Chapter 27

Corliss sat on her sofa, teacup in hand, and watched as the two wolf-sized dragons in front of the fire. Silver eyes twinkling with mischief, the twins were wrestling on the plush rug, nipping at each other, keeping their wings tight against their bodies after she'd given them a scolding after they knocked over a bookshelf earlier that afternoon. Two weeks since they'd hatched, and they were quickly outgrowing her apartment.

Another regular visitor wanted to be anywhere but her apartment. In those few weeks, Meron had become a formidable presence in her life and not just because of their professional relationship. Now, the two of them were tied together by their bonds to their dragons, which Meron seemed to absolutely hate. Corliss did, too, after that first night. There hadn't been any easy conversations between them anymore. Just a hello, goodbye, and questions on how the dragons were doing when one or the other wasn't there.

Meron was almost...resentful with the fact that the egg he thought was solely his bloodrite bond wasn't as such. He couldn't meet her eyes as her baby dragon followed her around everywhere she went, even when his own did the same thing to him when not with his brother.

And Corliss absolutely hated it.

The only thing they agreed to had been their twin dragons' names. It was an easy choice after the initial shock of that first night with them. Meron had stayed over, sleeping on her sofa, but was still wide awake at midnight when Corliss had crept out from her bedroom to see how the three of them were doing.

Both dragons had curled themselves against his side between him and the back of the sofa, all three of them covered with a blanket she'd give Meron. The only reason she knew they were there was by their tails peeking out from the edge. Other than that, they were completely buried.

Meron's golden-brown eyes were molten in the light of the fire as he stared up at her. In his hands was the picture book they'd picked up at the bookshop. He was on one of the first few pages right when the dragons were introduced.

"What are you doing up?" she whispered to him, leaning over the back of the sofa.

He met her eyes for just a second more before heaving a sigh. "These two just got to sleep. They're rambunctious little ones, that's for sure. We're in for one hell of an interesting ride with them."

Corliss gave him a slight smile as she reached for the blanket covering them, lifting it up to peek. The dragons were curled around each other, their heads nestled together on Meron's tanned stomach.

"That's one way to see me partially naked, Lady Lis."

Her face flamed. It was the first time he'd joked with her in hours. "That's not...it wasn't...gods, you're going to be a pain in the ass."

"Just don't kill me yet."

"Then don't tempt me, Commander."

She walked around the sofa, tightening her robe around her as she sat down on the low-lying table between him and the fire.

Meron closed the picture book and held it out to her. "You haven't decided on a name yet, have you?"

Corliss stared. He still hadn't referred to her own baby dragon as hers, almost as if he would be able to will that bond away from existence if he did. "I haven't. I was never one of those sorceresses who knew what she wanted to name her dragon when she finally had a bloodrite bond."

"Good...because I have after reading through that picture book again."

"And?"

"What about the names of the dragons from it, Ollyn and Odanth?"

At the sound of the names, two little heads poked up from beneath the blanket. Both Corliss and Meron looked at the lumps before it disappeared and their hours old dragons meeting their eyes with silvery gazes.

Corliss grinned as hers crawled across Meron's stomach, talons gripping into his skin to make him wince. Good, she thought. That's what you get for being an ass. He would have tumbled right off the edge of the sofa if she hadn't caught him, pulling him up into her lap as he nuzzled against her.

"I like it," she agreed. "Which one do you want?"

Sighing again, Meron looked back at his own dragon, who'd followed his brother's lead but rather to snuggle closer to the sorcerer. He stroked a finger along his back, tracing the delicate wing. "I think he looks like an Ollyn, don't you?"

She nodded in agreement, leaning down to kiss her dragon's head. "And you're Odanth."

Just to let her know he loved the name, Odanth let out a squeak that had her laughing.

After a few quiet moments passed, Corliss finally looked up at Meron, who was settled against the pillow beneath his head, staring up at the ceiling. His jaw was clenched tight, muscles in his neck strained.

She let out a sigh, cuddling Odanth closer. "You're thinking about something," she stated. "What?"

