The Dragon Queen (Death #4)

3. Talon

Chapter 3

Talon

I stood at the wheel and looked up at the stars. It was a clear night, not a cloud to be seen, and I read the sky like a map. It had been summer when my father taught me how to read the constellations, how to find the North Star so I would never lose my way. The evenings were still warm from the heat. I could still hear the crickets…

You’re happy one moment. Sad the next. Over and over.

I stared at the dark sea ahead, hoping that my navigation was true and we wouldn’t crash into something.

Why do you feel this way?

Because I’m about to go into battle and get everyone killed. Did you think of that?

You fear we’ll lose.

I fear a lot of things. It was getting harder to talk to Khazmuda. The secret was easy to contain when the consequences were so far into the future. But now, they were here…and I couldn’t hide my emotions. He could feel them as well as his own. He could feel my distance, sense the weight I carried.

You shouldn’t fear what hasn’t come to pass. Otherwise, you suffer needlessly.

I knew exactly what I would suffer—and I would suffer that alone. Forever. Easier said than done.

We will win, Talon.

We have no idea what we’re up against.

Once we investigate, we’ll know. And then we’ll become prepared.

Perhaps…

Is it just stress that weighs your chest, or is there something more?

My hands stayed on the wheel even though a sailor was there to relieve me. It was hard to let go. A part of me wanted to sail away from my problems, but there was nowhere in the world I could hide from Bahamut. An invisible hook was in my back, and I was caught on his line. Yes…that’s all it is.

Calista lay on my chest, her hair slightly matted from the sweat.

My arms were around her as I leaned against the headboard, one of my knees propped up as I looked down at her. I ran my fingers through the soft strands of her hair and gently pulled them from her face. Her cheeks were so soft, still tanned like she continued to work outside every day in the desert. I watched her eyes grow heavy as I continued to caress her.

“You’ll make me fall asleep…”

“Then fall asleep.” My mouth dipped to her head, and I kissed her.

She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of satisfaction, like any touch I gave her made her melt. “But if I fall asleep, I’ll wake up and you’ll be gone.”

I kissed her again. “We’re almost there. Just another day.”

“I’m not sure if I’m looking forward to a pirate island.”

I smirked. “You’re feisty and ornery. You’ll fit right in.”

“I find that deeply offensive.” She tried not to smile, but a hint of it was on her lips.

My arms tightened around her, and I rested my lips against her hairline, her scent mixed with mine, her heartbeat slow and gentle against my forearm. Our accommodations were cramped and the constant rock of the ship made her uneasy at times, but it was a moment I wanted to last forever.

“I want to get off this ship…but I want to stay like this.”

I wanted to squeeze her tighter, but if I did, I would suffocate her. “Me too.”

I knew we were close before I spotted anything in the distance.

The climate had changed. The frigid cold from the surface of the water had faded, replaced by a warm moisture in the air I could feel every time I took a breath. Whether the sun was blocked by clouds or bright on a clear day, the temperature was still warm. “We’re close.”

Commander Navarrese stood beside me. “I’ll prepare the men for battle.”

“That won’t be necessary.” I raised the scope to my eye and looked into the distance, seeing the speck of land on the horizon. “Continue due south. I’ll fly ahead and inform them of our arrival.” If not, they would launch their ships to meet us on the open sea. Even if they were outnumbered, they would fight like the tide was in their favor. Khazmuda, let’s fly.

Yes. I’ve grown tired of the sea.

I turned around to head below deck to inform Calista of my departure, but she already stood there, the breeze flowing in her dark hair. Her gaze was set on the horizon even though land was too far away to see.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, her dress flapping in the sea breeze. “I hoped land would be visible.”

“It will be soon.” I approached her, her green eyes brilliant in the sunshine. “I’ll fly ahead and inform them of our arrival.”

I turned to Commander Navarrese. “Notify the other ships that we’ll arrive at sundown. I’ll meet you there.”

He gave a nod in agreement. “It will be done, Your Majesty.”

Khazmuda glided down from the sky and landed in the water with a splash several yards ahead, his wings folded into his body like a duck. Hurry, before I sink.

I moved to the edge of the deck then climbed down the ladder until I was above the waterline. When I came close to Khazmuda’s body, I jumped from the ladder and landed on the hard scales of his back, careful not to hit a spike.

