Chapter 6

Chapter

Six

EMBER

I n the end, Rafe didn't need to worry about us waking him up to go. We get in a decent nap, all snuggled up together, only for Malik's friends to return with supplies, as well as some news of the outside world.

"The Fire and Stone Kingdoms are at it again," Malik's grumpy friend, Obi, informs us as he's stocking the cabin's small refrigerator with an absurd amount of meat.

Rafe and Jianyu exchange a look.

Malik's other friend, a fierce woman name Zahra, gives more context. "The Stone Kingdom is accusing the Fire Kingdom of harboring fugitives, while the Fire Kingdom blames the Stone Kingdom for an attack on their capital."

"Typical," Malik laments.

Rafe clears his throat. "So, that's all about us, then, right?"

"Probably." Helping unload cans and boxes of food into the cabinet, Jianyu shakes his head. "I'm definitely the fugitive."

I cross my arms over my chest. "And we can assume that the attack on the Fire Kingdom's capital was the Shadow Dragon King's forces trying to capture me."

"Well." Zahra blinks rapidly. "You have all been very busy."

"You have no idea," Rafe agrees.

That awful night comes back to me--standing in the courtyard of the castle overlooking the Crimson City and watching dragon after dragon pour out of portals. I suck in a harsh breath. Storm and Fury were among them.

Everything was chaos, as Jianyu, Rafe and I fought for our lives, barely managing to escape through a portal I somehow magicked out of thin air.

We weren't alone in the Crimson City, though.

I snap my head up. "Our friends. The ones we brought to the Fire Kingdom with us--"

Overwhelming guilt threatens to swamp me. Amy and Jett and Sister Grace; Jianyu's friend Ben. We left them all behind.

And it's not that I haven't thought about them in the past couple of days, but everything has been such a whirlwind. In the Water Kingdom, there was no way to make contact with anybody from the outside world, and I didn't exactly have a chance to try to call anyone when I was locked up in the Shadow King's dungeon.

Zahra flashes a tight smile before glancing at Jianyu and then Rafe. "We were able to get a message through to the individuals you asked we contact."

"And?" Jianyu asks.

"Prince Rafe, your associate Cael was able to evacuate the rest of Prince Jianyu and Ms. Ember's party from the Crimson City. They are safely en route to the neutral territory of Unity."

"Thank the Gods." Exhaling hard, I sag back into the wall. "Can we talk to them?"

I never had much in the way of girlfriends--back in the Air Kingdom, my only friend in the world was my cousin Brynn. Meeting sweet, hyper-enthusiastic Amy in Unity was a turning point in my life, and not just because my association with her family was what brought me to the Shadow Queen's Bracer in the first place.

She was my confidante. She helped draw me out of my shell when I was heartbroken over Storm, and she risked her own safety to tag along when I decided to follow my mates to the Stone and Fire Dragon Kingdoms.

While it's healed my soul to confess everything to Rafe, Jianyu and Malik, I can't wait to dissect it all with my friend.

"Too risky," Zahra says, dashing my hopes.

Obi nods. "This safehouse is completely off the grid. It needs to stay that way."

"Not for long," Malik tells them. He darts a glance my way before addressing his friends. "We stay here only long enough to recover and regroup--then we must find our way to the Air Kingdom."

Zahra's eyes just about bug out of her head. "Your Highness," she barks sharply.

Malik holds up a hand. "This is not a discussion."

"If we can't discuss this," Obi says, "then perhaps we should move directly into discussing your funeral arrangements."

Before I can stop myself, I laugh. "You really are a ball of laughs, aren't you?"

There wasn't any humor in his tone in the first place, but somehow, there's even less there now. "The Air Kingdom's warmongering is worse than even that of the Fire and Stone Kingdoms."

Zahra adds, "And the sources I tapped into on our excursion have reason to believe that King Zephyr's court may have been infiltrated by the Shadow King's minions."

And I can't help it. I laugh again. Seriously, what's wrong with me? I guess a girl can only get almost killed so many times in a week before she loses any sense of propriety.

"Wait--" I lift my hands in front of my chest, trying to keep my tone in check. "You're only hearing about this now?"

"The Air Kingdom is notoriously closed off," Zahra says defensively.

