Fire of a Dragon (Fallen Immortals 3) - Paranormal Fairytale Romance (4 page)

“Oh?” Arabella bit back the words that she wanted to say, giving him a chance to have his say. But she was pretty sure Rachel
did
want to be pursued, no matter what she claimed.

“My lady is at a critical time in carrying the young future prince. I wish to do nothing that would give you even a moment’s pause or worry. So I will respect your prior wishes and stay away from your lady in waiting. But after the baby is born… I may approach her. If I were to… approach her… do you think she would be receptive to it?”

“Cinaed, just ask her. Or better yet, kiss her. It’s really all right.”

Cinaed scowled. “I am familiar with how to seduce a woman, my lady.”

Arabella nearly laughed, but she figured that probably wasn’t such a good idea.

“It is not
bedding
your maid that worries me. It’s whether she’s capable of being more than a bedmate. Of those, I’ve had plenty. That’s not what I’m looking for.”

Arabella bit her lip. That was a bit trickier.

“You should know,” Cinaed rushed out, “that mating with an ordinary dragon is not so treacherous as with a prince of the House of Smoke. Rachel’s love would
not
have to be True in order to survive the sealing. There are many vile dragons who force themselves on their chosen mates and still manage to produce dragonlings.” Then he stopped as if he knew what he wanted to say, but he was hesitating to give it voice.

“But that’s not what you want, right?” Arabella asked. “You want True Love as well.”

His voice dropped. “I knew my lady would understand.”

Arabella grimaced, and the small hairs on the back of her neck rose. Because what did she know about love, really? And Rachel knew even less. The two of them loved each other like sisters—but neither one had ever truly loved a man. Not until Lucian came along. Arabella thought she had before, but that had been a mistake. She supposed there was no objective proof of Lucian’s love for her, but there was no real doubt in her mind. Any fool could see the man lived for her. But for Rachel… “Cinaed, you have to know I want that—I want Rachel to have what I have with Lucian. I just don’t know if… well, if she can. She just really doesn’t trust guys at all. I told her you’re different, but… I don’t know. I’m sorry, does that help at all?”

“Yes, my lady,” he said, dipping his head, looking disappointed. He turned to leave, but she caught him by the shoulder and then threw her arms around his neck to hug him.

He seemed startled, but he lightly patted her back in return.

“It’s all going to work out, Cinaed. I promise,” she whispered then released him.

He gave her a sharp nod and turned to the door to open it.

Lucian was hovering literally in the doorway. It was annoying and adorable at the same time, and she fervently hoped that Cinaed and Rachel could figure out a way to have this thing she had with Lucian. She may not really understand love, but she knew it when she saw it in Lucian’s eyes. And felt it in her own heart.

“Okay, caveman,” Arabella said with a grin. “You can haul me back to your lair now and have your way with me.”

The way Lucian’s eyes lit up sent a shiver of excitement through her. Carrying a dragonling for a prince of the House of Smoke might yet kill her… but she’d be damned if the ride wasn’t worth the price of admission.

Arabella had reached the end
of her second week, and Lucian couldn’t be more relieved.

Traditionally, the most dangerous times were the sealing, the first fortnight, and then the birth of the dragonling. In that order. Arabella had survived the first two danger points, and now the true recognition of the dragonling’s presence could be made. Formality would ensue. They were expected to come out of seclusion, but Lucian would still rather keep Arabella safely squirreled away with him alone.

He’d struck a compromise with his brothers, given the unique circumstances of the pregnancy, to bring some of the formal proceedings to his lair. The problem, in truth, wasn’t his brothers—it was his mother, the queen. After not too long, she would insist that they make a public appearance. But for now, he and Arabella could remain in the lair, albeit with clothes on and receiving guests. It was an unsettling change of pace after a rather satisfying two days of him providing pleasure and food for her nearly around the clock.

