Page 93 of Taloned Heart

And though her eyes were as haunted as his, she nodded. “I will find them, Abraxas. I will bring them home.”

He glanced at his children, who stood with their spines straight and their heads raised high. “And we will fight to keep you all safe.”

CHAPTER36

Lore knew when her family was coming. She’d woken up that day with a pit in her stomach that was both hope and dread. Hope that she would see them, finally after all this time, and dread that she was dragging them toward their doom.

Everything here was going to plan. Zephyr continually told her that all the mortals who could fight were ready. Magical creatures from all over the kingdom had arrived, sheepishly offering their help in whatever they could do. The dwarves were already wearing full battle regalia whenever they came out of their homes.

And of course, the Ashen Deep were prepared. Their grimdags already whispered for the souls of elves who had gone back on their ways and who needed to taste what it felt like for their souls to whimper and scream.

Lore tried not to listen to the grimdags that much, because she agreed with them. And she would greatly enjoy listening to all those elves cry out for help that would not come to them.

She was not their goddess. She wasn’t even their kind.

Lore was the half elf they had denied and now they would understand just how far that wound would slice.

Now she stood on the original battlefield with her arms loose at her sides. She didn’t know why she’d come out here with Zephyr and Beauty in tow, but she knew that it was an important day to stand out here. With the dwarves. They’d made the entire battlefield into an armory of sorts. And apparently they weren’t worried about Margaret finding out because they continued to tell her over and over again that no elf would ever find them.

What that meant? She had no idea. But Lore had long ago learned to trust the dwarves when they were adamant about something.

Instead, she kept her eyes on the skies.

“Why are we out here?” Zephyr asked, his hands twitching by his sides where she knew he had a small knife that he always kept with him these days. “Isn’t this risky for you?”

“Margaret already knows I’m here,” she replied.

“Then she could send out her armies here. The only reason she hasn’t attacked the Gloaming already is because of the Ashen Deep. Her ravens will find you. Those shadow creatures are always watching.” Zephyr turned his gaze to the sky as well, his eyes narrowing. “Or is that what you’re watching for?”

“I am not.” Lore was waiting for familiar shadows, not those of Margaret’s magic. “Today feels like a good day, doesn’t it?”

Beauty laughed at her side, crossing her arms over her chest as she joined them staring up at the sky. “A good day? I haven’t seen you like this in a while, Lore. If you aren’t careful, someone might say you were happy.”

“I am,” she replied. And then she pointed toward the clouds that had shifted just beyond the sun.

And there, silhouetted in the sunlight with colors gleaming through the thin membranes of their wings, were three dragons. Red, green, and blue. They cast multiple colors all over the ground as they slowly glided toward them.

Her heart caught with the sight of her children flying. She had known it would be glorious and wondrous and overwhelmingly beautiful. She had known that it would feel like her soul had ripped out of her chest as she watched them glide toward her.

But she hadn’t realized how much she would feel her love for them. She hadn’t realized that her soul would fly off to be with them as well, when she damn well knew she couldn’t, or shouldn’t, fly.

And still, she felt every bit of anger and fear inside of her settle into a resounding silence that she hadn’t experienced for ages. Just peace in her heart, mind, and soul.

They were here.

They were all finally here.

A few dwarves looked up and let out a round of pealing laughter. They pointed up toward the sky, ripped off their hats, waving up at the dragons who made their way down as though giving everyone a chance to get used to the sight.

But ah, they’d all been waiting for what felt like years to see dragons like this. Three massive dragons that filled up all the spaces of the very sky. And those dragons didn’t inspire fear. No one was running from the sight of them.

Tears pricked Lore’s eyes as the three of them landed and a dark figure leapt off Abraxas’s back.

Beauty choked. “Was Draven just...ridingAbraxas?”

Oh, how the times had changed. Lore ground her teeth together, so she didn’t burst into laughter and then she was moving. Running. Racing across the grass toward her mate and her children and her future, all wrapped into one.

Abraxas was the first to change out of his dragon form, and maybe that was because he knew these people. None of the dwarves threatened him, but no, it wasn’t that. Of course it wasn’t.

---