Chapter 8

One of my mates is standing at my side, but the other is walking with chains attached to the collars of two wolves on either side of him. I hate the difference, hate that Emrys doesn’t trust himself anymore and that I can still feel his hands wrapped around my throat, reminding me why he is chained to wolves right now. He won’t come anywhere close to us, to me—me in particular. Theodorn believes it’s safer to have the wolves on either side of him, but he doesn’t know Emrys like I do. This is destroying him. There is magic controlling him through the chains and the wolves. I don’t know what we’re going to do when we need to be alone, but I know that once we’re all together, we’ll figure it out.

We have stopped in front of a single tower. It reminds me of the tower from the Rapunzel books that I read when I was a kid with my grandmother. The tower looks just like that, except there’s no princess at the top with long hair—there’s no window either—it’s just a single pillar tower deep within the woods where there’s nothing else for miles and miles. Ember is using magic, powerful silver fire pouring out of her hands in streams towards the door, and her alpha mate is standing a few paces back, there to help her if she needs it. The way a mate should be.

I look over at Emrys once more, but he won’t look at me; he won’t let me anywhere near him. Any time I do, he pleads with me to stay back. I don’t think he’ll ever forgive himself for hurting me, even when it wasn’t him. I don’t know what’s going on with him, but I’m going to figure it out, among the list of other things I have to do.

I don’t know when things will begin to change for me. I’ve been fighting ever since I met them, and I used to think it wouldn’t end, that I was tired, but it’s worth every fight for the future we could have. I’m not tired anymore, just angry and done with all the tests, magic, and gods. It’s always been worth it for my mates.

Terrin looks down at me, raising my hand to his lips and kissing my knuckles just as a door appears in the white fire, weaving itself together like fabric before forming a stone door. Ember steps back, straight into Theodorn’s arms, and he slides her behind him to face the kings.

Lysander’s the first one to storm out, water pouring around his arms and a threat straight on this tongue. “You will all suffer for locking us in there!”

“Lysander!” I shout. His head swivels straight my way, and the sheer relief on his face when he sees me is enough to make him stop. Arden and Grayson are right behind him, searching for me, and when they all see me, it finally feels like everything clicks into place, like we’re finally going to be okay. They aren’t hurt. I run across the space between us and throw myself into Grayson’s arms first, just as he gets to me before the others. He kisses my forehead.

Arden wraps his arms around me from behind, squishing me between them. “Princess, fuck, you have no idea how good it is to hold you. How are you here?”

“I made a portal with Ares’s staff.”

Grayson is whispering into my hair. “You’re okay, Elle. You’re here. You’re real.”

“I’m okay,” I whisper back, breathing in both their scents, needing to be close to them. Between a gap, I lock eyes with Lysander, stretching my hand out to him. He takes my hand and squeezes it once, saying everything he wants out loud in front of everybody. Just hearing that I’m okay, it has relaxed him as much as me seeing him well relaxes me. I don’t know how we were ever enemies to begin with. I think I always felt something for him, even as he threatened me. I felt like I could fix him, and I still believe that now. Even though I’ve heard thousands of women say that they tried to fix someone, it’s impossible if that someone doesn’t want to fix themselves. Maybe Lysander will get to that point. Maybe he won’t, but I’m at his side now. I’m with them all.

Arden whispers into my ear, his palm flat against my stomach, and it’s hard not to focus on his hand placement. “How long have we been in there, and why the fuck is Em in chains?”

Lysander grunts. “I will get him out.”

I slide out of Grayson and Arden’s hold, right in front of Lysander. He frowns down at me as I cross my arms. “No.”

Terrin steps up behind me. “It was Emrys’s choice. He is that way because he hurt Elle.”

Lysander’s face is full of disbelief, but he looks down at me, waiting for my explanation. They all do. “There’s something wrong with Emrys. We can discuss it, perhaps when we’re alone. But what Terrin said is true. I needed a healer.”

I hate even talking to them about Emrys, but they need to understand. What if they get him out of the chains and then he attacks them? I can’t fix that. Arden’s fiery eyes slide from me to Terrin, and he offers him his hand. “Terrin.” They shake hands. “It is strange to not see you with scales.”

