Page 14 of Chains of Nightshade

"Because you're special, Vera." His massive form shifts closer, and warmth radiates from his scales. "You just needed someone to show you the truth."

There's something dark in his voice, an edge that should worry me. But his gentleness, the way he guides me with such patience... it makes my heart flutter. When his hand brushes mine, showing me how to shape the magic, electricity shoots through my veins.

"Tell me more about your homeland," I say, eager to know everything about him. "What was it like before the dark elves?"

A shadow crosses his face, but it's gone so quickly I almost think I imagined it. "It was beautiful. Peaceful. Until they destroyed everything."

My heart aches for him. I know what it's like to have everything taken away, to be trapped and powerless. But he's teaching me to be more than that. To rise above what they made me.

"You're different from them," I whisper, meaning the dark elves. "You're kind."

He smiles, and something in my chest melts at the sight. I don't notice how his eyes gleam with calculation, too caught up in the way his presence makes me feel seen. Important. Wanted.

For the first time in my life, I have a purpose. I'm not just a slave anymore. I'm something more, something special. And it's all because of him.

We continue practing the exercise, and the energy flows more easily now as I practice drawing it toward me. Each attempt brings more sparks of light dancing around my fingers.Aurel's presence behind me is overwhelming - his massive form radiating heat as he guides my movements.

"Feel how it responds to your call," he murmurs, his breath tickling my ear. "Let it build slowly."

I concentrate, watching the tiny motes of light swirl faster. My chest tightens with excitement as they begin to pulse in rhythm with my heartbeat.

"That's it," he says. "Now, direct it outward, like this."

His hand moves alongside mine, demonstrating the gesture. Our fingers brush together, and suddenly electricity shoots through my entire body. The sparks around my hand explode in a brilliant flash as I stumble backward with a gasp.

"What... what was that?" My skin tingles where we touched, and my heart hammers against my ribs. The sensation was unlike anything I've ever felt before - like lightning racing through my veins.

He turns away sharply, his massive form shifting in the dreamscape. "It's nothing. A simple magical reaction. Focus on the exercise."

But I can't focus. My heart pounds against my ribs, and that strange energy still courses through my veins, reaching for him like a vine seeking sunlight. The space between us feels charged, crackling with possibility.

"But I felt..." I step closer, drawn by something I don't understand. "When you touched me, it was like..."

"Enough." His voice carries an edge I haven't heard before. Is it anger? Fear? Something else entirely? "Your magic is unstable. We need to work on control."

I bite my lip, watching as he coils tighter into himself, almost defensive. There's something he's not telling me, something in the way he won't meet my eyes. The warmth of his scales seems to pulse with the same rhythm as my racing heart.

"Aurel..." I reach out instinctively, wanting to understand this connection between us.

"I said focus!" His tail lashes out, creating distance between us. But I catch the slight tremor in his hands, the way his breath comes just a little faster.

I stumble backward, my heart slamming against my ribs. The dreamscape wavers around me, shadows dancing at the edges of my vision. The magic that felt so warm and inviting moments ago now crackles with an edge that makes my skin crawl.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, wrapping my arms around myself. The familiar feeling of worthlessness creeps back in, crushing the brief moment of confidence I'd felt. "I didn't mean to..."

Aurel's massive form straightens, his scales gleaming as he draws himself up to his full height. The warmth in his eyes has vanished, replaced by something cold and distant that makes me want to shrink into myself.

"We should continue with the basics," he says, his voice carefully controlled. "Your control needs work."

My hands tremble as I try to steady myself. The connection we'd shared moments ago feels broken, shattered by whatever just passed between us. I watch him warily, suddenly aware of how small I am compared to his towering form.

"Maybe..." My voice catches. "Maybe I should go."

His tail shifts restlessly against the ground, and I flinch at the movement. The dreamscape feels colder now, more hostile. Or maybe that's just my fear talking. What was that spark between us? Why did it frighten him so much?

I can't find the words to ask. My throat feels too tight, my chest too heavy with the weight of his rejection. The slave in me wants to apologize again, to beg forgiveness for whatever I did wrong. But something else, something new and fragile, holds me back.

A warm sensationbrushes against the back of my neck, and I shiver as Aurel's massive form sweeps closer. The coldness from moments ago melts away as his magic envelops me. My muscles relax, tension seeping from my shoulders.

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