With one last kiss, tasting the smoke and ash on Xander’s breath, I broke away from my bonded mate. Weaving my hand through his, I pulled him towards the cottage. “Come on, dragon of mine. Let’s get some breakfast.”
“You’re not tired?” he asked, taking the lead.
I ducked beneath a low-hanging branch. “I’ll make it through the day,” I said, avoiding the question.
Xander frowned, but he didn’t push the issue further. I hadn’t been able to sleep while he was flying. Being without my bonded mate, even for a few brief hours, was too much. Every moment alone reminded me of those dreadful days we’d spent apart after High King Edgar had stolen my dragon shifter.
That first night after the king’s death, neither Xander nor I slept. He flew us away from the ruined temple, and we spent the next three days in a cave, just… being together. We spent most of that time in each other’s arms, reminding ourselves that we were still alive, that we had survived the high king’s wrath.
Only once we’d been reunited had I been willing to admit that our bond was stronger than separation. Still, every moment apart had felt like the worst kind of heartbreak, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. After the euphoria of survival had worn off, a grim reality had set in. We had a long way to go before restoring the balance. Xander and I had talked about it, and though we agreed to get married, we both decided that now wasn’t the right time.
The cobblestones leading up to Nonna’s cottage were cracked and grimy, matching the rest of the run-down structure. It never ceased to amaze me that a ratty exterior could house such an immaculate home on the inside. I picked my way along the path carefully behind my mate. He tightened his fingers around mine, pulling open the door. “After you, Sunshine.”
“Such a gentleman,” I teased, pecking his cheek.
Only for you,he rumbled through our connection.
I loved that about him. He could be gruff with everyone else, but there was a softness within him that was mine, and mine alone.
Murmured conversations filtered through the air, and I smiled up at Xander as the smell of fresh bread and bacon reached my nose. My stomach grumbled and beside me, my mate perked up. One thing I had learned since leaving my tower was that no matter the situation, males always made time to eat. Especially my enormous, grumpy dragon shifter.
A white-haired head poked out of the kitchen, and Xander grinned.
“Just in time, young ones.” Nonna smiled, waving a spatula in the air in our direction. “Everyone is awake and waiting for you.”
I started. “Oh, we didn’t know—”
“Not to worry,” Nonna said. “There’s no harm done, my dear. Come along, I’ve made breakfast. We have things to discuss, and you have places to go.”
We hurried into the kitchen—which was now practically palatial, thanks to Nonna’s incredible magic—and Xander pulled out a chair for me.
I sat, smiling at the assembled group. The elderly witch took a seat at the head of the table, wrapping her hands around a porcelain teacup. Daegal and Ryllae sat to Nonna’s right, engaged in a quiet conversation. To the witch’s left, Maiela and Kysha sat, their intertwined hands laying between them. Sitting opposite his grandmother, Xander was next to me. Reaching for the large teapot in the middle of the table, he poured me a cup before doing the same for himself.
Once I took a sip of my tea and declared it perfect, Nonna cleared her throat. Instantly, everyone stopped talking, and all eyes went to the elderly witch.
“My dears. It has been an unprecedented blessing to have all of you remain beneath my roof on and off for many months. Having young blood in my home has been rejuvenating.” The witch shared a look with Maiela, Daegal’s twin sister, and the two of them burst into laughter. Evidently, they had created special memories while we’d been gone.
“I’m glad, Elsbeth,” Kysha said. “We’ve enjoyed being here as well.”
Kysha and Maiela had fled their home in Vlarone, finding refuge at Nonna’s after a horrible Winged Soldier attack.
“Good.” Nonna smiled, and the lines around her eyes wrinkled. “As much as I have enjoyed having you all here, time is growing short.” She raised a brow. “Isn’t that right, Daegal?”
The Fortune Elf nodded. “It is.”
His tone was dark, and a shiver ran up my spine.
Placing both hands on the table, palms facing up, Daegal cleared his throat. “I have Seen the future.” His voice was low, filled with equal parts fear and determination. “Darkness and danger intersect at every turn, threatening to destroy the Four Kingdoms.”
I shuddered as my mind raced with various scenarios. Each one was worse than the last, and my breath started coming faster. Xander’s hand found my thigh under the table, and he squeezed.
“But do not despair,” Daegal continued. “There is still one path that leads to life. Though the future is dark, there is hope. There is light.”
Since escaping my tower, I had learned a lot about hope. I learned that hope kept us going despite the collapse of the world. It was the reason the females of Ithenmyr survived under Edgar’s tyrannical rule. And perhaps most importantly, hope kept people going when all else seemed lost.
The Fortune Elf stopped, steepling his fingers and looking pointedly at our end of the table. “Xander?”
My dragon nodded, reaching beneath his collar and withdrawing the necklace he always wore. No one made a sound as Xander pulled it off his head, placing the tube on the wooden table before opening it. He reached inside, his large fingers moving with an ease and grace that seemed at odds with a male his size as he withdrew the pieces of the map. All five had jagged edges, as though someone had ripped apart them in haste.