Page 34 of A Story of Mates and Temptation

My heart warms as tears fall down my face. I walk up to her and I rest my head against hers, feeling the heat of her breath against my body. “I have been very blessed to be your rider,” I whisper out loud. “And make sure this isn’t forever. I want to see you again, Maeve. One day. Fly with you one more time.”

“We will fly once more, Story Moonsilver. Queen of the legendary Moon Dynasty.” A sharp beat of wings cuts through the air as she spreads them wide, her brilliant, massive wings glinting in the light. She takes off into the sky, shaking the ground at my feet, and I watch her fly into the sun. I rememberher words to me when we first bonded, and I cling to them as she flies.

“We are bonded through time and generations, through birth and rebirth. There is no space, no world, that will ever part a rider and their dragon. You are my rider, Story Dehana and the deities above us.”

She doesn’t look back.

My eyes lower to the mansion, and I wipe my tears away because I’m not sad. No. This is a happy moment. We are all free in our own ways.

I walk toward the mansion, to the library of books that has always felt like home.

Being a dragon rider saved me, set me free, and now, she is free, too.

Chapter Nineteen

Months later…

Page Nineteen. I wish I could tell the writers of this book that the world they fought for has come to be, but instead, I will write for my children to read of our history. Of the dynasties that returned.

“By the light of the dawn, you are wed.” I clap again, wanting to jump with joy, but my giant pregnant belly makes that nearly impossible. The glowing light of the dawn casts over my mother and Mazzis as they embrace, like a kiss of true love, haloed forever. I can’t take my eyes off them, off how they glow like deities for just a second. I find my eyes turning to my husband, who is clapping for them, and he is glowing too with a lightness to his soul I enjoy seeing every day.

It’s been over six months since the war, and yet, six months feels like a lifetime because we can live in peace. Ziven’s eyes drop down to me, those beautiful silver eyes, and I reach up to brush alock of his dark hair to the side. My husband. My king. He holds his arm around my waist as the crowd still cheers for them, and his smile is bright—bright enough that he can warm every inch of me. His stunning crown is nestled in his hair, and I like him wearing it. “My king,” I murmur. It matches my crown, which is the same colour as the night black dress I’m wearing. Everyone from the Moon Dynasty is in silver or black, mixed in with the Dawn Dynasty oranges throughout the crowd.

His grin is wicked as he leans down to kiss the tip of my ear. “Yes, my queen?”

“I love you,” I send to his mind.

“And I you,” he effortlessly replies. I lean on him for support as my mother laughs and Mazzis spins her around in a circle. It makes me think about the moment they first met. It took me weeks to find time to take my mother to the mansion. She fell in love with Mazzis from the moment she met him, and he told me that she might be the most stunning thing he has ever seen, even more than any book he has read. He might as well have proposed to her right there and then.

I didn’t think my mother would ever love again after my father, but with them, it is easy to see they were meant to be together in this lifetime. The two of them might not be entwined mates, but they didn’t need a bond, nothing, because it was just them always. Mazzis asked for my permission to marry her, which I thought was sweet, and he proposed a month ago. Neither of them wanted to wait long; they waited a long time to meet each other already.

Cheers echo all around us as everyone claps so loud I feel the vibrations in the air. Our people begin to throw petals as my mother and Mazzis walk hand in hand, her beautiful orangedress—the colour of sunsets—brushing against the ground. She stops near us and she comes right up to me, kisses my cheek, touches my bump, and nods her head to Ziven. “A blessing.”

I know exactly what she means. Mazzis waits for her as she heads back to him, and they continue down the pathway between the groups of people who came to see. We watch them go before they walk off straight into the centre of the courtyard, where we’re staying while the Moon Dynasty castle is being built. So much is being built that it’s hard to keep track, but I know Calix is in charge or managing the construction, and Avaluna is organising the homes for everyone.

Ziven has been working every hour of every day to ensure peace, and I help wherever I can. Shadows make a good job of lifting up the thousands of bricks that will form the towering, beautiful white castle that sits right on the edge of the coast to the west. The new town spreads around it, being built by everyone who wants to be close, and it makes the shape of a crescent moon.

It will be beautiful when it’s done, and it’s our home. Our city. A city of peace.

Hettie rushes up to me, a beautiful little tiara sitting in her hair, one that has a sun symbol and a moon circled around each other—a sign of who she is now. Her dress matches that, a yellow dress with a black moon stitched into the skirt and vest. Daegan marked her as his heir, his sole living heir, from the moment that he claimed his city. Ziven did the same, along with my blessing. No matter what children we have, Hettie will rule, because it’s meant to be that way. The Sun and Moon Dynasties have always been apart, and being apart was the reason everything went wrong in the first place. With Hettie on the throne for both, guided by us all, the world will know unity.

“Uncle Daegan’s sent a gift along with the wedding present.” She holds it up—the brightest yellow flower encased in a glass box. “Isn’t it beautiful? He says it’s from his new friend who works with plants.”

“Oh?” I raise a brow. “Did he say anything else about this new friend of his?”

“No, but I’m sure I’ll meet her when I go to visit in two months’ time.” She grins. “Mama, will you dance?”

My heart leaps every time she calls me mama, and she has been doing so since the war. “I’m sure you will, but no to the dancing. My feet may fall off.”

“Will you dance with me instead?” Ziven offers her. “Story will need to rest.”

Hettie giggles as I roll my eyes. “And as we’ve talked about before, your uncle is right on only this one occasion.”

Ziven takes her onto the dance floor, where people are already dancing, the soft sound of piano and violins filling the air.

Avaluna comes to my side, looping her arm through mine just as Catherine sees us and comes over. “I’m surprised Calix hasn’t got you on the dance floor immediately,” Catherine teases.

“I escaped by saying Story needed some support with that giant baby bump of hers.” She touches my bump. I haven’t got used to that yet. The touching, the bump, and I’m not sure I will. I know it’s a nice gesture, but it’s still strange to me. “When is this lovely darling child arriving?”

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