Kiss of Embers (The Dragon Lairds #5)

Chapter 23

Chapter

Twenty-Three

ZARA

H ope beat in my chest as Drute sank to his knees before Inessa. But what could he possibly offer her that would equal lifting a curse and curing my entire pack?

“I near the end of my service on this plane,” Drute said. The tips of his black wings lay flat against the dirt. Moonlight glinted in his dark eyes as he stared up at Inessa. “For just shy of five hundred years, I’ve lived away from my people.”

Inessa nodded solemnly. “It’s a great sacrifice.”

“It’s the burden of my kind,” he said. “Our service enriches our lands. It feeds our streams and strengthens our mountains.” Drute drew an uneven breath. “We spend centuries away from our families so that our children have a chance to thrive.”

My heart pounded. Finn held me tightly against him. Struan stood tall and strong on my other side, his skin glowing faintly.

Everyone in the clearing seemed to hold their breath.

“I failed to serve as I was supposed to,” Drute said. “I would make amends.”

Inessa stood over him, tall and regal. The terrible beauty she’d displayed earlier appeared on her face before fading. “I ask again, gargoyle. What do you offer that equals the help of a goddess?”

“A sacrifice,” he rasped. “I pledge my service and my freedom to you for five hundred years.”

I put a hand over my mouth, my lips trembling.

Inessa’s gaze was steady. “You won’t see your plane or your family.”

“I know.”

“This will change your fate. It’s possible the mate meant for you will wed another. The children you might have sired might never be born.”

Drute swallowed. “I understand. This is what I want. I owe it to Zara.”

Inessa considered him for another moment. Then she nodded. “It will be done.”

Lightning forked across the sky, throwing the clearing into stark relief. The smell of ozone filled the air as thunder boomed, shaking the trees. A phantom wind gusted around me, ruffling my hair and tugging at my clothes. As the wind climbed my body, twinkling golden lights spiraled around my legs. They danced upward, following the wind.

Finn released me, and he and Struan watched as the lights raced to the top of my head. A bubbling, effervescent sensation brushed my skin, and I held out my arms as the lights spun faster. They spun above my head and winked out.

Drute stood and came to me. He stopped a few inches away, regret etched on his face. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “Nothing I say will replace what you’ve lost, but I have to say it anyway. I’m sorry, Zara. I didn’t believe in you the way I should have. You are a worthy alpha. I know you’ll lead your pack as nobly as your father did.” He turned, headed for Inessa.

“Drute,” I called. When he turned back, I went to him and pulled him into a hug. After a second, his arms came around me, and his rain-and-granite scent filled my lungs. “Thank you,” I said.

He eased back, his dark eyes soft as he brushed rough fingers over my cheek. “Any time, Alpha.”

My throat burned as he walked to Inessa. She nodded to him. He nodded back. Golden light swelled around Inessa…then flowed to Drute. In a blink, they were gone.

A hot tear streaked down my cheek. A second later, warm hands turned me, and then I was pressed against a hard, broad chest. Struan’s voice rumbled above me.

“Not every goodbye has to be forever, lass. Sometimes, it’s just a goodbye for now.”

I pulled back. He gazed down at me with tender eyes. Finn stood next to him, an identical expression on his face.

“You helped me,” I told him, wonder spreading through me. “You gave up your chance to win so I could reach the elixir.”

He reached out and tugged my hair. “Well, I love you.”

My breath hitched. “You do?”

“From the moment I saw you.”

“Me too,” Struan said on a dreamy sigh. His skin pulsed with light.

I touched his chest, worry nibbling at me. “I wonder if this is permanent.”

“Fuck me, I hope not,” Finn said, giving Struan a disgruntled look. “He’s…sappy.”

Struan swiped a finger under his eye. “I can’t help it. You’re both just so perfect. And everything is really okay right now.”

Finn and I looked at each other. We burst out laughing at the same time.

“What?” Struan said, looking between us. “What’s wrong?”

Finn recovered, then patted Struan’s jaw. “Nothing at all, love.” He gripped Struan’s arm, then reached out and tugged me close with his other hand. “Ready?” he asked me.

I smiled, prepared for wherever he planned on taking me.

No. Us.

“Ready.”