Each time she healed someone, it gave her something too. It made her hair lustrous, her eyes bright, and her body strong. The side effects were a bonus. But she would have done it, even if it had made her weak and ugly. Helping others was all that had ever mattered. It was the only way that she could connect to anyone or anything else.
After her healing session with Charlie, she put him back in the cage, filled up his water bowl and topped off his seeds. After a shower and dressing in comfortable clothing, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen. Everly and Kian where working in the kitchen as a pair, their domesticity comforting and sweet. They'd made waffles, eggs, and bacon for everyone. Aria slid into the table next to Dax who smiled broadly when he saw her.
"I was thinking that we could go for a drive today," he said. “Not too far from the mansion, but at least we could get out of the house.”
"We could really do that?" she asked.
"If we’re together, it should be fine.”
"I would love that.”
After breakfast, Dax packed them a picnic lunch. She changed from her flats into a pair of hiking boots and met him out in the garage.
"I like driving the four-wheel-drive truck when I'm not in my dragon form," he said. “We can drive up into the mountains."
"Oh, that sounds fun," she said. "It's been a long time since I've been out into the forest.”
Dax put the picnic basket in the back seat of the truck, and Aria climbed into the passenger seat. A moment later they were driving down the driveway of the mansion and exiting the compound. The shields shivered as they drove through.
They drove down the country road, past other huge mansions until they came to a small town. The town was quaint with an old-fashioned downtown. She loved towns like this and smiled as they passed the general store and the diner.
"I want to stop at the drive-through coffee place," Dax said. "I love human coffee."
They turned off the main street and drove into the parking lot where a drive-through coffee stand served a line of cars. Dax stopped and waited at the end of the line. When it was their turn, a college aged girl opened the window and smiled.
"What would you like?" he asked.
"A large vanilla latte," she said.
"We'll have a large vanilla latte and an extra-large mocha latte with two extra shots," Dax said.
"Coming up," the girl said.
The barista finished their drinks and handed them to Dax. He gave her a twenty and told her to keep the change. The girl smiled like it was Christmas, and Dax waved as they drove off.
"I love human coffee,” he said again, chugging the hot drink.
Aria giggled as she carefully sipped her latte. They made their way out of town into the national forest and began to climb the mountain. She smiled as the trees towered above them and the birds flitted across the sky.
"This is so majestic," she said as they drove past an astonishing view of the jagged cliffs and the deep green forests, descending into a sharp valley.
“You haven't seen anything yet," he said as they continued to climb.
She gazed out the windows at the views around her, feeling a sense of discovery as they drew higher up the mountain. They sipped their coffee as they listened to a playlist of Aiden's favorite music.
She bobbed her head to the beat of the songs as they drove along. Soon he turned off onto a dirt road and the four-wheel drive switched on. Aria gasped as they bumped over the dusty road. After about a mile on the unpaved road, they made it to a remote turn out. Dax parked the car and downed the last of his mocha. She slipped from the car, looking around. She spotted a trailhead at the edge of the parking area. Wind swept up from the mountain, filling her lungs with the scent of fresh air.
Dax grabbed the picnic basket from the backseat of the truck and took her hand, leading her to the trailhead. They walked a few hundred yards down the sunny trail, under the tall bows of the Douglas fir and pine. The sharp smell of the forest filled her nose, and the cool air brushed over her sun heated skin. She breathed in deeply and smiled, feeling at peace.
They approached a turn out to the trail and the trees parted before her. The rocky cliff dropped below, and the mountain rose up on the other side of the deep valley. A waterfall billowed from the mountain across from them, falling sharply down toward a river. Her heart leapt at the sight of it. So much beauty. So much wonder.
“This is beautiful," she whispered.
"It's even better up close," he said.
"What do you mean, up close?"
“I mean flying as a dragon."
"Oh, I bet." She smiled, turning to him.
“Do you want to see it?”
“How?"
"You could ride on my back. Dragons do it all the time."
“I’m not sure,” she said, crossing her arms over herself protectively.
“Come on, it will be really fun. You rode that surfboard like a champ yesterday. I know you can do this.” He smiled broadly, his bright white teeth gleaming in the sun. A boyish twinkle sparked in his eyes. His tousled blond hair waved about his shoulders in the soft breeze.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” she said with nervous creak in her voice.
"You're going to have to stand back."
She gasped and scrambled away as he backed up into the clearing. She watched as his body contorted, his face growing anguished, as he shifted into a massive, powerful red dragon. Her mouth dropped, and she didn't breathe for long moments. He lifted his head and eyed her. She was terrified, but she reminded herself that inside that massive beast was just Dax, the sweet guy who liked mocha lattes a bit too much.
He cocked his head, indicating she should climb on his back. He bent down, offering her a knee to climb on. She put her hand to her forehead and shook her head. He nodded at her as if to say, “Yes, come on.” She let out a deep breath and gritted her teeth, squaring her shoulders.
