Chapter 12
Brad stared after Lyrian, watching her hands turn into claws and grow blue scales as she ran towards the door, ripping it open.
He’d never seen her like this before. It was quite a shock to see his beautiful, gentle, happy Lyrian changing into a dragon warrior. Brad wanted to rush after her, to see her complete the transformation.
To see her as the dragon she truly was.
But first he had something else to deal with.
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded, looking at his brother.
Nate was white as a sheet. “She must have followed me somehow, the other dragon,” he said. “I swear I didn’t lead her here deliberately, Brad. You have to believe me.”
Of course he did. He’d no more believe his brother had set out to intentionally hurt him than that the sky was falling.
Or dragons existed.
He caught a blur of blue as Lyrian flashed past the open door, fully dragon now, launching into the air.
Brad swore.
He stared at Anarian, who Lyrian had handed to him so trustingly. How could he help her while he was holding the baby?
What could he do against a dragon anyway? He didn’t even know where to start. He had no plan, no strategy at all.
What he wanted was to grab the gun, rush out the door, and make it up as he went along.
He glanced over at Nate, but even before the thought had formed, he knew he couldn’t hand the baby to his brother. Lyrian would be furious, and rightly so. She hadn’t known his brother for as long as he had. In her mind, all the evidence pointed to a conclusion not to trust him.
And Nate wasn’t exactly volunteering anyway. Not to hold the baby. His face was panicked and he stared at Brad for a moment, then ran out after Lyrian.
What was he doing? What reason did he have to rush out into a dragon battle? Yes, he might feel guilty about having caused it, but what could he do? His brother had always been the more daring one, but what did he really hope to accomplish with this? It was sheer stupidity.
Especially since he didn’t even know to take the shotgun.
Brad swore again.
This was like that first fight all over again. That dragon was going to attack Lyrian, and he could do nothing. This time, he couldn’t shoot, even if someone had handed him a gun, because he was holding the baby.
He looked down at the baby in his arms, frustrated. The loaded shotgun was under his bed, ready to go.
But Lyrian had trusted him with their daughter. Told him to protect her.
Brad’s resolve hardened. The best way to protect her was to be out there, defending her mother.
His decision made, Brad raced into the bedroom and laid Anarian down, then raced back to the other room to grab the shotgun, his heart racing.
What was he missing? Would the fight be over before he could even get there?
*****
Sunlight glinted off silver scales, setting Lyrian’s blood boiling, spoiling any enjoyment she might have had at taking flight in dragon form for the first time in many months.
If that Trima dragon thought she was capable of defeating a princess, then she had another thing coming, lightning dragon or no lightning dragon.
Lyrian quickly reviewed all her possible attacks while creating a wall of air around her, hoping to at least prevent some of the Trima dragon’s lightning from reaching her.
The lightning dragon touched down in front of her and folded her wings. She had no wounds at all, it was as if Brad had never shot her. Someone had helped her heal, and Lyrian was pretty sure she knew who.
The Trima dragon’s stance was rigid and stiff, but she didn’t move to attack. She didn’t even take a step towards Lyrian.
Lyrian hovered just above the ground, glad of the reprieve. Glad of the chance to prepare.
But why was the Trima dragon giving her that time?
“I don’t want to fight you, Princess,” the Trima dragon said into her head, confusing Lyrian even more.
Lyrian also lowered herself to the ground, keeping the wall of air between her and the other dragon. “Why are you here then?”
“Where is the human?”
What? Lyrian’s heart skipped a beat. Was the Trima dragon after Brad? But why? He had no connection to dragons other than her.
She heard running footsteps behind her, and it took all her willpower not to swing around and look.
She knew it wasn’t Brad. She’d recognise his footsteps. So they had to be his brother.
Was the human trying to distract her? To get her to look away from the Trima dragon and give it a chance to attack?
She certainly wasn’t going to be caught out by that. She had nothing to fear from a puny human, even if he intended to attack her from behind.
But no, Nate didn’t attack, or come up behind her. In fact, he jumped in front of her, standing between her and the Trima dragon. “If you want her, you’re going to have to go through me.”
