The display faltered, wobbling in the wind, uncertain in its freedom.
Then it exploded.
Magic burst like dragonfire—violent, radiant. Tendrils of every color erupted, warping the air in a dazzling twist. Kallias’ back went rigid, the only hint he gave of surprise.
The kite remained aloft while Father’s spell—channeled through Williard—thrashed like the limbs of a squid, writhing around bone and hide. Sunlight winked out behind the growing storm of power. The sky ignited. Magic solidified midair, a flare of blazing multi-color lines.
A beast of light burst forth, mouth yawning in a silent roar. Argos echoed the gesture overhead, wings flaring wide. The gale of his passage ripped at my dress, beating the illusionary beast away from the cliff’s edge. The spectraldragon stirred with uncanny life, body churning, neck arcing to follow its real counterpart.
Its eyes locked on us—twin stars, searing and alive. It hovered, beating its wings once as if in approval. Then it turned skyward and streaked into the air, chasing constellations.
The crowd below gasped, a chorus of awe rising as the dragon spiraled higher, its bright tail slicing the dusk. My grin ached across my cheeks, but I leaned into Kallias, his gaze fixed on the sky, head tilted back.
The creature flared—its form blinking white—then shattered. Light burst outward, fragments streaking the heavens in a cascade of color. Cheers erupted from the beach. Kites dropped as people scrambled to reel them in, eyes turned upward to follow the glowing debris. The magical remnants joined the stars above, brighter now, drifting and spinning on unseen currents.
“It’s beautiful.” The words slipped from me, barely a breath.
“It pales in comparison to you,” Kallias said. His voice settled deep, coaxing my gaze back to him. A flicker of a smile traced his lips, his eyes trailing across my face before settling on my mouth. His hand rested at my waist, gentle, a suggestion more than a pull.
The magic of the moment pulled us closer together. My heart pounded against my ribs. Heat gathered beneath my skin. I licked my lips, suddenly dry, and caught his eyes following the motion. His smile vanished.
What replaced it looked hungry—needy.
Butterflies surged low in my belly, urging me closer.
His gaze flicked past my shoulder. A breath snagged in his throat. The spark in his expression died, shuttered beneath a veil of restraint.
“This is the fun part.” I pivoted toward Williard, bowing in thanks.
Kallias mirrored the motion and followed me down the cliffside. Laughter broke out across the sand. Lovers dashed into the streets. Older couples lingered in the tide, wrapped in peaceful embraces as they watched the sparks spiral earthward.
Mother and Father stood, waves lapping at their boots. Father’s arm curled around her waist, and she leaned in, quiet and content.
I tugged Kallias toward the city.
“And what happens now, Princess?” His voice dropped low, just for me. He moved easily beside me, Greaves shadowing us the moment we hit the shore.
“You’ll dismiss Greaves.”
The guard arched a brow, his chin lifting, but his eyes never left Kallias. Stars shimmered in their brown depths. I wasn’t his queen yet. He wouldn’t take orders from me.
“Your demand insinuates you need the opposite,” Greaves said, tone flat but watchful.
“This is my people’s night. They are too busy to attack him.”
Wind surged overhead—another dragon passing low. Kallias squeezed my hand, his elbow tucked in tight, a warning to tread carefully.
“Go. I’ll return to my rooms later,” he said aloud, voice casual enough to slip beneath the revelry.
Greaves drew in a long breath. His shoulders squared as he pulled himself upright. After a pause, he stepped back. “You were easier to protect before her.” The edge in his words softened with a smirk.
Kallias scoffed and spun me toward the winding streets.
We ran.
Through alleys and passageways, past flushed cheeks and tangled limbs. His shoulder brushed mine at every turn, solid and close. A drifting fleck of magic caught on his mantle, clinging like a whisper that he was still a king—racing through the dark as a commoner.
Dragons swept overhead, wings stirring the warm night as we burst into the palace courtyard. We climbed the Spire steps two at a time.
