Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

I tugged on the ends of the sleeves of my jacket and glanced to where Malachi stood, waiting for me to finish. "I cannot tell you how happy I am that you're here."

"Amory wanted to be too, but Esta thought that her staying to work with Nana Ice was best, all things considered."

I inhaled. "So Esta will shift, shift back to her human form, and then collapse?"

Malachi smirked at me. "Keir, we have gone over this a hundred times. And you have caught us a dozen times while healing us."

"I know. I just want to be as prepared as possible." I didn't want her to hurt a hair on her head.

Malachi laughed. "I do not understand your nerves. Yes, there are a lot of unknowns. But what is known is that you have been my brother, a piece of Dra Skor, since the moment you saved Kian."

"You will tell me whatever she needs? How I can best help her heal and adjust? "

Malachi gave me a nod. "You know I will, but I think you will know even better than me."

Because he thought she would have my magic or because he thought our bond would tell me?

Malachi continued, "This is the next step, Keir. Don't overthink it. Yes, the steps after this one are unknown. And that's intimidating. But this next one, not all the ones in front of it, just this one , it is the right one. For both of you."

I moved to give him a hug. "Dammit, I don't know what I would do without your pep talks."

A knock sounded on the door. Esta was back. Jorah had insisted on having her get ready with her attendants and whisked her away this afternoon. This was not a wedding or start of a marriage, and at the same time, it was also weighted. It was irreversible. The start of something which would alter both Esta and me. For the better.

"I'll give the two of you five minutes," Malachi told me before shooting me a glare. " Five only. Not a minute more."

"Got it," I laughed.

He opened the door to leave and swapped with Esta, the door closing softly behind him. Esta looked gorgeous in a black dress which somehow mimicked the purple and blue iridescent tint to her scales. I knew she'd had a dress made for this, but I hadn't seen it. Come to think of it, she'd been tight-lipped about it other than telling me she was bringing a gown. And I was glad. Because this surprise was well worth the damn wait.

"You are stunning." My voice sounded as if she'd stolen every breath from my lungs. The truth was, with her looking like that , I would let her steal that from me and so much more.

"We will be late should you keep perusing me like that. Are you ready?"

"Yes, but there is something I need to say first."

Her bright green eyes bore into my own as she tilted her head.

I took a step forward to grab her hand, any piece of her I could touch. "I know we are not about to be married. Traditionally in Wylan, there would be vows before there would be bloodied palms. While I did not write a vow to you, I'd like to offer you this before we head down."

"Keir." The way in which she said my name in that moment would stay with me. As if she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to scold me, stop me, or kiss me.

So I didn't give her the option of saying a thing more. "You have carved out my heart and reformed it, Esta. With your every smile, your wit, your strength—both in this form and your other. It is no longer fully my own, but yours to wield. So take it. Take whatever you need of me until we get to the space where rather than my end and your beginning, we are instead two strong heart beats of the same rhythm."

A tear slipped down her cheek as she whispered, "I love you." She wrapped her hands around my neck, leaning in to brush a gentle kiss to my lips. "I love you so damn much."

"And I love you, no matter what is about to happen down there, Es."

She sniffed and gave me a little smile, her one dimple there and gone. "No vows you could ever write me will ever top what you just said to me. Save them."

"Save them?"

She smiled brilliantly. "For when we can get married."

"But I haven't even officially asked you to marry me," I laughed.

"You haven't. And at the same time, you have."

Hand in hand, we headed down to the meadow. To whatever awaited.

The moonlight hit Esta's dress and made it sparkle. She was the night sky, dazzling and stunning even in the darkest of moments .

"Are you both ready?" John asked me nicely. River was there but standing back, giving us space.

I looked to Esta.

She smiled at me. One of those rare ones that felt reserved for just me. "I am whenever you are."

"I will let you sleep it off in my room," I reminded her. "Safely. I won't leave your side."

She laughed. "Don't be silly. You have to eat. See your family." Then her hand was on my jacket, tugging me closer. She planted a hard kiss to my lips. "I don't know about Wylan or Dra Skor, the entire realm for that matter, but the two of us? We are going to be just fine, Keir."

I kissed her back, this time slower. Knowing though she'd be right beside me for the next week, she'd be asleep for most of it.

As we finally pulled apart, I told John, "We are ready, old friend."

He gave me a nod and gestured to Owen.

Owen laid a dagger in my palm. I briefly looked at it before my eyes were back at Owen's. It couldn't be.

"Krew insisted."

"I—" Love for my brother burned the back of my throat. Krew had made sure the same dagger which had cut his and Jorah's palms would do our bonding as well. Though he wasn't here, he was wishing us good luck. Sending me a message of confidence.

Without another word, Owen gave me a quick hug and moved to stand behind John.

I sliced my palm first, my skin crawling with blue as my Enchantment readied. Then I took Esta's gently, careful to hold it away from my already bleeding slash, to do hers.

To give the dragon queen credit, she barely even flinched. Her sharp intake of breath was the only signal it had hurt her at all.

Being sure to look her in the eyes, I pressed our palms together, locking them tight. "I willingly give you this power, Estalena Rhea Mallick. To protect, to empower, to honor. A thousand lifetimes may pass, yet I will stand steady, bound with you."

Her eyes never left mine as she recited back, "I willingly give you this power, Keiran James Kairos Valanova. To protect, to empower, to honor. A thousand lifetimes may pass, yet I will stand steady, bound with you."

