Dragon Emperor 15: From Human to Dragon to God Read online

  “We hadn’t gotten there yet,” I admitted as I walked to my chair and sat down next to Alyona while Nike and Calvin headed for their seats.

  “You won’t believe it!” Miraya gushed. “She’s from Yrosa.”

  “Isn’t that--” I started to ask.

  “The other Rahman city we have to visit!” the spirit finished for me as though she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

  “So, we have a way in,” I mused. “That will certainly be helpful. What can you tell me about the noble families there?”

  “Ah, not a lot,” Isabella answered with a frown. “My family used to be in the noble lines, but one of my ancestors had a baby out of wedlock, dishonored our family name, blah, blah. My arranged marriage was supposed to bring us back into good graces, but I just couldn’t go through with it.”

  “Even if it meant becoming a noble again?” Margaret suddenly asked with confusion.

  “Even so,” Isabella replied. “I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life with that man. He was just so… boring.”

  “I’m sure some people could relate,” I muttered with a sideways glance at Nike, who deftly avoided my gaze. “But you do know the noble families?”

  “By name, of course,” she confirmed and nodded. “I can show your family around Yrosa, but I’m not sure how much help I can be from there. My family was already angry with me when I returned from Leyte. That’s why I didn’t want you to come looking for me. I didn’t want them to think I’d… you know.”

  “Oh!” Alyona covered her mouth with surprise. “You’re pure.”

  “Yes.” Isabella offered a tight-lipped smile. “I don’t care much for the cultural expectation of remaining pure until wedded, but I also don’t care for the men who have already tried to claim me.”

  Calvin cleared his throat, and I shot him another glare before I turned back to Isabella.

  “So, it’s by choice?” I clarified, and a warm sensation traveled through my body as I stared at the Nepin.

  “It is,” she agreed with a curious look into my eyes.

  I allowed my gaze to travel down her body while she watched me, and I ran my tongue over my lips as I drank in the swell of her sky-colored breasts and her slender throat. I wondered if her tight nipples would be the same shade of blue, or even her tongue as it slid along my shaft.

  “Perhaps a new man will pique your interest,” Alyona nearly whispered into Isabella’s ear.

  “Perhaps,” the Nepin agreed in a husky voice.

  I finally tore my gaze from hers and began to fill my plate with some of the small sandwiches from the lunch trays. We ate in silence for a few minutes before Vala finally entered the room.

  “I got it!” she announced with a flourish. “My lord, I have the name.”

  “Oh, gods,” he groaned and then cleared his throat. “My apologies, dear one. What is the name?”

  “Elian,” Vala said and smiled at Nike for a moment. “It means light.”

  Calvin blinked twice, and then a grin cracked his stern face.

  “Elian,” he repeated. “My son’s name will be Elian.”

  “The perfect name for a Child of Light,” Nike declared as he held his goblet up for a toast.

  “Hear, hear!” the dryads cried out.

  The mood seemed to return to a more casual feeling, and soon, everyone was talking and laughing until a shrill sound pierced the room.

  Alyona reached into her spatial storage and grabbed her hand mirror. She looked at me, and I nodded my understanding as I pushed my chair from the table and helped her to her feet.

  We rushed out of the dining hall, and she answered her father’s call as we walked into the great room.

  “Father, I hope you have good news,” she said to the image of the king that appeared on the mirror’s surface.

  “I may,” he replied as he tugged on his white beard. “I have no guarantees, but I suspect I have found the solution to our dilemma.”

  “Okay, what is it?” I wondered.

  “Well, we agreed we don’t want to age the child,” Rodion started, and I could hear him flip the pages of a book as he spoke. “And the Redimi Vincio ceremony is considerably less effective with someone who doesn’t know what he or she has agreed to, so waiting until the mother has given birth is not an option.”

  “Yes, Father,” Alyona agreed. “And the child will be a son, so even aging him wouldn’t work right, either.”

