When She Reigns

by Jodi Meadows

  She screeched again, flapping her wings so hard that her heart felt ready to burst. We were so close, and we needed only a moment more. Just a moment.

  But it was too late. Sunlight hovered on the other side of the moon.

  A gasp.

  A promise.

  An ending.

  “LaLa!” I screamed and reached out my hand for her, but this was my choice: the world, or holding her again. I knew, of course, I’d be able to hold her after this, but it would never be the same. Our connection would be severed. And I hadn’t said good-bye before—

  My eyes ached with tears, and my throat squeezed so tight I could barely breathe. She was only a few seconds away.

  We didn’t have a few seconds.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered, and I shifted course. I dove straight for the sea.

  IT WAS DIFFERENT than I thought it’d be.

  Even though I plunged into the ocean, pressure building and water boiling around me, a part of me soared up and up—so high that stars shivered back in terror, so huge that galaxies swirled in my wake.

  Fire filled up my heart, burning with inferno fury, and for a moment, I thought it wouldn’t happen. I hoped it wouldn’t. I hoped I wasn’t too late, and I could go back for LaLa, and—

  That was not what I wanted. Not really.

  I dove deeper, my dragon soul and me, and broke through the skin of the world, into an ocean of magma that pushed restlessly for release. Nothing drowned me. Nothing crushed me. Nothing burned me. I was the Drakontos celestus, the first and the last made one. And where I entered, a fissure opened in the bottom of the ocean and molten rock burst through.

  Bright red flared. Seawater bubbled, hardening the rush of lava, but more molten rock pushed through the thin new crust.

  And there, in the depths, in the dark, in that space between totality and a golden bead shining out of pure blackness, my dragon soul grew, mixing with the magma as it spread across the seafloor, up ridges, down abysses, and all over the dark and strange world below.

  More fissures opened, releasing gas and lava, destruction and creation all in one, until at last the bottom of the sea began to breach the waves above.

  Ocean life darted away from the heat, from the lifting, but not everything was fast enough. Shrimps and crabs and strangely luminous fish—and a host of other deep-sea mysteries—rose up into the open air, and steam rushed into the sky.

  Small points of land formed under the waves, growing larger as the fire of creation continued below. The tiny islands rose higher, becoming mountain peaks and ridges. Hollows formed, holding water, and long stretches of hills and flatland. Wind swept through the valleys, while waves crashed against anything they could reach, already eroding this new world.

  I urged it higher, and then the land caught ships on its craggy, steaming rocks, while exhausted birds found places to rest. Dragons deposited people in the first places they landed, and still the islands grew upward until they merged into one, filled with mountains and canyons and steppes. Water rolled down from the tallest places, forming lakes and rivers and underground aquifers, and although I didn’t understand how, I knew this water was fresh enough to drink.

  Equally mysterious were the plants that sprouted and grew in a matter of moments, and the bugs and lizards and squirrels that darted through a forest. But it happened. Maybe it was Harta’s last gift. Regardless, I urged it onward.

  This was the shadow soul of the dragon: a new island, a new home, a new chance to do better than everyone who came before us.

  Then sunlight broke around the moon, and light poured onto the nascent land.

  My dragon soul broke off, but I held on, hoping, wishing—

  But I needed to breathe. I needed to go home.

  I let go.

  SOMEWHERE, ON A brand-new beach, I opened my eyes.

  Sand dunes piled up around me.

  Sunlight warmed my skin.

  Waves crashed across my bare toes.

  Palm trees swayed and creaked in the breeze.

  And above, the sky yawned blue, wide open and blinding. I squinted and looked away, blinking until the sunspots faded.

  Aside from not being able to look at the sun anymore, I felt . . . strangely fine.

  For several long minutes, I searched inside myself, feeling around for the dragon soul, or the place where it should be. It had been there—I remembered flying and wielding noorestones and feeling what dragons felt—but there wasn’t even a phantom ache as evidence of its existence.

  I just . . . couldn’t feel noorestones humming in the back of my mind, or find the threads that used to connect me to dragons. It was all just gone, as though it had never been there, but it had. I remembered. But the rest of me had expanded to fill the available space.

