Chapter 44

~Calea~

A few months after the death of Browen.

As she looks out the window, Calea's heart flows with warmth. With Kamari's return came the sprouts of rebirth. A lot of the vendors and townspeople left. Understandably so, but the few who remained they were thankful for, and Nivillia would grow in Kamari's rule. Calea knew Nivillia would become a paradise one day, but right now, it was just a babe starting to crawl. Nurturing and gentle caring for the land would do it well.

Her latest tasks revolved around taking Javall trays of food while in confinement, ensuring she had enough medicine for when Kamari gave birth, and recently trying to hide from Ryuu. The man was relentlessly tracking her down. Dragons were more persistent than human men.

She tried telling him she wasn't interested, but it did not affect him. Technically, she was still married to Javall but wasn't interested in him. Her attention was purely on Kamari. She would give birth any day now or maybe a week. She looked like she was going to pop. 

Calea turns the corner and bumps into someone spilling the food tray, "Oh!" She looks up and sees Ryuu's hypnotic eyes; Calea's heart skips. "Oh, goddess Ryuu, please, I don't have time for this," Calea tries to salvage what she can on the tray.

When she stands up, Ryuu looks at her with a lifted brow. "Are you hiding from me, Calea?" Ryuu smiles, making Calea's heart flutter. "Uh—" She stalls for a second. "No! I'm just far too busy."

Calea tries to go around him, but he blocks her. "Come now, you aren't busy. You like to play hide-and-seek with me." Ryuu's voice warms her chest. "I am not playing with you. I have things to do."

"Kiss me." He smirks.

Calea stares at him, "What?" She says under her breath. Ryuu leans into her, grabs the tray, and throws it to the floor; Calea's heart thunders in her chest as Ryuu backs her into the wall, his arms caging her in. "Ryuu, please," she becomes breathless as he runs his fingers through her hair; his eyes glow, luring her.

She immediately felt pulled towards him. His voice had become very mature, tingling her spine when he spoke, "Can't I have a reward for catching you?" Calea tried to pretend his voice didn't affect her, but her gaze drew to his lips, remembering the feeling of them. She swallowed hard, but the flush in her cheeks gave her away. Those eyes could haunt her…

Calea shrinks as Ryuu leans in for a kiss, but she can only dive into his eyes.

"Ryuu." Kamari's voice was a blessing from Kadea. It drew Ryuu's attention from Calea long enough to put space between them. Kamari raised a brow at him, "Are you pestering my Calea?"

Ryuu crosses his arms. "She likes to play hide-and-seek. I indulge her," he says proudly.

"What?!" Calea shouts, "I never seek you; you always hunt me down." 

Kamari giggles at Calea's dismay, "Excuse my son; he seems infatuated with you." Kamari walks up to Ryuu, then tilts her head, "Why don't you make your presence known to the kingdom more? Hm?"

Ryuu rolls his eyes. "I already have. They know me well." Kamari wears a pressed smile and grabs his ear. "AH!"

"You may be taller than me, my darling whelp, but trust me, don't test your mother." Kamari wears a smile while saying it, which widens Calea's eyes. She notices Ryuu and dips his head, "I hear you." Before leaving, Ryuu takes one last glance at Calea. These odd feelings started getting to her. Calea turned her attention to Kamari's swollen belly; she knew better than to reach out and touch her belly. Nye's reaction the first time told her they didn't accept it. Dragons were quite interesting; their way of life differed from humans, and it was hard to get used to. 

"This must be odd for you, Ryuu's reaction to me," Calea says, her hands folded in front of her. Kamari gives her a meek smile, "Ryuu could have fallen for anyone. And honestly, it doesn't bother me."

Calea double-blinks, "What? But he's your son…"

Kamari goes to look out the window and then says, "Things are different for them, Calea. Dragon's age is so fast it's unbelievable. But it's because of their dangers; it's part of their survival. His mentality and physical appearance surprises me every day. It's like when I wake up, he's someone I need to get to know again. It's hard…" This confuses Calea, "Oh, that has to be difficult. I'm sorry." Calea points to Kamari's bump, "Will this little one be the same?"

"I don't know. This is Nye's whelp. I haven't experienced the birth of a fire-breather yet, but I hope it doesn't require me to dwell in agonizing labor."

 Calea's eyes furrow; Kamari shakes her head and chuckles, "Oh yeah, Ryuu's birth was not easy by a long shot." Calea can't help but look at Kamari with admiration. "You've been through so much, Kamari. I can't imagine being in your shoes."

Kamari's eyes softened. "I can't imagine being in yours when all that horrid stuff was happening." Kamari's eyes glisten. I missed you. So much. Trust me, I missed having a female to talk to amongst my trio." Calea and Kamari chuckle, and out of nowhere, Aneth comes to Kamari's side.

"Ah!" Calea's hand goes to her heart. "Why must you scare people like that?!"

Aneth gives Calea a once-over and then places his hand on Kamari's belly; his hand ignites in flames. Calea's eyes widen, and she covers her mouth with her hands: "Wha-What are you doing?!" Aneth says nothing but sees Kamari's head fall back in contentment. Calea watches Aneth move his hand away, and the flames soak into her belly. She smiles at Aneth, caressing his face. "Where have you been?" she says with a soft voice.

"Protecting our home," he says, suddenly Aneth throws his head to the ground. Calea feels her stomach hurl, "Oh goddess…" 

Kamari's eyes widened. Aneth tilted her head up to him. "Intruders are pesky things," he said against her lips. Calea couldn't see the appeal of these men; they were so violent and territorial. But Kamari was half Shade Drake; she understood them better. 

Kamari looks down at the head, "Maybe we shouldn't make a habit of bringing body parts into the castle…" Kamari smiles up at Aneth. "But I appreciate your strength and protecting our home." 

Calea watches as the smile Lyra had described long ago appears on Aneth's face. He kisses Kamari's forehead, and it melts away as he turns and glances at Calea. Calea's heart aches as she remembers Lyra. Calea hoped Lyra could see them now, especially since the home Lyra once knew would be saved.

It's bittersweet, but those who have lost their lives will never be forgotten.