A sunset splattered across the sky by the time our group reached the beach. If I thought the journey to the Gemini's volcano was strenuous as a muscular dragon, then what I endured on the way back was torture. My calves burned almost as much as the scorched sand my feet dragged through. But I was just grateful to have toes again. Dragons had their perks, like flying, swimming, and being taller than everyone else. Yet nothing beat being a human again—having use of opposable thumbs and not needing to duck under every tree branch.

The warriors hadn't uttered a word since the morning. They were probably still shocked by my transformation. Not Dranesh, though. His face was either deadpan or stuck in a glare. But every so often, I found the male or female warrior staring at me, only to whip around once I caught them. I didn't blame them for their shock. Sometimes, I struggled to believe it myself.

Throughout our trek, events from the past few weeks swarmed my thoughts. I'd traveled so far that my time in Oamer reduced to a distant memory. In fact, all my experiences were surreal. Mermaids and mermen, curses and dragons—if I didn't know better, I'd say I was going crazy.

Maybe I am going crazy. Maybe this is all a dream. The idea was jolting. I shoved it aside. This was neither the time nor place to have a philosophical debate with myself.

In the distance, two figures stood in the sand. I shielded my eyes with my hand and squinted against the setting sun. The smiling faces of King Jesole and Queen Tameki crystallized. I wondered how long they'd been waiting, and what they wanted.

"Tuya!" Abido called.

"Tuya!" the King and Queen exclaimed. They stretched their arms wide as if to envelop us in a hug.

"What does that mean?" I whispered to Abido.

"'Hello' in Tocon," Abido replied.

My brow furrowed. "Tocon?"

"Yes, it's the language we speak here. It has roots in Spanish and Portuguese."

"So, if I had learned Spanish, I may have been able to understand what everyone was saying?"

"Maybe." A mischievous grin spread across his face.

I didn't try to decipher that one. The strides between us and the royals diminished until we stood in front of them. King Jesole's voice rumbled a few words.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"He says 'welcome back, I see your scales have been shed,'" Abido said.

I laughed. "Yes, they have been. Thank you so much for your um...um..." I stopped. The King and Queen seemed like friendly people, but let's just say that my stay hadn't been entirely sweet. I turned to Abido for help. "...hospitality?"

Amusement flickered in his eyes. "How about, 'thank you for allowing me to go see the Gemini?'"

"Perfect!"

Abido relayed this to the King, who pressed his hands together and dipped his head.

"That means the honor was mine," Abido said.

Queen Tameki spoke, her voice higher and more dulcet compared to when I first met her.

"The Queen wants you to share the evening meal with them," Abido told me.

My eyes gravitated to the waves lapping the shore, cast in a peach glow from the sunset. It would be dark soon, too late to start home. With a silent sigh, I said, "Alright."

***

The Monarch's castle was unconventional by our standards. Wooden beams composed an open-air square nestled between the boughs of four trees. Steps spiraled up the archaic trunks all the way to the tender sprouts at the trees' tops, leading to ledges that jutted to the sides. The King and Queen ascended first, capes dragging behind to create the illusion that they were floating.

Abido swept his hand toward the stairs. "After you."

Comprehension clicked in my head. I was about to experience a meal suspended in the air. Giddy excitement fluttered in my veins as my foot pressed on the first step. Each one creaked, grumbling at being awakened by our legs' pressure. Rubies and Sapphires glittered at me in contrast to the mahogany lumber, embedded in the bark so none could snatch one. Though I considered asking for a precious stone, just as a souvenir for Lani. I'd lost my gifts from Oamer, the hat when Pisces rescued me and the necklace when I turned into a dragon, and I figured I should bring her some sort of present. The monarchs didn't lack gems, but it felt like a rude question. It'd be like asking a millionaire for a mansion.

I joined King Jesole and Queen Tameki on a sanded landing. The wind shook the branches underneath, and my gaze bounced to the forest floor. Tingles ran along my arms. My head clouded with vertigo, vision zooming in and out on tiny dead leaves. I sank to the landing, hand on my head, trying to focus on the solid wooden planks I sat on. I don't get killed in a storm, on a cursed Island, or by islanders who think I'm a threat, but I die falling out of a tree. Now would be the perfect time to have wings, just in case.

Ha! Now you want to be a dragon again! I rolled my eyes. It was the dragon in my head.

You've been surprisingly quiet today, I thought. Not that I don't mind the peace. It's been quite refreshing.

Your brain has been pretty active today. It's hard to get a word in edge wise.

I'll have to remember that trick for the future.

"Kee-are-ra?"

Queen Tameki's voice broke into my imagined conversation. I faced her, my lips upturned. She motioned to a bowl of water beside them and rubbed her palms together. My head tilted to the side. It took a moment to grasp that it was for washing my hands.

"Thank you," I said, before realizing that she couldn't understand me. The Queen smiled all the same.

