Chapter Four

Z ANE HAD HOPED he would figure out a way around things as he'd carried Savannah from the cave where she'd passed out through the private tunnels that ran beneath the Realm to the dungeons under the Keep. Hoped he'd figure out how to make his people forgive Savannah for slaying five of their dragons with magic.

"She did it with a mere look," one dragon murmured before he succumbed to death. A look that not only doused their inner fire but seared them from the inside out until they drew in their last breath less than twenty minutes after cornering Savannah's dragon.

Unfortunately, word of what she'd done was already spreading like wildfire by the time he made it to the dungeons, and he had no choice but to chain her up until her punishment was decided. One he knew would end in a death he would disallow in the end, even if it meant dying to defend her.

And he undoubtedly would because his sort didn't deal in mercy any more than they dealt in following a leader blinded by lust and powerful magic. Because that's how they would see it. They would view Savannah as a god who had turned against them, which would have them looking more closely at her friends. Worse yet, they would rail against and distrust the peace he and his kin were working toward.

So he had shackled Savannah to a wall despite her still being passed out, hating every minute of it. Or should he say his inner beast loathed it, railing against his human half in a way that made clear his dragon would take things out of his hands if harm truly befell her. He would shift him to his darker personality, embrace his inner beast, and burn down everything in his path to protect her.

"What was that?" Ulrik murmured as he and Keira appeared out of the darkness. "What did we just feel?"

By that , he meant the fiery sparks all of them no doubt felt when Zane whispered in Savannah's ear that he would have her one way or another. Made it clear he would never let her go. Sparks that had sent a whole new type of warmth through not just their bodies but their minds, straight down to their souls. Sparks made that much more powerful because they were of their home world.

Born of Múspellsheimr.

And that shocked him every bit as much as it did his kin because the only way that could be was if her inner beast was at least partially of that world.

Troubled, Keira, with her long mass of fiery curls and stunning bronzed features, closed the distance and embraced Savannah when she took a few tentative steps away from her shackles. Golden fire tried to flicker around her before fading away.

"It's okay," Keira assured her. Despite Ulrik warning her away because of their unborn child, his new queen held on tight as Savannah trembled, and her thoughts became skewed. More confusing to decipher than they already were. "You're not alone. We're all here with you now."

It seemed she was right because her friends didn't flee like they should have but gathered closer, their skin golden with their inner goddesses as they rallied around Savannah.

"What just happened?" Savannah managed, her voice shaky. She pulled back from Keira, shook her head, and backed up against the wall, eyeing Keira's stomach with concern. "You shouldn't be near me. I don't know what that was...what I'm capable of."

"That was your inner Valkyrie connecting with whom she's destined to protect," Rafe said softly. He nodded at Ulrik with reassurance, fully aware their king wouldn't have been able to stop Keira from going to Savannah any more than Rafe had been able to stop Quinn. His gaze then went to Zane in acknowledgment of something he'd long known but had thought lost to him. "It was also her dragon connecting with her fated mate."

He nodded once in return, more grateful by the moment for Rafe's role in all this. A role he would not soon forget.

"What do we do now?" Zane asked anyone with an idea as the women embraced, all aglow except Savannah, letting her know they would stand by her always.

They were not just friends but sisters in the truest way possible.

"You travel to the stones like all of us before you," Quinn said. Relief flashed in her eyes when she went to use magic to soothe where Savannah's binds had been, only to discover Zane had put subliminal measures in place first so they wouldn't cut into her skin.

In the meantime, Savannah remained silent, clearly trying to take everything in and come to terms with where she was. What she'd done. Better yet, to his way of thinking, what whoever had possessed her had done. Because something very much had. A darkness they needed to get to the bottom of.

"Yet we cannot travel beneath this Keep and use the magic it provides to get to the stones." Zane frowned. "Magic that can at least convince everyone Savannah is still shackled down here awaiting prosecution."

"The same magic, when combined with our power, that can connect with anything in this Realm," Ulrik reminded as Tyr and ?se emerged from the darkness and took up positions that allowed them to protect Tyr's mate, Athena, if need be, along with their king and queen. Ulrik's icy pale blue eyes flared with his inner dragon when he looked in a northerly direction, sensing Níeh?ggr's Ash. "Most especially, magic that can connect with the Great Serpent's tree."

