Horns, that almost seemed to be made of Alabaster protruded from his head, in different shapes and volume, forming a crown between the two most prominent ones. His glorious wings were folded behind his back, yet I knew without a shadow of a doubt that once spread, they tripled in span. The rubbery skin on them gleamed, connecting to my cloak. The wings instantly opened and propelled me upwards until I was at eye level with his brilliant blue eyes.
He smirked. "Ahh, there you are. Much better. I dislike talking to you when you are down there." I grinned, remembering how entertaining it was visiting him at my young age. He nodded, reading my thoughts. It was one of his abilities. "It was fun indeed. You used to play with my scales, pulling on them in an attempt to take them with you as a souvenir." His throaty laugh resounded about me. "Thank the Goddess you finally realized it was no use. I'd hate to think of what you could do to me now that you are fully grown."
My Dragon Wings’ cloak flapped, holding me in the air. "I would never do anything to harm you, my lord," I said resolutely. He nodded, confident I spoke the truth.
Our race held the Dragon Lord in the highest regard, powerful and second only to our Goddess. Many believed him to have perished hundreds of thousands of years ago, during the desolate era of the dragon cataclysm, when Avra defended men, as dragons turned against their vow to protect us—which essentially eliminated their race. Also, it was the last time the Dragon Lord walked among men.
It was a war that left a vicious mark on him… a scar, which extended over half his face and served as a reminder of the price of peace. Our race prayed and looked for him among the stars like they did our Goddess. Yet, only Mother and I knew he was still alive, here in the White Haunted Mountain.
My cloak wings set me down once again, as he sat before me, assuming a regal pose. The smile left me as reality returned. There was a reason why I was here.
"I know, son. I know," he reassured, yet his voice tinged with the pain he felt for my mother.
He waved a claw towards Ora, who suddenly reappeared with a small iron chest in her hands. Stopping before me, she opened it to reveal five small vials. The content of each was an azure blue liquid with silver particles in it, which sparkled moving in the bottles as though they were alive.
“I can feel your exhaustion, my prince. You shall drink as well.”
"Thank you for the offer, yet it is not necessary. I am only tired from today's battle. I shall be well in no time, and I wouldn't dare take away the healing away from Mother."
His right claw elevated from the ground and lifted a scale from his other hand. The sharp end pierced his skin under it. "Kneel," he ordered, his voice thundering in the cave and I knew the discussion was over. Taking a deep breath, I fell before him. "Drink, my prince."
He lifted his hand above my head, and I held it, opening my lips as his sparkling blue blood traveled down his claw and fell into my mouth. The second the droplets touched my tongue, the energy of a thousand landslides moved through me, regenerating my cells and filling me with vigor. The rush of power lingered even after I drank the last drop and stood.
"You descend from a line of royals who have been under my vow of protection since they appeared in this universe. Their life is my life. I fed your mother as a child and the generations before her, I fed her as she was pregnant with you and your brothers, and I shall continue to feed you until I can no longer do so, and my body disappears among the stars. When I say drink, you drink!" He ordered yet the undertone of amusement in his voice was evident. He huffed as I looked into his eyes. “Young ones.”
I grinned. “Thank you, my lord.”
He nodded once, staring straight into my eyes. "Your wellbeing and that of your mother's is the reason I remain. Do you understand?" I nodded solemnly, as his temperament changed. He stood once again, and slowly paced the cave. "It is a secret I have kept for thousands of years, and one for which I'm willing to die. You are my responsibility. Since the day your mother came to me with news of her pregnancy, I have safeguarded you. I've fed you to make you strong, courageous and powerful. You, my prince, shall be the next to rule over these lands. A king, the likes of which this realm has never seen, and I will do anything in my power to ensure that day comes."
"Thank you," I whispered, with a full bow. Humbled by Avra's words and overwhelmed by the resolve in his voice and spirit. "It is an honor to be regarded in such a way by you."
