Page 453 of Kingdoms of Night

Finally, she was back to herself and didn’t have to feel the aches and pains of that weakened state. This was the right way for her to live.

Her belly tightened, then she felt a sharp spike of pain lance through her. Now was the time she had to get these eggs out of her, and she knew better than to wait much longer or she would have these eggs out in the open. They could move them, she supposed, but she didn’t know what that would do to the eggs in the long run. It was best to leave the clutch where they were laid.

“Come on,” she said as she slithered toward the cave. “We have little time now.”

The winds howled through her ears, and she knew that was only the beginning of the cavern. Soon they would move toward the right. Wasn’t that where she had gone before? It had to be. Those walls looked familiar, or maybe it was some part of herself deep in her soul that knew where they had to go.

The damp walls dripped with water from the cold air, hitting the warmer air outside. But that wasn’t where she would lay her eggs. No, this was the cavern for the sapphire dragons and for their clutches that liked to be submerged in water. She moved to the right and then deeper. So deep into the cave that there wasn’t a speck of light around them.

She had to blow on a torch for the elves to carry with them so they could see. No one spoke on the journey. All she could hear was her own labored breathing, but that was all right as well. No one expected her to be ready for this. What mother was?

Finally, she reached the end of the caverns. This cave was warm and quiet. There was a small pool of water at one end which would have cooled down the eggs once she breathed her fire upon them to warm them.

“There it is,” she breathed, pointing out a large raised section. The elves could walk on it. But she would have to squeeze her body beneath the ceiling and wedge herself tightly inside.

The eggs would be safe there, tucked away from sight. They would stay in their rocky nest while she tried to usher in a new world for them to live in. A world that would accept them for who they were rather than what they were.

“That looks a little small,” Rowan muttered.

“It’s perfect,” she replied, and then made her way up the stones.

Perhaps they sensed that she needed some time to herself. A female dragon situating the correct birthing position was likely something neither elf knew how to assist in. So she let them wander.

Aster ordered Rowan around. The female elf wanted more light, and Rowan wanted to wait until Tanis told them what to do. Thankfully, his sister won. Tanis was in no state or mood to tell the elves what she wanted to happen. Her entire belly ached and the scales there rippled with movement as her muscles flexed. She was ready. Nearly.

Although what would happen once these eggs were born? She’d seen in the memories that dragons had left their eggs behind before. Some eggs were expected to remain. Eventually, they would turn into stone and it would take more than one dragon to wake them. She feared that was the life waiting for her children.

Only time would prove if she was right or not.

The elves went about the entire cave and illuminated it while she dug herself underneath the lip of earth and forced her body to squeeze beneath the ceiling. She hadn’t wanted to be stuck like this. Her mind betrayed her, whispering fears that the ceiling would collapse or that she couldn’t breathe.

Still, she forced herself to go where she knew her eggs would be safe and then turned toward the elves. Her entire body was wedged beneath the cave wall, and her wings were pinned against her sides. Breathing heavily, she met Rowan’s worried stare.

They hadn’t explored any more of their feelings with each other since that night in the castle. Neither of them seemed willing to rush. Or maybe she had frightened him by talking about it at all. Right now, it didn’t matter how he felt. She needed him to be here for her while the pain rolled through her body.

Rowan seemed to understand. He rushed to her side and sat down in front of her head, both of his hands on the bridge of her nose. “You’ll be all right,” he breathed. “How can I help?”

If someone had told her years ago that she would birth a clutch with an elf in front of her, telling her that she was doing a good job, she’d have laughed in that person’s face. An elf? And her?

Never.

But she wouldn’t have it any other way now. If she didn’t have Rowan here with her, then she wasn’t sure she ever would have gotten the eggs out of her body. Not like this, at least.

“They’re going to be so incredible to see,” Rowan said, stroking his hands over her nose. “I can’t wait to hold them in my arms.”

“Who said I would let you touch them?” she asked.

“Because you adore me.” He leaned down and stretched his body over her forehead, leaning his weight into her. For some strange reason, it helped the pain. “You and I will look at these eggs and remember them for ages to come. We will wait until the perfect time for them to change this world for the better.”

Tanis could only hope.

She dreamed of a time when dragons could rule the isle as they had for such a long time. She prayed that someday, hopefully soon, she would see their little faces as they tripped and fell around her.

“I never wanted to be a mother,” she whispered while pushing. “My mother had no interest in me. She only saw the use that I would bring to her work. The Memory Keepers were already dwindling when I was born, and then so few came after me.”

“Why is that?” He was trying to distract her from the pain. She could tell.

The distraction was a welcome one. “Because amethyst dragons have a hard time having eggs to begin with. We are very small.”

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