by Zoe Chant
The mountain winds buffeted at her, and ordinarily she knew she would have been freezing – but the furnace of the dragon’s body kept her warm, keeping her fingers from going numb and her grip from slipping.
Do you recognize anything? Alanna asked after they had been flying for a minute or two.
I... I don’t know yet, came Magnus’s response after a long moment of silence. I have to admit, all these mountains look kind of the sa—
He cut himself off suddenly. Alanna could feel the sudden ripple of shock that ran through his mind in the second that followed. She blinked, shaking her head to clear it.
What was that?
Magnus didn’t answer her right away – but then, in the next moment, her thoughts had become less jumbled, and she realized that the emotion she’d detected wasn’t shock – it was recognition.
There. Magnus’s voice filled her head. There – that ridge, where the sun is striking. I know it.
Alanna turned her head in the direction Magnus had indicated, but she didn’t see anything that stood out to her. Magnus had been right when he said all these mountains looked more or less the same: dark, mist-strewn, snow-covered and treacherous.
But clearly, he had seen something he remembered.
Alanna trusted Magnus with everything in her soul, but she couldn’t stop herself from gasping as he made a sudden hairpin turn, sweeping them into a barely-visible passage between two vast, craggy mountainsides.
Sorry, Magnus said a moment later. It’s just if I didn’t take that turn then we would have had to come back around for a second pass. Also...
Alanna waited as Magnus clearly thought over what he wanted to say.
Also, I have... memories of taking that turn like that. And then... a female voice in my head, shouting at me for being so reckless...
Alanna bit her lip. A woman’s voice, telling a young dragon to be more careful.
A mother’s voice?
Maybe, came Magnus’s cautious reply. I... I don’t remember...
Alanna sent a burst of comfort through their psychic bond as she felt the sharp stab of pain that rose up in Magnus’s mind.
They flew on in silence, Magnus having to beat his wings much more regularly now they were flying in such a close pass.
I know this place, Magnus said, his voice quiet in her head, contemplative. I’ve flown this way before. I think I—
But whatever Magnus had been going to say was lost as they emerged from the small pass they had been flying through, bursting into open air to see—
Oh. My. God.
They had emerged into a ring of mountains, a closed circle that shielded what lay within from every outside eye. But as spectacular as the landscape was, that wasn’t what had caught Alanna’s eye.
Standing in the middle of the vast ring of mountainous rocks was...
A castle.
A true, honest-to-God castle, which looked almost as if it had been hewn from the sides of the mountains themselves. Its spires and turreted towers rose majestically into the air, piercing the blue of the sky.
Is... is that...
Home, came Magnus’s instant reply to her barely-spoken question. Alanna, this is my home.
“So... you live in a castle.” Alanna couldn’t stop herself from saying the words out loud. “And that would make you...”
She shook her head. No, things didn’t necessarily work that way. Castles needed guards, servants – janitors, too, she assumed. Or whatever the medieval name for janitors was.
Just because he lived in a castle didn’t make Magnus a—
Prince Magnus! Is it... is it really you??
Alanna’s eyes opened wide at the sound of the psychic communication in her head. She had never received a message from anyone but Magnus before. She’d felt it, the slightest brushes against her mind whenever Stefan and Isaak had been communicating without speaking, but she hadn’t been able to pick up anything more than vague impressions of what they might be talking about.
But this... this was loud and clear.
PRINCE Magnus?! she asked him, not bothering to hide her incredulity.
Magnus didn’t respond. Perhaps he was just as shocked as she was.
Straining her eyes, Alanna at last located the source of the voice that had sounded in her head. A dark shape, large and winged, emerged from the shadow of the castle and began speeding toward them.
It can’t be true – Prince Magnus, you have been gone so long—
Alanna shook her head again. Clearly, she was just going to have to let this sweep over her, and try to actually comprehend it later.
More voices joined the first one, as more dragons began emerging from the vastness of the castle walls.
The prince? Has he—
—is it really him? After all this time?
Can it be true? I won’t believe it until I see—
The prince! It’s him!
The prince...!
The dragons were circling them now, their ecstatic voices filling Alanna’s head until she thought they would overwhelm her.
She clung to Magnus’s neck, her heart hammering in her ears, and immediately felt the calming waves of his mind as he reached out to her.
Somehow, he was able to dampen the sounds of the other dragon’s voices in her mind, helping her to regain some of her composure.
It’s okay, Alanna. I promise you. I... I’m home.
Alanna found she could only nod weakly as Magnus circled, drifting slowly lower. At last, she felt the thud of the ground beneath them, and she looked up to see he had alighted on a long stone walkway that led into a vast opening in the side of the castle walls.
The perfect landing place for a dragon, Alanna thought dizzily as she looked around.
Which she supposed made complete sense, since it was clear that everything about this castle was designed for dragons, from the long, thick landing to the vastly oversized doorway.
Nervousness pooled in Alanna’s stomach as she slid from Magnus’s back. She might be the daughter of the Lord High Hunter, and dragon hunters themselves might have a flair for the dramatic harking back to their medieval roots – but never before had she seen anything like this.
