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

Chapter 8

Dragons in Council

Chapter 8

Carson’s POV

I lay across the living room floor, trying to convince Oberon to lift on all fours to crawl. He is wiggle worming around on the mat. Saura sits beside me, her leg against my ribs. I love having that contact with her, even if it is through our clothing. I turn and rest my head in her lap, she runs her fingers through my hair. “Will you let me go through your memories?”, she asks softly.

“Of course, khajaana. You may see anything you wish.”, I reply, looking up at her. She smiles down at me and strokes my jaw. I close my eyes, enjoying the electricity of our bond coursing through me as her bergamot and soft plum scent soothes and relaxes me. I feel my sister summoning me again. I wonder what Vedant has gotten himself into now. I conjure a phone, hoping it isn’t bad.

"What’s wrong, Carson?”, Saura asks.

“Carina is summoning me.”, I reply as I dial.

Ring ring

“Carson?”, she answers.

“It’s me, everyone okay?”, I ask, closing my eyes again as Saura’s nails massage my scalp.

“Yes. Something is happening in Black Hearthstone. Vedant is in Fae Territory, outside Black Hearthstone. He says he needs you to come to him.”, Carina replies. She doesn’t sound scared and I know she would be if she thought her baby boy was in trouble.

“Did you summon father as well?”, I ask her.

“Yes, he is coming here now. Do you want him to meet you?”, she asks, I hear her oven door closing.

“Tell father to stop by here and I’ll fly out with him. I need to talk to Forsythe and have him stay with Saura and Oberon.”, I open my eyes and look back up at the beauty holding me. I can see the concern in her eyes.

“I told him you were with your mate, Carson. He won’t keep you long. He didn’t tell me what he needed though. He said he was okay.”, Carina assures me.

“That’s alright, Carina. I’ll take care of your baby.”, I promise her.

“I love you.”, I hear the smile in her voice.

“I love you too. See you soon.”, I tell her before disconnecting the call. I reach up to touch Saura’s curls that cascade down around me when she meets my gaze.

“I need to go check on Vedant. I’d take you with me, but he tends to get himself in trouble. Will you be alright here with Forsythe for a little while?”, I ask.

She nods and smiles. I raise my brow, wishing she would speak her responses. I feel Oberon’s little hands grip my shirt at my ribs and look down at him. He is trying to pull himself up to me.

“Did you worm your way over here, sir?”, I ask him as I pull him up onto my chest. He fists my shirt and blows bubbles happily at me, being given the attention he wants now. I smooth his curls and wipe his mouth. He narrows his eyes at me and I lean into his little chubby cheek and growl softly, nudging his head. He laughs loudly and kicks his feet, it makes me chuckle.

Saura smiles happily, “That’s his first real laugh, do it again.” I growl softly and draw his attention. He grins and grabs for my face. I tuck my jaw into his again, nudging him and he laughs. I set him up on my chest and Saura plays with him until he starts fussing for her. I move so she can sit in the rocking chair to feed him.

“I need to go help Vedant. You will protect Saura and Oberon?”, I link Forsythe.

“With my life, brother. I’ll raise my shield if necessary, but Oberon really needs to keep as much contact with the earth as he possibly can.”, he returns.

“I agree and trust your judgement. Summon me if you have to raise your shield. I will take care of any threat in the area before I return.”

Saura’s POV

I feel Carson linking Forsythe. I’m a little nervous about him leaving me with Forsythe. What if he comes back and decides I want Forsythe or that he wants me and gets angry? As much as I don’t want to let him in, I find myself trusting him. It would hurt if he lashed out at me. I try to sort my feelings as I rock and feed Oberon. He slowly falls asleep in my arms and I lay him gently in his crib.

I feel another dragonian presence, neither Forsythe nor Carson seem concerned. It must be Carson’s father. I return to the living room as the dragon enters. His obsidian eyes meet mine and I’m positive this is Carson’s father. He smiles warmly at me. “Good afternoon, Saura. I am Ishaan, Carson’s father.”, he introduces himself, not giving Carson an opportunity to speak.

