CHAPTER THREE
MY BODY JERKS AWAKE, BUT I don’t go far with what feels like a steel band wrapped around my midsection.
I gasp, realizing that I’m not on the ground or falling any longer.
I’m in someone’s arms, perched on what appears to be a white dragon.
My head whips around and I see Vasari flying next to us, and Nero perched on her back, clinging on for dear life.
What in the fates is going on?
“Relax, Little Dream,” a silky deep voice murmurs in my ear as what I’m now realizing is the male’s arm tightens around me.
“Don’t worry Rav, I’ve been keeping my eyes on him. He’s unfortunately been nothing but respectful,” Nero adds, but it doesn’t help soothe my frazzled nerves.
What the hell happened back there? Where are we going? The last thing I remember is being attacked by Evera on a red dragon and the black dragon with no rider… then falling and pain before the realm went dark.
Vasari takes that moment to speak up. “You’re on my mate’s back. No harm shall come to you, but you must learn how not to fall off of me. It’s a hindrance,” she states.
“Let me go,” I snap, squirming to get some room away from the male behind me, but he doesn’t budge.
His deep chuckle rumbles behind me, its vibrations going right through my body. “Not going to happen. We are going to be landing soon to camp for the night so the others can catch up,” he shouts over the wind.
Catch up? My mind whirls and then a lesson from Phixmery comes back to me.
White dragons are incredibly fast, easily able to fly three times the speed of any other color.
I sigh in annoyance. “At least let me have some space. I don’t even know who you are!
” I yell back, resuming my struggle to move forward, and that’s when I feel something hard poking my backside.
I freeze.
“You won’t be falling again in my presence. Do I make myself clear? You’re too important. Now stop moving before this gets messy. I didn’t bring another pair of pants.”
I stop, shocked at the male’s inappropriate words, but thankfully he loosens his grip a bit.
“Nero, what happened?” I ask, trying to focus on anything else other than the warm, hard male behind me.
He turns towards me from Vasari’s back. “You fell after those other dragons attacked. Your oversized lizard caught you—”
“I’m not a lizard,” she snaps.
“—and I felt a disturbance within our bond. It felt like you formed another one, but it seemed different than the ones you formed with us. The Lords’ sons showed up, and had some sort of secret meeting which I only caught pieces of.
By the way, they know the male who’s behind you, and they’re definitely up to something.
Vasari seems to trust them, but I say we keep our guard up. ”
Vasari sighs in annoyance. “There’s literally no one safer she could be with right now.
Evisdor has informed me that the Lords would have taken you.
” Her voice grows somber. “I’m sorry, Lost One; had I known our display would have caused such an outrage, I would have taken you far away the moment we bonded until we came up with a plan…
I have kept my distance for far too long.
It seems the fae have become corrupt, which explains…
” She trails off like she wants to say more, but is deciding to keep it to herself for now.
Normally I’d push, but with everything going on I feel overwhelmed, like there are projectiles coming from every direction and I don’t know which to stop first.
I stare at the scenery below. Snow-capped mountains and thick, dark green evergreens saturate the land.
The realization that everyone now knows a Gallalaus fae exists dawns on me.
The Lords won’t stop until they get their hands on me.
Why couldn’t Gretchen still be alive to tell me what I needed to do? Where should I go?
“Rav, I don’t think it’s possible for us to hide any longer…”
Vasari snorts. “Of course it’s not. She was always meant to fight for what’s rightfully hers.”
My hand flies to my necklace, gripping the pendant tightly. “No,” I say adamantly. “I was supposed to keep my identity hidden. My mother never wanted this.”
A sense of wistfulness comes through my newly formed bond with my dragon, which doesn’t make any sense. “All will be clear soon enough. Just relax,” she murmurs, then puts up a wall, temporarily blocking our bond. Although I instinctively know, if I truly need her, she’ll be there.
I huff out a sigh. I need off. I need to clear my head. I need my friends.
Shit!
I left them. I don’t even know if they made it through their trials. What if something happened? “I need to go back!” I yell over the wind. “Take me back to Phixmery! Now!”
“No can do. Just wait—”
Anger courses through me and I feel the Szellemi magick spike.
I throw an elbow back, catching the male in the face before prying out of his arms and hopping off his dragon, aiming for Vasari who thankfully realized what I was up to.
Narrowly missing Nero, I land on her back, winding myself as my breath expels abruptly from my lungs, leaving me breathless as I scramble for a spike to hang on to.
My thighs strain from the effort of holding on. “Turn around Vasari, we need to go back,” I state, firmly pushing against the mental barrier she put up, but she continues on course, descending.
“If you would have listened to the male, he would have informed you that your friends are coming. They’re just not as fast. It’s why we’re stopping now that we have crossed into Vathia’s borders,” she rumbles gently.
I wince slightly, the anger and worry evaporating. Maybe I overreacted a bit.