Hold on. Khazmuda unfolded his wings and flapped hard to get his body out of the water, his legs kicking at the same time to lift his immense weight. It wasn’t the graceful launches he normally performed from land. It was a struggle to exert enough force to rise when he’d been gliding at sea for nearly two weeks, subsisting on fish and other sea creatures he and the others had found.

He eventually made it above the water, but it took even longer for him to ascend into the sky, to lift himself farther and farther until he was high enough to glide once again.

Are you alright?

Yes. But only a strong dragon would have managed such a feat.

We’re almost there. Soon, you’ll have rest and nourishment.

I want bear.

I don’t think there will be bear on the island.

Then what is there to eat?

Monkeys.

He considered the option as he glided in the sky, leaving the ships behind. Monkeys are small, but it will do.

The ships were small figures underneath us, and land was visible ahead at this height. The wind was cooler in the sky near the clouds, and it was refreshing against my cheeks. A single flight had made me feel invigorated after the long journey at sea.

The Hideaway was beneath us, a larger island amidst many smaller ones, a tiny archipelago in the middle of the ocean. It was close to the Southern Isles and the other territories, but far enough south that the trading vessels and other pirates didn’t come close enough to spot it. In the tropical climate, it rained nearly every day, so there was always water, even without streams and lakes.

The port was visible below, the long deck that housed all the galleons used for the pirate crew. Torches were already lit around the island, even though it was hours before sunset. The horns hadn’t been sounded, so no one noticed us quite yet, probably because no one expected an enormous dragon to appear out of nowhere.

The settlement offered accommodations for the pirates while they were on land, a bar with a brothel filled with the women who came to the island to stay for weeks at a time before they left on the next shipment run. A mountain was in the center of the island, and deep within it was where all the gold and treasure were hidden, impossible to find unless you knew exactly where to look.

No one knew except for Captain Blackstorm—and me.

The patrol finally spotted us and sounded the horn. Pirates ran to their battle stations, where the cannons were hidden in the greenery along the edge of the island and the mountainside.

“Land.”

I’ll be a sitting target.

“Once they recognize my face, the assault will be called off. Just land.” I spotted Captain Blackstorm step out of the bar, his dark purple pirate hat unmistakable even at this height.

Khazmuda gave an audible snarl before he dropped down to the beach, landing with a thud that nearly knocked us all over.

I hopped off and was barely on the beach when Khazmuda released a mighty roar then took off, jumping into the sky far quicker than when he had to lift himself from the surface of the water.

I didn’t draw my sword as I approached The Mermaid’s Tale, the only bar on the island, which residents frequented on a nightly basis. Sunlight blanketed Captain Blackstorm’s face and made him squint because of the strain on his eyes. The other pirates who accompanied him raised their swords and rushed me.

“This is how you greet an old friend?”

The sound of my voice made the pirates stop in their tracks, like they recognized my voice rather than my face.

Captain Blackstorm continued his stare for several long seconds, trying to place me when that shouldn’t be hard to do. Then he moved forward, stepping off the wooden path and onto the sand where I stood. He moved past his men and came closer to me, the strain in his eyes softening once he understood who he faced.

His weathered face cracked into a smile, and his eyes crinkled in amusement. “The finest commander this crew has ever seen. Never thought I’d see that face again.”

“Neither did I.”

“Have you returned to join the crew once more? There’s always a place for you, Talon.”

I gave a slight shake of my head. “I appreciate the offer, but my pirate days are behind me.”

He smirked. “Once a pirate, always a pirate.” He nodded to the bar behind him. “Let’s get a drink. I suspect we have much to discuss.”

We sat at our usual table against the window, the place where we’d had our previous conversation under the cover of darkness, candles aglow around us. The first few minutes were spent in heavy silence and long stares, both of us accepting that this moment was reality rather than fiction.

After he finished half his tankard, he leaned against the back of the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. His shirt had more sword marks than it had before, the black leather faded so much that it changed from gray to almost white. His beard was thick and white, but his skin was as tanned as it always was.

“Did you find Bahamut?”

I didn’t want to answer the question, not when it was the gravest mistake I’d ever made. “Yes.”

“I’ve heard tales of the Death King far across the sea. A king upon a black dragon who raises an army of the dead. Everyone assumed it was just a tall tale, but I knew otherwise.” He stared at me with those piercing blue eyes that looked the same as the sea. “You’re ready to take back what’s rightfully yours.”

This moment had been twenty years in the making, and it didn’t give me the satisfaction I wanted. It felt empty. “I am.”

He gave a nod. “My money is on you.”

