Page 90 of Three Scorched Kingdoms

Standing where Bingo had been moments before is a beautiful woman. She’s young, probably not any older than me, but her sparkling blue eyes contain depths of pain and a past that suggest she’s far older than her appearance conveys. Her blonde hair falls in waves down her back, swishing as she angles her body to glance down at herself in awe.

“What…?” I stammer, trying to process what I’m seeing.

She looks up and meets my eyes. “Paige.”

There’s a trace of an accent in her tone and her voice, though rich and sultry, sounds a bit scratchy and out of use.

“You’re human?” I ask.

She bites her lip, clearly self-conscious under all our scrutiny. “Air Elemental, actually.”

“How?” I manage. “How did you become a hellhound, I mean?”

And a male one at that.

“I was cursed a long time ago,” she explains falteringly. She shoots glances at the others but then focuses again on me. “An evil sorceress married my father and, in her thirst to rule my kingdom after he died, doomed me to live as a hellhound bound to the library—to the confines of the ground and walls—for aslong as it existed. But now…thanks to you, I’m free.” Her eyes glimmer with unshed tears of gratitude.

“That’s… incredible,” I say.

“That’s insane,” Blossom adds. “She changed your speciesandyour gender?” The unicorn shifter shudders. “I hope that bitch suffers.”

“She will,” Bingo says, eyes glittering with that promise.

Mag can only stare—until Blossom elbows him violently.

I glance at Leo, who’s staring at the blonde with wide eyes, a mixture of recognition and awe dawning on his face. “Bingo?” he whispers, stepping closer.

She nods, her eyes locking onto his. “My true name is Elyra.”

Some realization seems to hit Leo as his eyes widen. “That’s why you followed me around all this time,” he says, his voice choked with emotion. “You were my mate…even then.”

Mate?

Elyra smiles, tears glistening in her eyes as she steps into his arms. “Yes,” she whispers. “And now, I’m finally me again.”

A quick glance reveals the others are just as shocked as I am.

Leo pulls Elyra close and kisses her, both completely lost to anything but each other.

I can’t help but look over at Kitty with suspicion. “Are you cursed too?” I demand.

She meows up at me then sniffs and looks away.

“Apparently, a raccoon is just a raccoon,” Blossom says.

I feel Aries’s hand tighten around mine, and I turn to him, my heart swelling with love and gratitude.

“And where do you want to go, Paige Nemos?” he asks softly, his voice filled with all the promises of our future.

I smile, the answer coming to me as naturally as breathing. “Home,” I say, the word warm and full of hope.

Once, I dreamt of going out in search of my place in the world. And as I stand here, surrounded by the restoredAthenaeum and the people we love, I know that, no matter where we go, no matter what comes next, I’ve already found it.

EPILOGUE

PAIGE

Five years later

---