Page 32 of The Dragon Queen (Ember: Queen Of Dragons #6)

EMBER

When I open my eyes again, the darkness is almost absolute. But I've been through this before. I fell into the Shadow Bracer's hold, and I propelled myself through the very fabric of space using Shadow Dragon magic.

I faced down the Shadow King himself--and won.

I can find the pinpricks of light, even in the most vast and impenetrable blackness.

Holding onto the tethers that bind me to my mates, I fling myself outward with my senses. I may not be able to stop the tide of stolen magic coursing into me, but I don't have to take it for myself.

And there--the radiant light of my love for Jianyu, Rafe, Malik, Storm. The brilliance of our child and our future. They each ignite sparks of light in the dark spell that Erembour wove, and I grab onto them with all I'm worth.

I reach deep into my soul. The holes of pain that had left me tattered and raw have healed over. I'm complete, and worthy, and good enough to deserve love and respect.

But I can't do this alone.

I don't have to.

"Together," I breathe, clinging to my connections to my mates.

"Always," Jianyu agrees, and Rafe murmurs, "Fuck yes," beneath his breath, and all four of them clutch onto me with everything they're worth.

Their magic flows into me once more. They lend me their power with absolute trust.

The Crown Of Cinders rises up and off my head, and oh. Its loss is a physical pain, but I push through it.

I take the threads of connection between me and my mates, and I weave them into something stronger than any one of us could wield on our own.

The Crown ignites in blinding, incandescent light.

Holding onto my mates, fumbling but sure, I envision that light exploding outward, and in a flash, the Crown goes supernova.

All the magic Erembour's spell syphoned from the world flows back out of me, and I fling it forward with all my might. It feels impossible, but there's something instinctual to it. I know how to hoard power; that's part of my nature.

But so is sharing it.

All those bright points of light in the darkness begin to grow, pulsating with energy, and almost too late, I recognize the heartbeats of all the dragons of the world. My eyes sting, buffeted by my true power. My capacity to give and to love and to share was always stronger than Erembour's capacity for deception and cruelty.

Using my connections to my mates as guides, I seek out the invisible tethers that tie me to all of dragonkind. They're withered and weak--blackened from the ravages of Erembour's reign.

But in a searing rush of magic, I rekindle them. A thousand lines of connection burst into life, tying me to every dragon on the planet.

Malik draws in a rough breath, and Storm squeezes my arm, both feeling the power of this moment.

Because this is what it is to be a ruler--a Dragon Queen. It's not about plundering the world of its riches. It's not domination or conquest or division.

It's about giving.

And so I give them everything.

My pain from my parents' death, my resentment from all the times I felt rejected and abandoned and defective. I give them my mates' grief, their duty, their self-sacrifice, their guilt.

The joy I felt upon finding my mates, and my friends, and my new family--my place in this world. My forgiveness.

And above all else, I give them love. My mates' love for me and their hard-won respect for each other.

I give them my love.

All the instruments of Erembour's ritual crumble to ash before my eyes. The magic he robbed the world of streams back out of me in a blinding torrent, dispelling every last remaining shred of the evil blight he cast on our kind. Pain like fire burns my flesh, but it's a cleansing flame.

"We got you," Storm grits out, cool air washing over me.

Malik's hot hands are water and ice, soothing the wounds. Jianyu holds me to the earth, grounding me, while Rafe pulls the fire up and out of my lungs, sending it off into the air.

And then it's just me in here. Just us. The only magic I have remaining is the power I was born with--the power I was meant to have--and I'm laughing and crying.

It's so much more than enough.

My mates' magic twines with mine, and together, we create a closed loop of love and light. The connections to the rest of dragonkind slowly close, and I draw in a full breath of air, untainted by dark power and smoke.

My mates collapse into me, and I let myself be held by them, sinking to the ground. As my ass hits the cold, black rock of the altar, there's a hollow, clattering sound.

I look up to find the Crown Of Cinders lying there, its light extinguished, the dark glowing power within it gone silent.

At least for now.

There's still a deep aura hidden within the black metal, but it's locked away, and I exhale a sigh of relief.

"Everybody still here?" I ask.

Rafe nods. "Barely."

Storm pats my head wordlessly, and Jianyu exhales a rough, "Yes."

A well of emotion roughens his voice. My connections to each man are strong and steady, but the exhaustion of battle hums through all of us.

Malik puts his hand on my cheek.

I look into his cerulean eyes, and the softness there disarms me completely. His mouth wavers for a moment before he speaks. "I thought I'd lost you."

I hiccup, and an echo of a sob fights its way past my throat. The memory of the four of them lying dashed against the rock, held down by black ropes of Shadow magic is seared into my brain.

"Ditto," I breathe, placing my palm over his.

He leans in, and our mouths meet in a soft, wet kiss that breathes life back into my soul. A dim flicker of desire awakens in the pit of my belly, made even stronger when Rafe runs his hand down my spine.

I glance to the side, and my gaze meets Jianyu's. Banked fire lives in his eyes, and I flex inside. Storm's breath is a warm wash against my ear, but I force myself to shake off the need unfurling within me.

