Dragons in Council (Book 4 of the Northern Territories Series)

Chapter 4

Dragons in Council

Chapter 4

Forsythe’s POV

She has been pretty silent since our conversation this morning. I truly hope she does not try to keep me from helping Oberon. I will always be watching and I will try to stop anyone that moves against him, but that will be difficult without her cooperation.

“Anything?”, I link Carson.

“All clear.”, he answers simply.

It’s getting late, Saura has gone to lay Oberon down. I’m hoping she will tell me she is willing to take my help so I can stop stressing over it. I walk down the hall to check on them. She rocks him as he eats, looking up to find me in the doorway. “Hi.”, she says softly.

I smile, “Can I do anything to help?”

She shakes her head, but searches my eyes. “I don’t want anything to happen to him.”, she finally says.

I enter the room and sit in the chair across from her, “To Oberon?”, I ask. Vritra is going to die. No amount of prayers to the Goddess will spare him Apep’s wrath.

She nods, “I want him to be safe; to grow and be much better than his father.”

“He will be, Saura. I truly wish to help you both. I will, if you’ll allow me to.”

I see the tears forming in her eyes as she looks down at his little face, “I don’t want him to be someone’s cow.”

“Nor do I, little one. I didn’t tell you that to upset you. It is something you need to know, in order to protect him.”

She nods and wipes her eyes. “I wish you to help keep him safe, Forsythe. To make sure they never get their hands on him.”

“You have my word. I will keep you both safe, as long as you allow it.”, I assure her, relieved she isn’t going to try to run with him on her own. “If you wish to work, I will care for Oberon. If not, I have more money than I will ever be able to use. You don’t need to work; you can focus on him. I will provide for you both and protect you. We can go wherever you’d like; I’ll give you all the space you want. I’m not trying to trap you, Saura.”

She nods and adjusts her top. Oberon sleeps peacefully against her chest. She strokes his cheek and he sighs softly.

She suddenly groans and lurches forward. I leap from my chair and crouch before her, “What’s wrong, are you hurt?”

“My chest…”, is all she says before groaning again and gasping for air like there’s none here. I take Oberon and lay him gently in his crib before picking Saura up and carrying her back into the living room.

“Vritra is being killed.”, I link Carson.

“I’ll head for his shield.”, he returns. I can feel him leaving the area.

“Little one, can you hear me?”, I ask her as I lay her on the couch. She groans and turns, balling up, tears rolling over her cheeks. She nods, she hears me.

“Vritra is dying. This won’t last long, okay. Just hang in there for me, just a little longer. Keep him blocked, you feel the bond severing, not his pain.” She nods again and I stroke her hair, kneeling beside her. She suddenly screams and I close her in my concealment, hoping she didn’t wake Oberon. I listen carefully, I still hear his soft snores. “It’s over, little one. That’s it, he’s gone. You’ll never feel him again.”, I assure her as she catches her breath, still balled up. She sobs silently, her shoulders shaking and tears spilling on the couch.

She slowly stretches out, but she’s completely exhausted. She’s falling asleep quickly. “Little one, I’ve conjured you a room alongside Oberon’s. Can I carry you back to it?” I’d let her stay here on the couch, but I know she will be anxious waking here in the open. She nods and I pick her up, carrying her quietly down the hall, falling asleep against my chest. I lay her gently in the bed and pull her shoes off, setting them by the bed. She rolls away from me and balls up. I pull the blanket over her and leave silently. Carson will be here in the morning. If she isn’t feeling well, I’ll have milk for Oberon. She will be able to rest.

I lay in bed, sorting through this situation in my mind. I want Saura, but she is in no state to attempt a relationship. I can’t do that to her, even if she were. What would happen when my mate came? I toss and turn before finally falling asleep.

“INCOMING!”, I wake to Carson’s voice in my mind.

“Why are you this way?”, I ask him, slightly annoyed.

“You mean my awe-inspiring magnificence?”, he chuckles through the link.

“If that’s what you call your loud mouth, yes.”, I reply, climbing out of bed.

He chuckles, “Get the door. I have all his gems and gold, along with the milk.”

