Page 66 of Beneath Scales and Shadows
As quickly as it began, the ritual flame extinguished. Sora collapsed back against his scales, but her breathing had deepened, steadied. The wound no longer seeped corruption—instead, the embedded scale pulsed with ruby light, spreading healing warmth through her veins.
“It is done,” Zalaya whispered, exhaustion evident in her posture. “Your lives are now one.”
Asher stepped forward, checking Sora’s pulse with practiced fingers. “Her heart beats stronger,” he confirmed. “The poison recedes.”
Relief flooded through Ignis, so profound it threatened to unmake him. He curled tighter around her small form, wings creating a protective canopy.
“Leave us,”he commanded softly.
Zalaya gathered her ritual implements while Asher collected his healing supplies. They departed without further word, understanding that what followed was sacred—the first moments of a bond that would transcend mortality itself.
He knew they would soon return to check on her—on them—but with her now stable, their presence was no longer needed.
Alone with her, Ignis allowed his composure to crack. A low, keening sound rumbled from his chest—not quite a growl, not quite a cry, but something ancient and profound.
Dragons don’tcry.
He hadn’t wept at any moment of his life—not even when his parents fell defending their homeland decades ago—but something suspiciously close to tears gathered at the corners of his crimson eyes.
“Live,” he whispered, the word carrying the weight of command and plea alike. “Live, my Luna. My queen. My mate.”
The scale embedded in her side pulsed in rhythm with his twin hearts, a visible manifestation of their bond. Through it, he sensed her spirit—wounded but fighting, strengthened by his offering.
He would face her anger when she woke, would weather her fury at his presumption. Better her alive and raging than lost forever. If the cost was her hatred, he would pay it willingly, even as it tore him apart.
For now, all that mattered was the steady rise and fall of her chest, the warmth returning to her skin, the silver scales regaining their lustrous sheen. His head settled beside her small form, one eye remaining open to watch over her throughout the long night ahead.
Whatever came with dawn, they would face it—together, bound beyond separation, two souls forged into one by sacrifice and necessity.
By choice, if not hers, then his. A choice he would defend with his last breath should she demand it of him when consciousness returned.
As long as she lived…
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
IGNIS
Ignis woke with a jolt, his immense dragon form tensing at the sound of movement within his chambers. He curled his forelegs tighter around Sora’s small frame, pulling her closer to his chest. A low, warning growl rumbled from deep within him before he’d even fully registered the intruders.
Zalaya stood at the foot of the chamber, feathers ruffled with mild annoyance. Asher hovered beside her in his dragoon form, medical supplies clutched in his hands.
“Control yourself, dragon king,” Zalaya scolded, her harpy voice carrying the sharp edges of one accustomed to dealing with territorial alphas. “We come to check on your Luna, not steal her.”
Ignis exhaled, a wisp of smoke curling from his nostrils as he relaxed his protective stance fractionally. His crimson gaze remained fixed on the healers, tracking their every movement.
“How fares she?”he asked, voice projecting directly into their minds.
Ignis watched Asher approach, every step deliberate as he set his supplies on the nearby table. Logic reminded him they were allies—friends—but instinct growled beneath the surface. The omega in his arms was vulnerable, her scent laced with a trace of her upcoming heat, and they were alone in his chambers.
His muscles coiled, jaw tightening as the urge to shield her surged unbidden. He didn’t move, didn’t speak.
This was Asher—one of the clan’s healers. He knew that.
But recent chaos had sharpened something in him—territorial, possessive, impossible to ignore.
With careful steps, Asher presented his neck—a silent offering of deference. “That’s what we’ve come to determine.”
“Proceed.”Ignis granted permission reluctantly, though he refused to move away from Sora’s sleeping form. He watched as Zalaya joined him, her taloned hands gentle as they examined the embedded scale at Sora’s side.
