Iolaire twittered and curled its head against Raziel’s chest. Raziel folded those wings around Iolaire. Caden again thought, “cute.” Who knew that two beings as big as buildings could be adorable? As adorable as kittens.
Very large kittens with claws and teeth and wings...
I cannot fly back to the lair yet, Raziel said almost wearily. You two should go. Caden, you need to go back to the material realm. You and Iolaire are bound fully again. It will join you.
“We’re not leaving you,” Caden said.
Iolaire gave a squeak of agreement.
“What about the others? Landry and her brothers? And… Jasper…” He grimaced as he said that.
Their bodies are still controlled by the Behemoth. It is unlikely if they return that they will be able to take back their forms. They will simply be cast adrift, Raziel answered.
“So until the Behemoth is destroyed, they can’t leave here?” Caden asked.
It is worse than that, Raziel said with a dip of its head.
“Worse?” Caden’s eyebrows lifted.
Iolaire twittered softly and sadly. It already knew what Raziel was going to say.
There will come a time when they will not be able to return even if the Behemoth is defeated. Their souls will not recognize their bodies, Raziel said.
Caden blinked. “They’ll… die then?”
And they will not be able to go on to where they belong as they will be trapped here, Raziel explained. This is not where human souls go to return to the Wheel.
“The Wheel? Reincarnation?” Caden’s eyebrows lifted.
Yes, I have seen the same souls again and again, but these people will be stuck forever here, unable to make the journey they should, and hunted unless they stay in our lairs, Raziel said.
Caden felt stunned. That was worse than death. Now that he knew they went on. Humans were reborn! That was amazing. Wonderful really. So no one was actually ever lost. If one stayed around long enough--an eternity--they would find those who had left them before on another turn of the Wheel. But Landry wouldn’t return. Her brothers wouldn’t. Maybe he wouldn’t be that upset if Jasper didn’t, but what about all those others? Some of them were clearly misguided but not malicious like he was. To sentence them to this terrible eternity… No, that would be awful.
“How… how long before that’s the case?” Caden asked.
Raziel would not meet his eyes. Iolaire’s wings drooped
Not long, Raziel said.
“So if we don’t defeat the Behemoth now--which we can’t do--it’s over for them, isn’t it?” Caden realized.
Raziel nodded. I am sorry.
“No, no, you have nothing to be sorry about,” Caden said and passed a hand over his eyes. “They made choices. We did our best.” He stared down at his hands. “If only we could reach the other Dragons, but they’re too far away.”
They would not come. It would leave their bonded ones at risk. It was one thing to leave my Valerius in Mephous’ charge, but for them all to come… Raziel shook its head.
“Ironic, because killing the Behemoth here will stop the explosion from hurting anyone in the material realm,” Caden pointed out.
Yes, it would be, but it is unsafe. The horde could destroy our bonded ones and that is worse than anything, Raziel muttered.
Iolaire nuzzled the Black Dragon tenderly. Raziel was missing Valerius as much as he was. Caden flew gently down to them and stroked their noses. Raziel let out a snort at his touch, but its eyes half-closed in pleasure. Iolaire pressed the side of its snout against Caden’s chest.
“I love you both,” Caden told them.
We love you, Raziel said.
Love, Iolaire sent.
