Legend of the Forbidden (3 page)

Dani's eyes went wide, and she squealed before bolting at full speed toward Ethan. He had just enough time to move the girl out of the way before Dani leaped into his arms and straddled him in a tight hug.

“Oh my gosh, look at you! You keep growing!”

“It's this thing called puberty,” Ethan said, hugging her back. Then carefully he peeled Dani off. Tyson couldn't tell how Ethan felt about her bold affections exactly. The guy was sometimes hard to read. “You remember Maya, right? She used to come visit back in the day.”

“I do, but the last time I saw her we were, like, twelve. Wow, look at you too.” Dani hugged the girl, Maya, still smiling.

Tyson approached the group in a calmer fashion. “It's a pleasure to meet you. I don't think I've had the honor,” he said, and took Maya's hand. He noticed how cold her skin felt, and the smell of death on her. Perhaps there was more to her stumbling than simply trying to be flirtatious.

She curtseyed, and her gaze roamed over him for a moment. “I'd say the same if I had a name.”

“Oh, it's Tyson.”

“Now we are well met,” she said, and he gazed into her blue eyes. Maya grabbed Ethan by the arm, pulling him away from Dani. “Show me around, since you're the one who brought me.”

Tyson could only stare as he watched her walk away, hips swaying. “Whoa.”

Dani punched him in the gut. “Watch it, bub.”

“Oh, I am,” he said, swallowing.

 

 

Dani watched as Maya nudged and snuggled into Ethan playfully. It'd be a lot more annoying to watch if he reciprocated the affection, but he treated Maya with the same disinterest as he did every other girl he met—including Dani. He was great at being a friend, and she knew he was capable of being touchy-feely. Ethan certainly hugged his mother a lot, but when it came to girls his age, it was like he put up a wall. Dani didn't understand it at all.

“Maya,” Ethan's mother, Tai, said softly, entering the room. “I promised your parents I'd make sure you got to bed at a decent time.”

With a sigh, Maya stood up. “Okay, fine. I suppose I shouldn't push my luck too much, or they might never let me leave again.”

“We'll make sure you don't miss anything in the morning, don't worry,” Ethan said, and waved.

“I can show her the way, if you'd like, Lady Oceina,” Tyson offered. “I'm actually ready to get to bed too. I didn't sleep the best last night, and it's catching up to me.”

Tai raised an eyebrow, but then nodded. “All right. Thank you, Tyson. We'll see you both in the morning. Sleep well.” She glanced over at Ethan and Dani, sitting on the couch. “You two don't stay up too late either.”

“I know, Mom, and same goes for you and Miss Kat,” Ethan teased. Dani couldn't help but giggle, because when their mothers got together, the women had a tendency to talk until all hours of the night. They did it enough on the phone, but it was even worse in person.

Tai threw her hands up. “At least I tried.”

“Night, Mom.” He blew her a kiss. When she was gone, he sighed. “To be honest, sleep is kind of the last thing on my mind.”

“Same,” Dani agreed. “Wanna head out to the beach?”

“The beach? No, you know I hate it there,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Ethan grabbed Dani by the hand and pulled her off of the couch. She knew mentioning the beach would excite him. In fact, Dani was pretty sure that if he could, he'd live there. While she wasn't as much of a fan, she did like being there with him.

Giggling, Dani slipped on her sandals. “Going out. Be back later!” she called out right as she went out the door, and then the two ran down the path outside her house.

Dani's family lived on a hill about three miles from town. They lived far enough away that their home was fairly private, but close enough to walk to everything without problems. Because of her father's role in the war between the Oceina and the Inero, there were only so many places they could go as a family. It used to be that he was confined to the boundaries of their home. Over the years, he'd been granted an extension to visit her Uncle Jason, and then to go into town. Now he could walk anywhere on the island, but Ethan's father, the Great Oceina Lord, had made it perfectly clear that her father would always be watched. She didn't know how he could stand it, but house arrest was better than prison or execution.

The beach was half a mile down the road. As soon as they arrived, Ethan kicked off his shoes, pulled off his shirt, and dove right into the water despite it being dark out. There was one lone street lamp around twenty feet away, but that wasn't enough light to give her enough confidence for a swim. Ethan was made for the water, though. It made him strong; he could breathe in it, so she was sure he could handle anything that might go wrong. Besides, she wasn't about to complain, or he might put his shirt back on. Ethan was thin but handsome and stronger than he seemed. She'd gladly take advantage of the free show.

He surfaced, wearing a big smile on his face. It lit up the night. “You coming in?”

“Are you kidding me?” Dani shook her head. Being a fire dragon gave her a slight aversion to all things water.

“I forgot you're such a party pooper,” he said, and swam back to the shore. He sat down on the sand, keeping his feet in the water.

Dani took off her sandals and got comfortable next to him. She dipped her toes into the water, ignoring the slight sting that happened every time she made contact with it, and stared out at the night sky.

“The constellations changed again,” Ethan observed.

“They do that over the seasons,” she teased.

“I know. It just is amazing. I can never get over how there are so many more of them here than at home.”

She laughed. “There is the same amount of stars here as there is in the city. You just can't see them all.”

“That's what I meant.”

“Eighteen,” she whispered.

Ethan glanced at her. “Yeah, what about it?”

“I don't want to be so old.”

“It's not old.”

“Old enough,” she mumbled.

“To get married, you mean? To join the ranks of adulthood and be the uniting force between the nations?” he asked, and laughed. Why was he laughing? There was nothing funny about any of that.

Dani couldn't help but scowl. “Right, no pressure.”

Ethan sighed. “I have to get married soon too. Maybe it won't be quite as big a show as your wedding, but I do understand. Sort of. I'm the oldest son of the Great Dragon Lord. Dad's made it clear that I must get married soon, and if I don't pick a bride, he's going to do it for me.”

