Chapter 9
Zaden
It started as a flicker in my chest, a little shock every time Krystal laughed too loudly or talked to someone else. I watched her weave through the grand hall, green silk shirt clinging to her, every hair in place, and felt a primitive pride at how heads turned to follow her.
After the dinner, the gathering spread through the manor, some to the billiards room, others to the garden.
I stayed close to Krystal, not ready to let her out of my sight.
A few feet away, Vivienne lingered near the bar set up in the far corner of the living room, nursing a glass of something dark, her gaze slicing through the air and pinning Krystal with the weight of curiosity.
She watched our every interaction, not with malice, but with a clinical, almost forensic fascination.
Then Vivienne glanced at me, then set your drink down and headed my way. "Zaden, darling," she purred. "Can I talk to you privately?"
I shot a look back at Krystal, where she was talking with Aurelia and Erin.
When I returned my attention to Vivienne and nodded, she guided me out onto the terrace.
Vivienne closed the door behind us, sealing off the noise.
She moved to the stone balustrade and leaned out over the drop, her profile caught in the spill of moonlight.
"You’re not subtle, you know," she said, not turning around.
"Never claimed to be," I replied.
She smiled, small and knowing. "You burn brighter than anyone in this house. Even Ashton. But tonight, you’re practically on fire. Is it her?"
I didn’t answer. No point.
She finally turned, her gaze trained on me like a crossbow. "She’s your mate. I can see the bond, even if she can’t."
A tremor started at the base of my spine, crawling upward.
"Let me guess," she continued, circling me now. "It’s unrequited. She doesn’t feel it. She likes you well enough, maybe even wants you, but the real connection, that soul-deep, skin-to-bone thing, isn’t there for her."
I tensed, every muscle ready to snap. How could she know that? "Get to the point, Vivienne."
She stepped in close, her perfume sweet but edged with something tangy I didn't care for. "You know what I can do, Zaden. I see the curses and blocks that others miss. Your mate isn’t missing the mating bond. She’s shielded."
I furrowed my brow. "What are you talking about?"
"I can see it," she said. "A block. Not natural. It was crafted by someone with a very particular gift for dampening emotions. An Eleanor Gallagher specialty, if I’m not mistaken."
My hands curled into fists. "Her mother?"
Vivienne nodded. "I’d wager on it. I sense Eleanor’s magical signature on the suppression block placed on Krystal.
The spell keeps her from forming attachments that might endanger her.
It’s not a wall, exactly, more like a thick fog.
She can feel your presence, but she can’t connect to it. Not unless the spell is broken."
The realization left me reeling. I’d known something was wrong, some gap, some missing link, but hearing it laid out, clinical and absolute, was a different kind of pain.
Vivienne watched me closely. "You want my advice?"
I didn’t, but she gave it anyway.
"Don’t push her. If you try to force the bond, it’ll backfire. She has to choose it. Or you can take a more direct route, find the original caster, her mother, and persuade her to remove it. Nicely, if you can."
I exhaled, sharp and shaky. "You’re enjoying this."
She smiled. "I enjoy puzzles. And Krystal, my dear, is quite a puzzle."
She reached out and brushed imaginary lint from my lapel. "I can help."
I met her eyes and let my dragon stare her down. "I’ll handle it. My way."
She held my gaze a moment longer, then shrugged, almost disappointed. "If you change your mind, you know where to find me."
She slipped back into the house, leaving me alone on the terrace.
I stood there a long time, the cold air burning my lungs, the words replaying over and over in my head. A block. A spell. A deliberate act to keep Krystal safe, or alone.
I thought of her inside, the way she watched the exits, the careful distance she kept from everyone, even me.
I knew what I had to do.
I went back inside, the din of the party crashing over me in a wave. Krystal stood by the window, alone, staring into the night. I made my way to her, and when she turned, I saw it, the longing, the confusion, the need.
She glanced up and smiled. "I’m glad I came. It’s been a nice evening."
"Good. I liked having you here." I threaded a hand through my hair. "Can we talk for a minute alone?"
When she nodded, I led her through the main hall, past the library, and into one of the lesser-used sitting rooms with books lining the walls and two ancient leather couches arranged in front of a stone hearth.
I left space between us, maybe two feet, though it felt like a chasm. The old leather groaned under my weight.
Krystal perched on the edge of the opposite couch, hands clasped so tight the knuckles whitened. She scanned the room, then settled on me with a force that pinned me in place. "You said you had something to tell me," she prompted, her tone flat but not rude.
I took a breath, trying to order the thoughts into something she’d understand. "There are two things, actually. I’m not sure how to start."
She let out a short laugh. "Try the beginning."
I nodded, unable to look away from her. "You know how wolves have fated mates? Dragons do too."
Krystal’s face didn’t move, but her eyes narrowed a fraction. "You’re saying I’m yours?"
I nodded again, the truth of it ringing through my bones. "I felt it the moment I saw you after waking up. I thought you might feel it too, but from what I can tell… nothing. At first, I figured maybe you were somehow immune. But that’s not it. There’s something blocking you. A spell."
She blinked, once, slowly. "You’re blaming this on magic?"
"Not blaming, exactly," I said, fighting the urge to reach out. "Just explaining. I talked to Vivienne. She’s an expert in this stuff. She thinks your mother put a block on you. Probably to keep you safe, or maybe to keep you from getting hurt."
Krystal stared at her hands, the set of her shoulders growing even more rigid. "I don’t understand. Why would my mother put a spell over me?"
"I don’t know."
After a few beats of silence, I said, "There’s more. The second thing I wanted to tell you. We’ve met before."