“It’ll be any day now.” Kjeld crouched before the nest of dragon eggs bundled in blankets and surrounded by candlelight.
Caelian watched as he inspected them, carefully lifting each one, when he motioned for her to join him.
She pushed off the bed and knelt beside him. “How can you tell?”
Taking her hand, he placed it on top of the silvery egg with an iridescent sheen. “The eggs emit the faintest of glows.”
She watched as a sheen of silver floated over her hand.
“And if you are very still,” he continued quietly, his voice barely a whisper between them, “you can hear them hum.”
Caelian held her breath and listened, dulling the symphony of voices in her mind. At first, she could only hear the breeze tinkling against the stained glass windowpanes, but then there was the faintest hum, and the egg beneath her hand vibrated.
“Stars above.” Glancing over at Kjeld, she met his broad, dimpled smile with one of her own. “This is amazing. How much longer do you think they have?”
He sat back, resting his hands on his knees.
“A day at most, I’d say. The males will likely hatch first, females usually take a little longer.” He winked. “They like to make an entrance.”
“You already know two are boys and one’s a girl?” Caelian moved her hand to one of the onyx eggs, and a shimmer of shadowy black drifted over her fingers.
“I have my suspicions.” Kjeld stood, smoothing the wrinkles from his pants, then pulled her to her feet. He glanced out the window where the cobalt haze of dusk was slowly sweeping across the eastern sky. “They have some time yet. Until then, I want us to see the Caelora Bay.”
Together they traipsed through the forest toward the western edge of the Myrkwild. They passed the willow where they said their vows and crossed a stone bridge over the River Thalorien. The water sang beneath them, like the luring call of a siren, mystical and full of heartache. Caelian wondered how the river was capable of keeping memories, if it pulled ones that were lost from its turquoise depths, if its currents collected them from fallen tears. Or maybe the memories were freely given, in exchange for something else.
She supposed she would ask Morwyn about it sometime, but then the outer trees of the Myrkwild yawned open to reveal the crescent-shaped stretch of sandy beach from when they first arrived in Wenfyre. Shimmering waves kissed the shore, leaving behind ribbons of foam that sparkled like starlight. The sky was painted violet and indigo, and thousandsof shooting stars glittered like diamonds as they fell from the heavens into the sea.
It was magnificent, the most dazzling display of celestial magic Caelian had ever seen.
Sticking out of the sand was another worn wooden sign, and the delicate letters carved into it readThe Caelora Bay, Where Wishes are Born.
“Well, Starweaver.” Kjeld took her hand, leading her further onto the beach where the cool sand squished between her toes. “What do you think?”
“It’s…breathtaking.”
She gazed up at the sky as starbursts of silver, lavender, blue, and pink cascaded overhead. Wishes echoed in her mind—pleas of hope, whispers of love, cries of desperation—all of them stemming from places of longing. All of them born from sparks of wonder, from a sea full of promises.
Her magic churned, flowing through her like she was made of stars. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes, welcoming the energy as it recharged her, filling her from its well of power. It was a summoning. A calling like no other. It gathered in the center of her palms, causing the skin there to heat and tingle. Her hair unfurled in messy waves, lifting from her shoulders. Her skirts tangled near her ankles and legs as her feet sank into the sand. Caelian opened her eyes, loosed a calming breath, and released the power building inside her. Streaks of shooting stars whirred around her, creating a sphere of multifaceted light. It crackled and hissed, a celestial force of reckoning. A storm of starlight.
Thestarstorm,her family’s ancient line of magic, had manifested itself within her.
Sprinting toward the ocean, she threw her arms out as she ran, laughing wildly. Sand kicked up around her, and she spun in dizzying circles, losing herself to the rush of divine magic flooding her blood with the wonder of the stars.
Behind her, she heard Kjeld call her name, his voice garbled and distorted beyond the shimmering wall of her sphere.
She twirled around to face him as he sauntered across the beach toward her. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his pants, and his grin was made all the more charming by his dimples.
“Look!” she cried, spinning again. “Isn’t it fantastic?”
“Incredible,” he agreed, stepping into her space.
Caelian lifted her arms, granting twenty-seven wishes, then let her magic ebb to a low thrum. Her sphere faded and her heart soared. “I’ve never felt more alive!”
“You’re incandescent.” He cocked his head to one side, admiring her. “A wonder all her own.”
“Do you swim, my lord?” she asked, her fingers curling into his vest as she rose up on her toes for a kiss.
“I go where you go, my lady.” Kjeld lowered his mouth to hers, but she quickly pulled away, spinning out of his arms.
