Page 17 of The Lost Nation

We flew over the island in silence, taking in the vastness of the sea that stretched beyond it. When we grew tired, we rested in a shady grove that overlooked a waterfall. I shot Wren a coy glance, still curious about something.“Tell me about the dark draken I saw. The one who refused you.”

Wren’s face flushed red, and she sputtered. “That’s not...don’t ask me about him.”

I huffed.“Why not? I will tell you anything you wish to know about my time in the fortress. Words and memories only have the power that we give them.”

Wren took a few breaths, visibly attempting to calm herself. “There’s not much to tell. He’s half-demon, half-draken. Everyone thought he was human, only for him to end up being a creature.”

“Like you,” I pointed out. Her face crumbled, and I continued carefully.“Do you think that connection was the basis for a mateship? Ronan mentioned that Thad imprisoned you. That would complicate things.”

Wren'shead shot up. “You talk to Ronan?” She asked, incredulous.

Wren’s third mate was not threatening like the other drakens were, and easy to approach. So was her red-headed mate, but he was rarely in the same place for long. Ronan was always usually perched at his desk in their treehouse.

I shrugged.“The other female drakens are hardly good company. Ronan and I compare notes sometimes. He is trying to write down as much female lore as I can recall...just in case. For you."

Wren looked weary then, and much older than her twenty-some years. “I’m not much of a queen, am I?”

I snorted. “If you are looking for me to validate you, look elsewhere. I’d think after battling demons and freeing us you’d wouldn’t need it. This island could sing your praises for a century but it won’t matter if you don’t believe in yourself.”

Wren’s head cocked to the side. “I wish I were more bold like you. I am better than I was, but still.”

I stood, having rested enough. I shook out my wings, and gave her a sarcastic look over my shoulder. “Then go be more bold. No one is stopping you butyou.”

Wren frowned, and I leapt into the air. “Tomorrow then? That’s when Ronan leaves.”

“Fine!” I called back, and wheeled off into the sky. The sandy beaches of the eastern shore were calling my name, and the best part was that it was uninhabited.

Except today it wasn’t.

A massive, blackcreaturelay on the beach just sunning itself. Its black skin was hard like magma, but at its joints red hot lava could be seen coursing between the creases like blood.

I blinked and realized there was a second, much smaller figure sitting casually next to it. A witch?

I landed a fair bit away, not wanting to alarm the monster. Had he taken the witch hostage? She didn’tlooklike she was in distress, laughing and pointing out something in the water to the massive beast.

I stepped towards them.“H-hello?”

The witch whipped around, and the beast immediately crouched on all fours, growling at me to stay away. Fire sparked at the witch’s fingertips, but extinguished when she saw it was me. “Oh. Hello. You aren’t Wren.”

I snorted. “May I share your beach?”

I shot a wary glance at the monster next to her, but the witch smiled broadly. “Oh yes! I miss having others around. Baila and I get lonely sometimes.”

I glanced again at the massive monster, wondering if it was a demon of some kind. It looked like it should have been dwelling inside the volcano or a mountain, not casually enjoying the shore like it was on a daytrip.

Well, that wasn’t exactly fair. Monster deserved vacations too, right? Maybe I was going crazy. Perhaps I was still trapped in the demon fortress, and my mind had created this entire alternate reality—

“Come meet Baila properly.”The witch urged me.

The name dragged me up from my internal rantings, and chimed some familiar bell deep inside of my memories. Baila.Baila.

I stared up at the creature, who looked at me with suchawarenessand understanding.Yet the thought that was plaguing me remained out of reach, just beyond my fingertips.

"What’s your name again?” I asked thewitch.

“Luci,” she replied happily.

I sat down next to her, the giant bulk of the creature providing shade enough for the both of us. “Why does no one visit you?” I prodded. The creature was alarming at first glance, but seemed docile enough. Its continued staring was unnerving, though.

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