27. Chapter 27
twenty-seven
Rodi
“ I have a surprise for you.”
My brows crease together as I glance at Cedric while we venture through the halls of the estate together. We spent all day together yesterday, and the more I’m around him, the more familiar he becomes. The haze in my mind is fainter but still lingers. There are things I feel like I should remember, but I don’t. Whispers of names that I can’t properly hear. Blips of memories that I can’t fully process.
Maybe it’s the roaring heat in my body messing with my mind. I feel it now as Cedric puts his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close as he’s made it a point to do multiple times now. His scent fills my nose, almost dizzying me .
“A surprise?” I ask.
Cedric nods and leads me up a flight of stairs. Then another. Higher and higher. “Something I’d like to show you.”
I follow him closely, my heart starting to race as he takes me down another hallway until we reach a set of wooden double doors.
Cedric pulls open the double doors, eliciting a gasp from me.
A stone balcony with a beautifully crafted banister greets my sight. Vines and delicate greenery wind around the railing, but that’s not even the most gorgeous part. What really takes my breath away is the sky.
Sunset paints a stunning portrait with vibrant hues of orange, yellow, and pink until it looks like the sky is glowing with color. Faint clouds adorn the colorful streaks that’ll soon be gone come nightfall.
“It’s beautiful,” I say as my fingertips touch my lips.
“It made me think of you,” Cedric replies with a smooth grin. He steps out onto the balcony, gesturing for me to follow.
Entranced by the beauty of the sunset, I follow until I reach the banister, my fingers resting on the cool stone. My eyes sweep overhead, taking in the sight. Down below, the castle grounds linger. “I’ve never been here before.”
“I can show you all sorts of things,” Cedric tells me as he stands next to me, our arms brushing. Just his touch makes goosebumps flare up on the back of my arm.
My face warms up as he gazes down at me. “We have always belonged together,” he whispers.
Cedric draws in a deep breath through his nose before taking my hand. “You’ll feel this bond between us too, soon.”
“I think… I think I do feel it,” I admit as the warmth of his grip overtakes my hand and starts to flow through my entire body. There’s something there between us. Some sort of tension. That must be evidence of the bond .
Cedric grins and lifts his other hand to brush his fingertips along my cheek. “Good. Revel in it.”
My eyes flutter shut as his fingers graze my bottom lip. The echo of his radiating power washes over me like bright sunlight, demanding all of my attention.
But this tense energy that crackles between us is beyond just power and submission. It’s something that burrows beneath my skin and sinks into the depths of my soul. It’s hard to explain, but there’s just something about him that I can’t shake.
“We all wait for such a connection with the dragon shifters. I was worried I wouldn’t experience it,” I tell him.
“You’re special, Rodi,” Cedric states as he draws his fingertips away from my full lips.
I gaze up at him as the colors in the sky start to fade away and submit to the darkness of night.
“I don’t think I am,” I assure him. I’m so much like all the other girls in the orphanage. We follow the same routines and wear the same kind of dresses. I don’t think I’m the outlier he sees me as.
“Most special people don’t believe they are indeed special,” Cedric replies. “You’ll understand in time.”
I’ll understand in time…
I can only hope that means the confusion in my head will be fully cleared up soon. It’s like I’m coming out of a deep sleep and I’m sort of lucid, but not completely.
“Well, I don’t take your attention lightly,” I tell him.
Even if things are a bit odd, I’m not stuck in the basement right now. I’m not wearing ugly white dresses and getting chastised by the headmistress. That sounds like a wonderful upgrade, if you ask me .
Hopefully, I won’t embarrass myself, especially while all the other Dominions are still here. Dragon riders are supposed to uplift and support their dragon shifters, never bringing them down. Meanwhile, a dragon shifter must protect and support their rider no matter what.
Will that truly be our relationship?
“Well, thank you for bringing me out here,” I say as I pull my hands away from the stone banister. If I weren’t leaving soon, I’d come out here more and think, but this won’t be my home.
Cedric reaches out and brushes his hand down my arm. “There is so much in store for us.”
I hold his gaze for a few seconds, seeing a determined glint in his eyes.
There is a big chance that I’ll be able to leave this place and experience a new kind of life. From what I’m hearing, a life with the Aetherion will be a lavish, exciting one.
I don’t think that sounds bad at all.
I give him a warm smile and wrap my fingers around his bicep, our bodies gravitating closer together like it’s a natural thing. That must be a good sign. “Well, I look forward to it.”
Cedric chuckles as he reaches over and places his hand over mine, giving it a firm squeeze and not letting go for a few seconds. “Oh, so do I.”
As I gaze up into his eyes, I feel a strange, uncomfortable tug in the back of my mind. It’s sudden and brief, but it’s strong enough to almost make me flinch. I do my best to steel myself and clench my teeth, fighting off the lingering discomfort.
What in the world was that?
“Are you okay?” Cedric asks, suspicion glinting in his eyes.
I breathe in through my nose as casually as I can, giving my head a light nod. “Perfectly fine. I just… have a headache.”
Cedric hums under his breath before nodding .
“Shall we?” Cedric asks as he gestures back toward the double doors.
I pause for a second, waiting for some sort of clarity to shine upon my mind that’ll explain why I suddenly feel so off toward him, but there’s nothing.
“Let’s,” I say with a nod.
As we head back into the castle, I leave my worries behind me on the balcony under the darkening sky, putting my back to the darkness as it starts to grow and fester.