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Radnor cried out, sounding like a dying whale as he watched them play, his depression and longing a palpable thing like his hot breath that fogged the air. When he jutted a foot forward, Isa snarled at him. Radnor snapped at her then jumped into the sky, nearly smacking Helian with his tail. He let out several enraged roars as he flew away.
“How old is Triss?” I asked Isa.
Three and twenty, she answered.
I arched a brow while motioning toward Shiri, though my sister didn’t look at me. “That’s our age.”
Dragons age slower than Fae, Isa said. Triss is still a hatchling in dragon years.
Obviously, for Triss was only about a third Isa’s size.
You must be tired and hungry after your journey, Isa continued, then she motioned to the trees behind her. You may retire with us at our temple.
“Thank you, Isa,” Shiri answered before I could speak. “That’s very kind of you.”
I gave my sister a funny look, wondering why she hadn’t discussed it with me, but she refused to look at me. Had I offended her by cutting in when the girls asked if they could ride Triss? I was their mother, after all.
Your mates and children are welcome as well. Isa flicked her tail toward Helian. But the demon is not allowed.
I motioned toward Helian. “I can’t leave him alone out here.”
He’s not alone. She let out a low, dark chuckle, so powerful it reverberated the marrow of my bones. He has his pet dragon.
“Go, Anya,” Helian said, motioning to the large shadow that flew in erratic circles above us. “I’ll call Radnor back.”
Isa flashed a fanged grin while leering down at Helian. Like I said, his pet.
Flora Avias
FOR TWO DAYS DERRICK and I hid in the city of Thebes and observed the castle perimeters, watching as workers carted away the rubble from what was once the dungeon turret. From what we’d gleaned, Radnor’s rescue mission had been a success. They spoke of the dragon’s attack in the pubs and in the streets. They also gossiped about the possibility of another war between Delfi and Caldaria. There were also whispers of Thorin and the spell he’d cast over the queen and country, and from what Derrick and I gathered, my sister finally realized she’d been tricked by the mind spinner. But what they spoke of most were my daughters, namely Shirina’s betrayal and what they suspected Malvolia would do if she confronted her. I repressed a laugh at that. My sister would do nothing. For years my daughters hid from their aunt within the gloomy shadows of the Periculian Forest, but they would hide no more, for they were far more powerful than Malvolia.
I longed for the day when my daughters confronted Malvolia and struck the bitch down, and I prayed I could be there to cheer them on. It mattered not that Malvolia was under Thorin’s spell. Her love for her family should’ve outweighed her paranoia. Guilt flushed my chest when I thought about how Thorin must’ve tricked me into believing one of my daughters would turn evil. But I didn’t banish Shiri or hunt her down. Whatever Thorin had made me believe, Shiri was still my child, and Derrick and I had protected her. The heat in my chest manifested as guilt, fanning throughout my body like a furnace. Though we’d kept her safe, we hadn’t loved her like we’d loved Tari, and we certainly hadn’t trusted her. The flames of guilt burned brighter, threatening to tear a hole through my chest. If we survived the inevitable demon war, we’d have to make it up to Shiri. For now, we had to focus on saving Marius without losing our heads in the process.
On the morning of the third day, Derrick and I had gathered enough information and had slipped easily enough into the palace, having assumed the faces of servants we’d seen leave the castle heading for the morning market with empty baskets in their hands. We entered through the basement kitchens and quickly exited with trays of food. As I focused on balancing the heavy tray laden with steaming eggs and fresh fruit, I tried not to think about the fact that I was inside the castle of the sorceress queen who’d tried for so many years to kill my family. Not much had changed since I’d last been in my old home, though perhaps the servants seemed more on edge, a gloomy pallor settled about the place. The castle halls were as opulent as ever, golden sconces lighting the way, our footsteps muffled by the padded carpet, a stark contrast to the hovel my family had lived in for the past twenty-three years. It didn’t take us long to find Marius, for I simply followed that tug on my heart leading me to his bedchamber. There were no guards outside his door, an auspicious sign. Did this mean he was no longer my sister’s prisoner?
Derrick and I shared nervous looks as he nudged open the unlocked door. There were no guards inside the room either. My legs felt heavy, as if I was trudging through mud, as we walked through an opulent sitting room toward the open patio doors. A cool ocean breeze blew the gossamer curtains while sunlight filtered into the windows.
Derrick set his tray down on a table by the hearth and took mine from me, setting it down, too. Then he wiped his palms on his pants, a bead of sweat dotting his brow as he stared longingly at that open door.
He’s out there, he said to me through thought.
I know, I answered. I can feel him.
He latched onto my fingers with a trembling hand and smiled down at me, his eyes watering with fresh tears.
A mixture of anticipation, excitement, and dread twisted my stomach in a knot and made my heart flutter, and I felt as if I was walking on air as we made our way to the door.
Marius was sitting on a balcony chair, angled to the side, his wings draped behind him, a big smile etched into his face while rays of morning sunlight beat down on his ruddy cheeks. An untouched tray of food sat beside him, steam from his full mug of tea rising into the air.
A strangled sob escaped me, and Marius shot up, his dark gaze focusing on us. He looked at us a moment, a question in his eyes, and that’s when I remembered to change back our faces. I made the shift while also touching Derrick’s face, changing him back to my handsome mate.
Marius stood then stumbled toward us. “Flora? Brother?”
“Yes, my love.” I released Derrick’s hand and held out my arms to Marius while struggling to speak through a constricted throat. “It’s us.”
And then he fell into our arms. I clung to my mate, alternating between sobbing, laughing, and kissing Marius’s tear-stained face. At some point we tumbled to the ground, our legs no longer strong enough to hold us. I found myself on Marius’s lap, his bony knees digging into my bottom. I kissed away his tears, dismayed by the shallow angles of his face. She’d starved him!
After we cried more tears than I ever thought possible, he finally pulled back, clutching my arms and looking from me to Derrick as if we were ghosts. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