Terrin laughs. “This world seems to push back the magic that binds me into a dragon form.” He looks at me fondly. “And I’m very content with that, so I’ve been able to protect our mate.”

Ember clears her throat, standing a few feet away with Theodorn. “The town is a short train ride away. We’ll get on the train at a nearby station, and it’ll be near half an hour ride before we’ll be at the town. The town was built for research purposes and houses many of our young and brightest. There can be no aggression there.” She looks pointedly at Lysander. “Or none of you will be leaving this world alive.”

“Careful,” Lysander murmurs. “That sounded like a threat. Anyone who threatens my mate ends up dead.”

She flashes her teeth at him when she smiles back. “It was a warning, not a threat.”

“Lysander,” I carefully interrupt. “They’ve saved my life, healed me, and been more than generous. I count them as on our side.” I lower my voice even more. “After what you did, we are lucky not to be at war.”

Lysander yawns. “That was a mild flood, but as you’ve been kind to her, I’ll make sure the water returns to the river,” he tells Ember.

“It would be nice to have half of the city back.” Ember’s voice is leaking with sarcasm. Lysander doesn’t reply to that sarcastic comment, and she starts walking off with Theodorn. The wolves run after with Emrys.

Arden kisses my cheek before going over to Emrys, with Lysander hot on his heels, leaving me, Grayson, and Terrin alone to follow. I quickly go over everything that’s happened as we walk through the forest, which is too silent. I know Arden, Emrys and Lysander are listening in so I don’t have to repeat it all. Grayson muses as he stares ahead. “We must find Hope and Xandry before we leave this world.”

I agree completely. I half wished they’d found the town, or any town by now, but there was no sign of them. Hope and Xandry are strong, and if anyone can figure out a way to us, it would be them. I refuse to believe they could be dead from that fall. “I spoke with Mai before they left, and she sent wolves out into the forest to try to find them. If they do, they’ll bring them to us. I’m not leaving this world without them.”

“And the staff?”

“They’re looking for it too. I warned her not to go near it, but to find it so they can tell us where it is. Mai thinks that they’ll find it easily. The wolves know every inch of these forests.” I watch Ember and Theodorn at the front of the group. “They want us to give them the staff after we open a portal home.”

“What do you think about doing that?” Grayson asks me.

I love how he always wants my opinion, how he takes it into consideration. He is a king, and he never needs to take advice unless he wants to, but he always does with me. “I don’t know whether the staff will want to stay. When I held it, it felt like it was alive, like it knew what it wanted, and it was very against me holding it. Now that I think about it, it very much wanted to go after Emrys, and it happily flew out of my hand in this world. Maybe we should leave it here. They seem more in control of their world and magic. We are at war, our courts a mess, and the last thing we need is to be responsible for a staff that I can barely control.”

“I agree with you.” Grayson touches my back. “The staff stays with the wolves, and we go home. There is only Aphrodite left, and she is alone. We can beat her.” Why do I not feel as confident in that as Grayson sounds?

We only stop once to rest before heading towards a train station. The station is made completely out of wood, reminding me of similar ones back on Earth, and it’s filled with flowers in pots, making it pretty. We all head onto the train together, and I’d guess the steam train was made years ago. There is nothing modern about it, from the red seats, wooden structures, and the fact it runs on coal. This world is almost like Earth, far more so than Ayiolyn. The theory that the worlds are all mirrors of each other makes me wonder if there are any other worlds out there, similar to this one but different. I remember the Matron saying there are six mirror worlds and I’m curious what lies in each.

We don’t talk much in the carriage, a tense feeling in the air. Grayson and Arden keep me between them, whereas Lysander stays with Emrys, like he needs to be there in case Emrys snaps and attacks me.

The train ride is bumpy, and it seems to go through tunnels underneath the water that lead us straight out into the west and into a land full of red sand. When the train stops at a similar wooden station, this time with people waiting to board, we exit and make our way to a road leading to a built-up town. It’s small, maybe the size of my hometown, with high red stone walls wrapped around it, but I get a sense its newly built.

