Chapter 55 Headed into Exile
King Korr POV
I did not slow until the doors of my wing sealed behind us.
Rhea was warm in my arms, too warm, her power still flickering beneath her skin like embers that refused to die. Every step away from the throne room felt like tearing myself loose from a trap that had already begun to close. Rhett and Nox were waiting the moment I entered. Both went rigid.
Rhett was on his feet in a heartbeat, his wolf instincts snapping to the surface, and his nostrils flaring as he took in her scent and the echo of scorched divinity clinging to her skin. Nox rose more slowly but no less alert, hus eyes darkening as shadows stirred at his feet.
“What happened,” Rhett demanded.
“Tri Scale Council,” I said. “And a line they should never have crossed.”
I laid Rhea gently on the bed beside Nox. He immediately drew her closer, his fingers brushing her hair with reverent care. She murmured something incoherent and curled instinctively into his chest.
Good. She needed rest. Gods knew she had earned it.
“They intend to remove me,” I continued, turning to face them. “They believe I am failing the Empire. They want to bind me, replace me, and mate me off to a dragon of their choosing.”
Rhett’s growl was low and dangerous. “They’d have to kill you first.”
“They would try,” I said grimly. “And they would not stop with me.”
Nox’s gaze sharpened. “They saw her power.”
“Yes.”
“And they still think they can control this,” he murmured. “Fascinating.”
“They think she is a weapon. Or breeding stock.” My fire flared at the memory. “They are wrong on both counts.”
Rhett crossed the room in two strides. “Then we don’t stay here. I will not allow them to fucking breed her.”
“No,” I agreed. “We leave. Immediately.”
Silence fell, thick with understanding.
“There is only one place I can think of that they cannot easily reach,” I went on. “A place even dragons struggle to approach unless they fly. The journey will be brutal on foot. Exposed, and dangerous. Once there, there is only one way in and out, and it can be guarded. The old dragons ruled there. I think it's time we return."
"Yes," Vaelrith rumbled deep within me, his voice a slow avalanche of stone and flame. "The mountain hold remembers us. It remembers what dragons were before councils and crowns."
Heat rolled through my veins, not anger this time, but certainty. "It is high. Isolated. Honest," he continued, satisfaction curling through his words. "A place of endurance. Of survival. Our Phoenix will be safe there. Stronger."
I inhaled slowly, grounding myself in his approval. Vaelrith had not sounded this aligned with me in centuries. "This is the right path," he finished. "The right ground to make a stand."
Rhett’s lips pulled back in a sharp grin. “Sounds like a stronghold worthy of Rhea.”
Nox inclined his head. “And you believe all three of us are required.”
“I know it,” I said. “Whatever is coming will test every bond and strength we have...and more.”
Rhett exhaled slowly, visibly reining himself in. “I’ll do my best to control my jealousy.”
I glanced at him. “You will have to.”
He nodded once. “For her.”
That was enough for now. I turned back to the bed. “I’ll prepare for departure.”
I hesitated, then added, “Stay with her.”
Nox’s arm tightened fractionally around Rhea. “Nothing will pry me from her side.”
Good. Perhaps the vampires possesive nature and the wolf's wild jealousy could be useful. I left them there and moved fast. The halls of Pyraen Hold felt different now. Watching. Listening. I could feel the Tri-Scale already shifting, testing the edges of authority, readying their claws.
I needed allies. Loyal ones. My thoughts went first to Gryn and Dryn. The twins had been at my side since they could walk. Fire-blooded, reckless, and brilliant. If there was danger ahead, they would scent it like a challenge. But the council would not wait for me to gather strength.
Unless I removed their opening. My steps veered toward my chambers. Blythe. My second-in-command. My cousin. The only dragon I trusted to hold the throne in my absence. His hatchling should be flying by now. I entered my room and sealed the door, activating the communications device mounted on the stone wall. Old tech, pre-war, nothing the council monitored. A relic I kept precisely for moments like this.
Static crackled as I turned the dial.
“Come in, Commando. This is KK. I repeat, this is KK.”
I began packing as I waited, armor, weapons, the few items that mattered. The door burst open. Gryn and Dryn stormed in like a living explosion, both bristling with excitement, their eyes alight.
“Is it time for an adventure, my king?” Gryn demanded.
Dryn grinned ferally. “Because it feels like time.”
I laughed, a short sound I hadn’t realized I needed. “Indeed, my friends.”
I tossed a pack toward them. “Pack quickly. We leave for the Mountain Hold within the hour.”
They whooped in unison and vanished again, already arguing about who would reach the armory first.
The radio sparked. “Come in, KK. This is Commando.”
Relief hit me so hard it nearly staggered me.
“Blythe,” I said, stepping closer. “I need you.”
His voice came through clear and steady. “Say the word.”
I explained quickly. The council. Rhea. The Phoenix. My departure. There was no hesitation.
“I’ll be there in an hour,” Blythe said. “They won’t touch your throne.”
I grunted. “That delays us.”
“Worth the wait,” he replied without pause.
“Yes,” I agreed quietly. “It is.”
I slung my bag over my shoulder and returned to Rhea’s room. The twins were already there, fully packed, and vibrating with barely contained excitement. Rhea slept between Nox and Rhett now, her breathing deeper and steadier. Seeing her like that twisted something sharp and protective in my chest.
