Page 85 of The Dragon Queen

Queen Eldinar came to my side. “Give it time.”

“It’s been hours…”

“Time passes differently across the veil.”

“How differently?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I just know it’s different. Perhaps several hours here is just minutes there.”

I found the strength to look at her directly. “Do you think he’ll come back?”

She hadn’t answered my question before, and the hardness in her expression made it seem like she wouldn’t answer now. “I won’t deny that it’s a difficult decision to make. Not only will he be healed of his scars in the Realm of Caelum, but he’ll be reunited with the woman he promised to love for all his life.”

I looked away when I pictured her face, how devastatingly beautiful she was. “She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen…besides you.”

“Love is deeper than beauty.”

“She’s kind too. She could have greeted me like an enemy, but she welcomed me like a sister.” I kept my eyes on the ground, but the image of her bright eyes filled with kindness remained in my mind.

Queen Eldinar was quiet for a long time. “If he does choose to stay with her, does that change anything?”

“I don’t understand your meaning.”

“If you knew he would stay, would you have risked your life to save him?”

My eyes remained on the ground as they filled with tears. “Of course…”

“Then whether he returns or not, his soul has been saved—and that’s what we wanted.” Her hand went to my shoulder, and she gave me a gentle squeeze. “And if he can never tell you how grateful he is, just know that he is.”

Fireflies floated in the clearing and through the trees, casting gentle illumination through the entire forest. Fires weren’t permitted in the forest, but I built a bonfire from fallen branches and lit it ablaze.

Queen Eldinar didn’t challenge it.

I sat on the grass and watched the flames, so many hours gone that it was almost a new day.

The sound of wings came from above, and when I looked up, I saw the reflection of the fire on Khazmuda’s scales as he joined me in the clearing, managing to fit in the center of the trees as long as he kept his tail curled toward his body.

We are not fused, but I can feel your pain the way you feel the heat from this bonfire. He rested his chin on his talons, his dark eyes on me.

“I don’t think he’s coming back.”

I think he will.

“I saw Vivian when I was in the Realm of Caelum. Couldn’t blame him if he chose to stay. Couldn’t hate him.”

I know he loved Vivian deeply. But that was a long time ago.

“Love doesn’t just die.”

Then why do you assume he won’t return?

“Because it’s been a very long time, Khazmuda. Almost an entire day.”

That doesn’t mean he’s not coming back, Pretty.

I did my best to suppress the tears, but they bubbled inside me and made all the muscles in my jaw tighten. My sinuses burned.

I know he’ll come back to us.