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Nithra and I landed in Ithia on a grassy knoll just yards from where the rest of the group had tethered. Her claws dug into the ground as I slipped from her back and leaned against her front legs.

“I am going to go find out where we will be staying,” I said, brushing a hand over her scales.

I will find you, child. If you do not need me now, I will go find my sisters , she said down the fastening.

“Go, spend all the time with them you can.”

She brushed her snout against my back in response then strode to the mountain’s edge and dived off of it.

All I wanted was to dive after her, to feel the wind against my body. Instead, I strode over to everyone, swallowing the lump that had begun to form in my throat.

“Cin,” Mara greeted, a bright smile spreading onto her lips as she pressed a hand to her heart and dipped her head.

I mirrored her motions, smiling as I stepped to Landers’s side.

“Come, I’m sure you want to get settled,” she started, gesturing her hand toward the pathway leading to the small village behind her.

“You will be staying here.” She turned, starting down the path as we followed behind her.

“There are five homes we have been able to set aside for you. The larger of the five we have set up for any meetings you may need to have with room for Takaris to prepare for the ceremony tomorrow.”

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Ata glance at me with a small smile on her face and I slipped my hand into Landers’s, squeezing it as we walked the final few steps to the row of houses.

“Thank you for this, Mara. I hope we didn’t put anyone out,” I said, as she finally stopped and pulled the cream fabric from her head, letting it fall to her shoulders to meet her fiery hair.

“We always keep these empty; it’s been centuries since we have had any use of them,” she said as she pulled her eyes from the homes and turned to look at me.

“It will be nice to have them full again. The Yaldrin are excited to be hosting Takaris for this ceremony, the village mothers have made all kinds of gifts for you.”

Landers bumped his shoulder to mine playfully as he grinned down at her. “We are honored.”

A wistful sigh slipped from her lips as her eyes trickled across all of us. “Well, I will let you get settled. I will see you tomorrow at the ceremony.”

“Wait—” I said, grabbing her arm as she turned to leave. “We are having a meeting tonight, there are some things that will be happening in the next few days that we would like you to be a part of. Would you come?”

Her eyes lit up at the question. “Yes,” she answered quickly, nodding as she looked from me to Landers. “I will be here.”

Everyone slowly dispersed to their homes as I watched Mara walk back down the path.

I knew she would never say it, but I could see she was excited to be included.

Excited to be a part of something she thought mattered.

Rilius and Sashi were so afraid of change that it kept her from having a group of people that was willing to fight the way she wanted to.

And I wanted to give her that, give her a place where she felt like she belonged, felt like she mattered.

Landers tugged on my hand pulling me toward our house and I followed, walking up the stone pathway littered with moss and wildflowers. My awe of this realm would never cease, it was so beautiful in the most peaceful and serene way.

Unlike Locdragoon, with its rolling grassy hills, or Redelvtum, with its dense forests and rocky shores, there was nothing but tall peaks as far as the eye could see.

Everything wrapped around the mountains, sitting on the cliff’s edge like you were suspended in the sky.

If I ever got the chance, I would fly to the bottom of the mountains and see what lay at the bottom.

The sound of the door creaking open pulled me from my thoughts and I took in the large sitting room.

It was bright and airy with polished wooden floors and low couches and tables.

Bamboo doors separated each of the rooms just off the sitting room, with a large office to the right, set up just like Mara had said with seven chairs and a round table.

We would need to pull another chair in.

Landers pushed open the door to the bedroom, dropping our bags at the end of the bed as he sat and leaned back onto his elbows. I stepped over the threshold, leaning against the wood and resting my head against the doorframe as I crossed my arms.

“What did Wren have to say from his meeting with Malik?”

Landers tilted his chin toward the ceiling.

“He said he does not know. Apparently, Ammord has not created Daemons since the Great War—went so far as to outlaw the creation of them altogether. Even their leaders are too afraid of the power it gives the masters of these creatures. If you are caught creating them, you are killed.”

“Okay, so . . . now we know it’s someone who isn’t afraid of the High Priest and Priestesses,” I said, pushing from the frame and sauntering over to him.

“We know that Ammord and The Silliands work together on everything they do. We know that, so far, Ammord has managed to get The Silliands to handle all the dirty work while they stay behind the scenes scheming. So, who do we know—well . . .” I paused, lowering myself on top of him, my legs straddling his.

“I don’t know anyone.” He chuckled. “Who do you know that would be brave and stupid enough to go against Ammord and create one?”

“In the past, I would have said Dukovich. But, Taft did say a woman, and I do trust that Dukovich’s interests align with ours.”

I nodded, locking my fingers behind his neck. “Even if we can trust Malik, I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to think Ammord would keep something like this from The Silliands.”

“I agree,” Landers said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer. “I will ask Ata to find out anything she can when they go to Ammord. In the meantime, you and I need to meet with the Fallen Ones.”

My brows furrowed. “Is there something wrong?”

“No.” He shook his head. “But they are becoming restless confined to Ithia while we wait for battle to commence. I think it would be helpful to them, and beneficial to us, if they worked beside Asrai and Elric to train the Yaldrin that will be fighting beside us.”

I sighed, as I leaned my forehead against his. It was beginning, from here on out I could no longer just be Hyacinth. I had to be a leader, I had to be Takaris and the God that my blood told me I was.

And tomorrow, I would add Queen to the list of names they would call me.