" Ja ." Rafe nodded in agreement, understanding Ulrik's implication. "As we all know, the Keep can act much like the Forest of Memories and, on rare occasion, direct dragons where they need to be. As can Níeh?ggr's Ash." He looked from Savannah to Zane. "So there is every reason to believe that between the two, in tunnels others rarely travel, we might be able to find my standing stones, however briefly."

"Yes," Quinn said slowly, seeming to sense truth in that. She nodded. "You're right. There's a path to healing in that direction." She looked at Zane. "But are you strong enough to convince so many powerful dragons Savannah is still right here awaiting punishment?"

"I am," he said without hesitation, certain he was capable of anything when it came to Savannah.

He noticed Savannah seemed to be doing somewhat better and finding her inner strength because he didn't like her suffering from pain and guilt he could do nothing to free her from. Not when he couldn't pull her into his arms and tell her how hard she'd battled this unseen foe. How anguished and enraged her inner beast had grown. Because he knew she didn't recall all of it yet, but eventually would, so it needed to be discussed by everyone sooner rather than later.

He nodded once at Ulrik, yet again making it clear he had no intention of usurping him. "Although I know I could do it alone, as the blood coursing through the Keep's dragons are akin to mine, with your help and power overseeing everything, I have no doubt we can accomplish this and weed out our true enemy. Finally, at last, put an end to our kingdoms' long strife."

Ulrik understood in that one look what Zane wanted to do.

More so, he understood how much Zane was willing to give up.

"You want me to take control of the Keep as you get answers from Savannah via torture, if necessary," Ulrik deduced. "Or at least that will be the impression everyone's under before Savannah's put to certain death for all to see. Meanwhile, you'll seek out answers that hopefully will prove the other Valkyries can be trusted." His king narrowed his eyes and frowned. "While I value your loyalty, we both know that will never work." He shook his head. "You have hours at best before this kingdom demands Savannah's head on a pike."

"He's right," Zane's father said, emerging out of the darkness. He shook his head at Zane in warning. "Rumor of what Savannah did traveled every bit as quickly as you thought it would. Dragons are going rogue far and wide, determined to end her if it means freeing their females of illness because, as expected, they're convinced Savannah must be at the heart of it. Has to be considering how powerful she is. How sick she made your dragons before they perished, whether male or not."

"And they're right." Savannah stood up straighter, still determined to take responsibility for her actions. "Whatever might have overcome me, I killed those dragons and no one else." She nodded once and notched her chin, showing an admirable lack of fear. "So I deserve whatever punishment they see fit. Death if that's what they want, and I don't blame them."

"Yet you should because that wasn't you," Quinn made clear. "But rather, whatever's attached to that door. Whoever this unseen foe is."

"Tell me what happened," Savannah said softly, looking from friend to friend before her steady gaze landed on Zane. "I need to understand what you witnessed when I killed your dragons." She stood up even straighter and visibly gathered herself, her inner strength commendable. "I've purposefully never shifted because I know I'm capable of horrible things. Dangerous things. And despite craving flames so much, fires at the heart of it." She shook her head. "I can only imagine what my dragon might be capable of when confronted with such overwhelming male dragons."

"That's why you and I never got along that well," Quinn realized, frowning at Savannah. "If you got too close to me, I might have realized this about you sooner and shared it with the others."

"That's right." There was no missing the flicker of sadness in Savannah's eyes when she again looked from friend to friend. "I'm sorry for not telling you the truth about this...about me. I really am. I just..." Having clearly struggled with this for some time, she swallowed hard. "I guess I worried if you knew the truth, I might lose you. Now I realize I could have just as easily put you in danger."

"You never would have lost me." Zoey squeezed her shoulder and looked from the others back to Savannah. "And I think, know , I speak for all of us when I say you have nothing to be sorry for. We were in Fire Anonymous together for a reason. Flames were a problem. Now, one by one, we're dealing with that together, just like we'll figure out what this unseen bastard wants from you together." She glanced from Zane to Savannah. "And we'll help you and your mate find your truth together."

Zane disregarded the wary glance Savannah shot him as her friends embraced her again, all in agreement. She clearly had some strange notions about him, but he would get to the bottom of it. Namely, how aware she'd actually been of him visiting her in the twenty-first century.

"We will help you find your truth," Athena agreed. "And I have an idea how we might buy you the time to do that." She gestured at the shield attached to her back. "I'll stay here and use this to slow down time. I was able to do it in battle briefly when I was newly mated, so I guarantee I can do it for longer now. I'm sure of it."

