29. Twenty-Nine

Twenty-Nine

Corentin

One, two, three, four, five, six…

"I have twenty-six bones in my spine, your highness."

"How do you know, princess? You've counted?"

Her snort echoes in my mind and a smile crosses my lips, but I don't bother opening my eyes just yet. I bask in the feeling of her naked body lying across my chest, while I trail my fingers up and down her spine. In fact, counting the bones.

It's at least midmorning by now judging by the sun shining through her curtains, but we haven't left this spot since last night when we crawled into bed after cleaning her up and tucking her in. My brothers surround us, laying a hand somewhere on her other than in my way on her back, and we just soak in this feeling.

I was a fool before not notice to that it was only our bonds that wove together during our bonding. This entire time I would've sworn to you she carried a piece of my soul with her, but that was just love drunk thinking. This here is so much more potent, electrifying, demanding, freeing.

It's fucking everything.

"How are you feeling, princess?" I ask.

I already know she's sore. I'm so in tune with her now, I can easily pinpoint any area on her body where she may feel even the slightest ache of pain. There isn't a part of her that I can't feel.

"Other than that, I feel perfect…right. I can't describe it, but it's the best I've ever felt in my life."

"I'm assuming you heard my thoughts just then?" I ask. I have my mental block up as I always do, but apparently that isn't good enough anymore.

"Yeah, your block isn't helping at all. None of yours are. Tillman can hear everything too."

"Snitch." Tillman laughs and we all throw a pillow at him as he smugly smiles in our faces.

Not this shit again.

"Even Caspian's?" I ask.

"Yes, the Primary and Tillman are rummaging around in there. I feel them. Don't get comfortable, you two. I have every intention of kicking you both out the moment I figure it out." He doesn't bother moving his arm from over his eyes, but I see the small smirk on his lips.

This is perfection.

"Draken, are you sleeping or just being quiet?" I ask.

"Listening to all of you," he says and I arch my brow at Willow, to which she shrugs. "Want to expand a little, brother?"

"I feel calm. I don't think me or my dragon have ever been so relaxed in our lives," he says with a soft sigh.

Well, I don't like that at all.

That's not a change I'm willing to endure.

Yeah, I give him a lot of shit, but I look forward to his nonsense daily. Draken's been my reminder for the past fourteen years that it's important to have fun, be a little carefree, and how important family is. Granted, I don't heed his advice or gibberish most times, but I need it.

No, this subtle attitude adjustment just won't work for me.

"Corentin's about to freak out over the new Draken," Tillman says, laughing his ass off as I hit him with a ball of air that slings him off the bed.

"Aww, boss man, do you want a hug? How about a group hug?"

And just like that, the dragon's back as he hops up and attempts to pile on top of Willow, but Caspian wraps him in his shadows and puts him on the floor beside Tillman.

The five of us fall into blissful laughter and my heart beats harder in my chest as my mind empties out. There's nothing that could compare to this.

This is the first morning in at least thirty years I haven't woken up, jumped out of bed, and started my day. Since a young age, I've been up and ready to go with the sun. Things always need to get done. Even the morning after me and Willow bonded, I made the guys bring my work to me in bed, but all I care about right now is this moment. My brothers and my princess.

Yeah, sure, I still see the to-do list and conversations that need to happen in my mind, but it's not my number one priority. Therefore, it can wait.

"Your mom's about to call," Willow says on a yawn as she stretches out and pushes against me to get off the bed.

The four of us seem to fall into a trance, watching her sashay across the room without a care in the realm that she's teasing us with our greatest desire. My eyes trace the delicate curve of her body, the marks of Draken's fingers that now wrap around her hip, her wild curls on top of her head, and the single strand that Tillman missed when he pulled it up trails down her back that nearly touches her peachy ass. She's fucking excellence exemplified. And she's all mine. Ours.

The beautiful daze her body has us in is broken right before she reaches the bathroom door as my communicator on the end table starts vibrating loudly. The noise stops her in her tracks, and she slowly turns back to face us. Her wide eyes find mine, then scan them across the others.

"Is it really her?" she asks.

Caspian rolls to his side and glances over at my communicator, then back at her with a smile. "Hit the nail right on the head, Primary."

"Holy shit," she cheers and jumps back on the bed. "I just fucking knew it. It came to me like a mini vision."

I don't stop her as she pounces on me, straddling my hips as her excitement takes hold. If she doesn't quit all that shifting, though, she's going to get my excitement going as well.

"Shit, sorry, I'll stop. I'm far too sore for that."

