Book 5: Spencer

Chapter 1

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

He always knew her, even when he felt lost. There were the physical signs: the eyes that were blue and green, the dimple that appeared on her chin. But more than that, it was a certain feeling that he got when he was around her. His heart beat faster, his chest felt tight, and his world felt complete.

Spencer always knew Katianna, even when she had been dead for years. Even when he was in dragon form, his thoughts muddled, and she was a small human below him, he knew the love of his life. And now, he knew that she had reincarnated for the fourth time by his side, the only creature in the world who could do so. How she did it was beyond him, and beyond her, because each time he found her again, he had to remind her of who she was, and who she loved. Dragons had an unusually long life span, and although his years were reaching one hundred, it didn't affect his physical well-being or his mind. In his mind, he was as spry and as in love with her as the day he first saw her.

Spencer was a dragon shifter lord. Once upon a time, his family had controlled the dragon throne on Umora at the top of the universe. It was generations ago, though, and he was happy to just be close to the throne and able to live a life of luxury. The family in charge of the throne now were four princes–brothers that he knew well. They were a kind, compassionate group, and he enjoyed seeing them often. He had been away from Umora for years, though, since the old, tyrannical King Richard had died and his oldest son, Peter, had taken over. As with most things in the dragon world, though, it was more complicated than a simple succession. Peter had also died, but the veil between the Other, their heaven, had dropped, bringing back some of those supernatural creatures who had died, including Peter, and eventually Richard.

Last he heard, though, they had destroyed Richard, letting Peter rule with a clear and just heart. Spencer was glad to hear of peace, at last, on Umora. He did intend to return now that things were safe, and he intended to bring Katianna with him. That was, as soon as he convinced her of who she was.

The students started flooding out of the building, and Spencer stood up, closing his suit jacket. He had been watching her for weeks now, and he was sure it was her. Aside from the fact that her eyes were mismatched and her age was right from when she had died, he just knew that the girl with the purple purse and long, brown hair was Katianna.

In this life, her name was Bethany, and her parents owned the hotel downtown. She was attending the local community college for hotel management. She had so many traits from the last time around: obedience, a quiet demeanor, and a love of the arts. Today was the day he was finally going to approach her.

To get home, Bethany had to walk past the cemetery. Every time she did, she turned to look at it, pausing. She didn't know that a former incarnation of her was buried in there.

She always died young, barely making it into her twenties. Sometimes, it was an accident; sometimes, it was fated. Each time, it ripped his heart out until he found her again.

She was running the front desk of the inn today, a fact that he managed to find out by conversation. Today, he was going to book a room and speak to her.
He had exactly one week to tell her that the universe was much bigger than school had taught her, that supernatural creatures existed, and that she was an age-old soul who had loved him before.

Don't forget that we need you at the Council meeting, his phone beeped, and he checked it with annoyance. He also had one week to return to Umora for a summoning of the House of Lords. Nicholas, the middle brother, had taken over correspondence of the dragon lords, and he seemed to like to do it in a very modern way.

I'll be there, Spencer texted back quickly. He didn't dare disobey his princes, even when distracted.

The text had made him pause, and given Katianna enough time to enter the inn ahead of him. He counted to ten and then strolled in, his face neutral as she settled behind the desk, taking over for her mother.

“Hi. Can I help you?” she said, with a smile, brushing back her hair from her eyes. She used to do that all the time, too.

“I'm looking for a room for the night,” he said. “Do you have any vacancies?”

“We should,” she turned to the computer, her fingers already flying. “What kind of room?”

“Your finest,” he replied. Speaking to her again was setting his heart afire already. He had dreamed of this moment since he found her dead last time. Being back in this town made him shiver in memory. It was three incarnations ago, just after the Second World War. There would be no one alive to remember him now; and if there were, they surely wouldn't be taken seriously if they recognized him. He couldn't believe she had reincarnated in the same spot. “Money is no objection.”

“I have a suite on the top floor,” she replied, looking up. “It's currently $300 for the night.”

“That will be fine,” he said. “If you think it's your finest?”

She laughed, and he had to smile.

“It's great,” she said. “What's your name?”

“Spencer St. John,” he replied, and he saw her pause. Did she recognize it? Did it alert her to a memory?

“Sorry?” she asked. “S-t? Or S-a-i-n-t?”

“The former,” he said, and then tried an old conversation trick. “Have we met before?”

“I…uh…,” she looked up at him. “I don't think so. Have you stayed here before?”

“I've been to town before,” he answered. “I used to live here.”

“Oh,” she replied, cocking her head. “That's neat. Like, how long ago?”

“A very long time ago,” he smiled as she handed over the room key. “Thank you. Do you work here all the time?”

“Pretty much! My parents own it,” she said with a shrug. “So, if you have any questions, you can let me know, and I should be able to answer them.”

“I'm looking for someone to give me a tour of town, actually,” he said. “Show me the way things are now, because I feel like they are quite…different.”

“I don't know. Things haven't really changed around here,” she gave him a small smile. “But I can do that if you want. I'm studying tourism so I was thinking of starting to give tours.”

“That would be lovely, Katianna,” he said, and she paused.

“Sorry, my name is Bethany.”

He shook his head, as if he made a silly mistake.

“Of course. Bethany,” he replied. She always had a different name, but she always came to remember her real one before it was over. “When can we arrange that? I can pay for the service, of course.”

“Oh, um…tomorrow?” she said. “I'll see if I can get a group together from here. Around three o'clock, if you don't have plans?”

“That's fine,” he replied, taking his room key. “I'll be looking forward to it.”

“See you then,” she turned back to the computer and began typing. He wanted to linger so much. After all, it had been so long since he had seen her. But he knew that, especially at the start, he had to be careful.

Spencer made his way to his room just as his phone beeped again. This time, it was Cole, the youngest dragon prince. He handled everything to do with witches and magic, seeing as he was half-witch himself.

Earth dragon, do you know this face? Cole asked, sending over a picture. Spencer rolled his eyes. Cole had a habit of doing this when he was at a dead end, asking everyone on the planet for help.

No, Spencer said after briefly looking at the picture. I'll be there soon enough to help you.

Awesome, the youngest dragon prince responded, and Spencer threw his phone on his bed. He knew he had a duty to the princes, and he did plan to return to them soon enough. Hopefully, though, it would be with Katianna in tow.

Waiting until three o'clock the next day and not constantly inventing excuses to go downstairs was a nightmare. He didn't want to go out because he knew she was in the building, and he wanted to feel close to her.

Three o'clock felt like an eternity, but he managed to curb himself until two forty-five the next day.

At two forty-five, she was already waiting downstairs, looking adorable in a dress that he thought could have belonged to her mother. Her style this time around was vintage, as if she was reaching for the last time she had lived.

“Hi,” she said. “It's just us, if that's all right.”

“Of course,” he replied. “Can I pay for the service?”

“No, just give me a good reference if anyone calls,” she said with a smile on her face. “It's my first time, so go easy on me. But I have lived here all my life, so it shouldn't be that difficult. What would you like to see first?”

“I'm quite a fan of history,” he replied. “Perhaps you have some historical ruins around here?”

“History? Sure,” she said, and turned to a young man who was working the desk. “I'll be back in an hour, all right, Brian?”

“Sure,” Brian shrugged, intent on typing. “Bye.”

“Thanks for caring,” Katianna said, as she smiled. “Sorry. My brother. He's a jerk.”

“You have a brother?” Spencer asked, in surprise. “You didn't used to.”

“I'm sorry?” she asked, confused. He practically bit his tongue in frustration.

“I mean, you didn't mention it before,” he replied. “Sorry, English isn't my first language.”

She seemed to accept this excuse with a shrug.

“What else do you speak?”

He was grateful that she didn't ask his first language, because that would be difficult.

“I can also speak Spanish,” he replied. “And French.”

“Oh, that's lovely,” she said. “I've never been outside this town, so it's always nice to hear from travelers. This is the oldest building in town, by the way.”

He was hit in the face with a memory like it was a tidal wave. She was right; it was the oldest building in town. The library once housed a military barracks, and he had a memory of standing in the doorway with her, holding her hand. It had been pouring rain, and it was the simplest moment, debating whether to wait it out.

He missed those simple moments where they were just normal. It didn't seem fair that everyone else could walk down the street, holding the hands of their sweetheart, and he was stuck waiting for twenty-year periods. Dragons had a long life span, but they weren't immortal. Sooner or later, time would run out for them. He had no idea how many times she would be reincarnated, either. Would it continue after she was gone?

The one person that could probably answer that question was Cole, on Umora. He was an expert on all things magic, and he enjoyed impossible problems. Spencer had been away so long that he had never brought it up. This time around, he felt an urgency, as if time was running out. He needed to reveal his secret and have his answers quickly.

Chapter 2

It was only a week before he felt like she was starting to remember. They were getting on as if they had known each other all their lives, which Spencer knew he just had to convince her that they had.

She was doing so many things that he recognized: a twitch of the eye, a smile, the way she straightened her skirt.

On the seventh day of his stay, he asked for another tour; this one of the cemetery. After the first tour, they had simply chatted at the desk, sometimes for hours or more. She was friendly and smart. He did notice that, despite her chosen profession, she seemed to be a bit more timid this time around. She could smile and give tours, but her body language was more closed off. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she died so harshly the last time around; she was now afraid of things she couldn't explain.

“The cemetery?” she said. “Sure, it's historic. I should have asked you if you wanted to see that beforehand. Is that what you do for a living?”

“Visit cemeteries?” he asked, with a smile.

“No. Do you work in history?” she asked as she shut down the computer. Being a family owned hotel, they had limited check in hours, and he had figured out when she could leave the desk unattended. She was so beautiful in the dying light with the sun glinting off her eyes.

“Sometimes,” he replied. He wondered how much she had suffered for those beautiful eyes of hers in this lifetime. He thought they were enchanting, but he knew not everyone felt the same way. She had been accused of being a witch for them in one lifetime, which wasn't entirely untrue.

“Cool, let's go,” she said as she grabbed her purse. She made sure to lock the front door behind her, knowing that any guests could just key in the code. She was much more curious in this lifetime as well, and he wondered if that was just a product of her time. In past lives, she was often obedient, submissive even. This time, she was much more independent.

He wondered when the right time would be to tell her that he was a dragon. They had talked about everything else already. He thought it wouldn't be that much of a surprise, After all, she was born to be with him.

The cemetery was basking in the dying sun as she pushed open the creaky old gate, looking around. There wasn't a soul in sight, just the white tombstones, some of them tumbling down.

“Which is the older section?” he asked. It was an experiment, but she seemed to know the way.

“This way,” she said as she led him down rows of graves. “These are all last generation, and then these here should be two generations ago.”

“Yes, I see that,” he said, his eyes scanning the tomb stones.

She saw it before he did: a once great grave that had tumbled. He had made sure it was grand and decorated before he had left town last time; with gilded gold paint, and wings sketched into every corner. They were dragon wings, a bit obscure, but dragon wings all the same.

It sent a shiver down his spine to stand there at her grave, remembering how he lowered her body into it, and then seeing her standing right beside it.

“This one is…different,” she said, crouching down. She reached her hand out, and he sucked in a breath.

Katianna reacted like she had been shocked when she flew backward. It was like she had been hit by the same tidal wave that he knew all too well.

“What the…” she said, softly.

He didn't move, not wanting to frighten her.

“What is it?” he asked softly.

“I feel like I've been here before,” she said, turning to him. “Isn't that weird?”

“I don't think it's weird at all,” he said. “I think we've all lived past lives.”

Katianna said nothing for a long moment, her hands running over the name on the grave. He waited with baited breath, hopeful. She turned to him, her eyes confused.

“Do I know you?” she asked.

“Yes,” he managed. “You do.”

For a long moment, she didn't move. Crouched by the grave, it was as if she was frozen. But finally, she stood up on shaky legs.

“Do you think that's me?” she asked.

“I know that's you,” he replied, and she took a giant step back.

“Who are you?” she asked. “What do you want with me?”

“Katianna…” he started, and her eyes widened.

“That's the name on the grave!” she cried. “Is this what you think? Is this what it's about?”

“Look inside yourself,” he tried to stay calm. “Look inside and see what you remember. Don't you feel like you know me?”

“I…,” she couldn't deny that. She looked from him to the grave, and back again. “I do, but I…this is creepy. How do I know you aren't trying to scam me?”

“Why would I do that?” he asked. “What have I done that would give you that impression?”

She was shaking, but to her credit, she didn't run. Instead, she turned toward the grave, her eyes reading it again.

“She died young.”

“Yes,” Spencer replied, “she did.”

“Was she sick?”

He took a deep breath.

“Not that time,” he replied. “She was hurt.”

Katianna said nothing for a long time, reaching out again to trace the top of the grave. She closed her eyes, searching her mind. She was looking for something–anything that would trigger this moment.

“Was it an accident?” she asked softly.

“I don't think so,” he replied. “They said that it was, but–”

“It was murder,” she answered, crouching down. “Unsolved?”

“Yes.” He didn't delight in bringing back these memories. “I know it was committed by those things, which were trying to take you away from me. This was the best way to hurt me. And I'm so sorry.”

She went to look at him again, her lip trembling.

“On my head?”

“Your neck,” he said. “You broke your neck, falling down the stairs.”

Her hands trembled, and she reached up to the back of her neck as if she could feel the pain.

“Spencer,” she whispered. “This isn't right. This isn't–”

“You don't have to believe me right away,” he replied. “You usually don't. Please, I don't want to hurt you. Take your time and think about it. If you search yourself, I'm sure that you will find that I speak the truth.”

She stayed a moment more and then took another step back.

“I'll see you later,” she said, turning and taking the path on the other side of the cemetery. He wanted desperately to follow her, but he didn't.

Instead, he crouched down by the grave, touching it lightly.

“Don't make it difficult this time, my love,” he whispered. “We have to get our answers, and soon.”

Closing his eyes, he tried to remember as much about this lifetime as he could. If she had reincarnated in the same town, it was possible that the same tactics as before would work. He assumed that she would take a few days to settle to the idea and then ask more questions. That was how it always went, especially with the similarity to the body that had been here before. That girl had been learning to be brave and afraid of her future. She had no idea that her life was going to be cut so short, all because they wanted to threaten a dragon lord.

He stood up, about to return to the hotel. He would stay as long as it took to convince her. It didn't matter whether it was days or weeks; his chest ached for her.

He didn't expect to spin around and find her right behind him.

“Katianna,” he blurted out in shock. She must have circled around, creeping up behind him while he was lost in thought.

“How do I know this is real?” she asked, her chin raised high. “How do I know that this isn't just some trick?”

This was not a question she had ever asked before. It startled him, and he searched for an answer that he had given before, that he knew had worked. She had a defiance in her eyes that he didn't recognize

“What proof would you like?” he asked, softly. “Anything in my power, I can show you.”

She paused.

“I don't deny that I feel a connection to you like no one else. From the second we met, I felt like I knew you. And this past week has certainly been intense. But that could just be life. You are talking about reincarnation, about magic, about things that humans don't know.”

“Yes,” he replied. “I am speaking of all those things. It is more than humans, though. The entire galaxy would be perplexed by you and your case. You are unique, Katianna.”

“There is no one else like me?”

“Not as far as I know,” he answered. “But I was hoping that in this lifetime, we could find that out together.”

He held out his hand, his palm upturned. They had held hands before; it would be nothing new. Even in this lifetime, their hands had brushed as they walked down the street. He had squeezed her hands in thanks, and she had seemed unburdened by it.

This time, she held her ground, which confused him. Katianna had never shied away from his touch before.

“So, show me something I can believe,” she said, her palms clenched at her sides.

“I don't know what I could…,” he started, and then he stopped. He could show her what he was. It would either work or have her running for the hills. Earth slowed their magic, but he probably had enough in him to convince her it never happened if she was too frightened. “There is one thing.”

“What?” she pushed. He took a deep breath, looking around. The graveyard was empty, and the hills hid enough of the view from the street. It was getting cold and starting to rain outside; no one was likely to come now.

“Step back,” he said, and she raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

“Just take my word for it, my love,” he replied. “Step back.”

She considered this for a moment, and then decided it was better to step back then move forward.

In her pocket, she had her hand on her cell phone, just in case.

Spencer took a deep breath, the magic swirling around his palms. It was faint at first, but then it changed to bright yellows and golds.

He closed his eyes as he heard her gasp.

