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Tears poured from my eyes. I was losing her, the only woman I'd ever loved.
"You," Natalie said with effort, and I held my breath as blood poured from her eyes and nose. “You w-will never…win.”
“I will. You just won't live to see it," Cedric said.
When Natalie clenched her fists, Cedric frowned. “Are you trying to break our sire bond?” he said with a laugh.
Just then, Natalie somehow found some inner strength, sending Cedric's power back at him, and repelling them both in opposite directions. They each hit a wall on either side of the cave. Natalie had fallen in front of the portal to Tedara’s realm—more of the portal was revealed as the rocks fell away.
We were freed from Cedric’s hold for a mere second before he caught us again. As he got to his feet, he started laughing hysterically.
“Natalie Blackwood!” he shouted. “You’re an amazing woman!”
He started clapping as Natalie’s gem pulsed out of control. Unlike Cedric, she couldn't move. She remained in a broken pile on the ground, her eyes barely open.
The portal cast a red glow across her face, and she started coughing up blood.
“You broke our sire bond,” Cedric said, his laughter turning to anger as he glared at her. “I think I’ll just have to strangle you with my bare hands.”
"I understand," Natalie said weakly, and Cedric stopped in his tracks. "I understand your dedication to wanting better for dragons. You were made by the primordial gods, just like the Imperium and you deserved a seat at the table," she said. Then she coughed again, and her whole body shook. "But—" Her hand rose shakily to wipe the blood from her mouth. "You're not worthy. You're not worthy of your son or your daughter, Yelena. You’re not even f-fit to be Dragon King.”
Daughter?
Yelena? What daughter was she talking about? I was Cedric’s only child.
Wasn’t I?
Natalie smiled. “You’ve given me what I needed, Cedric. Thank you.” Then she looked over at us. “I told you to trust me.”
And with that, she stuck her hand into the portal, tearing the skin-like barrier.
“No!” Cedric shouted.
"You're free," Natalie whispered to Tedara, her eyes closing. As Cedric reached out to grab her, an arm with skin as black as obsidian and nails as red as blood reached from inside the portal and grabbed Natalie's arm.
