Page 85 of A Celtic Vow
“It’s okay.” Shannon, who sat between Liam and Tréan, squeezed their hands. “I already have everything I need.” She looked from her husband to her son. “And I could use some quiet time to get to know them better.”
Both Liam and Declán nodded at their wives. At the life, they might find together now they knew their people were safe. That they were actually allowed a future together.
“And what of you?” Ulrik’s steady gaze remained on Constance and Aodh. “What do you make of where you ended up for your loss is greater than everyone’s?”
Constance went to respond, determined to tread carefully around Aodh’s feelings, but he beat her to it.
“I think I have been blessed.” Aodh went to Ulrik, clasped his hand, and nodded. “Thank you for coming to our aid, for I know we would not be where we are if not for you.” He smiled. “Might you join us for a bit? Return to wherever we go next?”
“If only I could.” Ulrik gave them a pleased look, clearly glad to see all would be well. “But I must return to my own people as the Age of Embers is upon us.”
Aodh’s brows bunched. “That sounds rather dire for a dragon.”
“’Tis just another age of evolution.” Ulrik nodded at everyone in respect. “No different than what you all just faced and conquered.” He smiled at Cian. “’Twas an honor returning the favor. Might we meet again someday, my friend.”
Before Cian could respond, Ulrik vanished in a wisp of dragon smoke.
“So that was the last of the dragons in our Ireland then,ta?” Bea asked rather bluntly. She released a choppy sigh when she looked at Constance and Aodh fondly. Confessed to what they had already suspected. “’Twas such a pleasure watching yer wee beasties running around me castle years ago. Even though Constance’s appeared but a ghost, yer dragons were,” she fanned away tears, “quite charming, they were.Quitecharming.”
“Yet ye never said anything about seeing Constance,” Aodh exclaimed. “Why?”
“Because I knew ye were meant for great things, lad.” Bea wiped away a tear. “And ‘twas not my place to interfere with the prophecy.” She gave Constance a loving look. “I cannot tell ye how good it was to see ye return to our castle all grown up. To see ye whole and clearly meant for me king.” She put a hand to her heart. “They might be gone now, but I was glad to know yer wee dragons, even if from afar, for they were so very special.”
“They were,” Adlin agreed, his eyes merry when he crouched in front of Constance. “But mayhap we haven’t seen the last of them yet, aye, lassie?” When she shook her head in confusion, he lifted his hand and gestured at her belly. “Might I?”
“Okay,” she said slowly, confused when he rested his hand against her womb and closed his eyes.
“Ah, there it is,” he said softly.
“There what is?” she asked, not daring to hope.
Adlin’s eyes remained merry when they opened to hers. “Yer wee one, of course.” He grinned from Aodh to her. “A wee one just like ye were.”
“Oh, my God.” Constance put her hand to her womb and blinked back tears. “Do you mean to say...”
She couldn’t get the words out. Could hardly believe it.
“Aye, lass,” he nodded at Aodh, “lad.” A fresh twinkle lit his eyes. “Ye’ve a wee dragon shifter bairn on its way.” He chuckled. “And ‘twill be a handful!”
She felt how elated yet troubled Aodh was by the news when he spoke. “So ‘twill suffer the same fate as me?” He shot Bea an apologetic look. “Whilst I was raised very well and had Constance there now that I remember, ‘twas not what a wee dragon ultimately needed. He needed—”
“Dragons like him, aye?” Adlin looked between them. “Parents, who understand what it is to be such a magnificent creature? To show him or her how to go about things? How to spread their wings for the first time?”
“Yes,” Constance replied, confused by the peppy look in Adlin’s eyes when the moment, however joyous, didn’t quite call for it.
“Well, I would think ye would teach him or her.” Adlin looked back and forth between them again and grinned. “After all, ye might not be able to shift into dragons anymore, but I guarantee there’s still a wee part of them inside ye.” The corner of his mouth shot up. “Most especially when ye sleep.”
“And dream,” she murmured, understanding. “Just like Aodh and I did when we first found each other.”
“Precisely!” He smiled from Constance’s belly to Shannon, who couldn’t have children, to Riona, who could heal, back to Constance, who possessed the sort of luck that made the impossible happen. “And who knows what other small miracles might happen as time goes on?” His gaze flickered over the couples. “Especially when so much magic still exists among ye? So much good luck and favor with the gods?”
Everyone tried to ask him what he meant by that, what he implied, but Adlin vanished as quickly as Ulrik had. Not before he left a little something behind, though.
“Well, what is that?” Bea wondered, staring at the little cup full of dirt with but a tiny sprout shooting up out of it. A tiny oak tree eager to take root somewhere in Ireland.
“That, my friend,” Constance smiled, understanding its symbolism, “is the next evolution of King’s Heart. It might not possess the same magic, but it most certainly possesses the same heart.” She looked from face to face. “All of our hearts. Everything it took to arrive at this moment. More than that, though, a continued place of worship for our countrymen because everybody needs a place to find sanctity, peace, and hope. Somewhere they feel their deities can hear them.”
Adlin had left them with a great gift and had been here to help when he was most needed, but now the rest was up to them. Why not, considering how much they had grown and learned since all this started? As Adlin said, the immense magic they had accrued?
