Laurel's eyes went wide, before she collapsed weakly back into my arms, "Don't tell Damon about this Marisol." Laurel said softly before she fell asleep again.
"As my lady wishes, so I do." She gave pointed looks at each of us, including the now unconscious form of Brydel. "Keep her alive, I would like to at least have a shot at physically being with her sometime." Myself and the dragon both growled at the suggestion. "Only if she wishes of course, you guys know she can't be compelled. Those curses she was worried about? They aren't there anymore, she is as she was always supposed to be. I should have told her when she called the first time for me, but I wanted her to hurry back to the mortal world and Damon." The demon hung her head, looking almost ashamed? Was that possible? "Just, just tell her that the curses aren't there, none. Tell her she is perfect exactly how she is now?" The ghostly demon figure faded away to nothing. Immediately I could feel the last subtle tingle of magic stop along with her form. The clearing we were in was now magic free, and slowly the sound of birds and small animals drew closer as the forest returned to his natural, undisturbed state.
I carried Laurel over to the bedroll that Auris had prepared with everyone's supplies combined. He had carried Brydel over already, laying him down on the padding, tucking him in tenderly. I set Laurel down next to him, and the two rolled to spoon each other closer. The mate bond calling to each other even in sleep. I covered them both. Tucking them in together to rest. I brushed back the hair from Laurel's forehead and lay a kiss there before walking to the nearby fire to sit with the Dragon and learn more about my mate's pet. Laurel and Brydel were naked under the blankets, but I found a pair of pants for myself and Auris while we talked.
"Hello Auris" I said, doing my best to stay neutral.
"Hello Prime Sky" He said in return, I didn't understand the phrase.
"Prime?"
"You are Laurel's first mate, you are prime." he shrugged as though it should be obvious. "You are Sunless. She did not say her first mate was one of your kind. You have escaped from a mine somehow I suppose?" I could feel the judgment rolling off him. Clearly he knew about my people, but his feelings felt more complex than just someone prejudiced to fear or hate me. He seemed to know of dark elves personally, which was impossible. Dragons and Dark elves haven't had contact in a very long time.
"I am, but obviously I left them, and am the only one of my kind ever to have done so." I dug in my mind for the bit of history I needed here, "There hasn't been contact between the Sunless and the Surface in over 9000 years now." I had been born into a wealthy house back with the Sunless. I got to learn our 'glorious and magnificent history' as a child, which included a few interesting tales. Some 15000-9000 years ago, Fae mined for gemstones to power cities. 9000 years ago, a fairy queen had a magical breakthrough and was able to end the need for mines, the risk of hitting sunless, and the need to magically and physically seal giant mines every hundred years or so to prevent a sunless invasion. Prior to that, mines were always at risk of boring too deeply into the earth and encountering a Sunless tunnel or worse, a scouting party.
The dragon just looked at me, not responding to what I had said, before his eyes darted sideways and away from my gaze. He was hiding something. "Have you encountered another dark elf before Dragon?" I asked trying to figure out the source of the sharpness of his feelings.
He nodded, still not making eye contact. Nods I could work with though. "Have you seen another of my kind recently?" he shook his head. I could work with this, but it was frustrating. Like talking to a child, or a simple minded creature. Dragons could live a long time, but few lived much more than 5-6 thousand years. "Are you more than 9000 years old?" he froze, clearly having a debate in his mind, perhaps with his dragon? Did they do that? I wasn't sure. I would have to ask sometime. Another time.
"I am. I am over ten thousand years old now." He hung his head. I had never heard of a dragon living that long, most made it to about 5000 years, but they looked ancient, both as human or dragon. Sometimes the perfect human form became harder to reach if a dragon had spent too much time in dragon form. But Auris looked no older than Laurel, there was something else about this dragon. Aside from being mentally broken, socially awkward and just strange in general.
"What did you mean, Master Elemental Dragon? You said that to Marisol when she teased you."
He stiffened, realizing his need to boast gave away more information than he intended. "I am able to control all the elements, all magic, it is why I was able to destroy Cole. Well with Laurel's help I was. Wherever he is, even his essence is shattered. I made sure of it, nothing will be able to reassemble him anytime soon, and I'm certain no one would bother in the first place." he huffed before pouting his lower lip.
I had to maintain my neutral face. A typical dragon has fire. Some are special and get a bonus element. All are magical creatures. Can perform and practice magic if they train for it, can read minds, most could compel to some degree. A typical dragon was an unstoppable force, how much more powerful was Auris? "All magic?" I asked, trying to stay calm. Reconsidering everything.
"Yes, I am perhaps stronger in some areas than others, but there is no magic I could not access." He didn't sound smug, or boastful, he was a puzzle I was having a very hard time understanding.
