Epilogue

On the border of Idrias

The hour grew late as Dain waited for Savita to show. Both of them were walking a fine line navigating politics to determine who on the Conclave had set out to kill Kendrick. Dain lived his life in darkness and shadows. He knew how to read people and see through their lies and deceit. Savita wasn’t trained as he was, but she was a Reader, and her runes would help lead her.

That didn’t mean she wasn’t in trouble.

“Is that frown for me?”

He sighed at the sound of Savita’s voice and turned to see her walking in the moonlight through the tall grass, her white gown covered with a dark cloak. “I was getting worried.”

“Rest assured, I’m careful.”

Dain waited until she reached him. Even beneath the hood of the cloak he saw the large golden sun painted in the middle of her forehead. There was a line of gold on her lower lashes running from the inner corners of her eyes outward to her temples, and five gold dots sat along each collarbone.

“We can never be too careful,” he cautioned.

She grunted and looked across the border. “Your mission was successful?”

“We stopped the device. This time.”

“That is something to celebrate.”

“What of you?” he asked. “Any news?”

She jerked her chin across the border. “Look.”

It was hard to miss the dragon flying straight toward them. No matter how many times Dain saw Kendrick in his true form, it always mesmerized him. The light from the two moons reflected off Kendrick’s sienna scales as his massive wings rose and dipped methodically. Atop his back sat his mate, Esha. Dain searched the skies for more dragons, but he found none. He prayed there wouldn’t come a time when he stood there and saw an army of dragons about to invade.

Kendrick landed, and Esha slid off his back. By the time her feet hit the ground, Kendrick had shifted into his human form. Together, the pair walked close to the border. Esha had been banished after leaving with Kendrick, and after the attack, everyone knew it was safer if neither returned.

“Dain,” Kendrick said in greeting.

Dain bowed his head in welcome. “It’s good to see you two again. I’m happy to report the device has been apprehended.”

Esha’s tawny waves lifted in the breeze. “That’s a relief.”

“An attempt was made on our lives, and then a war nearly broke out when Esha returned with me,” Kendrick said. “You’ve stopped this device, but I’ve a feeling there will be others.”

Savita nodded. “Until we find who is behind all of this, there likely will.”

“You think it’s one person?” Esha asked her sister.

Savita shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“We’re working on it,” Dain told them. “It’s slow with just the two of us investigating while continuing on with our normal lives.”

Kendrick rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “I wish I could help.”

“We wish you could, too.” Savita glanced at the moon. “I have to get back before I’m missed. Please assure the Kings we’re doing the best we can.”

Esha glanced at Kendrick. “We’ve got our hands full on our western border. It would be nice to know that the eastern border with Shecrish is peaceful.”

“It is for now,” Dain confirmed.

Kendrick hesitated. “Savita, wait. Before you go, have either of you heard of the Star People?”

“I hadn’t, but we thought maybe one of you had,” Esha said.

Savita frowned. “We have Star Elves.”

“Not the same thing,” Kendrick replied.

Dain crossed his arms over his chest. “Who are the Star People?”

“Beings more powerful than us. They come from the stars,” Kendrick explained. “They move easily from realm to realm.”

Savita asked, “Why are they here?”

“They have a grudge against the dragons. At one time, they enslaved them,” Esha said.

Dain was shocked at the news. “What do they look like?”

“Like me in this form,” Kendrick said.

“Human, then.”

Kendrick nodded. “Aye.”

“There are more like you,”—Dain motioned to him—“in this form?”

Kendrick frowned. “Many, many more. Nearly the entire population of my home world is human. Though some have magic. There are humans here, too.”

“I know someone who would be interested in knowing that,” Dain said.

Savita motioned to her sister. “Tell us everything about these Star People.”

~ ~ ~

Gita sat in the opulent room and stared out the window in disgust. She had been driven out of her home. But she would return. No one would keep her from Shaldorn for long. There were secrets to the fortress that only she knew, ways into and out of it that only she could use.

She would let them think they had forced her out. While they had their fun searching, she was gathering the names of everyone who had dared to intervene. Even now, the staff who thought they had escaped were being rounded up and held in a secure facility until she could return to Shaldorn.

A single knock sounded on the door.

She uncrossed her legs and set her cup on the coffee table. “Enter.”

The door opened and One strode in. The top portion of his silver hair was pulled away from his face, showing his striking features and purple eyes. He had once been a premier healer before she found him. Now, he was her right hand, the one she could count on for everything.

“Well?” she asked when he halted at the table.

He shook his head. “Yasmin still lives.”

“How is that possible?” Gita surged to her feet and paced. She whirled around, her skirts billowing behind her. “Where is she?”

“Rannora.”

“Then we go there.”

“I wouldn’t suggest it.”

Gita halted and shot him a withering look that cowed most others. But not One. Never One. “Why not?”

“She now works for the DIA. It will be difficult to get to her without gaining their attention.”

Gita slowly sank back onto the cushions. “I refuse to believe she’s out of reach.”

“I didn’t say that,” One replied with a slow smile.

Gita grinned as she sat back on the sofa. “Just what I wanted to hear.”