Chapter 26

Chapter

Twenty-Six

Cerran felt…well, he was out of sorts, for certain.

He'd been blasted out of the sky. He'd seen Triton almost go down. And now Elowyn wouldn't wake up.

He figured he was allowed to be shaky and odd.

Triton took Elowyn, carrying him, so Cerran followed, hoping Rowan didn't yell anymore. His bell had been rung pretty good.

He couldn't believe that he'd been taken down like he was some sort of first-year warrior, some trainee.

He'd failed his mates—both of them. Triton was going to be so angry when he figured this out. Maybe Triton would ask him to leave. He was absolutely unqualified to protect their home, and he didn't know if?—

Are you done?

What?

Triton's mental voice was dry as dust. Are you quite done? I'm not ashamed. I'm furious that they would send the others to come out here to kill our child. And if you ever suggest that I'm going to ask you to leave ever again, I'm going to put you over my knee and blister your ass.

Cerran's immediate thought was I'd like to see you try, and he met Triton's gaze. The connection between them blazed up, so strong.

Better. Now let's convince our errant hailee to wake up.

Leilani began to sing. Sofii. Sofii. Sofii.

That's right, little girl, Triton said. You tell him it's time to wake up right now.

Reno stayed close behind. "So what happened up there? Exactly. Did you see?"

Rowan growled before either of them could respond. "I'm not sure, but I don't like it. It feels as if the twins and Leilani summoned someone."

"Summoned." Reno pursed his lips. "That doesn't sound good. I can think of nothing good that gets summoned."

Little Leilani giggled, and Cerran thought maybe that wasn't the smartest thing to say out loud, because obviously if something was summoned. Well, was it still here?

"It doesn't happen very often," Rowan admitted. "But when it does? This is a question for Cain. We need to figure this out. I've never heard of this. Not really. Not with a pregnant omega."

But Cain had disappeared like smoke, going to research something, he thought.

That sounded ominous. Gods, why did everything have to be so complicated? Elowyn? I hope you can hear me, love. We need you. You did so well. You protected the babies. But we need you.

He included Triton in his monologue, hoping his mate would add his strength to the call.

More than anything. We're a trio. Triton squeezed Elowyn gently.

The wing was buzzing, the dragons worried and unhappy, peering out of their doors.

He didn't blame them. This was not a keep that made war. There were not supposed to be attacks here. And he felt damn guilty about bringing this down on the keep, but where else would they go? He had no idea.

They made it to their medical center, where the seer met them at the door, Cain's expression a mix of fury and concern.

Cerran caught Cain's eye. "I'm not sorry."

"I'm not either." That was Triton, the big dragon seeming to swell.

Cain held up one hand. "There is nothing to be sorry for. This is not your fault. You saved a child. They chose the stone. We chose life."

Rowan hustled them in through the door, and got Elowyn on a long, low bed before calling over a few of the other healers. "Both of these dragons need help, and then you need to get out among the people and see if anyone else needs aid. Seer, their apartment has been destroyed. We need to protect the stones."

Cerran thought Rowan needed more help. The man could not manage the entire healing staff, could he?

Cain shook his head. "I'm not concerned about the apartment. I'm concerned about what happened with Elowyn."

Cerran understood that on a deep, personal level. "What happened to him?"

Cain sighed. "The Celestials."

Cerran stopped.

Blinked.

Cain didn't mean that, surely? That didn't even make any sense.

"I know it doesn't make any sense, but there has to be a reason that a child would choose a stone that was so powerful. That a stone that was so powerful chose this child."

"What about the twins?" Triton asked. "What about our hailee?"

Cain held his hands open. "I will meditate on the twins. I never even…they're not even here yet. I never considered that I should be worried about them? This keep is becoming…something larger than I'd expected."

Cerran found himself growling. "Are you worried about Leilani?"

Because he would take her, and they would leave.

"Of course not, Cerran."

"Then what did you mean? Someone will always hunt her for what? That stone!" She was more precious than any rock.

"No one will hunt her!" Triton roared. "I swore to defend her!"

Leilani began to sob, Reno murmuring to her.

Cain sighed, shook his head. "Triton, please?—"

"Stop!" Rowan interrupted them, hand slapping on the counter. "If you're going to have a dispute, go away. This is a place of healing. Elowyn needs me. These babies need me. You want to have a dick-measuring contest? Do it elsewhere."

It was both surprising and kind of adorable the way that Rowan just took control in this space. His voice was filled with the absolute surety that he was the boss here.

Triton frowned and shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere."

Cerran forced himself to hold out one hand for Cain to shake. "I have no intention of fighting with you. I'm concerned for my family."

