Chapter 27 Talon
TALON
A few days after the coronation and the wedding, Khazmuda and I left for a flight. Now that I was no longer king of the Southern Isles, I was free to pursue as many personal errands as I wished.
I kissed Calista goodbye before we departed.
You think this plan will work, Talon Rothschild?
“We’ve known each other for decades, but you still use my full name?”
You will always be Talon Rothschild to me, especially when we travel together like this, which is rare.
“Yeah, it’s been a while.”
So you think this plan will work?
“I really don’t know. It’s a lot to ask.”
You defeated the god of the underworld and the Covenant. There is no ask too great for Talon Rothschild.
“Lily defeated Leviathan and the Covenant. The rest of us were mere distractions.” I would never take credit for my daughter’s victories.
I was proud of the woman I’d raised to be queen, and I still struggled to understand her power.
If we were true opponents across the battlefield, she would cut me down to pieces.
You still risked your life, Talon.
“I risked it for her.”
We flew across the Great Sea just below the clouds, and after a day of flying, we saw the snow on the mountains of the Northern Kingdoms, a place I used to call home but now felt like a strange land. We crossed the mountain range and approached the forest that hid Riviana Star in the center.
Khazmuda landed outside the tree line. Good luck, Talon Rothschild.
I slightly rolled my eyes. “Enjoy your hunt.”
I will hunt a grizzly. I’ll save you some meat.
I headed into the forest, and despite the expansive perimeter, there were always elves on patrol, making sure no one ever crossed into their lands without their knowledge.
They spotted me, recognized me from a distance, and didn’t detain me.
I entered the forest after dusk, the light quickly fading from the trees and the fireflies coming into view. They lit the pathway for me because fire wasn’t allowed in this sacred place. Guided me all the way into Riviana Star.
I reached the center an hour later and approached the dwelling where Queen Eldinar resided with her general husband. Her guard retrieved the queen, and minutes later she joined me, beautiful and ethereal in her white, sleeved gown.
Despite the horrible things I’d said to her, her eyes showed nothing but affection. “I assumed we wouldn’t see each other for a long time. To enjoy this newfound peace, however long it lasts.”
“I hope this one lasts longer than the previous.”
“We can only hope. What brings you here, Talon?”
“I need to speak to Riviana.”
“May I ask why?”
I hesitated as I considered my response. “I’d like that to remain between us.”
Her eyes shifted back and forth between mine before she nodded. “Come with me.”
We walked together through the forest. I wore my battle armor, while a flower crown sat upon her head.
The cape I’d once worn had been a weightless fixture across my back, but now, I noticed its absence every time I moved, every time I rode on the back of Khazmuda.
Now, it was secured around my daughter’s shoulders, where it belonged.
“How’s Lily doing?”
“She’s happy.” I hadn’t seen her since the coronation and wedding ceremony. And I didn’t expect to see her for a while. The kingdom was at peace, and after everything she’d done for the Southern Isles, she deserved to enjoy her new husband without being disturbed by royal obligation.
“And you?” she asked as she turned to look at me.
“I’m very happy,” I said with a nod. “He wasn’t my first choice, but now he’s my only choice.”
She nodded slightly before she continued forward.
We approached the clearing, fireflies everywhere and creating a glow that bathed the canopy of the trees in light. We approached the great tree with the dais built around it, the tree that I had protected more than once.
I stopped, but Queen Eldinar stepped forward, and somehow in the silence, she was able to communicate with the god who dwelled in her forest. A distinct breeze moved through the trees, and then the god with fiery red hair appeared, the glow around her so bright she looked like the sun.
She stared me down, close to my height, her luminous eyes seeing through me.
Queen Eldinar silently excused herself and crossed the clearing from which she came.
“Talon Rothschild, you’re the first of your kin to retire from lordship rather than surrender it through death.”
“I’ve ruled for decades just like my father and his father before him. I’ve had my time.”
She continued to stare at me, silently asking for more.
“My daughter has earned it.”
“No other mortal will ever be as powerful as Lily Lena Rothschild. A mortal goddess with the strength to kill gods and demon lords. She has unimaginable power that could easily lead to corruption and greed, but her heart is too pure for infection. She is one of a kind, and none as special or substantial has ever come before her…or will come after her.”
My eyes dropped from her face as the emotion rose in my chest. I thought I’d spent all my tears for a lifetime, thought I’d already felt more than I ever could, but such flattering words from a god gave me more pride than I’d ever had.
“You and Calista raised her well, Talon.”
I inhaled a breath and refused to let my eyes water. I gave a slight nod in gratitude for her kind words. “All I’ve ever wanted is to be a father, and she gave that to me. I will be forever grateful that I had such an honor.”
A slow smile moved over her lips, clearly touched by what I said.
“You came to my lands as the Death King, your heart a scorched earth. A broken man who had lost his way until love pulled him onto the path of righteousness. It’s been an honor to witness your story, Talon Rothschild.
You remind me of what mortals are capable of. ”
I bowed my head toward her. “Thank you, Riviana.”
Her smile faded as her eyes hardened. “What do you seek?”
“A favor.”
“What more could you possibly want?”
“It’s not for me.”
She tilted her head slightly, clearly intrigued.
“After I defended the tree from Bahamut’s clutches, you allowed me to see Vivian.
” It still made me emotional when I thought about that parting.
I’d gotten my chance to apologize for failing my wife…
and was able to say goodbye. I’d also received her blessing to be happy with Calista, to have more children that she would love like her own from afar.
“Yes, I remember.”
“For everything that Callum has done for the mortal world, the sacrifices he made for my daughter at his personal expense…I ask that he be allowed to speak with his sons.”
She continued to stare at me like I hadn’t made my request clear.
“Bahamut forced him to abandon his family, and I know it would mean the world to him if he could tell his boys that he never wanted to leave them. That all he wanted was to watch them grow into men. That it’s haunted him these hundreds of years.
” I couldn’t imagine being in the same situation, to leave Lily and Hawk behind, to let them believe but for a moment that I didn’t love them more than anything.
She nodded in understanding. “I will honor that request, Talon Rothschild.”
“But there’s more…”
Her eyes narrowed.
“I know he can enter the Realm of Caelum and tell them the truth. But they were men who reached old age when they passed, and it doesn’t change the feeling of abandonment they experienced their whole lives.”
Her eyebrow cocked. “What are you asking, Talon Rothschild?”
It was the biggest ask anyone had ever made. “That he could go back in time and tell them while they were alive. To tell them the truth when it still mattered. And then…pass into the Realm of Caelum and say goodbye to them one last time.”
She continued to stare at me with a hint of disbelief.
“That way, he can prove it was all real.”
“You’re right, Talon. That is a big ask. That changes the past and possibly the future.”
“I know.”
“You’re willing to risk everything you have at this moment for Callum to have this chance?”
I stared into her green eyes and thought about it deeply. “After all the risks he took for my daughter, I will take this risk for him.”
She stared at me for a long time, her hair flowing beautifully around her, the fireflies hovering around her like she was their source of comfort. Minutes of heavy silence passed as she stared at me with unblinking eyes. “I shall honor your request.”