Ulrik dropped his arms to his sides and smiled. “It’ll come to you when they’re standing before you. Everything that happened was out of your and Rhi’s control. And the twins’, as well. Try to remember that.” Ulrik swung his gaze outside. “I can still hear the dragons’ roars if I close my eyes.”
“Or while flying.”
Ulrik looked at Con and raised his brows. “Shall we?”
In answer, Con took off, running out of the mountain before leaping into the air and shifting. He stretched his wings and flapped them to gain altitude. It was always good to be in his true form. He looked down over the mountains of Dreagan where the Dragon Kings had hidden for millennia.
A flash of silver caught his attention as Ulrik sped past him. Con smiled and flew faster to catch up with his friend.
Without a doubt, without hesitation. I am yours.
Chapter Three
Rhi sat up, her gaze going to the window in time to see Con’s glimmering gold scales as he flew high in the sky. But he wasn’t alone. Ulrik was with him. She smiled at the two friends. There had been so much pain between them, but it was sorted out now, and Ulrik had returned to the fold where he belonged.
It was like everything had come full circle. From Ulrik returning to Dreagan, to her and Con finding love once more. She thought over the last few years and everything each of them had endured to get where they were—the foes they had fought, and the heartache they had suffered. It was a testament to Con’s strength that he had stood steady as an oak through it all.
Her head turned to the table where the journal lay. Rhi returned to the chair and reached for the book once more. She heated the tea with a wave of her hand and took a drink before opening the cover once more and flipping to the second page to begin reading.
I try not to write in these journals. I don’t think they do much good, except to remind me that I sacrificed my mate for the well-being of my brethren. I find no peace in sleep because I lie in bed each night and imagine you in my arms. Even when I shut my eyes and manage to drift off, you fill my dreams.
But what dreams they are.
We’re together, you’re laughing, and we have a future before us. It’s everything I imagined life would be when we found each other. The joy, the pleasure. The contentment.
Then I wake and realize that none of it is real. I go to war with myself over going back to sleep—except going deeper into dragon sleep and never waking up again. At least then, I know you’ll be with me. That’s what the dreams do. They tempt me, entice me with the life I crave to share with you.
The life I shattered for the good of the Kings.
There isn’t a place on Dreagan you haven’t touched. Nowhere I can go on our sixty thousand acres that doesn’t make me think of you. I often go to the mountain where I first saw you standing with the wind blowing your beautiful hair. I remember your silver eyes piercing me straight to my soul.
And I knew instantly.
I chose you that day. I choose you over and over again.
Without a doubt, without hesitation.
I am yours.
Rhi looked up and released a breath. She turned the page. None of them were marked with dates. She had no reference for when he wrote any of it, but all that showed was that he had grieved deeply for the loss of their love.
Only someone in Con’s position could truly understand why he had chosen to end things with her. He had sacrificed his happiness for his brethren. To keep them together after everything they lost. And when he had first told her, she had been furious.
Then, she recalled who Con was. The King of Dragon Kings, chosen by the magic on the realm to lead the Kings. He was the strongest of them all. The one who bore the weight of all decisions and consequences. The one who found ways to keep the dragons safe, and the Kings together. The one who forged a new path for the Dragon Kings.
Rhi had fallen in love with him for who he was—all of him. The good and the bad. Had he told her of his plans for why he wanted to end things, she would’ve talked him out of it—just as he had suspected. They would’ve remained together, but how long would their happiness have lasted when the Kings’ jealousy proved too much?
Con had seen all of it and somehow managed to do the one thing that would keep the Kings together and give him a chance to win her back in the future. The Kings hadn’t agreed with him sending Darius to break things off with her—and neither had she—but she probably would’ve done the same in his position.
Her love for him was vast. But to let someone go for the greater good took resolve and courage that she simply didn’t have. She would’ve clung to him and their love, the world and the Kings be damned.
And that was why Con was King of Dragon Kings and not her or any of the others.
And it was why she loved him beyond reason.
She went back to reading.
I saw a wildcat today while walking the Dragonwood. It reminded me of the time you came across the kitten hiding in the bushes. I would have allowed nature to take its course, as it does in all things. But not you. You refused to leave until you knew for certain that the cat was safe.
When you realized that it was injured, you spent the entire day coaxing it, convincing it to let you near enough to see what was wrong. It worked, though. You were able to see the thorn caught in its paw.
You could’ve used magic. You could’ve asked me to heal the wildcat. Instead, you wanted to be near it. And it wanted you. It never took its eyes off you as you gently pulled the thorn out. Only then did you look my way, silently asking me to give the animal some relief.
I didn’t hesitate to use my magic on the creature.
For many years, I saw that wildcat on Dreagan. He searched for you.
We both do.
The tears flowed freely now. She remembered when she had found the kitten. The wildcats of Scotland were rarely seen, and she had known instinctively that he was hurt. Con had remained beside her the entire day, giving advice and helping whenever and however she needed it.
Except she remembered the kitten’s healing much differently. After she’d removed the thorn and saw the state of the wound, she had been about to attempt her magic. Before she could, Con had used his healing power.
The kitten had remained for a few moments, but once it realized that it was no longer hurting, it bounded off into the brush. She and Con had stood arm-in-arm, watching until the cat disappeared.
Less than a week later, things ended between Con and her. Sadly, she had been so consumed with anger and grief that she hadn’t even thought of the wildcat again until now.
But Con had.
Today, I would’ve exchanged a thousand years of my life just to touch you.
Chapter Four
I saw you today. It was a joyful event.
And a horrible one.
If it’s possible, you got even more beautiful. There’s an edge about you that wasn’t there before. Did I do that? I fear the answer is yes.
Your smile lit up the room. You’ve always had the brightest light of any Fae, and it draws everyone to you. I tried to keep my distance, but it was like telling myself I could never fly again, even though I have wings.