  Tears slipped down the sides of my face, not because I wanted the loss to hurt more, but because it should have. I’d been a dragon—part dragon—and now I was not. Now I was just a girl. Just Mira. Forever.

  Pressure stirred on my chest, and suddenly I realized I wasn’t alone.

  A small, warm body curled against my heart, scales gleaming gold as the sun fell toward the water. She was trembling, so I stretched out my hand and held her in place as I sat up, careful of the sharp scales against my fragile human skin.

  LaLa uncurled herself and gazed up at me, her eyes bright and gold and perfect. She gave a small meep, and though I couldn’t feel her worry as I used to, it was clear in her posture and tone, and the way she tilted her head.

  “I wish I’d been faster to get to you,” I whispered.

  She just looked at me, clicking.

  Gently, I stroked down her spine, gazing at this little miracle. She’d found me here. Even without my dragon soul, she’d found me and planted herself on her favorite place to sleep.

  It would be different between us—between me and all the dragons—but if LaLa could find me, if she was with me now, then there was hope. Other people, like Ilina and her family, understood dragons just fine. And hadn’t that been what I’d done before all of this? Read body language, found ways to train and communicate together? I just had to go back to that. It wouldn’t be the same, but I hadn’t lost dragons completely.

  And it wasn’t only me. Everyone’s god gifts were gone now. Everyone would need to compensate for the lack of divine abilities if they wanted to survive in this new world.

  “We’ll be all right,” I whispered, and kissed LaLa’s nose.

  She yawned and jumped to the ground, where she shoved her face into the sand and blew fire. Then she jerked her head back, as though surprised that fiery sand was hot.

  It felt strange between us still, like a wall had been erected between my mind and hers. But I’d come to know other people in spite of walls; overcoming this would be no different.

  I watched LaLa play for a bit longer, and just as I was gathering myself to head inland and look for other people, a ship appeared on the horizon.

  Hope stirred through me as I found my feet, scooping LaLa out of the sand. As the ship grew closer, LaLa surged into the air with frantic squeaks and chitters, and I lifted my arms in greeting. Gifts or no gifts, I knew who was coming.

  The ship was the Chance Encounter; I’d know Captain Pentoba’s colors anywhere. But even without that, my soul pulled in the direction of the people I loved. I couldn’t see them from this distance, but I could feel the way our hearts aligned as my friends spotted me standing here on this beach. Waves drowned out their happy cries, but I could see their excitement in the way they jumped and waved.

  As afternoon eased into evening, the ship pulled closer and boats were lowered into the water. LaLa and Crystal were playing in the air between us, blowing fire and clicking at one another like two little gossips, while I let my imagination run wild with our futures.

  Ilina and I would open a new sanctuary, both of us getting our greatest wish for a life filled with helping dragons. And the moment a new island rose from the depths, Chenda had probably started consider
ing all the possibilities for a new and fair government—something that would represent and honor all the survivors of the Great Abandonment. Including dragons.

  And as for Aaru and me . . .

  We had a chance after all. More than a chance.

  Shadows fell longer, and bugs buzzed with the third evening today, and finally my friends reached the shallows. I ran out to meet them, splashing water in all directions, and within minutes they surrounded me and we were all hugging one another, laughing and crying. Ilina, Hristo, Chenda, Gerel, Zara, Safa, and Aaru: they were all here.

  “Where’s Mother?” I asked.

  “She thought she should wait on the ship for now,” Zara said. “I think she understands that this is our moment.”

  I hugged my sister again, so wildly happy to see her, and to hear her include herself in our group. She did belong. She’d always belonged.

  After we dragged the boats to the beach and everyone finished running around the soft new sand, we sprawled out on the shore and I told my friends about the first dragon, the eclipse, and the sacrifice of my dragon soul.

  “Wow.” Chenda sat next to Gerel, both of them holding hands. “Are you—”

  I nodded quickly, because I wasn’t all right yet, but I would be, and for now I didn’t want to dampen this glorious feeling of being reunited with my friends—my family. “How did you find me here?”