Nero snorts. “And you say I’m quick to violence,” he chortles.
Ever so slowly, I glance over at the white dragon beside me—Evisdor, I believe Vasari said his name was—and see an amused male on his back.
This time my breath is taken from me for a whole other reason.
This male is mouthwateringly attractive.
His messy white hair is shorter on the sides, fading up to thick, long tresses on top.
He has a sharp, square jaw and full pouty lips, and the most beautiful lavender eyes I’ve ever seen.
His black riding leathers barely contain the sheer broadness of his shoulders and slightly bulky muscles.
Pair that with the glistening black and sapphire blue sword at his waist…
My thoughts trail off and I snap my gaze forward, feeling my face heat.
It’s official. My birthday must be cursed.
Last year I was injured and near death because of a whipping, and this year for my twenty-seventh we have: The Choosing, Bracken changing my choosing task to join a faction, having a royal dragon choose me and out me to the realm, being kidnapped by…
by… My eyes roam over him again and I can’t remember the point I was trying to make.
I shake my head. Now I’m on my way to Vathia.
“Wait, did you say Vathia?” I exclaim. “Why in all of Damorleia are we in Vathia?”
Before anyone can answer me, we land, and it takes me a moment to realize what I’m looking at.
The mountains in the distance are lit with the hue of the fading sun, but that’s not what has my mouth gaping wide.
It’s the field of white flowers, dusted in a layer of snow.
Long green stems with three pointed petals reaching towards the ground: the same flowers from my dreamscape.
In fact…this is the exact field from my dream.
“Are you coming down or are you just going to stay sitting up there gaping like a fish?” the male yells from below Vasari.
I glance at the white dragon who’s taken up his usual position from the dream, laying on the ground watching us with his yellow serpentine eyes.
Nero perches on my shoulder and slumps against my head. “My talons are tired—I’ve never had to hang on to something for so long before. These dragons are too fast, I tell you. Please do not subject me to that again.”
“I’ll make you a pouch or something. I’m sure we can figure it out,” I tell him before huffing out a sigh and slowly clambering down from Vasari. When my boots hit the ground, I tumble slightly, my own legs unsteady from the flight.
Firm hands grasp my upper arms, keeping me upright, and when I glance up, lavender eyes stare back in cool amusement.
“You’ll get used to that. Now, are you going to explain to me why you didn’t heed my warning about leaving Phixmery?
Forcing my hand to come there and get you myself?
You do realize we are in a war, correct? ” he asks with the lift of a pale brow.
Roughly, I step back, pulling myself out of his hold. “Excuse me? I’ve never met you in my life. Who in the void are you anyway?” I seethe, although lacking the heat I wanted.
He shakes his head looking slightly disappointed, muttering something under his breath. “Maeven, you do know me. Your mother’s handmaiden was supposed to explain this when you came of age—”
I stab my finger in his direction, baring my teeth at him as I hiss, “Do not say that name. That’s not who I am anymore. My name is Ravina and you still didn’t answer my question.”
“Do you want me to—”
“Not now Nero,” I snap out loud. “I’m sorry, I got this,” I amend before turning my attention back to the male.
He rests his forearm on the pommel of his sword and smirks. “Fine, Ravina, as I stated before, you do know me. In fact we used to play in this field as mere fledglings when your parents would visit Vathia.”
I cross my arms and stare blankly at him, but his smile only grows.
“I’m Aemon Zorn, as in Lord Zorn’s son. The Lord of Vathia.”
With instincts I’ve honed from a year at Phixmery, I lash out at him, striking him in the only area I can easily access—his crotch. “Your parents killed—”
He grasps his family jewels and through clenched teeth grunts, “No, we didn’t order your parents dead. Gretchen should have explained this to you.”
I shake my head, angry tears welling in my eyes. “She died when I was eleven. How do I know you’re telling me the truth?” I bellow, my voice echoing around the clearing.
“He is, Lost One,” Vasari rumbles, her head snaking around to look at me. “I sense only the truth from him. My mother spoke of the closeness between your parents…” She trails off like she wants to say more, but once again keeps silent.
“Then why don’t I remember anything he’s talking about?
I only recognize this place because of my dreams…
” Something clicks and I whip my head back towards him.
“It was you in my dreams, wasn’t it? You were your dragon!
” Betrayal begins to take root in the pit of my stomach.
“Why didn’t you tell me anything? If what you’re saying is true then why leave me in the fucking village?
Is this just some sick game you’re playing? ”
He bends at the hips to get into my face.
“Because I was keeping you safe until the time was right! You left to join the enemy’s army,” he says bitterly.
“And I only found that out because you told me. You could have died, and then Damorleia would have really been lost. I would have been—” He shakes his head and storms off leaving me staring after him.
I grip my necklace hard as doubts about my past seed in my mind. What didn’t Gretchen tell me? Why would my mother tell me to never come back? Anger builds at the unfairness of it all. Why was I left in the dark?