She walked forward, climbed up on his knee and scrambled on his back. She gasped as he moved under her. She fell forward to wrap her arms desperately around his neck. She gripped him with her legs and clenched his neck for dear life. All at once, his powerful wings began to pound the air and he lifted off.
They became invisible in the blink of an eye and she gasped again. She couldn't believe it was happening. As he tilted into the sky and drew closer to the waterfall, she felt the spray of the water on her face, felt the sun beaming down over her, and the wind rushing through her hair.
She wanted to squeeze her eyes shut in fear, but instead, she opened them, marveling at the view. She felt her heart thwacking in her chest, and suddenly she understood something deeper about what it meant to be a dragon. Dax saw this kind of beauty whenever he chose. He had massive power and massive ability. But with his power came responsibility. Responsibility to protect others. To be the guardians of the planet. And she felt so much respect for him and the others that she kissed the scales on the back of his long neck.
He flapped his wings and tilted his head back to look at her. He must have felt her lips on his skin. He smiled, showing his sharp dragon teeth. She nuzzled her face against his neck and watched as the scenery flew by. Seeing the mountains from the back of a dragon was the kind of experience she could never forget.
They tilted back around and landed where they had started. She slipped from his back, breathless and amazed. A moment later, instead of a huge dragon she found Dax standing there in his surfing tank-top, board shorts, and flip-flops. She rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck.
"That was amazing," she said, kissing his cheek.
"I'm so glad you liked it," he said, rubbing her back. “I want to show you things like that all the time. I don't want you to be stuck in the mansion. I don't want you to feel like you’re trapped. I know what it's like to feel like that. I was in a stasis chamber for a million years. I’m not supposed to remember it, but deep down, I do. I can instinctively remember what it was like to be in that pod for all that time. It sucked. I don't want
you to feel that way. I want you to feel free, like just now, flying through the air. That's how everyone should feel. I believe that from the bottom of my heart. And if I can give you anything in life, it would be that kind of freedom."
"I appreciate that more than anything, Dax," she said, taking his hand.
They sat on a log and shared the turkey sandwiches he'd made. He’d also packed potato chips and bottles of water. They finished their meal as the afternoon sun warmed her skin and filled her soul with light.
As they walked hand-in-hand back to the car, Aria felt as if she was finally ready to be his. She trusted him. She believed in him. And she could now imagine her life together with him. She let out a wistful sigh as they descended the mountain headed back to the compound. She hoped deep in her heart that this would be the first day of their happily ever after.
Chapter 16
The morning after her blissful date with Dax, Aria held Charlie’s birdcage as she walked along the stone path, through the damp spring air. Wild birds were meant to be free. Dew clung to the grass and petals of brightly colored tulips. The droplets reflected the blue sky and the wispy clouds above. She strode along the path, past the swimming pool and through a maze of plants and trees.
She found a cast-iron bench and table at the edge of a boxwood hedge at the edge of the property. She set Charlie's cage on the bench and brushed it clear of water. Sitting, she gazed down at Charlie. He hopped about, fluttering his wings. She sighed, knowing he was ready to go. Wild birds were meant to be free.
Aria opened the door and dipped her hands inside. Charlie hopped into her palms and she lifted him out of the cage. As she sang healing words from her heart, Charlie peeped, harmonizing with the music. When the last notes of her song quivered through the air, Charlie flapped his wings and flew into the sky. She gasped, smiling as he flitted away. A small tear slid down her cheek.
He was healed and ready to return to the wild where he belonged. She was sad and happy at the same time. She knew she had to let him go. She brushed the tear away and stood from the bench.
Taking the birdcage with her, she walked back to the mansion. A sinking sense of loneliness dipped into her gut. Her date with Dax the night before had been lovely and comforting. As socially clumsy as Dax could appear on the outside, he really was a kind and gentle soul.
She wanted to get to know him better. Even though she didn't know about being anyone's mate. The stark realization that dragons and vampires existed was still sinking in to her mind. After keeping her own magic secret for so long, she wanted to tell the truth. To be herself. She knew the vampires had wanted her for her power. Although she hesitated to tell anyone what she could do, keeping it a secret was killing her
She continued back to the mansion and stopped by rosebush that was withering from a powdery rot. She bent to her knees and cupped a deformed bud in her hands. Her song raced up from inside as she sent her healing energies into the plant.
Her voice sang out in the damp, thick air. Within moments, the rose became clear of the powdery mildew. The deformed bud bloomed with perfect symmetry.
She stood and smiled. Every time she used her power, it got a little bit stronger, much like exercising a muscle.
Chapter 17
In the morning, Dax’s first thought was of Aria. He had to go find her. He rose from bed, scratching his behind. He searched the room for his pants and glanced out the window. He saw her outside. She knelt beside a rosebush and cupped a shriveled bud in her palms. He watched her bent form, a smile curling on his lips. Her lips were moving like she was speaking or singing. After several moments, the flower bloomed right before his eyes. Dax gasped.
The plant had been dying moments before and all of a sudden it appeared as healthy as could be. He'd never seen anything like it. He rubbed his eyes, not sure what to think. He pulled on his pants and hurried downstairs.