  “Crystal.” Ilina stroked her raptus, who’d fallen asleep on her knee. “She was looking for LaLa.”

  A pang of sadness passed through me, but then fingers slipped across the sand and twisted with mine. Aaru. ::Do you see them?::

  Darkness had fallen, and now stars appeared in the sky. There was Suna, the Judge, and Lesya, the Weaver, and Zabel, the Hero. They all shone brightly in the moonless night, familiar and comforting.

  Then I saw the new patterns: a figure that might have been a man hunched over; a woman, heavy with child; two people gazing into each other’s eyes. When I looked harder, they were all there, all seven Fallen Gods, reunited with the Upper Gods.

  Maybe they were Risen Gods now.

  ::I see them.::

  I turned my head to find Aaru looking at me, warmth in his gaze. ::Earlier, I wanted to ask something.::

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  The hum of quiet conversation silenced, and everyone turned toward us.

  “You don’t even know what I was going to ask.” Aaru sat up.

  “It doesn’t matter.” I took his hand. ::As long as we’re together, my answer is yes.::

  He smiled and quickly—a little self-consciously—leaned forward to kiss me. It must have been difficult to show affection without the ability to call up silence and feel alone, but we would all need to learn to live our lives under our own powers now. Clearly, he was already practicing.

  I kissed him back, there in front of everyone, and only when an immense roar shook the sky did I pull away.

  Dark wings blocked out starlight as a great Drakontos titanus sailed overhead. She called again, declaring territory, perhaps, and my heart soared as I took LaLa into my arms again, just in case she was afraid of the bigger dragon above.

  When the titanus was gone, I said, “I’ve been thinking that since it was my dragon soul that made this island, I should be the one who gets to name it.”

  “We’re not naming the island LaLa,” Hristo said.

  “Or Mira.” Zara smirked. “You’ve already had enough things named after you.”

  I laughed and gazed around at everyone: Gerel and Chenda, leaning toward one another; Safa, watching Aaru’s hand as he interpreted for her; Hristo, resting his cheek on the top of Ilina’s head; and Zara, running her fingers through the soft sand. Here we were. The best friends I’d ever have. The best sisters I’d ever have. I loved them all so much my heart ached with it.

  “No, neither of those. LaLa and Mira are fantastic names, but they’re already taken.” I pulled myself up and opened my arms to the starlit beach, the dragon-echoing sky, and this whole world I couldn’t wait to explore. “Welcome to Celestus: the Isle of Dragons.”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING A LITTLE INTIMIDATING about writing the acknowledgments pages, especially for the last book in a series. I don’t want to overlook anyone’s contribution, but I know I will never be able to thank every single person who’s made a difference in the life and growth of this trilogy. Still, I will do my best to show as much appreciation and gratitude as possible.

  First, my agent, Lauren MacLeod, who was an absolute hero for this book and likes being first. I know I always say what a champion she is, but it’s true. Writing books never gets easier (sorry, everyone who was hoping), but having a smart and supportive agent has been an asset—especially with this series.

  The HarperCollins side of this book included amazing people like my editors, Maria Barbo and Stephanie Guerdan, who made this book shine like dragon scales; Joel Tippie, who designed these phenomenal covers; and, of course, Katherine Tegen.

  As Mira is surrounded by a group of strong and supportive friends, so am I. Some helped with plotting and sensitivity reads, while others provided emotional support and general enthusiasm. No matter what, this book would not be what it is without every one of these people:

  Brodi Ashton, Martina Boone, Adrienne Bowling, Erin Bowman, Valerie Cole, Pintip Dunn, Dana Elmendorf, Cynthia Hand, Deborah Hawkins, Stacey Lee, Myra McEntire, Aminah Mae Safi, Alexa Santiago, Francina Simone, Laurel Symonds, Alana Whitman, and Fran Wilde.

  The #FantasyOnFriday girl gang, C. J. Redwine, Erin Summerill, Mary Weber, Danielle Paige, Kristen Ciccarelli, Tricia Levenseller, Beth Revis, Amy A. Bartol, Evelyn Skye, Nadine Brandes, and Livia Blackburne.

