by T. A. White
Ryu moved toward the distortion. “Let’s get out of here before they decide to close the portal with us on this side.”
“Would they really do that?” Dewdrop asked.
“You never know with the emperor and his people.”
“I’m starting to get the feeling that our emperor has a bit of a twisted sense of humor,” Dewdrop said as he and Willa disappeared through the distortion.
Ryu sent one last glance Tate’s way before following them.
Tate lingered, taking a last look at the Rift. It no longer looked peaceful or dreamlike and instead reflected the remnants of the battle that had just taken place. The charred remains of the amalgam were scattered all over the place, the body of Earl Comber lying face up in the middle like a tribute.
Something about the scene felt jarring. Wrong. The passage to that other place shouldn’t be this way. Full of death and pain. It should be beautiful. Awe inspiring.
Not this.
Now that she’d seen Ilith’s world Tate knew exactly what her dragon had given up when their fates intertwined. What all dragons had left behind.
A place where the power they needed to live was abundant. Where they could be always free.
Never before had she questioned Jax or his motives. It was only now, standing at the intersection between worlds, having experienced the other in full technicolor that she couldn’t help but wonder why he’d created this place.
Tate’s mind shied away from the word evil, but that’s how she saw this.
The dragons that came through the Rift had very little choice but to enslave themselves to humans. Humans became quite powerful because of the bond, while Tate still didn’t know what the dragons got out of it besides survival.
To be bound into a tattoo and only released once in a while. It was no wonder dragons had a tendency to drive their bonded mad.
I can feel you thinking too hard, Ilith said, sounding tired.
Tate touched the dragon around her wrist, almost feeling Ilith’s ribcage expand and contract with her breaths.
“If I find a way to return you to your home, would you go?”
A part of her feared Ilith’s answer. It was difficult to imagine a life without Ilith. The dragon had become one of her dearest friends. Family in the same way Dewdrop and Night were.
And that was exactly why Tate would let Ilith go if the dragon ever indicated a desire to be free. Friendship wasn’t just about having someone there for you when you needed them. It was about being there for them too. Giving as good as you got.
Don’t be ridiculous. I’m with you until you die.
A half smile twisted Tate’s lips as she moved toward the distortion. “If you ever change your mind, let me know.”
I won’t.
“I’ll hold you to that.” Tate stepped through.
THIRTEEN
The world twisted around Tate, spitting her back where she’d started this odd journey. She staggered, barely catching herself on the foot of one of the statues before she fell flat on her face.
Whatever exhaustion Tate had in the Rift felt like it had doubled.
She’d hit that wall everyone had. The one that represented your limits. Where your body couldn’t go any further. Surpassing your limits was always possible but it often took everything you had and required a determination and strength of will Tate didn’t possess at the moment.
She made it up one stair and then the next until a pair of shoes came into view, blocking her path.
Blearily, she lifted her head to find the Duke of Spiritly waiting in front of her. His expression was stern and his posture stiff as if this was the last place he wanted to be.
“My daughter relayed your request.”
Tate’s nod felt as if it came in slow motion.
Tate struggled to recall. What was her request again? After several long moments where Tate blinked dumbly at him, she remembered.
Right. The records and artifacts involving Jax.
“I suppose I have you to thank for her speaking to me again.” He grimaced, his expression saying he wasn’t entirely sure Tate wasn’t the cause of their rift in the first place.
Fair enough. She couldn’t claim truthfully that Roslyn would have renounced her family if Tate hadn’t been involved.
Tate’s tired snicker made the duke’s eyes sharpen.
There was only one problem with that scenario. Roslyn’s actions were predicated on a misconception. She’d thought the duke had compromised her values because of her.
“Something tells me Roslyn renouncing your family fell right into your plans,” Tate said with a twisted smile.
“Lord Ryuji was right. You’re quite the perceptive woman.” The way the duke said that made it seem as if he wasn’t entirely happy about that fact.
“I aim to please.”
“You’re right. I could have stopped Roslyn by explaining.”
“You were hoping the experience would help her.”
It wasn’t actually a bad plan. Adversity either brought out a person’s best or worst self, hardship shaping them and forcing them to grow. Before she’d separated from her family, Roslyn was consumed with obtaining and bonding with a relic. She’d defined her self-worth on a faulty basis, utterly unable to see the strengths she already had.
It was a gamble. Roslyn could have just as easily collapsed, unable to thrive without access to the privileges wealth and status brought.
Even though Roslyn was a stronger person now, there’d been no overtures made by the duke or his family to welcome her into their bosom again.
Tate could only think of one reason for that. “Why do you think she needs a relic to be strong?”
Some of the duke’s reserve faded. “This world can be a cruel place. Relics aren’t just about power. They’re the best way to protect yourself. Is it so wrong to want that for my child?”
Tate couldn’t tell if he really believed that or if he was using it as an excuse to justify his actions.
It was easy to start lying to oneself and almost impossible to stop. Evil acts committed with the best of intentions were still evil.
