Dracon (1st book of the Draconon Series)

Chapter 51

I walked into my new room and bit back a tired sigh, moving a hand through my hair and across my face while I shook my head and pursed my lips in annoyance. "Oh, Gods," I said with a small hiss in my voice. "The audacity of that man."

I shook my head and locked the door to my bedroom so that I would not be interrupted by anyone, especially my mate, who I knew would stay at my house until we were able to talk.

Sylias stirred in the back of my mind and chuckled, amused. One of these days you will want him to bug you in more ways than one. She winked and gave me a small smirk while she moved around in my mind.

There was an underlying suggestive tone in her voice, and my cheeks instantly turned red while a wave of... something washed over me, something that I did not know or understand but wanted more than anything else in the world.

Sylias, I said, earning a small chuckle from the female dragon that I shared a body with. I sighed and shook my head, pursing my lips in annoyance while my cheeks turned another shade of red. Please don't do anything, yet, I said, my voice barely above a whisper, at least until we are done with this.

My dragon chuckled again and let up on the feeling. She sighed sadly while she grew serious, and her pain became my own. I do not know what we are going to do if he doesn't accept his position as our king, she said, voicing out loud my fears.

I set my jaw and narrowed my eyes while I looked around my bedroom to see that most of my stuff was in there as well as some added pieces, some of them from my home world.

My heart ached when I saw a painting, well a portrait, on one of the walls, and I took a hesitant step toward it without saying a word to my dragon.

Three figures, er people, sat tall and proud in the portrait and were staring straight ahead with "serious" looks on their faces and eyes that seemed to dance with the fire they held underneath their skin.

Two people, a man and a female, sat in the back with a child, a girl, between them. Both of them had a hand on the girl's shoulders, and it looked like they were trying to keep the girl still so that they could have their family portrait done at a reasonable time.

I wonder how Yana found this, I said to my dragon, biting the inside of my lip while my heart ached because I knew that this was a portrait of me, my mother, and my father. I wonder if she "stole" it from the castle to give to me.

Sylias chuckled sadly. Or she could have been given it as a gift a long time ago and kept it safe for you, she said with a small hum in her voice, mentally bowing while she stared at the portrait.

I hesitated before I reached out and touched the portrait, my heart yearning for the people I called my parents.

Magic pricked the edges of my fingers as soon as I touched the painting, and I bit my lip to keep myself from gasping out in shock and surprise, for I had not been expecting that at all.

Oh, Gods...

Quickly, I pulled my hand away from the portrait and clasped my hand tighter to my chest. I took a step back and stared at it with wide eyes, shivering while I gulped and licked my lips. My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast in my chest while I stared at it, and my mouth went dry as soon as that happened.

Oh Gofs, where did that spark come from, and why? Why did it happen as soon as I touched it?

Did you feel that? Sylias asked, her voice barely above a whisper, and I bit back a small snort because I was going to ask her the same thing before she asked me. She bit back a small chuckle, amused. I take that as a yes, she said, and I rolled my eyes and bit back a small smile.

Of course, I said sarcastically, earning another small chuckle from her. I pressed my lips into a thinner line while I took another hesitant step toward the portrait while I studied it. Do you know where it came from? I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

No, Sylias said and mentally shook her head. I do not know where it came from, but I do think it came from the portrait of your parents.

I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded. I know that, I said, but, why?

Sylias mentally shrugged and shook her head with a small grimace on her face. I don't know, she said. She paused and sighed, flicking her tail up and down while annoyance filled her body. Do you want to see what will happen if you touch it again? she asked hesitantly, but I could hear the excitement and nervousness in her voice as if she wanted to figure it out as soon as possible.

I hesitated and bit the inside of my lip, not saying a word but not putting my hand on the portrait. I studied the portrait further, wanting to memorize the portrait before I did what I was told to do and put my hand on the portrait and try to understand the magic that it held.

The man, my father, had brown hair and dark brown eyes that were filled with pain and sadness as if he knew what was going to happen and that this would be the last time they were together, and he had one hand on a female's shoulders, who I assumed was my mother, and then one on mine as a little girl.

I stared at the female in the photo, my mother, and my mouth went dry, for I looked exactly like her except for the fact that I seemed to have inherited my father's nose and mouth.

Her red and blue eyes stared back at me with a tight smile on her face. Pain and sadness filled her eyes, and I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking and if she knew what the future was going to hold for them, for us.

Did they know that this would be the last time we would be together..?

When was this portrait done? I asked Sylias. I placed my hands behind my back and clasped my hands together, trying but failing to keep my hands from shaking. Why do they look so forlorn?

I don't know, Sylias said with a tired sigh while she shook her head. However, by the look of them, I am sure that they had been aware of what was going to happen and how it was going to affect you.

I held back an eye roll and pressed my lips into a thin line. I didn't say a word while I stared at them, and my heart clenched in sadness and pain because all I wanted to do was be with them, even though I knew the only way I would be able to do that was if I died, and that was not something I was planning on doing so soon.

Sylias chuckled when my thoughts filtered through the bond we shared, and I could tell that she was amused. They live in you, Clover, she said with a small hum in her voice while she bowed her head. They are with you no matter what and no matter where in this lifetime or the next.

I bit the inside of my lip and slowly nodded. Do you think that they are proud of me? I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I took another step closer to the portrait, and the urge to touch the portrait was strong, but I held back and did not do it, no matter how much I wanted to.

Yes, my dragon said with a small hum in her voice, and she nodded in confirmation. I am sure that they are proud of you for the female that you have become and the female that you were meant to be. She paused and sighed sadly, mentally bowing her head. Now, I must ask you to get some rest, for you have had a long day, and that is what you and your body needs, even though you want to touch the portrait just as much as I want you to do it as well.

I bit back a tired sigh and mentally nodded before I started to make my way to my bed, deciding that it would be best if I looked at everything else later and wanting to succumb to the exhaustion that had washed over my body. And afterward? I asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

And afterward, we will start training to make sure that we are the best damn queen that the Draconons have ever seen with or without our mate by our side, Sylias said with a small hum in her voice. We will also touch the portrait to see what secrets it holds as soon as we wake.

I mentally nodded and bit back a tired sigh, biting the inside of my lip while my heart became filled with pain and sadness.

And I hope that Frederick will be a part of it just as much as we will be his Luna in one way or another...

Oh Gods, help us.