Chapter Twenty-Three
Valora
The next morning, with the tendrils of dawn peeking into the cave, I awoke to the gentle rumblings of Dracul snoring. I had to fight a smile as I stood and stretched, noting that it still poured outside. My stomach growled, and was answered by a much louder grumbling from Dracul’s stomach. His snoring paused for a moment before he rolled over, then it resumed, and I let out a small chuckle.
Determined to find some sort of food for both of us, I set out into the rain. A few minutes into my exploration, I found a small cropping of dandelions and chickweed. I gathered the entire batch, stuffing my pockets full. What I had found was really all I could hope to forage in this part of the woods at this time of year.
When I arrived back at the cave, Dracul was already awake and looking out into the forest for me, his expression turning to one of relief when he spotted me. He had transformed back to his human self and had his arms crossed, looking very dry.
Upon reentering our shelter, I shook my head, trying to dispense of the extra water that had gathered during the downpour, though it did not do much to help.
“I didn’t know where you had gone,” he said. “I thought you’d use this time to try and escape like you did before.” His tone was light, but I could tell that he really had been worried by the way he had been pacing.
I ignored the comment and sat down, pulling the greens from my pockets. “No, I went to get breakfast.” I separated everything into two piles, making sure Dracul’s pile was bigger before looking at him. “That’s what a Dragon Maiden does, right? Makes sure that her Lord is well fed? I know this isn’t the usual fare you’re used to, but I thought it would be enough to take the edge off your hunger.” I took a small handful of the dandelion greens and began to eat them, trying to ignore the slightly bitter flavor.
Dracul sat down next to me, beginning to eat what I had gathered. The two of us were quickly done with the small amount of food.
He looked outside. “The weather is still too nasty for us to fly back,” he said, taking in how the trees bowed in the wind. “We’re just going to have to wait out the storm.”
A crack of thunder proved his point, rumbling close by overhead.
I sighed, leaning against the cave wall, thinking about how close we probably were to a town where I could find information about my brother. I had spotted multiple on our flight, and from my estimations, one would be close, though not close enough to brave the storm.
Dracul leaned against the wall as well, looking at my expression. “What is it?” he asked.
Wistfully, I said, “We’re just so close to a town. If I could get information on where he is…” I trailed off, not letting my thoughts go further.
“Why do you want to know where your brother is so badly?” Dracul asked, his voice soft. We both knew he tread on unstable ground, based on what had happened during our last conversation on the topic. I could tell he did not want to push me too far with his questions.
“He left our family, and about a year after he left, some men came.” Though the last time he had asked about my scars had been disastrous, now that we were stuck in a cave with nothing else to do, the story came pouring out. And I felt I could trust him, that he had earned the right to know now. “They murdered my parents and forced me to watch. Afterwards, they turned on me.” I drew up my sleeves, revealing the scars.
Dracul stared at them, a look of disgust on his face, but I could somehow tell it was not directed at me, but rather the men who had done this.
“They tormented me and said it was in retaliation for something my brother did. They set the house on fire, and once they left, I set out after him, determined to find answers.” I looked to Dracul, meeting his silver eyes, which were filled with sympathy and kindness. “I want answers. Why did they come? What did he do? What did he get himself into? The day I was taken, I was on my way to find him, only a few days behind. But instead, I was brought to you, and every hope I had at ever catching him disappeared.”
To my surprise, I felt empty at this notion rather than feeling angry or the need to cry. At that point, I supposed I was all cried out over my parents’ deaths and what had happened to me. It was something I had finally accepted and was ready to begin moving on.
Dracul seemed surprised at my reaction, but placed a hand on mine. “I’m very sorry,” he said quietly.
“I don’t know what I would have done if I found him anyway. But that’s why I had Henrick take a letter to send to contacts I have, to see if I could find out where my brother went next. And that’s why I tried to escape that night.” I looked away, unable to keep eye contact. “But I know better now and I’ve accepted that I’ll never know. I’ve accepted my life now and even look forward to seeing what being by your side will bring.” I could feel determination flowing through me, the strength that I had relied upon these past months to not crumble and give up. My life might have taken a different path than I had been expecting, but I truly looked forward to whatever was next with Dracul.
He looked at me, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. “You’ve transformed from the trembling girl who was tossed at my feet those months ago,” he said quietly. “And in that time, with the proper training given to you and the change I see in you, you are now ready to become an official Dragon Maiden.”
His words shocked me, and I felt a charge of energy slice through my body. “Are you serious?” I asked softly, as if any louder would dissolve this illusion.
“Very,” he said, bringing a hand to my cheek and smiling. My heart began to beat faster.
I leaned against his shoulder, looking outside. “How much longer do you think it’s going to rain?” I asked, my mind whirring with this news.
“Who knows?” the Dragon Lord replied. “It could stop within the next hour or tomorrow.”
As it turned out, later that night, the storm stopped, but Dracul decided it was too late to fly back. Once more, I fell asleep against his stomach, which warmed me to the core, my dreams pleasant and filled with light and laughter. I looked forward to what the next chapter would bring.