From the Embers (The Born in Flames Trilogy)

by Candace Knoebel

  He set me down, and his hands quickly found my belly, tracing smooth circles of love. “Our baby.” He sounded in awe as he pressed his face against it, whispering sweet words. He looked up at me. Before I could say anything, he planted a kiss on my lips, sealing what would be our perfect future.

  His tears fell. “I love you so much.”

  I wiped them from his face as my own fell. “I love you too,” I said back, barely able to contain the overwhelming emotions pumping through me.

  “How did you manage to hide it?” he asked, feeling the slight bump of my stomach.

  I shrugged, laughing now. “Baggy clothes?”

  “All those times I called you a piglet and you were carrying our child.” He pulled me closer, hugging the breath out of me. “You never cease to amaze me, Rory Jay.” I felt his lips brush along my hair.

  When he pulled back, my father’s hand politely tapped my shoulder to cut in for his dance. Gwenevere took Fenn’s hand, guiding him away from me. Her excited voice carried over the music as they both rejoiced over the news of the baby.

  “My daughter is having a baby,” Myrdinn said as he whisked me around the floor, his lavender eyes never before looking so full of life and love. “I’m finally going to be a grandfather.”

  “That you are,” I said, tucking my head into his shoulder.

  He chuckled heartily. “A brightness to all of the darkness we have suffered for so long. Do you know what this will do for our people?” He looked down at me.

  “Hopefully it will inspire them.”

  When the dance finished, my mother rushed out and threw her arms around me. “Oh, how I’ve missed you,” she said as we both started crying. She smelled of cinnamon and pears.

  I pulled back to search her eyes. “Are you happy?” It was the only thing I cared about, knowing that she had been robbed of her life and forced to watch from above.

  “I am now.” She turned back to my father who wrapped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her into him, kissing the top of her head. They exchanged looks and then looked back at me, both beaming. “We were going to wait until after the wedding to tell you, but The Fates are allowing our return.” By the end, her words had curbed up a few notches.

  I didn’t know what to say. “Really?!?” I was trying not to break down into a pile of weeping thankfulness. She nodded and I cried a little harder, pulling her back into a hug. “Wait, you said ‘our return.’”

  She turned and looked towards Zane who was talking to Mily, Lexi, Fenn, Gabe, and Gwen. His eyes connected with mine, and we both smiled, knowing that everything had finally come full circle. He was getting the second chance he so deserved.

  “Excuse me,” I said as I made my way over to them. I threw my arms around him. He started laughing as he squeezed me. “You’re making me an uncle, I hear,” he said into my hair.

  “And you’re allowed to return,” I said back. “I’m so happy!” Happy was an understatement and yet the only words perfect enough to relate my feelings.

  He let me go. “Me too.” His eyes were misted over. “I can’t believe they are allowing this. After Iliana said no, I thought that was it.”

  “Why do you think they changed their minds?” Fenn asked as he threw an affectionate arm over Zane’s shoulder.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m sure as hell not going to question it.”

  Fenn slapped him on the back and then pulled him back into a hug. “This day couldn’t get any better. I have my wife, my child, my brother, mother, and sister…what more could I ask for?”

  “A healthy and successful birth,” Gwen said, opening her arms to me. Her cream-colored gown was knee-length and flowing at the waist. She tucked her hair up into a neat bun with the flowers from her arrival tucked inside.

  I walked into her arms and allowed her to feel my forgiveness. “I’m so proud of you, my daughter.”

  I looked over her shoulder at Fenn, exchanging thoughts of how much we loved each other and how lucky we felt to have our families together and safe. It was the very thing we had waited for our entire lives.

  “You have made us all so proud, Anela,” Mily said, clutching a silken handkerchief in her hands.

  I left Gwen to hug her and felt her dabbing at her eyes when I told her how much I loved her and how happy I was that she had decided to stay and be a part of our lives.

  My parents came up to us and waited for me to let go. My father cleared his throat and then said, “We wanted to thank you for taking such wonderful care of our daughter when we couldn’t.”

  My mother reached out and squeezed Mily’s arms. “You did what I could not. I am eternally grateful that Aurora had you as an influence in her life.” Something that I didn’t yet understand passed between them as they embraced each other, actualizing a dream I thought would never come true.

  “I did what any mother would do,” Mily admitted bashfully, still dabbing at the corners of her eyes.

  My father touched her arm. “We are forever in your debt.” He smiled kindly at her and offered to take her to get a drink so they could talk further. My mother smiled at me and then kissed my cheek before following after them.

  “So what do you think it will be?” Zane asked, rubbing my belly.

  “A boy—” Fenn starts to say.

  “A girl—” I finished right after him. We looked at each other.

  “Definitely a boy,” Fenn continued.

  I laughed. “She’s going to be kickass like her mommy.” I aimed my words at my tummy, ignoring Fenn’s raised brow.

  Zane chuckled and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Shall we start the betting then?”

  Lexi stepped out of Brohm’s arms. “I’ll wager a year’s worth of Unicorn tears that it’s a girl.” The fierceness in her eyes meant business.

  We all laughed.

  “I’m in,” Zane said challengingly. “I go with boy. Brohm?”

