Chapter 11 #2
The bite to her tone drove me fucking crazy, but Maya didn’t seem nearly offended. I followed her lead, understanding it was the best move here.
“Ry is dead. He’s gone. It’s my understanding that he’s been targeting your community for some time, and I wanted to let you know that he won’t be an issue any longer.
” Maya’s voice was soft, and I could tell that while the message she was delivering was important to her, her main focus and the curiosity in her gaze was for this community existing in the first place.
I could practically see the questions on the tip of her tongue, and I wouldn’t lie, I wanted to understand what was going on as well.
Silence followed her announcement, broken only by the woman’s hard, questioning tone. “You’ve killed the dragon god?”
“He’s dead. Yes.” Maya promised. Hushed whispers from the crowd filled the clearing.
Relief coated the woman’s face before she seemed to gather herself, turning to address the others. “Go back to your dinners for now. I want to speak to our guests before we get the full story. Okay?”
No one argued, making it clear that she was their leader. The woman approached us, looking cautious but hopeful as she examined my kitten’s face before letting out a small, almost amused noise. “You must be Cyra’s daughter.”
Well, shit, how the hell did she guess that?
Maya spoke in a hushed whisper, echoing my thoughts. “How did you know that?”
The woman offered a secret smile. “I was your mother’s tutor—I would know those eyes anywhere. I’ve also felt a change in our magic these past few days. It felt a lot like hers, but I now realize it was yours.”
Her tutor? Okay, she was far older than I thought, and I already thought she was ancient. I wasn’t positive how long Queen Cyra had been around before having Maya, but it hadn’t been a short period of time.
“It may have been partially my mom as well. She’s back at Ry’s compound—we’ve been using it as temporary lodging,” Maya explained, the woman nodding in understanding.
“And you’re positive that he has suffered true death?”
“We destroyed his heart,” Maya confirmed.
The woman visibly relaxed. “Very well. Come in, young heir—I know I’m not the only one who wants to know the story, and in return, I’ll tell you how we came to live here.”
It was absolutely fascinating to watch and listen to Maya recount the tale of what happened.
She stood at the front of the large assembly of the village community, her shyness evaporating in the face of explaining how Ry was defeated.
The empathy in her voice regarding those that had been imprisoned seemed to soften everyone towards her.
Maya didn’t realize it, but she was unintentionally gaining loyalty purely by the way she talked about others and how she had taken control of such a dangerous situation, ensuring that no one died.
It was insane to consider that somehow we had gone up against a dragon god and walked away without any fatalities, all because my mate was able to find a way to weaken him and then bring him to true death.
Maya may not have been keyed into a combat and military mindset, but she still thought like a leader—just one that led with compassion and kindness rather than more traditional means like her mother.
I had no doubt that she would end up being more strategic in her way of thinking over time, but I didn’t think she would ever fully be like that. Maya was just so damn unique.
I did notice that she didn’t mention anything about the stranger she’d come across—the one who had predicted she would lead the dragons and phoenixes on Earth.
Rather, she chose to focus on the news that affected them, the plague of losses they suffered because of Ry.
I wasn’t positive I would have the patience to do the same, because I knew that their response to the possibility of her leading them had the potential to drastically change our plans.
Then again, I couldn’t think of a reason they wouldn’t want that—it was an offer to bring them back into full society.
When she finished her story and walked towards me, I captured her on my lap gently as she looked towards Nascha, the community’s leader, with a soft curiosity. “I hope that eases your mind a bit. All of your minds. He won’t be hurting you again.”
Nascha nodded and stood, taking center stage. “Thank you, Maya. The action that you took, that all of you took is…well, it’s huge. We have been hiding in fear for so long.”
“Because of him?” Maya asked.
“For so many reasons.” She looked around the room.
“We have been in hiding for hundreds of years. Since the humans discovered phoenixes and began hunting us for our magic and blood, we have lived in fear. They were willing to extinguish us without a second thought, all for power. What they didn’t realize is that we would come back—just not to them. ”
“How?” Maya frowned, no doubt thinking about her own experience when Tina had tried to drown her when she was young. I swallowed back my rage at that, fucking thrilled that she was dead.
“When we first gathered here out of necessity, knowing we'd be essentially unreachable, we used our ancestors’ magic to create a force in this realm that would compel a phoenix to be reborn here.
It was a call on their magic. Of course, wards and other magic could interfere, but over time, more and more arrived—followed by dragons.
It was how our community grew so fast in numbers. Well…until Ry began to hunt us.
“He was able to drain magic and kill phoenixes permanently—it was why we had to place our own ward around us. It hid us from him to an extent, but it didn’t protect us from him.
We were left defenseless with no one strong enough to counter him,” Nascha admitted in defeat.
“We have lost so many, not only in the skies, but others who went down the mountain for supplies and never returned. So we stopped sending people, and it has not only made life more difficult up here, but also has isolated us completely.”
Shit.
Maya looked distraught. “Is that something you want? To be isolated?”
“No, of course not.” Nascha frowned, looking sad. “We never wanted to move away from the rest of humanity. We only did it as a means of self-preservation.”
“So you would take the opportunity to rejoin if you could?” my mate asked with a soft curiosity and hope.
“We could never return to Dreki,” Nascha admitted.
“We left because we didn’t like it there.
Our children were being sent on dangerous missions at young ages, coming back injured and hurt.
While the crown did their best to keep tabs on it, the culture is ingrained, and it won’t change. We have come to terms with that.”
Yeah, she wasn’t wrong about that.
“What if there was a different option?” Maya stood and faced the room. “What if you didn’t have to go back but you could rejoin society and be safe and protected? Live life like you wanted when you first came to Earth?”
Maya met my gaze when no one said anything, and I offered her a nod of assurance that seemed to bolster her.
“I’m not planning to take over my mother’s throne,” Maya announced.
“If I’m going to lead, I would like it to be on Earth.
I would be honored to lead all of you back into society, to free you from this situation and fear.
We could protect you and make sure you’re settled somewhere you can grow and thrive, to be safe and happy.
I know you have no reason to trust me, and I know you’ll need to think about it, but if you’re willing to leave this mountain, I would love to be given a chance to prove that I could lead you. ”
I looked around at the crowd, feeling a surge of pride as every eye focused on Maya.
“Nascha has led us for years!” someone called out.
“And I would never take that away from you,” Maya replied, directing her answer towards Nascha.
“This would be a willing transfer of power. Before I was reborn, I was told I was meant to lead the dragons and phoenixes on Earth. I’m not willing to do that alone, though.
I would need guidance. I wasn’t raised in the Dreki realm, so it will never be like that with me, but I know there are things you probably do that I don’t understand…
I would like this to be a group effort.”
“And how do your mates feel? They were trained in Dreki,” another voice rang out.
She looked back at us and smiled confidently. “They support me completely.”
We did. We would do whatever she needed—be whatever she needed.
Maya wore our marks in so many forms, but even without those, I would always be bonded to Maya in my heart and soul. I was tied to her, and I would follow her anywhere.
She was my mate.
My slice of perfection in such a messed-up world.
My kitten.
…and from what I could see on all of their faces, the future queen of this group.