Page 127 of Oath of Rebellion

A rush of heat flooded her, and she smiled as a small breeze blew past them. "I love you too, Knox. Don't take too long, alright?"

Lailant turned and jerked her chin, a group of children running in a circle around her and trying to get a rise out of the old woman. "Come along, princess. We've work to do."

Eirwyn let Knox' hands fall from hers as she stepped onto the road and pulled out the borrowed wand. One child took her other hand as she began to extend the wall of trees down the road.

She looked down at him, and the small thing pulled his thumb out of his mouth to ask, "Are we really going to live in the forest now?"

She nodded, the crowd beginning to thin as they followed her further into the forest. "For a while, yes. It seems like it. It's going to be a great adventure, don't you think?"

The little boy nodded and stuck his thumb back in his mouth.

She ushered people past, loathe to lose sight of Knox. The little boy dropped her hand and said, "I'm going to my Mama, but when you're done with the wand, I want it back. Mama says it's the most expensive thing we've ever bought."

Eirwyn promised to return it, then he continued on with his parents as everyone followed Lailant behind her.

Eirwyn worked quickly, her forehead beading with sweat. When the crowd was spread out, she walked back the way she'd come, weaving a wall of trees along the other side of the road.

She knew this part of the forest, as the secret entrance to the castle was just ahead. She focused on the excitement of learning new magic. So many questions popped into her mind.

Was it all because of their mate bond or had some of it been because of the apple? Or was it simply because her brother was no longer poisoning her? Her chest ached at the thought.

Lailant walked over and began asking questions about Hartsgrove, the apple, and more. Eirwyn bit her lip as she finished cocooning them with the magical wall.

She turned to Lailant, frowning and facing away from the crowd. "One question though," she said softly.

She put her hand on her stomach, pulling the loose over-sized dwarven shirt tight.

"Is this going to be alright, with the battle and stress today?" Eirwyn asked.

Lailant's eyes softened as she smiled, then she stepped up to put a hand on her stomach. Her eyes shifted to solid white, then back again so quickly Eirwyn wasn't sure if it had actually happened or not.

"Aye, this is the start of a new era. The scales of justice are shifting in our favor."

Eirwyn tilted her head and tried to make sense of Lailant's cryptic words.

Sure enough, Lailant continued, "What do you know of dragon pregnancies?"

Eirwyn shook her head. "Just the little that I read in the book, and all it explained was why this happened." She snorted, pursing her lips.

Lailant laughed, her hand dropping and resting back on top of her cane. "The pregnancies are longer than normal human births."

Eirwyn groaned and sighed, but Lailant grinned and shook her head.

"Now, now, don't worry too much. For most dragons, once the mating ritual is complete, they will have a week honeymoon. During that time, the egg will grow and be fertilized."

"Fertilized?" Eirwyn asked, her brows rising. "Haven't we already done that?"

Lailant frowned. "Perhaps. I can't quite remember. We'll need to consult the books. What I do remember is that it's just a few weeks. Then you will give birth to the egg."

Eirwyn's jaw dropped. "Weeks?"

Several of the townsfolk looked over at her sharp tone, but Eirwyn smiled at them and turned back to Lailant.

"The egg will need to incubate for almost a year. During that time, you won't look pregnant, but you'll have all the same symptoms of a dragon pregnancy. Your life still is tied through magic to the babe's."

A movement over Lailant's shoulder drew her gaze, and Eirwyn shifted to peer around a tree. She saw someone coming through the secret entrance to the castle.

She glanced at Knox, still straining as he created a wall to slow the spread of the curse. Then she nodded to the entrance.

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