Smugly satisfied about that—although we're going to have to get her a healing vial pronto—I grip her hips and pull her down on me. "So you saw her calling, huh, princess?"

"Yeah, and…Oh, never mind, can't tell you," she says nonchalantly, leaning down to kiss me, then heads back off to the bathroom.

Rolling my eyes, I hold my hand out for Cas to pass me my communicator and I groan when I see my mom isn't the only one who's called. I have a couple missed calls from my dads, a few parents from the academy, messages from my assistant, and one from Gaster checking on us, plus informing us he and Keeper are enjoying their time together.

Willow's soft humming floating through the cracked bathroom door as she showers steals all my attention off my communicator and the room descends into tranquil silence. I've never in my life been so mesmerized, so hypnotized. If I focus hard enough, I swear I can feel every stroke of her hand graze across her body as she washes. The way she massages the shampoo into her scalp feels like she's massaging mine.

It's going to be a heady concoction of feelings while we navigate being so interconnected to one another, and I, for one, surprisingly, don't want to rush the process. I don't want to figure it all out right this second. I don't want this war or our responsibilities to push us into neglecting the importance of what happened last night. Work can wait, the realm can wait. Everyone can hold their fucking horses for us, for just a minute.

It's an approach and perspective to my responsibilities that I've never allowed myself to have before. The slight panic in my chest I feel over it is outweighed by the completely relax state I find myself in and I can't muster up the effort to snap out of it. I just want to stay locked in here for the day and bathe in the afterglow of becoming one with my princess.

Is it too much to ask for?

The answer's yes, apparently, when my communicator goes off in my hand and it's my mom again. I've been lacking on my communication with her about what's been going on and it looks like my time's run out. So I decline the call and send her a message, telling her I'll call her back in a minute.

I'll need a cup of coffee before making that call.

Letting the communicator fall to my chest, I just sit in the blissful silence with my brothers, letting the sound of Willow's feet pattering on the bathroom floor distract me again. When she steps out the door wrapped in a towel, she shoots me a knowing smile.

"Aww, come on, just a little while longer," Draken complains, knowing exactly what's coming.

"Sorry, dragon, duty never stops calling for the heirs of Elementra." I sigh, sitting up and snatching the pillow off Caspian's face.

Time to get moving.

"Little wanderer, help me out here. We deserve a day to stay in bed and have a fuckfest."

"Draken," we all shout.

"You're right, dragon, we do, but Core's right unfortunately too." She giggles, shooting him an encouraging wink. "But my soul's little breakdown put off conversations that need to be had, questions that need to be asked, and I'm more mentally ready to handle that now. I know you all played interference for me yesterday with any big discussions and I appreciate that, but we can't do it again today. We aren't going to be given a choice to avoid this today anyway."

"What does that mean? And what are you doing in there?" he asks as we all hear her rummaging around in her closet.

"Packing," she calls out.

"Packing for what, princess?"

She doesn't have to answer me as, again, my communicator starts vibrating in my hand.

Mom.

"You've got to be kidding me," Caspian sneers. "Come in here, Primary."

"Yes, sir," she purrs, sauntering out of the closet in a halter top, floor-length purple sun dress that has us all groaning.

"Don't give me those innocent eyes, you little temptress. Explain," he demands with his arms crossed. To which she slinks her way underneath them and makes him crumble.

"I can't explain because I don't know it all. I just know she's about to tell us to come to the palace."

"And we have to go?" he asks.

"We don't have to, per se, but we should. I don't know all the reasons why, but apparently, it's time for me to meet her, so time to put my big girl pants on and meet all the in-laws."

"Everyone else go get their showers, then meet in the breakfast room. Gaster and Keeper are already in there if you want to join them, princess, and I'll pack your things in a little while," I tell her as I type out another message to my mom, letting her know I'm going to call her in just a few minutes.

The look in her eyes as she explained what she could to Caspian told me all I needed to know. We're going one way or another, so no point in putting this off. Might as well get everyone's asses up and at it.

"I do. I'll see you all in there," she says, giving all of us a kiss before heading out.

The mood doesn't completely sour as we each make our way to our rooms to get ready, but the disappointment in each of us is evident. More than a few measly hours together alone this morning would've been nice, but it's not going to happen now.

I add this occasion to the never-ending mental list of times that should've been more special, more drawn out. Every time that's been interrupted, cut short, I've kept up with in my mind so when our life isn't ruled by hunting the Mastery, then we can make it up to Willow.

