182
Three days later we held their funeral ceremonies. I kept it short because I knew that at any moment I would break down and I couldn’t, not in front of their lair. I still didn’t think of them as mine and I’d yet to have that conversation with Nova.
I broke later when everyone was asleep and I sat in the dark room looking out of the windows, letting the tears fall silently. I’d never fully understood Lucas mourning his parents for so many years, but I got it now, I really got it now.
“We need to talk,” I said to Nova the following morning as I sat on the couch that faced the windows.
“What about?” she asked me.
“Staying in Aurora, doing the right thing,” I said.
“Being their Sire …” she replied softly.
“There is no one else,” I said.
“Look at what happened, even before saying you’d take over as Sire,” she said with worry in her eyes.
“That was one man, thinking he could take this town,” I said.
“Yes and who comes looking for him?” she asked me.
“Nova, don’t make this harder than it is. I woke up to your ex sitting in our kitchen pointing guns at my head,” I said.
“So this is what you want? To stay here and rule over these people?” she asked me.
“This town belongs to me now, for the most part it’s filled with dragonkin. The kids will have a more normal life here, free to be themselves,” I said.
“Except me and Alexis, we’ll be the outcasts again,” she said and I could see in her eyes that she truly believed that.
“You forgot about Milo,” I said with a smile.
“This isn’t some joke Ryder, it’s our life,” she said with a hint of anger.
“I can’t leave here, this is my father’s legacy, everything he worked his whole life for. I can’t just give it up for whoever wants it,” I said to her.
“That’s not what I’m saying,” she said.
“Then what are you saying?”
“I don’t know okay, but this is your life, it’s not mine …”
“You’re going to leave me if I stay here and be their Sire?” I asked her.
“Ryder … that’s not what I meant … I don’t know,” she said.
“Do whatever the fuck you want Nova,” I said and stood up from the couch.
A knock fell on the bedroom door. “Ryder,” Rev said through it and I pulled my hand away from where Nova had gripped it.
“Ryder, don’t walk away from me,” she said.
“I don’t have the same choices as you. I can’t leave these people to fend for themselves, I have a duty and I’m going to fulfill it, what you do from this point onwards, that’s your choice,” I said and opened the door.
“I have Granger in the basement,” Rev said softly.
“Just remember Nova, I legally adopted Alexis, she’s my daughter just as much as Abigail and Shae is,” I said.
“What does that mean?” she asked me angrily.
“It means, I’m their father,” I said and closed the door behind me.
Rev and I walked down the hall and down the two flights of stairs as I pushed my hands into my pockets. Granger had a lot of explaining to do. My mindset was already changing from father of five to Sire of a few thousand. I could feel that familiar feeling of being in control settle inside me and Abeloth had missed it too.
“Get to your feet traitor,” Rev said when we stopped in front of the cell.
“Sire,” Granger said but didn’t meet my eyes.
“Everybody’s okay, thanks for asking,” I said as Rev smiled.
“He threatened my family,” he said in a shaky voice.
“He tried to kill mine!” I said angrily.
“I’m sorry … but they’re okay, I mean they’re alive right,” he said.
“My parents and brother aren’t, how do you justify turning on your Sire?” I asked him.
“I didn’t, I had nothing to do with that! I swear it!” he yelled in fear.
“You should’ve come to us, we would have protected your family,” Rev said in a low voice.
“We’ll convene at The Drake tonight, show our people their traitor,” I said.
“Sire … please …” Granger yelled as I walked away.
I closed the wooden door behind me as I heard Granger yell as Rev got rid of some of his frustrations at having lost not only his Sire but also his best friend. I didn’t mind as long as he didn’t kill him. That right was reserved for me.
“What happens tonight?” Wynter asked me with a gleam in his eye. They had been waiting in the corridor just off the cells, listening in on my conversation with Granger.
“The lair will gather at The Drake, I’ll give them the traitor that tried to kill all of us and then I’ll kill him,” I said.
“Just like that?” Milo asked.
