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My anger dissipates with the last of his words. He may be an arrogant Dragon, but at least he cares… in his own strange and rather condescending way.
“I may be human, but I am far from helpless, you know. I am a shield-maiden of Ruhaen.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I’m not one to normally brag, but I am well-trained in the use of a sword.”
Hope flares in his expression. “This is good. We must find one for you to carry at all times. Because you are my Fated One, the Mages believe you are one of the sanishon, and they want you dead for this reason.”
“What is a sanishon?” My mind is still struggling to come to terms with the idea that I’m bound to a Dragon, but the fear of death overrides my concerns, and I force myself to focus. “And why would the Mages want me dead if I was one?”
He stops pacing and turns to me, something akin to guilt flitting briefly across his features. “I am not well-versed in the prophecy. I never had reason to study it because I thought it was merely the superstitious writings of a race that perished eons before I was born.”
“Well, whatdo youknow of it?” I ask, desperate for answers. “Tell me everything.”
He lifts his gaze to the sky. The setting sun streaks the wintry landscape with vibrant orange fading to deep purple as it descends upon the horizon. “I will tell you, but we must keep moving.” His eyes scan the forest around us. “It is too cold for you out here, and we are being hunted. We must find shelter before nightfall.”
A cold wind whips through the woods and I shiver slightly. He clenches his jaw. “I will have to carry you, else we risk being caught out here in the open this night.”
Anxious to get someplace warm and to also have answers, I nod.
He turns and I climb up onto his back, careful to avoid his left wing joint. The swelling has gone down quite a bit, but it is still there. “You’re sure I am not hurting you?”
He turns back to me, pursing his lips, and I stop short of rolling my eyes, even as a smile curls my lips at his general grumpiness.
Aurdyn moves with a speed and grace that belies his much larger form as we make our way over the ice and snow. Despite the fur lined clothes covering me, I’m still cold and I instinctively tighten my hold on him, reveling in the feel of his warmth. His masculine scent floods my senses. I suppose if I had to choose someone to be bound to, a Dragon is a good choice. Aurdyn is certainly very strong, and… there is a kindness about him even despite his arrogant manner. Right now, he is the only one in the world who actually cares about my well-being. It seems my fate is tied to his. At least for now. “Tell me about this prophecy.”
“Sanishon is an ancient word, from a time when all of the otherworldly races spoke a common tongue,” he explains. “It means Outsider.” He pauses. “The Lythyrian were rumored to be a race of seers. Some even believe they may have been the ones from which all the otherworldly beings are from. A common ancestor among us.”
“What about humans?”
“I do not know,” he replies. “I only know that the Lythyrian and their kingdom are no more. They left behind a series of Ancient Tomes that preserved their knowledge and their history. The most prominent of their writings concerns the prophecy of the Great Uniters—sanishons. The Outsiders that will unite the various races. They will be heralds of an age of peace and prosperity. But first they will bring about the downfall of those who would seek to control the darkness.”
“What is the darkness?”
“ThatI do not know.” He pauses. “But I do know that you cannot be one of the sanishon.”
“Why not?”
“Because they are rumored to possess great power, and you do not possess magic.”
“What about my dreams of the Wraiths?” Dread settles deep in my gut. “It’s the reason I was accused of witchcraft.”
“The prophecy says the sanishon will have great powers of destructive magic. Being a seer is not quite the same. And your kind condemned you out of fear, Freyja. They had no proof. Just as we have none either. Your dreams of the Wraiths have not come to pass.” He pauses. “Perhaps they were simply nightmares.”
“But they felt so real,” I murmur. “And I—" I start to tell him of my dreams I had of him, before he saved me. But I quickly snap my jaw shut, worried that it will only serve to convince him even more that I’m meant to be his. And I’m still not sure how I feel about being bound to him.
Knowing that he believes I’m his T’kara, however, means he will do everything he can to protect me. Right now, Aurdyn is the only person who cares if I live or die. But I am still not comfortable with the fact that he keeps saying I’m his.
The fact remains, however, that we are being hunted. The Order of Mages wants me dead. And right now, Aurdyn is my best chance at staying alive.
One problem at a time…
CHAPTER10
FREYJA
Ithought I knew what cold was, but as the wind whips around us, and snow falls in thick sheets, pelting at our bodies, I realize that I had no idea what misery was before now. Unable to stop myself, I cling even tighter to Aurdyn, seeking the heat of his body.
Despite his warmth, I’m still shivering uncontrollably, and my teeth will probably begin to break if I cannot stop them from chattering.
I bury my face against the back of his neck, desperate to keep warm.
