by Helen Scott
He chuckled at that and we all went to find our seats.
I was on the queen's right-hand side, next to Dres, with Niall opposite me. The food looked and smelled amazing as it was brought out. Before we could eat the queen said, "I'd like to make a toast." She paused and waited as we all raised our glasses in the air. "To the chosen one, the Key, Tessa, may your journey be successful and easier in the other worlds than it was here, and to your warriors, may your blades be quick and your eyes sharp as you travel forth from here to El Dorado."
I bowed my head before joining in with the 'Hear, hears' that went on around the table.
"I would like to make a toast as well, if my queen allows," Vayne said. He waited for the queen to nod her approval. As soon as she did he stood and raised his glass. "To our queen, the woman who rules this realm justly and gracefully. Long may she reign."
I looked between the two of them as I joined in with my own 'cheers' and could swear I saw a flicker of a smile on the queen's face. It was enough to bring a smile to my own and hope to my heart that at least one person would get the happy ending they deserved.
When the lunch was over and Vayne had left, the queen walked us all down the hall to a small room. "My personal portal room. It will take you to El Dorado, safe and sound."
She tossed something into the air; I still needed to figure out what that was. When it landed, a giant window filled with what looked like smoke appeared. It was different from the ones I'd seen before when we came to Atlantis and then Hyperborea, but it followed suit, so I wasn't that surprised.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said as we prepared to go through.
"Your bags," she said as she gestured to the side of the room. "I had them brought up when I knew you were returning."
Relief washed through me at having my own clothes once more. We each went and picked one up, except for Niall. When I looked at him he appeared sorrowful, and I knew he expected the queen to decline his request.
"Your Majesty, I would like to continue this journey," Niall said. When she raised her eyebrows at him he clarified, "I want to go with Tessa and her companions. I want to see this through to the end."
"As you wish," the queen replied. "But there is no time for you to get a bag."
"We can find something for him when we arrive that makes him look like a local," Griff said.
"Well, in that case you had better get going," she said with a sniff.
Without second guessing my impulse I dropped my bag and hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear, "I'll bring them back."
"I know you will," she whispered back.
When we parted she gave me a watery smile and stepped away. I took Griff's hand and picked up my bag, taking a deep breath as we turned to face the portal. As we walked toward it I hoped that El Dorado didn't try to kill me as well.
Be on the lookout for Embracing Agartha in spring 2019!
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Don’t forget to check out Helen’s other series.
Salsang Chronicles
Stained Egos
Stained Hearts - Coming soon!
Four Worlds
Wounding Atlantis
Finding Hyperborea
Escaping El Dorado
Embracing Agartha - Coming soon!
Joining Avalon - Coming soon!
Cerberus
Daughter of Persephone
Daughter of Hades
Queen of the Underworld
Cerberus Box Set
Wardens of Midnight
Woman of Midnight (A Wardens of Midnight Novella)
Sanctuary at Midnight
The Siren Legacy
The Oracle (A Siren Legacy Novella)
The Siren’s Son
The Siren’s Eyes
The Siren’s Code
The Siren’s Heart
The Banshee (A Siren Legacy Novella)
The Siren’s Bride
Fury’s Fire
Fury’s Valentine (A Fury’s Fire Novella)
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank you most of all, as the reader, for giving me a chance to entertain you and invite you into my world. Thank you so much. I hope you enjoyed it!
A big thank you to my cover designer, Natasha Snow, for helping me bring these books to life, and to my editor, Missy Stewart, for making sure that the readers get the best possible version of the book.
Thank you to my family for helping me pursue my dream and putting up with my wandering mind.
Last, but not least, thank you to my husband for pushing me to share my stories with the world. Thanks for putting up with me every day, babe. You’re amazing!
About the Author
Helen Scott lives in the Chicago area with her wonderful husband and furry, four-legged kids. She spends way too much time with her nose in a book and isn’t sorry about it. When not reading or writing, Helen can be found absorbed in one video game or another or crocheting her heart out.
