Chapter 26 #2
I couldn’t answer.
You waited, I said to Kaelith inside my mind, barely able to stand.
You survived.
It wasn’t an answer. Not really. But as I staggered to my feet, still feeling her cold presence lingering at the edge of my mind, I knew the truth.
She could have let me die.
Zander appeared through the haze of my vision, his face tight with shock—and something else I couldn’t quite place. His eyes flickered between lavender and black, like smoke coiling just beneath the surface.
“I’ll take her to the healer,” he said, voice sharp as he moved to my side.
“I’m fine,” I muttered, though my legs felt like they had forgotten how to hold me upright.
“You’re not,” he snapped, already guiding me forward with a firm hand on my arm. I didn’t resist—I couldn’t. The trial had wrung me out, leaving me hollow and unsteady.
We moved through the courtyard in silence, past the new podium. When we reached the Yarrow Gardens, I stopped abruptly and pulled my arm from his grasp. “I don’t need a healer,” I said, and my voice cracked. “I just need a moment’s peace.”
The bitterness in my voice surprised even me. Zander blinked, his hand hovering mid-air like he wasn’t sure whether to touch me again or back away.
I turned from him and pressed my fingers to my temples. The ache behind my eyes throbbed in time with my pulse. The whispers from the trial still lingered in my mind, shadows clawing at the edges of my thoughts. I couldn’t shake them, couldn’t catch my breath.
Zander exhaled heavily. “Stay here,” he said before striding a few steps away. He tilted his head toward the sky and closed his eyes.
Moments later, I heard the powerful beat of wings. I didn’t have time to react before Hein’s massive silver form landed in the clearing beside us, stirring the garden with gusts of air.
“What is he doing here?” I asked.
“Come on,” Zander said, his voice quieter now. “We’re taking a small break.”
“You want me to get on him ?” I stared at Hein’s intimidating bulk, his scales glinting like polished steel under the fading sunlight.
“Yes.” Zander grabbed a rope from Hein’s side and looped it over the dragon’s neck. “He’s making an exception for you.”
“Why?” My voice broke on the word.
“You’d have to ask him,” Zander said, throwing the rope over the saddle horn. “But I think you’ve earned a little grace today.”
I hesitated, feeling dizzy, still raw from the memories that haunted me. But Hein lowered his head slightly, and something inside me shifted.
“You’re sure about this?” I asked.
“Trust me,” Zander said, offering his hand.
Against my better judgment, I took it. His fingers wrapped firmly around mine as he guided me up onto Hein’s back. Zander swung up behind me, his arm circling my waist to steady me. Hein rose to his full height, and my heart lurched.
The next thing I knew, we were soaring—the world falling away beneath us as the wind howled past. The weight in my chest lifted slightly, and for the first time since the trial, I felt like I could breathe again.
The wind whipped my hair back as Hein’s powerful wings cut through the sky.
His silver scales gleamed like polished steel in the sunlight, each powerful stroke of his wings carrying us farther from the castle grounds.
The ocean stretched beneath us, endless and dark, broken only by the jagged rocks that marked the edges of the Dragon Isle.
I couldn’t believe this was happening. Hein was carrying me. Dragons didn’t allow anyone to ride them unless they were bonded, and Hein had never shown kindness to anyone but Zander.
“What’s going on?” I asked, clutching the rope tight. My ribs still ached from the trial, but the pain was nothing compared to the way my mind kept replaying those horrible images. Jax’s lifeless eyes, Remy’s cold sneer, my father’s hateful words. It all churned inside me like a storm.
Zander sat behind me, one arm loosely wrapped around my waist for balance. “Hein thought you needed a break,” Zander said. “So, here we are.”
I glanced over my shoulder at him. “You’re telling me your dragon can read emotions now?”
“More like instincts.” His voice was quieter now, less sharp than usual. “He’s always been able to tell when I’m close to burning out. I guess he figured you needed this more than I did.”
I swallowed hard and turned back to the sky. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not.” His voice was rigid, but not unkind. “I saw you back there, Ashe. Whatever you saw in that trial… it’s still clinging to you.”
I stared down at the water below, the endless expanse churning with white foam. “I just need to catch my breath,” I said softly.
He didn’t argue. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, his chin almost brushing my shoulder.
“You can’t keep doing this,” he murmured. “Carrying everything on your own.”