Even though Tillman's and my positions will always demand a lot of us, we're going to have time to do things together alone as a Nexus. We'll use the standard month break the academy takes to travel. Every two-day break during the instruction time we'll do whatever makes her happy. When this war's over, she can focus on what it is she wants to do. I'll move mountains to make it so.

If she wants to work with Gaster and Oakly, I'll make it so.

If she wants to work with the E.F. and Tillman, I'll make it so.

If she wants to bounce around and do a little of everything with Draken and Caspian, I'll make it so.

If she wants to do fuck all nothing. I'll make it so.

I'll do whatever it takes to let her experience everything she wants to, to the fullest. In the meantime, any opportunity I can find for us to just enjoy the company of one another, I won't let it pass us by. If it's just a few stolen hours, I'll cherish it.

Our time to just live will come. Then we'll worry about ruling.

Running the silk tie through my fingers, letting the familiar fabric soothe my thoughts, I end up tossing it to the side when it does nothing but irritate me and I unbutton the row of buttons I just did of my dress shirt. I'm not in the mood for formality, routine, rigidness.

Scanning my closet, the hundreds of suits Tillman's made to my exact liking over the years stare back at me. It's the same every day. Suit, jacket, tie, dress shoes. I don't want that right now.

At the very back of the closet, I pull out the pale lavender button-up that makes my skin look a shade darker than it is and my hair lighter in the sun. I've never worn it, just tried it on from time to time and looked at myself in the mirror. Why in the realm I ever asked Tillman to make me this, I have no clue, but obviously a part of me knew my princess was coming and she'd want to see me in her color.

With only a little hesitation, I pull the shirt off the hanger, grab a pair of darker pants to pair it with, and dress in the new ensemble before I can change my mind. This ordinary task is probably so simple for others, and I desperately wish it were the same for me. Pick an outfit and go, no other worries. But it's just not.

I do find a semblance of peace, though, as I button the shirt up, leaving the top two open. It's routine enough that it feels normal and honestly the weightless feel on my shoulders from not throwing a jacket on is refreshing. I feel like I can breathe.

I don't bother looking at myself in the mirror. Truth be told, I'd probably change, so I grab my shit I need and make my way to the breakfast room where I can sense in my chest, I'm the last to arrive due to my wardrobe change.

Her eyes burn a hole through me the moment I cross the threshold, and instinctively, I run my hand down my stomach where the button that would close my jacket should be. I only allow myself a slight second of aggravation, then I meet her gaze that I feel raking over me from head to toe.

The heat burning in her pupils lights me up from the inside out. It sears away any doubt I had about dressing down for the day, and the internal battle I was having over a silly outfit becomes null. The way those silver eyes devour me is enough to convince me to let her pick my outfits out daily just so she'll look at me like this every time she sees me.

"See something you like, princess?" I ask with a self-satisfied smirk.

"I do. Something I like very much. Purple looks perfect on you." She says as she bites her bottom lip, tempting me to pull her into my lap and replace her teeth with my own.

"Enough. Now that you've stolen the spotlight, get on the communicator with Aunt Rory," Tillman insists, smiling as I shoot him a glare.

"You can have the spotlight, Core. You look good enough that my little wanderer wants to eat you," Draken chimes in, thankfully saying that mentally rather than in front of Gaster and Keeper.

Her beet red face whips to him and the devilish smile he shoots her has me, Tillman, and Caspian chuckling. Gaster beams around at us proudly. Although he has no clue the conversation being had, he's sensing our moods and is just going with the flow. Poor Keeper, on the other hand, looks lost.

"This is so exciting. Aurora is going to love you. I'm looking forward to you meeting her, Willow," Gaster says excitedly.

"We don't know if we're going yet, old man," Caspian says. His tone is light, so Gaster takes no offense and just rolls his eyes, looking back at Willow.

"You're glowing this morning, child, and now that Corentin has joined us, I sense all your magical signatures have both strengthened, mingled, and balanced. I'm so happy for you all. Truly."

"Thank you, Gaster," she says, sweet and shy, tilting her still blushing face down to smell her coffee.

"Let's get this over with, shall we?"

The attention turns from Willow to me, and I see out the corner of my eye she deflates a little in relief. She was getting worked up with our hungry eyes on her, and having Keeper and Gaster here witnessing it was tearing her in two extremely different ways.

"Corentin, what in the realm has you so busy this morning?" my mom asks, a little frantic as soon as she answers.

"Good morning to you as well, Mom."

"I'm sorry, son, good morning. I was getting worried."

