Page 36 of Kiss of Death
The Barbarians had been defeated, and there were no other enemies to come for the kingdom. There would be a long reign of peace to follow these horrors. I didn’t need Viper or his army anymore, and I was tired of defending Callum’s honor since he wasn’t there to defend it himself. But Viper had been the wind in my sails, the shield on my arm, the ally I needed to survive this war…and my friend. It was a comfort I wasn’t ready to release, but I knew it was time to go our separate ways. “No, you should head back?—”
Something has changed.
Viper was still in front of me, but I suddenly couldn’t see him. The world became a blur as I focused on Khazmuda’s voice in my head.What? What do you feel?
He’s using far more energy than he was yesterday. More of the dragons have had to join our ranks because of it.
What does that mean, Khazmuda?
I think it means he’s healing—and he needs more energy to do it.
Both of my hands cupped my mouth as tears sprang to my eyes.
I didn’t see Viper’s reaction. Didn’t see anything in front of me. Just closed my eyes and gave in to the sobs of relief. “He’s healing… Khazmuda says he’s healing.”
From that point onward, we were all together in my father’s royal chambers, sitting at his side and waiting for the moment he would wake up. Khazmuda said my father continued to use immense reserves of energy. More dragons were required to help and take turns, carrying the burden of my father’s needs without complaint.
Viper decided to stay until my father woke up, even though I didn’t ask him to. Watching me break down in tears must have changed his mind. Seeing the way I abandoned all my responsibilities as queen to be at my father’s bedside must have shown him how incapacitated I was to lead right now.
My family and I sat together at my father’s bedside constantly, sleeping on the couches in the living room when we got tired, taking our meals at the dining table just down the hall. All eagerly waiting for the moment he would open his eyes again.
He’s awake.
I jumped up from the chair, and my mother did the same thing across the room. We all heard Khazmuda’s words and rushed to my father’s bedside and stared at his closed eyes, waiting for them to open.
Why hasn’t he opened his eyes yet?
He needs time. His mind is awake, but his body isn’t. I’m sharing everything that’s come to pass since the battle of Riviana Star.
“Khazmuda said his body hasn’t woken up yet, but they’re talking.”
Hawk released the biggest sigh of relief I’d ever heard. Even moved to his knees at my father’s bedside and rested his face on the covers like he was overwhelmed by the victory.
My mother pulled her armchair to his side and gripped his hand, tears coming to her eyes like she mourned his death rather than celebrated his life.
Nearly an hour later, he finally opened his eyes.
His head was tilted toward my mother, so she was the first person he saw. His face was still pale as snow, and his eyes held a heavy glaze from his long slumber. He stared at her for a second, his eyes shifting slightly as he took in her appearance. Then his chest rose with the deep breath he took. “Vulkara…”
In dragon speech—my eternal love.
The endearment broke the dam in her eyes, and the tears poured down her cheeks like a sheet of rain. “Talon…” Her other hand moved to his, enclosing his palm between hers before she squeezed it. She moved out of the chair and to her knees on the rug then rested her face in their joined hands…and just sobbed.
I wanted to see my dad so much, but now I felt like Hawk and I didn’t belong there. Sometimes I forgot that my parents had their own relationship, that it was as strong as what they each had with each of us. That our story started with the two of them, two people still in love even after decades of marriage.
I gently rubbed Hawk’s back to get his attention.
He sat up and watched the two of them together.
“I think we should give them a moment.”
He turned to look at me, disappointment in his eyes like he didn’t want to go, but he eventually gave a nod.
We crept out of the room, the two of them absorbed in each other, my mother’s tears still audible in the sitting room. She was the one who had been at his side every hour of every day. Who watched him breathe to make sure he was still alive. Who watched over him the way a ferocious dragon protected her hatchlings.
She deserved this time with him.
Hawk stared blankly at the stone that surrounded the hearth, like he was both in shock and in the deepest state of relaxation he’d ever felt.
