“He would have tried to stop me. The sentimental old fool. The poison that would have killed you has been slowly killing him for years, too. If you would have taken it like you were supposed to the night of the dinner, none of this would have happened.”
“You did all of this so you would be King?” The disbelief and pain was raw in her voice.
“I deserved it!” he shouted. “A phoenix. It should have been me.”
Elena froze for a moment. I moved to put myself between them. Then she turned, her hand darting out with supernatural speed. Before I could stop her, she was thrusting a dagger into her brother’s chest.
“This is what you deserve,” she croaked out as his blood spurted over her hands.
When he was dead, she got to her feet, the dagger dropping to the ground. The too large cloak she wore dropped over one shoulder revealed her skin streaked iwth blood. Her glow had dimmed, but it shone from new eyes, which must have turned gold after her shift.
I’d never cared that she couldn’t shift. I loved her as she was with no reservations. But when she came to me, her arms wrapping around me, I knew. I knew it down to my bones and the heart of my dragon’s soul.
She was my true mate.
When she’d hugged me long enough, she pulled back. “You saved me,” she said.
I shook my head. “No, I didn’t. I’m sorry, Elena. I’ll never be able to apologize enough.”
She put a bloodied finger to my lips. “You did. It was our bond that kept me tethered to this world. I died, but your love brought me back. I didn’t get to tell you this before, but I love you, Rhys. I love you, so much.”
Smiling, I said, “I know.”
“What? How do you know?”
It was Alaric who answered, “That.” He pointed to the skies, where hundreds of dragons were soaring overhead.
“But what does that mean?” Elena asked.
“Your love broke the curse,” I told her, then scooped her into my arms and took her inside.
Epilogue
Elena
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Acknowledgments
Get ready, this is going to be long winded. Because I’ve been waiting for this moment for what feels like an eternity.
I finished Deal with the Dragon in 2015. Back then, it was known as BOUND. The idea came to me after scrolling through Pinterest, no doubt in the middle of the night, when I saw one of those writing prompts about a girl whose father had sold her to a dragon and he was coming to collect his prize—her.
The book poured out of me in the following months like no other before it. Which was strange, considering it was far outside my regular genre. At the time, I had just published the first few novels in the First to Fight series so it was all military romantic suspense, all the time. Perhaps that’s why it’s taken me so long to dust this manuscript off the shelf.
In part, I think it was because I was afraid to do this novel justice. The edits I received back were so amazing and so thorough I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work I would have to do. And let me tell you, this book was work. I printed the entire thing several times. Marked it up with color-coded glitter gel pens and post-its. I wrote pages and pages of notes expounding on the comments from my editor.
Then, I let it sit.
For years.
And years.
And years.
You see, back when I finished the book in 2015, designer Letitia from RBA Designs made the cover for the book. The first time I saw it, I cried. Now, I’m handy with Photoshop, if I do say so myself. I can whip up a cover or two, but there are times when the concept in my head simply doesn’t translate to screen. I remember I was at a Chinese place waiting on food when I got the email for the mockups from Letitia. I screamed when I saw them, then I cried. She captured absolutely everything I wanted the cover to be and made it seem absolutely effortless. It was and is my favorite cover to date. I’ve been daydreaming forever about holding this book in my hands.
I wanted the book to be worth of the phenomenal edits, the perfect cover, the incredible characters. And, let’s be honest, maybe I was afraid I couldn’t deliver.
But I guess that’s part of publishing, part of creating, part of living. You have to let go at some point.
So this is me, thanking all the people who helped to bring this book to life and letting go.
Ashley Williams of AW Editing, who absolutely ripped this book apart. Your edits scared me silly because I knew they were what needed to be done to make this book shine like it deserved. I hated them for years because I didn’t think I was capable of doing them right. I’m still not sure I did, but you were absolutely right about everything. Your work is impeccable and you make me a better writer. Even I take years to finish.
Letitia Hasser of RBA Designs, who brought my dream to life. I’ve waited so, so, so long to have this book in my hands. It’s hard, writing these acknowledgments, to believe that it’ll happen some day soon. Thank you so much for everything that you do. Your cover for this book…it sums up everything twelve-year-old me ever wanted to have when I dreamed of becoming an author.
Alana Albertson who has listened to me complain about this book for five years. Who has championed me to publish it for nearly as long. Who keeps me sane. Thank you.
Karen Hrdlicka of Barren Acres Editing, thank you for taking me on last minute (again). Thank you for taking a chance on a genre out of your norm.
Readers, who have waited…an embarrassingly long time for me to get my shit together and actually release this book. I hope it lives up to your expectations. I hope you love it as much as I do and even if you don’t, I hope you think the cover is kickass. Thank you so very much for your support, encouragement, and faith. I couldn’t do this day in and day out if it weren’t for you.
Thank you.
About the Author
Nicole Blanchard is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of gritty romantic suspense and heartwarming new adult romance. She and her family reside in the south along with menagerie of animals. Visit her website www.authornicoleblanchard.com for more information or to subscribe to her newsletter for updates on sales and new releases.
Also by Nicole Blanchard
First to Fight Series
Anchor
Warrior
Valor
Box Set: Books 1-3
Survivor
Savior
Honor
Box Set: Books 4-6
Traitor
Operator
Aviator
Captor
Protector
Armor
A Salvation Society Crossover: Reckless
Friend Zone Series
Friend Zone
Frenemies
Friends with Benefits
The Lost Planet Series
The Forgotten Commander
The Vanished Specialist
The Mad Lieutenant
The Uncertain Scientist
The Lonely Orphan
The Lost Planet Series Box Set (Books 1-5)
The Rogue Captain
The Determined Hero
The Arrogant Genius
Dark Romance
Toxic
An Immortal Fairy Tale Series
Deal with the Dragon
Vow to the Vampire
Kiss from the King
Standalone Novellas
Bear with Me
Darkest Desires
Mechanical Hearts
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Deal with the Dragon (Immortals Ever After Book 1) Page 20
