1. Aries

1

ARIES

D renched in warm Astronian sunlight, Paige presses her hands to my chest, her chestnut gaze earnest and full of determination. "Let's go take back your world, Your Highness. Then, we return to liberate mine."

I don't know what to say.

My mind is still reeling from everything that happened inside the Athenaeum, and my dragon is still furious with me for not burning Constantine to the ground before we came through that portal.

To be fair, Paige was right. Fire and libraries don't go well together, and had I unleashed my dragon's breath against the monster who drove us out and nearly killed us in the process, I would've burned the entire place to ash, books included.

Losing books is one thing, but the lives contained inside them are another. Every volume inside the Athenaeum contains an entire realm's story. My world is one of them.

Astronia.

We've arrived just south of the valley where the village is nestled with the castle on the hill above it. The forest at our backs obscures the view of both, but I'd know this spot anywhere. It's a place I used to come often just to get away from palace life for a little while.

I look out at the rolling hills below that give way to mountains in the distance. So much green. Fresh air. And not a single smog-producing car contraption in sight. Getting sucked into the Earth realm was an adventure unlike any other. And while falling for Paige is something I'll never regret, it's damn good to be home.

The relief builds inside me until my dragon wants to let out a roar. I resist the urge to let my wings out. I want to leap into the air and fly and scout.

Scout.

The war.

The horde.

My stomach drops as I remember what I read about what's become of my home in my absence. According to the last entry in my book, war is pressing down upon my world. And without me here to stop it, the horde of evil orcs wins.

Have I come back in time?

Or is it already too late?

"Aries?" Paige presses. "You okay?"

I glance back at the others and realize they're all watching me warily now. For the first time since I met the guardians of the Athenaeum, Keepers as they call themselves, they are looking to me for the answers. Blossom, Mag, the four gnomes—even Bingo—are all out of their element here.

"It's not usually this quiet," I say at last.

Where are the patrols? This hillside is carefully guarded. Or it was. Before…

"Really?" Paige frowns as she, too, looks out at the beautiful view spread before us. "It seems like a pretty remote spot."

I shake my head. "The village is not far through these trees. We patrol this area regularly. Someone should have noticed us out here by now."

Instantly, Blossom, a fierce unicorn shifter and possibly the last of her kind, looks around warily, clearly picking up on my stiffening posture. Her stark white hair billows as she surveys our surroundings.

"Do you think something's happened to the guards?" Paige asks, moving over to be closer to the gnomes—Ted, Zed, Ned, and Fred. Kitty, their raccoon, paws the ground nervously.

"I don't know."

My gaze falls on Bingo, a fierce and growly hellhound who serves as one of the Athenaeum's protectors.

Used to serve.

Bingo meets my gaze and huffs through his large nostrils.

He's wary too.

"Something's not right," I say as the wind picks up, rustling through the trees. I turn toward it, reaching out with my dragon's senses.

The scent of smoke—and beneath it, death—hits me, and I stiffen, scanning the horizon for different reasons now. "I fear I've been gone too long. We need to get to the castle."

"Lead the way, Your Highness," Mag says to me.

I make a face, but hand in hand with Paige, I start walking away from the cliffside. It doesn't sit well with me for my friends to call me that, which is strange since I was born and raised to be king one day, ruling beside my mate. I knew this, and I accepted it—and more, I wanted it.

Unlike my brother.

Leo is a second-born prince through and through. If he's been forced to take the crown in my absence, he is not going to be happy. He was more than satisfied to leave the throne for me and keep all the freedom and adventure for himself. His words, not mine. Then again, if there were a dragon king sitting on the Astronian throne, the future wouldn't look so bleak for my people.

I think of the book Paige is carrying. The one that tells the story of my world and its people—and me. I wonder if the story has changed at all now that I've returned. It's tempting to ask her to stop and show it to me. But if I'm going to save my world, I must join the fight, not read about it.

The farther we walk, the louder my dragon becomes in my head, urging me to unleash my wings and take to the skies, to reclaim them as his own. But if my kingdom is under attack, the last thing I want to do is to be spotted—or worse, alert the enemy to the location of the others. Mag and Blossom are formidable warriors, but we can't handle an entire horde of orcs by ourselves. Not after the battle we just fought to get here.