Looking more closely at the walls, she realized her first impression that the castle had been cut from the mountain rock itself might not have been too far off the mark: the walls and landing weren’t made of individual pieces of stone – they were all one single piece of stone.
Beside her, Magnus was shifting, changing back into his human form. She glanced at him, looking for reassurance – and immediately found it. Without a word, he took her hand, his blue eyes looking deeply into hers.
Don’t be worried, Alanna. I remember now. I remember that this is my home.
Do you remember that you’re a prince? Alanna asked, as Magnus began walking forward, making room for the other dragons who were now beginning to alight on the vast space of the landing. Their voices were still a dim chatter in her head, but somehow, Magnus was shielding her from being overwhelmed.
I... no, Magnus admitted, uncertainty coloring his eyes. I... I remember this place, though. I don’t think I... I mean, do you really think I could be—
“My – my son—”
Whatever Magnus had been going to say, he didn’t get to finish. Because in the next moment, a tall woman wrapped in a long green robe enveloped him in a massive hug ,. She had dark blonde hair and a silver circlet sat upon her head.
For a moment, the only thing Alanna could detect from Magnus was surprise, before a burst of recognition washed over him.
M-mother?
Alanna briefly let go of Magnus’s hand so he could raise his arms to return his mother’s fierce embrace.
Alanna, I think this is... my mom?
Alanna couldn’t help but smile a little at that.
Yeah. I think it might be, Magnus.
The woman continued to hug Magnus for several long moments, before finally pulling back, holding his face in his hands
as she looked at him. Now that Alanna could see her face, she could see that she was beautiful, and had a strangely ageless quality to her – and that her eyes were the same brilliant blue as Magnus’s.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” she breathed, tears shining in her eyes. “Oh, Magnus – where – where have you been—?”
“I think that’s a question we’d all like an answer to.”
Alanna turned at the sound of the new – and not entirely friendly – voice.
Emerging from the depths of the castle were four figures. One was an older man with silver hair, a golden crown upon his head.
Three guesses who that is, Alanna thought to herself, unable to stop herself from smiling a little.
The other three were all younger men – not noticeably older or younger than Magnus, but all with his telltale blue eyes and dirty blond hair.
His brothers, Alanna thought, her heart thudding in her chest. His family.
She couldn’t tell exactly which one of them had spoken, but she could guess – it had to be the tall one on the end. He alone, out of everyone assembled, was scowling, his lips pulled down into an angry frown.
Magnus pulled back from his mother, blinking in confusion. “F-father?” he said, as the older man came forward, resting his hand on Magnus’s shoulder.
“Magnus,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Welcome home.”
***
Alanna’s head was beginning to ache with all the introductions and new names she’d had to memorize over the past hour.
First there was Queen Leandra, Magnus’s mother, and King Aron, and then his three brothers: Liev, older than Magnus by two years, and then two younger brothers, Cezar and Darius.
It was Liev who had been scowling as he had looked at Magnus on the landing – something he hadn’t stopped doing the entire time since Magnus had arrived.
Alanna’s instincts were on alert as she gazed at him. She had been trained to detect danger from a young age – and she didn’t like the way Liev was acting. Whereas everyone else was beyond delighted that the missing prince had at last returned, Liev didn’t seem pleased. At all.
He’s older than Magnus, so it can’t be that Magnus will take Liev’s place now he’s back, she thought. Liev would still be first in line for the throne...
Alanna had to shake her head. Everything was still too new and amazing for her to fully comprehend.
She felt she could accept that Magnus – her mate – was a dragon prince only if she didn’t think about it too hard. If she tried, at this moment, to consider everything it implied, everything it meant, she’d be utterly overwhelmed by it all.
Even now, sitting in the relative snugness of his family’s private quarters, everything was on too grand a scale to be believed.
She’d grown up in a dormitory, after all, sharing a room with six others as a junior apprentice, before finally sharing a room with Louise Hadley when she’d graduated to senior apprentice.
And that hadn’t exactly been a treat, Alanna thought, only slightly bitterly.
This room, on the other hand...
...Well.
It could have been lifted straight from a fairytale of noble knights and virtuous queens. Every wall was draped in tapestries, heavy velvet strewn across the floors. Everything that could possibly be made out of gold was, obviously, made out of gold. And the walls, dark mountain stone, rose up high to a spectacular vaulted ceiling.
For the past hour, Magnus had told them the story of where he’d been for the past four years.
Haltingly at first, and then with greater confidence, he’d explained that he hadn’t been able to remember who he was after Darklis had managed to break the collar that had enslaved him, after he’d been forced to fight Isaak and almost killed Josie.
His family had listened silently, except to interject with shock or disgust. Magnus’s mother’s eyes had shone with tears, while his father’s expression had been grim, his jaw clenched tight beneath his silvery beard. Magnus’s two younger brothers, Cezar and Darius, had obviously been in awe as Magnus related the story of his fight against the manticore.
Only Liev continued to stare, stony-faced, as his brother spoke.
