By our army.
It’s finally happening; we are returning home. Centuries later, our hope has come to fruition. We will return with an army of dragons, a few dozen demigods, and thousands of our other new creatures.
We didn’t force them. Eventually, we revealed ourselves and gained devoted followers. At first, they called us gods. We refused to accept that title, asking only to be called by our names. They loved us even more. Respected us, unlike the elves.
When the elves called us gods, we smiled because it made us feel elevated and powerful.
We’re trying so hard to learn from the past.
Slowly, I allow my eyes to open, like a child ready to explore a new world. I wonder how our lands have changed since we were forced out.
Flap!A leathery stretch pierces the silence. A gust of wind blows through the window. The dragon that sits perched on our stone roof is readying to fly soon. Its waking inhale sounds like wind rushing down a sunbaked dune.
“Do you think we have enough?” I whisper to Erevan as he moves my braided hair to the side so he can kiss my neck.
Once we leave this world, the balance will be offset again. This world and the creatures within it have been our children, but it’s time for those who wish to remain to survive without us.
He nods. “Yes, and we have the act of surprise. The elves will have planned for our return, but not with an army like we have,” Erevan replies as his arms snake around me, sending a warm shudder down my spine. “A part of me wants to demand you stay here.” He runs his nose along my neck, the cold metal of his armor pressing into mine. “I want to put you in a crystal cage and make sure you are safe.”
He nips at my skin, just above the armor that covers my shoulders.
Our armor was gifted by a dragon rider smith. The scales covering my armor are feminine and delicate, resembling lace, yet they are so numerous the lace looks more like a web that would ensnare you. It’s a gift of such beauty it rivals even the book Erevan gave me, but I’d never tell him that.
Erevan’s armor is equally stunning, cast in gold that has been forged under dragon fire, giving it swirls of red and burnish orange hues. It resembles the sun, with layers of fiery scales melting into one another.
I silently imagine Lucian here, standing on my other side, kissing my untouched cheek. His armor would be of pure white like he always wore it into battle. Untouched scales that blend in with the clouds.
My Lucian, you broke your promise.I never felt that final kiss. Perhaps if we fail, I will find him in the next life, as he vowed.
Erevan slides his hand along my back as he slowly comes to stand in front of me, blocking out the rising sun. “Stay behind until it is safe.” He makes a lover’s plea that falls on deaf ears.
I raise my chin. “You think we will lose?”
He cradles my jaw, tracing my lower lip with his thumb, as if he were the artist who made it. “No. I fear we will win,” he admits, standing with such a glowing authority that he outshines that massive dying star.
“Fear has no invitation to dine with victory,” I reply carefully. “What are you not telling me?” I step back.
Erevan licks his lips, weighing his next words carefully. “It’s a worry I have had since the moment we first stepped through the portal and entered this land. The other gods hold a deep thirst for vengeance against you. They never acted on it because they needed me to create our army; they were forced to cooperate and accept you because I love you.”
I was just a bow with no string or arrows. Useless in this new world.
The others would’ve abandoned me long ago.
Erevan gave me purpose. His magic became the arrow that kept the other gods away, his voice was the string. Because of his love for me, I was protected from their revenge.
“What will happen once we reclaim our lands, once we settle?” he whispers.
My armor conceals the tremble in my bones. Suddenly, everything feels too tight: my clothing, the braids in my hair. “You think they will come for me?”
His lips press into a thin line as his hand rests on his weapon.
“It’s a risk I must take.” I clear my throat. “I’m no coward. I will not stay behind. I will go back and fight for our lands. I will fix what I have done.” I look at him through hooded eyes. “If you try to cage me, my love for you will melt like ice thrown onto fire.”
His eyes skim over my face, but his hands swing behind his back as he grasps them. “Water and heat make steam, Amariel; the love is not lost but reborn into something else.”
I touch my sword. “Do not test me, Erevan.”
His chest rises and falls with a deep, steady breath. “I will not cage you here, my love.” His shoulders roll back. “But I will kill anyone who tries to harm you.”
