Page 59 of Dragon Mine (Dragon Kings 2)
Chapter Twenty-Two
The instant Eurwen took the Druid’s hand, she teleported them to a tropical beach. The sun beat down from a cloudless sky, sparkling off the vibrant green water that lapped lazily at the white sand beach as mountains rose from the sea, leaving only a narrow space for boats to enter the cove. She turned and looked behind her to the dense jungle beyond.
“I love this place,” Eilish said.
Eurwen blinked against the harsh sunlight. “Where are we?”
“Thailand. I can’t get enough of these islands. Each one is more spectacular than the next. And the water?” Eilish smiled contentedly. “Ulrik and I get away and come here as often as we can. It’s a place we aren’t disturbed.”
Eurwen lifted her skirts and walked to the water, taking her shoes off along the way. The cool waves rolled over her feet and up to her knees as she waded deeper. Listening to the waves had a calming effect on her.
“Thank you,” she said over her shoulder to Eilish.
The Druid came up beside her, now wearing an olive green bikini. “My pleasure.”
“Most of my life, I only had Brandr to talk to. We’re close—or we used to be. We’ve drifted apart recently.”
“I never had any siblings. I wish I’d had someone to turn to.”
“But you had friends.” Eurwen turned her head to look at her.
Eilish nodded. “I did. Do you?”
“Not really. There are dragons I would call friends, but their lives are much different than a human’s.”
“And you’re a part of both worlds.”
“Not fully in either one,” Eurwen admitted aloud for the first time.
Eilish frowned, her green-gold eyes filled with concern. “It’s easy for someone to put labels on us. I think we should get to decide who and what we are. If you want to be a dragon, then you’re a dragon. If you want to be Fae, then you’re a Fae. It doesn’t matter who your parents are or what anyone expects of you.”
“That’s the rub,” Eurwen said. “I don’t know what I want.”
“I think you do.”
Eurwen blew out a breath and looked out at the stunning water. “I want to belong to something. I don’t know why I’m saying that when I do. I belong to Zora and the dragons.”
“Do you really? Or did you and Brandr answer a call the universe sent out? Did both of you take on the responsibility without considering what you wanted?”
Shock went through Eurwen. She slowly looked at Eilish. “I–I’ve never thought of it that way.”
“Perhaps you once belonged to Zora. But maybe now you’re seeking something else. We all grow. Sometimes, we outgrow what we’ve been doing.”
“Where does that leave me, then? I’ve always ruled alongside Brandr.”
“But is it what you want to do?” Eilish shrugged. “I think you need to step back and consider that.”
Eurwen shook her head. “I’ve never asked myself that.”
“Let’s start small. What do you want to do right now?”
Eurwen smiled, a laugh bubbling within her. “Swim.”
“Then we swim!” Eilish shouted as she ran into the water.
Eurwen snapped her fingers, her clothes gone, replaced by a turquoise bathing suit. She dove into the water and swam beneath it. Spectacularly colored fish darted here and there. She spotted an octopus before it ducked between some coral.
When she finally broke the surface to drag in air, Eurwen looked around for Eilish. She found the Druid lazily swimming back to shore. Eurwen wasn’t nearly finished yet. She dove back under to explore more of the wonderful world beneath the waves. She lost count of the number of different fish she saw. Her excitement grew when she spotted some rays and even a couple of smaller sharks.
The final time she broke the surface, she found Eilish reclining in a hammock, strung between two trees. Eurwen swam to shore and walked from the water.
“Now that’s a smile,” Eilish said when she saw her.
Eurwen chuckled. “I feel great.”
