Page 20 of Wrath Of Suns And Shadows (The Osparia #2)

I took a breath, and then another, and another and closed my glowing eyes. I focused on myself in my mind, thinking of a place that always grounded me.

The ledge on Heavensreach came into view. I pictured my feet on the ground there and could see the open, beautiful horizon, and I imagined that the bright pinks and dark purples were my powers as I called them back into me.

The light in my eyes faded, and I slowly felt my water limbs lower me to the ground.

The power slowly ebbed as it dissipated back into the depths of my chest, as if it had never woken.

I felt it stir a moment in my gut, letting me know it was very much still there, before it fully went back to sleep under my skin.

The buzz of power leaving me took me to my knees. Shay and Marlena hooked their arms under mine to help me back to my feet. Then pain radiated through me. My shoulder and leg throbbed in tandem with my heartbeat. I glanced down to still see the daggers buried in me.

“Fuck,” I cursed through the pain as Marlena and Shay sat me at the base of a large tree.

Shay grabbed the hilt of one dagger. “Do it,” I grunted as she yanked the first one free, and Marlena used her bending to heal me.

I wasn’t expecting Marlena to yank the second one from my thigh before letting me prepare myself.

“You bastard,” I screeched and took a few steadying breaths as all three of them chuckled at me. Marlena’s healing soon made the pain ebb, and the bleeding slowly stopped.

“You did it,” Shay said as she gripped my good shoulder. “You fucking did it. You woke your power . . . .You won.” She smiled brightly, and I let out a wheezy laugh.

“We had a feeling you were close to cracking,” Draken said. “That was why we threw Marlena in the mix today.”

I glared at her. “Those daggers were a cheap trick,” I said, giving her some attitude, and she grinned at me.

“I said I had tricks up my sleeve. I never said they were fair,” she said with a smug look before my lips slowly curled up on the sides and she pulled me into a hug.

“Good work today, child,” she praised, and for a moment I envisioned Willow swallowing me in her arms again.

Memories were dangerous, cruel things. The thought was so strong I could almost smell her scent of jasmine on the wind, and the thought sent tears pricking at the backs of my eyes.

I pushed them aside and cleared my throat as Marlena pulled away.

Shay stood and offered me her hand. I gripped her forearm as she hauled me to my feet. She brought her forehead to mine with a wide smile.

“Let’s grab some lunch, and then take me to my brother,” I said, and she pulled away.

“I agree. I’m starving, and I have some news that needs to be delivered.

” She eyed me as she brushed a hand over her stomach.

A bubble of excitement went through me at the thought of Baron finding out about their child.

I could tell even from the brief interactions I had seen between them that he loved his mate with his whole heart.

And after all the late-night conversations Shay and I had had during our time here, we had grown closer, and I knew he would make an excellent father.

I couldn’t wait for him to find out as I pulled her into a giddy hug, and she let out a laugh.

She pulled away, Draken held out his arms, and I tackled him into a hug, too.

“Thank you for everything,” I murmured against his chest, and he took a moment to wrap his arms around me, but when he did, he held on longer than normal.

“Anytime, Peacebringer. I’m sure the next time I see you, all will be right with our world again,” he whispered to me before he released me. My brow furrowed.

“What do you mean? Won’t we be coming back here?” My eyes volleyed between Shay and Draken.

“No, I’ve taught you all I can about wielding fire, and as long as you continue to practice those things, you’ll be a master, no doubt.

We’ve gone over almost all the books in the library about the Peacebringer, and I’m not sure you can benefit much else from being here, plus you need to work on your other bending.

Those in the rebellion can teach you. I believe you would be more help to them at this point.

So when you guys leave today, you’ll be staying there,” he relayed, and a sadness pooled in my heart.

I thought I’d be happy, but I had made some type of connection to this place that I knew I would miss.

I definitely missed Ace more, and I wondered if by going back to the rebellion meant I’d see Crow more.

I was sure he had to have check-ins with Atreya, even if they were small.

Maybe he could sneak away so we could steal a moment together.

I pulled Draken into another hug.

