But if Koen isn’t in control of himself when he is shifted, those enormous teeth could.
“Now you see who you have fallen for, dear sister.” A soft, gentle voice echoes in the wind. “Haven’t you learned?”
My eyes widen, staring at the rocks underneath me as ash falls over us. My breathing becomes unsteady as my heart runs rampant in my chest. Could it be? Could it truly be her?
I hesitantly let my gaze lift, scanning the area where the darkling stands next to the Vitaei. Its fire reflects a scarlet red against the stones and water. But that’s when I see a figure in a hooded cloak, walking towards us around the ledge of rocks.
The dark, raven cloak, adorned with red tassels. I remembered this exact one at the pit when Skydance tried to kill me.
“Tilly?” My voice cracks. “Is that you?”
“You may call her Queen Tileatha,” the darkling growls. “The true Queen of Azure.”
The dark hood slowly is removed, and I catch sight of the icy strands I remember. Her soft sun-kissed skin and sharp, sky-blue eyes meet mine. But the markings of the flame scarred along her left neck and jaw, are what make my heart plummet. My brows cave in, heat consuming me as I lose balance and catch myself before falling into the rocks.
“What…” I can’t breathe. “I’ve been looking for you!”
“I know,” she casually says, revealing her delicate hands from the large openings of her cloak. They hold a blue flame that flickers in her hands. “I’ve waited thirty years for you.”
Koen’s tail whips and slams into the ground at the sight of it as a gust of hot wind slaps against my face. My eyes lock onto the flame, watching her hand hover over it as her lip pulls into a wicked smirk.
“I don’t understand… you’ve been gone for a few weeks.” A tear cascades down my cheek, falling to the ground. “Father feared you were dead. Alice and I went looking for you! I don’t even know if she is alive!”
She scuffs, rolling her eyes and letting her hand flick in the air. “Ah, she’s fine.”
“How can you say that!” my voice rips. “We almost died looking for you!”
“I told you Alice would never survive.”
“You knew we would come find you…”
Her brows lift. “I knewyouwould come. I warned you not to bring Alice to the mountains.”
“What about Father?!” Tears pour from me like a rainstorm, making it impossible to see clearly. “He is heartbroken with the thought of you being dead and now… he most likely thinks I am too! This is going to kill him!”
“That isn’t our father.” The blue fire cracks in her palms. “I think you know that.”
I rise, pushing my trembling body off of the ground. “How can you say that!”
“Because you know it's the truth, yet you always run from the truth! You have always been too weak, that’s why those stones belong to me.”
I glance towards the stones that brightly glow against my skin. “What the hell are you talking about, Tilly!”
“Tileatha.” The fire darkling rips a violent growl.
My lip curls in disgust towards it. “I can call my sister whatever the hell I want.”
It lunges forward, but Tilly halts it. “No.”
It narrows its eyes towards me, fire crackling and popping against its skin. It's ready to kill me.
“The stones are the powers from the Gods, Serene. The one who holds the stones is the one who will be able to control it all. Those dragons will make the one who wields them the most violent wielder of the realms, they are the key to everything. The power. The magic. Everything is inside them. Only the Deskyiara bloodline can control them.” She sucks in a deep breath. “But for some reason, the Gods chose you, even though you died.”
“Oh my—” I scoff, rubbing my blurred eyes with the back of my hand. “You believe in that too? I am alive, standing right here. I have never died, Tileatha.”
“Koen hasn’t reminded you of it?” Her head slowly cocks to the side. “I thought for sure he would get you to remember.”
“You’ve gone mad.”