“That doesn’t mean much when you lose every hand,” I teased, remembering our drunken nights losing the treasure we’d just claimed by gambling it away. Then the rest of our money went to the drinks and the women.

He smirked. “This one would be different—and I’d put all my coins down.”

My eyes flicked away, my smile slowly softening.

He stared at me for a while, his eyes glued to my face like he could see words on a page. He could read my story, my adventures during our time apart. “You came here for a reason, Talon.”

“To have a drink with an old friend…and to ask a favor.”

“I’m not sure how much help I can be to you. After all, you’re the one who wields the power of a god.”

“I may wield the power of a god, but I’m also enslaved by one.”

His eyes narrowed slightly on my face as he absorbed the depth of my words. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“He gave me what I needed to reclaim the throne…but only at a heavy price.”

He tilted his head slightly as he waited for me to share the truth.

“I will not live long enough to enjoy my victory. It’ll be fleeting and swift…and then be gone.” Captain Blackstorm was the only human friend I had in this world. My one friend was an elf, and the other was a dragon. And I would never insult Calista by calling her a friend when she was so much more than that.

He said nothing, absorbing that announcement with hollow eyes. “You agreed to the terms, so that must have been what you wanted.”

“When I sailed to Bahamut’s lands, I was a different man than I am now.”

“You’re right,” he said. “I can see it when I look at you. I can’t put my thumb on what’s changed, but everything has changed.” He continued to stare at me with a gaze of pity. “Nothing can be done?”

An invisible hand squeezed my heart and nearly crushed it. “Something can be done, but I’m not sure I can do it.”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t hesitate,” he said simply.

I smirked slightly, imagining if I were the one he had to betray. “I doubt that.”

“I’ve lived longer than any pirate because I’ve never hesitated. Think about yourself, Talon. Everyone else can be damned.”

I bowed my head, the guilt suffocating.

“Just do it, Talon. Don’t think about it.”

“You shouldn’t give advice when you don’t know the task.”

“Because I don’t want to know,” he said. “I just want you to live. I want you to rule from the throne that was stolen from you. I’ve been trading at the Southern Isles, and the place is not what I remembered as a kid. The Southern Isles used to be the pinnacle of beauty and prosperity. Now, it’s a place of ruin.”

I lifted my head and stared at him, my heart heavy with ache. “What do you mean?”

His eyes were steady on mine, his pulse visible in his neck. “You don’t know.”

I flicked my eyes back and forth across his face.

He didn’t answer me, letting the silence hang between us.

I didn’t press for an answer because I wasn’t ready to hear it. Wasn’t ready to discover what had happened to my homeland, the place I still visited in dreams. With its mighty oak trees, its olive trees in the courtyard, the grapes we harvested from the fields with pride. I wanted to show it to Calista, but now, there was nothing to show her.

“What do you need from me, Talon?”

I stared at the tankard I hadn’t touched, remembering the nights we would spend here together, talking surface-level bullshit for years…until I’d told him about Vivian. “A hundred ships sail here from the north.” I lifted my gaze to his. “I need a place to house my army before I move for the Southern Isles.”

He released a loud sigh before he chuckled under his breath. “A hundred ships…that’s ten thousand people.”

“Approximately.”

“You think we can accommodate ten thousand people?” he asked incredulously.

“If I sail anywhere else, my uncle will know my intent,” I said. “All I have is the element of surprise. He assumes I died decades ago. He’ll be unprepared for my army, as well as my vengeance.”

“Perhaps. Or perhaps he’s heard the same tales as I have…”

A rock dropped into my stomach.

“And he’s been waiting for this moment as long as you have.”

I swallowed, suddenly terrified I was leading my people into a trap.

“I will host your men, not because I want to, but because I have no choice. We both know I’m no match for the army you bring to my shores.”

“And we both know I would never move against you. You can turn us away, and there will be no consequences.”

He stared at me across the table, his look steady and true. “I still have no choice. Because if I turn you away, you’ll perish.”

After two weeks on the open sea, we were running low on provisions. The fresh food had been eaten, and any that remained had rotted a week ago. The bread was harder than the wood that constructed the ships. I knew my ship was low on water, so the others felt the same strain. Without fresh food to extract water, we were all dehydrated. My men couldn’t go into battle when their health was so poor. The dragons were weak too. “Thank you, Captain Blackstorm.”

“I’m not your captain anymore, Talon. Now, I’m only your friend.”