Dragon transformation wasn't painful, but it was jarring. His dragon brain wasn't as clear as his human one. Impulse control was lessened, and his thought process was slowed. He heard her shift another step backward as the process was complete, her body tense.

Even sight through dragon eyes was different, and she looked different in his yellow-speckled orbs. Everything was different except for her eyes: two different spots of clarity.
Katianna looked upon him without fear. She was nervous; she was curious; and she was uncertain. But he didn't smell fear on her. That was different from every other time as well. This version was brave, and maybe it was exactly what they needed in order to figure out what was happening.

He could not shake the feeling of time running out and of impending doom. Whatever Katianna thought, he hoped it was positive, or at least open to his heart.

Chapter 3

“Who was I?” she asked. It was late, but she didn't care. They had come to sit by the grave, his back resting against it, and her at his side. She was playing with grass; ignoring the blackness of the night as they talked. “Last time?”

“Last time was not here,” he said. “You were my wife; we married when you were eighteen.”

“Eighteen?” she said in shock. “That is not common, even for that generation.”

“You're right, it's not,” he said. “But you were sick. You didn't expect to see nineteen, let alone the twenty-three you did see. So, we married and got five glorious years together by the sea.”

“What was it?” she asked, her head cocked.

“Brain cancer,” he answered. “At first, they could treat it…and again, and again. But eventually, it became too much.”

“And the time before that? Here, that was an accident, or murder,” she answered. “And the first time?”

“The first time was a bullet,” he replied, softly. “Someone challenged me to a duel, and you…” he choked up at the memory because it had been so painful. Even though she was beside him now, he would never forget the moment that she had slipped away the first time.

“I put myself in front of you,” she replied. “Did I try to stop it?”

“Had you been a moment sooner, you would have,” he said. “But it was too little, too late.”

“Was it in my head?” she asked, and he choked on the response.

“Yes,” he replied. “You remember?”

“It seems that everything is head or neck,” she pointed out, and he paused, a soft chuckle coming from his lips.

“Huh,” he said. “I didn't even think about that”

“Why would you when your girlfriend is dying in your arms?” she shrugged one shoulder, playing with the blades of grass. “Are there others like you?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Other shifters as well–wolves, bears, lions. Dragons are the top, though, and we rule from a planet not too far from here.”

“What do you mean, ‘we?’” she asked. “Are you a prince?”

“No,” he said. “But I am closely related to the throne. There is no bad blood. The family that is on the throne now is wonderful, and we are close. I'm more of a…Duke, maybe, in English?”

“I was a duchess, then?” she turned to him with a smile.

“If you like,” he replied. “We've only been there in the first lifetime, so it's been a long time since we've had to think about titles.”

“Oh,” she said, leaning further back against the grave. She shivered then, and he reached to put an arm around her. As if it were an extension of herself, she leaned in, placing her head on his shoulder. “Why haven't we been back?”

“This is your home,” he said softly. “Umora is mine. We have to compromise.”

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

“This is a lot,” she pointed out.

“I know,” he brushed some hair from her face. “You usually don't ask so many questions so fast.”

She giggled at that.

“Blame it on the age of Google,” she replied. “Everyone wants to know everything at once.”

“But are you all right?” he asked. “Do you doubt anything that I can help answer?”

“It's sort of hard to deny the fact that you turned into a dragon right in front of me,” she pointed out. “After seeing that, everything else becomes believable. Besides, there are many human religions that believe in reincarnation. I can't be the only one.”

“I have thought about that,” he replied. “But so far, you are the only one that I can find.”

“Is there someone who would be more knowledgeable?” she asked. “Someone who might know? Because as much as I would like to be rare and special, I just can't believe that part.”

“There is someone,” he replied. “On Umora.”

“Right,” she said, looking to him. “So do we…we've kissed before, yes?”

He smiled. “Yes,” he said. “But not in this lifetime.”

“Maybe…” She looked deep into his eyes. “Maybe I will remember what it's like if you kiss me.”

He was taken aback by this. She was not normally this forward either. He had to remind herself that he had gotten so used to the old version of her that he had forgotten how different she could be.

“I could do that,” he replied, leaning in.

She leaned forward, closing her eyes. He reached out, cupping her cheek, and laid a kiss on her soft lips.

It felt like nothing he had ever felt before. It didn't feel familiar, which alarmed him.

She felt like she had died and gone to heaven, melting into his arms.

“Oh my,” she said, as she fell against his chest. He ran a hand through her hair.

“Do you remember?” he asked, trying to calm his own fears. She was a new body that was all. It was sometimes unfamiliar, he knew that. But he ached so badly for the feeling of his love by her side and her lips on his.

“I don't even know my own name,” she replied. “In any lifetime. Does it feel the same?”

“Uh…,” he didn't want to lie to her. “You are new, my love. We will get to know each other again.”

“Sure,” she smiled, kissing him on the neck. “We should go back to the hotel. My parents will start to wonder what happened to me.”

“Of course.” He sat up quickly. “I don't want to get you in trouble.”

“You won't get me in trouble,” she replied. “Besides, how do you think they might react when I go to a different planet?”

That sentence stopped him in his tracks. “What?” he asked.

“To…What did you call it? Your dragon planet?”

“Umora?” he answered as they both got up. “You already have plans to go there?”

“Well, didn't you say that is where the answers are?” she asked. “So, why wouldn't we go?”

He was stunned by this. She wanted to move so fast and was so sure of herself. This modern era was certainly different than the last generation.

“Unless I can't, for some reason?”

“You can go,” he said as they both dusted dirt off themselves. “I was just surprised to hear you be so open about it. Normally, it takes a while.”

“Again, the dragon transformation was a bit of a deciding factor,” she smiled at him. “We can come and go, can't we? I don't have to go with you and never comeback?”

“Of course,” he said. “Sliding between worlds is easy if you have proper magic. Last time we were there, you weren't quite comfortable, however.”

“Why wasn't I comfortable?” she questioned, confused.

“You weren't…,” he searched for the right words, not wanting to offend her. “You weren't born for palace life. You were always determined, and always wanted to work hard.”

“A peasant, you mean,” she quirked an eyebrow.

He put a hand out. “I meant no offense, my love.”

“There's none taken,” she assured him. “Perhaps one-hundred years ago, there might have been, but the world is changing. There's nothing wrong with working hard.”

He smiled, offering his arm. She took it as they strolled out of the graveyard.

“There is not,” he assured her. “And you and I have always worked hard to ensure that we are happy.”

“It will take a while,” she tried to assure him, “to properly fall in love. But if it's meant to be, I have no doubt that I will. I believe in fate.”

“As do I,” he said. “I am quite happy to court you.”

“Court me?” She smirked. “That is old-fashioned, isn't it?”

“Why, what do you say nowadays?” he asked, as they walked.

“Hmm,” she though. “Date? Take out? Hit me up? Netflix and chill?”

“Somehow,” he tried to maintain his composure, “none of that seems as elegant.”

“I'll give you that,” she smirked. “How long can you stay in town?”

“As long as you'd like,” he answered. “The entire purpose of this trip was to see you.”

“But you must have other things to do with your life,” she said. “You can't just spend the whole time wandering around, waiting for me to figure it out?”

He smiled. “I don't. And I have done many things over the years to take care of you and make sure we have a future. Sometimes it's on Earth, sometimes on Umora, and sometimes on a different planet all together. Regardless, you are always taken care of. You don't have to worry.”

“I do have to worry if I can't get up for class tomorrow,” she said as they reached the hotel. “You'll forgive me for not wanting to ditch my whole life on the spot.”

“Of course,” he said as they stepped into the library.

“But can we go to my room to talk?” she asked. “It's up this way.”

“No,” he was firm on this. “Katianna, we are not married yet. And until we are, I don't wish to compromise your reputation.”

“My reputation?” she was about to sputter out that he needn't worry about that. But the look in his eyes was so genuine and so pure that she couldn't bring herself to do it. “I see.”

“So, if you wouldn't mind,” he said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek, “I'll bid you goodnight here.”

“That's…um…fine,” she blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed. “I'll see you in the morning, then?”

“I'll be counting the hours,” he replied.

She took the left staircase up to her room where he imagined the family's quarters were.

He watched her go, his heart beating a hundred miles a minute. She always did this to him, no matter how long they had been together. His palms were sweaty, and his heart was ablaze with love.

This had been so much easier than the other times. She seemed to believe things, and her memories were flooding back with only a little prompting. If this was what the world was coming to, then he welcomed it with open arms.

His phone pinged as he went up to his room, and he pulled it out, annoyed.

Your services are required tomorrow, said the message from Nicholas. It was firm, and there was no explanation.

Spencer paused his fingers over the keyboard. He didn't want to seem like he was questioning his princes, but he couldn't leave–not now.

I am engaged until at least a fortnight, he wrote back. He figured a fortnight would be long enough to convince Katianna that she could take a break and come with him. Now that he had found her, he didn't ever want to be apart from her again.

The message came back almost right away, and it was harsh.

You will come when your princes demand, or you will be held in contempt. Spencer, you are a second bloodline lord, and we are summoning you.

His heart was set aflutter, but this time, it was for an entirely different reason.

Yes, my prince, he wrote back as he closed the door to his room. He knew that he didn't have a choice. While the dragon princes weren't merciless, they did not stand for people questioning their rule. They had been through so much in the last few years, and he didn't blame them for needing to be firm. He was a loyal servant, and he would come.

But he was determined not to leave Katianna ever again either.

Chapter 4

He waited until the afternoon. The texts from Nicholas had stopped coming, but he could feel his displeasure across the galaxy. All dragons were connected to their royals through magic. Whenever the royals walked into the room, they were forced to bow as they invoked majesty. Spencer bowed before the magic got to him, for he respected them and considered them friends. Today, though, he was cursing them as he waited for Katianna to get out of class.

She was wearing jeans and a long sweater, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She couldn't have looked more like an Earth girl if she tried, and it made him wince. Yesterday, with her vintage dress, she might have been able to fit in. But today, unless he gave her a moment to change, she was going to stand out like a sore thumb if she wanted to come with him.

He told himself that it was all right. After all, all the princes were married to human girls. One was a witch, and one was a carapace–the opposite of a witch–but they were all human and had lived on Earth at some point.

“You look pensive,” Katianna said when she approached him.

He tried to smile. “How was class?” he asked.

“It was all right,” she said with a shrug. “I'm taking the degree as a formality and hopefully to learn a little bit, but the truth is that I already know most of it from running the place. Everyone is learning check in information systems, and I've been using them since I was twelve.”

He smiled, offering to take her backpack as they walked. “So, are you top of the class then?”

“No, surprisingly,” she gave him a grin. “Apparently, there's a correct way to do things, and then there is my way. Besides, I couldn't focus too much today.”

“Oh?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Because I kept thinking of you,” she gave him a sly grin.

“Oh, I see,” he replied as they walked. He wanted to hold her tightly, but he wasn't sure if she was ready for that. He considered the fact, though, that if she wasn't ready to be hugged in the middle of a public street, she was probably not ready to journey through planets for him. “What are you plans for this afternoon?”

“Homework,” she said. “Aside from that, nothing. Today is my day off from reception, and I don't even have class tomorrow.”

He paused at that, trying to sound casual.

“So you don't have to be back until the day after tomorrow?”

“Indeed,” she said, turning to him. “Why, do you have something wonderful planned?”

“I uh…” he tapped his fingers against his leg, looking for the right words. “I have something planned.”

“Tell me,” she said with a grin. “I'm sure I'll like it.”

“I'm not so sure,” he said, turning to her. “But you have to know that I love you, even if you haven't learned to love me yet. And I would never do anything to hurt or harm you. In addition, I never want to be apart from you again.”

“Oh, God, are you proposing?” she asked him.

His jaw fell open. “No,” he said. “Not right now.”

She laughed. “I'm teasing you,” she said, amused by the look on his face. “Did I never tease you before?”

“You were always more serious,” he said.

“Oh,” she said. “Maybe I was a product of my time. Actually, though, Spencer, what is it that you have planned?”

“Maybe something equally as shocking,” he replied. “I told you that I am close with the dragon princes. They are summoning me to return. I don't know what it is, it may be urgent, but I doubt it will be long. I could go without you. But, my love, I never want to be apart from you again. I understand, though, if this is too much, too soon.”

“You want me to come with you?” she asked. “To the dragon planet?”

“Yes,” he answered. “If you'd like. You mentioned that you are free.”

“I would love to come,” she smiled. “You've spent some time in my home, why should I not see yours?”

“You'll come, then?” he asked.

“How do I go?” she said.

“I can take you. It's magic, and it doesn't hurt, although it can be a little jarring,” he said. “We cannot transport from anywhere, but there is a spot–a vortex–not too far from here. A train ride for an hour or two will take us, and once we reach the vortex, it's instantaneous.”

“And we can be back in a day or two?”

“Yes,” he said. “That I promise you. I will not whisk you away to an unfamiliar place and leave your commitments on Earth stranded.”

“Oy,” she said as they got back to the hotel. “Let me just lie to my parents then. And pack a bag. You should probably check out. “

“I can leave the room paid for,” he replied. “I have every intention of returning here.”

“Right, then,” she said, “just act normal, and I'll meet you back outside in an hour. Of course, I'm an adult and I'm allowed to go anywhere I choose, but a forty-eight hour whirlwind trip to a dragon planet might have them asking too many questions.”

“I'll be waiting with baited breath,” he replied, and she leaned in to kiss him.

“Don't look so nervous, Spencer, I trust you. And I've been dreaming.”

“Dreaming?” he asked. “About us?”

“Yes, about us. But I think it's been about things that I have done in the past. Was I nurse, ever?”

“You…,” he searched his memory. “During the war, there were some fights here about whether to enlist or not, and it left some men wounded in the street. You held one of their legs after it was cut with a bottle until the doctor came. You were very brave.”

“That's sort of what I remember,” she said. “Bandages and a lot of blood. That must have been a long time ago. Does it always come back?”

“The memories?” he asked. “No, they don't. You will get flashes, and we will talk more, but you never remember a full life.”

“Perhaps it's for the best,” she replied. “I wouldn't want three lifetimes to come back. I can barely remember when I have class.”

“Right now, all you need to remember is to pack whatever you need for a day or two. There's Wi-Fi there,” he said. “It's an advanced civilization; you will be able to charge your phone.”

“Amazing,” she kissed him on the cheek. “I'll be right back.”

“I'll wait,” he said, used to the fact that she would probably take an hour to get ready. She was always meticulous in her packing, making sure she was prepared for anything.

It shocked him to no end when she was back downstairs in ten minutes.

“Don't you want to see your family?” he asked, looking at her backpack. “Are you sure that's everything?”

“It's only a few days,” she replied. “What did you expect? I said goodbye and told them I was going on a quick school field trip.”

“Already?” he blinked, wondering if he had lost time. She smirked.

“Oh no, I was one of those girls who packed everything and the kitchen sink, wasn't I?”

He smiled, reaching his hand out. “It's all right,” he said. “I'm sure anything that you have forgotten, they have on Umora. If you are truly ready, we should start our adventure together.”

She took his hand, trusting him to lead the way. For someone who had never been outside of town and had never even considered traveling, she was surprisingly brave. He thought it might have been left over from another life–this braveness; this comfort level. She even seemed to know how to board a train and hand her ticket over.

She leaned against the cold, leather seat, watching as he put their bags up and settled down beside her.

“So, is it like a sci-fi movie, then?” she asked. “Umora?”

“No,” he knew instantly what she was talking about. “It's more of a medieval fantasy.”

“With Wi-Fi,” she said, and he smiled.

“Yes, that's right.”

“And these princes?” she said. “Are they like the books say they will be?”

“They are not to be feared,” he said. “You've met them in one incarnation, a long time ago, when they were much younger and just princes. The youngest, Cole, is half-witch and is married to a human girl, Enya. She is his opposite–calm and pure to his mischief. If anyone knows about reincarnation, it is him. In fact…,” he pulled out his phone, shifting through it for pictures. They were recent ones, taken at Nicholas' recent wedding. “This is Nicholas, the former regent, married to Rosa, who is a witch. They have a daughter who's about two or three now.”

“Oh, my goodness, she's adorable!” she squealed. “A dragon-witch baby. Look at those eyes!”

The way her face lit up told him that she wanted some of her own one day. She leaned forward, cooing, and he slipped an arm around her.

“Are your eyes like that?” She turned to him and smiled. “They are. There's some yellow.”

