Do not blame yourself, Carmen. You have no control over what that man did. He was evil. Do not take his deeds as your own. You are the light to the darkness,
he said as his larger shape moved closer to her.
Look,
he whispered.
Look how your
brig
htnes
s
shines, lighting up the darkness of my soul.
Carmen looked down as he gently touched his front claw to hers. His scales shimmered for a moment before the color darkened and began to reflect the stars from the sky. She looked up into his flaming gold eyes.
Together we are one,
he whispered.
It is time for my phoenix to rise up from the ashes and to embrace our life together. Will you do this with me? Will you do this for our daughters that you carry?
Carmen laid her slender head against Creon’s massive chest briefly before she drew back enough to look into his eyes again. It was time to finally say goodbye. She would never forget her old life, it would always be a part of her but it was time to accept her new life. She had changed just as the phoenix had until only the ashes of her old life remained. Out of those ashes, she had a choice as to how she wanted to live her new life. She wanted one with no regrets.
I want to go home,
Carmen said quietly.
To Wyoming?
Creon asked hesitantly.
Carmen looked up at the moon and
the stars
again.
No, she said softly into the wind.
To Valdier
.
She
looked at him with flaming golden brown eyes.
To my new life with you and our children.
You are mine, Carmen, forever,
Creon whispered.
The huge male moved behind the smaller female. He would take her again tonight. He would claim her under the stars and
the moon
of her planet, on a sandy beach. He would roar for all to hear that a Valdier Dragon Prince had found his mate in the most unlike
ly
place with the most beautiful female he had ever seen. She was delicate, fragile, strong and brave. She was stubborn and loyal and compassionate. She was the light to his darkness. She was his perfect mate and he loved her more than life itself.
The slender female dragon lowere
d her head in submission until the larger male
nudged her with his
head
.
Look to the stars as I take you, my beautiful phoenix. Look to the stars and home,
he murmured as he slowly mounted her from behind.
When she raised her head to the stars, Creon bent over her biting down and breathing the dragon’s fire of his male into her. He embraced the fire as it burned through them both. He welcomed the fire that would ignite in both of them as they came together as one again and again.
Carmen’s hoarse cry shattered the silence as the huge male caged her within his wings,
holding
her and taking her with long, strong strokes. She rocked back against him as he gripped her wings at the shoulders with his front claws, rising up on his hind legs and wrapping his tail tightly around her
s
to hold his balance as he pushed deeply into her over and over. He released her neck as her jagged coughs broke along with the waves on the surface. Her body milked his over and over, pulling him deeper into her and holding him trapped as she swelled around him.
The loud roar of the male as he climax
ed
shook the trees, scaring the native birds and animals living along the isolate
d
coast. His roar could be heard for miles and many residents along the coast would swear they saw and heard the ancient god,
Quetzalcoatl, as he roared his claim for all to hear that night.
*.*.*
Carmen fell into an exhausted sleep wrapped in her mate’s strong wings; the sounds of the waves her lullaby, the warm breeze her fan, and an endless sky of stars her
nightlight
. She was finally at peace. She vaguely remembered Creon coaxing her to transform back into her two-legged form before dawn. She quickly fell back into a deep, deep sleep brought on from being pregnant and too many years of stress. Creon carried her wrapped just as tightly in his arms as he held her in his wings to Harvey who was waiting patiently for them further down the beach.
“Thank you, my friend,” Creon said quietly as he laid Carmen down on the contoured bed that formed under her. “Take us back to Paul’s home. We have one thing left to do before we can leave for home.”
Harvey shimmered, changing colors to match the early morning light.
A fisherman, coming around the cove, would later tell of the magnificent creature that had disappeared right before his eyes but not before he saw it rise up off the beach.
He would later bring several of his friends and one scientist with him to show them the
footprints
the gods left in the sand before the waves and wind
washed
them away.
*.*.*
Later that day, Carmen and Creon stood in the small graveyard outside of the town of Casper Mountain, Wyoming. Scott’s grave lay near his mother’s and her parents. Carmen walked forward and laid several red roses on the grave and one small teddy bear. She let her fingers brush over the words:
More than a husband, more than a friend, the love of my life. He rests here protecting our unborn child forever in his arms. You will forever be in my heart.
Carmen smiled thankfully as Creon helped her to stand up. He held her tenderly, giving her time to say goodbye. She squeezed his hand before turning and taking a deep breath as she looked up into the brilliant blue sky.
“I’m ready to go home,” she said calmly. “I’m ready to live again.”
Creon didn’t say a word. He didn’t have to. He could see the sense of peace in her as she let go of her past. He wrapped his arm around her and turned toward Harvey who was waiting for them. They would be leaving this afternoon for Valdier. Carmen wanted their children to be born
in their home there,
if possible. It would be close if they were to make
it back
in time but she
was determined
that their girls would know their home world.
Creon had talked with Trelon. He told him about using the
symbiots
with the crystals plus the
sound
waves Cara had perfected. He cautioned that it had to be done in the right order and at the right frequency o
therwise it made the symbiots act
like a bunch of Valdier warriors having a drinking contest. He had given the task to the Marastin Dow females of all people to set up. They were both amazing in the engineering department. His chief of engineering would oversee them. He had received word as they were coming here that Cree and Calo had returned to the
war
ship. Nothing was said about
whether
Melina was with them or not. He figured he would find out soon enough. He couldn’t imagine them leaving without her but if she absolutely refused, they might not have
had a choice as
he had sent word to them that they were departing today.