  “Mmhmm.” The king pursed his lips before he finally looked up at the princess again. “So, we must instead perform the ceremony with the mother.”

  “But she doesn’t have the bloodline,” I said with confusion. “How would it work with her?”

  “She may not have the bloodline in her veins, but she holds it within her body,” Rodion explained. “She will be the link between you and the Child of Light, a sort of link in a chain, if you will.”

  “Are you confident in this plan, Father?” Alyona asked as I brooded over the possibility of being bound to Lord Calvin’s ex-lover.

  “I am reasonably hopeful,” he replied carefully. “Though there is one caveat to this plan.”

  “And what’s that?” I pressed.

  “The mother must be absolutely willing to participate,” the king answered. “She cannot be coerced or spelled into it because then the ceremony most certainly will not succeed. She has to be a complicit link, or she will instead become a block. You will no longer have access to the child or his power.”

  “Okay, we kind of banked on having to talk people into the ceremony,” I murmured. “But we have to be able to promise her there’s no danger to the baby.”

  “As long as she’s committed, the baby will be safe from harm,” he explained. “If she has any doubt about the ceremony or the bond, it puts everyone at risk.”

  “Oh, great,” I muttered. “So, we have to convince her to do it, and she has to not be scared to do it?”

  “Unfortunately, I believe that is the case,” Rodion agreed.

  “Will the child’s mother be, uh, linked to me like the rest of my women?” I wondered suddenly.

  “No,” the king chuckled. “Your link will be with the Child of Light.”

  “Wait, not like--” I sputtered as I tried to word my question.

  “You will think of him like a godson,” Rodion explained with a broad smile. “You have nothing to worry about, my son.”

  “Thank the gods,” I sighed with relief. “So, we just talk her into it, bring her to the temple, and we can have the first link complete?”

  “If all goes as planned, yes,” he confirmed.

  Before I could respond, the front door clanged open, and Niall stormed inside and wrung his hands together in front of his stiff body. He ignored Alyona and me as he continued toward the dining hall.

  “That doesn’t look good,” I murmured. “We probably need to wrap this up before something crazy goes down in there.”

  “Of course,” she agreed under her breath and then looked back at the mirror. “We will talk with Vala. As soon as we have her consent, we will bring her to you to perform the ceremony.”

  “I’ll be ready,” Rodion replied before he ended the connection.

  “Okay, let’s see what’s going on with the baron now,” I groaned as we headed back toward the dining hall.

  “Baron Niall, just slow down,” Trina soothed as we walked inside. “Take a breath and relax.”

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  The situation was not as intense as I’d imagined, though Niall looked on the verge of a complete meltdown.

  “I was… talking to Rosie,” he said between deep breaths. “She reminded me of a couple years ago… when I first started going to the pub.”

  “Okayyyy.” I waited for the rest of his story with more than a little impatience.

  “Back then, I was, ah, very angry that my father had so many women in and out and in and out--” Niall continued.

  “We get the idea,” Calvin grumbled as he cr
ossed his arms over his chest. “I had several lovers. Go on.”

  “Well, I decided to, ah, even the score,” his son muttered. “So, in a very-- and I mean, very-- drunken stupor, I invited every woman in the pub to join me that night.”

  “Every woman?” I echoed with wide eyes. “So, you had an orgy?”

  “Oh, gods.” Niall dropped his face into his hands. “I don’t remember all of it, Lord Evan, I swear! I was so determined to show up my father. I’d forgotten all about it until Rosie brought it up this morning when she said Isabella had come by.”

  “So, you’re telling me there could be a dozen more women you slept with that we haven’t even found yet?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he groaned. “I’m sorry. I vaguely remember waking up in the middle of the night in someone’s bed, and there were several women around me. I hurried and got dressed, and then I snuck out.”

  “You two really need to learn how to keep it in your pants,” I growled at the father and son, who both looked down at their laps. “I don’t care about the sacred bloodline rules and all that, but damn! You could at least have a little respect for the women whose lives you could be changing forever!”