He finally stopped before me and lowered his head to mine. I stepped forwards and rested my forehead on his. My hands reached the smallest horns of his crown, accepting his affectionate gesture. He didn't offer it often; in fact, it had been at least two thousand years since the last time he did. Both our eyes closed as the magic hummed between us, electrifying.
“Now, go to your mother,” he ordered, lifting his head. “I can feel her pain. Relate my concern and adoration to her,” he added, turning around and strutting further into the cave until he disappeared from my sight.
"My prince," Ora's voice brought my attention back to her, and she handed me the small chest.
Turning on my heel, I rushed out of the cave and made my way back to the castle.
My fingers tipped the vial on my mother's lips until the last drop of Avra's blood made it into her system. Her eyes briefly glowed while it traveled through her, feeding power and healing into her cells as it had done to me.
A relieved sigh left her as the life returned to her and she looked at me anew. “Thank you.”
“Avra wanted me to tell you that his concern and adoration are with you.”
Her eyes glistened as emotion filled them and she kissed my cheek. “Send Alannah and the ladies back in, to help me bathe and get ready, and tell your king I shall join you all for dinner tonight.”
My lips stretched into a full smile as she stood from the bed, the sickly hue disappearing from her skin. I knew it wouldn't last long; we had been through this too many times. She would be well for three—maybe five days, if we were lucky—and then she would collapse, falling into the deep sleep induced as a side effect of the curse. But there was no time for lament right now. Mother was awake, and well, we should enjoy it with her.
“It will be my pleasure.” I bowed, and walked out of the room.
* * *
We sat at the table as a family once more. Father had dropped everything the moment he learned about mother's improvement, and I instructed the guards to keep the Summer Princess held with her maid in the east wing. Perhaps a night without dinner would force her to reflect on what she had done.
It was a miracle that Gallia survived her attack. The amount of energy Aura had sent into her system should have burnt more than her skin. It was thanks to the guards who pulled Aura away from her instantly and took Gallia to healers in time, that her body had endured. Unlike my family, Gallia didn't possess magical abilities, just the ones that made her a warrior. It was thanks to our enchanted twilight flowers—a bloom that only grew under the care of our sorcerer—that she was healing, yet no one was certain how long it would be before Gallia was out of bed—leaving me with only Kah as my personal guard.
I stopped the train of thought before anger ignited within me. Nothing would ruin this dinner. As though reading my mind, Avrielle’s hand gently rested on mine, her soothing energy flowing through me. I smiled and my gaze connected with hers. She looked absolutely stunning tonight. Her hair was picked up in a simple but lovely manner, accentuating her features and unveiling the curves of her neck to me. I wanted to brush my lips against her skin again. Avrielle blushed, as though knowing what I was thinking.
My gaze swiftly swept the table to make sure no one had noticed the exchange between us, and found Mother's smile focused on us as she sipped her wine. I cleared my throat and refocused my attention on the venison elegantly plated before me, taking another bite. The voices continued around us, as Alannah and her husband Cyrrus—the Duke of Qalia, and our treasurer—entertained Mother with stories of everything she had missed during her latest slum
ber.
“I pray that I’m awake for the Blooms Ceremony this year,” Mother offered, placing down her glass. “It’s such a splendid affair, one of my favorites since I was a child. I truly hope I can be there.”
“I agree. Not only for what it represents, the joining of two fated.” Alannah paused as her gaze connected with her husband’s. He took her hand in his and kissed it. “But because your court always has the most wonderful festivities.”
"This year we are going all out,” Father announced. “My two remaining sons will go through pairing and hopefully find a noble mate worthy of them," His gaze settled on my brothers, and I repressed a laugh. Ash looked like the king had just declared his death sentence.
Ash huffed. “You speak as though it will be a defining moment in our lives. I was more excited when our abilities finally manifested.”
Everyone laughed while Nyx wiped the corners of his mouth with the napkin and fixed his glasses. "Here we go," Avrielle whispered beside me, and I smiled.
