AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I sigh, tired of going around in circles with him. We have had the same fight ever since I came back from Salem. Only my brother knows of my situation. It was hard to hide with my blue veins turning orange, a sign of warmth, a sign I’ve met my mate, or in my case, mates.
My dragon has already scarred my back, three of his claws managed to dig into my skin before I jumped into the portal, and there is a small part of me hoping he marked me on purpose. It is the only hope I have to hold on to.
Having met both of my mates’ warmth, it’s heating me from the inside out, melting the ice that is embedded in my blood. It’s killing me slowly to live without their mating bites, without balance, without acceptance.
It is a shame Fate is so cruel. We either have to love each other, or we die from the consequence of choosing not to.
I know of the history between elves and dragons. Dreven and I started it. We are the reason for the long history lessons we give our young. I know of the death and animosity, the hostility, the hate, but I have never been the one to care about history. It can change. Time can heal. Death can mean life. I believe Fate brought us together for that reason, to change this dimension and to rewrite the history I have paved.
And while I accept that, others do not, I fear. This union could mean war before we know peace if we ever walk down that road.
This journey is going to be filled with hot coals and if it means burning myself alive to get to the end, I will. I’ll prove myself to my mates. I’ll prove I am worthy.
“I plan to go to the dragon now. I would have told you earlier if you had not spent the last hour insisting I was dying.”
“You are dying. I can already see it, Cailian, and so will the others, soon enough.”
“I do not care what they see as long as they do not know. Not yet,” I clarify. “You need to give me time. Rarity is afraid. The dragon, what is his full name, anyway? Do we know? It can’t simply be Nyx. Dragons always have beautiful names.”
He shrugs. “No. I only ever call him—”
I lift my hand to stop him. “The dragon is dealing with the same issues we are. He is a leader— ruler of the dragons— and I have no doubt many of them hold the same issues you do. Remember, I am the reason for all this strife. Your hate is misplaced. It does not need to be on them but on me.”
He opens his mouth to say another word, but I stop him. “Enough, baby brother.” I grab his shoulders and give him a genuine smile. “You take on worries that do not exist yet. I promise everything will be okay.” I cup the back of his head, and a flash of him as a baby splits through the depths of my memories. “There used to be a time when you fit in the palm of my hand. Now, you fight with me every chance you get. I often miss the times when you couldn’t speak.”
He shoves me playfully, a small grin finally threatening the worried lines on his face.
I continue walking to the main doors of the castle, with no plan in mind. This issue cannot be rectified if no words are spoken. We need a plan.
“Do you want me to come with you?” Zyrl asks. “Going alone is not a good idea. It will be very hot over there and you said when you saw Rarity, it was too warm.”
“There you go worrying again.” I clap him on the shoulder. “That was over a course of a few days. Speaking with the dragon will not take that long.” The main door begins to lower, the chains rattling together from the force, and a burst of cold air rushes over my skin.
Two guards come from either side, waiting for orders.
“At ease, you can maintain your post. What I need to do, I need to do alone.”
Zyrl grabs my arm, stopping me mid-step. “They could kill you.”
“Then according to your worry, that should not matter since I am dying anyway.”
“Cailian—“ his eyes become rounder, his brows dipping in the middle while he shakes his head.
“Worrying now will only cause doom.” I kiss the top of his forehead. “I will be back. Tell the others I went for a walk, and I will not be available for the rest of the night.” I give him my back before he can say another word and before I lose my courage.
I’ll tell Nyx the truth of what happened to his father and maybe that will be enough for him to give us a chance.
I keep my head high, hands laced behind my back at the base of my spine, strolling with ease. My demeanor is a lie because my insides are havoc.
The snow continues to fall, gathering on my cheeks before becoming one with my skin. The burst of cold empowers me, trying to repair my heat-infested system. It’s so odd how different our lands look when all that separates us is heartsnow. On my side, we have snow, ice, and beyond we have a forest and a meadow with big, beautiful flowers.
I hope there is more to this dragon’s land than what I see before me. The ground flickers orange and red, firegrass, if I remember correctly. The castle is all stone, made from the volcanoes they derive from. It’s dark, a bit dooming, yet eerily beautiful. Dragons fly above it, their scales glittering, reflecting the flames reaching toward the sky from the tops of the towers.
Everything burns.
Even the sky is darkened by smoke but glows the beautiful orange from how bright the flames are as they climb the castle.
I open my palm, watching the snowflakes fall into my hand, so calm, so elegant, as if they are dancing. Then, I watch the fire, its own dance captivating, but menacing, as if its sole purpose is to grab onto what is in its way just to watch it burn.
