Page 59 of Prince of Tides
The single word didn’t do the ache in my gut justice, but I knew losing my temper and ranting and raving would get me nowhere. Besides, there wasn’t time for that. I had to get home, to the Bastion and my people, before the next attack.
Turning, I walked through the snow toward the house, powerful legs easily pushing it aside. I didn’t use any of my powers to stiffen the water into pure ice. I would need every ounce of energy I possessed to ensure I got home as fast as possible.
The sting of rejection followed me to the house. I knew it wouldn’t go away, certainly not anytime soon, at least. Laurie was my mate. I no longer doubted a dragon prince and a human woman could be fated for one another. She was the one for me, and she had rejected my true nature—who I was at my core. It was too much for her to handle.
I should have handled that better. Taken my time. Dragging her home with me was a bad choice. Between her ex, the pregnancy, and now this, all in a few weeks? It’s just too much. This is my fault.
Knowing it and being able to do anything about it, however, were two different matters. I would have to take the chance that Laurie would still be willing to give me the time of day when I had the opportunity to return to Earth. And it could be weeks before things calmed down. I just didn’t know.
Okay. Time to put Rip away and start thinking like Riptide. Your people need you.
Lord Crest was injured badly enough that they had to send a messenger for me. That meant the lands around the Fire Princedom would be in peril. The by-the-book response would be for Suhnamy to shift the Royal Guard to help cover the area.
Something about that didn’t feel right. The ancient enemy wasn’t acting normally.
I had to get back.
But as I reached the top step of the Tidal Estates, my ears registered the sound of an approaching vehicle. I spun to see Eb pulling the SUV up the driveway and skidding to a halt in front of the house.
My heart soared as Laurie jumped out of the back and hurried up the stairs. I tried to tamp down the surge of hope that filled me. It didn’t mean she was back at all. She might have one more question to ask. I didn’t know.
I, of course, failed. The sight of my mate running toward me would nevernotmake me feel amazing.
She ran up to me, coming all the way to the landing at the top of the stairs. I waited for her to speak.
“You’re going to be the father of my child,” she said. “Whether I like it or not.”
“Yes.”
“You owe me an explanation. A lot of explanations. I have questions. A lot of questions. And you’re going to answer them.”
“I will,” I promised. “I will answer everything. Anything you want to know, I will tell you, but—”
She cut me off with a sharp chop of her hand. “No. No buts, Rip. You have to answer every question.”
I smiled, reaching up to take the hand before she could lower it. “I will, Laurie. I will. But I must return to my homeland. I will give you all the answers you seek and likely more. But if you want them, you’ll have to come with me because I can’t stay here any longer. I must go.”
Laurie swallowed, her chest rising and falling. “All right.” She gestured toward the SUV where Eb was idling. “Let’s go.”
The smile that had never left my face became a wide grin. “Not quite. The entrance to my homeland is this way. Come, I’ll show you.”
I tugged on her hand, leading her into the house.
“Keep them on,” I said as she started to stamp her boots in preparation for removing them. “It’s fine, trust me.”
“Ookay.” She didn’t sound overly convinced.
“You’ll see,” I said, leading her to a door secured by a hefty locking mechanism. I slid open a panel on the wall next to it and inserted my hand. Water swirled, and I plunged it down through a tiny hole inside the open space. The pressure built, and slowly, pins began to expand outward, forced by the water.
A moment later, there was a heftyclunkfrom the door, and I withdrew my hand, reabsorbing the water into myself. The pressure-based locking system could only be unlocked by filling the vertical tube with enough water until it opened all the pins. Complicated for anyone else but child’s play for a water dragon.
I swung the heavy metal door open and led Laurie down to the basement. The lights came on as we went, motion activated.
“Whoa,” she said as we reached the ground floor.
A metal arch, perhaps twelve feet high and twice as wide, occupied a sunken pit in the center of the room. Underneath the arch was a shivering gray nothingness. Not the far side of the room, but an opaque blankness.
“Watch this,” I said, gathering a ball of water in my hand from the air around us and tossing it at the arc.
