Page 24 of Naga Warrior's Mate

“Did you win?”

“Eventually.”His lips quirked up.“Took three more matches and a broken tail before I figured out how to counter his moves.”

The casual mention of such injury made her wince, but his determination sparked something warm within her.Here was someone who didn’t just survive.He thrived on challenges.

“The training grounds overlook the Valley of Mists,” he continued.“When winter comes, the fog rolls in below the peaks.It’s like floating above the clouds.”

Alaysia closed her eyes, trying to imagine such freedom.The damp underground air pressed against her skin, making the vision of open skies and crystal mountains almost painful in its beauty.When she opened them again, she found Dernin watching her with an expression that made her breath catch.

“I’d love to see it someday,” she said softly, meaning it more than she’d expected.

“What about you?”Dernin asked, his eyes fixed on her face.“Have you always lived on Jorvla?”

“Born and raised here.My mother was a house slave in the merchant district.”The familiar ache bloomed in her chest at the memory.“She taught me everything—how to read from discarded books, how to blend into the background when masters were angry, how to find joy in small things.”

Dernin’s tail shifted closer, providing warmth against the underground chill.“She sounds very wise.”

“She was.”Alaysia leaned against the cool stone wall, fighting back tears.“We’d sneak up to the roof at night sometimes.She’d point out constellations and tell me stories about what lay beyond Jorvla.Said knowledge was the one thing they couldn’t take from us.”

Her throat tightened.“When I was sixteen, our master lost everything gambling.Sold us separately to cover his debts.I never saw her again.”

“I’m sorry.”The genuine pain in his voice caused her to look up.

“I survived.Worked in the textile district until...”She gestured at their surroundings.“Until Fyret decided I’d make a good prize.”

His jaw clenched.“You’re not a prize to be won.”

“No?”A bitter laugh escaped her.“That’s all I’ve ever been to them—property to be traded, sold, displayed.”She straightened, meeting his gaze.“But I’ve never stopped dreaming of freedom.Mother always said dreams keep hope alive.”

“Your mother was right.”Dernin moved closer, his massive frame somehow protective rather than threatening.“I swear on my warrior’s oath I’ll do everything in my power to free us both.”

The intensity in his golden eyes stole her breath for a moment.

“I believe you,” she whispered, surprising herself with how much she meant it.

She glanced at the torch shadows creeping across the wall.“I need to get back before someone notices I’m gone.”

“Of course.”He shifted his massive form to give her space.“Be careful.”

“You, too.Don’t let those ribs get worse.”She adjusted her borrowed cap.

The walk back through the winding tunnels felt longer than before.Each step echoed off the stone walls, matching the rapid beating of her heart.The musty underground air clung to her skin, but she barely noticed it.Her mind kept drifting back to the way Dernin’s eyes had lit up describing his homeland, how his voice had softened when speaking of crystal spires and misty valleys.

A guard’s boots scraped against stone around the corner.Alaysia pressed herself into another alcove, holding her breath until the footsteps faded.Her pulse thundered in her ears, but was it from the near discovery or from remembering how Dernin had moved closer when she spoke of her mother?

“Foolish girl,” she whispered to herself, continuing down the corridor.“He’s just being kind because you might help him escape.”

But that didn’t explain the way her skin had tingled where their arms brushed or how safe she’d felt in his presence despite his fearsome size.She’d learned long ago not to trust easily.Survival depended on keeping others at arm’s length.Yet somehow this warrior had slipped past her defenses in mere days.

The thought both terrified and thrilled her—and then terrified her more because it thrilled her.

She reached the slave quarters and slipped inside, making her way to her bunk.As she lay down, her mother’s words echoed in her mind: “Guard your heart carefully, little one.It’s the one thing truly your own.”

But in the darkness, as sleep crept closer, Alaysia wondered if perhaps her heart had already made its choice without consulting her at all.

Chapter 13

Alaysia

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