"You're one to talk," Rafe mutters.

Malik is hearing none of it. "We still must make our way there--in secret."

"Even if that were possible, we're in no position to pull off such an operation," Zahra protests. "If we had the resources of our kingdom..."

Malik's eyes flash a brighter blue, and the magic of his tattoos ripples with energy. "We do not."

"Of course." Zahra visibly takes a breath, as if to calm herself. "I did not mean to suggest..."

Glancing between Malik and Zahra, Obi takes an unusually conciliatory tone. "Until the Shadow King's influence has been removed from the Water Kingdom, we are on our own."

Zahra nods, her jaw flexing.

Jianyu has finished putting away supplies, and he comes to stand beside me. Quietly, he informs me, "She was commander of the Water Kingdom's forces." When I look to him, he clarifies, "We met her while you were sleeping." He shrugs. "She's having a hard time with the revelation that the Water Kingdom's been accepting help from the Shadow Kingdom for a decade."

"Yes," Zahra says, grinding her teeth and shooting Jianyu a look that makes it clear she's heard every word. " She is." She exhales roughly. "The evidence was clear, though. I will support you in driving the Shadow King's influence from the Water Kingdom court."

"No matter the cost," Obi agrees.

Malik nods. "Then it's settled. We head to the Air Dragon Kingdom."

"It will not be easy," Zahra warns. "Their security is higher than any other dragon kingdom save our own."

"That's true," I chime in. As all eyes look to me, I cross my arms over my chest. "The entire kingdom is locked down, with wards in the air space and on the ground."

The night I drove away from Wynrath Crest, I felt the ripple of magic as I passed out of Air Dragon territory. It made my skin shiver, the power intense, even in my human state. For a dragon, trying to head in the opposite direction? Into the Air Dragon Kingdom, instead of out of it? The magic would have been debilitating.

"It's also on the other side of the world," Obi reminds us.

"We will need to locate a new base of operations, then," Malik says. "Somewhere closer to the border."

"Someplace safe," Jianyu agrees.

My heart leaps. "I know exactly the place."

Five days, three boat rides, a long flight, and a dusty drive over a desert road later, we pass through the magical wards surrounding the neutral territory of Unity. A shiver passes over my skin, the power of the invisible barrier more tangible to me now that my magic has awakened. My mates suppress shudders of their own.

Overhead, a winged form casts a shadow over our car. I shield my eyes and glance up with a grin. Nostalgia and excitement pull my heart in opposite directions.

It was only a few months ago that I first made my way to Unity, but it feels like a lifetime ago. I was so scared--and the dragon-shaped shadow in the sky filled me with a terror so deep my heart nearly beat straight out of my chest.

Now, the familiar form of my friend Jett's dragon swoops in lower, and I laugh, waving as the enormous beast glides alongside our rattling Jeep. It winks a huge eye, and I laugh.

Rafe nudges me with his elbow. "You seem happy to be back."

"I am." I only lived in Unity for a brief time, but it felt like home in a way that Wynrath Crest never did. I made incredible friends here; found the Shadow Queen's Bracer here. And... "I found my mates here."

Rafe's smirk softens into a real smile, and Jianyu looks back at me from the front seat. The tug I feel from both of them lights up my chest, our connection burning bright and strong.

The slightest twinge of jealousy pulls at my ribs, and I lean forward to touch Malik's arm, careful not to interrupt his driving. "Well, some of my mates, in any case."

He glances back at me in the rearview mirror with eyes that nearly glow with possessive heat. I quiver inside as his desire ripples through our bond.

My mates and I have been able to sneak in quiet time alone together, tucked away in temporary safehouses and motel rooms and once--memorably--in the cramped hold of a cargo ship. But it's never enough.

As I break my heated glance with Malik, Rafe places a possessive hand on my thigh. The need to connect with them all in the most intimate way possible flares into a hot spark, low in my abdomen.

But there'll be time for that later.

For now, I watch through the window as the parched landscape gives way to dotted homes and intersecting streets. There are all of the familiar sights, from the pub Amy used to drag me out to for trivia night to the big grassy field where teams of different shifters play pickup games of soccer and touch football and Ultimate Frisbee.