“Actually brother, you couldn’t be more wrong,” Nyx, answered facing Ash. “The Yaevastra orfay Bellirosmae—the Year of the Bloom is, in fact, a defining moment in our lives. It is the single most important period of our existence, to be exact. To find one’s soul mate is a Fae’s greatest purpose. Your mate is the only one you will ever belong to, who you were born to love, protect and with whom you will share the rest of your existence. The only one who will ever calm your needs, both physical and of the heart. You will complete each other's essences, and you shall mean to her, everything she means to you. No other will ever take her place because you were made only for each other."
“Your words are surprisingly romantic, Nyx,” Mother offered, pleased by his statement. Father held her hand, interlacing their fingers.
"This, of course, is just a means to an end. Mating's only purpose, after all, is to ensure the continuation of our race, and the conservation of our extensive knowledge, which are the true purposes of our existence. Science in its purest form."
“So close, son.” We laughed as Mother shook her head.
“Let’s pray that there is another peculiar woman out there, that will feel your call and find all of your quirks attractive,” Father added.
"What quirks?" Nyx asked, seemingly insulted. "Intelligence is not an ‘oddity' Father. I am merely stating the truth. Your highest hope should be that I can mate with a woman with whom I can share all the knowledge I have spent the last five thousand years of my life nurturing, and pass it on to your grandchildren, leaving an even stronger legacy to your name."
Ash groaned. “Shoot. Me. Now.”
I laughed, taking a sip of wine.
"My son," Mother called Ash in her sweetest voice, which usually meant she was searching for tolerance within herself. "Whether you realize it at this moment or not, you need a mate. That obsessive—and a bit disturbing—promiscuous behavior you display is your body telling you that it needs a partner. It is preparing you for the woman who shall open up to you intimately, and forever share your bed. But more important than the physical relationship you'll have with her, is the love you will hold for her. A love that will shatter every belief you have ever held, alter every notion about life you have ever considered, and will transform you in such a way that when it’s finally done with you, you shall never recognize yourself again. Yet, you'll know you are exactly who you were meant to be, because you will once and for all be complete."
I lowered my gaze to the half-eaten plate before me, as Mother's words cut through me. Ash stared at her, taken aback by her explanation, but his aversion to the concept of the fated was tangible. Everyone remained silent, waiting for his acknowledgment as I sipped the last of my wine and leaned back, allowing the servant to refill my glass.
“Wonderful,” Ash said, sighing. “Mother woke up just in time to lecture me about my single lifestyle.”
The others chuckled softly as Mother shook her head. “Incorrigible.”
“You still love me,” Ash answered with a wink.
"Well, I for one am extremely excited about the prospect of finally finding my mate," Nyx added enthusiastically, and I smiled as we all raised our glasses to him.
“Yeah, because is the only way you’ll ever get laid.”
“Ash!” everyone chastised him at once, and he raised his hands in surrender.
“Fine. I was just saying.”
“Manwhore,” Nyx disguised with a cough and I chuckled taking another sip of wine. I secretly loved their bickering.
Ash’s eyes settled on me. “Perhaps I’ll be as lucky as Kyr and never be mated. That way I can continue my ‘promiscuous’ lifestyle.”
The smile died on my lips as Ash's stretched into a sideways smirk. The tension in the room increased as everyone froze with his words. I slowly stood.
"Mother, it has been a pleasure dining with you this evening. Father, if you'll excuse me, I have suddenly lost my appetite. I think I shall step outside for a bit of fresh air. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your evening." Throwing the napkin on my plate, I turned on my heel and left the dining room.
The cool mist of the night brushed my skin as I walked through the private garden, wondering when my brother’s defiant attitude would end. He would do and say anything to get back at Father for his apparent preference towards me, no matter who he hurt in the process.
What he failed to understand was that he had created the animosity between them. If Ash stopped acting this way and spent time with Father, if he accepted his responsibilities as a prince of the Winter Court and ceased this foolish behavior Father would be different with him. Our king would embrace him in his court and trust him as he does me. It was only because of Ash's blatant disregard for this kingdom and its legacy, that Father treated him this way.
