Page 61 of Queen of Legends and Lies (Dragons of Tirene #4)

Chapter Forty-Eight

Weightless and unmoored, I drift in an infinite void. Darkness engulfs me, yet glimmers of light trickle past me through the endless expanse.

Through me .

I can actually taste the light, feel the glow teasing and tickling my nerves. It’s relaxing, inviting, comforting.

Ethereal melodies join the light, weaving discordant harmonies across the nothingness.

But just like when I was a little girl and would sneak away from the estate to sprawl out in the prickly field of wildflowers with my sister, the music is part of the pleasure.

Part of the experience. And it’s sublime.

How can it be so dark and yet simultaneously luminescent? Silent but thrumming with melody?

It’s also like I’m floating in a hot, relaxing bath that is, somehow, keeping me cool. The scent of floral oils fills my senses without overwhelming me or blocking the pleasing aroma of water and sunshine.

How can sunshine have a smell? Especially in the dark?

I shrug. Or at least, I think I do. Ripples from all the movement make my body tingle everywhere, until the sensation slips out from my toes and off into eternity.

Where am I?

Though my rational mind rejects them, I also understand that the contradictions are perfectly natural. My rational mind is a silly thing, impinging on my happiness and contentment from merging with the universe.

Maybe this is how the phoenix felt when it was buried within my heart…flowing in a space of dark and light, of silence and sound.

Then, without warning, something or someone propels me forward.

Sensations wash over me with exquisite, overwhelming clarity. Rushing air. Shimmering lights. A symphony. My nonexistent body soars through the abyss and erupts in shivers.

Am I alive?

Unseen forces buffet me like raging rivers. They surge into me layer by diaphanous layer, each one an iridescent veil more beautiful than the last. A kaleidoscope flashes before my eyes, painting my bones slick with vibrant colors.

With hues that don’t exist inside the mortal spectrum.

And they don’t stop there. They tease my nose and leave tantalizing flavors along my tongue.

Boundless, mesmerizing patterns swirl around me, vanishing before I can comprehend their intricacies or follow them back to their origin or forward to their destination.

With a final, gentle nudge, I breathe deeply and plunge into it all.

Awareness slams into me as I materialize on solid ground. No…not the ground. I’m curled in someone’s lap.

I blink once, twice, then a few more times.

My vision clears.

A faint spice invades my senses. “Lark? Are you awake?”

That throaty voice is raw with emotion. Sterling.

I try to respond, but only a faint croak escapes my parched throat. All I can manage is a weak nod as his strong arms cradle me to his chest.

Water drips onto my face. “Thank the gods.” His words trail off as he buries his face in my loose hair, his broad shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

I want to reassure him, to tell him I’m all right. But I’m still so disoriented, and my mind’s struggling to make sense of what I’ve just experienced.

Where was I? How long was I there? What happened to me?

I’m alive. That’s all I know. And, somehow, I’m in Sterling’s arms.

Maybe that’s why wherever I was felt like home.

The orange and pink sky stretches above us, fiery rays painting the clouds in shades of gold and crimson. Sunrise. An entire night must’ve passed since I ventured into that fated cave. Or has it been even longer? Time seems to have lost all meaning.

I lift my head and soak in my surroundings. The world is unnaturally vivid, saturated to the point of pain. My burning eyes water.

I shift in Sterling’s arms, trying to sit up or even stand, but my limbs are foreign and uncooperative, and my legs threaten to buckle beneath me.

Sterling shoots to his feet, wrapping a steadying arm around me. “Easy, love, you’ve been through an ordeal. Let me help you.”

I nod, leaning into his solid frame as I survey the unfamiliar landscape. Now that my eyes are adjusting, the world looks oddly flat and one dimensional, a stark contrast to the kaleidoscopic realm I’d just traversed.

Was that a dream? Where are we now?

I add those thoughts to the growing list of unanswered questions.

Movement in the distance catches my eye, and I squint against the dawn.

There, standing proud and regal on the barren ground, is Dame.

At least I’m pretty sure it’s her. My eyes are still dazzled.

But I feel the connection. Reddish-brown scales glint against the daylight, her pale yellow underwings folded neatly at her sides.

