“Okay. Gosh, this is so much fun. Hey, I hope you don’t mind, but Morgan said I could come to the wedding, so—”
“Tiggy!” I bellowed.
“TIGGY SMASH!”
Tiggy ran at Jeffrey, a large fist pulled back, ready to fly.
“Oh my goodness,” Jeffrey whispered.
Have you ever seen an angry half-giant who doesn’t appreciate when his best friends get captured punch a centaur at full speed?
No?
I hadn’t either. But suffice to say, I was not disappointed. I truly did not expect Jeffrey to go flying out of the cave, spinning end over end, legs all akimbo. It was a sight to behold. He went so far, I couldn’t even be sure where he landed. Or if he was alive.
“Well, then,” I said, clapping my hands. “That was exciting. Shall we?”
GARY AND Tiggy were walking ahead of us, Gary purring how big Tiggy’s fists were and how proud he was of the half-giant’s bravery. Tiggy, of course, was preening like a peacock in heat.
Morgan and I trailed behind them as we made our way back to the City of Lockes. Our shoulders bumped as we walked closely together. I’d taken his hand in mine, something I hadn’t really done since I was a kid but found myself doing more and more lately. There were nights I’d wake up gasping, sweat dripping down my face, sure that everything had been a dream, that I was still in the Dark Woods getting slammed by magic from the Great White, Morgan dead. Some mornings had found me curled up next to him in his own bed after I’d snuck in, needing the reassurance that he was really here, that he’d returned just like I’d remembered.
I was getting better.
But that didn’t mean I didn’t still want to hold his hand.
He didn’t seem to mind.
“Maybe next time, wait until a day you’re not getting married to do something like this,” he chided.
I rolled my eyes. “Like I have to worry about that again. Only time I’m getting married, dude. I’ve already got my hooks into Ryan. He’s never going to escape from me, no matter how hard he tries.”
“Ah, young love,” he said, a small smile on his face. “It’s very… intense.”
“Except now he’s probably going to kill me,” I muttered. “You know, for the whole getting kidnapped on our wedding day thing.”
“Eh. If he hasn’t left you for all your other faults, I highly doubt that this will be the thing that pushes him over the edge.”
“Wow,” I breathed. “That was so savage. You are awesome. I mean, I’m emotionally devastated like you wouldn’t believe, but go you. Good job.”
“Thank you,” he said, obviously pleased with himself. “I do find myself rather ignoring my usual hesitance at insulting you directly to your face. I guess a second chance at life will do that to a person.”
“Keep it up,” I said. “As long as it’s not always directed at me, that is. I still like to think I’m a good person sometimes.”
“You are,” he said, squeezing my hand. “The best, really.”
I smiled at the ground.
Much had changed since the Last Battle, as it was starting to be called (capitalized, so you know it’s true). We had mourned those we’d lost (Pete, always my lovely guard) and celebrated their lives. We’d begun to rebuild the villages and towns and cities of Verania. The King had opened the treasury, and thousands of people had come together to restore the shining jewel that was our country. We weren’t quite there yet, but I thought we would be soon.
The Darks had all been taken to Mantok, the prison in the Luri Desert. Vadoma decided she would oversee the transfer, and had somehow been given the position of Warden of Mantok, while simultaneously supervising the rebuilding of Mashallaha. There were calls for the Darks to be put to death for their part in the fall of Verania, but the King decreed there would be no more bloodshed. Instead, Randall, Morgan, and myself had warded the prison against Dark magic. It would be impossible for the Darks to escape.
And the dragons! The dragons of Verania were held in awe and cherished as they should have been. GW, of course, hated the attention, as did Pat. Kevin spent most of the time demanding shinies. Leslie asked to keep all the orphans she could find. Zero scowled at everyone, telling them that they just didn’t understand him, that his soul burned with the fires of regret—but he could rarely finish his rants without them ending in a yawn.
Because his time had been drawing near.
When he needed to sleep.
The dragons and I had gone to the desert with him, returning him to his lair.