Page 55 of Curse of the Midnight Dragon (The Moonlight Dragon #2)

Five Years Later

Soren

“Keep your tips up,” I instructed the four boys as they practiced their sword work. Robert had recently turned eight and was surprisingly the best swordsman in the group. Ronald, at twelve, had recently experienced a growth spurt that left him tripping over his feet whenever he tried to make a decent swing with his sword. I mussed his blond hair and told him to keep working at it. He might never make it as a warrior, and that was fine. But I still wanted him to learn how to protect himself and his siblings.

He could return to his studies in the library only after he spent an hour in the bailey yard going through the lessons with his brothers.

Celestina fiercely loved the boys and considered them part of her hoard, so shortly after taking our places as rulers of the kingdom I’d suggested we adopt them. In time, I’d grown to love the scamps as if they were my own sons.

Besides, there’d never been a recorded mating between a dragon and a vampire, so we didn’t know if children of our own were even possible. Celestina’s and my magic came from different and seemingly incompatible sources. For all we knew, these boys would be the only children we’d be given. And if that turned out to be our reality, I would be content. The boys were growing into fine young men who were fiercely protective of my beautiful Celestina. Not that she needed protection.

She was a powerful force that no ruler on the continent dared challenge. Not even the Tiburnians.

Celestina and I had lived together ( always together) in Earst for five peaceful years. Our first act when taking the throne had been to free the slaves and dismiss the nobility that had allowed Queen Beatrice to thrive.

Some vampires from Fein had moved into the kingdom to help the local humans build their businesses and villages. The small village surrounding the castle had grown into a bustling city with a multistory library and university at the center.

Celestina arranged for a historian from the dragon clan to fly to the castle several times a month to tutor the boys. Ronald, who aspires to teach history at the university one day, has been begging to spend the next summer studying dragon lore with the historian and with my brother who has been writing his third book on the subject.

Celestina has proved to be a just and capable queen, and I serve gladly as her helpmate.

“Soren,” Raya called as she came running into the bailey yard. “It’s time.”

“It’s time?” Gray, who’d been helping with the training, tossed his practice sword to the ground and took off running toward the castle. “I promised to let Patty know!”

“Go on.” Raya smiled as she nudged my arm. “Sky Girl is asking for you.”

I felt faint. The boys all stopped their training to watch me.

“It’s been five years.” My voice cracked.

“Five wonderful years,” Raya corrected.

“We’d given up hope that this was possible.” And we’d been happy with the life we had. “Had we been greedy to ask for more?”

“Accepting a miracle is not greed.”

“What if something goes wrong?” We shouldn’t have tried for a child. It’d been reckless. And—

“You have paid and bribed and bullied the best mages and healers and midwives on the continent to attend her. You’re not going to lose her.”

“We shouldn’t have done this.” I began pacing. “This…this was a mistake.”

“Breathe, my friend.” Raya put her hand on my shoulder. “Go, be strong for your mate.”

I gently lifted a lizard that had been perched on my shoulder and placed it on the snowy ground before jogging toward the castle. My heart thudded in my throat.

The boys tried to follow me, but Raya deftly intercepted them and started playing a game of tag.

It seems to take forever to reach the tower room. Celestina had reclaimed the room in the tower that had once been her punishment. She’d turned the space into our royal chambers. We’d installed windows and lavish furniture, which made it comfortable. But despite its luxuries, it was still at the top of a long, winding staircase. Celestina cried out before I could reach the door. Her shriek echoed down the tower’s stairs. And I charged up those last steps like a raging bull.

Dragons laid eggs only when they mated with another dragon while both were in their dragon form. Otherwise, the dragon had to endure giving birth just like the humans which, from what I’d heard, was bloody and messy and dangerous.

Hence the need to hire mages, healers, and midwives. The room was crowded with them. I had to shimmy between the crush of bodies to get to the bed where my love lay on top of the covers dressed in a white cotton gown. Sweat coated her forehead. Gwen, Petunia, and Amaya were all at the head of the bed. Gwen wiped Celestina’s face with a soft wool cloth.

“You should have sent for me sooner,” I scolded and offered Celestina my hand to hold as I knelt beside the bed. She took my hand and squeezed as if trying to crush all my bones.

“I didn’t want to interrupt the boys’ training. They so love their time with you.” Her voice was breathy. Weak. It frightened me. My gaze shot to my sister who was standing at the foot of the bed with the midwife she’d brought with her. The older woman with her gray hair wrapped up into a bun looked so serious as she shifted Celestina’s bent legs, spreading them a bit wider.

“The boys might forgive you for pulling me away from their training considering the work you’re putting into giving them a new sibling,” I told Celestina. “Raya had to fight them off with her sword to keep them from following me up here.”

Celestina tried to smile at that, but her face tightened with pain and her back arched off the bed.

Fuck.

She squeezed my sword hand so hard, I feared I’d never be able to swing a sword again. But I gritted my teeth and let her use me to relieve a small portion of her burden.

