Chapter 24
Elariya
Istepped out from the shelter of the trees, my slippers sinking soundlessly into the cool sand. Each step toward him felt weighted and careful, as if I were approaching a wild creature that might bolt at any sudden movement.
Wolfe remained perfectly still, watching me with an intensity that seemed to bore through to my soul.
The moonlight caught the chiseled planes of his face. He’d trimmed his beard right down until only a shadow graced his jaw. In my journal, I’d written about him having beads plaited into his beard. Now he wouldn’t be able to do that.
This cleaner look was no less rugged, but it made him appear sharper, meaner.
Something unreadable flickered in his already blank expression. It unnerved me. I didn’t know what I was walking into. Since we’d mostly been arguing, it was probably safe to assume this would be another clash between us.
The dragon beside him shifted, its massive head turning toward me with intelligence gleaming in those vibrant eyes. Then my heart warmed as the great beast lowered its enormous head into a bow—a gesture of respect that left me frozen mid-step.
She’d done so on the beach in the Southern Isles, too. For some reason, it meant more to me now.
“My Lady,” Pyrion said, but her regal voice spoke the words to my mind.
I bowed and placed a hand to my heart, then I continued walking, stopping a few paces away from Wolfe.
I gazed up at him, feeling smaller than ever. It was strange. The dragon had to be about thirty feet long and stood fifteen feet from the ground, but somehow, Wolfe at seven feet felt gigantic to me.
“You may touch her if you wish,” Wolfe said, gesturing to Pyrion.
I set my books on a clean stretch of sand beside a weathered boulder and moved closer.
The dragon lowered her head slowly, until those amber eyes were level with mine. This close, I could see the intricate patterns etched into her obsidian scales—swirls and spirals that seemed to shift and dance in the moonlight.
My hand trembled as I reached out, my fingertips barely grazing the warm scales along her snout. The texture was nothing like I'd expected—not rough or cold but smooth as glass, radiating a gentle heat that seemed to pulse with the creature's heartbeat.
The moment my palm pressed flat against her hide, Pyrion leaned gently into my touch, and a sound like distant thunder rumbled within the barrel of her chest. It was a greeting, a recognition of something I couldn't recall but somehow still felt in my heart.
"She remembers you flying with her and Hedion," Wolfe explained. I could hear the wonder in his voice.
“Where is Hedion?”
“Scouting. He needs the practice. And it is better if he does it on his own.”
Pyrion groaned and brushed against my palm.
For a moment, standing there on the moonlit beach with this magnificent creature acknowledging me, I understood why the girl in my journal had fallen so completely. This wasn't just magic; it was belonging to something larger than myself.
“What are you doing out here?” Wolfe leaned closer, glancing from me to my books. “A bit late for practicing spells.”
My stomach clenched, nerves getting the better of me, but I kept my eyes on the dragon. “I needed to go for a walk.”
“You should have gotten someone to go with you. We can never be too safe even here.”
“I never went far from the house. As you can see.” Finally, I looked at him. “And I wanted to be alone.”
“I guess I spoiled your plans, then.”
“Looks that way.”
I wasn't sure, but something that might have been a smile ghosted across his lips.
I looked across at the sand where he’d sent the blue flames. It looked normal, like nothing had happened. “What were you doing?”
“Warding the place with stronger dragon magic. It’s an added layer of protection to prevent future attacks.”
“Didn’t the fire burn you when it touched you?”
“No. A dragon and its rider are one. Her magic is mine, and my Fae magic is hers.”
“What about your other magic?”
He looked away, gazing out to the dark sea, knowing I meant his Deathwalker magic. “That belongs to death and can only be shared with the darkness. Or the dark ones.”
My skin crawled, and a cold shiver wriggled up my spine. “The dark ones?”
“The dead. And those beyond this world. Like in Morg?ven and the Land of the Dead.”
Pyrion interrupted with another groan. I looked at her, almost grateful for the intrusion, because I didn’t know what the hells to say.
The tip of a large wing was extended to me, and Pyrion groaned again.
“Tell her we won’t be flying today,” Wolfe instructed. “Tell her we’ll go out another time.”
My lips parted to say the words, but I paused, suddenly finding it difficult to speak. I recalled how fervently I’d sounded in my journal when I’d decided I was staying here in the magical realm.
My love for the land, the dragons, and the male who had stolen me away felt so real I could almost touch it. It seemed my heart had conquered my mind after that first dragon ride, and it was after that moment that everything between Wolfe and me had changed, too.
