Page 88 of Taloned Heart

“When you are ready,” Abraxas replied, smoothing his hand down Hyperion’s scales. “You will tell me. But no sooner.”

Hyperion’s dragon form melted away, leaving his son standing before him with glittering eyes and moisture already on his cheeks. This form was even more exhausted than the dragon, but Abraxas had no problem swinging the young man into his arms and walking out of the forest with him.

He set Hyperion down on the sands beyond and changed, before picking up his boy in his claws when Hyperion couldn’t manage to struggle onto his back. And along the flight to where they had said they would meet, a small island just off the coast of Umbra, he felt rage burning in his chest. He wanted to protect, to destroy, to maim. And he could do none of that.

Tanis and Nyx already waited for them. His daughter sat at Draven’s side, her troubled gaze locked on the flames they’d built. And he wanted to shatter everything again. His daughter should never look like that. Not once in his life did he ever expect to see her so... broken.

Tanis approached him, already in her mortal form as well. She gestured for Rowan to help Hyperion before she muttered under her breath, “I have them. They are well enough, and I will guide them through the memories. This is my purpose. Remember?”

“I do.”

“Your rage will be your undoing, Abraxas. But I fear there is more for me to ask.”

More? What more could she want?

Tanis swallowed hard. “I found crimson crystals here as well. And I think... I think you should seek them out.”

Ah, of course. Why would he be unscathed in all this? Abraxas nodded, though, because she was right. Because war took from them all. Even him.

“Where?”

CHAPTER34

“We’ve brought a third group in,” Beauty said, her eyes scanning over the paperwork in her hands as she read through all the names and occupations. “A better group than the last time. We’ve even got a few people with a medical background, four farmers, and three soldiers who will be quite helpful. The rest are the same old peasantry, but they will learn quickly. Just like the others.”

Lore leaned back on the log, turning her attention up toward the dark canopy above their head. She’d seen Lindon’s sylph up there yesterday, wheeling around and getting some exercise while its colors had cast rainbows above it. “That’s good.”

“And of course, the Baron and his people were quite pleased that we’ve gotten so many people out of Margaret’s clutches. He’s actually coming around to the idea of an elf leading us, you know. Had a compliment for you yesterday.”

“What was it?”

“That you look quite pretty when you bathe.” Lore could almost hear the wince in Beauty’s voice. “It’s not a delicate thing to say, but I suppose it is still a compliment and we should be glad that he’s not outwardly mocking you anymore.”

“I should have sewed his mouth shut when I had the chance.”

“I don’t think that would have won you any favors from the rest of them.” The sound of shuffling papers echoed through the clearing before Beauty slumped onto the log beside Lore. “It’s all a lot to keep track of, but I think we’re doing remarkably well.”

Rolling her head to the side, she watched Beauty’s profile as the young woman stared into the forest. The awkwardness between them was still there. Stretching as it did, pulling and tugging at both of their hearts until Lore finally sighed.

“Have you forgiven me yet?” Lore asked. “I did all I could, you know.”

“You didn’t have to be so cold about it.”

“I did. If I went in angry, then I would have done so much worse.” Lore shook her head. “I already left a mound of bodies for Margaret to find, and a cell full of elves that I left there to rot. They could still be there, you know. Starving. No one deserves that. But every time I think about them and the choice I made, I don’t feel like going back to save them. I’m all right with their end and knowing that those deaths are on my shoulders because Zephyr is here. Safe and sound.”

Beauty nodded, her breath catching in her throat. “I know that. I do. I just don’t know how you can be so calm about all of it.”

Because if she wasn’t calm, then Lore would set the entire Gloaming on fire. She’d turn this world into a mess of darkness and death and she would laugh as it happened because that was what they all deserved. She would ruin this entire kingdom with a glut of power and control.

Lore couldn’t tell Beauty any of that, though. She didn’t want her friends to be afraid of what happened and she certainly didn’t want them to believe, for an instant, that she was evil or just as bad as Margaret. She was... Just herself. Just Lore, their friend, the woman who had helped them for years now.

Sighing, she shook her head and resumed staring up at the canopy above them. “There was nothing I could do, Beauty. My hands were tied just as much as yours were, and I would not go back and change how I addressed it. Zephyr is safe and alive right now because we waited. He’s with us because we waited and I know how difficult that was for all of us to do, but it was still the right choice.”

“You aren’t getting it.” Beauty finally looked at her, leaning down to stare into Lore’s eyes. “I know why you did it, Lore. I understand that there was no other choice. I’m angry at you because you did it so coldly. Nothing that you did affected you. You weren’t angry or sad or even confident! You were just cold and numb, and that scared me.”

Ah.

Well.

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