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October 24 - October 27, 2025
“You would only allow yourself to— how did you phrase it? Irrationally rage? You would only allow yourself to appear irrational with someone you trust implicitly. That is a vulnerability that you do not give to others.”
When she stepped through the next doorway, she froze. He had told her he had a study here with books, but she had not expected to find a small library. The walls of this room were lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, all packed full. This room was bigger than his bedchamber had been, and he had disappeared somewhere inside. Off to the right was a fireplace with a group of armchairs arranged in front of it, and beyond the chairs was another door. If this was a study, where was his desk?
“No, General. This is all Razik’s. I never understood why he needed to keep every book he could ever get his hands on, but he would spend days holed up in here when he was a child. I finally had it renovated, letting him design it however he wished.”
Hehe dragon hoarder
Razik had told her it was a language not found in this world. But he’d also told her he wouldn’t tell her what it meant until she told him what the Mark over her heart meant. Which was something she would never discuss with him.
“Magdalena told me you were here,” Tybalt said. “I wanted to check in with you.” How had Magdalena known they were here? They had Traveled directly into Razik’s rooms.
Eliza had been studying the page he had turned to, realizing this was a lesson book. He had given her a book that would allow her to begin learning to read the Avonleyan language.
As soon as they were alone, he was going to learn all about her rage—rational and irrational.
“Something to say, mai dragocen?” That damn name again. Her gaze darted to the windows when she said begrudgingly, “I will go on this mission with you.” “I know.”
She tried—gods, did she try—to hold in the gasp at their power merging again, but it escaped her lips anyway. His sapphire gaze dropped to her mouth at the same time she heard a light thump. The dagger hitting the floor. His arm looped around her waist, tugging her into his chest as her flames fed his dragon fire. She knew she shouldn’t do it, but she breathed deep, taking in his smoke and spice scent.
“It will be a fast mission,” he said, his voice a low rumble in her ear, as though he knew the inner conflict she was having. “We will be back within a day.” “I am not worried about being gone for an extended period of time.” “No. You are worried about spending an extended period of time with me,” he replied. There was nothing accusing in his tone. Just a blunt statement of fact that she couldn’t argue against. “I will not apologize for that.” “I am not asking you to,” he said. His hand slipped from her arm, and he brought it up to cup her cheek. She expected to feel the warmth of his blood on
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He searched her eyes for something he would never find there before he leaned in a little closer. His breath danced across her lips when he said, “I am asking you to please learn to read the Avonleyan language so I no longer have to hear you whine about it.”
castle,” she demanded, stomping over to the book in the chair. He held a hand out to her with exaggerated flair. “As you wish, Milady.” She flipped him off before she placed her fingers in his waiting palm, his deep chuckle skittering along ...
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“On the day you find yourself on the other side of these bars, I think you will discover you have never truly been alone. Not like you believe you are.”
“But you can decide how to do things differently if you are granted the possibility of doing so.”
Spend your time preparing, Talwyn. And for the first time since that throne room, instead of thinking about what she would do differently if she could go back in time, she started planning what she would do if she was given the chance to atone in some way other than death.
“You think that because you fought and survived in one battle, you are ready to face them on your own? You were fighting with powerful Fae at your side, not to mention the Avonleyans with us that day. Yes, you saved my life, but battles are not about keeping score. We have each other’s backs because we fight for the same cause, not to use it against one another in an argument.”
“Lord Tyndell will not let anything happen to them,” Eliza repeated. “For whatever reason, he has protected them for the last two decades. I can only imagine he will continue to do the same.”
“When it comes to it, Toreall will stand with you,” Hale had said. “Know that when we are all back on our thrones, we have an alliance.”
“Part of being a king is making hard choices,” he murmured. “When our friends need help, we must help them, and part of being a princess is being brave.”
“I promise you will not be forgotten. You will be taken care of, but Tava and I will come back for you.” “Are you going to marry Lady Tava?” she asked, her voice muffled against his shoulder. “Yes, Eva,” he replied, running his hand down her hair again. “Yes, I am. And when this is all over, the three of us are going to live happily ever after. Just like in the stories Mother used to read to you.” “Tava still reads them to me,” Eva whispered.
“The Legacy created shirastone to contain Fae. Nightstone was created to contain those more powerful. It drains one’s power instead of simply subduing it.”
“There is not much worse than nightstone,” she answered, a finger beginning to trace one of the bars. “But deathstone does more than drain one’s power. After it takes your magic, it drains your life-force. It is a specialty of the Firsts.”
It drains you to the very precipice of death, but never lets you cross into the After. Much can happen in the in-between.”
They upset the balance.” “Arius and Serafina?” “They upset the balance. They could have ended one war, and instead started another. And now they must pay the price to right it,” the Sorceress continued. “He hunts them. All life they created—together and separately. He will not rest until not one remains, until dreams are gone and death is dead. Not until they have answered for their betrayal. But there are many realms. He could not find them all on his own, so he created new life.” “The seraphs?” Cyrus asked, trying to piece together everything she was saying. “They aid him, but he created
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“Who are the Hunters?” Cyrus asked. “What are the Hunters,” the Sorceress corrected,
“In all things there must be balance,” she started, and he relaxed a bit when the story started the same way the others had. “Love is no different. It has the power to create balance, but more often creates chaos.”
“They put limits on the powers of the Legacy, and they made them dependent on others to maintain that power.”
“Together with the Witch Goddesses, the Fae were created and given their gifts in gratitude for agreeing to watch over and aid their children. But their gifts were not the only thing they gave to the Fae.”