Arabella stood in front of the bedroom mirror, looking stunning in the white-and-gold brocaded dress he had conjured for her. It was a fashionable style from the days of his upbringing in France—five hundred years out of date, but somehow that made it suitably old-fashioned and fittingly formal for the occasion.

Arabella tugged at the tight fit of the bodice over her growing belly. “Are you sure this is how it’s supposed to fit?”

He came up from behind her and slid his hands around to cup the small rise. “Stop complaining, or I will need to take it off you one more time before our guests arrive.”

She scowled, then she shoved his hands away and straightened her shoulders. “I know I’m tremendously irresistible,” she said with one arched eyebrow that truly made him want to disrobe her immediately. “But this baby doesn’t just belong to us, does it? It belongs to your family as well.”

“Truer words have rarely been spoken.” He gave her a smirk. “They’ll have gifts, you know. I hope you’ll accept them.”

She gave him a look like he was slightly crazed. “Why wouldn’t I?”

He grimaced slightly. “Well, I have no idea what the gifts may be, but I imagine they’re not your traditional baby shower items.”

“Well, this is not your traditional baby.” She lifted her chin and seemed proud of that fact. Yet another reason for him to love her. “It’s not like I’ve ever been to a baby shower anyway. I’ll hardly know the difference.”

He cupped her cheeks in his hands and kissed her softly. “Stop making me want you, woman.”

“You don’t mean that at all, Lucian Smoke,” she taunted, daring him with her eyes.

He growled and gave her a swat on the bottom, lightly, but enough to draw small shriek out of her. She beat on his shoulder with a fist, then he caught it and drew her back against the door of the bedroom. He went in to kiss her, but she turned her head.

“Lucian! Stop it!” She was laughing, and truthfully, it was difficult for him to pull back.

But a sound at the door downstairs beckoned them.

He sighed and released her. “I fervently hope my brothers don’t plan to stay long.” And he meant every word of that.

He escorted her downstairs, and the two of them went to the door together to greet their guests. When he magicked open the door, it was only Leksander and Erelah. Leonidas had apparently decided not to be on time, which didn’t terribly surprise Lucian, but he hoped that would mean his visit would be brief when it happened. And it would give Lucian an excuse to kick him out sooner.

“Leksander. Erelah. May I introduce my mate, Arabella,” Lucian said with a properly official tone. Leksander had met Arabella before, but Lucian was surprised to see Erelah at his door. He gave a quick frowning and questioning look to his brother, who just shook his head.

Erelah gasped as she took in Arabella’s gown. “You are a vision!” she cried. The angeling moved quickly forward to embrace Arabella. “Oh, you are a wonder! A true beauty!”

Leksander stood behind her, looking awkward.

Lucian grimaced.

Angels had a love for humans that bordered on unseemly. That was how half-human, half-angel beings like Erelah were made after all. Although the resulting product—angelings—seemed more unearthly to Lucian than human-like.

For her part, Arabella seemed startled, but accepting. She managed to get her arms around Erelah just as she was pulling back, adding even more awkwardness. The only person who seemed not to sense the strangeness of this gushing love was Erelah herself. Like their angel fathers, angelings’ love for humans knew no bounds—their understanding of etiquette and human social norms was a little more stunted.

Erelah clasped her hands together, joy lighting up her face.

“Please come in.” Lucian invited them with a sweep of his arm. Erelah hooked her arm around Arabella’s and dragged her towards the great room. Arabella had a smile on her face, Erelah’s enthusiasm clearly infectious. Lucian watched them go and waited for his brother to step in.

Leksander tipped his head toward Lucian and dropped his voice. “She insisted on coming. I’m sorry.”

“Worry not, my brother,” Lucian said with a smile. “I’m sure she means well enough.”

“You know she effusively loves any human,” Leksander said, still keeping his voice hushed as they walked towards the great room where the two women had already found a spot by the windows together. “But when she heard Arabella was with child, she just about lost her damn mind.”

