Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Valyndra sighed when Drago pulled away from her and began pacing. The tension radiated off him like waves of heat. Her gaze softened at the worried expression on his face. He was so much like his father—proud, strong, always carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“Drago, you are making me dizzy. Will you stop your pacing and listen to me? You fear this child’s arrival means the end of the Seven Kingdoms.” She waited until his troubled eyes met hers. “It does not.”
His jaw tightened. “Mother… I felt the power in her. The sky tore when she arrived. You saw the mural—you know what it means.”
Valyndra moved forward, placing a calming hand over his.
“I do, more than you can possibly imagine. But you forget… the first Guardian Protector was born here, on the Isle of the Dragons. We are the birthplace of the Guardians, Drago. It is only right that she would find her way home now, when the world is shifting.”
His brows drew together. “You think it’s a good thing?”
“I know it is,” she smiled faintly. “The myths tell us—when a Guardian is born, the universe holds its breath. Not because it fears destruction, but because it senses hope. Renewal.”
Draegor stepped forward, his boots barely making a sound on the polished marble floors.
He rested a hand on Drago’s shoulder, his expression steady and calm.
“You were always so quick to believe the worst, son. But not all great power heralds ruin.” He gave Drago’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
“Your mother and I will take the girl to Arkla at first light. She should see where it began. The place of the first Guardian. It will help her understand that she needn’t be afraid of what she is destined to become. ”
Valyndra smiled, pride shining in her eyes. “You forget… once, you stood here, facing your own doubts. Afraid you wouldn’t be the king your people needed.” She reached up, cupping his cheek. “And yet, when the time came, you became the king who saved us all.”
Drago closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. The tension in his frame eased, his shoulders relaxing under his father’s hand.
“How can you be so sure she won’t bring us danger? How can you be sure she won’t be in danger? She is so young,” he asked softly, his voice hoarse.
Valyndra’s gaze clouded, as if she were lost in a distant memory. “Because she was born for this task, just like those before her. That is the burden and the gift of the Guardian Protectors.”
His father’s voice rumbled in agreement.
“It is not by accident this girl has found her way to us. She is part of that lineage. It is an honor, Drago, that you get to meet such a beautiful spirit. I was blessed to have met one myself long ago,” his hand fell from Drago’s shoulder as he reached for his mother with a gentle smile.
“She’s young. Far too young for such a burden,” Drago murmured.
“Which is why we must help her,” Valyndra said, squeezing her son’s hand. “That is the cruelest truth of the Guardians. Their strength is born young… because the fire burns brightest at the start.”
For a moment, silence fell between them—thick with memory, heavy with understanding.
Finally, Drago exhaled and nodded. “Thank you. I need to get back. I believe something else troubles her, and I would like to find out what it is before there are any more surprises.”
Draegor chuckled. “I hate to say this, but I’m glad I let you keep the title of king. I’ve been enjoying your mother’s and my retirement.”
Valyndra stepped forward and kissed Drago’s brow. “Retirement—poo. You just like playing with DJ, Stone, and Roo. They’ve got you wrapped around their little fingers, especially Roo.
“She charged me two gold coins for a hug this morning,” Draegor stated, his chest swelling with pride. “She’s a shrewd businesswoman.”
“Off with you now. Your father and I need to do some research before we meet with your young dragon. Rest easy, Drago. We will handle the rest, won’t we, love?”
“Of course. Of course,” Draegor chuckled.
“But… How…?”
“No worrying,” Valyndra instructed, pushing her son towards the door.
When the door closed, Draegor and Valyndra stood in silence, excitement building as she thought about what it meant to have another Guardian Protector to help protect the universe.
Finally, Draegor looked lovingly at his wife’s flushed face before he spoke. “How much do we tell her?”
Valyndra’s lips curved in a faint smile. “Enough. She must know who she is… but the rest… that depends on her. If she is truly the one, she will hear the Song of the Guardians when we reach Arkla.”
Draegor’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “It’s been centuries since we’ve been there. I wonder if….”
Valyndra’s gaze softened. “I know. It appears the Goddess is not finished with us yet, my love.”
Valyndra smiled when Draegor reached for her hand.
Together, they walked out onto the balcony.
Draegor wrapped his arm around his mate’s waist, pulling her close.
Valyndra stared out over the vast sea as the sun dipped below the horizon—waiting for the dawn that would carry them and the girl, who was both hope and flame, to the place where it all began.
The night air was cool against Phoenix’s skin, the sky above an endless canvas of stars so bright they seemed close enough to touch. She sat huddled on a stone bench along the castle’s outer terrace, arms wrapped tightly around her knees as if she could hold herself together by sheer force of will.
She couldn’t stop replaying it—the way the portal fractured, the terrified look on Spring’s face as she was ripped away, Roam’s cocky grin vanishing in an instant, the twins’ wild laughter fading like a memory. They were gone. All of them.
Her throat burned as she blinked hard against the tears threatening to fall. I lost them. I lost everyone.
A soft scrape of boots across stone made her stiffen. She didn’t turn. There was only one person it could be.
Drago stopped just behind her, his presence as solid and immovable as the cliffs themselves. For several seconds, he said nothing. Then, quietly, his voice rumbled through the darkness.
“Roo was worried you had left without saying goodbye. You’ve got to be careful.
Knowing my daughter, she’ll probably try to charge you a gold coin when you leave.
By the way, don’t believe her if she tries to charge you a goodbye or exit tax.
We don’t have one,” he said with a dry chuckle.
“Though… knowing Roo, she’s probably drafting a proposal. ”
Phoenix released a wobbly giggle before she swallowed hard. “I’ll remember that. I really like her. I’m sorry for disappearing. I just… needed to breathe.”
