‘And Willow?’ She was just as evil.
‘No.’
Scared to even ask, I needed to know what she thought. ‘Anya, do you think my mother meddled in our bond?’
Her voice was calm as she reassured me, ‘Not even a blood witch can meddle in dragon bonds.’
‘But it’s an awful coincidence I conjured you with a mother who’s supposedly a blood witch…’ I couldn’t stop thinking of ways the queen could have attempted to twist our fate. Or why she would do it.
‘Coincidences are what these lands are made of, child.’
‘Maybe you’re right.’
Changing the subject, the dragon asked, ‘You’ve grown stronger as of late. I like it. Is the king treating you right?’
‘My fire powers emerged in the Land of Volcanoes. It was spectacular…’
‘And what were you doing there?’
'Training and making acquaintances with the craziest woman I’ve ever met, Anya. Absolutely bonkers!’
‘I’m glad you’re thriving. I like it here, too. Now, it’s almost morning; let me fly you back. Get some sleep.’
Chapter Thirty-Five
Avari
Icrossed the threshold and stopped cold. The air didn’t greet me; it attacked, thick with unnatural warmth. Waves of scorching air rolled toward me, each one more suffocating than the last.
Something was wrong. Deeply wrong.
Sweat coated my forehead and dripped down the back of my neck, sliding across my spine like a warning of danger. It was unbearable, much worse than the Land of the Volcanoes, and I’d struggled there too.
The castle was too quiet. My footsteps rang out cautiously, each one swallowed by the thick hush. My skin prickled. I’d been gone too long. Something happened.
Running, I reached River’s bedroom, locked in silence. No answer. No sign. My heart thudded. If he weren't there, he’d be in his office. He had to be.
Breathless, I reached the door and burst through without knocking.
Inside, a cluster of armed soldiers stood rigid. Michael was there too. So were figures in dark cloaks—spies, I guessed. Maddie and the king turned toward me, their expressions frozen.
Every eye snapped to me at once, as if I were a ghost.
River was beside me in an instant, pulling me tightly against him as though he could stop the world from tearing us apart. His embrace was fierce, yet it trembled, as if he expected the worst to strike at any moment. I melted into his touch, still not understanding what had happened.
Michael muttered, ‘What the fuck?’ under his breath, too stunned to mask it.
River knew to explain before I even asked. ‘We thought you were gone.’
‘Why would you think that?’ I stared at him, stunned. He thought I would leave without saying goodbye? After everything?
The memory hit hard—two days of silence, no message, no trace. I’d waited, heart in my throat, imagining every worst-case scenario. And now he thought I’d do the same to him?
‘I looked for you. Maddie saw you leaving with a bag, and since our last argument was about Ortensia—’
For a heartbeat, pride told me to stay distant. Then I reached for his hand, letting our energies intertwine. It was what we both needed to calm down.
‘I don’t want to go back, River. I just don’t want my mother to use me as a reason to hurt more of your people.’
