“Well, Jakob was just following his instincts, and it was the fastest way to bring you two together.” She took a bite and coffee dribble down her ten. “Jada, these are divine.”
Neither of the other two women said anything, probably because there jaws were on the floor. Not literally, but almost.
It wasn't like Azy knew what to say to the apparition, so she waited for the women to get their senses back. Jada recovered first, but instead of saying anything she topped up the woman in White's cup of coffee.
Ciara finally found her voice. “Mrs. Bohacek?”
“Ciara, dear. I think you can call me Inanna now. The magic coming along?”
Ciara tipped her head and a little tray with sugar and creamer floated over to Inanna.
“Well done.” The woman took three cubes and plopped them into her mug. Then she turned to Jada. “Portia's fine. She's at the the seat of the gold wyr and giving her makes a helluva time.”
“Mates?”
Inanna did not reply to Jade's question and turned her attention to Azy. Her gaze was completely disconcerting as if she knew all of Azy's secrets. They stared at each other for longer than was comfortable, for Azy anyway. Inanna didn't seem bothered in the least. She sipped on her coffee and crossed her legs.
“Do we need to leave?” Jada asked.
Inanna set her coffee cup down and shook her head. “No, it's fine. You won't remember I was here anyway.”
“Damn.” Jada didn't actually seem to be that bothered by the news.
“I'm to try to,” Ciara said.
Inanna again didn't respond. “Azynsa, I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
“Why?” She didn't understand who or what this woman was, but she could feel the power emanating from her. All nonhumans had a magical aura and Azy had not understood what she was sensing when she was younger. She didn't understand until her father's death had left a dark place where his aura used to be.
“You get your strong sense of justice from him, little dragon daughter. I am glad he passed that on to you before he was killed.”
Azy had a million questions but couldn't get any of them out past the lump the size of Gibraltar in her throat. “How do you know about my father?”
“He is one of my sons, as you are one of my daughters.”
This was a confusing conversation that Azy didn't want to have anymore. She looked to Ciara and Jada to help her out, but they were both frozen in time. “I don't understand. I know my father was special, but he was just a cop who was shot by a gang. My mother was a mermaid who left me in his care. Also, I thought there were no such thing as female dragons. How can I be a dragon daughter?”
“We all have secrets dear. Your father was very special. Kur and I were very sad when he lost his battle to the demon dragons, protecting you.”
Rage bubbled up inside of Azy. “My father was killed in a gang shooting. It was my fault. I never should have told him they were harassing me.”
She had never said that outloud before. The words burned like acid coming out of her mouth.
“Look inside your heart, Azy. Your mind has protected you from the truth for long enough.” Inanna waved her hand over Azy's face and the tears came.
She let them flow, knowing they were helping to heal old wounds from the inside out. When she was all cried out Inanna floated a handkerchief across to her. “Will I remember my father was a blue dragon that was slain by Kur-Jara's bastards after you leave?”
“Some of that you always know in your heart.”
So, that was a no. That was okay for now, because Inanna had repaid whatever debt of gratitude she felt she had by allowing a part of Azy’s soul to heal. “Why did you feel you owe me a debt?”
“You have corrected one of my greatest failings. And I have many. We’ve been searching for our little red dragon for far too long. I knew my sister was involved, but I couldn’t risk her knowing I was on to her. Even after everyone else gave up on our girl you did not. For that I will be eternally grateful.”
“Fallyn?”
Inanna floated the handkerchief back over to herself and wiped a tear away. “I'd like to leave you with two things. One a token of my thanks, and the other a gift for Fallyn. Will you give it to her for me?”
Azy nodded. “But, you don't need to give me a gift.”
“Well, then think of it as a gift for Cage. I think he is feeling a little lost because he hasn't followed the same path as his brother wyverns to find you. This should help.”
Azy touched her neck and a necklace appeared in her hand. She lifted it and looked down to see a miniature of her mother's mirror with a shining golden pearl set in the middle. When she looked back up Inanna was gone.
“What was I saying?” Ciara plopped down next to Jada. “What were we talking about?”
Jada yawned. “I don’t know. I’m still not entirely a day person. It’s my nap time. And by nap time I mean sexy times with Ky and then I’m out like a light until around midnight.”
Ky Puru stuck his head into the tent. “Did I hear something about a nap, aroha?”
Ciara frowned and looked over at Azy. “Azy, I thought you didn’t have a necklace?”
She glanced down at her hand and a beautiful miniature mirror with a golden pearl sat in her hand. “Umm, oh. This old thing?”
For some reason she didn’t want to talk about how or where she’d gotten it. She did have a strong desire to show it to Cage.
“Thanks for the food, ladies. I’m going to check in on Fallyn. Then I think I could use a nap myself. Hell wasn’t exactly a restful place.”
She was tired, but after the food and chatting with the other mates she felt lighter, like a dark spot on her soul had been blotted out. Plus, she liked Jada’s idea of naptime.
Azy found Cage with Jakob and they were deep in conversation.
