Chapter 10: Chapter 10

EVERMORE

“Open your eyes,” Fiona speaks over me, while I feel her fingers threading through my hair and her other hand hovering over my closed eyelids.

“Please, Ever?” she sounds like a pipsqueak, desperate to see me wake.

My eyelashes flicker against her nervous fingertips, and when I look up at Fiona, she looks like she’s been crying for hours.

I notice we’re in a strange place, so old and hidden that there’s barely any light and everything is covered in cobwebs.

I also hear water.

Behind Fiona, Draco is sitting on some steps by a pond, dressed in a disheveled suit.

His crimson hair is a handsome mess, his red eyes move to mine, and he says nothing, deep in thought.

He had no doubt in him that I’d wake, but Fiona was of course in a panic.

She starts to sob now, even as I try to sit up, fully healed with her magic.

“You died,” she says like it’s an accusation, and I break out into a grin.

Poor Fiona hears my musical laugh and is silenced.

A second later, she’s ~slapped~ me!

“It’s not funny, Ice.” She puts both her hands on my cheeks, squeezing my face, hissing over me, “You’re not meant to stray from me, I’m your security, you’re mine.”

“Calm down, Penny,” Draco drawls, and Fiona abruptly lets go of my face, lowering her shaking hands.

“She’s fine.”

“We were almost ~not fine~.” Fiona throws her hands up as she jumps to her feet and starts to pace back and forth, wiping her wrists over her eyes repeatedly.

“My heart was ripping apart every second you fell from the sky, and…~and~—” Fiona hiccups and collapses in a dramatic heap, her knees hitting the stones as she drops her forehead to her knees, her hands over her face as she goes into a meltdown.

For a second I think it’s drama, then I realize she’s actually in real pain and suffering as her aura pulses with cracks.

I can’t stand to see her so upset—neither can Draco.

We react almost immediately, moving for her, we grab her arms and lift her up so she doesn’t cry alone.

I hold her to me in a tight hug, and Draco holds both of us in his arms, squeezing us even tighter.

He kisses the back of Fiona’s head repeatedly, growling deep in his chest—protective and possessive of our sweet mage.

Fiona’s breaths steady almost immediately between us.

“Thank you,” she breathes. “I felt faint,” she squeaks out.

“Tell me where we are,” I ask her to distract her. “What is this place?”

“We’re being detained.” Fiona sniffles out a small laugh.

“We’re all officially grounded.”

“Storm lost his shit,” Draco adds, and that actually explains why he’s so reserved.

Storm might be watching.

“It’s called Twin Falls. Apparently this was the Blood Raven and Twin Dragon epicenter at the height of their fall. Before the end of dragons—they were building peace here. Apparently it was headed up by Twin Dragons called Thaddeus and Sylvan. Not sure where the exact location is, but Storm escorted us here through his shadows.”

“We can’t get out,” Fiona adds. “Not until we pass some kind of test he made for us.”

“Like an Escape Room—but I don’t know what we’re looking for,” Draco looks at me.

“I suggest you head it up, Evermore.” He pulls on my hair a bit, and I glance over Fiona to Draco’s slow-growing smirk.

“You know your father.”

“What would he require us to prove?” Fiona asks, curious.

“Something to do with feelings,” I growl out, as I think to myself.

I feel through the bond that Fiona is finally good.

I let her go, and Draco releases me.

“I’m still in shock at what happened before,” Fiona admits.

“I can’t believe they almost severed our bond…”

As I step back, Draco wraps an arm around Fiona’s waist and holds her neck with a splayed hand.

“You want to help now, Penny?” Draco whispers in her ear.

“No more fear—I told you we handled that situation.”

“I wasn’t there.” Fiona looks back up at his penetrating stare.

“Good—”

“No,” Fiona snaps, turning into him. “We have to stay together. We’re a team. You shouldn’t have sent us away.” She shoves him back, and he holds up his hands, the veins in his neck are pulsing as he clenches his jaw.

“You’re guilt tripping him,” I sing-song.

“~I love it~. Torture him some more while I explore,” I tease Draco out of his short temper, and his mouth keeps twitching up in the corners after my interjection.

“So daring, Ice, you want to get punished, huh?” Draco is happy now, he has a reason to threaten us with some fun later.

“This is not the time for that kind of talk.” Fiona places her hands on her hips.

“Behave—”

“Don’t tell me to behave, Penny.” Draco steps closer to her, growling—she turns and runs for the twin waterfalls and the pond below.

I move toward the pillars around us, polished blue and silver stone that reflects the most prestigious Tempest Breeds—the blue ones.

So the Twin Dragons who built this place were half Blood Ravens, half Sky Gods.

~Interesting~.

This place looks like an underground cavern, the architecture is half finished.

I wonder what the test is.

Draco and Fiona were confident I’d understand my father.

We were similar, but I honestly have no idea where to start.

I fiddle with the straps of the silver dress Fiona dressed me in, feeling out with my senses, I don’t think there is an exit to this place.

I sense a rock fall and rubble, burying this temple underground, perhaps deep under a mountain.

Hmm.

Grounded, with no escape, in a mountain with my mates.

What else do we have to work with?

“I’m so hungry I could eat those fish,” I hear Draco murmuring to Fiona.

“Don’t. ~Leave them alone~.”

“I’m a meat eater, leave me alone, you’re such a bully.”

