Chapter 25

Chapter

Twenty-Five

Triton heard the balcony crack.

He knew it was about to fall, and he knew he needed to not be on it when it happened.

The big green beast did. Cordon needed to go down. Triton sent a shaft of electricity toward him, and Cerran flew in to snap at Cordon's wings, steam billowing from him.

There was a roar from inside the apartment that sent him reeling away, his whole body leaning into the backwing, and the balcony snapped right off the building, plummeting with Cordon attached to it.

Cerran! Be careful!

I am, mate. Go to Elowyn.

No. You see to him. Cordon is still alive. And he was Triton's to kill. All those agonizing hours away from his mate, pretending to be a loyal soldier. All the worry that when he managed to get in there to release Cerran and Leilani, they would be dead. All the fear that Elowyn and their babies would be killed before he could help them…

Cordon deserved to go down for that.

He followed Cordon down as he fell, his wings flat along his back, his eyes focused.

He wanted Cordon to know who it was that had bested him.

Cordon managed to meet his eyes. Your hailee and the children are dead! Victory is ours!

The electricity built within him in a rush. It filled his gullet, begging to be let free. He barely held it back, waiting until the moment when Cordon hit the water to release the lightning.

It hit like a giant arrow, slamming into Cordon with a single huge flash.

He screeched his agony before shearing off and thrusting himself up and away from the lake.

For a breathtaking moment, the entire body of water shimmered and crackled, the lightning dancing across it like Will of the Wisps.

The dragon who had been Cordon crashed down, what was left of his body charred and skeletal.

He turned to fly back to his mates, scared at what he would find. Please, he begged the gods. Please let them be safe and well. Alive. Mine.

He had to land on the balcony closest to theirs and shift so he could run through the building and go into their apartment through the actual front door.

He met Rowan as he ran. Rowan's dragon was a carbon copy of Elowyn's—sleek and fine.

There was pure panic in Rowan's face, and he never even slowed as they streaked toward their quarters. He went to force the door open, knowing that Rowan had to get to Elowyn.

There was no need for that though because all it took was one touch from Rowan's glowing hand for the door to burst, almost falling off its hinges.

Cerran sat in their ruined home, slumped on the floor, Leilani in one hand and Elowyn in the other. Their hailee was still and gray where he was not covered in blood. "Rowan! Help! I can't wake him up."

Rowan's cry was pained, and it seemed to take a monumental effort for the healer to shift back.

Unconcerned with his own nakedness, Rowan ran to Elowyn and laid hands on him, Elowyn's entire body beginning to glow for just a second before Rowan pulled back as if he'd been burned or shocked.

"I don't understand."

"Rowan, what's happening?"

Rowan shook his head. "Someone get Cain. Someone get Cain now."

Triton turned to go and fetch the seer, but he didn't have to go far because Cain was storming through their door as if he knew he'd been called.

The seer was pale as milk, tears streaking his face. "Oh, Elowyn, what have you done?"

"What is it?" Cerran came to stand beside him, both of them staring at Elowyn. "What's wrong with him? Did they magic him?"

"No. No, he magicked himself. He channeled immense magic to fight back against them. I don't know?—"

"Don't know what?" Dread filled him, deep in his belly. He fell to his knees next to Elowyn's prone form, reaching out to touch him. "Hailee. No. Stay with us."

Soffaren. The sound was clear—as clear as if someone had spoken directly in his ear.

"Did you hear that?"

"I did." That was Cerran. My kaiinae. Sweet girls. Please. Please, we need our family—all of us.

Sofii. Sofii, wake up. That was Leilani, her voice strong and clear. We need you now. Soffaren crying.

Triton blinked. That was unexpected.

"I think we need to get them down to medical. I want him down where I can have my hands on him." Rowan's hands were on Elowyn. Right now.

Triton shook his head. "No. We stay together."

This was home. This was right.

Sofii. Sofii. Cold. Come home and play. I hungy.

"The snow is coming in the window. Of course it's cold." Cerran stirred. "Leilani, do you want a bottle?"

She burped out a shower of sparks, which just seemed altogether too cheerful for the situation at hand.

Given the fact their home was destroyed, their hailee was unconscious and pregnant.

Triton did not approve, not under any circumstance.

It was Reno who showed up through the shattered door next, like some huge, grumpy, avenging angel. "What the hell happened here?"

"You saw the whole damn thing!" Triton didn't feel like playing games. "You knew that it was a possibility. You knew about her stone!"

"That's not what I'm talking about. The entire keep heard that. Who was it? Was that Elowyn?" Reno shook his head. "Is he okay? The babies?"

"He is NOT OKAY! He's bleeding." Rowan's voice was so big that it just stopped all other conversation. It was clipped and sure and full of command. "We are going to medical. Now."

"All of you are going to medical. Let's go. I'll carry the baby."

"What?" Triton felt altogether too out of control for this particular situation.

"Rowan said you need medical. We're all going to medical. He's the boss." Reno shot Triton a grin, and Triton's fingers curled into a fist. "What? This is the most fun we've had in weeks. You all were spectacular—all of you, I approve. Except for you, Cerran. What the hell happened to you?"

Cerran's response was to flip Reno a middle finger in the air.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm hungry. I hope the mess hall has burgers."

"Why is no one but me and Rowan worried about Elowyn?" Triton kept himself from roaring for Leilani's sake.

"I have Leilani," Reno said. "I just told Boone and Durango to get someone up here to guard your stones until we can get this shit fixed. I mean, you broke off your balcony, man."

"Why are we talking? We should be moving." Rowan pointed to the door. "Out. Down. Cerran, carry Elowyn. Now."

"But I didn't make Leilani's bottle," Cerran argued, and Triton could see that he was beginning to shake.

Maybe he should carry Elowyn down.

Rowan was right. They needed medical.