119. Nicodeamus

CHAPTER 119

Nicodeamus

The wind embraces my scales as we take flight back to where it all began. My mate is giggling and enjoying flying with me. Never in a million years did I think I would be blessed with a second chance.

My mind roams, remembering all the things that have been accomplished since I was freed. My incredible hatchling has been through so much in her short life. She definitely has some impulse control problems because of it. I blame that on Vladimir. If Aurora had her mother and me, she would have turned out so different. The thought of my hatchling all alone, trying to figure things out makes my ancient heart ache.

With a slight tilt of my wings, I move myself closer to my daughter and her family. Tia is standing on her mom's lap waving her arms in the wind. Ladon's dragon is using his talons to hold onto his father's spine. His wings are spread, and he's enjoying the air moving over his scales. Slowly, his head tilts, and I know he wants to join me. Carefully, I maneuver myself over him and reach down with my taloned hand. Ladon reaches out and grips my scales. Slowly, he climbs up my body to sit with Helle.

Twins are so rare with dragons, yet my daughter birthed fully shifted hatchlings. In all my years, I have never seen that before. My grandson has figured out the accelerated growth table while staying shifted. He's a brilliant young man already, and to figure this out amazes me. I can feel that he's chosen to lay between my wings on my back to rest. Grandkids… I never thought this day would come. To make it even more special, they were born in the same cavern I was. This makes me wonder if when Tiamat is ready to give birth, will she migrate? Most times, a dragoness will return to where they were born to deliver their young. It's an ancient instinct. The question is: does she possess it?

Our flight takes us across Germany and its numerous towns and rivers. The predominant wind sends us down into Austria and over various mountains and their large national parks. Spring is around the corner, and we can see some of the trees starting to gain their leaves in the lower elevations. Higher up, some of the mountains are still covered in thick layers of snow. Mentally, I sigh. So much has changed since the last time I was able to fly. Kingdoms have fallen, and new civilizations have risen. One thing remains the same: the mountains are still here.

We take our first break at Lake Balaton in Hungary. I'm quite thankful we did because I was starting to get really thirsty. I don't bother shifting back. I lay down and let my grand babies use me as a jungle gym. The wolves in the family shift and take off into the woods. Aurora hesitates for several seconds before shifting and joining them. I don't understand her hesitation, but then again, I was never hunted like she was.

Helle doesn't leave with the rest of the wolves instead, she plays with Tia by the lake's edge. I tilt my head questioningly at her, and she just smiles at me. "Let the pups hunt, my love, I wish to enjoy the little ones," Helle says with conviction.

Carefully, I lower my horned head near her and rumble softly. I wish I could give you more pups, I huff, blowing frost out of my dragon's nostrils. Unfortunately, that gift was stolen from me years ago. I close my dragon's nictitating membranes, then my eyelids. My past causes my heart to ache. What if my mate wanted more babies? I hope I don't disappoint her.

Lithe hands rest on my dragon's maw, and I open the eye closest to her. "I have everything I need, my love." She kisses my scales, looking into my eye. "I have two strong sons; I have your daughter and all of her wonderful mates." She starts to laugh, and it's music to my ears. "I have grand babies now! Best day ever!" She claps her hands and bounces around a little bit. I feel the joy she's feeling, and I know in my heart she means every word she's said.

I can't stop counting my blessings. The level of gratitude I have to the Goddess above is immense. Quickly, I lift my head and use my wing to pull Helle and Tia closer to me. After everything that's happened, I find myself constantly on the defensive. Aurora, Klaus, and the twins come back to camp dragging and carrying their kills with them.

Aurora and Klaus drop their deer then run back into the forest. Jayce and Dom drag two deer over to their mom and me. Gently, I nuzzle Helle and the babies towards the larger deer. I devour the second one in a single bite and wait to see how much is left from the first deer. Helle cuts a hind leg free and holds it up for me. Carefully, I shake my head no and look to Alaric for assistance. He approaches and gets the hint. Helle holds the leg high above her, and he carefully blows his flames upon it.

Helle smiles broadly, looking at her cooked deer leg. She and Tia sit on my front leg, ripping chunks off and eating their fill. Ladon, on the other hand, is eating directly from the carcass and enjoying himself immensely. Aurora and Klaus return again and feed two of her guards before running off for a third time. They repeat the process till everyone has been given at least something to eat.

