Cassie arched a delicate brow. “I’m not so sure about that, now that his wife’s missing. What do you suppose happened to her?”
“We are not going to discuss these matters while you’re giving birth,” Marcus commanded.
Cassie twisted until she faced her mate. “Don’t give me that. Ariana isn’t ready yet, and you’ve taken away my pain so we have nothing but time to talk.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And stop staring at my breasts!”
He laughed. “Sorry, you know how much I worship them.”
She rolled her eyes. “Ugh, worship them later.”
Lileta stifled a giggle.
“As you wish.” He smoothed her hair back. “I fear Lowan may be to blame for the goddess’s disappearance.”
She relaxed until she was leaning against the rock again. “I was thinking the same thing. It frightens me what he’s capable of.”
Lileta had also come to the same conclusion and wondered what he was doing to the goddess. She hoped for everyone’s safety that Qadira would come back alive and safe. If not, who knew what kind of fury Zarek would unleash on the world?
Marcus kissed Cassie’s forehead. “I will never allow anything to happen to you or Ariana.”
“Yes, I know.”
He cupped her chin, leaned in and brushed his lips against hers then pulled back, his forehead touching hers. “Our daughter is ready.”
Cassie nodded. “So am I.”
Marcus positioned himself between her legs, hands still on her belly. “Prepare for your first push, love.”
Cassie pulled in a slow breath then exhaled. Lileta stepped closer, excitement beat in her chest at the prospect of witnessing the guardian’s birth. Every air molecule zinged with magic, and Lileta was certain several pairs of eyes from above were watching this blessed miracle.
“Push, sweetheart,” Marcus said.
Cassie leaned forward, blew out a breath and pushed. Marcus rubbed her stomach, and Lileta noticed the white energy he sent to his mate to help keep away the pain and calm the baby.
“Her head is crowning. Take a deep breath and relax.”
“How long do you suppose it will take?” Cassie asked as she moved back against the rock.
He smiled at her. “I don’t think it will be much longer. She’s anxious to meet us.”
“I can’t wait to hold her.”
“Love, give me another push.”
Cassie leaned forward and followed his lead. His hands moved from her belly to between her legs. “Her head is out; one more and we’ll have her.”
Lileta found herself transfixed on the events. Her breath captured in her lungs, and her teeth sank into her bottom lip.
Cassie gave one last grunt, and Ariana floated into her father’s waiting hands. Lileta covered a gasp with her palm, not wanting to break the moment. Her eyes glistened with tears, and she swallowed a lump in her throat.
“Oh my gods,” Cassie cried out.
Lileta’s gaze followed Marcus when he lifted the child from the water and placed her at Cassie’s breast. “Look at all that hair,” her mother exclaimed.
The baby girl had a head full of dark brown waves. Marcus moved in next to her and planted a kiss on Ariana’s head. “She has your green eyes.”
Lileta noticed the ancient warrior had a tear running down his cheek. Cassie reached out and brushed it away. “Look at what we’ve created. She’s beautiful.”
Lileta found herself brushing away her own tears. The first guardian born in centuries, she was a true miracle indeed. Cassie caught her staring.
“Come here, Lileta. Would you like to hold our daughter?” Cassie asked.
She hesitated, still feeling like an intruder, but the warm smiles that greeted her pushed her feet into moving. Marcus took Ariana from her mother and handed her to Lileta. She clutched the tiny bundle close to her chest. Bright green eyes that matched her mother’s looked at her, and a smile crossed little Ariana’s lips.
Lileta ran a finger down the soft cheek. “You are the most beautiful girl in the entire world.”
Ariana cooed as if she understood who and what she was. Perhaps she did. After all, she was a guardian, a special immortal created by the gods.
The air charged with energy, and a shadow fell upon them.
“I’ve come to bless the child.”
“Ediva.” Marcus rose from the water, his nakedness not seeming to bother him in the least and bent to one knee. Cassie followed, and Lileta handed her the baby and dropped to her knees.
The goddess was breathtaking with the black gown that swirled at her feet and her dark hair cascading past her shoulders. Her steely gaze stared back at them. She reached for Ariana and pressed the babe to her bosom.
