Ember's Kiss (38 page)

“It fell off,” Zoë said, and her mother caught her breath. Zoë looked Liz in the eye. “You have to fix it.”

Then she turned and marched back to the couch, climbing into her former place and snuggling down to sleep. Liz looked around, knowing that there was import in the little girl's gesture. This couldn't be one of the three scales Brandon had given to Chen because Jorge had broken all of those scales.

She remembered then what Sloane had said about a
Pyr
losing a scale when he falls in love. “This isn't one of the scales Chen took, is it?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

Brandon grinned and caught her hand in his. “I didn't pull that one out.” He leaned closer, his eyes shining, and dropped his voice to a theatrical whisper. “I guess the news is out that I'm in love with you.”

His words made Liz's heart skip a beat, but she was worried. “But that means that you have another gap in your armor,” she said. “That makes you vulnerable.”

“Love makes everyone vulnerable,” Erik said.

Eileen smiled at him. “I like that there's physical evidence of what's in a dragon's heart.” The other women smiled in turn.

“But how can you be so calm about this?” Liz asked the women. “If they're missing scales, they're weaker.”

“But we're not missing scales any longer,” Niall said. He turned to the other
Pyr
. “Let's show her.”

Erik flung out his hands and shifted shape in a glorious shimmer of blue light, becoming an ebony and pewter dragon. He reared back and Liz saw that there was a scale on his chest that was different from the others. It had a stone affixed to it.

“A rune stone,” Eileen said. “It had belonged to Erik's father, but I gave it back to him.”

Quinn shifted shape next, his powerful sapphire and steel dragon form making the large room seem small. He also reared back, displaying his chest to Liz. There was a scale that was different, as well, one that looked to be made of silver.

“Wrought iron,” Sara said. “We repaired Quinn's armor with the material he loves best.” She smiled at him, caressing his jeweled hide.

“Did you give it to him?” Liz asked, seeing a pattern.

Sara smiled. “Yes.”

Niall changed shape next, the flash of pale blue making Liz wince at its brilliance. There was a scale on his chest that differed from the others, as well. She had to step closer to see that it looked different because it
was transparent, and there was a tattoo on the flesh beneath it.

“My work,” Rox said with pride. “Tattoos have been protective talismans since the very beginning.” She touched the triple spiral on Brandon's shoulder. “That's why someone gave you this one.”

“Really?”

“Really. I'm serious that I'd like to meet this artist.”

Brandon smiled at her. “Consider it done.”

Erik nodded at Sloane, who shifted shape in his turn. Sloane's scales were perfectly matched and Liz realized that he was the only one who didn't have a mate.

“I'll guess you haven't had a firestorm,” she said, and Sloane inclined his head in agreement. His scales were all the colors of tourmalines, shading from green to gold to purple over his length. He was regal and elegant.

“Not yet,” he said, and smiled. “Only once in a lifetime. I hear it's worth the wait.”

They all looked at Brandon, who took a deep breath and shifted shape. His dragon was as black as night, the fiery edge to his scales making him look as if he were lit from within. Liz checked his scales when he reared back and gave a cry of delight. The scales that had been forcibly removed were already growing back over his wounds.

Sloane chuckled with satisfaction as he leaned closer to look. “My work is done,” he said. “Although it couldn't have been done without Liz.”

“But what does it mean?” Brandon asked.

“That the loves you have lost are returning to you,” Quinn said.

“My mom?” Brandon asked, looking down at his chest and touching one of the new scales. He fingered the first spot that she'd healed, and even in his dragon form, Liz could see his grimace. “My dad?”

Erik nodded. “You know now that you are incomplete as long as he is out of your life.”

Brandon rubbed his talon over the gap. “I don't blame him so much now. It's not easy, and we made different choices.”

“Maybe he's changing that now,” Sloane suggested.

“Maybe you should talk to him and find out,” Erik said quietly. Their conviction was such that Liz realized they knew something about Brandon's father.

“I don't even know where he is,” Brandon said. “I'd call him right now, but I don't know where to start.”

