Chapter 46
Dylan watched as the crowd slowly settled back into their seats, some smiling, others not bothering to hide their fear.
Carina spoke up. “If I may address the assembled lords?”
They all turned to hear her speak. “I present to you Johnathan, the son of the King of Vurdala and only heir.”
Dylan cracked a smile when Johnny stepped forward. Murmurs followed him as he approached and placed his hand on the table. “I swear to Adan and to the gathered lords, I will rule Vurdala with honor and end all hostilities immediately.”
The earth shook, and the table glowed, and the light raced up Johnny’s arm, engulfing him. His eyes went wide, and Dylan smiled as his wolf form appeared and disappeared in a flash.
The Liminan king smiled. “There will be much to discuss amongst the royal houses. Not only is the new Vurdalan king half Salagan and raised by Tiresians, but the last Coates alive is also half Tiresian. That poses many complications.” He smiled and turned to Dylan. “It is a good thing you grew up here. I’ve watched your world ever since I snuck my child through to be raised away from the war. Empires have risen and fallen. I’ve seen new ideas born and die. Through it all, humans seem to persevere. Tell me, Dylan, do you think what you call democracy could work for our people? The previous Tiresian dynasty seemed to think so. That’s why they were trying to merge power, as the first step in restructuring things to shift to a more representative and egalitarian form of rule. They thought it would be a slow process. If we hope to avoid future conflict, we may have to speed up the education and transition.”
Dylan looked at him, his jaw hanging open.
“Oh, and the only heir left to the Liminan throne is in love with the last Coates and heir to the Tiresian throne. How could I have forgotten that complication?” He smiled at Gabriel. “I’m proud of you, and honored that you are my descendant.”
Gabriel smiled. “I am.” He wrapped his arm around Dylan. “So, are you talking about the current and near future political landscape or beyond?”
The king smiled and let out a soft chuckle. “Oh, there will be many children in your future. We need more gatekeepers. The Tiresian population is diminished.” He looked down. “And my people are near the point of extinction.”
Merrin stepped forward. “You mean I’m going to finally get grandchildren?”
Dylan sighed, ignoring her. “There’s a lot we still need to do here. We can’t just disappear suddenly.”
“You won’t. The time differential wasn’t natural. It was a byproduct of the magic used to seal the gates. Since you claimed your power, it has been slowing. I will monitor it, and if it does not increase its pace, we will need to intervene.”
Dylan nodded and led the dignitaries back to the gate. He watched as they all returned to their homes. Johnny was hesitant as he approached the gate, with Carina at his side.
Dylan smiled. “You may not be exactly going back to the home you were expecting.” He sighed. “If you need my help with anything, you know where to find me.”
The Liminan king stood to the side, staring at Gabriel. When they were alone, he nodded. Dylan deactivated the gate.
“I saw you. Watching me leave my son here. You aren’t like the other Coates. Nor are you like the other Tiresians. You’re something special.”
Dylan blushed. “I don’t know if I’m special.”
Gabriel huffed. “Stop selling yourself short.”
The king smiled softly. “I’ve watched my heirs for generations. Gabriel, you are the best of them. The strongest.” He closed his eyes.
Dylan cleared his throat. “How will this work? I can’t be everywhere at once. I can’t guard all the gates.”
The king chuckled. “I said it would take time. For now, what remains of my people will man the gates, and use rifts to facilitate travel. Like I said, you must produce heirs.”
Dylan’s eyes went wide.
The king shook his head. “Once, when I was checking in, I heard someone watching a magic picture box that was discussing surrogacy. I would bet that women across the lands would offer their wombs to heal the wounds of this war.” He flashed a sly smile. “But we’ll worry about that another day. For now, rest. You must both stay here, keep Adan grounded. Commune with the magic at its core. Show your family how to do the same.” He grimaced. “Gabriel, I will reach out to your family.”
Gabriel’s head dropped. “Good luck.”
The king smiled. “No luck needed. I will scare them. Then I hope you get that apology you deserve.”
Gabriel arched an eyebrow. “If you’ve been watching over us for so long, why didn’t we hear a roar like when you opened a rift for the Vurdalan king?”
The king’s smile grew wider. “Damn fool thought that was how rifts worked.” He shrugged. “That was our form of resistance. Warning those on the other side that something was coming. Didn’t you notice yours weren’t loud?”
Gabriel’s face scrunched up while Dylan stared at them, dumbfounded. “I see.”
A silent rift appeared in front of the king. Dylan could see through into Gabriel’s childhood home. He heard a plate crash to the floor and shatter as he stepped through. Then it was gone.
Dylan bit his lip and looked at Gabriel. “Can we really do all of this?”
Gabriel shrugged. “If anyone can, it’s you.”