Page 33 of Ink Sworn (Greatdrakes #3 | The Fae Universe #24)

T he following evening, Valentine woke to the sound of heavy thumping on Yelena's bedroom door. He was going to add in his own layer to her wards if the knights kept waking him up when he wasn't ready.

"I am going to murder you if you don't go away!" he grumbled.

"Get your ass up, bro. I need attention," came Apollo's voice, jolting the rest of Valentine into wakefulness.

Yelena yawned and gave him a slight shove. "We had better get up and see who else arrived while we were in bed."

"No one is important enough to warrant me moving while you are naked," Valentine replied and placed a pillow over his head.

"You have twenty minutes to shower off whatever the fuck you two have been up to and come down to eat dinner, or I'll be back," Apollo threatened with a final bang on the door. "Some things are more important than shagging."

"Says the man who mauls his mate whenever he gets close enough," Valentine complained into his pillow.

Yelena shifted on the bed, her mouth finding his nipple .

"That's not helping," he grunted.

Yelena's teeth fastened on his chest, and he jumped in surprise. "Come on, Val, you know he'll come in if we ignore him."

"Whose side are you on?" he said, pushing off the pillow and sitting up.

"I'm on the side of going to eat and then coming back as soon as we can so you can give me orgasms," Yelena replied. She looked him over and bit her lip. "You getting any orgasms in return will depend entirely on how much you complain about getting up."

"Wicked little dragon," Valentine said, stroking a hand up her bare thigh and teasing her pussy. She let out a little whimper, and he moved his hand away. Her eyes narrowed. "Now we are both horny."

"You're assuming I'm not always horny when I'm around you," she said and got out of bed. She headed for the bathroom. "Are you coming to help wash my back, or are you going to just sit there?" Valentine had never moved so quickly.

Despite their best efforts, it was almost forty minutes later before they got downstairs. Valentine could hear the voices of his family before he even opened the door to Taranis's chambers. He frowned. He didn't want them in the firing line when he went after Midir.

"It'll be okay, Valentine. We will protect them," Yelena said, reading him too easily. Her hand moved to stroke a calming circle on his lower back.

Valentine let out a slow breath. "I apologize in advance for any embarrassing shit that is about to come out of their mouths."

Yelena kissed his shoulder and went in before he could make another excuse or procrastinate anymore.

Valentine had expected his brothers and Cosimo to be waiting.

He hadn't expected Bridget and Lachlan as well.

Panic started to claw its way up his throat.

His whole family and their vulnerable mates were all in danger because if Midir got hold of them, there would be nothing Valentine wouldn't do to ensure their safety.

"Are you coming in, Val?" Bas asked, moving across the room to join him. He slipped into Valentine's mind, and Valentine was too slow to stop his brother from seeing all the panic and worry inside of him.

"Oh, it’s like that,” Bas said, and pulled Valentine into a hug. "Breathe, big brother. We aren't in danger."

Valentine held him tight. "But you are . You all need to go back to England until I've taken care of this. Midir is after me."

"He is after all of us." Cosimo eased Bas off him and took Valentine's face in his hands. "We are family, and we are dragons. This affects all of us, and it's not up to you to fix it on your own. Understand?"

Valentine sagged. "Yes, Dad."

"Good." Cosimo kissed his forehead and let him go. "You want to tell me why your aura is different all of a sudden?"

"I'm surprised Reeve and the knights haven't already gossiped about it," Valentine replied and moved with them back over to the lounges where the whole family was sprawled out with Taranis, Quinn, and Yelena, who had slipped onto a couch.

"They have told me you have shifted and made Reeve shift as well, but the rest they have decided to let you tell us," Apollo said from where he was curled up next to Lachlan, the hunter's arm protectively over his shoulder.

"Fuck. I haven't even eaten yet. Have we learned anything more about the attack, Taranis?" Valentine said, desperate to change the subject. He needed to work up to telling his family about binding his dragon and his reasons for doing it.