“The baby is coming,” the midwife announced. I’d noticed that the older woman had pushed the mages and healers and other midwives to the side. “A few more pushes, and you’ll be done.”

Celestina, breathing hard, nodded. Gwen continued to wipe the cloth over Celestina’s sweaty face.

“Moonglow, why don’t you just turn to air and leave the baby behind on the bed?” Amaya, who looked a little green, asked.

“The baby would transform into air with her,” the midwife answered without even looking up at us. “She must stay corporal and push…now.”

Celestina cried out. Her beautiful round belly spasmed so hard I could see the muscles moving below her white gown. She arched her back again and squeezed my hand with the strength of a god. I groaned but didn’t pull away from her. I’d never pull away from her.

“Annnnd…” the midwife said, drawing out that one little word, “your baby is here.”

The room exploded with cheers. Though, when I looked over my shoulder, I saw Amaya tip over backward and hit the floor. Passed out. Juniper crouched beside her daughter, patting her forehead with the damp cloth Gwen had been using.

I couldn’t explain the relief I felt when I gazed into Celestina’s beautiful indigo eyes. She looked exhausted. But she was breathing. And alive.

I kissed the side of her head. Her hair was damp with sweat.

“You are the most beautiful creature in this world,” I whispered. “And when you’re stronger, I’m going to need to take some of that lovely blood of yours to heal the hand you’ve just demolished.”

“Sorry about that.”

“I’m not.”

The midwife came over to us. She held the baby, now wrapped up in a tight bundle, as if she were carrying the most precious treasure in the world.

She was.

“Here is your daughter,” the midwife said as I helped Celestina sit up so she could hold our baby.

“Our daughter,” Celestina repeated in wonder as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The round little face was almost a mirror image of Celestina’s. And she had a shock of curly brown hair on the top of her head that resembled Celestina’s silky mane. But the babe had my eyes—green with golden flecks.

The beautiful little creature wiggled a bit in Celestina’s arms before she opened her mouth and showed off a perfect pair of tiny fangs.

“Look, Sky Girl. It’s just like you predicted. She’s a vampire,” Raya whispered from over my shoulder.

I hadn’t noticed until that moment that the mages and healers and midwives, save for the one still attending to Celestina, had all left the room. I imagined Raya had something to do with that.

“She’s just like her father.” Celestina’s smile lit up the room. “What a charming little vampire.”

It was hard to remember the time when we’d first met, and Celestina had been afraid of vampires and their ability to trick and charm. Look at her now—loving me, loving our daughter, and working hard within our kingdom to protect vampires from those who might want to enslave us for our blood.

The tiny baby wiggled some more, stronger this time like she wanted out of the bundle the midwife had made. And when she opened her mouth again, she screamed. It was a high-pitched screech that had me jumping to my feet. As I moved closer to her, a rush of heat seared the side of my face.

What the hell?

“Look! She’s also a dragon,” Gwen said with a laugh. She quickly grabbed a blanket and used it to smother the flames devouring the nearest wall tapestry. “A strong dragon at that. Warmlings don’t usually manifest the ability to breathe fire until they are about a year old. Juniper and I will help you baby-proof the castle.”

“Thank you,” I said, my heart pounding. “A vampire with dragon powers. Or perhaps a dragon with vampiric traits. Either way, she’s perfect.” I touched the baby’s velvety soft cheek, and the little infant wrapped her tiny hand around one of my fingers.

My heart exploded.

“She is perfect,” my beautiful Celestina repeated as she gazed up at me. “I used to look out that window over there, dreaming of my future, wishing for the dragons in that valley to come and rescue me. I never—not even in my wildest imaginings—could have ever foreseen finding the life you have given me, Soren. Look at us. We’re together. And we have her . Who would have ever believed this could be possible? You took me into your camp when I was nothing more than a slave but treated me like my life mattered. You saw my magic when I called myself ordinary. You loved me when I felt unlovable. And now, thanks to you, I have a kingdom, a mate who loves me, and a beautiful girl who looks like her handsome father.” She placed her hand on my arm. “I love you, Soren.”

Careful not to jostle our new bundle of joy, I kissed Celestina. “I love you, my dearest Sky Girl,” I whispered against her honey-sweet lips. “I thank the fates for giving me to you.”

“Goddess help us, they’re starting to kiss again,” Amaya scoffed from where she was still sitting on the floor.

Celestina laughed as she pulled me close, tugging at my sore hand until I was on the bed with her nestled between my legs and her back pressed to my front so I could hold both Celestina and our new baby.

“What should we name her?” I asked, surprised we hadn’t talked much about names before now.

“That’s an easy one.” She caressed the baby’s forehead making our daughter sigh with pleasure as her sparkling little eyes slipped closed. “She represents everything we’ve dreamed about, everything we’ve wished for. She’s our Hope.”

“Hope,” I repeated, testing the feel of the name. It felt…right. “Princess Hope,” I amended. “You’re going to have an exciting life here with me to train you in combat, your four older brothers to tease you but also watch over you, and a mother who will teach you wondrous things like how to fly into rainbows. Welcome to your kingdom, Princess.”