“Good afternoon, Ishaan. A pleasure to meet you.”, I reply, glancing at Carson. He moves around his father to come to me.

“Excuse me, my boy. I didn’t intend to block you from her.”, he tells Carson before returning to me, “His mother and sister are incredibly jealous that I’ve been given the opportunity to meet you first. May I further that and see little Oberon?”, he teases.

“You’ll have to be quiet. He is sleeping.”, I tell him.

He smiles, joy reflecting in his eyes. “I won’t wake him.”, he assures me as he follows Carson and I down the hall.

When we enter the room, the large dragon, looking very much like Carson himself, gazes lovingly down at my son. “May I touch him?”, he links both Carson and I.

Carson wraps his arms around my waist and tucks his chin down against my shoulder, kissing beneath my ear. “He just wants to look into him.”, Carson assures me. Ishaan waits for my answer. I nod and he raises a brow. “You have her permission, father.”, Carson links us jointly. I watch as his father places his large hand against my little boy’s face. Ishaan’s eyes glow, reflective pools with vertically slit pupils. Oberon sighs heavily and stretches, giving a sweet little smile. Ishaan’s eyes return to the smooth obsidian shade and he gently strokes Oberon’s cheek. “He is perfect, Saura. Strong and healthy. I’m so happy for you both.”, Ishaan links. I feel Carson’s smile against my shoulder.

“I hate to separate you from him, father, but we must go check on Vedant. Perhaps Oberon will be awake when we return.”, Carson links jointly.

Ishaan’s gaze never leaves Oberon. I can feel the happiness Oberon brings him. “If he is awake when we return, may I hold him?”, Ishaan asks.

“He will sit and listen for him to wake all night long if you say yes, my love.”, Carson warns, causing Ishaan to smirk at him.

I try not to laugh and wake Oberon. I’ve never seen such a large and dangerous creature become a cuddly baby stalker. It is somewhat endearing. “You may hold him when he wakes.”, I allow.

“I apologize for having to take your mate, Saura. I will have him back to you soon.”

I nod and his head tilts. Carson chuckles softly and kisses my jaw before taking my hand and pulling me to follow him out of the room.

“I’ll meet you outside, my boy.”, Ishaan says in Draconic as he passes us in the hall.

Carson stops me about halfway down the hall and turns me to him, boxing me in as he lowers his head to mine. “I hate leaving you, my love.”, he whispers softly. I kiss him, placing my hands on his broad shoulders to keep him close. He steps in, pressing his rock-solid body against mine as he deepens the kiss. His eyes glow softly when he releases me and I can scent his arousal mixing with my own. “I won’t be long, khajaana. Summon me if you need me. Forsythe will take care of you both.”, he promises softly. I nod and he kisses me again. He takes my hand and we return to the living room. Forsythe is typing away on his lap top.

“Take care of them, brother.”, Carson instructs, some warning in his tone.

“You have my word. They are safe.”, Forsythe assures him.

Vedant’s POV

My grandfather and Carson arrive not long after I’ve finished my dinner and washed the dishes. “Carson, I need a printer.”, I call to him as he walks through the door. He smirks at me and conjures one by my laptop. I print the files I need.

“If you summoned me all the way here for a damn printer, Vedant, I’m going to yank your leg off and beat you with it. My mate is waiting for me.” I chuckle and Ishaan smacks Carson’s chest.

“I met a couple dragons today. The ground was a little rocky up until the very end. Their mates spoke freely with me, but the dragons both remained silent for the most part.”, I tell Ishaan and Carson.

Carson replies, “If they’re together, they’re either related or have Chosen one another. Dragons don’t move together that way otherwise.”

