Kastali Dun

Talon's stomach lodged in his throat. He couldn't move, couldn't think. There was a chance—there had always been a chance. Taylynn said it likely wouldn't work like the others, but they'd never had proof.

Still, when nothing happened...

He couldn't help his sigh of relief. Koldis let out a whoop from behind him. Claire's elation bled into his mind, mixing with a premature sense of victory.

Kane's eyes widened and he looked up. It was the first time the sorcerer displayed a human emotion other than anger or malice. His confusion was obvious. After all, he'd used magic to fuse the stone into place.

It should have worked.

"Well, that's a shame," Claire announced, her voice bright.

"What have you done?" Kane snarled.

"You used the wrong stone."

"What are you talking about?!" His lip curled.

"That stone—it's white. The two stones protected by the sprites were black and gold. But you wouldn't know that, because you never got your hands on them until you forced Taylynn to hand them over. She switched the white for the black."

"But that's..." Kane's eyes darted down to Fright's dragonstone. "That's impossible. I can feel the magic coming off this stone."

"Oh, it's definitely a real dragonstone. Just...not one of the original five." Claire lifted a shoulder.

Taylynn had told them exactly what she'd done when they'd visited her cottage that day in the forest. Of how Kane had confronted them. How he'd demanded she hand over the stones as she retrieved them. How he'd killed Pelwynn anyway.

The sprite princess had done the only thing she could think of. She'd taken Fright's stone and quickly swapped it with the black. "All this time," Talon said. "All this time you thought you had the ultimate power in the palm of your hands."

"To be fair, so did the rest of us," Reyr muttered from behind him.

Talon knew that Reyr would forever feel guilty for this, even if he shouldn't. Kane hadn't exactly allowed the imposter king a good look at the stone before having him carted off to the dungeon. Besides, Reyr had been a bit more preoccupied with everything else going on during those disastrous moments in the throne room.

"It's over, Kane." Claire reached behind her for a sword. She pulled Cyrus's blade free. "I told you what would happen if you used that stone."

"No! Kill them!" Kane screamed at the guards. "Bring them down!"

Claire lunged. He went to follow but was immediately beset with blades. Drawing his own, he worked to fight free. He was barricaded in—cut off from his mate. "Protect her!" he shouted at Feowen, who had somehow broken free of the circle trapping them. "You are her captain of the guard! Protect her!"

Feowen gave him a brief nod while lifting his blades.

Kane saw her coming. He reached for something, removing it from his pocket. Talon was forced to split his attention between his attackers and Claire's movements. He felt her eyes widen as Kane popped open the cork on a vial of clear liquid before muttering an incantation. The liquid poured over the dais stairs creating a window—a portal.

"As if I'd let you kill me," he scoffed at Claire before jumping.

"No!" she screeched, lunging for him. She managed to grab hold of his cloak before he dragged her with him.

Talon froze and screamed, "Claire!"

Feowen jumped in after her, right as the portal of water closed.

No! He couldn't lose her again. He couldn't let this happen again.

His scales began to flicker across his skin, fury bleeding through his mind. He lunged for the nearest soldiers, removing three heads in rapid succession. The only thing that kept him moving was the knowledge that Claire was still alive. He could feel her in his mind, distant, but there. Her thoughts were mere whispers.

If she died, he would too. He would fall to his knees here and now and beg the guards to end him. He couldn't live in a world that didn't have her in it.

There was a weak press of affection against his thoughts. "I'm all right," she whispered.

The fighting was over in minutes. When he next blinked, the ground was littered with Oshean soldiers. The doors to the throne room opened and Taylynn swept in, a mob of sprites behind her, including the rest of Claire's guards, who had been charged with eliminating the hundreds of Oshean soldiers occupying the barracks. Behind her, Saffra walked with her team of operatives, escorting the remaining mages Kane hadn't killed. Claire's handmaidens, her ladies, her best friend all took up positions behind them, taking in the carnage with wide eyes.

Silence fell, deep and profound, punctuated by his panicked beating heart.

Taylynn took a quick look around, ignoring the courtiers cowering against the walls. Her expression relaxed when she noticed Koldis standing in one piece, then tightened again when she realized something was wrong.

"They went through a portal," Talon growled, stalking over to her. "You need to get me to her. I need—"

"No." Taylynn lifted a hand to silence him. She appeared to wrestle with her emotions for several moments before she schooled her features and very calmly said, "Your Majesty, it is out of my hands."

