Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
It was the right decision. Why , then, did Katla’s heart feel like it was being ripped out of her chest? Her feet felt heavy, and each step was excruciating. Maely , Aven , and Perick played at the water’s edge, unaware of her struggle.
She’d had only a handful of days with them, but they were as much her children as her daughter had been. She had fought for them, protected them, cared for them. Loved them. In the darkest hours of the night when she despaired about how to keep the three of them safe, she had wondered if she was the right one to watch over them. After all, she hadn’t been able to keep her nieces alive.
When morning came, the children opened their eyes and looked at her with smiles full of trust and devotion. That had been it for Katla . She had let her daughter and nieces down. She wouldn’t let these three beautiful, innocent children down, too. So , she had plodded on, facing each day with new resolve.
Now , there was Merrill , who seemed to be the answer to all her worries. She was leery of dragons. Especially the Kings . After all, she had trapped countless dragons in the vine forest to give to Villette , who then tortured and killed them. But she didn’t want the children to be afraid. Not if they would be living with the Kings and their mates.
At Iron Hall . She knew nothing about the place, but she had been ignorant of so very much for so very long. Villette had made her believe she was the sole remaining human on Zora . Which further inflamed Katla’s hatred for dragons. And it kept her in the valley, surrounded by the vines, waiting for the next dragon she could lure into a trap.
She would still be there if Melisse —who appeared human but had been trapped like the dragons—hadn’t entered the brambles. Henry had come after her. Through Henry , Katla learned that some dragons could shift their forms. He told her about the many villages and cities on Zora where humans lived and thrived. It was Henry who’d unraveled her world one piece at a time, showing her just how foolish and na?ve she had been.
Katla had a second chance now. Few were offered such opportunities, and with the children taken care of, there was nothing stopping her from making Villette answer for her many crimes.
Saying goodbye to the children would take more fortitude than she had, but she would do it. For them. It didn’t redeem her for her past actions, but it was a start. And , perhaps, the kids would think back fondly on her when they got older. It was all she could ask for, really.
She swiped at a tear that fell. Another quickly followed. She looked away and fought against the sorrow that swelled in her chest, making it feel as if it might burst open from the pain. Katla couldn’t let them see her like this. She had to put a smile on her face.
For them.
She felt Merrill’s gaze on her. Katla glanced over her shoulder and looked into his eyes. There was pain there. He didn’t hide it. He probably wasn’t even aware of it. But beyond that, she saw a good man. It was there in how he spoke to the kids, how he treated them. Even in how he dealt with her. That was why she trusted him with Aven , Perick , and Maely .
Merrill shook his head and mouthed doona.
She would miss his accent and how he said words such as doona . Oh , how she would’ve liked to see his world. She had no right to wish for anything, but she hoped Merrill and the dragons stopped the war from happening on Zora . The dragons deserved peace—everyone did.
Katla turned back to the children and called to them. When they looked up, she waved them over. Her throat tightened with emotion, and she blinked back another rush of tears as they ran up. She squatted before them, looking at Aven , then Maely , and finally Perick . She took Aven’s and Perick’s hands.
“ Are you ready for an adventure?” Katla asked.
Perick immediately nodded his head. “ Aye !”
“ What kind of adventure?” Maely asked skeptically.
Aven said nothing as she stared at Katla .
She gently placed her hand on Aven’s cheek before answering Maely . “ A grand one.”
“ When ?” Perick asked, jumping up and down.
Maely put her hand on his shoulder to keep him still. She looked at Aven before sliding her dark gaze to Katla .
They might be children, but they had experienced more than most adults. They knew that something was going on. Katla wasn’t fooling them. So , she stopped trying. “ There is a place where other children who were saved from the priests have been taken. It isn’t just safe. It’s somewhere the priests will never find you.”
“ Can such a place exist?” Aven asked.
Katla nodded. “ Merrill knows about it.”
“ He could be lying,” Maely said.
Perick yanked his hand from hers and glared. “ He wouldn’t.”
“ I wouldna,” Merrill said, his voice rising to reach them.
Katla pressed her lips together. “ I don’t know the area. What I do know is that the three of you deserve a real home, with people who will look out for you. And other children to play with.” She hesitated. Did she tell them now? It was better they knew who they would be living with beforehand. “ And powerful protectors.”
“ How powerful?” Aven’s voice was a whisper as she looked past Katla .
She knew the child was staring at Merrill . He looked like a man, but there was something different about him that set him apart from others. Maybe the children had noticed that, too.
“ Very ,” Katla answered. “ There will be dragons there.”
Perick’s eyes widened in excitement. “ Can I ride one?”
“ How many?” Maely asked.
Aven continued staring at Merrill .
Katla squeezed Aven’s and Perick’s hands. “ The dragons are friends. Never forget that. Some will look like dragons, and others will look like?—”
“ Merrill ,” Aven replied.
Katla’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced behind her, but Merrill hadn’t shifted forms. Katla looked at Aven . “ That’s right. How did you know?”
“ He’s different.” Aven dropped her gaze to Katla . “ If they wanted to hurt us, the dragons would’ve crossed the border long ago.”
Katla grinned and nodded. “ That’s right. There are many lies told about the dragons. Just as there are lies about those of us with magic.”
