Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Runa

I loathed the idea of walking into the dragon’s lair. I avoided it at all costs before the incident. I hadn’t stepped inside since Kiara brought me home almost two months ago. But Nate said his father was visiting the dragon. Which meant the dragon would know how to get ahold of him. I considered not telling the stranger, but that felt cruel. He deserved to know.

Stepping out of the trees, my gaze darted around the open field in front of the compound. Flashes of the battle, the roar of dragons, screams, it all tumbled against my mind, making my hands go clammy. The wind pushed me forward, barely a breeze. More a gentle reminder that I had a purpose. Not a purpose they would share with me, of course. Without my magic, I couldn’t hear them properly. I went off of feeling, and right now, the wind said to keep going.

Coming around to the front door, I considered ringing the bell. I never usually did, but I was cocky before. Arrogant. I knew better now. Everything I had could be taken from me if I misused it. And while I didn’t regret saving Andrew, stealing a dragon’s fire was… reckless. And perhaps a little cruel. He deserved it for what he had done. But I was not a judge or jury. I was an executioner. And he’d never get his fire back. I used it to bring Andrew back. To save the dragon who held me captive from endless heartache.

Maybe I was going mad. It would explain a lot.

“Runa?”

The timid voice behind me made me pause. Not all of Talia’s fear was of me directly. She was timid by nature after her ordeal with the pride. She grew more confident with her mate by her side, but I doubted she’d ever be brutish like her sister. Some of the tremor in her voice was because of me, though. A good deal more than I hoped. I’d done something to save one of them, but it scared them enough to avoid me. Even Talia, who had come to me for advice before the incident. She trusted me once. She didn’t anymore.

“A-Are you here to see someone?”

I could almost hear her silently pleading for it not to be her. To spare her the stress, I answered honestly.

“I’m here to speak to the dragon. Tell him to meet me.”

Spinning on my heel, I made a beeline for the forest, freezing when the beast spoke behind me.

“Runa?”

Shoving down my instincts to snark at the beast, I turned around to look at him. He was dressed casually, or as casually as an ageless dragon could muster, with slacks and a polo. His electric blue eyes were narrowed, studying me carefully. Even after I saved his mate, he still didn’t trust me. The feeling was mutual, so I never held much weight to it. But right now, it might pose a problem.

“Is there something wrong?”

“No. I need a favor.”

False bravado was all I had to rely on now. He was still unaware of my missing magic, and I was careful not to draw attention to it. I lifted my chin, feigning some of the arrogance I held before my life was stolen from me.

Instead of fighting me or demanding more information, the dragon took a step back, gesturing towards the door. “Would you like to come in?”

Not in the slightest, but I followed him inside anyway. I had to pick my battles to get what I needed. If I made him defensive, he was less likely to listen.

I knew each room’s set up by now. On the left, closest to the front, was Kiara’s apartment with her mate Calvin, currently empty because she was still looking for the victims of the dragon zealot and he was dragged along with her. Across from hers on the right was Christian and Jack’s apartment. On the same side farther back was Talia, Teddy, and Leo, and across from them on the left was the dragon and his mate. All cozy and settled in together, a true crew, while I remained on the outskirts alone. There were times when I was almost seething with envy. But it fell away when I saw the wary looks on their faces. Why spend time there when I was only upsetting everyone?

The dragon led the way to his office, just across the hall from his rooms. Andrew sat at his desk, his focus on the paperwork on the surface, but he looked up and did a double take when he saw me following in behind the dragon.

“Runa. Is… everything alright?”

I studied him like I did every time I saw him now. Looking for any signs that the magic was failing. He didn’t look weak or pale like I had been for months. He was strong, unwavering, and I felt relief flood my system like always. At least, in giving up my magic, I saved a life.

“Runa,” the dragon prompted, drawing my attention away from his mate. When I looked over my shoulder at him, he gestured to a chair in front of his desk, his face a mask of pleasantry. He failed to hide the tension around his eyes or the uneasiness in his shoulders.

“Never act. You’d be terrible at it,” I commented blandly as I sat across from him.

“Noted,” he replied in a similar tone to mine.

