Ivormantis (3 page)

‘I bet her smile is magnificent!’
Ivormantis declared.

Dominic smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Meldamiriel.”

Meldamiriel blushed deeply at his formal conduct. After all, here she was, just a small elf that lived her life on the run. A mighty dragon warrior such as himself shouldn’t even be thinking about her. She couldn’t help looking up to her best friend for guidance on what to do at this moment. She wasn’t a socialized person, one of the prices she had to pay for being who she was. In situations like this, it caused her no little amount of stress that she wasn’t sure what to say or do next.

“You must be hungry,” Dominic stated, as he stood straight. “I know I’m starved.”

Meldamiriel’s eyes widened as a look of horror crossed over her features. Turning, she tugged on Natasha’s shirtsleeve until she bent down to her level. “Do they still eat elves?” she whispered into her friend’s ear.

Natasha glanced up at Dominic, clearly seeing that Ivormantis was getting anxious and hard for Dominic to keep under complete control. She tried not to laugh. The longing, burning look in Dominic’s eyes for her friend spoke volumes and was clearly visible.
Oh yeah, he’d eat this little elf, just not in the same way she was thinking
.

“No, Melda, he won’t eat you; at least not
that
way,” Natasha stated quietly with a smirk, thinking about what the big dragon would like to do to her tiny friend.

Meldamiriel’s eyes widened even more as she began to shake. “You mean they actually still
do
eat us?!” She turned her horrified eyes over to Dominic, causing him to stumble at the distress he saw in her.

Natasha sighed deeply. At one time, Meldamiriel loved to crack jokes all the time, back before her life became complicated. Obviously, this wasn’t the time and place for any kind of jokes.

“No, Melda, dragons don’t eat elves; that was a myth started long ago to scare children. That’s all,” Natasha stated this out loud as to help Dominic understand what was going on. He looked to Meldamiriel as if he wished to say something to help soothe her, but wasn’t sure what. Natasha stepped in for him once again. “Dominic was just merely asking you to
join
him in eating dinner.”

“Oh,” Meldamiriel breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to look up at Dominic and seeing the worried look that had taken up residents in his features had her feeling guilty. “I’m sorry, Dominic.”

“It’s alright, sweet love,” he said kindly, offering her a reassuring smile.

“I think some supper would do everyone some good,” Blain spoke, he had fallen silent as he watched everything play out before him. Stepping up to his mate, he wrapped an arm about her waist. “Come, love,” he said, gently moving her from Meldamiriel’s grasp. Natasha instantly picked up on what he was doing and willingly went with her mate, leaving Dominic and Melda to themselves.

Meldamiriel chewed on her lower lip, nervous at not knowing what to do, or even which way to turn, without Natasha to cling to. She knew Natasha and Blain needed their own time together, but couldn’t Natasha just lock her up in a room instead of leaving her to deal with this huge dragon shifter all on her own? The man made her feel uneasy on so many levels it wasn’t even funny and she was quickly draining her own power in keeping control of her body so she wouldn’t shift over into one of her animal forms. She had a habit of shifting whenever she felt out of sorts or threatened. She usually shifted into a bunny or some other small creature that was easy to get away and hide.

“Shall we?” Dominic suggested carefully, offering his arm out to Meldamiriel. He yearned to be able to touch her as Blain did Natasha, but knew he had to be careful as to not frighten the poor skittish creature away from him.

‘You’re too big! Why must you be such a large brute?’
Ivormantis demanded.

‘Me?! Have you looked at yourself lately? Do you not realize the size that you are? If she saw you, you would scare the shit out of her!’
Dominic threw right back at him.

‘There is a difference! I am dragon: kind, gentle and lovable. What is your excuse?’

‘Oh, would you shut up! Besides, you can’t come out anyway. Not without paralyzing me and causing you to never to fly again.’

Ivormantis blew fire out at him in frustration, causing his insides to burn like hell. He bit down on the roar of pain threatening to break through, forcing himself to keep his features schooled so Meldamiriel didn’t suspect anything.

‘Quit! You fool, that hurts!’
Dominic barked.

‘
It’s supposed to. Teach you a lesson in doubting me!’

‘If you just give me a little time, I can get her to be comfortable around us both. But these things take time. She needs our support and comfort; not the two of us fighting among ourselves. You don’t want us to push her away, do you?’

Ivormantis huffed. ‘
Fine, do it your way…for now.’

Dominic rolled his eyes mentally at his dragon’s antics. Why did these creatures have to be so damn stubborn?

“Thank you,” Meldamiriel finally said, breaking in through his train of thought as she cautiously took hold of his arm.

He smiled down at her for taking the step to walk with him, all the while gloating inwardly to his now pouting dragon.

They walked slowly down the halls of the castle, both for his sake from being in pain and tired from his trip, and to make sure she had no difficulties keeping up with his long strides. He knew she was nervous, he could even feel her hand shaking on his arm, making him wonder what all she had been through to make her so frightened of people. He needed to find something to do to help ease her.

“Where is it that you’re from, Meldamiriel?” he asked calmly, keeping his tone of voice low and steady.

“I was born and mostly raised in Canada,” she stated meekly.

“Does your family still reside there?”

“No, they died when I was very young. Natasha has raised me on her own since her parents passed away when she was ten. We’ve learned to survive solely on each other.”

Dominic’s heart broke. He knew Natasha had a difficult past before she met Blain, but never had he thought that she had practically been a mother and sister since the young age of ten, not to mention having the council after her because of her then hidden powers. But what had sweet Meldamiriel done while Natasha was off in her training and on work?

“Did you go with Natasha during her training and practice with her?” he questioned.

“Oh no, I don’t even know one end of a gun from the other. But the bow, now that’s a different story. No, while she was away she left me to stay with her grandma, knowing I would be safe with her.”

