Page 77 of The Cursed Queen

"Sera? Is that you?" Andriel's voice rang through our bond.

"No time for explanations. Help the freed dragons, now," I ordered while I dove for the water.

Fire-breathing dragons couldn't survive long in water, meaning I had very little time to rescue our fallen brethren before I drowned. I sank deeper and deeper into the ocean's depth, hoping I could spot him. Just when I'd given up hope, I spotted what looked to have been a dragon's tail. I swam further down, finding the brave dragon who fought beside me. Grabbing hold of him, I swam back up to the surface. I took in my first lungful of air as soon as my head submerged. Spotting us, my men assisted in pulling the fallen dragon out of the water, leading it to a flat, grassy surface near the forest. As soon as I landed, I wasted no time shifting back to my in-between stage.

Dropping to my hands and knees, I panted heavily, exhaustion, chill, and the shift weighing me down, but I refrained from passing out.

"Sera!" Andriel shifted and rushed to my side; Drayce close behind. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," I breathed, then shifted my blurry eyes to the dragon I fished out. "Is he... Can he be healed?"

Both my men frowned, which told me all I needed to know. Forcing myself back to my feet, I limped around the dragon until I made eye contact with him. The dragon's eyes were barely open, and I could feel his inner fire dying. I failed him. He was dying, and it was my fault.

"Forgive me," I whispered, reaching out and rubbing his snout. "I can't thank you enough for helping me, but I'm sorry you had to die this way."

I felt the stirring heat in the back of my mind seconds before a weak, masculine voice echoed. "A-At least... I'm dying... a free dragon. N-No... regrets."

With that last statement, the dragon closed his eyes, and his inner fire died.

I cried for him, for my failure to bring him home alive. For not getting his name beforehand. I would remember this dragon for the rest of my life. I would free the remaining dragons in his honor. His sacrifice would not be in vain.

"We should have a memorial for him," I said weakly.

Andriel and Drayce knelt on either side of me, one of them rubbing my back in smooth circles.

"We will, my love," Andriel said solemnly.

"The remaining dragons you freed are alive. This is still a victory," Drayce said.

I shook my head. "No. It will never be a victory until every single dragon is free from Queen Verania's influence. Only then will I consider this a win."

It was a victory I would fight to attain. I would free the dragons and the Atheynia Region of the true curse that was Queen Verania. I would. For now, I had unfinished business back at Dragon's Peak Den.

Ladon

The sun had set, and so far, I hadn't spotted the princess or the rest of her mates. I half expected to run into them, or at least the princess. Not that I'd been stalking her, or worried about her in any capacity. I just felt it odd that I had yet to see her at what would presumably be an important moment for her.

Sera seemed to have taken my warning seriously because her training had increased, but she handled it without giving up. I still wasn't sure why I entered Lord Igneel's cave to tell him about Baxus' plan to challenge him. I told myself I wanted no part in this feud. My goal was to stay out of it and move on with my life.

Even when Baxus asked if I would pretend to befriend the princess and learn of her weaknesses, I gave him no answer. What they did was none of my business. I didn't even ask Baxus to tell me what he was up to. He volunteered the information to me as if we were on the same team. He seemed confident I would join him, and I admit to following him this far, primarily out of curiosity. But I was still not interested.

Then why did I divulge the plan to Lord Igneel and the princess?

When they asked me, I said it was because I didn't want Baxus to be the appointed leader. There was truth to that, but it wasn't everything. In some parts of me, I felt compelled to helpSera. To warn her, because I knew once I told Lord Igneel the plan, he would move forward with revealing her true identity. She would automatically be crowned dragon queen. I doubt that would deter Baxus. If anything, he would take delight in the opportunity to prove he was better than her. To humiliate her in front of the entire den.

A part of me didn't want that to happen. I blamed it on the fated mate bond. I could say I didn't want her until I was sick of saying it, but the bond still had a knot around my heart and constantly pulled me to find her. To mate with her and be part of this group she formed with the rest of her mates.

I shouldn't want that. Every time I looked at her, I remembered all that I endured when I was a mind-controlled slave. The way he would sneer at me like I was scum. How he took pleasure in injecting me with dragonsbane, weakening me to where I could barely move. He would then kick my snout and shout how weak and pathetic I was, andhow I should take it, seeing as how I was amighty dragon. He would often take my meals from me as well. The other knights would tease him about it, asking if he was sure he wanted to make his dragon too weak to do anything.

Hisdragon. I was property to the knight. I never got his name before. My ears were constantly ringing, so I never paid attention. It mattered no longer, seeing as how the bastard was now dead. Even without his name, the knight haunted me. Whether awake or asleep, I felt his phantom presence around me. I still waited with bated breath for the sting that told me another dose of dragonsbane was filling my system and corrupting my magic.

Nobody knew I was suffering in silence. Most believed I returned completely unphased and were in awe of my strength. But I wasn't strong. Hidden in the comfort of my cave, a place I never thought I'd return to, I was shaking and forming a poolof sweat underneath me. My hands covered my ears as hard as possible to drown out all the laughter and taunts in my head. But they wouldn't. They'd never leave me. They hovered around me like flies, driving me mad.

I've debated going to Freya to see if there was an enchantment or remedy I could take that would rid me of these terrors, but I never bothered. I didn't want to risk her telling Lord Igneel, knowing word would get to the princess, causing her to feel even more guilty.

Yes, I knew that made it seem like I was worrying about her feelings. I hated myself for being so considerate. I should want her to suffer like I had. To blame her for everything that happened to me.

But Sera had things happen to her too. She was already suffering, and would likely suffer more. Was it fair of me to continue blaming her when we shared a common enemy? If anything, the Zeffari Kingdom's queen should be the one to feel the heat of my ire. Unfortunately, she wasn't here, but Sera was.

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