My ribs press inward as we pass the scaffolds and construction vehicles surrounding the Town Hall. When the Shadow Dragons bombed the peace summit between the Fire and Stone Kingdoms, they blew a hole in the roof of the place. All of the rubble has been cleared, and new brickwork is being laid, but the destruction left a scar.

This is one more way the Shadow Kingdom was working behind the scenes to sow discord--to tear the other dragon kingdoms apart. So many people were hurt because of King Erembour's games.

He can't be allowed to continue.

My bracer hums with a dark warmth, and somewhere deep in my chest, my dragon lets out a puff of smoke.

We keep driving, and I feel more at ease as we leave the broken facade of the town hall behind. As we approach the town square, Jett's big dragon drops out of the sky in front of us. In an impressively athletic move, he shifts into his human form a few feet above the ground before landing neatly in the center of the square.

"Show-off," Rafe mutters.

Shaking my head fondly, I pat his knee.

Jett isn't alone to greet us. As he lands, a few more familiar faces stand and gather around him. I bring my hands to my mouth to muffle the little squeal that wants to come out.

The Jeep has barely come to a stop before I'm undoing my seat belt and throwing open the door.

"Ember!!!" Amy breaks free from the crowd as I launch myself out of the vehicle.

Relief washes over me as she sweeps me into a hug.

"Thank God you're okay," I mumble, hugging her back with a ferocity that surprises even me.

I knew she was okay, but I haven't seen her since I accidentally abandoned her in the Fire Kingdom after nearly getting murdered by a horde of Shadow Dragons.

"I was so worried," I admit.

She laughs and squeezes me even tighter. "Pfft, you're one to talk."

And yeah, okay, I've had my own harrowing adventure in the meantime.

"You have to tell me everything." As she releases me, she casts a meaningful glance over my shoulder, waggling her brows. "And I mean everything ."

I follow her gaze to Malik and roll my eyes in a vain attempt to cover up for my blush. Letting her go, I gesture in his direction. "Amy, this is my mate, Malik. Malik, Amy."

"Charmed," Malik says, though he's a bit taken aback when she throws her arms around him. As he allows himself to be bear-hugged by a complete stranger, he passes me my bag, which I left in the Jeep.

I sling the bag over my shoulder, but as I do, a ripple of mystical energy lights up my bracer and my chest. My bag is practically pulling itself off my arm.

And then I remember.

The final Soul Sphere I liberated from the Shadow King's creepy orb room is in there. I released the spirits trapped inside the rest of them when I escaped, and it was their energy that took down the tower of the Citadel. But this last one refused to be set free.

It whispered the word, Amethyst .

I suck in a breath. Amethyst.

Amy.

Of course.

Before I can fully articulate my sudden suspicion, I'm pulled out of my reverie by Jett clapping me on the shoulder in greeting. "So, we're all still alive, eh?"

"For now," I agree.

"Let's try to keep it that way." Jett's mate Freya brushes him aside to pull me into a hug. "It's good to see you."

Freya is more reserved than Amy by nature; it took her a lot longer to warm up to me, so her showing me affection like this means a lot.

"You, too," I tell her.

As Freya lets me go, I glance over her shoulder, and my gaze connects with a pair of warm, gray eyes.

My breath catches. Amy's mother, Rhiannon, is secretly a Shadow Dragon--the first one I'd ever met, as far as I knew. She was the one to introduce me to the Shadow Queen's Bracer. She brought the artifact to Unity, hoping to wield it herself. But when it called to me, she recognized the significance of what was happening. She warned me of what was to come, but nothing could have prepared me--for the sorrows or the joys.

As Freya moves to stand by her mate, Rhiannon beholds me for a long moment. There's a lump in my throat. Now that I've met the Shadow King and learned the truth about my lineage, all of Rhiannon's talk about destiny and the fate of the dragon world feels so real.

Suddenly, I feel utterly, pathetically inadequate. My mouth crumples, and I falter.

Between one breath and the next, Rhiannon steps forward and wraps me up in a hug that hurts my heart. My mother is well and truly gone, but there's something so maternal to Rhiannon's embrace. I draw in a hiccupping, watery breath and lean into her.

"You are so strong," she tells me, ferocity lying just beneath the mild timbre of her voice. She pulls away, but only to grasp me by my shoulders. "To face the Shadow King and live to tell the tale."