I huffed a bitter laugh. “I’ve been doing it my whole life.”
“I know,” he said, voice tight. “But you don’t have to anymore.”
I turned to face him, only to realize how close he was—his face inches from mine, his eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made my pulse stumble. His gaze flicked to my mouth for the briefest second before he looked away.
“Just… let it go for a while,” Zander said. “The world will still be waiting when we get back.”
I wasn’t sure I knew how to let go. But as Hein dipped low, sweeping just above the waves, I closed my eyes and let the salty air fill my lungs.
For just a moment, I allowed myself to believe I was free.
The island was massive, far larger than I’d imagined.
We’d landed in a clearing near the coastline, the salty tang of the sea still lingering in the air.
Beyond the rocky shore, a dense forest stretched into the distance, a wall of emerald that swallowed the land beyond.
The air smelled fresher here, untouched by the smoke and sweat of the castle grounds.
Zander swung down from Hein’s back, then reached for my hand. His fingers laced through mine, and for a moment, I let myself feel the warmth of his skin against mine.
“Come on,” he said, leading me toward a fallen log near the edge of the clearing. He motioned for me to sit, and I sank down, suddenly grateful for the break. My body still ached from the trial—my ribs felt bruised, my muscles sore and tight.
I watched as Hein wandered lazily toward the forest. His wings stretched once, shaking loose bits of dust and dirt, before he began meandering through the trees.
“Where’s he going?” I asked.
“Probably to grab a snack,” Zander said. “There are several types of deer on the isle.”
“I’m surprised they don’t decimate them,” I murmured.
Zander shrugged. “Dragons only hunt when they need to. At least, once they’re adults. I’m told the hatchling lands are pretty barren since young dragons haven’t learned to control their instincts.”
I smirked. “Sounds like some of the cadets I’ve seen in sparring matches.”
Zander huffed a laugh. “Not far off.”
“Hein teaches you a lot,” I said, watching the silver dragon disappear into the trees.
“Royals are trained in dragon lore from the time they can walk,” Zander said. “Most of the males end up as dragon riders.”
“That must be nice,” I said, the bitterness slipping out before I could stop it. “It’s better than learning to steal or kill.”
Zander’s gaze shifted to the horizon, his expression darkening.
“We learn those things too,” he said quietly.
I turned to him, studying his profile. The sharp angle of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders—whatever memories he was lost in, they were dark ones.
“I guess being a prince isn’t all comfort and privilege,” I said.
His lips twitched in a bitter smile. “No. It’s not.”
Zander’s gaze locked on mine, something intense simmering beneath the surface. His eyes flicked lower, tracing the curve of my lips, and I felt my breath falter.
“Being a prince places a certain expectation on any royal,” he said quietly. His voice was softer now, lower. “We have the finest clothes and never miss a meal, but we pay for it in other ways.”
“You mean because you’re all supposed to serve the dragons?” I asked. “That they’re your first priority?”
“That’s part of it.” His gaze lingered on my mouth again before drifting back to my eyes.
“And the other part?” I pressed.
His fingers twitched on his knee, like he was fighting something inside himself. “Being forbidden to take what you really want.”
His words hung in the air like smoke, curling through my chest and twisting low in my stomach. My throat felt tight.
“What do you really want?” I whispered.
He moved closer, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him, the faint scent of leather and pine clinging to his skin. His gaze locked on mine, unwavering.
“Isn’t it obvious?” His voice was rough, almost ragged.
And then his lips touched mine.
Soft at first—tentative, like he was testing me, waiting for me to pull away. But I didn’t. I couldn’t. My breath hitched, and my eyes closed as his hand rose to cup the side of my face, his fingers threading through my hair.
The tension that had been building between us for weeks ignited like dragon fire. His lips moved over mine, slow and intentional, but there was nothing gentle about the way his other hand gripped my waist, pulling me closer.
I felt the warmth of his breath as he tilted his head, deepening the kiss.
His fingers pressed into my side like he was afraid I might slip away.
The world faded—the ache in my ribs, the burning questions in my mind, the chaos back at the castle—all of it drowned beneath the feeling of Zander’s mouth on mine.
When we finally broke apart, I could barely breathe. His forehead rested against mine, and his fingers lingered on my waist.
“This is a bad idea,” I whispered, my voice shaky.
“Probably,” Zander murmured. “But tell me you want me to stop.”
I couldn’t. So I didn’t.