Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

" I will ready Wylan for your trip," Krew told me as he gave me a firm hug. "We will welcome you both with open arms."

"Thank you." I hugged him hard.

Owen was of course returning with him. I offered for Emric to return as well, but he had taken charge with the training of our team. And told me he would only be taking one more trip on a boat: when he returned home.

Seeing Krew go was difficult, and I wasn't sure it would ever get any easier. For now, I had pieces of home with me in Dra Skor. John. Emric. Dex. Archer. Miles.

But what if the day came when they all left and only I remained?

I understood I was giving up a life in Wylan to be here with Esta. But I also had Malachi and Amory. Kian. I could forge friendships here. It wasn't as if I was destined to either be with Esta or locked up in a tower waiting for the next time I was beckoned like my parent's marriage had been.

Dra Skor loathed cages as much as I did.

Owen lifted me into a hug. "See you soon, Your Royal Bratness."

"Do try to stay out of trouble," I told him.

"Always," Owen agreed. "And do try to stay away from burnout every three days. I know you want to heal them, but Queen Esta put the lottery in place for a reason."

"Here for only short trips and both of you trust the dragon queen already?" I joked.

Krew gave his head a shake. "She is far more than a dragon queen to you and we both know it." He shot me a grin. "Even if only one of us is brave enough to consider it right now."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at my brother. "Get on that ship already, would you?"

"Keep me posted on things in Dra Skor," he said, going serious. "I have no doubt you can handle this. Just hate that you have to deal with it at all."

Esta came over, having given us a few minutes, though I knew she likely heard every word anyway, as she was still in her dragon form.

She laid in the sand next to me, in no hurry to leave. We watched the sun set as the ship sailed for Wylan. Esta must have sensed my melancholy mood and sent Malachi and Dex to grab some food while she remained with me.

Finally, as the tips of the sails dipped below the horizon, she said to me, Next time, we get to visit them.

I leaned up against her sun-warmed scales and leaned back to better look at the clouds coloring the sunset. "I cannot wait, and at the same time, I don't wish to leave Dra Skor vulnerable in our wake either."

But our bonding will make it that much stronger. Make us stronger, she reminded me. Then after a few moments, You and your brother are quite the pair. At times I was not certain if I wanted to strangle him and Owen or hug them .

I laughed. "I can relate."

Reminded me of Jagen though, the way he looks after you. Even if you are older.

"By a whole seven minutes." I reached into my jacket pocket and held a bracelet out to Esta.

The moment she saw something sparkly, she moved beneath me, my head falling directly into the sand. She snatched it into her talon.

"I had Owen bring it for you. It was one of my grandmother's."

Then she was in her human form. Pulling me up to sitting while placing herself in my lap. "Put it on for me?"

Of course she would want to put it on and then shift before flying back, thus keeping it safer than flying with it in her talons. I did as she asked.

"Are you ready to return now?" I asked, my hands settled on her legs.

"In a moment." She brushed her lips against mine. "This sunset is too gorgeous to not enjoy, don't you think?"

She was the queen of Dra Skor, but for this moment in time, she needed me . It made me breathless to consider it. Seconds bled into minutes, minutes stacking together as we got a little lost in one another. Finally, she leaned back and laughed, her entire face lighting up.

"How I make you feel is funny?" I was feeling a lot of things currently, and none of them were laughable.

"No," she giggled. "I was laughing at that time I thought I could get you out of my system."

I smirked. "And how did that work for you?"

"The exact opposite." She brushed one last kiss across my lips. "Let's get out of this sand and go home."

She shifted and within a few minutes Malachi and Dex were back with us. Though it still hadn't gotten as cold as it did in Wylan, the air was chilled as we headed back for Halikaara. I released my magic to warm my skin and then sent a little along her scales as well. Then on second thought, I sent enough to cover her wings then the rest of her. The result was her entire dragon body was glowing against the darkness with my blue magic.

It was singularly the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. I was sure it was one of those moments which carved itself into your mind, ready to be held tight for a lifetime.

Dex let out a laugh. "You want lit up too, pony boy?"

Pony boy? Malachi scoffed.

But Dex had already moved and Malachi was lit up with gold color. I had to admit both creatures were stunning outlined in Wylan magic. It made it all seem unfathomable. That our powers were all kept separate within the borders of our countries for all these years.

The beat of their wings sounded, and onward we flew back to the castle.

We were less than a few minutes out when I heard a roar I recognized as Nyx's. He was suddenly there. Flying with us.

Then Zaccai.

I let my magic fall, as did Dex. Something was wrong. Maybe we shouldn't be lighting up our location and instead hide within the cover of darkness. Esta's most loyal winged shifters were protecting her. Escorting us home.

"Es?" I asked gently.

I don't know, she told me, letting out a smoke ring. They won't tell us what's wrong. Nyx said he would when we landed. Which means it's bad.

By the time we landed, directly onto the war room balcony, there were a dozen or more winged shifters flying with us. The queen's advisors were there waiting.

Now someone tell me what the hell is going on, Esta growled.

Amory stepped forward. "I told them not to tell you until you landed safely. Your frustration is on me." Her eyes were wet, and she looked from Esta to me and back again. "It's the healed shifters. There was an attack while you were away."

There was an attack on the shifters in their human forms? The ones still sleeping in recovery?

Amory looked her in the eyes and took a deep breath. "Kian was stabbed but is still alive. Savanna and Samori are dead."