I nod, dragons pair up, referring to their partner as their Chosen. It is like a Godfather to their fledglings. “Clay said they are one another’s Chosen. I bumped into the aggressive one’s pregnant mate by accident. I poked at him some, to see what he would do. He flared and it was NOT a good situation at all. None of that is relevant though. The point is, the aggressive one’s mate, a tiny little bloodbending pixie, challenged me on why a dragonian pair were murdered in cold blood and Council did nothing. I looked into it… it was f*****g WASTOLN! I have him! I f*****g have him! I pulled the reports, records of the angry dragon’s requests were destroyed. If the dragon kept the report sheets Council gives when they’re filed, I have a solid case that will open a full investigation. He said he tried speak to Council, he was cold shouldered. He wasn’t lying, I would’ve known if he was. On top of that, WASTOLN’S signature is on the watch list for the murdered dragon’s son. The name ‘Apep’ is recorded in Wastoln's report, but no mention on where the hell he got the dragon’s name.”

Ishaan smiles, “I’m happy for you, Vedant. Quite proud, actually. You got your man despite being chained in your political nonsense.”

I chuckle at him, “Yes, I have him. The angry dragon, that may or may not be Apep, is meeting me in the morning to go over these files. I’m going to ask him to watch my back when I open his father’s case. I think he will, he wants Wastoln as badly as I do, as well as anyone else involved.”

Carson looks at Ishaan, I think they’re linking. “Take these. They’re of no use to you, but give them to the dragon. If he is watching your back, he can summon us if things go wrong. We will help him.”

I haven’t let them get involved in any way. I make them stay far back because I don’t want Wastoln targeting them. Most witches would attempt to kill a dragon at any given opportunity. I won’t give Wastoln a reason to send witches after them. This gives them a way to help me without becoming a target. “I will offer them to him.” I accept the medallions, placing them in my pocket.

Carson smiles, “Perhaps having other dragons willing to fight for you will make him less of an angry dragon.”

I chuckle, “Perhaps. Find me tomorrow night at my mother’s home. I will tell you how the morning went. Bring your mate. I’d like to meet her, if she is willing to come.”

Ishaan squeezes my shoulder, “Be safe, Vedant.”

I nod to him, “Yes, grandfather.”

Carson roughly claps my back, “See you tomorrow, Nephew.” He growls out playfully.

I return his smirk, clapping his arm harder. Carson laughs and elbows me in the side. I swat him again in the back, “f**k, bears swat hard!”, he laughs flinching away as he conceals himself and takes off into the night.

I walk back into the kitchen of the cabin and grab a glass of water. “I’ve got him.”, I say aloud to no one at all. I find myself smiling as I go to the bedroom.

Saura’s POV

It is late when I feel Carson and Ishaan returning. I’ve just finished changing Oberon and am about to feed him. Carson enters the room first, Ishaan not far behind him. “Is everything okay?”, I ask him.

“Yes, he finally has the evidence he needs for someone he is hunting. We will know more tomorrow.”, Carson answers, kissing my jaw, then looking down at Oberon and smoothing his curls.

“May I hold him?”, Ishaan asks. I turn, passing him gently to Carson’s father. Oberon stares at him, studying his face.

Ishaan smiles. “Hello, little one. I’m your grandfather. Your grandmother and aunt are going to be so jealous when I get home tonight.” Oberon coos at him and he chuckles, “They’re going to love you, just wait. You’ll see. Frederick, as well. I’ll be the envy of the whole house.”, Ishaan continues his conversation with Oberon.

“He’s ready to eat, father.”, Carson tells him, suggesting he return him to me.

Ishaan raises a brow at Carson and conspires with Oberon, “Your father doesn’t share well. Not to worry, little one. We shall get your mother on our side and we will spend much more time together.”

