Page 37 of Into the Dawn
The iridescent blue liquid looked a little suspicious, but she still lifted the goblet to her lips. It would be crazy to turn down a drink offered by a goddess. The first sip of the wine was a symphony of flavors. It had a light, sweet taste with the perfect hint of crispness before going down smoothly.
The second sip was even better.
It was like drinking liquid joy.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank you for sending Ronan and Dominic to save me,” Kylie blurted out.
“I feared they would not make it in time. Alas, I do not always have access to the information we need. In this case, I only learned of your existence and connection to the Karos brothers a few days before we sent them to you. And then, we had to wait for the storm to arrive,” Lunaria explained. “But I am glad your mates were able to save you.”
“I am, too,” Kylie said with a grin. “Can I ask, am I really an Arcadian now?”
“Aye, you are. Normally, we would have waited until you returned to Arcadia to go through the conversion, but your body would not have survived the return trip. We did not inform the brothers that the tonic would change you since they may have hesitated if they knew you would suffer. So, do not blame them.”
“I don’t. The pain was nothing compared to a second chance at life. Or I guess I should say a brand new life with my mates.”
“You have given them a second chance at love, so it was well worth it.”
“I’m excited to move to Arcadia, but I just…to be honest, I don’t know why I deserved this chance. I’m grateful. Really, really grateful. It’s like winning the cosmic lottery, but a part of me keeps wondering, why me?”
“It was fated,” Lunaria said simply. “We are seeking those who will help bring magic back to the Arcadians, but I do not know who the next will be until it comes to me in a dream.Unfortunately, it is a slow process. I think you will enjoy living on Arcadia. Raven and Allie, the two other former humans we have brought over, are excited to meet you. Each of you is helping bring necessary changes to the world, which aids us in reaching our goal.”
Kylie’s brows furrowed. “What changes can I bring to the world?”
“I am sure you will figure that out,” the goddess said cryptically. “The world as a whole needs to change, but it is not something that can be done in an instant.”
“What is the goal you mentioned?” Kylie asked curiously.
“To bring the Arcadians back to their former glory. They used to be a peaceful race, gifted with magic and powerful abilities. They were advanced in almost every aspect and had traveled to other planet to study other races and seek more knowledge. Over time, the Dragon Warriors changed, growing restless and straying from their destined path.” Lunaria sighed. “We made a mistake by binding their shifter abilities, hoping that would cure their bloodlust and savagery. Unfortunately, it only made things worse.”
So, that was how they lost access to their magic.
The goddess nodded. “Aye, but we left a trace of it inside of them. True Arcadians are able to use their magic to connect with their dragon spirit. That is what allows them to shift into their dragon forms. Bringing you and other potential mates back to Arcadia will allow others to see what real mating bonds are like. They need to believe in order to find their true selves again.”
Kylie remembered what her mates had told her about the Goddess of the Moons and the God of the Sun. They had been punished severely for whatever they had done to the Arcadians. The mates were forced to live in separate worlds, only allowed to spend a few hours together when day turned into night.
It had only been a short while since she had been separated from Ronan and Dominic, and she was already missing them. She could only imagine how painful it would be to be separated from them for centuries. She could definitely understand why Lunaria and Silas were determined to make changes on Arcadia. If that was the key to ending their torment, then they had a personal stake in the outcome.
“Aye, we do,” Lunaria admitted. “Now, for the main reason I brought you here. There is a task I need to ask your help with.”
“Anything,” Kylie replied.
Whatever the goddess asked of her, she was willing to do it. She owed her that much for saving her life.
“Do not worry. It is nothing bad. In fact, it might even be beneficial for you. Your friend, Layla, is the next human destined to come to Arcadia.”
“What?” Kylie gasped. “Seriously?”
“Aye. It was a surprise to me as well. However, there is an issue. In order to bring you, Ronan, and Dominic back during the next storm, it might be a while until we can bring her over. Transporting someone across the universe takes a lot of magic and energy. Added to that, time works differently here in the Isle of Dreams. It is not linear as you are used to. If we wait, your friend could have aged several years by the time we are once again prepared to bring her over.”
If that was the case, Layla could be married with a family of her own by then. That clearly wouldn’t work.
“So, what can I do to help?”
“You can convince her to come with you.”
That might take a while, but she was sure she could manage that. Layla was always up for an adventure. Her smile slowly faded. Unlike her, Layla had a family. It would be hard to leave her parents and siblings behind. For Kylie, leaving was necessary. The world thought she was dying, and she couldn’tmiraculously recover without causing a huge scandal. Layla didn’t have that excuse, and that would make her decision even more difficult.
“Unfortunately, you will not have long to convince her. If my predictions are right, the next storm should be about a week from now, Earth time.”