“I couldn’t have done any of this without Alanna,” Magnus said, turning to grasp her hand where it sat on her lap. “It was she who really saved the day with the manticore. If it hadn’t been for her quick thinking I’d have been collared again.”
“Thank you, Alanna.” Aron’s deep voice was soft and smooth. “We clearly owe you a great debt.”
Alanna gulped. She’d never been spoken to by a king before. “I... it was nothing, really,” she said quickly.
“It’s not only that,” Magnus said, turning to look at her, his eyes shining. “If it hadn’t been for Alanna’s persistence, I’m not certain that I ever would have managed to find my way home. She encouraged me every time I felt it was hopeless. Every time I wanted to give up, she urged me to keep going.”
“But there’s something else, too, isn’t there, Magnus.” Leandra’s voice was warm, and Alanna could hear the laughter just behind it. “Something I think you’d like to tell us about her.”
Magnus nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “That’s right. She’s my mate.”
Alanna held her breath, uncertain. Sure, Aron and Leandra had been perfectly welcoming to the woman who’d saved their son, but how would they feel about her as his mate?
There was a moment, of silence, and then, to her intense relief, both of them began laughing.
“You know, I can always tell,” Leandra said, smiling her brilliant smile. “It’s in the way he looks at you, dear. I suppose if we hadn’t been so amazed that Magnus had returned, I would have detected it earlier, but...”
“Oh, give me a break.”
As one, the entire family turned to look at the source of the sneering voice.
Alanna wasn’t surprised to see it had come from Liev, who still looked as cold as ever.
“He’s been gone for four years, and no one’s going to talk about why?” Liev said viciously in the silence that followed. “Why he even left the castle in the first place and ran off by himself?”
“Liev,” his mother said gently, “No one cares about that now. All that matters is that Magnus is finally home.”
“Oh, don’t give me that crap,” Liev snarled, eyes blazing.
Alanna swallowed. She could feel her muscles tensing, decades of training singing in her veins. These people might have been Magnus’s family, and they might obviously have no intention of harming her. But still, it was hard to fight off her instincts.
“You really don’t remember why you left that day? What it was that meant you were on your own to get captured in the first place?”
Magnus shook his head, though Alanna could see the tension in his shoulders. “I really don’t, Liev. And I can’t say I care, either. I’m home now. I just want to—”
“I don’t care about that!” Liev thundered, standing, his voice ringing out in the huge room.
Immediately, Alanna was on her feet. It had been pure instinct – she knew that Magnus was more than capable of defending himself – but everything in her was screaming danger.
And two decades of dragon hunter training didn’t simply disappear overnight.
“Liev. Stop this. Now.”
Alanna felt the air ripple as Aron’s voice cut through it.
A Voice, Alanna realized quickly. It had been a gentle one, though – and despite the fact it had clearly made Liev pause, it hadn’t made him stop.
He threw himself forward suddenly, eyes blazing, his arms coming up—
—To wrap Magnus in the tightest hug that any of his family had given him yet.
“I’m so sorry, Magnus,” Liev said, his voice sounding choked, even muffled against his brother’s shoulder. “I’m so, so sorry. I was such an idiot. I never should have said those things to you. Never.”
Alanna blinked, before cat
ching Magnus’s eye. He looked just as surprised as he felt.
But finally, after a moment, he raised his arms too, returning Liev’s embrace.
“I know you said you don’t remember,” Liev continued after a moment’s silence, “but it was my fault you went out on your own that day. We were always... fighting. Always seeing who could be the best. Everything was a competition between us. And that day, when I dared you to sneak out without Mother or Father knowing about it...”
At last, Alanna began to get over her shock and surprise, and realized what Liev was hinting at.
Perhaps it had been some game or bet between them – sneaking out when no one would know, daring each other to do more and more ridiculous things. Alanna had seen exactly the same kind of thing between apprentices. Either they would goad each other into doing stupid things in training – leap over some gap no one could jump, or fight each other with real knives instead of the blunt ones they used in practice – or they’d be trying to slip out from under the watchful eyes of their trainers and mentor.
“I was the one who dared you to sneak out that day. I said you’d never have the courage to do it, that you were a coward, said you would never do it... and then, when you didn’t come back... I lied, I said I had no idea where you’d gone. If I’d told the truth, maybe we would have come looking for you sooner...”
“It’s okay, Liev,” Magnus said, his voice soft. “I... I remember now. I remember you.”
Alanna saw Magnus’s older brother stiffen slightly as he spoke. But she could detect no anger in Magnus at all.
“And... it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known.”
Liev pulled back suddenly, his eyes blazing fiercely. “Do you mean that?” he demanded suddenly, his lips white with tension. “Do you really mean that you forgive me?”
“Of course I do,” Magnus said instantly.
The next thing Alanna heard was a sob, which racked through Liev’s body.
“I’ve missed you so much, little brother,” he said, yanking Magnus back into a hug.
Alanna’s eyes grew wet. The family reunion had gone better than she could have imagined.
And Magnus is a prince. Don’t forget about that part.
