Chapter 35
Chapter Thirty-Five
SERAFINA
Wind raked through my untamed curls. I tightened my legs over my dragon’s back and threw my arms out wide.
“Woohoo,” I shouted at a bird flying by.
“Careful up there,” Thorne purred through our mental link.
Below us, Carcerem unfurled, patchwork fields stitched in gold and green. The earthy scent of freshly turned soil filled my senses. Farmers prepared for new crops. For growth.
From this height, I could see the repairs already underway at the colosseum.
Scaffolding climbed the walls like spiders spinning webs.
Red-tiled roofs clustered along lanes that were filled with people instead of monsters.
Venders hawked their wares on street corners, cleared of rubble.
Carcerem was alive and shining, her sacred tree pumping life into everything it touched.
While Victor seemed eager to have Thorne gone, we’d lingered for a few days to rest and heal.
Also, to make amends for a certain dragon’s tantrum.
Runa took it in stride, having grown up with two volatile brothers.
One who could crush stone with a pinch of his fingers.
Another who tended to incinerate anything that stood in his way.
After defending their kingdom against the undead, the siblings were strangely subdued.
Both agreed they’d had enough adventure for a time.
As for Thorne and me, we grew weary of standing in one place. It was time my mate and I took care of some unfinished business so we could move forward.
We angled north, away from the sea of roofs. Farmland gave way to scrub and rock, to shadows where the world felt older. The air grew thinner, sharper. I breathed it like a promise of things yet to come.
Thorne swooped low, and I let out a squawk of terror and delight. Below us, a herd of fluffy nerf scattered, hooves thundering against the ground. A cloud of white against a dark green landscape. Their cries of outrage caused me to grin.
I remembered a day not so long ago that I ran from the terrifying beast I currently rode. While I hid in the rotted log, I never would have believed that there would be a time when I would run to the dragon instead of away.
Gravestone Mountain rose from the horizon, a ridge of black stone scraping the sky. The moment it came into view, my laughter thinned, replaced by an ache I tried not to name.
“Get ready to land,” Thorne warned, and I gripped his spine.
Wind gusted beneath his wings, and he drew his head back, deadly talons reaching for the landing pad. We touched down with barely any jarring. Before I could climb down, blue sparks of magic erupted off the dragon’s scales, and my mate shifted.
I squealed as a pair of strong arms swept under my shoulders and legs.
Thorne’s skill was incredible. Not that I’d ever tell him so. Already, the Draconis was too full of himself.
“Hello, mate.” He grinned down at me.
“Nice catch. You almost gave me a heart attack.”
“Ah. You’re made of tougher stock than that.”
My lips twisted. “You’re right. I am.”
He carried me inside, then set me down, grabbing a pair of pants as we walked through the entry tunnel.
I shivered as the essence of the lost kingdom washed over me.
The voices of the families who once lived here echoed in the halls, along with their truth.
The name of their killer was finally revealed—vengeance meted out for their deaths.
I’d like to think they were at peace now.
As awful as it was, I couldn’t shake the thought that Alaric and I weren’t so different. He’d once had everything, and I’d had nothing—yet neither of us possessed the one thing that could make us whole. Not all the riches in the world could buy that.
“You okay?” Thorne threaded his fingers into mine.
“Perfect.” My pulse skipped a happy beat, and I peered up at him. “It’s strange being back here.”
The sparkle in his eyes dimmed. “Do you think…?” he hesitated, expression pained. “Do think he’s really—”
“I do.” I squeezed his hand. “Alaric is gone.”
Though his crimes still lingered, the ghost of his misery clung to all it touched. “Let’s not spend a minute longer here than is necessary. Already, we’ve spent far too much time living in the shadow of this place.”
“Agreed.” The tension in his face softened.
“Throne room first,” I declared. “After, we’ll search for Speck.”
Firm arms circled my waist, bringing me up short. My mate’s fiery scent filled my senses. “Since saving an entire kingdom, you’ve gotten bossy.”
I turned into his embrace, nuzzling my nose to his. “Perhaps I’m simply eager for another swimming lesson.”
His beautiful blue eyes flashed with mischief. “You’re right. Let’s hurry.”
I squawked as he heaved me over his shoulder, barking a laugh as he sprinted through the castle ruins.
Once we reached our destination, the world spun, and my feet touched down.
“Your throne, my queen,” Pyrrhus’ former prince declared, sweeping out an arm.
