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I caught the Queen’s scent and turned my head towards the hall. The King was yelling at me but I ignored him as I started running down the hall towards the Queen. By the time Florin and his warriors reached her office I had her in front of me, my hand around her throat.

“Wynter … what are you doing?” Florin had his hands up in front of him, pleading with his eyes for me to let her go.

“We’re going to have a little talk, you, me and the Queen. Your warriors need to step out or I snap her neck right now.”

He nodded his head and the three warriors backed away from us, out the door and stood watching me with careful eyes from the hallway. I didn’t want them gone, they needed to hear this as well. Sorin’s face appeared and Florin seemed to exhale in relief.

“Hello, Sorin, nice of you to join us.”

“Wynter, what’s going on?” He knew exactly what was going on but it wasn’t like I’d had time to warn him.

“This is madness Sorin! He needs to let her go and explain why he killed my daughter!” The anger had replaced his fear for a moment and my eyes blazed yellow, Echo scratching at the floor to be let out.

“Tell me, Queen Alina, are you privy to the decisions that your husband makes?”

“No!” She had answered too quickly and I tightened my grip on her throat.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Florin looked me in the eye but I could see that his confusion was still clouding his mind.

“Seventeen years ago, you signed a kill order and dispatched your royal guard to a lake island in Florida.” I felt the Queen stiffen and I closed my eyes briefly. “You gave the order to have a whole tribe killed because of the woman that was already bonded and you couldn’t have.”

“They were traitors to the throne! They were planning an attack on the Palace!” I chuckled low in my throat and Alina stiffened once more.

“The woman I’m talking about was my mother and the first of our kind to bond with a dragoness. Why do you think he wanted my sister so much?”

It was as if Marlo’s spell broke in that moment and Florin’s eyes widened as the truth spilled into him. “Wynter, listen to me, we can sort this out.”

“You’re looking at the man that killed your son, that just killed your daughter, the man that will kill your wife and then kill you. Tonight I’ll end the royal line.” My eyes held a look of insanity as Echo’s pain and grief flowed through me.

“Why?”

“Your daughter killed my chosen half tonight, right after she gave birth. Your whole bloodline is sick, Florin, and I’ve been tasked to kill you all.”

“I told him to sign that kill order because I knew the moment that woman arrived here Florin would be enamored with her and I’d have some sort of accident and disappear.”

“Finally, someone speaks the truth.”

Florin’s eyes widened as I snapped her neck and Sorin just stood there, unmoved. “Sorin, do something!”

“Yes, my King, of course.” Sorin cleared his throat and took me by the arm as we left the Queen’s office and followed the King back into the foyer where warriors lined the walls, guns drawn and aimed at me.

The King stopped right next to me and turned his head before he whispered. “After your death, I’ll take your sister as my chosen half and breed stronger children, whether she wants to or not.”

The smile that appeared on my face should’ve scared him but he was vain enough to think that I feared him, that he’d walk out of this unscathed. The power had gone to his head and his heart had long since disappeared.

“With a royal decree voted on by the High Council just this morning, I give the kill order for Florin de Haviland to be executed for crimes against dragonkin, the murder of a tribe and the execution to be carried out by Wynter Grey.”

“What? No!”

Before Florin could move I had my hand around his throat and lifted him from his feet. My hand tightened and I felt the first crush as his eyes bulged and he looked around bewildered. My other hand morphed slowly and I stuck it in his chest and ripped his heart out.

I felt a sense of elation fill me, my destiny complete and I felt Typhon’s presence in my head. His approval flowed through me and the crazed look disappeared from my eyes. It felt like I could breathe and in my head Echo rubbed up against Typhon.

The warriors stood around the foyer, not sure what they were supposed to do. I took a knee in front of Sorin and bowed my head. “My King.”

One by one the warriors took a knee as well as the new force filling Sorin took them to their knees, giving them the urge to submit to their new ruler. Sorin’s hand touched my shoulder and I looked up at his warm smile.

“Thank you, Wynter, for saving all dragonkin from the tyrannic rule of Florin.”

“I’m sorry Dorin’s not here to see you where you belong.”

“I had a dream last night. Dorin came to me in a cave where Typhon spoke to me. Dorin’s at peace in the dragon realm. Typhon told me that it was time for a new era to rise and that dragonkin everywhere would celebrate me as the new King with you at my right hand.”

“With all due respect, my King, I will have to decline.”

“Typhon also said you would and that I should let you go.”

I gave Sorin a nod with my head and turned to leave as the warriors rose to their feet and I saw a new respect in their eyes as one man stepped forward and grabbed my shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Wynter … you will no longer just be Duke of Mintia but Protector of Dragons.”