“Keep your heart open,” Niall said. “In case he comes to you.”

Brandon glanced at Liz, and she smiled. “It can't hurt to hear his side of the story,” she said, and he nodded agreement. He touched another healing scale. “My mom,” he said, and the others nodded. He brushed his claw across the third, the one that Liz had most recently seared. “But what was the third loss?” He looked at the
Pyr
in confusion, but none of them had an answer for him.

It was Liz who stepped forward and put her hand
on his chest. She looked up into his eyes and saw the change in him. “Yourself,” she said. “You despised yourself and the dragon within you when we met.”

“But it wasn't my dragon. It was what Chen wanted my dragon to be.”

“Exactly.” Liz touched the newly exposed bit of skin with concern. “So, am I right that I have to give Brandon something to heal this fourth spot?” She turned to Quinn. “I thought the Smith repaired the scales of the
Pyr
.”

“I do, but the repair of the scale lost in a firestorm will not take without the willing aid of the mate.”

Liz looked at the dragons in the room with her. They all reminded her of jewelry, precious metals and precious stones. She wanted to give Brandon a magical token, something of herself that would become part of his armor yet still adhere to the expectations of the
Pyr
.

“Ginger gave Delaney her mother's amber earrings,” Sara said softly, as if she guessed Liz's conundrum.

Liz smiled at the other woman and tugged her grandmother's jet earrings from her ears. “These were my grandmother's,” she said, looking between Quinn and Brandon. “And I think they were her grandmother's before that. They are filled with the magic of my lineage. Will they do?”

“They will more than do,” Quinn said with satisfaction. He accepted them and turned them in his claws, his eyes gleaming as he examined the hallmarks.
“Sterling,” he murmured. “It is one of my favored materials for a repair.”

“Thanks, Liz,” Brandon said, his voice husky. “If you're happy to give them, I'll be honored to carry them.”

Liz nodded, knowing that this solution was exactly right.

That was when she realized that Garrett and Zoë had joined the group of
Pyr
. The dragons stood around the perimeter of the room, forming a casual circle, and the toddlers were in the center. Garrett pretended to breathe fire beside his father, in obvious anticipation of the scale repair. Quinn seemed to inflate as he took a breath, becoming larger and more imposing. He lifted the lost scale in his claw, then loosed a torrent of dragonfire upon it. The scale heated in his grasp, glowing with inner fire.

Liz was enraptured. She felt the flicker of her own gift and knew from Brandon's expression that she was sparkling again.

She had to help. When Quinn heated the earrings in his other claw, Liz summoned the flame in her heart. She fed it with her ardor for Brandon and saw a tongue of flame leap from her own fingertips. Quinn pressed the earrings against the scale and Liz added her fire to his own to secure them there.

She heard his deep chuckle.

“I believe we have fire covered,” he said, his eyes glinting with humor. He heated the back of the scale, then pressed it against Brandon's bare skin. Brandon
arched his back and bared his teeth, exhaling smoke as the scale was seared into place. Quinn gave Liz a look and she added her healing fire to the scale.

“Fire,” Quinn repeated with satisfaction. “And earth in the jet.”

“Air,” Erik commanded, and Liz blew on the cooling scale impulsively. She felt Brandon tremble beneath her touch and knew the repair had hurt.

“Water,” Sloane added, and Liz glanced up. She saw the tear on Brandon's cheek and lifted it with her fingertip, touching it to the repaired scale. It sizzled on contact, emitting a puff of steam, and he shook from nose to tail in relief.

Liz reached up to kiss him, proud of what he had endured and accomplished. Brandon shifted shape and caught her in his arms, dipping his head for a very satisfying kiss.

Liz was starting to think that having a dragon baby wouldn't be so bad at all.

The
Pyr
had celebrated Brandon's victory in grand style. They were at the beach bar at the resort long into the night, talking and laughing, eating and drinking. The children had fallen asleep and the sky overhead was filled with stars. They were wonderful company, but Liz wanted to do some private celebrating of her own. She felt both tired and invigorated, back in balance after a long time of ignoring who she really was.

