Page 7 of The Mating Claim

Fast-forwarding with a flick of his finger, Tristan finally came to the scene he needed – the famous sword fight with InigoMontoya.

“Oh, this is the good part,” Gideon said, settling back against the coffee table and munching hispopcorn.

“Great action,” Xaviermurmured.

“A little rustic, using foils, though,” added Caderyn, who touched a hilt to one of the twin blades strapped to hisback.

“But effective.” Tristan kissed Niki’s neck and she shivered withpleasure.

Drust blinked and continued standing. “Is there a point tothis?”

“Certainly is,” Niki told him. “Inigo is showing it to Count Rugen. See the sword and itspoint?”

Tristansmirked.

“You have been married too long to Tristan. You are parroting his sarcastic streak,” Drust told her, shaking hishead.

Niki smiled. “No, I’ve always had this. Tristan has helped me refine it. Now quiet, and watch thescene.”

When it was over, Tristan flicked a hand and the screen wentdark.

And Drust went quiet. Too quiet. The dragon was smart. He might have been confined to the afterworld of the Shadow Lands for nearly a thousand years, and still had to catch up on some technology, but he understandnuance.

As his mentor, Tristan wanted him to also appreciate life was not black and white. Sometimes you had to immerse yourself into the gray area, especially as a powerful wizard of theBrehon.

“You know what happened in Lacey’sshop?”

“No. We do not spy on you, Drust. But I did a little checking and discovered what happened with herfather.”

Drust laughed, a brittle sound, and Tristan felt bad for the dragon. He knew how it felt, the guilt and thehelplessness.

“My name is Lacey McGuire. You killed my father. Prepare to die,” Tristan told thedragon.

Drust shook his head. “Not the same! I had good reason to executehim.”

But his voice faltered and he refused to meet Tristan’sgaze.

“Yes, your actions were quite justified… but good reason is no excuse to a grieving dragon who lost a parent she’d searched for her entire life.” Tristan left the armchair and put a hand on Drust’s shoulder. “Lacey is hurting, and hurting badly. She will no longer listen to you because of this. You destroyed herhopes.”

“Fathers are quite important to daughters.” Xavier picked up his daughter, who giggled as he tossed her into theair.

“You know this, Drust. You fathered five daughters in your mortal life,” Caderyn said in his baritonevoice.

“I did my duty to produce offspring to carry on after I died. I did not spend much time with them,” Drustretorted.

Because you were not in love with either of your wives, the first one who was mild as milk whom you married out of duty or the second, who turned out to be a real… witch,Tristanthought.

“We are not condemning your actions, Drust,” Gideon cut in. “We have also made errors in judgement when we were new wizards. Having this immortality and power makes for a tough balance attimes.”

The Crimson Wizard sprang to his feet, his long blond hair swaying with the action. Gideon walked over to the mantle, picked up a whimsical unicorn he’d carved as a gift for Niki. “We are charged with protecting our mortal people, and keeping the world of Others secret from Skins. And yet with these duties comes tremendous responsibility and the requirement to make sometimes quick judgments. No, you did not err in killing her father, for in doing so, you spared many innocent lives in Florida. And yet, had you consulted with Tristan first, perhaps another solution could have beenfound.”

Drust stroked his bearded chin, seemingly lost in thought. Then he glanced at Tristan, his gaze filled with torment. “You could have sparedhim?”

“No.” Tristan didn’t want his friend filled with any more doubts and anguish than he already felt. “He would have died anyway. But our powers are considerable and we could have caged him long enough to coax out information fromhim…”

Understanding dawned on the dragon’s face. “Long enough for Lacey to finally meet him, and see for herself the monster he’dbecome.”

He threw out his hands. “What’s done is done. How do I make amends and startover?”