I walk quietly down the hall, I hear Saura just behind me, coming out of Oberon’s room. “Carson is arriving with Oberon’s milk and Vritra’s valuables. It is all yours to keep, little one.”, I call to her as I open the front door.

She sits on the couch, “Oberon woke up an hour or so ago. He is back to sleep now.”, she tells me.

“How do you feel?”, I ask as I start coffee.

“Sore… tired. Otherwise, I’m fine.”, she replies.

I hear Carson landing outside. He studies me as he walks through the door. There’s something almost feral about him, I’ve never seen it there before, but I see it now as he tosses the milk into the freezer. I get a good look at his eyes, he isn’t in blood lust. He turns and focuses on Saura. I feel it as something in him snaps.

Carson’s POV

I lock eyes with her and hers widen in horror. She screams, leaping off the couch and running full blast down the hall. Instinct alone pushes me to chase her, I take off immediately behind her.

I catch her in the hall, spinning her to face me, and Forsythe slams into my side. I release her, so I don’t drag her with me, as he knocks us both across the floor. I fight to get out from under him, but he is trying to hold me down not hurt me. “CARSON, STOP! CARSON, YOU’RE SCARING HER!”, he shouts in my mind. I stop resisting him and he raises up off me, still between Saura and I. I feel her fear, her anxiety. She is shaking, I am not just scaring her, she is absolutely terrified.

“Saura, Carson won’t hurt you or Oberon. He is like me, okay? You’re safe, I swear.”, he tries to convince her as he stands. I sit up slowly and stand, taking a few steps away from her. It’s the last thing I want to do, but I know some of what Vritra has done to her, Forsythe told me.

She trembles and I hear her fledgling cry out. She looks at me then goes to her fledgling. “You can’t act like that with her, Carson!”, Forsythe scolds.

I recall all Forsythe told me of this woman. He wants her, he has wanted her for quite some time. “Have you been mating her?”, I ask him, tilting my head to study his response closely. Not wanting to know the answer, but needing to as he is my Chosen.

He looks back at me, “No, Carson. I have not ever mated with Saura nor touched her inappropriately.”, he answers honestly.

“Good. You’ll erase any thought of it this instant.”, I warn him.

“Gone, brother. She is yours, but you can’t be like that with her. You have to be gentle. She is terrified of our aggressive nature and even more terrified of our bite. You cannot be so rough with her.”, he warns again.

“I’ll be gentle. I give my word. I just lost control for a second. It won’t happen again.”, I assure him.

I hear the baby quiet down and Forsythe holds a hand out to me, instructing me to wait as he goes into the room. I move toward the door so I can see her, but remain outside it. I don’t want to scare her, but I can’t let her get too far from me.

“Saura, are you okay?”, he asks as he sits across from her rocking her son. She nods, but doesn’t speak. “Carson didn’t mean to scare you, little one. He won’t hurt you, he’d never hurt you, Saura. Ask him yourself, you’ll hear it if he is lying. Can he come in?”, he tries to coax her.

She looks up at me and I hold her gaze. She is more beautiful than anything I’ve ever even imagined. I’ve never been so completely awestruck in all my life. “You won’t touch me?”, she asks.

“I won’t ever touch you if you don’t want me to, khajaana.”, I promise her. She searches my eyes and nods. Keep it together, Carson. A storm cannot be tamed. Calm yourself, the storm will pass. I encourage myself as I enter the room and conjure another seat, a little further from her than Forsythe. I will let her hide behind him if that gets her to talk to me.

“Carson is my friend, Saura, my Chosen. He is a good man. You have nothing to fear.”, Forsythe tells her.

“I will never hurt you or Oberon, Saura. You tell me you don’t like something or you’re afraid and it’s over. I won’t be upset with you at all. Please don’t run from me.”, I add softly. She nods, studying me. Oberon falls back to sleep, but she still clings to him.

“She does that a lot. I think Vritra may have waited until he was asleep to hurt her. She won’t talk about it or show me though.”, Forsythe links.

“She can hold him as long as she wants, if that calms her. I don’t mind it.”, I assure him I won’t push her to put him down. “Please say anything, khajaana.”, I ask. I just want to hear her voice.

“I don’t want a mate, Carson.”, she says softly.