It wasn’t her place to comment on other’s relationships. If Roslyn hadn’t been a friend, she would never have interfered in the first place.
Her gaze landed on Roslyn waiting next to a group of guards, watching them. “Somehow I think your daughter will be alright with or without a relic.”
Roslyn had already proven her ability to survive. She might not have been as strong as Tate or the others, but her intelligence and cunning more than made up for it.
Tate started past the duke, his voice stopping her.
“I’ll have my collection delivered to the Guardian’s temple. You can look at it under their supervision.” He turned to pin her with a look. “I expect it to be returned in the condition I lent it to you in.”
Tate’s lips parted in surprise. “I don’t understand.”
The duke’s lips quirked, his playful expression making him seem a decade younger. “Our records are as extensive as the guardians. The name Tatum Allegra Winters appears throughout his journals many times.”
Tate’s mouth clicked closed as understanding dawned. She’d announced her name in court to draw out her enemies, forgetting there might be those closer to home who might recognize it.
“He described that woman as being the driving force behind the Saviors’ success.” The duke watched her carefully. “The last entry in his personal journal says if that woman should ever request anything from our family, we will provide it. No matter how crazy or nonsensical the request might be.”
“He certainly didn’t make it easy for me to keep a low profile.”
“I expect it’s difficult to ensure your message will reach someone centuries into the future.” The duke had a faint smile on his face as he moved past Tate. “It’ll take a day or two for me to assemble the records.”
She nodded. “I’ll look forward to it.”
She stumbled in his wa
ke as they headed for the top of the stairs. By the time they’d reached the palace grounds, Tate was feeling shaky and nauseas.
The duke strode away as Tate trudged to a stop next to Ryu, taking in the sight of Dewdrop standing in front of nearly fifty people wearing the uniform of the emperor’s guards.
“What’s this?”
“The Lord Provost wanted the emperor’s guards checked right away,” Ryu answered, his arms crossed over his chest and his feet spread as he watched Dewdrop.
Tate groaned and let her weight collapse into Ryu’s side, her head settling on his shoulder. “I just want to sleep.”
Ryu’s arm came around her shoulder, tugging her more fully into him. “This won’t take long.”
As if to prove him right, a loud piercing note came from Dewdrop as the guards curled into themselves to try to avoid the sound.
William and Archie watched from the sidelines with the guards who Dewdrop had already tested in the Rift, weapons drawn in preparation.
“Home or headquarters?” Ryu’s asked into her ear.
Headquarters would be closer, but Tate craved her own bed and the comfort of her things.
“Home.”
Ryu swept her into his arms as her eyes slid closed. “Rest, ahveena. I’ll see you to safety.”
* * *
Tate dreamed she was flying, immense wings spread wide as she caught an updraft. She glided, the land below racing by. Hazy and indistinct like something out of a dream.
Soft plumes of azure and scarlet clouds wafted across the sky like rudderless ships.
She changed course, diving through the middle of the clouds. Lightning and fire played along her wings, their laughter heating her blood as they frolicked beside her.
The bodies of crystalline dragons brushed against hers in welcome as they whispered to her in voices made of wind and rain.
Eternity passed, the dragons and elements accompanying her falling away one by one until she flew alone through a sea of darkness. Ennui replacing her isolation until gradually she no longer felt anything.
Ever forward, she flew, her monotony only broken when she encountered a chasm in time and space that seemed to call her name. For the first time in forever, she felt something new.
Anticipation.
The face of a woman with copper colored hair pulled back from her face, small tendrils sticking out here and there, appeared. Bright green eyes met hers.
That’s me, Tate thought distantly.
Pain embedded itself along her bones. The knowledge that her long existence was coming to an end.
A piece of her was broken. No, not her. This world was wrong. Backwards.
She needed something; she didn’t know what. Something had called her to this place. A different woman tricked her, breaking her further.
She’d escaped but now couldn’t return.
Despairing, she cast around for a lifeline. An anchor. Something. Anything that would offer light in this dark place.
An answering spark came from the woman above her. A vast lake of potential that called her name.
Compelled by necessity and greed, she dove for it. Not waiting for permission, uncaring whether the other would object. All that mattered was her survival.
She crouched in her chosen, looking out over a battlefield drenched in blood, bodies wearing the same uniform as the woman she inhabited strewn across the ground like neglected toys.
The woman fell to her knees, great wracking sobs tearing at her chest. “What did you make me do?”
“Get rid of her. She’s driving you mad,” a woman with hair the color of gold demanded.
A man stood next to the woman. Taller by nearly a head with a scruffy beard shadowing his jaw. His eyes, like the woman’s, were dead inside.
“She’ll die.”
“She’s a monster, Tate. You never should have tried to save her in the first place. Don’t you remember what she did to me,” the woman argued.
“I’m not abandoning her.”
A mind comforted hers. “Shh, it’s not your fault. They were descending on a path of no return. We did what we had to do.”
