Ty just got off the phone with the queen as Isaac pulled into the parking lot. King Helmut was going to lose it, as this time, his son got the full blow of Tabitha’s wrath. What was she thinking? To blow like that just because I didn’t want to vouch for her.
If I said yes, Lucian wouldn’t have gotten hurt. I sat with Blake as Isaac paced. “She is so fucked to unleash her snow on Lucian like that.”
“This is my fault,” I said and rubbed my face.
“None of this is your fault. What the hell did she want, anyway?” Blake asked.
“She wanted me to vouch for her. She said she didn’t know and technically didn’t break a rule. I should’ve—”
“Elena, she almost killed you.”
I looked at Blake. “I’m still alive.”
“Yes, because of me. Don’t you dare say this is your fault? None of this is your fault, you hear?”
I nodded, even though I didn’t want to nod. What sort of ruler was I going to be if I couldn’t even show her mercy?
The doors opened and reporters yelling streamed through. Emanual, the queen and Dad rushed in. Where was King Helmut? Him searching for Tabitha filled my gaze, but Emanual was here. He wouldn’t leave the king alone in a search.
Dad’s eyes searched everywhere until they landed on Blake and me. I got up from the chair as my lower lip wobbled and ran into Dad’s arms.
“It’s okay, Bear. You are okay.”
“Lucian isn’t, Dad. Why did he even do that?”
“What happened?”
I wiped my tears away. “Tabitha asked for help and I…” I sniffed as another tear rolled down my cheek.
“It’s not your fault.”
“If I just—”
“Elena, stop it. Lucian is going to be fine—”
“Dad, you didn’t see him. There was so much blood.”
My father’s lips curved. “He is going to be fine.”
“What?” Blake and Isaac said as they spoke to the queen and Emanual.
“He ascended,” Dad answered.
Goosebumps sprawled on my skin. “Lucian ascended?”
My father nodded. “Meaning that the Snow Dragon is his dragon.”
“Tabitha is his dragon?” My gaze skidded to the queen, and she opened her arms. I rushed to her. “I’m so sorry.”
“Can you relax? He is going to be fine.”
“But he—”
“He ascended, Elena. That is why?”
“How do you know?”
“Because one minute Helmut was having a discussion with me, and the next he fell asleep. I mean, he was always a fast sleeper, but not that fast. I didn’t know what was wrong until he started speaking, laughing. It sounded like he was with Lucian, and I quickly put two and two together. It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever experienced.”
“Wait? Was King Helmut really there?”
“Yes,” the queen said and laughed. Not looking worried for a split second.
“But the ice?” Blake said.
“He will get stitches, if there will be any. Lucian is going to be fine. Oh, thank heavens.” It was as if her words only sunk in and she looked with closed eyes at the ceiling with her hand fanned out over her chest.
“Thank heavens! It means that Tabitha is his dragon,” Blake said.
“We can deal with her—”
“She is his dent.”
Everyone gasped, and the queen just stared at Emanual, who looked at the floor. Another dent?
“I didn’t think about that one.” Her gaze flickered to Dad.
“Two dents? Why?” Emanual asked.
The queen shook her head in thought. The reporters went crazy again outside, and I saw the outline of King Helmut as Emanual rushed to the exit.
King Helmut entered the area with a smile as the doors closed and walked with wide strides toward us. “Oh, what an experience.” He looked at his wife and hugged her.
“I heard. It sounded like the two of you had a ball.”
“He was so scared and then when he saw me, it just dawned on him what was happening. That type of relief.”
“I can’t imagine.”
“Is he okay?” he asked.
“We are waiting for the doctors,” I said.
“Elena, it’s going to be okay,” the king said and came over and gave me a hug.
“He is a dent, Helmut,” Queen Maggie said. “The Snow dragon is nothing like Lucian, love.”
“Yeah, I know. She is going to learn the hard way what it means to gain some back bone with our son as her rider. Where is she?”
“I’m afraid she fled again.” My tone sounded so tired.
“What happened?” the king asked.
I retold what had happened and felt terrible now that I didn’t show her any mercy. I wasn’t a royalty’s ass worth.
“We’ll find her,” Emanual said.
“Thanks, Emanual,” King Helmut said to his retreating figure.
Emanual lifted his hand, walking back to the entrance. Everyone made themselves comfortable again.
“You really were with him?” I asked the king, and he nodded.
“It felt so real. Like we were really at Barnaby’s, which is a secluded bar. We always made this joke that Bernaby’s would be the place to meet up when he ascended. I always thought it would be a hunt. Guess words truly have that much power.”
“So, you experienced everything with him?” Tears blurred my sight, and King Helmut just looked at me.
“Your father was really there, Elena. It was as real to him as it was to you.”
“Thank you.” I wiped my face. “I wasn’t sure, even though they said that it’s real.”
“I’m happy that he got that with you. They sacrificed everything that night. I wish he had more. He would’ve been an amazing dad.”
