Dorian's POV
Dorian's thoughts raced across his mind. He could hear them. All of them, in his mind. Not being able to shut down the link yet from the newness of their bond. Overwhelmed was an understatement in what he was feeling.
Through Nemia and his strong connection, he could feel Solis' power pulsing within her. But it wasn't just in her. No, it felt like it was woven into her blood and deep within her bones. Rising through her cells, even, and spilling over into him.
Three heartbeats, three voices. Nemia. Adira. Solis. Each one, more distinct then the last yet entwined. Circling each other like a beautiful orchestra from within.
'We are one.' Solis' first spoken words Dorian had heard himself, echoed once more in his mind. And they truly were, he could feel that. See that.
This was wrong, new. He shouldn't be able to hear, let alone feel, all of them. To his knowledge, there has never been such a report come through. No mate bonds before this has ever held that much power. Even amongst the ancients, this was completely unheard of. But it was happening, real and raw. Utterly undeniable.
His hands clenched into fists at his sides, the heat radiating off of them, off her. It was like pulsing waves of the suns pure energy, heating everything it touched. Powerful and terrifying, yet warm and welcoming. Familiar, even.
A memory flickered in the deep recesses of his mind. A name flashing, Solena Trugheta.
She had been radiant in a way that frightened most men. Her presence crackled like thunder, her voice sharp with reverence and grace. A mark, on that resembled Nemia's, scorched into her left shoulder. Emitting a softer glow than the one Nemia bares.
Dorian had only ran into her a few times. Battling with her in the dragons war twice. Including battling by her side against Kyth himself, holding him off while The Twelve finished their ritual.
After that battle, Kyth stripped of his dragon and hauled to the dungeons. Solena has risen high into the air, her body exploding with a blinding light. A voice boomes out of her stretched mouth. Not hers, but Solis, delivering the prophecy.
Dorian's eyes shot to Adira's large green and golden orbs.
Nemia's prophecy. His mate, his queen.
His knees buckled, falling to the ground at her feet.
Solis' vessel.
He'd known who she was from the start, had felt her power even then. But now? Now, Solis was awakened within her.
He visibly trembled, not from fear. But from the sheer magnitude of her, awe clawing through him.
Adira huffed at him, the heat from her nostrils blowing down onto him like a warm gust.
Nemia/Adira POV
Adira was sat, frozen in place with Dorian kneeling at her feet. A quick glance around, all of them were kneeling. Aside from Julia who was walking down the stairs that led up to the patio they'd come from. But as she got closer, noticing and maybe even feeling, the change within her. Julia fell to her knees just like the others, a few feet away from her.
Adira looked back down at Dorian, the closest to her and forced a lungful of air through her nostrils. This was ridiculous, no one has to kneel to her.
'They kneel, because they respect you. Me. Us. We are the saviors they have been waiting on.' Solis spoke, low but resonant.
Nemia scoffed. 'I am no savior and no one should now to me.' She hisses lowly inside her mind. Her soul brushing against Solis with annoyance.
'Ah, but you are, my child. Just wait, you'll see.' Solis' soul swept past, diving deeper within. His mind cutting of from hers. She could feel him, but his thoughts were no longer interrupting her own.
Her soul relaxed inside Adira, resuming her usual float in the abyss of their minds while Adira stayed in the forefront.
Watching through Adira's eyes. As Nemia herself relaxed, she noticed the others must have felt Solis receded as they stood back to their feet.
Adira rose, her chest puffed out. 'Thank the gods they finally stopped.' Her lips moved into a silent snarl. 'I'm ready to go back in.' Adira grumbled to Nemia.
Dorian chuckled softly. "Hey Julia, what you did at the formal for Nemia. Mond helping her out again?"
Adira bent her head down and nuzzled his side softly. 'Thank you.'
"At the formal?" Julia repeated, her eyes widening slightly as she figured out what Dorian had meant. "Oh yes, of course."
Julia's hand swept to the side, causing her fairy dust to start swirling around Adira's large body. The ball of dust shrinking as Adira grew smaller until Nemia stepped through the cloud. Fully clothed again and back in her human-esque skin.
Glancing down, Nemia noted the faint shimmer of gold that gleamed under the suns rays. Pulling the hem of her shirt down, the mark on her chest matched the one on Adira's. A full sun, gold illuminating the mark. Glowing faintly, for now.
She glanced up at Dorian, the question surfacing silently in her mind and his head nod confirmed the answer. Her eyes now held golden rims and flakes.
"I can't hear him anymore?" Dorian said a loud, the disbelief still ringing in his voice.
Nemia shook her head. "I can't either. I think he has more control over it all. But I'm glad to have one less voice in my head for now."
Her voice was softer, silkier and brighter, she noticed. Like sunlight murmuring secrets to the earth.
The others must've noticed it too.
"Nem, your voice. Eyes .." Julia stepped into her vision beside Dorian. Looking at her with her big, pale green eyes. Her hand reaching up and over to put her fingertips gently onto her cheekbone just below her right eye.
Nemia shrugged and pushes Julia's hand down softly with a thin lipped smile. "I guess his mark wasn't enough for him." Nemia grumbled softly, casting her eyes down. Away from others. The only ones she couldn't escape was Theo's as he came prancing up into her down casted vision.
"Aunt Nemia, your wolf is so pretty a-" His eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "Your eyes changed too! That's so cool!" He giggled and grabbed at her hands, tugging her.
Her shoulders slumped, but she wasn't about to show Theo she didn't want to do this right now. So, she bit her tongue and let him pull her over to Ajax and Lillian who was now sitting against a tree near the pond.
"Mommy, bub. Look! Her eyes were only green before!" He was pointing up at Nemia's eyes. She forced a smile when his head turned to look back at her. "Now they have gold in them like A-afira. No, wait. Adora?" His face scrunched in thought and Nemia opened her mouth, about to say Adira for him.
"Adira! That's it. Now ain't Nemia's eyes looks like wolfy Adira." He nodded his head, a triumphant smile shining brightly on his face. Proud that he remembered the name of Nemia's wolf.
The smile once forced, was just there now. Real. This little boy has snagged her heart faster than she's ever thought could be possible.
Nemia knelt to the ground next to him, giving him a toothy grin. "Yep, they sure are. The pretty gold is from Solis himself!" She added extra enthusiasm.
Was she enthusiastic about any of this? Absolutely not, but why would she ruin his happiness in this because of that? No, she wouldn't do that. Couldn't bare to take away this child's happiness.
Dorian, Nik, Julia and Milli all circled around the tree. All of them discussing the changes Nemia has now undergone. She explained how she felt, when he first spoke. Though none of it was completely accurate that she had told.
How could it be? She still hasn't even wrapped her head around the whole prophecy thing and now she has an actual freaking god living inside of her. A God!
Dorians mind brushed across hers. Soothing and warm. All she wanted to do was just fall into him, into his bed, and stay there. To hell with her destiny.
She winced as the mark pulsed at the thought. She glanced down at it and curled her lips into a silent snarl. 'Oh shut up. It's not like I'll have a choice anyway.' She bit into her mind, knowing good and well Solis was listening even if she couldn't hear him now.
She pushed down her woes, as far down as they'd go. Letting herself just be in the moment, in the now. Today, she just wanted to focus on the new family being handed to her. She wanted to get to know everything she could about them. Tomorrow, she'd start the planning to make sure all of them will be safe when the time comes. Tomorrow, she'd worry about the details her destiny holds.