“What’s this for?” he asked, wrapping his arms around me again.

“I don’t want you to forget what they feel like.” He smiled as he cocked his head to the side, looking down at me. The animal in him came through his male features. The golden dragon that was so terrifying and revered by all was a giant softy. But I’d keep that secret to myself.

We ate around the fire for the last time.

Shay and Marlena shared witty jokes and quipped back and forth between each other while I sat with the baby dragon that had been so desperate for my affection since I’d arrived here.

He lay across my lap, taking an afternoon nap after he’d filled his belly with as many fish heads as he could.

After learning some of the old fae language, I’d started calling him Baetos.

It meant loving,—and this little guy had fit that bill since the first time he had joined in on lunch.

Baetos stretched and his leatherlike wing slapped me in the face, and I had to shove it to the side to finish my food.

When I’d first arrived on this island, he’d barely taken up half of my lap, but now he took up that and more.

I quickly figured out that dragons grew extremely fast, and the thought of not seeing him every day was another thing that made my heart bleed a little.

I’d miss him too, along with his sloppy, smokey kisses and the way he pranced over to me every day at mealtimes, waiting for me to throw him pieces of my fish.

I finished my food and ran my hand down his back.

“He’ll miss you too, you know.” Shay spoke up, and I realized she was watching me now rather than talking to Marlena.

“Yeah, I doubt it. He’s just a baby right now. I’m sure in a few weeks he’ll forget I was ever here,” I said, looking down at him.

“Never question the love and loyalty of a dragon. If my situation is any indication, I’d say he’s already chosen you. Which is a gift that you shouldn’t take lightly.”

“What does that mean?” I questioned.

“I know without a shadow of a doubt that Emeris would give her life for me or Baron, and we would do the same for her. We’ve bonded over the years similar to a way a mother loves her children, but dragons bonding to anyone other than their own kind is a rare blessing.

Maybe if they didn’t stay so secluded, it would happen more often, but as far as I know, Emeris bonding to me over a century ago was the first time it had happened in ages. A dragon’s bond is a treasure.”

Her words warmed something in me as my hand kept its steady roll down Baetos’s back.

He didn’t have all the sharpened spikes running down his tail and neck like Emeris did.

He had little nubs on either side of his angular head where I was sure he would get horns of some kind.

His skin was scaly but soft with his youth, while Emeris’s was hard and calloused from age and battles.

His color reminded me of the storm clouds rolling in.

You almost couldn’t tell if they were gray, or purple, or something in between.

But when the light hit his scales, they shimmered an iridescent, light blue color.

He was beautiful, and if what Shay was saying were true, I’d gladly call him mine, but as of now, he was only a babe of a dragon and I wasn’t sure if he would remember me or not.

Besides, it was safest here, especially with him still being as small as he was, regardless of how much I’d miss him.

I was sure he only thought of me as a pillow that fed him snacks.

The thought made a smile grace my lips before I noticed Shay getting to her feet.

Mixed emotions twirled in my gut. I missed Ace dearly, and I was beyond excited to see him again, but I had made friendships here, and not only with Draken and the dragons.

It was as if the very land called to me just as strongly as the library had.

This place had its own life, its own soul about it that drew you in.

“You ready?” Shay asked, offering me her hand.

I nuzzled Baetos with my finger to wake him up, and he lazily got off my lap.

I kneeled next to him, running my hand down his snout, and he blew a small breath of smoke over me, the same thing I had seen Emeris do to Shay countless times.

It smelled woodsy, with something sweet laced with it.

His warm yellow eyes held an unspoken promise in them before he put his large, angular head against my forehead.

“Goodbye, Emelyn.” A voice I didn’t recognize caressed my mind that sounded way older than the young dragon in front of me. My eyes went wide with surprise a moment before I looked over to Shay, and the knowing look she gave me let me know she knew exactly what had happened.

“Goodbye,” I whispered back.

No dragons, other than Draken and Emeris, had spoken to me in my mind during my time on the island. Baetos nodded as he turned away from me, and Shay finally helped me to my feet. Emeris swooped down in the distance and glanced over at us.

It was time to go home.