Chapter 7 #2
I had no words. I sat there with my mouth open, dumbfounded, embarrassed, slightly terrified, and confused by the traitorous pull of my own body.
Too many emotions collided at once. I could not understand how the conversation had spiraled so far, or whether I should fear being forced into something I did not want.
Again he continued, “Of course you would, I could make you with my magic, but I wouldn’t need to, you’d do it anyway because you are a disgustingly weak, pathetic, scared mortal and a scrawny one at that.”
Then his gaze sharpened. "You bend because you have already been broken.”
And that was what wrecked me. “I will leave,” I said quietly, pushing my chair back, looking down in shame, my vision blurring as I fought tears.
It was not the cruelty of his words that undid me.
It was the truth buried inside them. I was weak.
Cancer had stripped me of dignity, pride, the instinct to fight for myself and even my will to live.
With a casual flick of his wrist, my chair slid me back into place.
“No, you will not,” he said. “Because despite your fragility, I require something from you.”
My heart slammed against my ribs. The room felt thick with fear. He leaned back, amber eyes steady, watching me unravel.
“I want to make a deal with you.”
Deal? The word deal grounded me. My pulse slowed slightly as I exhaled a shaky breath.
“What kind of deal?” I asked cautiously.
“There is a dagger,” he said. “Sinceritas Purus-Litas. The Dagger of Destiny. I require it to awaken the God Dragon. It lies within Mount Orid. I have attempted to retrieve it for months, but the enchantments guarding it are ancient. Even I have failed.”
I scoffed weakly. “Then why ask for the help of a fragile human? If you cannot reach it, how could I?”
He glared at me and continued, “A prophecy has been found. Last year, an ancient scroll was uncovered during an archaeological dig here in Embris. I had my scholars study it, and they are certain it states that the prophecy says only a mortal can retrieve the Dagger of Destiny and awaken the God Dragon. But only an immortal can wield the power of both. The two must be made one.”
I blinked a couple times. “Meaning?” I asked quietly.
“I will try to simplify this for your small human brain,” he said coldly.
“There are no mortals in the Faerie Realm and there never have been. And then, one day, a human is brought to my castle. That makes you very necessary. You will retrieve the dagger and awaken the God Dragon so that I may bond with it and use its power to destroy my enemies.”
I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing. “A God Dragon,” I said, interrupting. “Is that what the white statue in the main hall is?”
He shot me an irritated glare, clearly displeased by the interruption, then forced himself to answer with measured restraint.
“Yes. God Dragons possess such immense power they can end wars in seconds. Ancient texts and folklore claim there are four, hidden across the realms. One lies dormant here in Nevaehun. Eloria. Without her power, my kingdom faces a grave threat.”
It took me a couple of moments to process what he said, then I asked, “what kind of threat?”
“The Kingdom of Seas has formed an alliance with the Kingdom of Night,” he said.
“We share a border with the Kingdom of Seas, and their attacks have grown increasingly aggressive. Two kingdoms against one is not a fair war. The Kingdom of Terrain refuses to intervene and remains neutral. My kingdom commands the largest dragons in number and size, but if war erupts, most will die. It could drive the species to extinction and cost the lives of thousands of innocent Fae.”
I nodded listening intently, trying to follow every word.
Then I could only blink at him as my mind caught up. “Ok, what is the deal then?” I asked sincerely, trying my best to convey my sympathy for his situation.
A devilish smile crept across his face. “It’s that last part, the two must be made one, my scholars believe it means… we need to be tethered by the mate bond.”
I nearly choked on a carrot. “I’m sorry…a what?” I asked making sure I heard him correctly.
He suddenly looked irritated, as if this were all a gigantic waste of time, as if I were so far beneath him that I did not deserve another ounce of his breath.
Darkness flickered in his eyes as he answered, “It is a union of soul and flesh between two Fae. You would be my mate in every sense of the word, through a chosen mate bond.”
“You’re... joking, right?” I asked hesitantly.
He gave me a profoundly unamused look that made it clear just how serious he was.
“Would that even be physically possible? Have you seen yourself? Compared to me, you are like a giant.” I said, still in disbelief at the conversation I was having.
He smirked with masculine pride. “It will undoubtedly be uncomfortable for you, but it is possible. There was a time long ago when the realms were one. Humans and Fae mated frequently.”
I took a long drink, trying to buy myself some time before I freaked out and got myself cremated by this psycho.
Then I set the glass down. Keeping my anger on a very short leash, I narrowed my eyes and glared at him.
“Let me get this straight. You need me to go on some suicide mission to retrieve a dagger, then you need to fuck me so you can have a God Dragon and take care of your enemies?”
He leaned back in his chair, crossed his corded arms, and nodded. A raised brow and a look of amusement accompanied the gesture.
“For a lady, you certainly have a mouth on you. I could put it to use elsewhere...” he said wickedly.
Heat flooded my core, unsure whether it was entirely anger or something else. I scoffed. “Sounds like you’re the only one benefiting from this deal,” I snapped back.
