Legend of the Forbidden (2 page)

“Every day it's something else, but for the most part, well.” Navi started some water for tea.

Ethan frowned, thinking about Navi's first daughter. It was always the girls who had problems, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was the dragon DNA inside both of Chris and Navi. She had been wed to a Dragon Lord before Chris, or so Ethan had been told. No one liked to tell him those kind of details even though he continually asked. His parents had been alive during the war, key players. Their names would be forever written in dragon history, yet they wouldn't talk about the experience with him. How else was he supposed to learn?

Because Chris and Navi were both still technically human, they had children like normal humans did. But there were complications. The boys grew and aged like dragons but without the magic. The girls aged faster, or rather, more like normal human children. A dragon turned a year for every four years that passed for a human. Both Navi and Chris aged like dragons.

Even if their daughters weren't getting sick, then they aged faster than their parents. Either way, the couple had to watch their daughters suffer. Two so far had lived to be a good age and moved out to live normal human lives. They couldn't come home again if they chose that path, especially if they fell in love and wed. It broke his heart to watch.

“What brings you by?” Navi asked, changing the subject.

Darien laughed. “Searching the islands.”

“Anything?”

“No.” He shook his head.

Ethan gave an innocent shrug, but he liked the smile of approval Navi gave him. It made him feel better about sticking with his gut instincts.

“We stopped here for a break, but maybe we could stay a little longer? Ethan and some of the other kids, and their mother of course, are going to visit with Dani's family. It seems like a waste to go all the way up to Oceina City and then fly back this way again,” Darien said.

“Ah, it's your year to go there instead of hers to come to you, hmm?” Navi smirked.

Ethan couldn't help but grin shyly at her implication. “It's tradition. We share the same birthday. We have to spend it together every year we're able. Haven't missed one yet, and this might be the last chance, since she's getting married this year. I hear that complicates things.”

“I think it's sweet, and I'm sure Tyson will let you continue your tradition.”

“I'm sure he will too,” Ethan agreed. Tyson was a good guy.

The three were close. They'd practically grown up together despite all three of them being from different nations. Because Dani was Tyson's betrothed, the two naturally spent time together. Ethan became friends with them because his mother was best friends with Dani's. While they may have been separated by distance, they were never apart in each other's hearts. Phone calls were frequent, and visits happened as often as possible. Usually at least once a month. Ethan couldn't wait to see them again.

Navi stood to get the teakettle when it started to whistle. “As always, you know you're welcome to stay here. Just try to keep quiet since Maya is resting. Darien, if you have time to look at her, I'd—”

“Of course. You know I'll do anything I can to help,” Darien said softly.

Ethan nodded. “Me too.” Even though he didn't have powerful magic to do much, he would try.

 

 

At seventeen years of age, Maya had spent about half of her life in bed. Ever since birth, she'd been in and out of illness. Her condition was peculiar. It was a miracle she was even still alive. Her other sisters, who had been born like her, had died within the first five years of life. The two who were still alive didn't have the same kind of condition. They'd been born as normal human women. So while they were younger than she was in age, their bodies were older now. Maya was the third child born, the first of the girls, and she aged like a dragon. She was a human woman whose body thought she was a dragon.

Her mother liked to think her survival was because Maya was a fighter. The truth was, Maya had given up the fight a while ago. Sometimes she wished her family would let her go. Then the sickness would pass, and she would feel as normal as ever. Two things always made her better: the magic of the dragons and water.

Darien, the Great Dragon Lord of the water, had just left her room. He used some of his magic on her, and it helped, but the solution would only be temporary. Once his power wore off, she would most likely return to her sickly state. Maybe this time, however, she would luck out.

There was a soft knock on her door. She recognized who it belonged to instantly. “Come in, Ethan,” she said, and made an attempt at making herself look presentable. She probably looked like garbage, but the way he smiled at her made her feel like she was the most beautiful girl in the world.

“Feeling any better?” he asked, and sat down next to her bed in his usual spot. It'd been over a year since she last saw him, but it was as if no time had passed between them. They used to see each other so much more often. Maya felt a little saddened by it, but she pushed the emotion aside.

“Much, now. Thank you. How have you been?” she asked, pulling her long dark hair back into a ponytail, so it was out of her face. If she was gorgeous like her family said, she didn't feel it. She'd inherited a lot of her mother's looks. The curly dark hair, curvy figure, and tan skin gave her the appearance of an Inero. But she had her father's blue eyes.

Ethan briefly touched her hand. “Good. I've been focusing a lot on school. My traveling has been to the islands. You know, since it's time.” He rolled his beautiful, bright, sparkling blue eyes and ran a hand through his short dark hair before continuing. “Wife time, I mean.”

“Who's the lucky girl?” she asked, trying to keep her tone light. He could never know she was jealous.

“Haven't found her yet.” He laughed. “We agreed to postpone. I guess because I've always believed I'd meet and fall in love the same way the humans do. Through time and getting to know her. But we'll see if I get that lucky. I've heard it's hard enough to do for the humans. Try adding in all of the dragon drama too. Kind of hard to just drop the bomb, you know?”

“Too bad there aren't humans who already know the secret, huh?” She offered him a weak smile.
I'm right here. In front of you. You know me. I know you. Look at me.

He stared at her, gazing into her eyes, and she couldn't help but wonder if maybe he did feel something for her too. “Right, too bad. I hope whatever Dad did sticks this time.”

“Me too,” she whispered.
Maybe that's why he won't notice me. He thinks I'm going to die off and doesn't want to be romantically attached. S
he wished he understood that he was the cure. He had to be. If she could be with him, his magic and love would be more than enough to keep her strong forever.

Maya forced a smile. “So how long are you staying?”

