You are getting this one earlier, because if I keep on editing it I will ruin it ;)
I have promised pain and drama, that takes me long time to get to. But do not think, that I have forgotten.
Some of the drama starts to unforld in this chapter.
Ember
The monochromatic office of the CEO, my office, was filled with orange light of the setting sun. Initially, I was going to redecorate and even got some furniture moved out, but then I changed my mind and fortunately it was not too late to get it all the way it was before.
I was pouring over documentation of the agreement between Talon, Viper's new leader, an adult dragonell called Stealth and the Order of St George. Basically Talon have employed the Order to partake in "rehabilitation" of dangerous dragon's, who wanted to leave the organisation. This created an ongoing connection between the Order and the organisation, that was bothering me. Working together would be a good way to end animosity between soldiers of the Order and dragons of Talon, but also would mean that the Order would be in position to keep close eye on our moves and this didn't sit right with me. Garret had too strong influence on me as it was and now he would also be permanently involved with Talon's business. What was the Archivist thinking? I was suspicious, he has betrayed former CEO, maybe he thought it would be easier to seize power from a hatchling and was further weakening my position with decisions like this? Well, I will keep an eye on him.
My mobile buzzed, Garret. He only texted me yesterday about his meeting with this new commander. "Hi, how is the Order?" I asked. "Hi Ember, not good. Commander Knight made some valid points about injustice of how Talon's assets have been shared between the parties who took part in the war. We have decided to seek compensation for the remaining soldiers and the families of more than a thousand soldiers ad employees killed by dragons during Night of Fang and Fire and afterwards." His voice sounded serious and tired. "But look at the bright side, we will see each other plenty during endless negotiations, that'll surely ensue." He added in joyless voice. My insides clenched with a mixture of longing and dread, but my thoughts were sharp and my will was my own, that was good. It was time to set my plan for getting free of Garret in motion. "Listen Garret. I was thinking about what we've been talking about. You are right feeling, that you are wasting your life and wanting something else. And when I am with you, fooling around, I feel the same way. But I am a dragon and my place is among dragons. I am learning about Talon, our mission, our contribution and I can see how with few small changes this organisation can became safe heaven for dragons. It is important for me. " I said with sad voice. "I didn't mean it that way Ember, you don't have to give anything up for me." Garret interrupted in grave voice, that made some part of my heart break, but I continued. "I know Garret. And because it is true, I cannot ask you to give up anything for me. Actually not one more day. You are managing the Order of St George for my sake, you are dealing with a Wyrm that almost choked you to death for my sake. And I'm not willing to do the same for you, and this is not okay." After a minute of silence Garret whispered. "Are you breaking up with me?" Damn it, a traitorous tear rolled down my cheek but my voice remained calm. "Yes, I'm sorry." I heard an intake of breath on the other side and I didn't want to hear Garret cry now. "Listen, it's for the best. I will do all I can to help the remaining soldiers and the children left without parents." Which was a small price to pay to avoid suspicion and get rid of you. "But I need space to get through this now. Please let me be for a time being, when it's fresh. Take the million and leave the Order or stay and maybe we can be proper CEO and Commander one day, but give me time." I blurted and waited. "Okay Ember, goodbye." He sighed. "Goodbye Garret." I said and he hanged up. Checkmate, I let my forehead sink towards the cool surface of my desk and didn't hold back when my body shook with violent sobs. I knew this would stop finally, when I have kept away from Garret for long enough. You will not feel like this forever Ember, I told myself.
Rose looked sceptical when I tried to explain the changes I wanted to introduce to the wast meeting room one floor under my office. She executed an impressive eye roll, when she thought I was looking away but said nothing out of ordinary. "Yes ma'am. The walls of the adjacent offices will be torn down until the room fills the entire floor except for small areas needed for elevators and staircases and it will be furnished in a way that speaks of money, power, good taste and imagination before the next meeting with the Order of St George next week." She said, only a sigh indicating that my request was unusual. It took me weeks to stop shivering in the presence of hundreds years old dragonell, who was chief of monitors before she volunteered to be my assistant. I was honored, especially as she quickly became indispensable for me. I knew she would achieve impossible with the meeting room, which only left one thing to take care of. "And request for Cobalt to meet me as soon as possible. I have important things to discuss with him."