“You’re allowed that.” The bench creaked slightly as Drago sat beside her.
He didn’t crowd her, didn’t try to force her to look at him.
He simply… sat. A steady, grounding weight in the dark that reminded her a lot of her dad.
Tears burned in her eyes as she thought of her parents.
They would have no idea of what she had done—where she and the others were.
She stared out at the vast ocean, the waves glittering in the moonlight far below. “I can’t stop seeing it,” she whispered. “The way they all disappeared. One second, they were there—and then… gone. Like they never existed.”
Her voice cracked on the last word, and she hated how fragile she sounded. But she couldn’t stop it. Not now.
Drago said nothing, simply waited.
“They were counting on me,” she choked. “I was supposed to keep them safe. I was supposed to… to know what I was doing.” A bitter laugh escaped. “But I didn’t. I lost them.”
Her shoulders trembled as she forced the words out.
“My sister, Spring… what if I can’t find her?
…Or the others? They trusted me, and I messed everything up.
” Phoenix scrubbed at her face, furious at the tears trailing down her cheeks.
“What if they’re hurt? What if… what if I’m not strong enough to get us all home, even if I do find them? ”
Drago exhaled slowly. “They landed in the Seven Kingdoms,” he said quietly. “That alone tells me the Goddess guided your hand. You may not see it yet… but you didn’t fail them, Phoenix.”
Her laugh was hollow. “I’m not so sure about that.”
He shook his head. “There is danger here, yes. But there is also balance. The Isles are not unkind. If your friends crossed paths with any of the rulers, they would be protected, not harmed.”
Phoenix’s head snapped toward him, uncertainty warring with the faintest flicker of hope. “You really believe that?”
“I do,” Drago said simply. “I know these lands, these people. The Seven Kingdoms… they are built to endure. And your friends—” He glanced down at her. “—I suspect they are not as helpless as you think.”
Phoenix snorted softly, wrapping her arms tighter around her legs. “Roam’s probably already in trouble.”
“Why do you say that?” Drago asked with a faint smile.
“Well, first of all, he’s with my sister, who wasn’t very happy with him.
I would be surprised if Spring hasn’t already buried him up to his neck wherever they landed,” she replied, giggling at the vivid image of Roam trying to talk Spring into forgiving him, before she groaned as another image popped into her head.
“Then, there’s Amber and Jade. I don’t know what they had in the duffle bag that they were riding on, but it’s bound to cause trouble.
We still have demented symbiots running around the palace. ”
“Demented symbiots?” Drago asked before a soft rustle behind them drew their attention.
She turned, startled, as a small figure shuffled forward, rubbing her eyes with tiny fists. Phoenix smiled when a head full of curls with two long bunny ears poking out from a pink headband appeared. Drago groaned and stood up.
“Roo,” Drago softly chided as he opened his arms. “You should be in bed.”
“I heard her crying,” Roo mumbled sleepily, ignoring her father and crawling straight into Phoenix’s lap. “When I get scared… Daddy says it’s okay. So… it’s okay if you’re scared, too.”
Phoenix smiled softly down at the little girl, soothed by the simple, absolute certainty in her voice. She leaned down and picked up Roo, snuggling with the little girl on her lap.
“My mom and dad say the same thing,” Phoenix murmured. “I miss them.”
“That’s ‘cause you love them,” Roo mumbled, resting her head against Phoenix’s chest. “It’s going to be okay. Mommy always says that. I can makes you some paper birds. They will help protect you.”
Phoenix’s throat closed up as she buried her face in Roo’s dark hair. She felt Drago’s gaze but couldn’t meet it.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she admitted hoarsely. “I don’t know if I want to know who and what I am.”
“I felt the same when I was your age,” Drago admitted, staring out at the ocean.
“You did?” she asked, her voice laced with surprise.
He nodded. “I didn’t want to be King of the Dragons. I wasn’t sure I would be strong enough. I also didn’t want the responsibility,” he confessed.
“What-what happened? What changed?” she asked.
“It was when I realized that I didn’t have to do it alone.
” He turned and stared deep into her eyes.
“You won’t be alone either. You’ll have your parents, your sister, your friends, and…
us. I’ve been told by someone very knowledgeable that if you are a Guardian Protector, you were born for the task, just like those before you.
While it may be a burden, like being a king, it is also a gift.
You’re not alone, Phoenix. You never were and never will be. ”
Drago’s words sank deep, lodging somewhere in the hollow ache inside her chest as a shiver ran down her spine.
Memories of past adventures, times with her parents, and the knowledge that she was never truly alone filled her heart.
Her dragon stirred, moved by his words as much as she was.
Deep down, they both needed to hear what he was telling them.
She lifted her face, tilting it toward the stars as she searched them for Valdier.
A light caress brushed against her skin as the wind shifted, carrying the faintest whisper—like a voice she almost knew but couldn’t hear.
For the briefest moment, she felt as if gentle fingers brushed her cheek.
A soft smile curved her lips as she felt the warmth of a Goddess nearby.
“As for your sister and the others, I think it will be fun to take a little trip to see if we can find them. We’ll start with the Isle of the Sea Serpent. DJ, Stone, and Roo love going to see Orion and Jenny’s kids.”
“Thank you… for everything. I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused. We… just wanted to have some fun during school break,” she said, turning to look at him and feeling calmer.
Drago laughed, stood, and scooped a sleeping Roo out of her arms. “Trust me, my trio cause a lot more trouble, especially when all the kids from the different kingdoms get together. Let’s get you settled. You have a long flight tomorrow, and if I know my kids, you’ll be up early.”
Phoenix giggled and rose. For the first time since the portal shattered, she let herself believe everything would be okay.
This is just another adventure. I just need to embrace it.