Page 4 of The Dragon's Stone Hearted Mate
“Morvan, have you considered that you wanted to die saving him to prove that you’re a good person?” Chole asked.
“I’m not a good person. I never tried to be. I don’t care if what I think is right or wrong is good or bad. It’s what I know the world to be. Is it good to kill people to save those who can’t save themselves? Is it bad to want to die instead of my brother?”
“Those are questions only you can answer, Morvan,” Chole flashed me a sad smile. “Just remember you were quick to ensure me it was society and our quasi-capitalism that caused me to lack the resources for rescuing Berry. You cared how I felt.”
“You’re not an asshole,” I shrugged. “Though, what the fuck do I know? I didn’t want to believe Torvan was an asshole.”
“We all have our blind spots. How do you feel about a getaway?”
“I’m flattered, really. I’m not even going to ask if you and your mate are poly or if such a thing would be extramarital, but I’m gay. You’re beautiful and---”
“Not like that,” she narrowed her eyes on me. “Not like that at all.”
“Sorry,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “Eh… Sometimes people try to pay us in sexual favors, and I’ve figured out how to nicely turn them down. I like fucking around as much as the next dragon, but no one should be paying for life saving services with sex they’re not into. Getting back on track,” I said as my dragon rolled onto his back laughing at me from inside his inner sanctum. “I don’t think a holiday will resolve this issue. If it were that simple, I’d have packed up and gone away on my own. It’s not like anything is keeping me here anymore.”
“I didn’t mean a holiday exactly. There’s an Other World retreat for those in your situation starting this weekend. It takes place at this beautiful little camp with cabins and everything. It’s peer run, meaning everyone who works there has lost someone very close to them and it’s interplanetary so who knows? Maybe you’ll meet someone interesting while you’re there. And yes, it’s dragon friendly.”
“How much?” I asked, trying not to roll my eyes.
“It’s free with a referral from a therapist who works with the camp,” Chole said.
“And that would be you?” I arched a brow.
“Hmmm… I wonder what sort of time-share scheme this is?”my dragon chimed into my thoughts.
“I grew up during the war,” she shrugged. “I lost people. Lots of them. Survivor’s guilt is a bitch, Morvan, and she never shuts her fucking trap.”
“I can’t even say he’d be happy I survived,” I let out a bitter laugh.
“Well, Morvan, with all due respect, fuck him and the silver spoon he was born with,” Chole said, her expression turning grim. “I think in the end he choked on it. So, what do you say? Do you want me to sign you up for camp?”
“Don’t say it like that,” I huffed and waved away the ring of smoke that escaped from my nose. “Seriously. I’m not some twelve-year-old you’re sending off for the summer.”
“Take it or leave it. Today is the last day. Otherwise, you’ll be waiting for months, and I think it’ll really help you.”
“Do you get a kickback from referring people?” I asked her.
“Nope. It’s all volunteer run. No one’s making any money on it. Like I said, it’s interplanetary and most places don’t have a cash conversion system in place, anyway.”
“I hate the idea but fine. I’ll do whatever it takes to make this feeling of Frost-foresaken doom shut the fuck up.”
“Sometimes you just have to find the good vibes that shout louder than the doom, friend, because the cycle of life and death aren’t going anywhere,” Chole chuckled and finally looked down at her clipboard. A second later she handed me a sheet of paper with all the stuff I needed to go to camp.
Chapter Three
Morvan
Somewhere in the Other World
Two days later, I walked through the closest Other World gateway with just a backpack over my shoulder. It was the same pack I’d carried around since packing it the night after Torvan’s funeral service. I couldn’t go back to our shared home and sitting in one place was too much for my stir-crazy dragon. So, I packed up everything I thought I’d die without if I never saw it again and went from place to place. I hadn’t bothered telling anyone I was leaving the planet. I probably should’ve told Crilus, the friend I had looking after the restaurants. Though, if something offed me at camp, they’d remain in his possession, so I didn’t feel too bad about not giving him a head’s up. Crilus had a head for numbers and a personality to work ‘front of the house’ businesses. Hell, he even seduced Cobalt into whipping his dick out at the bar. Whether he planned it or not, it was a good marketing strategy. I wasn’t sure what he was doing to market the Raven’s Perch now that Cobalt, Indigo, and Teal had all met their mates, but he was part elf. He’d figure out something.
With the big mahogany standalone door behind me I took a deep breath. The air was cleaner on this side. For the most part, I avoided the Other World. I had enough problems with the planet I was born on without having pie in the sky dreams about adventuring on others. I’d worry about seeing the universe after we managed to restore our planet and take care of everyone there.
“You can’t get homesick now. We’re like two steps inside,”my dragon grumbled into my thoughts.“Gotta get our heads on straight. Do you know how many assholes have probably been offed since we left!? We’re getting lazy and they’re numbers are growing!”
“Watch out, guy! Some of us have places to be!” A gruff looking guy who smelled like a skunk shifter elbowed by me.
I swallowed a growl, and my dragon took to sharpening his claws on a tree inside his inner sanctum. I stepped off the main path and took a few minutes to ground myself. The Other World wasn’t London. There weren’t any buses to catch to ride around on and flying in the wrong spot might get you stung by a giant hornet. The trees and vegetation were green and lush in this area and a misty rain gave everything a grey hue which was befitting the purpose of my trip. This particular Other World gateway was one of the busier ones because it was the closest to the heart of Moonscale London and I’d been told it connected directly to busy parts of other places on Earthside too. If you knew the path, you could end up on Hemlock Mountain or at Hemlock Academy without ever thinking about crossing any ocean. It was becoming more and more common for folks to use the gateways to travel instead of things like planes and boats. Not everyone opted for the much more environmentally friendly mode of travel but since my destination was inside the Other World, I didn’t have much choice in the matter. Though, the greener the better was still my motto.