Beside me, Paige is quiet. Through our bond, I can feel her emotions swirling with both relief and worry. The adrenaline has worn off, and the reality of what we've been through has started to settle in. The gnomes are silent, forgoing their usual chattiness as we march. Even Blossom and Mag are beginning to show signs of exhaustion. Constantine's creatures were relentless.

We're lucky to be alive.

I just hope I can say the same for my own family.

"Are you nervous?" Paige whispers to me as we near the edge of the trees.

"I'm relieved to be back," I say, not sure how to put into words everything running through me just now. "To help them fight if needed."

She squeezes my hand, lowering her voice to a whisper. "I get that. I don't mean about the orcs. I meant about seeing your family."

I glance back and note that Mag and Blossom have put some distance between us as they guard our rear. Bingo has disappeared, but I can scent him close by in the trees, scouting.

I glance at Paige again, unwilling to admit that nervous doesn't begin to cover it. "I suppose how long I've been away will play a role, especially if Leo has ascended the throne in my absence."

Saying the words aloud makes my gut twist. If it's already done, there will be no way to undo it. And my future will have changed forever.

"No matter what, Aries, you have me."

I lean over and kiss Paige's temple. "That will always be enough," I tell her.

"Besides," she adds, "that would only happen if Leo's found his mate, right?"

"True. And Leo never wanted the throne." I snort before adding, "But he wouldn't mind searching through all the potential mates in this kingdom to fulfill his duties."

Paige chuckles.

"Sounds like he's someone Mag might get along with," Blossom calls out.

"Who doesn't get along with me?" Mag asks.

Blossom groans, and I don't have to turn around to know she's likely rolling her eyes.

We ascend the final hill, and I come to an abrupt halt. Beside me, Paige gasps. The others come up behind us. One of the gnomes grabs my leg for support. I don't look down to see who it is.

"Who did this?" Mag asks, quiet rage lacing his words.

I don't answer, unable to look away from the village nestled in the valley below the castle. While my castle appears intact and unharmed, the entire village is scorched and crumbling.

"What happened?" Blossom asks.

"Orcs," Paige answers grimly.

All eyes swing to me.

My hands curl into fists as the need for vengeance nearly takes me over. "The war has begun."

Or it's already over.

With my blood churning, I race down the hill to the gates of the city. The road is barricaded from the outside, but it's an easy task to toss aside enough of the rubble to gain access. The gates themselves are burnt and broken, and the guardhouses are empty.

The others are right behind me as we pass through them into the city.

We walk silently, and I remain watchful for some sign of danger. But nothing moves or comes to greet us, least of all the people who lived here.

"Where is everyone?" Blossom asks in a hushed tone.

I don't answer.

"Hopefully, they got out," Paige says, the words strained with worry—and fear.

I look over, wanting to comfort or reassure her, especially after what we've just gone through. I note the blood on her clothes and the tear in her shirt. Blossom is equally as disheveled. Mag's flesh has already turned to stone, and I know he's bracing himself for a threat as I am.

"Please tell me we didn't leave one battle behind only to have to fight another," Blossom says.

Paige offers her an apologetic look. "Aries' homeland has been attacked by an army of orcs in his absence."

"You're serious?" Blossom glares at her. "You really conjured a portal straight into a war? Are you for real right now?"

"It's why we've been trying to get back here," Paige tells her. "I'm sorry, but Aries' people need him. And us."

"Girl, you are so lucky I love to kill things," Blossom says.

Paige smiles. "I love that about you."

"Me too," Mag adds.

Blossom rolls her eyes. "You're such a kiss ass," she tells him.

"I hope you mean that literally," Mag tosses back with a wink.

Blossom groans, but her irritation is gone, and we all go back to searching for signs of life.

When we come to the alehouse, I veer off and walk to the door. It's shut but unlocked and pushes open easily at my touch. I peer into the shadowy interior and find it empty. There are a few plates of aged food sitting out as if the customers left in a hurry. I scent nothing recent in terms of visitors.

Turning away, I resume our trek, stopping to check several more homes and businesses.

All empty.

My worry grows even as I tell myself it's better to find the place empty than full of bodies.

"This ghost town doesn't have any real ghosts at least," Mag says at last.