This was terrifying. There had been a dragon capable of destroying anything in his path, and it had somehow hidden out, in a mountain, basically a short trip from where I had made my home? And no one knew about it. I had never heard of a dragon with such unrestrained powers. "How were you alone for so long? People would have looked for you?" It didn't make sense, a creature with this much innate magic would have been hunted to the ends of the three realms for a chance to control the power.
"I walled myself inside the cave, sealed my magic, and hid my tracks for a couple hundred years. Even dragon's grow weary after a couple centuries with no reward for their efforts. Then I just stayed small, quiet and unnoticable. I sought company, mostly voluntary, some not, and practiced my magic. Not realizing until much later all I could do with my powers." He might seem a little off balance now, but he wasn't a total idiot. He had been capable of plot and deception, and had endless magic to draw on. "Laurel told me not to read anyone's mind. I am not. So please believe me when I say I can see you thinking of ways to use me as a weapon in your eyes right now. I only serve Laurel. Not you." Certainly not an idiot. All I could do was be grateful he and the dragon he didn't seem wholly connected with were unified in dedication to Laurel.
Laurel
I felt it as my body shifted from deep slumber to waking up. The suns were up overhead, warming my face, I shifted and could feel I was naked, and someone was wrapped around my front and another pressed against my back. My mates, surrounding me. I wriggled myself upwards out from in between the two of them. Sky and Brydel moved closer to each other while still asleep, seeking the warmth that was missing now that I had extrapolated myself. Both smiled, and cuddled back to sleep together satisfied.
They looked so good together, already bonding as friends and maybe more. I liked it. It made my heart happy that my mates could be happy with each other too. I turned and Auris was waiting for me. Looking funny in a pair of pants far larger than he needed and nothing else.
"Mistress, I have fish cooked if you are hungry? Or if you desire something else, name it and I will find it." He was holding a sizzling rock with what looked like a couple trout smoking on top. They did smell really good and I was starving.
"I'll eat the fish, Thank you pet." If he was still calling me mistress, then he was still my pet. Someday I felt like he could become ready to be more than a pet, but until then, we would live with this relationship. He was a dragon who could end me in a bite; if Mistress Starlight is what he needed from me right now, I would provide it. Try and put him back together into something stronger while forcing strict rules and boundaries on him. So far it seemed to be working at least.
I used a twig with a pronged end like a crude fork to flake the fish apart and eat around the bones, while Auris held the sizzling rock for me, ensuring I didn't get burned. I ate all four fish, and felt much better afterwards. "Mistress must have been hungry, she ate almost as much as Prime Sky."
"Prime Sky?" I asked him, not understanding the phrase.
He sighed at me, "Sky is your first mate, he is Prime. Is or was a dragon thing. I'm not sure what modern dragons are doing." Prime Sky, I might not quite understand the title, it felt like it fit the steady elf.
"Thank you pet, for telling the truth" I smiled at him, pleased he was submitting so easily, not making me call out lies when he knew I would be able to tell. "Has Brydel woken up yet?"
He looked sad, "No mistress, he has been asleep for almost two days now. You only now woke up, he will follow soon" I was worried now, Brydel needed to wake up soon. I hope I didn't free him, only to lose him to death before getting to know him.
"He will be ok mistress, his collar was in place for over 200 years, it's amazing you were able to break it. He needs to rest to recover." He tentatively reached his hand towards mine, and this time, I took it. Needing the comfort of touch from anyone at this point. I focused on the bond with Sky, strong and true. It made me feel better. I wanted to will all the energy I had through the bond to Brydel. But I knew I had nothing left to give him. I had used up everything I had to free him. I would do it again in a heartbeat if I had to.
I could feel how true his heart was. How when nothing was left to him he dedicated himself to improving every skill he could, never giving up hope that one day he could use his skills how he chose. Never giving up hope that he could be free again. I wanted to be all he had dreamed of while waiting for his mate. I am not sure why his goddess would have made him endure lifetimes under a demon's control just to end up with me and all the tangles I was bringing with me. But I would try and be worthy of what he deserved after waiting so long and suffering so much. He just had to open his eyes, so we could get to know each other.
Brydel slept until the sun was setting on that second day. It was nerve wracking waiting for him to wake up. I felt so bad for Sky, and how he must have felt the same for the day and a half I rested to recover from the ritual. But it was worth it, I could feel him getting stronger, he was going to be ok and he was free.
After eating the trout Auris had made, he directed me to the nearest stream to wash up. Then I got dressed and waited for Brydel to wake up. Sky had awoken from his nap and joined Auris and I around the campfire. Everyone tense, waiting for Brydel to be ok.
