Page 16 of The Shifter's Queen

“But, you were unconscious! I saw them toss you into the back of the cart. Lady Fiona ordered them to toss you over the cliff,” Elizabeth said.

Harold’s eyes twinkled with mischievous. “That was their first mistake, thinking they had knocked me loopy.” He tapped his head. “I’ve a much harder head than they realized. Second was tossing me into the cart.”

He retrieved a long tube and a thin piece of wood with small red and blue feathers on one end from his waist. A wide grin spread across his face as he offered Or'Ang the long bamboo tube, who looked at it with a furrowed brow.

“What is this?” Or’Ang asked, curious.

“The man I traded with got this intriguing weapon from another man, who got it from a shifter sailor who claimed he traded for it with a small shifter on a remote island. Rumor has it that placing this small piece of wood into the larger one and blowing will instantly incapacitate any creature, big or small, before they can react. I was in the middle of a wild ride, headed for my demise, when the box popped open and everything spilled out. I always accept the Goddess' gifts with gratitude, and to my astonishment, I disabled the guards one-by-one with a single puff. I scrambled onto the seat, snatching the reins. Then Toby, Gwen, and I took off in pursuit of that shifter witch and her arrogant father," Harold said with a laugh.

Polar nodded. “We caught up with him just before dawn.”

“Yes, siree. These little things are amazing,” Harold said, tapping the tip of the dart before his eyes widened and his mouth formed a circle. “Oh, dear.”

Elizabeth gasped in shock as the dart hit the floor and her father's eyes rolled back. Polar reached out and stopped her father from falling to the hard floor. With the large shifter supporting her father, Harold emitted a snore that was broken and uneven. The sight of her father knocking himself out sent her into a fit of laughter, her body shaking uncontrollably.

“You silly old man,” she whispered fondly, smoothing his unruly hair.

“Polar, can you carry Lady Elizabeth’s father to a chamber to sleep off his adventure,” Or’Ang requested.

Polar chuckled and nodded. “Who’s the dodo now, human?”

A snort of laughter escaped Elizabeth's lips, and she instinctively covered her mouth with her hand, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. A wave of joy and relief washed over her as she watched Polar hoist her father onto his shoulder and carry him out of the room, the sound of his footsteps fading in the silence. A soft look of emotion filled Anna's eyes as she stood at the entrance.

“Cook has prepared a meal to break your fast if you are hungry, sire, my lady,” Anna announced.

As he stepped forward to guide Elizabeth to the dining hall, Or’Ang handed the long tube to Anna. Anna stared at the blowgun, her brow furrowed in confusion. She shrugged, however, and tucked it into her pocket. Elizabeth smiled at Or'Ang, her fingers twitching with anticipation, ready to pen this latest adventure to the story she was creating.

"You haven’t perchance seen my satchel, have you?” she inquired, already knowing the answer by the way his eyes twinkled.

He lifted her hand, his lips lingering on each finger, sending a jolt of electricity through her. A mischievous glint danced in his eyes as he nodded. The deep emotion in his eyes made her feel warm inside.

“Yes… and I can’t wait to read more of your amazing tales.”

Epilogue

Ten years later:

* * *

Or’Ang's sigh of regret carried with it the salty tang of the ocean and the receding view of the familiar coastline, slowly fading into the distance. The conflict between the shifters and humans had escalated, consuming every corner of the known world in a maelstrom of violence.

The human population was being decimated, leaving only the few who had escaped to his kingdom alive, their faces drawn with fear and exhaustion. He could only hope that any humans who remained found a place to hide now that his kingdom had fallen under the deluge of shifter armies, their roars overwhelming the once peaceful streets, demanding he surrender the humans he protected.

They will find nothing but empty walls echoing their hatred back at them.

His focus drifted from the shore, lingering on the sight of dozens of well provisioned ships following in his wake, their sails billowing in the wind. Oliver's message, sent a year prior, spoke of a haven – a place of peace and refuge – that was ready to welcome them. The siege of his castle had dragged on far longer than planned, stretching his resources thin, but Polar and the Guardians' escape plan had gone remarkably smoothly. The damp, sound deadening tunnels beneath the palace provided a clandestine route to the bustling shipyard docks, where the fleet of sleek, swift ships he’d commissioned awaited them. These vessels were intended to carry them across the vast ocean to the newly discovered world.

He felt a gentle pressure against his side as a slender hand slid under his coat and wrapped around his waist. Pulling Elizabeth into his embrace, he held her close, attempting to block the icy wind that nipped at their skin. The wind brushed her face, a gentle touch that made her smile as she rested her hand on the swell of her stomach.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

Her light laughter carried on the breeze and she looked up with eyes shining with excitement and mirth. His chuckles blended with hers, carrying the same excitement. He had thought he would be filled with dread and worry for his people and a sadness at leaving his home. Instead, he felt a growing sense of excitement after the past decade of uncertainty.

“You ask me that at least three times a day. I feel big, clumsy, and beautiful,” she teased.

“You are all three,” he laughed, kissing the tip of her nose before his expression softened. “I’m excited.”

“As am I. I think everyone else is as well. We’ll build a new home better than before—in a place where everyone will be safe,” she said.

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