Chapter 46

Chapter

Forty-Six

Rose

As the four of us traveled back to Magnus's home via carriage, some of the tension in my body began to ease. Not a lot, but I would take what I could get.

Too much had happened with too much still unknown for me to completely relax. I still hadn't processed everything that had happened, including the fact that Magnus was somewhat responsible for the death of my people.

My stomach churned. It didn't feel right placing that blame on his shoulders considering everything else. If I expected everyone else to forgive him what he did under the King's spell, then I should have the decency to do the same.

I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. I wasn't ready to delve too deeply into those feelings yet. Not when I desperately needed something nice and normal.

Or as normal as the fae realm could be.

So for the first time since we'd arrived, I really stopped with all the drama and took the time to look around. First, at the sweeping hills that looked nearly identical to the landscape of my beloved Scotland. I was going to miss my home, but I could also sense a growing connection to this one.

And second, the also nearly identical weather. Rainy one minute, sunny the next, and all the fog in between. I breathed deep, taking some comfort in that little bit of familiarity because that was certainly where it seemed to stop.

Take the carriage for example. It looked straight out of a historical movie. It was made from the most beautiful carved wood I'd ever seen in my life, but it was still worn and homey from years of obvious use. It wasn't quite as comfortable, or as fast, as riding in my car, but it gave us all a chance to take a moment to breathe without any outside pressure.

No flying with dragons, or sprites attacking us…

As I peered out the open window again, a shiver swept over me and Magnus growled in response before pulling me tighter to his side. I certainly wasn't ever going to complain about the warmth he provided. Once the sun had gone down so had the temperature. I made a note that if we were going to use carriages for travel in the future, I'd need to pack a blanket.

"We're almost there," he said against my ear. "And once we are, you can take your clothes off and?—"

"For the Goddess's sake do not finish that sentence. I do not want any pictures in my head that do not belong there," Isaac hissed.

Kitra elbowed him in the ribs. "Grow up, dragon-man. The only naked woman you'll be seeing is me."

"Okay, maybe we should change the subject," Magnus said. "We need something else to occupy our minds until we are alone again."

"I offered to go my own way. In fact, I would have preferred it."

"And we both know that if you'd taken to the skies, you would have drawn every demon sprite in the kingdom. Those little shits never stop."

Isaac snorted. "Maybe now that you're King, you can do something about that. I, for one, am totally up for a good barbecue."

"Isaac," Kitra groaned. "Must you always try to kill them? Especially Ensley. How many times is she going to help us before you give her a break?"

"A tiger doesn't change his stripes, little beast. And neither does a demon. If you don't think her help has come at a price, then you are blind."

"What kind of price?" I asked.

Kitra shook her head. "There is no price. My mate is just extra paranoid."

Isaac rolled his eyes. "Mark my words."

"There is no price," Kitra repeated. "Trust me."

"What are you going to do, now that you've come back here?" Magnus blurted, changing the subject without an ounce of subtlety. "I never expected to see either of you again."

Isaac clamped his mouth shut and crossed his arms over his chest.

Kitra sighed.

I couldn't tell exactly what was going on between them right now as they both seemed reluctant to answer. It was then it finally dawned on me. They'd warned me about the time shifts and what would happen when we came through the portal and then tried to go back. Which is why I'd assumed we wouldn't go back.

I didn't want to see everything I'd missed. Coming here was too important and an experience I couldn't pass up, but to go back. No. For better or worse, I belonged here now.

"How much time has passed?"

"A lot," Magnus said when it seemed neither of them were going to answer me. "A lot."

It didn't seem like we had been here that long, but I distinctly remember Kitra telling me that her and Isaac had only been apart for five minutes here and for him in Scotland, three months had passed.

That would mean... At least decades...

"There will be no reason to go back. My motives for being in that time were already thin to begin with." The tone of Isaac's voice squeezed my heart. I could feel the pain and heartbreak, no matter how well he tried to hide it.

"What about you Kitra? You must have some family here. You weren't gone that long, right?"

She shook her head. "No family. But I have Ensley. She was my mother's friend."

Isaac snorted again and both Kitra and I glared at him. Whatever his issues were with the sprite this was NOT the time. I could feel this conversation weighing on everyone in this carriage, making it difficult to take a cleansing breath.

"I would have happily stayed in the human realm. Most of my recent memories from this one are too harsh to bear. But I also could not put my happiness above what the bastard king would have done to both realms if he'd opened that portal. Ultimately, we made the right choice."

She gave Isaac's hand a squeeze, and the look he turned on her was both so full of love and desire that it nearly took my own breath away. Before I could reach across the carriage and reassure Kitra that all would be well, the vehicle came to a halting stop.

"We're here," the driver announced.

"Perfect," Isaac said, sweeping Kitra into his arms before he carried her down the steps. "We'll be on our way then."

"What? You're leaving? Where will you go?" I looked over at Magnus who merely shrugged. When I glared at him over that trite response, he finally exhaled an exasperated breath.

"There's plenty of room here. You're welcome to stay with us. We all need to rest."

"Hell no," Isaac boomed. "I am not spending another night in the same house with you two after the last one."

Heat flooded my cheeks as I remembered that night. Magnus had been insatiable. I had been insatiable. And neither of us had bothered to be silent about it.

