Page 38 of Tears of Gold

I chuckle and squeeze her tight, glad she’s here. “I’ll do my best not to get swept away by a stampeding crowd in future.”

She snorts and ruffles my hair.

When she lets go, I hold out the ruined tangle of fabric, feeling tears pressing behind my eyes at the sight of the char marks and the gold embellishments dangling by threads. “I ruined your dress, sorry.”

She holds her own stained skirt out for me to see the burn marks. “Girl, we can buy new dresses.” She takes mine and tosses the crumpled, scorched gown over her shoulder. “Can’t buy another you.”

“Hey!” I protest with a chuckle, her words filling up an aching hole inside of me. “You can’t just dump it.” Spying a bandage around her leg, I gasp, “What happened to your leg?”

She grunts. “Bit of a burn from debris in the first explosion. Stings like a bitch, let me tell you!”

“Shit, Rita!”

“Battle wounds,” Rita scoffs like it’s nothing and hugs me again. She turns to Harper. “You in one piece, rogue?”

He nods. “More or less.”

Rita claps him on the back. “Good job taking care of her.”

Harper winces, his brown gaze flicking to me. “Of course.”

I lean on Rita, doing my best not to let my eyes stray to my second bodyguard as Vanrey consults with a guide to get the most direct path back to the academy. We enter through a gate rippling with qi, the magic’s chill sinking deep into my already cold bones. At a far smaller hub, Vanrey opens another portal back to the academy, his purple magic rolling up between the stones, shimmering in the early morning light like dew on spider silk.

We step through the gateway onto a familiar hillside. Dawn breaks in a riot of pink and orange clouds, the sky behind me still dark navy blue, meaning we’ve been gone twelve hours or so—but it feels like days.

When Vanrey retakes my hand to port us back to the school, I feel a faint tremor in his fingers. Perhaps he’s exhausted from searching for us. He’s searched for us throughout the night and opened at least three portals tonight, which seems like a lot for one elemental. It’s awe-inspiring when you consider this magic instantaneously transports us over thousands of miles. I remind myself not to take his presence for granted in the future.

We materialize in an empty courtyard near the boys’ dorm, but music drifts through the buildings from inside the common rooms, and the strings of lights overhead still glow peacefully. Here, the festival is still in motion, undisturbed by explosions and earthquakes.

Vanrey squeezes my hand and releases it. “I have to return to the prince at once. Please stay at the school and keep Ava safe.” He nods to Rita and Harper, then his gaze lifts to someone behind me as he speaks, “All three of you.” I spin about to find Skye melting out of the shadows. When he sees me, his eyes close in a long, slow blink that could be a prayer.

I gaze up into his face, mentally brushing aside the bit of hair that falls into his dark eyes. He wears a sad smile, and his chest rises with a deep inhale. Probably smelling for blood, or maybe just me. My hands ache for him, but I have to wait until Vanrey leaves.

He drags his gaze away from me to study Vanrey. “Where’s Prince Erritt?” Skye asks, concern lacing his tone.

The aide’s shoulders stiffen. “The emperor summoned him to the palace and hasn’t granted His Highness permission to leave yet. I’ll return there now,” he says grimly.

“Thank you,” Skye murmurs and Vanrey vanishes in a sparkle of purple qi.

I hold in a sob as my strong dragon approaches. What will Skye think after I’ve done my best to keep him at arm’s length all these weeks? Maybe he’s over me already? Skye comes closer, the love in his eyes burning as bright as ever as he gazes at me wistfully.

Warmth gushes through my heart. This is my dragon; he hasn’t changed a bit.

“Skye!” I open my trembling arms wide, reaching for him. Skye’s eyes widen, and he leaps forward to pull me against him. I press into him, trying to soak his strength and warmth into myself and make up for weeks of separation.

Rita swears behind me. “Seriously, Ava? You choose the worst friends.”

Nestled into Skye’s neck, with his strong arms crushing me to him, I answer, “I know. That’s why I made friends with you.”

Skye snorts into my hair, chest pulsing with a quiet laugh, and I feel like I'm home for the first time in a long time.

Rita scoffs. “Ouch! Who says we’re friends, bitch? Well, I need a wash and some sleep. You coming?”

“I’ll take her to see the school lights for a bit,” Skye answers, his voice filled with an odd rumble—a dragon rumble.

Doubt ladens Rita’s tone. “Ava?”

“I need some time to calm down, Rita.”