“That's the dragon in me,” he said. “The yellow tint is always a giveaway.”

“I think they are beautiful,” she said. “To think that two weeks ago, we didn't know each other.”

“Except we did,” he pointed out.

“We did,” she smiled. “So, Cole and Nicholas. Is that it?”

“This is Alexander,” he zoomed into the picture. “The former king after his father died. He's the current regent, and his wife is the former dragon queen. This is Ariel, and she is carapace, which means she takes away all magical ability.”

“I know her! She's a dancer in The Nutcracker. She's the one that does the dancing on knives.”

“On knives?” Spencer raised an eyebrow, and Katianna took out her own phone, googling quickly.

“Here. She's revolutionary. We studied her in dance class in high school.”

“Oh.” She was half naked in the picture, which fit with the image of Ariel that he knew. The one time he had met their wives, she had been the most scantily clad, and the most provocative.

“And she's married to the dragon king? Wow, what a life.”

“It was a marriage of convenience, from what I understand,” Spencer replied. “Unlike the other three's marriages. And he is the former king. When King Richard died, he was the next in line. Until his brother, Peter, here, returned from what would be your version of heaven–the other world, whatever you want to call it. He is married to Yvette, who used to work with dragons who had returned from the Other, catch them up to speed.”

“Isn't returning from heaven reincarnation?”

“No,” Spencer replied. “Because it's the same body and the same memories. And that's a recent phenomenon that we can't quite figure out.”

“Oh,” she said, leaning back. “So, they don't know about me?”

“I didn't mention it,” he replied. “I thought...I thought they would think I'm crazy. But, so much is changing. I think it's finally time.”

He didn't mention the sense of urgency that he had, the sense of impending doom, and the clock running out of time. She accepted this answer, leaning her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes. The train bumped along, and he closed his eyes as well, perfectly content to simply be by her side. Whatever was coming, they could figure it out now that they were together again.

Chapter 5

When the train finally reached the spot where Spencer knew there was a vortex, they had to shake themselves awake. It was a scramble to grab the bags and rush off the train before the doors closed. Katianna gave him a grin as they half stumbled onto the grass.

“Are you all right, all-powerful, dragon lord?”

“My love,” he said as they got some strange looks by other people exiting the train. “As much as I love you, you might want to keep your voice down.”

“Right,” she said. “Sorry. Slip of the tongue.”

“In a few moments, you won't have to worry about that at all,” he assured her. He took her by the hand, bringing her toward the back of the train station. “On Umora, you will be the one that stands out.”

“People have always said I stood out,” she said, touching her face. “My eyes are unique, too, remember?”

“Your eyes are how I find you,” he said. “I would never change them, not for a moment. I think they're beautiful.”

She smiled, leaning in for a kiss. No one had ever told her that her eyes were beautiful. They told her that they were unique or interesting, but Spencer made her feel like the prettiest woman in the world. He never so much as looked at another woman, his gaze constantly on her. She felt so much stronger, so much more powerful when he was by her side. It was as if the world was her oyster.

It also explained how she felt drawn to the TV when a dragon had appeared on Earth a few years ago. The media covered it up as a prank, but she always knew that something wasn't right. It was too real to be a doctored video, and people had died. They had quickly covered that up as well, but she had spent far too much time googling it. She had always been interested in sci-fi and the paranormal, although she had never told anyone just how obsessed she was. This was a dream come true.

“What do we do?” she asked, resisting the urge to kiss him again.

“Take my hand,” he replied, making sure that there was no one else around. He squeezed her hand, and then took the other one. “It's going to be jarring. You are going to feel the magic and then a whoosh of blackness. I'll do my best to hold you up, but you are probably going to end up on the throne room floor.”

“Oh,” she shrugged. “All right. Sounds easy enough.”

“It's jarring at first, but you'll get used to it. I hope,” he squeezed her hand. “Close your eyes.”

She did as she was told, trembling half with excitement and half with fear. She felt it exactly as he told her she would. First, it was warm, and then it was a bit concerning. She felt dizzy, like she was floating.

She was about to open her mouth to ask him if it was all right. But when she did, she nearly passed out. The world around her was swirling, and then it went black.

She crashed onto the hard, marble floor with a yelp, falling against Spencer's arms. He reached his arms out to hold her, trying to soothe her.

“It's okay, Katianna. It's all right.”

She was not used to that name, and she almost felt like correcting it. But she had no time to as she quickly found that they were not alone.

She looked up to see, who she recognized as Cole standing in front of them. He said something, but she did not recognize the language.

He was taller than she had thought, long and lean, and with the flash of yellow in his eyes that she now recognized as dragon. He looked slightly different, with a shorter neck, and more human features. She remembered that he wasn't fully dragon, and wondered if he could transform just as easily.

It was amazing what facts she was accepting. Two weeks ago, she was a student, who planned to run the family hotel the rest of her life.

Spencer responded in the same language, and she quickly realized that this was what he had been referring to when he said English wasn't his first language.

“Mmm,” Cole responded, before his eyes turned to her. She smiled, holding out her hand. Her parents had taught her to always be friendly.

“Hello, my name is…uh…,” she turned to Spencer. “Bethany.”

He spoke at the same time. “Katianna,” he said.

Cole raised an eyebrow and switched to English.

“No,” he said, looking between the two of them. “It isn't.”

“It is,” Spencer replied, turning to his prince. “And it's a long story.”

“I've heard a lot of long stories around here,” Cole replied, looking at her closely. “Katianna as in your wife, correct?” He seemed to recognize her multi-colored eyes and cocked his head. “Huh.”

“Do we know each other?” she asked. Cole grinned.

“If you are her, then we know each other,” he said. “But I'm not sure what your crazy boyfriend is talking about, so let's sort that out, hmm? Spencer? Nicholas summoned you, correct?”

“Yes,” Spencer replied. “And I have returned, as a loyal lord does.”

“I see that,” Cole said. “With an enigma. Should I take our enigma to a room to take it all in, while you meet with my brother?”

“Would you like to rest, Katianna?” Spencer turned to her. “I imagine this is all a bit much.”

“Sure,” she shrugged. She was more curious than she was afraid, and Spencer had said that this was safe. “I can do that.”

“Are you from Earth?” Cole asked her. She nodded. “When my wife first came here, she was grateful for a soft bed. To your room, Spencer?”

“No,” Spencer replied, sharply. “We aren't married.”

Cole quirked an eyebrow.

“You were,” he said, shaking his head. “I don't have a lot of time on my hands to question what is going on here. Come with me,” he said to her, and she picked up her bag. She turned back to Spencer, who nodded, and she followed Cole out, scampering to keep up with him. “Thank you for having me. It's very kind.”

“I don't see how you can be Katianna,” he said. “She died nearly twenty years ago. I was barely a teenager when–”

“Eighty,” she said, and he turned to her in surprise.

“What?”

“The first time I died was eighty years ago,” she said. “At least, that's what Spencer said.”

“Oh, what Spencer said,” he replied. “And what do you say?”

“I am learning,” she replied. “Look, I know it sounds crazy. It sounds crazy to me, too. But I can't deny my feelings for him, and I can't deny that I remember things from long ago.”

“Really?” Cole stopped her in the hallway. “What do you remember about here?”

She stopped, taking in the hallway. The ceilings were high, and there were white, marble colors with gilded-gold paint that was straight out of a story book. It was breathtaking. She squinted at the paint and the swirls in the plaster for a moment.

“My grave has those,” she said, pointing to the corners. “Those wings.”

“Your grave?” Cole said. “He's buried you and thinks you've returned without so much as a disturbed plant?”

“Yes?” Katianna replied. “I think that is where he must have gotten inspiration, from your palace.”

“Right,” Cole looked doubtful. “And how long, pray tell, have you known Spencer this time around?”

“A couple weeks?” she shrugged.

“Oh I see,” Cole smirked.

She realized he didn't believe her, and it put a shadow of doubt into her as well. What Spencer had said made sense to her when they were the only two on Earth that were let into the secret. But now, there was more than just their two infatuated minds involved. She switched topics, trying to be polite. She ignored the growing feeling of dread in her stomach.

“Your English is very good,” she said. “Were you taught it in school?”

“Not really,” he answered, and they began walking again. “My wife is from Earth, and she is a translator, a linguist.”

“Oh, that's neat,” she answered. “So, that's where you learned most of it?”

“Indeed,” he said. “I can get her if there is something you need. Whether or not you are Katianna, this must be confusing.”

“It's all right,” she replied. “To tell you the truth, I've never been out of my hometown, so this is what I imagine every other place but home looks like.”

He smirked at that as he pushed open a door. She gasped.

The bedroom looked like it belonged in the sixteenth century, with a four-poster bed and furniture that was fit for a king. There was mahogany furniture, and a warm bedspread, with tapestries on the wall.

The tapestries were what caught her eye the most. In beautiful, woven fabrics, she saw Earth and majestic dragons circling it. There were other planets surrounding it, planets she didn't recognize. She was as good at science as the next person, but these planets were not something they had taught her in high school science.

“The rest of the galaxy,” Cole said, following her gaze. “Did you think your solar system was the only thing around?”

“It was the only thing we knew,” she said, looking up. “Why? Did your wife know what they were?”

“No,” he checked himself, realizing how mean he was being. “She was a lot more baffled than you, actually, come to think of it. And it certainly took longer than two weeks to get her to trust me.”

“Could it be,” Katianna turned around with a smile, “because I've done this before?”

“Checkmate to you,” he said, handing her a giant key. “The room is yours. If you want to see your boyfriend, ask any servant in the hallway, and I'm sure they can tell you where he's at. If he's talking to my brother, it might be a long time.”

“I hope nothing serious is wrong?” Katianna answered.

“Just the usual chaos and destruction,” Cole replied. “Enjoy your stay. Oh,” he reached out his hand, “you're from Earth. You'll want Wi-Fi.”

She handed over her phone, slightly shocked that this magical place had access to technology as well. Cole pushed a few buttons and then handed it back.

“Enjoy a Wi-Fi speed like you've never seen before,” he said with a smile.

He closed the door behind him, leaving her to spin around in awe.

She certainly wasn't at home anymore.

She threw herself on the soft bed, dropping her bag by her feet. Staring at the ceiling, she closed her eyes. That transport had been exhausting, and she felt like it was catching up to her now. She took out her phone as it beeped.

Where is it you are going again? Came a text from her mother.

None of this had really unsettled her until she saw that text. Suddenly, everything came crashing back to her. She was a reincarnation of a girl who died nearly eighty years ago. The supposed love of her life was a dragon, and he had transported her onto a planet hundreds of thousands of miles away. She was in the dragon palace, and everything the story books said was real.

“Oh my god,” she said to herself. “What is happening to me?”

Chapter 6

It was an hour before Spencer came back to see her. She didn't really mind or notice as her thoughts swirled. But when he entered the room, she sat up with a start, her arms out.

“I missed you,” she said, and he chuckled, kissing the top of her head.

“Was it that long?” he asked.

“No,” she laid her head on his chest, “but it felt like an eternity.”

“It felt like an eternity in the meeting, as well,” he answered. “Nicholas has an endless supply of problems and not enough agents to deal with them.”

“Like what?” she sat back, feeling calmer now that he was back with her. She brushed the hair out of her eyes, settling back against the pillows.

“Don't worry yourself about it,” he said. “We will take care of it. In the meantime, they have invited you to stay the night, and for dinner.”

“Oh,” she said. “That's very kind. I had thought we'd just go grab food.”

He raised an eyebrow, and she realized that she had probably said something wrong.

“That's not a thing people do, is it?”

“Not here,” he answered. “Here, they follow the rules of old. They dress for dinner.”

“Like, fancy?” she glanced at her backpack. “I did not bring fancy. The nicest thing I brought is a decent pair of jeans.”

“I'm sure you'll look lovely either way,” he replied. “But if you are in need of a dress, I can certainly ask if you can borrow one. Nicholas' wife is about your size. I'm sure she has a few.”

“I wouldn't want to be a burden when we just got here,” she said, but he rose.

“It's no burden,” he said, looking around the room. “I think we stayed in this room before.”

“My grave,” she said. “I saw the corners of the palace in the hallway. Is that where you got the inspiration for my grave?”

He turned back to her, a smile on his face.

“Do you like them?” he asked.

“Yes, they are beautiful,” she said, searching her mind. “I liked them before, didn't I?”

“You did,” he said. “You always admired them, no matter how many times we came here. So, when the opportunity came to customize your grave, I thought it was appropriate.”

“That's nice of you,” she said. “Although the idea of a grave scares me.”

“Why?” his brow furrowed. “You've always had a beautiful, well-attended funeral, with–”

“No, not that part,” she said. “Just the idea of staying in one place forever. I always thought that I would be cremated and scattered.”

“Oh, my love,” he said with a smile, “you aren't exactly staying in one place forever, are you?”

She paused. “I guess not,” she said with a grin. “So perhaps that explains such a fear.”

“Give yourself time,” he tried to reassure her. “Things will come back into focus. You will soon feel more like yourself.”

“Am I different?” she asked, and he let out a breath.

“A little,” he admitted. “But I'm sure it's just the times. Now, I'll see about that dress.”

“Thank you,” she said as she reached to undo her hair. “I'll just attempt to make myself pretty while you're gone.”

“You are always pretty,” he said, as he went to the door. “I'll see you soon.”

She blew him a kiss and then got off the bed, heading to the vanity.

Her reflection stared back at her, young and lean, with an oval-shaped face. Her eyes stood out more in the sunlight, making her face asymmetrical. She cocked her head, closing one eye.

It made her feel almost normal to only see one color. It changed the way she looked–from unique to standard. She had never felt she was beautiful, but then again, she had never thought much about her looks. Her parents had told her it was school that mattered, along with a career and a friendly smile.

And yet, her eyes were changing her life.

When Spencer returned, it was with a beautiful, purple dress that took her breath away. It had long sleeves and a full-length skirt that came with layers of tulle underneath it. She could tell by the touch of the fabric that it was more expensive than anything she had ever owned.

“Oh my,” she said, taking it. “Thank you. This is beautiful. Although, these sleeves....”

Normally, a dress with a full skirt would be sleeveless. He cleared his throat as she fingered them. “The women here are more conservative than on Earth,” he said.

“Old-fashioned,” she said, and he shook his head.

“It's more about equality. Women are equal to men here in all respects. When Peter was king and he had no wife, it was Ariel by default. The queen owns fifty percent of the kingdom and has equal opinion on all matters. The women do not use any tactics of beauty here; it's unnecessary. Beauty comes in the mind and in the smile.”

“That's what my parents taught me,” she said. “I was just thinking about that.”

“That and dragon women are stunning, always,” he said, stepping closer to her. “Almost as stunning as you.”

“Mmm,” she relaxed in his arms. “Did you want to help me dress?”

She thought that she was teasing him, but he looked away, stepping back.

“One day, my love. One day. But for now, I'd rather wait to preserve your modesty.”

“My reputation,” she said. “It's clashing values, don't you think?”

“No,” he said, looking up. “I respect you for so much more than what your body can offer. When we are married, we will enjoy all of those pleasures, and it will be worth the wait.”

“All right,” she smiled, accepting this reason. It was refreshing compared to Earth views, and she found that she enjoyed it. Perhaps it was her upbringing, or perhaps it was just happiness at a change of pace. Either way, she was grateful. “Thank you.”

“Get changed, and I'll be waiting outside,” he said. “I will escort you to the dining room, where you meet the rest of the royal family.”

“But no pressure,” she replied, turning back to the mirror and holding the dress up to her neck. “I'll see you in a moment.”

“Do you need me to send in a maid to assist you?”

“No, I've got it.” She smiled at him in the mirror. “I've been dressing myself for quite a while. I'll figure it out.”

“As you wish.” He bowed his head and left.

As soon as he was gone, she stripped down, stepping into the dress.

It proved harder than she thought. There weren't any zippers; it was all ties and buttons. She sucked in her small stomach, spinning the dress around to button up the front before turning it around to the back and struggling into the sleeves. She felt the sweat drip down her back and briefly considered getting the maid. But she told herself that she was a strong, independent woman, and she could dress herself.

It took nearly half an hour before she felt like she looked presentable. She ended up braiding her hair and putting it behind her neck, leaving a few twists hanging down. She didn't usually wear makeup, and so she simply scrubbed her face, hoping she didn't look too tired. She pinched her cheeks and smiled at herself in the mirror, forcing energy into her eyes. Spencer was probably wondering if she died, but she couldn't possibly go to dinner with royals looking like she had just run the track at school.