I glare at him. One of the books that we explored in our fruitless venture to save Hoc, Paige's adoptive father, had been a literal ghost town. The ghosts in residence hadn't been the most pleasant.

Blossom smacks Mag.

"I was just trying to lighten the mood," he protests.

"Maybe learn to read the room?" Paige suggests.

Mag grimaces. "I didn't mean to offend."

"Let's just get to the castle," I manage.

We hurry through the eerily silent village and up the winding path toward the castle. It looms above us at the top of the valley, and as we near it, I sense movement.

Relief washes over me as a castle guard comes into view. I don't recognize him, but that doesn't mean much. My personal interactions only ever extended to the officers and my own personal guard. This man is neither.

He appears unharmed and fully alert in his royal uniform, though I note the battle armor he wears even in broad daylight at the castle gates.

"Halt! Identify yourselves," the guard demands.

The others stop as a dozen spears are aimed in our direction.

I step forward, lifting my head high so they can see me clearly. "I am Aries Nemos, heir to the throne of Astronia, defender of this land, and your future king."

He glances at my clothing, which is much different than the styles of this world, and confusion mars his features. But when he sees my face, his eyes widen in recognition, and he bows.

"Your Highness." He motions to the other guards. "Lower your weapons!"

They quickly do as he says and bow their heads.

A moment later, the iron gate at his back opens and we're ushered through.

"Come," I say to the others, grabbing Paige's hand tightly.

The guards remain with heads bowed as we pass. No one comments on my attire that they surely think bizarre. Not to mention the other creatures I've brought with me. We make a motley crew, especially since Mag is still a walking stone gargoyle, but I wouldn't exchange any of them for the world.

Inside the castle walls, nearly every available space is cramped with villagers. They line the walls and crowd into the alleyways between the royal shops, some with tents erected as if they've claimed the cobblestones as their own.

Despite the masses, my attention is drawn to the obvious pageantry going on inside the castle itself. Trumpets are blaring. Banners soar, decorated in the royal colors and crest. Something important is going on.

I start forward anxiously.

"What's the celebration?" Paige asks one of the villagers.

"The royal wedding, of course," the elderly woman replies gaily.

Paige and I exchange a glance, and then I'm hurrying through the crowd.

I lead the way into the castle and straight to the throne room with the others close on our heels. Guards pull the doors open for us, each one lowering their heads in recognition once they spot me.

Inside, I come to a stop as I sweep the large room and the absurd number of people in it.

High vaulted ceilings cause the hum of voices to echo loudly. Massive columns, intricately carved with images of dragons, are wrapped in gold and silver ribbons. Large tapestries, each one depicting battles and dragons, hang between large arched windows.

I look past all the decorations, my heart thudding wildly.

At the end of the aisle, my mother stands on the raised platform in front of the double emerald thrones meant for the two rulers of Astronia. On either side of the thrones are large twin statues of dragons in smooth marble, their ruby eyes fixed on the crowd.

But I can't look away from the couple standing before my mother. The male is my height, but where I have the muscles, he is lean and lithe. Even if I didn't know my brother's figure, I'd know him by his dress. The overdone finery is typical for an event such as this, but even if it weren't, Leo has always preferred the extravagant.

Beside him is a woman dressed in white and heavily veiled.

This isn't any wedding.

This is my brother's wedding.

And a coronation.

"Uh-oh," Mag says loudly.

Every single guest turns to see the commotion we've caused.

"What is this interruption?" my mother declares loudly before her gaze finally lands on me. Her eyes widen, and the color drains from her face, but she recovers the next moment. "Aries! You have returned!"

The crowd begins to murmur, but my mother waves away the people. "This ceremony is concluded until further notice," she announces. "You may exit immediately."

The guards shoo the guests toward the doors still open behind us, and people begin to file past us in droves.

My mother rushes between Leo and his bride? Wife? Is the wedding over? Did we miss it? She practically shoves them aside in her haste down the aisle to where I stand.

Leo hurries behind Mother. "Aries, it is so good?—"

"What is all of this?" the bride screeches.

Her gown is more extravagant than any I've ever seen with enough layers and lace that I'm not sure how she's able to walk beneath the weight of it. She does her best to hurry up the aisle behind Leo, and I can't help but think she looks familiar. But then my mother steps in, blocking my view.

