Chapter Eight
Katrina
It was odd how different someone looked sleeping. Katrina propped herself on her elbows, her chin in her hands as she watched Thonis sleep. The responsibility that clouded his eyes during the day was gone, lost in a peaceful look. Whatever he was dreaming about must have been good, because there was a small smile on his face as he slept. Katrina hated waking him up, but it was morning and she wasn’t ready for all the questions her former roommates would pile on her if he was discovered in her room.
Gently, she shook his shoulder. “Thonis?”
He moaned, turned his head and continued to sleep.
Katrina giggled and leaned over him. His naked form was hot against hers as she slid a hand down his chest and kissed him. He turned his head back toward her and moaned again, deeper this time.
“Time to wake up,” she whispered into his mouth.
“But I was having such a good dream,” he replied sleepily.
Katrina smoothed his hair from his face and shook her head. “I know. But somebody’s going to come to wake me up soon. If they find you here—”
“Indulf will have me skinned alive.”
Katrina’s eyes widened. “I was going to say the girls will pester me for details. What do you mean, skin you alive?”
Thonis glanced away. “Uh… not literally. But I was assigned to protect you. Sleeping with someone in protective care is unprofessional.”
There was more to it than that. She knew it in the pit of her stomach but also knew that asking questions was unlikely to get her answers—it probably had something to do with the secret he wasn’t going to tell her. Katrina frowned as she pulled away and started to pull on her clothes. She was going to have to ask Indulf about that sooner rather than later. If she could wait, though, she would. With these quakes happening, there were more important things to think about.
Thonis dressed quickly and gave her a slow kiss before he opened the door. “You’ll want to order a bath drawn up,” he told her as he stepped into the corridor. “Otherwise, every dragon will be able to smell that we were together.”
Katrina gaped at him, but he was already starting to walk away. When the maid came to wake her, she ordered said bath and then asked for new clothing, just in case. Once she was washed and dressed, she headed out. She met Anna and Indulf in his office. Vindr was there with a grim expression, standing beside the mage Audiv. Also present were Misty and Volcant, Sylvia and Hendric, Penny and Warmund and Thonis. He gave her a small smile that she returned but wiped off her face before anybody could see.
Both Anna and Indulf looked exhausted, with dark circles under their eyes. The others didn’t look much better. Katrina folded her hands behind her and waited.
Audiv, arms crossed over her chest, spoke. “The reports we’ve received from Earth indicate that Earth is bearing the brunt of these magical surges. It’s radiating from the house and damaging wide sections of the city. No causalities yet, but it’s only a matter of time. And it’s not just Earth. If the connections remain between our worlds, it won’t be long until Byrelmore starts tearing itself apart as well.”
“Then we will have to stop opening the portals,” Thonis said. He glanced at her, brow furrowed. “And just let it calm down.”
Audiv shook her head. For a moment sorrow etched into her face, but she quickly hid it again. “That’s not what I meant when I said connections.”
“Then what did you mean?” Warmund asked, voice tight.
Audiv glanced down at her hands for a moment before straightening her shoulders. “What I mean is that the connections between our worlds aren’t magical. They’re physical. The queen,” she glanced at Anna, “The rest of the humans from Earth. Those are the connections. If we are to stop this destruction, then the people from Earth have to go back to Earth and those from Byrelmore have to stay in Byrelmore. Then the portals closed, the connections severed entirely. Never opened again.”
The air whooshed out of Katrina’s lungs. A complete severing? Her gaze traveled over the gathered people. Eyes were wide, hands pressed to mouths. Like they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Warmund’s arms were tight around Penny. Her face was ashen. Sylvia gripped Hendric’s arm. Anna had turned and buried her face into Indulf’s chest. His eyes were glazed, expression utterly devastated.
How could that be the only solution? Katrina leaned against the back of an unused chair, her knees threatening to buckle. They were going to have to give it all up? The happiness, the love they’d found? Her gaze traveled to Thonis; he returned her shell-shocked gaze.
How was she supposed to go back, never to return, when she had just found him? Her stomach clenched, and a bitter taste filled her mouth. A burning sensation swept through her and she straightened.
“But what about the children?” she demanded harshly. “Erik is Anna and Indulf’s child. He was born in Byrelmore, but he’s still a connection to Earth. Are you saying that the children born between these dragons and humans have to be killed? Or tossed into the portals to–”
“No!” Audiv shook her head, eyes wide. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. The children born in Byrelmore would have to stay in Byrelmore.”
Anna gave a pained cry.
“The children born on Earth would have to stay on Earth.”
Warmund turned away, slamming his fist into the wall. Around her, the women started to cry softly while the dragons tried in vain to comfort their mates. It was clear on all their faces that each of their hearts were breaking. A sob caught in Katrina’s throat before she could stop it. Warmund and Indulf both looked at her. She couldn’t take the devastation in their eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she gasped out. “I… I have to go.”
