Page 20 of Emergence of Fire
“Delia, this moment is important for your bond. At least, that’s what I’ve been told. There will be other times, and I hope it’s when I get to meet yours.” She gives my shoulder a squeeze and I hear her feet moving through the grass as she leaves me alone, then she stops.
“I forgot to mention, there will be a dinner for all of us tonight. You will get to meet the king then. Delia, you will have to wear a dress, it’s formal affair.” Again, I don’t turn around but I can’t say I am happy about having to dress up and meet people I don’t know. I was never one for crowds. I am supposed to be a queen. All they do is crowds. I cringe internally. You’ve just got to suck this shit up, Cordelia, I mentally berate myself for my weaknesses.
“Then, a dress it is, Aunty.” I shout back. I don’t need to see her face to know she is probably shaking her head at me as she walks away.
The wind picks up around me as a large blue Dragon with massive wings lands a few feet away. His scales shine like sapphires in the bright afternoon sun. I watch in awe as he folds away his gigantic bat like wings against his beautiful blue body. I crane my neck to get a good look at him, even from this distance he towers over everything in the surrounding area. The other two join him, touching down at the same time, their landing causes a tremor from their impact.
An emerald-green Dragon with an elongated body starts to walk toward me but stops his advance. He reminds me of the oriental Dragons that you see depicted in Eastern culture. It makes me wonder if Dragons from Arcadia were actually on Earth at one point. Again, another question to add to my list. The bronze-gold Dragon, the biggest of the three, looks as if he is talking to them both. I wish I knew what they were saying. Will I be able to communicate with them in the same way? I’ll add that to my growing list of questions. While they’re deciding whether they are going to approach me, I move toward them on my own.
The emerald-green Dragon blows steam from his nostrils in frustration as they all wait in a semi-circle for me to approach. Did they stop for me? Maybe they thought I would be afraid. I’ve been having dreams of large flying beasts for months now and only days ago came face to face with my own. I don’t have time for fear. My shift is imminent, I can feel my own Dragon pushing me with every step I take. What would happen if I just let go and let her take over? I wonder as the bronze-gold Dragon finally decides to meet me halfway. All three of them are the color of jewels, sapphire, emerald-green, and bronze-gold. My three treasures. Huge bodies the size of skyscrapers, no, that doesn’t do them justice. Huge bodies the size of jewel capped mountains stand before me in all their majesty. The bronze-gold Dragon brings his head down, his large reptilian eyes are like a massive stained glass window. I know those eyes.
“Torin.” I proclaim as I raise my hand and extend it. He doesn’t move, allowing me to touch him. My fingers begin to tingle, and fire erupts from my hands. I jump back, my instincts telling me to move before I hurt him. I mentally prepare myself for the onslaught of pain that occurs when my Dragon attempts to make an appearance, but nothing happens. Torin doesn’t shy away from me. In fact, he steps closer, making my body bounce slightly with each step he takes. I shake my hand—as if I can make the fire go out, it only blazes brighter. Before I can put more distance between us, the blue Dragon gently nudges me forward. Torin’s snout touches my hand. A rush of emotion flows through me, emotions that are not my own. Admiration. Sadness. Apprehension. Affection. I pull my hand away but I can still feel everything.
“Hey, sweetheart,” avoice says inside my head. What the hell? How am I hearing his voice?
“Torin?” I say his name out loud because it is not possible that he is in my head. He raises his head and looks down at me.
“Cordelia.”I feel his awe and shock at our sudden burst of internal communication. He is not panicking like I am and it makes me wonder if this is normal?
“Is this supposed to happen?” I turn around eager to feel my other mates as well. Extending my hand, the sapphire-blue Dragon lowers his head. As soon as I touch him, I am flooded with his emotions. Joy. Relief. Contentment.
“Gale.” I laugh. His feelings wrap around me like a warm embrace, I can’t help but feel what he is feeling.
“To answer your questions, it's not supposed to happen like this. We are just as shocked as you.”It feels strange to feel their emotions and it feels even stranger to hear their voices in my head. I know I wondered what it felt like just moments ago, but would I feel them all the time now? Steam hits me in my back, warming my skin underneath my shirt, stopping my spiraling thoughts.