I remembered the last time I’d seen him and the heart-to-heart we’d had. He’d let me leave the crew in the middle of the night to spare me the pain of saying goodbye to men I’d known a long time. It was just easier that way. “Thank you, Ethan.”

Ethan sent half of his crew and their ships to retrieve more provisions for the sudden influx of people that had come to the island. It left the port open for several galleons. The rest would have to remain anchored in the cove and used for accommodations since there wasn’t enough space on the island to house everyone.

We stood together as we watched the fleet of galleons approach the light-blue waters of the cove, their white sails slowly rising to slow their speed into the shallow water. Up above were the dragons, their scales becoming brighter and shinier the closer they came.

With his arms crossed over his chest, Ethan turned to look at me. “You failed to mention the fifty dragons you had in tow.”

I smirked. “Guess it slipped my mind.”

“I assumed your dragon was the last of his kind. Where did you find these?”

“It’s a long story,” I said. “It’ll take several pints to tell it.”

“Fair enough.” He looked ahead again, the first ship sailing into the harbor to dock.

I could see Calista on the bow of a ship. She gripped the banister and looked down at me below, her long hair gently flapping in the breeze that passed over the cove. A slight smile was on her lips as she looked at me, as if a couple hours apart had been enough separation to miss me.

Ethan released a low whistle under his breath. “That’s a pretty little thing.”

“She is.”

The ship docked and was secured to the posts of the harbor. Other ships came behind it, including the one that carried Queen Eldinar. The rest dropped their anchors out to sea so they could row to shore.

Everyone started to vacate the ships, while the dragons landed on the island, finding room on the beach and the open spaces around the mountain. Khazmuda dropped down beside me, a behemoth compared to the two of us and the palm trees.

Ethan didn’t take a step back like most people would, but he couldn’t contain his mixture of admiration and abject terror.

“Ethan, this is Khazmuda.” I looked at Khazmuda. “This is my friend Ethan.”

Yes, the man who made you a pirate.

Khazmuda .

Who steered you off course for twenty years.

That was my choice.

I still don’t like him. His men raised their swords at me.

Because you scared the shit out of them.

That seemed to please him because he released a quiet hum. I am terrifying, aren’t I?

I turned back to Ethan. “He’s pleased to meet you.”

“You can talk to him?”

“With our minds, yes.”

Ethan shifted his gaze back and forth between us. “Now I know why you haven’t aged a day.”

He was twenty years older than when we met. I’d watched his wrinkles form around his eyes and his jowls grow. But he’d watched me remain forever imprisoned in time.

“Which means you’ve been fused with Khazmuda since the day we met.”

I let my stare be my confirmation.

“You had a dragon as an ally, but you let me take you as a prisoner anyway.”

“Because I didn’t care about anything, especially myself.”

Khazmuda released a quiet growl as he looked at Ethan.

Ethan didn’t flinch. “Sounds like he holds a grudge.”

I do.

I stepped away from Khazmuda and approached the pier.

Ethan followed me a second later, his boots thudding against the wooden planks over the water.

“I didn’t sail here with just men. I came here with elves as well.”

“Elves?” He stopped to look at me. “How did you forge an alliance with their kind?”

“Another tale that needs to be told over a stiff drink.”

“At this rate, we’re going to be too drunk to win this battle of yours.”

Queen Eldinar and General Ezra disembarked their ship. They greeted Calista before they came down the dock toward us. Everyone looked tired and haggard from the long journey, but Queen Eldinar remained preserved in elegance, not that the elves on the ship abstained from water and nourishment so she could have it all to herself, so she could bathe and keep her glowing hair clean.

Ethan released another low whistle as they approached, this one quiet so only I could hear. “She’s prettier than the first.”

“I disagree.”

He gave me a look out of the corner of his eye before one side of his mouth lifted in a smirk.

Queen Eldinar stopped several feet away, her eyes on Ethan.

General Ezra had his hand on his sword, prepared to cut off my friend’s head if he said the wrong thing.

I stepped forward. “Queen Eldinar, this is the leader of my previous crew and old friend, Captain Blackstorm. He’s granted us a respite here on his island until we’re ready to make the second part of our journey.”

Queen Eldinar stared at him before she gave a slight nod.

“Lovely to meet you.” Ethan stepped forward and reached for her hand to kiss it.

My hand went to his shoulder and steadied him.

General Ezra had a tight grip on his sword, and it tightened further, making his knuckles turn white.

“This is General Ezra, General of Riviana Star and husband to Queen Eldinar.”

Ethan gave a nod in acknowledgment. “Lovely to meet you as well.”

