Page 131 of Iron Hearts and Dragon Magic

River shrugged, then glanced at Anelise and her friends. “You. Out. Out of here. Out of my presence.”

The three fae disappeared quickly. They were still in a fairy circle, after all. Still, Anelise could at least have given Naia a guilty look for leaving her alone with Cynon’s vessel, but no.

Stepping towards Naia, River said, “You didn’t wait for me.”

He didn’t sound angry, but she didn’t know what he was going to do. “It was cold,” she said.

He was close enough to her that he took her hands. “You know what I like about you? You amplify my magic.”

Naia hated that. Hated… A thought hit her. The amplification wasn’t only one way. She could also have some ofhismagic, amplified on top of that, and if she got the mindmelding…

Therewasone way to mix their magic. Naia swallowed and her stomach chilled. She ran a hand over his chest. “I could amplify it even more. You’re still River, aren’t you? Just… more powerful.”

He smiled. “A lot more powerful. And improved.”

So many thoughts going through Naia. If only she could recreate their first kiss, recreate that intimacy, that exchange of magic, except that they wouldn’t be able to kiss for the first time anymore, but they could get close to another first time.

Naia tried to quiet down her anxiety and worry, as she didn’t want him to notice it, and said, “I think that if you’re still River, there’s no reason for us to be enemies. I want you to be powerful. Let me amplify your magic to its fullest potential.”

River grabbed her chin. “Speak clearly.”

It wasn’t going to be easy to recreate the feeling of their first kiss with this weird River, though. And perhaps it was all Cynon, which would be quite disgusting, if she thought about it. And she wasn’t sure if he would even be interested in her.

But she had to try to work with that part of River that was still there. “Make me yours.” The words had come out and there was no way to pull them back in, and yet Naia felt as if she were falling from a tower up above, falling, falling.

He stared at her for a long moment, while she listened to her own heart, trying to figure out what was going on through his mind. Would he kill her? Laugh at her? These were only two dreadful options among so many. Why was he taking so long for such a simple, yes-or-no answer?

After the agonizing eternity of a few seconds, he finally said, “Let’s do it right.”

Naia found herself in the hollow again, unsure where she was going, terrified of what she was about to do, unsure if it was even going to work.

* * *

Everything was so bright,and then dark again. Fel opened his eyes and saw stars. Different stars, not the ones he was used to. There was soft grass behind him, and… he was human.

As much as he had gotten used to being a dragon and felt like himself in that form, this was him, the way he’d known himself for most of his life. He was wearing the same white shirt and brown pants he’d worn… In Umbraar, when fighting the Ironhold forces. There were pieces of metal by him—his hands.

Fel sat up. Was this the after-realm? He’d always thought he’d have to cross a hallway, something, and that there would be someone to greet him. He took another look. All the moonlight and the glow of the stars allowed him to see was a valley surrounded by a ravine. He heard a bird’s cry and the rustling of leaves. This place… he knew it. This was…

His mind felt fuzzy and confused, and then a memory shook him. His last moments as a dragon, and Ekateni attacking him. Ekateni, of all people—or dragons. So strange. Leah’s city on fire. Now he was here, and didn’t even know if he was alive or what was happening.

“Feeling thankful yet?” a familiar male voice asked.

Fel got up and turned, and saw a tall man with blond hair, dark skin, and yellow eyes. Yellow eyes like everyone said his father had, but this wasn’t his father, this was someone Fel had met before.

After some moments trying to figure out why he recognized the voice, it hit him. “First Mage?”

This was odd because Fel had been told that he didn’t have a human form, but this was the place, and it was also his voice.

The great dragon chuckled. “Surprised to see me like this?”

“A little,” Fel confessed. “What am I doing here?”

“Surviving. Aren’t you glad I kept your human body safe?”

“You did?” Safe? Did it mean… Could he be that lucky? “So I didn’t die?”

The First Mage shook his head. “Sturdy, stubborn creatures we are. Unless we put both forms in danger, unless we don’t swap quickly enough. But you’re here. And you can go home now if you wish.” He pointed at Fel’s chest. “Don’t forget your gift.”

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