Legend of the Touched (34 page)

"I'm thankful for his kindness, please, lead the
way."

The Aero dragon turned and flew lower. Darien
followed.

Chapter Eighty-One

The Inero

"Thank you for coming on such short notice Lord
Taylor," Matt said and greeted the Great Terran Lord with a
handshake. He waved for the man to sit down in a chair across from
him. Matt was sitting at his father's desk. It felt strange and
empowering all at once. Like he was made to fill the shoes Lynx had
left behind.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Lord Taylor said as he sat
down. His handshake had been a little stronger than the last time
Matt had met with him, but not by much. The man was clearly easy to
intimidate.

Matt nodded, grateful for the condolences. "I don't
think I need to explain how this proves what the Oceina are capable
of, do I?"

"No, you do not."

"If my daughter is to be promised to your grandson,
then I need to make sure that you aren't playing for the wrong
side. I don't want her to be mixed up in corruption, to be hurt.
She deserves to be respected. She's a miracle."

"I agree with all of those statements."

"Good," Matt said with a smile and leaned back in the
chair. He even dared to kick his feet up on top of it like he had
seen his father do a few times. Probably not the most professional
of moves, but he wanted Lord Taylor to understand that he could be
a friend too. If they were going to be future in-laws, they needed
to bond on a more personal level as well.

Matt let out a soft sigh. "So tell me about your son.
Your grandson. I'd like to know more about your family in
general."

Taylor relaxed in his seat some and for the first
time, Matt saw the man smile. He must have been proud of his
family. That was a good trait in a man. "My son is Touched, as you
know. He's about three or four years older than you, twenty."

"Three years then," Matt confirmed.

"He works in a restaurant, and is a chef. He's very
talented. I know in your culture that your line of power is based
on blood and greatness. Where I am from, we are elected, as you
know. We come from all walks of life. My family has always lived
comfortably, but not excessively. I don't believe in flaunting our
money, and my son is the same way. So while he is successful with
his business, he lives in a decently sized apartment. He's
completely self sufficient."

"Impressive!" And unexpected. Matt wouldn't have
thought the Great Lord's son, a Touched one at that, would be a
simple chef. Still, it was nice in a way. The way this son was
being described made it evident that Taylor taught good family
values.

"I am pleased with him. He's my only son."

"Only one?" Matt blinked, startled by this. Almost
all dragons had multiple sons. The Terran were known to wed later
in life on occasion, but that never stopped them from having a
good-sized family. For a dragon of any kind to have less than five
was a bit of a shock. Given the long dragon lifespan, it just made
sense.

Taylor's eyes averted Matt's gaze. "There were
complications with the birth. He's Touched, so his magic is strong.
It left my wife unable to have any more children, but I consider
myself lucky given what I've heard has happened to other women who
have given birth to similar sons."

Matt's expression softened with slight pity for the
man. That had to be rough, but it was a miracle all the same he got
to keep his bride. "Yes, this is true. I don't think I know of a
woman who's lived through it. My...my mother died when she gave
birth to my brother and me." Mentioning Jason in passing made him
sad and angry all at once.

"The Aero Lord's wife survived, but it left her
crippled for the rest of her life. It's a high price to pay for
such a powerful son. It's an honor and humbling at the same time.
It's taught me a lot about the balance of life."

"Tell me more?" Matt asked quietly. He put his feet
down and leaned forward in his chair.

"My son is a widower. It's a tragic story. His wife
had left for the store while he tended to the little one and some
business things, and she never came home. Three days later, they
found her body. She'd been robbed, raped, and killed. They'd only
been wed for a year," Taylor said.

"I'm sorry to hear," Matt said softly.

"It's been a rough year since that happened. I am
sure when he feels ready, Taj, my son, will fall in love
again."

Matt didn't know what to say, so he only nodded in
agreement. Living a life without love would be brutal. "I'm eager
to meet him myself some day. Hopefully someday soon." He wanted to
bring up the war with Oceina again, and talk plans on how to finish
this once and for all. It didn't seem like a good time to do so.
Lord Taylor had to have known that was the main reason why Matt had
called him. The Terran Lord bowed his head, and went back to
business.

