Page 36 of Regal Rising

“Fine. Don’t drop her.”

Kay smiled, winked at Vega, and reached for Ira. “I would never drop my big sister.”

Ira wrapped her arms around Kay’s neck, and Kay muttered, “Now I just have to remember how to do this.” She stepped away, flapped her wings, looked at Ira, and said, “Here we go.”

She propelled herself skyward, and Ira let out a “Woohoo!” and they were on their way to the city, laughing together and flying low over the manors and residences. At one point, a phoenix was flying next to them, an Asian dragon and thunder beast caught up, and then more dragons in their human-sized form joined them.

Kay whispered to Ira, “The first dragon parade this world has seen, and the last with me in it.” She did a loop-the-loop to Ira’s excited squeals, and then her cuffs started humming. “Okay. Gotta go back now.”

Ira said, “Awe, look at them all.”

Kay looked around and grinned. “That’s your dad. Our dad.”

A glittering dragon about seventeen feet from nose to tail.

Ira whispered, “Wow.”

“That’s his small form. His big form is really big and not necessary for this.” Her bands throbbed, and she muttered, “He wants me down fast; we are going to go fast. Hang on again.”

Ira nodded, and they angled for the ground with a focus being on the dark blue face Kay knew so well. She passed over him so close that his hair ruffled, swooped up, and landed daintily. She set Ira down. “Thanks for flying with me, big sis.”

Ira hugged her and then growled. “You had better be nice to her and let her come to visit.”

Vaayu murmured right behind them, “We will negotiate for time. Perhaps once every twenty years.”

“Five.”

There was a soft laugh. “Ten. She can come back every ten years for ten days. I will be with her during those visits.”

Kay exhaled and slowly straightened. She pulled her wings in and turned, curtsying deeply.

“I had no idea you could bank so quickly.” He touched her jaw and made her look up at him. “The golden dragon. The seers have been going mad trying to figure out who you were. An infection on a new colony.”

She blushed. “I’m sorry. They needed help.”

“They did. You could have asked me.”

“You simply would have recalled your men. You had spoken of it several times in the court.” She remained in the curtsy. “You said you would have recalled the dark elves and destroyed the light ones who had risen against them. That would have stopped my parents from being able to reunite. It would have stopped Ira from returning. They had to come back.” She blinked away the tears.

He smiled and gripped her shoulders, making her stand on her own feet again before he folded her into his arms. “I hope you are as fierce for our other children.”

She stared at him and whispered, “Why?”

“Because your heat burned for eight days, and you begged me to cool you. You gave me energy to keep me going, which was thoughtful.” He feathered a kiss over her lips. “I feel the need to repay you.”

Kay blurted, “Why are you being nice? Why are you the emperor?”

“My great-uncle abdicated, and the generals fought it out. It took ten years of endless challenges, but I was the winner.”

She swallowed. “How many dead?”

“No one that will be missed.” His hand circled her neck.

Images of him holding her that way against the wall flooded her mind. Her body started to wake. It had been a while.

“Look at me, golden dove.”

She flicked her gaze to him, and his pale gaze caught her and held her. “Why? You never wanted to be emperor. He would have named you heir if you had whispered it.”

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