Leena wiped tears from her cheeks and nodded. “He’s all yours.”
And with that, the goddess and the dragon turned their backs on our world. Groaning to a close, the doors sealed tight and then disappeared from the sky, but not before Celeste’s laugh and Ocnolog’s happy sigh coursed over the land.
Leena smiled up at the space where they used to be, her grin only faltering when her gaze landed upon Yazmin’s body. Her shoulders drooped, and she carefully moved to the former Crown’s side.
“She was right in a way, you know.” Leena’s words were somber. “But she let her pain and her rage consume her. She went down a dark path in the name of protecting her people. I won’t let that happen to me.”
“I know you won’t.” I moved to her side and laced my fingers with hers. “What happened with her and Ocnolog?”
“I’ll explain later. For now,” she tipped her head toward Wilheim’s castle, “let’s put an end to this war.”
And together with everyone’s beasts at our backs, we walked back to the battlefield to sort out the mess Varek and Yazmin had started.
Thirty-Nine
Leena
When Yazmin died and Ocnolog returned to the beast realm, the war had come to a standstill. Without a leader to guide them, the Sentinels had ordered their respective brigades to stand down. We walked among them, hushed whispers floating around us, as they took in Noc’s shock-white hair and ice-blue eyes. Casting aside his armor, Noc peeled back the collar of his tunic to display the griffin emblem on his chest. The Sentinels close enough to get a glimpse of the mark fell to one knee and stared at the ground.
“My king,” they’d said, and one by one the rest of the opposing army followed suit.
Noc grabbed my hand and let his voice carry to those closest, knowing they’d pass the word along to their brethren. “Your queen, Leena Edenfrell.” Murmurs of assent passed through the troops, and Noc gave my fingers a squeeze.
“It’s really over, isn’t it?” I looked out over the bloodstained field. Many had died on both sides, and it would take time for our world to heal. But their sacrifices would not be forgotten.
“Yes,” Noc said. “It’s over.”
Everything after that was a blur. I’d gained immeasurable power by taming Ocnolog, but I’d spent it all just keeping my beasts in our world. After sending them back to the beast realm, I did what I could to help, arranging for healers to tend to the wounded and a small party to seek out the captured Charmers. But my body was useless and my brain mush. One moment I was sitting on the ground beside an injured soldier and the next I was lying in a bed I didn’t recognize.
Slowly, I pushed myself into a sitting position and reclined against the upholstered headboard. Bandages had been applied to my side where Ocnolog’s fire had scalded my skin, but there wasn’t any pain—just a bone-deep exhaustion I couldn’t seem to shake. My eyes felt like sandpaper, but I forced myself to blink. To get a sense of my surroundings. The room was entirely foreign to me. I must’ve been in Wilheim, though, because I recognized the same marble flooring from when I’d raced through the halls in search of Yazmin.
I glanced about the space, taking in the quiet hearth with an ornate stone mantel. A sky-blue settee was pushed up against the foot of the bed, and a row of floor-to-ceiling windows dominated the wall to my right. Sheer curtains were pulled tight over the panes, but a soft, pink light still filtered through them. Gently, I brought my hands to my bestiary. Then, I let my fingers wander to the scar just above my breast. It was smooth and pale, as if the injury had happened years ago, and a sense of panic raced through me. Just how long had I been asleep?
“The healers tried their best, as did Kost and Felicks, but they couldn’t completely get rid of the scar.”
My gaze snapped to the doorway where Noc leaned against the wall, one ankle crossed over the other. A light smile toyed with his lips.
“How long have I been out?” I yanked back the silk sheets and went to stand, but the world tilted hard and I fell back into bed.
Noc was beside me in a flash, strong hand steady against my back. “A couple days. So like you to stick around for the thrill of battle, only to bail when the really fun process of rebuilding a city takes place.”
“Oh gods,” I mumbled, pressing a hand to my forehead. “I’m sorry.”
He only chuckled. “I’m teasing you. Besides, there isn’t really an expected recovery time for someone losing their heart.”
That made my back straighten. Slowly, I raised my gaze to his, only to find that all semblance of humor had fled. Concern and worry filled his eyes, and I reached up to smooth the wrinkles lining his forehead.
“Ocnolog has it.”
He raised a brow, waiting for me to explain further. I let out a sigh.
“It was necessary to tame him. I had to sacrifice my heart and tie my life force to him. Yazmin did the same thing, but…” I shook my head and dropped my gaze to the floor. “She only wanted to control him. Not set him free.”
“So, what does that mean for you?” Timid fingers grazed the space where my heart used to be.
Placing my hand over his, I forced him to feel the warmth of my skin. The flush of heat his touch brought on. “It means that so long as Ocnolog lives, so will I. And since he’s an immortal beast destined to remain by Celeste’s side, that means I’ve got quite a few years ahead of me.”
It’d been a risk, driving that blade through my heart on the battlefield. And falling into a pit of darkness, saying goodbye to Noc and my beasts, had been terrifying. But once I’d taken my last breath, an incredible sense of peace had settled deep within me. It was as if my tie to Ocnolog had chased away all my doubts. I would still get to live, and so would he. There’d just be a ball of light in my chest where my heart used to be. The connection point between me and Ocnolog.
