Chapter 6
Lyrian edged just out of the trees, watching the skies for any sign of Trima dragons. Latrima had claimed that she’d told the guard at Sarian’s Mesmer chamber to return to the lair, and that they wouldn’t be attacked, but Lyrian found it hard to convince herself this wasn’t a trap. That they weren’t about to be attacked at any moment.
Beside her, Taurian stared at the sky as suspiciously as she did. And at the mountains to their right. Ultrima’s lair was just visible. He must have chosen it for its line of sight to Sarian’s Mesmer chamber. At this distance, it would be almost impossible for anyone to see them, but even so, it made Lyrian doubly uncomfortable.
The elders had told them how any attempt to wake any of the princes or princesses in the last three hundred years had been met with attacks, and though they now had a truce with Trima clan, she found it hard to trust in it.
The Trima life dragon stood in the middle of the clearing, waiting impatiently, her disdain for them obvious, but Lyrian had to be sure.
Everything hinged on this. Everything hinged on what Sarian had to say.
She felt guilty for hoping that her sister was, in fact, in love with Ultrima. She wanted her sister to mate for love, but she couldn’t help suspecting Sarian would say whatever it took to prevent a war.
Lyrian wanted to prevent a war too, but not if it meant her sister mating a dragon she didn’t love. Someone who, if what her clan had always believed was true, was willing to force her to mate with him, whether she wanted him or not.
For the first time, a sliver of doubt surrounded that story. Was it possible that it hadn’t been true?
She wasn’t going to find an answer to her questions out here. The only way to ever truly know if Sarian cared for Ultrima or not was to wake her and ask her. Which is exactly what they planned to do.
“It’s clear,” Taurian said, stepping out into the clearing next to the mountain.
Lyrian followed him, staring up at the mountain towering above her. Sarian’s Mesmer chamber was at the very top. Only accessible by dragons. This had kept her sister safe from humans all these years, but it would now also make it hard for them to get a human up there to wake her.
But a human was still their best choice.
She could, of course, wake their sister herself. If she were sure of her sister’s love for the Trima clan leader, she wouldn’t hesitate. It would take her longer to recover completely without sex to speed her recovery, but it would remove any discomfort over feeling attraction to someone else.
But if her sister were not in love with Ultrima, then who knew how Latrima would react. It could be imperative Sarian reach full strength as quickly as possible.
Because Lyrian would never allow her sister to mate with someone out of obligation. If her sister didn’t care for Ultrima, or even if she had but his actions had caused her to change her mind, then there was a good possibility it would mean war with the Trima clan.
War with the life dragon who stood next to them.
Lyrian’s heart thudded in her chest as she shucked her clothes and transformed. “Come, it is time,” she told Raven, who waited in the trees.
Beside her, Latrima changed as well, as did Taurian. He’d refused not to be present at this meeting, and Lyrian was glad of his company. Glad she wasn’t doing this alone.
Raven looked as nervous as she felt. She could feel his hands shaking as he climbed onto her back, and she hoped he kept a firm grip. She would fly as carefully as she could, but she would feel awful if he fell.
Silently, the three dragons lifted into the air, circling the mountain as they rose up its steep sides. Lyrian couldn’t help glancing towards the Trima lair in the distance, even though she could see no signs of dragons at this distance.
She was so distracted, she almost missed the cave entrance. It was small, the ledge outside only just big enough for one dragon to land at a time. Taurian hovered above it, waiting for her to land first.
Lyrian set down on the ledge and waited for Raven to slip off her back. He turned his head away as she transformed back to her human form, and stepped, naked, into the mouth of the cave.
Raven handed her her clothes, keeping his face averted. Lyrian hoped he wasn’t as prudish if he had to mate with Sarian. He was a rock singer. Weren’t they supposed to be far bolder than this? The ones she’d seen on the television at Henry’s had certainly seemed more daring.
Latrima followed close behind her, and for some reason, Raven wasn’t anywhere near as prudish about looking at her. Lyrian saw the admiring look he shot the pale Trima life dragon as she transformed and reached for her clothes.
Taurian followed close behind.
Once all of them were dressed, they hurried down the dark, rocky passage way. Taurian created a ball of fire that hovered just ahead of him, probably for the human, as dragon eyes could cope with the half darkness in the passage.
The wooden door, inscribed with storm clouds and lightning bolts, loomed out of the darkness, the firelight flickering over it. Taurian stepped forward, and inserted their sister’s medallion, turning it.
No one said anything as the doors slid open.
Lyrian held her breath, half afraid, for a moment, that her sister wouldn’t be here. That somehow, someone had found and woken her years ago, as they had Lyrian.
But her fears were unfounded. Sarian lay on the raised stone bench, her silver hair spilling out around her, her pale white tunic almost glowing in the darkness.
This was the moment of truth.
What would her sister say when they woke her?
Raven gave a gasp, and didn’t even look back as he walked towards Sarian, as though mesmerised. Lyrian watched silently as he laid his hand on Sarian’s belly.
Her sister’s eyes flickered open, and she looked up at Raven with a frown.
“Who are you?” she demanded.
Raven looked confused, and glanced back towards Lyrian and the others. It took her a few moments to realise that he didn’t understand her sister’s words, spoken in a heavy old English accent.
Lyrian stepped forwards. “We are here, sister.”
Taurian was only a step behind her. “It is good to see you again.”
Sarian’s eyes met theirs, and Lyrian saw a steely determination. “Give me an update.”
Her hand reached for Raven’s, and clasped it, but she otherwise didn’t look at him. Lyrian wondered if that was a sign that she loved Ultrima, and resented the pull to the human, or just that she was focused on her tasks as a princess.
Lyrian hesitated. There was so much to tell her, so much news and change, but the reality was, it would take Sarian time to take it all in. Time they didn’t have.
Latrima was already stepping forwards, opening her mouth to speak, to demand an answer to her question.
Lyrian jumped in before she could. “There is much tell you, Sarian, but first, we need to ask you a question.”
Taurian put his hand on her shoulder, offering his support, but didn’t speak. He and Verrian had seemed to think she should be the one to speak to their sister, as though she were closer to her than they were.
Sarian frowned, as though she already knew something was going on. She stared at Latrima with narrowed eyes, then back at Lyrian and Taurian. “What is it?”
Lyrian hesitated. It seemed almost foolish to ask. Surely if Sarian loved Ultrima, she would have said something before they had fought with him? Before they had been injured and entered the Mesmer sleep.
But she had to know. Had to hear the answer from her sister’s lips.
So she took a deep breath, and said, “Do you love Ultrima?”
Sarian stared back at Lyrian, a multitude of expression flashing across her face. Lyrian tried to read them, tried to guess if any of them indicated that Sarian did care for Ultrima, but mostly she saw disorientation and confusion.
She stared at Latrima, and her confusion only grew.
Lyrian could only imagine how hard it must be for her, waking into this situation. It was obvious things had changed in a way she couldn’t even begin to understand.
Lyrian felt bad about pressing her, but she could feel Latrima’s eyes boring into her back. If she didn’t, the Trima dragon would. “Do you love Ultrima?” Lyrian asked again, reaching forwards to lay her hand on Sarian’s arm. “We need an answer. An honest one.”
Sarian’s eyes met hers, and Lyrian could see pain in them. Sadness.
Then they hardened. Her sister lifted her head and looked Lyrian straight in the eye. “Ultrima is our enemy. I hate him.”