Page 99 of Night Meets the Elf Queen (The Elf Queen #4)

Many volunteered to stay and help the elves and dragons of the north clear the bodies, and the flames of the funeral pyres rose into the night sky.

King Drake Drakonan stayed to honor the fallen.

He’d lost over a hundred dragons to the battle.

One of them Valeen would never forget. She’d placed a midnight lily on Dax’s chest and closed his hands over its stem.

He was lined up with the others, ready to be taken home to the north and laid to rest.

There were tears of sorrow and joy. Songs of lament and gratitude drifted throughout the city. People gathered around the battlefield with candles lit for those who’d passed. Even those from Villhara held candles for the dragons and elves who died. It was wonderous seeing her two worlds collide.

Six Weeks Later

Valeen stood in her chariot at the crest of the Valley of the Sun’s hill overlooking the city.

Starborn and Night grazed while they waited for her command.

The sky was stained a bright salmon with the sun rising.

White puffy clouds formed in the background behind Castle Dredwich.

Palenor’s flag waved in the breeze at its peak.

The once blackened and burned battlefield where freedom was won, was already green again with wildflowers blooming across it.

Along the road people had planted trees in memory of those lost. A twenty-foot-tall statue of a regal dragon with its wings wide was being carved to be placed on the left side entrance in the wall.

The stonemasons worked on another beside it, as tall as the dragon was an elf warrior in Raven armor—Fennan.

Her heart ached at the memories of this place. The good and the bad. It would always be a part of her.

But her time here had come to an end.

Hel sat on Midnight with Thane beside him on Phantom. They looked more alike than ever on their twin mounts and both wearing casual black attire. It was really Thane’s lighter long hair that set them apart.

Katana had her own horse now, a beautiful dappled gray mare with a flowing white mane she’d named Calipso.

“We won because of you, Katana,” Valeen said, pulling her gaze from the old battlegrounds.

“Oh, stop that. We won because of you and your people coming from Runevale.”

Hel patted Midnight’s neck. “Please, don’t try to give me the glory, I’d be too humble to accept.”

Valeen laughed. “Yes, Mr. Humble.”

To her surprise, Piper trotted up on horseback with Ronan and Leif beside her. “So are we doing this?” Piper pulled back on the reins and grinned. Her horse whinnied as if feeling her excitement.

“I thought you two were going to Ryvengaard.” Valeen couldn’t hold back her grin. It was where Ronan’s parents and many of the dragons had gone a couple weeks before. Prince Yoren stayed here in Adalon to guard their estate for now.

“At the moment my father and I aren’t getting along so Piper and I decided to come with you for a while,” Ronan said with a shrug. “You’ll need some dragon muscle to rebuild a castle.”

“And you need your best friend and bodyguard,” Piper said. At least she was back to best-friend status.

The sound of whooshing wings drew her eyes to the sky. Presco dropped in from above in his half-shifted form with a black bag slung over his shoulder. He tucked his wings, but the tips rose well over his head. “Am I late?”

“Right on time.” Valeen smiled at him. “And dragon muscle is always appreciated, Ronan.”

Piper looked to Hel. “Remember when you offered to give me magic to be a better bodyguard for her?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, Red but she doesn’t really need one anymore.”

“Well, you never know. And I want to learn magic. What else am I going to do now that there are no pale ones to fight.”

“If you start offering magic to the elves again, there may end up being pale ones once more,” Valeen said and that was the last thing anyone wanted.

“No there won’t because I will destroy that mate spell.” Hel shifted in his saddle. “That’s the one that started it.”

“Do you want to learn potions, Piper? I could use an apprentice,” Presco offered. “I’ll need help with my new shop as well.” Bottles clinked in his bag as he walked closer.

Her freckled smile broadened. “I would love that actually. I can’t wait to start.”

“I don’t need a job. I’m just looking forward to seeing the beautiful goddesses and nymphs,” Leif said, wiggling his brows. “Maybe I’ll get at least a half goddess to fall for me. Fightbringer, you can vouch for me, right?”

Everyone laughed.

“I will certainly vouch for you, Leif,” Valeen answered. “I shall introduce you as the mighty elf warrior, Leif, the goddess of night’s favorite Raven.”

“Oh, I like that,” Leif slapped his leg and laughed.

“Hey, you can’t pick a favorite Raven!” Piper scowled. “If you had one it should be me.”

“It’s just to help with the ladies, Pipe,” Leif added.

“Thane’s actually my favorite Raven,” Valeen said with a wink.

“He doesn’t count,” Piper said.

All this talk of favorites is making me a little jealous, love .

Valeen laughed. You are my number one, Hel .

“Of course I count. I am the reason the Ravens exist,” Thane said, smirking. “Are we missing anyone else?”

“Just one,” Valeen answered.

Tif popped out of Hel’s leather saddle bag, shoving the flap against Midnight. “Because I’m in here.” She raised her hand. “Otherwise, we’d be missing two. Wherever my lady Queen goes, I go.”

“Of course you do, Tif.”

On a chestnut horse Aunt Evalyn rode up the hillside along the trail from the city.

