Chapter 44 #3
One by one, the Dragonlings stepped forward—Roam with a loud whoop, Alice waving goodbye to Orion and Nali, Spring growling after Roam to be quiet so he wouldn’t alert their parents, and the others chattering and teasing as they passed through the portal, stepping back into the garden they’d left behind.
Phoenix’s gaze shifted to Jabir. He stood just shy of the doorway, his body still. His eyes flicked between the gardens of Valdier and Nali and Asahi.
Between the world he came from and the one that had quietly claimed a piece of his heart.
Nali offered him a gentle smile, one filled with empathy and compassion.
Jabir’s hands clenched, and he huffed out a loud breath before he took a step forward. Phoenix’s eyes burned. She could feel his struggle, until—
He saw them.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as her aunt and uncle stepped out from behind the treehouse
Her breath hitched when they opened their arms and Jabir surged forward.
She watched him go, feeling a sense of relief when she saw the joy ripple across his face. A swell of warmth bloomed in her chest.
She turned back to Drago, Asahi, Nali, and Orion standing together. They bowed their heads to her Aunt Ariel and her Uncle Mandra when they mouthed a heartfelt thank you over Jabir’s head. She gave them a brief smile, then turned and stepped through the portal.
Moments later, the portal between the Seven Kingdoms and Valdier shimmered closed behind her.
Valdier
The room was still—far too still, as far as Mandra was concerned, for what they were watching.
He fidgeted, switching his weight, unable to relax enough to sit or stay put.
His nerves were grating on him, and he had to fold his arms tight across his chest to keep from digging them into his hair in aggravation.
The low hum of anticipation in the palace conference room wasn’t helping.
He kept his eyes fixed on the large viewing screen dominating the far wall—waiting, watching.
The screen showed a broad, unobstructed view of the garden on the Isle of the Monsters.
A chaotic swirl of color, movement… and life.
The group of teens on the other side were laughing and horsing around, oblivious to the anxiety their little adventure had caused. They looked like they were attending a victory parade, or the family/friend get-togethers that had happened frequently since they were born.
“I’m still not sure if I should ground Roam, or congratulate him on being so innovative. He really applied everything he’s learned,” Vox muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Oh, Bálint is going to be grounded. I don’t know how he thought this would be alright,” Kelan growled, pacing back and forth in tight, quick steps. “This little stunt took about twenty years off my life.”
“Didn’t your mom tell me a story about you and your brothers—” Trisha began.
Kelan silenced the rest of her reminder of the mischief they used to get into with a fierce, passionate kiss. A ripple of laughter went through the room. Mandra released a groan and gave up not running his hands through his hair.
His focus was locked on the tall, lanky boy who was turning into a responsible young man, there in the center of an alien garden, so close, yet so far away.
Jabir stood just outside the forming portal, his brow furrowed, his gaze lingering behind him. A flicker of indecision played across his face. The others were already rushing to pass through the swirling doorway. Phoenix stood near the opening, steady, radiant, and waiting.
But Jabir…
He hesitated.
Mandra clenched his hands into white-knuckled fists.
Beside him, Ariel released a low, distressed cry. Her smaller fingers gently wrapped around his, prying his fist open with a quiet strength that only she could offer.
“He’ll come home,” she whispered.
He pulled his gaze away from the screen when he heard the catch of uncertainty in her voice. Her eyes shimmered with worry.
He couldn’t take it anymore. With a sharp turn, he threaded his fingers through Ariel’s and pulled her with him out of the conference room and down the corridors of the palace. Behind him, he heard chairs scrape and the thunder of booted feet.
They weren’t the only ones who couldn’t stand the suspense any longer.
He didn’t stop. He couldn’t.
His strides were long and purposeful, eating up the marble floors. Ariel kept pace at his side, her hand tight in his. He pushed through the doors that led to the gardens. They descended the stone stairs two at a time.
Mandra ignored the yelp of a startled gardener as they raced past him. Ariel took the lead when the path narrowed briefly. Within minutes, the kids’ treehouse came into view—along with the portal. Voices carried from the other side—laughing, calling, teasing.
His heart thundered as he slowed. Outlined in the portal’s swirling, colorful center was Jabir. Mandra swallowed when Jabir turned his head slightly to look behind him.
Fear gripped him. Beside him, Ariel stumbled to a stop, one hand lifting to cover her mouth. Her breath hitched. He glanced down at her, his heart clenching at the shimmer of tears in her eyes, the way her fingers trembled.
Their son stood between two worlds. As he studied Jabir, he could see himself at that age—caught between childhood and something more. Emotion flooded him, making his throat thick and his eyes burn.
He tensed when Jabir turned to look back through the portal—and their eyes met.
The world seemed to stop.
A slow smile curved his lips as they looked back at each other—a deep understanding passing between them as they recognized that they weren’t that much different after all. Jabir’s expression cracked open into a brilliant, boyish smile that shattered Mandra’s composure in one swift blow.
They each took a step in the other’s direction.
Opening his arms, he caught Jabir around the waist as he slammed into them, strong and solid, but still their boy.
A shudder of emotion shook Mandra’s massive frame as he wrapped Jabir tight in his arms, crushing him between them like he would never let go.
Ariel was already sobbing softly into Jabir’s shoulder, her hands clutching his shirt between her fisted fingers.
“I missed you,” Jabir breathed, his voice muffled.
“I love you so damn much. And I’m proud as hell of the man you’re becoming,” he mumbled in a gruff voice.
Jabir’s shoulders shook.
Mandra didn’t let go.
He closed his eyes and let the sound of laughter wash over him. Around them, the other teens were excitedly sharing their adventure with parents who were too relieved to be upset. None of that mattered in this moment. His family was whole.
Jabir had come home, and everything would be alright.