He opened his eyes, and Lola screamed with laughter and tears. “He’s back!” She screamed again, clutching Soleis to her chest. “How is this possible? How?” It was a miracle she couldn’t comprehend.

Thol and Flev stared and laughed and cried, equally flummoxed, and Soleis blinked at all three of them in confusion. His face split in a wide grin as he peered at his arms and turned over his hand to examine his palm.

“The Sylph said you couldn’t heal me,” he said in awe.

“I couldn’t,” she laughed, wiping tears. “You’ve been gone for days. Even with everything else I’ve seen and done in this realm, I couldn’t believe this was possible. Yet, here you are!”

“Explain,” Soleis murmured, cupping her face. His eyes were filled with love and hope because it was a shock for him, too.

Lola told him what she could, though she hardly knew how to explain. She had been staring into the dying flames of the campfire the night the idea was proposed, unaware the wind was growing colder and the night darker. Her desolation was entrenched. She soundlessly swiped another tear. He had been lost to her. They hadn’t been able to heal him.

As she glanced at Thol when he crossed the beach to sit next to her, he pulled his knees to his chest and gave her a plaintive look that told her he had something to say. He had been considerate like that, not intruding, not forcing his consoling words on her. He had been the best kind of friend while navigating the tides of grief. He gave her space, seemed to know when she needed silent companionship.

The first night after they returned from the castle complex with Soleis’ body, Thol had gently explained their burial customs. The body of the deceased could not pass through the Between, they had discovered. They couldn’t return him to the Fire Realm. Per the culture of the Sea Realm, they would sit with him for a number of days before setting him adrift on the lonely sea.

Flev had no advice on what the people of the Fire Realm did when a dragon died. “There’s no precedent in my lifetime. Dragons rarely die, and those that do rarely leave anything behind,” he said. He sat next to her, not opposing the plans. Lola didn’t envy the hard task of telling his parents. He would be the one to break the news. Soleis was dead. She knew Flev half-expected his friend to rise form the table. She wished and prayed, but…nothing.

The small circle kept watch over the burial-wrapped body that would be floated out to sea by the morning.

“There is one thing I haven’t mentioned,” Thol finally spoke up. “It may be farfetched, but…I can’t bear the thought of not giving it a chance. You know the so-called legends and myths of my world are built on truth.”

She lifted her eyes from the shrouded dead body. “Yes? What is it?” she whispered.

“Well, haven’t you wondered about Belzaan’s undead army? Legend says there’s a place where the waters of life can reanimate the dead. I suspect it’s how Belzaan manifested himself in the first place. Deep beneath the sea, baptism in the waters of life can bring Soleis back to us.”

She instantly shook her head with a bitter laugh. “Surely, you’re kidding me.” She thought of pop culture in America, the stories of the damage the undead could wreak. She shook her head again, and Thol went silent…But, the thought had been planted. After a beat, she quietly asked, “How does it work?”

They left before daybreak. The two dragon shifters ferried them out to sea. Lola silenced the voice of reason that told her she was insanely grasping at straws. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if it worked. Would Soleis even want such a half-life? She didn’t question it. She told herself it wouldn’t work. She told herself it was just something she had to do to keep herself from going crazy, staring at his too-still body.

They took him beneath the waves, none of them speaking. It became more real by the second as she stared at the strange glow of sea creatures she had never seen before. Like stars, lighted fish swam around her.

She wondered how much deeper they would have to go. How long could Flev hold his breath? They had learned a startling fact about Thol. He, too, was a water dragon. But, they would have to have a care for their friend, the dragon warrior.

Still, they swam. Deeper and deeper. Finally, they came to a cave where the glow that emanated from the fish seemed to emanate from the rock itself. At a look from the rebel, Lola knew they were at the right place. They carefully laid Soleis on the stone slab in the middle of the cavernous, glowing room.