Unable to take the palpable sorrow in the room anymore, she turned and fled. Tears burned her eyes as she hurried down the corridor. Her heart ached for all of them—how could they say goodbye to their mates, their children? And the kids… She could only imagine how utterly devastating it would be to be permanently separated from the parents they loved.
If it was her? If she was told she was never going to see her parents again? She didn’t know how she could live with that.
Another sob caught in her throat as her mind turned to Thonis. She had just started something with him. It wasn’t like they had shared hundreds of years together raising children like the other couples, but the thought of being forcibly separated from him now? It felt like a knife in her gut. What was she supposed to say to him? How was she supposed to say goodbye?
Why did I waste so much time? The memories she shared with him just didn’t seem like enough. How much time did they have left before she was sent back to Earth, never to see this amazing world again? How much time did she have left with Thonis? Would prolonging her departure make it harder, or would it give her more comfort after she was forever barred from him?
Footsteps sounded behind her and she turned, tense. She wasn’t ready to face anybody. Yet, when she saw Thonis hurrying after her, all she wanted was to be in his arms. She threw herself at him. He caught her and pulled her close, as tears streamed down her face.
Neither of them spoke for a long moment. When, eventually, Katrina found her voice, there was only one thing she could think of.
“I don’t want to go.”
Thonis held her tighter, his breath hitching.
“I don’t want to live my life knowing that I missed out on so much here. Not just the sights and wonder of what this world has to offer.” She lifted her face to his, pressing herself to her toes to kiss him deeply. “I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want just one memory. I want… I want to know what this is. I want to know who you are, every part of you. I want to know all your hopes and dreams and I want you to know mine. We haven’t had enough time.”
“I know.” His voice broke, and he cleared his throat. Taking a deep breath, he stepped back, out of her arms. Katrina made to follow him, but he braced his hands against her shoulders and stopped her. “And I’m sorry, Katrina. I am so very sorry. But I don’t know if you’ll still want me after…”
After what? Ice flooded Katrina’s veins. After she learned the secret everybody was keeping from her. What was it? “Do they have to sacrifice a life to keep the connections? Is it going to be me since I lived in the bath of magic on Earth for so long?”
If it was going to keep the families together, how could she say no? As Thonis opened his mouth, she found herself worrying about something else entirely.
“But what if it’s not just me anymore? We didn’t use any protection last night. What if I’m pregnant? Oh, God! We shouldn’t have slept together if I need to be sacrificed, I can’t end an innocent life—"
“Katrina.’’ Thonis caught her hands. “Stop. It’s okay. There is no sacrifice. You don’t have to fear being pregnant, you don’t have to regret being with me last night. I—”
“What?”
Katrina jumped and whirled. Standing a few yards away was Warmund. His jaw hung slack as he stared at them. Soon enough, though, the flicker of flame appeared in his throat, and smoke started to billow from his mouth.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Warmund shouted, glaring at Thonis. “I told you to stay away. I told you!”
Katrina quickly put herself between Thonis and the irate prince. “What gives you any right to tell anybody to stay away from me? You’re not my father or my boyfriend.”
Warmund flinched but didn’t stop glaring at Thonis. “No, I’m not. But I am still his prince, and he should have obeyed. This situation is messy and now it’s even messier! Gods, Thonis! I thought you were an intelligent one?”
Penny rounded the corner, rushing over with a concerned look on her face. “Warmund, stop.”
“He slept with her!”
Penny’s eyes widened and then she smirked. “Oh, really? Good for you, Kat. You finally landed him.” She gave Katrina a saucy wink, then turned back to Warmund. “Stop being so primitive about this. Katrina has wanted Thonis for years. I know because she never talks about anybody else.”
Katrina would have protested, except Warmund was starting to relax.
“Now apologize,” Penny said to him. “And we can talk about this like adults.”
Warmund ran a hand over his hair, his expression becoming regretful. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted like that.” He took a deep breath and took Penny’s hand. “There’s just… more happening than you know, Katrina. I just—”
The ground pitched to one side. It was like the rolling of a snake beneath her feet. Katrina stumbled. She reached to brace herself against the wall—only for her hand to go through a window. A gasp caught in her throat, and then there was nothing beneath her. The ground rushed toward her, wind whistling in her ears.
Something shifted inside her. Before she even had time to be afraid, a prickling sensation washed over her arms. Twin spots of pressure released in her back and she felt her bones changing position. When she yelped in surprise, flames billows from her mouth.
Wings snapped open behind her, catching her as she fell. She landed on huge clawed feet as a fire burned in her belly. As she stared down at her scaly forearms, she suddenly realized what everyone was hiding from her.
She wasn’t from Earth.
She was a dragon.