“Nora,” Ro greeted as she came in for a hug. I couldn’t help but notice how drained she looked, and sadness engulfed me like flames. Tio had informed us what had happened to her, at least the parts he knew. I’d seen the conditions this so-called Order of Darkness inflicted upon Melody when she’d been kidnapped and placed on that boat so I could only imagine what happened at the heart of their operation.
Her body trembled in my embrace. “I’m so fucking happy you’re okay,” I whispered into her ear. Seeing her this shaken knocked my confidence on its side. Who were we up against? Ro had been a badass since the moment I’d met her, breaking rules of convention but was guided by a caring heart. A tear trailed my cheek, and I swallowed the sob that wanted to rip free.
“We might be too late,” she whispered, her voice coming across broken and fear-stricken.
“What do you mean?” I pulled back, holding her arms for fear she’d drop to the ground without my support.
Ro tossed a weary glance toward the heinous creature. It looked back at her. A silent conversation passed between them.
“Yeah, they do this a lot,” one of the young men who’d been riding with them said, stepping up to Ro’s side.
“You’re new,” Tio said to the young man, crossing his arms. “Dae’s brother?”
“More like, Dae should be known asmybrother. I’m Jai.” He extended his hand toward Tio, who took it, then he extended to me and Nick as well.
“Nice to meet you, Jai. I’m Nora, and this is my husband, Nick.”
Jai widened his eyes. “As in…”
“King and Queen of Highcrest,” Tio added with a grin, getting satisfaction over the young man’s shock.
Jai awkwardly adjusted his shirt, trying to smooth the wrinkles. “Wow. Honor,” he said with a dip of his chin. “This is my other brother, Kaval. He’s been leading The Kraanti, a magical rebellion group in Windguard.”
Kaval stepped forward, bending at the hip to give us a bow.
“Tell us what we’re up against,” Nick said, nodding toward the direction they’d come from.
“Well, when we left, dragons were attacking. I don’t think they’ll be much for us to deal with after that,” Kaval said.
An unnatural breeze flitted by, and suddenly that mangey creature was gone. In its place stood a man with striking resemblance to Jai. Tio had told us about Dae, but that he could shift into a tiger, not…whatever that had been.
He strode up to Ro, taking her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest, like he could shield her from whatever horrors she’d endured. The way his hand sank into her hair, and how his cheek rested against her head, confirmed what Tio had hinted at. They were together. The care he held for her was evident. I was grateful she had someone to help steady her.
“So we should hold the army here. I won’t send our forces into a bloodbath against ancient creatures. Seems like they might take care of our problem for us,” Nick suggested.
“Ro, did the dragons say what they wanted? Why they ended up coming?” I asked. Tio and Melody had explained where Ro had gone while they attempted Mel’s magic on the curse.
“We didn’t have time to ask. We were in the middle of a…situation when they showed up. It was the distraction we needed to slip away,” Dae said, finally addressing us.
“They shouldn’t have come,” Ro basically whimpered, remaining in Dae’s embrace.
Evenita quietly joined, slipping past Nick and gently placing her hand on Ro’s back. “It’s going to be alright, child.”
Ro and Dae looked at the old woman.
“I have something for you.” Evenita removed a scroll tucked beneath her shirt. She placed it in Ro’s hand, curling her fingers around it. “You. Are. Brave.” Evenita complimented the broken woman before her, kind encouragement to bolster her strength.
Alaina and Marco had retrieved that scroll. We’d read it on the trek through Windguard, but it seemed like a bunch of poetic nonsense.
Day is dawn and dawn is day,
When life springs forth anew.
Restless nights with darkened frights,
Dying at the sinew.
As opposites meet, one takes the lead.