Aurora comes and stands before Alaric, and she bathes in his flames. When she emerges from the fire, she's shifted back to her human form. Quickly, she dresses and looks at everyone who's gathered. "Let's get this show on the road. We're burning daylight." Aurora doesn't hesitate to run to Alaric's side and climb up onto his back to get comfortable. Tia quickly runs over to her parents, and Aurora has to climb back down to help Tia up. Ladon rolls his eyes before climbing up onto my back again.

I can't help but laugh at my family's antics—they make life worth living. Dante and Edgar launch into the sky first, then myself, Alaric, and lastly Marco. We shift direction again, heading more southeast into Romania. Anxiety builds in my chest as we glide over the forests and mountain ranges. My scales rustle and shift with my unease. Part of me wants to turn around and go back. It doesn't take long before I feel a weight land on my back and walk up my spine.

The next thing I know, Aurora is on my head, hanging upside down, looking into my eye. Daddy? she says through the bond. Are you okay? You don't feel okay. Her eyes are that of her beasts, staring into my eye.

Slowly, I draw in a deep breath and try to release some of the tension I'm feeling. Leave it to Aurora to be so in tuned with me to pick it up before my mate. Yes and no, little one. Yes, because I have to be. My dragon huffs a breath of pure frost. No, because there are very few happy memories waiting for me. Too many ghosts.

Alaric roars at Aurora and she lifts herself up, sitting now on my forehead, and does her roar-howl call. I'll protect you, Daddy. Always. Gently, she runs her hand over my scales before leaping off my head. I whip my head around and watch her free fall and land on Alaric's back in a crouch. My baby definitely doesn't fear death in any way, shape, or form. I regret not being able to fight side by side with her in hopefully what was her final battle. Carefully, I shake my head to clear it. Every day is a gift, and it's time to stop being haunted by the past.

As we break over the horizon of the final mountain range, the castle's spires can be seen in the distance. Aurora and Alaric call out in unison, then quickly are followed by their guards and then myself. It's been forever since I had to roar and announce my arrival into royal airspace. My anxiety kicks up another notch, and I feel Helle trying to soothe me. Dante circles the castle first then lands in the clearing of the courtyard. Landing takes a while since room is so limited.

When it's finally my turn, I land in the center and can't help but look around at the devastation. Memories start to flood my mind as I remember what was compared to what is. I walk forward, towards the castle and reach my head up to what used to be Anca's room. I peer into what's left of the window, seeing what little is left of the room. My heart aches, remembering seeing Anca for the very last time, lying there on her bed. Unmoving and lifeless. From what I can see through the window, her bones lay scattered upon the floor from the attempts of someone who must have put the fire out. The fire I started to cremate her where she had laid.

Seeing the image laid before me, I suddenly back up and shift to my human form with swiftness. Clutching my chest, I feel haunted. Destroyed. My mate was never given a proper burial. I let out a guttural cry of anguish. Falling to my knees, Aurora cups my face with both hands, and within seconds she knows. I don't need to tell her what's transpired.

I dress quickly before we take off running, not listening to the others yelling for us to wait. Nothing and no one will be able to stop us from getting to our destination. We take the stairs two at a time to get to the second floor. Upon entering the corridor, Anca's room is blocked off by stones. I start crying and hitting the stones with my bare fist in a fit of rage. My heart is breaking all over again. Tears flow like rivers down my cheeks, and honestly, I don't care who sees.

Aurora places a hand on my good shoulder to stop me from hurting myself. "I've got this, Daddy. I'll get us in," she says all choked up. Her eyes are red-rimmed from her own tears that are falling freely. She quickly strips out of her clothes and shifts to her Lycan beast. She uses her taloned gauntlet to motion me to back up. Seconds after, I hear the click as it echoes all through the empty corridor as her ignitor fires up. She opens her mouth, and her force-breath weapon is unleashed upon the stones, disintegrating them all. If I didn't see this with my own eyes, I never would have believed it. I knew her weapon worked on flesh, but I was unaware of its effects on stone.

Minutes tick away like hours as I wait anxiously to get into Anca's room. Aurora finally reins in her weapon and then blocks my path. She shifts back to her human form and redresses quickly. Her mates have finally caught up with us, and Jayce hands her a bottle of water. I watch her eyes assess the stone, then she steps into the room, moving the debris as she goes.