And then as the slightest tingling started up, I willed that Esta take my power to protect her own. However much she needed to be safe, to save her country and herself, that is how much she could have. All of it if needed. The last thing I ever wanted to see was the dragon queen broken beyond repair. I did not know what would happen with us, how things in Dra Skor would come to a head or end, but I did know I chose her. I chose her now and I would keep choosing her. I would fight our enemy in the shadows or an entire army if I had to, all to keep standing next to her.

We stood there for what felt like an eternity before Esta closed her eyes. I knew she was going to shift now. In the next breath, I was holding onto a talon at the same time my Enchantment burst from my fingertips.

Esta took one step, only to properly lift her dragon head to the sky and let out a roar. A roar which was haunting in the best of ways. It was not an angry or vengeful roar like had shook the walls or broken windows. It was one of power. Strength.

Knowing she would not want to pass out in her dragon form, just as quickly as she had shifted, she was shifting back.

I saw her sway, and without thinking I moved to catch her, both of us landing on the ground, me breaking her fall. Our hands slipped and my magic slowly stalled. I had half a mind to put our palms back together, will her more of my power if she needed it.

It was Owen's laughter I heard first, followed by John's snort.

"You owe me coin, old man."

"I did not bet against you, rather with you," John argued.

"Right. Well let's make River pay up then. "

"I will be doing no such thing!"

I looked over at them to find them all on the ground also. I immediately sat up, Esta in my lap, drooping eyes and already looking ready to pass out at any moment.

"You all were knocked to the ground as well?" I knew my voice sounded as hurried and shook as I felt. I didn't want to hope. I didn't want to believe it unless it was certain.

John laughed. "Yes, my boy! And none of us who have seen the two of you recently are really all that surprised, now are we?"

"Keir?" Esta's voice rasped.

"Sweetheart?" My voice was clogged with emotion.

"What's wrong?" even as she asked, her eyes blinked slowly.

"Nothing," I said around my emotions. "Not a damn thing." I had to pause to swallow. "John thinks we may be soul bound. That's all."

Her eyes went wide for a moment, as wide as they could go while she was already half asleep. "What?"

I moved to kiss her hard. "Sleep, Es. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Her eyes finally gave out on her and she passed out there, right in my arms.

Owen was wiping the dagger in the grass, tucking it into his boot. "We should give this thing to your mother's tree for safe keeping. It's good luck."

Malachi was there, helping me up, Esta still in my arms. "Still nervous?"

I shook my head. "No. And if we really are soul bound, I'd shift into a small dragon for her every day. It feels...." I couldn't finish. I didn't have adequate enough words.

Malachi patted my shoulder as if he understood. "If you are going to shift, it will happen within the next few days," he reminded me. He leaned in and somehow hugged us both. "I am so happy for you both. She deserves this. "

I found I couldn't stop smiling. Soul bound. Were we really? How fast could I use that tether to speak to Esta telepathically? I had so many questions. Where was that twin brother of mine when I needed him?

We began walking back toward the castle. Not far into our walk back, I heard the wolves yipping and tearing across the meadow. They sounded as happy as I felt. Their sounds became closer and closer, until one of such, Rafe, ran right up to me in a blur of gray fur.

"This is new," I whispered to Owen. I knew he and Jorah both could interact and pet the wolves now, but I hadn't ever been able to get that close to them.

"They've been getting braver."

I let him get close enough to sniff me. As soon as he had, he must have liked what he smelled as he lifted his head and let up a short howl. All the wolves joined him, and then they tore off into the forest yipping and running around each other as if they were pups and not fully grown wolves.

Within the next minute, Jorah and Krew landed, likely from their balcony, and rushed over to us, meeting us about halfway. Noting they were still dressed for the day despite the late hour, I hadn't really thought until this moment about why Krew and Jorah had insisted they not be present for our bonding. That as an already soul bound couple, they didn't want to stand there and put extra pressure on us.

"Well?" Krew asked, eyes going to John and Owen. "I mean I know I felt it from our bond, so that means...."

"Knocked on my arse," John told him. "Just like with the two of you."

"We believe them to be soul bound," River added.

Jorah gasped and then hugged me from my back, not wanting to jostle Esta.

Krew joined her, hugging me from around Jorah. "You might not have wanted to get your hopes up, brother, but I knew it. I knew it as soon as I saw it in Dra Skor."

"Well hell," Owen muttered, and then he too got in on the massive hug going on while Esta was unconscious in my arms.

I was about to tell them they were being ridiculous, but then Owen reached out and grabbed Malachi and John and River, the result one conglomeration of elbows and limbs around me and Esta.

The realm had never felt more right. I had never felt more loved. More accepted.

"How do you feel, my prince?" Malachi asked me.

I'd think about his word choice later. How did I feel? Tired. Exhausted. Not from the weight of carrying Esta, I just felt like I was on the brink of burnout, though I suspected I hadn't used all that much magic in our bonding. But more than anything, I felt an ache bone deep of peace . Of rightness. "Happy," I told him. "Happier than I ever thought I could be in the middle of everything going on."

Malachi grinned at me, and tapped on Owen, making him back up. The others did as well.

"And how else do you feel?" Malachi asked.

"Fine," I lied. Then I added, "Okay, exhausted."

Malachi moved toward me, his deep voice laughing. "Yeah, that's what I thought," was the last thing I heard before everything faded to black.