Page 137

I sat back. Better odds than I feared. “Tell me how I can improve that in our favor.”

“Nyx, I want to help you. If I had a twin brother out there who needed me, I would bring down the Wild Mountains if it meant I could reach him. But the elders here who knew the kingdoms of old will not see the plight of one dragon as enough of a reason to risk the safety of this place.”

“The safety of this place is at risk if they don’t let us leave,” I argued.

“Convince me,” he demanded.

I huffed.

“If you can’t convince me when I want to help you, you will never convince them.”

He had a point. “What do you know of the kingdoms? Were you one of those kept in the dark?” I spat. I couldn’t help drawing comparisons with Zaria’s life, and it left me feeling bitter.

“Don’t judge the elders for giving these fae a place without war and suffering.”

“I judge them for giving these fae a life without choice.”

Jaxus laughed. “You can’t compare this place to the life your mate was kept prisoner in. She’s told me all about it, and it’s not the same. The fae here are free. They just don’t have to concern themselves with what happens beyond these mountains.”

“Can they leave?”

“None have ever desired it. We are happy here. Despite what you may think, most of us do know the history of the realms. And we choose this place.”

“You can’t desire something you don’t know exists. Do they know dragons live outside of here?”

“No. They don’t.”

“Then it’s not a real choice.” I had to change my tune if I was going to convince him. “If the Vivi Mortui are back, they’re an enemy we all face. Your sanctuary is as vulnerable as any of the kingdoms.”

“The elders believe our shroud will protect us.”

“But your shroud did not keep us out, and the Vivi Mortui are not bound by the same laws as the living.”

“No.” He inspected his nails before looking at me directly. “Nyx, I’m going to be honest with you, dragon to dragon. Emrys believes Zaria saw through our shroud because her magic is like that of this valley. It’s an older kind of magic that is unique to this place. Your kingdoms have lost the old ways. That is why they don’t connect with the Goddess so well anymore. There’s a misalignment.”

“Old magic was abolished when the kingdoms unified. It was the only way to end darker practices and make the kingdoms safer for all,” I informed him.

Jaxus shook his head. “That is why this place came to be. Magic can’t be sanitized so it’s safer for all. The old ways were how we thrived under the Goddess. She exists among us, her energy nurturing and providing for us, and in return, she draws power from us when we thrive. As with all magic, it’s an exchange. Without old magic, you can’t fully connect to her, and she can’t fully provide for you. It’s like your meld would have been had you not completed it. We exist here because our elders refused to lose that connection.”

I took it all in, stunned. The power in the kingdoms had diminished over the centuries, and Jaxus was telling me we had done it to ourselves. Kiera had privately floated some theories in the past during our late-night discussions that were along a similar line, but now, I was seeing it. She would lose her mind if she could be here for this realization.

“It rings true, doesn’t it?”

“Somewhat,” I admitted.

He watched me process my new reality.

“So, how does that affect us?”

“If they let you go and you reveal this secret, our magic and our connection to the Goddess will be in jeopardy.”

“And if we stay and do nothing and the Vivi Mortui find you?”

“We’ll fight them. They were defeated before because magic was stronger then. We have the means to defeat them again.”

“And the forces?”

Jaxus gave me a wry smile. “We have the means,” he repeated, giving nothing away.