“Broke my heart there, a little. It’s alright, I asked for it.”, I reply teasingly and smirk at her; she gives me a small smile. Forsythe looks back and grins at me. I know that her family is long gone. Vritra killed them, Forsythe told me. I’m not sure she knows that yet though. The town she is from is long gone as well. It’s a pixie town now. I struggle to find a safe topic, “What’s your favorite color?”, I ask, having nothing else I can try to build from. Her small smile becomes a full one and she flashes her perfect teeth.

Saura’s POV

Carson asks my favorite color, but I can tell it is just the first thing he could come up with to keep me talking. “Blue. What’s yours?”, I ask, trying to make it a little easier for him. I don’t want him to get frustrated and hurt me.

He smiles, it meets his obsidian eyes. The Goddess never should have made these creatures so attractive and dangerous. Why can’t all the bad ones just be awful to look at? “Had you asked me this morning, I would’ve said frosted cherry. Now, having gazed in your eyes, crystal violet has won me over entirely.”, he replies and this time I laugh. He chuckles and turns in his seat slightly, more toward me. He is quite handsome when he is sitting here smiling. His eyes, when he spun me around in the hall, were a glowing mirror. Now, they’re a smooth shiny obsidian. He has creamy almond skin, a long face, straight nose, and midnight blue-black spiked hair. He is larger than Forsythe, though I couldn’t tell by how much with them crashing into the floor.

“What will you do now?”, I ask him, fearing his answer but needing to be able to handle whatever is to come.

He tilts his head searching my eyes, “Whatever you want, Saura. We stay right here if that pleases you. Forsythe can keep his shield down, he and I can handle anything out here.”

He’s not going to make us leave or try to leave Oberon. The relief I feel is intoxicating. “You won’t take Oberon from me?”, I ask him.

He looks at Forsythe in confusion, then back at me. “No, khajaana. I would never separate you from Oberon. I will teach him what it means to be dragonian. I will teach you first, if you’d like. You would know how to help him as he grows.”, he offers genuinely. I do want to understand him better so I can help guide him.

I nod, “I would like that; You’re too kind.”

“May I see him?”, he asks gesturing toward Oberon.

I glance toward Forsythe and he bows his head slightly to me, “It is up to you, Saura. Carson will not harm him, but you may say ‘no’ if you’re not comfortable.”, he assures me.

I study him. “You don’t have to, khajaana. I won’t be upset with you.”, Carson assures me.

“You may.”, I reply after deciding I don’t have to hand Oberon to him if I’m uncomfortable when he is closer. He can see him without touching him.

Carson stands and I get a better look at him. He is about a foot taller than me. Carson has a large stocky build, I can see his thighs flex as he walks slowly over to me. He conjures a chair alongside mine and sits beside me. I relax my hold on Oberon some so he can see him. Carson studies his face. “Have you ever been told dragonian are natural healers.”, he asks softly. His deep voice so close sends a chill through me. I nod and he grins. “I would like to touch him, so I can make sure he is healthy. Or, know what he needs if he is not. Will you allow me to touch him?”, Carson asks. “I won’t hurt him or move from right here beside you.”, he promises. I hear the truth in his words. As much as he scares me, I feel like I can trust him. You felt that way with Vritra too. Then I remind myself, AND Forsythe. I was right about one. I nod and release Oberon to him.

Carson gently takes Oberon from my arms, resting him against his thighs. I had felt like he was getting so big, but he is still tiny in Carson’s hands. He opens his blanket and places his hand against Oberon’s chest and face. His pupils slit as his eyes take on the mirror gloss glow. Oberon sighs contentedly in his sleep as he feels Carson’s power move through him. I look at Forsythe and he smiles, bowing his head slightly. I feel like he is assuring me that everything is okay. I look back at Carson. His eyes return to normal and he strokes Oberon’s cheek before swaddling him. He passes him gently back to me, “Nothing being outside the shield for a while can’t fix, khajaana. He is healthy.”, he assures me.

“How old is he?”, I ask shyly. I know I sound like a bad mother. It’s just hard to keep up with. In the shield for so long, now back out. Knowing when he was born doesn’t really determine his age.