  “You’re right, my lord,” Niall mumbled. “I’m a disgrace.”

  “It’s only a disgrace if you continue to let it be,” Nike finally said. “You need to find these women. Even if they aren’t carrying a child with the bloodline ability, it’s time to be honest and true.”

  “And if they are carrying the ability, we could be missing out on another Noble of the Sword,” I pointed out. “There’s a lot of evil shit going on right now, and we should be training warriors, not pretending they don’t exist.”

  “A child with the bloodline power outside of a noble family?” Calvin scoffed. “That’s unheard of.”

  “Is it?” I retorted. “Or is it you’re so determined to control who your family marries that you make sure the bloodline is kept ‘sacred?’”

  Calvin’s silver eyes narrowed into slits as he tried to think of a response.

  “Is that possible?” Nike demanded. “Is it possible for a child to be born with the Noble of the Sword bloodline without having two noble parents?”

  “I don’t know!” Calvin spat out.

  “Vala,” Alyona said softly. “Are you of a noble bloodline?”

  “If I was, do you think my village would have let me become a street kid?” the young woman answered with genuine sadness.

  “A street kid?” Calvin repeated as his mouth opened into a perfect O.

  “Yeah, not that you ever cared to ask,” Vala shot back.

  Calvin clenched his hands into fists before he pushed his chair back from the table and stalked out of the room without another word.

  “He always said the noble bloodlines had to be preserved,” Nike mumbled. “It’s the whole reason for the Bloodline Council to arrange marriages.”

  He glanced over his shoulder at Margaret, who looked suspiciously calm despite the realization of her betrothed that he may not really have to marry her. I wondered for a moment if she cared one way or the other, but I decided it wasn’t important. Nike clearly wasn’t in love with her, and this might be the first step to paving the way for him to find a new future.

  “Okay, listen, we have two things that need to get done now,” I said after everyone had settled down. “First, we need to get Vala to the White Jade Temple for the ceremony, and second, we have to find these other women in case there’s another Child of Light out there somewhere. We should have a backup if the ceremony doesn’t work.”

  “Hold on, what do you mean if the ceremony doesn’t work?” Vala stood up and held her belly. “You haven’t told me everything yet.”

  “You’re right, and I’m sorry,” I apologized. “It will be easier to explain once we’re with the king.”

  “King Rodion?” she gasped.

  “Yes,” I confirmed before I turned to Ravi and the dryads. “I need you four to take Baron Niall back to talk to Rosie. Maybe she can remember the women who took him up on his orgy offer.”

  “Of course, my lord,” Ravi agreed.

  “Let’s go,” Marina muttered as the women led Niall out of the dining hall.

  “I don’t have to go anywhere with you,” Vala said and backed away from us. “I-I’m not doing anything that could hurt my baby.”

  “I understand completely,” I replied in a soothing tone. “And I would never ask you to. Right now, I’m only asking you to trust us to get you to the temple, and we’ll talk more there. Okay?”

  “No.” She shook her head adamantly. “I want to know more about this ceremony right now.”

  “I think we should tell her, my lord,” Alyona murmured. “She’s worried about the child.”

  “I agree,” Nike said in a soft voice. “She’s scared.”

  “Okay,” I sighed. “Here’s the deal. Typically, the ceremony is performed with someone who holds power, like Princess Alyona. However, in this case, you aren’t the one who has that power, it’s your kid, but I can’t do the ceremony with him. King Rodion found a way to have the ceremony with you, and you’ll channel the bond to Elian.”

  “Lord Evan would never ask you to do something scary if it wasn’t the right thing for everyone,” Naomi said as she placed a gentle hand on Vala’s shoulder to guide her back over to us.

  “And he’s already done it himself,” Laika pointed out.

  “Will the ceremony… hurt?” Vala nearly whispered.