We weren’t used to dealing with each other without being combative. Talking like this, asking him for a favor, it felt almost wrong. I didn’t like it. If I could figure out how to contact Nathan on my own, I’d do it in a heartbeat. But I wasn’t even sure I could hold a phone. I hadn’t bothered to test handling electronics since my magic was taken from me.

“You said you needed a favor. I am indebted to you. Whatever you need, I’ll do my best to–”

“I need to talk to Nathan.”

That made him pause, and he seemed hesitant to provide any information. I wasn’t certain what connection he had with Nathan’s father, but I assumed he knew the name. Nathan had stayed an entire weekend with him. He tried to visit me again, but I avoided him at the time. I didn’t want him to see that night as anything other than a drunken mistake. My life was too complicated to bring someone into it.

“May I ask why?” he asked cautiously.

“No.”

A muscle twitched in his cheek, and I could see the irritation just under the surface. He was trying, I’d give him that, but I doubted we’d ever be friendly with one another. I wasn’t exactly helping, but I wasn’t going to talk to anyone about my pregnancy until after I talked to Nathan.

“Nathan is… not fit for company, the last I heard. His father says he is struggling. If you have something difficult to say to him, I worry what kind of effect it will have on him.”

I was known to share the wind’s wisdom if the moment called for it. Healing and foresight were my gifts, granted to me by the goddess and taken away just as readily. If he wasn’t being so annoying about it, I could understand the dragon’s concern. But while I couldn’t consider this news good news, it was something Nathan needed to know. If he decided to stay away, that was his choice. But I wouldn’t be the person to keep it from him.

“I’ll take that into consideration.”

That wasn’t what the dragon wanted to hear. His hand twitched like he couldn’t make himself reach for his phone and dial a number. We ended up in a stare-off, and I wasn’t going to back down.

“Aiden,” Andrew said calmly from behind me. “She’s never shared news that wasn’t important at the time. Why would now be any different? Give her the number.”

The muscle twitched in the dragon’s jaw almost constantly now, and I could see the refusal in his face, but when his gaze flicked to his mate, he settled and pulled out his cell phone, pulling up the number and handing it to me. I held my breath for a moment, old fears of destroying electronics making me want to wince and drop the device, but nothing happened and I let the breath out slowly. The dragon watched me suspiciously, his eyes narrowed and locked on me, but I wasn’t going to do anything until he left.

Andrew seemed to pick up on that because he pushed away from his desk and strode over, offering Aiden his hand.

“Come on. It’s almost lunchtime. We promised Rhea we’d visit for lunch.”

With great reluctance, the dragon stood, holding tightly to his mate’s hand. He kept his eyes on me as Andrew led him out of the room, and I waited until I was sure he was gone before dialing the number.

“Yello’,” a friendly voice spoke. It wasn’t Nathan, but the name on the caller ID said Heathcliff on it. I assumed it was Nathan’s father.

“Hello. I’m hoping to speak with Nathan.”

I thought there’d be questions, at least asking who I was or what my purpose was for calling. I got none of that, which felt strange.

“Sure. Gimme a sec. Gotta find ‘im first.”

Frowning, I waited, listening to the rustling on the other end as the man moved around. I glanced over my shoulder at the door, making sure the dragon wasn’t trying to eavesdrop before focusing on the call again.

“Hey, boy. Phone call for ya.”

“Who is it?” Nathan’s voice was familiar, suspicious like I remembered, and my stomach clenched uncertainly. This wasn’t a conversation we should be having over the phone.

“No idea. Didn’t ask,” his father said easily. I could almost imagine the shrug in his voice.

Nate made an irritated sound, and the phone switched hands before he answered with a gruff, “Who is this?”

I grimaced, gripping the fabric of my skirt so tight, my knuckles turned white. It had been years since I was this uncertain with my actions. Not since I was a fledgling witch on her first birth. I was thirteen at the time and advanced for my age. My mother stood watch, but the birth was uncomplicated, and I remembered the way my confidence soared when I laid the babe in her mother’s arms. I summoned a little of that courage, drawing in a slow breath.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” I answered simply. I almost rolled my eyes at myself.

“Uh… Hi? Who is this?”

“I don’t believe I gave you my name before. Then again, you never asked.”