I wished I could’ve told him he still could be. He was alive. Hopefully.
Blake came over and sat on his haunches in front of me. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“Stop. You have a life too. You can’t be everywhere.”
“I just feel as if I’m failing you, big time.”
“Lucian was there. She wouldn’t even have listened to you. She was out of control. I should’ve just tried to calm her down and not fuel her anger. She really hates me.”
“Don’t. Her quarrel is with me, not with you. I’ll speak to her.”
“If they can find her.”
“It’s Helmut’s fleet. Believe me, she’ll hear the truth about what she is to Lucian and skunk back.” He brushed his hand through his hair.
“Skunk back?”
His lips curved. “Yeah, she has that demeanor to skunk back.”
I huffed. “The guy she almost killed turned out to be her only hope.”
“She is a royal dragon now, like me and a dent. They will forget everything after Lucian claims her. I feel sorry for her, to be honest.”
A giggle slipped out of my lips. I covered my mouth. “Sorry.”
“Don’t. Laughter is good during a time like this. I’m so glad that it’s his dragon. Who knows what would’ve happened…” His eyebrows knitted as he looked past me.
There was only a white wall behind me. “What is it?”
“The little bitch, she always knew and said nothing.”
“She had you, so why would she?”
“He is her only hope of staying good. I took so much away from him, and now that too.”
“Blake, you didn’t know. Stop, and from what I’ve seen, Lucian already forgave you.” I gasped. “He is part of a dent.”
“Yeah.”
“Which is the opposite. Meaning he won’t have to marry Arianna anymore.”
“Oh, crap.”
I laughed at the look on Blake’s face. “No, it’s good. He told me so many times how he didn’t want to marry her. He got his wish.”
“With Tabitha? Yeah, I’m not so sure about that one.”
“Don’t say that. They will find their way. We have to hope for her sake.”
He laughed. “Oh, she is going to protest like crazy.”
“The way you had?”
“I was a different matter. A few months later, I’m sure you would’ve met a completely different dragon, Elena. I found out about you in a nick of time.”
“That is what you say now.”
“No, that is what I know. I was going downhill, especially after what I was doing on Samuel’s behalf.”
“The guy that…” I couldn’t finish that sentence.
“Yup.”
“What did you do for him?”
“Yeah, no.”
My lips curved at the corner of my lips. “C’mon, it can’t be that bad.”
“Oh, it is. It was a place your dad and mine tried so hard to shut down and I ended up there.”
I remembered what Sammy said, not to assume, especially with his past. I touched his face. “It’s in the past.”
He came in for a kiss and his lips brushed against mine. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Dad’s eyes lingering on us and I broke away, laughing.
I looked at my father. “It’s just a kiss.”
“I said nothing?”
“That look spoke pages.”
“She is more mine, than she is yours.”
“Blake,” the queen and I said together as King Helmut laughed.
Blake shrugged. “It’s the truth.”
“I’m not property.”
“I didn’t say you were.”
“Your majesties.” A voice came from the left and we all stood up. The queen and king walked to the doctor, and he spoke in a tone that we all could hear. “He is out of surgery. We patched him up as well as we could. During the surgery, we had thought we had lost him, but then his heartbeat just came back—”
“He ascended. Turns out the dragon that unleashed her ability is actually his.”
“Oh, then he will make a wonderful recovery.” The doctor smiled. “Glad to hear that our prince had ascended. You can see him.”
A weight expelled from my gut as we walked behind the king and queen to where they kept Lucian.
The band stayed with Dad. I had to see with my own eyes if he was okay. We followed the doctor into a room, and Lucian was already awake.
“I ascended?” He was high on either drugs or the revelation that his mark wasn’t just a birth defect but one that belonged to the riders.
“And a dent at that?” His mother sounded just as relieved. “What is this?” She looked at the wrapping around Lucian’s stomach. Her joyous tone vanished.
“I still bleed, Mom. I’m not immune to sharp objects.”
We all chuckled as Blake held out his hand for a slap shake. “Not the only dent anymore.”
“I’m not happy that it’s the snow queen.” Lucian laughed and grabbed his stomach as the laugh turned into a grunt. “Words are so powerful.”
“Reason she didn’t like that name. I should’ve known it meant more to her than she led on.”
“Don’t. It pissed me off just a little, but get now why she wasn’t always that happy to see me? She hid it pretty well, if you ask me.”
“Too well. One thing you will learn about her soon. She can harbor a secret like no other,” Blake said.
“A second dent?” Lucian asked as he looked at his dad.
“I told you at Barnaby’s. It’s something we can discuss in the war room.”
“You think something major is coming, Dad?”
“I don’t know, son. Now that Elena is here, we have access to the people of Etan. Anything might happen that needs a dent or two. They usually pop up during hard times.”
My eyes found Blake’s, but he looked away.
It was as if he knew more than what he was telling any of us. I sighed. I would not fret about that now. Lucian was okay, and that was all that mattered.
