Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 136009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 136009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 680(@200wpm)___ 544(@250wpm)___ 453(@300wpm)
Kerrigan had been prepared for that question. Not only because Cleora, who was not a Doma, had taught it to her, but she figured they would need to see it in practice.
Fordham held his hand up, and Netta flew to their position. “Because Netta and I have already bonded successfully again.”
“When do we start?” another voice cried out.
A few of her generals had already gone through similar training, so they all spaced out and trained them on crux magic. Those that got the hang of it quickly turned to others in the army and began to pass it on.
Kerrigan watched it play out. She reserved her magic to reach their allies in Bryonica and Galanthea, who were bracing the eastern and western fronts of the assault. She’d have to open two portals today. And then one tomorrow. The final one.
“I wish you were here to see this, Mom,” Kerrigan whispered as she fiddled with her mother’s bracelet. “You would have been proud.”
Dozan nudged her. “Hello, princess.”
Kerrigan shot him a look. “That nickname never gets old, does it?”
He smirked. “It fits you now as well as it did when we first met.”
“So not at all?”
“Like a glove.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “What do you think of the new bonds?”
“Kids at a candy store.”
“Fair assessment.”
“Any chance I can make one of those new fancy bonds with this?” Dozan asked, handing over his amulet.
Kerrigan weighed the thing in her hand. It was surprisingly heavy with the Rook R etched into the center. She couldn’t feel magic in it, but somehow the tendrille and the ancient Fae written into it gave it the power to do what she did herself innately.
“Truly, I have no idea,” she said, handing it back. “The bond connects to my magic in my core. I don’t know if the bond would connect to the amulet. If you’d be able to touch the bond but only when you’re wearing it. There are a lot of unknowns.”
“Would you be opposed to me trying?”
“You’d have to get a dragon to choose you.”
He nodded. “Always a dragon’s choice.” Then he winked at her and went off after Wynter.
Fordham returned to her side with one eye on Dozan. “What was that about?”
“Still don’t trust him?” she asked.
“He’s sharing my sister’s bed. As her brother, I have a right to be disapproving of her choices.”
“Right,” she said with a laugh. “He wanted to see if he could bond with an amulet. I don’t know the answer to that, but I told him he could try if he could get a dragon to accept him.”
“Well, we’re free of that then. What dragon would accept him?”
Kerrigan laughed as she swatted at him. “Stop!”
“Just trying to keep you laughing,” he said with a smirk. “Here to boost morale.”
“Do you think this is going to work?” she asked as she stared off at all the riders who were now bonding with their dragons again.
“Yes,” Fordham said with all the confidence of a king and a general.
She nodded. “All right. I have portals to open.”
Just as she turned, Darby rushed up to them.
“I did it!” she cried.
Kerrigan frowned. “Did what?”
“I bonded my dragon.”
“What?” Kerrigan asked as if she didn’t understand the words coming out of her friend’s mouth.
“The crux bond. It worked.”
“I worked that out,” Kerrigan said. “But what dragon?”
“Oh, I meant to tell you,” Darby said sheepishly. “Amita chose me while you were gone. But we hadn’t bonded yet because we weren’t sure how to tell you or how Tieran would take it.”
A second later, Tieran was cutting across the valley for his sister. The small white dragon pulled up her to full height and snarled at him. Whatever was being said between them was not kind.
“Amita is still a hatchling,” Kerrigan said.
“Not anymore. She aged into maturity.” Darby shrugged. “I was waiting up for you all to return from the battlefield on her name day, and she chose me.”
“Wow,” Kerrigan said, glancing from the Tieran and Amita fight to Darby’s excited face. Her fear was that Darby would get hurt in this war, but was it even right to prevent her from going when everyone else was risking themselves? “Congratulations!”
Darby’s face lit up. “You’re okay with it?”
“The dragons choose,” Kerrigan said. “I’m not going to take it up with Amita.”
Darby laughed. “Yeah. Okay, well, I wanted to talk about what’s coming next. I know I’m supposed to be held back for healing, but I was hoping you’d send me through to Hadrian when you open that portal. So that he and I can help the humans and half-Fae.”
“And to see Clover?”
“Well, yeah.”
Obviously, Darby was partly motivated by being close to the people she loved, but she wasn’t wrong either.
“Yes, of course. As long as you trust Amond to handle the healing without you.”
“He’s sober,” Darby said with a grin. “I mean really sober. He’s going to do magnificent things, and he trained me the best he could. I wish Audria had more time with him. She’d be an even better healer too.”