This really, really isn't the time.

As if to underscore the point, Amy clears her throat.

I tear my gaze from my mates, forcing myself to sit up straighter.

"So, uh..." Amy toes the ground. "You guys okay?"

I laugh, freely this time. "Yeah. I think we are."

More than okay.

Warmth blooms in the very center of my chest, the glowing lines of connection to my mates brighter than ever.

We were saying our goodbyes last night, well aware that going up against the Shadow King was probably suicide. But we survived.

We get to live. Together.

My vision blurs, but I blink hard, not wanting to waste another moment crying, even if they're happy tears.

I glance around, taking in the way Grace is holding Amy up. Jett and Freya have limped on over, and High Priestess Fang is looking on, a knowing tilt to her smile.

"What about you all?" I ask. My stomach does a nervous flip. I did just accidentally steal their magic for a hot second there.

But Rhiannon steps forward, her eyes awash with pride. "We're okay. Thanks to you."

Nods and murmurs of agreement go up in all directions.

I squeeze Storm's hand, tipping my head toward each of my mates in turn. "Thanks to them," I clarify.

"It was a group effort," Rafe says firmly, and yeah.

That sounds about right. The glow of warmth in all four of my mate-bonds proves he's not alone in his assessment. My abdomen pulls in, a happy flush spreading up my cheeks as I lean more deeply into their embrace.

But one corner of Rhiannon's mouth dips, her brows drawing together questioningly. "Your magic..."

"Is back to what it was," I reply. Just to be sure, I pull my awareness inward, and yes. The steady thrum of power is comfortingly familiar. It's like it was before the Bracer shattered, augmented only by the vibrant presence of my dragon in my chest.

My dragon folds her wings around herself in contentment behind my ribs. I smile to myself. She and I are one now; I could pull her to the forefront of my consciousness at any time.

But for the moment? She's more than ready for a rest.

I am, too, but I find the strength to rise. My mates stand with me, staying close but not crowding me, and my heart squeezes. They know me so well.

As I'm making my way to my feet, my gaze catches on a dark radiance surrounding my hand. Rook's ring is glowing with black and purple magic. I glance farther down, and the necklace Rhiannon gave me has the same rippling sheen.

And the Shadow Bracer...

It's glowing just as brightly, but with an iridescence that echoes the colors of all four of my mates' magic. They stand out against the dark metal, creating something entirely new.

"I don't think we can call it the Shadow Queen's Bracer anymore," Rook muses, his voice deep and gravelly.

Rhiannon nods, entwining her fingers with his. "It's the Dragon Queen's Bracer now."

My throat goes tight, and I have to blink a few times to keep my vision clear. Jianyu brushes his knuckles against the base of my spine, love washing over me.

Clearing my throat, I reach for the chain draped around my neck. I pull off the necklace and hand it to Rhiannon. "I promised to return this to you." As she accepts it, I gently twist Rook's ring from my finger. "And I believe this belongs to you."

Rook holds out his palm, and I place the small band of metal in the very center of it. Before our eyes, it grows to fit his finger, and he manages a wry smile. "I gave it to you."

"I know. But I have everything I need."

"Thank you." Rhiannon puts on the necklace, and her eyes flash purple, her face glowing for a fraction of a second before settling. She pats the pendant against her chest.

Rook's jaw flexes, like he's chewing his words before finally selecting the right ones. "It is uncommon for a ruler of dragons to give away power."

Is he talking about the ring and the necklace? Or all the magic Erembour stole and which nearly possessed me?

There's a small flutter of regret within my chest, my dragon nature still very much a part of me.

But I'm more than a stereotype of a serpent sitting atop a hoard of treasure and bones. I carry the legacy of all of dragonkind in my veins.

I glance at each of my mates, feeling a depth of connection that warms my very soul.

Power and wealth are good.

But love is better.

"It's all right," I tell my uncle. A small smile curls my lips, and my heart is so full. "I never needed it anyway."

Overhead, the Dragon Moon is beginning its slow descent back down toward the horizon, and dawn is drawing close. I let out a deep breath, leaning into Malik's broad chest as Jianyu takes my hand.

All around us, people are picking themselves up from the battle. The magic I returned to them must have had some Water Dragon healing in it, because Amy's clutching her arm less hard, and Freya's standing up straighter. Tired smiles cross dirt-smudged, exhausted faces.

Amy catches my gaze and grins. Pitching her voice loud enough for everyone on this rock to hear, she shouts, "Let s hear it for Ember: Queen Of Dragons."

A blush automatically heats my face, but as cheers go up, I stand up straight. Rafe lets out a whoop, and Storm clasps my shoulder, his hot palm reminding me of all the times I felt like a reject in the Air Dragon Kingdom; he would always reassure me that I belonged. Back then, we both knew it wasn't true.

But it sure is now.

I smile and wave, exhausted but happy. There's clearly no running from my destiny, so I had might as well embrace it.

But if I've learned anything from today's events? From the events of the last days and weeks and months?

It's that if I'm going to be the Queen of Dragons...

I'm going to be my own kind of queen.