Chapter Nineteen
Valora
I awoke to the soothing feeling of fingers running through my hair. My dreams had been pleasant—not that they had stayed long enough for me to remember—but I awoke feeling relaxed and happy, something I had not felt in a long time. Opening my eyes, I saw Dracul staring at my face, a tender expression on his. He smiled when he noticed me looking at him.
“Did you have a nice rest?” he asked.
I nodded and started to sit up, but he gently pushed me back onto his lap, continuing to stroke my hair. “Not yet,” he murmured. “Just a little longer.”
It seemed that whatever wall had been between us when I had gone into the Whispering Pool had somehow crumbled. I had never seen Dracul look this vulnerable before. Usually, he focused on his work or was busy with his potions. The only time that had come this close was the night we stargazed together, but even that did not compare to was happening right now.
“Are you feeling okay?” I asked.
He frowned slightly at my question. “Yes,” he said. “Why do you ask? Are you feeling ill? Was it the food?”
I shook my head. “No, but you seem… different,” I said.
Dracul chuckled and I could feel the reverberations from where I laid. “I have never had a Dragon Maiden before,” he said. “And I’ve gotten used to you. I think this experience made me realize what I gained when you came here, and I don’t want to lose that.” He placed a hand on my cheek, lightly cupping my face. “Now that you’re back, I just want to bask in this moment.” His eyes turned molten silver again, and I felt that knot in my stomach tighten once more, moving lower down my body.
I placed my hand over his. “I’m not going anywhere, Dracul,” I said.
The Whispering Pool had changed me. Somehow, after speaking with Kessland and not taking the opportunity to find out more about my brother when I had the chance, I had let that part of myself let go. Seeing how much Dracul truly cared for me, I would rather spend my time here with him than try and find what would surely be disappointing answers from my brother. He had abandoned us and did not care about the consequences of his actions.
The hurried footsteps of a large creature rapidly approached Dracul’s quarters, and I sat up, looking towards the entrance. Dracul turned as well, and together, we saw a giant gray dragon enter the room. Two twisted horns sprouted from either side of his head, spiraling back towards his shoulders. His deep-brown eyes surveyed the two of us before he transformed in a cloud of smoke, turning into a hunched old man with gray hair, long embroidered black robes, and a wrinkled face. I openly gaped, never having seen a dragon this old before. He must be one of the oldest in the clan, if not the world.
“Lord Hiram,” Dracul said, gesturing to one of the nearby chairs covered in papers. “What can I do for you?”
Lord Hiram walked towards us, pausing briefly to swipe all the papers off the chair before sitting down, a tired sigh escaping him. “The past few days, you’ve been… preoccupied,” he said, his eyes glancing towards me briefly. “But now that your Maiden has returned unscathed, we have events we need to discuss.”
Dracul crossed his arms, his mouth forming a thin line. “Is this about Borthen again?” he asked tiredly.
Feeling as though I should not be sitting while the two talked, I stood and walked to get drinks for them. From what it sounded like, this would be a serious conversation. I went to one of the back rooms, fetching a bottle of dragon-red wine, one of Dracul’s favorites, and two goblets. As I came back, I could hear Lord Hiram’s raised voice.
“You need to take him seriously, Dracul!” he said. “Borthen is actively trying to gain the other clans’ favor so they can overthrow you!”
“Which he has been trying to do since I took the title, and has failed every time,” Dracul said calmly.
I approached with the bottle and goblets, filling both.
Dracul took one from me, swishing the liquid around the cup before taking a sip. “The Starfire clan has gained more members in the past few years, I’ll give you that, but nothing that could rival the strength of our army.”
Lord Hiram held up a hand, refusing the offered glass of wine while glaring at Dracul. “Regardless, they have been a thorn in our side for decades. You need to go to Borthen to make peace with him. This has gone on long enough.” He gave Dracul a beseeching look. “As your advisor, this is the best decision to keep peace among everyone. Firenze’s forces have noticed strange movements from their side of the continent.”
