the object. He seemed fastened to the center of the Pavilion, the Verdanith adhered to his hands.

Roka moved in a blur. Releasing the final jade wedge, he lunged to the side around Kris. The Verdanith seemed to suck the last remaining piece from the air with a snap into the void left for it. Blinding white light bloomed in Kris’s hands, the power of the artifact growing exponentially, the pull of it forcing his hands downward into the center of the Pavilion’s floor. He released it and stepped back in one swift movement.

The Verdanith slammed into the floor, its impact shaking the entire mountain and causing everyone but the Council to waver, holding their hands out to steady themselves against each other.

The pattern in the floor of the Pavilion lit with a series of colored lights that quickly faded to black, but Kris was done with the ceremony. He needed to see to his mate. He turned to find Issa cradled against Roka’s chest, one arm dangling limply. Aurik stood at Roka’s shoulder, his sister and their mates close behind. The four of them and Roka had been standing the closest to Issa. The others moved closer, gathering around with concerned looks.

“Give her to me,” Kris said. “She needs my energy. The babies, too.”

“We can help,” Roka said. “My breath might be able to help.”

Kris met his friend’s concerned gaze with one of defeat. “I wish you could, brother. Only an Udara can help now, until the Verdanith is charged.” He turned and walked toward the edge of the Pavilion. The charging of the Verdanith would have to happen without him. He didn’t dare hope they could complete the task before it was too late for his mate and children.