I leaned back when done, shaking my hands to flick off water droplets, and air snagged in my throat. My gaze slid from the canopy of green leaves to the ocean, sparkling under the sun's last glints. The height was no longer a threat. Instead, it raised me over the forest as if I soared through the clouds again. A surge of clear air sent goosebumps up my arm.

"Whoa," I breathed.

"What do you think?" Abido asked as he sat beside me.

"It's amazing." The adjective didn't do the view justice, but I couldn't think of anything better.

"It's fitting, kind of like the sun setting on your journey."

I thought it over for a second. "Yeah, I suppose so." It wasn't exactly something I'd think about normally.

"It's nice when things come full circle," Abido continued.

I nodded slightly, unsure how to respond. This edged too far into philosophy, not my area of expertise. It seemed more of a conversation for Kallais, the poetic Nereid. Fortunately, our chat ended as a woman arrived on the landing and handed us each a bowl of light green stew, browned flatbread balancing on the wooden edge. Its heat seeped into my palms, and the smell of coconut and spices sated my nostrils.

My fingers did as the others, scooping the soup with the corner of the flatbread. It was fresh and light, herbal with hints of spice and sweetness. The meals over the past weeks had come full circle, too, from raw fish and seaweed to this delicacy.

"This is delicious." I took another bite of the soaked bread. Now that I wasn't a starving dragon, I could enjoy the flavors without attending to my bottomless appetite.

"I'm glad you like it. It's called Coco Vert, meaning green coconut," Abido said. "It's a traditional dish of our tribe made from coconut milk, cilantro, and toasted spices."

I relished the flavor, even after the soup cooled in the treetop breeze. The royals, Abido, and Dranesh struck up an animated discussion in Tocon, but I didn't ask to join. Translating was so cumbersome that it wasn't worth disturbing them. Instead, I listened to the tousle of leaves, the evening songs of birds. It was so peaceful I barely noticed them.

The sun descended, and shadows coated the forest. Soon after I scraped my bowl clean with flatbread, a man appeared to collect our dishes. Abido stretched at my side, a satisfied grin on his face.

"I think I'm about ready for some sleep."

Now that he mentioned it, I sensed the droop of my eyelids, the heaviness in my muscles. "I could use some rest, too."

Abido nodded along. "Especially since you have a big day ahead. I'll tell the King and Queen." But after he exchanged words with them, his sober face turned back to me. "Kiara, the King and Queen want to ask you something."

Curiosity peeked through my fatigue. "Yes?"

"In our culture, dragons are symbols of the cycles in life. Your arrival was an omen of either life and prosperity or death to King Jesole and the tribe." Though no one else could comprehend him, he lowered his voice. "That's why you were initially imprisoned. Queen Tameki didn't want to face the fact that her husband might die. And with all that had been going on with the rebellion, things just spiraled out of control."

"It's okay," I said. "There are no hard feelings between us."

"That's a relief," he chuckled. "I'm not sure if I'd be so forgiving. But anyway, because you healed King Jesole, it means that your presence is a good omen, a symbol of life and prosperity." Abido swallowed, choosing his next words carefully. "For this reason, the King and Queen were wondering if you'd like to stay with our tribe."

My eyes went wide. I wasn't expecting such an offer, nor did I want one.

"But...I'm not a real dragon," I protested.

"But you once were a dragon," Abido countered. "You may have their favor and luck. Your presence may even draw a true dragon to our island."

My brain struggled to unravel around this strange proposition. It was as mystifying as Nitov's proposal. I liked being wanted by the tribe, but I couldn't see how I'd be of use to them.

"I'm sorry, I really am," I began, "But it's time for me to go home."

"That's what I suspected," Abido said. "I'll tell them."

The King and Queen's faces turned downcast as Abido relayed my decision, but they didn't seem to protest. Silence hung thick in the air after he finished. A trace of fear lodged in my chest. I hoped I hadn't offended them, or worse, angered them.

"I'm sorry," I repeated. "I just don't understand why you need me here."

Abido's lips quirked into a slight smile. "Let's just say it's a cultural thing. Don't worry about it. King Jesole and Queen Tameki said they're happy that you're going to reunite with your family, so long as you come back and visit."

I let out a laugh, which contorted into a yawn. "Oh-kay."

Now it was Abido's turn to laugh. "We need to find some place for you to spend the night. Do you mind sleeping in the tree?" I shook my head. "Good. We'll find a servant to take you to a room."

I bid the King and Queen goodnight, then followed Abido to the staircase. Fireflies glowed along the dim path, though I tested each step before placing my weight on it. I didn't want to lose my footing.

The woman who brought me the stew met us a few landings up. She motioned to a square plank slightly larger than I. Wooden rails lined the perimeter, though I'd have collapsed on the hard surface, regardless. Exhaustion slammed into me the moment I lay down, and I sailed into dreamless slumber.