Luna stood at the top of the Half Dome, overlooking the immense Yosemite Valley. Before her was a two-thousand-foot sheer drop to the base of the mountain. She couldn't see it. There wasn't much to see at all. Heavy clouds swirled around the area, dumping wet snow across the forest and smaller mountains. The cold wind battered against her small humanoid body.
But the cold didn't sooth her as it usually did. Instead, she felt empty. Broken. Tired. While it had been a slim chance, she had hoped that she would feel him here. She hoped she would feel... something. There were thousands of places a dragon could be hidden here. They, whoever they were, could easily hide all three dragons here. That is, if any of them were still alive.
For the first time in her very long life, Luna felt lost. She lowered herself to sit on the edge of the cliff, her feet dangling freely. She didn't know what to do. What was she supposed to do? What was left to do? At least in China she had the comfort of knowing his kin were still in the area, drawn by some invisible call and a feeling that they needed to be there. The few of Nekros's kin who had relocated to California and sworn themselves to Soleil, quietly admitting defeat. Something many of her own kin were beginning to feel.
Luna felt his presence long before she could see him. He was being polite. He could completely conceal his magical signature from any creature. Not his physical one, though. The bastard was a mountain of a male and stood out in every crowd. "Hello Soleil," she said when she felt him only a few meters away.
Soleil, or Quin as he liked to be called now, said nothing until he sat beside her. His magic, hot and primal, curled around her, invisible to the mortal eye. It was not meant to be comforting. It stung her skin and ate away at her own layer of protective magic. She didn't resist. She was in his territory, therefore answered to his laws. "It's been a while, Luna." He said in his deep, melodic voice. "The twenty-first century looks good on you."
She couldn't help but laugh. They'd last seen each other at the dragon summit just after Nekros and Phoenix had disappeared in the nineties. She had been really into grunge fashion, and apparently none of the dragons or kin could take her seriously. She looked at the male. He radiated golden power, keeping him dry and warm in the building storm. He wore dark blue jeans and a black V-neck shirt stretched so tight it might as well be painted on. Not as good as when he was naked, but good enough. She knew he would be able to sense her... she'll call it 'appreciation' for his body. She didn't bother trying to hide it.
"Mind out of the gutter, please." There was a touch of warning in his tone.
"Why?" she asked lustfully, licking her lips. "We both know you didn't leave me because we stopped being attracted to each other."
He tilted his head to look at her, his amber eyes glittering with emotion and power. She hissed in pain as his magic seared her skin, not stopping until she looked away. "What are you doing here?" his voice returned to its normal calm and his magic eased off.
For half a second she debated lying to him. It wouldn't do her any good, but it would annoy the hell out of her arrogant ex-mate. But that half-second past and she told him. "Nekros might be here." She chanced a glance at him. "It came from the Chinese military."
"They are the most trustworthy source I can think of." He snorted derisively.
"I know," she chuckled. "But I couldn't think of anything else. It was either this or stay there. I've been searching the Gobi Desert for years with nothing to show for it. Why not take the chance?"
"I suppose. Was it necessary to bring your abomination with you?"
Luna rolled her eyes. "Judgy. I like his company."
"I have long since stopped caring what you do with the creature. My concern is for Nolan. He deserves a chance to live outside his influence."
"Nolan isn't your yfeerie anymore, Soleil. He is a vampire. He answers to Constantine."
Quin closed his eyes. For a moment, the snow around them was suspended, hanging perfectly still. Static filled the air, and little golden arcs of magic flickered between the flecks of snow, causing the snow to rapidly expand, boil, and freeze simultaneously. After a deep breath, the weather continued as normal. "And who do you think I have to thank for that?" he asked, voice colder than her magic.
Luna stood up and stretched. "If you're expecting another apology, you're going to be disappointed. I've tried making peace. As the human's say, the ball is in your court."
She started to walk away, a large bronze hand wrapped around her wrist, pulling her back. Warm fingers traced the lines of a seemingly delicate wrist. He almost laughed at the idea. Luna delicate? Yeah... as delicate as cannon fire. He looked up, searching her silver eyes for any sign of regret... remorse... anything. How many times had he looked into those eyes and professed eternal love for her? How many millions of years did he dedicate his life and his kin to her? Twenty thousand years was an eternity for even the elves... but for them it was nothing. Was that why he still thought of her, even after everything she'd done?
"Give me a reason to trust you again." he whispered.
Luna narrowed her eyes. "I have begged you for a second chance. You have always denied me. Why now?"
"No, Luna, I'm not offering you a second chance. We can never be what we once were."
Luna looked up into the grey sky. She always knew that was the case. She did not know that it would hurt so much to hear it. "Then why do you need to trust me?" she snapped.
His thumb gently stroked the base of her wrist, feeling her pulse and the magic flooding through her veins. "Perhaps I have a lead of my own." He said carefully. "And perhaps... it's the lead we've been waiting for."