She had never pictured herself having dinner with princes in any version of her life. This was just as novel as being transported here.

In the mirror, her reflection showed a mature, young lady. With a high collar and long sleeves, she felt like a proper adult, her hair dripping down and her eyes sparkling. She was so used to jeans and polos, vintage dresses with cutouts, and black eye liner. The woman that stared back at her made her look twice at herself.

Maybe she could do this after all.

She finally stepped into the hallway where Spencer was leaning against the wall.

“Sorry,” she said. “The dress and I got into a fight.”

“It was worth the wait,” he assured her, looking her up and down. “You look wonderful.”

“You clean up nice, too,” she said, noticing that he had changed into a dark suit. It didn't look quite right for Earth, but within these beautiful halls, it was perfect. She almost lost her breath at how handsome he was with his yellow eyes and strong jaw. He held out his arm, and she took it, drifting down the hall.

“Are there any table manners I should know about?” she asked. “That are different from Earth?”

He chuckled, shaking his head. “No. The only thing that may be different is that no one eats until the king does.”

“Whose name is Peter,” she remembered. “I can do that.”

“Then you'll be perfect,” he laid a kiss on her head as they approached the banquet halls. The doors were several feet high and intricately carved. Two guards pulled it open, and Katianna resisted gasping again.

It was even more beautiful than what she had seen, if that was possible.

There was a long banquet table, with only a few place settings put out. The table cloth was ivory white, and the plates were crystal with the same gold as the hallways painted around the edge. The cutlery looked to be made of pure white gold, and the glasses at the place settings were majestic tumblers.

“Oh my,” Katianna said, taking it all in. “I'm almost afraid to eat dinner here. I might ruin something.”

“This is a dragon table,” Spencer assured her. “It's seen worse than a human dropping food, I promise.”

“That's a boost for my confidence,” she said, and smiled at him.

“Spencer.”

She spun around as a voice spoke. She recognized Nicholas from the pictures, his wife Rosa on his arm.

“Oh, my goodness,” Nicholas' mouth fell open as Katianna met his eyes. “You weren't joking.”

“My lord,” Spencer tipped his head. Katianna followed his lead and gave a small curtsey. Rosa was beautiful, clearly a princess, with a tiara woven into her brown hair, and several, heavy rings on her fingers. “May I introduce Katianna, my once and future wife.”

“I'm Rosa,” the witch-girl said with a smile. “Welcome to Umora. Again, as I understand.”

“I'm trying to remember,” Katianna gave her a pained smile. “Have we met before, too?”

“No,” Rosa said, smiling at her husband. “We are recently married, although I did hear about you once.”

“I told you when she died,” Nicholas said. “Spencer was torn up.”

“That I was,” Spencer replied.

“But don't be sad anymore.” Cole entered with Enya on his arm. “She's here. And my brothers will be here shortly.”

“Oh, the dress looks perfect on you,” Enya went right to Katianna, holding out her hands. Katianna was warmed by her friendliness and smiled.

“Thank you for lending it to me,” she said.

“Nonsense,” Enya replied. “The first time I came to Umora, I had nothing to wear as well.”

“Neither did I,” Rosa pointed out. “I had just given birth hours before.”

Katianna turned to Rosa. “You win this round,” she said.

Rosa smiled. “Turns out it was worth it,” she said. “Motherhood does bring on a hunger. Shall we sit at least?”

She led the way to the table, the men pulling out the chairs for the ladies. Katianna was even afraid to sit on the chairs, for they were so beautiful.

But she only had the chance to sit for a moment before trumpets blared, and everyone's head turned to the door.

Spencer rose right away, and she followed suit, looking confused.

“The king,” he said, and Katianna felt her heart leap.

What a day this was turning out to be, she thought, as the majestic doors opened.

Chapter 7

Peter was clearly a king; there were no two ways about it. Tall and majestic, a crown on his head, and his eyes blazing; he looked like he controlled everything with the twist of his finger. His eyes blazed, and his jaw was strong and set, looking at the table as if he were calculating his next move. He was certainly the most serious of the princes.

On his arm, his wife was the opposite. Draped in light linen, her dress the color of clouds, Yvette was small and thin. She was nearly a foot shorter than him and much younger. She was smiling, though, despite the weight of her heavy crown, and her stick-thin arm was locked in his hand.

Everyone bowed or curtsied, and Katianna knocked her knee against the table trying to do the same.

Behind him was the final brother, his Irish twin, she understood, and the former king.

Alexander was slightly shorter than Peter, and Katianna was surprised to see he looked older. His face was grey and drawn, and his temples showed salt-and-pepper against the dark hair. His chest rose and fell with more effort than the others, and his teeth were half clenched.

Beside him, Ariel was clearly the most beautiful woman in the room. Katianna felt like a child playing dress-up beside the tall red-head. She wore a green dress that was cut in the front, nearly dipping to her naval. Her long, red hair fell in waves nearly to her waist, and she wore a crown as majestic as Yvette, her fingers and neck dazzling in jewels. She looked more of a queen than the actual queen, standing shoulder to shoulder with her husband in flat shoes.

The others dipped to a bow appropriate to the current Regents, and the men pulled out the chairs for their wives.

To Katianna's delight, Ariel was seated beside her. She turned to the redhead with a friendly smile.

“I'm Katianna. I've seen your dancing. You are amazing!”

Ariel turned to her as if seeing her for the first time. “Thanks,” she said, looking her up and down. “You must be Katianna. We've been briefed.”

“Briefed?” Katianna asked.

“On the…unique situation that Spencer claims is happening,” Alexander spoke up, clearing his throat. The servants advanced forward, placing warm platters on the table.

“How are you, my lord?” Spencer asked, trying to change the subject.

“I am well, thank you, Spencer,” Alexander said. “It is nice to see you again. Thank you for returning.”

“Of course, my lord,” Spencer replied, keeping his head bent as he was served.

“He doesn't look well,” Katianna lowered her voice, whispering to Spencer. He caught her eye, shaking his head, and she understood to ask about it later.

“Do you have any sightings to report, Spencer?” Peter spoke up. Katianna had her utensils in her hand, her mouth salivating at the meat that was placed in front of her. She hadn't realized that she was hungry until this moment.

“Of King Richard?” Spencer asked. “No. It was my understanding that he was killed.”

“He was,” Peter said. “We just like to check. You spent many years on Earth.”

“I spent many years everywhere,” Spencer corrected him. “But I assure you, since the report came that he perished here, I have heard and seen nothing.”

“Unless he's been reincarnated,” Cole said, smirking. Spencer's head shot up, his eyes narrowing.

“It's possible,” Spencer said, coolly.

“And it's possible I could figure out how to transform into a wolf,” Cole replied. “Magic works in mysterious ways.”

Katianna felt the feeling of dread in her stomach again. She waited until everyone was deep in conversation before she spoke softly to Spencer once more.

“He doesn't believe us,” she said.

Spencer sighed. “Cole is just snarky,” he said. “He hasn't had a chance to look into anything yet, so he's living inside his own box. Don't worry, my love, he will find an answer.”

“And if he doesn't?” Katianna asked.

Spencer raised his eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“I just mean, if he doesn't find evidence that reincarnation exists?”

“My love,” he looked right into her eyes, “you know in your heart that this is real, don't you?”

“I…” she couldn't deny it when he was looking right into her eyes and sending shivers up and down her spine. “Yes, I know it's real.”

“Good,” he said, leaning over to kiss her. “Then that's all we need in the end. But Cole will find an answer. Once he removes his head from his–”

“Spencer!” Katianna exclaimed, with a laugh. It drew attention back to them, and she covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry,” she said.

“Share the joke, please,” Peter said, looking right at her. Her eyes widened.

“Oh no, it was just something funny that happened on Earth,” she said. Peter raised an eyebrow.

“Which was? Don't be afraid. You are among friends here.”

“Which was....me...falling into the mud on my first date with Spencer.” It was a lie, but it was the only thing she could think of. “So embarrassing”

“Oh my,” Enya saved her. “That would be awkward. Clearly, though, Spencer was not too bothered by it.”

“I did laugh,” Spencer got into the story. “Only for a moment.”

“What would you do if I fell in the mud?” Enya turned to Cole, cocking an eyebrow.

“Ask you to stay down there so I could snap a picture, and then help you up?” Cole smirked, and she laughed, shaking her head.

Luckily for both of them, the conversation topic turned, and Katianna let out a sigh of relief.

Dinner was finished soon enough, and everyone rose to retire to the library for drinks and general socializing. Katianna felt like she was in the sixteenth century with all these formalities.

She noted that Ariel rose first, reaching her hand out. Alexander took it, and his wife's arm flexed to support him as they headed into the library.

“What's wrong with him?” she asked. Spencer's eyes flicked upwards to make sure that they were far enough away, and then spoke.

“The relationship between supernatural beings and carapaces has always been odd. Sometimes, they were allies, but mostly they were hunted. When Ariel married Alexander, there was many carapaces who didn't like it. Prolonged exposure to them, especially in the numbers they brought, was damaging. He will never recover.”

“Yet, they continue to be together?”

“Alexander argues that one carapace, even the queen, isn't damaging. He just can't be on Earth where the rest of them are.”

“She's the queen of carapaces?” Katianna replied. “Wow. I understand what you mean for a marriage of convenience, but it's not that way now.”

“What do you mean?” Spencer asked, confused.

Katianna smiled. “They love each other, isn't that clear?”

“I…” he looked between them and back to Katianna. “I don't know. It's always been accepted that they were what you call a powerful couple.”

“Spencer,” she said softly, “can't you see love when it's looking you in the eye?

He smiled down at her, kissing the top of her head. “Of course, I can,” he said. “I see it every time I look at you.”

She squeezed his hand as they settled into the library. It seemed an odd way to spend an evening–among princes of Dragons. And yet, somehow, it seemed natural.

It was only half an hour of quiet conversation before the day hit her. She yawned loudly, and then covered her mouth, blushing.

“Oh my goodness, I'm sorry.”

Spencer laughed, rising. “Come, my dear. I shall escort you to your room. It's been a long day for both of us.”

“Thank you for everything today,” she said to the others, dipping low. “It was…wonderful?”

Alexander smiled briefly. “Goodnight,” he said, dipping his head. “It was an honor to have your company, Katianna.”

It was only once she was gone that Cole spoke up.

“You don't really believe that's Katianna, do you?” he asked his brother.

Alexander's eyes flickered to his youngest brother. “And what is your opinion, Cole? Although I'm quite sure I can guess it.”

“That's not the same girl,” Cole said, firmly. “Reincarnation is just not something that happens.”

“Are you sure?” Rosa spoke up, meeting his witch eyes. “You didn't think the Donizetti line could be revived. You didn't know what magic you were holding until you were told. I'm not questioning your ability, Cole, my dearest brother. I'm saying that we learn new things all the time.”

“No, you don't.” Cole glanced at Enya.

“What?” Enya asked, a sinking feeling in her chest.

“The last time Spencer brought Katianna around here, I…she and I….”

“Sorry, you did what?” Nicholas smirked, from his place by the fire. “Did you steal her virtue, Cole?”

“I did not,” Cole replied. “But I may have kissed her. More than once. She may have run because she was avoiding me. I don't think Spencer knows, but she chose to go back to Earth, likely to stay faithful to him.”

Her husband's romances before they met didn't bother Enya. But she was still put out by his lack of respect for an existing relationship.

“Were you in love with her?” Enya asked, and Cole laughed.

“No, it was just a thing. How do you say it? A fling. It meant nothing to me, but I get the feeling it meant everything to her. I know her, and that isn't her.”

“Cole,” Alexander put his palm to his eyes, sighing. “Thank God you finally got married before you bothered the whole kingdom.”

“If she's got magic to reincarnate,” Ariel said, “I could possibly feel the same thing from an old corpse of hers? If she doesn't just vanish?”

“Do you feel magic on her at all?” Alexander turned to his wife, and she shook her head, sliding into his lap.

“Nada. But there's so many of you around. Maybe I'll make nice and get her alone.”

“My concern,” Peter said, speaking up for the first time, “is that if he is right, and some people do have the ability to do this, what if Father does as well?”

Everyone fell silent at that, looking to each other. Cole had not considered that. They had killed old King Richard in a violent battle that no one would forget anytime soon. If he wasn't really dead, everything was for naught.

“I will look into it,” Cole said, at last. “But really, I'm not sure.”

“Be sure,” Peter stared down his youngest brother. “Our future depends on it.”

Ariel leaned into Alexander's chest, her eyes staring off into the fire. He squeezed her shoulder, a small smile on his face. “Penny for your thoughts?” he asked.

“I was just wondering if someone could learn how to do that,” she said, looking back at him.

“We have to find out if it's real first, Ariel,” he said, and she shrugged.

“I know. But if you do eventually go before me, maybe you could learn how to do that.”

“One would think you are fond of me,” he said softly.

She giggled. “Or I like being a princess. Either way.”

“Either way,” he echoed, staring into the fire. This world was getting so confusing. No one stayed dead, except, it seemed, for the ones they wanted.

Chapter 8

When Katianna awoke, she forgot where she was for a moment. It was only after a confusing look around that she remembered she was in the palace of the dragon princes. And apparently, she was dating one of the nobles. She hadn't actually discussed their relationship in detail, but somehow, the idea of being with Spencer seemed like it was the easiest thing in the world. They didn't need to have a talk; she didn't need to post a Facebook status. She just knew that she was with him.

Her stomach growled, and she threw off the covers to get dressed. Her Earth clothes felt inadequate, but she couldn't very well go to Enya and ask for yet another dress. She didn't want to be a burden, even if they assured her it was all right.

She assumed that breakfast would be served in the banquet hall like dinner was. She followed her nose, almost sniffing for the smell of bacon.

It seemed to be very early; the hallways were empty. She found her way easily enough and was happy to smell some sort of food. There were no guards at the door like last night, and she pushed them open, straining under their weight.

There was only Cole in the banquet hall, surrounded by what looked like a feast. When he saw her, he smiled.

“Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning,” she replied. “Sorry, I didn't mean to intrude.”

“You aren't intruding,” he pointed to a chair near him. “We're just the only ones who have the sense to eat at a good time.”

“Where is everyone else?” she asked, looking over the choices for breakfast. She was used to a buffet-style feast from the hotel, but this went above and beyond anything she had ever seen. There were plates and plates of food on silver platters, beautifully displaced and piping hot. It was as if the palace was expecting several hundred people, rather than just the ten of them.

“Alexander and Peter are always up early. They work at the crack of dawn and never eat,” Cole replied. “Nicholas has taken Yvette to Earth, and my own lovely wife is still asleep. As, I assume, is your Spencer.”

“We had a long day,” she said with a shrug as she sat down, “but food always wakes me up.”

“Didn't used to,” he said, and she stopped eating.

“I'm sorry?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He smiled. “You don't remember anything about your previous life, do you?”

“I remember bits and pieces,” she answered, meeting his eyes. “The wings on the side. And that we were friends.”

“Sure,” he said, taking another helping of food. “We were friends.”

She heard an edge to his voice and avoided his eyes. There was something about his voice that made her shiver.

They had been friends, hadn't they? Was there something she was missing?

Katianna closed her eyes, searching her mind. She was looking for a memory–anything that didn't fit into her current life. He was friendly, sure, and he was handsome, but that didn't mean anything, did it?

When she opened her eyes, he was looking right at her. His yellow eyes sparkled as he broke the gaze. Katianna felt ice go down her spine.

“Were we more than friends?” she asked.

Cole smirked. “Well, if I told you, that would be cheating, wouldn't it? Or is that how Spencer has been telling you things?”

She took a deep breath. “Why are you being so mean to me? Even if I turn out to be not who you all think I am, what have I done to offend?”

“Nothing, love,” Cole answered. “But you have to figure it out for yourself, don't you? I can't tell you, and neither can he.”

“But I know what I feel,” she protested.

“Aye well,” Cole said, holding her gaze again, “love works in mysterious ways.”

“How…,” she fought for calm. “Didn't you fall in love with your wife almost by accident?”

“That I did,” he replied. “She was supposed to be the key to my success and my destruction. Instead, she saved my life.”

“That's quite a story,” she said. “So, why is my story so unlikely?”