Lyrian would have laughed at the absurdity of it, of a human, thinking the Trima dragon might be afraid of him, if she hadn’t been so touched.
She’d misjudged Brad’s brother.
Whatever had happened before they’d arrived, whatever mistakes he’d made, he was obviously determined to make up for them now.
She was glad he was behind her wall of air, even though he couldn’t see it. She didn’t want to see the other dragon hurt him. Brad was going to need him.
Especially if she didn’t survive this fight.
*****
Brad raced out to stand beside his brother in front of Lyrian, the shotgun ready. It might not kill the dragon, but it would help distract her, make her weak, and easier for Lyrian to attack.
But the enemy dragon wasn’t attacking. Neither was Lyrian. They were both just standing there staring at each other.
“Stand aside, humans.” A loud voice boomed in Brad’s head, making him wince. It had to be the enemy dragon. “This is between the princess and me. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“No,” he shouted back. “I won’t let you hurt her.”
He pointed the gun towards the other dragon, his finger on the trigger, ready to fire if she so much as moved.
But before he could even aim properly his brother lunged for the weapon, trying to push the barrel down, away from the other dragon. “Don’t shoot.”
The movement jerked Brad’s hand, and even though he hadn’t intended to, the weapon fired. The bullets hit the dirt in front of the dragon, ricocheting back up and peppering her legs.
What the hell?
Brad glared at his brother as the dragon gave a screech of mingled pain and anger.
Nate stared back, just as defiantly. Just as desperately. His eyes flicked towards the dragon as she cried out, her pain reflected in his eyes.
Had Lyrian been right? Was Nate on the wrong side of this dragon war?
If so, what was he doing standing in front of Lyrian? Brad shook his head. He couldn’t figure it out, and now wasn’t the time. That dragon was angry now, and he had only one more shot before he reloaded.
He lifted the gun again.
“Don’t hurt her,” Nate said desperately. “Please.”
Had the other dragon bewitched his brother somehow? Was that even possible?
Brad remembered how he’d felt about Lyrian, from the first moment he’d seen her. It was entirely possible, even if it hadn’t been her intention.
“She’s trying to hurt Lyrian,” Brad said firmly. “I can’t let her do that.”
He glanced over at the other dragon, searching for any sign that she was taking advantage of Nate distracting him and moving to attack.
But she hadn’t moved. She just stared at them, as though she were waiting to see what would happen too.
“Let me take care of it,” Nate said desperately. He stared at Brad for a moment, then across at the Trima dragon. “I can take care of it,” Nate repeated. Then he let go of the gun and turned and walked towards the other dragon, his hands out as though he could somehow keep her calm.
It seemed to work. The other dragon just stood there, watching him, making no effort to attack him or Lyrian.
Lyrian watched him go, her sky blue dragon eyes whirling. Her expression looked stony, but then again, Brad had no idea what dragon expressions looked like. That could be her happy face.
Somehow, he doubted it.
Brad turned back to Nate, staring in disbelief as his brother walked right up to the enemy dragon, and put his hands on her chest.
And she let him.
“Are you all right?” Nate asked, his voice just barely audible.
Brad didn’t hear a reply.
“Don’t do this,” Nate said. “Don’t make me pick a side.”
She lowered her head towards him, nudging him gently.
It was as if his brother knew the other dragon. As if… as if he cared about her.
And she cared about him. As soon as the thought occurred to him, Brad could see it in her movements. In the way her head gently nudged him.
In the fact that she seemed to have chosen not to attack Lyrian.
He couldn’t help feeling a little jealous of the tenderness between them.
Nate pulled back and looked up at the dragon. “If that’s the case, return to your human form,” he said flatly, “and I might just believe you.”
Believe what? The other dragon hadn’t said anything.
Not to him, anyway. But clearly there was a conversation happening in front of him that he wasn’t hearing. He glanced up at Lyrian, wondering if she could hear it.
She stared at the other two, her face unreadable. Well, he had no idea how to interpret dragon expressions anyway.
As Brad stared, he realised this was the first time he’d ever seen her dragon form. And it was magnificent.
It was a shock to realise that this creature standing in front of him, sunlight glinting off her sky blue scales, her whole body almost designed to be a show of strength, was his gentle, loving Lyrian.