General Ezra didn’t let go of his sword.

I introduced Calista next. “This is Calista…” I didn’t know how to describe her because she didn’t have a title. She wasn’t my friend. She wasn’t the leader of any kingdom. But not to give her meaning was a disgrace to my relationship with her. “The queen of my heart.”

When her eyes looked at mine, they had a softness she’d never shown before. The moment was full of other people, but it seemed to be just about us. She didn’t even acknowledge Ethan because her entire focus was on me.

Ethan regarded her with a wide smirk. “Your Majesty.”

Queen Eldinar took command of the conversation. “Thank you for welcoming us to your island and providing for my people. We’re sorry to take your hospitality with no warning. If there’s ever a time I can repay your kindness, I will.”

“Any friend of Talon’s is a friend of mine. You’re welcome here. I’ve sent my men to retrieve more provisions for all of you. They should return in a few days. In the meantime, our island can provide the resources that you need.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“Let’s have everyone get settled,” I said. “Once we’ve had a rest, we’ll figure out our next move.” I turned to Ethan. “Do you have a place for Queen Eldinar to stay?”

“Of course,” Ethan said. “Come with me, Your Majesty.” He escorted Queen Eldinar and General Ezra down the dock.

General Ezra finally released the grip on his sword as he walked beside his wife.

I turned to Calista.

Her intensity hadn’t changed. She looked at me like it was the first time I’d told her I loved her. Just when I thought this relationship couldn’t get any deeper, it reached a level I’d never explored.

I moved close to her and slid my hand into her hair, feeling her head relax at my touch. She turned into the caress, her cheek against my palm, her eyes on mine. People continued to leave the ships and bring their things out of their cabins, but it felt like it was just the two of us on that dock.

I didn’t kiss her, just let my thumb feel her cheek, enjoyed the sight of her beautiful face more than the touch of her soft lips. The connection I felt was deeper than the flesh, a tightness between our souls. And every time I savored that feeling, I remembered it was temporary.

But I also remembered it didn’t have to be.

Ethan gave me one of the open houses near the water. It was simple, a bed, a bathroom, and a dining table, the place only slightly bigger than the cabin below the ship except for the fact that I could stand up fully without hitting my head on the ceiling. It reminded me of the Lands of Thalian, the quaint island where Calista and I had enjoyed the sunsets on the beach. But it wasn’t as special since this island was overrun with people.

She set her pack on the floor before she sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the opposite wall with tired eyes.

I removed my armor as I watched her. “What troubles you?”

Her eyes flicked to mine. “Nothing. It’s just so nice to be on land. I don’t have a sailor’s stomach like you do.”

“It wasn’t always that way. I used to get sick as a kid.”

“What changed?”

I shrugged, still removing the pieces of my armor. “Got used to it.”

“Doesn’t seem like something you can just get used to.”

I removed my uniform and stood in my boxers, relieved to be free of the weight of the clothing as well as the heat. Carrying the extra weight only made my muscles stronger, but the heat was intolerable since I already ran hot like a forge.

She used to hide her thoughts behind her eyes, but now, her emotions were raw in her gaze. She looked me over with a stare that felt like a touch, desiring me like she hadn’t had me the night before…or the night before that.

I approached the bed and watched her tense when I drew near, watched the way her breathing changed at my proximity. She wanted me closer, but with every inch, I made her nervous, made her more aware of my presence.

My hands went to either side of her body, and I leaned over her, making her lean back until her spine was flat against the bed. Once she had nowhere else to go, she sucked in a deep breath before her hands palmed my chest and slowly made their way up the sides of my neck until they cupped my cheeks. Her eyes looked infinite in their depth, looking at me like I was the only star in her sky. For a woman who had never loved or been loved in her life, loving me seemed to come so naturally.

I slid my hand up her dress and pulled it to her waist, exposing the cotton underwear underneath. I traced the exposed skin along her thigh, and I felt a thrill when I listened to her breaths deepen, when little bumps formed on her skin, as if I’d never touched her this way before.

I leaned down and kissed the skin of her thigh, feeling her soft flesh against my aching mouth. I supported her knee in the crook of my arm and kissed her smooth skin, making my way closer to the center.

She breathed harder and deeper. Her nails turned into claws.

I kissed the outside of her underwear then breathed, smelling the scent that made me harder than the posts at the dock.

She took another breath, deeper than all the others she’d taken.