“Because the baby fulfills the treaty?” Lucian asked. “Or is there some other angel strangeness I should be aware of?” Angelings were almost as unfathomable as the fae—even though they were immortal enemies, they shared a certain inscrutability. The angelings at least had a fundamentally good nature, even though their true angel parentage was mixed with human failings as well as DNA. Their strangeness made Lucian wonder why Leksander was so drawn to Erelah’s kind, but one look at the beautiful angeling, and it was easy to see why he had lost his heart to her. Long, ethereally blonde hair. Thin, elegant arms and legs that went on forever. Erelah was more beautiful than any human, a divine beauty visited upon her by her father’s angel nature. She was obtuse to it as well, along with its effect on his brother. But once smitten, Lucian doubted Leksander, or any man, could ever love a mere human again.

Leksander’s gaze was already trained on her. “I’m fairly certain her enthusiasm is simply because your son will be the next prince of the House of Smoke, protector of humanity, fulfiller of the treaty, and all around fantastic guy.” He smiled. “If there’s one thing an angeling likes more than humans, it’s someone who can save
all
of humanity.” He looked chagrined at this.

Perhaps if his brother were the crown prince—if he had been born before Lucian and fate had delivered him to that role—he could win his angeling’s love after all. Although Lucian wondered if an angel was even capable of something like the True Love that humans and dragons could share.

He clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Perhaps her love for the baby prince will give her cause to come around the keep more often.”

Leksander’s smile was almost pained. “One can hope.”

Lucian felt the sadness of it like a strike on his heart. They approached the two women standing by the two-story window. Erelah still hadn’t let go of Arabella’s hands, clasping them and gazing in wonder at her face.

“You among all women are blessed, Arabella Sharp,” Erelah gushed.

“Um… yeah. Suppose that’s true.” Arabella’s sprinkling of freckles became more pronounced under her embarrassment.

Lucian wanted to interject something, but Erelah wasn’t finished. “Your son will save the world!” She grasped harder onto Arabella’s hands. “That does not happen very often.” She gave Arabella a wink.

Leksander looked stricken. Lucian just shook his head.

Then Erelah dropped to one knee in front of Arabella. His mate frowned, and even Lucian was wondering what in the world Erelah was doing. She swept her hands wide then brought them close to hover over Arabella’s belly. She was staring intently as if she could peer inside the womb. For a flash instant, Lucian wondered if she actually could. His own fae senses could taste the small beginnings of the child that was inside Arabella’s belly. He’d already fallen in love with his own son, already knew him in a way that he wondered if even Arabella did. Full of new life. Bursting with innocence. It was said that unborn children were closer to heaven than even True Angels because of the newness of their being. And this being was half human, so perhaps Erelah, who was half angel, could reach his son in a way that others might not. Either way, an awkward, breath-held moment slowly passed.

Then Erelah asked Arabella, “May I give him a kiss?”

What?
Lucian threw a look to Leksander, who was fighting a smile. His brother gave him a short nod, reassuring him, but Lucian still wasn’t quite sure what the angeling meant.

“Um… I guess.” Arabella was looking to him for reassurance as well.

Lucian gave her a nod. Reluctantly.

Erelah took hold of Arabella’s hips and drew her belly closer to her lips. Lucian wasn’t alarmed, but it was one of the stranger things he’d seen an angeling do.

Arabella’s face contorted. “Oh, um, okay…”

But Erelah wasn’t paying attention—she was entirely focused on Arabella’s belly. A fierce look crossed her face, a kind of rapturous, intense love. Then she closed the final gap and pressed an open mouth kiss to the white brocaded cloth that covered Arabella’s skin. Erelah exhaled low and deep, and Lucian finally realized what she was doing.

Giving his son a life kiss.

Tears pricked the back of Lucian’s eyes, and emotion suddenly choked him. It was a divine kiss, a life-giving kiss, the breathing of life energy into his unborn son, strengthening him with a magic even more powerful than the dragon and fae magic that were mixed in the patronage of his House of Smoke bloodline.