She pictured it clearly—every detail, every texture. The dappled light. The scent of honeyed fruit. The laughter echoing through the leaves.
Her eyes snapped open, and she called forth the power to open the portal.
Flame surged around her—vivid, radiant. Her body flared, made of molten light and shimmering heat. Within the blaze, her dragon coiled in silhouette, gold, red, yellow, and orange fire licking outward in rhythmic pulses.
The space before her rippled.
And within the breath of light… a doorway formed.
Not a thread this time. Not a fracture.
A true portal. Created by a Guardian Protector of the universe.
The air shimmered, revealing a perfect mirror of their home. The royal gardens of Valdier stretched beyond it. Sunlight poured through golden trees. The treehouse rose tall and proud in the distance.
Phoenix exhaled slowly and smiled. The surrounding garden glowed. The energy in the air shifted, quieted, as if listening to her commands.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s go home.”
One by one, the Dragonlings stepped forward—Roam with a loud whoop, Alice waving goodbye to Orion and Nali, Spring growling after Roam to be quiet so he wouldn’t alert their parents, and the others chattering and teasing as they passed through the portal, stepping back into the garden they’d left behind.
Phoenix’s gaze shifted to Jabir. He stood just shy of the doorway, his body still. His eyes flicked between the gardens of Valdier and Nali and Asahi.
Between the world he came from and the one that had quietly claimed a piece of his heart.
Nali offered him a gentle smile, one filled with empathy and compassion.
Jabir’s hands clenched, and he huffed out a loud breath before he took a step forward. Phoenix’s eyes burned. She could feel his struggle, until?—
He saw them.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears as her aunt and uncle stepped out from behind the treehouse
Her breath hitched when they opened their arms and Jabir surged forward.
She watched him go, feeling a sense of relief when she saw the joy ripple across his face. A swell of warmth bloomed in her chest.
She turned back to Drago, Asahi, Nali, and Orion standing together. They bowed their heads to her Aunt Ariel and her Uncle Mandra when they mouthed a heartfelt thank you over Jabir’s head. She gave them a brief smile, then turned and stepped through the portal.
Moments later, the portal between the Seven Kingdoms and Valdier shimmered closed behind her.
Valdier
* * *
The room was still—far too still, as far as Mandra was concerned, for what they were watching.
He fidgeted, switching his weight, unable to relax enough to sit or stay put. His nerves were grating on him, and he had to fold his arms tight across his chest to keep from digging them into his hair in aggravation. The low hum of anticipation in the palace conference room wasn’t helping. He kept his eyes fixed on the large viewing screen dominating the far wall—waiting, watching. The screen showed a broad, unobstructed view of the garden on the Isle of the Monsters.
A chaotic swirl of color, movement… and life.
The group of teens on the other side were laughing and horsing around, oblivious to the anxiety their little adventure had caused. They looked like they were attending a victory parade, or the family/friend get-togethers that had happened frequently since they were born.
“I’m still not sure if I should ground Roam, or congratulate him on being so innovative. He really applied everything he’s learned,” Vox muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Oh, Bálint is going to be grounded. I don’t know how he thought this would be alright,” Kelan growled, pacing back and forth in tight, quick steps. “This little stunt took about twenty years off my life.”
“Didn’t your mom tell me a story about you and your brothers—” Trisha began.