Athena—with her swarthy olive-toned beauty and ample curves her mate had trouble keeping his eyes off of—possessed a shield with not just the power of Odin behind it but a child lost to her in another life. One who now proudly dined with their All-Father in Valhalla.

"You might be able to slow down time longer, Athena," Tyr conceded with a heavy frown, clearly not liking the sound of this, "but there's no way to know how long, and I will not have you down here vulnerable to Múspellsheimr and Ancient dragons if they catch wind of what's happening. Because they will come, and you are no longer revered in their eyes until Savannah discovers her truth."

"Yet without discovering her truth, we'll all remain that way," Athena countered. "So, I must do this. Can do this."

"I agree." Ulrik nodded at her with approval. "Along with my power to slow things down. Something I can utilize even as Keira and I remain above, overseeing the kingdoms, just as Zane requested."

"I will remain by your side, Athena," Tyr vowed, looking at Ulrik in a way that made clear this would be the first time he went against his orders if he told him to do otherwise. That was no small thing, given his avid devotion to their king. So if Tyr, the mightiest warrior among them with his bearded, scarred visage, said it, he meant it.

?se—Tyr's ever-faithful sidekick and no fan of Zane—crossed her arms over her chest and gave Ulrik the same look. "As will I."

Ulrik disregarded her look and told Tyr he should certainly remain by Athena's side before his steady gaze settled on ?se. "You, however, are not needed here. I have plenty of warriors who can defend Tyr and Athena, including Keira and me. Your superior skills as a fighter will be needed on Zane and Savannah's journey. And make no mistake, my friend, this is the most important journey of them all. One that must succeed if we hope to bring peace to the kingdoms once and for all."

Though ?se scowled, she nodded once at Ulrik, gripped the hilt of the blade sheathed at her waist, and nodded to Savannah as well before narrowing her eyes at Zane. "I will defend you lest you give me a reason not to. If that happens, make no mistake, my blade will be across your throat before you see it coming."

"How comforting," Zane said dryly. He issued her a small, challenging grin, eager to see her try. "Then we can only hope I don't give you a reason because I would hate to see you unable to keep your word."

Where the ice was thawing between him and the rest of his kin, ?se had always been especially stubborn and unforgiving, only seeing Zane as a traitor even though he'd done nothing to earn it. Not really. Mayhap there was a year or two in there where his darker half enjoyed being in charge, but he never ultimately challenged his king, nor would he. Yet in ?se's mind, despite all evidence proving otherwise of late, he was still biding his time before he showed his true colors and usurped Ulrik.

"Enough, you two." Ulrik shot ?se and Zane a warning look before his attention turned to the others. "Rafe, Quinn, Magnus, and Zoey, you will travel with Zane, Savannah, and ?se, as I suspect you will be needed most." He shook his head at them grimly. "I cannot stress enough how important it is that you succeed." His gaze flickered over Keira's belly and unborn child before returning to them. "If you do not, we stand to lose much. Not just our mates but our lives and any hope of peace."

"Understood," Rafe replied, answering for them all because everyone did understand. Something Zane was able to sense now, thanks to a hesitant bond he felt growing between his dragon and their inner beasts. It wasn't nearly what it was when they were children, but it was a beginning. One he was more grateful for than he would admit.

"Are you sure about this?" Savannah asked Athena uneasily. "It sounds like a pretty dangerous thing you're about to do."

"I'm positive." Athena removed her shield from her back and nodded at Savannah with reassurance. "And I can do this, so go find your truth—" she glanced from Tyr to Zane, then back to Savannah— " and your mate because, trust me, it's worth more than you can possibly imagine." She winked, pushed up glasses that were no longer there, and offered a small smile. "Then there's the whole Keep The Peace And Save Dragonkind thing to consider."

"I'm not so sure about the mate part, but the other reasons sound worth the effort." Savannah met Athena's small smile. "Thank you then, and be careful. You better get the hell out of here as fast as you can if we haven't got things figured out before your magic's spent."

"You got it, sweetie." Athena gestured that they get going. "With Ulrik's help, I should be able to buy you a couple of days, so make them count."

That said, Athena wished everyone luck, leaned back against the wall where Savannah had been shackled, held up her shield, and made magic happen. Magic they could only hope held long enough, or everything would go wrong in ways even Zane didn't want to imagine.