“You take her to The Lindens. I’ll make sure Match stays in Poland. But, I don’t want to keep him in the dark any longer than we have to. If Kur-Jara is going to mount an attack, the reds should be fighting by our sides.”
Cage was going to say something else, but stopped and turned to look over his shoulder, directly at her. She gave him a shy wave.
Wait, why was she feeling shy now? Maybe because she couldn’t get all the naughty things they’d done together out of her mind, now that he was looking at her with that smoulder in his eyes?
Yeah. That was it.
“Agreed. AllWyr at The Lindens then.” Cage walked away from Jakob who had a very knowing look in his face.
“Hi. How was your meal?” Cage wrapped his arm around her waist and brushed his lips across hers.
“Good. Interesting. Ciara and Jada are…nice.”
“Nice?”
“Yeah.”
“Good. I have a feeling Ciara is going to try and talk you into letting her plan a few events for you.”
“Really? She didn’t say anything. What kind of events.”
“The kind with rings.”
Rings? Like wedding rings? Azy was not ready to talk about getting married. She promptly changed the subject. “I’d like to go see Fallyn. I have something for her.”
Wait, she did?
A white handkerchief was in her hand, and it was wrapped around something hard. She opened the material and revealed a necklace with a sparkling red phoenix charm with a ruby for an eye.
“Pretty. It’s definitely shiny so, I’m sure she’ll love it. But, can it wait until we get back to my home in the Netherlands? I’d like to get our group back there as soon as possible and get Fallyn under the watchful eye of my guard.”
“Uh. Sure. I guess so.” She rewrapped the necklace. “You live in the Netherlands?”
“Yeah. I think you’ll like it. There are canals everywhere, lots of water for you to splish and splash, since half the country is below sea level.”
She was used to warm waters off the coast of Africa. Didn’t it snow in the Netherlands? She hadn’t seen snow in years. “I don’t know of any Ma
mi Wata who live that far north.”
“Is that important to you? You can invite them up if you want.”
“We’ll see.” Azy didn’t think they’d come. Maybe the three women who had come all the way to Illinois to get her when her father died would. But, the rest of the Mami Wata did not like change.
Azy had lived through some damn big changes in her life and it seemed like another was in order. She would have to make some allowanced and sacrifices in her life to adjust to Cage’s.
But, wait. When had it become her job to fit into his life?
Maybe he should be trying to fit into hers.
A fish and a bird could fall in love. But, where would they live?
Chapter Thirteen
Chp 13 – Hate me today
Cage could hardly wait to get Azy back to The Lindens. He needed to know that she would be safe from any demon Dragon attacks. He was very much looking forward to fucking her in a proper bed, underneath the domed skylight in his master suite.
Once they were back there he could finally feel like they were no longer running from the Black Dragon. A good warrior knew when to retreat back to their home base. The Lindens was highly defensible, and his warriors were well-trained. Every one of them would be prepared to lay down their lives to protect her and any other mate.
“I’ve got a small private jet coming in to fly you, Ninsy, and Fallyn to my home in the Netherlands.”
Azy wrinkled her nose, but nodded. They walked together toward Ninsy’s tent. After they checked in and them them know about his retreat plan, he would take Azy to bed again. His need for her had grown intense while she’d been gone. They had a few hours before everything would be ready for their departure.
Plenty of time to give her a half a dozen orgasms at least.
Then, he could get her to safety. Give her every comfort in the world. After all she’d been through, she deserved it.
But, first they needed to get of this god-damned continent and as far away from the caldera and the Black Dragon as possible.
He would be flying alongside the plane on their trip, ensuring there were no surprise attacks. Demon dragons couldn't take to the skies. But, there was no knowing what the Black Dragon could do.
Jett had completely disappeared after the escape from hell, which pissed him off. Cage needed to ask him a few fucking questions about the Black Dragon. It was hard to prepare against an enemy that they had very little intelligence on. He did not like flying into battle blind.
That’s all they’d been doing. For years.
All they knew was from his and Ky’s experiences in the Black Dragon's realm.
Jakob suggested they try questioning Fallyn.
Ha. Hilarious. She hadn't been afraid of any of them, but had told them to be careful because dragon warriors were probably after their souls.
Ninsy didn't let them talk to her for very long. She was as protective of Fallyn as Juliet's nursemaid.
Cage reached for Azy’s hand, wanting the way she grounded him, centered him. There was nothing beside him, but air.
“What if we don't all go to the Netherlands?” Azy had stopped walking beside him. She stood a meter behind him, staring at the ground her hands clenching and unclenching in fists.
A sensation like too much coffee on a late night after a bar fight had cages heart jumping up and waving a red flag. “Sweetheart, I know you don't like to fly. But we need to get you and the other women to safety as soon as possible. And that means getting as far away from the caldera and Africa. I know this oasis has been a level of protection for us, but I don't want to push our luck.”
He could practically feel the depths of hell creeping up on them now.
“Azy?” She wouldn't look at him. Why wouldn't she look at him? “Azynsa, what's going on right now?”