"We'll be at the inn," Kitra called from Isaac's arms as he carried her away. "I will come back in the morning..."

"Well, I guess that's that," Magnus growled as he reached for me. I tried to scoot out of his reach, but this carriage was far too small and there was nowhere else to go.

"Unhand me, you brute." I slapped at his fingers that had already wrapped around my arm. "I don't know what ideas you've got in your head, but if anyone is carrying anyone it will be I you."

Magnus snorted with laughter. "I'd like to see you try."

I laughed back at him. "Okay, maybe I can't carry you. But I can get some valerian, and make sure you don't do anything."

A wicked grin crossed his face. "Except we both know I need my dragon to finish healing, and you wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that, would you?"

I huffed a breath. "Of course not, you jerk." I laughed. "Now get out of my way so I don't accidentally do something to your body I shouldn't."

He waggled his brows. "You can do whatever you'd like with my body."

I laughed harder. That was so cheesy, and yet the way he growled those words had lit up my body much like a christmas tree. "You're incorrigible."

"No. I am just a dragon and I shall prove that to you." He pushed off the carriage and took his big, muscular body through the tiny doorway with far more grace than a man his size should be able. Shaking my head, I gathered the basket of herbs and potions the witch had provided and I followed him outside.

The second I lifted my head I drew up short at the giant green dragon practically in my face. I clutched my chest in surprise. "How about you give a girl a heads up before you scare the hell out of me. If I had a weapon in my hand I could have accidentally hurt you."

A low rumble rolled through his chest, and I imagined him laughing at me. "Okay, fine. I don't have a weapon, but still. That's not the point."

I took the final step to the ground and his snout awkwardly nuzzled at my neck. He didn't exactly fit there, but I appreciated the sentiment.

"I'm happy to see you were able to shift so quickly." I tipped my head towards his tattered clothing scattered around the ground.

"If-if you don't need anything else, miss—" The dragon growled at the carriage driver trying to talk to me. "I mean, my lady, of course." I winced before he continued. "I'm going to return home now."

"Of course. Please." I automatically reached for my nonexistent purse to give him a tip before stopping short when I realized what I'd done. I'd brought nothing from home through that portal at Kitra's demand, and while I did have a few pieces of gold and silver inside, I didn't even know what the protocol was here. And I had no one to ask, I thought while glaring at Magnus who simply huffed out a breath and rolled his eyes.

Seriously? Did dragons always have to be so weird? I can't believe I'd ever found him frightening.

I turned back to talk to the driver again, but he'd already resumed his position and prodded the horses to leave. As I watched him go, I marveled again at how different this world was from mine. Would I ever get used to it?

You will .

I whirled around to find Magnus still behind me, staring in the same direction I was. The fresh wave of relief that suddenly washed over me, nearly took me to my knees. After watching him die multiple times, hearing him in my mind was just— everything .

That is a really good word.

I was so afraid. The odds weren't just stacked against us—fate seemed determined to take you away.

Magic shimmered along his body, sparkling in the moonlight as the dragon released him back to me. As the creature, he was the most wondrous thing I'd ever seen. But this... His human form stalking forward, truly was everything.

"I am going nowhere without you, my love. You are my other half." He gathered me in his arms and pressed my face to his chiseled chest. Heat rushed through me as every nerve in my body tingled.

"You are the king," I said, searching his face trying to gauge his emotions. Despite some of the evident pride, there was a heavy weight that came with it and I could sense it pressing down on his shoulders. "What does that mean for us?" I finally asked quietly, reaching up to trace the line of his jaw. "For me?"

He covered my hand with his. "It changes nothing between us. You are still my partner. My mate. My queen." His brow furrowed. "But I understand if you need time to adjust to this new reality."

I pinched my lips, my gaze dropping. "It's a lot."

"Do you think you will be able to forgive me?"

My head shot up to meet his gaze where I found a cloud of worry and darkness shrouding his features.

"I need time to process, not forgive. You were a dragon living under an unforgivable spell. I won't ever hold that over you. That's not who I am."

He grabbed my hand and pressed it to his lips. "You are a hundred times the fae that I will ever be. I don't know what I did to find such a mate, but I'm never letting you go."

Glancing back up, I gave him a small smile. "Even if I don't know anything about being a queen or even how to go about it?"

"You will be remarkable. Of that I have no doubt. The realm will be lucky to have you." His thumb brushed my cheek. "We'll figure it out together. Trust me."

"I do. I'm just…"

"Scared?" He offered, his expression both softening and growing heated at the same time.

I nodded, biting my lip. "A little."

"There's nothing unusual about that. This is a wild and new life for us both." He pulled me tight against him. "One we will navigate together. Side by side.

He captured my mouth with a searing kiss that I immediately sank into. My hands roamed over him, enjoying the sensation of his perfection as well as reassuring myself there were no lingering wounds.

Together. The more he said it, the more I believed.

Heat sizzled through my blood as he devoured me where we stood, until he grasped my butt and lifted me into his arms. I eagerly wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed every inch of his golden skin as he carried me into the house. Our house.

We had so much to look forward to.

Our home. Our family. Our village. Our people. Our love.

Everything.