Meron's eyes cut to hers without even moving his head. "It's just...no, forget it."

"No, tell me."

"Just because we share twin dragons doesn't mean I have to, you know."

"Then as your future Lady of Eld, I command you to."

The sorcerer snorted, scowling. "Oh, so now you're wanting the title just so you can command me to do things? Usually, I'm the one in charge."

"And you obviously hate the fact that you won't be able to boss me around. What happened to trying to whoo me? I think I liked you better then."

"Well, I liked you better before you thought you had the right to take away one of the few things I've waited my whole life for."

What in the Mother's name was he going on about? When a bloodrite bond was formed, both dragon and rider had absolutely no say in it. Though Corliss had been dreaming about the bond since she was a child, there was no way she could force one. That wasn't how it worked and surely he knew it, too.

Meron seemed to realize what he'd said as soon the words left his lip. He met Corliss's gaze and winced. "I'm sorry. That didn't come out right."

"Of course, that didn't come out right."

"Lis..."

"Take away," Corliss repeated in a whisper. "I didn't take away anything from you. Just look at the bloodrite bonded dragon lying against you. Ollyn is yours, Meron, just as he always will be. You didn't know there were two. Twin dragons...that never happens. Neither one of us knew. I sure as hell didn't know I would get my bloodrite bond out of this and certainly not with you. And I didn't think I'd have to be saddled to you because of it either! Because I won't separate them and, by the gods, neither will you, so get used to it."

Meron sat up, cradling Ollyn in his arms as the baby dragon squeaked in protest, half asleep. "Corliss Lucerra, you know that's not what I was meaning."

"Are you sure about that, Meron Brandt?"

"I..."

She held up a hand, cutting him off. "That's the thing, though. I don't know you. I've known you for all of a few days. I don't know you like Alberich and Bridget do. Right now, though, I can't look past your arrogant asshole behavior or your animosity toward me because of the dragons. Just as I don't know you, you don't know me. But like I said, I would never separate Ollyn and Odanth if I can help it. So, if you don't mind me stealing your dragon, I'll let them sleep with me. Maybe a goodnight's rest will allow you to get rid of those absolutely ridiculous thoughts of yours."

Meron tried to reach for her hand, regret alight in his eyes. "Corliss..."

But she yanked her hand away and shook her head. "You get tonight, Meron. Only tonight. We'll figure out a schedule with these first few weeks since they're still so little. They can stay with me some days and you the others. We're going to have to work together in making sure they learn everything they need to about being dragons. I don't have to like it and neither do you, but we have to do this for them."

Corliss stood, wanting the last word between them. Meron seemed at a loss of his, staring up at her as she shifted Odanth in her arms. Ollyn, still half asleep, crawled over Meron's stomach, squeaking up at her as she leaned down to pick him up.

"Get some sleep," Corliss told him, narrowing her eyes in the firelight. "But tomorrow morning, I want you out of my apartment."

***

Now, as Ollyn and Odanth wrestled in front of the fire, nipping and growling at each other, Corliss's eyes went to the front door of her apartment as it opened.

"That key was only for emergencies, you know," she said to Meron as he strode in.

He paused just beyond the doorway, seeing her packed bags on floor before dropping his own beside them. Stepping out of his boots, he met her gaze with a stoic one of his own. "Well, you haven't answered my last two messages from last night and this morning, so I didn't think you'd leave the door open."

At the sound of Meron's voice, Ollyn immediately perked up, pushed past Odanth who tried to bite him again, and went straight for him. The dragon bounded over and curled himself around his legs, nestling his head against them.

Meron smiled, though his smile grew as soon as Odanth bounded over, too. Those two were the only ones who were graced with that smile over the last two weeks. "Have you two been good?" he asked them, almost cooing.

The twinkle in their silver eyes would have made anyone believe they had been.

"Say that to my bookshelf they knocked over this morning," Corliss snorted as she stood.

"Oh, I'm sure they didn't mean to. They're growing and did it by accident."