Without a word to anyone, he walked out the back door and found her still kneeling beside the plant.
“How did you do that?” he asked.
“Do what?”
“You healed that flower. I've never seen anything like it.”
“Oh…”
She seemed nervous and afraid.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“That you could heal things like that.”
“I’ve always kept it a secret.”
“No wonder the vampires want your blood so much. A power like that could be very valuable to us. We could use it to win this war.”
“No one is using me for anything,” she said, brushing past him, a tear in her eye.
“That's not what I meant,” Dax said going after her.
She hurried up the stairs and closed her door behind her. He felt like an idiot. Why had he said that? He made his way back to the kitchen.
“Kian, I think the crew needs a meeting in private,” Dax said.
Kian looked at Everly and she nodded. Moments later, the crew met in the basement.
“It appears my mate has some very strong magic,” Dax said. “Did you know about this, Cato?”
“No, I did not,” Cato said.
“I saw her just a moment ago, healing a rose in the garden. A withered bud bloomed in her palms. It was miraculous.”
“That is quite extraordinary,” Cato said.
“Now she's angry at me because I said something stupid about us using her power.”
“Women don't usually like being used,” Kian said.
“I've made her angry,” Dax admitted, letting out a deep sigh. “I don't know what to do. I thought we’d come so far. I need help.”
“Admitting you have a problem is the first step,” Aiden said.
“Would you guys stop giving me such a hard time?” Dax said. “I didn't mean to hurt her.”
“Shhh, I'm getting a transmission from the vampires,” Cato said.
“Greetings, dragons,” said Victor on their computer screen. “We know we’ve been bested by your superior strength, and we want the opportunity to create a peace treaty with you.” Victor smiled. “We'd like to meet all of you tonight at the same location as our last meeting. And this time, we hope it's more productive. We admit that you are much more powerful than we are. We have no hope in beating you. So, we would like to come to terms that will be agreeable to all of us.”
“What time?” Kian said.
“Dusk,” Victor said before disappearing from the computer screen.
“It's a trap,” Aiden said.
“Obviously,” Kian said.
“They’re brewing something,” Aiden said.
“But what?” Cato said.
“Should we ignore them?” Dax asked.
“I think we should give them the benefit of the doubt. Or at least appear to,” Kian said. “We’ll meet them for their peace accord and see what they have to say. But we'll quadruple house security and make sure the ladies are in the safe room.”
“Maybe they do want to change their ways. Maybe they finally realized that we are stronger than them, and that they'll never beat us,” Dax said.
“Wishful thinking,” Aiden said.
“We need to be ready for anything,” Kian said. “We can all agree that this is most likely a trap. If the vampires have decided to give up fighting us, then all the better. But we are going to assume that that is not the case. Now we must prepare the house to leave, and the ladies for our absence.”
“Shouldn't someone stay here to take care of them?” Dax said, feeling powerless.
All he wanted was to protect Aria and to make her happy. But he couldn't get the hang of the way people did things on Earth. He was always messing up.
“Why don't you go tell the ladies that they need to go to the safe room,” Kian said.
“Okay then,” Dax said.
He rose from his chair and trudged upstairs. He wanted to tell Aria he was sorry for everything, but when he stood at her door, she didn't open it.
“Everly are you in
there?” he asked, at the nursery door. Everly opened the door, holding Ember. She greeted him with a sympathetic smile.
“Have you seen, Aria?” Dax asked.
“She's in here with us,” Everly said. “But she wants to be left alone right now.”
He growled at himself, knowing that he'd said a stupid thing. His lack of knowledge of humans kept getting him in trouble. He wished he could be cool like Aiden or smart like Cato or a leader like Kian. But all he had was his will to move swiftly into battle, to fight and win. It had been his blessing all his life, but now it seemed to be his curse.
“Is she still mad at me?” he asked.
“She's afraid she’s being held prisoner. And I had to talk her out of leaving.”
“Is it because of what I said?” he asked.
“Maybe a little bit. But Aria has things of her own to deal with, Dax.”
“Just tell her I'm an idiot. Everyone knows that.”
“Dax, you're not an idiot. You’re one of the sweetest men I've ever met. Aria knows your heart was in the right place. At least, she will. For now, it would be best if you just gave her some space.”
He sighed, his shoulders slumping.
“I've been instructed to tell you that we are going to meet the vampires at dusk, and you should all be in the safe room at that time. We’re quadrupling the house defenses, so you should be safe. I suggested to Kian that one of us stay here, to take care of you guys, but Victor wants us all at the meeting.”
“I'll make sure we’re in the safe room when you leave,” Everly said.
“Thanks, I'll be going now,” Dax said.
Everly placed her hand on his shoulder.
“Don't worry too much. I know that your heart is in the right place. You just have to convince her of that.”
“Problem is I don't really know how. Sometimes my words get all messed up. I just say whatever is on my mind. And that gets in the way.”
“You need to say whatever is in your heart,” she said. “Not what you’ve heard in a movie. That should fix everything.”