Now we were here. And I didn’t know if I could lie to the dragon and tell her we’d fly another time when I was planning my escape.
“Not today, my friend.” My voice cracked. I patted her head. “Another time.” There. I did it. I lied.
I wondered if she could tell.
If she did, she didn’t show it. Instead, she bowed deeper, showing me the same reverence she did Wolfe.
“She shows me the same respect she shows you. They both do. Why?” I asked softly, bringing my hands together as I looked back at Wolfe.
“Because I made you my Velastra,” he answered, glancing briefly at Pyrion.
My eyes flicked down to the marking on my wrist, and I stared at it for a long moment. “I don’t have anything written about it. I mean you giving this to me. I guessed it must have happened while we were in the Southern Isles.”
“Yes. We were attacked mere moments after I branded you.”
I met his piercing stare, noting the way his jaw clenched and the way his eyes still guard his pain. “My grandmother told me that those cursed like me could never be bonded. You knew that when you gave it to me.”
Something cracked in his expression, showing a sliver of the emotion beneath. “Yes, I knew.”
“A soul bond is… important.” My hands dropped to my sides.
He raised his brows. “It’s more than important. Especially to a Nightblade. I can only give that mark to one person in my lifetime.”
And he’d chosen me.
As I looked at him, I realized it wasn’t madness that made me fall for him.
Gods, I hadn’t lost my mind at all. Whatever existed between us was real. It was true. It was undeniable and raw.
I just couldn’t feel it anymore.
“I don’t think you should have done that.” My voice came out in a hush, catching on the edge of the wind.
“I don’t think we should talk about this anymore.” The walls slammed back up behind his eyes, shutting me out as effectively as a locked door. The brief moment of openness vanished, sealing away whatever vulnerability I'd glimpsed.
“I think we should. I have twenty-one days until my next reset. With everything going on, I doubt we’re going to find the ring this month. I’ll forget you again. Then we’ll repeat the same cycle over and over, again and again, until we can’t.”
“That’s the risk I took.”
“Why?” I trembled out the word. “You have a kingdom to think about. And you’re a prince. You could have anyone you wanted. Why in the six hells would you choose to be with someone like me? Someone who’d forget who you were every new moon. There’s just so much…wrong.”
The smile came now, but it wasn’t one of humor. “The answer is simple. I took the risk because you are my choice, Ziyka. There is no need of further explanation or consideration.”
How could it be so simple when there was so much to consider? “But—”
“No.” He shook his head. “Like I said, there is no need of further explanation. I knew what lay ahead for us.”
“Oh, but I’m sure you never expected Thayden to screw you over.”
His gaze hardened. “Do not speak to me about him.”
“But you’re underestimating him. You’ve done that before.”
“Yeah. I won’t deny that.” He cocked his head, gave me a baleful stare, and clenched his jaw. “I underestimated him. That’s not a mistake I’ll be making again.”
“You might not get the chance to make any more mistakes,” I snapped. “Then my family will pay the price.”
“I told you I’ll figure out a way to protect your family.”
“What have you thought of so far?” I just wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was planning. I was still going to leave.
He hit me with a sharp stare. “I’m working on it.”
I stared back at him, too, just as sharply. “So, you have nothing yet?”
“I’ll figure it out soon enough.”
“And while you figure it out, what exactly do you plan to do with me?” Again, I was just curious.
“You will stay here with me, where it is safe.”
“That’s not an answer. That doesn’t answer my question.”
“Well, that’s my answer,” he hissed, narrowing one eye, as if he was pissed I dared to challenge him. Good. Let him be pissed.
“Do you think you can just keep me here until I feel for you again?” I smirked.
“Something like that.” He looked me up and down, sizing me up.
“We have three days until Thayden returns.”
“I bow to no mortal's timeline.” The declaration rang with dark promise. “And I won't be dictated to by that bastard.”
What an asshole. That’s what he was worried about—his fucking pride.
Rage exploded through me like wildfire. "How noble of you, Your Highness," I snapped, my voice dripping with venom. "While you stand there acting like some untouchable god, real people—people I love—are going to burn because of your stupid pride. How can you be so callous?"
“Like fuck. This isn’t about being fucking callous.”
“But you are.” I could see I was pushing all the wrong buttons. And I intended to keep going. “By keeping me here, you’re being callous and selfish."