Chapter 27 #2
I tucked into my meal, though my appetite had fled. Alaric relished every morsel, groaning his approval as if he hadn’t eaten in centuries. I let him fill the silence with stories of his glory days, nodding where politeness demanded, but my mind churned with what I truly wanted to ask.
When his goblet emptied and his spirit was high, I seized the moment. “Please don’t be angry, but I saw Pyrrhus’s sacred arbor.”
His jovial mood washed away in an instant, a tight muscle ticking in his jaw. “And?
I swallowed against the sudden dryness in my throat. “And…what if I told you I believe the sacred tree is the true reason the goddess brought me here? That maybe, if I could find a way to bring it back to life, this land could thrive again.”
His expression darkened like the sky before a storm, the edge of his lip curling in disbelief.
“You honestly think the almighty Goddess Hathor, in her infinite wisdom, sent a slave to heal a sacred arbor?” The scorn in his voice cut sharp and cold.
In that moment, he reminded me a lot of Lady Penelope.
I stiffened. “I see no harm in trying.”
“You see no harm because you’ve no knowledge of the world outside of your tiny, ignorant community.”
His harsh words stabbed an iron rod down my spine. Easy, Sera. Must not strangle the dragon shifter. Remember, he’s spent the last thousand years as a beast.
“By all means, explain it to me.”
Alaric snorted. “Those trees are no blessing but a curse. Before their arrival in my kingdom, it was the Draconis who were worshiped. As they should be. After all, it was the royals who protected the lands.”
I gripped the fabric of my skirt, choosing silence while he refilled his cup and drank deeply. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, his manners slipping the more agitated he grew.
“The world changed the moment those damn trees took root,” he growled.
“Suddenly, the people served them instead of their rightful rulers. Even the kings and queens were reduced to glorified gardeners, bound to serve and guard the oh-so-holy arbors.” His eyes gleamed with resentment, years of bitterness boiling to the surface.
I frowned, heart thudding. “But the goddess gifted the sacred trees so the people and lands would flourish. They were meant to be a blessing.” It was a belief I’d clung to for as long as I could remember, even when the Puritans railed against magic and condemned the goddess’s name.
Deep down, I’d always thought the trees were a gift.
Alaric’s once-heated gaze softened to something worse—pity. The kind reserved for children who still believe in fairy tales.
“Tell me,” he said, voice low and patronizing, “where do you suppose a god or goddess gets their power?”
I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to throw my goblet at his smug face. “Worship,” I grated. Reluctantly adding, “And…sacrifice.” The word tasted bitter. I couldn’t help wondering how much of a boost Hathor got from my sacrificed soul.
“Correct.” Alaric’s smile was thin, triumphant. “Now, what do you suppose Hathor gained by gifting mortals with those magical trees?”
“You mean…” My stomach turned. “In exchange for the sacred arbors, she gained worshipers.”
“Exactly. And as with all gods, no gift comes without a price. Magic always demands something in return.” He gestured broadly to the broken castle, the barren lands beyond. “Look what it did to Pyrrhus.”
The words pierced deeper than I wanted to admit. My gaze followed his hand to the shattered stones, the lifeless earth.
“The sacred tree is why Pyrrhus was attacked,” Alaric pressed, sensing my hesitation.
“Its power attracted The Dark One, and we were nerfs to the slaughter. The people grew fat and spoiled because of Hathor’s so-called gift.
I’d hoped, with it gone, that we would return to the old ways.
Instead, the civilians who survived fled to other kingdoms still shackled to their arbors. ”
I bit the inside of my cheek, certainty slipping like sand through my fingers. Was I wrong to have idolized the sacred arbors for so long? “I’m…sorry,” I whispered. “I had no idea.”
Silence pressed heavy between us. Doubt gnawing at me, I picked at the scraps on my plate—until his voice shattered the quiet.
“Enough of that,” he boomed. “We speak of dark topics when this is supposed to be a celebration.”
The change of pace was more than welcome. “Quite right.” I straightened in my seat, setting my fork next to my plate.
Alaric rose from his chair and thrust his hand beneath my nose. “Dance with me.”
I peered up at him, expecting to see a teasing smile. Brow furrowed, lips tipped down, he stared back.
Oh dear. He was serious? I leaned away as if he’d offered me poison nightshade. “One, I can’t dance. And two, there’s no music.”
His hand didn’t waver. “It’s been hundreds of years since I’ve danced with a beautiful woman.”
