Chapter Four

Cardian

It wasn't my brother who met me at the Other World gateway just outside of Heartville. It was the village seer and the first mate of the pack. The Lost Fang Coven would never send an omega to greet an unknown guest. Then again, we were vampyric elves, not dragons.

"Liam?" I asked, ensuring I found the correct omega dragon.

"Cardian," he nodded, and we shook hands. "Usually, my mate or his second would meet you, but I wanted to speak with you before we arrived in the village."

"I'm not here for trouble, if that's what you're worried about," I cut to the chase.

"I know. At least, I should say, I'd know if you were," he said and tapped his left index finger against his third eye chakra. "You're here because you feel your mother has given you no other choice. At least, according to your brother."

"Half-brother," I corrected.

"All my siblings are technically halves, but they're my siblings nonetheless," Liam said.

"Glad that worked out for you. Which way to the village?" I asked.

"This way," Liam took a step, and I followed him. "I have a message for you."

"Mom's already using the carrier pigeons?" I laughed.

"This has nothing to do with your mother," Liam frowned.

"Then who?" I asked, stopping in my tracks.

Had Terrick lost his mind and set up some trap for me? I wouldn't put it past the grouchy asshole.

"The woods are safe. If you see someone disappear or appear out of thin air, they're a dragonfly fay," Liam said, stopping too.

"And about this message?" I arched a brow.

"Laurni says when it happens, it's okay," he said.

"Who told you about him?" I asked, fighting off the urge to seize him by the arms and torment the information out of him.

"Himself," Liam shrugged. "I have the Omega Sight and I talk to many spirits."

"Why hasn't he moved on?" I demanded.

"He's close to it, I think," Liam sighed. "Look, I never have all the answers. When he spoke to me – through a vision not in person – he seemed alright. He seemed at peace. He's concerned about you, but that's normal. The dead, until they move on, are always concerned about the living. We have more to lose than they do."

I blinked and let out a deep breath before reminding myself I was here on official coven business. Laurni would understand me not allowing myself to think too hard about his message since that was the case.

"He's really okay with it. He always hoped you'd meet your true-mate. He had before you. I think you already knew that. That's why he became a guard after a human raid on the coven," Liam said.

"Okay, you've proven you have the sight," I sighed and started walking again.

"You're really chill for a dude who just found out his dead chosen mate spoke to me of him meeting his true-mate."

"It was probably just a goodbye message," I shrugged. "He used to always tell me that when he was alive too."

"Okay," Liam nodded. "If you need to talk about it later, I'm around. We have a therapist too."

"I think I'll be fine without a shrink," I laughed. "I made it this long."

"Still, let me know if you need anything. I know sometimes messages from the dead can bring up a lot of baggage," Liam said as the trees started to thin out as we neared the village.

"Maybe," I shrugged. "The thing is, Liam, he's been gone a long time. I've accepted that. I became a better guardian because of that. He was my world, but as anyone who studies the universe knows, no world lives forever."

Liam didn't say anything else about Laurni until we were on a paved path leading out of the woods.

"He says to watch out for Terrick. Not all of the enemies are at peace."

"Well, I'd damn well hope not," I shook my head. "The enemies the coven slew do not deserve peace."

"I'd rather they have what they don't deserve than give your brother what he doesn't deserve."

I frowned. The seer was right.

"Terrick isn't expecting me to show up on his doorstep tonight, but that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"I thought as much," Liam grinned. "Bobby or his second, Daniel, may have tried to dissuade you. Me on the other hand, I'd like to know if a spirit I can't see is in Heartville."

"We might just get along after all."

"Can you see spirits too?" Liam asked.

"No, but I can hear them occasionally," I said and tapped the point of one of my ears. "We all have our ways of getting on."