“Hmm,” he said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. There were no servants today, no beautifully dressed butlers and charming maids. It was just the two of them, and she felt the expanse of the room. “I suppose it's not. But I've never heard of it before. And I know everything magical.”

“No one knows everything,” she stood up. She had thought that it would be pleasant, but he couldn't stop attacking her. She couldn't sit here and listen to this, not when she wasn't quite sure herself. The truth was, she had doubt deep down in the pit of her stomach. And the last thing she wanted was anyone exploiting it.

She had thought that she was happy in her life. But she didn't know happiness until Spencer was at her side.

“Ah, love, don't mind me,” Cole said, indicating she should sit back down. “That's just the way I am in the morning.”

She paused, her hand trembling. He had made her angry, it was true, but his smile was disarming.

“I'm sorry,” he said, honestly. His eyes were sincere, and she sighed, sitting back down.

“I accept your apology,” she said, at last. He nodded, pointing to a platter of eggs.

“These are good, you should try some.”

“Cole!”

Both of them jumped as Nicholas burst into the room. Cole scrambled to his feet, looking like he had been caught at something.

“Did you invite Evan Moonlit here?”

“What?” Cole answered in shock. “Why would I invite the wolf king here? He's Alexander's best friend. Why don't you ask him?”

“Alexander isn't here right now,” Nicholas said, through clenched teeth. “And Evan is asking if he's here, with a trunk at his feet. He's been invited by someone, and it wasn't Alexander.”

“But I didn't,” Cole said. “We don't have anything ready, security wise.”

“What's going on?” Katianna couldn't help but ask, looking between the two of them in confusion. Cole glanced to her and then decided that there was no harm in telling her.

“Evan Moonlit is the wolf-shifter king. He's an ally, very close to my brother. But when a king visits from another realm, we have to up security, make sure that he feels safe. God damn it, nothing is ready,” Cole ran a hand through his hair. “He's going to think we're a raggedy bunch.”

“Even more so if we don't figure out who invited him,” Nicholas said. “Never mind that we don't have a room for him.”

Those words perked up Katianna's ears. “I can help,” she said, standing up. Both brothers turned to her in confusion. “My parents run a hotel, and I'm studying tourism. Stalling a VIP guest while we scramble to figure out what the hell is going on is my specialty.”

The two looked between each other, and then Nicholas shrugged.

“Better than what I could come up,” he said. “Come with me then. He's an easy fellow, but we need to make preparations.”

“Right,” Katianna scrambled after them. Nicholas said something to Cole in dragon lore, and it made her gasp. “Does he speak English?”

“He speaks dragon,” Cole said, glancing to Nicholas. “Does he speak English?”

“Why are we arguing over this when your wife is a translator?” Nicholas asked. “Go get her, and we'll make it right.”

A blast of trumpets made them all tense. Nicholas' eyes widened, apparently listening to the notes that were played.

“That's…” he said, and Cole filled in for him, equally shocked.

“The lion queen?” he asked. “Tahitian hasn't been here for a year, and suddenly she shows up unannounced?”

“Are you sure you didn't invite a mass convention of rulers and forget about it?” Nicholas asked.

“Why would I do that?” Cole shot back. Katianna was about to speak up when they rounded the corner.

In the front hallway, waiting to be served, were clearly two rulers. Evan was dressed sharply, a middle-aged, lean man with kind eyes and long hair, the way werewolves were portrayed on television. Tahitian was stunning, with strawberry-blonde hair and a sleek figure. Both of them were accompanied by an entourage and trunks. They had clearly been invited, but it bothered Katianna that no one knew by who.

She searched her mind, trying to remember what her parents had done when someone had shown up without a reservation. Nicholas made small talk for a few moments, while Cole scrambled off to get Enya. It seemed the two youngest dragon princes were a bit of a loss without their older brothers.

Enya scrambled into the room, looking exactly like she had just been dragged from bed. But Nicholas introduced Katianna, hoping she could take over while the princes scrambled, and Enya translated for Katianna, who bowed deeply.

“I'm new to the palace, but I'm happy to welcome you,” she looked between the two of them. It took a while for Enya to translate, as she had to try a few languages before she found a common one. Finally, both of them smiled. “It's so wonderful you could both make it. Were you aware that you were both invited?”

Tahitian said something, and Enya raised an eyebrow, turning to Katianna.

“King Richard must have planned this well, for the note was postmarked nearly ten years ago.”

“What?” Katianna hissed to Enya. “Isn't that king dead? How…?”

“She thinks that the note was old,” Enya replied. “A delayed email if you will. I wonder what the hell it says?”

“Ask them if we could have the note,” Katianna thought fast. “For his sons would be grateful of anything that their father wrote. For memories.”

“Good thinking,” Enya said, and turned back to the royals, translating.

Katianna was so busy practicing her tourism smile that she didn't realize until after they were settled just what had happened. Werewolves were real, dragons, lion shifters, and who knew what else? Everything she had been told was fake was a lie. She was starting to question her own reality. Was Santa Clause real as well?

But then, it seemed questioning things was what people did around here, given how Cole had been so harsh to her at breakfast.

She was grateful that Spencer found her shortly after the incident. She had perched on a windowsill, fiddling with her phone and staring out into the majestic countryside.

“My love,” he said. “I'm sorry. I didn't realize that they had gotten you involved. They shouldn't have done that.”

“It's fine,” she replied, reaching her arms up for a hug. “How are you?”

“I'm fine,” he said. “I was sorting through a few things for Nicholas, and I got carried away. But you are all right?”

“I'm fine,” she said with a smile. “It's not my hotel, so I don't have to worry about a lost reservation. But it does seem odd. They say they are here, invited by a posthumous letter from the old king.”

“And did it say why?” Spencer asked. “That's not like King Richard. He was not that organized.”

“I didn't know him,” Katianna said “But I was thinking, what if it's just meant to look like an old letter? And he's back?”

“They killed him,” Spencer replied, flatly.

“You buried me,” she said. “And yet here I am. What's the difference?”

Spencer leaned back against the windowsill, his chest sinking as he thought about that. She was right.

If King Richard was back, it meant this planet was going to go to war in a way no one had expected.

“Thank you,” Cole said to her that night at dinner. He said it in passing, but his voice was kind. “For fixing that, this afternoon. One would almost think you belong here.”

“Maybe I do,” she said, and he smiled.

“Maybe you do,” he said. “Or maybe you've done it before.”

She winked at him, and he chuckled. All was forgiven, at least for now. Dinner was full of the nobles that had arrived by the late king's letter, and while everyone was on edge, they were also reveling in each other's company. And for the first time in Katianna's life, surrounded by lions and witches, dragons and wolves, she felt like she belonged as well.

Chapter 9

The headaches started on her third visit to Umora. She had been with Spencer for nearly nine months, and she was glad for an escape to the dragon planet when her school holidays came up. Exams had been stressful, and her parents had basically put her on the front desk every moment she wasn't in class. They also were suspicious of Spencer's extended stays, despite his charm. They knew she was with him, and they chose to just shake their heads quietly. Romance with guests was a faux pas, even if they respected their daughter's choices as an adult. Still, she was grateful for the break from her hotel world, even if it meant packing a suitcase full of Tylenol.

“I'm just going to sit in the library for a while,” she told Spencer when they got there. “It's dark and quiet there, and it helps.”

“I need to be in the throne room,” he said worriedly. “But maybe I can–”

“No, you have work to do,” she said to him, giving his hand a squeeze. “I'll still be there when you get back. Don't worry.”

“You summon me if you need anything at all, all right?” he made her promise. “Someone can get me in an instant.”

“I'll be fine,” she assured him. “It's just a headache. Too little sleep.”

“We will make sure you turn in early tonight then,” he said, kissing her head. “If I see any of the princesses, I will send them to you.”

“I would love to see them, regardless of my head,” she said, splitting off from him in the hallway.

Entering the library, she just wanted to sit by the fire and read a book. It was usually empty during the day, with everyone scrambling around for work, so she was surprised to find Cole going through the shelves, looking confused.

“Hey,” she said, and he looked up.

“My favorite hotelier,” he said with a smile. Since the first visit, they seemed to be on better terms. She quite liked him, texting when they were away, and speaking with him and Enya frequently.

The truth was, although she didn't have too much in common with Enya, she felt it was proper to speak to his wife more than him. She didn't want Enya to think that she liked Cole a little too much.

“What are you looking for?” she asked, settling down in a chair. It was so different from the first time they met. Before, they couldn't speak without snapping at each other.

“When you are royal, everything is documented,” he said. “People take pictures, they make paintings, they write about every appearance that you ever made.”

“Sure,” she responded.

“So I'm looking for photos of my father, records of if he has ever been to certain places, even briefly.”

“Shouldn't all that be digitized?” she asked as he opened and closed books.

“Not all of it,” he gave her a smile. “Umora is a funny place. We're lightyears ahead of Earth in one way, and behind in others. Most of the royal records are still here.”

“Why are you even looking?” she asked, confused.

“Because there have been more reports of his appearances. There have been photographs coming from unknown settings, letters, but something about them doesn't fit.”

“Is this about the letter from the first time?” she asked. “Didn't they say it was arranged before he died?”

“My father was not that organized,” Cole snorted. “Not organized enough to send letters arranging regular meetings between rulers at regular intervals ten years in the future.”

“So, you think he's back.”

“Except,” Cole answered, “I saw him die.”

“Well,” she drew up her feet, “Spencer saw me die.”

He didn't say anything to that. She knew the topic of whether or not she was Spencer's first love was still up in the air, at least on Umora. Cole opened and closed another book or two before he turned to her.

“There's something I want to show you,” he said after a while. “This can wait.”

“What could you possibly want to show me that is more important than your father returning?” she smiled.

“Come with me,” he said, beckoning her. “Don't worry about my crazy father for a moment.”

She laughed at that and pushed herself up. It took a moment for her head to stop pounding, which it often did when it was like this. She winced, and Cole put out his hand.

“I'm all right,” she said. “It's just–”

“I know you're all right,” he said, “but there's no reason to suffer stubbornly.”

He took her hand before she had a chance to react and pushed magic into her. It was something that Spencer did on occasion. She knew it was temporary, but it was a better pain relief than Tylenol and Advil.

She was grateful for Cole's persistence and took a deep breath.

“Thank you,” she said. He met her eyes, looking down at his hands and then back at her. The moment lasted a bit too long before he beckoned her into the hallway.

“I'm surprised your boyfriend didn't do that,” Cole said, as they walked down the hallway.

“Sometimes, I feel like I've built up a tolerance to him,” she said. “His magic isn't always effective. Is that possible?”

“Maybe,” Cole seemed half distracted as he walked. “Or whatever is going on with your head is getting worse. I can't cure Enya, and it's harder to push magic when it's on Earth. He could have run out at the time or not been strong enough to push it properly. But most supernatural beings respond quite well to magic.”

“Maybe I'm just tired,” she said, with a shrug, missing his meaning. “What are you showing me?”

“Just something you left here last time,” Cole said, as he took her down a flight of stairs. He pushed open a door, and she gasped.

Inside was a room packed to the rafters with treasure. There were gold, jewels, tiaras, and swords. This was clearly their treasury room. What baffled her the most was how there was no guards at the door.

“It's spelled,” Cole said. “Only those of the throne's bloodline can get in here. If one of us breaks in and steals things, that's on us. But otherwise, no one else can so much as set foot in here without one of us.”

“This is so much,” she spun around, looking at the hordes of treasure. “You really are a prince.”

“In case you doubted the palace setting,” he said, as he went to a chest. He opened it, and she watched as he pulled out a small, white box. Turning back to her, he placed it in her hands.

“What's this?” she asked. He smiled, crossing his arms.

“If I told you, that would be cheating,” he replied. “Go ahead. Open it.”

Katianna cracked open the box with curiosity to find a plain gold band staring back at her. There was nothing special about it that she could see. It wasn't extravagant or particularly large. It had no jewels, no markings. It looked as if it were bought at any generic jewelry shop on Earth.

That thought hit her like a smack on the face.

“Is this mine?” she looked up to Cole. “This is a wedding ring. Is this my wedding ring?”

“What do you think?” he asked, leaning against a pillar.

“Why would I leave it here?” she asked. “Was it an accident?”

His yellow eyes flashed as he shifted positions. He looked so handsome standing there, watching her.

For one moment, Katianna saw what she thought was the past. Cole, standing in the hallway, his arms open as she flew to him.

She took off the wedding ring, pushed it to him, and shook her head.

“Did you give me this?” she asked, her voice a whisper.

“Did I?” he asked, his voice also low. “Or did someone else?”

“Did Spencer…” she put a hand to her mouth. “Did we…?”

“You always said your connection to Spencer was the reason you believed him,” Cole replied, standing up straighter now. “What about your connection to me?”

“I…” she trembled under the weight of the memory.

“Do you feel nothing, Katianna?” he asked.

“I came to love you,” she said. It slipped out of her mouth before she realized what she was saying.

They stood in silence for a long moment. Her hand closed over the ring box, her knuckles white.

“Did he know?”

“He ran away with you right afterward,” Cole answered. “So, I have no idea what you told him. I am discreet in my affairs, but he's always been on guard about me.”

“What happened?” she demanded “Cole, what happened in that lifetime? Ah!” Her headache came back with a vengeance, and she bent over, trying not to hit the floor.

He didn't offer magic this time, flexing his hand as if the magic was flowing without consent.

“You died,” he said simply. “The rest doesn't matter.”

The silence this time was much longer. He waited until she straightened up again. She pushed the ring toward him.

“I don't want this,” she said. “I don't want to know.”

“You don't have to have it,” he replied. “But if your argument is based on the feelings you have inside, you should focus on more than Spencer's eyes,” he said. “Come on, I'll take you to your room.”

“I think I can go by myself,” she said, trying not to cry. “Please don't tell him.”

Cole shrugged. “The past is the past, Katianna. Nothing can change it.”

She said nothing to that, turning on her heel.

She barely got into her room before the hot tears spilled down her face. She pressed her hands against her face, trying not to completely dissolve.

What had she done? What was happening?

If Cole was lying, she couldn't find the reason behind it. And he was right about her feelings. Despite the fact that she had once found every word that came out of his mouth annoying, she couldn't deny what she was starting to feel for him.

But she loved Spencer, didn't she? Hadn't she always loved him–been fated to love him?

She couldn't think straight; she didn't know what was real and what was not.

The pounding in her head didn't make things any easier. She curled up on the bed, trying to block out the sunlight. Life had been so easy a year ago. She had thought this new life was what she wanted: excitement, travel, and romance. But all she wanted was to be home in the hotel, in her own bed. A year ago, her biggest problems were that she had to go to class too early. Now, she was wondering if a previous incarnation of herself had done something unforgivable. Was she being punished for the sins of the past?

She couldn't bring herself to face Spencer the rest of the day. She stayed in her room, napping and working on homework, trying not to cry. When he checked in on her, she claimed homework and skipped dinner, her chest aching.

She loved him; she knew that. But she had loved Cole, too, she realized the more she thought about it. Had Cole loved her back? What had happened before this body of hers took an old soul?

She closed her eyes as the sun set, searching her memory.

She had done something terrible once, she knew that. But she wouldn't do it again, she vowed. She loved Spencer more than anything. She wanted to be with him in this life and any other. But to do that, she needed to be far away from Cole.

Chapter 10

“What are we drinking to?” Spencer asked as they retired to the library after dinner. Most of the women had retired, and they were more relaxed after an intense day of discussions. Only Ariel remained with the men, which included the werewolf king, Evan, sitting at Alexander's side like a protective guard. “This seems a generous sample.”

“The fact that our father has yet to appear and wreck this palace again,” Nicholas said with a grin as he threw back a shot. “Nothing new, Cole?”

“I mean, it depends how you want to look at it,” Cole said. “Either the evidence is faked, he was highly organized, or he's back. Equal arguments for all, which is very dragon.”

“We can't spend the rest of our lives like this,” Peter said. “Wondering if father is returning. Wondering if he's right around the corner. I want answers, and I want them soon.”

“Aye, aye,” Cole answered. “But I thought we were relaxing for another hour or two. Spencer, another drink?”

“One more,” Spencer replied, holding out his glass. “I should check on Katianna. She's been getting headaches that are debilitating.”

“Any idea what it could be?” Evan spoke up sympathetically. He wasn't quite aware of the dynamics of the situation, so he spoke out of kindness. Cole exchanged a look with Alexander, but said nothing.