"You're a bad influence."

"And you're the disciplinarian. Someone has to be the fun one, right? The one causing all the trouble."

Teacup in hand, she put her other on her hip. "Commander."

"Lady Lis," Meron replied, turning that smile to her.

That smile disappeared as soon as he saw what she was wearing. She hadn't taken out her leather riding gear from her wardrobe in ages. Being from Eld, of course, she had to have a set for whenever she stole Chesnan or Cordova away from Bridget and Gaven. All the Ayverian food and drink and regular workouts had filled her out over those last few years, though, adding to the curves she already had, the skintight leather fitting her like a glove.

And Meron noticed. Definitely noticed as his eyes slowly roamed over her.

Silence stretched out between them as Ollyn and Odanth finally left Meron alone to continue trot happily into the kitchen, tails and wings knocking into the cabinets with every move, before disappearing down the hallway into the room she'd set up for them. The only sounds were from their grumbling and bedding rustle as they finally settled down for their midmorning nap.

"They'll be out for at least an hour," Corliss mumbled then, finally breaking his stare as she made her way into the kitchen. "I'm surprised they lasted this long."

Meron followed, taking a set at the counter. "Like I said, they're growing up. They haven't been out flying this morning, have they?"

"You mean attempting to fly? No. I wanted them to rest."

Usually, Alzriade Blacks didn't start flying until they were a month old and practically twice the size than they were then, but, of course, the twins had to push those well-known milestones and break them by a full two weeks. Just three days before, Odanth had been the first to take off as the four of them spent time at the beach. The dragon had hopped up onto an outcropping of boulders, took one look down below him, and decided then and there that he would learn to fly. Ollyn, seeing his brother somehow managing to stay aloft for a good twenty feet before touching down, wanted to try himself.

And they both gave Corliss and Meron heart attacks.

There was no stopping them after that. The two were having too much fun jumping off the rocks, trying to see who could fly the longest distance. As far as flight training was going, Ollyn and Odanth were doing a fine job teaching themselves.

But the older and bigger they got, it made Corliss and Meron realize they wouldn't be able to fit in either one of their apartments for much longer and they had much more training they had to go through. Training they could only get in Eld, which was where they would be starting the journey to later that afternoon.

Corliss had her bags packed since the morning before. She had enough clothes and toiletries to last her for a few weeks. A few months even if that's how long they were gone for. There were too many other things she had to get settled in Ayveri before she just up and left. So, while the dragons had been napping, she'd gone out to get supplies for their journey, went to the university to tell her professors she was going to be taking a sabbatical, and to find someone housesit for her. The first two tasks were easy enough, but the third...

Well, it was the reason she never had a moment to respond to Meron's message about what time she was wanting to leave Ayveri. She was furiously writing another to two people who had absolutely no clue about anything going on.

Bridget and Alberich.

"What?" Meron asked her then. "What's that look for?"

"What look?"

"The look when you scrunch your eyebrows and bite the inside of your lip. You're trying to avoid telling me something, aren't you?"

He already knew that look? Bridget and Gaven endlessly told her that was her one given tell when she was keeping something to herself.

"So, you know how you wanted to keep this – the bonds with the dragons – quiet for a little while until we got to Eld?"

Meron crossed his arms over his chest, eyes narrowing. "Yes."

"Well, Bridget and Alberich..."

"You didn't tell them, did you?"

"No...but they might be on their way here now, so they might find out."

He gave her a deadpan look. "You can't be serious."

"I had to find someone to keep watch of things here, didn't I? And they're back in Ayveri for a few weeks. That's why I never wrote you back yesterday. I was doing last minute errands and then I got the message from Bridget and I tried to quickly write one back, but she didn't even let me..."

Meron lifted a finger to press it to her lips, stopping her mid run-on sentence. "You're rambling, Lady Lis."

Heat flaring across her cheeks, she mumbled against his finger, "I know. It's a nervous habit."

Finally, he dropped his hand. "Nervous? Why?"

