Page 68 of The Black Dragon
Leo stared for a long time at the Drogmire. “I have something else to confess, Ariel. I haven’t been in Seattle all this time with Parker’s parents. I met a lovelyMage while there last year on a trip, and we’ve been seeing each other. She’s… wonderful. Nothing will ever replace your mother, but Irene has given me a new outlook onlife.”
He looked at Justin. “She made me realize how cruel I was, and how much I hurt you. Will you forgiveme?”
Justin nodded. “Alreadydone.”
Maybe forgiveness was the key to moving on withlife.
She walked over to the Drogmire and poked it on the side with the iron spear. The creature awakened, saw her, but did not snarl. Instead, it stared as if he knewher.
“I know who you are. You’re Chase.” Ariel stepped forward. “From my mother’s clan. I’m herdaughter.”
The spider-thing blinked, clicking its wickedmandibles.
Ariel bent down. “I forgive you for how you hurt me,Chase. I forgive you for all the pain youcaused.”
Stunned she watched the creature’s face change, the two slits for nostrils become a nose, and the mouth shaped into a Skinmouth.
“I’m sorry,” the Drogmire rumbled. “I didn’t mean to kill her. I only wanted to scare her. I lovedher.”
“I loved her, but I can’t live in the past any longer,” Leo said, tears rolling down hisface. “I forgiveyou.”
Soon as the words left his mouth, the Drogmire changed. Gone was the horrific spider-creature with the sharp mandibles and the clicking jaws. In its place stood a tall man with ebony hair and angular features. He wore black jeans and a starched white shirt. Blinking, he smoothed down theclothing.
Younger than she’d anticipated, so much younger. Ariel feltthe tension inside her ease. Judging from Justin’s satisfied look, forgiving Chase had been the right thing todo.
“What happened?” Chase asked. “I feel as if I’ve been living in a fog foryears.”
In a way, he had. Maybe all of themhad.
Neither she nor her father could speak. Emotion clogged her throat. Justin stepped up. “You’re Chase, the black dragon who killed MarianHarrington.”
The man looked away, but not before guilt crossed his features. “It was an accident. My family sent me to scare her, threaten her into giving up her portion of our clan’s wealth. I landed on her car as she drove and she panicked, and drove into atree.”
Justin drew her forward. “This is Ariel, her daughter. Ariel was in the back seat. Ariel is the one responsible forbreaking your curse through forgiving you for what youdid.”
Chase’s gaze flicked back to her. He had green eyes, like her mother’s and suddenly she knew why he’d been transformed into theDrogmire.
“You loved her. But you didn’t want to marry her,” she saidslowly.
The dragon blinked. “Why would I marry my ownsister?”
Ariel’s chest tightened. Her uncle. Dear goddesswhat a burden to carry all those years – killing hissibling.
“I never knew I had an uncle on my mom’s side.” She began to see the resemblance in Chase’s handsome features, his erect posture and his dark, silkyhair.
Her father seemed equally flustered. “Marian…she never talked about her family. About any of them. She told me she never wanted to see them again. I, I didn’tknow.”
Chase looked sad. “I know. I was never close to her, but I disagreed with our father’s decision to banish her. I was the one who transferred her share of the family fortune. I’m the one who volunteered to go after her when our father wanted the money back. We didn’t know she’d had adaughter.”
Her uncle stared at the ground. “I wish I could make it up to you, Ariel. Both taking awayyour mother and hurting you somuch.”
Pressure eased inside her chest. It was up to her now to make the first gesture. “Maybe you can introduce me some day to her side of the family. I’d like to get to knowthem.”
He nodded. “I haven’t seen them in twelve years. Not since the accident. After the accident, I turned myself in to Tristan, the Silver Wizard. This was my punishment. Becomingthe Drogmire, well, I morphed into it out of guilt. I felt like a monster, so I became one. I never imagined the curse would be broken. Thankyou.”
Chase stepped back, called out in a loud, strong voice words she did not recognize. Blue smoke appeared and out of the cloud stepped a black-haired man clad in cobalt blue, his features sharp and covered with a black beard and mustache. He hadintense gray-blue eyes and a seriousexpression.
Chase bowed down. “I called for Tristan, the Silver Wizard, myjudge.”
