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“Before I was reborn as Thane, I lived there for a very long time. Both Ryvengaard and Runevale. I know the Drakonans from the other world. They own the treasury and are probably even more influential than the kings in Ryvengaard.”

He nodded and crossed his arms behind his back. “I don’t know how we can convince him.”

Thane lifted a shoulder. “I’ll just have to show him.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can open a portal to Ryvengaard through the stones.”

“You’d do that without an agreement?”

“I would do it to show him it’s there and give him a taste of the world, but no one else goes.”

Ronan smiled. “Not even me? I’ve dreamed about this since I was old enough to read the tales, Thane.”

“You won’t go running off once you’re there, will you?”

“No, I don’t want to make enemies with the god of war, and I don’t plan to leave Piper behind, despite what my father said. What is it like?”

“Everything is bigger there. The trees, the boulders, the mountains. Even the birds and rodents. You will live longer there in your homeworld. There are other shifters like felines and wolves, but dragons rule.”

“No doubt,” he grinned.

Thane cleared his throat. “About Piper… I can’t pretend I didn’t hear him make a threat against her. She’s a commander in my army, as well as one of my closest friends.”

“He won’t touch her.”

“I’m not convinced of that. If you do marry Piper, it will have to wait until the war is over, and even then, your father isn’t going to change his mind about her. Are you willing to be disowned over her?”

Ronan’s usually playful expression turned into a frown.

“Andhaveyou thought of all the things your father said? They are legitimate concerns. What would your children be? Shifter or elf or something in between?” Dragons and other shifters usually didn’t mate outside their race. He’d seen it a few times in Ryvengaard. The children usually did not have the ability to fully shift into dragon form, rather a half-shifter, only able to grow the dragon wings and talons, and scale up if they were lucky. Which for Piper wouldn’t be an issue, but he could imagine Ronan being disappointed. They were usually not accepted by either parent’s society and became outcasts. At least that was what he’d witnessed in Ryvengaard.

He nudged Thane with his elbow. “I’m not thinking about children, Thane. We haven’t even become a mated pair yet.”

“I highly doubt you haven’t thought about it, Ronan. In fact, you can’t convince me you haven’t done extensive research. Even if you have everyone else fooled into thinking you’re the half-wit family disgrace, you’re not.”

Ronan raised a brow and smirked. “What makes you so sure?”

“You’re a student of history. You’re a reader. You were able to sniff out our god heritage right away, to name a few.”

“I’ve done my research on the topic and found a few instances. Our children would be carried in her womb, nothatched from an egg, be beautiful like the elves and be able to shift into half-beast form.”

“It would be one in a million that they’d be able to fully shift into dragons.”

“More like one in ten million.” They came to the end of the hall and paused before entering a grand foyer. “You think she should be with Fennan, don’t you?”

“I think she should be with whoever makes her happiest.” Although he’d love for his two good friends to end up together, he understood why Piper felt the way she did. Fennan took too long to notice her. “And someone who will protect her from anyone, even his own family.”

“No onewill touch her.”

With breakfast in both hands,Thane pushed through Katana’s broken door, his boots crunching over the wood splinters still on the floor. Katana sat in front of the open window before a mirror, running a comb through her long blonde hair. She hummed as she watched her reflection. Her demeanor was such a stark contrast to the way she was the night before, it caught him off guard. Wouldn’t there be sadness in her eyes, or a trace of the fear she felt? But the sunbeams on her skin and hair made her light up. Maybe the sun gave her strength to overcome it. Maybe for her, the sun chased away any trace of gloom. She caught his eye in the mirror, and with a smile, turned to face him. He set her platter of fruits and nuts on the vanity top.

“You brought me breakfast? You are always so thoughtful.”

“I heard your stomach growling.”

She giggled. “Oh, right. It is such a strange thing for a body to do. I am still not used to it.”