Dragon 4 Chapter 13 (Patreon)

The conclave had not gone too late into the night, but when I came out, my mates had spent their time getting my date with Yev ready.

“Is this good?” Scarlett asked as I approached the little private table that she had set up for me in the jungle.

“Perfect.” I closed the distance and kissed my first mate. “You are doing a fantastic job, Scar. Thank you for making this easy.”

I knew Scarlett was the most likely of my mates to struggle with additional women. I needed her to know how special she was to me and to feel loved.

She pushed her cheek into my hand and nuzzled it. “I know you’ll have more. But my time with you will be limited compared to some others. Kitsunes aren’t immortal.”

It hadn’t really been a topic we had talked about.

There were always rumors that circulated, saying that dragon seed did miraculous things. Those were rumors were unsubstantiated. I wondered if any of the black dragons had better knowledge alongside their healing. They would be the best to talk to about it.

I also had no idea how long kitsunes lived. “Scarlett, just how long do your people live?”

“A few hundred years. We age slower as we get more tails, so we don’t stay looking young forever, but we have a really long middle age.” She squirmed a little under my gaze. There was something she wasn’t telling me.

Letting the silence fill the space between us, I waited for her to continue.

“Zach, I think something strange is happening. I can feel my third tail coming early.” She blushed.

“That’s amazing. How early is it?” I asked.

“About nine years early. Is this because…” she gestured vaguely at me.

I really did not know. “You know, we relied on a lot of what dragons can supposedly do based on rumors. I think while we're here, we should get a better understanding of what changes I will bring to all of your lives.”

I tried to keep my hopes in check until we learned more. I would love nothing more than to keep my first mate, my lovely siren, and my alpha wolf with me forever. But I didn’t want to give voice to that just yet and bring Scarlett’s hopes up.

For all I knew, it only worked for some species because of the interaction of the mana infusion.

Some rustling in the jungle caught our attention. Scarlett smiled, giving me a loving look before turning and heading back into the jungle.

Where she headed into the jungle, Yev emerged, pulling back the giant green leaves of the jungle.

She took in the little private table and a shy smile spread across her face.

Yev turned, clearly expecting someone to be behind her before she turned back to me, puzzled. “I could have sworn Morgana was just behind me. I never would’ve found this without her.”

“She does that. She’s perfected that vampire vanishing act.” I shrugged and gestured her over to the table. “But let’s not talk about them. Tonight is about us. Please, have a seat.”

I took a moment to drink in Yev’s beauty.

She had really outdone herself. Her hair was done up in complex, artful braids that wrapped around her head like a tiara. The braids were anchoring a series of thin gold chains that draped down the side of her head.

I could barely pull myself away from her eyes. She, or someone, had highlighted them to the point that I didn’t even look down at her dress.

Small sparkles played along her eyelids, catching the firelight as she looked around at the setting lit by a few makeshift torches.

Her hand fidgeted with her neckline, and I finally took in what she was wearing. The green dress had a plunging neckline, exposing the rounded sides and even the bottoms of her breasts.

Picking my jaw up off the ground, I put on my best smile. “You look absolutely gorgeous.”

I took her hand in mine and led her over to the table, helping startle her out of her shy state.

“Thank you. Is it too much? I told Tyrande it was too much.” Yev fretted over her attire.

“It’s not too much; it is perfect.” I loved how Yev, the princess and powerful heir, hadn’t lost her sweetness. She often projected confidence when she needed to in public, but she was willing to show me who she was. And at the moment, she was far less confident than usual.

She blushed as she took her seat, and I pushed it in only to take my own.

Just as I sat down, Morgana came out of the jungle wearing plain black clothing, not even a scrap of leather.

I laughed. The beautiful drow was trying to be less distracting as our server, but it was hard to make her any less stunning.

She walked over with an aloof air. “What a lovely couple. I am Morgana, and I’ll be your server today. The kitchen is serving a four course meal today with a fantastic wine pairing. First up, we have a lovely red wine, and I swear there’s no blood in it.” Morgana almost kept up the server façade, but she smiled at her joke before she deftly poured us two glasses. She held the bottle high, giving a waterfall like pour several feet above our glasses.