  Special thanks to the entire OQ Support Group, including Tiffie van Bordeveld, Christina Termini, Sarah Kershaw, Christy Hayes, Julie Daly, Bonnie Wagner, Suna Jung, and Nisha Dey. You went above and beyond with your support for this series, including work on promotion, art, and amplification, and I can’t say how incredibly grateful I am. Thank you.

  Extra thanks to the readers who preordered the book very early—as soon as it was available!—and requested it from their libraries:

  Aldara Thomas, Zahra Linsky, Emma Elizabeth, Kelsey Culver, Laramie Hearn, Christi Viljoen, Emily Peterson, Yulia @bookspired, rachelsfictionncats, Liz and Rachel, Felicia Mathews, Danielle Kent, Lady Julia Hope Hoffmeister, Marie-Kristin Reubert, Adrianne Sautter, Bronwyn Karoline, Meike Linders, Alysha Welliver, Victoria Violette, Ashleigh @ashleighsbookshelf, Katelyn Fowler, Wren Hardwick @FablesAndWren, Melonie Hill, Rachel Booth, Hannah Vermeulen, Lauren James, Sandra Arechaederra, Christy Jane, Tabitha, Lynnae Andersen, Layla Crowie, T. S. Addleston, Maura Trice, Lisa ten Brummelhuis, Breanna Boyer, Aaliyah, Savannah Grace, Soleil Bourdon, Fer Bañuelos, April Schiavoni Kucker, AuntBreESQReads, Vivian Tran, Carrie Frith, Brooke Dimery, Wendy Liu, Nisha Dey, Casey Tomlinson, Christina Loewe, Ruth Meeker, Anna Cole, Leah Lutheran, B. Jones, Cade Roach, Sullivan McPig, Julia Dziennik and Pixi Stix, Ayla den Ouden, Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl, Kim Claesen @Teemuke, Jess C., Shyra Dawson, Angelica Sorrels, Dennise Pendergrass, Vicky Chen, Kimberly Kosydor-Blotevogel, Nicole Charette, Peyton and Abigail Boutwell, Ashley Cotov Ruiz, Roxanne Haney, Andrea Higgins, Michelle Einhorn, Bonnie Lynn Wagner, Shayna Nash, Ashley Nelson, Alana Whitman, Anna T. Davis, Veronica Mitchell, Carina Olsen, Nora Ouahi, Meghan Doberstein, Michelle Worthing, Emily Ruth Morris, Cara Beining, Mary Hinson, Candy Smith, Shayna Nash, Nicole Curry, Kristen Coffin, and Nori Horvitz.

  I can’t forget the incredible OwlCrate team, for their continued support of the Fallen Isles trilogy, and my dear friends at One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.

  And, as always, I must thank my husband, sister, and mother, and—at last—you: the reader who followed Mira to the end.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Courtesy of Jodi Meadows and Brian Perry

  JODI MEADOWS wants to be a ferret when she grows up and she has no self-control when it comes to
yarn, ink, or outer space. Still, she manages to write books. She is the author of the Incarnate trilogy, the Orphan Queen duology, and the Fallen Isles trilogy and coauthor of the New York Times bestsellers My Lady Jane and My Plain Jane. Visit her at www.jodimeadows.com.

  Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.

  BOOKS BY JODI MEADOWS

  The Fallen Isles Trilogy

  Before She Ignites

  As She Ascends

  When She Reigns

  The Orphan Queen Duology

  The Orphan Queen

  The Mirror King

  The Hidden Prince

  The Glowing Knight

  The Burning Hand

  The Black Knife

  The Incarnate Trilogy

  Incarnate

  Asunder

  Infinite

  Phoenix Overture

  The Lady Janies Series

  Coauthored with Cynthia Hand and Brodi Ashton

  My Lady Jane

  My Plain Jane

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  COPYRIGHT

  Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

  WHEN SHE REIGNS. Copyright © 2019 by Jodi Meadows. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.