Fire of a Dragon (Fallen Immortals 3) - Paranormal Fairytale Romance (7 page)

Leksander eyed Lucian but said nothing.

He just gave them both a gruff nod, wearing his impatience like a shield to keep their questions at bay.

The throne room was resplendent with all the ethereal décor that magic could provide from flickering torch lights to bouquets of flowers in every nook to velvet-draped walls and floors. The long, narrow room was seldom used, and in fact, Lucian couldn’t recall a time it had been put to use in the hundred years since they had relocated to the Seattle mountains.

Just after Cara’s death.

The last time the House of Smoke had seen such a ceremony, it was back in France, and Lucian was waiting for Cara to make her appearance in her presentation dress, the one he had specially conjured to her precise specifications. After her death, he could no longer bear to live in his own lair. To walk the same halls that she had. To live inside the same keep where she died. It had driven him away from France and eventually brought the entire House here. This new throne room in Seattle was constructed to be identical to the one they left behind, still steeped in the history of their House, but it was left fallow, literally waiting until someone extraordinary could take Cara’s place.

He banished that from his mind.

There would be no thoughts of the dead today.

Lucian and his brothers stood by the door, awaiting Arabella’s arrival.
His mate. The mother of his child.
She should be the only focus today. Her coming out to the House was the most solemn of occasions, and the one his mother had been insisting he make as soon as Arabella passed her fortnight of seclusion.

His mother and father sat on their thrones at the far end of the room opposite the door. King Larik and Queen Alexis, both dragons nearing the end of their lives at a thousand years. The dragons of the House lined either side, standing and waiting for Arabella’s arrival. Everyone was dressed in traditional formalwear, a mixture of ancient dragon culture and the medieval period in which his mother and father had been born as well as Lucian and his brothers. Most in attendance were male dragons, but the few mated ones had brought their females to the ceremony. The queen was beautifully regal in her purple gown, fitted and flowing, elegance and beauty, as always. The king wore the traditional high collar and long black jacket, etched with fine gold thread. Lucian’s presentation attire was more elaborate, suitable for his station as the crown prince for the ceremony. His black hood was pushed back, and the drape of his long tunic was woven with protective wedding runes, the same that he had conjured in Arabella’s gown. His chest was emblazoned with the dragon of their House.

His sensitive hearing caught the whisper of Arabella’s steps outside the door of the throne room just before Cinaed swung open the door. His best friend was somber as he held the door wide for Lucian’s mate. He only had a moment to wonder about the furrowed look on Cinaed’s face before Lucian’s mind was captured by the sight of Arabella in her presentation dress. Halfway through her pregnancy now, the bump of her belly sweetly round and captivating, she radiated every fertility symbol worshiped through all of time. Flowing layers of white fabric floated around her as she moved. Her sweet breasts perched high, her delicately freckled skin making his mouth ache. A single golden band wrapped around her temple, signaling her new status as a princess. The flowing train of white floated in the breeze behind her. He was so captivated by her appearance that it took a moment for his eyes to find hers. But when they did, those green jewels locked onto him, and she bestowed upon him a tentative smile.

If only he could capture her in this moment and never let go. If only it didn’t require her to risk her life to bring her to his throne room. If only the specter of Cara’s death didn’t loom over her, the sparkle in Arabella’s eyes just the same as Cara’s when she had come through the door all those years ago. Lucian ground his teeth and forced himself to push those thoughts aside. There was no room for them here today, in this moment.

Cinaed held the door as Arabella stepped through. Her maid, Rachel, followed. Leonidas left Lucian’s side to offer his arm to Arabella. Tradition held that a dragon sponsor would escort his mate before the king and queen to present her for their official blessing. It was a formality for matings which had already occurred, but Leonidas had insisted that he fulfill the role. Not that Arabella had any objection whatsoever. The two of them marched in a solemn, measured pace down the length of the throne room. Rachel followed a step behind, fussing with the long train that flowed behind Arabella, even though the magic imbued in the dress kept it floating perfectly. Smiles and glittering eyes of appreciation followed Arabella. Her sealing mark undulated along her back, drawing everyone’s murmurs of approval. It was seductive, all that skin, all marked by him, her beauty and strength all perfectly shown off by that alluring showcase. Lucian could feel the twin emotions of pride and jealous lust rippling through the entire assemblage of male dragons.

Their prince was mated once again—something many of them surely never expected to happen—and to a beauty who was plainly extraordinary. They had much to envy, but even their piercing gazes didn’t arouse any jealousy in Lucian. There were a hundred or so of them, and not one would wish for anything but the safe delivery of his dragonling into the world, securing the treaty along with the House of Smoke’s place in the immortal world for another generation.

Cinaed joined Lucian and Leksander by the door once he had closed it. They would wait until Arabella’s acceptance before making their own solemn march down the length of the throne room for the final blessing by the king and queen.

A glance at Cinaed showed his worried look was still present. His gaze was locked on Arabella, who had nearly reached the throne dais. Or perhaps it was Rachel’s lovely rear end that captured his attention as she skittered and shuffled along behind, bending to adjust the dress that didn’t need adjustment. Even as Lucian had been buried in his own concerns, it had not escaped his notice that Cinaed gladly hewed close to Rachel. And Lucian recognized lust in another dragon when he saw it.

“You should grab hold of love when it comes your way, my friend,” Lucian whispered, dipping his head to Cinaed. Arabella’s introduction up front was continuing apace without them.

Cinaed gave him an odd look—and a more tentative one than Lucian expected. Was he truly that hesitant to bed the female? Or was there more to it than that?