“ Why ?” Perick asked. “ We’ve not hurt anyone.”
Maely’s lips flattened. “ There are those who have.”
“ The point,” Katla said, getting their attention, “is that each of you has the power to decide to use your abilities for good or evil. People will always lie. Usually , out of fear of what they don’t understand. And there have been too many lies about magic. Regular people can’t see the truth because it’s been too clouded by falsehoods. It’s important to remember that.”
“ Do I get to ride a dragon?” Perick asked again.
Before she could answer, the child raced toward Merrill . Katla stood, turning to watch as Merrill caught Perick as the child threw himself at the Dragon King . Merrill held Perick against him as the child rattled off question after question.
“ Are you sure about this?”
Katla looked over at Maely , who had asked the question. She looked between the two girls. She hadn’t delved much into their magic. There hadn’t been time, and it’d been the last thing on her mind. Now , she wished she had spent more time talking to them about it. “ Merrill and his friends have actively fought against Stonemore and the priests. I think it’s the best place for you.”
“ You mean it’s the best place for all of us,” Aven corrected.
This was the part Katla wished she could skip, but there was no getting around it. She had to go through it. “ Do you remember the woman who came up to the tower?”
The girls nodded.
“ That was Miena , Villette’s sister,” Katla explained. “ Both are from a powerful race of beings known as the Star People . Not all of them are bad, but Miena and Villette are.”
Maely’s brow furrowed. “ Miena wanted to hurt us.”
“ She intended to steal the bairns’ magic,” Merrill said as he walked up. “ It’s how she became stronger than the others.”
Katla was shocked by the news. “ I didn’t know what she’d planned. I just knew it wasn’t good.”
“ You made the bright light,” Perick said with a smile.
Katla tried to smile but wasn’t sure she succeeded. “ Miena is dead, but Villette is still out there. I’m going after her.”
“ It doesn’t have to be you,” Aven argued.
Katla smoothed a lock of blond hair from the girl’s face. “ It does, actually.”
“ What about us?” Maely asked, anger and panic sparking in her dark eyes.
Katla cupped the girl’s cheek in her hand. “ I’ll return for a visit as soon as Villette is dispatched.”
The misery on the children’s faces was wearing her down. Katla struggled against another wave of tears. The longer they stared at her, the harder it was to remain stoic. A sound behind her drew their attention. She used that moment to brace herself for the final farewells. All she had to do was get through them. After the children were gone, she would cry. But not before.
Katla turned and saw someone speaking in low tones to Merrill . The woman was stunning with her silver eyes and thick, black hair that fell down her back. She was dressed in an all-black, form-fitting ensemble, but it was the boots with their incredibly high heels that caught her attention.
“ Katla , this is Rhi ,” Merrill said.
For a moment, Katla thought she recognized the woman.
Rhi inclined her head. “ We didn’t get to meet, but I was at the battle with Villette .”
That’s where Katla recognized her from. There had been a number of people, as well as dragons, in the valley that day. But she had been focused on ending Villette .
“ I’m going to take all of you to a very special place,” Rhi said to the children as she leaned forward, bracing her hands on her thighs.
Perick cocked his head to the side. “ You talk funny.”
“ It’s an accent,” Rhi told him. “ Those on my world call it Irish , but it’s really a Fae accent.”
Maely asked in a curious voice, “ What’s a Fae ?”
“ A race of beings with magic,” Rhi replied with a smile, looking at each child.
Aye , Katla had made the right choice in sending the children to Iron Hall . She would miss them, but they would be alive and free. And well cared for.
Aven eyed Rhi . “ What kind of magic can you do?”
“ Well , for one, I can teleport,” Rhi said.
Perick’s face scrunched up. “ What’s tele…tele…?”
“ It’s like jumping from one place to another in the blink of an eye,” Merrill explained.
Rhi straightened, her smile growing. “ It won’t hurt. Though it might tickle your tummy.”
Aven , however, wasn’t finished with her question. “ You’re friends with the dragons?”
Rhi’s silver eyes turned to the girl. “ Actually , I’m mated to one.”
“ And no’ just any dragon,” Merrill said. “ Con is the King of Dragon Kings .”
Perick’s eyes widened at that. “ Really ? Can I meet him?”
“ Of course,” Rhi said. “ Everyone is waiting for your arrival. Shall we go?”
All three kids turned to her. Katla smiled and nodded. “ It’s a good place.”
Aven made a choked sound and threw herself at Katla . She wound her arms around the girl before pulling Maely against her. Katla could no longer stem the flow of tears. Through them, she saw Perick squirm out of Merrill’s hold and run to them. Katla closed her eyes and hugged all three against her as tightly as she could.
Then , she forced her eyes open and leaned back to look at them. She softly wiped the tears from their faces. “ This isn’t goodbye. It’s only farewell for now.”
“ Come with us,” Aven begged.
Katla cupped her face and kissed her forehead. “ I’ll be there soon.” She repeated the kiss on Maely’s and then Perick’s foreheads.
All three were crying softly as they reluctantly walked to Rhi . Katla smiled at them one last time before she looked at the Fae . Rhi dipped her chin in silent acknowledgment.
Then , they were gone.