The Tiger Within 378 Heart's Desire

He smiled warmly as she recognized him, a huge weight lifted from his shoulders. There had been hope, yet she had been so young… Their communication through the last few years had been solely accompanied by the deaths of other blackened souls. Those spirit orbs only showed her to him, not him to her. However, there was also a small detail he hadn't realized until he caught her in the air and pulled her tight against his chest.

Those orbs didn't do her beauty justice. He wondered if they distorted because in truth, she was more beautiful than her mother in his eyes. The Shadow King kissed her forehead and let her go so she could stand on her own. Kyera smiled as she gained her footing but then she looked down. That's when she realized she hadn't finished falling. She stood on the air a few feet above the treetops. Shadow magic swirled around her feet where she levitated. She couldn't help but laugh as she looked back at her father.

"Always one for grand gestures, Father?" Kyera asked teasingly, wondering if the old man would admit it. Afterall, he had been so extravagant when she met him in his world, and now they were suspended in the air. He chuckled shaking his head, merriment in his eyes as he slowly lowered them to the floor.

"I suppose from your point of view, I would be. When you were a child I only saw you and your brothers once a year. I did everything I could to make sure it was memorable so that you wouldn't forget me when you went back to the human world. This… well I had planned to see you at the castle later, it was meant to be low Key but then I heard the dragon's cry and I knew it was your Storm Dragon. After seeing that storm it wasn't hard to put two and two together so I teleported to you and rescued my baby girl." He replied as their feet found the ground, gently coming to rest on the ground. Kyera smiled glad her reunion with mother earth had been a soft one. She had never intended to die, but there had been a chance her magic wouldn't have been able to save her.

"So, my magic wasn't enough huh?" Kyera asked knowing he would be the one to ask. He smiled softly and sighed looking her over.

"Kyera, your true power would never have allowed you to die from this fall. However that requires you to have your heart in it. You wouldn't have survived that fall." The Shadow King replied reaching out to gently caress her shoulder. Kyera looked at him her eyes filled with confusion.

"What do you mean? I wanted to live…" Kyera defended trying to make sense of his words, but also knowing deep down there was a truth to his words. Her heart sped up wondering if he knew her as well as he thought he did. He sighed deeply folding his arms and looking deep into her eyes, those black orbs that struck fear into most hearts were like home to her. Their cold depths like a protective shield warning no harm would be done here as long as it kept watch.

"No, you wanted to return to that boy and his daughter. At heart, you have never wanted to live. Once your brother's joined me your dreams have been filled with returning to us. Joining us in the Shadow Lands as my daughter, their sister. Your mother wasn't enough to make you want to live on." The Shadow King pointed out gently, revealing her heart for them both to see. Kyera looked away, remembering her own dreams pointed to the same. There was shame in her eyes as she tried to hide it. Tears p.r.i.c.ked her eyes as she stood before her father.

"I've been so alone… is it wrong to be back among those who love me?" Kyera whispered and The shadow king wiped a single tear from her eyes.