Chapter 45

Chapter

Forty-Five

Rose

"Excuse me?" Kitra squeaked.

"What did you say?" My hand froze where I'd been pressing it against my stomach and despite the wild increase in flutters, I snatched it away like it was on fire.

"You're pregnant?" Kitra took the few steps to me and swallowed me in a tight hug. "Holy shit, this is the best news."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't. I was too busy freaking out on the inside.

"I'm not sure she agrees with you," Isaac said.

"What? Why?" Kitra pulled back and took in my expression. I should have done something to hide the feelings I so often wore on my sleeve, but I was too damned tired to pretend.

"I didn't know," I whispered.

"You should have. I warned you both what was happening."

All three of us whirled at the new voice in the cottage courtyard.

"Ensley!" Kitra squealed as she dropped me and ran across the patio to the prickly demon sprite that I still didn't want to trust. Especially now as a shiver worked down my spine. How could she have known?

"Lovely. Just what we need. A busybody who doesn't know how to mind her own business." A frown deepened Isaac's expression and any other time it might have been comical. At least I wasn't the only one not happy about a demon showing up out of the blue.

"Isaac," Kitra yelled back at him, forcing me to hide a snicker.

He looked at me with a smirk on his face and malevolent mischief in his eyes and in that moment I saw Magnus. Or how my mate might have been if he'd led a different life away from the tyranny of an insane King. If his mother hadn't abandoned him.

Isaac turned away and faced Kitra. "What? I've never met a nosier creature in my life. And you know I'm right."

Ensley's gaze hardened as she fixed Isaac with a pointed stare. "And I've never met a bigger brute than you. You certainly live up to a dragon's reputation. But fortunately, I'm not here for you."

A growl sounded from Isaac's chest as a definitive warmth filled in the air around them, and while I'd thought they were only teasing each other, I suddenly wasn't sure. "Then why are you here?"

"Stop. Both of you. Rose is going to get the wrong idea and besides, you two bickering is not what she needs right now."

"No. She needs her head examined for not heeding my warning. Didn’t give a second thought to what I told her, nor did she take steps to prevent all of this."

I blinked, taken aback. “Me? How the hell was I supposed to stop this freaking train wreck? Magnus wasn’t going to stop until that bastard was dead and I don’t blame him.” I’d stand up for what he did until my last breath if that’s what it took. However, what I didn't need now was a damned lecture, especially from a creature I wasn't sure I could trust. I couldn't wrap my own thoughts around what had happened, so I had no intention of discussing it with someone I didn't know or understand. Her ability to predict this had been uncanny and while I wasn't foreign to the concept of someone having "the sight", I'd never encountered it this intensely.

I still had a lot to learn about magic.

“You are his mate. That alone gives you the power you need.”

“Ensley, you know better than that,” Kitra said. “These dragons are alphas. They protect what they love, but they also destroy their enemies. It is their way.”

"Is there a point to this conversation other than to chastise me?" I glared at Ensley while silently acknowledging that my stress level was at an all-time high and my ability to hold my tongue might be affected.

Ensley smirked, Isaac smiled, and Kitra's mouth dropped open.

"I'm sure she has an agenda," Isaac sniffed. "She always does."

"Well, I came to see if I could help the king-slayer. And see an old friend." Ensley laid a hand on Kitra's arm and she softened further towards the sprite.

"I've missed you," Kitra whispered. "So much."

"It's been no time at all for me. But you've no doubt learned that time is a fickle beast, and our two worlds like to clash over it."

Kitra nodded. "That's putting the difference mildly. When we return a lot will have changed."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Only time will tell." Ensley bent and laughed at her own joke. When she straightened again, her face turned serious. "You should not have come. This kingdom can only handle one of them." She pointed at Isaac.

"Don't start, demon. If you make me regret not smothering you in fire when I had the chance, I might be tempted to find another opportunity."

She glared at Isaac, and I honestly couldn't tell whether these two truly hated each other or if this was some weird banter amongst frenemies.

"If you don't want my help, that's fine. I can leave." She turned away from us and I was kind of relieved and guilty at the same time. Kitra had warned me that I would need Ensley's help. However, before I could say anything, Kitra lunged for her friend and grabbed her arm.

"Don't go. It's been a horrific day. We're all just tired, hungry and worried. Magnus isn't doing very well. Apparently, the king had some poison prepared and?—"

"The new dragon king has many enemies here. Nothing will be easy for him."

King .

I let the title circle its way through my mind.

I hadn't given it much thought before now.

"And are you one of those enemies?" I demanded, interrupting her before she could say anything else against my...

"To be honest, I'm not sure. Under the King's spell, his cruelty knew no bounds. As you've heard, the destruction he caused has been cataclysmic. A fact you will sadly learn more of in time." I was about to throw those words back at her like daggers when she continued, "I, like many in this kingdom, will need some time to discover his true nature. And trust me, if you had seen what he did firsthand, I'm not sure you'd forgive him either."

"Don't!" I screamed at her. "Don't you dare stand here and throw his past in my face when he isn't here to defend himself. When he is fighting for his life." Anger began to boil in my blood at her distrust. Fuck her. "Besides, you just said it. He was under a spell. It was the king who controlled what he did, not Magnus. Where is the sympathy for what was done to him?"

Ensley shook her head. "That would imply to the entire realm he was of weak mind. Is that how you would describe him? How you want everyone else to see him? A more likely scenario was that the King's spell made his true nature worse. If he were as pure of heart as you seem to think, then I don't believe that spell would have had as much power as it did."