Cain took his hand, and then tugged him close and gave him a gentle hug, which was welcome because there wasn't a single thing on his entire body that wasn't sore. "I am also concerned with my family, and so there will be no fight. Together, we will protect these children. It is why we are here."

Suddenly, Cerran heard a soft groan, and Elowyn's voice in his head. I have such a headache.

I imagine you do. It wasn't every day that his hailee channeled gods. But it's so good to hear your voice.

"I can hear him," he told Rowan. "He's in there."

"I can as well." Triton relaxed, and only then allowed the healers to begin tending to his wounds, which looked to be shallow but extensive. Triton waved everyone off, but at a glare from Rowan, he submitted to the care.

We can all hear Leilani now, hailee. Out loud as well as in our heads. She wants you too. Her sofii.

Sofii! Sofii! Need you.

I need you too, sweet love. Elowyn's touch was weak, but it was right there.

Good. "Ow." He glanced at the healer's assistant who had just put antiseptic on his shoulder. "Sorry, my friend. That surprised me."

She smiled. "Do not worry yourself, graaken. I understand the ways of warriors."

Reno laughed. "What, that we're all big marshmallows under the surface?"

"Huge ones. Who have been toasted on the outside so you're extra gooey in the middle."

"Ha!" Reno laughed, making him chuckle, and he could feel Elowyn's bright red laughter inside him as well, like a little waterfall of rubies and garnets.

"How many more waves of attack do you think that we can expect?" Triton asked Cain, his eyes serious, stony.

Cain shook his head. "There shouldn't have been any. This is a peaceful keep."

"Well, Triton did blow up their keep," Reno pointed out.

"Not helpful," Cerran pointed out. "I'd like to keep that information kind of quiet."

"It was only a little explosion," Triton said, staring at Reno. "At most midsized."

"Still," Reno pointed out. "Explosion. Kaboom."

They joked, but nothing about this situation was funny.

How many more attacks like this could this keep survive? How could they fix it? Should they fix it? Was it even their responsibility to fix it?

Cerran didn't believe that he was even thinking these thoughts.

They had been determined to kill his child in the most agonizing way possible.

Because of a stone.

"It's not funny. They wanted her to die!"

Elowyn's eyes popped open at his words. The normally rusty color had been replaced with an almost violent, shocking solid blue. "These children are under Our protection."

That wasn't Elowyn's voice.

In fact, the sound found him locked in place. The core of him caught, trapped, and everyone around him was obviously experiencing the same thing.

Everyone but Cain, who nodded his head once, face gone white as a sheet. "I understand, Celestial."

"There will be no more attacks. We will assure it."

Cain nodded again. "Yes, Celestial. Thank you."

All Cerran could think was that immense power was inside their hailee, and that no single being could contain that much power.

It was impossible.

Leilani giggled, kicking her little legs and tossing her arms around like she was trying to get to Elowyn. Sofii.

All Cerran could worry about was that it was not Leilani's sofii in Elowyn's poor body. Not right now.

"We will leave this one now. He will not be harmed. But we will protect this place. We assure it. Have no more fear." Elowyn blinked, the motion making a sound like metal on rock. Then his eyes closed again, and he slumped down on the bed.

"Elowyn!" He shook off the medic and went to his hailee, grabbing his hand. "Oh, please."

"Cerran. Triton. Are the babies okay? Is Leilani all right? Is she safe?"

That was his hailee. Always thinking of the children first.

"She's fine. They're all fine." He looked at Rowan just to verify, because while he could see that Leilani was fine—in fact, besides being possibly hungry, there wasn't a mark on her. He couldn't say the same for Elowyn, and he needed to know that those babies still growing inside his hailee were fine.

Rowan nodded and leaned over to smile at Elowyn. "Well, that was exciting, wasn't it, brother?"

"Absolutely. I think I've had enough excitement. That is, I would like to vote for boring."

That earned Elowyn a soft chuckle and a nod. "Is it all right if I touch your belly? Check on the babies?"

"Of course, but the girls are fine. They're jabbering away like little monkeys."

Rowan tilted his head. "You can hear them?"

"I can hear them." Elowyn seemed unconcerned.

"That's different."

Elowyn rolled his eyes. "I'm an omega with two mated alphas. Pregnant with twins, with an adopted daughter that is possibly the most powerful seer of our time. And I was just possessed by the gods. Different doesn't even begin to describe it."

Rowan looked at Cerran and Triton. "I think he's going to be just fine."

Cerran grinned, rolled his eyes a little bit. "I think maybe you're right."