Page 42 of Mage of the Dragon Prince
Tatsuki greeted him warmly, gesturing for him to come over. “Welcome, dear brother. What news do you bring us?”
“I thought you would be interested in hearing how Vanra’s first session with me went.” Jaega made himself comfortable on a chair in Tatsuki’s sitting room. “Now that I have worked with him, I see why you accepted him as clan.”
“He is a curious creature. We were surprised to feel his power unleashed earlier.”
“I requested he do that, so I knew what I was working with,” Jaega explained. “To say I was unprepared for that level of power is an understatement.”
“It is most unexpected for a mere human.” Tatsuki stroked his chin with a pensive expression. “We havenever known one to be so powerful. It would be disconcerting and make us question our judgment in accepting him as clan if he had a different temperament.”
“He is even more powerful than you think.” Jaega held up his now unblemished hand, curling his fingers into a fist. Although he had watched with his own eyes, he could still scarcely believe the human had done so.
Tatsuki’s red eyes went wide in shock. “But that is impossible!” He reached out to take Jaega’s hand in his, running his thumb over where there used to be a scar. “How could a merehumanheal the damage of a Divine weapon?”
“I do not profess to know, but he did it effortlessly.” Jaega shook his head in disbelief. “He claimed to have healed the same injuries on other shifters and half-shifters. I found it hard to believe, and yet his scent conveyed he was telling the truth.”
Tatsuki leaned back in his chair. “Yes, we discussed such things in our meeting with the human. He seems free of all the hatred and prejudice his kind are known for. We do not know what to make of it.”
“I will continue training with him. Once he has made sufficient progress, perhaps he can work with Fersen or one of the other Enchanters to improve his magic further.”
Tatsuki nodded. “That is a fine idea. He will need all the help he can get to make his journey.”
“Journey?”
“We are sending him to Satsuma for answers that only she can help him with. Even with Kitaro at his side, it will be a dangerous quest. The more prepared he is for the trip, the better his odds are of returning home to his time.”
Jaega still found Vanra’s story of time traveling almost too unbelievable to be true. But if his brother accepted the veracity of the human’s claims, then Jaega would, too.
“Despite Mitsuki’s protests, Kitaro was right to bring Vanra here. The Fate Power clearly has something in mind for the human, so we will play our supporting part.”
“What do you think Sophina has in store for him?”
“We do not pretend to know, but she never acts without a reason. We objected to the human’s presence until he explained the truth of how he came to stand before us. As unbelievable as his story is, we cannot help but be intrigued by him. You have our gratitude for training him.”
“He is a quick study, so I suspect he will make excellent progress, especially if he is also training separately with Kitaro.”
“Please keep us updated. We are endlessly curious about such a strange creature.” Jaega shook his head. “It is a most unexpected outcome.”
Jaega chuckled. “As sweet as he is, it is hard not to like him.”
“Mitsuki manages to hate him just fine,” Tatsuki said with a bark of laughter. “But we agree. We were ready to kill him where he stood, and yet, our hand was stayed by his earnestness. We do not understand what it is about him that makes us wish to trust in his sincerity.”
“It will definitely keep things interesting, especially for Kitaro.” Jaega had his suspicions that his nephew’s heart was entirely unprepared for what being around Vanra constantly would do to him. “Are you prepared for that possibility?”
“Of Kitaro wanting to claim Vanra for a mate?”
Jaega nodded. “As inexperienced as Kitaro is with romance, I suspect he will struggle when Vanra’s heat hits.”
“The thought of our youngest mating a human would have sent us into a blind fury mere days ago.” Tatsuki steepled his fingers with a thoughtful expression. “But we have already accepted Vanra as clan, so the possibility is not as troubling as it would have been. We still wish to use Kitaro to strengthen an alliance with another kingdom, but if that were to come to pass, it is not an insurmountable problem. We will have more children.”
Jaega arched an eyebrow in surprise at his oldest brother’s claim. “You would risk angering Arenthia again by being with another woman?”
“Apparently.” Tatsuki smiled at a private joke Jaega wasn’t privy to. “Love leads to many things.”
It was a strange comment coming from Tatsuki. Jaega pointed out, “But you do not believe in love.”
“Not right now. But perhaps that will change in the future.” Tatsuki chuckled to himself. “We look forward to finding out.”
Jaega stared at his brother in astonishment. “I never thought I would hear the day when you of all people would extol the virtues of love.”
