by JD Monroe
The girl nodded, her face slowly relaxing as the ointment sank into her skin.
“Excellent,” she said. “This will help numb the pain and continue the healing until then. No shifting, and do your best to rest.”
After seeing three more patients, Sohaila returned to her workshop to finish the brew over the fire. A thick, herbal smell hung in the humid air. Her stomach lurched, and she hurried to the window to open it. Breathing the cool air soothed her rolling stomach. From below, she heard Enalah say, “Good afternoon, sir. She’s upstairs.”
A faint smile played on her lips as she stirred the pot. He was as steady and reliable as the bells from the temple. Just outside the door, a board creaked. Then it was eerily quiet, except the thrumming heartbeat. She didn’t look back, even as his warm scent wafted over her.
“I can hear you,” she said. Heat billowed off him, warming her skin just before his hands slipped around her waist.
“I was very quiet.”
“Not that quiet.”
“Is this delicate?”
“A bit,” she said. Nerves fluttered through her as she finished stirring. He moved back, though she still felt the warmth of him around her.
She’d made many mistakes in her life, but choosing Kaldir wasn’t one of them. After the battle, she’d left him in Ironhold and traveled with Virnan and Enalah back to the temple, where she’d relinquished her claim to the Circle. Though her replacement, Iana, could barely conceal her relief, Mother Akshas had clearly been disappointed.
“This position would be far better served by one who wants it,” Sohaila had said, to which the older woman had no response. “I will always answer if you call for help, and what I learn through my own studies is yours.”
“Given your knowledge, I wish you would stay and teach the novices,” Akshas said.
“Why not send them to me if you wish them to learn from me?” she said.
“That is not how things are done.”
“It could be,” Sohaila said. She shrugged. “I thank you for everything you taught me, and I will never stop serving the Skymother. But my place lies beyond these walls.”
“I will give you the same warning I gave you before you left for war,” Akshas said. “Do not interpret your own desires as the Skymother’s will.”
She answered my call.
She had sent Kaldir back. She healed Marlena. The Skymother’s will was clear. Despite her frustration, Sohaila was gentle as she said, “And I would suggest to you that you not interpret your own fear of change as sacred tradition. Our world is always changing.”
Though Akshas had not given her the warm blessing she’d hoped for, she had not protested any further. And just two weeks ago, Koraska Mara had showed up with a letter, explaining that she was to study the art of brewing antitoxins with Sohaila.
She took down a glass jar of dried fireleaf, then measured out a spoonful into the pot. Stirring with one hand, she let her other hand hover over the surface, a web of golden light issuing from her fingers.
Then she glanced back at Kaldir. “Move this for me, please.”
He hurried, grabbing the heavy pot and moving it to a large metal basin filled halfway with water. The hot surface sizzled, sending up a cloud of steam as it sank into the water. The warming water reached up to the lip of the pot. “Now what?”
“Now it has to cool for a while,” she asid.
His hands slid to her waist again. She smiled, melting back into him as he pulled her closer. “Which means I can do this?”
“Indeed,” she said. “You’ve waited very patiently.”
“For which I should be rewarded.”
“How should you be rewarded?” She laughed as he lifted her clear off her feet, then sat down in the chair, setting her on his lap. He kissed her gently, tongue sliding past her lips to claim his reward. As one hand crept down to rest on her hip, nerves fluttered through her again. With her hand trembling, she grasped his wrist, then moved his large hand to her stomach. “Kaldir, are you prepared to stay here in Ironhold for a while?”
“With you? Of course,” he said. He stole another kiss, his hands drifting up toward her face. “Why?”
“Well,” she murmured. Her chest swelled, and she gently pressed her hands over his to trap them against her belly. “I have something to tell you.”
“It’s not the temple, is it?” he asked, his brow furrowed. “Has Mother Akshas changed her mind? She can’t have you back.”
She chuckled. “No.” Then she kissed his cheek and took a deep breath. “There’s going to be a little star soon.”
“A little star…” He frowned. She tapped on his hand and looked pointedly down at her stomach. He followed her gaze down, then snapped his head up. “Do you mean a child?”
She nodded, her eyes blurring with tears. “Yes.”
He let out a shout of victory, staring in wonder down at her belly. His hands moved across her stomach, and he peered at her intently as if he could see the tiny form growing. “Are you sure?”
“I’m very sure,” she said. “This is what I do. I felt it a few days ago. Koraska verified it this morning.” And had been promptly sworn to secrecy, at threat of being thrown in the dungeons under Ironhold.
“A baby,” he murmured. “A girl? A boy?”
“We’re not sure yet,” she said. “It’s still very early.”
“I can’t believe it,” he murmured. To her surprise, tears rolled down his cheeks. “I’m going to be…we’re going to…” he laughed again, then surreptitiously scrubbed at his eyes. Then he grasped her face, kissing her lips fervently. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Are you happy?” she asked.
“Happy? Sohaila, I have prayed for this every day since we returned to Ironhold,” he said. “I didn’t think it would be so soon.”
“To be perfectly fair, we’ve been giving it a lot of effort,” she said seriously. Traveling through the inhospitable lands of the Shadowflight, then the rocky expanses of Agni, they’d had little time alone. Upon returning to the city, they’d promptly begun making up for lost time.
“It’s not my fault that you are the most desirable woman in Ironhold.”
