Chapter Seventeen

Casimir

I came to laying in the grass.

The grass?

Where inside the mountain was grass growing?

Sun rays beat down on my eyelids.

We weren’t inside the Star Room or any part of its mountain any longer.

“Casimir?” It was Castor’s voice that reached my ears first.

Was this another memory?

Was this some future prediction?

Had the machine exploded the whole Frost-damned mountain?

“It’s okay,” Tritus said. “It can take awhile sometimes.”

“Been long enough, I think,” Castor said. “Two days is more than long enough.”

“Castor be nice and two days for what?” I asked, trying to squint against the sun but all I saw were the tips of many noses.

“Since you fell asleep in the machine,” Tritus said. “Had I understood the serious nature of the memories, I’d have warned you that this could happen. It’s like an adrenaline crash sometimes.”

“Izora has been out to look in on you,” Castor said. “He said you were asleep and not technically in a coma.”

“It’s okay,” I said, patting around until I found both of their arms and pulled them in close.

Someone nearby chuckled – Axlin, probably.

“Shhh…. Sleep,” I teased them hopefully.

“I think you should eat instead,” Castor laughed.

“Food,” I nodded. “That does sound good. You can go free.”

I released him but didn’t let go of Tritus. I planned to never let go of my mate again. Castor and Axlin went off – hopefully in search of food and I turned to my side and pressed my forehead against Tritus’s. He stayed despite knowing everything. He stayed despite knowing it all now.

“Don’t be mad at me,” Tritus said, and I blinked to try to open my eyes again.

“What happened?”

“I talked to Ren. Well, with Castor’s help I talked with her. Hean wasn’t keen on it, but I introduced her to the baby. She was excited. Her eyes sparkled. I think she knew that Casalona was her niece. I think she understood that. I’m hopeful and before you say anything,” he put a finger over my lips, “I’ll be hopeful enough for all of us if I have to. Dragons live a long time. I think maybe she’ll be her old self again or at least regain her ability to shift back into her human form. I’m not a doctor but I’ve guided some souls over and over through the same lessons. She’s alive and she responds to people she knows and most of all, she knows what a video call is. No one who was totally gone would understand that.”

I kissed his forehead.

“And there is something I want to do after you eat.”

I touched my shoulder without thinking.

“That – yes, I do want to do that, but I think you might want to do this first.”

“Huh?” I blinked again. “Do what?”

“This morning while flying back from the ship I had a bout of motion sickness. So, I thought we’d use the sonic at the Star Room and see if I’m carrying.”

I sat up, squinting hard against the sun’s assault on my eyes.

“It’s okay,” Tritus laughed, sitting up too. “This is a good thing, right?”

“We could check now. I think it’s important to know. We’ll have to build a nest and---” he put his finger back to my lip.

“We will. Hell, we’ll build it somewhere secret if that makes you feel better or we’ll build it somewhere near where your cousin lives. Castor and I have bumped heads a few times since you went to sleep. Nothing major but it never happened before. We’re still friends but he’s your brother, not your cousin. He fusses about you like an omega sibling.”

“I’d rip someone scale from scale over him,” I nodded.

“Can you walk? I know sleeping for two days sometimes leaves dragons with jelly legs.”

“I can walk,” I nodded, pushing myself upright.

I was wobblier than I wanted to admit but managed to stay upright as we walked back up the flower laden path to the Star Room. Inside I plopped down on the sofa while Tritus went to grab up the sonic. It also looked like a ray gun from some old television show back home. Except it didn’t shoot anything out that I could see. It bounced back and dinged before announcing “Egg located. Please contact your local council.”

“Bossy machine,” I laughed, reaching out and taking his hand in mine. I pulled him onto my lap, and we shared a long, slow kiss before Castor and Axlin came back with takeout.