Furee Born: The Dragon Mage Series Book IV (18 page)

“Then that is what you
shall have,” he said, his voice gruff with so many emotions even he could not
separate them all.

“And you, Furee?” she
asked, snuggling in tighter, breathing him in and wanting him to be as happy as
he made her.  “Will a home and a family by the sea be enough?”

“Enough?”  He ran his
hand up her back, just enjoying the feel of her safely against him.  “With you,
that is everything.”

Riva sucked back sudden
tears at the sincerity in his words and gave his words back to him with a tear-hitched
laugh.  “Then that is what you shall have.”

Clare snuck back into
Theron’s room as soon as she could get away from the after dinner chat.  She
did not like to leave him alone, but she knew her sisters worried if she didn’t
come and at least eat.  So she ate and cuddled her nieces and tried to reassure
her little brother that she was fine, but she was not and everybody knew it. 
Theron had been in his healing sleep for two weeks.  Too long, even if Asha
assured her that he would come out of it when he was ready.

Clare was way past
ready.  Apparently, so was Theron because when she looked at the bed, it was
empty.  Her heart racing with both joy and nerves, Clare looked around the
room, and then with furrowed brow, she ran out onto the balcony.  Nothing. 

Where? 
She
heard a sound and turned toward the other side of the balcony where the shadows
of the evening were longest.

“Theron?”  She had no
idea why she whispered, but the situation seemed to call for it.

“He is gone,” Asha said,
stepping out of the shadows, her eyes sad and something else that Clare did not
want to identify too closely.  It looked too much like pity.

“What do you mean he’s
gone?”

“He left as soon as he
awoke,” Asha said quietly.  “He does not intend to come back.”

Clare sucked in a hard
breath as the words struck her chest forcefully.  “He told you this?  He at
least gave you a good-bye?”  Her words were more bitter than she intended, but
she raised her chin with what was left of her battered pride anyway.

“No,” Asha said softly,
sorrow strong in her voice.  “He said no good-byes, least of all to me.  I went
into the weave.”

Clare took a deep
breath.  “And?”

“The blood stone is gone,
but the taint of it lingers.  He leaves to put distance between himself . . .”
Asha hesitated and then finished.  “And you.  He does not trust himself with you.”

Clare narrowed her eyes. 
Her heart started beating again with anger.  “Are you telling me that after
everything I went through with him in those caves he is trying to
protect
me,
by leaving
?”

Asha nodded, her eyes on
Clare seemed to be watching and hoping.  But if the woman thought Clare was
going to go all soft and gooey at this hard-headed,
so incredibly male
move,
she was going to be disappointed. Clare turned with a huff and headed for her
own room without another word.

“What will you do?” Asha
called to her back.

Clare snorted her ire.  “I’m
going to go claim
my
mate and let him know he is the one who will be in
need of
protection
if he tries anything like this again.”  Then she
slammed the door for good measure, no doubt leaving Theron’s sister in a state
of shock at her unladylike behavior and intentions.

The dragon seer looked at
the closed door for a long moment, and then she smiled.