“Cassandra, you have done us proud. She is beautiful.”
“Thank you,” Cassie whispered.
Ediva brushed a finger across the child’s cheek, and white light surrounded Ariana. The baby smiled at the goddess. “May the gift of light and strength be your guide, little Ariana, for one day you will save the soul of a dark warrior. Let the lightning become a beacon in his darkest hour.” She kissed the babe’s forehead then handed her back to Marcus. Ediva’s form burned bright then vanished.
Cassie stood and looked at her mate. “What just happened here?”
His lips pursed into a thin line. “Our daughter’s mate has been chosen.” He laced his fingers through Cassie’s and led her back to where their clothes were. “Let us hope he lives long enough to claim her.”
“I will wait for you outside,” Lileta said and made a hasty exit, wondering who would lay claim to little Arianna once she was a grown woman. Would the girl follow her destiny or choose another path?
* * * *
Lileta stepped into the sunlight of Vandeldor, her thoughts still on little Arianna. She hoped the goddess had at least chosen a compatible mate for the child. Time would tell. Immortals grew up quickly, in about half the time human children did. It seemed unfair, but then when one really pondered it, to be a child in their world was dangerous.
Lileta perched her sword on her shoulder. Baal had moved to the back side of the mountain, covering any other ways into the cavern, and the two dragons circled above. Well, at least until a small dragon landed in front of her. His black scales transformed to the man who had stood next to Caleb back at the guardian’s home.
“Hello, I’m Diego. Caleb’s brother.”
She gave a nod. “Hello, you must be his younger brother?”
“Yes. Our older brother was slain during the war with Drayos.” He squatted, picked up a rock, and rolled it around in his hand. “He still blames himself.”
She wondered why the young dragon was here divulging this information. “What happened?”
“Diego, what are you doing?” Caleb snarled.
“I was just leaving.” He shifted and took flight.
She spun to narrow her gaze on the older Draki. “He was simply introducing himself. What’s your problem?” She didn’t like the tone his voice carried when he spoke to his brother. There was something about the young Draki she’d liked. In addition, she was sure he could answer some questions about the fierce man who stood before her. Questions her mind demanded answers to, though she was clueless why.
“He has been assigned a job, and it doesn’t involve becoming a social butterfly with you.”
Her lips pursed, not liking the way his gaze pinned her. She shifted her weight, hand tightening on the grip of the sword. The desire to shove it through his heart and get him to stop staring at her was almost too much to bear.
“You might learn something from him, like how to
not
be an ass.”
He tossed his head back and laughed. “I doubt there’s anything a dragon three hundred years younger than I can teach me.”
“Of course, you’re right. It was silly of me to even think an old fuck such as yourself could learn compassion. Your brother is more my age, I think I’d like to get to know him better.” She turned her lips into the biggest smile she could conjure.
His chest swelled while his hands fisted. “Don’t play games with me, Lileta.”
Before she could stop herself, the sword moved from her shoulder and the tip touched his chest. “I take orders from no one, especially you. I am no longer your slave.”
His eyes swirled green. “That’s funny, you didn’t take orders as a slave either. Why do you think I released you? I need a woman who can warm my bed, and we both understand you’re not it.” He leaned into the blade. “As soon as I can, I will be asking the gods to break this bond between us. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy another female writhing beneath me.”
He stepped off the edge of the cliff and transformed, his dragon taking flight. Her heart sank to her stomach.
Chapter Eight
Caleb regretted the words as soon as they slipped past his lips. The look Lileta gave him when he’d mentioned the other females nearly undid him. What was he supposed to do? He needed to find a way to break the binding before he lost all control with her. He was a dragon and she a demon, certainly not a match made in heaven.
What the fuck are the gods thinking?
Ending this would be best for both of them, and she could meet someone else. His body tensed at the thought of her giving herself to another man.
“You’ve always been a moody fuck, but that demon is making you worse. What are you going to do about it?”
Caleb stared at his brother. “The only thing I can. One, stay away from her, and two, find a way to free us both.”
Diego snorted. “You are an idiot.”
“Explain.” Caleb crossed his arms over his chest.