“Hopefully he has good taste,” she teased, trying to hide how much it broke her heart. Thinking about Ethan with another girl always made her so sad. He deserved to have someone who cared and understood him, not a complete stranger. At least Dani had gotten to know her fiancé over the years.

“I'm trying to push it back as much as possible. We'll see. But you're getting married. You've been waiting your whole life for this moment,” he said, and even though he was smiling, she could tell he didn't seem enthused about the idea either.

She nodded. “I have until the winter. I'm sure I'll be more into it by then. All of the planning and stuff. And Tyson, he's great, so I can't complain there.” Even though he made her think of her brother more than a future lover.

“No, you can't. You both lucked out,” Ethan whispered.

Dani snuggled into his arms, much like she'd seen Maya do earlier in the evening. She noticed how his body tensed up more and immediately regretted trying. All she wanted was a hug, comfort, something. And maybe a sign that what she felt for him wasn't one-sided. But it must have been, because she could sense his hesitation as he put his arm around her. What was it about touching her that disgusted Ethan so much?

“Are you okay?” he asked. “Why are you frowning?”

“I don't want to do it,” she admitted.

“Really? I couldn't tell. But I think it's something else.” The arm around her tightened, and she felt the warmth of his body despite it being wet. Ethan was so gentle and tender when he wasn't pushing her away.

She sighed and closed her eyes, relaxing in his embrace. “I don't want things to change. And I wish I…” she gazed up into his beautiful blue eyes. “I wish I could choose.”

Ethan swallowed and averted his gaze to the sky. “Pick a star, and maybe your wish will come true. Because I…”

“Hmm?”

“If you want to be able to choose, you should have that.”

She smiled, but couldn't help but wonder if he'd still feel the same way if he knew she wanted to pick him.

 

 

Like always, both Dani and Ethan had input on all of the meals served throughout the day, as well as the activities. Outside of Ethan's father not being there, everything was perfect. Not like he was surprised. His dad never came to Shanrea for the birthday celebrations. Sometimes, during random visits, he'd stop by and see Dani's Uncle Jason and his family, but he never came to Dani's house. Only once had he done that, and it ended up awkward and a little dramatic, but it'd happened so long ago that the details were fuzzy.

The entire group settled down outside for brunch. It was Dani's favorite meal, and the perfect way to start their day of festivities. Ethan sat next to Tyson, and Dani and Maya sat across the table from them.

His mom, along with Dani's, came out holding a cake.

“Happy birthday, honey,” his mom said, then kissed his forehead.

“Make a wish,” Dani's mom, Kat, added, setting the cake down between her and Ethan.

He leaned up, smirking, waiting for Dani to do the same. Briefly, their foreheads touched. “Ready?” he asked.

“Ready,” she said. Together, they blew out the candles on the cake.

Ethan didn't believe much in wishes, but he made one anyway.
I want everything to work out, and for all of us to be happy.
A bit of a cop-out, but he didn't feel as if he could make an honest wish. The thing he wanted the most, he'd never be able to have. He made eye contact with Dani, and they both smiled. Why did he want to kiss her? That couldn't have been right, or an appropriate thing for him to do.

A car came up the path to the house, and Ethan pulled away. Good timing, because he might have accidentally done something he shouldn't have. If there was one thing engraved into his mind from a young age, it was that Dani would always be off-limits to him.

Whatever feelings he had for her, he made sure they only expressed his caring for her as his best friend and nothing more. Even though he was pretty sure it wasn't normal for him to feel warm in his stomach, or to smile so much when he thought about her. He only did that when no one watched him, of course. And it probably wasn't normal for him to compare every girl he saw to her.
I want to spend my life with someone who gets me like Dani does. Maybe that's why picking a wife is so hard. I have too high of expectations. But if I don't give anyone a chance, I suppose none of them ever will, huh?

Out of the car stepped a Terran. He was a big man, and Tyson bowed at the sight of him. Ethan followed suit, trusting his friend's decision to treat this man with respect, even though Ethan got strange vibes from him. Everyone at the table did the same thing.

“Lord Bolton,” Tyson said. “What a surprise and an honor to have you here.”

The man gave a large smile, though Ethan sensed it wasn't genuine.

“I couldn't miss such an important event, especially when I come with some big news,” Lord Bolton said.

“Would you like to sit?” Kat asked.

“No, I will not be here long, but thank you. As you know, this is the year scheduled for your wedding. It pleases me to announce that you will be married this summer. In fact, the date is set for next month,” Bolton said.

Matthias raised an eyebrow, “Excuse me? You set a date? I thought this was still an unsettled issue?”

“I said the winter,” Dani whispered.

“I know that's what you said, but the winter does not work well for my people. Let's be honest with each other here. This union is not one of true love, but of politics. The summer is the perfect time to unite our nations in celebration. Besides, the Shanrean people believe it a bad omen to wed in the wintertime. Since I imagine you want your father to participate in the ceremony, you will have to wed here,” Lord Bolton explained, and touched Dani's dark hair. Ethan noticed her flinch at the touch. If she didn't like him, that was good enough reason for Ethan not to as well.

Tyson stared at the top of the table, looking afraid to make eye contact with his dragon lord. “Thank you for honoring us by telling us this in person. I'm sure you have a lot of business to attend to.”

“You're welcome. I'm here to secure options and things to make the stress of planning not quite as great,” he said.

“You are very generous,” Tyson whispered. Ethan couldn't believe how much butt was being kissed by his friend. This wasn't like Tyson at all. There had to be a good reason for it that Ethan hadn't been told about yet. Hopefully, he'd get the details later.