I nodded my head and walked out of the Palace. Every dragon alive would’ve felt the King’s death. Ryder would know that I had finally kept my end of the deal. Echo separated from me just as the sun started to rise and I walked up his tail and sat down on his back.

Echo roared out his sadness as he lifted us up into the sky and even the flap of his wings sounded angry. Strong emotions and pain gripped me as we neared Mintia and by the time he landed in front of the castle, fresh tears had spilled from my eyes.

The Elders of Mintia stood by the front door, a sense of sadness overshadowing their presence. “Sire …”

I didn’t acknowledge any of them, even when Ivan’s hand gripped my arm. I shrugged him off and walked up the stairs slowly. Marian was still in the room with Luciana, she had been washed and dressed, her hair braided and she looked almost like she was sleeping.

I picked Luciana up from the bed, all traces of blood washed from the floors and my tears fell onto her face and one drop pooled in the corner of her eye. I carried her out of the room and down the stairs and everyone standing there bowed their heads.

They followed me outside and around the castle as I carried Luciana to her final resting place. I placed her down on the stone slab gently and kissed her forehead as I closed my eyes and stood there for a few seconds.

“I love you, Luce.”

Echo separated from me and he lowered his head to rest it next to her as well. A tear escaped his eye as we mourned her loss. Echo stepped back as I still held Luciana close to me, savoring her scent and memories of our lives together flashed through my mind.

“Wynter … you have to let go.” Echo nudged me softly but I just shook my head.

Echo looked up and roared loudly before lowering his head and breathing fire onto her body. The flames licked at her hair and the clothes she was wearing but it didn’t burn me. Someone yelled out my name and as the flames took over I let go of her.

I remained standing there long after her body had burned down to ashes. I was still covered in blood, hers, Maya’s and the King’s. Not one drop of it was mine though and I took a deep breath as I turned away from her for the last time and walked away.

Andrei Nicolescu, Ivan, Valeriu Balan and Codrin Fieraru stood in my sitting room when I emerged from my bedroom, showered and dressed in clean clothes. “Sire … a moment please.”

“What is it, Ivan?” I was tired and I had no will to do anything.

“We’ve received notice of Florin’s demise. Thank you for that. We are also very sorry for your loss and at the same time happy for the birth of your daughter.”

“Riley …”

“She’s well looked after, Sire. Marian and Nurse Heather stayed with her during the night.”

“Thank you. I’d like to be left alone now.”

Everybody filed out of the sitting room but Andrei hovered by the door and turned back to where I stood in front of the windows. “Mintia will always be here, waiting for your return. Our blood oath will never die and your interests will be protected.”

He didn’t wait for a response and I heard the click of the door and took a deep breath. I sat down on the sofa and powered the laptop up and started formulating my own plan. I contacted Clark from the Unit and sent him Sorin’s information. I knew that within a few weeks the Unit would be active again.

I sent another request to David Bergman, a friend from the Unit and started moving my money from my accounts. I had a lot to do but I also yearned to see my daughter. By lunch time I had done most of what I’d set out to do and closed the laptop.

I hadn’t slept yet and I walked the halls down to the infirmary. Marian lay on a couch, fast asleep and the nurse gasped as I stood in the doorway. She had my daughter in her arms and her eyes were open, glowing yellow and I felt a surge of pride as I looked at her.

“Give her to me.”

“Yes Sire, did you see her eyes?”

“What’s wrong with her eyes?” Marian sat up straight on the couch and I walked to the rocking chair and sat down with her cradled against my chest.

“They were glowing yellow, Marian!”

“She is meant to be special.”

“Have you decided on a name for her, Sire?”

I looked up when her eyes turned blue and a satisfied sigh escaped her lips and she slept. Marian had a file open in his hands and I knew that he had to register her birth. “Riley.”

I spent the rest of that afternoon learning how to look after her. I bathed her, fed her, changed her and dressed her. Nurse Heather showed me how to rub her back to get all the winds out and I had her things moved into my room.

I refused to let anyone else look after her, she was mine and only mine. It was a struggle in the beginning and that first night I didn’t sleep as I waited for my package to arrive. Getting to know my daughter was what kept me going.

She needed a father, someone to be strong for her, to care for her and to protect her. I had made a silent vow to be all those things when I mingled our blood together in the age old familial bonding ceremony.

I had done it in the privacy of our room, just the two of us. She carried Luciana’s scent on her, mixed with mine and I inhaled it every time her loss threatened to overwhelm me. It wasn’t a practical solution but it was the only one I could cling to now.

It took a week for my package to arrive and that same afternoon I packed our clothes and Riley’s baby bag and said my goodbyes to Ivan and the Elders. I couldn’t be there anymore and it was time for us both to have a fresh start.

I didn’t look back as I drove us to the airport, leaving Mintia in the rearview mirror.