Page 61 of Triumph at Pemberley

Her dragon turned her head away. “Rana Akshaya thinks that problem can be solved.”

“She will not tell me how, and in the meantime, I risk my life every time we try. I am sorry, Cerridwen. I know she is your Eldest, but I question her motives. She would be happy to have me open these temporary Gates to India forever, but her convenience is not worth our lives!” Not when it might mean making Jenny motherless.

The unhappiness of Cerridwen’s aura rolled over her. “My visions…”

“That is why I have tried for so long!” Elizabeth cried. “But I sat there in that tower, alone, without even our bond, thinking I had lost everything. You, William, Jenny, my family at Longbourn, everyone I care about – all gone. I cannot face that, Cerridwen!” Even though she was free now, the despair still haunted her, as if any moment she could fall into little pieces. Especially since Darcy was gone now. Would she ever feel safe again?

“But the mad dragon…”

“How much more must I suffer to stop Napoleon? I gave up my lifelong land bond to Longbourn and left my family. I let my husband go off to France, knowing he was unlikely to return. I followed him there, despite the dangers, and almost lost my child. I risked destroying myself and everything around me to make a Gate. I went to the tower to find an Artifact, and instead I was torn from my baby and nearly ended up trapped in Faerie forever. How many more chances must I take? Will it never end?” Her fists were balled, and her voice shook. “I want my peaceful life back!”

And she needed Darcy back safely.

“I feared I had lost you, too,” Cerridwen said quietly. “You have been through a terrible experience.” Her aura faded away, though, as if she had tucked herself away behind some sort of mental shield.

Her dragon had never pulled herself away from their bond like that except when Elizabeth had rejected her after their return from France. Elizabeth hated it.

Elizabeth reached out a hand to stroke her flank. “Dearest, if I could only manage to open a Gate fully, it would be different.” Even if the idea still frightened her.

“See, even you doubt my visions! It must be easy when you never experience them. I know who is going to die if the mad dragon is not stopped. There are so many I wish I could be among them. I cannot pretend there is another way out.”

There it was, the question she had never dared ask. “Am I one of those who die?”

Cerridwen drew back, and her voice took on a distant and hollow sound. “You are, and little Jenny, too. I cannot see Darcy, but Pemberley is burnt to the ground. All the Nests – the Dark Peak, in Gwynedd, and here - all destroyed and abandoned, and the land in flames. The Wicked King laughing. So many dragons, Sycamore, Quickthorn, Rowan, Agate, Juniper, and hundreds I do not know.” She hunched in on herself.

Elizabeth suddenly struggled to breathe. “I wish I were strong enough to stop it. Even with you and Rana Akshaya, it is not enough. We cannot do it alone.”

A small hand slid into hers. It was the little fae Sparrow, gazing up at her soulfully. “You are not alone,” the fae said in her scratchy voice. “You found a friend in Sparrow. That is your great strength, lady. You find friends. Ysmeina the Fair had the same gift, of attracting people to her. They all wanted to be with her because they could sense her caring. Even the Wicked King.”

Even through her tears, Elizabeth could not help smiling. “You think I am like Ysmeina the Fair?” she asked indulgently.

“In that way, yes. You are fair, yes, at least when you have not been crying, but not like Ysmeina. She was the loveliest woman in a thousand years. But you share her gift for friendship.”

Now a gurgle of reluctant laughter escaped her. No fae could truthfully call her lovely at this moment, when her eyes were no doubt red and swollen! “You sound as if you knew her.”

“My grandmother did, and she told the tale many times. It is how we keep hope alive, by telling and re-telling the stories of those who fought the Wicked King. Because of those tales, Sparrow stole the chance to be your friend and followed you to freedom. Lady, you and your companions inspire us today, as Ysmeina did then.”

“That.” Cerridwen said emphatically. “That is why we fight, even if we would rather retreat. Because if we do not, who will?”

Elizabeth looked at Sparrow with new eyes. The little fae had been easy to discount with her child-like words and appearance, but she must be far older than Elizabeth and had survived a long enslavement.

Sparrow had seen something in Elizabeth that was worthy of regard, even when she was complaining of how tired she was of fighting. Sparrow had no doubt been far more exhausted in her forced servitude to the Wicked King. “You are right,” she said slowly. “We must continue, even if the burden feels unfair sometimes.” No matter how she wanted to stop, to curl up with Jenny and pretend Napoleon was a distant problem she could ignore.

She rubbed her suddenly chilled arms.

William’s voice came from behind her. “I agree with Sparrow. You do have an extraordinary gift for friendship. We are not facing this alone, as I once was. Your presence here changed everything. Now Frederica, Jasper, Jack, Granny, Roderick, two Nests of dragons, and a houseful of lesser fae are all working in common with us, thanks to you.” He came forward and took her hand.

“You are back!” Regardless of their audience, she turned into his arms and buried her face in his shoulder. This was what she needed, his presence and reassurance.

“Just got here and rather windblown.” Then he whispered in her ear, “But I could not wait to see you. And to give you the news.”

She tightened her arms around him, suddenly frightened. “What news?”

“The best news. Jack is using his King’s Bond to stop Napoleon. He has turned back two landing forces already!” His face was alight with joy.

Oh, how she wanted to believe it! “Jack? Can he really do that?”

“He can and he has! Once when he was still miles away in London, though that almost killed him. He was there the second time, with the militia, so that was more of a battle, but he was still able to turn the tide. I saw the fortifications he built using his Talent and the wrecked hulls of the French landing barges he overturned. It was astonishing.”