Page 48 of Lahaina Noon (Modern Legends of Dragons & Shadows #1)
Chapter 48
B ridget woke to the gentle sounds of the ocean lapping at the sand outside the window, the breeze blowing across her face. “Ugh,” she moaned. “What is it with me passing out and waking up in strange beds?”
She heard Vaughn chuckle. He leaned over her before saying, “I don’t know, but you should stop doing that, especially the strange beds part.”
She smiled, pulling him down for a kiss. “Is it done?” she whispered. “Is it truly over?”
He nodded and brushed her hair from her forehead. “Yes, my love, it’s over. And now, is there anything else you need to tell me? Any more secrets?”
She flinched, and his eyes narrowed, “Bridget!” A warning note in his voice.
It’s okay, my daughter, now. She heard the whisper.
She sighed, thank you, but someday soon you’re going to explain this my daughter thing to me, because you are not my father. She heard a chuckle as it faded away .
“Bridget?” came Vaughn’s worried voice.
She gestured that she wanted to sit up. He helped her and then sat next to her. She took his hands in hers. “Vaughn, I couldn’t tell you sooner because of the same reasons we didn’t tell you about your mother. I knew you would never have let me do what needed to be done.” She eyed him warily and took a deep, fortifying breath, then let it out.
“Vaughn, how could you not have figured it out already?” She shook her head sighing. “I mean, good grief, there were so many clues and signs. I thought for sure, any minute now, he’s going to figure it out. Jack figured it out.”
Vaughn frowned at her in confusion.
She laughed, cupping his face. “My love, you silly man, I’m pregnant.” She watched his eyes glaze over and was scared he was the one about to pass out.
Vaughn was sure he was dreaming. He thought Bridget had just said she was pregnant. And now he was sure she was getting worried because he wasn’t saying anything. He reached out a shaking hand, placed it on her stomach and closed his eyes. He searched with his mind and found it, faintly, a little pulse of magic and fire.
He opened his eyes, “Bridget, our baby is going to be so fierce. We’re going to have to teach her not to set things on fire.” His eyes filled with tears as he pulled her to him. “Our baby.”
They held each other that way for a long time and watched the shadows play in the trees outside, no longer afraid of what might be in them.
Their arrival home was much celebrated. Some had gone home to heal their wounds and, mourn their losses, start rebuilding. Many came back to Dallas to revel in the sense of freedom from the end of the Shadow rule. In total, they had lost Dio, one brown dragon from Germany, and two red wielders from Russia.
The Shadows lost many more.
The remaining Shadows had all surrendered and begged for asylum. Many had asked to have their power removed as well to prove their sincerity. Bridget wasn’t able to do any more currently, being so drained, and she knew Vaughn would never agree to it while she was carrying his child.
It was agreed that they would keep their powers, but they were placed under a magical restraint that Siobhan had worked out with Lorenzo, the red dragon from Italy, to ensure they didn’t use their powers for evil. Many wanted to learn to work with the dragons and wielders, to use their powers to right some of the wrongs done by their King.
The ones who refused and sought to continue the work of the previous regime? They were handled.
Bridget hated the idea of more death but remembered the pain they had caused her family and knew they couldn’t be allowed to do that to others. The dragon world was sometimes a brutal one. But as she watched Vaughn laughing with his friends, she knew she didn’t ever want to leave it .
Vaughn caught her eye and joined her on the couch where she had been safely ensconced with her feet propped up the second they walked in the door. A table full of snacks and drinks was within easy reach. A pile of books at her elbow. He sat gingerly like he was scared to break her.
She laughed, “You know, I’m pregnant, not sick.”
He smiled and touched her stomach tenderly. “I’m not taking any chances with the two most precious things in my hoard.”
Jack flopped down in a chair across from them, still wincing a little from his injuries. “Oh, so Papa Drake knows now, does he? Good, that was a helluva secret Bridge, you know I hate that.”
Vaughn’s gaze narrowed on him, “Yes, Jack, how is it that you knew?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “I was there when she was pregnant with Gabriel. I know her tells.”
Bridget laughed, “Yeah, that bag Jack gave me on the plane? It wasn’t just medicine. It was also gummy bears and a pregnancy test. I didn’t want to believe it at first, but I took it anyway to prove him wrong. He wasn’t. I craved gummy bears like crazy when I was pregnant with Gabe.” She looked around, “Speaking of.”
Vaughn looked panicked and started patting his pockets for his keys, ready to run out and buy a whole store’s worth if she wanted.
Jack laughed and said, “I got you covered.” He threw a bag to Bridget, who immediately tore into it. Just then, Jorrie walked into the room and stopped dead in her tracks.
“Bridget, are you okay? ”
Her friend nodded, “Yeah, just a little worn out from all of the traveling.”
Jack waved his hand, “Hello! Injured over here, how about a little sympathy for me?”
Jorrie laughed and sat on Jack’s lap, kissing his cheek, “My handsome hero!” She looked over at Bridget, digging through the bag of candy and narrowed her eyes. “Damn, Bridge, I haven’t seen you tear into gummy bears like that since—”
Jack shouted, “Cover your ears!” just in time for Jorrie to jump up and squeal her signature eardrum-shattering shriek.