“You’re the one with all the ropes and crazy contraptions in your Red Chamber, Draco, you freak.” Fiona’s got a sigh coming into her tone.

I turn to see them shoulder to shoulder, arguing over the fish in the pond, “…maybe the challenge is to listen to your healer, me!”

“You sound like you miss my bedroom? Maybe, the challenge is you learn to submit to your ~superior~ dragon mates,” Draco starts to laugh haughtily, deeply amused.

“Evermore and I own your soul. The chains of love.”

“Evermore!” Fiona groans and turns to me, looking at me staring at them.

“~Have you worked it out yet?~”

“Yes.” I nod. “We’re friends, but now that we act as mates—we’ve lost our coordination. We need to balance our emotion, we need to balance each other. For that, we must sit, hold hands, and meditate. When the energy is balanced, Storm will let us go.”

“Sit. Hold hands?” Draco sits at the edge of the pond, looking exasperated. “Girl ~shit~.”

“Cooperate with me, Red.” I narrow my eyes. “You’ve asked me to solve it. I’m solving it.”

“I am a master at meditation, but it’ll be hard to concentrate when she starts sighing about wanting dick and pussy at the same time while slipping off her dress.” Draco accuses Fiona of crimes she has not committed yet.

“She hasn’t done that.” I stand up for her as I come closer.

“Mmhm.” Fiona is glaring at Draco, hands fisted by her sides. “I’m. Trying. My. Best. To become balanced. Okay? Sit with us…” She can’t hold it in. “You’re a pussy.”

“Fuck off,” Draco snarls then shakes his sillies out, spinning in a circle. “Sorry.” He grinds that out with a half-smile as he sits down by her. “I’m impatient. You know I love you.”

“I love you too.” Fiona holds out her hand and he grabs hers, then they reach out for me.

I sit near them, cross-legged. I take both their hands.

“I’m the Silver,” I whisper as I shut my eyes. “I’ll lead this.”

“Do it, Ice.” Draco shows encouragement.

“Mmmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm,” Fiona hums to herself. “Or is it ommmmmm—”

“Penny,” Draco snipes at her. “Quiet. ~Please,~ sweetness.”

“Okay.” Fiona purses her lips and tries not to laugh.

“Sh… ~My love, my heart, my fire,~” I start to sing—I’m not a particularly good singer, and I catch them both off-guard. “All together.”

“Me next. My love, my heart, my fire,” Fiona whispers out the chant, blushing but excited to do it—and her voice sounds smooth, even as a whisper. Then we both look at Draco.

He gulps, silent.

“Come on, Red,” I growl. “Sing.”

“I—ah…”

“What if we scream it?” Fiona asks instead. “All together, at the ~same~ time. We just have to match energy right? Equally?” Fiona looks at me. “He’s a Red, he’s got one mode. ~Rage~.”

Draco looks like he wants to spank Fiona. I honestly wouldn’t mind that game either, but I want to get out of here too.

I’m itching for freedom, Draco needs the air, and Fiona is a little menace.

“This is so fucking stupid, let’s scream and sleep somewhere in the forest when we’re out, I’m fucking exhausted, we all are.” Draco calms down, clearing his throat with a few coughs. “All right, I’m ready.”

“When I finish counting to one.” I’m already grinning, and I see Fiona and Draco are comfortable with this screaming idea. “Three. Two. One.”

Feeling like complete fools together, we scream the three lyrics.

“MY LOVE, MY HEART, MY FIRE!” our voices echo around, and I think we all surprise each other with how in tune we were. Draco, though, his deep voice projected far and he sounded feral. His scream straight up made Fiona go red all over—and he even had me blushing. Maybe he should be in a metal band?

He could scream.

With ~melody~.

But we can’t comment on that.

Because the harmony we achieved has the key turning everything on its head.

The temple flips and dissolves, and we’re falling through a legend’s magic.

Storm manipulates the dimensions so we’re falling through fog, onto a trail in the wilderness outside the Riverbeds. Our descent slows and we hit the dirt with soft thuds.

We’re on our favorite trail. We go camping and hiking out here a lot.

It’s quite cold at four a.m. and Fiona starts trembling—so Draco and I take action. We mist into dragon form, and we escort Fiona between us, as we walk toward one of our favorite camping spots, under a rocky overhang.

Large enough for two dragons and a little human.

Draco and I slink under the overhang and walk around in circles until we both lay down, his head rests over mine, while Fiona walks under our fangs and then rests on Draco’s side.

The moment Fiona’s warm, she shuts her eyes. Draco blows some fire over her briefly, then turns so his nostrils breathe out hot air just like a heater, so she won’t get cold again.

His heat is like a furnace, for me too. He’s very comfortable to sleep with when he’s a dragon. He closes his eyes but peers at me through one ruby eye briefly, to make sure I’m okay.

I nudge my head up against his, and then I’m blinking my dragon eyes shut, utterly exhausted. I feel Draco’s head rest heavier over mine.

None of us have to say another word.

All three of us are hungry, but we’re exhausted more than anything else.

In perfect harmony, we all fall asleep at the same time.

One thing is for certain. We can’t be apart ever again. From now on, we will not separate. Or it’ll be the death of us.

Draco couldn’t be Prince of the Red’s underworld without his Silver and Mage by his side. He needed us—we needed him.

And together, we’d take arms.