Page 29 of Beneath Scales and Shadows
And he wanted more of it.
More ofher.
“What else have you discovered?” he asked, softly, wanting to change the subject to something lighter, as he opened his wings, folding them behind him once more. “Anything you need help with an explanation?”
Zalaya discreetly gathered several scrolls. “I’ll organize these for later study,” she murmured, retreating to give them privacy.
“Thank you.”
Sora pulled her face away, shyly glancing up at him as she gestured toward the table full of tomes. “The honor codes emphasize loyalty and obedience—so different from Celestoria’s rigid hierarchy. I’m in awe that you have other alphas within your clan, unrelated but still following you.” She leaned over and traced her finger over a diagram displaying energy pathways—the invisible channels through which life force, magic, or vital energy flows throughout the body. “And your methods of channeling dragon fire for healing rather than just destruction!”
“These practices sustained us through centuries of isolation,” Ignis explained. It pleased him to watch her absorb each detail with scholar’s precision—causing him to wonder what her life had been like in her other life to have such a thirst for knowledge. “When humans turned against us, we turned inward—preserving what might otherwise have been lost.”
Her expression sobered. “Like Queen Vaelora.”
His gaze returned to the portrait, centuries-old grief stirring beneath his scales. “Like Queen Vaelora,” he agreed softly.
“You knew her,” Sora asked, studying his face in awe.
“She was our greatest hope for peace,” he admitted, memories of her surfacing from carefully constructed mental barriers now weakened by her questions. “My father’s cousin, mated to the human king’s uncle. Their union was meant to heal wounds between our species.”
“What happened?”
Ignis closed his eyes briefly, the pain still raw despite intervening decades. “King Aldric feared the power of dragon-blooded royalty. During peace negotiations, he presented poisoned wine—a ceremonial toast that concealed betrayal. While our delegation convulsed from dragon-bane, his soldiers struck, slaughtering diplomats who had come unarmed.”
Horror filled Sora’s eyes. “That’s monstrous.”
“It was calculated,” Ignis corrected grimly. “With Vaelora dead, he began systematically eliminating omega bloodlines—human, dragon, and any species within reach—that could threaten his line’s supremacy. Humans’ fear of our kind became a convenient tool to consolidate power.”
Understanding dawned in her expression. “That’s why omegas are persecuted, why Princess Jewels is so determined to capture me. I represent everything they’ve tried to eliminate.”
“You represent truth, and our blessed future,” he countered, his voice deepening with certainty. “The living embodiment of what they’ve denied for generations—that humans and dragons are strongest together, not divided. Their greed for power ruined the once sacred bond that we shared... all because they wanted what we—and all other species of the land—have. Magic, power, strength... things that we once shared with our life partners—fully and willingly—was no longer good enough. The humans took what they believed they deserved... what they should’ve been gifted by the Moon Goddess.”
She fell silent, contemplating the portrait with renewed intensity. The resemblance between them seemed to sharpen with each passing moment—Vaelora’s silver scales matching the pattern emerging on Sora’s skin, the determined set of their jaws, the questioning intelligence in their eyes.
“Does it frighten you?” Ignis asked quietly. “The connection to our prophecies?”
“I don’t know what frightens me more,” she admitted with unexpected candor, “that the prophecies might be true, or that I’m beginning to believe they are.”
The vulnerability in her confession stirred something beyond possessiveness in his chest. He pushed them away, knowing now wasn’t the time to allow his draconic urges to run wild, and he extended his hand. “Come. You need nourishment after such intensive study.”
She hesitated only briefly, her smile bright—but a flicker of pain still lingered in her eyes. Then she placed her hand in his, her soft skin warm against his scales. Standing, he guided her from the archives deep within the heart of the library, nodding respectfully to Zalaya as they passed.
“She was exceptionally receptive to ancient knowledge,” the harpy observed with quiet satisfaction. “The draconic texts spoke to her as if she were clan-born.”
“I could read them,” Sora explained, wonder still coloring her voice. “Without training, without study—the words just... made sense.”
“Knowledge lives in blood,” Ignis reminded her, leading her through corridors that gradually widened as they ascended toward the living quarters. “Your dragon heritage awakens with each passing moment... I meant it when I said that you’re free to return to our sacred library whenever you want, to find any answers you seek.”
“Really?” She peered up at him, excitement filling her sapphire eyes. “I really can?”
“What’s mine is yours.”
The dining hall awaited them, a private meal prepared on the balcony overlooking the central cavern. Below, clan members went about their duties—artisans crafting metalwork infused with magic, warriors training in half-forms, scholars teaching a small class of fledglings.
“It’s beautiful,” Sora observed, watching his people in awe. “How they work together.”
“Dragons understand the value of community,” Ignis explained, seating her at the table where platters of food awaited. “Individual strength multiplies when a clan moves as one. Scholars share knowledge, healers mend wounds, warriors defend... Alphas lead, omegas bring clarity, deltas teach and cure, and betas keep the foundation strong.”
