15 - Shadows and Blades #2
“I don’t want to kill the dragon.” This confession, with its disarming honesty, acted as a balm on his own betrayal. If Tariel gave up on his mission, then the weight of his secret would become a little lighter, and the need to eliminate him would become questionable.
At that moment, Cassian finally admitted it: he could not kill him either. Not only because it would be a waste of power, but because he no longer wanted to. A strange, disconcerting, and irresistible affection was taking root in the ruins of his own heart.
He looked down at the top of the white head nestled against him. Tariel was a man. A pretty man, sure, with a frailness that concealed a formidable edge, but a man nonetheless.
For the Prince of Drakensyl, accustomed to the codes of his lineage and the rigors of his rank, this attraction was uncharted territory, a boundary he had never considered crossing.
It unsettled him more than any army, but as he felt the elf’s delicate body tremble against his own, he realized that no matter the nature of this bond, it was already too late to turn back.
Choosing to ignore his inner turmoil, Cassian offered him a discreet smile instead before letting him relax against him.
Tariel’s need for comfort was palpable. The mercenary held him a little tighter, one hand sliding through his white hair to stroke it.
He stood there, patiently, listening to the sobs that were gradually subsiding against his shoulder.
The elf’s warm breath against his skin sent a slight shiver through him, but he merely sighed softly.
“Tariel… Fear is probably what keeps us all alive,” he murmured at last.
He felt the elf stiffen slightly in his arms, alert.
“The outcome won’t necessarily be the one you fear if you decide to stand up for what you believe in.
Find allies; don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by what they want you to believe.
Don’t you think the elves are afraid, too?
Look at them: they’re sending assassins to warn you.
They’re just as afraid of that dragon as you are of dying.
We’re all afraid of what we can’t control.
Dragons. The crystal. Death. Look at me…
I’m so far from my homeland, so far from my people. ”
Cassian stepped back gently to cup the elf’s face in his hands. His thumbs caressed his damp cheekbones, wiping away the salty tears.
“Don’t hide from me, Tariel. Your feelings are nothing to be ashamed of. After what you’ve shown the Olyar people, don’t you think you’re capable of choosing your own future? When I told you that you might be the one to restore peace, I truly meant it. “
In a reassuring gesture, his hand glided over the elf’s chest, resting where the Crystal Heart beat. Then, in a breath, he drew from his own strength to spark a brief resonance of hearts, warming his companion.
“Besides, all those who want you dead are far too prideful for their own good. They don’t know I am by your side: I will be your step ahead, if you’ll have me. The Morgraves have already suffered the consequences — you are no longer alone, Tariel.”
A faint glow flickered briefly beneath the elf’s garment, and Cassian plunged a hand into the stream to cool it, before placing it with infinite gentleness on Tariel’s burning cheek.
“The incident is over. We’ll stay here a few days, then we’ll head to Malveth as planned. If a Shadow approaches again, I want you to tell me. We’ll take care of it. Together.”
Tariel watched him with wide, moist eyes, biting his lower lip.
Cassian sensed his surprise; the elf had no doubt expected mockery, not such patience.
Prince Drakensyl, beneath his mercenary mask, couldn’t help but be tender: of his entire lineage, he had always been the most sensitive, a quality his father had deemed essential for a future king.
A ruler must know how to listen so as not to let hatred consume him.
The elf finally spoke in a soft voice, looking away toward the water:
“I am aware of my power… But against an army? That’s what they’ll send, eventually. Scaring the Morgraves with a fake dragon is one thing, but the elves? They’re determined to kill a dragon they haven’t heard of in centuries.”
Cassian let out a soft chuckle. An army was nothing compared to the power of a dragon bearing the Philosopher’s Heart, and the elves knew it—that was why they had done everything in their power to extinguish his lineage. Above all else, they feared the awakening of a new ruler.
“So ask yourself this, Tariel: who is capable of standing up to an army, if not a dragon?”
He saw the elf tense up, his fists clenching Cassian’s shirt as if he feared he might fly away.
“Why… Why are you so determined to help me? You’re risking more than is reasonable. It’s just the two of us against so many enemies… Why are you so determined?”
The mercenary smiled, a glint of camaraderie in his eyes.
“I’m not looking for war, but I know what’s right. Your death is neither justified nor justifiable. You won’t be a sacrifice, Tariel—you’re worth far more than that.”
He ran his thumb over the elf’s lip, which he was biting out of reflex, urging him to stop before he hurt himself.
“We’re not so different. We share a bond that I don’t yet fully understand…
My life is an uncertain tomorrow, made up of blood or moments like this one.
What you’re going through, I’ve lived through it.
Don’t let them scare you. We’ll go to Malveth; we’ll find a solution.
But if I help you, understand that there will be no turning back.
Are you ready to make that decision on your own? ”
Tariel pouted slightly, shaking his head with a hint of stubbornness.
“How could the dragon know that I’m on his side? There’s no guarantee he won’t try to kill me the moment he sees me… if he even exists. “
Cassian felt a twinge of mischief wash over him. How could he tell him without ruining everything?
“Haven’t you been listening? He’s a dragon shifter.
All you have to do is talk to him in his human form, get your ideas across to him.
Don’t think of dragons as stupid or brutal; they’re sensitive beings.
He’s angry, sure, but he can listen, can’t he?
Don’t be like your people—don’t see him solely as a threat, because the only real threat is war.
We’ll find him, I’m sure of it. Fate has brought you into my path, and no one in this land knows the Drakensyl better than I do. ”
He placed his hand on the elf’s clenched fists. Tariel stared at him with newfound curiosity, his tears forgotten.
“I’ve long tried to unravel the secret of summoning dragons,” the elf confessed. “But I’ve never succeeded. It’s as if they don’t share the same connection to nature as other creatures.”
Cassian shrugged with a feigned air of innocence, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“You thought you could summon dragons? What madness… or what arrogance! It’s amusing that you wanted to see them up close, when you’re so terribly afraid of them now.”
He looked up at the foliage rustling in the wind.
“They are beings who depend solely on their own will. They belong to the skies, and the stars are their companions. It is said that they were born of impure matter to rise to the realm of purity. They are a threat to those who think they can control them, but in the past, they inspired peace. Drakensyl was their cradle. And, if you’re curious…
they love gold and jewels. They’re drawn to them, just like big, scaly magpies. ”
Tariel burst into a soft laugh, closing his eyes to let the wind sweep away his wayward locks, as Cassian continued:
“There was a time when dragons and men lived in peace. That time will come again, I’m sure of it.”