Even from this distance, I can sense powerful emotions emanating from her.

Pride, relief, and a fierce protectiveness that washes over me like a warm embrace.

She knows.

Though I’m not sure how, she understands what I’ve been through, even if I don’t fully comprehend it myself yet. Was she able to follow what happened to me through our empathic bond? What about the others?

Dame inclines her head, her golden eyes gleaming with an ancient wisdom.

A sense of calm settles over me. For a moment, the confusion and disorientation fade away. I’m alive, surrounded by those I love, and somehow, I know that everything will be all right.

I try to walk, wanting to cross the distance between my dragon and me. I take a wobbly step, and my legs collapse.

Sterling catches me before I hit the ground, hauling me against his chest. “Easy there. You’re still weak.”

I’m not weak. I’m so strong I can taste colors. Wait. That doesn’t make any sense.

Who cares. Better naked than dead.

Slowly, more awareness blooms. Several people surround me. With more effort than I think it should take, my eyes start to focus on their faces. Leesa, Bastian, Agnar, Elijah, Rafe, and Helene.

They stand in a cluster, watching as Sterling strips off his tunic and pulls it over my head. The shirt all but swallows me whole, draping over my frame down to my mid-thighs.

Up until now, I was completely naked, my skin smudged with soot and grime.

I cringe and lick my dry lips. “Let’s all pretend I wasn’t just flashing everyone.”

The fact that not even Agnar quips a reply shows just how shaken this battle has left us.

Leesa reaches over to clutch Bastian’s hand.

That’s when I notice the ash.

The smoldering embers are everywhere. The vast expanse of gray twinkles and stretches to form a perfect circle around Sterling and me. Geometric patterns of swirling dust seem to pulse with hidden meaning.

And I’m at the center of it all.

Sterling scoops me up effortlessly, cradling me against his chest as he carries me toward a nearby fire. The flickering flames cast a gorgeous glow over my friends’ faces as they form a semicircle opposite us, their expressions a mix of relief and concern.

Agnar is the first to speak, mumbling something about me fighting so hard my clothes fell off.

Sterling shoots him a warning glare, which earns him a soft laugh.

Lowering to the ground, Sterling situates me in his lap. A comfortable silence settles over us all as we relax into the crackling sounds of the fire and the distant cries of birds.

My face warms.

Sheer exhaustion threatens to lull me to sleep. I’m so thirsty I could drink a whole pot of Fusion Root tea, my limbs are like overcooked carrots, and my head spins every time I move.

Is this what happens when I use phoenix fire? Does it drain my body this badly? Or are these just the side effects of the merge? If it’s just the merge, then how is everyone else able to stand?

Another sudden thought hits me.

Rose.

A burst of adrenaline chases away the fatigue.

There’s no way she could’ve survived my phoenix fire. I knew there’d be casualties in this war. It was unavoidable. But an innocent little girl with so much life ahead of her?

“Where’s Rose?” I almost hope they don’t answer.

Agnar’s eyes widen, and that’s when I finally see her. “Right here.”

Rose is cradled tightly against his chest, wrapped in a cloak. Her small face is pale and drawn, but she’s breathing. Her chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm.

Hope flares in my chest. “Is she…”

“She’s alive.” Agnar’s blue eyes shine with emotion. “Weak and a little disoriented, but she’s going to be just fine. Did you find her down there?”

“Yes. I don’t know how or why.” I stare at him, hardly daring to believe in the miracle before me. “But how did she survive? My phoenix fire…” Had my protective shield stayed intact?

“Your what?” Agnar shifts Rose’s weight in his arms. “Whatever you did worked on all the corrupted. Most woke up after an hour or so. They weren’t actually dead. My sister was among them. She’s going to be fine. We have wagons, alicorns, and some ships working to get everyone back to their homes.”

“The soldiers we brought are helping all the survivors get out of the pit.” Bastian gestures behind him. “It’s going to take a while, but they’re in good hands.”

Relief crashes over me in waves.

Rose is alive. We’re all alive. And somehow, against all odds, we’ve won.

I lean back against Sterling’s chest. There are still so many questions left unanswered, so many mysteries yet to be unraveled.

Silent tears stream down my face as I gaze up at the sky, whispering a fervent prayer of thanks to the gods.