“No,” Spencer said. “But I do worry. Katianna has always left me because of some issue with her head or her neck.”

“You can't think like that,” Alexander said, leaning forward. “It's like Peter said, living your life in fear will get you nowhere.”

It was only after a few more rounds of drinks that Ariel spoke up. Spencer mentioned checking on her a second time, and Ariel snapped.

“If she's in that much pain all the time, why don't you just reboot?”

“I'm sorry?” Spencer asked, unbelieving.

“You heard me,” the fiery redhead said. “Why don't you do away with this body, which is weak, and start over? You don't want her to be in pain, do you? Cole said your magic wasn't always working on her. We could try to heal her here, or you could restart.”

Spencer sputtered in shock. “I….”

“Why?” Ariel challenged him.

“Because I'm not sure her lives are unlimited,” Spencer finally replied.

“No, you're not sure this is real,” Ariel blurted out. Alexander put a hand on her arm, but she brushed him off. “The rest of us have sat silent, while you've preyed on a girl that I'm not even sure could drink at her own wedding. If you are sure this is her, you should have no issues giving her a stronger body.”

Spencer rose, his eyes on fire.

“And who are you, carapace, to speak to me that way?”

“I was your queen,” Ariel snapped. “But regardless of that, I am a carapace, you are right. Reincarnation would require magic. She has none. I've stood next to her for months, there is nothing to drain, nothing to change.”

“How dare you–”

“Because you are preying on her, manipulating her,” Ariel snapped. “Don't you think that if reincarnation was real we would find a way to help my dying husband, your prince?”

“You are the one killing your lover!” he screamed at her.

“As you kill yours, multiple times over!” she screamed back at him.

Silence befell them all at those words. Ariel was trembling, and Spencer saw as much pain in her eyes as he had carried for years.

“Gentlemen,” he put down his glass. “I take my leave of you.”

Spencer left the room before anyone could stop him. All eyes turned from his exit to Ariel, who was still standing in the middle of the room. Her fists were clenched, and her hands were white.

“Ariel,” Alexander said softly, “I am not immortal, regardless of your presence. Come.”

She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “I'm just sick of this back and forth,” she said. “How dare he prance around like there is hope?”

“I felt her today,” Cole said, and everyone's head turned toward him. “She had a headache, and I pushed magic into her.”

“And?” Evan spoke up, trying to diffuse the situation.

“I've pushed magic into Katianna before,” Cole answered. “The first time she was here. You know how magic feels when you give it to someone. This was not the same thing. It felt radically different from anyone I've ever pushed magic into, except…,” he paused. “It felt like Enya. A pure human. That's the only time I've done that.”

“You see?” Ariel went to sit at Alexander's side again. “Cole agrees with me.”

There was suddenly a crash from the dining room. Their heads whipped toward the left, ears cocked.

“What the hell?” Peter stood up. “If that was a servant….”

There was another crash, and then another. Suddenly, a scream came, followed by a growl. Evan snapped to his feet, moving quickly. He didn't say a word, but he didn't need to. The others followed swiftly, tense.

Pushing open the door between the dining room and the library, they were met with blood everywhere.

Two of the butlers lay on the ground, their blood pooling out from under them. Ariel nearly gagged when she saw one of them was missing half of his face.

“What the?” Nicholas' eyes searched the room until he found the cause. It only took half a second to lay eyes on three wolves in the corner. They were giant werewolves, and they were clearly angry.

To his right, he was startled by Evan's knees weakening. The werewolf king fell to his knees, his head bowed.

“Evan?” he asked, startled.

“Majesty,” Evan managed to growl as his head was forced downward. “One of them is invoking majesty.”

“Argh.” Ariel tried to push the magic out of the room, but there was far too much going on. Four princes and three wolves were too much for even the queen carapace. The best she could do was put an arm across Alexander, protecting him from any magic that would be thrown at him. But Alexander was trying to move, already backing up.

“You are the king, Evan,” he said. “How could one of them be–?”

“This is an older king,” Evan said. “A greater King.”

“That's not how that–” Cole started before he got an idea. He pushed Ariel forward, even as the others backed up. “Ariel, feel his magic. Is that Father? Dragons can invoke majesty on wolves.”

The wolves were growling, but they recognized that they were outnumbered. Ariel closed her eyes for half a second before they flew opened. Her jaw fell opened.

“That is…I think that's–”

“Is it him?” Alexander demanded. “Is it Father?”

“It's not the same,” she managed. “But it's similar.”

“You have to go,” Alexander told her. “We can't fight this if you are keeping us in human form.”

“Alexander,” Peter put his hand on his brother's shoulder, “go with her. Take Cole. Get to a safe place.”

Nicholas raised his chin, his place as the protector of the realm in his heart. He would destroy these wolves who had managed to get into his room, threaten his family, and destroy his dining room. He didn't care whether it was his father returned from the dead or whether they were Evan's ancestors.

Despite the fact that Nicholas now had a child, Cole was still considered the last heir, the last chance to save the dragon throne, should they all perish in this battle.

“No,” Alexander started to protest. Ariel grabbed his wrist, backing up even as he protested.

But to her surprise, her steps made an impact on the wolves. They backed up as well, and then turned tail and ran through the hallway.

“After them!” Nicholas cried, and no one argued about who was following and who was staying.

Wolves were fast–faster than anyone could imagine. They made it to the throne room, bolting in the side door.

One of them turned just as they went into the door and looked at the throne. He wagged his tail, making Ariel stop, cocking her head as he turned back to her.

“Who the hell you are?” she asked. In answer, the wolf moved swiftly again.

They all felt the vortex in the antechamber activate. Half a second before they got there, the wolves were gone.

Evan caught up to them, his body unlocked, panting as he skidded to a stop.

“What the hell was that?” he asked, in confusion.

“You don't know them?” Nicholas asked, hopefully.

“Of course not,” Evan said. “I–”

“Why would you? He looked at our throne,” Ariel said. “He invoked majesty over you. Only dragons can do that when you are the current king.”

“You think that was Father?” Cole tried to confirm. Ariel put her hands to her head.

“I don't know. You know this isn't an exact science. I have no idea what it was. It was like nothing else I’ve ever felt before. It felt like your Father, but not.”

“But reincarnated in a wolf body?” Cole prompted.

“I don't know!” she cried. “I have no idea what's going in this kingdom at any point anymore.”

“Could it not have been a great wolf-king, maybe the original, returned from the Other?” Peter suggested. “The original wolf-king could invoke majesty over you, Evan, just as the original dragon-king could invoke majesty over us. And the original wolf-king would not know of the alliance that you and Alexander had created between our people.”

“Either way, until we figure that out, we have to be on our guard,” Nicholas said. “I'll increase guard duty, especially around the antechamber. We know the Other is open; who knows what else could come out of there?”

“We also know that those who come back from the Other vanish again,” Ariel pointed out, avoiding Peter's gaze. “They could never return.”

“Or they could,” Nicholas said. “For now, let's assume they will.”

“Ariel,” Alexander caught her hand. “This is not on you to solve the issue. We will deal with whatever comes our way.”

“Until we can't,” she said, and Alexander smiled, pulling her close.

“There will always be a way,” he said. “We just haven't figured out some of them yet.”

She accepted his hug, closing her eyes. But, her brain was moving even if her body wasn't.

What she told no one was that she hoped Spencer was right. She hoped with all her heart that death could be transcended because it would remove this pain she felt over Alexander's failing health. If Spencer wasn't right, she didn't know what she would do.

Chapter 11

Katianna awoke to a bump in her room. She sat up straight, her eyes adjusting to the lack of light as her heart rate rose.

Spencer practically fell onto the bed beside her. She moved just quick enough to not get crushed by him.

“What's the matter?” she asked, alarmed until she smelled his breath. Then, her concern turned to confusion. “Are you drunk?”

They weren't married yet, so he had been firm on not coming to bed with her. His morals belonged to another age, despite the modern day they lived in. She had accepted that he would remain old-fashioned and looked forward to the day that they were married. The fact that he was crashing into bed beside her was a nod to just how inebriated he might be.

“I forgot what drinking with a carapace is like,” he responded. His voice was half slurred, and she settled down beside him. “Lowers your inhibitions and gives you a human tolerance. Which, my dear, is not the same as a dragon tolerance.”

“I didn't realize you were celebrating,” she answered.

“We weren't,” he said. “We were arguing, actually. But it made me realize how much I love you.”

“Uh…okay,” she smiled. “That's some nice logic.”

“It's all right,” he reached out for her hand. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said with certainty. She didn't realize how much she missed him until he touched her. “I'm sorry I was quiet today.”

“My love,” he lay a kiss on her head, “you can do no wrong in my eyes.”

Her heart sunk at that. If he only knew what she thought she did, maybe he wouldn't feel that way.

Her feelings of regret were quickly lifted by his kisses. They started at her head and went lower. The ones on her neck sent shivers down her spine. When he kissed her collarbone, she let out a soft moan.

“Spencer,” she said. She was torn between pointing out his morals and being lost in the feeling that she had longed for.

“I'm going to take you far away from here,” he whispered, as he continued to kiss her. “Far away from this palace and this world. I'm going to marry you tomorrow”

“Tomorrow?” she said, in shock. “You haven't even asked me.”

That stopped his actions. He pulled back, looking into her eyes.

“Katianna,” he said, brushing back her hair and wanting her more than anything in the world. “My love. Will you marry me? Promise to be with me in this life?”

Her arms trembled as she held herself up. Her heart beat fast, and her head bobbed.

“Yes,” she said, “I will.”

“Good,” he said, and kissed her hard.

It wasn't her first time with a man, but it was her first time with a dragon. She could form no more coherent words until morning. He took her to a world of pleasure that she could have never imagined. She couldn't breathe; couldn't think; couldn't speak. All she knew was that she needed him–needed to be with him forever.

When morning came, she was awoken by Spencer moving around her room. She managed to crack her eyes open to find him packing her things.

“Hi,” she said, and he turned his head toward her. “How are you feeling?”

He winced.

“I imagine I know what your headaches have been like,” he said, as he picked up the jeans she had left on the floor. It took another moment before her sleepy brain realized exactly what he was doing.

“Are we really leaving?”

“Didn't I say I would marry you, Katianna?” he gave her a smile.

“I wasn't sure if you remembered,” she replied.

“I remember,” he assured her. “I will always remember that moment.”

“Did I always say ‘yes’ right way?” she asked as she watched him. “And were we always happy?”

He paused at that, before picking up a few more things. “Almost,” he said at last. Her heart sunk.

“When weren't we?”

“It doesn't matter, Katianna,” he said. “It's the past. Come. We want to leave before anyone else is up.”

“Why?” she asked, confused.

“Our welcome is outstayed,” he said. “Please don't argue.”

She was confused, but she didn't argue with him. Throwing the cover off, she readied herself for the day as fast as she could.

“What about a dress? Rings?”

“We will take care of those things,” he replied. “But I want to do it today. No waiting. We will marry on Earth; we always have. I don't want to waste any more time.”

“What's the rush?” she tried to smile, and Spencer tensed.

“I just do,” he said. She didn't question it anymore, getting ready with haste.

It was half an hour from the beautiful bed to the antechamber doors. To her surprise, when they reached the vortex, there were guards at the door.

Spencer spoke quickly to them, and they moved aside, letting them in. Katianna was perplexed as she took his hand.

“What's going on?” she asked as he warmed up his magic.

“Don't worry about it,” he said. “All that matters today is that we are getting married.”

“Without even saying goodbye?” she answered. He pulled her close as the magic swirled, not answering. She closed her eyes, her heart pounding.

“Next time,” she said as her last words on Umora. They whooshed toward Earth, and toward their wedding.

***

Morning on Umora showed sleepless Dragon Princes, who had been up half the night trying to figure out exactly what the threat against them was. Sleeplessness was something that they were used to; it came with the territory. But Ariel's scream came when Alexander tried to get out of bed and promptly crashed to the floor.

“Help!” she screamed, helpless as she tried to revive him. Umora's medical technology was advanced, and their medical response team was fast. She knew he had a much better chance of surviving here than on Earth.

But her heart still thudded a mile a minute as she stood outside the medical bay, watching them hook him up to machines and push magic into him.

“This is me,” she said as Cole stood by her side. “This is my fault.”

“This is not your fault any more than it is any of ours,” Cole tried to assure her. “He's been overworked, and none of us have thought to relieve his burden”

“None of you are carapaces, slowly robbing him of his power,” she answered. “Worse–I knew, and I was too stubborn. I wanted to be by his side too much to care.”

“Hey,” he swung an arm around his sister-in-law. “He wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, he's going to be all right.”

“I should go away for a while, regardless,” she said. “Even if he's going to be fine, time apart from him will do him good.”

“Ariel,” he said, but she shook her head.

“You know it's for the best. I'll go to Earth. I don't have a show right now, but maybe I can find something to do.”

“Actually,” Cole's face changed, “there is something you could do on Earth. But you have to be not squeamish.”

She smirked. “What makes you think that I'm not brave?” she asked. “Blood doesn't bother me; intergalactic war doesn't bother me. The only thing that appears to bother me,” she gestured through the door, “is the husband I wasn't supposed to love collapsing before my eyes.”

“Well, that's good,” Cole said. “I think.”

“What is it you need me to do?” she asked flatly. If he had a task to keep her busy, she would do it, no questions asked. She desperately needed to keep herself busy.

“I need you to go to Earth and dig up the past three bodies of Katianna,” Cole said.

She choked. “What?”

“Never mind,” he said. “It's morbid.”

“No,” she tugged on his hand “Tell me.”

“I just…from what I've been reading about reincarnation, sometimes it's the soul, and then sometimes, the whole body vanishes only to be remade. Considering we are dealing with magic and not religion, it's the latter, I suspect.”

“So, if it's real,” Ariel said, “you think her graves would be empty.”

“You'd have to be discreet, obviously,” he said. “Grave robbing is frowned upon on all planets.”

“Well,” she bit her lip, “it wasn't quite what I was thinking, but I'm sure I could get it done.”

“If you could,” Cole replied, “Nicholas can take you. I've already spoken to him, and he agrees.”

“But you'll keep me posted?” she nodded toward Alexander. “If something happens?”

“Of course,” Cole promised her. “Don't worry.”

“Everyone has been saying that since those two showed up,” Ariel replied. “I'm not sure that I like it. But I'll go. Let me get my bag and a shovel.”

“You're the best, sister-in-law,” he said, and she rolled her eyes.

“Always getting someone else to do your dirty work, Cole. Just find Nicholas.”

Ariel did not expect it to be easy when she got to Earth. She had seen all the movies about grave robbing, and she knew that there were hundreds of graveyards in one state alone. But thanks to sites like Findagrave.com and the rest of the internet, it didn't take long to find the three of them. Spencer always buried her under the same name, and he always adorned the graves like she was a princess.

The first graveyard was easy enough to get to. Three hours on the train from where she started, and she exited through the right side of the station.

The graveyard was massive, but she soon found what she was looking for, even in the dying light. Spencer had left the grave with enough adornments that they could probably see it from space.

Risking her small data plan as the light faded, she called Cole on Facetime, setting the phone on the grave with her light on as she dug. It was eerie, digging into this grave that was nearly fifty years old. The white tombstones glowed like bones as the night grew dark.

“I think I'm there,” she said, at last, as she pushed away the last foot of dirt. “Sounded like a clunk. How's Alexander?”

“He's all right,” Cole said. “Our medics think it was just exhaustion.”

“Which is not something that a dragon prince that young should suffer,” Ariel replied.

“One who has been working that hard?” Cole asked, as she pushed the dirt away.

“Jesus!” she suddenly cried, jumping back.

“What?” Cole asked, as she moved the phone to show him.

The coffin that she had found had once been adorned with jewels. There were places for them to be glued in, carved into the wood. Some of the decorative, less expensive adornments were still there, but most of them were gone.

What bothered her the most, was not the missing jewels. It was the hole in the coffin as long as her torso. And through the hole, as she shone the light, she could see what was inside the coffin.

“It's empty,” Cole said, his voice crackling over the line.

“As far as I can tell,” Ariel replied as she shone the light inside. “See anything?”

“Has it been robbed?” he asked.

“Yes, for sure,” she said. “But do grave robbers usually take the body, too?”

“Depends what they are into,” he said. “Damn. This is inclusive.”

“Well,” she sighed. Her muscles were aching, and she was covered with dirt. “That means only one thing.”

