Kingston (Book 4 of The Land of the Forgotten Series)

The Human Realm

Twenty-Seven Hundred Years Ago

Aeres Baudelaire gazed out across the boundless countryside, her heart warm at the sight of the wide, untamed land. Rolling hills stretched into the distance, bathed in the pale light of day, and the air was thick with the scent of grass and earth. She urged her horse onward, guiding it toward the crude timber hall where they were to meet Erik Draig.

“Are you certain this will work?” asked Carwyn, her mate, his brow furrowed with concern. He was sitting on his own horse, his pace even with hers.

“I am certain,” she answered, flashing him a smile.

Relief softened his features. “Good. Erik Draig is one of the finest men I have known. He deserves this chance. Yet he is shrewd, and he will drive a hard bargain.”

“I know he will,” she replied, tucking back a strand of golden hair that had slipped loose from the covering over her head.

Carwyn reached out, brushing her cheek with gentle fingers. “Then if anyone can bring him to agreement, it is you, my flower.”

Aeres’s lips curved. Carwyn was steadfast and kind, a mate of patience and strength. She could not have asked for better. He’d been good to her down through the endless years.

He was handsome too, his hair dark and his blue eyes kind. He was muscled, and his magic was powerful. They were a good match.

They drew rein before the hall, and Erik’s men came forward, eyes sharp and assessing, their hands resting upon their weapons. Suspicion flickered in every glance.

Carwyn sat tall in the saddle, his voice steady. “We have come to speak with Erik Draig.”

A blond-haired guard stepped forward, blue eyes flicking between Carwyn and Aeres.

“I am Carwyn Baudelaire, and this is my wife, Aeres Baudelaire,” Carwyn declared.

The guard held his gaze for a long moment, then inclined his head. “Come.”

Carwyn dismounted and moved to help Aeres down. Another man led away their horses, and with Carwyn’s arm steady around her, they followed the guard into the hall.

Within, Erik Draig awaited. His hair was long and brown, pulled back and braided. His frame was lean but corded with muscle from years of toil. Piercing brown eyes watched their approach, unflinching as he leaned upon the table, his hands folded before him.

“Carwyn,” Erik said, his voice carrying the weight of recognition. “You have returned.”

“I have.” Carwyn stepped forward, Aeres keeping to his side.

One brow arched. “And you bring me a woman? To warm my bed?” He rose, his gaze sweeping over Aeres. “She is beautiful.”

Carwyn’s jaw tightened. “She is my wife.”

Aeres saw Erik’s smirk before he nodded once. “So be it. What do you bring me, then?”

“A bargain,” Carwyn said.

Erik’s expression darkened. “You owe me.”

“I am aware. And what Aeres offers you is worth more than any treasure.” He motioned for her to step forward.

Erik lowered himself back into his chair, gesturing to the seats before him. “Sit. Speak your terms.”

Aeres sat beside her husband, her eyes fixed on the man who would be offered a gift no mortal had ever known.

“How would you like the power to take the form of any beast you desire?” Carwyn asked.

For a long moment, Erik only stared before laughter burst from him. “Surely you jest. I thought you would bring me something of worth.”

Carwyn looked to Aeres. She lifted her hand, and at once vines broke through the packed earth, twining up Erik’s legs and coiling around his arms.

“What sorcery is this?” he snarled, straining against the living bonds.

With a flick of her wrist, the vines withered to nothing. Erik lurched to his feet, eyes blazing. “Are you a witch?”

“Fae,” Carwyn corrected, his tone even. “We are not of this world. We offer you this gift and, to your bloodline, immortality.”

Erik’s anger gave way to wary curiosity. “What manner of beast?”

“Any you choose,” Carwyn said.

“I will need proof,” Erik growled. “At present, I trust you little.”

“Then come,” Carwyn answered. “See with your own eyes what we can offer.”

“I cannot leave for long. Not now.” Erik crossed his arms, resolute.

Aeres’s lips curved with faint amusement. She had foreseen this answer long before.

“Then we shall make it swift,” she said. She crossed the hall, laid a hand upon Erik’s shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, they stood at the Northern Portal. Carwyn awaited them there, and Aeres released Erik to step close to her mate.