It was all because of Brandon.

And the firestorm. Like him, she now believed in its promise and in their shared future. Their child would be a boy, she'd been told by the
Pyr
, a dragon shifter who came into his powers at puberty. Liz didn't think it was out of the question that he'd also inherit some enhanced link to the elements from her side.

He smiled at her and ran a finger down her cheek. “You must be exhausted,” he murmured, the wicked glint in his eyes telling her that she wouldn't be falling asleep anytime soon.

Liz feigned a yawn all the same, covering her mouth with her hand. “I am. Aren't you?”

“Beat,” Brandon agreed, then winked. “Don't you have to teach at that symposium?”

“Tomorrow at nine. Maureen rescheduled everything because of delayed flights.”

Brandon cocked a finger at her. “I'm coming to listen.”

“You're interested in marine biology?”

“I'm interested in oceans and I'm interested in you.” He grinned at her. “And I like the idea of our working together for a better future.”

“So do I,” Liz agreed and kissed him. She could lose herself in his kiss, even now, and she suspected that was never going to change. Brandon's fingers slid into her hair and he deepened his kiss, sparking the flame in her heart that was never going to die.

“Look at the two of them,” Niall said.

“I think it's sweet,” Eileen said.

“Get a room,” Sloane teased, throwing the paper
umbrella from his drink at them. The other
Pyr
laughed as they cast an avalanche of paper umbrellas over Liz and Brandon.

Brandon broke his kiss, laughing as he tugged Liz to her feet. “You guys staying a bit? Liz is teaching tomorrow, but I'm going to surf the Banzai Pipeline on Tuesday.”

“Wouldn't miss it for the world,” Erik said with a smile.

“You'd better win,” Quinn said, his voice a low rumble and a glint in his eyes. “Seeing as how we came all this way.”

“He'll do his best,” Liz said, but Brandon was more confident than that.

“I'm going to nail it,” he said with a confident smile. “I've got a new sponsor, and a son on the way.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “Plus I've got to make sure Liz doesn't just think I'm her boy toy.”

They laughed together, as comfortable with each other and as supportive as a family. “Sleep well,” Sara said, drawing her shawl forward to nurse her son.

Garrett waved sleepily from his father's lap and Brandon urged Liz toward their room.

“I like them,” she said, not sure what he was thinking.

“Yeah,” he admitted, as if surprised. “It's like discovering you have all these uncles who are okay.”

“Even when you thought they were evil.”

His smile was rueful. “I guess you shouldn't believe everything you hear.”

“Or maybe you need to remember the rule of three,” a woman said from behind Liz.

Liz froze, not daring to hope it was who she wanted it to be. Brandon looked from her to the woman behind her, his confusion clear.

Liz turned, not truly believing that her mother could be with her again.

Her mother was there, in a way. She looked as if she were made of smoke and will-o'-the-wisp, her figure silvery and ethereal.

“Whatsoever you send out into the world returns to you threefold,” her mother said softly. “Today's events proved that old adage clear.”

“Mom!”

“Why are you surprised?” Her mother smiled. “Haven't you felt me with you every day and night, my Elizabeth?”

Liz shook her head, her vision blurred with tears. “But it was my fault….”

“No.” Her mother touched featherlight fingertips to her lips. “No.”

Liz's throat was tight. “I tried to forget what I was.”

Her mother smiled serenely. “And I guarded you in darkness until you remembered.”

“Mom!” Liz was overwhelmed to have this moment and felt blessed to be forgiven.

She bent and kissed Liz once on each cheek, her eyes filled with pride. “Congratulations, Firedaughter. You have mastered the final test.” Her eyes glinted as she looked over Brandon and her smile broadened. “I
knew that there was an unusual man in Liz's future. She's too special for anything less. I sensed that all would come together when you found each other.”

“It did,” Liz said.

“Absolutely,” Brandon said, holding Liz close to his side. “Brandon Merrick.” He held out his right hand with that confidence Liz so admired, his smile radiant enough to warm the sun.