They will hate you for this. They won’t understand.
“I know,” the woman with copper hair said, her voice hardening. “They will send us to sleep.”
Silence.
You could save yourself. All you have to do is give in to their will and abandon me.
The woman shut her eyes, cutting off her vision of the other world. “It’s best this way. I’m tired of fighting and killing. Their never-ending expectations. No matter how much we struggle it never seems to change.”
She withdrew, not knowing how to respond. She’d hated the woman for so long, putting the blame for her fate on her. In reality, it was the opposite. She’d twisted the woman’s future in her desire to survive, costing her, her spot in the sun.
The woman touched her. “Don’t worry. I have a plan.”
The dream tore and Tate came awake, blinking away the sleep as she slowly became aware of her surroundings. She lay face down on her bed, Ryu curled around her.
She remained still for several seconds, gaining her bearings. The time after Ryu saying he’d take her home was mostly a blur.
There were vague flashes of a carriage then stumbling toward her bed while divesting herself of her clothes. The last thing she remembered was collapsing face first into the bed.
Ryu’s arms squeezed her. “Are you awake?”
His voice was sleep roughened, sending goosebumps down Tate’s arms. Her stomach fluttered when he dropped a kiss on her bare shoulder, making her abruptly aware that she was mostly naked.
She turned onto her back from her side, Ryu readjusting his position. “How long was I out for?”
The moonlight from the windows shone on his face, showing his appreciative smile and the dark look in his eyes.
“Only a few hours.” He propped his head on his hand while the other remained secure around her waist.
“It feels like longer.” Tate looked out the window where the curtains were open, leaving a view of the balcony. Her best guess put the time at a few hours before dawn. “I can’t believe I passed out like that.”
“I can. You’re the oldest of us, you’re practically a novice. Moving between dragon and human becomes increasingly taxing the more times you do it in quick succession.”
Her stomach chose that moment to make itself known. Tate pressed a hand to it. She was hungry. Ravenously so.
A plate of food appeared in front of her nose before she could say anything.
“You need to replenish the energy you lost.”
Tate scooted up in bed, bunching the pillows behind her to support her back and pinning the covers under her arms in a bid for modesty before taking the plate. “So thoughtful.”
The sight of the food made her drool, reminding her that some of the reason for her hunger could be attributed to the fact she hadn’t actually eaten dinner yesterday.
The plate was full of mostly cheese and cold cuts of meat along with the berries that were her favorite. The flesh of the berries didn’t contain enough calories to replenish her reserves, but the seeds inside were jam packed with nutrients her body needed. The fat and protein from the cheese and meat were also welcome additions.
All in all, it was a perfect post-change snack for a dragon. Ryu really had thought of everything.
“Did anything happen while I was comatose?” Tate asked to distract herself from burying her face in the plate and inhaling the food.
She’d done that once and ended up nearly choking. Dewdrop and Night still made fun of her for it.
“Night returned about an hour ago.”
Tate filled her mouth steadily, not wasting words as she used her eyes to ask for more information.
She was sure she looked like a rabbit or chipmunk right now with her bulging cheeks but couldn’t bring herself to care. Filling her belly took priority.
A dimple appeared in Ryu’s cheeks. �
��He said he lost Peter in the tunnels.”
Tate paused, swallowing the berry she’d just eaten. “How is that possible?”
Night wasn’t easy to shake off, especially in the tunnels.
“He said the trail went cold near the tunnels around the harbor. He seemed quite put out about it.”
Tate supposed so. Having his stalking skills challenged twice in one night would hurt his pride.
“He wasn’t alone when he returned. Mia was with him.”
Tate’s eyes went wide as she stared at him with an aghast expression that quickly changed to delight.
“Playing matchmaker?” Ryu asked while Tate bopped her head in happiness.
Tate settled down. “Night is lonely. Maybe not all the time but he gets this look when he sees us together sometimes.”
“Is that why you never interfere in our games?”
Tate sent him a taunting look. “That’s part of earning your place in this family.”
Ryu’s smile turned wicked as he gave her a look that sent sparks shooting through Tate. “Would you like me to demonstrate how I plan to earn my place tonight?”
Her gaze dropped to his bare chest where moonlight lovingly caressed the harsh plains and chiseled grooves.
She cleared her throat. “Oh boy. Would I ever.”
Ryu took the plate from her and set it on the chair beside her bed. He leaned toward her as her hands rose, finding their way up his hard biceps and arms, and down to his chest. She was entranced at the feel of all that smooth skin under her fingertips.
Ryu hooked a finger into the sheets she still had clutched to her chest, drawing them down, his eyes never leaving hers.
There was an intensity in the way he watched her. Like she was the only woman in existence.
Her breathing sped up as her skin prickled with the need to be touched.
Tate didn’t move as the blanket dipped lower and lower. Dark appreciation glinted in Ryu’s eyes when it finally pooled in her lap.