7. Vera
7
VERA
T he cool night air wraps around me, settling deep into my bones. My heart races with anticipation, replaying the thrill of my small act of defiance with the spindleworm. The memory of the dark elf's disgusted face brings a smile to my lips as I close my eyes.
The dreamscape materializes around me, and there he is – Aurel. His massive form coils in lazy loops, scales gleaming in the ethereal light. Those piercing eyes fix on me, green fire dancing in their depths. Something in his gaze makes my breath catch.
"You've been busy today." His voice carries an amused undertone.
My magic surges beneath my skin, reaching for him like an eager puppy. "I tried what you taught me."
"And?" He shifts closer, his massive form casting shadows over me.
"It worked." I can't keep the excitement from my voice. "The spindle worm actually listened."
"Of course it did." His hand reaches out, fingers brushing my cheek. The touch sends electricity through my body. "You're starting to believe in yourself."
"Is that why my magic feels so... alive right now?"
"Your power responds to your confidence." His thumb traces my jawline. "And to me."
The intensity in his gaze makes me shiver. My magic leaps and dances under my skin, drawn to him like a moth to flame. His serpentine body shifts closer, coiling around me without touching, creating a private space that feels both intimate and dangerous.
"Tell me more about what you did today," he whispers, his breath cool against my ear.
I feel dizzy with his proximity, but in a good way. Like standing at the edge of a cliff, knowing you could fall, but trusting your feet to keep you steady.
My throat tightens as I watch him move. Every ripple of muscle beneath his skin, every graceful coil of his serpentine body sends shivers down my spine. I've never felt this way before - this magnetic pull that makes my skin flush and my heart race.
"Your magic is responding well," he says, his voice like silk sliding over steel. "Come closer."
I step forward, drawn by something deeper than mere obedience. My eyes trace the strong lines of his jaw, the breadth of his shoulders, the way his human torso melds seamlessly into gleaming scales. He's beautiful in a way that defies everything I know about beauty.
His emerald eyes lock onto mine, intense and knowing.
Heat floods my cheeks. He's not even human - he's something ancient and powerful and dangerous. And yet... or maybe that's exactly why my body responds to him this way. The alienness of him, the raw power he exudes… my heart hammers wildly.
My feet move on their own, drawing me closer to his massive form. The dreamscape shimmers around us, but all I can focus on is the heat emanating from his scales, beckoning me forward. My fingers twitch with the urge to touch him, to feel if he's as warm as he looks.
"I... I want to learn more." My voice comes out barely above a whisper. The words feel clumsy on my tongue, but the strange energy inside me pulses stronger with each step.
His emerald eyes track my movement, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Then let us begin." He shifts, making space beside him. "Come. Sit."
I hesitate, then settle next to him, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his body but not quite touching. My heart thunders in my chest.
"Hold out your hand," he instructs, his voice low and rich. "Feel the energy around you. It's like... a current in the air."
I extend my trembling fingers, trying to focus past my awareness of his proximity. There's something there - a slight tingling sensation that dances across my skin.
"That's it," he murmurs, and I can hear approval in his voice. "Now reach for it. Draw it toward you."
The energy responds to my call, sending pleasant shivers up my arm. A small gasp escapes my lips as tiny sparks of light dance around my fingertips.
"Good," he says, and his praise makes my chest tighten with an unfamiliar warmth. "You're a natural."
The sparks of magic dance around my fingers, and for the first time in my life, I feel... alive. Whole. Like I've been sleeping all these years, and only now am I truly waking up.
"Beautiful," Aurel murmurs, his eyes fixed on the display of light. "You see? You're capable of so much more."
My chest tightens at his praise. No one has ever looked at me like this before - like I'm something precious, something worthy. The dark elves see me as property, a defective tool. But Aurel... he sees potential.
"I never knew I could do this." The magic responds to my wonder, pulsing brighter. "Why me?"
"Because you're special, Vera." His massive form shifts closer, and warmth radiates from his scales. "You just needed someone to show you the truth."
There's something dark in his voice, an edge that should worry me. But his gentleness, the way he guides me with such patience... it makes my heart flutter. When his hand brushes mine, showing me how to shape the magic, electricity shoots through my veins.
"Tell me more about your homeland," I say, eager to know everything about him. "What was it like before the dark elves?"
A shadow crosses his face, but it's gone so quickly I almost think I imagined it. "It was beautiful. Peaceful. Until they destroyed everything."