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Well, you tell me. First you give me and your fathers an incredibly slim report detailing that you were able to remove Keeper from the forest, a brief synopsis of the fight with the Summum-Master, then that was it. But I just received a very frantic call from the Drover family stating that sightings have been reported of not one, but three…three, Corentin…dragons flying from Terian to the Central on the same day of the mission."

I'm honestly surprised it took this long for word to get to her. Almost forty-eight hours. The elites are slacking on their gossiping, it seems.

"That's correct. One was Draken, obviously. Another was Tanith. Keeper's bonded dragon that the Mastery has been holding prisoner as long as he's been trapped in the forest. The third…" I trail off, looking at my princess. Her soft eyes, warm smile, and nod are permission enough. "The third is Willow."

"Willow? Your father said Willow was the seer?"

I roll my eyes because it looks like she wore him down enough for him to give her a name, but nothing else, so I guess technically he did keep our secret.

"She is. She has both the gift of sight and a dragon shifter, like Draken."

"That's impossible, son. Who is this girl?" she asks.

There's no heat in her question or accusation, just merely concern and confusion. Just as we've all had a hard time believing everything surrounding Willow, my mom's going to have a little disbelief as well.

"She's my—our Primary, Mom. She's our true Primary."

Her gasp echoes throughout the entire breakfast room before the line goes quiet while she processes what I just said. Looking at Willow, she's not concerned at all and reaches her hand out to grip mine reassuringly while we wait in the silence for my mom to speak again.

"Is she…your father said the mission after the academy was attacked was to save the seer. It was her. Is she okay? How could you all have kept this from me? I would've helped. I would've been there for all of you. I would've been there for her."

The hurt in her tone cuts me open. I knew she'd feel some type of way about being kept in the dark, but once we can explain everything to her finally, she'll understand that we made the best decision. We put the needs of our Primary above everything else and she'll understand and respect that.

"I know you would have, Mom. She's doing a lot better, but there's still much we need to explain and—"

"And you'll explain it to me today when you, all of you, report to the palace," she barks, leaving no room for argument, and Willow covers her mouth with her hand to muffle her giggle.

This was obviously the part she saw.

"We will."

"Gaster is to accompany you all. No doubt he knew all of this and kept it from me. Keeper and his dragon are welcome as well. I'll prepare the wards for their entry," she says in a much softer, calmer tone.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I love you and I will see you all soon. Before the afternoon," she says with emotion clogging her throat before she hangs up.

I sigh and close my eyes as I lean back in the chair and link my fingers behind my head. I feel like the realm's shittiest son, but at the same time, I can't help that. Willow's situation and predicament called for secrecy and if there weren't spies running amuck in the palace, I would've already told her the truth. It would've been different.

"Don't beat yourself up, my boy. She's not truly upset. She will be incredibly proud of you for the decisions you made when she knows the truth," Gaster says softly, patting my hand.

"I know. I didn't mean to hurt her, though. Not that she's imposed herself into our love life beyond the simple nosiness. She's always respected the boundaries we've laid about the topic, but we all know how strongly she feels about love and how bad she's wanted it for us. She's probably thinking I hid this from her simply because I didn't want her involved," I say.

"We'll set the record straight as soon as we get there. I want her involved and I'd love for her to accept me with open arms the way your dad did, so let's get ready to go," Willow declares, standing from her seat.

Her nervousness is running rampant through her and there will be no calming her now until we get there and do just as she said.

I guess it's time to introduce her to the parents.

We're ready to go in no less than an hour and despite us trying to tell Willow we can leave after lunch, she's hearing none of it.

"How long will it take to fly there?" she asks Draken as we make it out to the back lawn.

We each have a small bag in our hands since there're clothes and everything else we could possibly need there. And I only bothered packing Willow's favorite necessities. She, or more likely Tillman, can make whatever else she may need or want. My plan is to only stay a night, but we'll see how that goes.

"Fifteen minutes max, little wanderer."

"What? We've been that close to the palace this entire time?" she asks, glaring at each of us as if this is a colossal secret.

"Yes, Primary. The Central is only so large. It just seems larger because of all the wards and forest that've been planted over time. If you were to run straight through our forest on foot, it would only take about an hour, maybe an hour and a half to reach the forest we grew up playing in. On the opposite side of the palace is the forest that would lead you into the woods where we found Draken. The side directly across from the south wing was the area I was kidnapped from. It's not a monumental space," Caspian says matter-of-factly.

"Well, shit," she murmurs, looking at the forest in a whole new light.