“I haven’t forgotten you, Adrian.” I keep my back to him determined to make him wait now that he wants to rush me. With my hands still outstretched in front of me, I turn to my beautiful emerald-green giant, his head already waiting for me and lay my fiery palm flat against his scales. Anger. Regret. Love? I step back, trying not to show them how affected I am by all of this. My hands immediately go back to normal. I raise my hands in exasperation at my uncooperative digits and sigh. “Oh, so now you want to go out,” I say out loud. I look up at Adrian once more, I zero in on his blue eyes with tiny specks of brown dispersed throughout. I am sure he is wondering why I yanked my hand away. Or he already knows and he is waiting for me to respond. Love? Well, I am not ready to address Adrian’s feelings, or Torin’s for that matter. Gale’s I can deal with. I need time to digest. I think it’s time we have a chat. I turn on my heels, my boot scrunching against the grass as I pass underneath Gale's head and walk back toward the palace.
“Cordelia.”Three voices call my name in unison. I stop. This is going to take some getting used to. I can feel their concern and worry. As much as I want to tell them that I am alright, I know that I would be lying. It’s time for the truth.
“I’m going to my room. I think it’s time we have a heart to heart,” I say to them out loud. They don’t stop me and I am grateful for it.
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
ADRIAN
“This is too much, too fast,” I say to Gale and Torin. We are hurrying up the steps to one of the side entrances, my brothers are right behind me. We all watch Cordelia walk away and as soon as she is out of sight we shift and quickly dress ourselves. Thank goodness we had hidden our clothes in a nearby bush or we would be doing a naked walk of shame through the palace. We’d scare the natives. I wasn’t about to parade my junk around, turning heads, poor souls would have whiplash. The moment I felt Cordelia those days were over. I belong to one woman. A very beautiful and anxious woman. She wanted to talk about it at least, that’s all that matters. My concern is for Cordelia. “She went from excited to freak out in mere seconds.” I snap my fingers to emphasize my point. I hear Torin grunt in agreement.
“I’m more concerned about why she didn’t shift? And why are her hands still lighting up like two small bonfires?” I hear him stop behind me and I know there is more he wants to say before we reach Cordelia’s room.
“Come on, Torin, spill it.” Gale finds the nearest pillar and leans against it. I walk back toward the both of them. As eager as I am to get to Cordelia, we all need to be on the same page. All doubts, and concerns laid out on the table for all of us to share the burden.
“When she touched us. I felt her Dragon, she is right below the surface. She should have shifted. That is how we form our telepathy. What she did back there, was unbelievable.” Torin paces as he muses out loud. I agree with him. I felt her too. I was expecting Cordelia to shift. All her mates were present—
“Wait.” I say abruptly. Torin stops paces and Gale sensing my epiphany pushes off the pillar and gives me his full attention.
“She needs all her mates to be present, am I right?” I look at Torin and Gale hoping like fuck that I’m wrong.
“You have got to be kidding me.” Gale slams his hand against the pillar and I swear it shifts on its base. I stare at him impressed by an anger that rivals my own. “You think she has another mate?” He stares at me in disbelief. We both turn our attention to the man with all the answers.
“Not possible.” Torin practically growls, placing his hands on his hips, blowing out a breath of frustration. His brain is working overtime. That was what Torin does best, he is rational and takes the time to think things through. I am quick to anger, and Gale is impulsive and rash. Torin grounds us but I am watching him unravel as he tries to explain away what I just said. “This could just be an adaptation of her magic. Her Dragon has been trapped for almost thirty years. It could explain why she didn’t shift as soon as she saw us in our Dragon form. The connection is there. She could hear us.” He throws his hands up in the air, clearly trying to convince himself more than the two of us.
“Who the fuck is he?” Gale’s voice is almost a whisper. Nothing Torin just said has convinced him, and to be honest I am not sure I believe it either. He could be right though; this could just be the disconnect between her and her Dragon. Maybe in a few days things could change.
“There is no other mate.” Torin spits out his reply. “Besides, there has always been three. We represent the elemental connection between the four of us. We are the balance our realm needs to maintain its stability.” Torin’s reigned in his anger and sounds surer of himself now. I can’t help but smirk, because I know he’s right.
“There is no other elemental force in our realm. This,” I gesture between the three of us and continue, “is predetermined by fate, by forces beyond our control. We are bonded to that woman, she is ours. I share her with you two assholes because I have to.” I don’t look their way as I turn toward the direction of Cordelia’s room and start walking. We’ve been away long enough.
“I didn’t think we were done,” Gale calls behind me.