  Brohm looked put on the spot. “Uh—” He flicked his gaze between Lexi and me and then back at Lexi who had her hands on her hips, eyebrows lifted in wait. He caved, tugging at his beard. “I go with girl.”

  Zane snorted. “Push-over.”

  “What do you know?” Lexi shot off.

  I looked at Fenn, feeling totally and completely alive.

  He pulled me away from them and back to the dance floor. When we were far enough away from everyone else, he dipped me again and kissed my lips. “So a girl, huh?”

  “Don’t you know that we mothers just know these things?”

  He chuckled. “Another cute, feisty little brat to deal with.”

  “And you will love every minute of it,” I said as I threw my arms over his shoulders and rested my head against his chest. The sound of his heart thumped along with our lullaby that Fenn had instructed the orchestra to play.

  He leaned into my ear. “Every second of every minute.” He was serious now, his eyes brimming with adoration.

  WHEN MY FEET ACHED AND my stomach rumbled, dinner was set out. The Imperials arrived, escorting my grandparents who were more than enthused to find out about the pregnancy. Unfortunately, they had missed the wedding ceremony because Dagan had needed their assistance. It seemed a group of Minotaurs had found their way onto his island and raided his village. The Imperials were the only beings strong enough to stop them.

  The minute Naveena and Darian finished congratulating Fenn and me, my mother appeared from behind the waterfall, hesitating. She had chosen to come back as a human.

  I was pleasantly surprised when Naveena cried out in happiness, dropping to all fours so Eralise could hug her properly. “I’m so sorry, Mother,” Eralise started to say.

  “It doesn’t matter what you are, just that you have returned.” Naveena rubbed her snout along Eralise, her eyes tightly squeezed as a
tear slid down her scales.

  “We want nothing more than your happiness,” Darian said next to her. Eralise ran over and embraced him. “You are still the heir no matter what form you come in.”

  “Thank you for loving our daughter,” Naveena said to Myrdinn who stayed behind Fenn and me. We moved so he could approach them.

  “You must return together after the wedding, and we will commence a ceremony to induct you both as the new leaders of the Draconta,” Darian said at once.

  Myrdinn looked taken aback as Eralise turned and threw her arms around her parents. It was a good kind of weird seeing them like this. I was just happy that everything worked out the way I wanted it to.

  We made our way to the table where Naveena asked me, “Do you think the baby will be a hybrid?”

  We all had various opinions, but most stuck with a big fat yes. I hoped that the baby would be like me. But even if she wasn’t, I knew she would be more wonderful than anything in the world.

  “You know that dragons can speak to their little ones in the womb?” Darian said as he tore into a deer that had been freshly caught for him. He was seated a little ways behind us so we didn’t have to watch.

  A jolt of excitement rushed through me as I turned in my chair to face them. “Is that so?”

  “Oh, yes,” Naveena confirmed. She chose not to eat because she felt uncomfortable in front of everyone.

  Fenn continued picking at his chicken as the loud sounds of chatter drifted up and down the long table set in the middle of the dance floor.

  My mother leaned across the table, grabbing my hand. “I could speak to you, though you may not remember because you are part human. I remember speaking to my mother when I was still in the egg.”

  I brushed my stomach again. “That would be so awesome.”

  Fenn smiled at me, grabbing my hand. “How long do you think it will be?” he asked.

  “My pregnancy was the same timeframe as a human—nine months,” my mother explained as she tore off a piece of bread and nibbled on it. “I was able to speak to you after four months in.”

  That was only one week away.

  “That would truly be a gift,” Astral said from behind me. His hands rested on my shoulders as he leaned down to whisper, “I must be going now. I am behind in my writing.”

  I pushed the chair back and stood, hugging his giant form as a knot formed in my throat. “It was so good to see you. Thank you for everything. Hopefully, they will let you out in time for the birth.”

  His smile widened at the word birth. “Now that is something I wouldn’t miss for the world. I was there when you were born, you know.”

  “He caught you,” my mother explained.

  “You were, and still are, the greatest blessing.” He hugged me again and then shook Fenn’s hand. “Take good care of these two.”

  “I always will.”

  Astral chuckled. “The protector.” He waved goodbye to everyone and then disappeared into a portal back to the Hall.

  “This night has been the most perfect night of my life,” I professed as Fenn walked me to the edge of the island where our portal waited. Our guests readied their showers of enchantments and magic that shot over us as we neared them.

  We hugged our parents, promising to return from our honeymoon before the baby was due.

  Lexi stopped me. Tears formed in the corner of her eyes. “I love you, Rory. Thank you for loving my brother and for everything that you have sacrificed. Please be careful.” She held me, her arms trembling.

  I pulled back. “I love you too, Sister.” I winked at her and stepped up to the portal, gripping Fenn’s hand tightly. Zane waved us off by Masami’s side, who watched him intently. I winked at him, hoping he would find the happiness that I had found.

  As we jumped, I saw everything through new eyes. The end had come for Zordon and for my days as the Progeny, but looking into the eyes of the man I loved, I knew that it wasn’t the end for me. It was the beginning.

  We would forever be each other’s strength inside of our weakness.