My heart aches for him. I know what it's like to have everything taken away, to be trapped and powerless. But he's teaching me to be more than that. To rise above what they made me.
"You're different from them," I whisper, meaning the dark elves. "You're kind."
He smiles, and something in my chest melts at the sight. I don't notice how his eyes gleam with calculation, too caught up in the way his presence makes me feel seen. Important. Wanted.
For the first time in my life, I have a purpose. I'm not just a slave anymore. I'm something more, something special. And it's all because of him.
We continue practing the exercise, and the energy flows more easily now as I practice drawing it toward me. Each attempt brings more sparks of light dancing around my fingers. Aurel's presence behind me is overwhelming - his massive form radiating heat as he guides my movements.
"Feel how it responds to your call," he murmurs, his breath tickling my ear. "Let it build slowly."
I concentrate, watching the tiny motes of light swirl faster. My chest tightens with excitement as they begin to pulse in rhythm with my heartbeat.
"That's it," he says. "Now, direct it outward, like this."
His hand moves alongside mine, demonstrating the gesture. Our fingers brush together, and suddenly electricity shoots through my entire body. The sparks around my hand explode in a brilliant flash as I stumble backward with a gasp.
"What... what was that?" My skin tingles where we touched, and my heart hammers against my ribs. The sensation was unlike anything I've ever felt before - like lightning racing through my veins.
He turns away sharply, his massive form shifting in the dreamscape. "It's nothing. A simple magical reaction. Focus on the exercise."
But I can't focus. My heart pounds against my ribs, and that strange energy still courses through my veins, reaching for him like a vine seeking sunlight. The space between us feels charged, crackling with possibility.
"But I felt..." I step closer, drawn by something I don't understand. "When you touched me, it was like..."
"Enough." His voice carries an edge I haven't heard before. Is it anger? Fear? Something else entirely? "Your magic is unstable. We need to work on control."
I bite my lip, watching as he coils tighter into himself, almost defensive. There's something he's not telling me, something in the way he won't meet my eyes. The warmth of his scales seems to pulse with the same rhythm as my racing heart.
"Aurel..." I reach out instinctively, wanting to understand this connection between us.
"I said focus!" His tail lashes out, creating distance between us. But I catch the slight tremor in his hands, the way his breath comes just a little faster.
I stumble backward, my heart slamming against my ribs. The dreamscape wavers around me, shadows dancing at the edges of my vision. The magic that felt so warm and inviting moments ago now crackles with an edge that makes my skin crawl.
"I'm sorry," I whisper, wrapping my arms around myself. The familiar feeling of worthlessness creeps back in, crushing the brief moment of confidence I'd felt. "I didn't mean to..."
Aurel's massive form straightens, his scales gleaming as he draws himself up to his full height. The warmth in his eyes has vanished, replaced by something cold and distant that makes me want to shrink into myself.
"We should continue with the basics," he says, his voice carefully controlled. "Your control needs work."
My hands tremble as I try to steady myself. The connection we'd shared moments ago feels broken, shattered by whatever just passed between us. I watch him warily, suddenly aware of how small I am compared to his towering form.
"Maybe..." My voice catches. "Maybe I should go."
His tail shifts restlessly against the ground, and I flinch at the movement. The dreamscape feels colder now, more hostile. Or maybe that's just my fear talking. What was that spark between us? Why did it frighten him so much?
I can't find the words to ask. My throat feels too tight, my chest too heavy with the weight of his rejection. The slave in me wants to apologize again, to beg forgiveness for whatever I did wrong. But something else, something new and fragile, holds me back.
A warm sensation brushes against the back of my neck, and I shiver as Aurel's massive form sweeps closer. The coldness from moments ago melts away as his magic envelops me. My muscles relax, tension seeping from my shoulders.
"Your fear betrays you," he murmurs, his voice rich and deep. "But there's no need for it."
The dreamscape shifts around us, becoming softer, warmer. His scales gleam in the ethereal light as he moves closer still, and I find myself leaning back slightly, drawn to his warmth.
"We'll continue your training next time," he says, and something in his tone makes my heart flutter. "You have potential, little one. More than you know."
My eyelids grow heavy as his magic wraps around me like silk. I try to fight it, wanting to stay in this moment just a little longer, but exhaustion pulls at me. The last thing I feel is the solid strength of his arms as I fall backward, my consciousness slipping away into peaceful darkness.