"Hopefully," Taylor said. "And let me reassure you
one more time that my people will be on the side of right. Justice
will prevail. We're family now. Maybe not officially, but our words
have made it so. I know you are a good man, Matthias. I have no
qualms with doing what is needed."

Chapter Eighty-Two

The Oceina

Tai was restless with the men gone. Darien had made
sure to tell her that they arrived safely in the Aero nation. She
couldn't help but wonder if there would ever be a day when he would
be by her side for longer than a day or two.
Patience,
she
told herself. When everything was over, there would be more than
enough time to make up for all of their lost moments.

While she waited for him to return, she took the time
to help clean up from their makeshift Festival of Tears
celebration. It'd been low-key, but somehow Tony had made sure to
put silver tinsel in places she'd never expected to find when he
decorated the entryway of the palace. There hadn't been many gifts.
Usually it was customary to give the members of the family
something to show them how much they were appreciated. She hadn't
gotten around to purchasing any gifts before the attack on Oceina
City either. In fact, she'd forgotten to find a way to do so. Tai
felt bad because Darien had gotten her a pair of beautiful earrings
that he'd left behind at the apartment. He vowed to someday go back
for them.

As she did her best to collect all of the tinsel from
the ceiling rafters, Tai tried to think of something she could give
him. It needed to be amazing. He'd put up with a lot from her and
treated her like a princess despite how she'd been mean to him.

She sighed and sat down on the stone steps that lead
up to the bedrooms. Maybe the best thing she could do for him was
offer up a prayer that everything would end soon.

"Working hard, or hardly working?" Alex asked from
behind. She heard his heavy steps echo as he came down the
stairs.

There was no running away now. She'd been trying to
avoid him from the moment she realized he was there. Darien had
filled her in right away. Finding the right words to say to Alex
was hard.

"Oh, uh, hardly working. Break time."

"You don't have to do all of that. I can, or Allegra
can, or well, someone else." He sat next to her.

"I need something to do besides sitting around."

He nodded as though he understood then bit his lower
lip. "So you weren't kidding about it being complicated."

Tai blinked away a few tears. "I wanted to tell
you..."

"But you couldn't, yeah I know. I get it, a lot more
than I think anyone realizes."

"I heard about what happened to your parents. I'm
sorry. This must be a hard transition for you both."

He shrugged. "Allegra is taking it harder than me. I
haven't been trying to think about what happened to them, diving
into being useful, so I can get my revenge. She's freaking out.
It's good you're here because I think it'll help calm her down to
be around someone her age who's a girl."

"It's not an easy one to make." Tai understood full
well what her friend was going through. She'd felt that way for
most of her time with Darien.

"What's funny about being here is I feel like I'm
where I'm supposed to be. Maybe it's because I've been able to
speak the dragon tongue my whole life. Some people are just born
with the gift, you know? I'm not sure. I always knew they'd be a
part of my future though. Have you ever felt that same pull of
destiny?"

"I think so? It's why I've stayed."

"Not because of one true love?" He raised an
eyebrow.

She gave a tiny smile. "That was part of the
discovery of my destiny. I'm not sure I've ever been a firm
believer of it. The idea that I'm not in control of my future is
kind of silly."

"You are in control of your destiny, but I think
people are prewired to do certain things. Whether they do them or
not is their choice. I was meant to get close to you, so I could
become one of the Guardian. And that's why I didn't join the
priesthood at a young age." He stated it so matter of factly that
Tai was jealous. She wanted to be so sure of everything. Alex
glanced her way briefly, before continuing. "I knew I was supposed
to protect you from something. He told me that was my job while he
was gone, to make sure you stay okay. And if anything happens to
make sure you're still taken care of. It's a Guardian duty, so
don't fight me on it."

"Nothing is going to happen," she said firmly.

"Well if something does, that's how it is." He
shrugged.