He wanted touch her, feel their bond. For the first time since he had first seen her in all her sword and glory coming to his rescue, there was a wall between them. He didn't think he had put it there. He only wanted to protect her, to keep her safe.
“For a long time, I feel like I have been in reaction mode. When my father died, I thought I would fall apart. He was my whole world.” She finally looked up at him and tears shimmered in her eyes.
Damn. Their time together had only been about escaping and mating. He swore as soon as possible they were safe and had a little breathing room they would spend long days and nights simply talking.
“I'm sorry about your father. I didn't know. I promise I will be there for you through this.”
Azy took a step back. “You're not listening. It's not about him. It's about me. When the Mami Wata showed up, I never questioned whether I wanted to change my whole life. I didn't think I had a choice at the time, so I went with them.”
Cage wouldn’t have felt like he had a choice then either. He understood what it meant to fulfill family and heritage expectations. Sometimes, no, all the time, he did what was right for the gold wyr. The Mami Wata had done what was right for Azynsa.
Everyone needed to be taken care of sometimes. That’s what family was for. His brother Wyvern’s had proven that to him more times than he could count.
A shimmer of light flashed at her neck and spread outward like a layer of protection over her. His own shard responded in kind.
But, then the light faded, sinking into the skin at her chest. “Not once did anyone ask me what I wanted.”
Well, shit. He certainly hadn't. He never questioned that Azy would be his mate. He had worried they weren't right for each other, but had decided all on his own he would make it work between them. What if that's not what she wanted?
He swallowed hard pushing back the dread in his question, so as to make his delivery flat. He didn't want to influence her response with his own need, as great as it was. “What do you want?”
Azy's face snapped up. The tears were gone, replaced with an emotion he wasn't sure he understood. Surprised that he had asked? Determination to fulfill her own wishes now? Was there anything in there for him?
“I'm not entirely sure. But, I know I don't want to leave here. I don't want to run anymore. It's all we have been doing.”
“We've been surviving. We had to escape, I had to rescue you.” He absolutely understood the look on her face now. It was an all-out fuck you.
“Maybe I didn't want to be rescued. Do I look like a damsel in distress, dragon?”
Azy was anything but that. “I don't think that for a second.”
Cage licked his lips and looked up at the sun. He needed some divine inspiration to help him say the right thing. His gut said to tell her that he was a warrior, that it was his job to protect her. His gut also slapped him for even thinking about that dumbass move. “It was killing me.”
They stared at each other for a moment. He hadn’t said enough for her to get his real meaning. Already his vulnerability with her had him raw. “I could feel your pain as if it was my own. I felt your sadness, your determination, you overwhelms me with your need for justice. I couldn't sit by and watch hell consume you.”
He prayed she would understand.
She crossed the space between them and placed her hand on his cheek. He leaned into her wanting much more than this simple connection.
“Cage. I get it. I felt the same about Fallyn. Maybe we were both wrong.”
He put his hand over hers and looked down into her honey eyes searching for clues how to soothe her and make this right. If he had a chance, he needed to take himself out of the equation. “What do you want?”
“I don't want to run.”
“I know. But, what do you want?”
She twisted her hand and took Cage’s in it. She brought it to her lips kissing his palm in the same way he had done to her.
“I want this to end. The Black Dragon has terrorized too many people's lives. Mine, yours, Fallyns, the Mami Wata and your gold dragons. We need to end it. Let's take the battle to him. What I want is to destroy him”
Ninety percent of Cage
’s entire life was about being a warrior, fighting the plague of demon dragons without question. He fought for what was right. He never asked for anything in return. That was not the Dragon warrior way.
He brushed off fear like it barely existed, nothing more than dust motes compared to clouds. He knew now that was because he hadn't fully experienced true fear.
This visceral emotion gripped his heart with a fist of razors, shredding him from the inside out. Because, he knew he couldn't give Azy what she wanted.
He would never let Kur-Jara lay his eyes on her again.
She would be pissed. She would hate him for taking this choice from her.
He would let her hate him. He would hide her from the world. Lock her away in a golden tower. He would bare her hatred like a black mark on his soul, if only it would keep her safe.
He was a coward, and she was his greatest fear.
Chapter Fourteen
Chp 14 – Aquawoman to the rescue
Fear flash across Cage’s eyes. He tried to hide it, but she didn't miss the abject terror her wants and words had caused in him.
He wasn't going to help her destroy the Black Dragon. He wasn't going to listen to what she wanted or even try to give it to her.
That hurt like a shard from a broken mirror slicing her open. They were mates, but they weren’t meant to be together. Not like this.
She understood. He was going to do what he thought was right, just like her father had, just like she had.
At least Cage and her father had acted out of love.
Maybe, for the first time ever, Azy was too.
Love for herself.
“You're not going to help me fight Kur-Jara, are you?” She wasn't sure why she asked, she knew. Perhaps, she was just giving him one more chance.
“Azy.”
She held up her hand, stopping him from saying anything more. “Don’t.”
She pushed away from him and marched off toward Fallyn's tent. Stupid dragon. Stupid mermaid.