Page 41 of To Spark a Dragon's Love
It was strange hearing the old Riley again.
I glared, hating her for being right. “I still should’ve been here.”
Ember sucked in a gasp. “So it’s true? You didn’t want to be mated?”
Normally Ember was sharp as a tack, but she’d been wearing heart-eyed goggles lately. I didn’t blame her. I just wished I didn’t have to hide so I wouldn’t kill her happiness.
“I told you she seemed like she was being led to the slaughter down the aisle today,” Riley said.
“No, she was gorgeous. And I saw the way Malachy looked at her…”
“It was all an act,” I whispered, hating that they would know why this was the worst possible thing I could go through.
Ember’s smile fell from her face. “That’s not true. You can’t fake this.”
I laughed derisively, staring straight ahead.
They didn’t know the half of it.
“Don’t worry, babe.” Riley sat on the chair across from me and wrapped her own blanket over her lap. “No one else noticed. I just happened to have a direct view.”
“Before you disappeared into the shadows,” Ember mumbled. I could tell she was upset about being kept out of the loop, but they both tactfully chose not to comment on my situation. I was done with this conversation anyway.
I tuned them out as I rocked back and forth, staring at the grayish fog that gathered in the early morning. Being distracted by their conversation for even a moment felt like a betrayal to Harper.
“She’s going to be all right.” Ember noticed my silence and sat on the edge of the chair to my left. Her hands twisted in her lap. She wanted to talk more about the mating bond, but she knew where my head was at.
“You can’t know that,” I said.
“The guys won’t let anything happen to her. I swear it.” Riley scooted her chair closer so the three of us were in line.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” My eyes burned as I kept staring at the yard. “None of us really know what any of these… beings are capable of.”
The three of us rocked in silence while my words hung heavy in the air. I’d offended them. I should care, but it was the truth. My baby was in danger because we’d fallen into this fantasy world and the truth of that had me questioning whether we’d be better off ignorant like before.
“You’re right.” Ember sighed as she leaned back and began to rock. Our three chairs squeaked against the wood porch. “We don’t know what these tattoos mean. We don’t know all the rules and history between the different magical species. And tonight is one hell of a crash course.”
Tears blurred my vision as I nodded.
“But I know Kieran,” Ember said. “I can feel who he is in my chest.”
“And I know Lucan.” Riley touched her heart. “If you lean into the bond, you’ll know Malachy too.”
“It doesn’t matter if weknowthem,” I choked out. “Whether they’re good or not, it doesn’t change the fact that Harper isn’t here.”
Silence descended around us again.
I’d hurt my friends, but I was right.
I rested my forehead against my knees and drew in a ragged breath. “I’m sorry. That isn’t fair.”
“Yes, it is.” Ember placed her hand on my back. “And don’t you ever apologize for letting your emotions out.”
Riley hummed in agreement. “If you want to scream, go ahead and scream. If you want to break something, I’ll get you a bat. None of us signed up for this. You have every right to be pissed.”
A gentle breeze blew across the porch, causing me to lift my head. The dragons weren’t back, but I couldn’t sit here and do nothing anymore.
I needed to get myself together.
