Page 47 of Enchanted Crown
As the anchor went down, Warrick was running back and forth and back and forth from the end of the dock to where Krew stood waiting on land. There were no fewer than eight guards standing beyond them.
And when my boots hit the dock, there Warrick was, hurling himself toward me.
I lifted him into a hug, overcome by the emotions of the moment. Warrick, no longer a secret heir to the Wylan throne, but the rightful one. And he was not only safe with my brother at the castle, but also safe enough to meet me on the docks. “Missed you, favorite nephew.”
He patted my cheeks. “Missed you, favorite uncle.” That was all the attention I would get it seemed, as his neck snapped in Esta’s direction. “Is this her?” he whispered to me, still dangling in my arms. “The dragon queen?”
Esta gave him a small bow. “Pleased to finally meet you, Prince Warrick. I heard many stories about you on the way over.”
Warrick gave her a proper bow back, followed by, “Good ones, right?”
Esta gave him a grin which would have devastated most men. “All good ones.”
Warrick’s wide eyes hit mine. “She’s a dragon? Like there’s a dragon under all that?”
I laughed. “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”
“Will she burn me?”
Esta was pressing her lips together in an effort not to laugh at the cuteness which was my nephew.
“Not unless you make herveryangry,” I told him.
“Got it.” He looked at her, and back to me.
“Warrick,”Krew called. “You are holding up the entire ship.”
Warrick leaned in and asked Esta at a whisper, “Can I go for a ride sometime?”
Esta smiled. “You will have to get that approved with your parents, so I’m afraid that’s not up to me.”
Warrick started wiggling, so I put his feet back on the dock. He immediately rushed at Krew. “Dad! Hey, Dad!”
“I wouldn’t blame them if they tell him no,” she said to me quietly as I took her hand in mine.
“If I go also, they likely won’t care.” I inhaled deeply as we made our way toward Krew.
“How does it feel to be home, my moon?” she asked.
I cocked my head and looked at the looming mountain. “Well. We have a three-to-four-hour carriage ride ahead of us after beingcooped up in a ship for two days. I would feel a hell of a lot better about it if you could just fly us up there.”
“I think you’ve gotten entirely too used to being my passenger,” she laughed. “You’ve taken a liking to flying.”
And then our conversation ended as we made it to Krew. As we boarded a large enough carriage to fit both Krew and Warrick and the two of us, I considered all that had happened in the last year. I had been the rightful heir and given the throne of Wylan only to hand it off. Then I had moped around a bit before heading to Dra Skor. Now I was back in Wylan with the dragon queen of Dra Skor and we would be bonded the following evening.
How could life inch on in the hard seasons, a grueling effort to make and claw for another day in some instances, and then in other instances, so much could change so very quickly? An absolute blur of chaos and beauty.
Still, as I thought of all those nights I had sat right here on this beach watching the sunsets, feeling drawn to the sea, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had actually been drawn to her.
Everything in the last five years had led us to these moments. And these moments, becoming soul bound or not, wereeverything.
We stoodout in the meadow as the sun set. Warrick had badgered his parents enough that they had finally agreed that tonight, before our busy day tomorrow readying for the bonding, we could go for a short ride.
“When I shift, I will not look like me anymore,” Esta explained to Warrick.
Earlier this afternoon when Esta and I were supposed to be resting, Warrick found us. Rather than be annoyed, she took the time to be with him. The two of them sat propped up against theheadboard of my bed. Esta had explained how Dra Skor worked, even going so far as to having me fetch a map for them.
Just when I didn’t think I could love her more, I saw the way she spoke to my nephew. She could breathe fire, snap a person in half if she wanted to. Yet there was a gentle side to her that no one would expect. I suspected she let few people close enough to see it.
