41. Chapter 41
forty-one
Rodi
M y mind keeps replaying the sight of Hephaestus’s boot crushing that skull, the one he believes is Ares’. The sound of bone crushing, the ashy dust that moved in the breeze, the scent of decay that burned my nose.
I gulp as tears prickle. I never want to go back there, never want to relive what he has done, and that thought makes me wonder what I have gone through in my past lives. Ares might remember, but I still don’t. I have no idea what horrible things I have done, and I’m sure I’ve done plenty if I believe the message that journal held.
Or perhaps I was always a weak Netherling, always on the receiving side of pain. Is it bad that I hope it’s the latter? Because I could never inflict that much on others.
I nearly jump out of my skin when the door of my room flies open, my stomach dropping as Hephaestus steps inside with a smug look on his face. He’s been disgustingly giddy since finding those bones. I step back away from him, my adrenaline kicking up.
Whenever I’m stuck alone with him, I either want to run, hide, or punch him in the face.
“What are you doing here?” I question him, wondering what in the world he wants from me now. He’s made my life absolute hell enough already, and I know he’s dragging me around to rub salt on the open wounds he creates on me.
“To see how you’re faring now that you have your proof. Ares is dead.”
Hephaestus and everyone else can say those words over and over again, but I refuse to believe them. Even after seeing the bones and the scales, I refuse to believe that my mates are dead.
“Then, free me. You have no one left to spite, no one left to fight with over me,” I say as I stand my ground, hoping that he has a sliver of mercy.
Hephaestus tips his head back as he laughs, the sound chilling me down to my bones. That’s never a good sound.
“Do you really think that’s why you’re with me? So that I can rub it in Ares’ face? Er… what’s left of it.”
His wry grin makes my stomach churn, and my hand flexes as the strong urge to strike him in the face rises. He shouldn’t be allowed to get away with saying such vile things, but he’s got everyone fooled. That little spike of power I had probably isn’t the easiest thing to recreate, either.
“We have… a long, complicated history,” I state. “I broke your heart.”
Hephaestus scoffs, his jaw tightening as he stalks closer to me. Instead of grabbing me, he circles me like a predator toying with its prey before ripping it to shreds. “I don’t want you. I don’t do this out of love. You’re mine. You belong by my side, promised from the beginning, and I’ll never let you go again.”
My body tenses as rigid as stone as my wide eyes attempt to follow every circle that he makes around me. I can’t let my guard down around him for a second.
“I don’t understand. Why keep me around, then? Don’t you want to have someone who makes you happy?”
Hephaestus chuckles. “Who says you don’t?”
Stunned silence fills the room, vibrating like white noise in my ears as he stops in front of me.
“Happiness isn’t the thing that comes to mind when I see you look at me,” I say.
“What do you see?” He moves closer, making my hands ball up into fists.
That’s hard to describe, but it isn’t a good thing. “Trickery.”
Hephaestus smirks and grasps my chin, making me wince. “When we were together, I was powerful. I was on top of the world. And now, in this little place, I can have even more. Mated dragon shifters are stronger than our single brethren, and you’ll make me stronger than the rest.”
I’m an outlet of power for him. He no longer cares for me. Perhaps he never had. He loves what I can do for him so that he can rule over as many people as possible.
“Find someone else.” Not that I wish this on anyone, but this can’t remain my life.
Hephaestus clicks his tongue at me, dragging me forward an inch by my chin. “No, I want you. After what you did to me, leaving me for Ares, you deserve an eternity of being at my mercy. ”
A sharp breath leaves my nose as I glare up at him, my chest and stomach aching like he’s punched me.
Before either of us can say anything else, there’s a soft knock on the steel door before Nyra pokes her head inside. When she sees us engaged in a tense position, she freezes. “Apologies. I can come back later.”
Hephaestus releases me and waves his hand dismissively. “I’m done here.”
With gritted teeth, I watch him walk out of the room, finally able to breathe once he’s gone.
I do my best to straighten up and act unaffected as Nyra steps inside. The smell of freshly baked bread wafts my way. My stomach rumbles in response, begging me to eat everything till the last crumb.
Nyra nudges the door closed and musters a smile as she walks over to me, a plate in hand. It’s like we’re both trying to forget what just happened.
“Good morning, Draconis.”