  The end.

  Epilogue

  16 Years Later

  “I TOLD YOU THAT FIRE doesn’t work like that, Dad,” Skylar said, giggling at Fenn who rested on his knees in front of her.

  He tapped a finger to his chin covered in a five o’clock shadow. “Oh, that’s right. You did, didn’t you? I guess I will never fully understand how your element works.” He chuckled as she jumped on him, her broad red wings lifting her in the air to give her the strength she needed to push him into the grass. She was just as playful as her father.

  Her eyes widened as he turned on her, shifting into a fighting stance as they both landed on their feet. He was bound and determined to make her the best warrior there ever was.

  “Dad! What are you doing?” She laughed as they circled each other.

  “I’m going to show you teach you how to be strong like your dad.” He threw a playful wink at her.

  “What are you talking about?” She flipped her auburn hair over her shoulder, looking over him at me for help.

  I shrugged innocently, which made her laugh a little more.

  Without warning, he ran and lifted her by her belly, throwing her into the air. He loved to watch her catch air and soar.

  “All right, you two,” I said as I walked over to them, catching her hovering form by the foot and tugging her back down to the grass next to Fenn. “She’s too old for these tricks.” He didn’t hear a word I said. He planted a kiss on my lips and then turned back to Skylar who was pretend gagging at us.

  “She knows her old man is too strong for her.” He reached out to ruffle her hair, but she ducked and swatted his hand. He was impressed. “Getting quicker, Mini Flame.”

  She snorted. “You wish.” I leveled my eyes on her, trying to hide my smile. “What?” she asked defensively. “He asked for it.” She looked at him squarely. “And would you stop calling me Mini Flame? I’m not a little girl anymore, Dad. I’m almost sixteen.”

  He mock-rolled his eyes. “Yes, so we’ve heard a thousand times now.” A mischievous glance crossed his face. “But you aren’t too old for this!” He yanked her down and started tickling her. Her giggles carried out into the wind as I smiled down at them both, my heart overwhelmed with love.

  “You can’t tickle my scales,” she cried out through a fit of giggles. “Mom, get him!” Fire raced along her scales as she lost control of her power. Fenn laughed even harder at this because our bond left him unaffected by the element.

  Skylar’s scales were a lighter shade of red and were mirrored just like mine. I had been told by everyone that she was the spitting image of me, but I saw so much of Fenn in her blue eyes.

  “We need to get back in time for the ceremony,” I said, lifting Skylar up to stand. She tucked her wings under and then shifted back into her human form, already wearing clothes. Her auburn hair fell in ringlets to her shoulders, surrounding her heart-shaped face and oval blue eyes. She was the same height as me with a slender frame.

  Her pouty lips turned into a slight frown. “Do we have to?” She had been dreading this day since she had learned of it from Soothe. He took any chance he could to stop by our home and continued to see not only my future but now Skylar’s as well.

  It was time for her to go before the Counsel to get her ranking as a Mage.

  Fenn brushed himself off and put his arm over her shoulder as we walked back into our house. “You’ve studied day and night for this. You are ready.” He stopped in our living room, looking down at her with love.

  She crossed her arms, reminding me so much of Lexi that I had to hide my smile.

  “Yeah, but Aiden said—”

  Fenn cut her off. “Your cousin Aiden was only trying to work you up. Now go get ready.”
He ruffled her hair, which she hated, and then laughed when she turned and glared at him before slumping her way down the hall.

  Fenn sighed as he watched her go. He was just as nervous as she was so I did my best to send him calming vibes. “I swear I’m going to kill that boy,” he said to me when she was far enough away. He plopped down into the chair by the fire, opening his arms for me to sit.

  I gladly fell into them. “I told Lexi about it, but you know how she is. I swear Skylar acts just like her and Aiden like you.” He rested his chin on my head. “He was rightfully named.”

  “Hey now,” he said, poking me in the side. “Just ‘cause he has my middle name doesn’t mean that he can pick on her.”

  “What are you two talking about?” Lexi asked as she stepped through a portal in front of us. She immediately plopped down on the couch across from us, pulling Brohm right along with her. She had grown her hair all the way down to her waist. His hair had thinned a little and had specks of silver strewn throughout it, but he was just as chiseled as ever.

  “We were talking about that boy right there.” Fenn pointed as Aiden strolled through the portal without a care in the world. He wore his dark hair disheveled, reminding me so much of his uncle Zane. His thin lips were pursed as he tried to walk past us in search of Skylar.

  Fenn stopped him before he had a chance. “Stop giving her such a hard time.” He glared up at Aiden from the chair. Aiden rolled his eyes, but there was a small smile hidden underneath his fronted attitude.

  “Aiden,” Lexi started in her motherly tone as she leaned forward. It always tickled me to hear her bark at him. “What have you done now?”

  He shrugged and walked past us towards Skylar’s room, his smile vanishing completely.

  I turned to Lexi, offering her some of Masami’s famous tea. She waved a hand at the cup. “Nothing that we never did,” I explained as I poured one for myself and took a hearty sip. “She is just worried about the Counsel. She’s heard too many stories from the other kids in school.”