Page 30 of Vicar
Chapter Fourteen
“I’VE BEEN HERE, too, Vicar.” Trinity looked at him in amazement. “I’ve walked these shores.” Her gaze went to one boat in particular. A soft smile curled her mouth. “I’ve ridden on that ship...” her eyes returned to him. “Yourship.”
“Ja.” He nodded slowly, remembering as well. “As a young dragon...” He narrowed his eyes, yet again surprised. “Even as a little girl.” He blinked, shocked when he put two and two together. When he realized how similar the dragon face on the front of his ship was to her dragon's face. “I even had King Sven carve the figurehead in your likeness.”
Before she could respond, he took her hand and pulled her after him. How could he have forgotten so much? And why did his family not know about her? Had she somehow hidden their memories like Jade had of her and Thorulf?
“Yet wouldn’t Sven have asked who I wanted him to carve?” He murmured, helping her onto the boat. “For your dragon face is...” Perfect. Remarkable. “Unforgettable.”
While there was no missing her telling blush, Trinity was taken enough by the ship that she didn’t let it embarrass her overly long.
“This is incredible.” She touched the mast and looked up at the furled sail with a smile before she drifted toward the figurehead. “And that,” she whispered, “it really is me, isn’t it?”
“It is,” he confirmed. “I’ve been asked whose likeness it was, but I passed it off as one female or another.” He shrugged a shoulder. “And for some reason never questioned it myself.” He rested his hand on its sleek neck. “Though I can safely say I was always drawn to it. Taken by it.”
Even fantasized about having it but wouldn’t tell her that. Not yet.
“This is all so unbelievable.” Trinity rested her hand on its neck as well. “I just don’t understand...” She tilted her head in question. “How could I be here without your family ever seeing me? Because I was right here.” She pointed at various benches. “And there and there.” Then encompassed the whole ship. “I was just about everywhere.”
As if in response to her question, a memory manifested nearby. Shocking, considering this wasn’t the real ship, so the memory couldn’t have taken place here. It had, however, without doubt, happened on the actual ship. They were out to sea now, and interestingly, slightly-less-little Trinity was transparent.
“This is the ship before Sven made me the figurehead,” he divulged as little Trinity leapt up where her likeness would someday be and roared into the wind.
“I wish I could always stand here for you,” she declared to slightly-less-little Vicar, who gazed up at her most impressed. “No ship would dare approach, and I would keep you safe always.”
Vicar cocked his head and thought about that. “Shouldn’t I be the one to protect you and the ship?”
“Why am I transparent now when I was solid before?” Trinity wondered. “And my personality’s not quite what it was before in your chamber. Sure, I seem fine, but the version of me who grew up in New Hampshire rarely embraced her dragon. Now I've seen me do it three times.” She shook her head. “And I certainly wouldn’t have roared like that.”
Unsure, he shook his head as well.
“I think I can protect you every bit as much as you can me,” little Trinity said. She roared at the sky again before tucking her wings in neatly and batting her lashes at Vicar prettily. “Besides, wouldn’t you like to see me when I’m not here? Wouldn’t you like to gaze longingly at your future mate?”
Trinity’s and Vicar’s brows shot up in surprise at that. It sounded like they had everything figured out.
“I would,” little Vicar agreed and hopped up beside her. He rubbed his neck against hers then scowled when he couldn’t wrap his wing around her. “You realize there are things we must do before becoming mates, though, ja?”
