Page 26 of Dragon Mine (Dragon Kings 2)
Chapter Ten
There was so much going on inside Rhi that she wasn’t sure which way was up. At least, she had Con by her side. The thought of going through any of this alone made her nauseous. She would’ve done it, because when you had to do something, you had to do it. But that didn’t mean she would’ve liked it.
“What?” Con asked when his black eyes swung to her.
She smiled and walked to him, wrapping her arms around him. “I love you.”
“I love you,” he said before giving her a soft kiss. “Now, what’s wrong?”
She couldn’t hold back her laugh. “You know me so well.”
“Stop stalling and spit it out,” he said with a wink.
“I have a bad feeling.”
His brows drew together. “What do you mean?”
“Our children, the dragons, the humans, this realm, the babies appearing… Take your pick, my love, but something isn’t right.”
Con blew out a breath and ran his hands up and down her upper arms. “You’re so used to having something or someone to fight that you doona know what it is to have peace. Besides, if something were going on, Varek would’ve known by now.”
“Need I remind you that he spent most of his time on this realm in a prison? Without magic,” she stated.
Con paused and issued a nod. “Fair point. But after—”
“It’s only been a few days. What do you think Varek could’ve seen? Not much. Also, he’s otherwise occupied with his new mate. Case in point, where are they now?”
“Is it too much to ask for things to go right?” Con asked.
Rhi gazed up at him, understanding his worry and dismay. “I want things to be simple and easy, but that isn’t our world. It never will be because of the power and magic the Dragon Kings have.”
“You are no’ the only one feeling as if something is off,” he admitted.
She flattened her lips and gave him a pointed look. “You were just going to keep that to yourself?”
“I was expecting things that wouldna be there. Force of habit kind of thing.”
“What are you always telling me?”
“To trust your instincts.”
“Exactly. What were you doing?” she pushed, forcing him to admit the truth.
His nostrils flared as he glanced away in irritation. “I get your point.”
“Say it.”
His black eyes looked into hers. “I was ignoring my gut.”
“And we can’t do that.”
“Nay, love, we can no’,” he said with a grin. “Now, tell me what you’ve seen.”
She looked around the grove, the trees circling them, and the mountains beyond. “The absence of our son raises a huge concern. If Eurwen opened the door against his wishes—”
“You’re worried there will be repercussions,” Con finished.
Rhi nodded. “To start, yes. Eurwen wouldn’t have opened the doorway unless she wanted to, but her attitude today tells me that she’s unsure if she made the right decision. We need to tread carefully. After all, this is their realm.”
“I’m acutely aware of that. Dragons have been circling us all day, but none have approached. The few I’ve tried to converse with willna engage. Vaughn had a brief conversation with some Teals, and it wasna friendly.”
Rhi took Con’s hand and led him to the fire as they sat on the cut stumps facing each other. “This realm may look similar to ours, but it isn’t the same.”
“The magic isna, either. It isna even close. It feels more like…” He paused as if searching for the right word.
“Erith?” Rhi offered. “She did create it.”
Con nodded. “Exactly. That’s why none of the dragons have challenged our children. Why there are no’ any Kings or Queens.”
“Will that change with our arrival? Has it changed with Varek being here? Was there a bigger reason for our children not wanting us here, other than their anger at something neither of us had control over?”
Shock fell over Con’s face. “Bloody hell. Do you think?”
“I’m not ruling anything out. I understand that the twins are upset that we weren’t in their lives, but why take it out on us? Neither of us knew of their existence until recently.”
“Why no’ be angry at Erith for putting all of us in this situation?” Con asked.
Rhi shook her head as she glanced at the fire. “I don’t want to ask that. But, yes. Everything looks perfect and beautiful, but you and I know from experience that things rarely are as they seem.”
“Surely, Eurwen would’ve told us.”
“What if she doesn’t know? What if neither of our children knows?”
Con released her hand and quickly stood as he paced. Rhi watched the unease and suspicion begin filling her mate. It was rare for Con to let any kind of emotion show if anyone but she was around, but he didn’t seem to care right now.
“I might be reaching,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am seeing things that aren’t there.”
He shook his head and halted in looking at her. “My thoughts didna go down that road, but that isna to say you’re wrong. I’ve been troubled since Jeyra and Varek told us about the infants. There doesna seem to be a rhyme or reason for their arrival, nor why some live a regular life span of a mortal, and others, like Jeyra, live several hundred years.”
“We need to get Jeyra to Dreagan so Sophie can look her over. Maybe do some bloodwork. I don’t sense any magic within her, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there.”
“I doona sense magic, either, but it could be a new kind that dragons can no’ detect.”
Rhi saw his brow furrow deeper. “There’s something else.”
“All these millennia, none of the Kings has been able to have children.”
“We did,” Rhi said with a smile.
He didn’t return it. “Would you have carried our children to term?”
“Yes.”
