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“Then I will.” I shrugged, pushing my hands inside the pockets of my pants, and her eyes widened.
Evie chuckled, shaking her head. “You are crazy.”
She had no idea. I might have to pull off a Josh move there, and become a matchmaker. I was now making it my personal mission to get those two together. If Kingston could find a way to overcome his “limitations” and be with Willow, that gave me hope I would too.
“Wait. What did you mean by Kingston is the last one of his generation?”
Sadness returned to her eyes. “All of our elders have died in this war against the Warlock King, Braxton. Our parents, our uncles, and grandparents are all gone. My Amma and Kingston were the last ‘seniors’ left, until she sacrificed herself so we could escape and take everyone to safety. Now, Kingston is the last of them. The only other seniors are civilians who are not strong or brave enough to be warriors, so it is up to us—the youth—to protect them. It is up to us, their sons, daughters, and grandchildren, to finish what they started.”
There were no words that would ease the ache or the burden she carried, so holding her gaze, I reached for her hand, gently caressing it with my thumb. I needed to touch her, to make her feel me, feel that she was not alone in this.
“Ahem!” The loud throat clearing made me step back, swiftly letting go of her, and Asher gave me a warning look.
“What is it, Asher?” Evie asked, straightening and showing a completely different side of her to him. The guarded side.
“We need you for a moment, Princess.”
“Of course. I’ll be right there.”
Offering her a cordial nod, he turned and headed back to the others—not before giving me a pointed scowl that said he had seen me holding her hand. He was not pleased by it. Damn it. At least he had been the one to catch me and not his chief.
“I’ll be back,” Evie assured. “Try not to get in trouble.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I grinned, but something in my pocket suddenly made me remember what I wanted to show her. “Wait! Look.” Pulling out the coffee cherries, I lifted my palm to Evie. “Do you know what this is?”
“Yeah, that’s the fruit we use for juice and for the warriors’ cookies. Why?” Confusion wrinkled her brows, but my grin resurfaced.
“Nope. This is where coffee comes from.”
“Coffee?” she gasped, eyes widening. “Like the delicious drink you gave me in the Mirror World?” Her tone lowered for the last part so the others wouldn’t hear, and I nodded.
“They have to be roasted first, but yeah. I’m sure I can figure out how to make similar drinks once I can brew the first batch. You have sugar here, so I can make caramel too.”
“What do you need to accomplish it?” she asked excitedly.
“The others told me there is a field of these on the other side of the mountain. I would just need your permission and someone to guide me so I can start the process. I wouldn’t use the whole field, just enough for the warriors and anyone else who wants to try it.”
The sparkling glee in her eyes was all the answer I needed, but she still nodded. “Do it. You have my permission to access the fields, and I’ll ask Kingston to let one or two of his warriors help you.”
“Awesome.” I watched her walk away, and suddenly found myself with nothing to do. Everyone was busy, but I didn’t have the slightest idea of what they wanted me to help with, and Kingston was too preoccupied selecting the perfect goats for Willow.
Taking my spear, I walked back to the Dragons, and decided to practice the moves that had surfaced from my memory while I trained with my mentor, Mr. T. The weapon spun between my fingers as I began to move it like a Lightsaber, just as I used to do with my dad when we played. Or what I thought was playing.
The connection I felt to him in that moment was one I never expected to experience here, and for the first time, I realized I did belong in this world. Dad had made sure of that by giving me bits and pieces of his history when I had no clue. Emotion gripped my chest, bringing the loss of my parents, and the letter Mom had left for me to the forefront of my mind. I wanted to know what she meant to tell me, but with the mere thought of it, the rips inside me spread, making it difficult to breathe.
I wasn’t ready, but the worst part was, that I wasn’t sure I would ever be. Did that kind of pain ever truly go away?
My spear fell to the ground when something nudged me from behind, and I looked back to find Luna’s head so close. Lifting both arms, I hugged the part of her I could reach, resting my cheek on her chin. The feelings in me multiplied, but there was no more pain. Instead, a wave of empathy and compassion rolled through my chest, followed by understanding, hope for my ache to fade, and the kindhearted need to make me feel better.
Overwhelmed by the onslaught of emotions, I stepped back, realizing I was surrounded by Dragons. Kingston’s, Asher’s, and all the others were so close I could touch them. So, I did. When my hands rested on each of their jaws, or noses, the sensations increased until I could experience nothing else. My heart stopped for a split, and I finally realized what had been happening to me all along.
I could feel them.
I could perceive the Dragons’ emotions just like they did mine.
The more I honed in on them, the clearer they became, until there was no doubt. I was able to recognize what each of the beautiful creatures wished for me.
“What is going on here?” Kingston’s strong voice startled me, and I stepped back, my hand falling from his Dragon’s chin. “Why were you touching Spartan?” he demanded while the other warriors walked towards us.