Luna crouched next to him and looked deep into his eyes. She probed for a mental link that would help her understand what he was feeling. He blocked her, none too gently, and waited for her response. Carefully, she reached out and touched his chest over her heart. "Do you?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
His free hand covered hers. His eyes were glistening with emotion. "Give me a reason to trust you." He almost begged. "This has to be done carefully. Your usual tactics of breaking down the door will not get us what we need. This is going to happen my way. If I can't trust you, I can't have you here."
A chill ran through Luna's spine. She looked up to see over a dozen of his kin behind them. Wyverns. Specially trained wyverns. Quin's relationship with his kin was what stood him apart from the other dragons. His control was absolute, and their loyalty was unwavering. To a degree that they would even attack other dragons or kin at his command. She had never seen him make such a command, but looking into his eyes now, she knew he wouldn't hesitate to do it now.
A single wyvern wouldn't have the power to take her down, generally being about half the size of their dragon masters. But there were fifteen of them and only one of her. Being smaller, they were able to turn faster. Then there was Quin himself. As much as she hated to admit it, he was much stronger than her.
She moved the hand already on her wrist to her heart, lowered herself to her knees, and found his eyes. "I cannot fix what Constantine did." She breathed. "I know I have lost you forever for my part in it. There is nothing I can say to make you feel like you can trust me again. But you know me, Soleil. You know that I would move heaven, hell, and all other realms for my brother. Trust that and give me a chance to earn yours back."
His grip tightened on her hands. "Swear to me that you will follow my lead. That if I tell you to do something, if I tell you not to do something, you will listen."
She lifted herself up high enough to press her forehead against his, opening her mind and allowing him to feel the sincerity in her words. "Quintiles Drakos," she used his modern name. "I swear on the magic that sustains us; I will follow your every command in this matter."
They stayed like that for a long minute before Quin pulled away. With a command she could not hear, he sent the Wyverns away. He released her hands and nodded for her to sit. He waited until they were alone before speaking again. "Nekros isn't here." He said again slowly. "Rhiannon is."
Her eyebrows flew up so fast they almost flew all the way off her face. "His hatchling?" she gasped. "She's here? When? How?" she jumped to her feet. "Take me to her!"
"Luna," She forced herself to sit down again and get a handle on her blood pressure. "As I have not fully investigated. It's her, I know it is, but something is very wrong. She has no magical presence, and it is clear that she has been raised as a human. Even her eyes are human."
"But you are sure it is her?"
"I am."
Luna laughed humourlessly. "So, why don't we bring her to the compounds? She would be safe there."
"Her captors would notice her disappearance. If Nekros and Phoenix are still alive, they may not be if we act too quickly. I have kin looking into her adopted family and seeing how far her history goes. Right now, we just need to wait."
Luna leaned back on her hands and stared out at the snowy valley. "It's been twenty-six years." She breathed. "Do you think she's been here the whole time?"
"I don't know." He smiled for the first time since he'd joined her atop the mountain. "But we will not lose her again."
Luna's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, gods, Soleil," she looked at him. "It's been twenty-six years! She could turn any day now!"
Quin laughed, a deep, booming sound. "She could. I'd like to see her captors restrain her then."
Luna echoed his laugh before sighing and resting her head on his arm. He tensed at the touch for a moment but relaxed soon after. She hated that she had so thoroughly burned the bridge between them. He'd thrown her a rope, but they were a long way from standing on the same side again. "What does she look like?" she asked quietly. "Nekros feared she would take too much after him."
"He has nothing to worry about." He said softly. Luna closed her eyes to listen to the soothing bass of his voice. "She has grown into a beautiful young woman. She looks so much like Phoenix. Nekros's eyes. More humility than all of us combined."
"It's not hard to be humble when you're raised to believe you are of the weakest species."
Quin's smile faded and he looked down at Luna. "She has not lived an easy life. I hate to imagine what they put her through."
"What do you mean?" She asked, meeting his eyes
"She was not afraid to speak to me or the kin. Surprised that she landed herself in the middle of the compound, but not scared. She was, however, terrified to accept our gratitude. She said, 'if you knew anything about my family, you would withdraw your offer'."
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully and stood up. "Soleil," she called him back. "Thank you. I promise not to let you down this time."
He blinked at her and the emotion that used to glaze his beautiful eyes vanished. "There is something I need you to do."
"What is it?"
"Would you ask... Constantine," it looked like it caused him great physical pain to use the vampire's name. "To leave Nolan alone for a while longer. I know he is not technically yfeerie anymore, but he is still my friend. He is still healing. He needs more time."
"I will pass on the message. I doubt he will consider it. Nolan is good for him."
"Luna," there was a hint of desperation in his voice. "Nolan and Rhiannon know each other. They are close. As long as she does not have a magical signature, her life and future are at risk. Tact has never been your vampire's strength. Rhiannon can be turned right now. If she is turned into a vampire and loses everything she is meant to be..."
He let the sentence trail off, letting her come to her own conclusions. She understood. There was a long list of dragons and kin who would be out for her blood if that happened. First in line would be her own brother while Quin tore Constantine and every vampire that got in his way apart. Not knowing what else to say, Luna just nodded. Soleil turned from her and walked away, fading into the cloud and fog cover of the mountain.
~