Page 98 of To Spark a Dragon's Love
“It might mean more if it comes straight from you.” I worried my bottom lip. It was one thing to think of Earth as a friend who needed a gentle outlet to help release excess energy, but another to start making demands ofthemother of us all.
“He stopped hearing me years ago.”Earth seemed to sigh. Her voice was a faint whisper as it drifted away.
“Men.” I shrugged playfully even though I knew it was more complicated than that.
She’d demanded a lot.
Almost destroyed him.
And the worst part was it was because of me.
Well, not me exactly. Something about souls connecting and needing to wait for us to be born and come of age before we could take on this role.
I didn’t pretend to understand the way of things.
I was just here to do a job.
“Okay, that was nuts.” Ember checked out the new tattoo on her wrist, comparing it to the identical marks on mine and Riley’s wrists.
It was only a split second before the snow crunched and rocks slid downhill as Lucan and Kieran ran forward.
Riley’s hand was yanked out of our little admiring circle party as Lucan lifted her up, scowling at me.
“Did you know that was going to happen?” He growled, outraged.
I didn’t want him to hate me, but how could I explain that I’d known and yet… I didn’t know.
There’d been a whole lot of hope in the mix.
“She didn’t have another choice.”
My eyes met Malachy’s eyes as he spoke.
He was holding back, still standing outside the area where the dome had formed. The tortured hero who’d been forced to watch as everything changed.
“And it didn’t even hurt. Her energy tickles if you learn to listen and let it go. We’re all perfectly fine, so put me down.” Riley smacked Lucan’s back.
“Absolutely not.” Lucan turned to scowl at the geyser. “We’re getting out of here for a while.”
“Fine.” Riley gave up as she rested her chin on her hand propped on his shoulder. “But we can’t stay away for too long.”
“There’s so much I need to tell you.” Ember got wrapped in Kieran’s arms. “Morgana is never going to believe this. Earth said we didn’t even need magic to be Her vessels. All we had to do was be there for Her when she needed it. Like friends. Crazy,right? What a story. We’ve got to write it all down for the history books.”
Ember’s rant continued up the hill as she dragged Kieran away.
And still, Malachy stood there.
A statue betraying nothing except the turbulent swirl in his eyes. “It seems Earth found a new guardian,” he said.
“No. She didn’t.” I shook my head, taking the first step toward him. “No more guardians. She found a new way.”
He was moving fast now. My beautiful broken monster crashed through the snow. I met him halfway under the evergreen trees. Everything in me relaxed as I breathed in his calming scent.
Malachy gripped my shoulders, looking me over for injuries. His tension eased as he searched my face. “I don’t understand.”
I smiled for him. A true smile that showed my whole heart. And watched as his pupils focused and unfocused. Waited until they settled down.
“She decided to change because of you,” I said.