“You have to go to the next one,” he said.

“I was hoping you said it explained everything,” she answered. “I'm blaming Spencer for this. If he didn't make her out to be a dead princess, we wouldn't be wondering whether she was gone or just stolen.”

“Do you know where the other two are?”

“Yes,” Ariel asked. “It'll take me a day to get to each of them. One of them is in Europe, which is annoying.”

“Call me when you know more,” Cole said. “I'll keep you posted on this side.”

“The things I do for dragons,” she grumbled as she brushed the dirt off of her. But in her heart, she was eager to get to the next one. She couldn't wait to find out the truth. She hoped that whatever the truth was, it would set them free, one way or another.

Chapter 12

She was nervous. There were no two ways about it. In a moment, she was going to be in front of a priest, taking Spencer's hands, and they would be joined together for all eternity.

The only thing soothing was the fact that they had already done this before, and they would likely do it again.

She knew that her fate was already written. She firmly believed the fact that history would repeat itself, as it had done time and time again. She was going to be reincarnated, somehow, and it would only be after these headaches had killed her. She didn't know how, and she didn't know when. But she knew that they would, and soon. It was just the way it was written, and she felt comfort in that. Still, when she had planned her wedding from a young age, she hadn't planned it to be this way. She hadn't thought it would be alone, late at night, and rushed.

She wouldn't get a white dress, and she wouldn't get a fancy party. But she would marry Spencer, and that was all that mattered. The rest could wait for another lifetime.

“Are you ready?” he asked when she came out of the bathroom. It was the first church, the first priest, and the first dress they could find. It wasn't even a proper wedding dress, but it was what they could get with the stores only open for another hour. The church was dark, and Katianna wasn't sure what denomination it was. However, the smile in his eyes was enough.

“Yes,” she said, taking his hand. “I'm ready.”

“This way, my love,” he said, leading her down the aisle. There were a few candles lit, and Katianna felt it was unnerving but romantic at the same time. The priest looked half awake, making small talk with two altar boys who had been helping him with chores when they walked in and begged for a wedding. The boys would be the witnesses, and Katianna could only hope that one of them had a camera. She just wanted one picture of her wedding day–what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life.

“We're ready,” Spencer said to the priest. “You have your license? Our names?”

“Stand here,” the priest said, with a yawn. “Do you have rings?”

“We do,” Katianna said, handing over the bag they had put them in just two hours ago. “I hope they fit.”

“It doesn't matter,” Spencer assured her, and she felt warmth wash over. No matter how bad things got, he always made her feel better. “It only matters that we are together forever.”

“And we will be,” she assured him, a smile on her face. “We will be.”

They turned to the priest who cleared his throat, looking down at the lines he had said half a hundred times.

“Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by his presence and first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people. The union of husband and wife is intended by God for their mutual joy, for the help and comfort given each other in prosperity and adversity, and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.”

Spencer and Katianna looked into each other's eyes. He was hit with memories of the other three times they had done this. Once had been as grand a wedding as anyone could have wished for. Once had been rushed like this. And once, they had barely made it. She had been so sick then; it was her dying wish that they got married. Each time, he had been honored to be her husband, blessed for the moment she became his wife.

“Into this union, Katianna and Spencer now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, speak now, or else forever hold your peace.”

Obviously, no one said anything. The altar boys shifted in their seats, uncomfortable. They had planned to be home an hour ago, Katianna had overheard. She knew there were many across the galaxy who might protest their union. She wondered what the conversation was like on Umora just then. Did they think she was making a rash choice? That she had just run from Cole?

She had made a mistake then, having been swept up in the romance of it all. But her real love, her reason for being, was standing right in front of her. She knew that she could never live without Spencer, no matter what others thought. She loved him more than she loved herself.

“I charge you both, here in the presence of God and the witness of this company, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be married lawfully and in accordance with God's word, do now confess it?”

“No,” Katianna replied. “There is absolutely no reason why we should not be married.” There hadn't been a rehearsal, but she felt like she had said these words before. She had, of course, in three other ceremonies. She had also spent half her childhood playing dress up, imagining this moment. Was that what she was remembering? Or was she remembering the moments that she had said it for real?

“No,” Spencer echoed. “There is absolutely no reason why we should not be married.”

She winced then, and he squeezed her hand. She shook her head, trying to smile.

“It's nothing,” she whispered. “Just another headache.”

“Do you need to sit down?” he asked. “Do you need to pause?”

“No.” She was firm on this. “I would like to continue.”

She turned to the priest, waiting patiently, and Spencer took a deep breath. Please, he sent a prayer up. Just a little longer.

“Katianna,” the priest turned to her, “will you have this man to be your husband, to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” she said. “And beyond.”

The priest seemed confused by that answer, but he didn't question it. Instead, he continued with the script. “Spencer,” he turned to the man, “will you have this woman to be your wife, to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?”

“I will,” Spencer promised. “In this life and any other.”

Katianna smiled at him, knowing just what that meant. This felt right; this felt relaxing. This was what they were supposed to do. Maybe if they promised each other forever here, they wouldn't be so burdened by finding each other again and again. Maybe, she hoped feverishly, this would give them forever instead of constantly stopping and starting.

“Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?”

“We do,” the two altar boys said, prompted by the priest. Katianna smiled at them, nodding her thanks. Maybe in the next lifetime, they would be the adults and she would be the child.

“Bless, oh Lord, these rings as a symbol of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other; through Jesus Christ, our Lord,”

Both of them were holding each other's rings. Hastily bought, they didn't have a lot of choice. Katianna tried to make her ring look as different from the one Cole gave her as possible. However, due to lack of sizing in the store, it looked too similar for her liking. She vowed to make this time different as Spencer took her hand.

“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,”

It fit her finger perfectly and sparkled in the candle light. Her long fingers seemed made to wear a wedding ring and to symbolize how she belonged to him.

“I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” Katianna said as she put his thick, gold ring onto his strong finger.

“Now that Katianna and Spencer have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder,”

If there was a congregation, they would stand. However, it was only the two altar boys, and so the priest continued his speech.

“Let us stand and pray together the words our savior taught us. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, they will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”

“Amen,” everyone echoed. Her heart rate sped up; for she knew they were almost at the end. It was almost official; they almost belonged to each other.

“God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual grace, that you may faithfully live together in this life, and in the age to come have life everlasting. Amen. The peace of the Lord be with you always.”

“And also with you,” she whispered, knowing what comes next. She couldn't believe that this moment–this moment that she had dreamed about–had finally come.

“Katianna and Spencer, having witnessed your vows of love to one another, it is my joy to present you to all gathered here as husband and wife. Spencer, you may kiss the bride.”

He swept her down into a kiss, and she relaxed in his arms. Now, they were joined for the rest of this life.

Chapter 13

“What do you mean, it's gone?” Ariel looked at the librarian, trying to comprehend exactly what had happened.

“The graveyard you are looking for no longer exists,” the librarian repeated. “It was cleared to make the canal.”

“What happened to the bodies?” she practically demanded. “Those are people. You can't just move them.”

The librarian raised an eyebrow. “Are you looking for a relative?”

“Sure, if that makes it easier,” Ariel practically threw up her hands in frustration. She was not having luck with this search, and it bothered her because she was not a person who failed. The first grave that she had been through had been robbed. The second coffin was empty, but she found evidence to suggest that the mortician at the time was quite crooked and often buried empty coffins, selling the bodies to the local medical college instead. Now, her third and final hope was apparently for naught.

“I'm sorry, Miss. There's no evidence,” the librarian replied. “The bodies buried in that graveyard were poor workers, and they mostly disposed of them in the ocean. They didn't treat them with respect, and now they are impossible to trace.”

“Did they keep any records of their work, at least?” she asked. “Perhaps spots where they found bodies?”

The librarian raised an eyebrow.

“No,” she said flatly. Ariel practically slammed her head into the desk. She knew that it wasn't the librarian's fault, but she desperately wanted it to be, just to be able to blame someone.

“Thanks for nothing,” she said, spinning on her heel. That was it; it was over.

Come and get me, she texted Nicholas once she was standing outside. His text came back almost instantly.

Where are you?

She texted him her coordinates, expecting him to tell her to finish up what she was doing and meet him at the nearest vortex. But instead, his reply was quite different.

Get there as soon as you can, he said. You need to be back.

Her heart sunk at that message.

Why? Is it Alexander?

Yes, came the instant reply, and her heart skipped a beat.

The vortex was nearly an hour's drive away, and she took a taxi that cost her an arm and a leg. But she didn't mind paying the three-figure fee with her credit card, knowing it was much less than the cost of her heart.

She only had to take one look at Nicholas' face when she got there to see it was bad. He was pale and drawn, looking like he hadn't slept all night.

“Please tell me we still have time,” she said. “I shouldn't go to him, not if things are that precarious.”

“Sister,” he said, softly, “if you are in the palace, across the hall, you aren't going to hurt him. And, if things get much worse, it won't matter.”

She took his hand, bracing herself.

“Let's go,” she said, her heart hammering.

She hadn't thought that it would ever come to this. When she walked down the aisle to Alexander all those years ago, it had been a deal; a convenience. None of this should have mattered. They weren't even ever supposed to see each other again. And yet, here they were, over ten years later, rushing to each other's side.

She barely felt the whoosh of magic as they hit the chamber floor. Ariel fell heavily because she wasn't trying to be graceful or ready.

Cole was waiting for them, looking equally as tired as his brother.

“Well?” he asked, hoping for an answer.

“Inconclusive,” she snapped. “One's broken into, one was likely sold, and one was likely thrown into an ocean when they were poor. Or all three bodies have become new again. There's nothing to suggest either way, Cole, so we're back where we started.”

“God damn it,” Cole growled. “But what do you think?”

“I can't think one way or another,” she said. “Everything about this case has been one way or another. Does she remember, or is he telling her? Is she guessing? Are the bodies gone because of magic, or because of logic? Can I not feel magic on her because it's different, or because it's not there? I don't know whether she can transcend death, or whether anyone can....” she stopped when she realized she was crying. Her voice was cracking, and the heavy tears rolled down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with her hands, trying to control herself. “Did you figure out who those wolves were?”

“No,” Cole replied. “Either they were the original kings, or they were Father, reincarnated. Unless they show up again and again, I suspect we will never know.”

“So, what do we do now?” Ariel asked. “Can I see him?”

“You can see him,” Cole said. “But, probably not for very long.”

“God, this is my fault,” she said, and Nicholas squeezed her shoulder.

“This is not your fault,” he said. “This is the fault of those who you chose to disassociate yourself with, for good reason. He knew the dangers of marrying a carapace, and he did it anyway. You can't blame yourself.”

“I'll consider forgiveness if he lives,” Ariel replied. “Or if he dies and returns to me. Please, take me to him.”

They started down the hallway, Ariel's heels clicking as they moved faster than they ever had. She was trying to remain dignified, but it wasn't easy.

“If he dies,” she said, suddenly, “the line of succession changes.”

“Precious,” Nicholas said. “You will always be a dragon princess. You married him, and it made you an equal heir. His death will not change that for you.”

“I'm not concerned about myself,” she answered. “Your line will be one weaker.”

“That it will,” Nicholas replied, softly. “And my daughter will be one step closer to a throne that is dangerous and has nearly killed each of us.”

“I wonder if Father felt the same way for us,” Cole said, softly. “He was not one for compassion, nor empathy, but did he think about the burden we would inherit?”

The words hit Nicholas like a shot. “Are you suggesting that's why he's returning? To force us out and drag us away? That this is his roundabout way of saying I love you?”

“I don't know what I'm suggesting,” Cole admitted. “I don't know what is going on anymore.”

They stopped outside the medical bay. Ariel tensed at the lack of magic she felt inside. Peaking around the corner, she found Alexander flat on his back, a position he never slept in. He looked dead already, had it not been for his chest rising and falling.

She let out a tiny squeak, and to her relief, he opened his eyes. They were clouded and a pale yellow, which indicated a lack of magic.

“I'm going to stay right here,” Ariel said, standing as close as she dared on the other side of the room. “I don't want to get close.”

Alexander raised one shaky hand, reaching out to her, and she shook her hand.

“Alexander, don't,” she said. “As much as I want to, I don't want to hurt you.”

“Go to him,” Cole give her a little push. “It's okay.”

She squeaked at him. “It's okay, or it won't make a difference anymore?”

“Go to him,” Cole repeated. She couldn't resist temptation anymore, moving toward the bed. She took his hand, and Alexander closed his eyes, reveling in her touch.

His brothers only stayed long enough to make sure that he was all right. His chest continued to rise and fall, and they exited, leaving the husband and wife alone, save for the beeping of the machines and a bustling medic.

“What did you find?” he asked, licking his dry lips. She looked around for a moment before she found a water glass.

In the process of helping him sit up, she spoke. “I don't know,” she admitted. “On one hand, everything is explainable. All three of her graves were empty, but it doesn't have to be logical. It could just as easily have been magic. I don't know.”

He took two sips of water before pushing it away, watching her eyes.

“What do you want to believe?”

Her eyes filled with fresh tears.

“I want to believe it,” she said. “If you vanish into the Other, you may or may not come back. And even if you do, we aren't sure if you stay. But if reincarnation is real and you can come back, I'd find you again and again. It seems so eternal.”

He gave her brief smile. “Do you think that's what Spencer is doing?”

“What?” she asked.

“Wanting to believe?” he asked. “Wanting to believe so badly that he makes it true? I have always believed that, and now, I think we understand his position.”

“God,” she closed her eyes, “we were just supposed to have hot sex, and that was going to be it.”

“That was never it,” he reached a hand to her face. “I know you thought that in the beginning, but I always knew it was going to be something more. I knew I just had to wait it out.”

She looked at him in disbelief.

“You knew I'd love you?”

“Ah ha, so you do love me,” he teased her softly.

She blushed bright red. “Never something I thought I'd say in my life. But I'll say it if you promise to take the secret to the grave.”

“That I will do,” he said. “But I may bring it back.”

She perched onto the edge of the bed, knowing that the clock was ticking down the minutes that she could be there. “I hope so,” she said.

“Ariel.” She turned around to find her sister-in-law, Rosa, standing there. “You're back.”

“I am,” Ariel said, getting up to give her a hug. “How are you?”

“I'm all right,” Rosa said. “Alexander? Any better today?”

“Perhaps a tad,” he said, glancing at his wife. “But that could be the change in attendance”

“Such a romantic,” Rosa rolled her eyes. “Ariel, I love you, but I need you to leave.”

“I know,” Ariel said, and then stopped. “What? Why? Are you trying something?”

“Halloway magic is the oldest and most powerful magic,” Rosa reminded her. “And it grants dragons immortality, if you remember.”

“I do,” Ariel answered, looking between the two of them. “But I understand you needed a full life force of Halloway magic.”

“In the case of Cole, it's only half,” Rosa shrugged. “I don't know if this will work, but I'm trying to give him as much magic as I can stand each day. It might make a difference.”

“Please,” Ariel said. “Try anything. I'll go away, so I don't disrupt the process. Call me if anything changes.”

“Ariel.” Alexander reached his hand out, not quite ready for her to leave. “A kiss, my love.”

She obliged without a word, leaning down to place her lips on his. They had kissed thousands of times over the years, and she always enjoyed it. This time, though, she tried to remember every aspect of it. How he responded; how it felt; how they knew when to nip. She was far too aware of the fact that it may be the last time she ever kissed him in this lifetime.

Chapter 14

“Are you sure you don't want anything to eat?” Spencer asked her. It was a week into their honeymoon, and they had chosen an all-inclusive resort in the middle of Bermuda. It was sunny, classy, and a small enough island that they had plans to explore the whole thing before they left. However, they had mostly spent the time floating in the pool and relaxing in the ocean or in bed. Their plans to explore the island weren't quite working out, but he didn't mind.

“No,” Katianna said. “But maybe you could go and bring me something for later? I just want to stay here, take a cool shower, and then relax.”

“I can stay with you,” he said, concerned. She had been quiet today, moving slowly, and he had been watching her every movement like a hawk.

“Spencer,” she reminded him. “I don't breathe fire; I'm not used to heat. I just want to relax, that's all.”

“I don't breathe fire in human form either,” he said, but kissed her gently. “I won't be twenty minutes.”

“Please eat first,” she begged him. “I don't want you to come back so ravenous that you consider eating the livestock.”

