Chapter Two
Raevar
Calm Down – Rema Selena Gomez
I’ve been off-realmmany times. Every time feels like a new experience unlike my day-to-day.
Solera is so full of life, greenery, beauty within every step taken. Wherever I go seems to lack color, life, and some type of hope. Solera bleeds sunshine and vividity, making everything else pale in comparison.
Now, as I seek out my contact, I wonder if I’ll find what I’m seeking. Going off a simple name isn’t as hard as you’d think. Sometimes, being magically inclined helps you get the best kind of answers without too much of a cost.
My strides lengthen as I make my way to the pub in Darchon. It’s a safe place for all beings. Whether you’re in the middle of a war or in peace, it’s a middle ground. There’s no hatred allowed, no death, and most importantly, no harm to come while here.
Opening the door to the tavern, my eyes immediately land on him. He looks battle-worn now. It’s been ages since we’ve seen each other, but as I make my way to him, I wonder what’s changed.
He’s still that lively purple shade that reminds me of the brightest and deepest berries back home. Now, a scar from the right side of his forehead to the left side of his jaw mars his usually carefree face.
He’s not showing his wings, which is very unlike him. Draegyns are very proud, always displaying their wings and anything that shows who their ancestors are. The way he grips the metal tin in his hand further tells me how on edge he is.
Cinder Santana is the closest thing to dragons any realm has now. His family and their extended relatives are the last in existence. Much like the dragons of Darchon, Draegyns are a dying species. They’re the closest descendants to dragons and can sometimes breathe fire, have horns, scales, wingspans that outstretch their entire bodies, and some are seen to have tails.
“Going to keep hovering like a nuisance or do you plan on having a fucking conversation?” he bitterly bites out, not turning to me. How? He either has an insane sense of smell or magic to tell him I’m here when he hasn’t turned around.
Cin isn’t what I’d call a patient being, but he’s definitely never this harsh. I smile, wondering who pissed in his ale.
“Just noting some differences,” I remark, motioning to the facial scar.
“Does little princess Raevar want to kiss it better?” He turns to me, making a condescending kissy face.
“Fuck off, Cin.”
He scoffs, bringing the drink to his lips. With a snap of his fingers, a barkeep saunters over. “A shot of jaffa.” He motions to me. “My Orukna friend likes the bitter ones.”
They nod, giving a thumbs up gesture while I sit next to the grumpy monster. “This is business, not pleasure.”
A dark chuckle meets my ears. “If it were for pleasure, you’d be on your knees.” I shove at him, thinking of the last time I got laid and grumbling at the years that have passed.
“As I said,” I growl, wanting to tug at my hair. “This is business.”
“Yeah, I heard you the first time.” The barkeep returns, setting down a shot glass that looks more like a thimble in comparison to my massive palms.
I take the shot quickly and Cin twirls his finger for another. “You see, I will give you what you seek if you return the favor.”
“I’m not fucking you,” I argue immediately, knowing if I got off while on a mission from Vera, she’d string me up by my balls.
He laughs, his entire body shaking with amusement. “It would definitely be me fucking you,” he mocks. “But I need something only you can offer me, and that doesn’t include getting my dick wet.”
“And that would be?” I raise my eyebrow at the haunted look in his expression. It’s not a normal one. If anything it’s a bit darker than I’ve ever seen him have.
“I lost someone,” he croaks, and for the first time since arriving, it feels like I’m actually seeing the real Cin, and not the fake jokester side of him. “I need a way back to her.”
“Her?” I prod, drinking the next three shots set near me.
“My Lady Grey.”
“I’ve never heard of this person.”
His eyes close, a faraway look in them. “She was beautiful and unlike any creature I’ve ever met. I traveled to three different realms, chasing her.”
His hand goes through his hair, his body stiff yet somehow not at the same time. “What happened?”
“I lost her. I already mentioned that.”
“Yeah, but what am I to do about that? I’m not a necromancer.”
He solemnly nods, but there’s a challenge there. “You are Orukna, though.”
My magic.
Ice steels my veins and I worry that his intentions might surpass my moral codes. “I am.” It’s a confirmation he didn’t need.
He leans forward, his mouth close to my ears. “Send me to Obscura.” My entire body becomes rigid, like someone who has surpassed the first moment of death and hits the hard part where they lock up. His hand digs into my shoulder. “If you do this, Raevar, I’ll be indebted to you for life.”
“That place isn’t for the living,” I reply, worry in my tone, feeling a thickness in my throat. Not that making a magical port-path is illegal there, but it’s not something I’d do willingly.
“Take it or leave it,” he says, but I can hear the urgency. His eyes bulge like desperation is his only option. I nod, because it seems like he’ll find another Orukna even if I don’t help him. This way I can at least keep tabs and make sure he makes it out alive.
“Okay.”
Relief floods his expression, his body relaxing as he readjusts on the barstool. He waves the barkeep over once more. “Two shots of Bound ‘n Dry.”
“You’re serious?” I question, feeling my body stiffen once more at his request. Not only are the shots expensive as hell, they’re binding. The words shared and agreed between two parties tie them together.
He nods. The barkeep doesn’t change their expression, simply walking through a door and appearing once more with a bottle. Its contents are a weird green color, almost glowing, and nausea coats my stomach. There’s a chance I’ll puke. Making a decision this severe without talking to Vera might ruin everything.
She would do anything for a mate, right?
“To bind one with the words, blood must be shared, and the words must be agreed on both sides.” The soft tone of the barkeep’s voice solidifies the fear inside me. Taking out a blade, Cin slices his palm, and I follow suit.
“I, Cinder Santana, require a one-way ticket to Obscura.”
“No. Not a one-way. That’s a death sentence.”
“You’re not supposed to negotiate against your favor,” he complains, his face souring when I don’t concede. “Fine. A round-trip port-path to Obscura.” I nod for him to continue. “By this binding, I owe Raevar my life, and any help he seeks, I won’t deny.”
“No,” I say once more, and the gruff way it comes out has him rolling his eyes. “You will not timelessly and without reason tie yourself to me. Are you mad?”
“Madly in love,” he argues. “You’re a hard Orukna to please, Raev.” He sits up a little straighter, letting out a huff. “I, Cinder Santana, need a trip to Obscura, where I can come back with the touch of the port-path. I will owe Raevar Tora anything he asks—” I narrow my eyes and he chuckles. “—within reason, and it will expire upon either of our deaths.” He peers at me with a questioning brow. “Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
We grip each other’s hands, our blood mingling. Taking a shot with our unbound hands, we wait as the tether ties us. It’s toxic green, almost like a glittery wire, and while it’s visible only to us, the barkeep waits.
“Is it done?” We nod. They take the bottle and walk off.
“Now, tell me what you’re needing.”
“What the fuck is a Vex?” The words leave my lips before I can think better of it.