Tai finally looked at him, really looked at him,
taking in his handsome chiseled face and the softness in his blue
eyes. She let out a soft sigh. "You don't think anything will...do
you?"

"No, because if there's one thing I know about
Darien, it's that he doesn't just lie down. He fights, and he's
hard to beat."

Chapter Eighty-Three

The Inero

Kat rocked the egg like she would if it were an
actual child. Inside was her baby, so she technically was. She
couldn't wait to touch her daughter's flesh, to cuddle and care for
her. Her daughter was about the only thing she was sure of
anymore.

She stopped her rocking when the door to the nursery
opened. Turning to the doorway, she saw a tall, middle-aged,
dark-skinned man who she'd never met before.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to interrupt," he said in
a soft voice.

"It's quite all right," she said, wanting to be
polite. He wasn't of the Inero, she was sure of it. She pulled the
egg closer to her chest. News of the baby being a girl was slowly
starting to trickle through the gossip channels. Matt swore their
family was safe, but with the war, anyone could be a possible
enemy.

"May I help you?" she asked.

The man stepped into the room, smiling. It seemed
genuine, and that helped ease any of her fears. He didn't enter
more than a few feet. "I heard the first female dragon was here.
She is to wed my grandson, and I wanted to be introduced to her
formally. And also to her mother." He offered her a hand to shake.
She did so, and she liked how warm his touch was. "My name is
Taylor."

"Katarina, most call me Kat." She held the egg out so
he could have a good view. Her protective hold over it
remained.

"And does she have a name?" His hands began to glow
with a soft olive-green. "This is amazing. I have spoken with your
husband, and I know he has shared some skepticism just like me. But
I can sense
her
inside. Before I was the Great Lord of my
people, I was a doctor you see."

Taylor's smile was contagious, and she couldn't help
but reciprocate it. A good man, he must have raised a good son too,
and his grandson would make a wonderful husband. Kat especially
loved that he wanted to know her child's name.

"Danielle," Kat said. "You can feel her too? Like the
other doctors? They can see her. I felt her inside of me and knew
then."

"One of the most beautiful things about motherhood is
your ability to bond with the child before anyone else gets to meet
him. Or in your case, her. Yes, I can feel her. Not just see, but
feel. My medical specialty was not only in the physical but the
spiritual as well."

"That's incredible."

"You are kind and good hearted," Taylor said. "So is
your husband."

"I'm glad you think so. A lot has happened, and I
know he has been angry and confused lately. That you can still see
his goodness is a relief to me."

"You're both young, and I'm sure this whole situation
is causing a lot of stress for everyone."

"Yes." She gazed down at the floor.
And a lot of
sadness.
When Matt didn't think she was paying attention, he
cried over the loss of his father. Lenora had barely eaten since
Lynx had passed. Her family felt broken, and she wished there was
something she could do to make it whole again, especially since she
felt as though it were partly her fault. If she hadn't kept Matt to
herself that night, or told Navi about the Oceina prisoners, maybe
everything could have been prevented. While Matt told Kat to not
blame herself, she still felt guilty. There was no way for her to
have known, but she could have been smarter as well.

Taylor looked at the egg in her hands and his smile
faded, but his expression remained soft. "Believe me when I say, I
am doing everything I can to help this end soon. Chin up, and stay
strong. Your smile will help him the most. It was good to meet you
Katarina. I'm happy to be in an agreement with your family."

Chapter Eighty-Four

The Oceina

Upon landing in the Aero nation, Darien and the
others still had to travel another mile by foot through a forest
before they were brought to a car to take them into Aero City. They
were brought to the Great Lord's home, a beautiful modern castle of
silver and crystal. It wasn't quite as large as Darien would have
expected, at least not in length, but the height was impressive. It
towered over several of the other buildings in the city. Much like
the Inero City, the buildings in the Aero nation were not
skyscrapers like in Oceina City. There was a more modern quality to
Aero City than what he remembered of Inero, however. It was a lot
calmer as well.