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An ominous crack reverberated across the entire Realm, and the floor began to shift beneath us.
We must leave this place before we are destroyed with it, Julian said.
He shifted back into his dragon form, and I whimpered as he pulled me gently into his arms. He launched us straight up, where the ceiling of the castle had once been, and into the eerie whiteness of the sky. Another crack sounded. Then another.
I felt a rush of magic against me as Julian opened the liquid silver door of the portal, and I sighed in relief as it shimmered before us. The dragons who’d survived the battle grabbed the walking warriors and the human prisoners on their backs and fell in line behind us.
Just before we went through the portal, I looked back at what had once been the Realm of the Gods. It was completely destroyed, and it would soon be nonexistent. A dark cloud of black was gaining on us, slowly rolling over the pristine whiteness until the dark completely consumed the white. Big chunks of the Realm broke off and were being sucked into the blackness like a vacuum.
Hurry, Julian called out to his people.
I felt his muscles bunch beneath me and we soared toward the portal just as another crack sounded. The Realm of the Gods trembled with fear. It thrummed like a tuning fork as it shattered, deafening us with its resonance. It began to spiral in on itself, losing light and color in the black hole of nothingness as we raced to escape it.
For a moment, I wasn’t sure we had escaped.
I groaned in pain as we landed in a heap in the middle of the ballroom we’d started in, and Julian quickly shifted back to his human form. He buried his face in my neck, and I could feel his body tremble with each shuddering breath he took. Other dragons and warriors began filling the space around us until everyone who was still alive had made it through. Julian closed the portal with a wave of his hand and a resounding cheer went up around us.
I found the strength to lift up my head and looked around the room. We were significantly less in numbers than what we’d been, and I knew we all had a long road ahead of us trying to rebuild.
I looked down at my body. It wasn’t pretty. I’d have new scars to add to the ones on my back. I lifted my head and finally found the courage to look at Julian. His gaze was somber and his eyes colder. I could already tell Esmerelda’s treachery would make a new stumbling block for us. It would be harder than ever to get him to open himself to love after what she’d done.
I held the sides of his face between each hand and kissed him gently. “We’re alive.”
And that was good enough for me.
ChapterThirty-Two
Iwaited at the boarding gate inside the airport for my flight back home with a mixture of trepidation and sadness. My wounds were healed for the most part. At least the ones on the outside.
I had to go home. There were things to see to. I was still the Enforcer, and although Julian was still acting as Archos for all five clans, my people needed me. They’d faced too much upheaval lately and their behavior was getting out of control. Yes, Julian and I were stronger together, but since there were no immediate conflicts to deal with between the clans, I figured it was the perfect time to go home. I needed the comfort of my own hoard. And I needed to figure out a way to deal with my new powers and who they made me. Without Julian.
Recognizing the other half of my blood has brought me a peace I’d not thought possible. I now understood why the push and pull between my human and dragon was so strong. They were natural enemies. I’d need help learning how to embrace them both. I was hoping Noah might know someone I could talk to—a mentor I could spend some time with to teach me how to grow in my powers.
The results of what happened in the Realm of the Gods were bittersweet. I discovered, after we returned back to the Earth Realm, that I’d absorbed some of Esmerelda’s powers while we were locked together in combat. I had no idea if I’d keep them forever or if they’d slowly fade away. Whatever the case, I now had enough Drakán power to keep my clan in line and get them on the path of becoming a healthy clan.
Julian had been busy the last few days as well. He’d decided to set up a community for all those who’d lost their powers due to Erik’s experiments. We had no clue what their lifespans would be, but they all seemed to be aging—some of them frighteningly fast. Julian was determined to give them peace and comfort until their lives ended.
I’d destroyed the Realm of the Gods with the strength of my and Julian’s combined powers. The curtain had been completely torn down between our two worlds. Needless to say, the gods were angry. Now that The Destroyer was gone and they no longer feared that power, I had a feeling they’d be showing themselves a little more boldly. I had no idea where they’d be making their new home until they could build a new Realm. I just hoped it wasn’t here. But that was a battle I’d have to face another day. I just hoped they gave me a little warning first.
I checked my watch and tapped my foot nervously as I waited impatiently for the boarding call. I stood alone, staring out the large windows, watching the planes come in. My scent reeked of danger and violence as it never had before, and even the humans sensed it, so they kept their distance.
My carry-on was gripped so tightly in my hand that my knuckles turned white. I was doing the right thing. And if the idea of being separated from Julian made me feel nauseated, it only proved to show that I’d become too dependent on him. I felt the tingle of magic along my spine before I heard his voice in my mind.
Do you really think running away is the answer?
I shivered as if his words had actually whispered across my skin. I had less than five minutes before I’d be safely inside the plane.
It seems like someone who could defeat The Destroyer shouldn’t be such a coward.
“I need a little space, Julian,” I whispered. “I haven’t forgotten what happened between us before we entered the Realm of the Gods. I need more from you than you’re willing to give, and I’d rather separate myself now before it becomes too hard.”
You need to give me a chance to show you what I’m willing to give. I’ll not stop wanting you. That should be enough for now.
“Believe me, it’s not. I also haven’t forgotten that you lied to me about who I really am. I’m Atlantean, Julian. That will never change. Can your dragon accept that?”
You are Drakán, Rena. My dragon doesn’t see you as anything but that. You can’t blame me for keeping those details from you. I knew it would only conflict you more. You already feel my absence. How long can you live without me?
I didn’t answer. I had no idea how my body would react to being so far apart. But I had to let the two halves of my powers figure out how to coexist peacefully. Without throwing Julian in the mix. My Atlantean magic had already made it clear that it didn’t care for Julian.
It sounds to me like you’re playing with fire. Make sure you don’t get burned. I’ll give you the time you need to get things straightened out with your clan. But if you take too long I will come after you. You are my lifemate. We belong together. And I will not live without you.
“I love you,” I said, unable to keep that from him.
He didn’t answer and shut the door to his mind. I’d felt it before he’d put up his shields. But it couldn’t be helped.
“Goodbye, Julian,” I said before getting on the plane. I didn’t look back. I knew I’d see him soon.