Carson smiles, “Shields complicate time. Don’t be embarrassed. He is about four months old. Almost ready to start trying food. He’ll still need to feed from you for a while still. Fledglings require breast milk from a large power source. Vritra’s power lives in you. That is what keeps him strong while he grows, until he can begin absorbing power on his own.”

“How old are they when they’re able to do that?”, I stroke Oberon’s cheek as I lay him in his crib. I feel both Carson and Forsythe watching me before I’ve even turned back to them.

“He will start around eight months, but will still require breastmilk for a couple months after that. It will take a little while for his body to learn to stabilize itself.”

“Why does he sigh when you touch him?”, I ask as I sit back in my chair. Carson remains in his seat alongside me. Oberon never sighed like that when Vritra touched him.

He smiles brightly, “Because I’m amazing, khajaana.” Forsythe and I laugh. I feel Carson’s happiness and it is infectious. “Because when dragonian look into you with intent to heal, our power soothes the body. May I show you? I have to touch your face.”, he asks. I nod, I’ve never had a dragon look into me, accept Vritra and Forsythe checking Oberon when I was pregnant. They never touched my face. Carson’s eyes glow, the pools of silver draw me in as he slowly places his hand against my face, his palm resting against my neck beneath my jaw. The tingles of our mate bond erupt but soon after, I feel a relaxing current moving through me. It’s intoxicating and comfortable. I could live here in this feeling forever. He releases me, and whispers huskily, “You sigh too.”, very close to my face. I search his eyes. His maninka and leather scent thickens, “I can feel you so clearly. I want to keep you like this forever just as badly as you want to stay.”, he links me and my body responds to his. I know by the change in his eyes that he scents my arousal now too and it makes me ache. I should be afraid, but I’m not. He brushes his lips gently over mine; giving me a chance to pull away. I lean into him slightly and he cups my jaw, deepening the kiss. He feels so good and tastes like misty sweet mint. He releases me and searches my eyes, “Truly intoxicating… the last moment my heart was my own.”, he says and I laugh nervously. He smiles and strokes my cheek, sitting back in his chair.

Forsythe smiles at me and I blush. “See, he’s not scary. Are you okay with him for a little while? I’ll go start breakfast.”, he asks.

I don’t think Carson is going to hurt me. “I’m okay. I appreciate it, Forsythe.”

He smiles and bows his head slightly to me before raising a brow at Carson as he stands. I get a little nervous with him leaving the room. “Saura, you’re afraid of being fated to another dragon?”, Carson asks I nod as the fear creeps back in. Carson will want to feed from me, his bite will be excruciating.

“Don’t get nervous, khajaana. I’m just trying to understand you.”, he says softly.

“What is khajaana, Carson?” He keeps calling me that. I sincerely hope it isn’t something a word comparing me to prey of some kind.

“Treasure, my love. More awe-inspiring than even myself.”, he answers flamboyantly.

I laugh at him and he grins.

Forsythe’s POV

It hurts a little, giving her to Carson. He will do right by her, he’s a good man. She was never mine. This is twice in our time together that we were paired. I am meant to be her guardian. I understand, Goddess. She is not for me. I will wait. I make dinner, finding some solace in her laughter and knowing that she will never suffer again. Oberon will imitate Carson, he will grow to be an honorable dragon. My chest swells with pride. If I gained nothing else, I corrected my mistake with Vritra and made sure his son had the chance to become so much more than his father ever was.

Carson comes out carrying Oberon, who is looking around curiously. Saura follows at his side. I feel the joy radiating from him, he will make an excellent mate and father. I smile, truly happy for them both.

Carson sits at the counter with Saura, still holding Oberon. He is just as bewitched by Carson as every other creature that has ever met him. He just so charismatic and amiable. I only worry because Carson is who Vritra imitated to be what Saura would accept. I fear she will doubt him and die accepting his mark. Vritra did not change until after he had marked her. She may fear Carson will too.

Carson spends the day playing with Oberon and watching Saura from a distance. She likes Carson, but she’s afraid of him. I can feel it when he gets too close, he can too. He is really good with people though. He can get her to come closer than I ever thought she would’ve, closer than she even allows me. I was shocked she had allowed him to kiss her this morning, though he hasn’t attempted again.