Page 26 of Three Scorched Kingdoms

Blossom pales, and I wince realizing the word “married” might have been a bit much for her—even as a joke.

“Twenty-seven is not old,” Mag protests, slicing through the tension until there’s none left. He looks at me. “Aren’t I only two years older than you?”

“Only two?” I ask sweetly. “Feels like twenty.”

Blossom snorts. “That’s what happens when you age four times slower than anyone else,” she says.

Mag and Blossom both come from worlds where time works a bit differently. The gargoyle might only look twenty-seven by this world’s standards, but the real question is how long he’s been that way. Blossom’s done a better job at keeping her age a secret than him, though.

Mag eyes her, but he clearly values his life enough to know better than to ask how old she is. She doesn’t offer it up, either.

“So, is your royal boy toy busy somewhere, being the big, bad dragon king?” Blossom asks me.

“He went off to train with Leo. He said he would be back soon, but I figured I would see how you all are settling in.”

“You didn’t want to be alone,” she says knowingly.

“Nah, she just missed looking at a handsome mug all day,” Mag jokes.

“All she had to do was call any of us,” Ned cuts in.

“Definitely.” I wink at the gnome.

I’m so glad that we’re on better terms. We hit a rough patch for a while after I took over as Head Librarian. But even after all the bumps in the road, we’re still family to one another.

“Well?” Blossom prompts after a beat of silence. “Are you going to finally tell us what happened to you when Constantine tossed you into that portal with Oliver?”

I nod, knowing it’s time.

Mag and Blossom and even the gnomes are completely silent as I fill them in on what I saw. Watching Constantine consume my home world, including my birth family, and then watching myself remake it—all except for the people I wanted most tosave. Then, I told them about seeing myself arrive at the library. Hoc taking me in. Saving me. Protecting me. And finally, about Constantine’s presence there all these years, biding his time, growing slowly stronger—and more determined to drain me forever.

“So, your magic is about recreating,” Blossom says.

I nod.

“That’s how you were able to make that portal for us,” Mag says.

“It was a recreation of something that had been before,” I tell them.

“That’s amazing,” Blossom says.

I flash a tight half-smile. “Yeah.”

Mag’s brows crinkle, and he opens his mouth, but Blossom cuts him off.

“So. The princes are training, hmm?” She points to the doors that open to a small balcony. “Maybe we can see from out there.”

“Worth a shot,” I say, relieved she’s changing the subject.

Mag, to his benefit, lets it go too.

For now.

I follow Blossom onto the balcony and look down to see a large training area where a crowd is gathered. In the center is Aries. Leo too, but I have eyes only for my dragon.

As if he can sense me, and maybe he can, Aries looks up at me and waves. I can’t help myself. I blow him a kiss.

“Really?” Mag arches a brow. “We’re the disgusting ones?”

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