Cinaed looked back to the front, this time plainly fixed on Rachel standing off to the side while Arabella held court with the king and queen. “I’m holding out for the rare human woman capable of loving a dragon such as myself.” Then he turned back to Lucian. “Knowing the price she might pay for that love.”

Lucian’s heart squeezed. Cinaed had been at his side through everything with Cara, from the first blush of love through to the tragic and bloody end. And that dark time when Lucian had banished himself to the dim forests of Europe, seeking a redemption that would not come. It was only through the forbearance and steady love of his friend that Lucian had found his way out of the wildness once again.

“Any woman who wins your heart,” Lucian said, “is a treasure indeed. And you’re still a young dragon. What have you, a hundred years under your scales? Mating now would cut your life short, and I want to see you live a long and full life, my friend.”

Cinaed grimaced. “I care not for that. I care for finding the
right
woman. The one who wins my heart would have it forever, or as many years as the fates grant me.” Cinaed’s gaze drew forward again, but this time, it landed on Leonidas. “The House of Smoke has blessed me. I’ve learned the lessons of your brother well. He was unwilling to mate as a young dragon, and he paid the price for it. With all due respect, my prince, I am not that foolish.”

Lucian smiled. “You are the wisest dragon I know, Cinaed. Woe to the woman who crosses you.”

Cinaed just shook his head and stared at the floor. “Woe to me with my foolish tendency to fall in love all too quickly.”

“Love, you say?” Lucian examined Rachel once again, standing at attention by Arabella’s side. Even from this distance, Lucian could see the tears trickling from the corners of her eyes, clearly with love for her friend.

“It makes no sense,” Cinaed said with a grimace. “She’s quarrelsome and angry and far too quick to tell me where I’m wrong.”

Lucian barely stifled his laugh. “Sounds perfect for you.”

Cinaed drew back. “Surely my lord jests.”

“Not at all.” Lucian smirked. “It’s the ones you cannot possibly stay away from, the ones who irritate you the most… those are the ones who find their way deep into your heart and never let go.”

Cinaed briefly squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. “That’s what I fear.”

Leonidas rested a hand on Cinaed’s shoulder. “Don’t fear love, my friend. Learn that lesson from me.”

Cinaed bit his lip and seemed to be conceding the point, but then he said, “I fear giving my heart to the wrong woman. I’m willing to wait for the right one. I’ve no need to jump at the first one that makes my blood boil and my irritation swell and who inspires me to more than simply drag her off to my bed.”

Lucian smiled. “Anyone who loves my Arabella cannot be all bad.”

With that, Cinaed’s face opened in recognition. “My lord may be on to something there.”

“Indeed.” He clapped his hand again on Cinaed’s shoulder, but the time had come for him to approach the throne. Silence reigned throughout the room, heavy with expectation.

Lucian led the way with Cinaed and Leksander trailing behind him. Arabella had stepped to the side with a radiant expression awaiting him. He fought to shove away the sensation of déjà vu, that he had been in this moment before with Cara. Instead, he focused on Arabella’s beaming face, letting her draw him in as she always did. Only when he reached the front did he turn his gaze to his mother, who was likewise beaming, and his father’s wide smile.

“Your majesties,” he said with a low bow. “What is your decision?” It was a formality, but formalities and ritual had power. Their approval would cement Arabella’s place in the House of Smoke and in the eyes of every dragon present.

“Your mate’s love is True,” his mother said, speaking first, as was custom. “I accept her into our House.”

Then his father spoke next, his deep booming voice only slightly touched with gravel and age. “Her strength and good heart are a blessing upon this House.” His father’s words had a double-edged meaning for Lucian now. The same words had been spoken when Cara was accepted, but they proved not to be true. She was
not
strong enough to survive him and his seed. Her heart was good… but not good enough. Not with the doubts that must have lingered there. “I accept her into the House of Smoke,” his father continued. Then he raised his voice. “May your dragonling live long, and may the House of Smoke prosper under the blessing of a new prince.”

That was the signal, along with the king’s raised hands.

The House was holding their breath, waiting.

Arabella didn’t know it, but the ceremony was sealed with a kiss. Lucian held his hand out to her, and when she took it, he pulled her close. With one hand on her belly and his son and the other in her hair, he brought her in for a kiss that was delicious and divine and sparked everywhere through him.

And it was a damn good thing they were heading back to his lair immediately afterward.

A roar of approval went up throughout the throne room, and Lucian let his kiss linger and linger, only releasing her when he sensed a flush of embarrassment running through her cheeks.

He grinned as he pulled away. “Welcome to the House of Smoke, Princess Arabella.”

The blush that was tinging her cheeks red and making her eyes flutter was almost as captivating as her kiss.

“Lucian,” she said, her voice a little breathy. “Take me home.”

He frowned, a spike of fear lancing through his heart and bursting the glory of the moment. “Are you all right?”

She took his hand again and squeezed it. “Yes. Just…” Her gaze roamed the still-cheering House of dragons. They were putting their enthusiasm into applause and backslapping and rounds of chanting Arabella’s name. “Just a little overwhelmed.”

His fear subsided. He turned quickly to his parents. “By your leave, your majesties, my mate cannot wait to retire to my lair.”

His father grinned, and even his mother had a knowing smile.

When Lucian turned back to Arabella, she looked stricken. “Oh my God, Lucian,” she whispered hoarsely. He smirked and swept her into his arms and carried her out through the cheering crowd, toward the back of the throne room and, eventually, his lair.

With all the ceremonies behind them, he had every intention of making love to Arabella for the remaining three weeks of her pregnancy pretty much continuously.

Woe to any dragon who interrupted them.

“Okay, these little, tiny, baby clothes are just fucking cute.”
Rachel’s running commentary made Arabella laugh out loud.