Chapter 41

FORTY-ONE

T he flight back to the palace took longer than usual. Kai took a circuitous route, making sure they weren’t followed. Quinn remained quiet against his back, though her grip never loosened. He could practically hear her mind working, processing everything that had happened.

When the palace finally came into view, its spires catching the last rays of the setting suns, Kai landed in a private courtyard rather than the main entrance. The moment his claws touched down, Quinn slid from his back, stumbling slightly on shaky legs.

“Sorry,” she muttered, steadying herself against a nearby pillar. “First long flight flying dragon-class. Still getting my land legs back.”

He shifted back to human form, reaching to steady her. “You did remarkably well.”

“Yes, well, trying not to die is excellent motivation for quick learning.” She didn’t pull away from his touch, which he counted as progress. “Though I have to say, this wasn’t quite how I imagined our little cave expedition ending.”

“No?” He kept his tone light despite the tension still thrumming through him. “You didn’t expect magical revelations and aerial battles with shadow dragons?”

“Shockingly, that wasn’t in the job description when I signed up.” She finally looked up at him, her expression complicated. “Though I suppose the job description wasn’t entirely accurate anyway, was it?”

The accusation in her voice stung, but he couldn’t deny it. “I never meant to deceive you.”

“No? Just conveniently forgot to mention that I might be your magical destiny?” She pulled away, running a hand through her wind-tousled hair. “That Ordan might have manipulated my entire presence here?”

“I didn’t know about Ordan’s involvement.” The thought still made his blood boil. “If I had...”

“What? You would have sent me away?” She spun to face him, eyes flashing. “Protected me from the big bad dragon’s schemes?”

“Yes,” he admitted without hesitation.

“Well, tough luck, Your Majesty, because that’s not your decision to make.” She jabbed a finger at his chest. “I came here to do a job. To study unprecedented geological phenomena that could advance our understanding of planetary tectonics. The fact that said phenomena happen to be caused by your magical identity crisis doesn’t change that.”

Despite everything, he found his lips twitching. “Magical identity crisis?”

“Would you prefer ‘supernatural seismic situation’? ‘Mystical mountain mayhem’?” The corner of her mouth quirked up. “I can do this all day.”

“Please don’t.” But the tension had broken, replaced by something warmer. “You’re really not running away from this?”

Her expression softened. “Kai, I’m a scientist. When I encounter something I don’t understand, my first instinct isn’t to run from it. It’s to study it. To figure it out.” She gestured at the mountains surrounding them. “Your magic, these mountains, the connection between them—it’s the scientific discovery of a lifetime. Even if...” She hesitated.

“Even if what?”

“Even if it comes with some... complicated personal implications.” A faint blush colored her cheeks. “The whole fated mates thing. I’m not saying I believe in destiny or anything, but...”

“But?”

“But I can’t deny there’s something here. Something I can’t explain with pure science.” She met his eyes squarely. “And I’m willing to explore that. To figure out what it means. Just... don’t expect me to suddenly embrace some fairy tale romance just because magic says we’re compatible.”

Hope bloomed in his chest. “So you’ll stay?”

“Someone has to figure out how to stabilize these mountains before your kingdom shakes apart.” She shrugged, trying for casual despite the softness in her eyes. “Besides, I’ve already started cataloging the unique crystalline formations in the ice caves. Can’t leave a research project half-finished.”

“Of course not. Very unprofessional.”

“Exactly.” She narrowed her eyes at his teasing tone. “Don’t look so smug. This doesn’t mean you’ve won anything.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Though I do have one question.”

“What?”

“How did you know exactly where to strike the ice shelf? Even I couldn’t have predicted how it would break.”

A proud smile lit up her face. “Simple geological analysis. The crystalline structure showed clear stress patterns that, when combined with the underlying fault lines and your magical energy flow, created a perfect weak point. Hit it in exactly the right spot and...” She mimed an explosion with her hands. “Physics does the rest.”

“Simple geological analysis,” he repeated, shaking his head in amazement. “Remind me never to underestimate you.”

“Too late for that. But you can make it up to me by answering about fifty questions about how your magic interfaces with the local tectonic structure.” She pulled out her notebook again. “Starting with the energy frequency patterns I recorded in the cave before everything went sideways.”

“Now?”

“No time like the present. Besides,” she added with a pointed look, “you owe me for the whole ‘hiding the magical destiny thing’ situation.”

He couldn’t argue with that. “Where would you like to start?”

“From the beginning.” She settled onto a nearby bench, patting the space beside her. “Tell me everything about how the first Dragon Kings shaped these mountains. Leave nothing out.”

As Kai sat beside her, watching her prepare to take notes with the same intensity she brought to everything, he marveled at how perfectly his magic had chosen. No swooning maiden or power-hungry noble—his fated mate was a brilliant scientist who approached even magic with analytical precision and unwavering curiosity.

The path ahead wouldn’t be easy. Ordan and his allies would strike again, and the kingdom’s instability wouldn’t resolve itself overnight. But watching Quinn sketch complex geological diagrams while peppering him with increasingly technical questions about magical energy flow, Kai felt true peace for the first time in centuries.

They would face whatever came next together—the Dragon King and his scientist, magic and science intertwined in ways neither fully understood yet. And somehow, that seemed exactly right.

“Are you even listening?” Quinn’s voice broke through his thoughts. “I asked about the correlation between magical surge events and microseismic activity.”

“My apologies.” He smiled, focusing on her curious eyes and the way her hand never stopped moving across the page. “Where were we?”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t quite hide her answering smile. “The beginning, remember? Though at this rate, we’ll be here until the next ice age.”

“I have time if you do.”

“Smooth talker.” But she shifted slightly closer as she started a new page. “Now, about those surge events...”

Above them, the twin suns sank below the horizon, painting the ice-wrapped kingdom in shades of amber and rose. In the distance, the mountains stood silent and strong, waiting to share their secrets with the woman who would help save them all—whether she believed in destiny or not.