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I inhaled deeply, loving the smell of her hair. “You build the Dra Skor back you were proud of. One brick at a time.”
“One less prick at a time too,” Malachi stated. “I know you need some time to think things over, Es, but Zaire is going to need to be dealt with. One way or another.”
She sighed. “I know. I’m finally back in my human form, and I’m still out of time.”
I ran my fingers through her hair. “I leave for Wylan in a week for the Harvest Festival. That should give you some more time.”
“I wish I could go with you,” she admitted after a moment.
“Some day you can.” I smiled, thinking of what it would be like for her to see Wylan. A healthy Wylan. As the heir, she’d never been allowed to go before. Jagen had when he was younger, but not Esta. “This trip I have to make alone.”
“Promise me you will come back, though I don’t know why you’d want to after today,” Esta said as she moved to look me in the eyes.
“You know exactly why I’m coming back. What is a moon without its sun?”
It was going to be difficult to leave Esta, doubly so with the tensions in Dra Skor, but I knew I had to do this. For multiple reasons. This wasn’t just a return home to see my family and participate in my first Harvest Festival.
There was something I had to do which just might buy Esta more time.
CHAPTER44
We stood on the shore, Malachi about to take me to the ship waiting. Amory was in her white tigress form, and I had even gotten in some wave riding with Kian this morning.
Despite the people stopping to stare upon seeing Esta in her human form, she still hugged me hard.
“I am coming back,” I said into her hair. “You know that I am.”
“I do.” Her eyes looked so haunted, I put up a sound barrier around the two of us to give us privacy.
“What is it then?”
“Only that I have no idea how I could ever be expected to do this and say goodbye to you for forever. It is hard enough when I know you will return in a week.” She swallowed hard. “It is just... it is messing with me a little.”
I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck and rested my forehead to hers. “Esta, we did not choose to be enemies, we merely inherited this. We have to stop letting our fathers rule our lives and decide for ourselves what we want in our futures. I chose a side a long time ago, when I made the decision to kill my own father and rid the realm of him. Think long and hard while I am away as I know it isn’t an easy decision. What side are you on?”
She gave me a nod, looking down, away from my eyes as if conflicted by what I said.
“And Esta,” I added.
She looked back up.
“Do not say a word back to this, but I love you.”
She smiled and a tear slipped out. “Come back to me soon?”
“You know I will.”
She reached out and handed me what I had asked for, a small trinket for Warrick. It was a child’s necklace with a dragon pendant on it. Warrick’s birthday had just been a week ago, so I was bringing him back something special. I couldn’t wait to see his face when he saw it.
I carefully placed it in my jacket and allowed my sound barrier to drop and moved to Amory. I narrowly avoided her attempt to lick my face again and gave her extremely soft fur a pet. “I will miss you, Amory.”
I turned to Malachi, already in his winged form, ready to carry me to the ship where John, Dex, and a few guards were waiting. Emric, Archer, and the rest would stay as insurance, so we weren’t abandoning Dra Skor entirely.
I thought it had everything to do with Emric getting seasick and not wanting to make another trip.
Safe travels, brother,Malachi told me.
“If anything happens without me this week, I am going to haunt your ass,” I threatened.
