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"This fountain belonged to the fae before they were banished to the shadow realm," he explains, his silver eyes reflecting the well's ethereal glow. "It's said to contain the spirit of the Goddess of Luck, that she grants wishes to those she deems worthy. After everything you've been through, I thought you might want to make one."
A smile tugs at my lips as I peer down into the fountain. "What do I do?" A thrill of excitement courses through me, zinging around my heart like the man has reached through my chest and caressed with his bare hands.
"Close your eyes," he instructs. I do as I’m told, holding the glass orb in my clenched hand, resting it against my heart.
“Now what?”
“Make your wish.” His hand gathers my hair, draping it over one shoulder and as I think of what to wish for, and he kisses my throat. Even with my beast suppressed, the very thought of him being there, of his teeth–his mouth–so close to the crook of my neck, can send butterflies spiraling through me.
My body leans against him and I stretch my neck, allowing him better access. I’m not entirely sure what to wish for. I know better than to hope for the impossible. Not even a goddess can bring someone back from the dead, nor could they unshackleAsmo from my father, but there’s one thing I’m certain of. I'm completely smitten with Loric, and I want there to be a world where we could go to the moons together. So, that's what I wish for.
“Now, kiss the gem and drop the orb in the water,” he whispers against the shell of my ear and I flutter my eyes open, bringing the glass ball to my lips, then let the crystal plummet into the fountain.
The water ripples as the orb sinks below the surface, its color shifting from a light fluorescent blue to a deep purple. Mist begins to pour off the concrete edges, swirling around the ground at our feet.
Loric watches the transformation, his brow furrowed. "What did you wish for?" he asks, curiosity lacing his tone.
I look at him over my shoulder, entranced by the way his eyes flicker between mine. "To be happy."
Chapter 31
Calamity
We’re almost back to the cottage, ready to call it a night. The longer the dome has been up, the cooler the air has become and when you’re wearing nothing but a sheer dress, it means the chill sinks down to the bone.
Though, Loric did manage to find a merchant selling dresses. It's made to go over a standard dress to add another layer for the cold, but it works, even if it doesn't quite hang right without the form of a corset beneath it.
It's a dark maroon with gold embellishments and far fancier than anything I've ever worn or owned. It's not anywhere close to being as cold as it was during the blackout, but it's enough to bring goosebumps to the surface when the wind blows and this keeps the chill away.
“You've been quiet,” he says, his boots clicking against the stone, still shirtless with his body adorn in silver swirls of paint that match his eyes.
Even without his dragon to keep him warm he doesn't seem to be phased much by the cold. But I suppose that could be the faerie wine heating his blood.
The amber bottle clutched in hand, he spins to face me, walking backward. “Have you thought of what you'd like to do? To go to the outer realm or Lythanar?”
“That's where the crystal castle is, right?”
He nods. “It's the biggest moon.”
“I'm still not sure. I feel like I owe it to Meg to go, and I'd be lying to say I'm not curious, but I also know that means leaving you and I'm not quite ready for that.” Watching the street in front of me, I feel his worry through the bond, and I'm not sure what that means, but I can’t bring myself to meet his eyes. “I wish you could go with me.”
“Whatever you decide, I understand. And as much as I would love to go, I won't give you false hope. I can't. My father won’t accept me. Maybe once you take the crown things could be different but that all depends on whether you can shift and according to Asmo, you might not be able to at all since you're only half dragon.”
I hadn't even thought of that. I'd just assumed that I could since I had a beast I could talk to.
He falls into step at my side as we reach the cottage and slings his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to a stop. “I can feel it, you know,” he says, twisting my hair around his hand and tugging my head back gently, forcing my eyes to meet sterling rings. “I wish it didn't have to be this way, but I also don't want you to stay for me, then years from now regret not going. Unfortunately, there are lines that are too easily crossed and once that’s happened, it’ll be impossible. There’s no going back. My crimes won’t be dissolved just because I delivered the last fury to the realm.”
“Crimes?” I squint, not following. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t leave the realm and the treaty between the king and rebels is contingent on dragons not being in the realm. Your mother also demanded everyone return to the moons or benamed a traitor to ensure her sacrifice wouldn’t be for nothing, and treason is punishable by death.”
I twist my neck, glancing off to the wildflowers around the cottage, seeing them shift, but I’m too busy trying to wrap my head around all of it to care about what’s lurking in them. “You’re a traitor, then?”
“Yes.” His answer is absolute, but the way his knuckles brush my cheek, everything I’ve come to know of the man goes entirely against it.
“Why? How?” I dare to meet his gaze the moment sorrow swims through the bond, so strong it clenches around my heart, making it skip a beat.
“I’d met Asmo in the woods and helped him get to Solaria, and on the way we became friends. I’d thought he would change his mind, but he believed the king would want revenge against his father for putting up the boundary that traps him and everyone else within it. Though, instead of welcoming Asmodeus with open arms, the king imprisoned him, demanding him to wear a cuff or be condemned to the riff. Asmodeus refused and instead of being executed, the king made his mages search his memories and they found out about us and where we were hiding. It landed Elaria, my twin sister, and I in the king’s dungeons until the queen gave herself over.”