I paused in front of a large bush of twilight flowers in full bloom. Their intoxicating smell filtered through my nose almost elevating me to a different existence. Its hallucinogenic and healing properties, among many others, made these flowers a particular breed—one, which only existed in our court—as well as my favorite flower. My fingers reached for them as they stood out against their surroundings. While everything else in our land was frosted or frozen by our climate, their transparent blue petals slowly opened in the night, scenting the air. The magic glistened over them, as their softness stroked my fingertips. They almost looked like they had been carved out of ice, deceiving the observer.
The garden in which I stood was behind our castle, inside a vast greenhouse our Sorcerer maintained. Several kinds of blooms and trees—especially cultivated by him—were housed here, but the twilight flowers were, by far, my favorite. The White Haunted Mountain stood imposing on the near horizon, clearly visible through the broad glass windows. It surrounded us like the guardian of our kingdom and a beacon of our purpose… or at least mine.
“I knew I would find you here.”
My body both tensed and relaxed as Avrielle's voice reached me. I turned around to see her standing by the entrance, directly across from where I stood. She smiled and began to walk towards me, and with every step, she took a piece of me. The light of the two moons of winter shining through the glass ceiling, illuminated her skin in a haunting way.
Everything about her was perfect tonight. Her dress was different from anything she had ever worn. Instead of a stiff corset, soft, gray chiffon with hints of deep purple fell down her chest, covering her breasts just enough, as the plunging neckline left her skin visible all the way to her waist. Long sheer sleeves encased her arms, and soft chiffon fabric swirled around her legs; she might as well be floating towards me. A high slit in her skirt, uncovered her right leg as she moved, a trend all her dresses shared.
Haunting.
That was exactly how she looked tonight.
My gaze reached her eyes as she stood in front of me, taking my breath away. "Why are you doing this?" I asked, with a strangled voice I did not recognize.
Her full lips stretched into a sensual smile
, knowing precisely what I meant, and evidently feeling flattered by it. "Because I'm a woman, and it is what we do."
I gripped her waist and briskly pressed her against the column behind her, eliciting a gasp from her lips. My body pushed into hers intimately, pinning her against the marble, and her back arched towards me, wanting me even closer. The blood rushed through me wildly. My gaze traveled the length of her slender neck and fell to her breasts. When my eyes returned to hers, the need I found in them slammed into me. A need for me. I groaned, gripping her wrists and abruptly lifted them above her head. Avrielle gasped again, a spark of excitement entered her violet eyes. My palms slowly traveled the length of her arms on their way down, and as I reached the sides of her full breasts, their contact seared my skin.
My hands dropped to her waist, my fingers digging into her as I fought to stop myself from making a mistake that would torture me for the rest of my life.
“Don’t stop,” she breathed, and I lost all reason.
My hands pulled her to me, roaming her back as her breasts pressed against my chest. My lips fell on her neck, the tip of my tongue tracing invisible patterns on her, while I nibbled and kissed every inch of her warm skin. Her body curled around me, her fingers gripping my arms as though she feared I would leave her. My lips voyaged to the other side of her neck. I kissed it passionately while her right leg wound around my hip; my hand fell on her firm thigh. I followed the curves of her thigh under the light fabric until I reached her hip and sucked her neck.
I needed much more than this. I wanted to kiss her lips. I throbbed to be inside her.
"Kyr…" Avrielle moaned in my ear, and the cold weight of reality fell on me like a bucket of ice-cold water.
What the hell was I doing?
I leaned back and cradled her cheeks, forcing her to open her eyes, and stared at her. Avrielle's skin glistened under the two moons of winter; her chest rose and fell harshly with her accelerated breaths just like mine. She was aroused, she wanted me, and I could almost smell it on her skin. Her lips parted, waiting for me to claim them, and I leaned into them, once again forgetting about anything else but the woman in front of me. The one I had desired for so long. Our noses touched, our lips hovered just over the other.
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