Page 60 of Emerald Waves
“Does someone what to tell me what the hell is going on?” Ionus demanded. I cringed at the anger in his voice, having done my best to stay on his good side.
“Let’s wait for Odem and Quint to get here. I’d rather not answer these questions twice.” Mattias was a keep to himself kind of dragon and by far the calmest of the bunch. A man of few words, but one who was apparently full of secrets. He held the key to the merging of our species. Without a doubt, I knew that.
Odem and Quint entered a few minutes later. Odem was never one for stealth and was more ofa hey, I’m here, let’s get the party started, kind of dragon. How he ever managed to sneak up on an opponent was beyond me.
“Begin again, Emerson,” Mattias waved his hand around, clearly annoyed with the invasion.
“How long have you known about the Merdragons?” My mate growled and Odem gasped.
“Since they fled to the seas after the Dragon Wars. I’ve helped protect them. They wished to remain hidden and asked that I keep their secret. In order to do so, it meant keeping them safely hidden away from all, including my brothers.”
Ionus slammed his fist down on the desk, denting a good chunk of the mahogany surface. “Nothing and I mean nothing is to be kept from us!”
Mattias cocked a brow. “Really, dear leader. You mean to say you’ve spilled all your secrets over the centuries?” Whenhis question was met with another growl, in lieu of words, he continued. “I thought not. The seas are mine, oceans, lakes, ponds and any other water-based crevices included. I’ve been following Caro for centuries. Each time he crossed the waves and dove beneath them, I was there. However, before the day we entered his horde and the statue called to me, I had no clue he'd been taking artifacts, nor rehabilitating sea life. That last part I’m very pleased with, the artifacts, not so much.”
“Following me?” Caro questioned. “Like an errant child?”
“Think of it as you may, brother, but the seas are mine. It wasn’t until your visits increased in frequency that I realized just how closely linked our affinities truly are. Raven’s recent lessons on how we can share them served to solidify that.”
“Did you know of the other Merdragon clans?” I again asked before they got too far off topic, and all hell broke loose.
“Yes, and I’ve already reached out to request a gathering of elders. They are peaceful dragons and prefer to keep to their own, but if a war is truly upon us, they must be prepared. I’ll not allow them to be attacked again. Not on my watch.” The brothers were mere eggs when the war broke out, unable to protect anything. What was left took centuries to rebuild. Apparently, more clans than we’d thought had survived.
“Any more secrets, brothers?” Ionus asked the group, but no one replied. “Great. Can’t wait to see what happens next.”
“I knew exactly where Emerson was and that he was safe. Kai only wished to have Tasi returned. That little imp is a smart one, sometimes too smart for his own good. His affinities mirror that of a mage,” Mattias smiled fondly, then shook his head. “I am very in touch with my element and am aware of all that takes place within my beloved water.”
“I don’t like any of this,” Ionus huffed. “Secrets lead to deadly encounters. How can we protect dragons and humans if we don’t even know what clan Denarius is up to?”
Fear turned to sorrow as I saw the hurt in Ionus eyes. He’d been tasked with not only keeping the brothers together, but with training them as protectors while they’d kept things from him. Things such as Merdragons, which was a huge deal.
“Maybe the focus shouldn’t be so much on secrets, as it should be on ensuring each of us are in sync with our elements. There is much we must learn from them if we’re to weather the impending storm.” Mattias was full of surprises today. I’d never conversed much with him, he was the more reserved brother, but I’d surely pick his brain from here on out.
“It’s always the quiet ones,” Ionus complained. “All these years I thought I knew my brothers, only to find they’d kept secrets from me all along. Private secrets between partners are one thing, but secrets that affect all our kind are unacceptable to harbor. Mattias, had you told us, and explained your pledge to keep them safe, we would’ve adhered to that, but instead you chose to say nothing. That I cannot forgive. I’ve devoted my life to our cause, the entire purpose for our existence, and now you’ve left me questioning everything.”
“Ionus, it’s not like that.” Mattias words fell on deaf ears as Ionus stormed from the room.
“S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to start all this.” Great, now I was the cause for the brothers fighting. “I ran out of the house so fast. I didn’t know they were there. I’m sorry.”
“The fault is not yours, Emerson. Your curiosity is one of many things I love about you,” Caro entwined our fingers. “We’ve all kept secrets, which means we’re all at fault here, not you. We, as the protectors, have our work cut out for us. My love, could you leave us to discuss this?”
That request I was happy to oblige. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. I’d already caused enough problems and wanted nothing more than to once again hide away inside the sanctity of our horde. It was by far my favorite place, and the one I was mostcomfortable in. As soon as that heavily armed door shut behind me, I leaned against it and breathed a sigh of relief. “Home sweet, horde.” The smell of saltwater and parchment paper filled my senses, calming my racing heart.
Home.
Home was truly where my heart was. And anywhere Caro was too, of course.
I couldn’t wait to show our little peanut all the wonderful lives his Papa had saved. Trooper was by far my favorite, though I loved each of them. Would our dragonet be as proud of me as they will be of their Papa? I hoped so. Being an archivist and historian may not be glamorous, and my dragon may not be as big as Caro’s, but my work is necessary. It’s important for our species to learn from our history and from where they came, and hopefully not make the same mistakes as dragons past. War was never the answer.
Now, to double check I’d properly documented the blood pact between Ionus and Kai, along with my time in the Merdragon cave. I couldn’t wait to visit again and watch them as they go through their daily routines. At least that encounter ended on a bright note even if it did end with a rebuilding of the pitch.
Goddess, please don’t ever let anyone tell our baby how or where they were conceived.
Have you eaten, my love?
Right on cue my stomach protested.
Um, no.
