Page 122 of Bound in Blood

After Ophelia defeated the wraith, Anikêtos left to be with Elpis. Everything since has been fueled by such chaotic activity, and this feels like the first time I have had the opportunity to take a full breath. The first opportunity I have had to thank him.

His vast form blocks out the setting sun on the horizon. He comes in to land, and the swoop of his wings sends gusts of air furrowing through the trees.

He lands softly, unnaturally agile for a creature of his size.I am here.

I already sense the sorrow in the air.But not for long?

No.

You and Elpis are both leaving? She would never agree to be part of this conversation. Elpis abhors goodbyes. It is not in a dragon’s nature to indulge such human traditions, for they view the passing of time so differently. But Elpis has always been an exception to that rule. She has always been the exception to so many rules.

We are.

A strange feeling of melancholy washes over me. It is not a sadness as such, but more of a mourning. A farewell to a past that has long since disappeared and which I have held onto for far too long.

How is the Dragon Healer?

Ah, my sweet Ophelia. A much more pleasant topic of conversation.She is as good as can be expected. Fully healed with the help of blood from all her mates. She appears to have sacrificed her powers though—at least her elementai ones.

Is she saddened by this?

I recall her lying in bed last night, surrounded by the four of us. No. I believe it is something of a relief to her.

And to me.

I glance out over the grounds of Montridge and the still-smoldering embers of the burned forest in the distance. But there is little more evidence of the battle that took place here less than forty-eight hours ago.She saved the world from falling into darkness, and they will never even know her name.

There are some who will always remember her name. I shall never forget the Dragon Healer.

That is true. All who know her will remember her always, for she is unforgettable in every way. And if I am being honest, I can say I would prefer that the world at large never learns who Ophelia Hart is.

And now we can look forward to a peace that will reign for the ages.His quote from the prophecy is not delivered with his typical disdain.

That is what they say.

Anikêtos stretches his neck and scans the horizon.Already, I feel a shift in the cradle. Magic will rise again, and this time, without the shadows of the Skotádi.

That reminder of Giorgios has me swaying on my feet as guilt and sadness barrel into me.How did I not know, Anikêtos? All those years, he hid his true self from me.

The darkness has always been adept at disguising itself within the light. And there is nothing darker than wraith magic.

My heart aches for the brother I lost—not the man he was, but the one I believed him to be. Despite his assertion that I was the cause of his evil, he sowed the seeds of his own destruction when he made a deal with Salem, long before he met Elena. Perhaps Elena’s love would have turned him from the darkness,and that question will always give me pause, but it is one which can never be answered.

I feel Ophelia’s presence before I see her, and she chases away the negative emotions slinking through my veins.Thatis her true power. She may have lost her light, but she is still able to spread it wherever she goes.

“I know you’re not big on dinner, but Malachi and Osiris made a huge meal and everyone is sitting down to eat in a few. I thought it would be nice if we could all eat together.”

Yes, let us sit down to a civilized meal after we almost burned the entire campus to the ground two days ago.

She jabs me in the ribs. “Hey, I heard that.”

I wince. Although she has lost her other powers, the ones she inherited from me and the boys remain intact, and it is a struggle to keep her out of my head at all lately. Perhaps I simply do not try hard enough. “My apologies, little one, but it does seem a little…” I pause, searching for the words.

Redundant? Indulgent?Ani offers.

“Ani!” Ophelia admonishes. But then her face breaks into a huge smile, and she blinks at me. “I can still hear him too.”

Despite the circumstances, I cannot help but smile back. We both lost dear friends, and there is no avoiding the truth of that, but there is still happiness to be found if one only looks for it. “Yes you can. And he has a point, agápi mou.”

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