“Veskor,” I said.
“No. Him.” Nasi interrupted me, pointing at Kieran. “The draken you said I favored.”
“Name? Oh! Who do you look like? Er … Meckar. Or Vilhem. Both had gold scales?—”
“Vilhem.” Nasi rolled the name around in his mouth, as if tasting it.
“You do favor him.” I admitted. Vilhem had been close to my family, one of the royal guards who I’d grown up with. He’d been too old to fight on Dorea during the war, instead staying on the island to guard my mother and grandmother. I assumed like everyone, he’d died when the volcano erupted.
Nasi’s head tilted to the side, brow furrowed as he thought hard. “Names swirl in my mind, made up or not. Vilhem. Benedict. Fane. Sakala.”
I jerked at hearing my parents’ names coming from this foreign draken’s mouth.
“Yes! The old king and queen: Benedict’s parents!” Kieran exclaimed, practically jumping up and down in excitement. Wren’s eyes went wide.
The hairs on the back of my neck rose. Ghosts rose in my mind.
“You remember them?” I whispered, my throat going dry.
Color bled into Nasi’s cheeks. “I was young when the volcano erupted. I was thrown into the ocean, and I went feral left alone as my mind festered. Only with Kaida’s help did the memories come back.”
Kieran shook his head. “Domik’s gonna have a field day with you. And Ronan, when he returns.”
A small smile twisted the edges of my mouth.
For the first time since flying south, I was afraid—not for us, but for what waited beyond the edge of these, new,fragile friendships. And for the bloodline that had come back not to haunt me, but to help.
“We will leave you to rest, and wait outside when you are ready to discuss plans,” Canavar said. “Besides, we are eager to explore the island, if that is all right with you.”
My head bobbed, granting him permission.
The four of them bowed their heads and eagerly made their way outside to the platform. Kaida was already exclaiming on the intricacy of our interconnected tree bridges, and Canavar loudly wondered what the fruits were like.
“I must speak to him, eventually,” I muttered as Wren and Kieran both hugged me.
“Well, obviously. They probably have so many stories?—”
I shook my head at Kieran. “No, you don’t understand. He wasthere, Kieran. He may be the only one left who survived. Whosawit.”
Kieran’s eyes lit in understanding, but Wren shook her head. “What? Saw what?”
I met her concerned look with my own haunted gaze. “The day Lyoness died.”
Chapter Sixteen
BENEDICT
We had finally gotten Wren settled into her nest and sleeping, and I prayed she’d stay that way for a while. I did not like the darkening circles under her eyes, or the way her jaw had held tension the past few days.
That done, it was time to send off Canavar and Nasi.
Our small council met at the top of the eastern cliffs, the wind vicious as it whipped our hair into our eyes. Kaida was wrapped around her mate, while Nerissa and Canavar were more restrained, but no less intense in their goodbyes.
I ground my fangs.
“Easy, Benedict. We know you want to go,” Kaida soothed me, grabbing my arm.
“In my opinion he has the harder job, consoling a pregnant mate,” Canavar gruffed, a smirk twisting his lips.