"That's interesting, coming from you. Aren't you a demon? Most of whom are not known for their kindness, correct? What right do you have to judge Magnus?" My voice raised several octaves with every question as the panic and anger rose. What I didn't realize was how much I'd advanced on Ensley until Isaac's hand landed on my shoulder and stilled my progress.

"Rose," his quiet, but strong saying of my name finally stilled me until a tear dripped into my mouth. Embarrassed, I quickly wiped the others away and turned from Ensley. I was losing control of my emotions, and I didn't know what to do about it. I was so so scared and standing here doing nothing wasn't helping.

"I need something to do," I said quietly. "Anything other than stand here and?—"

"Would a kiss from your mate suffice?"

We all whirled at the sound of Magnus's weak question. The sight of him standing there, leaning against the door frame, color in his cheeks, and the wind gently blowing his dark hair made my heart leap into my throat. The scars across his face seemed more prominent than before, but I had never seen a more beautiful man than in that moment.

Everyone exploded with questions as I simply stared, the fist squeezing my heart getting tighter with every beat.

"What happened?"

"Are you better?

"How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," he answered them while keeping his gaze glued to mine.

"Or as fine as a king can be whose just barely survived the first attack on his life. It seems dragons have more lives than a cat." Ensley muttered half under her breath.

"And you should not forget it," Isaac snorted. "We are not easy to kill."

"Too stubborn to die, more like."

Kitra again stepped between Isaac and Ensley, putting her hand on her mate's shoulder. "Maybe you should focus on your brother and his situation more than antagonizing Ensley for once."

I kind of agreed with her, except having all of them here made this small courtyard suddenly crowded. I wanted them all gone so I could focus.

"Well, then. What is your prognosis? I take it by the fact you are standing there that you are going to live," Isaac asked while making his approach towards Magnus. "Although it does look like that wall is holding you up."

Magnus snorted before turning serious. "Thanks to all of you and a lot of fucking magic, I will live to fight another day."

"But not today," Corvina interrupted. "I thought you were going to stay in bed? I only left you for a minute."

"You don't know me as well as you think you do. There is too much to be said and done to lie still in your house. I'll rest in my own bed." He winked at me, and I felt that to the tips of my toes that curled in impatience. I looked down at the floor to hide my blush, and then kept my gaze down as I grappled with all the confusing emotions flooding me.

Tears burned at the backs of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. The last twenty-four hours or so had been unbearable.

"I need to speak to my queen." His voice rumbled across the cobblestones beneath our feet, forcing me to lift my head and meet his piercing gaze.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sure it's not necessary for me to repeat myself, but if you want to hear it again, I will oblige. You are my queen."

I shook my head, looking frantically around the crowded space, my chest constricted. I needed air. More air. "I am no queen," I said quietly.

"You will be."

"We were so focused on stopping the king, I didn't think about anything else."

"Like the baby?"

"What?"

He tapped his ear. "I told you. Dragon hearing is superior."

"That it is," Isaac agreed.

"I can't handle this." All this back and forth and crazy talk made me feel like I was careening for the edge of a cliff.

"Rose," Magnus called, but my mind was running in circles around this conversation. "Rose," he growled.

Ensley started to say something, but Kitra stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Not now." She turned to me with a tight smile. "They need a moment."

We needed a lot more than a moment. There was no way in hell I could say what needed to be said while everyone waited only a few feet away. I'd bottled much of what I'd been going through over the last few days and I could feel it coming to a head.

One by one they left the courtyard and disappeared into the house all while Magnus made no move to approach. It was then I took a good hard look at him. Pale, translucent skin with dragon scales showing. Golden eyes. And he still hadn't moved from where he leaned against the doorframe.

"Isaac was right. You aren't really okay, are you?" I'd seen him helpless before, but that time had been far different. I might have thought his life was in peril then, but it was nothing compared to what he'd endured today.

"I will be. As soon as we go home."

"I hope you don't mean that castle. Even if it's still livable, I'd hardly call that home."

He closed his eyes and the pallor of his skin darkened. "He needs to let the dragon out." The witch appeared behind him. “He won't be okay until he does."

"Okay," I said, taking small steps in his direction. "It's not like I haven't seen that before."

"Not here," he rasped. "I want to go home first. Just the two of us."

I didn't want to state the obvious here. But that ship had sailed. I opted, however, not to point that out. Hopefully, we had plenty of time to talk about those details later.

"You could get your brother to?—"

"Don't even finish that sentence," Magnus growled.

The witch sighed. "Fine. Take my carriage then. Just make sure you send it back before dark and make it known to all that I don't approve of your leaving. But you are the king now, so I cannot tell you what to do."

My eyes widened. "Is it not safe for him to travel?" I turned to my mate. "Magnus, if it's not safe..."

"He'll probably survive. And if going home is what it takes to get his dragon to come out, then it shall be worth the risk." She said no more before she turned and disappeared inside the house.

"I still don't think I like her."

"If she wasn't the best at her craft in this entire kingdom, I might agree with you. Plus we owe her now. Shall we?" He motioned for me to proceed him and instead I dipped underneath his arm to place my shoulder against his side. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to be your support, and I don't want to hear a word about it. You might be able to ignore her advice, but if you know what's good for you, you will not ignore mine. And don’t think we aren’t going to talk about that favor when you feel better."

To his credit, he only hesitated for a moment before he allowed me to lead him back through the house and out the front door to the waiting carriage. All while I made a mental note to work on my medicinal skills. She wouldn't be the best at her craft for long. Not if I had anything to do with it.