Page 66 of Kingdom of Ashes & Bone
He didn’t need to say it; I understood. So did my mates.
We are sorry for your loss,Zariah intoned seriously. Zion made a sound of agreement behind him. They got down on all fours as well, resting their heads on the ground in solidarity with the massive black dragon.
“Nuri is a beautiful name,” I said to the baby, smiling as I held her up in the sunlight. Her scales sent a kaleidoscope of color bursting across my chest and face.
It was my fault. I … My mate was not strong enough to give birth. She would not shift into her dragon form. If I had not lost myself to instincts …Sabrathan broke off, too despondent to continue as he scraped his snout into the ground. I hugged the baby close to my chest, her struggles ceasing as she put her head next to my heart beat.
“Why are you here?” I asked, though I was confident I already knew what he would ask.
I do not know how to care for a child,he admitted, his voice breaking.I killed my mate. I do not wish to kill my child. She deserves better. She deserves—He cut himself off, viciously shaking his head side to side.
I reached a hand out and laid my palm firmly on his massive snout, giving him a physical presence to focus on. Sabrathan went still, calming under my touch.
“She can stay under one condition,” I demanded of him.
A whining sound left his throat.Anything,he begged.
I smiled, directing my thoughts to everyone.You stay with us. She deserves to know how much her father loves her, and how much he loved her mother, even if your time was cut short.
Sabrathan reared back as though I’d asked him to cut his wings off. I turned my attention to the baby, still marveling at the odd, yet beautiful creature in my hands. She stared at me seriously, her little brow crinkling with effort. With a quiet whispering sound, her wings sucked into her back and her fangs retracted. Her scales flashed then disappeared under smooth skin, barely visible to the eye.
I blinked in surprise as I held what now appeared to be a normal human baby, albeit with glimmering skin.
“Eee!” Nuri swiped at my hair and giggled, clearly pleased with herself.
Did … did you know she could do that?Zion asked, just as taken aback as I was. Zariah stuck his head over my shoulder to gently nuzzle the baby, who gave me an impressive little roar as she laughed and snarled at his dragon’s face.
You are the first human she has seen,Sabrathan offered.When she was born, my mate … I … did not want her to see her mother’s body. I took care of it quickly.
I never wanted to hug anything more than the giant mess of a dragon in front of me. Nuri couldn’t stop snuggling into me, touching my hair and soft skin, comparing it to her own. I had so many questions, but they weren’t appropriate now.
You told me it was impossible in dragon form,Zion pouted privately to Zariah and me.
Zariah hissed and swiped at Zion’s head.Sabrathankilledhis mate.
To be fair, the birth killed her. Not … the act,I interjected.
So he claims, Zariah shot back.
Sabrathan stayed on his belly, watching patiently as we decided his fate, and the fate of his daughter.
Does that mean if they both would have been dragons they would have had a dragon baby?
I closed my eyes, willing my boys to shut up. Now wasn’t the time.
Zion shifted back into his human form, hands eagerly held out to hold the baby. I handed her over after a small nod from Sabrathan. Zion’s eyes were huge as he took in the tiny baby who held so many of his mother’s characteristics.
“I guess this would make her our half-sister, doesn’t it?” he said carefully, a touch of awe in his voice. Zion glanced up at Sabrathan, flashing a winning grin. “That makes you family, you know. You can’t go anywhere.”
Zariah huffed from us, stubbornly still in dragon form.
I gave Zion a significant glance, arching an eyebrow at him. He rolled his eyes good naturedly, handing the baby back. As he shifted into dragon form and tackled Zariah, I smiled tightly at Sabrathan.
Zariah’s roar of frustration echoed over the valley as they both tumbled down the cliff, biting and clawing at each other. With one hand, I patted Nuri on the back, swaying back and forth. Sabrathan’s head tilted to the side.
Should I …
I waved a hand dismissively. “Let them fight. It’s good for them to get the piss and vinegar out every now and then. You could always spar with them sometimes. We’ve found it helps them keep their dragon instincts in check.”