“The gods have given you a gift. Instead of seizing it, you mean to toss it away. Hell, I think any one of the men would be honored to be given a mate.” Diego walked to the fridge and fished around before pulling out a beer. He twisted off the top and chugged down half the contents.
“Help your fucking self, why don’t you?” He ran his fingers through his hair. He knew the men would love to have a mate. Many of their women fell to the same fate as the guardians. Dead at the hand of Drayos, who centuries ago had laid claim to the females and used them to breed his spawn. Neither the Draki nor the guardians had recovered from that war with the demon. “I mean, Lileta is a beautiful woman, no doubt. However, you’re missing one very important point. I claim her, and I die.”
The young Draki waved his hand. “Minor detail.”
Caleb arched a brow. “You in a hurry to be rid of me?”
“No, of course not. I just think there’s more to this than meets the eye. I mean, why would the gods choose two species that were incompatible to become mates if they didn’t have a bigger plan?”
Caleb moved to the fridge and pulled out his own beer. It was times like this he wished he could tie one on and get drunk. It was also when he missed his eldest brother the most. He would have had sound advice for this situation. Guilt wrapped around his gut like a parasite sucking the life force from his body.
“Caleb, stop. His death is not your fault.”
He looked across the room at his little brother, twisted the top off his beer, and took a long swig. He enjoyed the bitter taste while he chose to ignore Diego’s comment regarding their brother’s death.
“I won’t argue the gods have bigger plans. Question is what? Maybe they want to start a new race, a hybrid. Demon and dragon. I fuck her, get her with child then die.” He wondered if they would even be able to have children. The thought of his children living on without him caused the guilt to squeeze harder.
Diego tipped his bottle in salute. “Good point. I never thought of it that way. Then again…” He took a swig and let out a loud belch. “Why did they mate a human and guardian? Cassie is now one of them.”
Caleb turned around a chair and straddled it. “So either I become a demon or Lileta becomes a dragon? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Anything’s possible.”
“Again, we have a problem. I don’t think either of us would agree to the change.”
The air shifted. Caleb jumped from his chair, knocking it over, and Diego took a fighter’s stance. A woman’s figure formed in front of them.
Oroumea.
“How may we serve you, My Lady?” Caleb tipped his head. He wasn’t fond of the ghoul, but she did belong to his so-called leader and he still needed to keep up appearances.
Three women and a baby came in behind her. “Your leader asked that I deliver them to you. He said you would know what to do. Oh,” she reached out for the baby, “and take his screaming brat as well.” She practically tossed the child Ebros into his arms before she vanished.
Both he and Diego stared at the three women. “Why does he have pregnant human females in his possession?” his brother asked.
“I believe they are carrying his children.”
“Why?”
Caleb looked down at the babe tugging on his shirt. How could he have been so stupid? He never questioned Odage and what he was doing. One didn’t question their leader, especially when said leader was a dragon and apparently a very unstable one at that.
“Caleb!”
He cleared his head. “What?”
“What are you going to do? These women will die if they give birth.” Diego’s voice was full of panic.
“Ah hell. Go find Lileta. She has a concern for the women, and maybe she’ll know what to do.” He hoped she could shed some light on the situation. Guilt racked him as he looked down at the baby in his arms. He hoped to the gods that his mother hadn’t suffered during his birth, but something told him Odage wouldn’t have given a shit.
* * * *
“Oh Cassie, she is the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen,” Gwen cooed at the child in her arms.
“She is and now, thanks to all the guardians, the most spoiled as well,” Cassie replied.
Lileta watched as the baby was passed around the room. The men were absolutely smitten with her, including her own brother Baal. She couldn’t blame them; it had been a long time since a miracle of this magnitude had taken place. It was a shame the occasion had to be darkened by the abduction of the goddess Qadira and the Dark Lord’s attempts to open the gate. The men would soon be leaving to try to help contain Lowan’s demons so it was decided Cassie and little Ariana would stay in the compound with Aidyn. They were secure in a secluded area and as safe as if they were back in Vandeldor. Lileta, on the other hand, would head home for a reunion with her family. She had to admit, she was a little scared at being amongst her own again. Would they look at her with pity? She wanted none of it.