Page 46 of Song of Her Siren

After flying past the towering wall that held back the violent northern shore waves, then over more tall towers and rows of houses crowded around cobblestone streets, we landed in a grassy park with a multitude of colorful bushes and a pretty stream that led into a wide pond, just at the edge of another wall that encircled the entire city.

I shuddered when Isa landed hard, rattling my brain. I rubbed warmth into Aurora’s arms, worrying the flight had been too cold for my girls. The frigid air had numbed my face, and I was sure my children were even colder.

Helian dismounted first, slipping off Radnor with ease before hauling Ember into his arms. He’d wrapped a blanket around her shoulders that he must’ve retrieved from his pack. I thanked him when he took Aurora from me and helped us both down. My dragon was fortunately smaller than Radnor, and also more thoughtful by lowering her head and neck fully to the ground, making dismounting not much higher than jumping from a horse.

Helian led the girls to a nearby bench and wrapped the blanket around both of their shoulders. Their little legs dangled in the air while they snuggled each other.

“Where are we?” I asked.

“A park,” Helian said.

I tossed a glance over my shoulder at the stone buildings lining the winding road behind us. “At the edge of the city?”

He motioned toward what appeared to be a temple at the other end of the pond. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

I rubbed warmth into my arms and pressed my numb lips together. “It reminds me of Ventus.” Even though I’d only flown over it, from what I could see, Windhaven’s capital city was beautiful.

“It does.” He swept a hand toward the pond. “The water is exceptionally warm. There’s a hot spring beneath.”

When he raised his brows, I knew he wanted to go for a swim. How could I forget all those times we’d swum together on the Fallax Islands? Our time together, though brief, had been magical. It felt like forever since it had been just Helian and me. I was a little sad realizing it would never be the two of us again, though I didn’t wish to go back to those days, for I loved my daughters and Ash and Finn too much to part from them again.

“Is it safe?” I called to Helian as he went to the edge of the spring and dipped his fingertips into the water.

He stood, wiping his hands down his pants. “Ravini swim here all the time. It’s a popular swimming hole during the day.”

I cringed at that. “Maybe it’s warm because they use it as a toilet.”

He chuckled. “I don’t think so.” He motioned to a gentle waterfall cascading into the pond. “Fresh water constantly flows in and out.”

The girls jumped from their bench and went to the shoreline. “May we skip rocks, Mommy?” Aurora asked.

“Of course. Just stay close.” I plopped down onto the bench, watching as Aurora skipped rocks while Ember found smooth stones for her. Triss followed them like a loyal hound, making grunts of excitement when Aurora’s rock would sail across the pond.

Glancing behind me, I saw Radnor and Isa sitting at the edge of the forest, their tails slapping the earth like satisfied cats, their long necks entwined with one another’s. They acted like two lovestruck pups, though I knew better than to tease them. I was pleased for Isa. Hopefully, her influence would make Radnor more amenable, though I wasn’t going to get my hopes up.

Helian sat next to me.

“Where is Ash?” I asked him.

“He should be here momentarily. The dragons flew ahead of him.” He flashed a hesitant smile. “You better now?”

I hung my head in my hands while recalling my battle with Malvolia. “I shouldn’t let Malvolia get to me, but she’s such a bitch.”

“Not arguing with you there,” Helian grumbled.

I sat up, looking sideways at him. “What kind of an aunt flirts with her niece’s mate?”

He crooked a smile. “The same kind who orders her nieces’ executions when they’re still in the womb.”

Jumping from my seat, I tossed my hands in the air. “What should I do?”

“Ignore her,” he called at my back. “Focus on defeating the demons, and then we’ll deal with Malvolia.”

“You’re right.” My gaze trailed off as I watched Aurora throw stones. “I wish we didn’t have to stay here.”

“Where else would we go?” he asked.

“The Fallax Islands.” My voice broke on a plea. How badly I wanted to go. “Thesan.”

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