I study Carson’s face, trying to gauge how he feels about being called Oberon’s father. He chuckles at his father as he returns him to me. “Eat, grow strong, little one.”, he tells him, stroking his cheek before releasing him entirely. “It was a pleasure to see you, Saura. I hope to see you again soon, perhaps tomorrow.” He looks to Carson, squeezing his shoulder, “I’m proud my boy is worthy of such blessings. The Goddess has smiled upon you. Your mate is strong and your boy is healthy.”

Carson bows his head to his father. “Blessed beyond measure, father. Ishaan pats his shoulder before releasing him and moving back down the hall. “I must return, your mother will be worried if I’m not back soon.”, he links us both.

“Farewell, father.”, Carson returns.

Vedant’s POV

I wake up early and dress quickly. Dragons are early risers and I don’t want to be sitting around when he gets here. I pack my bag up and make a quick breakfast. I load the printer in the SUV, then go back in for my bag. As I walk outside, I feel the dragon and stop on the porch. The last thing I want to do is crash into his mate again and have him attack outside Black Hearthstone. Then he isn’t risking causing trouble for them.

The dragon drops his concealment, about fifteen feet from my SUV. Ilayda stands one step behind him; I’m happy to see her. The most calm version of this dragon will be the one I’m talking to. I continue down the porch stairs and toss my bag into the back seat, “Come inside. I have the files on the counter.”, I tell him as I turn to reenter the cabin.

The dragon seats his mate at the counter across from me, then sits alongside her. I open one file and slide it in front of the dragon. “You did not tell me what happened there, I only have this side so you will have to tell me if any of it is not correct.” I explain to him, having a pretty good idea that it isn’t, “The record indicates that the lycan found Veda dead with witches on Haltom drive. They spoke with the witches and they said he had attacked. No record of investigation was found.” I can see the anger in his face as he scans the pages before him. His mate strokes his forearm, linking him. He isn’t reading that file anymore.

The dragon looks at her, studying her face, before doing the same to me. I wait as patiently as I can. Hoping he can give me what I need to sink Wastoln. He finally speaks, “Veda and Amira were my parents. My father was helping the lycan bear. I had seen him with them the day before, I warned him not to trust them. They killed him and sold his body to the witches, harvested for his heart and blood. I tried to see Council, I was told it had been investigated and there was nothing they could do. I hunted the men that were with my father. They wrote their confessions and I killed each of them. Then I hunted and killed the witches that paid them. Council hunted me for their ‘murder’ for several decades following, despite filing the confessions with them.”, the dragon, I now know for sure is Apep, sneers angrily.

I nod, this is exactly what I hoped to hear from him. “Do you have their confessions and the report receipts from Council still?”

Apep tilts his head, replying simply, “Yes.”

I nod again, I have to get him to give those to me somehow, “You don’t trust me, that’s okay. I won’t ask for the originals, but I do need an electronic copy so I can investigate it further. You’ve taken care of the people that acted physically against your parents. If what you say is true, I still have at least one Councilman and a coven involved.”

Apep studies me for a moment before turning to his mate, “Call Anavrin, Heaven.” She smiles and nods, pulling her phone out and calling. She answers on the second ring.

“Hey, how did the meeting go?”

“We are still here, needs Ormr for a second.”

“Yes, hold on. … Apep is on the phone.”

Ormr takes the phone speaking in Draconic with a low sultry voice, “I knew you’d miss me.”

Apep smiles briefly, and I try not to laugh. He reminds me of Carson. “The confessions and receipts, Ormr. Can you have Anavrin scan them and email them to Vedant?”

“Of course, brother. I’ll fetch them now. Give Anavrin the address. I’ll be right back.”

Anavrin takes the phone back and writes down the email address Vedant gives her. Ormr comes back on the line shortly after, sounding quite happy with himself, “I have them. Tell Ilayda I stole her princess waffles off the counter.” Ilayda shakes her head and rolls her eyes. Apep chuckles as he watches her.

“You stole your own princess waffles. I made them for you and Anavrin.”, Ilayda replies in Draconic.