He ran a hand through his thick, wavy hair, smooth and deliberate, and embers began to caress his forearms. Then he replied, “The mate bond process is a lot more than just fucking, but yes, essentially. Don’t flatter yourself, human.
I am not thrilled about it either. I would rather go celibate for the rest of my life than stoop to fucking a pathetic mortal, especially a frail, bony one like you. "
Anger boiled my blood. This time, I was sure of it. The nerve of this
male. I did not care who he was. I was not going to let him talk down to me anymore. Somewhere deep within my emotionally battered soul, I found a piece of myself. A small piece that was screaming to stand up for me. A piece worth standing up for. He had pushed me to find it.
With my last kernel of dignity, I gathered enough courage and stupidly raised my voice to the High Lord of Flame.
“Enough! I do not look this way because I want to. I was sick in my world, and for some reason, here, I am not. You have no idea what I have been through. Maybe you are the one who should not form opinions on things you know nothing about!”
His face remained cold and deadly silent.
A long pause followed. Then he let out a breath and finally spoke, rubbing his brow.
“We are getting off track. Look, human. The God Dragon has the ability to travel through realms. If you help me save my people, I will use it to send you home. That is my offer,” he said flatly.
My heart skipped a beat at that word. Home. Was that a real possibility? Could I be reunited with Jared? How would that even work? Would I just show up on the front lawn one day, riding a God Dragon with a fire daddy, and say, honey, I’m home?
It seemed too good to be true, but my heart devoured the hope anyway.
I stayed quiet for a few minutes, processing my thoughts and feelings. He waited patiently, as if he had anticipated my reaction. Finally, I spoke.
“In my world, my body was dying, and the people I love were suffering because of it. If I were to return to my realm, would I go back to being sick?”
He paused, studying my question, his face unreadable. “Your kind doesn’t know, do they?”
"Know what?" I asked.
“You arrived here through natural progression. Your body died in your realm, and you progressed to the next, the Fae realm. Usually, you would have no memory of your previous life, and you would be born here instead of simply showing up. But for whatever reason, the Guardians of the Realms gifted you with knowledge and this form. I suspect it is to fulfill the prophecy, to be the mortal who releases Eloria. If I were to use the God Dragon’s power to rip through my realm into yours, you would remain in your current form, but be back in the human realm.
Once you are home, I will release you from our mate bond. Think of it as a business deal.”
There it was. The answer to the one question I needed most.
Your body died, he had said.
His words replayed in my mind, over and over. That was the confirmation I needed. This was not a dream. There was no returning to Jared simply by waking up.
And then my heart melted. Melted at the hope.
The hope of being with my husband again, alive, well, and able to have children. I could finally make him a father. I could be a mother. All our dreams could come true. We could live the life we planned, the way it was meant to be.
My heart swelled. I never thought this could ever be a possibility.
I was on board, the word yes already on my lips. Then I realized that if I agreed and somehow got ahold of the dagger, assuming I could survive the attempt, given how dangerous it sounded and knowing even he could not retrieve it, I would end up having to share my body with him.
Titus. That pompous, arrogant asshat.
Could I live with myself after that? Would Jared ever forgive me? Would I even tell him? How would I explain any of this to him? Then my heart tore in two. What if he had already moved on?
A wall of tears welled along my lash line. This was all too much. So much had happened in the past day or two, or week? I did not even know how long I had been asleep. I was not ready to accept his deal. Not yet. I needed time to gather my thoughts. But first, I needed to know.
“And if I were to refuse?”
A look, dark and predatory shifted his expression.
“I have the ability to force you, but I am hoping you comply of your own free will. It makes things less... messy,” he stated coldly, punctuating it with a devilish wink.
Of course he could, and I believed he would.
I pushed my chair back from the table. “I need to sleep on it.”
It was not that I had a real choice, but I needed to get away from him. I needed to stop feeling so small and powerless. I needed fresh air and space to clear my head. Most of all, I was not going to let this bastard see me cry.
I stood and walked toward the double doors, doubting he cared at all.
He said nothing and returned to eating, sipping his wine as if nothing had happened.
I pushed the door open and found the little fireball again. “Hello again. Can you show me to my room?” I asked, forcing a smile.
The fireball seemed excited to see me. It bobbed and led me through the winding maze, all the way back to my room.
I slammed the door shut and stripped off the ridiculous evening gown. All of that effort, just to be dressed up for that. Just to be insulted and talked down to, not to mention the sexual harassment.
He was such a pretentious prick.
I flopped onto the magnificent bed. That was when I saw it.
On the small table beside the window sat an oversized slice of fudgy chocolate cake, probably enough for two or three people. A fork. A glass of water. And a note with a single word.
“Goodnight.”
I did not know for sure who had left the slice of cake, but I was grateful for it. I had been so upset at dinner that I only picked at my meal. I practically licked the dessert plate clean.
Later, I fell asleep trying to ignore the sounds of the fireflies suffering. Even with the light off, I could hear them. The buzzing sounded like a million tiny cries for help. This realm could be so beautiful, and yet so unbearably cruel. I wanted to go home.