Page 93 of Dragon Mine (Dragon Kings 2)
Chapter Thirty-Five
“I know what you’re going to say,” Brandr said before she could speak.
Eurwen faced him and looked into his black eyes. “Do you now?”
“You’re Vaughn’s mate.”
“Or you could’ve said, he’s my mate. I am half-dragon.”
“I’m happy for you.”
Brandr said the right words, but Eurwen wasn’t sure he meant them. “Are you?”
“I am,” he said with a nod. “You deserve to be happy.”
“So do you.”
He glanced away. “One day, perhaps. Are you living on Earth?”
“I don’t know what we’re going to do. My home is here. Vaughn’s is there. But there has to be a way to work it out. That is if you aren’t going to banish me.”
Her brother smiled at her. “I was never going to banish you. I was angry when I said that. As for where to live, split time between the realms. I can cover things here while you’re gone.”
Eurwen was so surprised that she couldn’t speak for a moment. “You’re all right with a Dragon King living here?”
“He’s your mate, Eurwen. If I refuse him, I refuse you. Mates are as one. And you’re my sister. I willna sever that bond.”
Emotion choked her. She quickly blinked back tears. “Thank you.”
“I’m the one who should be apologizing for putting you in a position where you thought you had to choose. This is your home. You have as much right to make decisions as I do.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat and quickly wiped away the few tears that had escaped. “I’m glad you see that.”
“Sadly, I didna until you were injured. It all quickly came into perspective. I didna realize how I had been acting, but the real factor was Vaughn. He was willing to die for you, and I know he would’ve. There isna a doubt in my heart that he doesna truly love you.”
“And I love him.”
“I have one request,” Brandr said.
Eurwen shrugged. “Anything.”
“Have the mating ceremony here.”
She hadn’t even thought that far ahead. “Here? You know that means the Kings will come to Zora.”
“As they should. We have no right to keep them away from the dragons. They should witness their brethren’s mating. As the dragons here should bear witness for one of theirs.”
Eurwen threw her arms around him and held him tightly. “You’re the best brother.”
“I’m your only brother,” he said as he returned her embrace.
“Which makes you special.” She leaned back and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You will be at the ceremony, right?”
“I wouldna miss it.”
Eurwen gave him one last hug before she stepped back. “As far as this new threat—”
“I agree,” he said over her.
She blinked. “What?”
“We’re going to need help. You and I have done well on our own all these years, but we’ve no’ dealt with a threat like this before. I’m no’ going to allow my pride to stand in the way as more dragons are slaughtered. Or worse, you get killed.”
“Or you,” she interjected.
“We need help. Be that from Erith and the Reapers, the Dragon Kings and their mates, or whoever else, I’m no’ going to deny anyone who wants to aid us.”
Eurwen flashed him a smile. “We’ll find whatever this is and eradicate it from Zora forever.” She frowned then. “Vaughn told me about the generals and the other dragons.”
Brandr’s grim expression returned. “We need to attend the funeral.”
“All of us should,” she said.
He nodded in agreement. The two of them returned to the group and readied for the funeral, explaining how they worked here. Rhi would teleport Claire and the bairn to their destination while Jeyra rode atop Varek as the rest of them flew. There had never been anything like this on Zora. Even when Eurwen and Brandr had first come, the dragons who had died hadn’t been killed as these had. It was like a dagger to her heart.
She wasn’t surprised to see the families bringing the deceased to what had long been called Dragon Valley. The mystical place was extraordinary. Steep, flower-covered mountains ridged like draped cloth made a near-perfect circle full of lime green moss, forests of rhododendron, majestic flowers of all colors and sizes, and stunning waterfalls.
