Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Valdier
Mandra’s boots struck the flagstones with a rhythm too sharp, too restless for the tranquility of the Valdier royal gardens.
He paced beneath the golden glow of late morning, the scent of sun-warmed blossoms thick in the air, but none of it could calm the storm churning inside him.
Overhead, the twin suns of Valdier blazed across a flawless sky. He glanced upward—waiting.
He didn’t need to feel the familiar hum of energy from his symbiot to know she was coming.
He felt her.
Ariel.
His steps faltered as the sleek golden ship their symbiot had transformed into shimmered into view above the treetops, descending in a graceful arc toward the landing circle at the far end of the garden.
Precious’s surface gleamed in the light, its curves smooth and impossibly fluid.
As it touched down, the symbiot dissolved, folding in on itself like liquid stardust, then reshaped itself into a Werecat next to his mate.
Mandra moved forward, his long strides eating up the space between them.
His breath caught when she smiled at him, radiant and steady as the morning sun.
His arms wrapped around her before she could speak, lifting her off the ground as he buried his face against her neck.
Her scent filled his lungs—wildflowers and sunshine, fresh.
Her arms curled tightly around his neck, anchoring him. “I’m here, big guy,” she whispered. “I’ve got you.”
He held her tighter, his body trembling with emotion he couldn’t voice. For a moment, he simply breathed her in, as if the press of her body in his arms could steady the chaos in his mind.
Slowly, reluctantly, he lowered her until her feet touched the ground again. He looked down into her face, his own expression raw with a mixture of love, guilt, and worry. She raised an elegant brow, the corner of her mouth quirking in that way that always pierced through his armor.
His cheeks flushed. She looped her arm through his and gently tugged him into motion.
Nearby, Precious trotted past them. The Werecat yawned, stretched luxuriously in a patch of sunlight, and flopped over with a resounding purr that seemed to shake the flowerbeds.
Mandra glanced at the contented feline and shook his head, envy flickering through his chest. How he wished he could feel that at peace, that confident that all would be well in their world.
Ariel guided him to one of the stone benches tucked beneath a flowering arch. They sat, knees brushing. He stared at their intertwined fingers—his calloused, hers delicate—and for a moment, he couldn’t find the words.
“Mandra?” Ariel prompted softly, her voice wrapping around him like silk. “Talk to me. I could feel your distress all the way to Morian and Paul’s place.”
“I…” He swallowed hard. “There’s something I need to tell you. About the kids.”
She didn’t flinch or question. She simply waited.
“They’re gone,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
“Phoenix created a portal—to a place called the Seven Kingdoms. I don’t know how she did it, but she did.
The kids went through almost a week ago.
” His fingers curled tightly around hers.
“At first, we weren’t sure where they went.
We still don’t know where this world is—not exactly.
But… the Goddess has been watching them.
She’s been showing us glimpses. Of what they’re going through. ”
Ariel’s expression remained calm, but her grip tightened slightly in his.
“I can’t say I’m exactly surprised. They do tend to get into mischief when they all get together—and are bored.
What have you seen so far? I have to believe if they are together, they’ll be alright—especially if there’s a Goddess watching over them. ”
“There’ve been dangers,” he said, his voice rough.
“Dragons. Merpeople. Magic. Elemental beings. Giants. Dragon’s ballocks—there’ve even been pirates!
Those kids have done some incredible feats.
The battle between the pirates was—spectacular!
They really came together. We couldn’t help but be proud and cheer them on. But—” His voice cracked.
He inhaled shakily and looked away.
“This morning…” he said, then stopped, his throat closing up.
Ariel wrapped an arm around his waist. He turned to her and rested his forehead against hers, breathing her in.
“Tell me.”
“I saw Jabir—for the first time,” he rasped. “Just for a moment. He wasn’t with the others. He was on the shore of a lake. There was a creature—huge. Something out of legend. It… put its paw on his shoulder, like they were friends. Jabir said…” He trailed off, his voice breaking.
Ariel’s fingers brushed through his hair. “What did he say, Mandra?”
He looked up, his eyes full of anguish. “He said he finally felt like he belonged somewhere. I’m worried about him, Ariel.”
Ariel inhaled softly.
“He thinks… I’m disappointed in him. Because he isn’t a warrior.
Because he’d rather care for animals than wield a sword.
Because he’s not huge like me.” He clenched his fists.
“But that boy—our boy—he’s brave and smart.