"No!" The world was a snarl. He advanced on her, crazed, half ready to strangle her if necessary.

Koldis appeared beside him. His shield's hand latched around his wrist, halting him. "My king," Koldis warned.

He growled, not taking his eyes from Taylynn. "I need to go to her."

"And how do you expect me to make that happen? The snap of my fingers? A couple of magical words?"

"I don't know," he cried, growing more frantic. "You're a sprite. You can do things we drengr cannot."

She scoffed a laugh. "If I could travel like that, I would have saved much time in my life."

"Then how have you been getting around, to do whatever meddling you've done over the years?"

"By unicorn, how else?"

His jaw ticked. He could feel Claire's peral. Could feel the danger she was in. "She could be—she could be fighting him right this instant!"

"And that would be all right."

He lunged as a menacing growl erupted from his chest, this time barely missing Taylynn's throat as Koldis wrapped both arms around him, keeping his mate safe. "Let me go," he snarled.

"Have you forgotten her promise?" Taylynn said, still unruffled. "Or Saffra's vision?" She cocked her head to the side to study him. His chest heaved, but his body went limp in Koldis's arms. "Claire is doing what she was always meant to do. You will be of no help to her. You are needed here. You have a kingdom to stabilize. You are Dragonwall's king. Put your emotions aside and start acting like it."

He bristled. If she wouldn't help him, he'd fly there himself. "Where is she? I know you know. You've seen it, haven't you? Where is she?"

"She is beyond our reach," Taylynn said. He glared at her and she sighed. "She is in Shadowkeep."

"Shadokeep?!" he roared.

But that was...half a world away.

"She did not go alone, my king." Reyr stepped up beside him.

Taylynn glanced around again and then her eyes widened. "My brother?"

"Yes," Reyr said.

"Good." Taylynn nodded, as if to herself. "That's good. He will see her home safely."

"What?" Talon balked.

"You heard me, Ayas Drollaya. Your queen has her own quest ahead of her. It is time you trust her to do that which needs to be done. Trust that we have all prepared her as best as we can. Trust that she is strong. That she is capable. That she is the woman, the mate worthy of you. She is not some fragile thing so easily broken. But you already know this, don't you?"

Talon swallowed, clenching his jaw.

"Turn your focus towards rebuilding your capital and securing your kingdom. Even now, asarlaí are pouring in from Oshea, attempting to claim the lands Kane promised. Your work here is not yet done."

Koldis gave him a firm squeeze and said, "Feowen loves her like a sister. He will let no harm come to her."

Talon shrugged him off and straightened. He flexed his neck, cracking the joints, then said, "You're right. Taylynn is right. My queen is powerful. She can take care of herself. Forgive me, Taylynn. I overstepped."

He could have sworn in that moment, he felt a thin slip of amusement travel through his bond with Claire. Like she was proud of him for admitting this. Proud of him asking for forgiveness.

"It is forgiven." Taylynn waved a hand. "I believe my mate would react much the same had I disappeared like that."

Beside him, Koldis huffed and said, "You'd better not or there will be hell to pay."

Talon scrubbed a hand over his face. "I can barely feel her, but she is alive and...unharmed."

"Good. Then you have work to do."

***

Work was an understatement.

He spent the remainder of the day assessing damages, delegating tasks, and organizing small groups of drengr to weed out the remaining Osheans around the city.

He sent drengr messengers to the other forts, letting them know Kane had retreated. He put measures in place to rebuild his military. He oversaw the cleansing of the throne room, erasing all signs of Kane.

There was no rest to be had. He didn't even eat, even though he was famished. The thought of food in Claire's absence made his stomach sour.

By the time his shields forced him to retreat to his tower for their evening meeting, it was already well past midnight. He sagged in his favorite armchair, thanking the gods Kane hadn't mutilated his tower the way he had the throne room.

Desaree and Leah had organized a team to remove their belongings from the cave and move them back into the tower. The place was glowing with warmth. It smelled as if it had been freshly cleaned. He was grateful for the work they'd put in, offering him a quiet place to retreat.

Only, it wasn't a retreat, nor would it be. Not until Claire was here, tucked safely in his arms where she belonged. He stroked Batty, the cat curled in his lap. His shields recounted each of their efforts in the city, while Claire's spriten guards shifted uneasily, perched along the perimeter of the room. He'd offered them places to sit, extra chairs if they wished, but they formally declined. Taylynn was off doing the gods only knew what. Koldis didn't seem bothered by it. Perhaps he was growing used to her antics.

