“No mortal—adult or child—was left alive in Whitebridge,” Perry confirmed, swallowing thickly as the dread burned to the ground in a wave of fury. “Thousands were dead and had already turned. We lost some wolven and soldiers. There were just too many Craven.”
Poppy’s head lowered as she leaned into me. I wished there was something I could say, but for something like this, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“They did the same in Padonia, but the people here fought back,” Naill continued, and her head lifted. “A lot of mortals died, but it wasn’t as bad as it was in Whitebridge. They took out a few of the Ascended in the process.”
“What of Three Rivers?” I asked, pushing the rage down.
“The Ascended there fled but left the mortals alive,” Emil said. “Not sure why. Maybe those ruling there were different than the others. I don’t know.”
“Do you?” I demanded of Malik.
He’d gone pale as he stared ahead. “I didn’t know that’d happened in Whitebridge or here,” he said hoarsely. “But I’ve seen Dravan at Court—he’s the Duke of Three Rivers. Keeps to himself. Don’t know much about him.”
“But you do know him?” Naill asked, and when Malik nodded, his eyes narrowed. “Exactly how complicated have things been for you, Prince Malik?”
“That is a rather long story,” I interrupted as a dark shadow crossed the road, stirring the tops of the wisteria trees as we rounded the bend. “That will have to wait.”
The gates of the Rise came into full view, but it was what flew above us that had garnered my attention.
All I saw through the cloud cover was a flash of smoky gray before the shadow fell over the bridge and tents. My jaw loosened as a creature as large as Setti swooped, touching down on its hind legs upon the Rise, its curved horns glistening in the streaks of sun that had broken through the clouds.
The draken made a soft trilling sound that sent a wave of goosebumps over my flesh.
“Meyaah Liessa?” Reaver said, having slowed his horse. “If you have no more immediate need of me…？”
“No.” Poppy smiled slightly. “You can do as you please.”
The draken bowed his head and then dismounted, handing the reins to Perry. He quickly disappeared into the woods.
“That’s Nithe,” Poppy said, gesturing to the gray draken on the Rise.
All I could do was nod. Because, my gods, I couldn’t believe I was actually looking upon a draken again.
Two more shadows fell overhead as we reached the bridge. A green one that was a little larger than Nithe, and a third slightly smaller one.
“The greenish one is Aurelia,” Poppy added. “The brownish-black one is Thad.”
I nodded again as wings the length of their bodies spread out wide, slowing their descent. They came down on either side of the gate. Thick claws dug into the top of the Rise, shaking the wisteria limbs as their long necks stretched out. Their heads lifted to the sky, the row of horns and the frills around their necks vibrating as their staggering call echoed through the valley.
The call was answered from the woods. Our gazes snapped up as an even larger shadow fell over us. My eyes widened upon the sight of a purplish-black draken crossing over the tents and the Rise.
“And that’s Reaver,” Poppy said.
“Yeah,” I muttered, blinking slowly. Reaver was nearly twice the size of a warhorse, but he glided soundlessly.
The other three draken took flight, lifting from the Rise in a powerful surge of wings that sent the air rippling through the valley. They joined Reaver as they flew over Padonia. The sight of them was something I’d never thought to witness as I watched them disappear into the horizon while we crossed the bridge, joined by the wolven who’d entered the woods. They flooded the pathway to the gates as soldiers drifted out from among the tents.
I drew our horse closer to Malik’s. He stared forward, as rigid as the dead. As Emil and the others rode past, the soldiers caught sight of Malik—of Poppy and me, and then the sound came.
Shouts erupted. Golden Atlantian swords were thrust into the air and banged off shields—shields engraved with the new Atlantian Crest. They lowered in a wave as we rode past, the soldiers dropping to their knees, thumping hands and hilts off the ground.
Poppy squirmed into me as the cheers continued, and the gates opened. She wasn’t used to the response. Hell, I never really got used to it, but this was different.
This was how a Queen and King were greeted.