Beyond The Dragon’s Heart

Calista’s [POV]

All Queen Eldinar had to do was give a subtle nod, and her men scattered like a school of fish. Uncle Ezra did the same, stepping off to the side, his hands behind his back with his eyes still locked on Talon.

Talon moved away as well, heading back to where Khazmuda remained at the campsite.

Since Queen Eldinar stared at me so hard, I knew she wanted me to stay. We stood alone together, in the clearing outside the forest, her eyes locked on mine with the same sheathed hostility she always wore. “There is only way to execute this plan—by having the Death King enter Riviana Star. This greatly displeases me, but I see no other way.”

“He said he wishes you no harm?—”

“Because of his affection for you—and a man’s affection can change in an instant.”

My heart gave a painful squeeze. “I don’t think he would have fought in your war if his affection were so weak.” I’d betrayed him, and he still saved me. “I turned my back on him, but he’s never turned his back on me.” The guilt was heavy in my throat, like a rock that couldn’t be swallowed.

Her eyes narrowed.

“And I don’t think my uncle’s affection for you could ever change.”

“You insult my husband with the comparison. What we have is love, and what you have is a mixture of lust and convenience. I won’t deny the Death King is a beautiful man, so I understand why you’ve been cast under his spell. But make no mistake, the depth of his affection for you is barely skin-deep.”

A rush of anger hit me hard like an arrow against armor. “With all due respect, you know nothing about him—and you know even less about us.” My fury lit up quicker than a match against flint, the flames higher than the treetops. I might have agreed with her if this had been weeks in the past, but now, everything had changed, our relationship had deepened, and I would fight for it tooth and nail.

She stared at me long and hard, a hint of disapproval in her gaze. “I hope I’m wrong, for your uncle’s sake.”

It was the first time I realized Queen Eldinar was more than a monarch…but also my aunt. No maternal affection came from her, not a hint of it in her gaze. And I wondered if that was because she knew her love with my uncle would be a mere second in her very long lifetime and a relationship with me was simply not worth the effort.

“I will permit the Death King to enter our forest, but he will be under my supervision at all times. Guards accompany him wherever he goes, without exception. I know that your relationship with your uncle has barely had the chance to bloom, but I see that it’s meaningful to you. For that reason, I trust that you will protect this forest if need be.”

“I would protect this forest even if he weren’t my uncle,” I said. “Riviana Star is a beautiful place, and it’s an honor to call it home. But as I said before, the Death King would never hurt your forest or your people. Your concern is needless.”

“We’re a very capable race. Great allies for the battlefield. I’m sure he’s realized that.”

I stared, unsure what she meant by that.

She seemed to sense my confusion because she continued. “He conquered your lands because he needed an army for his war. His chances would be even greater if he had the elves to serve him. For that reason, I will always be suspicious of him.”

“He wouldn’t do that?—”

“Why not?” she demanded. “What’s the difference between us and the humans?”

I held her gaze without an answer because there wasn’t one.

“I hope that by giving him access to the dragons, whether they agree to his war or not, he’ll leave us in peace.”

“I don’t see how he could force you anyway. You’re much stronger than humans.”

“He can command the army of the dead, can have us executed by our kin. He could threaten to destroy or invade Riviana, the gateway to Caelum, to ensure our participation. It causes me great pain to permit him into our forest, but I fear it’s necessary because the dark elves are a greater threat at the moment.”

“I know this doesn’t mean much to you, but I don’t think he would do that.”

“You’re right. It doesn’t mean much to me,” she said. “Because you have no evidence for your claim. He said to himself he was not evil and had only done evil things to survive. I think that enslaving the elves for his war falls into that category.”

I still didn’t believe it, didn’t believe he would ever do such a thing, but I let the argument die.

“Do not let him near the Realm of Caelum—under any circumstances.”

“I don’t even know where it is.”

“It’s the Great Tree, the source of power of the forest, next to the cemetery that’s been disturbed by his dark magic.” Her eyes widened. “Guards will be stationed there at all times while he’s in the forest. But if he ventures anywhere close, I will kill him myself. If you wish him to live, I suggest you keep him away.”

I gave a nod. “I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

She turned her gaze to look behind me, probably to lock her gaze on Talon.

A moment later, he approached, casting a shadow over me when he blocked the sun.

“I will permit you into the forest, under the watchful eye of my men. You’re only allowed in Calista’s accommodations and the royal palace. Is that understood?”

He stared down at her as well, his hard gaze locked on her eyes. He wasn’t used to being spoken to like an inferior, but he didn’t lash out with an insult as he normally would. “Yes.” He said it with a bite in his tone.

“We would welcome Khazmuda into our forest, but there’s simply no room for him.”

“I understand,” he said. “He prefers the open sky to the closed canopy anyway.”

Her gaze shifted to me, and just as she did with her husband, she held a silent conversation with me. I’m counting on you. Then she turned away and began her trek back into the forest.

It was a long journey to the center of the forest, and we spent that time in silence. The guards flanked us, allowing the queen to walk ahead with Ezra at her side.

Talon looked out of place amid grass and flowers, his armor like a shadow of darkness. The birds normally chirped from their branches above, but Talon’s presence seemed to drive them away. It was the first time the forest was quiet…utterly silent.

Not a word was spoken. Talon stared straight ahead, and if he felt out of place, he didn’t show it.

