Page 11 of 3013: Dreamer

Giving up on the idea of going home early, she grabbed the champagne bottle again and drank. Since she had the day off tomorrow, she might as well celebrate.

Chapter Four

Prince Kyryl Luxhad to admit defeat.

That didn’t happen often.

In fact, it never did. And yet, there he was, acknowledging that he was wrong. He wasn’t bothered by that, though. Actually, he was quite relieved about it.

He had arrived on Earth several days ago expecting his sister, Alestra, and her new mate, Jais, would be ready to return home to Ilius with him. He’d been sure she would be glad to leave the primitive world behind but had been surprised to discover she loved her new home.

Despite the lack of magic, the current state of Earth wasn’t as bad as he originally thought it would be. A great deal had changed since his last visit to the human home world. That wasn’t surprising since the last time had been during an active war.

Kyryl and a few others had arrived just in time to help turn the tide against the Zyphir, an alien race of insect-like creatures that had tried to colonize Earth. He hadn’t stuck around to witness the aftermath of the war, but he had heard enough over the years to be sure they had recovered.

Earth was an interesting mix of people and places. He liked the magnificent cities filled with towering buildings and enjoyed the diversity of the individuals who lived there. He was fascinated by the advancement of technology but was appalled by the absence of nature within the cities.

Alestra’s new home, Exodus, was the exception.

Part of that was due to her influence, while the rest came from their cousin, Jade Vyper, and her mates, Rogan and Lucian Adaro. Using a mix of Ilius and Dragon Warrior magic, they hadturned the Krytos-owned sanctuary into their own little magical kingdom.

There was a mix of glowing flowers and exotic fruit trees from the Ilius home world and Arcadia, the home of the Dragon Warriors, that surrounded the various buildings on the property. The magnificent palaces and elaborate high rises where the residents lived were located on beautiful islands that floated off the coast of the mainland.

Those structures were surrounded by more lavish foliage, merging civilization and nature into perfect harmony.

Kyryl had been pleased to see that his sister, her mate, and their cousins lived in palaces that were replicas of their home back on Ilius. It suited their status not just as the owners of the sanctuary, but as members of the royal family. His relief wasn’t just based on arrogance, either. It was a security issue. If he was going to be leaving his sister and his new nephew, Jyn, on Earth, Kyryl needed to know they were as safe as they could possibly be.

Thinking about that, he gently rubbed his nephew’s back as the baby slept peacefully on his chest. They were sitting on a rocking swing that had been placed in the beautiful rooftop garden of Alestra’s palace, looking out over the majestic skyline of the city. It was his favorite place on the property since he liked seeing all the buildings lit up like signs of life against the inky blackness of the night sky.

The City of Zion was known for being unique since it was the only location that hadn’t been destroyed during the war with the Zyphir. The blend of modern buildings and historic old structures was interesting, and the magical grounds of the massive sanctuary made it even more intriguing.

Exodus was an officially designated sanctuary, which meant it existed outside of the Alliance’s control. They operated by their own rules, and anyone stepping onto the property was subject to their laws. However, from what Kyryl had witnessed,their authority clearly reached far beyond the boundaries of the sanctuary.

That wasn’t surprising since he knew how imposing his older sister could be when it came to protecting the people she loved. And now, she considered everyone who lived in the sanctuary part of her extended family.

Kyryl appreciated the concept of sanctuaries, though he thought the need for them was shameful. Since the Ilius were a peaceful race, there wasn’t a need for such things back on his home world.

Of course, that hadn’t always been the case.

Ilius was an ancient world that had existed a lot longer than Earth. Long enough for those who lived there to have experienced a vast amount of growth and transformation. There had been plenty of difficult times along the way, but they had reached a point where everything had balanced out, and they finally understood the futility of fighting wars over material possessions and petty differences.

Now, their existence meant more than just living.

It meant they had attained true enlightenment.

Ilius was a magical paradise where all life flourished. The Ilius lived quiet, tranquil lives, spending most of their time with their loved ones and cultivating their magic. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t fight. They were a peaceful yet powerful race, and if anyone was foolish enough to attack them, they did so at their own peril.

They didn’t start wars. They simply ended them.

Since they were known for their extraordinary control over their magic, many Dragon Warriors traveled to Ilius in order to learn from them. While Ilius magic was more elemental in nature and not as multifaceted as Dragon Warriors’ abilities, the foundation of power was the same.

Magic came from within a user’s core. It was part of their very essence, but using it wasn’t all instinctive. To develop all of their powers and tap into one’s full potential, the Ilius had learned that meditation and mental preparation were just as vital as physical training.

Despite how powerful they were, many Dragon Warriors had a difficult time quieting their minds, which inhibited their abilities. For those struggling with control issues, studying on Ilius helped them overcome those blocks. Through the continued sharing of resources and knowledge, they had become the closest allies.

But that wasn’t the only thing that connected the two magical races.

The discovery of several mated pairings had helped unite the Ilius and Dragon Warriors. Fated mates were respected above all else, and there was nothing that could come between a bonded pair. Because of that connection, the two magical planets had also forged a bond that would last forever.