I nod in greeting as I hastily rub my chin, trying to soothe the ache from Hephaestus’s iron grip.
“Are you hungry?” Nyra asks as she moves closer to me.
I take a look at the plate in her hands.
“It seems he didn’t cut my food this time,” I remark, noticing the full spread.
“He can’t while we’re here, Draconis. Dominion Fangar will notice,” she says, and a smile tugs on her lips, one that almost seems genuine.
I nod and tear off a piece of warm bread, then dip it in the white, creamy substance that smells like fresh garlic.
“What’s the plan for today?” I ask and take a bite. The garlic almost burns on my tongue, and a moan rumbles from me.
“The Dominion’s daughter, Isadora, offered to show you around while Cedric has some meetings. ”
My ears perk. “Heph… Cedric is leaving me alone?”
“Yes, Draconis.” There’s this glint in her eyes, one that makes my skin itch as I want to ask what’s brewing inside her mind.
But I can’t trust her with my thoughts, not as she lied about where she’s from.
I have to make the most of the information that she’s given me, and even a minute away from Hephaestus outside of this room can be used to my advantage. I don’t plan on wasting any opportunity that falls into my lap.
I smile. “Then, we shouldn’t keep her waiting,” I say as I have no intention to meet this woman, but I am grateful for the chance she’s given me.
We might not have found that sapphire dragon, but I’m sure it’s Grayson, and if I could just get out of here, back to Valorcrest, maybe I’ll find him. He can help me get back to Ares and Ethan because I believe they’re still alive.
I refuse to believe anything else.
I take a seat, and as I stare at my reflection, the dark circles under my eyes have darkened further, the hollows in my cheeks sharpened. I look like a shell of myself, like I’m decaying by the day. Nyra loosens my braid, and I gently brush through the knots.
“Is this all from the mark?” I ask and bite my tongue, regretting that I even asked.
Nyra meets my gaze through the mirror, the brush she’s holding pausing midair before gliding through my hair again. “I believe most of it, yes,” she says with a nod.
I grimace internally. As if the outside torture Hephaestus inflicts on me isn’t enough, he’s also destroying me from the inside because of the mark. But I refuse to mark him.
There are two men who are mine, and he’s not one of them.
“Do you think I can get rid of his mark? ”
She blinks, shifting on her feet. “I don’t know. I haven’t heard of a way.”
“He did make Ares’ mark disappear,” I note and plop a grape in my mouth.
“Because he died, Draconis.”
My heart stammers as a lump forms in my throat. I swallow through it, the grape gliding down my throat as she puts the brush down and starts to braid my hair, adding some flowers while I fidget with the hem of my sleeve.
“Right,” I mumble. Around everyone else, I must pretend like I believe the worst.
I get ready in silence, wanting to play my part as I await my moment. Nyra grabs some loafers, and I quickly shake my head. “No, the boots, please.”
Her brows draw together. “That won’t—”
“Nobody will notice what I wear under this long dress. The boots are just… more comfortable,” I say, quickly adding a smile.
Taking the boots from her, I glide my feet inside, lacing up the fronts tightly. Very tightly, so that they don’t have a chance of falling off. No matter how high I jump. No matter how fast I run.
Nyra checks outside my room once I’m done getting ready. “Sentinel Ripley is here, Draconis. Enjoy your day.”
If things go how I need them to, I will. I’ll enjoy my day far away from this place and from Hephaestus.
“Thank you,” I say before stepping out into the hallway, internally preparing myself for whatever comes next.
“Draconis,” Ripley greets me with a nod.
I nod back, my mind continuing to race, but I keep my thoughts to myself for now. “Let’s go. ”
Ripley leads me through Dominion Fangar’s estate, down the stone stairs, down the corridor, until we pass through the open double doors, revealing the gardens.
Sunfire Fang can’t be compared to Valorcrest, nor to Slatebane. The yellowish soil, the dry air, the dust that’s carried in the wind paint my light dress an orange color.
I don’t belong here, but I need help escaping. I glance over at Ripley, my eyes training on the firm crease of his brow. He’s my chance out of here if I play my cards right.
“Do you still want to know?” I ask as I notice the woman on the other side of the small lake. By the guards around her, I can only assume she’s Isadora.
She has three guards with her, and the way they glare at me makes something unsettling rise in my chest.
Ripley slows, his eyes searching mine as his brows knit together.