Dracul remained silent, shooting me a glance before looking back at Lord Hiram. “I will take your concerns under advisement,” he said. “And I will speak with Lord Firenze myself to receive his opinion on matters.” He stood and walked towards his doorway, holding the curtain open. “Thank you for stopping by, Lord Hiram. Unfortunately, I have other matters to attend to.”
Lord Hiram looked at me, an unintelligible expression in his gaze. “I’m sure you do,” he said under his breath, so quiet that I almost missed it. He walked towards the doorway, bowing to Dracul. “Thank you for listening, my Lord,” he said. “Please call on me if you need my counsel on this matter.”
“I will,” Dracul said curtly, letting the curtain drop behind the older dragon. He came back to the couch and slouched into it with a sigh, passing a hand over his face.
“Is that something you need to be concerned about?” I asked, coming to refill his glass.
Dracul took another long drag from the goblet. “I’m not sure,” he said, his fingers tapping the side of it. “Hiram is the eldest dragon among all the clans. He doesn’t come with concerns unless they are well-founded.” He took another sip of wine. “I just wish he had picked another day to do so, not when you’ve just returned.”
I set the bottle down on the table and began to start picking up the papers. “Well, if you were distracted for the past couple days, I could see why he would come to you now,” I said. “It sounds like it might be an urgent matter.”
“I’ll have to talk with the other Lords in the next few days,” Dracul said. “And maybe arrange a visit to Borthen.” He let out a sigh. “But traveling to the Starfire clan before winter is hardly something to look forward to.”
“How far away is the Starfire clan?” I asked. I had vague knowledge of where it was located on the continent, but did not know any specifics.
“It’s about a day’s flight,” he said. “And Borthen is the most pigheaded of the clan Lords to deal with. He’s always wanted to be High Dragon Lord and was livid when I was picked instead. Ever since then, he’s been trying to undermine my authority. Luckily, his schemes are pretty easy to thwart.” He finished his glass and set it down.
I had continued to pick up papers while he spoke and had cleared off an area by the bookshelf, stacking all the papers in a single pile. “What do you want me to do with these?” I asked.
Dracul looked at them dully. “I want to just burn them,” he sighed. “But I’ll spend tomorrow organizing all of them.” He looked out the window, realizing that night had started to fall. We had spent the day eating and sleeping, taking the time to relax. “You don’t need to do anything else tonight. You can head back if you want to,” he said.
I hesitated at his words, not quite wanting to go back to the Dragon Maiden cavern yet. By now, word would have spread that I had survived the Whispering Pool and I was not ready to face the other Dragon Maidens, their judgments, their questions.
He sensed my hesitation. “You don’t want to go back yet?” he asked with a knowing smile.
I shook my head. “Not particularly.”
“If you want to, you could stay here for the night,” he said.
“Really?” I asked, flabbergasted by the suggestion.
Dracul shrugged. “I’m the High Dragon Lord,” he said. “If I say it’s all right, then it’s all right.”
“Where would I sleep?” I asked.
He pondered for a moment before his expression brightened. “You can sleep up here,” he said, bounding up the stairs to the landing where the telescope was. I followed him and he pointed to the pile of cushions. “This is okay, right?” he asked. “I can get you blankets.”
I remembered how comfortable the cushions had been during that night and nodded. “This is perfect,” I said, sitting down and settling into the softness.
Dracul left and quickly returned with two plush blankets, wrapping me in them. “These should keep you warm throughout the night,” he said, finishing tucking me in.
I snuggled further into the cushions and nodded. “I’ll be warm enough,” I said. With the fire going in the cave and the blankets, I should be plenty warm.
“Good,” he said, looking at me warmly. I felt myself flush under his gaze. “Don’t hesitate to call for me if you need anything,” he said. A look came over him and he leaned forward, brushing his lips on my forehead. “Good night, Valora,” he said before going back down the stairs.
I was glad that the room had darkened—based on the heat coursing through me, I knew my face must be crimson. My heart raced as I thought back on the day, on everything that had happened. Despite the exhaustion settling in my limbs, it took a long time before I fell asleep, my brain going too fast for me to succumb to sleep.