AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Kyan’s Temple is a pile of rubble.” She frowned as her mates confirmed her words with grim nods. “Malvolia made me destroy it.”
“Of course she did.” I blew out a frustrated breath. “We will find a way to extract the book.”
“In the meantime,” Drae said with a grimace, “we need to figure out what to do about Finn and Nikkos.”
Helian rubbed his chin. “They must be headed toward the human lands.”
Blaze widened his stance while ruffling his wings. “I can intercept them if Aurora takes me to Caldaria.”
“She can only go to places she’s been,” I said, my gaze darting to my child, who was laughing while pretending to be soaring on Triss’s back.
“What about your parents’ cabin?” Blaze asked.
Aurora’s features fell. “I don’t want to go there.”
Drae lifted the girls off Triss’s back, holding them against his chest as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “We know you don’t,” he said to Aurora while his wingtip tickled her nose. “You’ll have to be brave for Uncle Nikkos and Dada Finn.”
My breath caught when Shiri took Aurora from him. Blaze joined them, and I saw a glimpse into what life had been like for them before my mates and I had torn apart their little family.
“What if Uncle Drae and I go with you?” Shiri asked while rocking Aurora in her arms.
I don’t like this, Ash’s grumble projected into my mind.
What choice do we have? Helian answered back through thought. Do we want Nikkos and Finn flying into demon territory?
“Let my sister take her,” I said aloud, my vision fogging while I stared at Shiri and my children. “I trust them in her hands. She would give her life for them.”
Shiri gasped. “Thank you, sister.”
I swallowed back my emotion, knowing what I was about to say needed to be said, though it was so hard to admit. “You don’t owe me any gratitude. It’s I who owe you. I know how hard this has been for you. You’ve been more than an aunt to them. You’ve been their mother for four years. You will always be a mother to them.” My throat constricted, threatening to cut off my words. “I hope you know that.”
A tear slipped over her eyelid as she clung to Aurora. “Your words mean more than you know.”
“Radnor and I must go, too,” Helian said.
“What?” I grasped his arm and desperately searched his eyes. “Why?”
His features solidified, a gleam as hard as iron in his eyes. “The demons are coming. Someone must lead the dragon army.”
Then Triss and I must go, Isa said as she blew out a plume of smoke. We go where Radnor goes. I will not part from my mate and child again.
“We should all go together,” Shiri said while shifting Aurora to her other hip. “Then after, we fly to Peloponese and take the city back from the demons.”
I thought of that premonition I’d had about Derrick, and something told me I needed to go to Thebes, even though I didn’t want to part from Helian and my sister.
A young winged mage with slicked-back, dark hair flew toward us, his brows drawn as he landed hard, spraying dirt and grass when his heels dug into the ground. “My Lords.” He bowed low. “Your Graces.”
“What news?” Drae asked, his tone softening while Ember clung to his neck.
“We’ve finally received word from Thebes.” He pulled an envelope from his vest pocket. “The courier from Thebes apologizes, but he was badly wounded and flew here with one working wing.”
“I should heal him,” I said as magic tingled my fingers.
The mage shook his head. “He’s being treated by our nurses and will recover with rest.” He gave me an expectant look while holding out the envelope. “He has brought an urgent message for Princess Tarianya Avias.”
My knees weakened as I feared that premonition of mine had come true. “For me?”
Ash snatched the envelope from the mage and handed it to me.