Mist forms at the edges of my vision, but I blink it away, forcing a laugh. "It was a close thing."

"I'm sure it was," she replies, a gravity to her tone. I might be trying to dismiss my visit to the Citadel, but she isn't going to let me.

Our gazes hold for a long moment. As a Shadow Dragon herself, Rhiannon alone understands the weight I'm grappling with right now.

She tips her head toward Amy and Jett. Quietly, she confides, "I told them. About me."

Oh . "So they know that they're..."

Half Shadow Dragons themselves.

She nods tightly, releasing my shoulders but giving my hands a soft squeeze before letting go entirely. "And they know that you know, too. I took all the blame for it--told them I swore you to secrecy."

Well, that's a relief. I hated knowing more about my best friend's heritage than she did.

But I understand why Rhiannon kept it from them. From personal experience, I've discovered that it's a hell of a burden to bear.

But it's not a burden I have to bear alone.

"Rhiannon." I blink hard. "I found out--I'm..."

"I know," she says quietly.

And yes. Of course she did. She always knew that I was part Shadow Dragon. She was just too kind to tell me before I was ready. I'm so grateful that I got to find out on my own terms, but something about it irks me, too.

My parents were also kind, holding back information about who I was and what I would face. I was a child at the time; I probably wasn't ready to hear any of that, either. But they took their knowledge to their graves.

I'm getting tired of being the last one to know the truth about myself. I'm not going to accept being kept in the dark anymore.

Freya brings my attention back to the larger group by clapping her hands. The rest of the introductions have clearly been made while I've been distracted. Amy's girlfriend, Sister Grace, a human magic-user from the Stone Kingdom, as well as Jianyu's friend Ben and Rafe's friend Cael are engaged in a lively conversation with Obi and Zahra, but they all hush up as Freya requests everybody's attention.

"Rooms have been prepared for you at our town's finest hotel." She leaves out the fact that it's the small town's only hotel. Raising a brow at me, she adds, "The Presidential Suite will be to your liking, I assume?"

An uncontrollable shudder of arousal rolls through me. The Presidential Suite is where Rafe, Jianyu and I first consummated our new bond--over and over and over again, on pretty much every possible surface and in every position I could imagine. I've learned a few more since then, a few of which I'm still dying to try out now that I have three men.

My mates' reciprocated desire is a warm wave washing over our bond. Rafe comes over and briefly curls an arm around my side. I revel in the open affection. Last time we were here, we had to hide our relationship status; it was beyond complicated, being mated to two dragon princes.

Being mated to three --with a fourth presumably joining our ranks soon--is even more complicated, but with us all being fugitives, I guess the ban on PDA has been at least a little bit relaxed.

"That'll do just fine," Rafe tells Freya, before tipping his head toward Malik. "Though we'll need an extra set of towels this time."

Malik shoots Freya a tight smile. "We are grateful for your hospitality."

"Shall we?" Jianyu asks, looking to me with unbearable heat in his eyes.

I glance at Amy and Rhiannon.

"Go on," Amy urges me, her eyes sparkling. "But after you all get your groove on, you're mine for the night. I have so many plans." She starts listing things on her fingers. "We're talking pedicures, chocolate martinis, boy talk--" she darts her gaze among my mates.

"Heteronormative," Sister Grace interrupts in a sing-song voice.

Amy rolls her eyes, "And girl talk, but there's nothing new going on there, while there is clearly a lot of new stuff going on in the boy department."

Malik clears his throat, blinking rapidly. I pat his arm, glancing at my extremely enthusiastic friend and murmuring sotto voce , "You'll get used to this."

"Oh," Amy continues, "and a thorough discussion of various kidnappings, fleeing from hostile kingdoms, and next steps for sticking it to the Shadow Dragon King." She punches the air for emphasis.

"Um, I think we'll want be involved in that last part," Rafe says.

"Oh, hush." Amy shoos him away. "Tonight is girl time."

"Don't worry," I promise, brushing the back of my hand against Rafe's. "Co-ed Air Kingdom infiltration and general Shadow Dragon King ass-kicking starts tomorrow."

One corner of Jianyu's mouth curls up. "Can't wait."