Then solid ground materialized beneath her feet, and she stumbled forward onto black volcanic stone that glittered like crushed diamonds.
The sensory overload nearly brought her to her knees. Heat rolled across her skin—not oppressive, but like stepping into a perfectly warm bath. The air tasted of cinnamon and ozone, with an underlying sweetness that made her want to breathe deeper. The twin suns painted everything in golden warmth, creating shadows that danced with orange fire.
But it was the feeling that truly staggered her.
Peace.
For the first time in months—maybe years—the constant low-level anxiety that lived in her chest simply... disappeared. Her shoulders relaxed. Her breathing deepened. Even her persistent headache melted away like it had never existed.
How is this possible? I should be having a panic attack. Instead, I feel like I’m home.
“How was the wormhole?” Gerri appeared at her elbow, looking completely unruffled by interdimensional travel. “Some people find it a bit intense on their first trip.”
“It was...” Lila searched for words that could capture the experience. “Like being turned inside out and put back together, but in a good way?”
“That’s the spirit.” Gerri’s laugh sparkled in the alien air. “And what do you think of Nova Aurora?”
Lila turned in a slow circle, taking in the landscape that shouldn’t exist. Lava rivers carved glowing paths through valleys of black stone. Strange plants with purple leaves swayed in a breeze that carried unfamiliar scents. In the distance, she could see what looked like other territories—forests of violet trees, mountains that gleamed like crystal, and plains that stretched toward horizons painted in impossible colors.
But it was more than the visual spectacle. Something in her very bones recognized this place, as if she’d been carrying a map to Nova Aurora inside her without knowing it.
“It’s beautiful.” The words felt inadequate. “And I know this sounds crazy, but it feels... familiar somehow.”
Gerri’s eyes flashed gold with unmistakable satisfaction. “Just as I hoped.”
Before Lila could ask what that meant, Gerri was pointing toward a structure that dominated the landscape ahead of them. Calling it a castle seemed too small a word—it was a fortress of black glass and volcanic stone that seemed to grow directly fromthe mountainside, its towers reaching toward the twin suns like dark fingers.
“That’s Draven’s home,” Gerri said with a hint of pride. “The Dragon Citadel.”
Butterflies erupted in Lila’s stomach with such sudden intensity that she had to press a hand to her belly. Not nerves—something deeper and more primal. Like every cell in her entire body was suddenly vibrating with awareness.
Something important is about to happen.
The thought came from nowhere, carrying absolute certainty that made no sense. She was here to treat King Draven Kaelith, nothing more. Professional therapy sessions with the dragon king suffering from psychological distress.
So why did looking at that imposing castle feel like staring at her destiny?
FOUR
DRAVEN
The knock on his office door made Draven’s shoulders instantly tense. Every sound set him on edge these days—a side effect of the fire madness that grew worse with each passing day.
“Enter.”
The door swung open to reveal Jarek’s familiar tall frame, but it was the petite woman in the designer pantsuit who commanded Draven’s immediate attention. Gerri Wilder stepped into his sanctuary with the confidence of someone who owned every room she entered, her white bob perfectly styled despite the interdimensional travel.
Then something stopped Draven’s heart completely. The sight of the woman entering right behind Gerri.
By the ancient flames.
She was stunning in a way that made his dragon rear up and take notice—long dark brown hair that caught the light from his office windows, curves that would make any male appreciate the female form, and an aura of quiet strength that seemed to fill the space around her. This couldn’t be Dr. Lila Reyes, the trauma psychologist his mother had hired. He’d expectedsomeone ordinary and forgettable—a clinical professional who would treat him like a case study and leave.
Not this goddess who made his heart hammer wildly against his ribs.
“Your Majesty,” Gerri’s voice carried that familiar note of mischief. “Please meet Dr. Lila Reyes.”
Draven found his feet moving before his brain caught up, his body drawn to her like metal to a magnet. Her scent hit him as he approached—wildflowers and rain with an underlying sweetness that made his dragon practically purr with contentment.