"Aries, it's really you," my mother breathes as she reaches me. She grabs me and pulls me into a tight hug. "I can't believe it. I thought you… but no, I never lost hope."

I wrap my arms around her, relief and joy filling me. Before I left, my mother had been driving me crazy with her matchmaking, but now, I'm simply grateful to find her alive and well.

"I'm home, Mother."

When she releases me, her eyes are watery though she manages to hold back actual tears. Ever the well-mannered royal. "Where have you been?" she asks.

"I was called away," I say, reaching for Paige's hand.

My mother steps back, eyeing us both with a new expression. I can see the questions forming, but she doesn't get to ask a single one before Leo is shoving his way forward and grasping me in a quick hug.

"Right on time," he tells me with a grin. And then to my mother, he adds, "The wedding is off now, is it not?"

Relief shudders through me. We're just in time then.

Behind Leo, through her veil, I can see the bride's expression become horrified. "You can't?—"

"Aries has returned, so there is no need for Leo to marry, especially not to a woman who is not his mate," my mother says firmly. The queen turns to the wide-eyed bride, whom I finally begin to realize is familiar to me. "I am sorry, Esma, but you know we all had reservations about this arrangement considering Leo wouldn't have been able to ensure the dragon line continued without his fated mate."

Esma, a flamingo shifter who'd not-so-subtly let her interest in me be known, rips her veil back, glaring.

"Hello, Esma," I say as politely as I can.

Beside me, Paige tenses.

Esma gives me a once-over and then lifts her chin with renewed determination. "Well, then, Aries needs to be wed if the crown is to go to him, and since I'm already dressed for the occasion?—"

"That won't be necessary. I have my mate," I say.

My mother's expression fills with happiness, but the flamingo shifter's eyes narrow. Her pinched lips and her wrinkled nose make her appear bird-like—and scheming.

"That's outrageous," Esma declares though no one acknowledges her.

"Oh, thank goodness," Leo exclaims. He glances from Paige to Blossom and even to Mag before asking, "Which one is your mate?"

I shake my head. As if our tightly joined hands didn't give it away.

Paige shyly steps forward, but she lifts her chin and smiles. "That would be me."

Leo grabs her free hand and sinks to his knees. "You have saved my life, sweetheart."

I roll my eyes, and Blossom snickers, clearly entertained by Leo's dramatics.

"I owe you a life debt," Leo continues, "for saving me from that woman." He jabs his thumb at Esma, who looks ready to explode with fury.

"Excuse me. This is your mate?" Esma shrieks. "This… this… this mouse of a woman?"

Paige stiffens.

I squeeze her hand, speaking up quickly. "I assure you my mate is no mouse."

Esma's eyes narrow, and I can see she's not going to let this go. "What is she then?" Esma demands. "Not another dragon, or I would sense it."

"Aries has found his mate," my mother interrupts, her tone cool. "You know how important that is for the kingdom's future. Your service is appreciated, but you are no longer needed, Esma. The guards will escort you home."

Once more, Esma glowers at Paige before she all but stomps out of the throne room, her head jerking forward and back, making her look even more like a bird than normal.

"Fucking flamingos," Mag mutters.

Leo snorts. "You have no idea."

Then he shudders, and that is all it takes for me to roar with laughter. I embrace my brother, clapping him on the back. I have not felt happier since, well, since the claiming bite.

"Mother, allow me to introduce you to Paige Murphy, my mate and Astronia's new queen. Paige, this is my mother, Dorthea Nemos, Astronia's ruling queen."

I fall silent, my heart nearly beating out of my chest. Will my mother approve of a mate from a far-off world? One who is not a shifter and not one of us? Will she say something to alienate Paige when we need to be united? My mother is a good woman, but she is also set in her ways and opinionated, and if she agreed to have Leo marry Esma despite what that meant for our dragon line, then my mother is quite desperate.

"It is so nice to meet you," Paige says warmly.

I can sense some nerves through our bond, but she's also… hopeful.

My mother takes Paige's hands in hers and looks her up and down. "It is very nice to meet you, Paige Murphy, though you are not yet Astronia's queen."

Paige's smile falters.

"But you will be soon enough," my mother finishes, her smile radiant and welcoming. "We have a kingdom to save."