Page 99 of Galadon
Rayna joined me, with her hands clasped to each of our two sons. The eldest, twelve years old, had her hair and skin coloring, but he’d eclipse her height before long and likely grow as tall and large as me. The youngest, at eight years old, had my black hair, muted olive skin, and a look in his yellow eyes like he already wanted to take on the world. I suspected it wouldn’t be long before he could fly, despite most shifter children needing a few more years to build up wing and body strength. His older brother had begun flying early and already had impressive endurance.
“I can’t believe we’re back,” Rayna said, gazing around her.
I frowned at the area where the artifact had been that still flourished with alien plant life. “Little has changed.”
“Boys,” she said, glancing between them. “This is Earth, where your father and I once called home.”
I almost laughed at the unimpressed expressions on their faces. They’d asked to see their parents’ home world many times, but unfortunately, the fairy circle didn’t open to a more interesting location on Earth. It also appeared we’d arrived in late summer when the plant colors were rather dull.
“There is nothing here,” our eldest said.
My youngest son wrinkled his nose. “The magic is weird, and there are no people or homes.”
“There are.” I put a hand on his shoulder. “By necessity, the fairy ring needed to be in a remote location, but we will travel to more interesting places and visit friends.”
Titan and my mother finally appeared through the portal, having also chosen to return for a visit. They blinked, taking in their surroundings the same way we did. It wasn’t only the sights and smells that were different on Earth, but also, the magic. Here, it was wild and less tangible, as if it still hadn’t fully sunken into the planet and didn’t know if it should.
The realm where Rayna and I had settled was thick and vibrant with power—so much so that it was easier to control and manipulate. Of course, that planet had its unique disadvantages, but we knew soon after arriving there that we’d come to our true home, despite it being far from Earth. It had felt right.
We’d only returned this once to keep a promise.
Three more figures emerged from the still-glowing portal. Aella, a female with light golden skin, pointed ears, and golden-blond hair in multiple hues, took the lead and stepped onto the wilted grass. Behind her, a male and female elf with a mixture ofblack and brown hair followed. Their skin was a light sand color, and they had pointed ears with dark tips. All of them had wary looks on their faces, though they’d been here once before, long ago. Despite that, Earth must have still felt particularly foreign to them with its thinner, untamed magic. I could hardly blame them.
Movement in the sky caught my gaze, and I spotted a group of red, orange, and gold dragons flying toward us. The largest among them, Aidan, was the easiest to recognize, especially as he held his mate in his arms. To my surprise, several smaller dragons of various sizes flew with the adults.
I’d expected Lorcan to appear soon since he’d have guards along the border who would alert him if the ring activated, but I hadn’t anticipated anyone from the Taugud would greet us as well, considering the distance. It had been even less likely that they’d bring their offspring, except perhaps the eldest, who’d be young adults now.
“Friends?” the male elf asked, flexing his hands in case he needed to act quickly. Zorya help anyone who got in the way of Darrow. His sword skills and magic were lethal, which I’d witnessed many times over the years.
“Yes, and they’ve trusted us enough to bring their children, so please do not do anything to put them on their guard,” I said. As a parent now, I would react ruthlessly to any threat to my offspring.
Darrow nodded and relaxed his posture. “Of course.”
A moment later, the dragons landed and began shifting. We moved away from the ring and waited patiently as, one by one, they transitioned to their human forms. Bailey, of course, could make her way over and greet us right away.
“Took you guys long enough,” the slayer said, giving us a hard look before it transformed into a broad smile. “But better late than never.”
Rayna rushed toward the slayer and embraced her. “I missed you. It’s just that we wanted to wait until the boys were old enough to travel before bringing them.”
Aella, the blonde female elf, cleared her throat and moved closer. “It is also my fault. Opening a portal to another world requires a massive amount of energy I do not innately have, in addition to a great deal of preparation. Our planets must be in perfect alignment for a set period, which is rare. I told Rayna I would happily do it one time when she was ready to visit, but I’d rather not make a habit of it.”
In fact, there were only three previous opportunities when we could have made the journey, but other circumstances prevented us, such as Rayna being pregnant during one of them.
“How long will you have here?” Bailey asked.
Aella smiled kindly. “Twelve days is the window we have.”
“It’s longer than last time,” Rayna added.
We’d had to make a lot of decisions quickly when the elves visited before.
Aidan finished his shift, along with another young male beside him, it took me a moment to recognize Orion. He was fully grown now—twenty-four years old by my calculation—and had a sturdy warrior build, though his gaze reflected the wisdom of a centuries-old seer.
“Welcome,” Aidan said as we clasped arms.
I gave his forearm a gentle squeeze before letting go. “Thank you for being here to greet us.”
Orion gave me an apologetic look. “I tried to time it, so we’d be here shortly before you arrived, but the younger dragons required more breaks from flying than I anticipated.”