When nothing happened, she told herself exactly what she expected had happened. It was the last-ditch effort of friends who didn’t want to say goodbye. So, they had carried his lifeless body back to the surface, back to the rebel island to rest before the long journey back to civilization.

And, it was there, on the sandy beach, that Soleis opened his eyes.

“Tell me how you made this happen,” Soleis pressed again. Lola looked to Thol for an explanation.

The rebel clutched Soleis’ shoulders and squeezed him in a hug. “Never be too skeptical of legends. The elders always told the story of the cave through-which the waters of life flowed. I thought of Belzaan’s undead army. I’m sure this is how he brought them back. Of course, he bound them to his will. You, my friend, are unbound.”

Soleis’ smile diminished slightly. “But, I’m also undead?” he asked quietly.

Laughing, Lola clutched his face and kissed him until they were both breathless. “I don’t care,” she said. “I don’t care, I don’t care. Oh, I didn’t know how I would make it without you. This is a miracle, and we’ll take it in whatever form it comes.”

It took Thol to make her understand the grave new circumstances they faced. “There are some things you need to know. You’ll face some limitations,” he said. “The stories I heard as a boy implied you’ll experience life as one of the living, but with, perhaps, less enjoyment. The feel of the breeze on your face, the smell of a flower—”

“I won’t be able to experience the full joy of life,” Soleis whispered as realization dawned.

Thol nodded gravely. “And, you won’t be able to leave this world.”

“What?” Soleis gasped.

Flev frowned deeply. “Traveling is his life. It’s what drives him. Why didn’t you tell us this before?”

“Would it have mattered?” Thol asked.

“No, but it’s okay,” Lola insisted, dragging Soleis’ eyes back to hers. “It’s what we wanted, Soleis. Don’t you see? You know this is where we belong. I’m a doctor in a world that needs my healing touch. I can breathe underwater, and so can you. We’ve found a place where we can live out our lives together.”

He nodded, staring blankly. “Right,” he murmured, “Of course, my love. We’ll find a way to make this work.”

She ignored his unhappiness. She had to. “Tell me about this Sylph. You’ve mentioned her before. Who is she?” she changed the subject. Soleis relaxed marginally.

“I guess you could say she’s like my guardian angel. She’s been with my family for generation after eneration. She was there to provide advice for my great-grandfather, the late Sengenis, and she now speaks to me.”

“How?” Lola asked, curious.

“While I was…drifting between this life and the next. Just like this realm, there’s another that most people can’t access unless they’re asleep. We call it the Realm of Dreams. In this place, I meet with the elemental Ainley—”

“Ainley? Where have I heard that name before? Wait a second, the woman who sold—well, gave—me this ring called herself Ainley. Short little old lady with kind grey eyes?”

Soleis chuckled in surprise. “By the gods, I think you’ve met her. Why didn’t I suspect it before? Of course, she sent you here to me. You also know her, Thol, though you know her by another name. The Woman of Light.”

“She exists?” The rebel leader’s eyes widened as Soleis nodded.

“She debilitated Sengenis by removing the Heart of the Dragon, the Essence and the Mind. The Heart takes its user anywhere the heart desires, while the Essence does the far more nefarious task of draining life. Now, the elemental has all three in her possession again, and Belzaan is truly done for good. This is a leaderless world.”

“Not for long,” Thol promised. “The erstwhile rebels are rallying even now to encourage people to run for candidacy. The election is months away. For the first time since its inception, the civilized Sea Realm will have a president that isn’t a dragon or a sorcerer, hopefully.” He laughed.

Soleis grinned. “And, where do I fit into this new world?” he asked soberly. He met Lola’s happy gaze.

“Take a risk with me. Take this adventure with me,” she said with a smile.

“What choice do I have?” he chuckled.

“I’m surprised; you really intend to remain here. Won’t you miss your family?” Thol asked her suddenly.

