My lips part to allow a large grape inside. The tartness of the skin bursts open when I bite into it, allowing the sweetness of the inside to release into my mouth. I hum around the grape at the freshness of it. I’ve noticed everything here is so rich and full of flavor. Luke said all of the fruit is grown locally. He explained it one day when we flew with Tali while the sun was out. I saw orchards and vineyards in the land off to the east of the castle. Other kingdoms specialize in different items, and they barter with one another for goods. For example, one raises livestock and Azure exchanges vast amounts of fruit for beef, pork, and poultry. And that’s only one of the deals they have.
He continues to feed me grapes, apples, and cheese as I absently draw circles over his inner thigh. It’s very peaceful out here. The only sound is the occasional swish of the horse’s tail or nicker he makes. But then, there’s a new noise. A soft click followed by a dull thump. Luke’s body goes rigid behind me. I sit up straight, looking around with wide eyes, trying to figure out where the sound came from.
I scan the area and stop near the cottage. The horse’s head is up, its ears twitching. He’s staring at the cottage. Luke stands and begins to walk toward it. I do the same, but he holds up a hand to stop me, and places his forefinger to his lips to ensure I remain quiet. The cottage is abandoned. It’s old and dingy inside. Why would anyone be in there? Unless…
Luke strides closer, resting a hand along his steed as he passes by. His moves are silent. Bending down, he pulls a dagger from the strap on his leg. I’ve learned that he never leaves the house without at least one blade one him.
There’s another thump, louder than before. The door shakes and then bursts open. Two figures emerge with large boxes in their arms obscuring their faces. They both look back to the door for a second, trying to each juggle the boxes in their arms.
Luke inches closer, making no sound. The first figure is tall and stocky with hair that is oddly the same color as Luke’s. No, it can’t be. The box is placed on the grass and King Azure stands upright, tall and exuding power. His eyes immediately land on Luke and a huge smile spreads across his face. He rushes forward to grab his son in a tight hug. Luke’s arms are by his side. I think he’s in shock. I mean, we came here for a picnic. Never did we expect to see his dad. I start walking forward.
That’s not all, though. There is another figure that came through. The box the person is holding is placed on the ground and Rya is revealed. Her dark blonde hair is shorter than I remember, cropped to just above her shoulders in a sophisticated bob. Her hazel eyes begin to pool with tears when she sees Luke. King Azure releases him.
His voice is full of disbelief. “Mom?” She nods and he rushes to her, lifting her in his arms. Rya is hanging on to him as sobs wrack her body. They stand holding each other for a moment then Luke takes a step back to look her over. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Me either,” she says, brushing tears from her face.
King Azure steps up to me and encompasses me in a bear hug. “Alison, my dear. I’m so happy to see you.” He places me on the ground and the smile still hasn’t left his face. “Have you been taking care of my boy?”
“Huh?”
He laughs heartily. “We surprised you, I take it.”
“Little bit. You returned and brought Rya?”
“That I did. Oh, and we brought a box of items for you. It’s not much, but we grabbed the things we thought you’d want since we weren’t sure if we’d have the key still after we walked through.”
“And?”
He shakes his head. “It’s gone again.”
“Again?”
“I’ll explain, but not here. We need to get back to the castle and round up the family.”
He turns and we both watch as Rya takes Luke’s face in her hands. They’re talking quietly, but after a few minutes turn toward us. I walk forward and hug Rya.
“It’s so good to see you, Ali. Thank you for giving the key to Miles.”
She steps back, but her hands remain on my shoulders. Reaching up she captures the tears I didn’t realize I was shedding. Seeing her makes me miss my mom so much. As if knowing what I’m thinking, she says, “I miss her, too. Every day.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. My back heats and I know it has to be from Luke. He’s the only one who can warm my skin like the sun. His arms wrap around me to cross over my waist. His presence is just what I need to regain my composure.
“Come, my princess. Let’s go spread the good news of my parents’ return to my brothers and sister.” I nod and open my eyes. Rya is watching us with a huge smile.
“A perfect match. I always hoped, but never knew for sure. You two are truly fated. Eliza and I wished one day you would find each other.”
In a higher tone than usual, Luke asks, “You knew?”
She taps her temple. “I’m a seer, Lucas. Your father never told you?” I gasp.
“I had no idea. Did you know what happened after you left?” he questions.
She shakes her head solemnly. “No. Something happened when I left this realm. I lost my power. But I did have a vision before Eliza and I left. I saw you and Alison in this very field while horses ran past you, but as you know, there was no way to know if that future was the one that would come to pass.” It was the day I crossed over. She saw it.
Luke released me and bent to pick up one of the boxes they brought through. “What’s in this? Did you two plan how to get the boxes home?”
King Azure chuckles and clasps a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “It was pure luck that you’re here, my boy. You can carry one. I’ll take the other. The women can ride on the horse.”
“Or I can call for Tali,” he says with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“How?” I ask. “Do you have a whistle or something I don’t know about?”
He laughs and taps his temple just as Rya did. “My mom isn’t the only one with talent. I only hope it works.”
He closes his eyes, seeming to concentrate for a moment. Next we hear a muffled roar pierce the air. Within a couple of minutes, Tali is coming toward us with Storm following closely behind. The horse backs up a few steps as she lands gracefully before us. Storms lands as well, but hasn’t quite mastered it yet. We all turn to look at Luke in surprise.
“What?” he shrugs. The king and Rya start walking away from us. “I don’t know how it works, but it does. It started when Pine had the sword to your throat. All of the sudden, Tali was beside me, and we took to the air so I could drop in and surprise him. We’re still working on communicating, but it’s getting better.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Another shrug. “It didn’t come up.”
I throw my hands in the air in defeat and step close to him. “No secrets between us. Got it?”
His wicked smile returns. “Yes, my princess.”
He takes me in his arms and kisses me hard. When he releases me, I’m left dazed and half stumble toward the dragons. Damn, that man knows how to kiss.
Reunion
King Azure and Rya are climbing on Tali’s back with one of the boxes when Elliott shows up on his dragon. He lands with a ground shaking thump and jumps down. He runs toward Luke. “I heard Tali and took off after her. What’s going on?” Luke inclines his head toward his mother. Elliott’s jaw drop opens and he stands stunned.
“Dad? M…m…mom?”