I hooked my thumbs into the material and pulled it off her long legs and over her boots. I gripped her hips and dragged her closer to the edge, her dress pulled up to her waist.

I gripped the insides of her soft thighs with my callused fingers then entered her slickness, watching her wince and moan when she felt me enter her tightness like it was the first time. I sheathed myself fully, digging my fingers deep into her flesh, a king embraced by his queen.

We met in Queen Eldinar’s chambers, accommodations that were much larger than mine. Ethan didn’t have nobility stop by for a visit, so I wasn’t sure why it was vacant, but it came in handy in this moment.

There was a large dining table, and Queen Eldinar was at the head of it.

General Ezra stood behind her, his hostility hotter than the sun.

Ethan sat several chairs down, as if he wanted to be as far away from General Ezra as possible.

Calista and I took our seats.

A platter of fruit was in the center that no one touched. There was also a pitcher of water that no one reached for. Our glasses remained empty. Some of the windows were cracked to let the sea breeze in, the gentle sound of the water rising on the shore in the distance.

“I hope you found your accommodations suitable,” Ethan said. “I know the heat takes some time to get used to.”

Queen Eldinar was in a sleeveless dress, her long hair in loose curls and down her shoulders. There were no beads of sweat on her forehead, no indication that this paradise was a discomfort. “Very suitable. Thank you for making us comfortable.” She turned to look at me. “Now that we’ve had the evening to rest, we need to determine our next course of action. How long does it take to reach the Southern Isles?”

“Three days—if the wind is in our favor,” Ethan answered.

“That’s a short journey compared to the one we just completed,” she said.

“With ten thousand men and fifty dragons, you’re a formidable foe,” Ethan said. “But that means nothing without a plan.” He turned to look at me, relaxing back in his chair, one elbow propped on the table.

“I agree,” Calista said. “We only have one chance. It can’t be squandered.”

“We need to know what we’re up against,” Queen Eldinar said, looking at Ethan. “You’re a pirate. You must hear things in your adventures.”

“We sell some of our goods at their port,” Ethan said.

“What goods?” Queen Eldinar asked.

Ethan gave a shrug. “Whatever we find on our travels…”

“So, the items you steal from hardworking people,” Queen Eldinar said with the sting of judgment in her eyes.

Ethan gave a slight smirk. “Sometimes it’s extra food we don’t need, but it’s also iron and jewels. They pay a fair price, and they rarely reject what we offer. We go to their port once every month, and that time has almost arrived.”

“What are you suggesting?” Queen Eldinar asked.

He looked at me. “From what I hear, the Southern Isles is heavily guarded. There’s no coming and going from the kingdom unless you bear the mark of a merchant, which has to be granted directly by the king. So, the only way into the kingdom is through the port or through the air.”

“So, commoners aren’t free to come and go?” I asked incredulously.

He gave a shrug. “Seems that way.”

“Why would that be the case?” The Southern Isles was a paradise for those who lived there. People traveled from faraway lands to grow crops in the fertile soil, to join a society that protected its civilians and helped them thrive. My family had lived in luxury, but we made sure everyone else had what they needed. Tariffs imposed on our subjects were based on conditions. If the winter was harsh and the crops failed, there were no tariffs paid that year. We cut back on supplies and rationed what we had like they did, just not to the same degree.

He gave another shrug. “Maybe they don’t want people to come…or they don’t want people to leave.”

The disappointment was like a boulder in my stomach. It was a sting that continued to burn long after the bite.

“I only deal with the hands in the port,” Ethan said. “But that’s enough for me to know that times are tough, that people feel oppressed. The soldiers are stiff with misery, and it’s contagious. It’s like everyone had their souls sucked out of their asses. My father used to be a fisherman and took me to port with him when I was a child. Sailors used to sing in the harbor as they hauled their catch onto the dock. The soldiers were kind and helpful, there to aid the process rather than observe it. And if it’s different there, then it’s probably different everywhere.”

I felt Calista stare at the side of my face to gauge my reaction.

I kept my eyes focused on Ethan.

“When we dock, you can make your way into the city and investigate,” Ethan said. “Anyone who was loyal to your family was probably killed once your uncle took the throne. So there should be none alive who will recognize you.”

Was that supposed to make me feel better?

“What I need to investigate is my uncle and their military operations,” I said. “I can’t do that with this face. Most people won’t recognize me, but those who reside in the castle might, especially my cousins.”

“Then you need a spy,” Ethan said.

“Essentially,” I said.