Riley took his sweet time, it wasn't before Friday, that he answered Rose's messages and agreed to meet me in the evening next day. The meeting with St George was on Monday, this gave me little time.
He looked stunning as always, but his eyes were cold when he watched me. Before I tried to make amends I wanted to check if the juice was worth the squeeze. So as he entered my office wearing jeans and leather jacket, I exclaimed - "Riley, good to see you!" - and strode towards him until I stood close enough to touch. I smiled broadly all the while paying attention to my thoughts and feelings.
"Hi Ember, What is it? Rose told me the meeting isn't until Monday, but she insisted on me to come ASAP." He watched me with lifted brows. I felt calmer and stronger than ever, this was it then. "It's about Autumn and her egg. I didn't handle it well, sorry about that. How about we chat about it over some food? I'm starving." I felt energy coursing between us, it beckoned and demanded and begged, Cobalt must have felt it too, I wanted it to brew. "I am sure Autumn would like to participate in any conversation regarding her future." He answered watching me with same coolness as before. Damn I was going to have to work for it. And I would, there wasn't much time, but I knew, what needed to be done. As if some lost memories have been recovered and the meaning of Sallith'tahn bond was stark and clear in my mind. How could I ever escape it? Why would I ever try? Cobalt was green and unaware and all the better. He didn't stand a chance. "Of course Autumn should be present. But she's in the facility, how about we grab some food before heading there?" That made him taw, he smiled. "Okay, your treat."
I took Riley to a five stars restaurant on a roof of a skyscraper only slightly lower than Talon's HQ. Being close to the skies made an impression on dragons and I wanted our dragons woke and present tonight. After customary 12 courses and three desserts, we left in much better atmosphere. I told Cobalt about breakup with Garret and how this relationship made me feel trapped in the end and he was sympathetic to that. We took my private jet to the hatchling training facility.
"How are you and Mist?" I asked casually sitting next to him. "There's no me and Mist, we are just friends. She's become friends with Kain and Nettle and is kind of their guardian now. Their guardians was killed by the Order and I let them stick with me until they figure themselves out." One obstacle less. Before I asked more about the hatchlings I took his hand in mine and noticed he flinched slightly but did not remove his hand, good.
It was late at night when we have arrived at the small private airport of the hatchling facility, no point in waking Autumn. The desert air was cold but we stood outside as the pilot and attendant, Talon's trusted employees walked away towards staff quarters of the facility. Riley seemed to simply enjoy the night outside, I noticed that he cast longing glances at the dark sky, and I smiled, soon. When humans were out of sight I took his hand and looked into his striking golden eyes. "Riley, Cobalt, there's something I need to tell you. I broke up with Garret because I want to be with you. You are my Sallith'tahn and we haven't even got a chance to try amid the war and drama. You said you will show me what it means to be a dragon, once we are alone away from people. We are now. Show me." His eyes darkened with desire and he hesitated, but I had no intention of letting him refuse. I shifted took few steps back and spewed fire at him. Cobalt shifted instinctively and I held my fire for a few seconds more before I stopped, lifted my head and made a keening sound that must have been heard within the facility, but I did not care. Before Cobalt got a chance to gather his thoughts or resolve, I took off circling once to make sure he followed before I sped for the waning moon.
I flew up and up and up as fast as possible pursued by Cobalt who finally seemed to have given up the internal fight and pursued me with conviction, good. Beneath me the desert sand was dark and I no longer could see the facility. Around me stars shone in indigo sky, not a cloud in sight. Excitement building up in me ever since I decided to get my Sallith'tahn back finally erupted and I was propelled by joy and hope. Feelings poignant and honest flooded my heart and almost made me reconsider, I could be like this, I could be happy, I could love. But then I beheld the lie of it and concentrated on giving my Sallith'tahn a good mating flight.