The waves of emotion coming off my daughter drives me to my knees. I watch her move quickly and drop to her knees near Anca's bones. It's now that I notice the much smaller set of bones. Far too small to be Anca's. Aurora gently scoops them up and cradles them to her chest. She throws her head back, letting loose the most hauntingly, deathly howl I have heard from her to date. The tones she hits speak of loss and heartbreak. I feel like my heart is being ripped out all over again, listening to my daughter's pain.

I move hesitantly closer to her and see the tiny bones she's holding. The baby's skull is shaped like her beasts. Aurora had a twin. Taking my eyes from the tiny bones, I glance at Aurora. Her eyes look haunted. She brings her gaze to lock on mine, staring at me like she's asking for help.

"Daddy?" she says in the softest, weakest voice I've ever heard from her.

Jayce is the first to rush to her and wraps her up in his arms. It's now that she finally breaks and starts crying hysterically. Aurora snuggles in close to Jayce, holding onto him like he's her only lifeline. Had the baby lived, she wouldn't have been alone all those years.

Dimitri moves forward to see what Aurora is holding and starts crying immediately. "I didn't know... You have to believe me. There was no movement, I swear!" Dimitri keeps looking from Anca's remains then back to the tiny bones in Aurora's arms.

"There's no way you could have known, Dimitri. I saw Anca myself; there was no movement." I move forward and take my daughter from Jayce and kiss her temple. "I'm sorry, little one. We will build a pyre for them tonight and perform the rites that are long overdue." Aurora nods slowly, still cradling her sibling's bones to her chest.

Dominik enters the room with two silken cloths that he had found and offers one to me, and holds the other out to Aurora. Klaus and Alaric move alongside Aurora to support the cloth for her. Reverently, she arranges her sibling's bones, then carefully closes the cloth over them. "Klaus? Please go with Arnulf and gather enough herbs for mother and Seraphina." Aurora sniffles before continuing. "Mother wanted to name her daughter Seraphina, so I am naming this daughter Seraphina." Klaus and Arnulf leave swiftly after Aurora settles down enough to assist me.

"What was my mother like?" Aurora asks as she kneels beside her mother's bones. Her sister's bones lay bound, resting on her legs.

I can't help but smile at the thought of Anca. "She was wonderful; a strong and fierce leader. Not very different from you, to be honest. Sometimes I have to look twice to make sure it's not your mother talking." I chuckle softly as I help the best I can to get the cloth situated. "Unlike you, Anca refused to eat raw meat. Everything had to be cooked." I can't help but laugh at the disgusted face that Aurora makes at the thought of cooked meat.

"Father, I'll perform the rites in the pyre like I did for Andre. The fire won't hurt me," Aurora says softly. Somehow this is hurting her more than Andre's passing.

"Shall Alaric and I breathe fire upon them?" I tilt my head, trying to see where my daughter's head is with this. She nods, then begins to arrange her mother's bones on the silk. Aurora uncovers a necklace, earrings, as well as several rings. Carefully, she sets them aside so she can focus on her work. My daughter's emotions hit us like a freight train; her pain and sadness is almost overwhelming. Aurora's emotions feel like a storm upon the ocean; waves of grief hit like a sledgehammer, only to build up to hit again. My eyes focus on Aurora's stoic face. Beneath the surface, I observe the slight shifting of bone plates. It's terrifying to think how calm she appears doesn't betray the raging emotions' turbulent waves ripping her apart on the inside.

Carefully, Aurora closes up the silk and passes her mother to Dimitri. With a gentleness I didn't know my daughter possessed, she cradles her twin's remains. "I'll meet you in the courtyard at dusk," Aurora says, then exits the room quickly with Dimitri in tow.

"Will she be okay?" Dominik questions as he absently rubs his sternum. His action betrays how badly my daughter is hurting.

My eyes drift from where Anca's remains were to where Aurora had gone. "I'm not sure. Finding the pup was a shock to all of us." My chest aches all over again, just wondering if my second daughter would have survived if I had gotten there sooner. My gaze sweeps the room as I gather what worldly possessions Anca had.

"Alaric, would you and Dominik be so kind as to help organize the building of the pyre in the courtyard?" I don't bother facing them; I already know they will agree. By the time I look up and over to where they were, they are gone to work on their tasks. I have a feeling tonight's going to be a very long night.