  “Briefly,” I admitted. “We have to use the ceremonial knife to cut our hands.”

  “But Lord Evan will heal you immediately,” Alyona cut in. “I had only just begun to feel the pain of the cut when he healed me.”

  “Healing power,” Vala murmured. “That’s nice.”

  “It’s one of a few abilities I have,” I replied with a kind smile. “I promise I will do everything I can to make this process easy for you, and it has an added benefit at the end.”

  “What’s that?” She finally met my stare with a bit of curiosity.

  “When I’m bound to Elian, I’ll feel the desire to protect him,” I explained. “The king said it will feel like he’s my godson, so I’ll always be looking out for him.”

  “As will I,” Nike added. “He may technically be my uncle, but I will help care for him and teach him how to use his abilities.”

  “That’s two pretty big allies,” Aaliyah commented, and Rebecca and Laika nodded their heads in agreement.

  “And you all believe in him?” Vala’s turquoise eyes searched the women for any signs of doubt.

  “Absolutely,” Miraya answered in a heartbeat. “We’ve more than once trusted ourselves with Lord Evan.”

  “He’s never steered us wrong,” Rebecca agreed.

  “Just think about it while we get the portal ready,” I advised Vala. “If you have any more questions, we’ll be with the king, so he can help answer them. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she agreed with a slight nod.

  I looked over at Alyona, who began preparing to open the portal to her father’s castle. It only took a few minutes, and I watched Vala gnaw on her bottom lip and pick at her nails while she considered the boatload of information we’d just laid on her. She knew it was important to close the Breach, but it was a lot to take in as a woman who grew up being unimportant.

  “So, should I just stay here or…?” Isabella trailed off as she looked around at the group.

  “No,” I answered firmly. “I want you with us.”

  “Yes, he does,” Aaliyah purred.

  “I mean, on our mission,” I clarified with a smile.

  “To meet the king?” Isabella still seemed uncertain.

  “He’ll love you,” Laika assured her. “And we want you there.”

  “If you’re sure,” the Nepin replied, and all my women smiled and nodded their agreement.

  I heard the familiar crackle of Alyona’s magic, and I glanced over to see the doorway to the White Jade Templ
e was open. I nudged Nike, and he seemed to understand that his connection to Vala was different than mine, so he held his hand out to her, and she grasped his fingers with uncertainty before she followed him through the portal. We all walked through and stepped onto the king’s balcony, where Rodion sat in his high-backed chair that overlooked the Breach.

  “My gods, what is that?” Vala wrapped her arms around herself as she looked around. “It feels so… evil.”

  “The Breach,” King Rodion boomed and rose from his seat. “It grows stronger every day, and the demons fight my protective spells, though I find I am less exhausted, thanks to the magical coins.”

  “Good,” Alyona sighed as she hugged her father. “You look much better.”

  “Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you,” Vala said and started to drop to her knees, but her round belly got in her way.

  “The honor is mine,” Rodion declared as he motioned for her to stand. “I understand you are here to help us rid the world of the Breach.”

  “That is the goal,” Vala hedged.

  “You are concerned,” the king said rather than asked. “I understand. This is no small task, but it is an important one that will impact thousands of lives.”

  “That’s a lot of pressure,” she mumbled.

  “Do you remember what you said last night?” I asked her. “About wanting something better for your son than the life you had?”

  “Of course,” Vala murmured.

  “This is it.” I took her hands and knelt down in front of her. “This is your chance to do something for the good of your country, something no one would ever expect from a plain old street kid, right? Do this for Elian, for the world he’s going to grow up in.”

  Vala squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath before she opened them again and met my gaze.

  “You’re right,” she finally agreed. “I want him to live in a world free of demons and miasma and all the evil I can feel here by the Breach. I’ll do it.”

  “Thank the gods,” Alyona sighed. “We must get to the cliff.”

  “Castor has already taken everything we need there,” Rodion said as he grabbed the text from his chair. “Let’s go.”