“That’s a story for another time, little umbra,” she answers with a wink. “I actually do have a reason to interrupt your flight. Killian’s asking for your presence back on the ground. The human leaders are arriving.”
“Kahlya and Celine?”
“Mhm,” she answers non-committally, busy dragging her fangs down Aeon’s jawline.
“How did they finish their time in Imiryion?”
“Peacefully, I suppose. Passed away due to old age. Hurry back and find out for yourself.”
Neither of them spare me a second glance before disintegrating into shadows and vanishing into the breeze.
K’haram lands gracefully at the edge of the snowdrop field where souls emerge in Eimiryia once they pass the veil between realms, lowering his head so I can dismount easily. I press my lips against the scales at the edge of his jaw, caressing that spot that makes him hum in contentment every single time.
“Tell Rhea I miss her dearly. Maybe tomorrow she can join us on our flight.”
“And leave the little ones unsupervised? We like our lair too much to leave our hatchlings alone there. We fly with our soul bonded in turns, Omri, you know that.”
“Then I shall pay you a visit, my dear friend,” I say, patting his scales.
“Fine. You can even bring that troublesome vampire of yours,” K’haram says, staring at a point behind me. “Rhea likes him for some unfathomable reason.”
“Unfathomable indeed,” I snicker as K’haram takes flight, becoming just a dark splotch against the bright sky.
“Little umbra,” a whisper floats on the gentle breeze, and I twirl around to find Killian staring at me, a broad smile lighting up his handsome face.
His openwhiteshirt billows in the wind, revealing his sculpted chest and abs, unadorned by the crimson tattoos that once resided there. It’s a sight I drink in deeply, even after so long.
My legs take me to him in quick strides, the tether between us tightening the closer I get, begging to be made whole again.
“Dragoste,” I murmur, leaping into his arms, and he spins us on the spot, my hair flapping around us in dark waves.
His lips find mine, the kiss hungry, yet assured.
“I’ve missed you so, my love,” Killian whispers against my skin, his stubble making me giggle.
“I’ve been gone merely a moment.”
“A moment without you is a moment too long,umbra mea.”
“Good thing, then, we have nothing but time,” I answer, kissing him back unhurriedly.
A warm, soothing golden light washes over the field, and two silhouettes burdened by age walk slowly toward us, hand in hand. With each step closer, their white hair grows longer and regains color.
Their hunched backs straighten, and wrinkles vanish into supple, glowing skin. Two strikingly beautiful human women, as young and fierce as I remember them.
Kahlya and Celine.
The redhead takes me aback by throwing her arms around me, and I return the gesture, squeezing gently.
“It’s so good to see you, finally! Sixty years, yet it feels like yesterday,” she squeals.
“It’s been that long?” Killian asks bemusedly.
Celine nods, giving us each a brief hug.
“Time flows differently here. For us, it feels both an eternity and a heartbeat later. It’s not something that can be explained, only experienced.”
“It’s beautiful here,” Kahlya says, taking in her surroundings with hungry eyes. “Are those…are those dragons soaring the skies?”
