Page 16 of Vengeance and Fire

“Miriam, don’t worry. He took a little detour and will return shortly.” I try to keep my voice level, like it’s no big deal her son literally pulled open a portal to another Realm and walked right through it.

“Don’t worry! Don’t worry!” she shrieks. “The other day he was dragged from the same place barely hanging on to his life!” Miriam rounds on me, her salt and pepper hair falling out of the bun piled on top of her head. My gut twists when I see her violet eyes shine with unshed tears. Dravyn’s eyes. “I have been going mad with worry! I won’t lose my son again. No one cared to update me! I understand my station here, but I deserve to know of my son’s condition.” She walks up to me, I tower over her, yet my size does nothing to deter her. “If he doesn’t come out of there soon, I am holding you responsible.” She reaches up and stands on her tiptoes to thump me on the chest with the back of her hand, and I wince. Although she is smaller in stature, there was force behind her blow. I don’t dare rub at my chest like I want to. Instead, I clear my throat and take a step back out of her reach.

“Yes, ma’am. I understand. If something happens to Dravyn, I will have my mate to answer to as well,” I say, but she scoffs and turns away, her eyes trained on the portal. Her shoulders slump forward, the woman looks absolutely exhausted. It hits me then that we all failed her. She’s right, as soon as Dravyn showed up alive and well, we should have sent her word. I think of my own mother and how she would have reacted to seeing me that way. I feel terrible.

“I apologize. We should have sent word. I know you must have been worried. In fact, we should have brought you with us. For that I am truly sorry.”

She turns and offers me a nod of thanks and turns back around. “You both came here for a reason.” She sighs and faces me once more. “Not just for my son to offer me proof of life.” Miriam looks off into the distance and I turn in the direction of the settlement that looks even more dilapidated since I first laid eyes on it a few days ago.

“The volcanic activity has ramped up. We are having to abandon homes, the air quality is getting worse, even for Dragons. We haven’t had any shipments fromSaphir,things are getting tougher by the day.” She looks over at me and I offer her a smile. As a Regent, especially inCresceria,tending the land is of the utmost importance, and this place needs our help the most. Gale, Adrian, and I feed magic into our regions regularly, but with Cordelia and now Dravyn to combine their powers with ours, well, we could do remarkable things.

“Then we are right on time.”

“What do you mean by that? I thought the queen was going to return. I had hoped to sit with her and talk about our options. My people don’t need much,” she says, never taking her eyes off the people gathering outside the gates of the settlement. It saddens me to know that these people aren’t used to anyone visiting them. Left to rot. Unacceptable.

“Cordelia has worked hard the past two days to prepare a place for you. She hasn’t forgotten about her promise to you. She wants to make sure there is a safe place for the people of theBarren Landswhile she restores this place.” Miriam looks over at me with an almost impressed expression combined with a doubtful smirk.

“Are you pulling my leg?”

“Absolutely not, Miriam. Dravyn and I have come to take your people away from here. Cordelia has opened up the palace as a refuge. A place where you and your people can stay as long as you want. If you want to return to your regions of birth, then we will make sure there is suitable accommodation for you as well. Miriam, things should never have been this way. Thaddeus left you, his wife, and the people here, and he didn’t offer you any real aid in all these years. As Regents, there wasn’t much we could do because of the dominance by the Barons. We were so focused on our own regions, worried about our own people, that we neglected to question the treatment of yours, for that, I offer you another apology.

“You’re here now, that is all that matters. To know that the queen was thinking of these people, that is what’s important.” Miriam looks out at the people below, and I can see the question forming before she asks.

“The enchantments which kept your people here are down now. All of the criminals that actually belonged here are either with Thaddeus in Incantatia or in the dungeon of the palace.” She opens and closes her mouth, her shock apparent.

“Cordelia lived onEarth for most of her life.” I turn in a circle with my arms stretched wide. “All of this is new to her. But this is her home now, she wants to do right by everyone in Arcadia. To her, that palace is just a big old empty place. It’s not her home. It has more room than any one of us needs. She offers it willingly. There are soldiers on the other side of that ridge waiting to assist you in any way. They will help you move your people toSaphir.Lead your people out of here and return with us.” I watch out of the corner of my eye. A tear falls but she quickly wipes it away. Placing her hands on her hips, I can tell she is thinking over everything I’ve said to her. I get it, I would be wary too. These people were abandoned; broken promises and lies are all they know. I would take a moment to think things through as well.

“I know that anything is better than here. It seems surreal. After all this time someone is actually going to make something happen without wanting something in return. All Thaddeus cared about was his access to Incantatia. Keep this secret, the fate of our people is at stake. He would feed me those lies every time he came through here. Until eventually, he didn’t grace me with his presence. News of my son dried up.” She stops talking and looks over her shoulder and I follow her lead, wondering what the hell is taking Dravyn so long. This conversation served two purposes, a means of distraction and relaying Cordelia’s wishes. One seems to be going well, while the other, I turn around and try not to think about what is happening beyond the portal.

“I will accept the queen’s offer,” Miriam finally says.

“Gather what you need as—”

“Torin!”

Hearing my name has both Miriam and I run to the portal. The edges around the shimmering surface flicker wildly, as if it’s ready to collapse at any moment. Dravyn’s back appears out of the portal then he leans forward into it and drags Dain’s body out. Once Dain’s legs are clear the portal vanishes, leaving behind the burnt-out rock that was there before. Dravyn lays Dain down gently and hovers over him.

“Torin, he’s alive. I don’t know what I did or how I did it. Maybe it was my Dragon, but Dain’s alive.” I don’t move for a second as I process Dravyn’s words. Dain’s chest steadily rises and falls, and I watch him in stunned disbelief. Dravyn stands, and his eyes lock on his mother.

“Mom.” Miriam closes the distance between them. She and Dravyn collide in a warm embrace. I don’t know where to look, my head is turning to look between my mate's undead father and back to Dravyn and his mother.

“I thought you were dead. He told me you were dead.” Dravyn buries his face in Miriam’s shoulder, and I turn to give them as much privacy as possible.

Crouching down beside Cordelia’s father, I drown out their soft whispers. I reach for our bond. I immediately feel Dravyn’s relief and happiness, it mixes with my own. The people of theBarren Landshave a new home for now, and my mate no longer needs to grieve for the father she thought she lost. I consider this a win. One we’ve desperately needed.

Suddenly, a hand touches my arm.

“Take me to the waters,” Dain says before he passes out again. His words cause me to leap to my feet.

“Dravyn. He wants to go the waters.” I look over my shoulder at Dravyn, he’s holding Miriam’s hand as they walk over to me.

“How do you know?” Dravyn asks as if I didn’t just hear the man give me an order.

“He woke up, told me what he needed and passed out again,” I say as I immediately begin to strip off my clothes.

“Torin. Let me go,” Dravyn says as he begins to strip as well.

“Stay with your mother. They are all coming toSaphir, and you can escort them.” Dravyn looks at his mother and then at me. I can see he is struggling. We both want to go to Cordelia, the urge to be with her is always strong, especially now. Her father is alive.

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