He could see quite clearly now that she was a princess. It was evident in the way she held her head, the slight snarl of her mouth as she looked at the pair standing opposite her.
A ripple flashed across the other dragon’s scales, and as Brad glanced over, she shifted into a human, the same one that had chased them back at the pub. Only this time, she was naked. And her hands and arms covered in blood.
Brad winced and glanced back to Lyrian quickly, not wanting to stare.
It wasn’t really his fault the other dragon… woman… was injured. If she truly hadn’t been intending to attack Lyrian, he wouldn’t have shot her as long as she kept her distance. But Nate had bumped him at exactly the wrong moment.
She was no real danger now. He was pretty sure that his princess could handle her in human form without any concerns whatsoever.
Lyrian wouldn’t need his help.
That thought relieved him a little, and also made him sad. Somehow he knew it was almost time for him to leave.
Finding Lyrian’s brothers wouldn’t take long now the other dragon was no longer after them.
*****
Lyrian watched the human and injured human form dragon carefully, not letting her guard down for a moment, despite the other dragon’s obvious submission.
The Trima dragon’s injuries were surface deep. Not enough to stop her fighting. Not enough to ensure Lyrian’s victory.
Was this all a trick, or was this fight really over?
Had Brad’s brother actually saved the day, or did she still need to keep an eye on the Trima dragon?
The pair turned around and walked towards her, holding hands. Nate couldn’t sense her wall of air, and would have walked straight into it, but the Trima dragon stopped him.
He glanced over at her, then back to Lyrian.
“Go on,” Nate urged, looking at the Trima dragon.
She looked at him, then turned back to Lyrian. To the princess’s surprise, she inclined her head in a show of respect. “Please accept my humble apologies for any trouble I have caused you.” Her voice was stiff, uncomfortable.
Lyrian stared at her, trying to figure out what her goal was. Could she trust the Trima dragon?
Brad was far more forthright. “What’s going on?” he demanded, looking from his brother to the Trima dragon then back.
Nate shrugged, a little embarrassed. “I think I might have fallen in love, bro. These dragons are far too alluring.”
Brad’s eyes widened, and Lyrian suspected her own were doing the same thing.
Nate was in love with the Trima dragon?
That she had not expected.
And from the look the Trima dragon gave Brad’s brother, she felt the same way.
Nice for them, but how did it help her?
Was the Trima dragon’s shift into human form enough of a surrender? Could Lyrian trust it?
And what would it mean if the Trima dragon mated with Brad’s brother? Forcing either Brad or his brother to choose between loyalty to a mate or loyalty to a sibling would be too unfair. And too dangerous.
Even if the Trima dragon surrendered, they were still in the middle of a war.
While she and Brad weren’t mated, wouldn't make that commitment, they did have Anarian. That tied Brad to Rian clan as strongly as mating would.
“So, what do we do now?” Brad looked at the Trima dragon, then up at Lyrian, as though he expected her to have an answer.
Lyrian still didn’t know. She wanted a way to make everyone happy, but she just couldn’t see one.
But, she was a princess. She had to say something.
“I will not stand in the way of two people in love,” Lyrian said, projecting her voice into human and human form dragon heads alike. “But even if you have chosen not to attack me, you are still Trima. If you wish to be together, you both must leave and never return.”
It wasn’t a good solution. It wasn’t even really an acceptable one. But it was all she had.
The Trima dragon’s eyes widened in surprise, and she looked over at Nate, her expression uncertain.
Nate looked uncertain too. “But…” He stared over at Brad. “Help me out here.”
*****
Brad immediately knew what his brother’s problem was. Lyrian wasn’t just banishing the Trima dragon, but him as well.
“Surely there’s a way to sort this out,” he said, holding up his hands. “I mean, it’s not like you and I…” He trailed off, not quite sure how to explain it. Lyrian’s stony dragon face didn’t help.
“You are connected to me through Anarian. I doubt there is any possibility of you giving that up.” Lyrian stared at him, as though waiting for a response.
