19. Ash, Smoke, and Thundering Wingbeats

CHAPTER 19

Ash, Smoke, and Thundering Wingbeats

A storm was brewing on the horizon.

Ryker tasted the impending rain in the air, and he felt it in the marrow of his bones. His magic strummed a steady beat within him, his elemental fae side feeling even closer than normal.

He always got like this when it rained.

Fae derived their strength from the land around them. Whether they were fire fae like the Chancellor and her daughter, air fae like Nikhail, earth fae like Atlas, or water fae like Ryker and River, their power came from the world. Their magic was a gift from the gods, and it grew stronger the more time they spent in the elements.

Once, when his kind lived on the other side of the Obsidian Coast, their power had been even more potent. Back then, before natural disasters destroyed their home, the fae had lived in royal courts.

Those were gone, but their magic remained.

Ryker stood outside the destroyed auditorium at Jade Academy, and his gaze was trained on the sky.

Not much had changed in the four days since he'd first arrived. The land was still scorched, the school was still destroyed, and they were still searching for clues. The academy had been cordoned off. Students had been sent home, temporarily replaced by soldiers, investigators, and Representatives. Some milled about aimlessly, many chatted in small groups, while a few barked orders into phones.

Everyone was tense.

It was like those rebel bastards had planted the bomb and disappeared into thin air. If they were still in the Southern Region—and right now, that seemed unlikely—they weren't anywhere near Sandhaven.

Chancellor Rose had even sent the Core. A tight-knit group of soldiers who worked solely for Ignatia Rose, the Core consisted of two Death Elves, an Earth Elf, a fire fae, and a witch.

The soldiers worked in the shadows and were known for their cruelty, abrasive attitudes, and overall sense of unpleasantness. They didn't have ranks because they didn't believe in them. They were a group of equals whose entire mission in life was to do the Chancellor's bidding.

And they did.

The Core got shit done.

When they arrived on the scene yesterday, Ryker had thought the investigation might finally get somewhere. Alas, they still hadn't uncovered anything new.

Even Myrrah had run into roadblocks with her coven as they sought to learn more about the charred stone.

Dead ends surrounded them, and it was fucking exhausting.

Ryker was at the end of his rope. He was tired of the desert heat, tired of not getting enough sleep, and tired of not being with Brynleigh. The only highlight from the past four days was their almost constant communication. He'd never valued his phone as much as he did right now. Every moment when he wasn't in a meeting or working, he was texting his wife.

It was almost like old times.

Almost.

They still hadn't talked about what happened on their wedding night, but each conversation was easier than the last.

A flash of dark brown hair appeared in the corner of Ryker's eye, and he turned as Felicity approached him.

"Captain." She dipped her chin in greeting. "Are you waiting for the Carinoc Division? "

He crossed his arms and glanced skywards. Still nothing but the impending storm. "I am."

"Hopefully, they were able to find something." Felicity hugged her clipboard to her chest and frowned.

Or this might all be a failure .

Ryker heard the undercurrent in the First Lieutenant's words even though she didn't say them out loud.

No one wanted to fail, especially now that Chancellor Rose had gotten involved.

Failure on a regular day in the Republic of Balance meant embarrassment or, potentially, a mark against your record. That was bad enough. But failure when the Chancellor was closely monitoring the situation? This was the type of thing that could irrevocably ruin careers.

Ryker needed his job not to be affected by this. It was the one thing that had kept him stable in the years after the Incident, and now, it was the reason he was able to keep Brynleigh out of prison.

They needed to find something about the rebels—anything to show that these days in the desert had been worth it.

Grunting, Ryker trained his eyes on the sky. Grey clouds swirled in the distance, darkening the horizon and promising sweet relief from the punishing heat in a few hours.

Extending his fae senses, Ryker listened to the wind. He might not have been a vampire, but his hearing was far better than that of a human.

Beneath the whisper of the breeze, the rustling of leaves, and murmurs of conversations came a steady thump, thump, thump .

Ryker couldn't help but smile.

The sound grew louder with each passing moment. The wind was the symphony, and the thumping was a drum announcing the impending arrival of the creatures of fire, ash, and death.

"They're coming," he breathed.

The words rippled around him. Variations of the same phrase rose over the field. Conversations dropped off. Gazes lifted. Anticipation swirled in the air.

Thump, thump, thump .

Ryker's magic whirled, and his heart thundered as true alpha predators drew near.

All creatures in the Republic of Balance, even powerful fae, recognized the strength of the dragon. The land itself seemed to tremble in eager expectation.

And then he saw them.

Breaking through the dark clouds, their wings outstretched, and fire ripping from their maws were ten dragons. They fanned out in a V formation, their wings flapping in perfect synchrony. They were so high that they were little more than specks against the sky, but they drew everyone's attention.

Thump, thump, thump.

As one, they beat their wings.

As one, they slowly descended.

Nothing in this world was more powerful than them.

Soon, they were close enough to the ground that Ryker could make out the beasts' individual features.

At the tip of the formation, in the position of leadership, was a black dragon twice the size of the others. Onyx horns rose above his head, spikes ran along his back, and his tail was barbed.

