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The words hit Vivian hard enough that she felt like they took all the breath out of her. Aurora was standing so close that Vivian could smell the sweetness coming from her hair and a faint hint of smoke clinging to her skin that must have been from touching Arach.
"What?" Vivian repeated, not knowing what else to say.
Instead of answering her, Aurora shook her head and turned away from her. As she walked away Vivian looked up at Arach. Even in the moonlight she could see the anger flashing in his eyes. He extended his arms to Aurora and she curled into them, tucking herself against his chest like he was the only thing that made her feel safe and comfortable.
Vivian walked toward them and Arach turned subtly, pulling Aurora further from her.
"I'm sorry," Vivian said. She placed a hand on Aurora's back, "I'm sorry."
Arach kissed Aurora on the forehead.
"I need to get inside and meet with the council. Are you coming?"
Aurora glanced up at Vivian and she reached out her hand, feeling a wave of relief as Aurora took it and stood so that she was no longer cradled against Arach's chest.
"Vivian, you need to decide now," she said, "You can come with us and we will tell you everything, or you can leave now. Know, though, that I am staying here. This is my home, my clan. Where Arach is, I am going to be. Always."
Vivian took a breath and nodded. They started toward the massive stone house and Vivian felt like she had walked through a pane of thin, fragile glass, shattering her concept of life in a way she could never put back together.
Several minutes later she sat beside Aurora, her mind still spinning from the twisted path they took along narrow stone passages through the house. The room where they sat danced with the glow of torches along the walls and the scent of burned herbs had gotten so strong it was nearly dizzying.
Arach sat at the head of the table, papers spread across the table in front of him as several other men gathered around him.
"Who is he?" Vivian whispered, leaning close to Aurora.
"His father is the patriarch of the clan. Arach will take his place and lead when his father either dies or gets too old."
"And you love him?"
"More than I ever believed I had the capacity to love anyone."
"So, you're telling me that you are going to be…what, a dragon princess?"
Aurora muffled a laugh against her hand and Vivian jumped as one of the men at the end of the table cleared his throat to quiet them.
"The operative has already started covering its tracks, Aurora," Arach said from his position.
"What operative?" Vivian asked.
Aurora glanced between her and Arach.
"My father was the head of a secret operative with the government designed to seek good relations with the Killington clan. Part of the operative, however, went rogue and decided that they would rather capture, enslave, and weaponize the dragons."
"Oh, god."
Aurora nodded.
"My engagement to Greyson was supposed to be a bargaining chip to keep them from waging war against the dragons. When my father changed his mind and planned to end the engagement so that I could be with Arach as it was always supposed to be, Greyson killed him."
"The operative has made it very clear that they see you not going through with the wedding as a sign of aggression, and Greyson's death as an act of war."
"What did they tell you about that?" Arach asked, looking directly at Vivian.
Vivian felt the eyes of all of the men fall on her and a touch of panic fluttered through her.
"The official report is that it was a terrorist attack and that both Greyson and Aurora were murdered."
"I met with a representative of the operative today. They have agreed to maintain peace between the humans and the dragons as long as we promise to stay here, and that no one will see Aurora again."
Vivian felt her heart sink.
"What does that mean?"
"Like you said, the official word is that she is dead. Her showing back up would not just cause confusion. It could breach the security of the entire operative and all of the information that Aurora's father gave his life to protect will be released to the public."
"Holy shit," Vivian said, then quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
"No, I think that was a fairly appropriate summation. The rogue operative say that they will end the war now as long as we promise to maintain absolute separation from the humans and that Aurora will never return."
"They're lying," Aurora said.
"Why do you say that?" Arach asked.
"Come on, Babe, be serious. They killed my father for deciding not to force me to marry Greyson. Now not only did I not marry Greyson, but I shot a crossbow through his throat. They aren't going to just call things even just because I promise to be a good girl and stay hidden away here with you."
Vivian gasped beside Aurora and Aurora reached to squeeze her hand. She couldn't fathom her best friend murdering anyone, much less the man she had once planned to marry, but Aurora talked about it calmly and casually as if it had no impact.
"They are going to wage war just like they said they would, and I guarantee you I'll be the first one they go after."
Arach looked at her with such intensity Vivian felt like she could have reached out and touched the gaze between them.
"And if they do, they will have the wrath of the entire clan on them. They only encountered two of us when Greyson came. As my wife, though, you will have the sworn loyalty of every Killington warrior. It is will be their duty and their honor to lay down their lives to protect you."
Vivian felt a shiver of excitement roll through her at Arach's words.
"How am I supposed to get ready for the wedding if I have to stay here at least until after we're married?"
There was a pause and then Vivian tugged Aurora's hand to get her attention.
"I'll do whatever you need. I don't know how I got here or how I would get back there, but if I can figure that out, I'll do anything you need me to. I already did the Maid of Honor thing once, I can do it again."
Aurora smiled at her through the tears sparkling in her deep blue eyes and pulled Vivian to her in a tight hug.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"She'll need protection," Arach said from the head of the table and Vivian pulled out of the hug to look at him.
"I'm picking up a wedding dress and getting flowers. I don't find anything particularly dangerous about that." she said.
"No one knows that she knows what's going on," Aurora added, "She won't be in any danger, will she?"
"We have no way of knowing what these people know or how they find out. If she is doing anything that involves us, there is the potential for danger. Besides, you heard her. She doesn't know how to get here or how to get back home. She needs someone with her who can keep her safe and bring her back and forth. It's just a precaution."
"He'll be human, yes?" Vivian asked.
Arach slid a look at her that said he was still not convinced about having her around.
"I will ask him to stay in human form except if absolutely necessary." With that, he turned to one of the men beside him, "Could you get Cade for me? He's on guard at the far tower tonight."
Aurora offered her a smile.
"Look at you. Here for less than an hour and you are already getting your very own dragon."