As if there was any doubt. “I intend to see her, of course,” Brad said firmly. “But I don’t see…”
“Then that makes you part of Rian clan,” Lyrian interrupted, “Regardless of our relationship. If your brother mates with the Trima dragon, he is part of Trima clan. The two clans do not socialise. We are at war. Do you not understand what that means?”
“Of course I do. But this war is between dragons, not between my brother and me. I have no intention of socialising with the Trima dragon, and Nate…” he glanced over, then heaved a sigh. “I’m sure Nate can survive without spending time with Anarian.”
It would be sad, not being able to share his daughter’s life with his brother, but better than losing Nate altogether. Besides, it wasn’t like Brad would be living with Anarian at any point.
Lyrian shook her head. “I’m sorry, Brad, but it’s just not possible. No matter how hard you try, information could slip through. I cannot put my clan at risk. You have to make a choice.” Brad could hear the sadness and genuine regret in her words, but also the finality. This was it. Their only choice.
How were either of them supposed to make that choice? The very thought tore him apart. Whether they mated or not, he loved Lyrian. They had a daughter together.
But Nate was his brother. His twin brother. They’d shared everything since they were children.
How could he possibly choose between them?
Of course, there was no contest. His daughter needed him.
Nate would understand, wouldn’t he?
“I’m sorry, Nate…”
He could see his own sorrow reflected in his brother’s eyes.
“There must be some other way,” the other dragon said, her eyes sad too. “Some way Nate and I can be together without him losing his brother.” She took a deep breath, then looked from Nate to Brad. “I know how much he cares about you. He’s done nothing but search for you since he arrived.” She looked at Lyrian. “Please.”
Lyrian regarded her for a moment, and Brad held his breath.
“There is only one way I can see it being possible,” Lyrian said, her mind-voice hard and ominous. “Renounce your clan. Give up Trima, and return to Rian clan. Then, maybe, I can trust you.”
The woman swallowed. She looked at Nate for a long moment. Then she squared her shoulders, and turned back to Lyrian. “Would Rian clan accept me?”
Brad saw Lyrian’s expression falter, and he could almost feel her pain.
“I am all that is left of Rian clan, and I will accept you,” she said, her voice more gentle this time.
The woman’s eyes widened. “But… don’t you know? Rian clan is alive and well.”
“What?” Lyrian demanded, her eyes whirling. “Where?”
As though that had broken a wall around her, her huge dragon body suddenly shifted and morphed, turning back into a human.
“Where they have always been, at the wave rock,” the Trima dragon said.
Lyrian’s eyes hardened. “That’s not true. I’ve been there and it was empty. You lie.”
She took a step towards the other dragon, and Brad thought she might just attack her in human form. And he didn’t blame her. Why would the other dragon raise her hopes like that? It was a cruel trick.
“No, it’s true,” the other dragon insisted. “They returned there after Taurian woke. A few weeks ago.” The Trima dragon hesitated, then added, “Ultrima made a deal with them. He wouldn’t attack the clan if Taurian married the human woman he was with.”
“If that’s true, then why did you attack me?” Lyrian demanded. “Did you break this deal?”
Brad was trying to follow the story, but Lyrian was right, it didn’t make any sense.
“Waking you and your brothers and sisters wasn’t part of the deal,” the other dragon said flatly. “Ultrima only intended to stop the fight that was costing both dragons lives, not give the Rian clan a free pass to do whatever they wanted.”
Lyrian stared at her for a long moment. “That is possible,” she said gruffly. “I haven’t been back to the lair in nearly a year. Taurian’s Mesmer chamber was disturbed far more recently than that.”
She stared at the Trima dragon for a long moment, and Brad found himself holding his breath. Would it be enough?
“There is only one way to be sure,” Lyrian said firmly. “We must go there and see for ourselves.”
She looked at the lightning dragon. “What is your name?”
“Kyrtima, Princess.” There was a short pause. “Or I suppose it is Kyrian now?” She stared at Lyrian, waiting for her response.
Brad stared at Lyrian too. What did the name change mean?
Of course. KyRian. KyTrima. The second part of the name was their clan name.
Lyrian nodded. “Kyrian, you can come with us. If all is as you say, then I welcome you back, sister.”