I should have told him that more often. I should have told him how proud I am of him. ”
Ariel twisted and sat on his lap, cupped his face, and pressed a kiss to his lips.
“He knows you are proud of him. You’ve always loved him for who he is. He’s just going through an awkward stage. We’ve all gone through it as a teenager. Everything will be alright. He’ll come home.”
Mandra closed his eyes, his heart cracking open.
She leaned in, her voice fierce and gentle. “He’ll be okay. He has your strength—and Asim’s wisdom—as well as my stubborn streak.”
He huffed a laugh despite himself.
“Plus,” she added with a knowing smile, “he has an entire world of people here who love him for exactly who he is. He just needs more time to realize that.”
“That damn monster looked pretty cute, and if there are more, you know how Jabir will be. He’ll want to bring them all back to the mountain,” he replied in a gruff tone.
Ariel laughed and rested her head against his shoulder. “Yeah, Asim is going to love that. So, what did this monster look like?”
“Oh, you know, like the creatures out of the picture books from your world—face of a lion, wings of a bat, tail of a scorpion—”
Ariel huffed out a breath and giggled. “Sounds like something out of a fairy tale.”
Mandra held her close, resting his head against hers, and stared out over the garden. Precious let out a sleepy purr. A single golden leaf drifted down from above and landed on Mandra’s shoulder.
“What are we going to do if he doesn’t come home?” he murmured.
Ariel sighed and tightened her grip on him. “The other dragonlings won’t leave him behind. If they do or something prevents him from coming home, I’ll be having a very heated conversation with a Goddess,” she said, an edge to her voice that made Mandra smile.
“I’m glad you’re home.”
“Me, too. You know you guys are going to be toast when the others find out that you didn’t tell them,” she said.
“Yeah, we know.”
Isle of the Monsters
Jabir slid off the boulder as Williston and Gabby chuckled. Mikey placed a large but gentle hand on his shoulder. Jabir looked up… and up, and up, until he was gazing into Mikey’s brown eyes, crinkled with amusement.
“If you have trouble keeping up,” Mikey said cheerfully, “I can carry you and your yummies.”
Jabir flushed. He hated how small and underwhelming he felt next to the towering trolls. Heck, next to everyone! Bálint, Zohar, and Roam would have glared the trolls down and replied with some sarcastic, witty comment.
Not him! He became tongue-tied and blushed.
His feelings of inadequacy weren’t Mikey’s fault—he meant well—but the offer stung. Jabir forced a smile and straightened his shoulders.
“Thanks, but I’ll do my best to keep up.”
Mikey nodded, unconcerned, and turned to follow Gabby and Williston down the narrow forest path.
Jabir jogged a few steps to catch up, his tote bag bouncing against his side as the trail twisted between towering trees draped in moss like lace curtains.
Shafts of light pierced the emerald canopy, painting the undergrowth in patches of silver and shadow.
Every so often, something rustled in the underbrush—too large to be a squirrel, but too skittish to show itself.
He didn’t blame it. If all he knew about the trolls was the snapping of branches thicker than his leg under their feet, he’d run away as well.
Mikey strolled beside him with a contented swagger, his belly jiggling with each step. Jabir’s lips twitched when he spotted Mikey’s footprints—dinner-plate-sized impressions pressed deep into the moss. Mikey glanced over at him with a sly, hopeful expression.
“That was the bestest crunchy I’ve ever had,” he said reverently. “It made my tummy rumble and my tongue tingle.”
Jabir chuckled. “I’ve got more. Want some?”
“Oh, yes! My tongue and tummy would like it very much,” Mikey said, his eyes widening with delight before he leaned down to whisper, “I don’t wants to share if I don’t have to.”
Ahead of them, Gabby and Williston marched with practiced ease. Gabby—her pale green skin glittering faintly under the filtered light—was still grumbling about being right all along. Williston, more stone-gray than green, listened with one ear while his other swiveled to catch distant sounds.
“How about something that doesn’t crunch?” Jabir suggested, pulling out a bag of Gummy Bears his Aunt Cara had programmed into the replicator.
“Are these as good as the crunchy?” Mikey asked, holding up the bag of multi-colored fruit-flavored treats with a skeptical expression.
“Oh, yeah. They are super yummy. So, um,” Jabir began as he dodged a low branch, “what kinds of creatures live here? You said this place is called the Isle of the Monsters?”