Page 79 of A Rising Hope (The Freckled Fate #3)

79

GIDEON

I wiped the blood off my swords against the charred flags of the destroyed enemy battalions at my feet.

The City of Light had fallen.

I strolled past the scattered remnants of bodies towards the small, barricaded pub. Sheathing both of my swords, I knocked on the closed door four times. A set of footsteps sounded. The door chimes rang, and a friendly face peeked out from the open door.

“Not even going to ask who is here?” I raised my brow at Xentar.

“I figured if someone wanted to kill me, they wouldn’t be knocking. And if they did, it was a polite thing to do. And who am I to discourage good manners from Destroyers for once?” His face turned a few shades lighter as he beheld the piles of bodies scattered all over the streets. His throat bobbed, watching my soldiers rip the insignias from the dead before burning them. He swallowed hard, no doubt fighting a terrible urge to puke.

“So, it’s over now?” he questioned, tearing his eyes away from the gore that covered the city. I gave him a nod, scanning the street. “Good,” he managed to say before turning to the side and hurling his guts out. “Gods dammit.” He gagged. I chuckled, patting him on his shoulder.

“Do I need to hold your hair for you?” I sneered, holding his long braids, as he violently puked again.

“Fuck off.” Xentar strained, standing up, wiping away the snot from his nose. His golden eyes scanned the surroundings. “It’ll take ages to clean up,” he murmured, staring at the bloodstained, white walls of the ancient buildings.

“Wait until you see the river,” I murmured, looking up to the sky, anxiously looking for her.

“What did you do?” His lips turned to thin lines as he glared.

“Minor adjustments, but you might need a few Creators to fix it.” I smirked.

“Gods, Gideon, I told you to separate the water so your armies could walk through them. Not to completely scorch the river with your fire.”

“But incinerating the river just sent a better message, you know?” I reasoned, not hiding my smile as the sky shuddered with loud, thunderous roars.

“You wanted to see if you could do it, don’t pretend it was beyond that.” He shook his head, adjusting the lapels of his jacket.

“ I knew I could do it. I just wanted everyone else to know too.” I winked in his direction.

“Gods save us all.” Xentar sighed, looking up as the skies erupted with flames while two gigantic dragons soared over us. The wild current of winds from their massive wings whipped my cape.

“I see the princess is enjoying her new pets,” Xentar said, shielding his eyes from the gusts of air.

“She is no longer a princess, she is a motherfucking dragon queen.” My teeth scraped the bottom of my lip as I saw my love. I nodded, extending my arms. She slid down the large, lowered nose of the creature, leaping straight into my arms.

“Miss me?” She smiled, bopping my nose with her finger. Our hearts synced into one beat, reunited.

“More than anything in the world,” I confessed, landing a kiss on her perfect lips.

Xentar politely coughed, but I didn’t care, my tongue buried deep into her mouth as the tight hold of dread finally eased from my soul now that she was in my arms.

“Okay, cute, but I think I am going to throw up again.” He turned to the side, hurling his guts out again.

Finnleah’s flushed cheeks bunched up in a smile.

“Sorry.” She smiled, motioning for me to put her down, and I, begrudgingly, listened. “So, what do we do now?” Her emerald eyes sparkled in anticipation as she looked into mine, her gaze leaving me speechless. My Queen, my Empresses, my Goddess.

Free, victorious, and never yielding.

“Anything you wish.” I reached out, my hand finding hers, as I brought it closer to my lips, landing another kiss.

“I believe you promised me a few goats and chickens . . . amongst a few other things . ” She winked at me with that devious smile on her lips.

“Have I ever told you I love you? Because I so fucking do.” I flicked her perfect little nose.

“Forever?”

“For eternity and even beyond.”

The End