Leif leaned over toward Thane and said, “I hope she packed some of that good whisky.”

Cursing under her breath and wearing a broad-brimmed straw hat, and a colorful shall, Aunt Evalyn stopped her mount. “I’m really not meant for the wilderness and tent living. Are you sure you can’t just come get me when the castle is done?”

Valeen laughed and shook her head. “No, I want you with me. Besides, we’ll be staying in a few small cottages near the grounds. Some of the rebuilding has already begun thanks to Hel’s mother.”

She adjusted her hat and grumbled. “Fine, if you insist, but I’m opening a Nerium Oleander in this new place as soon as possible.”

“I wouldn’t expect any different from an old gambler.”

Katana cleared her throat. “Now that everyone is here, I have an announcement.” She pulled off her tan gloves and held up her left hand where a rose-gold diamond ring sparkled. “We have another wedding to plan!” She giggled and turned her hand so everyone could see it.

Her heart jumped in excitement. “When did this happen?”

“Last night!” she squealed.

“We plan to have the wedding next spring here in Palenor,” Thane beamed. “We want to help you and Hel first, and I promised to take her traveling a few places.”

“And it takes time to plan an event like this. I’m not like you, Val, no offense.” She smiled at her. “I want the whole kingdom there.”

Hel reached over and playfully shook Thane’s shoulder. “Congratulations, brother.” Everyone else followed to congratulate them. A spring wedding in Palenor would be beautiful. All the flowers and trees would be in bloom.

“I’m so happy for you both.” Valeen made sure she held Thane’s gaze when she said it. It wasn’t long ago they talked in his bedroom about him finding his wife. She better be damn near perfect , Valeen had told him.

She was. More perfect than either of them could have imagined then.

Under a glittering colorful night sky, Valeen rode with Katana on her left and Hel on her right. Thane smiled at her from Katana’s other side. Tif hung on Valeen’s shoulder and kicked her little boots.

There was a wonder in Aunt Evalyn’s face Valeen hadn’t seen since she was young. Leif offered Aunt Evalyn a round silver flask. With a sly grin she took it, and they snickered together before taking sips.

There were tears in Presco’s eyes as they made their way up the grassy knoll. It was his home too. And soon he’d bring his wife and children.

They rode across the green grass guided by the stars to the place below the constellation of the rearing horse Sargentos. The craggy black rocks came into view, and they stopped at the crest of the hill, looking over the old ruins of Valeen’s castle.

This time seeing it didn’t bring pain or sorrow. It didn’t rip the air from her lungs.

It brought hope. A new beginning.

On the far hill toward the sea, a town was already being set up. Structures and frames of homes were being worked on. Small farms with wood fences dappled the area. Sheep bleated and cows mooed in the distance. It was going to be perfect.

“I can’t wait to help you set up the gardens!” Katana practically squealed.

“Will I have my own room?” Tif asked, and climbed down Valeen. “I want a little nook with a tiny bed and a tiny door only I can fit through. And maybe another tiny bed for Tommy when he visits.”

“You can have whatever you want.” Valeen smiled. She pointed at the horizon. “Near the sea we will rebuild the magnificent city of Vesper. Presco’s Potions will do nicely there with the ports as well.”

Presco grinned. “It will.”

People were already clearing the debris and the wilds that had taken over the ruins. What was salvageable from the rubble of the old moonstone was being stacked and cleaned.

On the far side of the castle, the row of six cottages with straw roofs and round front doors, made her laugh.

They looked almost just like her home in Briar Hollow.

She told Hel’s mother Zaelia about it but didn’t think she’d take it so literal when she asked her to prepare them a temporary place to stay.

The quaint white shutters were a nice touch too.

“Those look familiar,” Aunt Evalyn said with a chuckle. “I like it already.”

“It will do for now, but my queen deserves her throne.” With a wave of Hel’s hand, the rough black rocks near their feet began to roll and form into a high-backed chair with armrests and a smoothed-out seat.

He took her hand and guided her over to it. With tears blurring her vision, she sat and looked out over her land, her home. The stars and colorful waves in the sky seemed brighter than ever.

Suddenly her breath whooshed out. The broken silver moon Fennor slowly started to reform. While the sister moons Nuna and Luna shined with pride.

When she looked back at her friends—her family, Tif was the first to bow. Then Piper and Leif, followed by Thane and Katana, and Presco and Ronan. Finally, Hel inclined his head.

She almost broke down sobbing but sniffled and said softly, “Thank you.”

It was a bliss she couldn’t have even imagined, knowing all was as it should be, knowing they would never be hunted again. The people she loved were all finally safe.

The best part was that she’d have her soulmate, her husband that she loved so deeply at her side. There was a light in his eyes now. There was no reason for him to be consumed with vengeance and hatred. He smiled with joy that made him all the more beautiful.

She stood and pushed him onto the throne and sat on his lap. It was their land, their throne. He had fought harder than anyone to make this happen.

His hands threaded into her hair and he kissed her hard on the mouth. “Now I get to love you forever,” Hel said tenderly.

“Forever.”