She was so goddamn beautiful.
Chapter Twenty
An hour later, Bree stood in front of the smoldering fire pit, dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a simple gray long-sleeved shirt. Her hair was pulled back neatly into a tight bun, and she had even borrowed some makeup from Aria to highlight her eyes and cheeks.
Pierce, Aria, and Levi stood together near the fire pit, too, packed and ready to leave with the dragon sapphire. One of the Redwood Dragons would fly them out of the Redwoods, and then they would head back to Texas. Bree watched as the trio gave big hugs to all of the dragons, and then politely shook hands with Peter and the other head wizards.
“We look forward to a prosperous and mutually beneficial relationship with the shifters in the future,” Peter said to Pierce. “Please accept our apologies once again for taking so long to reveal ourselves to the shifters. Even the wisest of wizards can make mistakes, and I see now that I made a mistake in not joining forces with the shifters sooner.”
“No apology is necessary,” Pierce said. “I understand that in these times caution is often warranted. I’m just glad that we have now been able to join forces.”
“Agreed,” Knox added as he reached out to squeeze Bree’s hand.
“Ready, then?” Myles asked. He would be the one flying the Texas shifters out. They nodded, and a moment later Myles was shifting into dragon form. The Texas shifters climbed onto his back, and a few moments later, Myles was flapping his wings to rise high above the trees. His majestic dragon form was brilliant and green against the bright blue sky.
“Our turn, next,” Knox said to Bree, then turned to Noah. “You got everything you need to take care of things here?”
Bree saw Noah grin at Knox. “Yup. Get out of here, boss. You know I’ve got this.”
Knox grinned back at Noah, then gave him a big bear hug. “I know. I should have trusted you much sooner.”
Knox saluted the other members of his crew and the wizards, winked at Bree, and then took several steps backward to shift into a dragon at a safe distance. Once he had shifted, Bree climbed onto his back, clutching her backpack. As soon as she was holding on tight, Knox rose high into the air. The wizards would march out, and they had a fleet of cars waiting for them to take them back to Falcon Cross. By nightfall, everyone would have arrived, and tomorrow morning, two trials would be held. One for Samuel, where he was sure to be condemned. And one for Bree, where she was sure to be pardoned.
Bree felt her heart swell with joy as she rose high above the forest on her dragon’s back, her magic ring glimmering in the sunlight. Looks like her bravery had paid off in the end.
* * *
The next day, at two o’clock sharp in the afternoon, the trial for Samuel commenced. Bree chose to wait outside the High Council chambers. The last thing she wanted was to see Samuel again, even if he was being sentenced to be stripped of his magic and expelled from the wizard community. Knox watched, and came out to bring a report when the trial was over. Samuel had been condemned and stripped of his magic ring. He was sent to the wizard prison, where he would also be stripped of his magic before being expelled permanently from the wizard community. It was exactly what everyone had known would happen.
“You ready to go in?” Knox asked.
Bree nodded and stood, even though she felt very nervous on the inside. She was wearing a brand new set of dress robes, which Peter had been kind enough to provide for her. Nearly all of Falcon Cross was here, so her roommate, Lily, was wearing the robes Bree had worn last time she was here. Bree was glad to have a pair that fit her properly, anyway.
“You look amazing,” Knox said. “Quite intimidating, actually. I wouldn’t want to get on your bad side.”
Bree looked down at her robes. They were long and a deep ruby red, with strands of golden thread interwoven throughout. The red matched her ruby red magic ring, and brought out the slight reddish hints in her dark brown hair. She felt like royalty, but she was still nervous to step out in front of the whole assembly.
She could not hold back much longer, though. With a deep breath, she took Knox’s offered hand and walked into the room, which was packed to capacity. A hush fell over the crowd as Bree walked down the center aisle toward the front, where Knox sat down in his seat on the front row. Bree continued on until she was standing directly before the High Council. Everyone was there except Samuel, of course, whose seat was conspicuously empty. The High Council’s dress robes, complete with their tall pointed wizard hats, were impressive, and filled Bree with awe even though she had seen them before.
