private familial ceremony before the clan has the memorial service.
“Okay, all of that was to tell you that in any other circumstance, five days after death, the body of a fallen Guardsman would be gone. But, true to form, Andrew is different. His body is still here and showing no signs deterioration, if you’ll please excuse the crude terminology.”
They continued on in silence for a few seconds before he began again. “Carrick, Zachary, Malachi, and Mom came here together and prayed. After long hours, they all agree that the soul of the man and the dragon are still linked. However, their opinions as to why differ. Carrick believes it is because of Andrew’s dealings with black magic. Zachary believes it is because he is the Special One and has not served his purpose to dragon kin. Malachi believes that Andrew is holding on for you.”
Devon stopped speaking just as they came to the mouth of a cave. “And we are here.”
His hand at the small of her back guided Emma through dimly lit passageways until they came upon a small cavern that smelled of herbs and oils she recognized from her years spent with Siobhan. For the first time since she marched into the clinic less than an hour earlier, Emma was uneasy. It had been one thing to think there was a chance Andrew was still among them, but when faced with irrefutable facts her brain was having a hard time catching up.
Turning the corner, she was unable to cross the threshold. Her feet simply would not move one step forward. Thankfully, Devon was perceptive enough to see she was having difficulty and considerate enough not to call it out, but stand patiently by her side.
Laying not fifteen feet in front of her, on a stone table not unlike the ones she knew stood in many of the caverns of the caves of their lair, was a man she’d never really met but knew more intimately than any other. The man that almost everyone she loved was happy to see dead. The man that no matter how hard she tried, she’d never been able to despise like the others. The man that had used his dying breath to end her pain. The man that was to be her mate.
Taking her third deep breath and deciding the only way to get to the truth was to move forward, she exhaled and took her first step towards Andrew’s body. Every subsequent step got easier until she was standing beside his shrouded body. Emma looked to Devon, unsure what her next move should be.
Very carefully and with incredible reverence, Devon folded the top of the embroidered coverlet down over the top half of Andrew’s body, leaving him exposed from the waist up. Having never seen him up close, and having heard so many horror stories about him, she was surprised to see an attractive, well-muscled man, with a trimmed beard and strong jawline, lying before her. In his relaxed state, he looked nothing like the villain she’d heard about, but more like his brothers than she’d ever imagined possible. He did look much older, even though he was the younger brother.
Before she realized what she was doing, her hand touched his. She was surprised at the warmth his body held after so many days, not to mention how soft his skin was. If she hadn’t known better, she would’ve thought he was asleep. A tiny spark of electricity jumped between them, making her fingers tingle. Her hand traveled up his tattooed arm, across his collarbone, and touched the tip of the wing of the beautiful dragon resting on his chest. The image of the beast barely vibrated against her fingertips and made her wonder if she’d imagined it.
Sometime later, Emma looked up to see that Devon had backed away and was leaning against the cave wall. She smiled and continued to look at the man the Universe deemed her mate. There was a pull between them even in his present state. It filled her with peace and contentment, which made no sense, considering she was standing next to her mate’s dead body.
But is he really dead?
Moving to the other side of the table, she let
“Okay, all of that was to tell you that in any other circumstance, five days after death, the body of a fallen Guardsman would be gone. But, true to form, Andrew is different. His body is still here and showing no signs deterioration, if you’ll please excuse the crude terminology.”
They continued on in silence for a few seconds before he began again. “Carrick, Zachary, Malachi, and Mom came here together and prayed. After long hours, they all agree that the soul of the man and the dragon are still linked. However, their opinions as to why differ. Carrick believes it is because of Andrew’s dealings with black magic. Zachary believes it is because he is the Special One and has not served his purpose to dragon kin. Malachi believes that Andrew is holding on for you.”
Devon stopped speaking just as they came to the mouth of a cave. “And we are here.”
His hand at the small of her back guided Emma through dimly lit passageways until they came upon a small cavern that smelled of herbs and oils she recognized from her years spent with Siobhan. For the first time since she marched into the clinic less than an hour earlier, Emma was uneasy. It had been one thing to think there was a chance Andrew was still among them, but when faced with irrefutable facts her brain was having a hard time catching up.
Turning the corner, she was unable to cross the threshold. Her feet simply would not move one step forward. Thankfully, Devon was perceptive enough to see she was having difficulty and considerate enough not to call it out, but stand patiently by her side.
Laying not fifteen feet in front of her, on a stone table not unlike the ones she knew stood in many of the caverns of the caves of their lair, was a man she’d never really met but knew more intimately than any other. The man that almost everyone she loved was happy to see dead. The man that no matter how hard she tried, she’d never been able to despise like the others. The man that had used his dying breath to end her pain. The man that was to be her mate.
Taking her third deep breath and deciding the only way to get to the truth was to move forward, she exhaled and took her first step towards Andrew’s body. Every subsequent step got easier until she was standing beside his shrouded body. Emma looked to Devon, unsure what her next move should be.
Very carefully and with incredible reverence, Devon folded the top of the embroidered coverlet down over the top half of Andrew’s body, leaving him exposed from the waist up. Having never seen him up close, and having heard so many horror stories about him, she was surprised to see an attractive, well-muscled man, with a trimmed beard and strong jawline, lying before her. In his relaxed state, he looked nothing like the villain she’d heard about, but more like his brothers than she’d ever imagined possible. He did look much older, even though he was the younger brother.
Before she realized what she was doing, her hand touched his. She was surprised at the warmth his body held after so many days, not to mention how soft his skin was. If she hadn’t known better, she would’ve thought he was asleep. A tiny spark of electricity jumped between them, making her fingers tingle. Her hand traveled up his tattooed arm, across his collarbone, and touched the tip of the wing of the beautiful dragon resting on his chest. The image of the beast barely vibrated against her fingertips and made her wonder if she’d imagined it.
Sometime later, Emma looked up to see that Devon had backed away and was leaning against the cave wall. She smiled and continued to look at the man the Universe deemed her mate. There was a pull between them even in his present state. It filled her with peace and contentment, which made no sense, considering she was standing next to her mate’s dead body.
But is he really dead?
Moving to the other side of the table, she let
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