Ormr laughs, “Then I’ve spared you delivery.” Ilayda smiles and shakes her head again.

“Farewell, brother.”, Apep ends the call.

I grab my laptop from my briefcase and open it. I log into my email, eager to see these report slips and confessions. I f*****g have that bastard now! It doesn’t take long for it to ping. I open the files and search for Wastoln’s name, it’s in several of the confessions, on both the witch and lycan sides. “I have six lycan confessions and eight from witches. Looks like four separate filings with Council. I will review these and decide where I need to go from here. I’ll contact you when I have something. I’ll also remove the watch for you, Apep, if it is still active.” I know that it is, I saw it this morning.

Apep bows his head slightly to me as acknowledgment. Ilayda gives me her phone number and email to contact Apep through. I save them on my computer. “Will there be any surprises for me, Apep? Am I going to start digging and find more than a single vigilante dragon?”, I ask him, I don’t like surprises.

Apep studies me closely for a moment before answering. He doesn’t trust me in the slightest. I’d be surprised if he answered that question at all. He isn’t going to hand me another person, even if there was one. Ilayda kisses his shoulder, a silent encouragement to speak to me. “I acted alone against the lycan. Ormr assisted with the witches, but he killed no one.”, he replies. Apep hasn’t lied a single time in the conversation. He is minimizing Ormr’s involvement, but he was honest when he said he hadn’t killed anyone.

“Apep, I tell you this now and trust you will not use this information to take matters into your own hands.” I wait for his response.

He tilts his head, “Then why do you divulge it?”, he asks. He can hear there is a reason I’m telling him. He knows I want him to do something.

“Councilman Wastoln is the man that oversaw your father’s case. He is listed in your confessions, what do you know of him?”

Apep tilts his head, “Nothing. He was never referred to as Councilman and one of the men I killed also carried the surname ‘Wastoln’.”

I nod, “Yes, you killed his father. I have been after Wastoln for some time. Another Councilman attempted to investigate him and vanished. I began looking a little closer and found that everyone that has attempted any move against him has mysteriously disappeared. I believe he is also the lycan bear that sent the warriors for your blood. He would want to test it to see if you are Veda’s son. When I open this case and start digging, I may also vanish.”

Ilayda’s eyes widen, Apep studies me, “Should you vanish, I will find you. You have my word.”

Ilayda looks from me to Apep. “How will know to seek you, Vedant?”, she asks softly.

“I will send a message each evening, instructing you to confirm an appointment. If someone were to take my phone, it would appear you were a secretary of some sort. Reply simply, ‘confirmed’. If I don’t send that message, I’m gone. If I ask you anything at all, it is not me.”

Ilayda nods and Apep replies simply, “Confirmed.”

I slide the other file in front of him, “If I go missing, this is for you. It is all I have and all my suspicions on Wastoln. Apep opens the file and two dragonian medallions and a flash drive are fixed to the inside with some map print outs of different coven locations. “That is my grandfather and uncle. They’re aware of my suspicions. They know I’ve given them to a dragon, though they do not know who you are.”

Apep pulls the medallions from the folder and fixes them to the chain he wears with one already there. “You may tell them I am Apep the Annihilator, the Embodiment of Chaos.”, he conjures two medallions and offers them to me, “Should they realize something is wrong before we do.”

I accept them and place them in my pocket. “Farewell, Apep. I will email updates as I have them.”

Apep stands and closes the file, handing it to his mate. She accepts it and takes his hand as he leads her out, still keeping himself between she and I. I have less worry pursuing Wastoln with Apep behind me. He may not trust me, but he will find me if I disappear and he will hunt Wastoln if I don’t live. He has no ties to Council or bear. He will not care if his actions lead them to hunt him. He has already been hunted for centuries. He scoops up his mate and conceals himself before carrying her away. I slam my hands down on the counter, “I f*****g HAVE HIM!”, I yell out at no one at all.