Bree did her best to still the nervous pounding in her chest, and held her head high as she stood in front of the council. The wizard serving as herald spoke up in a loud voice.
“Your Honors, Bree Riley. Accused of defying a direct order of the High Council, punishable by removal of magic and expulsion from the wizard community.”
Even though Bree knew this hearing was just a formality at this point, the words still filled her with terrible dread.
“Thank you,” Peter said to the herald, then turned his attention to Bree. “Ms. Riley, what do you have to say for yourself?”
Bree took a deep breath. “Your Honor, I plead not guilty under section seven point three of the High Wizard Code, which states that in cases where it can be proven that the defiance of a High Council order was necessary for the protection of the wizard community as a whole, the defendant shall be found not guilty.”
“And why was your defiance necessary for the protection of the wizard community, Ms. Riley?” Peter asked.
“The dragon sapphire was being pursued with evil intent, by those who would have used it to wipe out our entire clan. I know the High Council forbade contact with the shifters, but I respectfully submit that contact with the shifters did turn out to be necessary to fight for and retain the dragon sapphire. When Samuel attacked, we would have lost the dragon sapphire without their aid. And without their help, Samuel might have actually been able to get the sapphire before the good shifters did.”
“Thank you for that explanation, Ms. Riley,” Peter said. “Based on the information presented here today, it is my recommendation that Ms. Riley be fully pardoned of any guilt for defying an order of the High Council. Are there any here on the High Council who disagree?”
No one else on the High Council spoke, and so Peter let his gavel fall with a might thud. “Bree Riley, you are hereby officially pardoned and reinstated as a full member of the wizard community. Furthermore, as High Wizard of the High Council, I have hereby decided to award you with the Wizard Medallion of Courage, presented to those who risk life and magic in order to do deeds of great service to the clan. You have shown uncommon courage and put the good of the community ahead of your own welfare, and for that, you deserve to be honored greatly.”
Bree stood speechless as Peter rose, his deep purple and gold dress robes glittering brilliantly in the light of the High Council room. The herald brought him a black velvet box, which Peter opened to reveal a shining gold medal. The large gold disk hung on a black velvet ribbon and was engraved with the crest of the Falcon Cross clan.
“Bree Riley, in honor of your service to the Falcon Cross clan, to wizards at large, and to our new friends, the shifters, I hereby award you this Medallion of Courage,” Peter said.
The crowd in the room went wild. Tears of happiness stung Bree’s eyes, and she turned to look at Knox, who gave her a wink and a thumbs up. Bree glanced down at her magic ring and knew that her father would have been so proud of her. Knowing that, and having Knox’s approval as well, Bree could not have thought of a more perfect moment.
The High Council officially adjourned the meeting, and Bree was instantly surrounded by wizards wanting to shake her hand and congratulate her. Bree looked up to see her roommate, Lily, fighting her way through the crowd. When Lily finally made it to the front, she threw her arms around Bree.
“I never doubted you, Bree,” she said.
“It�
�s true,” Peter chuckled. “She threatened to quit her job if we put her on the task force that was assigned to finding you while you were a fugitive.”
Bree looked over at Lily with tears in her eyes. “Thank you,” Bree said. “It means so much to me that you believed in me.”
Lily smiled broadly. “Does this mean you’re coming home?”
“Well,” Bree said falteringly, glancing from Lily to Peter. “I was hoping actually that I might have permission to go live in the Redwoods with Knox.”
Peter raised an eyebrow at Lily, and Knox looked up in surprise.
“You’d do that for me, Bree?” Knox asked, emotion filling his eyes.
“I know it sounds crazy,” Bree said. “But in the short time I was there the Redwood Dragons’ base started to feel like home to me. I cannot imagine a life away from Knox now, and I would never ask him to leave his crew. If the High Council will allow a wizard to go live with shifters, I would like to move to the Redwoods.”
