Page 25 of Dragon Mine (Dragon Kings 2)
“It already has.”
Vaughn rolled onto his elbow to look down at her. “How so?”
She looked away and shook her head.
A yawning pit formed in Vaughn’s stomach as he realized that she was talking about telling Brandr about her night with him. “What did your brother say, exactly?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Eurwen said as she sat up and hugged her knees to her chest.
Vaughn wasn’t going to accept such an answer when he knew something was going on. He sat up beside her. “It does matter. You’re hurt.”
“We have something beautiful and special here.” She turned her head and met his gaze. “Something I know the Dragon Kings want.”
“Wish to experience,” he corrected. “This is your world. We’re no’ coming to take it.”
She raised a blond brow, her expression disbelieving. “Really? Do you want to leave?”
He hesitated.
Her lips flattened as she faced forward. “Exactly. Varek asked to stay. Any King who comes will ask the same thing.”
“We’re no’ challenging you or Brandr.”
“Who says we won’t challenge any of you?” she asked in a dry tone.
Vaughn blinked, taking in her words. He wasn’t sure what to think…or do. Finding her was supposed to be the difficult part. He was coming to realize that he’d been dead wrong.
“We don’t have any idea if the magic on this realm is the same as yours. When Erith created—”
“What?” Vaughn asked in shock, his head swinging to her.
Eurwen wrinkled her nose as she glanced his way. “I forgot you weren’t there when I told Con and Rhi. Erith created this realm to give the dragons a place to go.”
“Shite,” he murmured, surprise and amazement running through him.
“Erith tried to mimic Earth for the dragons, but there are differences. They’re subtle. You’d probably miss them if you weren’t looking.”
Vaughn ran a hand down his face. “We know verra little of the magic of our realm, other than it’s powerful. We know from our battle with the Others that magic can be drained from a planet, but I have no idea where it comes from. There is magic here. I feel it.”
“It’s Erith’s,” Eurwen explained. “It’s why the clans don’t have Kings.”
He looked at her, waiting until her silver eyes met his before he asked, “And you’re worried that might change if the Kings are here?”
“It’s possible. I don’t want any Teals challenging you for the right to be Dragon King.”
“We were never meant to be Kings this long. We were only meant to stay in power until someone stronger came and the magic chose them.”
Eurwen shrugged. “I don’t want to challenge you, my father, or anyone else.”
Ah. So that was her real fear.
For both her and Brandr.
Vaughn put his hand over hers. “The best way to ensure that doesna happen is if we can all sit down and talk. Including your brother.”
“That’s never going to happen.”