“Yes, just like that,” I said.
“This is like a whole new side of you,” Wynter said.
“Not really Wynter, you just don’t know the whole story,” I said.
“Can Milo and I be there?” he asked and I nodded as they smiled.
We headed upstairs and I stopped in the foyer as I looked at the three men standing there with their coats in their arms. “Can I help you?” I asked them.
“Ah Mr. Grey, you look exactly like your brother,” one of the men said.
“It’s Sire Grey and you must be the Illinois Elders,” I said.
“May we talk in private?” another one asked.
“We have a conference room down the hall. Wynter please ask Mrs Potter to bring in some refreshments,” I said.
“Ryder,” Nova said from behind me.
“Yes?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you had company, we can talk later,” she said with a smile.
“My wife, Nova, and these are our Elders,” I said as she shook their hands.
“Delighted to meet you,” one said as they all smiled at her.
I led the Elders into the conference room and got them settled down. Mrs Potter knocked once and then Milo walked in with the tray holding the coffee and Wynter followed with the tray of pastries.
“Thank you boys, these are our Elders and these are my sons, Wynter and Milo,” I said. The boys bowed their heads at the Elders and promptly left the room.
“Quite the diverse family you’ve got.”
“Forgive our manners, Elder Ryan McDermot and that is Elder Joshua Holt and Elder William Black,” Elder Ryan said.
“What brings you to my territory?” I asked.
“Spoken like a true Sire, we’re baffled why you’ve never taken your own lair, you obviously have a strong aura to command,” Elder Joshua said.
“I never before had the desire to be a Sire. I’m the second son and I preferred to live my life away from the lair and follow my own path,” I said.
“Ah yes, that brings us back to your wife, she doesn’t wear your mark and your one son is clearly not dragonkin, how old are they?” Elder William asked.
“Forgive me Elders but that really has got nothing to do with you,” I said and Elder Joshua chuckled.
“You are every bit your father’s son,” he said.
“Yes I am. My family is diverse and my wife doesn’t wear my mark although we have bonded. It doesn’t change anything,” I said.
“If she’s not dragonkin she cannot be your Drakaina,” Elder Ryan said.
“My father ruled as Sire for six years without a Drakaina. Nova doesn’t need a title to feel worthy, she’s my wife and she’ll be by my side and perform her duties whether she’s called Drakaina or not,” I said as I looked them in the eye.
“How does your lair feel about that?” Elder William asked me.
“I don’t care how they feel about it, they can leave for all I care. Aurora belonged to the Grey family even before the town was founded, this has always been our territory. Take it from me if you can,” I said and the Elders laughed.
“We’ve received reports that Sire Robert McDaniel was responsible for your family’s death,” Elder Joshua said.
“You can find his body just outside the borders of lower Aurora,” I said.
“He’s dead?”
“Yes along with the men he brought to kill my children,” I said.
“You don’t waste time do you?”
“You’re welcome to attend our lair gathering tonight at The Drake when I’ll deal with the traitor that gave him my family’s location,” I said and stood up.
“Don’t mind if we do, it’ll give us a general feeling of the lair towards you,” Elder Ryan said.
“And it’ll also give me a general feeling of your loyalty,” I said.
“Excuse me?” Elder William said.
“The previous Elders were loyal to a fault, they protected every lair under their rule and I’m wondering where your loyalties lie,” I said.
“Come forward Dragon,” Elder Joshua’s dragon said through him and I laughed.
“My dragon can’t be commanded. No gray dragon can, he’ll speak to you when he wants to,” I said.
“That is most remarkable although your brother was much more compliant,” he said.
“Chase got the diplomacy, I got the temper,” I said and Elder Ryan smiled at me.
“Good day to you Sire Ryder, we’ll join you tonight for this traitor’s execution,” he said.
“We’ll start at seven,” I said.
They left the conference room and I remained sitting in my chair. I looked up and smiled into the camera that I knew was hidden there. I also knew that both Wynter and Milo had been watching us.
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