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Together, they slowly step into the liquid gold. There must be steps I can’t see under the fluid, because they walk down by increments until the gold is up to their necks. Then they pause and look at Midas.
“May the goddess bless your union and never part you.”
The couple embraces, kisses, and with their bodies tangled together, they sink into the gold and red swirls.
The crowd is so quiet I can hear the gentle lapping of the liquid against the sides of the pool. It’s nothing like the celebration the other night. Everyone holds their breaths along with the couple. A few seconds pass. They still don’t come up. A minute passes. I look frantically from one serene face to the next, then spin my head around to look at Midas. His brow is furrowed, his attention locked on the pool.
“Are they okay?” I whisper.
“They’re in the hands of the goddess now.”
I’m not sure what that means, and I suddenly have the uneasy thought that maybe sometimes the transformation doesn’t work. Maybe it’s even dangerous. Could they drown?
No, Midas wouldn’t let me go through the transformation if he thought it might hurt me. Would he?
I can’t risk leaving Finley alone. If there’s a chance that I might not come through this alive... I guess, in addition to figuring out how to stop the challenge, I’ll need to come up with a contingency plan for my sister. Is all the risk to the two people I care about most really worth it?
The liquid stops rippling and swirling. For a moment, I think that the gold has hardened again. But just when panic cramps around my heart, two dragons burst out of the pool, flying straight up, spinning around each other in a playful dance. It’s the most breathtaking thing I’ve ever seen.
Magnificent.
Gunthor’s scales are the same shade as Jillia’s. He’s bigger, his wings broader, with a more translucent quality to them. But there’s a similarity to their appearance that feels like a glimpse into the similarity in their souls.
There’s a moment of awe, and then the crowd breaks out into cheers of celebration. When the couple drops to the floor, the woman transforms first, almost like she’s showing the man, though there are no words spoken. Then Gunther transforms. Their bodies are speckled with gold and the blood of the horde. Their faces are bright with smiles.
Someone hands them their shifts and they dress as everyone congratulates them. They look happier than I’ve ever seen anyone, smiles stretched to breaking, eyes burning with light and love.
I glance back at Midas again. Yes, I think it might be worth it.
“We feast!” Midas calls out. Platters of food are brought into the room by the youngest members of the horde and set on tables along the outside walls.
As my gaze scans the revelry, it snags on Cyrus. He’s standing back from everyone else, leaning against a pillar, like he doesn’t have a care in the world. But his eyes are locked on the couple and there’s so much longing in his gaze that it makes my ribs twist and constrict around my heart.
I know he doesn’t really want to fight his brother, but this makes me think there’s more to it than that. He wants a mate. Maybe he thinks if he’s King, the goddess will give him one in order to continue the line. Or maybe it’s something else, but I’ve never seen so much pure yearning in someone’s expression before.
Midas lifts me as he stands. “Come. We won’t stay for the party.”
“Why not? Don’t you need to be here as their King?”
He looks at me for a long moment, turning his back to the room so no one can see the softness in his expression. “I don’t want to hurt you like last time.”
“We can enjoy the party without you putting me into a mini-coma.”
He grimaces and his nostrils flare. “We leave the moment the drums start.”
I nod my acceptance of his proclamation, lifting on my toes to whisper, “Fine, but I expect to be soundly fucked when we get home.”
His eyes blaze, and his hands tighten on my hips. “Home?”
“Yes.”
“Does this mean you’re moving in?” The hope in his eyes is electric, sparking heat down my spine.
I don’t say anything, just hold his gaze and nod my head once. We both know this isn’t just about moving in. I wouldn’t move in if I was going to choose to forget him tomorrow. I’ve made my choice.
Now, I just have to figure out how to protect my dragon from his brother’s challenge. Because one thing has become clear to me over the past few days, Midas loves his brother. He’s irritated and angered by him, but he loves him. The guilt would kill him if he has to go through with this challenge. So I can’t let my choice lead to his brother's death. Or Midas’s death. Or my own.
There’s a lot to figure out.