“A couple of days at the most. Gotta head out to Shanrea for the big birthday bash,” he said, with a small but wonderful smile. Ethan was so much like his father sometimes, gentle in nature, but a lot less expressive with his emotions as well. It made him all the more adorable.

At the mention of Shanrea though, she couldn't help but roll her eyes a little. “Right. Your tradition.”

“What? What's wrong?” he asked, frowning.

She shook her head. “Jealous is all. I haven't been there for a long time, and you go practically all the time.” Maya didn't dare point out how he'd rather be there than visiting with her.

“You should come with us, then.”

“You're inviting me to your exclusive party?” she teased.

This time he rolled his eyes. “When have you not been invited?”

“I doubt my parents will let me,” she mumbled. “You know how overprotective they are.”

“Yeah, I do. Mine are the same way.” He tapped his chest. “I got issues too, but that doesn't mean you have to let them put you in a bubble. Think about it. Please? You can fly out with us when we go, and we'll have a lot of fun. Promise!”

The pleading look in his eyes was enough to convince her to at least try. “I'll see what I can do.”

 

 

After their meeting with the Great Terran Lord, Tyson and Dani went back to Shanrea. Tyson didn't actually live there. He lived with his father and stepmother in Terran City. But the birthday of his fiancée was not an event he wanted to miss, especially since she was now considered old enough to finally become his wife.

“Wake up, Tyson. It's almost lunch,” Dani's little brother, Cedar, yelled into the room where Tyson was sleeping, then slammed the door shut. In the background Dani could be heard shouting at him, but Tyson couldn't quite make it out.

Laughing, he pulled himself out of bed and rubbed at his eyes. He found some clothes to change into and got ready for the day. Waiting outside his bedroom was Cedar, grinning up at him. The kid was the youngest of Dani's siblings at four
years
old. For now. Their mother was expecting baby number six. A small dragon family for an Inero. Back home, in Terran, that would be considered about average.

“Hey buddy,” Tyson said.

“Hi! I'm supposed to ask if you kissed my sister last night,” Cedar said.

Tyson squatted down so he was eye level with the boy and ruffled Cedar's hair. “No, I wasn't kissing your sister last night. And you know I can't lie to you.” Though Tyson was pretty sure by kissing, the boy was supposed to be asking about sex. Every morning after Tyson spent the night, Cedar asked, sent on a duty by Dani's parents to make sure the two waited for the wedding.

The truth was, Dani and he hadn't kissed yet, not really. A few small touches, handholding, an occasional kiss on the cheek or hand, but not anything he would consider intimate. Funny, because she'd been his fiancée since birth, yet he couldn't bring himself to be overly affectionate with her. For whatever reason, the desire wasn't there. No matter how hard he tried, he just didn't see Dani as a girl he wanted to do those kinds of things with. He loved her, no doubt about it, but he wasn't sure if it was the kind of love he needed to marry her and be passionate. Happy, yes, but not the kind of love his father had with Tyson's stepmother. Tyson and Dani would simply be comfortable, and he didn't want that. It didn't seem like enough.

Cedar continued to grin for a moment longer before running off to play. Tyson made his way down the stairs and gave a weak smile to the family sitting at the dining table, who were just finishing up with lunch.

“You could have woken me sooner,” he said.

“We know you're probably jet-lagged still,” Dani's father, Matthias, said. “We saved you some.”

“Unfortunately,” Brodrick said. He was the second eldest of the children and a growing teen boy. Tyson watched him eye the food longingly.

Tyson shook his head. “I'm not all too hungry yet. But thank you.”

Taking that to be as good a sign as any, Brodrick started to dig into what was left on the table. His father shook his head, clearly disapproving.

“What?” Brodrick asked.

“Nothing.” Matthias returned his attention to Tyson. “We were going to let you sleep longer, but figured you'd want to be there when Ethan arrived at the docks today.”

“Thank you,” Tyson said, truly grateful. The idea of seeing his best friend again brought a smile to his face.

Dani sneaked past him from behind, trailing a hand across his shoulders as she did so. “Come on, or we're going to be late.”

“Okay, have fun, and
be careful
,” Matthias said.

“We will. Bye!”

“Wait, you're forgetting something.”

“Oops!” Dani ran over, kissed her father on the cheek, and raced out the door, making sure to grab Tyson along the way.

He laughed. “Excited much?”

“Should I be less obvious?”

He shook his head. “No.”

Tyson knew why she was so excited. About three years ago he'd figured out how in love with Ethan she was. Maybe it was wrong of him to let her indulge in the special friendship she had with the guy, but Tyson wanted her to enjoy it as long as possible. It made her so happy. The day he had to take it away from her was not one he was looking forward to. If he thought it possible, he'd cancel the engagement. But what kind of repercussions to their countries would that have?

Together they ran to the docks, which were about half a mile from her home. They were on a private beach made specifically for the landing and transformation of flying dragons. Inero dragons couldn't fly, but the other tribes, sans a few members of the Terran, could.

The young couple arrived just in time to see an Oceina dragon landing on the platform. Water dragons had long, snake-like bodies, glittering blue scales, and no wings. They flew solely from their magic, and it was a beautiful sight because they sparkled as they moved through the air. Nestled on the back of the dragon was Ethan, his mother, one of his cousins, a couple of brothers, and a girl Tyson had never seen before in his life.

Immediately, his eyes fixed on her. She was beautiful. Her tan skin and dark hair suggested she was of the Inero, but the blue eyes were clearly Oceina. He watched Ethan help her down off the dragon's back. She stumbled and landed in his arms, giggling and blushing before righting herself again and returning down to the ground. Once everyone was off, the dragon began to transform, and in a matter of seconds, another one of Ethan's younger brothers was present in human form.