Crown of Beauty and Vengeance

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

When Lyv walked toward Roshan in her true form, of course, he was a little hesitant. Here was this human woman approaching him and his bloodrite bond nowhere to be seen. Unlike with Posy, Lyv hadn't been able to reveal who she really was since they were almost always with Thia and Erly. But she talked to him, smiled at him. Just like she guessed, he was curious, especially since no one else would approach him as she did.

But just as proper dragon etiquette said, she held out her hand for him. Again, he was hesitant, but finally inched forward when she spoke.

"It's me, Roshan," she told him. "Audry...but my name is actually Lyv."

Roshan tilted his head to the side after pausing, hearing the love in her tone.

Lyv smiled, kneeling down so she was lower than him. Gods above, from this angle, she realized just how big he'd gotten.

Her dragon hesitantly moved toward her again, his gray eyes meeting his momma dragon's just a dozen feet away. The two of them had already settled in for the night when Lyv and Thia went inside a few hours after they'd reached the Branvon estate. And as soon as she stepped into the dragon quarters, she dropped her glamour...and promptly made both dragons suspicious.

But as Roshan pressed his nose into her palm and took a deep breath, his eyes immediately met Lyv's and widened with recognition, almost as if to say, "Well, you're finally here." And he buried his giant head against her stomach, making her fall back, laughing.

"Yes, it's me," she told him, rubbing her hand against his jaw and kissing his brow. "I'm sorry it took me so long to let you see who I really was."

Erly was curious then, too, and left Thia's side to go toward her baby and his bloodrite bond. It didn't take her long to realize Lyv and Audry had been the same, and she greeted her as well.

"Well, this went better than expected," Lyv said, looking up at Thia as she walked over.

Her friend sat down beside Erly, leaning against her for support as she stared at Lyv. "He would have known who you were the moment he smelled you. You even smell the same to me, just as you would have to anyone who had met you before...before you were Audry. I'm surprised Gideon has lasted this long without someone recognizing him, though he did a little better at masking his scent."

"And here I thought I could change it to hide myself from the few I've met before who are here in Dalcaine."

The two friends had already spent a few hours talking before they even came out to see Roshan and Erly. Gideon had yet to show and Lyv hoped he hadn't done anything stupid to Jai that sent him to he dungeons to await execution. They would have heard something by then if it happened.

That weight that had been heavy on Lyv's chest was starting to lift, especially now that Thia knew who she really was. They talked about Lyv's family, what happened during the siege, and what happened afterward. Lyv had yet to tell her about Amory and their connection with Jai, but she needed a little more time before that conversation occurred. And she needed to meet her dragon for a second time.

And Thia wasn't even upset with Lyv anymore, not when she told her that it wasn't her choice to keep herself secret from everyone. Sure, the initial shock before caught Thia off guard, but they had quickly returned to normal.

She was curious. Oh, was she ever. Lyv didn't even have to go through her whole list of things to tell her. Thia had dozens upon dozens of questions, ranging from her family and her mother, to Escarral itself and the people there, and finally to Lyv herself after she'd exhausted her with everything else. That conversation waited until they were sitting with Erly and Roshan, who had settled back down and were falling asleep. Posy was doing the same in Lyv's lap. The pixie had yet to leave her side since they left the palace.