Cage stood, pulling her up with him, rubbing his hands over her arms, ribs and belly, checking her for injuries. "You're telling me The Black Witch wants our children and a demon dragon is proposing a deal to save them?"
She did sound like she was on drugs. Right. The rest of them had been under the witch's spell when she'd laid that evil nugget on Azy."Pretty much."
The love of her life stared down at her, his eyes flitting back and forth over hers as if he was trying to get into her brain. He raised a hand and gently lifted her chin with his finger."I'm not going to let either of those things happen. You and I will protect our children."
He pressed his lips to hers, sealing his promise with his kiss. It's not like Azy thought they wouldn't fight fist and claw for their family's lives, but Cage's assurances healed up a part of the fresh shreds of fear the Black Witch had torn in her soul. She swept her tongue over his lips, asking him to deepen the kiss.
"We all will." Jakob sat a few chairs over with Ciara in his lap.
At his words Cage pulled away from Azy's mouth, but ran his thumb over her lips, staring at them with a promise for later. He pulled her toward two chairs that hadn't been destroyed at the front of the room. Rays of sun shot down through the destroyed roof directly onto them, reminding Azy of the way heavenly light always shined on the throne of a king in fairy tales.
Cage sat Azy down first and then took the seat next to her. There was something new and different about him. A stronger power had settled over him. He practically glowed with it and Azy basked in his energy. The babies noticed it too. They had worn themselves out, already battling like tiny warriors.
"Thank you, Jakob. I know in the days and battles to come we will be looking to all the Wyrs for their help." Even his voice was more commanding than before. It sent a heat through her that was both arousing and comforting. "We are fortunate to have you all as our friends and family. We will be stronger together."
He pulled the sword from his belt that Azy had seen him attach to his tail during the battle. It had a familiar look, so much like the sword he used in conjunction with her mirror. "As is the way with all gifts from the First Dragon, where these came from is a mystery. But since we were each given one, with a jewel the color of our Wyr and with the symbols of our elements, I believe they are significant in our battle against the Black Death."
Cage looked to each of his Wyvern brothers, catching their eyes, some silent pledge passing between them all. It warmed her heart to see him bonding with his brothers in this new way. Even Match gave him the guy head nod.
Azy caught Ciara's eye and then Jada's. If the dragon warriors were bonding, she felt like the mates might too. Both women smiled back, and she understood they were thinking the same thing.
Jada tipped her head to the side and tapped her lips, thinking."Where's the Black Dragon in all of this? Not that we missed him, but why wasn't he here today?"
Ky stroked his knuckles up and down Jada's arm. "I doubt he's off licking his wounds. No, he's eitherwreaking havoc elsewhere or planning to."
Hmm. Something important had changed and Azy was probably the only one who had the information to put the puzzle together. It made her ache to even think about the Black Witch wanting her babies. Literally pained her, low in her belly."Ereshkigal has forsaken him."
Everyone in the room swiveled to stare at her. "It's something she said. She wants to take our children to start over. She said she needed someone who hadn't been touched by her magic. I think the her she's referring to means the White Witch."
Match paced back and forth not letting anyone stand in the way of the path he was wearing in the floor, even though Ciara was usinging her best snowflakes of calming magic to get him to sit down, calm down. "The Black Witch's powers are either growing stronger or she hasn't revealed her true strength to us if she is able to break through the protective wards. The demon dragons shouldn't have been able to even find the villa, much less enter it."
Cage took Azy's hand and squeezed."We've never seen her in battle outside of hell. She brought the demon dragons here on her own. I'll wager a large measure of my hoard that she wreaked the destruction to The Lindens as well. Which means she's also working with Geshtianna."
A sharper pain struck Azy radiating from her back around her ribs and shooting low into her belly. Ow. Now what? God, she hoped that the streaks of white lightening the babies had generated during the battle hadn't caused them harm. She'd better get a hold of Señora Boh to come check on them after all that stress.
Cage nodded but narrowed his eyes."Why are the Gold Dragons and the seat of our Wyr susceptible to their attacks? Jakob, you haven't seen any more demon dragons at your house?"
"Not since Ciara and I were mated. They're still in the country, but not within our protected wards."
Ciara kissed his cheek."Do you think it's got something to do with having your soul shard stolen? Maybe the Black Witch did a spell when it was down in hell to weaken your Wyvern bond to the Wyr."
Azy grasped the shard. "No. The witch never had it. Remember, that succubus," she glanced over at Jada. The woman who'd stolen Cage's shard was her sister and was now missing. She had made mistakes but had tried at least a little to make up for them, and she was Jada's family, which meant she was important. "Portia gave the shard directly to me."
Cage growled low in his throat. "Geshtianna then. Portia was under her control when she... when I gave it to her."
"I think Ciara's on to something."Strengthen the bond. Maybe the midwife meant more than the bond between Azy and Cage needed to be fortified. The shard of Cage's soul she wore, that marked her as his mate glowed warm against her skin. "I think if we find that damn ring and get married it will help."
Cage grinned at her like a fool. "I fucking love how your brain works. I swear to you we will find your Wyvern mate’s ring. We will create an unbreakable bond, you and I."
He sounded so sure, a new confidence she hadn't seen in him before. It was damn sexy.
"I know." She grabbed Cage's arm intending to give him a little squeeze, but another pain shook her. The intensity was threefold of the last one and she grabbed onto his hand hard. Ow, ow, ow. "Cage, something's wrong."
"Az? What is it?" He swooped her up into his arms and her body was wracked by stabs radiating through her so intense she cried out in pain. Cage's face lost all his color. "First Dragon help us."
"He can't help you now, dears. He doesn't know nothing 'bout birthing no babies." Señora Boh floated into the room. "Good thing you called me when you did, Azynsa."
Ow, ow, double ow. It was too soon for her to go into labor. Even if her children were growing at twice their rate, like Señora Boh said, there was no way they could be full grown. "Are the babies okay?"
