Chapter 17 #4
“Well you wouldn’t, would you? I’d wager you don’t know much about the mysterious dragons from the south. We keep to ourselves for a reason.”
Raef’s face falls. It’s a rare sight to see, his face without a smile painting it.
“How?”
Raef opens his mouth, but Daegan shoots him a glare that silences him.
I don’t argue. I’ve heard enough. But Raef pushes.
“Trust, remember?” he says to his friend. Daegan releases a sigh, his jaw muscle ticking. His side profile is quite beautiful, with his thin nose that has a straight slope, his full, pink lips, and his brown waves framing his face.
I flick my gaze to Raef, who focuses his red eyes back on mine. “We don’t know how. But our lifespans are shortening at an alarming rate, and our birth rates have dropped significantly. And not by choice.”
“How could that be? That’s terrible… I’m sorry, I had no idea.”
Raef shakes his head. “It has to do with the curse. That’s the only thing we can come up with. Daegan’s barely slept in years, trying to find a way to save our people.”
“You help too,” Daegan grumbles. “Don’t act like I’m the only one.”
Raef shakes his head. “He’s relentless. He’s been trying to find a way into your castle for years. When your father finally accepted, it was like we had hope again.”
“And then I thought some nosy elf heard part of my plans, and it was all over before it started. I was madder at myself than anything, for being stupid enough to openly talk about it in enemy territory. Hence, the threatening.” He clears his throat as he watches his finger trail the edge of his flagon.
I nod, my eyes wide with interest in their story.
I’m not even mad about it anymore. I don’t blame him.
I mean, he was reckless when he spoke those words out loud in the heart of his enemy, even if he thought he was safe in a room alone.
He’s desperate to help his people, and he didn’t know me at all. I could have ruined everything for him.
“Again,” he says softly, and then he locks eyes with me. And suddenly I understand why his dark blue eyes are always swimming with anger and the weight of the world. “I’m sorry. And we won’t slaughter all your people.”
“I forgive you.”
He gives a curt nod, and then we raise our drinks again. “Allies?” I offer.
“Allies,” they say in unison, and the sound of our wooden flagons banging together feels like it just sealed our fate, marking the beginning of a harrowing journey ahead.
We drink some more and watch the patrons of the inn, tossing around meaningless chatter, when the innkeeper finally brings our two slices of pie.
“Sorry about that, folks. But good news, it’s a fresh batch right out of the oven. You’re in for a treat.”
“It’s okay,” I say. “We’re in no rush.”
The steaming, golden, flaky pie slices with gooey pink centers are placed on the table in front of us, and my eyes widen.
“It smells so good,” he moans.
I dig in with my utensil and slowly take a bite. As soon as the hot pastry hits my mouth, an involuntary, muffled moan escapes me as I chew on the hot gooeyness of it.
I look up and find Daegan’s eyes on my lips.
His gaze flicks up to meet my eyes, and he points to his own lip with one long finger.
“Got something there,” he mumbles, then looks away at the drunk people now dancing around the room.
The music has kicked up, the string instruments playing a more upbeat song.
I don’t care. I wipe it away and continue devouring the pie.
“Elysande,” Raef moans through a heaping mouthful. It’s a bite so big he can barely shut his mouth. “So good,” he manages to get out.
I smile with a mouthful.
“Day,” Raef says, his mouth finally clear. “You need to try this. I’m so serious.”
“No thanks.”
Between the ale and the best pie ever, I’m feeling emboldened. “You can fight off an army of large spiders, but you’re afraid of a slice of pie?” I tease.
He shoots me an irritated look, but then he sighs, and to my surprise, he opens up his mouth toward Raef and waits for him to feed him a bite.
Laughter spills out of me as Raef does it happily, then Daegan looks at me as he closes his mouth around it, and winks. Raef misses it.
My cheeks flush, and I look down at my own dessert, unsure how to react to that.
“Good, right?” Raef asks. I like Raef. I like that he’s always smiling, and I like that he has the deepest gravelly voice, even though he’s joking and happy all the time.
“Okay, one more bite,” Daegan commands, holding his mouth open again.
I laugh into my flagon, and then I finish it off.
Shortly after, we call it a night. We make plans to meet for breakfast early in the morning, then ride back to the castle after. They go to their shared room, and I go to my own. Alone again as usual.
When I get back to my room, the shock of how truly dirty and weathered I look sinks in, but at the same time, the exhaustion hits me like a sinking stone.
I skip the bath, using my water powers to quickly rinse myself off, then I drop my head onto the pillow.
The last image in my mind before the looming slumber takes me is a dark forest, the sensation of a blazing fire on my back.