Onyx.
The dragon's head snapped toward her instantly—eyes widening, wings twitching—and then he bounded forward like an overgrown, deadly, ecstatic puppy. One unlucky caretaker dove out of the way, tripped over a feed bucket, and hit the dirt as Onyx barreled past without remorse.
He made a sound—an indignant, delighted, where-have-you-been rumble.
Nova didn't walk.
She blurred.
Alpha speed tore beneath her feet as she shot down the steps and into the field before Onyx could crash through another poor handler.
"Onyx!" she rasped, her voice hoarse but warm as she met him mid-charge.
"Who's a good boy?" Nova croaked, voice raspy but bright with affection. She reached up to scratch along the scales of his snout—no small feat, considering his entire face was the length of her whole body.
Onyx rumbled, leaning in to nudge her with the gentleness of a creature who could accidentally flatten a carriage.
Jax had already moved to her side when Onyx swung his massive head toward him.
"Hey, big guy," Jax said, patting the dragon's jaw like greeting an oversized house pet. "Did you miss terrorizing me? Yeah, I missed you too."
Onyx chuffed, pleased, then bounded off with surprising grace for a creature that large. He thundered toward a huge woven basket next to one of the trainers. Without hesitation, Onyx plunged his head inside and emerged with a massive rubber stick—almost as tall as Nova.
He galloped back proudly, tail swishing and dropped the stick squarely onto Jax's chest.
Nova laughed. "Onyx… is that one of your toys?"
Onyx tilted his head, utterly smug.
"Nova this toy weighs as much as a tree trunk." Jax said laughing.
He heaved the "toy" across the entire field—because of course only someone with alpha strength could throw something that weighed as much as that.
Onyx thundered after it, gleefully barreling to the far end of the field before racing back with the stick clenched proudly in his jaws.
Jax petted Onyx's head, scratching his jaw.
"Who's my good dragon overlord? You are," he said, completely serious. "Wanna show Nova the new trick? Yeah? You wanna catch it in the air?"
Nova was already laughing, hand over her mouth, shoulders shaking.
Jax grinned and wound up again.
"All right, big guy—ready?"
He launched the giant toy in a perfect arc—high, clean, practically begging to be caught.
Onyx sprinted and leapt, soaring into the air. He snapped the toy between his teeth mid-flight.
A warrior jogged up—one of the lieutenants she recognized from the throne room earlier, one of the innocent ones. He bowed his head once.
"Queen Shadowclaw—Alpha requests the remaining shields in the throne room be lowered."
Nova nodded. The lieutenant opened his mouth like he wanted to say more. Possibly gratitude, or awe? He didn't look upset… but in the moment, he thought better of it and closed his mouth. He bowed again, and sprinted back across the field not saying a word.
They spent a few more minutes indulging Onyx, the dragon bounding across the field with unrestrained enthusiasm while Jax hurled the massive toy with ridiculous alpha strength. Nova laughed every time Onyx skidded across the grass like an avalanche trying to stop itself.
Then the air split cleanly down the middle. Hyran opened a portal the size of a door.
Jax froze mid-throw.
He looked from the portal… to Onyx… then to Nova… then back to Onyx like he was trying to calculate which problem was bigger.
"Alright," he said gravely, "I'm going to pretend Hyran isn't here to arrest me for dragon-related crimes."
Nova's lips curled, amusement already breaking through her exhaustion.
Onyx nudged Jax's shoulder—impatient, demanding. When Jax didn't respond, Onyx leaned down and huffed hot air directly into his face.
Hyran stepped fully through the portal, staring at Jax like he was observing a new and unfortunate species.
"Are you finished antagonizing the dragon, Gamma Thorne?"
Jax pointed at Onyx. "For the record? He started it."
Onyx dropped the enormous rubber toy onto Jax's foot with perfect comedic timing.
Jax threw his hands up. "I REST MY CASE."
Hyran sighed like a man deeply regretting every decision that led him to this moment.
Nova's laughter broke clean and bright, echoing across the field. Her laugh was hoarse but still warmed Jax's heart.
"Alpha Redmoon would like a word." Hyran said, lips twitching.
Nova and Jax said their goodbyes to Onyx, who instantly looked offended by the concept of goodbye. He shuffled after them with dramatic, heavy footsteps—as if each one were a personal tragedy.
The moment Nova turned toward Hyran's portal, Onyx lunged forward and gently clamped his teeth around the hood of her cloak, tugging her backward like a stubborn child refusing to let his mother leave.
Nova stopped mid-step and turned around slowly.
Onyx froze.
He immediately dropped the hood, lowered his enormous head to the ground, and released the most pitiful, rumbling whine imaginable.
Jax sighed. "Oh gods… he's doing the guilt sound."
Nova lifted both hands helplessly.
"Onyx," she whispered, voice still hoarse, "I'll come back."
Onyx inched closer, bumping his snout against her shoulder in apology, then made the whine again—even sadder this time.
Jax muttered, "He's weaponizing it now."
Nova laughed softly, stroking the side of Onyx's jaw as his giant eyes narrowed at Jax with offended judgment.
"It's only for a little while," she told him gently.
Onyx exhaled a warm, huffy breath that ruffled her cloak—very clearly unconvinced.
But he let her go.
Barely.
Nova and Jax stepped through the portal—and Rex was already striding toward them, eyes sharp with relief. The second Nova's boots hit the marble, he closed the distance and pulled her into a fierce hug, catching her completely off guard.
She stiffened for half a breath—then relaxed. Rex wasn't one for open displays like this. Not unless the gratitude cut deep.
"Thank you," he said quietly, voice thick.
"Of course," she answered, still raspy but steady. His sincerity hit her harder than she expected.
Redmoon stood at a measured distance, studying the exchange with the cool scrutiny of a ruler evaluating a force of nature he hadn't accounted for.
Jax watched too—jaw tight, eyes unreadable—but very, very aware.
Both men observing. Both calculating. Both for entirely different reasons.
"You seem much better," Ragnar said, studying her closely.
"Alejandro is excellent. Whatever he gave her worked instantly," Jax replied, gratitude slipping into his tone.
"Thank you." Nova said, her voice still hoarse but stronger.
Redmoon inclined his head. "You are welcome here anytime. I have interrogations to attend to—but before you leave, I wished to ask: will you return in a day or so? There is something I'd like to show you. Something I believe you will… appreciate."
A faint smile tugged at Nova's lips. "Yes. I'd love to come back."
"We should head home before Fin tears apart the entire castle looking for you," Jax said, only half joking.
Goodbyes were exchanged—brief, warm, and threaded with the weight of everything they'd survived.
Nova opened a portal—aiming for the most logical place her foggy, adrenaline-wrecked brain could manage. She only knew how to make portals to places she'd been before. Her and Fin's room.
It didn't even occur to her that she had been staying in a completely different chamber for days.
It was a miracle that the portal to Redmoon took her there. Only more proof that what she dreamed was real.
And so, together, Nova and Jax stepped through.