We didn’t take a break like we normally did, because the queen was eager to return to the royal palace as soon as possible. I noticed she didn’t speak with my uncle, not once, their eyes focused ahead.

I heard the forest before I saw it, heard the music slowly growing louder, an ethereal sound that was felt through all the leaves in the trees.

Talon did not react like he either didn’t hear it or didn’t care to hear it.

Then the center of the forest came into view, elves on the paths and in the market, but there was a solemn pain in the air, the aftermath of the war felt in everyone’s bones. It wasn’t the same magical place as it had been, not when it had been tainted by the rise of the dead.

Some of the elves immediately turned our way, and instead of regarding Queen Eldinar with admiration, their frightened eyes turned to Talon—the Death King. They stared, their fair faces pale like snow, and they all stopped what they were doing to look, horrified that the enemy had entered their forest with open arms.

Talon ignored them, staring straight ahead like public opinion meant nothing to him.

We were escorted away from the royal palace and farther into the forest, where my tree house was located off the main path, high up in one of the enormous trees. There were other tree houses in the vicinity, but they were all facing in different directions so everyone had complete privacy.

We approached the vines that acted as a staircase. “These are tricky?—”

Talon stepped onto the vines and carried himself up like he’d done it before. He conducted himself just as Luxe had, with the grace of an elf. He rounded the other side of the trunk and continued up, carrying the weight of his pack. His weapons had been taken from him to be kept in the queen’s possession until she deemed it necessary to return them.

The soldiers took their stations around the trunk of the tree, making it impossible for Talon to escape without their knowledge.

I followed him, moving at a much slower pace because I still hadn’t mastered the vines, even though I’d gone up and down many times. It was a long walk to the top, so long that it acted as a deterrent to leaving. Sometimes I stayed in my tree house for days because the trek to the bottom and back up again just seemed like too much.

I made it to the top and found him standing there, looking at the armchair he’d occupied in our previous conversations when he’d sat there in nothing but his sweatpants when he’d touched me with only his stare.

After a moment, he walked away, carrying his pack to the bedroom where I slept alone. He tossed the bag onto the armchair and then stared at the rumpled bed, the sheets kicked back because I’d left my bed in a hurry.

When he turned to look at me again, it was with a hint of anger.

“What is it?”

He severed our connection and walked around me to the kitchen, looking at the dining table where he’d sat across from me—Luxe in between us. He rested his fingers on the surface, and he stared before he pulled out the chair and took a seat, slouching, knees wide apart, looking out the open window to the forest beyond.

I took the seat across from him.

He wouldn’t look at me.

We were so close outside the forest, but now we felt like strangers once more.

“Why are you angry?”

After a moment, his stare flicked back to mine.

“Talon.”

“Did you fuck him?”

“Who?” I blurted, eyebrows lifted on my face.

His stare hardened.

I quickly realized he was asking about Luxe, the man he’d seen in my tree house, the man he’d despised at first sight. “Talon?—”

He yelled without raising his voice. “Answer the fucking question.”

“No.”

“No, you won’t answer the question, or no, you didn’t?—”

“I didn’t sleep with him.”

He looked away, still angry.

I never asked what he did when we were apart, but I assumed another woman had taken my place the second I left. I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it, to hear his answer and keep a straight face.

“Did anything else happen?—”

“No.”

“Did he try to make?—”

“I haven’t interrogated you about your affairs, so I’m not sure why you’re interrogating me about mine.”

His eyes hardened on my face. “Ask whatever you wish.”

I looked away and stared at the cabinets.

“Ask.”

“I’d rather not.”

“There was no one else, Calista.”

I kept my eyes on the hand-carved cabinets, looking at the fine craftsmanship of a carpenter. Flowers and trees were carved into the wood. The tree house and everything inside of it had been constructed of various pieces of timber, everything that had died of natural causes, so nothing matched. But that somehow made it more beautiful.

“I wanted there to be.”

I swallowed, picturing the women who serviced him, not just because they were paid to but because they wanted to. Beautiful and enthusiastic, eager to bed the king who’d taken their kingdom in a sweeping victory.

“I was so fucking angry at you, but no amount of anger could make me desire anyone else but you.”

I did my best to hide my relief, but I wasn’t successful. Our separation had been just as hard on him as it was on me. “Luxe is the commander of the army. Queen Eldinar asked him to keep an eye on me, so that was why he was here.”

“A commander doesn’t have dinner with his prisoner unless he wants to fuck them.”

I turned back to Talon. “Nothing happened, so let it go.”

“You know me well enough to understand I don’t let anything go.” His eyes shifted away, and he breathed a quiet breath.

“I don’t want it to be this way,” I whispered. “I want it to be how it was before, how it was outside the forest.” When we were so close we were practically one person, when the barrier between us was finally gone and our souls touched. He finally let me see who he was.

His eyes remained averted. “It was all I could think about when I walked in the door, wondering if another man had slept in the bed where I’m supposed to lie with you.”

“Well, he didn’t,” I said. “So come back to me.”

His eyes remained directed out the window, looking at the forest in the dying light. Minutes passed, and his anger slowly dimmed like the fading sun. When his anger passed, he looked at me again, the walls down, his eyes dark like midnight but warm like the sands in the desert.

I felt the smile move over my lips. “There you are…”