Page 38 of Dragon Mine (Dragon Kings 2)
She deserved that after everything she had said to him and her parents. “If I hadn’t, would you have thought less of me?”
He shook his head. “Never. It speaks to how prominent your dragon is that you feel it.”
A man with long, black hair and gold eyes came into view, diverting Eurwen’s attention. She hadn’t expected to meet Ulrik so soon. The King of Silvers had traveled down a bumpy road for a long time, but he was now back in the fold with the other Kings.
“What an honor,” Ulrik said. “You look so much like Rhi. Only with Con’s hair. I’m—”
“Ulrik,” she said before he could.
The King of Silver’s gold eyes widened slightly. “Of course, you know who we are. It’s a shame we’re just learning of you and your brother. Is he here?”
“Just Eurwen,” Vaughn said.
Ulrik’s gaze dropped to their joined hands. Eurwen had forgotten that she still held onto Vaughn. She loosened her fingers, but he held her tighter as if to say that they had already been seen, so what was the point?
Ulrik bowed his head. “Perhaps we’ll get to meet your brother soon. For now, my mate is ready to tackle me to get to you.”
“Stop it,” a woman with an American accent mixed with Irish playfully chastised Ulrik. She came up beside him and held out her hand. “I’m Eilish.”
Eurwen had seen the dark-haired beauty before, though she knew very little about her. They clasped hands. “I’m Eurwen.”
“A beautiful name.”
Eurwen stared into Eilish’s green-gold eyes and smiled, liking her immediately. “So is yours.”
“We’re delighted you’re here. Since there are so many of us, we didn’t want to overwhelm you or Jeyra, so we’re approaching in shifts.” Eilish flipped back her long locks.
Ulrik chuckled. “Trust me, you want us in turns. Otherwise, you might disappear with Vaughn, and we wouldna get to know you.”
“How long are you staying?” Eilish asked.
Eurwen shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
“Maybe we’ll have some time for us girls to get together,” Eilish offered.
“That sounds nice.” Eurwen had never had friends. Not like this. She was close to some dragons, but that was different. She suddenly realized that she didn’t just want friends, she needed them.
Vaughn caught Ulrik’s gaze. “We’re here for Eurwen, but we also need to speak to V and Claire.”
Ulrik’s smile vanished. “I hope you have a solution. Claire isna doing well.”
Eurwen looked between the two. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s uncomfortable, for one,” Eilish explained. “But with every day that passes, and she doesn’t go into labor, she grows more frightened.”
“How’s V?” Vaughn asked, concern tingeing his voice.
Ulrik lifted a shoulder as he shook his head. “He’s holding it together for Claire, but he’s hanging on by a thread. They both keep saying they’re aware that the bairn could be stillborn, but it’s eating them up.”
“We brought something we hope will help,” Eurwen told them. “But there’s no guarantee.”
Ulrik blew out a breath. “At this point, they’ll take any help they can get.”
“Perhaps we should speak to them now,” Vaughn said.
Ulrik and Eilish turned as she and Vaughn fell into step behind them. Eurwen glanced at the crowd with Jeyra and Varek and smiled at anyone who looked her way. She took in as much of the manor as she could on her way up the stairs to the third floor to V and Claire’s room.
After a knock, V opened the door. Eurwen stared into ice blue eyes filled with concern that he was desperately trying to hide. V’s dark brown hair hung around his shoulders. The instant he laid eyes on her, hope filled his face.
“Can we speak with you and Claire?” Vaughn asked.
V quickly moved out of the way. Upon entering the room, Eurwen spotted a pretty woman with long, blond hair and kind brown eyes sitting on the edge of a chair rubbing her extended stomach. She had dark circles under her eyes from stress and worry.
“V, Claire,” Vaughn said. “This is Con and Rhi’s daughter, Eurwen.”
Eurwen smiled at the couple. “It’s nice to meet you both. My parents, along with Vaughn, have told me so much about you.”
“Please tell us you have a way for us to have our child,” V pleaded.
Claire clicked her tongue as she frowned at her mate. “Vlad. Don’t put that kind of pressure on anyone. Please.”
Eurwen watched as the King of Coppers moved to his mate and knelt beside her. “I’ll do whatever it takes for you and our bairn.”
Vaughn cleared his throat. “What we bring you isna a guarantee.”
“Then why have you come?” V snapped.
Eurwen understood his distress. He felt helpless, desperate. The woman he loved had Fae magic used on her to ensure that she would become pregnant without her knowledge. Eurwen had seen many dragon births on Zora. Since she didn’t spend any time with the humans in her realm, she didn’t know what it was like for them not to bear children.
Most likely, it was worse for the Kings and their mates because the mates could become pregnant, giving everyone hope that a child could be born—though no human-dragon hybrid had ever lived.
“To give all three of you a fighting chance,” Eurwen said. “One we know you won’t have here.”
Claire looked at her with determination. “Usaeil’s magic created this child. It was that same magic that allowed me to remain pregnant. Maybe the same power will let this child be born alive.”
“Fae magic or no’, Claire, no human-dragon bairns have ever been born alive,” Ulrik said.
V sighed loudly before looking between Vaughn and Eurwen. “What is your suggestion?”
“Come to Zora,” Eurwen said. “I don’t know what walking through the doorway to another realm will do to Claire or the babe, though.”
V frowned. “Then why go?”
“We know what will happen here,” Vaughn said.
Claire asked, “And the humans on Zora? How are they?”
Eurwen had hoped they wouldn’t ask about that, but the couple needed to know everything. “They’re unable to have children at all. We don’t know why. You would remain in our domain. Rhi and Con, as well as Vaughn and I, think you might have a chance in my realm.”
Claire turned her head to V. “What do you think?”