I turned to Rhett.
“We can’t take all your wolves,” I said. “Will those loyal to you remain here with Blythe and protect the throne?"
Rhett stared at me for a long moment. We growled at each other instinctively. Two kings. Two predators. The air crackled. Then he bowed his head.
“For her,” he said roughly. “Yes. I’ll leave my most trusted. The lizard council won’t stand a chance.”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
Nox watched the exchange with narrowed eyes, then spoke quietly. “I’m back to full strength,” he said. “But I have none left loyal to me. And I have likely lost Noctra.”
I met his gaze. “Does that concern you?”
He looked down at Rhea, curled against him, her long delicate lashes resting softly against her cheeks.
“No,” he said. “I have a feeling we’re going to create a new kingdom anyway.”
Something deep in my chest settled into place. Yes.
We were. And the world was nowhere near ready for what came next. Vaelrith stirred again, quieter now, and resolute. "We are returning to what we were meant to be," he said. "Not rulers of empires, or enslavers of humans. Guardians of fire."
My grip tightened reflexively. Yes.
We were done running the world the old way.
~
Rhea POV
I woke like I’d been struck by lightning.
Not groggy. Not fading. Alive. Power hummed under my skin, bright and clean, my veins singing like they had finally remembered what they were made for. Heat bloomed low in my belly, sharp and sudden, curling tight and demanding attention.
I was pinned between two very solid problems. Rhett lay behind me, warm and heavy, his arm slung possessively around my waist. Nox was pressed to my front, his cool marble skin a dangerous contrast, one hand resting over my ribs like he’d never intended to move it again. The heat flared hotter. I growled softly before I could stop myself.
Rhett stirred instantly. His eyes snapped open, gold and blown wide, desire blazing there so fast it stole my breath. “Rhea,” he rasped.
That was it. Control gone. Thought gone. I rolled and climbed him in one smooth motion, straddling his hips, with my palms braced on his chest. His breath punched out of him as he took me in, his pupils narrowing, and his hands gripped my thighs like he might lose his mind if he didn’t anchor himself.
I leaned down and nipped his ear, just enough teeth to promise trouble. He groaned, deep and wrecked. “Gods, Rhea, you’re killing me.”
I smiled against his skin. Then reality slammed back in. He caught my face gently, forehead pressed to mine. “Love. We have to go. Like, now.”
The words hit like ice water. The heat twisted, sharpened, and turned furious. The throne room. The council. Knees hitting stone. Greed in ancient eyes. My power surged, and my flames licked dangerously close to the surface.
"No," Pyra shrieked in my head, sharp and furious. "We will not allow them to turn us into breeding stock."
Fire roared up my spine.
"Rhea," Pyra snapped, shifting tone fast, fierce but grounding. "You must learn to control the fire before we burn everyone we love."
I froze. Really froze. My breath was shaky, and my hands were curled tightly in Rhett’s shirt. I forced the flames down. Down into the core. Down into the steady, pulsing warmth instead of the wildfire. I nodded once.
“Okay,” I whispered. “Okay.”
Rhett relaxed beneath me, relief washing through his scent. Nox exhaled softly behind me, approval curling through the bond like silk. I slid off Rhett and stood, already moving. There was no hesitation now. No lingering. We dressed fast. Packed faster. I didn't even bother to ask questions. I could feel the urgency.
The door burst open. Korr strode in, his eyes blazing, his armor already strapped, and power coiled tight and ready.
“Blythe has been appointed interim king,” he said immediately. “Your wolves are his guardians. They’ll hold the council at bay until we decide our next move.”
Rhett nodded once. “They’ll die before they let anyone touch her.”
Korr’s gaze locked on me. “Now we go. We must fly.”
He looked at Rhett, and something bright sparked in my chest.
I grinned. “Rhett can ride on me.”
His brows shot up. “I can what.”
Pyra purred, smug and delighted. "He sure can."
We moved as one, down corridors that trembled with our urgency, until the space opened into a massive balcony clearing carved straight from the mountain itself. Wide enough for dragons to shift without clipping their wings. Wind howled through the open expanse, carrying the scent of ash and sky. Korr didn’t hesitate.
He shifted mid-stride, bones cracking, and fire exploded outward as his dragon form unfurled in molten glory. With one powerful beat of his wings, he launched into the sky. Gryn followed, laughing as he shifted. Then Dryn, whooping as he leapt after his brother. Nox stepped forward next, shadows folding around him as his body elongated and transformed, massive bat wings snapping open with a hiss of displaced air. He gave me one last look before launching after them, his eyes gleaming silver in the fading light.
My turn. Fire ripped free of me in a scream that felt older than language. Wings tore from my back in a cascade of purple and red flame, feathers blazing, heat roaring but controlled. I lowered myself instinctively, my talons gripping the stone. Rhett stared at me for half a second. Then he laughed.
“Fuck,” he breathed, climbing up and settling between my wings, gripping firmly. “I’m never doubting you again.”
"Good," Pyra said. "Hold tight."
I launched us into the air. The world dropped away beneath us as I surged into the sky, following dragonfire and shadow. The wind tore past, and the mountain shrunk below us. We flew toward exile. Toward sanctuary. Toward something entirely new.
And for the first time, this fire didn’t feel like a curse.
It felt like freedom, and adventure.