My cheeks warmed. I kept forgetting that only yesterday this man had been a dragon. “They’re your toes. Who am I to refuse to step on them?”
Alaric guided me to a vacant spot in the room.
“One moment,” he said before striding to the sideboard. Alaric cranked the handle on the side of a box, and the clatter of something mechanical hit my ears.
As he turned to face me, music played. Metallic tines strummed a variety of strings, the sound as if an ensemble of tiny musicians sat beside us.
I gaped at the dragon king. “That’s incredible.”
“You are incredible,” he said, sweeping me into his arms. And in that moment, it seemed I lived in a fairy tale. I, the sad little orphan turned slave. The girl who excelled at cleaning bedpans.
Alaric spun me around the room, and the silken length of my exquisite skirt caressed my legs.
My perfectly coiffed hair gleamed beneath the candlelight—not a frizzy coil in sight.
I twirled in the arms of an adoring king.
Gorgeous gems encircled my throat. Instead of stale bread and watery stew, an unbelievable meal nestled in my belly.
In that dazzling moment, I had all the things I’d dared to dream of.
Except freedom.
The dress I wore wasn’t mine, nor of my own choosing. The feast I’d indulged in was due to someone else’s hard work and success. The man who held me tight in his arms...
Wasn’t the one I desired.
Reality crashed in like cold water. I felt the slow, possessive slide of Alaric’s hand along my hip. The diminishing space between us. The unwanted press of his erection against my stomach. My gut knotted, battling with the bit of pheasant I’d managed to eat.
“Alaric,” I gasped, my feet freezing mid-glide.
“It’s okay, Serafina. I feel it too.”
He firmed his jaw, eyeing my mouth, and I set trembling fingers against his lips. “Perhaps a little too much.” I mean, I understood he’d missed out on a lot over the years, but it wasn’t necessary to experience everything in one night. Especially not with me.
“Right.” He cleared his throat, his brows furrowing with annoyance.
Thankfully, the music box ground to a stop and I broke free of his embrace, putting a more comfortable distance between us.
While Alaric tended to the musical contraption, I heaved a breath, mustering up my courage. “Have you given any thought to the deal we made?” I asked. “The one where you promised to release me once your curse was broken?”
His shoulders stiffened, and he slammed the lid on the box, making me jump. “Is that what you’ve been thinking about all evening? How quickly you can leave me?”
If he’d remained a dragon, I imagined smoke would have rolled from his nostrils.
But as a man, the threat was different, quieter, sharper.
I lifted my chin. “Not at all. And I’m not saying I would leave immediately, especially considering Speck’s condition.
But I would appreciate the freedom to choose. ”
“I’ll release you when the time is right.” The words fell like manacles snapping closed.
My hands curled into fists. “That wasn’t the deal.”
“We specified no timeline.”
I stared at him, a cold knot forming in my gut. “What are you saying?” My voice quivered despite my anger. “That you plan to keep me here forever?”
His green eyes narrowed, gleaming with possession. “Where would you go, Serafina? Where would you not be treated like a penniless servant? Wouldn’t be used?”
“Anywhere I want. That’s the whole point. Freedom. For me and for Speck. Once he’s well enough.”
Alaric scoffed. “Without the wealth and protection of Pyrrhus, you’d be little more than an impoverished peasant again. So why not stay here? With me. And be treated as a queen.”
Because, until tonight, he’d treated me like a servant, ordering me around. Given his behavior this evening, I doubted anything would change if I stayed.
“What about Thorne?”
His scowl darkened, a low rumble sounding in his chest. “What about him?”
“Do you plan to keep him here with you as well?” Thorne swore an oath to remain with Alaric until he was restored. In my mind, that oath was more than fulfilled.
Alaric heaved a sigh, his scowl softening. “I didn’t want to mention this, because I know you’ve grown close, but Thorne is already gone. He won’t be back. Once he has delivered his warning, he doesn’t plan to return.”
A sharp ache bloomed in my chest. “No. I don’t believe you.”
“What’s not to believe?” He canted his head in a predatory manner, voice like silk over steel.
“Did you really think you could tame a rake such as him? Thorne was never one to stay in one place for long. Even in his youth. Face it, Serafina. Whatever you believe existed between you, you were nothing to him. Just like all the others before you.”
We’d made no promises. Still, would he have left without a word? After all we’d shared last night? No. I clung to that certainty even as doubt clawed at me. Alaric was lying. He had to be lying. But why?