“We could bribe someone in the castle,” he said. “Or the commander of their military.”

“I would assume one of his sons is the commander,” I said. “And after what you’ve described, I suspect my uncle rules by fear rather than respect. Anyone in the castle will be too scared to make a deal with a stranger. They’ll out me, and if my uncle didn’t know I was coming, he’ll definitely know then.”

“I can do it.”

I turned to Calista, unsure if I’d heard her say those words. She spoke with confidence, and that same confidence thrived on her face.

She met my look with the same assertiveness she showed in the face of adversity, in the moments when I tried to push her away. “I can be a maid in the castle. Stay there for a week and observe.”

She was young and beautiful with eyes brilliant like gems. With lips perfect for kissing and sucking. With hips that were nice to grab on to and tits that were perky without support. “They won’t hire you as a maid.”

Ethan shook his head. “Definitely not.”

Her eyes flicked back and forth between us. “I’ll put my hair up and wear unflattering clothes.”

Under different circumstances, I would laugh.

Ethan tried hard to suppress his smirk. “Sure…that’ll do the trick.”

“It’s too dangerous, Calista,” I said. “I don’t want you in that position.”

“Then what other option do you have?” she questioned. “Sneak into the castle and hide in a broom closet? The only way you’re going to know anything about your uncle is if you observe. I’m the only one who can do this.”

“It’s not worth the risk.”

“I’ll be fine?—”

“ The answer is no .”

Her eyes exploded with green fire, the heat nearly melting the skin off my face.

I held my ground. “When something goes awry, I’ll have to kill him then and there, and even if I succeed, the dragons will still be enslaved and we’ll both be captured. We’ll accomplish nothing.”

“And if we go into battle blindly, the outcome will be the same,” she snapped. “There is no one else who can do this but me. I’m fused with Inferno, and you’re fused with Khazmuda. I can still speak to you when we’re apart. No one else has that ability.”

She was right. No one else could communicate like she and I could, not unless I sent someone fused with a dragon. But only the elves were fused with the dragons, and sending an elf to the castle was a bad idea.

Ethan shifted his gaze between us. “She’s got a point, Talon.”

I released a heavy sigh.

“I understand this is a difficult decision for you,” Queen Eldinar said. “But I agree that knowing as much about the enemy is imperative to our success. I would not risk my people without strategy. You could send someone in Calista’s stead, but there’s none other than you can trust to the same degree.”

If General Ezra had a problem with his niece being in the employ of the enemy, he didn’t show it.

I didn’t look at Calista, and I focused on my fingers where they rested on the table.

“I want to do this.” Calista’s voice came out as a gentle whisper, but it still contained the confidence she’d possessed before. “I want to do this for you…and your family.”

“You are my family now.” I blurted out the words without thinking, a knee-jerk reaction. My eyes remained on the table because I didn’t want to see how my words affected her. My wife and my family would forever live in my heart, but now, I’d made just enough room for Calista to join.

A heavy silence fell across the table, and no one spoke. The tension rose like flames from a fire. My stomach was tight with sickness. My arms felt numb from flexing so hard for so long.

“Please clear the room,” Queen Eldinar said. “I wish to speak to Talon alone.”

I raised my chin to look at her across the table.

Her blue eyes had more confidence than any other pair of eyes I’d ever seen. It was a confidence that bordered on arrogance but never crossed that thin line. It was elegant too, full of wisdom from the millennium of her life.

Calista and Ethan left, and so did General Ezra.

It was just the two of us on opposite ends of the table, and the air was too thick to breathe. I kept my eyes down on my fingertips where they rested on the surface of the wood. Marks from the tree from which it had been crafted were visible, circles from branches that had been cut when it was split apart.

Queen Eldinar said nothing, her stare hot on my cheek.

I still didn’t look at her.

“There is no other choice, Talon.”

“I can’t let anything happen to her.” I counted the rings in the circle.

“We’re all risking our lives in this endeavor. It’s inevitable.”

“She’s suffered enough.”

There was a long pause. “I understand. But it’s very clear that she’s healed—and you’re the medicine.”

I continued to stare at the wood underneath my hand, remembering the wish for death in her gaze. She had been broken into pieces but was somehow still glued together. She hadn’t trusted me for a long time, and now, she trusted me with her life.

“There is no other option.”

“If something happens, I’ll run in there and kill everyone.”

“So be it,” she said. “It’s a risk we’re willing to take.”

I lifted my chin and looked out the window across the room, seeing the leaves of the trees shift in the wind.