As we all walk, Ember slows down on the road to speak to me, but neither Grayson nor Arden let her stand at my side. “This town, Daring Peak, is my mother’s creation. She built this city with her mates and much help from our dragon race. Gifted children come here when they’re teenagers to learn studies about the world, to open their eyes and further their skills. They come here from everywhere around the world, bringing us together and furthering the creations of our race. In the twenty or so years since it was built, so many new and special things have come to light from the studies here.”

“So, it’s basically a university town for teenagers to study?”

“University, I’ve heard that human word before. Yes. There are now three of these towns across the world, all run by professors, and my mother, Queen Serendipity, wishes to build more and unite our races.” She glances up and I follow her just in time to see angels flying across the sky, brilliant white wings spread wide as they glide through the air.

Angels! “You have angels here?”

“Yes. We won’t let you in all of the city for safety reasons, but the scholars have been made aware that we’re here, and they have what we wish for,” Ember explains. “Mai and Silas left early this morning due to a pressing matter. My mother is in labour.” She smiles widely. “This will be my first sister. I already have four brothers. Come, I don’t have long before I must go and be with my mother. I’m telling you this because I trust you. It’s why I offered to come. I am going to rule this world in the future, and I can see you will rule your own world too. I hope to build a lasting alliance between us, against our common enemy, the gods who have not chosen peace.”

“Congratulations,” Grayson offers, and I repeat it. She bows her head before stepping back with her mate. Peace between us is just what I want too, and I appreciate her telling me something about her life.

Theodorn whispers in her ear, but I hear him. “Then we can tell them our happy news. There will be many new royal babies in the cribs by Christmas.”

Ember smiles up at him, and I smile at their backs. I’ve not thought about where they are at, having children that will be royals. Any child I could have would be split across the courts. I glance at Arden. He is the last of his family, and I know he wants a family. I’m not sure I’d be happy bringing a baby into our world anytime soon. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about that for years to come if we survive Aphrodite.

Ember and Theodorn lead us into the town, through the open gates and straight into a stone building on the left. The building has shiny floors, with rows and rows of stone bookcases on the walls, but they are filled with jars of plants. In the middle of the huge entrance hall is a circular greenhouse, with various exotic plants within. Ember walks to the man standing in front of the greenhouse. “They study everything here, plants too.”

The man waiting in the middle of the room comes over, bowing. He is dark-haired, and he has massive white wings spreading out his back. When he smiles, he flashes two sharp canines. “Your majesty, your presence here is a great honour, and your guests are very welcome too.” He clears his throat when he sees Lysander glaring at him. “This was Cronus’s last known temple. It’s far to the south, untouched land, and we believe nearly all of the temple lands are underwater.”

“Thank you for your time, professor,” Ember softly tells the man, who is shaking from head to toe.

He offers me a piece of paper. “Here, I made a map for you all. That is all the information we have that is of use. Can I help you any more with anything else?”

I accept the paper. “Thank you, professor.”

Ember nods to him. “You’re excused.”

I hand the map to Arden and the kings to look over. They will be flying, I bet, as it’s going to be a respectable distance. Ember moves in front of me. “This is where I ask you to leave, and I take my leave, too. Meet us back at the pack when you’re done with Cronus. We’ll surely have found the staff and your missing people by then.”

Grayson offers Theodorn his hand. “Thank you for your help. The Earth Court owes you a debt. If you find yourself in need, find our world.”

“I hope we are never in need,” he says, shaking Grayson’s hand before Grayson goes over to Arden, Lysander and Emrys.

Ember clears her throat, and I look back at her. Terrin stays close by my side, but Theodorn goes to undo Emrys’s chains so he can come with us. “You might not see me again, but it was good to meet you, and good luck. My grandmother and mother beat the gods here and took their magic. Hades and Persephone were good in the end, and the others were not. It’s complicated with the gods, but they rely on mortals for their power. When they are alone, they are weak.”

“I’ll remember,” I promise her, taking her advice. “Thank you for all of your help.”

After escorting us out of the city, she shifts into a dragon, and with her mate, they fly off into the distance. With my mates, a map to a titan, and a world to return to, we can do anything.

I hope.