Carwyn’s smile was warm, and she returned it, her heart full of love for him. His long dark hair brushed against his shoulders, and his blue eyes gleamed as he raised his hand to open the shimmering gateway.

Erik gasped at the sight. Carwyn seized his arm and drew him through. The portal closed behind them, and Erik turned in astonishment, his eyes wide as he drank in the world beyond.

“What is this?” he demanded.

“Welcome to Tir Anghofi,” Aeres said, her voice calm. “This is our home.”

Erik’s gaze swept over the land. “Where are we?”

“You stand beyond the mortal realm,” Carwyn told him.

“This is madness,” Erik muttered.

Aeres’s laugh was soft and light. “Come. We will speak further at our castle.”

Carwyn took Erik’s arm once more, and in a breath, they faded into Castell Iris.

Erik staggered, but Carwyn steadied him. He shook his head as though to clear it. “That is... impossible.”

“Come,” Carwyn said. “Let us sit and speak.”

They entered a chamber lined with carved stone and tapestries, its benches cushioned and ornate. Erik’s eyes lingered on every detail.

“You are royalty?” he asked at last.

“I am King of the Fae,” Carwyn replied. “And she is my Queen.”

Erik bowed his head. “Your Graces, I will accept the gift you offer.”

Carwyn and Aeres shared a quiet smile. He laid a hand upon her back. “After you, my Queen.”

They sat together, and Erik lowered himself across from them.

“Have you decided what form you would take?” Carwyn asked.

“Will it be permanent?” Erik asked, his tone cautious.

“Yes. But you may always return to your human form,” Carwyn assured him.

Erik nodded slowly. “Then I would be as the great wyrms of old—the beast from which my name is taken.”

“A dragon?” Carwyn’s voice held both curiosity and weight.

“Yes.” Erik crossed his arms, his stare defiant, as though daring them to deny him.

Carwyn’s gaze softened as he reached to touch Aeres’s cheek, seeking her silent counsel. She smiled back and gave him her assurance without words.

He pressed a kiss to her temple before turning back. “Then let us bargain. My offer: to make you a dragon shifter.”

Erik’s eyes sharpened. “What does this truly entail?”

“You will have the power to sire others of your kind,” Aeres told him. “Through your blood. But choose with care, Erik Draig. Not all are worthy of such a gift.”

Erik inclined his head gravely. “What else?”

“Your family—the Draig line—must ever rule. All children born of dragon shifters will carry the dragon within them. And your bloodline shall not age nor die.”

His expression was solemn. “And this immortality? It will extend to all my kin?”

“To all of your bloodline,” Aeres confirmed. “And to those you take as a mate.”

Erik leaned forward. “Then hear my terms.”

“Speak,” Carwyn said.

“I would have a home in the mountains of your realm. To shift in my own lands would draw too many eyes.”

Carwyn looked to Aeres. She inclined her head. “Granted.”

“I would pass freely between realms. And I would wield magic of my own,” Erik demanded.

Carwyn’s lips parted, but Aeres touched his arm. “I can grant it.”

He turned to her, troubled. “Aeres—”

“I can do it, my love,” she said softly.

He studied her eyes, full of certainty, before nodding his consent, though the weight of worry remained.

“One more thing,” Erik said, his voice low. “I want what you two have.”

Both Carwyn and Aeres grew still.

“The bond between you,” Erik continued. “The way you look at one another. The strength in it. I want the same.”

Carwyn’s voice was measured. “You would ask for a soul-bonded mate?”

“I would,” Erik answered firmly.

Carwyn looked at his queen.

Aeres closed her eyes, a shiver running through her as a vision rose before her—destruction and fire, ruin stretching into the future. She forced it away, steadied her breath, and opened her eyes to fix Erik with her gaze.

“It will take time to perfect, but I can give it to you,” she said at last. Her voice was steady, though her heart still echoed with the vision. “I will grant all that you ask, Erik Draig. But in return, you must vow me one thing.”

His eyes narrowed. “Carwyn owes me. Not I, but him.”

“You ask much,” Aeres said, her voice steely. “Swear it, or your line will fall.”

For a long moment, Erik said nothing. Then he inclined his head. “Very well. I swear it.”