Page 47 of Scales and Seduction

I glance over at Ruby from the corner of my eye. She stands tall, her face radiating calm, but I can see the tension in her shoulders and the bags under her eyes. “There is something very big at play here, but after meeting Ruby, I see no reason to stop anyone from finding their mate.” I squeeze her hand. Her standing beside me as my mate, my love and the one I want for the rest of my life makes me feel unstoppable.

“We will not stop the app from functioning, and we will allow fate to take its course. For now, we are to welcome any and all new human arrivals as if they are friends to the crown. Do you understand me?”

Calista smiles in her knowing way and nods. “Indeed, dear. They will be just like my very own child.”

The others nod, though I can see the way they hesitate, and Dothan seems pissed more than anything. Still, they fought me much less than I expected.

“Good.” I squeeze Ruby’s hand in mine. “This is something bigger than all of us. I need all of you to work together because, if we don’t stand together, then the Vale might fall.”

The room remains silent, the weight of my words ringing heavy in the air. I didn’t expect them to agree or even understand, but I needed them to hear me.

“There’s one more thing,” I say hesitantly. “The poison the draugr used did something to Ruby. Calista, I want you to help us with it.” I don’t elaborate further, but Calista is the only one I trust with the secret for now about Ruby’s magic. Once we’ve pinpointed what it is, and what it means, then perhaps we can train her to use it effectively. So far, all I’ve gathered is it shows her who is connected to the app.

Calista nods, giving me a small wink as if she knows something but hasn’t mentioned it. I’m sure, like Silas, she senses the magic Ruby has coursing through her veins. “Of course, dear. Bring her to the farm anytime.”

“I also need help preparing the Vale for acceptance of Ruby. We have been carefully hiding her nature with Silas’s help, but we can’t do that forever. Not to mention, if more humans arrive, there won’t be a way to glamor them all.” I allow myself to sigh a heavy breath. “Ruby needs to be safe here in the Vale, but I know, thanks to our history, people may have different opinions.”

This isn’t just another skirmish or crisis. This is the beginning of something much larger than all of us.

The warmth of Calista’s farmhouse wraps around me like a familiar embrace. The scent of spiced cider fills the air as our steeping hot cups sit around the large dining table. It’s a worn, wooden thing, scratched by years of use, but it adds to the charm of the house. Calista raised us all in this very house, and now it’s just her and Silas’s younger sister, Wren, left.

Ruby sits beside me with a small, tired smile playing on her lips as we watch Loran animatedly recount a story about a potion experiment from when we were young. “And then,” Loran says, suppressing his chuckle as he tells us the story, “instead of a simple healing draught, I somehow turned my hair into bark. It took weeks to wear off.”

He gestures wildly, nearly knocking over his mug, and that sends Silas into a fit of laughter. I can’t remember the last time I heard laughter like that from Silas; it’s so unburdened and carefree.

“You never told me about this.” My eyes are wide with amusement as I glance at my friend.

Loran smiles. “I try not to advertise my less successful experiments.”

Calista sits at the head of the table, shaking her head fondly as she sips her tea. “You boys always got yourselves into the worst trouble,” she says warmly. “Gideon was the only one with any sense.”

Silas snorts, pointing directly at me. “Gid? Sensible? He once got his tail stuck in the fence and cried until Atticus cut him loose.”

I groan, rubbing my face until I feel a hand on my scales under the table. Ruby gently gives my body a squeeze, and I can’t help the way my face turns red. “That was just one time!”

Silas smirks, reaching over to jab me on the shoulder with his index finger. “Come on, Pokey, don’t get all embarrassed now.”

“What? Is that a nickname?” Ruby turns to me, eyes glimmering with curiosity and delight. God, why are they choosing now to haze me? Haven’t we gone through enough this week?

Silas grins wickedly. “Oh, did he never tell you?”

Immediately, I shoot Silas a glare. “Say one more word, and I will see to it that you never drink another drop of wine in your life.”

“Sure, sure…of course you will, Prince,” he says, clearly unfazed. “You already owe me three times your weight in wine orders after all the glamors for your pretty mate.”

“Oh, don’t be like that.” Ruby elbows me playfully. “I like it. Pokey.” She tries not to snicker, hiding her smile by turning her head in the opposite direction.

For the first time in days, there’s no talk of draugr or danger. There are no looming threats and no poison. There’s just warmth, good conversation and the presence of the people I care about the most. Ruby starts training with Calista tomorrow to find out more about her powers, but until then, I want to embrace this feeling. For now, we can breathe.

As the cups empty and the fire in the hearth burns lower, the conversation inevitably turns serious.

“So,” Loran says as he sets his cup down roughly against the table. “What’s the next move?”

“We need to know what the draugr are after and who controls them,” I say, calculating in my mind what might be most pressing to do first. “With Avalon on the council and her security force working on a barrier, we’ll be protected for the most part.”

Silas nods, his usual mirth replaced by focus, but there’s something else hidden there behind his eyes that I can’t quite read. “Are you planning on shutting down the app once you’ve found out who’s responsible?”

I shake my head, but before I can find the words to answer him, Ruby chimes in, with a grin stretched across her face. “Silas, are you going to try the app?” Ruby asks, smirking as she leans her body against mine. “I know you both mentioned how much you wish you’d find a mate.”

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