26. Chapter 26
twenty-six
Rodi
D arkness wraps around me, a void that seems to stretch for an eternity.
Did I die? Is this what Ares was talking about? Will I be reborn without any memories from my last life?
Coldness grips me, its bone-chilling embrace seeping into my soul, scarring me, twisting me as I try to move, to break free.
A faint voice cuts through the darkness, echoing as distant whispers.
“Ares? Ethan?” I call out as my body falls further into the void.
Time loses its meaning as I drift, aimless and alone. I wait for what’s to come until a slight shimmer calls me in the distance, expanding with every breath I take.
Control seeps back as I start to move, reaching for the light until my fingers skim over it and it dots fill my vision.
Muffled sounds reach me, and then slowly, my vision sharpens. My gaze sweeps around the stone walls and settles on the double doors to my left.
My fingers graze over the flimsy white dress I’m wearing, and my brows knit as this strange familiarity surfaces.
Have I been here before?
I swallow hard as the headmistress claps her hands, signaling everyone to prepare themselves just as the doors swing open.
Wait, I know what happens next. I’ve already done this, right?
The first dragon clan leader walks into the hall, and I lose my balance as my vision swirls.
The Dominion’s dark blond hair changes, darkening further. His stance follows, his shoulders broadening as his cloak clings to his body. Wait, he didn’t look like that…
My eyes lock on the leader as his sweep over the line before landing on me. A grin tugs on his lips as he closes the distance between us.
He takes my hand in his. Sparks erupt, and I try to pull away as my soul screams at me, telling me this can’t be.
“My rider, my mate,” the dragon shifter says as he tugs me closer, his eyes changing into slits. My body heats as his dragon calls for me, and my knees go weak.
“Is this real?” I ask in a whisper.
His thick brows crease. “Why wouldn’t it be?” His voice is soft and kind. I must be losing my mind as it feels as if I’m missing something.
As if I should remember something important, but it keeps slipping through my fingers .
With his hand clasping around mine, he leads the way, keeping me close as my heart races in my chest. Names tickle on my tongue, ready to be spoken, names that sound familiar, but I can’t remember.
“What’s your name?” I ask, and then it comes back clearer. My lips part, wanting to say the name of my mate, of the Aetherion I know.
Ares.
“Cedric,” he says before another name drops from my lips.
My steps slow as my mind clouds and his grip tightens. That’s not the name that came to mind at all, but the name Cedric does sound somewhat familiar. The way he smiles at me tells me that I should know him, but I struggle to comfortably fit all of these odd puzzle pieces together.
Something just doesn’t feel completely right, and I can feel the thoughts and memories in my mind steadily fading away into nothing.
“Are you okay, sweet thing? You seem… upset,” Cedric asks as he leads me down the echoing stone hallway, the sound of our footsteps filling the corridor. He pitches me a strange look, his eyebrows furrowing.
I study his features for a few seconds. The intense eyes. The sharp jaw. The natural smirk. “Yes… I think I’m just tired. Where are we going?”
Cedric grins, making my stomach twist for a reason I can’t explain. “To my room for now. Soon, we’ll go home.”
And where is that? My chest squeezes and tightens with a hint of panic as I continue to follow him, feeling like I’m floating through life right now without a firm grasp on reality. What I think is real doesn’t seem to be the case.
Am I going crazy?
Cedric heads up the stairs, and once we reach the hallway full of guest rooms for the dragon shifters, he puts his arm around my shoulders and draws me close to his side. As we pass by other shifters, his grip tightens like I may be snatched away at any moment .
Being this close to him, it’s hard to properly think as his scent washes over me in wave after wave, clouding my confused mind even more. “What are we doing?”
Cedric pauses in front of one of the doors and turns to me, his shadow falling upon me as he towers tall and strong. Weakness hits my knees and swirls in my stomach, heat flushing across my face. The power radiating from him is undeniable. “We’re getting to know each other.”
I stare up at him, shadows of uncertainty sweeping over my mind. How can things feel so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time? When he offers his hand to me, I peer at it for a few seconds, wondering whether I should trust him.
Then again, with such a hazy head, what other choice do I have?
With a weak smile, I place my hand in his, letting him whisk me away inside the room.
Ethan
As the door creaks behind me, the coldness in my body lifts. A familiar warmth spreads as I turn and hug Ares tightly.
“It’ll be alright. We’ll bring her back. I promise,” he whispers, carefully snaking his arms around me as I feel the witches’ gazes burn in my back.
“Why do you smell like… Death?” I murmur as his body tenses at my words .
“The headmistress… she’s been killed.” He pauses, his jaw ticking. “It’s Hephaestus.”
As his grip on me falters, I follow, my arms dropping to my sides as I realize what this means.
Rodi is trapped in a dream world with Hephaestus. I can only imagine what he’s trying to do. He doesn’t want her and Ares to be together, still holding a grudge against them for her infidelity.
That isn’t the only thing that makes me fear losing. The witches know about this spell but are all saying the same, that Rodi should have woken up by now. They never heard of one that could keep a soul trapped for more than twenty-four hours.
They believed it was impossible. Tara, the coven leader, believes Hephaestus has more than just witches helping him.
The original curse they used on Ares and Rodi was created by the gods. So, now it makes me wonder what we’re truly up against.
My nose scrunches at the scent of blood wafting my way as the coven witches chant. Beads are clutched in their hands as they rock back and forth. The sight chills me to my bones.
Tara clears her throat, and I peel my gaze away from Ares. “Which of you is going to enter the dream world?” she asks.
Ares steps forward, and I quickly grab his elbow. “I should do it,” I say. “We don’t know what will happen when I’m in there, but you are the Aetherion. A king. It’s too dangerous.”
His brows draw together as his eyes pierce mine. Concern and warmth glint in them, and I wonder whether it’s for me or Rodi.
Hesitantly, he nods and steps aside.
As my heart races in my chest, I take my place beside Rodi’s cold and stiff body. Fear crawls under my skin, terrified for what I might find in this dream world.
Ares settles beside me and takes my hand. My heartbeat slows as his touch brings some peace to my fear, knowing I’m not alone in this.
A nervous smile spreads on my face when I look up at him, watching as his eyes flicker back and forth between his and his dragon’s.
“Are you ready?” Tara asks, and I draw a deep breath.
“I’m ready,” I say as my voice steadies.