Page 84 of The Dragon Queen
I bowed my head as I heard the praise I never thought I’d earn.
“Now we know peace—because of you.” She pulled her hands away from my arms and gave me that affectionate smile, like all she wanted was for me to feel better, like she would say and do anything to make that happen. “You’ve been burdened with pain and regret for so long. Now it’s time that you know peace.”
I still felt undeserving of it, but I nodded anyway.
“Riviana has offered you a choice. To remain here and heal in her light—or return to the land of the living.”
I inhaled a deep breath, feeling the unease grip me once more.
She watched me with those beautiful eyes, drinking in my stare just the way she did when we spotted each other across the room, when we made love in the firelight. A connection that couldn’t be severed by any passage of time. “As much as I want you here with me, I know you belong to someone else now.”
Guilt rushed through me, the kind that made me grind my teeth to stop the pain. I couldn’t look at her, and my eyes flicked elsewhere because of the shame.
Her fingers found my chin and gently tugged me back to her. “Do not be sorry. Love is a beautiful thing, and I’m glad you found it again.” She didn’t smile at me the way she did when she tried to comfort me, but her eyes showed her sincerity. “My interaction with Calista was brief, but I know her love for you is as pure as Riviana’s light. She is worthy of your love—and that’s all I can ask for.”
“Vivian…” Tears continued to drip down my cheeks. “I waited a long time after I lost you…decades.”
“I know.” She cupped my cheek as her eyes watered. “I know you carried a vigil for me in your heart that burned so hot I could feel it from here. I felt you enter Bahamut’s lands and tried to stop you with my voice, but you couldn’t hear me.”
“I did it hear it…” But I’d ignored it. “I didn’t deserve to see you again, not after how I failed you and…Lena. I wanted to be condemned to the underworld as punishment for what I’d done.”
Her eyes watered more. “You did not fail us. Forgive yourself.” Her hand went to my chest. “Forgive yourself and be in peace, Talon.”
My hand went to hers, and I gripped it tight. “I never thought I could love again. I had no intention of it.”
Her watery eyes remained on mine. “Then she really is special, Talon.”
I didn’t want to hurt her by talking about my love for someone else. I felt like shit for every word that came out of my mouth. “I’m sorry?—”
“Don’t be.” She squeezed my hand. “Our love will endure as it has all this time—but now it has to change. I want you to be happy, to love someone with all your heart, to marry and have children.”
I bowed my head because the guilt was overwhelming. She’d wanted to be a mother as much as I wanted to be a father. It wasn’t right that I got to enjoy that happiness and she didn’t, not when she was more innocent than I would ever be.
“And I know if this were reversed, you would feel the same way.”
I shook my head. “I would beg you to stay with me.”
A painful smile moved on to her lips. “You would want to, but you wouldn’t.” Her eyes watered further, but no tears fell. She suppressed them as much as she could. “It’s time to go, Talon.”
I gripped her hand tighter before it slipped. “You will always be in my heart, Vivian.”
She pulled her hand from mine, but let our fingers brush before she drew away for good. “And you will always be in mine, Talon.” She let our skin touch, smiling through the tears the came down her cheeks, her light burning brighter. She let the touch linger for another instant before she severed our contact. “It’s time for us to let go.”
Chapter 23
Calista
I stood before the Great Tree, on the wooden dais the elves had erected there, the one where we’d fought the dark elves before they reached the door to the Realm of Caelum. Queen Eldinar remained with me and my uncle before the clearing, the place that had grown bigger since all the trees had burned down in the battle. The stumps had been cleared so new life could begin again.
When we’d left the underworld, Riviana brought us here, but we hadn’t seen or spoken to her since. It’d been hours and she didn’t reappear.
Neither did Talon.
I looked up at the sky and saw how the location of the sun had changed with the passage of time. Our eyes had been connected briefly, our hands locked together before they were savagely ripped apart.
Was that the last time I would ever see him?
“I don’t think he’s coming back.” I watched the light shine through the canopy, looked at the birds as they hopped acrossthe branches and sand their song. A painful chasm opened in my heart.