Sigh. This scene was like déjà vu all over again. Ciara, Jada, and Fleur had met their dragons, by way of a necklace that the White Witch had given them. Azy had not.
Ciara, Jada, and Fleur had gotten their dragons’ soul shards, connecting and bonding them together after they had fallen in love with their warriors.
Azy had not.
She clasped the gold shard she wore around her neck now and pulled comfort from its warmth. Cage had given his soul’s talisman up to a horrible succubus who was later forced to give it to Azy.
She and Cage had still fallen in love, and he had gifted her with his soul after a long battle with Hell. The end result was the same, but they’d taken a different path to become mates.
She and Cage had done everything bass-ackwards to get to where they were now. Looked like this was going to be another one of those times.
Azy was forever having to embrace her differences. Book smart instead of street smart when no one else in her tough Chicago neighborhood even cared about school or reading. Loving to swim when all the other girls at school were worried about getting their hair wet. The only daughter of a single dad cop. Different.
A chubby black mermaid who’d grown up in Chicago instead of the ocean.
Way, way beyond different.
No Wyvern’s mate ring.
One more way she’d have to endure being different.
“I don’t have a ring. The midwife said we needed to find it to strengthen our bond and help protect the babies. I don’t even know where to begin. The White Witch isn’t making this one easy on me.”
Not like she had for Ciara and Jada.
Gah. She was being bitchy and wanted to blame it on the baby hormones. Azy blinked a half dozen times. Dammit. She was not going to cry.
Crab balls. A tear escaped and then all of a sudden she couldn’t stop the waterfalls. She turned her head but knew full well she wasn’t hiding her stupid sobs from anyone.
Ciara dropped the dress into a pile on the floor and rushed over to her. She took Azy’s hands in hers and the tiniest fluffy snowflakes drifted down around them. “Oh, Azy. It’s okay. Everything will be okay. You’ll find the ring.”
The words were sincere, heartfelt, and even though it was snowing, a calming warmth washed over her and settled in her belly. Her tears even dried up as quick as they’d come.
The underlying stress and emotions were still there, but Ciara’s magic wrapped them up in a soft cloud, calming her. Azy stared at the blue-eyed blonde, a woman who couldn’t be any more opposite of her own brown eyes and brown skin, trying to figure out if Ciara’s gifts were also what made her feel a kinship with the woman.
Senora Boh had hit an old sore nerve when she’d said Azy wasn’t good at making friends. From Chicago to the bottom of the ocean, she’d only ever had acquaintances.
Ciara squeezed Azy’s hands. “There’s no hurry. You’ll find the ring. Jada found hers the morning she married Ky.”
Azy’s gaze snapped over to Jada who had a big silly grin on her face. “You did?”
“I didn’t even know the Wyvern’s mate ring was a thing, until I found it. I wasn’t looking for it.” Jada held up her hand and a brilliant blue band sat on her finger, sparkling like the ocean on a sunny day. “But the legend goes that only the true mate of a Wyvern will be able to find and wear the ring. It’s pretty damn obvious you’re Cage’s true mate. You’ll find it.”
“How did you get yours?” Azy asked Ciara. Being the first mate of a dragon warrior in like a million years and all the White Witch had probably just handed it to her.
“Match challenged me. He didn’t think I was a true mate. I’ve forgiven him for that, because I didn’t think so either at the time. It was hidden in Jakob’s hoard. That place is a mess. But I walked right up to it. I don’t even know how.”
“Cage’s hoard is hidden all over the world. He moved most of it after The Lindens burned. Should I go look through what’s here?”
Ciara shook her head and grinned like she knew something Azy didn’t. “I think if we throw you this wedding, the ring will appear.”
“Can your magic do that?” Azy didn’t know what kind of powers Ciara had exactly, but it was more than what she could do with her affinity for the water element.
“Not mine, the White Witch’s. She’s the one putting us together with our dragons. I get a little blip of a vision each time she gives another woman a necklace and there’s been a lot of them lately. Especially golds.”
Jada put a hand on Azy’s shoulder. “That wouldn’t be happening if the Gold Wyvern hadn’t found his mate. Now, they need their first lady. That’s you or I’ll eat my own choux.” She shrugged. “What? I’m not very good at pâte à choux. Cake, yes, but French fluffy pastry? No. It’s like actually eating a leather shoe but filled with custard.”
“We just want to help. If I promise not to make this wedding bigger than Meghan and Harry’s are you in?” Ciara asked.
