Eleven days later.
Princess Xian stood in the large courtyard of her brother’s castle, hugging him farewell.
“Are you certain,” Ajali said. “The White Queen has promised to ask the red coven for help.”
She stepped back, lifting dark eyes to him. “I am certain. I will be here when you need me and learning and understanding the powers inside me…it is not here I will learn this. I was buried under the oceans for nine days before I stopped burning. If not Gavyn’s…” her throat tightened. “If not for Gavyn’s love and sacrifice, I would have killed thousands.”
Uriah stepped forward. “Prince Baku is now a prisoner of war, and his father is open to negotiations to free his son. As a show of good faith, he offers an alliance with the crown prince. That—”
“I will not marry anyone but my Gavyn,” she whispered, lovingly stroking the hardened scales of the dragon beside her. “And I just might light you afire Uriah for suggesting othe
rwise!”
Ajali’s eyes cut to the fearsome beast which stood over twelve feet tall, and its wingspan greater than its body behind her.
“I am sorry he is lost to us, Xian. So damn sorry. The witches say Gavyn might never come back to his natural form. He will remain a dragon until the end of his days. Why not stay here with your Dragon. In Nuria? Where if control is lost—”
She flinched. “I am the Tenzu for the red Phoenyx. I am a powerful warrior who will walk on the front lines with our army and defend our homeland. I am learning more and more to control her each day, and I daresay we are becoming friends."
Ajali blinked. “It speaks to you.”
“It does, brother.”
He nodded contemplatively, and she understood he had a different relationship with his Phoenyx.
“Where will you go with him.”
She rested against her dragon’s side. “I do not know. Maybe to the caves atop the Darkans mountains.”
“Why in King’s name would you go to the dark ones?”
“They are his people.”
“They will not understand what he is,” Ajali said gently. “Darkans do not transform into their beasts, Xian. They have inks on their bodies that they summon to a corporeal form, you know that. Tehdra said they had never had a half-blood in their kingdom. How will they help?”
She fought the despair that tried to swamp her. A stirring came in her mind. “You are distress, mate.”
The power within the dragon reverberated in her mind. Even the voice sounded unlike Gavyn’s. “I am well.”
“Perhaps I will travel to Earth at the end of the war. There are rumors that half-blood Darkans on earth are called shifters. That human turned into the beast themselves, but they can return to their human form. Perhaps I will find a way to help him shift back."
“You cannot enter the Earth’s sky riding a Kagutsuchi dragon.”
“I will do anything to bring my love back to me.” She curtsied to her brothers. “Until I see you again.”
“You have sacrificed everything for me,” she murmured to the massive dragon, climbing atop his back. “I’ll never leave your side Gavyn, and one day I know you’ll come back to me.”
“I haven’t gone anywhere,” the beast groused.
“While I love your fearsome beauty and power, I want to you to be able to hold me…and make love with me…and give me babies. Will you come back to me?”
The dragon remained silent and crawled forward with sinuous swishing grace before leaping into the sky. Its massive wings flapped, and they soared over the kingdom for miles before resting atop the cold mountains of Nuria. That night as she lay atop her dragon sleeping, a sound roused her, and she stirred a jolt of shock piercing her heart to see a naked Gavyn before her.
“Gavyn!”
His eyes opened, and the silver of his eyes had shattered, and shards of black and orange flames now resided in their depths. He opened his arms, and she flung herself in them, deep sobs ripping from her. Then she laughed, pressing kisses all over his face.
“I thought I would have to wait years before you come back to me.”