"Nothing important," Taranis replied. "The knights have set up patrols, and I've put a bounty on the three missing lords.

Mananan, Oberon, and Killian have also set up extra protections on their borders in case they turn up there.

Kenna Ironwood is on alert in Ireland and has sent her hunters to keep an eye on the area where Midir had an entry barrow.

We have always encountered the same problem with Midir.

He's untraceable and can close down all the pathways into Brí Léith whenever he wants to. "

Valentine sat down on a couch next to Yelena, and Apollo smirked at him. He would have to talk to them about her being his mate, too, unless Reeve had already told them. He eyed his youngest brother, who grinned. Valentine's eyes narrowed. The little bastard was baiting him.

"There has to be a way to find him. The lords must have been communicating with him somehow," he said, holding back his temper.

Quinn toyed with the end of Taranis's braid, her expression pensive. "Val, could you track Midir the way you did with Yelena? You have seen him now and know the name of his kingdom. Would that be enough? I thought about trying my dream magic, but I have no connection to him like I had to Taranis."

"I can't do it through dreams either." Valentine shook his head.

"I have the same problem with connection.

I knew Yelena, and the feel of her magic that was left on her letters.

I could attempt it with one of the tokens we found, but I don't think it would work the same way.

Yelena's magic is easy to follow because she is the balance to mine. "

"What do you mean by balance?" Bridget asked, her head tilting like the hawks she loved so much. "Is this some kind of magic term I don't know yet?"

"No. It's something else," Yelena said before Valentine could speak.

She held out her silver hand, instantly capturing the attention of all the magicians in the room.

She explained how their magic had created it, how their powers had woven together, complementing and balancing each other.

She didn't mention the word 'mates', and Valentine was grateful that he hadn't told her yet.

They were magicians before they were mates or anything else.

"Oh, my god, you two are like Kylo and Rey!" Apollo piped up.

"Who?" Yelena asked.

"It's from a movie. What are you going on about?" Lachlan asked.

"Kylo and Rey are dyads in the Force. They have like this special connection where two Force-sensitive beings share power and can become one superpower," Apollo hurried to explain. His excited expression shifted to one of horror. "Neither one of you is allowed to die ever!"

Valentine put a hand over his face and groaned. "That was a movie, little brother. We aren't dying. Calm down."

Apollo huffed. "Layla would understand my concerns."

"They aren't dying, baby," Lachlan said, rubbing his arm. "You can tell her all about it when we get home."

"I mean, he's not wrong about the dyad thing. Your magic does balance, and that means when it's combined, you can create miracles like that hand," Charlotte said, gesturing at Yelena.

"That wasn't a miracle. It makes perfect sense from a magical and medical perspective," Valentine argued.

"Sure, it makes sense. If you are you and Yelena," Bas replied with an eye roll.

"You can do all of this, but can't find this Midir guy?" Bridget interrupted. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Valentine kept his expression carefully blank. He knew one way to find Midir, but he didn't like it.

Perhaps having Bas there would be a good thing because he had a growing list of things to ask him. Midir could take over the mind of anyone who got too close, and that wouldn't help them in a fight. They needed to be able to protect themselves, and no one knew mind magic like Bas did .

"Can we eat now?" Valentine asked, even though his appetite was as nonexistent as ever. He needed to think and needed the rabble of his family to die down. That only happened when their mouths were full. Taranis summoned the servants, and they all moved toward the dining room.

Cosimo caught Valentine by the arm before he could enter. "We still need to talk about why your aura is so different, Val."

"I know. I haven't forgotten," he said and tried to smile. "It's a long story, and it'll be better on a full stomach."

It was a lie; eating would probably make him want to throw up more. He just needed some more time to build up the courage to do it.

Protect family. Protect mate , his dragon prompted.

Valentine looked at them all taking their seats, pouring wine, and teasing each other. Yes, he would do what he always did and would protect them all.

Even if it killed him.