Page 139 of Fae Reckoning

As Finn-who-wasn’t-Finn walked back through the wide-eyed and wide-mouthed throng, Elowyn dipped her forehead to the earth. Her crown didn’t so much as slide.

I lowered myself to her side to do the same, and with our fingers intertwined, we dug them into the dirt. It hummed beneath my touch, a tune I now recognized as the very same that sang through my own blood.

Being king wasn’t about flaunting influence and power in a court, artificial and removed from the natural world that supported it. Being a true king meant always remembering that a real balance requiredallelements, andallcreatures and people of the fae. It required a constant connection to the foundation that held everything else up.

The foundation of all that truly mattered.

From behind us, Hiroshi called out, “Forever as one in the light! Forever divided in the darkness!”

The call was echoed over and over and over again.

Until I arched up to add a new verse to the familiar rallying call of the fae.

“Forever united in the balance of both!”

When the call was resumed, the third component of it was repeated too.

The healing of the Mirror World had truly begun.

EPILOGUE

EIGHT YEARS LATER ~ ELOWYN

Beyond the tall windows of the council room, it was a gorgeous, sunny day. Dozens of dragons swooped through the sky. Younglings who were still learning their limits were playing. Most of the dragons, however, were moving through training maneuvers, led by Einar and Máda, the sapphire-blue she-dragon who’d eventually shared part of her name with me.

The very first of my and Rush’s official acts had been to rescind Erasmus’ standing order to kill all dragons on sight. The next had been to remove the dragons’ heads from the pillars and return the pedestals to their original purpose, which was to allow the magnificent creatures to perch throughout the city.

Even after that, and even though the dragons had grown to trust both me and Rush, who’d forged his own connection with the creatures and could now speak with Saffron as readily as I, they were unwilling to be complacent.

Rush and I weren’t willing to be either. Better that we all know how to defend ourselves and the principles for which we stood, just in case.

Any maleor femalewho wanted to learn how to fight was now able to train. We’d built an academy and barracks on palace grounds to accommodate the growing numbers of fae determined to fully empower themselves. Ramana had become a fierce soldier, who’d stayed on as a teacher to help train new students.

And it wasn’t just weapons and grappling we focused on. As the land had begun to thrive, the earth and its crops becoming abundant once more, we’d had the resources to build a school for the magical arts as well. Some students attended both academies. Next, we’d be setting up a situation that would teach the dragons and fae to fight together. That step was still in progress. The dragons were a temperamental bunch who couldbreathe fire, and that was just one of their built-in weapons. We planned to tread lightly and get it right the first time.

With his wings tucked tightly to his body, Einar dove through a V formation of dragons, forcing them to disperse. One dragon jerked clumsily, losing altitude and rolling before he regained his balance. Máda’s demanding stare was trained on him. No doubt he’d be hearing about his mistakes. I’d learned early on not to interfere with the dragons’ ways of doing things. After all, I wasdragon queenin name only. The dragons ruled themselves in balance with the fae.

I projected to Einar, who’d circled around and was now coasting on his giant wingspan.

Over the passing years, I’d learned to interpret the many variations of his grunted response. Thesehuuuuhs had a bit of preen to them.

I grunted, barely smothering a laugh as I sensed his confusion roll across our bond.

That was what I liked to call,back atcha, buddy.

Einar asked.

He was chuckling as he dove through the squadron of dragons a second time.

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