Page 31 of Dragon Mine (Dragon Kings 2)
Rhi caught Con’s gaze and jerked her chin to the door. After a moment of frowning, his brow smoothed, and he got to his feet. “Excuse me for a moment.”
Eurwen watched him leave before her eyes swung to Rhi.
“I thought we could have a moment alone together,” her mother said.
“About?”
“Vaughn.”
Eurwen felt her anxiety rising. “I don’t have anything to say.”
“You’ve not asked for my advice, and my mum always told me never to give it unless someone asked, but I’m going to make an exception.” Rhi leaned forward in her seat and smiled. “The wonderful thing about you and Brandr is that you weren’t raised with the Fae or Dragon Kings. You don’t have any of our issues or preconceived notions. While you are a part of both worlds, that may make some things difficult for you.”
Eurwen found herself wanting to know what Rhi was talking about. “Like?”
“You know from being around dragons that they mate for life. They know, here,” she said and pointed to her heart, “when they’ve found their chosen. I’m not a dragon, and Fae don’t mate for life, but I felt it. I knew the instant I saw Con the first time that he was going to change my life.”
“He nearly broke you.”
“And I nearly destroyed him. Everyone has a path they must travel. Sometimes, two people walk together for a time and have to take different roads to become the people they were meant to be so they can return to each other.”
Eurwen gaped at her mother. “You truly believe that?”
“I wouldn’t be with Con, otherwise. I can look back and see how much I’ve changed since that horrible day that I not only lost him but also you and your brother. The difference was, I didn’t know about my children. Although, perhaps subconsciously, I did. I mourned deeply for Con, our love, and the future I thought I had planned out. I also believe that I mourned you and your brother.”
Eurwen lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “Vaughn and I have had two nights. That’s it.”
“He’s searched for you. He never stopped looking.”
“You believe he thinks I’m his mate.”
Rhi laughed and sat back against the cushions. “It’s obvious. Don’t you think?”
“If I thought he was my mate, wouldn’t I have returned to him many years ago?”
The smile faded from her mother’s face. “As someone who fought against what I knew in my heart on many occasions, I’ll say that sometimes we only see the things we want to see. You have many responsibilities here. Aside from that, you kept a big secret from Brandr, and I suspect that has weighed heavily upon you all this time. Just those two things alone could be enough to keep someone here instead of going after what they really want.”
Eurwen couldn’t argue her mother’s words.
“What would it hurt to go with Vaughn, Varek, and Jeyra to see Dreagan?” Rhi asked. “You could meet other Dragon Kings and their mates. I know they will have a lot of questions for you. Whether you answer them or not is another matter entirely.”
The more Eurwen thought about it, the more she wanted to go. “You’re right. Nothing’s stopping me from going.”