She shrugged. “Here’s the thing, guys. We’ve cured a disease that couldn’t be cured, and we’ve defeated a spirit that couldn’t be defeated. In my book, nothing is impossible here. So, why should we be overly worried about the possibility of never leaving this place? Now, come on! We have to get back to the camp. I have to teach class,” she giggled. She couldn’t suppress her joy. They had their whole lives ahead of them together, even if his was a half-life.

* * *

“Why did you do it?” Soleis whispered.

Lola hid out of sight while the Water Dragon met with his friend, the rebel leader. Thol murmured, “I couldn’t bear to see her hurt.”

“Aye,” Soleis chuckled bitterly. “Selfish of you.”

“I knew you would understand.”

“Can it be reversed, Thol? I love her with all my heart and soul; yet, she doesn’t understand the consequences. No one cheats Death.”

“It wasn’t your time to go, Soleis.”

“I willingly sacrificed my life to destroy Sengenis. Ainley told me early on that the sacrifice had to be made, but I didn’t understand her. I thought she meant I had to sacrifice Lola. The elemental gave her life to bring us to this point, and I completed the job. But, now that I’m back, there’s nothing left for me here.”

Thol hesitated. “Can you not find happiness in simply being with her?”

“I can find no happiness,” Soleis admitted quietly. “…I can’t feel a thing.”

Lola eased away from the tent with tears in her eyes. The day had been spent making the villagers comfortable with Soleis’ presence. They all seemed to understand—some far better than her—the implications of having someone undead in their midst. She had watched him eat food he couldn’t taste. But, she hadn’t realized the magnitude of his blunted affect until later that night when they made love, and he couldn’t experience it.

Soleis had slipped from the bed in their half-finished hut and gone to meet with Thol, thinking Lola was asleep. It was selfish, Lola realized. She hadn’t asked enough questions. She hadn’t taken his desires into consideration. He had died a hero’s death. Now, he would live a “normal” life, which wasn’t what he wanted for himself.

Lola stared at the gently rolling sea as she listened to someone walking up behind her. She thought it was Soleis. Instead, Thol came and stood next to her with a heartbroken sigh.

“We’ve erred,” he murmured. She nodded, drying her eyes.

“Where’s my happily ever after, Thol? I’ve given up my family, my job, everything to be here. Still, he can’t be happy with me. I almost feel it’s unfair to ask for more. Yet, I can’t help myself. It’s like losing him all over again, knowing he’ll never find peace.”

“It isn’t his fault, you know. You fell in love with a man who was destined for greatness. He doesn’t know anything less. I must find a way to fix this. It’s my fault. Someone, somewhere out there in the four realms must know how to undo what I have done.” Thol grabbed her hand and turned her to face him. “I must leave you, Lola, but if I find what I’m looking for, I’ll return to set the both of you free. I know you don’t intend to leave his side.”

Her eyes welled with tears again. “I don’t know what I’d do without friends like you. The very fact you’d offer to help makes me grateful, but I can’t ask you to leave the only home you’ve ever known. I’m going to let him go the only way I know how, Thol. In my world…it’s called assisted suicide.” The words were biter on her tongue and hard to swallow.

“It’s not that simple. Now, that he’s undead, he can’t take his life and no one can take it for him. He’s in a state of limbo. The undead army was released from this world with Belzaan’s death. Perhaps the key to releasing Soleis from our unwitting prison is another sacrifice.”

“No,” Lola said forcefully. “No more deaths. There has to be another way. What about the elemental? The Woman of Light was a powerful sorceress. Given the legends, it doesn’t sound like there’s anything she couldn’t do.”

“You’re right. She destroyed Sengenis by removing his vitality. She took the Heart, which allows the bearer to travel anywhere the heart desires. She took his Essence, which drains life. And, she took the Dragon’s Mind.”

She gasped. “Who’s to say the Dragon’s Mind doesn’t restore what’s taken away? We have to find Ainley.”

“She’s bound to Soleis’ family. She may not even be accessible to us.”

“She gave me the ring, Thol. She brought the three of us together for a reason. Destiny isn’t done with us yet, but she’s the only one who can tell us how to proceed.”

