Kingdom of Fire and Fae, page 20
As soon as the procession ended, Draven stepped close to the burning pit. The heat from the flames warmed his face, contrasting with the chill in his heart. He drowned his lungs with air, filling them with the bitter fumes of smoke and decay. With a powerful exhale, he blew a stream of white-hot flame from one side of the pit to the other, the intensity of the fire rendering the dead to ash almost instantly. The image of flames dancing in the night sky was both a tribute and a farewell, a final act of respect for the fallen.
He turned to Lanae, his eyes meeting hers in a moment of shared sorrow. “Fill it with earth.” Emotion flooded his firm voice.
She opened her hands, and the piles of dirt at the edges of the pit responded to her command, rolling onto the ashes in a steady, purposeful motion. The sound of earth covering the remains was a quiet, somber accompaniment to the flames’ crackling. The soil, freshly turned and now flat once again, signified not just an end, but a new beginning.
The poignancy of the moment weighed heavily on Draven’s heart, signifying the start of a new era. One that he prayed would deliver every single one of Lanae’s dreams.
EPILOGUE
The Promise of the Future
“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU bought out Caelum.” Lanae crossed her arms over her chest as she stood in the doorway of her brother’s empty room. The air seemed different without Caelum’s presence, a mixture of nostalgia and anticipation.
Draven was inside, the scent of freshly polished wood filling his nostrils as he situated a new desk in the space. He looked up at her with a lopsided grin, the light from the window catching the mischief in his eyes. “He said he and Jenna had their own place now, and we would need the space.” He gave her a halfhearted shrug, his shoulders relaxing. “And I need a place to work here if you insist on staying in the guard.”
Lanae’s hand dropped to her protruding belly, the warmth of her growing child spreading a bloom of sweetness in her heart. “Are you sure that’s the reason?” Her voice was soft, but the tease was evident.
His laugh echoed off the walls, a rich, comforting sound that filled the empty room. “Okay, maybe I was tired of having to be quiet any time things got heated with us.” The room buzzed with their shared laughter, the echoes a promise of the joy and challenges to come.
“I saw my mother today.”
The temperature dropped with Lanae’s words. His smile faded, the memory of their last encounter still fresh and painful. They hadn’t spoken more than a few harsh words since the battle, the tension between them as sharp as a blade. He wondered what vitriol she spewed this time; the thought filled him with dread.
“It seems she’s reconsidered and would like to be a part of her grandchild’s life.” Lanae’s voice was soft, almost tentative, the vulnerability in her tone tugging at his heart.
The room closed in around him as he processed her words. The scent of herbs from the garden wafted through the open window. Shadows wavered on the walls, cast by the unsteady light of the fireplace, mirroring the growing unease building in his chest.
Draven’s jaw tightened, the muscles in his face working to contain the storm of emotions within. He glanced at Lanae, her eyes reflecting a mix of hope and trepidation. The sight of her, the gentle curve of her belly where their child grew, brought a warmth to his heart even as the news left him conflicted.
“What do you want?” he asked, but he already knew the answer. The hope flickering in her eyes was enough for him to put aside his reservations. Her gaze was soft, filled with a delicate blend of longing and determination that tugged at his heartstrings.
“I would like my mother to be a part of our family,” Lanae said, her voice steady yet carrying an undercurrent of vulnerability. The air surrounding them pulsed with the implications of her words. “But I told her I would not tolerate any snideness toward you.” She paused, the sincerity in her eyes making his resolve waver. “She agreed. It surprised me, but maybe after observing us on the council and heading up the restoration efforts, she thawed to the reality of us.”
Draven’s heart softened, the pressure in his chest easing as he looked into Lanae’s hopeful eyes. “Then that is what we will do.” He crossed the room, the wooden floor creaking softly under his weight, and took her in his arms. The heat of her body against his brought a sense of peace and determination.
“I want you to have every one of your dreams,” he murmured, his breath warm against her ear. “And I once told you I’d turn the universe to ash for you. That includes torching my own reservations.” Each word represented a promise etched in the space between them.
He sealed his statement with a kiss, his lips meeting hers in a tender, lingering embrace. The taste of her, sweet and familiar, filled him with a renewed sense of purpose that vibrated through him along with their electrical connection. The world outside faded away, leaving the two of them in a shared moment of tenderness and everlasting love.
The End
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About J.E. Taylor
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Explore a world of chilling suspense and fantasy with books that come alive as you read.
J.E. Taylor is a USA Today Bestselling Author, a publisher, an editor, a manuscript formatter, a mother, a wife, a grandmother, a retired business analyst, and a Supernatural fangirl. Not necessarily in that order.
She sat down to write her first book in February of 2007 after her daughter asked:
“Mom, if you could do anything, what would you do?”
From that moment on, she hasn’t looked back.
She publishes supernatural suspense, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and fantasy romance that isn’t for the faint of heart.
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J.E. Taylor, Kingdom of Fire and Fae
