Flint looked around. “Is this your home?”
“Was my home,” Darius said softly.
The harpies landed in the courtyard, their wings folding against their backs. Caterpillar slid off gracefully, a trail of blue smoke curling behind him. Chester simply appeared beside me, his golden eyes taking in the castle with curiosity.
“Curious… curious place.” Caterpillar exhaled a ring of smoke. “Old magic… lives here.”
Chester’s grin stretched wide. “Castles and secrets. Secrets and castles. Every stone has a story.”
Bunny gathered her small children close, the little ones staring wide-eyed at the towering walls.
A shadow passed over us, blocking out the fading sun.
I looked up.
My blood turned to ice.
A dragon descended from the sky—massive, ancient, terrifying. Its scales shimmered like molten copper, each one the size of a dinner plate. Wings wider than the castle courtyard stretched out, stirring the air into a whirlwind. Its eyes blazed like twin furnaces—amber and gold, ancient and knowing.
Claws the length of swords scraped against the stone as it landed. The ground shook beneath its weight. Steam curled from its nostrils, carrying the scent of smoke and sulfur.
My heart stopped. A dragon. An actual dragon.
Every instinct screamed at me to run.
Bunny screamed and shielded her children. The harpies screeched and moved in front of me, their talons raised, ready to fight despite the terror in their eyes. Flint and Steel drew their weapons, hands trembling. Caterpillar's smoke froze mid-curl. Even Chester's grin vanished completely.
I stumbled backward, my heart slamming against my ribs. "Darius?—"
But Darius didn't move. Didn't flinch. Didn't reach for his sword.
He smiled, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears.
"Hello, Raven," he said softly, his voice cracking. "It's been too damn long. Remember me? It's Darius... I’m back.”
The dragon had a name? Raven? Oh shit. I knew who this was. Raven Erickson. She was a dragon shifter—rumored to be one of the most powerful creatures in our world.
Raven lowered her enormous head, smoke curling from between teeth the size of daggers. A rumble rolled through her chest—not a growl.
A purr.
A dark-haired man with golden wings landed next to the dragon. His features were striking—and identical to Darius'. Same jaw. Same cheekbones. Same proud stance.
Darius’ older brother?
The man's eyes swept over our ragged group, his expression guarded. "Armond, who are these people?" His gaze hardened when it landed on Ari. "And what the hell is Ari doing here?"
Darius stepped forward. "I'm not Armond."
The man froze.
"It's me, Lucien." Darius stepped forward, his hand on his chest. "It's Darius. I’m home."
Lucien's face went white. His wings trembled. "Darius? But... you've been gone for years. We thought you were?—"
"Dead?" Darius let out a broken laugh. "Some days I wished I was."
Lucien crossed the distance and pulled Darius into a crushing embrace, his shoulders shaking.
