Page 36 of Vengeance and Fire

To our future.

CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE

TWYLA

Iwake, startled by being in bed. I look towards the door, yet no one is there. I must be in the only part of the manor that was left untouched. I swing my legs over the edge of the bed, and a wave of exhaustion hits me hard. My head feels heavy, and every part of my body comes alive with the aches and pains of the past few days.You might not look it, old girl, but time is catching up with us.I use both my arms to push myself up and off the bed.

A soft inhalation of breath behind me has me pausing mid-lift. A shift of weight on the bed has me turning to look over my shoulder. I gasp, tears flood my eyes at the sight of my Cordelia. She sleeps facing me looking relaxed. Her eyes move rapidly underneath her eyelids. My only hope is that she is not dreaming of the horror she faced today.

I immediately ease myself down beside her carefully, taking in her blood splattered face, and soot-stained arms. At least someone had managed to take off her armor and boots. I look at myself and see I am no better. My clothes are equally dirty and bloodstained. My thoughts race as I try to remember what happened earlier. I’m alive, she’s alive, and that is all that matters. I close my eyes and I am transported back in time, and as I open my eyes, I envision this little bundle hiding under my covers as she snuck into my bed in the middle of the night.

“Delia, you promised you were going to stay in your bed tonight. Remember, you said that you were a big girl, and you didn’t need me.” I lift my eyebrow, trying to hold back my smile. A tiny head peeks out from under the covers.

“I think I told a story.” She bites her bottom lip and I try again to hold back my laughter as her use of story to replace the word lie. “I think I need to sleep with you. One more night. The trees make monsters in my bedroom.” Her voice shakes and I try not to go on high alert. After seven years I have finally relaxed into this life. I couldn’t continue to run with her in fear of being found by Thaddeus. If he thought she was alive they would still be searching. I take a breath to calm myself and I offer my brave girl a smile.

“I am sure it was shadows, Delia. Nothing is going to harm you. I promise.” I pull her tiny body towards me, tucking her under my chin and settle us both down into the bed.

“Now close those eyes.” She wiggles her legs until they’re underneath mine and sighs at the closeness. I love this child more than life. She is the child I could never give my mates. The pain of walking away from them still flays my heart open, and I quickly wipe the tears from my eyes.

“Aunt Twyla?” Cordelia voice breaks the silence that had settled between us.

“Yea, Delia?” I ask, trying to swallow back my grief. This was and will always be the right decision.

“I’m glad you are here to protect me when mommy and daddy can’t. I love you.” My lips wobble, and the tears spill down my cheeks, falling gently onto the blanket covering her body. It takes me a minute to collect myself enough to speak.

“I’m glad as well, Fy Nghariad. I love you too.” I lean down and kiss her little cheek. Her breaths are even, she’d already fallen asleep in my arms. “I will always protect you, even when you don’t think you need it. Because that’s what your mother does,” I whisper as my own eyes close.

“Where are we?” My eyes open, the memory I was having fading fast as Cordelia’s light amber eyes look back at me.That’s new.I reach out to touch her face. Almost not believing that we are here together again. I look at the large arched window that leads to the balcony outside. The night is quiet, but I can hear people talking and moving around.

“In what’s left of the palace,” I respond. Not wanting this moment to be over where she’s with me once more, like she was all those years ago. Where I could protect her and keep her safe.She doesn’t need you anymore, Twyla. She came to your rescue today.That thought alone brings tears to my eyes and I let them spill over.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Cordelia tries to sit up and like me she fails. She’s as fatigued as I am. Instead, she scoots over closer to me. The concern in her eyes only makes the tears fall faster, so I attempt to change the subject.

“If you’re here beside me, I assume Maurelle is dead.” I wipe away my runaway tears. Cordelia offers me a nod. I can already see the events of the day played on her face. I never wanted that for her.

“It’s over. She’s dead.” She blows out a breath as she tries to sit up against a mound of pillows. “Why do I feel like although it was a mammoth task, that this was the easy part?” I reach out, grabbing her hand sympathetically because although the immediate threat has been eliminated there is always more. My thoughts turn to my sister, my mood darkening. I make myself a promise of swift retribution against her.Soon,I tell myself. And choose instead to focus on my daughter.

“This is where the hard work will start, Delia. If anyone can do this, it’s you. We both have entire Realms to set right. Without the—” I stop, it hurts too much to think about my father and what life will be like without his counsel.

“Maddox,” Cordelia says softly, sensing why I stopped what I was going to say to her. She takes a breath, trying to fight back her own grief. She only knew him for such a short time. I wish she had more time to really get to know him.

“Yes.” I can say no more. He will need to be taken care of soon. A Druid burial, especially a royal one, needs to happen before the sunrises to usher in a new day. The spirit needs to be given to the earth and sky within hours of death in order to aid reincarnation.

It is time to get up and become the queen he always wanted me to be.

Your sacrifice will not be in vain, Father,I vow to him and myself as I pull a quietly sobbing Cordelia into my arms and hold her for just a few moments longer.

* * *

ADRIAN

The fire climbs high into the sky, even from this distance I can feel the heat of the blaze on my face. Cordelia’s hand is locked in mine, and she squeezes my fingers tightly, almost to the point of discomfort. She could break them for all I care. Anything to help her to get through the pain coursing through our bond at the moment.

When I watched her collapse on the battlefield after she killed Maurelle, my number one priority was to get her somewhere safe while we handled the aftermath. As magnificent as she was out there today, I don’t want to see her like that for a very long time. If I have anything to do with it, never again. She has fought enough battles. Now that she has us, she doesn’t ever have to swing a sword again. I am sure she will give me shit about it later, but we will protect her from anyone who tries to harm her or our children.

I squeeze her hand back gently, looking down at her in her black hooded cape and black mourning gown that Silva helped her into only a few moments ago.

It was hard work but with the help of Falyn and his Wolves, Druid soldiers, Gale, Lorian, Pax, and I had managed to clear the field of bodies. Gray, Dravyn, and Torin helped the villagers down from their mountain hideaway, letting them all know it was safe to return home. Most of the Dragons flew around the surrounding area, checking for Mages, Fae, and black Dragons that might have fled justice. Many of them were either captured or escaped to Incantatia.

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