Page 33 of Thorulf
“Agreed,” he muttered back, unable to help himself. He might want to make things right, but he wasn’t about to dismiss what else he sensed. That he was more easily taken with the purple dragon because of something Jade had done first. “After that, who knows?” He shrugged. “I’d say at least one other male dragon got involved in all this.” Then, because his inner beast couldn’t help itself. “Then there were all the countless others you’ve undoubtedly had in the future.”
Jade’s eyes rounded on him. Fire flared in her gaze. “Oh, I could give you an exact count. A number you can shove right up your—”
“Enough, sis,” Maya interjected when it was clear Loki and Vicar were enjoying the exchange too much to stop it. “I know you’re mad at Thorulf, I get it, but at the end of the day, you have no idea what happened other than what you saw in a nightmare and what your emotions tell you.” She cocked her head. “Because all this anger and jealousy you feel toward Thorulfareemotions. Nothing more. Don’t let them rule you so much, or it’ll be impossible to get to the bottom of things.”
“She’s right,” Thorulf grunted, trying once again to get through to Jade even as his inner beast incited her. To help her see past emotions that only seemed to be intensifying. Ones keeping her from seeing the cold hard truth. “If, as I know we’re all beginning to suspect, the enemy, who is, without doubt, the purple dragon, can get into my mind, what makes you think she can’t get into yours too? That if we’re as close as evidence suggests, that she can’t access you through me?”
“What's to say it doesn't work the other way around, brother?” Vicar eyed Jade. “Right now, we’re led to believe you shunned Jade for another dragon.” He shrugged a lazy shoulder. “What’s to say she didn't want Jade, so she turned you against each other?” Vicar helped Thorulf more than anticipated when he arched a brow at Jade. “Which means there had to have been a deep connection between you and Thorulf in the first place for her to be successful,ja?” Then, Vicar being Vicar. “Love weakens us and makes us vulnerable. Therefore you were an easy target.”
“He makes several good points,” Loki echoed, grinning at Vicar, no doubt seeing a little of himself in him. He nodded once at Jade as though this made things blatantly obvious. “Your enemy would never have been able to get to you had there been nothing between you and Thorulf. There would have been no emotions to play on.”
“Or,” Jade countered bluntly, “we were never strong enough to begin with. Our,” she made air quotes, “lovewas never deep enough to withstand what was determined to come between us.”
“You’ve always run a little dark, but this seems like too much negativity,” Maya murmured. “Especially considering I’ve leveled us all out some.” She considered Jade, frowning. “What am I missing here?”
“Beats me.” Jade shrugged, thanking Loki when he handed them some cooked meat.
He could tell by Jade’s guarded expression, Maya was on to something.
“Wow, sis,” Maya said softly, finally seeing the truth of it. She looked from Thorulf to Jade. “You were so mad at him you were able to put onthatgood a show? Because it was all, and I meanall, a show for Auntie, wasn’t it? Every last bit.” She shook her head. “I didn’t help you in the least when I Forged with Dagr, did I? You somehow reined in all that negative built-up energy so you could have your payback when the time was right. So that nobody would worry too much about you traveling back in time.” She narrowed her eyes. “That's why you're running so over-the-top hot.”
“Like I said before, you helpedsome.” Jade shrugged a shoulder, not quite meeting her sister’s eyes. “Maybe a smidge less than I let on.” She met Maya’s frown before she relented. “So what if I wasn’t totally transparent? If I hid some of the negative energy I couldn’t release?” Her dragon eyes flared. Her anger built. “What difference does it make?”
“The difference?” Maya's eyes rounded. “It makes you not only vulnerable to the enemy but a liability to everyone trying to protect you.” Her concern only grew. “How long do you think this will last? How long do you think you can rein it in before all hell breaks loose again?” She gestured at the exit. “Because when it does, when you fly off the handle, you can bet the enemy will be waiting for you. And I guarantee we’ll all come to your aid whether, at this stage in the game, it could be the death of us.”
“Don’t talk to me like I’m a child, Maya,” Jade said so softly Thorulf knew her temper was about to get the better of her. She wasn’t thinking clearly but acting on emotions yet again. “Don’t talk down to me when you wouldn’t be standing here with your fated mate if it weren’t for me and my fly-off-the-handle ways.” She narrowed her eyes. “Yeah, I can get a little wild sometimes, but it’s only because I’ve constantly helped you and our sisters maintain over the years. You, especially when you had to stay untainted and holier-than-thou for the good of us.” She snorted and rolled her eyes. “You would’ve never stayed so positive if I hadn’t kept you there, and you damn well know it.”
It didn’t matter that Maya was right about Jade putting herself in danger with her need for revenge. She could only see her own anger and frustration.
“Ya know what?” Jade went on before Maya could reply. “I don’t need this.” She stood and flung her arms up in exasperation. “You’re not the save-all-end-all, sis. Sure, you sacrificed, but we all did. Especially me when I needed to release everyone’s negative emotions by going out and getting a little crazy.” She raked a hand through her hair. “Burning off all that negative shit took work.”
“I don’t know, it seemed like you were having fun to me,” Maya might have said but didn’t.
Rather, someone else did.
Someone who proved that Jade’s gift hadn’t been used solely on her sisters.