After pouring our glasses, she disappeared back into the jungle. She’d planned to take some meals from the party and make them look fancier before bringing them to us. Plating could do a lot to dress up a dish, and Morgana had a restaurant at her club. She knew what she was doing.

I lifted my glass and held it over the center of the table. “To us, to a wonderful night.”

“To a wonderful night.” Yev agreed, clinking her glass against mine. “Thank you for this. I wasn’t sure what to expect here at the conclave, but this is lovely.”

“I wish I could have done more, but there’s only so many resources currently on this island. I wanted to put my best foot forward, this being our first true date.”

Morgana had done a ton of the work, helping pull together the plan for dinner. And Jadelyn had immediately begun ordering around anybody around her, getting the table moved and set up in the area. We didn’t really have staff on the island, so it was hilarious to watch as Jadelyn exuded authority, pointing and ordering around any of the paranormals in the area. And while they seemed a little baffled, they all ended up doing as asked, quickly becoming her staff.

It hadn’t taken long to pull together this lovely date for Yev. I was glad I could give her something special.

“So, how are you feeling? The conclave, dragons vying for your attention, and all the stuff that comes with being suddenly the king.” Yev leaned forward, interest in her eyes as she tried to connect more deeply with me.

I paused, not sure how to answer. I hadn’t actually taken time to evaluate my emotions, just going with whatever was happening.

My brows pressed down as I tried to filter through my emotions.

Yev held up her hands and waved them like she was trying to stop me. “We don’t have to talk about that if you don’t want to.”

“No, that’s not it. I appreciate the question. I just haven’t had time to reflect until now. It’s been a whirlwind. Sometimes it feels like only that I discovered I wasn’t human.”

Yev was patient with me as I sat and considered her question. She sipped her wine, a gentle smile on her face as she watched me work through my emotions.

“It doesn’t feel that different, if I’m honest. There is this bigger weight on me, but I’ve had time to process and expect it.”

As soon as I’d returned from Switzerland after the previous king’s announcement, everything had changed. The press had instantly become interested in me, publishing all kinds of information. A few magazines had ridiculous articles claiming to know all my favorite foods for all the interested women.

Kelly especially appreciated those. She liked to read aloud the profiles on me when we were all together, in between her bursts of laughter when they got something horribly wrong.

I’d also stepped up my responsibility in Philadelphia. I was now on the paranormal council governing the city. It had taken some time getting used to the politics on that council.

The conclave had been different. Dragons were a little easier to manage. Even though each color was looking out for themselves, when it came to Dragon kind, there was almost no infighting. The power structure was set, and nobody wanted to alter it.

It was kind of refreshing compared to human or other paranormal politics.

Yev seemed surprised by my answer. “It doesn’t feel different? I would’ve thought you were feeling overwhelmed, like things were spiraling out of your control.”

“Actually, I feel pretty in control.” I came to the realization as I said it. There were new expectations placed upon me and problems arising, but it felt almost natural.

My younger self hadn’t taken on many leadership roles in school, but those had never felt like the right fit. This did. “This is going to sound stupid, but I think being king comes naturally.”

Yev howled with laughter, her smile so genuine and wide that I couldn’t help but enjoy the view. “So modest.” She winked at me. “But that was not what I was expecting. My family always talks about the responsibility that comes along with leadership.”

“Yeah, but the dragons are actually fairly united. Compared to the Philly council, this is a piece of cake.” I realized as she mentioned her family, I knew little about her life since we’d gone our separate ways. “What about you? How has everything been in Switzerland since this winter?”

“Well, we cleaned up a lot of the mess. Most of the buildings destroyed by the attack are being rebuilt by the Highaen; it goes faster with magic. And we’ve kicked off some campaigns to make everybody feel safer. The attack really put into question how safe the city really was from attack.” Yev sighed, looking off into the jungle.

I caught her hand off the table and held it. “People don’t feel safe?”

“Not after a full scale attack in the city. Thankfully, we stopped them, but it broke a societal rule and people like rules.” Yev replied.

I nodded, more interested in one person’s feelings on the matter. “Do you feel safe?”

She blinked, surprised by my question. “No.” She looked down into her lap. “I don’t. I still have nightmares about Tyrande being taken away.”