"Come on, princess," I say, laying my hand to her back and guiding her farther into the lawn.

"I'd like to shift and fly if that's okay. Clear my head before we get there," she whispers to me.

"Of course it is. I'll ride with you," I say softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead when she beams up at me like I just gave her the greatest gift of all time.

Keeper climbs on Tanith, preparing to take off, and offers Gaster a spot with him that he jumps all over. You'd think a man of his age would be more graceful when it comes to discovering and experiencing something new for the first time, but he, in fact, gets just as excited, if not more, than Willow does.

Tillman and Caspian take their spots on Draken's back and when my princess is ready for me, I use my air to glide me up and settle myself on her back gently. Not going to lie, I've been a little apprehensive about riding on her because she's just as damn wild as Draken is in the sky, but she wanted company, just didn't want to ask us and we say no, so I made the decision for her. As she takes off, I try to block out my unease, but she senses it and her laughter flows through my mind like a melody.

She sets a leisurely pace with Tanith and Draken rather than her typical wild performance and my muscles loosen as I get a little more comfortable on her back. It's easy to see and feel how they get lost up here, how it calms them down when they're dealing with something. It's breathtaking. Always has been, but I've always let my mind stay busy, distracted rather than take in the beauty and peace that's found in the white endless fluff we fly through.

When Willow flies directly through a cloud, the air becomes a touch cooler and tiny water droplets kiss my warm skin. It's like a cocoon of light and shadow, where rays of sunlight pierce through, calling my gift to the surface, searching for its source of power.

I hold my hand out, gathering the light until it molds into a swirling shiny ball and once it gets to about the size of my head, I throw it in the air, making it explode into an array of colors.

Willow's laugh rumbles through her body as the vibrant display continues to burst around us and my brothers suddenly merge through the cloud. Like old times, Caspian fires out frozen water balls, and I hit them with my gift, commanding them to embed themselves in the center. We used to do this all the time when Draken first started flying us, because he said it was the closest he'd ever get to soaring in the stars. I have no doubt now, if he wanted to get as high as the stars he could, we'd ride along with him just to see.

His childlike excitement hits me in my chest, and I laugh as me and Caspian pick up speed, creating a sky full of diamonds for him and Willow to dive in and out of. Time seems to stand still for us, for just a moment, as we indulge in this freedom, unburdened by the realm.

The smile's still lingering on my lips as we burst through back into the boundless blue and the sight of the palace takes my princess by surprise. Her shock reverberates through me, and I slowly rub her back, sending her all my love and reassurance. We warned her it was a quick flight, but time moves faster when you're having fun.

Her nervousness grows as Draken starts his descent, leading the way for her and Tanith. When she sees my dad Dyce standing at the end of the drive by himself, though, she releases her breath that cascades around me in a ball of smoke.

"Damn, that's the most magical shit I've ever seen in my life," Dyce cheers as we land and the second Willow shifts back, he scoops her up in his arms. "That was epic, my girl. Promise you'll take me up next."

"Dad, easy," I grumble, pulling Willow back to me.

"If you're willing to fly, I'll gladly take you up," my princess says, smiling from ear to ear.

"Hell yeah, I am," he says with one more hug to her before bounding over to the others and introduces himself to Keeper.

Looking back down at my princess when I feel that happiness fade back to nervousness, she's staring ahead at the palace, taking the structure in like it's going to bite her if she approaches too quickly.

"Everything's going to be okay, princess."

"I know. I'm just nervous. This feels big. Your mom…" she trails off, blowing out a harsh breath. "If she likes me, she'll be the first influential woman I've ever had in my life. I've been so scared for this moment because it means so much to me. Part of me has wanted to avoid this at all costs out of fear of rejection, while the other craves a relationship with her."

"My Aurora has been crying since she spoke with Corentin. She's waited years and years for this moment, sweet girl. I don't think there's a thing you could walk in there and do or say that would make her not like you. She already loves you and she only knows your name," Dyce butts in softly, obviously eavesdropping, and smiles down at Willow warmly.

His words seem to do the trick, though, because I feel Willow's hope rise like the ocean. It pours out to all of us, and we gaze down at her with loving eyes, followed by tender touches.

Dyce, Gaster, and Keeper walk off to the side to get Tanith situated in the garden and clearing, leaving the five of us standing together at the mouth of the gate. It's a sight I've seen hundreds, thousands of times in my life, yet this moment is a first.

"Breathe, Primary, we've got you," Caspian says as he links his fingers through her other hand, while I bring the one I have clutched to my lips.

We will always have her.