There was still much to do. His uncle was still in hiding but he had no doubts that he would reappear.
Ha’ven said that three more
rebel
bases had been found. Jazar and Adalard were taking care of them. Vox was going through his own star system. One of the bases had several Sarafin warriors who refused to name who they were supporting. With the might of the three royal houses working together instead of at war with each other, it was only a matter of time before they discovered who else was behind the rise of the rebellion.
Creon helped Carmen into Harvey, making sure she was comfortable before he ordered Harvey to take them to the
Horizon
which was orbiting on the other side of the moon. Carmen didn’t look back as they rose up in the air. She looked up into the sky with a smile and held out her hand to him.
“Take us home, Creon,” she said.
Carmen groaned as she finally rolled out of the bed. In the past almost eight weeks she had blossomed until she looked like she had swallowed a couple of watermelons, a few cantaloupes, and maybe a few honeydews. They had arrived on Valdier late or should she say early this morning. She felt like she had just gotten to bed when she woke up full of energy.
Oh hell, she thought as she waddled over to the dresser in the master bedroom of their living quarters at the palace.
Let’s just add a couple of pumpkins as well.
You think you have it bad,
her dragon complained.
No room for me in here! I pressed into little ball.
I know,
Carmen said as she rubbed her back.
Right against my kidneys with those two little devils who think it is their personal punching bag!
“Where are you going?” Creon asked anxiously as he walked out of the bathroom.
Carmen let her eyes roam up and down his tall muscular form with a sigh of envy. “I wish I looked as good as you do,” she groaned.
He hurried over to her and wrapped his arms around her. “You are the most beautiful thing in all the star systems,” he said huskily. “The rounder you grow the more your beauty shines through. There is not a warrior on all of Valdier that does not envy me.”
Carmen snorted. “You obviously haven’t been listening to what they are saying!” She retorted.
His face darkened dangerously. “Who has insulted you? I will gut them and roast their corpses over an open pit,” he demanded.
“Oh no you don’t!” She snapped back with a chuckle as she imagined Cree and Calo slowly turning on a spit. Not that she had seen both of them at the same time lately. “I get that privilege when I’m not the size of a compact car,” she said with a gleam of mischief in her eyes.
“Who has insulted you?” He asked in a deceptively persuasive voice.
“I’ve got in under control. The
Bobbsey
-twins know the only way they can beat me right now is because I am too big to toss their asses around. So far, they owe us two weeks’ worth of babysitting!” She giggled huskily. “Trust me that is more than payback when they have to change a few diapers!”
He picked her up gently and walked back toward the bed, determined to make her lay back down and get more rest but she tightened her arms around his neck. “No! I have a hard enough time getting up from a sitting position, there is no way I want to struggle from laying down again,” she said desperately
,
looking at the bed with a look of horror.
“You need to rest. You have only had a couple of hours,” he said stubbornly and he needed to go kick two of his warriors’ asses.
“So have you,” she pointed out. “I’m fine. You finish getting dressed then I’ll get a quick shower. I want to go see Abby’s little boy, Cara and Trelon’s twins, and Trisha’s baby too. Oh my god, can you believe all of us are having kids at the same time? Well, except for Ariel,” Carmen said with a sad smile.
“Do not be so sure of that,” Creon said as he gently set her back on her feet. “Mandra had a huge grin on his face and it wasn’t from beating any of the warriors
’
asses.”
“Really?” Carmen said excitedly. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” Creon laughed. “He let on that they are expecting a boy. But don’t say anything yet. He said Ariel swore him to secrecy until she was sure. She refused to believe him when he told her he had planted his seed in her.”
Carmen rolled her eyes and started to say something sarcastic when her face twisted in pain. She grabbed her stomach and drew in a deep breath as she felt a sharp kick followed by a popping. Warm water began flowing down her legs and pooling around her.
“Are you well?” Creon asked
,
looking at her carefully when she drew in a shuddering breath. “Maybe I should call Tandor to come take a look at you.”
Carmen nodded her head. “Yes, I think that might be a good idea,” she panted as waves of pain started coursing through her.
Creon swallowed hard and paled as he followed Carmen’s hands which were wrapped around her stomach. “Carmen, you are leaking,” he said hoarsely. “Are you supposed to leak?”
Carmen glared at him but couldn’t say anything as another contraction gripped her. She let out a long moan of pain and bent over. Creon reached for her, wrapping his arms back around her again.
“What is it?” He asked frantically. “What is happening?”
“Babies,” she moaned out as she struggled to turn and make it back to the bed. “Now!” As another contraction, harder than the one before swe
pt
through her.
“Ouch!” Creon yelped as she squeezed his hand. “That hurt!”
“Yeah,” she panted. “It does.”
Creon thought it in his best interest not to correct her on what he meant. He helped her into bed before he turned to rush out of the room. He stopped only because of her desperate cry.
“Creon!” Carmen called out hoarsely.