“It is not your fault, but it is your burden,” she agreed. She’d long given up on denying his flattery. Whether she agreed with him or not, Kaldir was no liar. This was his truth. Just a few weeks ago, she’d watched him rise from the bath, gleaming in the early morning light like a bronze statue. As raw desire rolled through her, it had struck her that he saw her exactly as she saw him. Beautiful, magnetic, and entirely hers. “What would you prefer? A strong boy like his father?”
“Or a terribly clever girl like her mother,” he mused. “It does not matter to me. Whoever the Skymother trusts to us, I will be pleased.” Then he shifted so he could kneel in front of her, gently resting his hands on her stomach. “My little star,” he murmured. “I love you already. You must grow big and strong, and I will show you every beautiful thing this world holds.” His eyes shone as he looked up at her. “I love you, my beautiful comet.”
“And I love you, my little spark,” she said. “Always have. Always will.”
If over a century of life had taught her anything, it was that everything could change in an instant. Peace could be shattered, futures could be wiped away, and old wounds could be healed in the most unexpected ways. Nothing was forever. Nothing was certain.
But this was beyond certain. They were certain. After fifty years apart, a long and difficult road had brought her exactly where she belonged, in his arms and eyes, with a tiny star burning bright on the horizon.
She gently stroked his hair, sitting in blissful silence as he rested his head against her stomach. “I can hear it,” he said.
She laughed gently. “You cannot. That is my heartbeat.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am sure,” she said.
He sighed, resting his head against her again. “I rather like the sound of that, too.”
As he lingered, murmuring silently to the little flame that had just begun to glow, she gazed out the window, looking to the distant blaze of the sun against the cloudless blue sky. Her prayers were the same as they often were, when she laid awake in the morning and watched Kaldir sleep.
Thank you for sending him back to me, and thank you for the time without, so that I could learn how to appreciate the beauty of what I now have. I will protect your gifts with every breath I take. If all that we have experienced was to lead us here, then I thank you for making something beautiful from the broken pieces. I will not waste a single second. Let your love and light guide me today and always.
Wondering what happened with Marlena and Velati?
The battle’s been won, but all isn’t quite well with our favorite frost dragon and his rebellious partner. Check out this bonus epilogue for a peek into the battle’s aftermath.
Fair warning – this scene might grab your heartstrings, make you laugh, and steam up your Kindle!
| CLICK HERE |
Dearest readers and companions on this wild journey—
If you’ve made it here, I can only assume you began with Wings of Stone and rode along on this roller coaster with me. Just the fact that you’re here blows my mind, and as I’m writing this note a few weeks ahead of publication day, I’m a bit overwhelmed. The fact that I’m here, looking at a finished series, blows my mind.
Funny enough, I wrote Wings of Stone on a bit of a whim.
“Could I write romance? Maybe I could.”
And here we are, nearly three years later with five novels, five novellas, and a whole lot of dragons flying around in our heads. Over six hundred thousand words of magic and mayhem. I learned quickly that romance was much more than a hunky shirtless man on a cover and a few blush-worthy scenes. I’m far from being a great romance writer, but it’s been such a fun journey.
One of the greatest adventures I had in writing these books was exploring what it really means to love, not only a partner, but to love a friend, a brother, a comrade, a child, a country, a whole world. When do you let your heart decide, and when do you listen to logic? Is sacrifice always noble, or can it be self-serving? How does love change the way in which we view ourselves? When does love cover over our imperfections, and when does it highlight them?
Over and over, these characters learned—as I did—that their brokenness and scars could define them without destroying them, and that the painful paths they walked had brought them to a place where they could make a choice to love or a choice to hide.
Thank you for taking a chance and stepping into my world for a few hours, for seeing where the adventure leads. I hope you’ve had as much fun as I have. While Wings of Flame is the end of the bloody era of the Chosen, there are more stories to come from the land of Ascavar, and I hope you’ll enjoy those when they come your way!
There are a number of people to whom I owe so much gratitude, not just for this book, but for this whole series.
To Gayla, who has edited this series from its first days. Your encouragement and attention to detail has kept me on my toes and sharpened this story so beautifully. Thank you for your hard work.
To Hildie and Olivia, my long-time author cheerleaders. Thank you for letting me bounce ideas off of you, for encouraging me, and gently putting me back on the path when I got distracted.
To Nadine, who didn’t shy away when I asked “how do you feel about putting a shirtless dude on a book cover?” Thank you for your patience and attention to detail on making these covers beautiful.
To Katherine, who designed the beautiful custom headers and makes these books look fabulous. She’s answered many a last-minute email with patience, grace, and perfect work. Thank you for taking care of these books so wonderfully.
To my family and friends, who have always supported me as an author. I want to list everyone, and I know I’ll forget someone. Thank you all so, so much, for the little gestures and the big ones. To my parents, thank you for being there and always believing, and for your endless optimism.
And to my lovely readers, thank you for reading. Thank you for sharing space and making time for my stories. I hope to share many more with you.
All my love—
J.D.
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Dragons of Ascavar
Midnight Flight (prequel - free on website)
Wings of Stone (Book 1)
Wings of Exile (Book 2)
Wings of Thunder (Book 3)
Dragon’s Vow (novella)
Wings of Frost (Book 4)
Dragon’s Secret (novella)
Wings of Flame (Book 5)
Dragon’s Desire (standalone)
Stolen Hoard
Hell’s Belles
Dirty Laundry (prequel - free on website)
Sweet Cherry Pie (Book 1)
J.D. Monroe is a Georgia-based author with a love for all things paranormal, magical, and downright fantastical. She has not given up on the dream of riding a dragon someday. She has written a number of paranormal and fantasy novels for both young adults and adults, including the Dragons of Ascavar series.