“You may be onto something,” Thol replied. “Come on. Let’s get you back inside. It’s late, and there’s a man who loves you waiting up for you.” With a grin, he guided her back to the camp where Soleis and Flev stood, chatting, outside his hut.

“What new scheme are the two of you cooking up?” Soleis chuckled good-naturedly.

“We’re trying to devise a plan to get you where you need to be. Where you really deserve to be, where you’ll find peace. But, we’ll need help from your friend, the elemental. Can you tell us how to find her, Soleis?” she asked gently.

Lola smiled and wrapped an arm around his waist. He felt solid beneath her fingers. She inhaled his scent and let her eyes drift over his face. The Water Dragon casually shrugged, as if news they were trying to fix what they had done to him made no matter. Lola realized she would never get used to this dispassionate version of him. He was here…and not here.

Soleis replied, “It’s the easiest thing. You simply fall asleep. If you need her, she’ll come to you.” Thol and Lola shared a look.

“That sounds too good to be true. I’ve gotten used to surprises of the not so pleasant variety. What’s the catch?” she asked nervously.

“She might not come to you. If she comes, she might give you such convoluted answers that you never figure out what she means. She’s an elemental, Lola. It took me the longest to decide whether she was friend or foe. She turned out to be a friend, but I truly believe her loyalties are to a higher power than us mere mortals and dragon shifters.”

“I’m willing to deal with her riddles if you’re willing to deal with the rebels. Can you promise to take care of things here until I make it back?” Thol asked. “The election should run smoothly without any need for intervention. However, many within the Resistance are used to coming to me as their leader.”

“I’ll gladly hold down the fort for you, but what is it you plan to do?” Soleis queried.

“I’ll find a way to get the elemental to give us the secrets to the Dragon’s Mind. I’ll set you free, Soleis, Son of Arken. It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me.”

Flev brightened at the news. “I’m coming with you.”

“I need you in the Fire Realm,” Soleis interjected. “My parents need to be alerted to my recovery. I can’t go to them. Lola, you’ll have to send Flev home for me to explain the new situation.”

“He’ll need reinforcements,” Flev argued. “He can’t go it alone.”

“Why can’t I?” asked Thol.

Lola smiled. She knew the rebel leader was used to going it alone. She had been used to being the lone wolf, too, until she met Soleis. She clutched her lover’s cool fingers and brought them to her lips. “Thol can handle this mission. The rest of us have things to attend to. Like starting our life anew,” she murmured. Soleis tenderly kissed her, and even if he couldn’t feel the pleasure, he could feel the love. She saw it in his eyes.

“Now’s your chance,” he whispered. “You can take the ring off. You can give up the excitement and adventures. Go back to your lovely apartment, re-enroll in the residency program, become a doctor and make your father proud.”

“I could,” she allowed. “Or, I could remain here where I’m needed. We can build a home together by the ocean. I can teach the Healers how to use and expand their gifts, and I can find a way to fix you.”

“Don’t you miss when things were more predictable?”

She quirked a brow and mulled it over as they strolled away from Flev and Thol, skirting construction equipment to enter their hut. “I used to like predictable. Then, you became my wings. You gave me exhilaration and dragons, and I’ll never give that up, Soleis. I won’t ask you to give it up, either. Trust in Thol. He’ll be the hero of the next chapter of our lives.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” said Soleis.

Lola grinned. “Let him save a world or two. It’s only temporary. You’ll be back to your role as savior of the four realms in no time. Now…where were we? Ah, yes. I’m picturing you healthy and whole. I’m embuing you with the warm pleasure of a lover’s touch. And, when we lay between the sheets again, you’ll remember what it feels like to be love with all my heart, mind, body and soul.”

“Thank you,” he whispered, closing his eyes and smiling. “I can almost feel it.”

“You will feel it. Soon. We have the rest of our lives to keep trying, and I’ll never give up on you, Soleis. I’ll never give up.”