Page 30 of Sapphire Seas

While they gathered what meager belongings they had left it hit me hard all we’d lost.

But we will rebuild, love. Our family has grown exponentially today by adding your herd to it. Then we’ll add our own dragonets to the mix.

A few days mated, and Mattias already knew how to calm me.

When they were ready to go, Quint and Torin stepped out first to ensure it was clear, then picked up those they were assisting. The kelp fields I’d swam through as a dragonet were all but gone. Rock formations my friends and I played hide and seek around, demolished. Little was left of the life I’d known.

Our kids will have all that and more, Kes said. The surroundings may have changed but the memories will be with you forever.

I really owed the Goddess big time for pairing me with two perfect mates.

Baird, Ignatus and Elgin waited for us on the shoreline and helped relieve some of the load we carried. The dragonets giggled as we took to the skies, likely never having been outside of the cave since they were born. Seeing it all through their eyes shone a light on the dark I’d felt at the failure of letting my people down. But now, these younglings were enjoying themselves.

Wait until they see the playground by Ionus house, Mattias said.

I’d forgotten about that.

And all the dragonets they’ll have to play with, Kes added.

They’ll love the springs in the caves, too.

Quint and Torin stayed to the rear of the group, guarding while Caro took the front as we flew them to the safety of what would be their new home.

Where will they all sleep?

We’ll make due, mate. Soon the new housing will be completed in Dragon City. There will be plenty of room for them to start their new lives, or to stay until the world is once again safe.

Maybe I can see it then, the city that is.

I think it’s time to take my mates on a proper date, Mattias said.

The pitch came into view along with Ionus, Odem and others from Baird’s clan, awaiting us. They helped us get everyone unloaded and introduced themselves. The flight back wasn’t nearly as long as the route I’d taken the first time I left. As much as I’d like to blame it on the shiny new objects that threw me off course, I couldn’t. My long journey had been challenging one. From dodging attacks, to following leads and nearly being killed. But in the end it brought me to my new life.

Now, it was time to prepare for not only a future with my mates, but to securing a future for the dragonets to come.

Goddess, help us all.

Chapter Ten

Mattias

There was something bittersweet about returning home with so few of the dragons we’d hoped to rescue from Caspian’s herd. For as much as my mate felt responsible for not bringing help back to them in time to prevent the loss of lives that had taken place in his absence, I felt just as deeply to blame. The ocean was my domain. What happened to those who dwelled in it ultimately rested on my shoulders. I’d been unaware of there being anything amiss with the lampreys. The parasitic bloodsuckers were a creature I’d hardly paid any attention to over the years, which in hindsight, made them the perfect tool for our enemies to utilize.

Spending my days helping to assemble the new homes Amaru and his herd picked out was penance, as well as a means to vent some of the frustration I felt through physical activity.

I wasn’t the only one, either.

My brothers spent as much time out here as I did, as did my mates, and Torin and Quint, despite having just discovered one another. As each protectors’ mate was discovered, the time we actually had to devote to them had grown shorter, much like my temper. Hammering another nail in place felt good. Watching a tiny house village slowly take shape felt even better. Each home was crafted to resemble a miniature version of a New England seaside cottage, with front porches wide enough for a couple of chairs and windows that faced the ocean. My private beach was no longer private, but it was safe, even more so now that Raven had strengthened the wards here. With the cliff face serving as a backdrop as well as a wind buffer, the cove was protected.

Hurley, one of the few Elders besides Amaru who’d survived the relentless attacks by the Gorynych, had opted to have his home built on the peak overlooking the cove. Not only that, but he’d requested it be a miniature lighthouse, so he could help keep watch on what remained of his people. On the opposite peak, a member of the herd named Sebastian had asked for one to match, the pair insisting that they would coordinate their efforts to keep the cove under constant surveillance until things were safe again.

Baird’s people moved amongst them, all skilled builders, they aided in the construction efforts, while Upalo and Ronan’s people lent their metalworking gifts to the cause. Patio chairs, lanterns, they were thrilled to use their talents again while helping the latest wave of newcomers get settled in. The spirit of cooperation wasn’t unique to the compound either. Larkin’s reports were filled with similar instances of longstanding members of Dragon City helping new dragons assimilate to life here in our mountains. Most arrived with next to nothing. Some were frightened, fleeing atrocities, and struggling to find their footing after their lives had been turned upside-down. All were welcomed as long as they came in peace and wished to live in harmony.

As the sun began to set, I headed inside with my mates to clean up and finally launch the first part of the surprise I’d been cooking up for them for the past few days.

“Caspian, make certain that you dress warmly after you shower and put on socks,” I said as I urged him toward the bathroom door.

If I joined them in there, we’d never leave, so I’d use the shower in the guest bathroom tonight.