Chapter 21 Everly
Everly
“Welcome to Dragonspire Keep.”
He had a castle.
Like, a real castle.
I gaped.
I’d thought they were exaggerating—but no, apparently not.
The thing was massive, built of weathered gray stone with towers and battlements, a barbican, a drawbridge, even a moat.
And not the nasty, sludge-filled kind either—the water shimmered clear and blue, like it had just been filtered by a glacier.
Which was good news for me, because with my knack for tripping over my own feet, I could already see myself ending up in that moat at some point. At least it wouldn’t be slimy.
The portcullis lifted with a slow groan, and several guards came out to greet Alaric. One of them was massive and scarred, an eyepatch strapped across one eye, and armed with enough blades to take down a small army.
He bowed deeply to Alaric and stayed that way until Elandor’s power brushed over him and then withdrew—Alaric’s dragon reining himself in.
The two of them had already rejoined when I’d transported us here through the dreamscape, and seeing Alaric whole again instead of the incorporeal Casper Alaric was such a relief.
The guard didn’t even blink at the enormous dragon lying behind us, still unconscious. He just gave a brief glance, as if sleeping dragons were an ordinary occurrence, then turned back to Alaric.
“Sire,” he said evenly. “If it’s your wish that we move him, I’m not certain my men can manage it.”
Alaric shook his head and clapped the man on the shoulder. “Not to worry, Benz. My mate can move him. But we’ll need a place for both him and Shay to stay. I didn’t want to appear in the inner bailey and frighten the staff.”
Benz’s lip curled slightly, though not at Alaric—more in disdain for the idea. “Sire, if they find such things frightening, they shouldn’t be serving at Dragonspire Keep.”
Well… he wasn’t wrong.
The guards behind Benz stood in perfect formation, sunlight glinting off their polished armor. I lifted a hand to block the brightness and glanced up at the battlements, where other guards paced or stood at attention, watchful and steady.
I still couldn’t quite process that Alaric owned an actual castle. Correction: he had owned a castle before being crowned Prime of the shifters. The sheer wealth it would take to maintain this place—its guards, its kitchens, its halls—was staggering.
I hadn’t grown up poor, but our family had always been practical. We patched clothes, wore shoes a little longer than we should, made meals that filled bellies even if they weren’t fancy. I’d thought I understood the gap between “comfortable” and “rich,” but this—this was something else entirely.
And instead of making me giddy, it made something heavy settle over me.
I’d chosen Alaric.
I’d chosen to be queen.
I thought I’d understood what that meant—the kind of person I’d need to become to fill that role.
But then I’d seen the field of golden threads, each one linking to a shifter who needed me, and I realized how little I actually understood.
The weight of that responsibility, both as a dreamseeker and as a queen, pressed down on me now as I stared up at the walls of Dragonspire Keep.
I didn’t know if I could do this.
Alaric moved to my side, his hand warm as it found mine. “We’ve got a place to put them.”
Still staring at the castle, I asked faintly, “Is it in the dungeons?”
He wrapped his arms around me from behind, probably noticing the goosebumps on my arms. We were back in Alaska, and I was definitely underdressed for it. Patches of snow still dotted the ground, and the cold wind sliced right through me.
“No. There’s no one currently in the dungeons.”
I turned toward him, brows rising. “Currently?”
His eyes gleamed with mischief. “It is a castle, after all.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Yes… let’s talk about this castle of yours.”
Whatever he’d been about to confess was interrupted by Shay. “Let’s go check the stables they want to use,” he said cheerfully, clearly missing the glare I was aiming at Alaric. “It’s a bit of a hike.”
I considered making my mate squirm a little longer but decided to save that for later. “A hike, huh? Let’s go see it.” I glanced toward the dragon still sleeping behind us. “Who’s staying with him?”
“Benz and his men,” Alaric said.
I nodded, watching as the guards split into two groups—some remaining, others forming an escort around us.
We passed through the barbican into the first bailey, a fortified courtyard lined with guardhouses that looked both neat and efficient. But then, as we crossed beyond it and through a second set of gates, my steps faltered.
It was a town.
Shops, homes, and people filled the vast inner bailey. The castle loomed above it on a rise, overlooking the bustling streets. The moment we entered, people paused in whatever they were doing, bowed low, and then continued on with practiced calm.