"Why do you think?" she asked, gesturing to the two of them. "What do you think they'll believe when they see you here in my apartment, your bags by mine at the door?"

"Oh. Oh."

Corliss hadn't said a word to Bridget in their correspondence about Meron or the dragons and she had a feeling he hadn't said anything to Alberich in his either. So, there they would be, Corliss's sister and Alberich's best friend, finding out Corliss and Meron were connected by a bond they shared in a way.

A bloodrite bond.

Yep, just a bloodrite bond with twin dragons.

She wanted to groan just thinking of what Bridget's reaction would be as soon as she saw Meron in her apartment.

And did just a little while later when there was a knock on the door.

Corliss and Meron were still in the kitchen, eating a light lunch of croissant sandwiches, both of them stopping mid-bite when it sounded against the wood. Corliss's gulp was almost audible as she slowly placed her half-eaten sandwich on her plate, wiped her hands, and walked over to the door. Meron didn't move from his seat at the island, though, instead turning to lean casually against the counter. She couldn't look at him, though, not when she had to compose herself enough to figure out what to tell her sister and brother-in-law.

Bridget's narrowed emerald eyes were the first thing she was met with when she cracked open the door.

"Well, there you two are," Corliss began.

Her sister sucked in a lungful of air. "You have a male in your apartment, Corliss," she said by way of greeting.

"No..."

Without even glancing down, Bridget pointed at Meron's bags, his boots. "Then whose are those?"

"Uh, mine?"

"You're so full of shit."

"Mm," Corliss winced, practically hanging from the door since she knew Bridget was close to pushing it open herself. "All right, I'll let you in. But first, you have to promise not to freak out."

It hadn't happened since her last male friend, but even Alberich was suspicious, squaring his shoulders as his arms crossed over his chest. "Freak out about the fact that I have a sneaking suspicion about who is in your apartment right now?"

"Maybe? But there's more, too. First things first, though, right?"

As slowly as she could manage, Corliss stepped back, pushing open the door for Bridget and Alberich to get full view of the open layout of her apartment. Her sitting room, the dining room table, her kitchen...where they saw Meron still sitting, leaning against the counter as if he'd made himself more than comfortable.

As soon as she set eyes on him, Bridget's jaw dropped. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Oh, no, it's definitely not what you think."

"Not what I think? Meron, what the hell are you doing in my sister's apartment? You two...are you...?"

Meron started to say something as he hopped off his seat and slowly walked to Corliss's side, but Corliss beat him to it.

"No! Gods, Bridget, it's not like that!"

"Then what the hell is going on?" she demanded, looking between the two of them. "You're going to Eld and by the looks of it he's going with you. Why?"

Corliss and Meron shared a look.

"After you two left...Meron decided to be a stalker and follow me around the city, buying things I'd looked at before."

"Went well, considering she let me in here later that night..."

She smacked a hand against his stomach. "Don't make it sound like that. They're going to get the wrong idea."

"But you loved when I made you..."

"Dinner!" Corliss squeaked, looking wide-eyed at Bridget and Alberich as slow smiles spread across their faces. "He made me dinner! Almost burned down the apartment, but it was...good. And we had a good time. But then..."

With the two of them talking, of course, it would wake the two others in the back room from their nap. Not being the most quiet or graceful in their wakefulness, Corliss winced at the sound of one of their tails hitting the wall. Or maybe it was an outstretched wing. Who knew anymore with two rapidly growing dragons?

Almost immediately, Bridget and Alberich recognized the sound of talons on the hardwood floor, but their eyes turned to Meron.

"The egg," Alberich began. "Did it...?"

Crossing his arms over his chest again, Meron nodded. "It hatched. The same night we had dinner. But that's not all..."

All four of them looked toward the hallway as Ollyn and Odanth came charging through, stumbling and falling over themselves and each other. At the sight of the twin dragons, Bridget and Alberich sucked in a simultaneous breath. The dragons, though, seeing they had new company in their midst, turned shy yet protective as they curled themselves around their respective bloodrite bonds.