Page 61 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

“Triston,” Julietta whispered, and Renya watched the interaction carefully. “This is the only way.” She gave him a meaningful look, and to Renya's surprise, Triston nodded.

“Fine. We'll head to my kingdom. The path to the mountains starts in the Siren’s Sea.”

“The Siren’s Sea?” Julietta's voice quavered. “That doesn't sound...friendly.”

Renya noticed Triston's gaze softening as he looked at Julietta, the harsh lines of his mouth curving slightly. It wasn't quite a smile, but his lips definitely twitched. Renya wondered why he was trying to downplay his feelings for his mate, when they were so plain to see.

Cyrus cleared his throat. “I think we need to summon Queen Kalora to assist. Julietta, can you write to your mother? And request that she meet us at the Tidal Kingdom as soon as she possibly can?”

Julietta nodded reluctantly, and Renya wondered why she didn't want her mother at the Tidal Kingdom. Perhaps Kalora didn't approve of Triston? Renya watched as Julietta pushed food around her plate, not eating. Esmeralda did the same, and Renya felt like her friends' lives were falling into shambles all around her.

You can't control everything and everyone, Little Fawn.

She took a deep breath, Grayden's words echoing in her head. One crisis at a time. She already had enough on her plate, trying to keep her evil mother in line and growing this child in her belly. Not to mention...restoring the magic to an entire world. Perhaps her friends needed to figure out their own romantic relationships.

Phillippe's voice cut through her thoughts. “Is it settled? We can finally leave and actually accomplish something?”

Chapter Thirty

Julietta was not eager to travel to the Tidal Kingdom for a variety of reasons. First, she didn't want to ride on a dragon. As nice as it was to arrive at a destination within a few hours instead of a few days, the tradeoff of riding on an unpredictable, potentially hostile animal seemed like a disaster waiting to happen.

Secondly, she wasn't thrilled to be heading to Triston's home. The thought of being in his kingdom, in his palace...made her feel uneasy. It was easier to ignore their mating when she couldn't visualize any type of future with him, but seeing the kingdom where she potentially would live if she accepted the bond, made it a little too...real.

And finally...there was her mother. Kalora would no doubt have expected them to have sealed their bond, and the thought of her mother knowing they had slept together...or hadn’t slept together...both repulsed and horrified her. They didn't have that kind of relationship, and Julietta had never once confided in her mother about such things. The fact that Triston had to explain to her that she was very much still a maiden was perhaps the most embarrassing moment of her life.

But, being the obedient girl her mother had raised her to be, she had written, asking her to come to the Tidal Kingdom, and was currently sitting upon the back of a dragon, ready to head up into the sky.

There was a great debate as to who would ride with whom. Selenia and Sion instantly paired up, but Esmeralda and Phillippe seemed to want nothing to do with each other. Triston agreed at once to escort his sister, which left Julietta with a reluctant Phillippe. Renya and Grayden rode upon Beauty.

Cyrus and Agatha would both transport themselves and Cressida by magic, figuring it was the easiest and safest way to get her there, even if the result was weakening their magic for a few days. The night prior, there was a huge argument as to whether to take Cressida with. Triston didn't want her to step foot in his kingdom, and with good reason, but Renya and Cyrus were both worried that she would potentially have knowledge that they would need. It was finally decided that she would be housed outside of the palace, on an island belonging to the Tidal Kingdom and right on their border, but nowhere near Triston's protected city. Cyrus was the lucky one in charge of her, and Julietta couldn't imagine having to stay in a cabin, on an island with her.

Phillippe hardly spoke the entire journey, which was fine with Julietta. Instead, she just held on to him fearfully, wishing that things were different. She wished she'd never been fated to Triston. She wished that she hadn't gotten her powers back, and that life could go back to her simple existence where no one expected anything out of her, and she could just blend in with the background. But now she had magic and had the potential to rule her kingdom in her mother's place when the time came, which frightened her to no end. She didn't know the first thing about ruling, and because she had no magic before, she wasn't brought up and trained for it.

It made her feel like the whole entire trajectory of her life had just spun out of control.

Her stomach lurched as Belinia dipped down, but Phillippe seemed to be enjoying all the sensations. She glanced around the skyline, looking for Triston and Esmeralda. Triston's long hair was tied back, and she could see his lips turned into a stony look of grim determination. Julietta wanted to comfort him, wanted to tell him that she would be there by his side, and that he wouldn't have to relive the worst event of his life by himself. But instead, they tried their best to ignore each other.

Renya had told her that Cyrus wouldn't help them break their bond while there was still a chance that they could restore the magic of their world, and that they would rely on her to help. She understood, but after their discussion, Triston seemed...disappointed. She could only assume that it was because he was eager to be rid of her.

It seemed like forever before they crossed out of the dry, desert air of the Sun Realm into the heavy tropical winds of the Tidal Kingdom. Julietta had never seen Triston's ancestral lands before, and she couldn't believe how lush and colorful everything was. Every shade of green imaginable painted the rainforest below, and she could practically smell the flowers from the back of the dragon. Julietta looked ahead as Beauty started to descend, heading for a stunningly beautiful beach below. The surf was an intense shade of turquoise, and Julietta's breath was nearly snatched from her chest as she took in the beauty of Triston's kingdom. Just as Belinia landed on the soft sand, Julietta saw a pair of navy dolphins flip through the water, and she was mesmerized.

Phillippe jumped off of Belinia's back and then helped Julietta down. Selenia and Sion landed next to them, and she could see Triston and Esmeralda a little bit up the beach. Triston was staring daggers at Phillippe, but Julietta couldn't fathom why, until she felt a subtle wave of unhappiness coming from him. Was he mad at Phillippe? But why?

The beach was warm, but instead of a dry heat, like at the Sun Realm, she instantly felt sticky and damp from the humidity.

Renya and Grayden marched down the beach together, towards Triston. Julietta could hear them trying to decide where to house the dragons.

“I think the island would be the best spot,” Triston said.

“I agree,” Esmeralda joined in. “Our people would be...most uneasy of their presence. Plus, the area around the island is full of fish, so they can hunt and not come too near the coastal villages.”

Renya agreed and looked at Grayden. “We'll take them over there. We've been there before.”

Julietta remembered that they had spent their honeymoon upon the private island, loaned to them by Triston and his sister as a wedding present.

“No, I'll do it, Sunshine.” Cyrus smiled sweetly at his daughter. “You need to rest some, too.”

Renya looked like she might refuse, but Grayden gently reached out and pressed his hand on her shoulder.

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