Alaric gently tugged me forward when I froze again, staring.
Near a sign that read DragonSpire Groceries, a few men were playing the bagpipes until an exasperated shopkeeper came out with a broom to shoo them away.
They scattered, nearly bowling over a woman walking her dog.
A man on a bicycle zoomed past an elderly lady eating an ice cream cone—in the snow—and she shook her cane at him as he vanished around a corner.
Children giggled as they petted a sleek black horse with a long, silvery mane—
“He’s a unicorn,” Alaric murmured beside me.
I blinked. “I didn’t know unicorns could have black fur.”
“They can. His magic gives him that shimmer,” Alaric said quietly.
Shay joined in, his breath misting in the cold. “That’s Shiloh. He was a medic on the front lines during the wars, but he hasn’t been the same since. He’s not dangerous, but I try to keep the kids from pestering him.”
Alaric nodded, watching as the unicorn turned away, posture tense but graceful.
I wondered if Shiloh would someday appear among my golden threads. It wasn’t always life or death—I hoped—but every thread meant someone who needed something.
“Unicorns are one of the mythical shifters, right?” I asked.
“They are,” Alaric said, lacing his fingers through mine. “There aren’t many of us left, but a few live here at Dragonspire.”
My eyes swept over the streets again. “And you just—what—adopted a whole town? How does this even happen? You’re not even technically Prime yet!”
Shay laughed as Alaric flushed slightly.
“You have to understand, Everly,” Shay said, “dragons are the world’s protectors.
It’s true that there was a time when a few rogue dragons made the paranormals turn against them.
They wield massive power, and people were afraid.
But at heart, they’ve always been protectors.
Shifters instinctively flock to them for safety, especially those without clans.
Alaric knew this would happen one day, so he built Dragonspire Keep. ”
“And people just came?” I gestured broadly at the hundreds of shifters going about their day. “Like, ‘Pack your things, family, today’s the day we move into the dragon’s castle?’”
Alaric choked on a laugh, and I heard Shay snort behind him. I could’ve sworn even one of the guards cracked a grin.
It was a valid question!
When Alaric stopped coughing, he pulled me closer as we navigated the busy streets. “It happened gradually. They didn’t all show up at once.”
“Your life,” I said with feeling, “is very different from mine.”
“I know you worry about becoming queen,” he said, stopping right there in the middle of the street to gaze intently at me.
“But you’re not alone. You will have me, of course, and you’ll have a staff of your own to help you to manage your duties.
” He softly ran a finger down my cheek. Cupping the back of my neck, he pressed his lips lightly against mine, then rested his forehead against my own.
“You’re never alone, Everly,” he whispered.
My heart warmed at his words. I was so used to being alone, it was... unexpected having someone at my side, ready to help me fight my battles.
After a moment, Alaric and I separated, and we began walking again, heading for the back of the castle. A twisting maze of streets dumped us in a place that smelled heavenly.
“This is the food court,” Shay said. He stood in line and bought a couple of churros off of a vendor, handed Alaric and I both one, then started munching on his own. “It’s where most of the restaurants and food vendors are.”
I smelled mine first, inhaling the cinnamon and sugary bread dough before I took a bite.
Oh my gosh, it was amazing! I finished mine in a few bites, and then looked longingly back at the churro line as we passed the food court, and made our way to the far side of the castle.
There was another bailey here that backed up to a lake. And because it was freezing in Alaska still, the lake had ice chunks floating on the top of it.
This area was quieter. Guardhouses flanked the walls, and checkpoints kept civilians out. The private bailey, I realized, belonged to the owners of the castle. So Alaric and, now, me.
Guards stood at every entrance, their presence steady but unobtrusive. Beyond them stretched gardens—vast and intricate, edged in snow and sleeping flowers. I wanted to explore them later.
Our escort led us to an enormous stable, tall as a cathedral and built from the same pale stone as the castle. Inside, rows of stalls lined the walls, ranging from pony-sized to—well, dragon-sized. The air smelled of hay, frost, and faint traces of magic.
Stable hands worked quickly, forking hay into one of the largest enclosures near the back. A massive trough already brimmed with meat, and a barrel of water stood beside it. There was no gate.