Peter grinned. “The High Council has been discussing the need for wizard ambassadors in the shifter community, and vice-versa. We were going to invite Knox to be a shifter ambassador here in Falcon Cross, but if you want, Bree, we can send you instead to be a wizard ambassador in the Redwoods. I think your training as an advocate would make you perfectly prepared for the job.”
Bree’s heart leapt at the offer. “I would be honored to take that job,” she said.
“It’s all settled, then,” Peter said. “I’ll have someone at the Advocacy Bureau take care of the paperwork and all that, but consider the job yours.”
“Thank you, your honor,” Bree said, hardly able to believe how her life had changed so much for the better in the last few weeks.
“Thank you, Bree,” Peter said. “I’m very proud of you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some High Council matters to attend to, but I will catch up with you again before you leave Falcon Cross.”
Bree felt her heart swelling with pride as Peter walked away. Lily let out a long sigh.
“Well, I’m sorry to lose you, Bree. But I’m happy you found love. Knox seems like a great guy,” Lily said.
“He is,” Bree said, squeezing Knox’s hand. “I hope you’ll come visit us in the redwoods. You’d love it there.”
“I will,” Lily promised. “And you’ll be coming by the apartment tonight, at least, right?”
“Of course,” Bree said. “I’ll need a few days to get all my things together, so I’ll be around.”
“Alright. I’ll be seeing you, then,” Lily said. “I have to run now to get back to the Bureau, but let’s do dinner tonight? With you and Knox both?”
Bree nodded, and Lily gave her a goodbye hug before speeding off. The crowds were thinning now, and Bree found herself alone with Knox.
“You’re sure about this?” he asked in a husky voice. “You really want to come live with me in the middle of nowhere?”
“It’s not the middle of nowhere. It’s the middle of the most magical place on earth,” Bree said. “And that’s saying something, coming from a wizard!”
Knox smiled at her, and she felt her heart melting at the affection in his eyes.
“Well, I’m really glad to hear it, my brave little wizard,” he said. “I know we have not known each other that long, but I already know that I love you.”
Bree’s breath caught in her throat at the words. “I love you, too,” she whispered. “So much. You saved me, in more ways than one.”
Knox smiled. “I think we both saved each other. You helped me be brave enough to learn to leave my clan in the capable hands of other dragons. That’s important. They all need to know how to lead when necessary. It makes for a stronger clan. And it makes me a stronger dragon, learning to trust others. Which brings me to my next point—I’m planning on doing some missions abroad now and then. Would you be willing to come with me on a few adventures? Provided it works out okay with your new ambassador job, of course.”
Bree felt her heart leap with excitement. “I would love to!” she said. “Any mission with you is bound to be an adventure. But, are you sure your clan members are going to be okay with my being around more?”
Knox smiled at her. “They love you, almost as much as I do. They already told me that if I don’t find a way to bring you home they’re going to riot.”
Bree laughed. “Well, then I guess I have no choice but to come with you.”
Knox laughed too, and pulled Bree into a big hug, kissing the top of her head.
“Come on, my brave little wizard,” he said. “I think you deserve a real date. I saw a nice café on the way to the High Council meeting. Are you interested in sharing a coffee and pastry with me?”
Bree nodded. “Nothing would make me happier,” she said.
Knox took her hand, and they walked out of the High Council chamber together. Bree couldn’t help but smile at how different things were, leaving the chamber this time as opposed to the last time she was here. Today, she held her head high, she wore a medal for courage, and she was holding the hand of the most handsome man in the world. A handsome man who happened to be a noble dragon, and who happened to love her just as much as she loved him. Life was good—better than it ever had been, in fact.
Sometimes, a little bravery and defiance went a long way.
Thank You For Reading!
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About the Author
There are shifters walking among us. Sloane Meyers is devoted to telling their stories.
Sloane thinks we could all use a little escape in our lives. And what better way to shake up the ordinary than to transport yourself to the mysterious world of those who have an animal within them, roaring to be let out. Sloane brings you hot shifter males, and spunky, spirited heroines—with NO cliffhangers! Each book can be read as a standalone.
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