I shoved disheveled curls from my eyes, my head spinning. Spotting the hollowed-out remains of Pyrrhus’ devastated tree, I crept closer, clutching the stone I wore around my neck.
“You’re sure about this?” Thorne asked, growing somber.
“Yes, Hathor showed me her plan while I was lost inside the arbor.” The memory of that place still clung to me. Its beauty, its endless peace, the way it had tried to coax me to stay. But what had felt like paradise had also been a gilded cage, and I had no desire to be trapped again.
My hands trembled as I unclasped the chain at my throat.
The tiny seed within pulsed faintly as though it knew what I was about to do.
I sank to my knees in the crumbled remains of the ruined arbor, the scent of burned sap thick in my lungs.
Gritting my teeth, I burrowed my hands into the cold dirt, carving out a divot.
With the little seed cupped in my palms, I whispered a prayer. “May the goddess bless you and keep you safe until we meet again.”
After placing a kiss on the rune-etched stone, I nestled it into the soil, tucking it below the dirt.
Next, I set my palms over its resting place, infusing the earth with a burst of Hathor’s magic.
Beneath my fingers, light flashed, the ground trembling.
When I drew my hands back, a sprout no taller than my thumb stood where there had been only ruin, its leaves glossy and wet with newborn radiance.
Thorne claimed my arm and helped me to my feet. “How long?”
“I’m not sure. It could take decades. Until the sacred arbor is ready to bond with a new protector, Gravestone Mountain and its wards will keep the sapling from harm.”
“And me,” said a small voice. “I will protect it.”
I spun, breath catching in my throat. In the center of the throne room, bathed in a glowing shaft of light, was the figure of a young man. Body mended, freckled cheeks flushed with life, he strode toward me without a limp.
Over his head was a tiny glowing orb the size of a firefly. It swirled in a tight circle before it shot into the ceiling, disappearing from sight.
“Speck!” I ran so fast I almost slid on the smooth tile. He met me halfway, and I scooped him up, spinning, his laughter bubbling against my neck. I set him back and cupped his face, tears blurring him into a smear of gold. “You’re you again. How?”
“Hathor,” he said, awed and proud all at once. “She explained everything to me. The sapling will need a caretaker. Someone who knows what it’s like to be small. Someone accustomed to watching over the vulnerable. She said there is none better suited than me.”
“And I shall look after Speck.” Myrna’s firm voice rang out, her thick sandals slapping the tiles.
“Myrna!” I exclaimed, pleased to see her despite our previous encounter when she helped Alaric imprison me.
I furrowed my brow, taking Speck’s hand in a protective grip. “And you’re sure you’re up for that?”
She huffed a nod. “I swear I’ll take care of him as if he were my own.”
At least I had proof she was a woman of her word, considering how long the trogg had served the dragons. I jabbed a finger in her direction. “No dungeons.”
She pursed her purple lips, one eye twinkling. “No dungeons.”
“And Speck,” I turned back to my friend. “How do you feel about that?”
“I’d like to stay here, if that’s alright. With Myrna and the trogg. My flock is close by as well.”
Thorne stepped forward, his big body softening. “If that’s what you want, Gravestone Mountain is lucky to have you, little guardian.”
Speck straightened, ten inches taller with a title. “I will be the best guardian,” he vowed solemnly, and then ruined it by grinning.
Seeing his joy, I was reminded that freedom didn’t mean being unbound, but choosing what you bind yourself to.
He glanced at the little seedling up on the dais, rounded eyes filled with wonder. “Do you think it will grow to be big and majestic like Carcerem’s tree?”
“Maybe.” I brushed his hair from his brow. “Or maybe it will be something new. A symbol of what was lost and what was learned. A symbol of freedom reborn.”
“New is good,” he decided, and nodded like a judge.
“New is good,” Myrna agreed, glancing between me and Thorne. “And the two of you? What will you do?”
Thorne clasped my hand and kissed my knuckles. “Anything we want, now both of us are free.” Free to explore, to live, to love. “I believe Sera would like to travel a bit before settling down. On the wings of a dragon, there’s no place we can’t visit.”
I grinned up at my mate, heart overflowing. It was all I’d ever dreamed of coming true. Better than any fairy tale. “Is that what you truly desire?”
“Absolutely.” Thorne beamed, love shining on his face. “Because, Princess, you’re worth it.”