Cobalt was larger than me and I have not flown since the night of the attack at the underground facility, so he was catching up. I slowed down slightly and banked inviting him to follow. As I have hoped, instincts and magic of the bond were guiding him. He banked and now flew synchronously mirroring me. "What are you doing Ember?!" He shouted at me, but I only laughed and barrelled upwards straight towards the moon and he followed. We were not having this conversation now. With each synchronised move waves of energy surged through my body, they made synchronisation easier, until I was not sure who led and who followed. Moonlight reflected in each perfect scale of Cobalt's slender blue body. His eyes shone intensely and spikes of his spine all stood up making him look bigger. My beautiful soul mate, my Sallith'tahn, he has been here all this time, mine. Oh what if I have met him earlier? Could this have ended differently? I admired his beauty and let the sadness fill me alongside the desire. We have lost our chance and after tonight... But I could not stop even if I wanted to. We circled each other getting closer and closer until our wings were brushing as we flapped them. Then Cobalt surged and his grabbed me, his talons scraped my scales and threatened to pierce the skin beneath, but I did not mind. He bent his neck to press his forehead to mine and his shining eyes locked with mine. The pupils were so dilated, that the golden iris was barely visible as a thin band of gold, but there was fire burning inside those eyes. And I was ready for it. He pulled his head away and blasted fire at my muzzle. I opened my jaws and blasted back. The heat of our fires collided and warred for a short while before it started to merge into a whole new quality. I could feel my own fire changing a slow wave entering my mouth, gliding down my throat and into my chest, into my heart, where the doors to dragon magic were hidden. I felt Cobalt's hind legs finding mine and our talons twining, he grabbed my feet with his talons but instead of pain it sent a surge of delight through my body. His tail wrapped tightly around mine and he breathed another fire breath, locked his jaws with mine and we were breathing one fire. I almost faltered as he entered me, the feeling was agonising. It was nothing akin to what sex felt like in human body, it was as if another plume of fire invaded my insides burning and melting. But instead of cringing I was welcoming it, opening up and around it. The two fires seemed to be seeking
each other. Cobalt's eyes looked intensely into mine and through the magic that joined us I could feel his love, his anger, his sorrow, his desire and his disgust. I am sorry my beautiful Sallith'tahn. As if he could hear me the fire intensified and melted away anything else. Through some forgotten sense I felt it, when he burned through the soft shell of an egg waiting for him inside of my belly and imbued it with his essence. In that moment any boundaries remaining between us disappeared and for a moment I was him and he was me. I knew it all, felt it all, lived through it all with him. How I have hurt him, how I have defiled the sanctity of our bond, how I have disrespected him with this forced act. I froze, but he did not seem to notice anything amiss. I felt his soul shifting away, as if he did not wish to look, to feel, to know me. The shell of the egg sealed again and he released me. The unity stopped abruptly and left me slightly dazzled. Cobalt looked at me with disdain before he fell away. I shuddered, never have I felt so lonely, never have I felt so disgusting and unworthy. Slowly I picked my way back towards the desert and the facility. One day at a time, I told myself as shame and sorrow washed past in endless ebbing flow. I would not feel like this forever.
"You are staying here for yours and your hatchling's safety. Where would you go? To a barn? He will burn it down as soon as he hatches!" I tried to speak some reason into Autumn, whose hatred of Talon overrode reality. Riley sat beside with pinched expression. He must have known I tricked him to come here. I was not letting go of Autumn's egg. The perfect tiny dragonell tucked inside a tiny egg in my body needed someone to reign over. Autumn was useless to me, she could go wherever she wanted, but the egg was Talon's.
Riley did not burst this time, he watched me with resignation. He would not contradict me for some time. I was now his Sallith'tahn and pregnant with his brood. The ancient magic of the bond made him my faithful servant and protector.
For my part, the bond stabilized me, I was ready to face Garret tomorrow and not fall apart. You did it Ember!
WFT have you just read? Not sorry. I promised suffering and drama before the happy ending and I am only getting started.
If you hate Ember after this chapter, please give her the benefit of doubt for a little longer.
If this was, what you longed for in the series, then you are welcome you Emley shipper ;)