“By the way, how is Nana?” Natasha asked, as she glanced over her shoulder at her two friends.

Meldamiriel’s gaze dropped and Dominic’s heart fell with a sinking feeling of dread. This poor young woman had truly gone through far too much in her short life.

“Bullock and his men got her while I tried to get away. She wouldn’t let me stay with her,” Meldamiriel choked out the words as tears gathered in her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks. Dominic watched her carefully. He could see her fight to keep her emotions under control. He could easily guess that she was an emotional being. Being an Omega Elf would make her just that much more. As he watched her fight to keep the tears at bay, he yearned to take her in his arms, lay her wee little head on his chest, and assure her that he would fight every demon she ever had. He yearned to promise her that she could cry on his shoulder any time she needed. But he couldn’t. She was still too scared of him, so he silently watched her as she wrestled with her emotions.

A sadness started to seep into Natasha’s eyes before she quickly schooled her features and spoke again. “It wasn’t in vain, you know? It was the agreement she and I had if the situation came down to it, and I think we both knew sooner or later it would happen. She loved you as if you were her own and would have done anything for you within her power.” Her grandmother had been a demon, and where most people would have automatically assumed the old lady to be mean, the girls both knew better.

Meldamiriel couldn’t hold back the tears any longer as sobs shook her shoulders. She just stood there shaking her head. “Tasha, why does everyone have to die because of me?” she exclaimed out in a cry.

Dominic realized they had stopped walking at some point, and he was just gazing down at her helplessly, not knowing what to do, not knowing what she would allow him to do. He recognized and knew she was his mate, but obviously, she didn’t recognize him as hers. Or if she did, she was too damn scared of him to admit it. He desperately wanted to take her in his arms and hold her until every last ounce of her pain melted away into him. Her troubles were for him to bear, not her. She should have the chance to live a worry and stress free life where all she had to worry about was maybe what they were having for dinner that night. He was the warrior, and he was her mate. It was his duty, his pleasure, to face the world and keep her demons at bay. He watched as Natasha came up and wrapped her arms around her tiny friend, rocking her back and forth and whispering words of comfort into her ear.

“Shh, sweet little Melda, everything’s going to be alright,” Natasha chided. “And not everyone dies because—” she was cut off there.

“Oh no? Then why did momma and daddy? Your parents…and now grand mamma? Even Dexter! I only have you left now,” Meldamiriel exclaimed before burying her face deep into Natasha’s shoulder as she sobbed out her feelings.

Dominic’s blood boiled at the mention of this Dexter character. Who was he? And what did he mean to his
Meldie
?

‘Wait, Meldie?’

‘Yes, she is as sweet and innocent as a perfect melody,’
Ivormantis stated.

‘
But what about this Dexter?’

‘Either way he is dead, and we are now here with her.’

‘But maybe she still has
feelings for him.’

‘Do not be troubled by something so small. She is our mate, she will come to love us in her own time. Despite this Dexter.'

He could actually see Ivormantis wrinkling up his nose at saying the other man’s name.

“Could you please have some soup sent upstairs, and a sedative? I think it might be best to get her resting for the night. We can try all of this again come morning,” Natasha stated.

“Of course, love,” Blain said, watching as his beloved turned to guide Meldamiriel out of the dining room and upstairs.

Dominic moved to follow, but stopped short when Blain’s hand gently landed on his shoulder. He looked over to his lifelong friend in confusion. Why was he stopping him from following and being near his newly found mate? Opening his mouth to argue with his friend, he found himself quickly silenced.

“I think tonight it might be best if they just have each other. There seems to be more to this story than any of us know. Let her rest tonight and tomorrow she will be all yours with no one stopping you. I promise you that, my friend. Besides, your own body needs rest.”

With a heavy sigh, Dominic had to admit Blain was right. It most likely would be best just to wait and start all of this over again come tomorrow morning. But both he and his dragon hated the thought of not being able to be near his mate until sunrise. Tonight was bound to be long and rough.

Dominic paced back and forth in his room. It was directly across from Meldamiriel’s room and he couldn’t get his mind to leave the thought of her for even one second. His body and mind were tired beyond belief, but sleep refused to claim him tonight. He could still sense her pain and anguish through the walls, surrounding him, reminding him there was nothing he could do.

“I’ll find a way to fix all of this. I promise you, sweet Meldie,” he whispered to himself.

‘And how exactly do you plan to go about doing that,
oh great human?’
Ivormantis was in rare form by this time.

‘I haven’t figured that out, yet. We may just have to wing it day-by-day.’

‘I’ll kill those blood-thirsty suckers just for looking at her, let alone chasing after her!’
Ivormantis roared.

‘She needs comfort and caring before she needs us going all ‘he-man’, my friend.’

‘Fine, you go comfort her and I’ll go roast the vampires for lunch.’

‘You’re forgetting we go together, and that we can’t shift right now, you dimwit.’

‘Says the man who can’t sleep and is arguing with his dragon simply because he needs to be near his mate. Go to her.’

‘She’s asleep by now.’

‘No harm in watching her sleep and sitting with her awhile. I’m sure Natasha could use a break and would like to be back with her mate as well.’

Dominic smiled. ‘
You’re the devil, but I don’t know what I would do without you.’

He quickly headed for the door. Quietly tapping on the door, so as not to awaken Meldamiriel or startle Natasha, he waited just a second before poking his head in. Natasha sat in a big plush chair near the bed dozing. Meldamiriel lay curled up on her side facing her, sound asleep. Dominic silently walked over to Natasha and gave her shoulder a slight shake. She awoke with a start, her gaze first flashing to Meldamiriel before darting up to meet his gaze. He held a finger up to his lips to keep her quiet.