They were listening. They cared. They heeded my call. I saved Rose, defeated Narc, and ended this war once and for all.

The dragons cluster around us, their scales shimmering like polished gemstones in the firelight. They chuff and trill with quiet joy, a soothing melody that relaxes me further.

For the first time in a very long time, the world seems perfect.

Flawless.

Leesa kneels before me, wisps of feisty, dark golden blond hair that escaped her braid falling around her soot-smudged face.

She holds out a waterskin. “Tea, my sister.” She whispers as if she’s afraid to shatter the fragile peace.

“It’s not hot or fresh, but it will help you recover. It helped everyone else.”

I reach out and accept the drink, cradling it between my shaking hands. “Thank you. I’m all right. Just a little tired.”

My voice is still rough, like I’ve swallowed a mouthful of gravel. My mind is a little hazy, still struggling to comprehend everything that’s happened.

But here, nestled in Sterling’s arms with the love of family, friends, and the dragons washing over me, none of it matters. I sip the tea, letting the liquid soothe my throat and settle my churning stomach.

As daylight fully breaks, we talk in hushed tones, piecing together the events of the past few hours. They tell me what happened above ground while I battled Narc. How they stuck to the plan, leading the drachen in slow circles around Flighthaven, keeping them distracted.

Sterling’s arms tighten around me as he recounts the story, his voice low and fierce. “We didn’t know what was happening down there. But we trusted you, Lark. We knew you’d find a way.”

“It only took an hour or so for the drachen to disappear. We knew then that you must’ve succeeded, like we’d expected. But when you didn’t call out to the dragons or come out of the tunnel…” Leesa shakes her head, her eyes shadowed with worry.

With a shudder, I recall the eerie silence of that dark place. “You came looking for me.”

“We followed the destruction and found a shattered, melted altar.” Bastian chews his lower lip, brow furrowed. “But there was no sign of you.”

I shiver at the memory, my skin prickling with goose bumps. “That’s where Narc’s bones were.” The words stick in my throat as the horror of it all comes rushing back. “He was…coming back to life when I incinerated him.”

A collective gasp ripples through the group.

“That’s fucked up.” Agnar strokes the hair of a sleeping Rose. “But you killed him. And then what? Where were you?”

“Yeah, where’d you go? It wasn’t until we came back up to the surface that we found you here.” Leesa smiles softly.

Sterling traces soothing circles on my back. “Just over there, naked and curled up like a newborn babe.”

“But where were you before that?”

“And how’d you get back to the surface without us seeing you?”

“And with Rose?”

“And without your clothes?”

Questions tumble out of them, their voices rising in a clamor of confusion and fear.

I can’t even begin to explain what happened to me down there, not to mention it’s already fading, slipping away like a dream from my consciousness.

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “I only remember a bright light. Then, I woke up here.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard.” Sterling presses a soft kiss to my temple. “You’ve been through a lot. We can talk more about it later.”

And for once, I listen to him. It’s much easier to sit here and just be still.

But there’s something else too. A strange energy thrumming through my veins. It’s ancient and powerful, like a remnant of that ethereal place I passed through on my way back to this world. Is it the phoenix fire?

I close my eyes, letting peace wash over me.

For now, it’s enough to be here, safe in Sterling’s arms with the knowledge that everything is finally over. I’ve fulfilled my favor to Nyc. The world is safe, the dragons’ future secured. The eggs will never be enslaved. And Tirene, my kingdom, is no longer at war.

I didn’t fail.

A sudden thought strikes me, so wonderful and perfect that I can’t help but smile. I tilt my head back, meeting Sterling’s warm brown eyes. My heart flutters in my chest, but after what I’ve just faced, this isn’t quite as scary. “Now that this is all over…now that we have time…”

He cocks an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Time for what, my queen?”

I reach up, cupping his face in my hands. “To plan our wedding. To start our life together.”

Sterling’s eyes light up, shining with love and joy and a fierce, unshakable devotion. “Oh, Lark.” He leans down, mouth covering mine in the sweetest, most marvelous kiss. “I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind about marrying me.”

Even though I might have died, I still survived the prophecy. And starting tomorrow, I’m setting fire to my fate.