“She’s strong, Talon. She’s not skilled with the blade like you or me, but she has a fight in her blood that burns forevermore. I don’t doubt her intelligence or her intuition. No one is better suited for the task.”

My eyes stayed on the window as I felt the warm breeze come through the opening.

“It must be done.”

I sat with Ethan on the beach, our canteens in the sand beside us, the bonfire lighting up the sand and the water.

I took a drink before I twisted the cap back onto the bottle, my arms resting on my knees. I’d just finished telling Ethan all of my adventures, from when I left Bahamut’s lands to my rule over the Northern Kingdoms. I told him how I met Calista but spared the specifics of her suffering because those personal details were only hers to share.

“That’s quite the tale.” He took another drink, and once his canteen was empty, he tossed it aside on the sand.

“I know.”

“This moment is twenty years in the making, and it’s finally come.”

It was conflicting to want something so badly and dread it at the same time.

“No one else would have the perseverance to make it this far. I wish I could see the moment you behead your beloved uncle…”

“I won’t behead him.” Flashbacks moved across my mind, quick and painful. “I’ll burn him.”

“Even better.”

“And burn everyone he loves first.”

“I like it.”

“His wife…his sons…his daughters…his grandchildren…his friends. All of them.”

“Yes.”

“And he’ll watch every single one and listen to them fucking scream.” I stared at the canteen in my hand before I squeezed it, making my knuckles pop and go white. “And maybe I’ll let him live…just so he can suffer twenty years the way I have.”

Ethan turned quiet.

“So he can be haunted every single day of his fucking life until he stabs his dagger into his heart to make it end.”

He stared at the fire for a few more seconds before he turned to look at the side of my face.

I didn’t meet his look.

“I’m sorry for your loss…”

My eyes stayed on the flames, still hearing their screams even all these years later.

“I don’t think I’ve ever told you that.”

“It’s fine…a long time ago.”

“That kind of shit will always hurt. I hope your vengeance gives you the peace you deserve.”

I knew it wouldn’t, but I would do it anyway. “It’s not the desire for peace that fuels me. It’s the rage that’s burned inside me every single day since it happened. The flames started off low but have slowly risen through the years. Now, it’s an inferno. Time hasn’t dulled the blood lust. Only aged it like fine wine. I say it’s for them…but it’s for me.”

He looked forward again. “Your vengeance is coming, Talon.”

“And so is my demise.” I told him about Bahamut, the price I would have to pay once the task was completed.

“Does she know?”

I shook my head.

“And your dragon?”

That question somehow hurt more. I hesitated before I shook my head.

“So I’m the only person you’ve confided in.”

“No,” I said. “Queen Eldinar knows.”

“Didn’t realize you were so close.”

“We were…we are…it’s complicated.”

“Because of that guard dog of hers?”

“No.”

“Then why is it complicated?”

I stared at the fire as the guilt piled up on my shoulders, becoming so heavy I wouldn’t be able to stand if I tried. “Bahamut said he would only let me go…if I offered her in my stead. I would have to sail her to his lands so he could take her to the underworld. She would never agree willingly, so I’d have to force her.”

Ethan said nothing, letting the conversation weigh upon us both heavily.

“I trust that you’ll keep this to yourself.”

“I’ll take your secret with me when I go down with my ship, along with all the others I carry.”

“Thank you.”

“I think you should do it.” He sat with his arms on his knees, the brightness of the flames on his face.

I turned to look at him, to see the expression that accompanied the words.

He turned to look at me. “You deserve to be happy, Talon.”

“But she doesn’t deserve to be miserable…for eternity.” She’d been unkind to me when we met, but once I proved myself worthy of her trust, she gave it to me without reservation. She’d called me a friend and defended me to those who continued to question my integrity. She was the sole reason Macabre and the other dragons were there on that island.

“You’ve had another chance at happiness. You deserve to pursue it. Calista and Khazmuda don’t deserve to carry that loss.”

It hurt to think of that outcome, hurt so much I didn’t let myself think about it. “But I agreed to that deal. She didn’t.”

When Ethan ran out of reasons, he turned desperate. “I don’t want to lose the only real friend I’ve ever had.”

I looked away when those words wounded me like a knife.

“She’s already lived a thousand years. She’s had her time.”

“That’s not a fair reason?—”

“Then this is the reason.” He waited for me to look at him.

I stilled before I met his gaze once again.

“Because it’s either her or you—and it sure as fuck ain’t going to be you.”