“They were given twin flames.” He released the breath in a rush. But he did so too soon. “The twin flame bond was a gift to both the Fae and the Legacy. A bond of love to link the two together. Some found it a blessing, others a curse.”
“Thia was Fae.” “Was she?” the Sorceress asked, that faint smirk growing wider. “Yes,” he said firmly.
“Then she was not your twin flame.” “The bond was Anointed. If she had not been my twin flame, the Anointing would have failed,” he gritted out. “The...
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“You will let me play with memories of everyone but him?” she asked, her head tilting in curiosity. Her fingers curled around the bars once more. “I am intrigued, pretty Fire Fae.” He knew it seemed odd, but Merrik and Thia were in his past. He had once thought Cassius could be his future in some way or another. But now …
“I was coming here to tell you that after we got back from the Southern Islands, I wanted to go to Aelyndee with you. For the first time since Thia, you made me feel seen. I never want to step foot in Aelyndee again, but for you, I would have. I would have jumped through every godsdamn hoop if you’d have let me.”
“Yes,” he rasped. “I will tell you where your spell book is if you leave my memories of him be.” Triumph danced in her violet eyes. “Oh no, pretty Fae,” she said, manic glee dripping in her tone. “The price to leave those memories alone is much steeper.”
“I do not—” He paused, his entire body seeming to shudder. He released a long breath, steadying himself. “I do not have much control right now. He … He steadied me when things felt out of control. I was hoping being in his rooms would give me some of that, but it has not.”
while Razik fell into step beside her. She said nothing to him, but her skin buzzed at his closeness. It was godsdamn distracting. Ever since he’d given her this Mark, it’d gotten harder to ignore the bond that was trying to form. He’d warned her the Source Mark would intensify things; she just hadn’t realized quite how much.
“Where is she?” Rayner said, his features a mask of anger. Eliza stared at him for a long moment before saying, “She? As in the insect?” “Tula. Shift back. Now.”
“I’m sorry, Rayner. I heard King Callan tell Princess Eva you were coming back, and I didn’t want to be away from you. The bad men always come when you’re gone.” Eliza could hear the wobble in her voice, and when she finally lifted her chin, there were tears pooling in her baby blue eyes. “The dark is scarier when you’re gone,” she added in a whisper. Rayner sighed, his anger almost immediately dissipating as he scooped her up. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and legs around his waist, and he brought his brow to hers.
“Her other form is an insect?” Eliza asked, studying the Shifter child. “It is any form she chooses,” Rayner replied. “She is a Power Shifter.” “So she caught a ride on the mortal king to go with you?” Razik said.
“And you think it is easy to deny a goddess?” Razik asked. “When it comes to this child? I would deny Arius himself to my dying breath.”
Rayner had a shield of ashes around him and Tula, who had— Who had shifted into a small black snake. She was coiled tightly around Rayner’s bicep, her blue eyes glowing faintly.
“So bloodthirsty, mai dragocen,” he said, his own dark smile appearing. “I get the one that just fired an arrow at you.” His wings appeared. “Try not to get stabbed this time.” “I’m going to stab you if you don’t fuck off,” she snarled, turning her back on him to engage with the next seraph that was coming for her. She heard his dark chuckle as he shot into the sky.
“Look, Rayner!” Tula squealed excitedly from where she was perched, pointing at the feline. “A tiger!” She was squirming, trying to climb down his back. “That is Jamahl,” Rayner answered, his hands clamping down on her legs to keep her seated. “A tiger is his other form, Tula.”
“This is Tula. She was an orphan in the Black Syndicate.” “And now?” “And now she stays with me.” The Beta’s head tilted to the side. “Even though she belongs with us? She is a Shifter. A powerful one. I can smell it on her.” “She belongs with me,” Rayner replied, his voice low and carrying a promise of death as ashes flitted around him.
Eliza felt it then. The possessive nature of the bond that she was so adamantly trying to shove down. She rolled her shoulders, trying to shake it off as she cleared her throat. “This is Razik Greybane. He is the Hand-to-the-Avonleyan King.”
“He is Avonleyan. A descendant of Sargon,” Eliza provided, cursing Razik in her mind for staying silent, yet also strangely satisfied that he wasn’t speaking for her. The Beta’s eyes went wide. “A dragon shifter then.” Eliza nodded sharply. “One form we are not permitted to take,” Arianna murmured, new interest shining in her eyes. “Why can you not take the form of a dragon?” Eliza asked. “Because it was forbidden by Arius and Sargon,” Razik supplied,
“There are other forms you are not able to take?” Rayner cut in. Arianna hummed an agreement. “There are some beings created by the gods that are considered sacred. We are not able to wear those skins, even as Power Shifters.”
They were nearing the next building when a large hand gripped her elbow, tugging her behind a column. Then her back was being pressed to the smooth marble, Razik’s forearm braced above her head. “I feel like we have discussed this already,” Eliza bit out. “Just because I am your Source does not mean you get to haul me wherever you want.” “Not unless it suits your needs, right, mai dragocen?” he returned.
“To make something clear.” The hunger in his eyes shifted to anger, his pupils changing to vertical slits. “I am not going to push something you do not want.” Her gaze darted to the side, but he gripped her chin, waiting until she met his sapphire eyes once more. “But do not imply to anyone that I will go elsewhere when you are right in front of me.”
The fact that his dragon fire had already charmed her own flames didn’t help matters. Her magic wanted more as much as the bond she was trying to smother did.