Flurries of excitement rose. Even the sternest soldiers couldn't help but get caught up in it. The Carinoc Division was well-known, and their existence was legendary throughout the entire Republic. After all, dragon shifters were a rare breed.

Long ago, the Crimson King had attempted to wipe all dragons from the continent. He'd failed, but they were still few and far between. Even rarer were dragon shifters willing to enter the Republic's army.

Ryker remembered the first time he saw the fire-breathing creatures.

The summer Ryker turned nine, his mother had been overwhelmed with work, so Cyrus took him to their country home in the Western Region. They were fishing at the lake when that same thump, thump, thump filled the air.

Ryker had dropped his pole, the fishing implement promptly sinking to the bottom of the lake. He gazed skyward in wonderment as a trio of dragons flew overhead.

Three decades had passed, but the wonderment remained.

Pulling out his phone, Ryker snapped a picture. He sent it to Brynleigh, along with the caption, Look who showed up .

Not even a minute later, his phone vibrated several times in a row.

Brynleigh

Oh, my gods!

*dragon emoji*

They look even bigger in real life.

A grin pulled at Ryker's lips.

Other than their leader, who was as black as the night, the dragons were a lesson in the colors of the rainbow. Their scales ranged from the palest of yellows to the deepest of blues. They flew as one, and as a unit, they let out a deafening roar that could undoubtedly be heard for miles.

The dragons certainly were dramatic.

Ryker

I felt the same way the first time I saw a dragon.

*fire emoji* If you see Therian…

She didn't finish the sentence, but Ryker knew what she was asking. Therian Firebreath had also participated in the Choosing. He was married to Hallie, a Fortune Elf and one of Brynleigh's closest friends. Even though Brynleigh hadn't said anything about it, she had to be missing Hallie.

I promise, I'll try to talk to him.

The dragons were even closer now, and Ryker could make out the sharp points of their talons.

Slipping his phone into his pocket, he took several large steps back. The others did the same, pressing themselves against trees and buildings in an effort to clear the center of the field.

The massive creatures landed one by one, causing tiny tremors like small earthquakes to rumble across the field.

When the tenth dragon, a smaller navy one, landed at the back, the black dragon leader smacked a foot on the ground. The dragons echoed the signal, thumping their tails three times. Then, iridescent white light erupted from all ten at once.

One moment, fire-breathing creatures of death stood before Ryker. The next, naked men and women had taken their place. Several soldiers ran forward, each bearing a bundle of clothes. Within minutes, the dragon shifters were dressed.

Someone called Ryker's name. He turned as Therian Firebreath strode towards him. The shifter's long legs ate the distance between them in seconds.

Despite everything else that had happened recently, Ryker smiled. He'd grown close to the dragon shifter over the course of the Choosing.

"Good to see you, Waterborn," the dragon shifter said.

"Likewise." Ryker gave Therian a one-armed hug. "Although I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

Very few people in the Republic truly understood what participating in the Choosing was like. Something about being put under the societal microscope changed a person.

"Same." Therian shook out his blond hair as someone called his name in the distance. He lifted a hand, signaling he'd be right over, before turning back to Ryker. "I'm glad I caught you. Hallie's been so worried about Brynleigh. We were sorry to hear she got sick so soon after the wedding."

Ryker's mouth dried. "Yes, she was… indisposed." Not exactly a lie, but the words still tasted like dirt. "But she's feeling better now. I'm looking after her."

He would never stop looking after her.

The other night, when Brynleigh had gone on a job from Jelisette after Ryker had specifically asked her to stay in the apartment, he worried about her all night long. He hadn't slept until she texted him that she was safe and back at the apartment.

Although Ryker's body was in Sandhaven, his heart was back in Golden City .

"Excellent." Therian clapped Ryker on the back, and the fae winced. That would definitely bruise. No wonder the Carinoc Division was so well respected. "My wife will be delighted to hear that. We'll see you at the Reunion, right?"

Ryker's eyes widened, and he inwardly cursed. By the Sands, he'd completely forgotten about that.

Roughly two months after the last wedding took place, Choosing participants gathered for one last celebration. It was the final send-off into the world for the new couples and the closing ceremony of the Choosing. Like the rest of the marriage competition, it would be broadcast to the entire Republic. With everything else going on, it had slipped Ryker's mind.

Forgetfulness wasn't sufficient cause for missing the Reunion, though. He could already hear his mother's sharp voice in his mind.

Waterborns do not fail. Waterborns do not cause scenes. Waterborns attend all social events required of them, even if they do not care to attend because they are the public face of the Central Region fae.

Tertia was already angry with him. He wouldn't dare risk incurring more of his mother's wrath.

"When is it?" he asked Therian.

"Three weeks from tomorrow," the dragon shifter said.

Ryker mentally cataloged that information and nodded. "We'll be there."

They had three weeks to fix everything… or at least enough that going to the Reunion wouldn't break them. It was a tight deadline, but he wasn't intimidated.

He and Brynleigh would repair their relationship, even if it was the last thing they did.