Page 75 of Taloned Heart

She nodded. “They are.”

But they would never see that they were wrong. Why would they even think to admit it? The entire kingdom was exactly as they wanted it. Magical creatures and no one else. It didn’t matter that their citizens were hungry, or that they hadn’t really fixed any of the problems that were now just passed to their own people.

There was magic in the world again, and that was enough for the elves.

Lore lost herself in thoughts for a few more moments until Abraxas nudged her. “Did you talk with Nyx?”

“What?” She looked into his giant eye before she sighed and nodded. “I did. When we were walking through the bog. I can apparently connect through our daughter’s mind, and I think even project an image of her if I wish. It’s something to do with the magic.”

“Why don’t we try to talk with her now?”

Because... She didn’t want Abraxas to be disappointed. “I don’t know if you can even see her when I do it. Or hear her.”

He shrugged. “I’ll follow along on your end, if I must. You can tell me what she says, or perhaps I will just listen. I enjoy hearing you speak with our children, Lore. Even if I am not involved, it still makes me happy.”

She wondered how much he missed their dragon babes. He had been the one to guard them for centuries, after all. And she had only known them for a few moments.

Cheeks flaming with embarrassment that she hadn’t tried this with him already, Lore used her magic to tug on the thread that connected her and Nyx.

An answering tug almost immediately reached out for her, and then she could feel her daughter’s presence in her mind. And with one last push of power, she could see Nyx in the rolling waves before them. There were sprays of water that lapped up at her face, as though she was in the sea as well.

“Mother?” Nyx said, her voice filled with excitement. Her wings spread wide in surprise as her eyes got even bigger. “Father?”

Abraxas sat up, his eyes filled with love and the scales on his back rising in surprise. “You can see me?”

“I can see you as if you were standing before me! Can you see me?” Nyx splashed a bit and Lore swore she could feel the spray of water on her face.

“I can see you, child.” Abraxas looked down at Lore as though she were a gift given to him by the heavens. “Your mother’s magic is impressive, is it not?”

“Mother is impressive,” Nyx corrected.

Oh, she needed to hear that. She’d needed those words so much just to know that her children at least thought she was worthy of something. And Abraxas must have known.

He glanced down at her with a prideful grin and a wide-eyed stare that said he had known Nyx would say that. “Indeed, she is. Probably the most impressive woman I’ve ever met.”

“And if you said anything else, I would have to fly all the way out to wherever you are to bite some sense into you.” Nyx bristled, but then rolled her eyes. “Should I call for Hyperion? He’d like to see you, although it would be fun to hold this over his head again.”

“Please don’t start a fight with your brother already,” Abraxas grumbled. “Yell for the boy.”

Lore covered her ears. She even had to use a bit of her power to dampen the sound of her daughter screaming for her brother. The roar would have shaken the ground if she was here, and almost did even though it was just magic amplifying her voice.

But then Hyperion tumbled into their few, his giant body splashing into the water before he wrestled himself upright and draped himself over his sister. “Is that them?”

“I told you I wasn’t making it up!”

“You tell stories all the time. How was I supposed to know that Mother could project herself like this?” He loomed far too close to them, his giant mouth gaping open and his beard longer than she remembered. “Hello!”

“Hyperion,” she sighed. “You do not need to get so close to us. We can see you just fine.”

“I’m looking to see how tired you are and if Father has let you run yourself ragged again.” He peered even closer and then snorted. “Yes, he has. Father, didn’t we talk about this before you left?”

Abraxas rolled his eyes up toward the sky. “I remember telling you to take care of your sister, and to keep an eye out for that ridiculous elf that’s been sniffing around her.”

Of course, they were already on this, but before Nyx could argue with her father, a very familiar voice interrupted them. “I take offense to that. I know how old she is, curmudgeon.”

Draven appeared in front of Nyx, then Tanis and Rowan, who were both in mortal forms and dragging three dragonlings behind them.

Tears pricked at her vision.

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