“ Bridge! ” her friend shouted. “No fucking way!” and wrapped her friend in a tight hug before jumping up and down and dancing.
Vaughn watched her in amusement and said, “Hey, watch your mouth. There are children present.”
They were still laughing when Gabe walked in, “Jeez, Aunt Jorrie, what the hell?”
They all smiled at him, and Bridget told him, “Well, baby, how do you feel about being a big brother.”
Gabe froze and looked at her, then Vaughn, who nodded and stood. Gabriel walked over and shook his hand, then wrapped him in a hug. “I’m going to be the best damn brother ever,” he whispered.
Later in the evening, Bridget smiled as she saw Jorrie and Liam sitting in the corner, making out like a couple of teenagers. Apparently, they were way past the scratching the itch phase.
Vaughn and Killian were making plans to help the families that had lost loved ones and set up services for them. They would need to get back in and find Dio and the other fallen fighters.
Siobhan and Lorenzo were sitting in another corner, laughing and talking in a way that made Bridget think there was a spark there. She looked for Marco and saw him leaning against a wall, watching Siobhan, sadness on his face. Well, not everyone got a happy ending, she thought.
She rubbed her stomach, amazed she was getting another chance at a larger family. She and Brian had tried and tried after Gabriel, but it seemed they were only destined for one. Then she’d lost Brian. She’d been so devastated she didn’t realize she was also mourning the loss of any future children.
Bridget eased out the front door and went up to the roof. She made it to the terrace area and sat in one of the chairs, watching the sun setting. Golden rays pierced the soft clouds drifting lazily across the horizon.
She heard the rustle of leaves and felt a cold breeze again, the same when she heard the call to come up here. She smiled, “Okay, Tar’n, I’m here. What do you want?”
He chuckled and sat across from her, his hood shaking with amusement. “Well done, my daughter, you succeeded where others would have failed. I am pleased with you.”
She sighed, “Cut the crap. Who are you really, and why do you keep calling me your daughter?”
He roared out a laugh and dropped his hood back from his face. Across from her was a startlingly young, handsome man with long golden hair and fair skin. He had bright blue eyes that sparkled, actually sparkled. Gone was the whispery, mysterious air, replaced by an impish grin and an air of power .
She stared. “What the fuck?”
He shook with laughter, “Shh!” he cautioned, “Your young lady is listening.”
She clasped her hands protectively over her stomach. “It is a girl?” she asked breathlessly. “Vaughn said that, but I wasn’t sure. It’s still so early.”
He nodded, “She is special, and she will be feisty like her parents. She will wield magic of pure light and will bring about a new era of dragon-kind.”
Bridget nodded, “Okay. I need to fireproof my home, don’t I?”
He winked at her and stood, strolling to the open area.
“Wait!” she called and ran to him, “What about this ‘my daughter’ stuff? Is that some creepy father of the species thing, or what is that?”
He smiled and brushed her hair from her face. “You are not my actual daughter, no, but you are descended of my followers from long ago. I’m so proud of you and all of them. My children are especially gifted. But I think it’s time I go back home now. I’ve been on this plane too long.”
Bridget stared, “You’re Taranis, aren’t you, God of Light and Thunder.”
He tapped her on the nose and smiled.
“Bridget?” she heard and turned to see Vaughn coming up behind her. “There you are. What are you doing up…”
He trailed off, seeing the man standing there with her. “Tar’n?” he asked uncertainly, startled by the man’s youthful appearance and the fact that no one in living memory had ever seen his face .
Taranis smiled again and winked. “You two are my favorites of all my children, you really are. I’ll be watching you.”
He turned and walked to the center of the clearing, swirled around, transforming instantly into the large white and gold dragon. There’d been no shimmer or building of power. It was like a finger snap. His scales shifted to gray, then a light blue, then back to white as he preened a long golden talon. He bowed his massive head, then took off, flying straight towards the last rays of the setting sun. Suddenly, he was gone.
Vaughn looked at Bridget. “Okay, please explain that.”
She kissed him and drew him to a chair, then took a deep breath and told him about Taranis, his role in everything and how he’d guided her hand in so many things.
He sighed, “Well, he seems to like you, so maybe we can call on him some day and ask him for help to finish tracking down the last of the Shadows.”
She looked up at him. “There’s still some out there?”
He nodded, “The ones who weren’t at the compound. A few high-ranking lieutenants, some minor muscle based on what those who have surrendered have shared. But we will get them all, my love. They won’t hurt us anymore.”
She sighed, “You have to go back to that awful place, don’t you?”
Vaughn gently placed his palm on her cheek. “We need to find our fallen warriors so we can take them home to their families. And gather any intelligence they had— there may be worse things out there waiting to step in, Bridget. Nature abhors a vacuum, and with Azrael gone, someone else may get ambitious. ”
She placed a protective hand over her daughter. “Make it safe for her, Vaughn.”
He leaned down and kissed her still flat stomach, “What are we going to name our little sunbeam?”
They leaned their heads together and watched until the last bit of light dropped below the horizon.