A few questions I’d had locked into place. She’d been reluctant to come to Philly and leave her sister; she was still scared about not being there to protect Tyrande.

“I assume she’s had her guard increased?” I asked.

Yev snorted. “A couple more mages versus an army of angels? Hell, the angels had a silver dragon; I’m sure they have more tools in their arsenals.”

I rubbed my thumb along her knuckles, trying to soothe her. “Then what do you think she needs to be safe?”

“A dragon king wouldn’t be bad protection.” Yev joked.

I nodded. “And you didn’t avoid spending time one on one with me last night to be fair to the other dragons. You wanted to give your sister a better chance, so that she would end up more protected if I chose her.” I started belly laughing, and Yev looked at me with a question in her eyes.

“You know, your sister spent the entire time we were ever alone together trying to convince met to date you.”  She processed what I said and rolled her eyes, letting out a huff. “Of course she did.”

The two Highaen sisters were cute, but they were also a tangled mess, pushing the other one on me in an act of selflessness.

“My big sister always looks out for me.” Yev blushed. “I’m sorry we caught you in the middle of it.”

“Please. It’s sweet. I love that you look out for each other and are willing to sacrifice your own happiness for the other.”

I gestured vaguely over to where the dragons were partying in the jungle. We could both hear the chatter and singing that rose over the entire island. “So many of them don’t care about their siblings that much.”

Yev played with her wineglass, ducking her face to hide a blush.

Thankfully, Morgana saved her by swooping in with a platter. “For starters, we have a lovely light meat and cheese tray.”

The platter of cheese and meat was several feet in diameter and overflowing with food. For a human, it would be several meals’ worth, but for two dragons, Morgana was right. It was fairly light.

I picked at the cheese and meat, making myself little combinations in orderly stacks. “So besides trying to push me on your sister, what are your other plans for the future?”

Yev finished chewing her current morsel hurriedly so she could answer. “Being heir to the Highaen doesn’t really come with a career path. We just keep taking on more work until one day our parents step down.”

“There has to be something you want. Do the two of you compete for the next leadership position?”

Yev shook her head. “We decided long ago to co-rule. Neither of us are really competitive with each other. We disagree, but normally we can talk through it and come to a mutual decision. Honestly, we often come to a better decision after we’ve talked it out. But don’t tell her I said that.” She smiled up at me.

I looked at her, my turn to be surprised. “Not competitive? I thought all children of rulers are vying for power.”

Yev giggled. “Oh, our mother tried. She tried to offer prizes for the winner of different competitions, to pit us against each other. But Tyrande has always been sensitive to the fact that I was a dragon and not really a high elf, that I didn’t belong.”

Yev played with her food, a wistful look filling her face as she continued. “Tyrande worked hard to make sure I felt like part of the family. Even when she won anything, she would sneak into my room and split the reward in half. So, that’s what I learned. As I grew up and could win some competitions, I did the same in return.”

I laughed, imagining the two girls secretly milking their mother for rewards and sharing it behind her back. “I bet that made your mother crazy.”

Yev joined me in laughter. “There was this time when the prize was a large bar of chocolate for a magic competition between the two of us. I won, because… well, I just brute forced it. But she caught us both in Tyrande’s room sharing the chocolate.”

Leaning forward, I ignored the food. Her smile had all of my attention. “What happened?”

“Lots of shouting and scolding. She then tried to talk to us both about how only one of us could rule, and she needed to pick the best. It was the next day that we swore a pact in front of her to rule together one day.” Yev smiled brilliantly at the memory.

I watched as she lit up, her mind filled with memories of her home. Her nervousness had melted away as she talked, and she looked amazingly beautiful as she recanted the memory.

It took a moment before her eyes refocused on me and a blush spread across her face. “Is there something on my face?”

“Just the prettiest smile I’ve seen in a very long time. You love your sister very much.” I now understood how grave of a mistake I had almost made in splitting them up. They were a pair.

“Stop staring.” She focused back on her food, trying and failing to control her blush. “You once mentioned that your parents had died; do you have any other family in your life?”