Things were going how I wanted now, we were back on track. I could still feel my old life slipping away. I had two supernatural mates now, Brydel could probably fit into my life in the city, but my sweet Sky? There was no way I knew of to hide his skin, he wouldn't fit in the modern human world. I started to think that maybe my old life was likely lost to me. I would need to start again somewhere new. Probably in the Fae realm. Where myself and all my men could live free and happy together.
Before I started to wallow too deeply on how my life was changing. Sky told me Marisol wanted me to know there were no more curses on me. I was just me for the first time. How I was supposed to be. No curse, no glamor. How I was now, in this moment was my true self. It was terrifying. Nothing in my life had prepared me for a life like this. I didn't have a rule book, I had no idea what I was doing, no plan. I just kept doing what felt right in the moment. Which lead to me ending up in the Fae realm with no way home, two mates and a pet dragon, still no idea what I am or what I am doing though. Get to Titania, she might have answers. That is the only plan I have right now. It didn't seem like much of a plan at all.
Even though all I would like to do is spend more time with Brydel, get to know him. Build our relationship. Sky had spent more time with him and said he was a good man and they got along. Brydel was tied to me for life now, so hopefully we got along well. Auris was stalking behind me at a distance, I really wasn't sure what I was going to do with him. His history still made my skin crawl, but he wasn't just evil, he was complex, and he had been abiding by my rules to the letter. Auris was a problem for another day. For now he could follow as long as he behaved, I hoped he behaved.
I felt through the bond the moment Brydel drew close to waking up, I ran across the camp to be at his side, practically throwing myself on the padding beside him. I grabbed his hand, just as his eyes started to flutter open, his hand squeezing mine back. My heart nearly stopped when his deep brown eyes finally opened and looked into mine.
"Hi you." I could feel tears threatening to slip from my eyes. I was so relieved he was ok.
"I'm alive? Free?" His hand that wasn't entwined with mine went to his throat feeling for the collar that wasn't there anymore. The skin still showing the red outline of where the collar had burned his skin for so long. But it had healed remarkably quick, since he was a wolf, he might not even have a scar when it fully healed.
"Alive, free and mine." I smiled as the first tear ran down my cheek. I had no idea why my feelings were so strong, I didn't know this man, not really. My heart just thought it did because of the bond and the ritual we had all survived.
"I'm yours and you are mine" he cupped my cheek in his large palm. "Just as the goddess intended. Thank you." I couldn't stop myself, I threw my arms around him, crawled in his lap and just breathed him in. Savoring how his skin felt against mine, listening to his heartbeat as his chest moved under my head with every breath he took. I could feel and hear as he in turn scented my hair, running his nose over his mark on my neck causing my body to tingle and a thread of my magic to rush out before I could pull it back in.
He smiled down at me,"I would love to have you all to myself,"He winked, clearly he had felt my magic touch him, "but I think we should work on what our next move will be." Sky came down and sat beside Brydel, Auris was prowling nearby, at a distance, his eyes scanning the horizon for any threat to his Mistress.
"Titania. Sky and I were heading to Titania. A unicorn told us that she might have answers for me. I suggest we continue heading that way? Unless someone has another idea?"
"This isn't the bravest thought I have ever had, but couldn't we all go hide in the woods somewhere and just enjoy our lives together?" Brydel asked.
"My heart, that would be nice, but I still have no idea what I am, I need to know. It's important that I find out." I gently explained to my newest mate. "I still want to get back to the life I left behind too." Though I could feel the untruth to that statement, yes a part of me wanted to slide back into my old life somehow and make it fit me again. But so much had changed, I knew I had to work on accepting that I could only go forward now. But for now, it wasn't a lie when I said I wanted to go back to my life. I did want it. I wanted to see Damon, and Delia, the first people to love me for me, Melody the only other person who would understand coming to the supernatural late in life.
"Erebus will find her no matter where we try to hide. He will come. Our best course of action is to complete our original quest. Head to Titania, see if she can help Laurel. I also have to tell the Queen that the corruption near the ocean and plains is expanding." Sky said, his voice placid and controlled. But I could feel his worry, he was trying to hide it but he had serious concerns about Erebus. I would have to ask him about those feelings when we had more privacy.
"To Titania then. Let's pack up this camp and get moving, The capital is still over two weeks away on foot if we hurry ourselves. More like four weeks for a reasonable estimate." Brydel had come to agree, and was already moving to get up and pack everything up.
"Mistress?" Auris's voice took me by surprise, he had been so quiet while the rest of us were talking.
"Yes pet?" I asked him, feeling a little bad I had forgotten him for a moment.
"If we need to head to the Fae capital, I can help. I am willing to carry your two mates, you may ride and we can be there just after sunset today."