“There are a ridiculous amount of chickens wandering around, if you've noticed,” he pointed out. “It reminds me of the old days.”

“The old days had chickens just wandering around?” she raised an eyebrow. “I guess that was the definition of fast food.”

He laughed at that, shaking his head.

“Only you, my dear, could make a joke like that and get away with it.”

“I was just suggesting,” she grinned, “that Kentucky Fried Chicken has a longer history than it realizes.”

“Go and take a shower,” he said. “I promise you that I will be back before you are done.”

“Can you bring me some of those pastries?” she asked. “From the dessert cart? And then just some coffee.”

“Coffee?” he replied, in shock. “It's evening. You want to be up all night?”

“Caffeine helps headaches, so I want to ward one off. But also, I wouldn't mind being up all night.”

“Katianna…,” he started, and then decided to take her up on her invitation. They were on their honeymoon after all. “I'll be back soon.”

“See you,” she said, waiting until he was gone before she headed into the bathroom. Taking off her clothes, she looked at herself in the mirror. She was thinner than she would have liked, having lost weight despite the buffet here. Her face seemed odd to her, her eye twitching. It had never done that before, and she had been working for the past half hour to control it. Now that he was gone, it was a relief to relax and take a deep breath.

Her vision was going funny around the edges; black spots dancing in front of her eyes. She told herself she just needed to cool down, and she turned on the shower.

It only took a moment for the water to become the perfect temperature before she stepped in.

The cold water hit her, and she breathed out. Her body had been burning, and it was instant relief.

This place was heaven; it really was. She had a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that she didn't have to go back and live with her parents. She loved them, of course, but she had moved on from that life. This was real life–living with Spencer; having him come home to her every night.

She was almost finished with school and had spent some time looking for jobs already. He said that she didn't have to work, but she wanted to, and he accepted that. She wanted to manage a grand hotel somewhere, maybe a former castle. She thought fondly of her time on Umora, even though they had parted on unclear terms. It had changed her life, and she wanted a reminder of those days around her.

The last she heard from Enya, Alexander was dying. She wished she could reach out to offer her condolences to the family. Dragons were so majestic and so strong; she couldn't believe that they could just waste away. She hoped he would be all right, but she saw death differently since Spencer found her.

There was always a way to return somehow.

The water pounded onto the back of her neck, and she closed her eyes, letting the stream wash away the soreness of her muscles.

She was so tired today, and the world swirled around her. She arched her back, trying to steady herself, and lost her footing.

Her head made contact with the marble behind her with a loud crack. For one moment, she felt incredibly nauseous. The world rushed up to her, and the last thing she remembered was her cheek cracking against the drain.

Her limp body pushed open the door; the water quickly flooding the bathroom floor. Her hand lay out in front of her, her wedding rings sparkling from the recent cleaning.

It was exactly twenty-three minutes until Spencer returned. He was carrying enough food to feed an army, wanting her to be satisfied. His arms were full, and he knocked on the door twice before becoming concerned.

“Katianna?” he called through the door. He put his ear to it and heard the shower running. “Still?”

Putting some of the food onto the floor, he reached into his back pocket, pulling out his key. He slipped it into the door, and pushed it open.

The first thing that he noticed was that the carpet was soaking wet. There were noticeable puddles of water everywhere, and it was coming from the bathroom.

“Katianna?” he asked, moving toward the bathroom door. He opened it, and the sight he found was horrifying.

There was blood everywhere on the bathroom floor. Her body lay half out of the shower, her eyes unseeing as they stared up toward the ceiling

“Katianna!” he screamed, moving toward her. “Help! Help me! Somebody please help me!”

His brain should have registered to call 9-1-1, but he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. He was stuck in the early 1900s, the first time he had found her like that.

He grabbed a towel, wrapping her in it as he picked her up. She was limp, and he frantically reached for a pulse.

To his relief, there was one, but it was weak.

“Help!” he screamed again.

It only took a moment more before a member of the staff came running.

He didn't remember much about the next few moments. He knew that there were more staff members running in, and someone called 9-1-1. The paramedics came rushing in, and they had to pry his arms from her to try and help her.

It was the most terrifying moment of his life to see them pressing on her chest; hooking her up to machines and putting her on a stretcher

“Is she going to be all right?” Spencer asked frantically. “Please, is she going to be all right?”

“We're doing everything we can, sir,” the paramedic said. “Come with us. We're taking her to the hospital.”

He had lost her before, and he knew what this was going to feel like. But it didn't mean it got any easier. He held onto her small hand as the ambulance sirens screamed, talking quietly to her the whole time. He wanted her to know that he was there; he wasn't leaving. And if it ended like this, he wouldn't stop looking for her.

There was fear in the pit of his stomach, though. What if her lives weren't unlimited? What if he never found her again?

And what if Ariel's words were right? What if this wasn't real?

The hospitals had changed in the last century. The equipment was updated, and the terminology was different. Procedures were quicker and more efficient; doctors were more confident in their tests results than their own minds.

One thing that he noticed hadn't changed was the emotion. Despite the advances in technology, hospitals were still places of fear, of tension, and of sadness. There were still families pacing the hall; people crying in corners–overtired eyes and weakened life forces. For all the advances they had made, they still hadn't been able to cure death.

They took her straight through emergency setting her up in a room. She lay motionless, while they ran a battery of tests on her. Spencer went with her for every single one. There were CT scans, blood tests, x-rays, and some things that he wasn't even sure about. He didn't protest to anything, letting them do what they needed. He signed papers, gave permissions, and stepped back when they needed him to. He would have let them open his own body and donate whatever was needed if it would have made a difference.

But as two days and nights passed, he knew that nothing would make a difference.

“It was an aneurysm,” a doctor said to him quietly at dawn of the third day. “She was born with it, most likely. Did she show symptoms of any head pain in the past?”

“Yes,” Spencer said, numbly, speaking of this life and the past few ones. “Always.”

“Was it ever investigated?” the doctor said, and he shook his head, numbly.

“No,” his voice broke at that. “We've only been married two weeks.”

“I'm sorry,” the doctor answered, flatly. “There's not much we can do in these cases. We've run the tests three times, and each time, it's come back with no brain waves. She's gone. I'm sorry. All that's left to do is turn off the machines.”

“No,” Spencer replied, sharply. “No, please. She could come back.”

“Sir, maybe you misunderstand me,” the doctor replied. “She is gone, her brain is dead. The machines are the only things keeping her alive. She can't come back.”

“She can,” Spencer said, quietly, closing his eyes.

“You let me know when you want me to turn off the machines,” the doctor said softly. “Take as much time as you need.”

He left the room then, leaving Spencer to hold her hand, his own trembling.

He never had to make a choice like this before. She had always died young, and in his heart, he knew that this time wouldn't be any different. This was just the way it was. But to make the choice to take her life away was something he wasn't sure he could do.

He had to be sure in the belief that he would find her again. He had to truly believe that this was his Katianna, and that the second he pulled the plug, her soul would soar to a new body.

It would be at least fifteen years before he was able to recognize her again. He would wander the galaxy alone – waiting, hoping, and praying. He would look for clues, hire witches to follow magic trails, search the internet–anything that he could do.

“Till death do us part, my love,” he whispered softly, kissing the top of her head. He was trembling as he stood up. “But I will find you again. I will.”

He desperately wanted her to respond, to wake and tell him that she loved him. He wasn't sure he could wait that long to hear those words again or see those beautiful eyes.

But he had to, for this was what fate delivered to him.

“I'm ready,” he said, going out to the hallway. The doctor looked up from his notes, surprised

“That was fast,” he answered. “Are you sure?”

“I'm sure,” Spencer replied. “I will see her again someday, and I want to speed that process along.”

The doctor's brow furrowed. He heard a lot of talk about death in his career, but that was a confusing phrase. He didn't question it, though. People said odd things in the throes of grief.

“All right,” he said. “And again, I'm sorry.”

“It's all right,” Spencer repeated. “I'll see her again soon. I have to.”

Chapter 15

“And what about marriage? Have you ever thought about remarrying?”

Ariel froze, looking at the reporter in the mirror. She was used to doing interviews just about every second she wasn't performing. She was the biggest name in theater and had broken into Hollywood several years ago. Her dancing career had given way to an acting career that she thought would keep her distracted after Alexander died. Truthfully, she threw herself into the role because she couldn't stand being herself.

It had been twenty years since he died, slipping away on Umora despite everyone's best efforts. It had thrown her into a state of grief that she hadn't thought she'd be able to survive.

True to Nicholas' word, she remained a dragon princess. They weren't as close as they were twenty years ago, but she was still their sister. It just hurt to see their lives successful and happy. All three brothers had children; all their spouses had managed to find a way to survive. Only she was alone, and it broke her heart every time she saw them holding hands.

“No,” she said, quickly. “I won't be remarrying. I think this interview is over.”

The reporter realized that they had screwed up, and got up. “Ariel–”

“Thank you,” she practically shoved them out of the door, slamming it behind them.

Only then did she let a tear slip down her cheek.

She quickly moved to the makeup mirror to dab up the tear and fix the damage that had been done. She was due on stage in ten minutes, and she was glad it was a show she had done a million times before.

She tried not to think about the fact that the first time she had done this show, Alexander had been alive. He had scoffed, shaking his head, and telling her that as long as she was happy, he didn't care that the show rapped the American Constitution. What would he think, now that she had toured with it off and on for twenty years?

She felt numb as the lights dimmed and the opening music played. She was just going through the motions, dancing the steps, moving with her partner through the beat. She didn't feel a thing, except for trying to push out the grief.

It wasn't until she came to the very front of the stage during the second act that she felt a shock. She spun around, searching the dark auditorium. She was a professional; she didn't miss a beat. But she certainly threw off her partners, trying to change the blocking every second song to get close to the edge of the stage.

She could have sworn she felt a dragon in the crowd, somewhere.

The theater seated three-thousand people; she couldn't pinpoint it. Her skills were rusty; it had been a long time since they had been put to use. She remembered the days when the dragons taught her to hone it, to search for links between two beings, and to sniff out magical trails. Those days when they were all young, happy, and full of adrenaline.

“What the hell were you up to?” her partner asked as the curtain fell the final time. “Did you forget everything?”

“I hear the crowd roaring; I couldn't have done that bad,” she snapped. All she wanted was to go back to the hotel and pull the covers over her head. She didn't want to deal with people; she didn't want to feel their life forces.

So, what if there were dragons in the audience? They could have come from anywhere in the galaxy; they could have come through the Other. She felt it occasionally, passing someone on the street or standing in a taxi cue. None of it felt familiar; none of it felt like the one thing she searched for.

It was as if the only thing she could feel for anymore was a dragon prince. But she knew the one she was reaching out for would never reach back, no matter how much time she wasted.

“Whatever. Don't forget to go to the stage door,” her partner said, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, shit,” Ariel growled. She had forgotten that part of their contract was to sign autographs at the stage door in a rotating schedule. She had traded shifts twice to do interviews, and she knew she couldn't put it off any longer. If she asked someone else to do it one more time, her cast mates would likely never forgive her. “Do you have a pen?”

“They have pens, diva,” he replied. “Just go quickly. You and I have an interview in the green room in half an hour.”

“Yes, your majesty,” she rolled her eyes.

“That's yes, General Sir,” he teased her and she broke away. She couldn't even stand the light flirting that actors often spat out. She knew it meant nothing, but it reminded her of a time when it did.

How the crowds got to the stage door so fast was stunning to her. It was almost as if some of them had left the show early just to meet her. When she pushed it open, they cheered at the top of their lungs, shoving against her.

Ariel shoved back, snapping at those who got too close. She told herself that she would sign ten autographs–that was it–and then she would go back in. Ten was a significant number; they couldn't blame her for that.

“What name do you want me to make it out to?” she grabbed a tenth one, grateful that it would only be a few seconds. Frankly, she didn't care who they were or what they wanted written, so long as it was short.

“Katianna,” said a voice.

Ariel froze, looking up.

Two different colored eyes looked back at her, a smile on her face. She didn't look anything like the last girl. The only similarities were the eyes and Spencer standing beside her.

Ariel had never been rendered speechless before. Her jaw fell open, and she stared at Spencer, shaking her head.

“No,” she said. “No. This isn't real.”

“And yet the proof stands right in front of you,” Spencer said softly. “Can't you feel it?”

“I felt you,” Ariel said, quickly. “That's it.”

“Well, from what I understand, it's been a while since you honed your skills,” he answered. “You were radiant on the stage, just as we remember.”

“You remember,” she said, looking back to Katianna, “Just one of you remembers.”

“I remember you,” Katianna replied. She had dark skin this time around, and she was taller and curvier than last time. But something about a firm lilt in her voice sent shivers down Ariel's spine. “I used to watch videos of you last time. And this time.”

“No.” Ariel closed her eyes. “No. We went over the possibilities. We investigated–”

“And what did you find?” Spencer asked. “Anything conclusive?”

“No,” she admitted. “But–”

“Ariel, would you do us the honor of having a drink with us tonight?” Spencer asked. “We're across the street, at the Marriott.”

“Why?” Ariel asked. “We weren't close. Why did you seek me out?”

“There's something I need to tell you,” Spencer replied. “For old time's sake, then. For Alexander.”

He used the magic word–the word that he knew she couldn't deny. She nodded silently, agreeing to meet them at their room.

What in the world did he want to talk to her about? What did it matter? What he have to say, she thought?

Still, she couldn't stay away. She rushed through the interview and barely changed before she headed across the street. Her heart was hammering as she got into the elevator, taking it to the top floor.

She knocked on the door to the penthouse with sweaty palms, brushing her hair back from her eyes. The doors were mirrored, and she stared at her reflection for a few moments. She was still gorgeous, her red hair was still a solid color. Her face was more defined, as often happened with age. Her small body was a little wider, her legs a little thicker.

She had a briefly thought of Alexander, seeing the fact that stared back at her. If he was still around, would he still think she was beautiful? Would he still love her? Or would their marriage have given up the ghost a long time ago?

Spencer pulled open the door with a smile.

“Ariel, thank you for coming.”

“Please make it fast,” she said as she stepped into the room. “I don't have long, and I'm tired.”

“Of course,” he said. “You were working. Katianna, Ariel is here.”

She came out of the bedroom, starling Ariel all over again with her face. Ariel looked her up and down hesitantly.

“I heard your death was painful,” Ariel said at last, the only thing she could think of saying. Katianna smiled.

“That part, I don't remember. I only remember good memories of last time. You and I in the palace, staring each other down like this. We were almost friends by the end, I think.”

“Anyone could know that,” Ariel said, clutching her purse with shaking hands. “Anything that you claim to know, anyone could guess, or Spencer could feed to you.”

Katianna glanced to Spencer, who seemed relaxed.

“Yes,” Spencer admitted. “You are right. Everything that she knows, everything that happened with her graves, it could just be logically explained away. But the feelings you know in your heart, Ariel, the feeling you have when you see the person you are supposed to spend the rest of your life with, those don't have an explanation. You just look at someone, and you know, even if they are in a different body.”

“Why I am here?” she asked, at last. “Did you bring me here to throw my sad love life in his face?”

“No,” Spencer said. “I'm sorry. We should have made it clear. Come this way.”

“Why?” she half whined, her shoulders sinking as she followed him to the second part of their suite. Spencer pushed open the door to the bedroom, and Ariel suddenly froze.

It felt like when she saw the wolves in the throne room. Something felt familiar, and yet different. Something was compelling, buried underneath a different coat.

Inside the bedroom was a young man. He had golden hair, falling into his eyes, and he was wearing a suit, well cut to his lanky frame. His cheek bones were high, his jaw was strong, and he was a few inches taller than her.

He met her eyes, and she felt like her chest seized up. She knew this feeling, this magical strain, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

“Hello,” the young man said, staring at her. “I think we know each other.”

“Alexander?” her voice finally cracked. He took a step forward, and she took in a huge breath, feeling the magic.

“You were my wife, weren't you?” he said, softly. “You were my love.”

“Yes,” tears slipped down her face. “But it's been twenty years.”

“You are beautiful,” he said, and she fell into his arms. “Still.”

“Oh, my God,” she whispered, laying her head on his chest. “Oh, my God, is this real?”

“What do you think?” he asked.

“I want it to be real,” she sobbed, her walls coming down.

“Then it is real,” he replied, and she said no more, remembering their wedding vows.

“Till death do us part,” they had said.

And beyond.

***THE END***