“No. My adoptive parents died peacefully a few years back. They adopted me late in life because they had never had kids.” I shrugged. They had been in their mid-eighties at that point. They’d chosen to adopt me when they were nearing retirement, which didn’t give me long with them, but I was grateful for all they had done for me in the time we had together.

Yev immediately got out of her seat to come comfort me. “I’m sorry. That had to be hard. But given what you’ve learned here about what you are…”

“One second.” I stopped her from talking too much and turned, facing the woods.

Morgana slipped out of the leaves with a smile. “Can I help you?”

“Make sure no one listens in?” I asked.

“Done.” Morgana faded back into the jungle.

I knew Scarlett was blocking dragons from coming and trying to pull me away. And Jadelyn had trouble getting away from the mobs that followed her around. I needed Morgana to make sure our discussion was private.

“Go ahead. We can discuss it now. Based on what I can do, my best guess is that my biological parents were Tiamat and Bahamut’s latest heirs.” Saying it aloud felt like it made it even more real, despite the suspicion already being on my mind. I felt a chill run down my spine.

Yev returned to her seat and held my hand. “We don’t know what that means. Maybe you are both of their heirs rather than the result of their coupling?”

It was a nice excuse, but I knew in my bones that it wasn’t true. I was the break in one of the great patterns that Thuun had talked about.

“No, I’m fairly sure I’m the latest heir’s child. What I don’t understand is how none of the dragons were aware of them.”

“They could have been like you, wandering around thinking they were human and drawn together.” Yev offered a potential explanation. “All I know is that they came together and made you. For that, I am eternally happy, because I now have the chance to get to know you.”

Now it was my turn to blush. Her eyes were so fixed on me and full of emotion.

“Thank you. But when you asked how I was with being a king, and I said that doesn’t bother me, I have to admit that this fantastical destiny does. That I resulted from a break in the great pattern weighs on my shoulders far more.”

Yev gave me a sympathetic look. “Since you are both of their heirs, that means you need to bring back dragons of all ten colors.” As she said it, Yev had trouble meeting my eyes. “Does that mean you are going to line up women from here to Philly and work hard at it?”

The way she said it rankled me. “No.” My voice came out as a growl. “My mates are precious to me. Even if the expectation is that I have dozens of dragonling, I can’t just go into it with that in mind. I’m looking for mates, partners in life, not just willing wombs.”

Her eyes lifted to mine, sparkling a bit. “Good. That I can do, the womb part, wouldn’t have worked.” Yev agreed with me before quickly correcting herself. “I know you’ll have a large harem eventually, though. If none of them die, it will just keep growing.”

I focused on her words. “None of them will die? Can you tell me more? I know there are the rumors of such things, but I’m still trying to figure out how being a dragon works.”

Yev gasped and covered her mouth. “Oh, my gosh. There’s so much you probably don’t know.”

I winced. “Yeah. I know we are on a date, but if you could help fill in some of those blanks?”

“Of course.” Yev grew serious as she shifted more into a professor mode. “Dragons are fonts of mana, so we just keep producing it. But mana also can cause changes. We release gobs of mana when we are intimate with another; it soaks into male seed and essentially becomes a high grade restorative potion.”

“So, it just heals them?”

“Sort of. It’s powerful healing that will heal even the minor injuries that stack up and cause aging.” Yev explained, “But there’s so much more. Have you started your hoard yet?”

I nodded. Any dragon was eager to talk about their hoard. “Yes, filled with gold bullion from my job with Morgana. And then I tossed in a few of the powerful weapons I’ve encountered.”

Yev grinned from ear to ear. “I want to see it. But part of the mechanism that works with dragons’ production of mana has to do with our hoard. You see…” Yev suddenly became very chatty, and I leaned on my hand, watching her face light up as she talked about her hoard.

AN - The end of the book is in sight for the first draft, now I just have to edit everything and throw it at my editor so I can shift to Saving Supervillains 2. Though, I'm struggling because as I get here to wrapping up Dragon 4, Dragon 5 is in perfect clarity to me right now. Maybe I need to give trying to write a series in one shot a try again. Not now, I'll have a riot on my hands if I delay Supervillains until after my break month. Oh well, just going to try and preserve as much of my thoughts as I can.