His focus was split between listening, and reaching for his mate. It wasn't like normal drengr communication. That would have been impossible, especially with an entire forest between Kastali Dun and Shadowkeep. It was only because of their mate bond that he could feel her at all, steady and alive. Beyond that, who could say?

He had no idea if she was with Kane. If she'd fought him and won. No idea if she was hurt. Nothing.

Not knowing made him feel ill.

But Taylynn was right. He needed to trust that she could do this. Trust that she could fulfill her unbreakable promise. He'd done everything in his power to prepare her during their journey to the capital, testing her mage magic, helping her hone it.

This wasn't like before, he reminded himself. When she'd been ripped from him and sent back to her world. This time she had her memories and magic. Her abilities remained in tact.

She could do this—

"My king?" Jovari.

"What?" His head snapped up.

"I asked if you would like us to accompany some of the drengr departing for the costal cities tomorrow afternoon."

"I'll do it," Verath volunteered. Desaree was nestled in his lap. She sat up straighter, like she was ready to protest. She knew better than to interfere with duty, but she'd only just gotten him back.

"No," Talon said. "You've been in the dungeon. I want you to recover."

Verath grumbled something under his breath, but slouched back into the sofa. No doubt he'd been feeling useless, caged for so long. He'd get over it.

"Koldis, Jovari—both of you can go. Reyr, I want you to fly to Fort Squall, pay your nephew and his mate a visit. Find out what became of all those captives that he had freed. Make sure they all make it back home okay. Then find the ships responsible for freeing them and set them up with a fine sum of money. Enough for their entire crew to retire, if desired."

Reyr and Merrian shared a look. Talon was tempted to ask Reyr what was going on between him and Merrian, but later. He didn't care to know right now. "It will be done, my king."

"What of us, Your Majesty?" Saffra looked at him. She sat with Jocelyn and Leah on the rug beside the fire, a pile of pillows scattered around them.

"Continue working with Tess to get the keep back up in working order, if you would—"

"I—" Leah opened her mouth, then snapped it closed when she realized she'd interrupted.

"What is it?"

"I noticed today that the royal library was in severe disarray," she said. He stared at her, waiting. "I would like to help there, if that would be all right."

"There are already librarians for such a job," Verath drawled. Desaree swatted his chest and whispered something to him. He shut his mouth and pressed his lips together, dropping the subject.

Talon sat up straighter. The library was indeed in a sad state. Kane had, in his thirst for more power, swept through and taken whatever books he pleased, destroyed those he saw fit, and more. There would be no fixing some of the damage he'd done, but they would rebuild as best they could.

"You used to work in a library?" He knew far more about Leah than necessary. Claire loved the young woman like a sister so, in a way, he did too.

"Yes."

"What did you do?"

"At the library?" He lifted his brows. "Oh. Well, I organized events, helped manage the keeping of books, that sort of thing. I've even done a bit of book binding and restoring," she announced proudly.

He nodded. "Good. I will introduce you to the master librarian myself. You will apprentice to him, and perhaps someday, take over his position. I'm sure he could use the extra help in repairing the damages done."

"What?!" She gawked.

"Shall I repeat my—?"

"No! I mean. Sorry. I just..." Her cheeks flushed. "I don't need special treatment."

"It isn't special treatment if you are qualified. I'll let the master librarian make that decision once you begin working with him."

She lifted her chin. "I will do my best. Thank you—for the opportunity."

They spent the remainder of the meeting finalizing plans for the next several days. It was the kind of work that was better done with two monarchs rather than one. It made the pain of missing Claire that much worse. And yet, her job was the most important one of all.

If she managed to fulfill her promise, to kill Kane and return to him victorious, he would never be able to repay her for such a monumental task. But that didn't mean he wouldn't spend the rest of their days together making it up to her. Every single moment. 

💕❤️💕Don't forget to heart this chapter!❤️💕❤️

Hello bookdragons!

Phew. We dodged a bullet with that one...sort of. I love that Taylynn was the real MVP here. With a bit of quick thinking, thanks to Fright's dragonstone, things worked out okay for our favorite Drengr. Now we just need to make sure Claire is safe. Unfortunately...you're going to have to wait until the last book to find out ;)

I'm mean, I know. But...I gotta give you a reason to pick up the last one so...

Okay, one more chapter. 

--Mel