“Know everything. Who Cedric is, why Ares is here, and how to get rid of the gods, once and for all?”
He turns toward me. I peek over his shoulder. Isadora’s guards move, looking anxious, but Ripley shields me from their view with his body.
“Everything,” he says, his gaze burning my soul.
I glance past him one more time, seeing the guards step toward my direction. They’re about to run over here, but I have to be faster.
“Then, get me the hell out of here. Now!”
I shift on my feet as it seems one of the guards tries to move past the other two, and my nerves rise higher.
“Now?” he asks, his gaze flickering around us as he keeps his voice low. “Are you sure? ”
My eyes shoot to his, narrowing a degree as the air around us grows thick, borderline suffocating. “I’m not staying here. Either you help me or don’t, but I’m leaving.”
His jaw ticks as he rakes his fingers through his hair. “I can’t shift here, I can’t—”
“Then we run,” I grit.
The commotion behind him draws his attention. A tremble rakes through his body as he curses under his breath.
“Fine,” he quickly adds, tossing his cloak and boots toward me. I stumble on my feet, holding onto his stuff tightly.
I hold my breath as the three guards stop fighting each other and focus on me and Ripley.
“Everything?” he asks, his eyes filled with uncertainty and a hint of fear.
Agreeing to help me puts his entire life at risk. It’d be easy to stand by the most powerful player on the board, but I know that his morals don’t align with Hephaestus’s. That leaves him with the choice of turning a blind eye to the evil Hephaestus inflicts upon others or making the risky decision to do the right thing.
All I can do is nudge him in the right direction.
“Everything, I promise.” I tilt my head, not breaking our stare, and his transformation begins. His armor tears, cracking as bones realign, his form darkening until scales show.
The color ruby expands as his body morphs into that of a dragon. The sunlight reflects brightly on his growing form, and my eyes widen as I realize what he is.
Holy smokes… He’s a Vermyllion… a red dragon?
I gulp, edging back as he lowers the front of his form, kneeling almost, and nudges me his big, scaly snout .
“Get on, Rodi.” His voice filters through my mind, and I’m sure I’m losing it.
“Did you just speak?” I whisper as I tie his cloak around my shoulders and climb on his front legs, my fingers grasping the edges of his scales.
He huffs, and dark smoke leaves his nostrils as he repositions himself, forcing me to glide behind his shoulders.
Pressure on my forehead rises, and his voice echoes inside my mind again. “Our species can communicate without needing to speak.”
I grip the horn-shaped scales as tightly as I can, and Ripley moves. He pushes off with his front legs and cuts his massive wings through the air just before he jumps off the ground with his hind legs.
His scales cut my hands as he flies straight up in the sky, the wind brushing past me so fast that tears run down my cheeks. My thighs hurt as I clench with all my might, fearing if I even relax a bit, I might fall.
A loud screech echoes behind me, one that almost sounds familiar. I try to glance over my shoulder to get a look, but all I see are puffy clouds shielding us.
“Was that the same dragon we saw yesterday?” I almost shout at Ripley, hoping he can hear me.
With one last big flap of his wings, he steadies and lowers his front, and I can lean back, relaxing my legs as my muscles scream at me.
“It was.”
I lean to the side, peeking down as I wonder if it truly was Grayson yesterday. Because why would he be here, and if it was him, then he should have seen it coming, right?
Seen what I was planning…
“Where is he?”
Ripley shakes his massive, scaled head. “A simple sapphire can’t keep up with a Vermyllion.”
I snort and shake my head. “Don’t have to get all cocky about it,” I mumble under my breath.
“Heard that.”
The clouds beneath me clear, and I perk up as I notice we’re flying over Valorcrest.
The ruin of death.
My ribs tighten, and I blink away the forming tears.
How many places are going to be reduced to dust as a result of conflict? How many lives will be lost?
Ripley keeps a straight line, heading east, and my brows knit. “Where are we going?”
“To Dragonspire. From there, we have to continue on foot through the cavern to get to Nythralia.”
“Can’t you fly over the mountains?”
“I can, but you can’t.” He huffs, fire sparkles moving through the air. “You’re not wearing any rider attire. You’ll freeze to death.”
Oh… right. Perhaps my plan wasn’t as failproof as I thought. But at least I’m no longer within Hephaestus’s grasp.