Page 15 of Enchanter of Dragons
“King Tatsuki is nothing like that. He takes pride in knowing every detail about his palace. He never wants to be caught unaware about anything.” It was clear how proud Jaega was of his oldest brother. Although Fersen had never met the king, if he was anything like Jaega, he was sure to be one of the most remarkable men in Talwyn as well.
The stories filled Fersen with the urge to go back to Valzerna with Jaega, but he didn’t have the heart to ask. Besides, what would he do in a kingdom with no place to live? He wouldn’t know the first thing about where to find a solitary sanctuary like his home in the Morven forest. Dreams of the riches Valzerna offered would be the closest Fersen would ever come to experiencing them.
Chapter9
Jaega
They continued talking long into the night, but eventually, Fersen smothered a yawn behind his hand. “Sorry.”
“There is no need to be sorry. It has been a long day,” Jaega said. “You should get some rest now. We have an early start in the morning.”
“What about you?” Fersen asked.
As tempting as it was to join Fersen in sleep, Jaega did the honorable thing. “I will stand guard.”
Fersen shook his head. “You need sleep, too.”
“Dragons do not require as much rest. I shall be fine.” Jaega gestured for Fersen to make himself comfortable. “Do not worry about me.”
Fersen bit his lower lip as he seemed to struggle with something. It was a surprisingly endearing gesture. “But what if…what if I feel safer when you’re sleeping beside me?”
Jaega’s resolve wavered. It was his last night to spend with Fersen since they would part ways after he got the unicorn shifter settled back at home. The temptation to share the bed roll with Fersen one last time was strong. But Jaega tried to do the right thing. “You will be safe no matter where I am.”
“By your logic, I’ll be just as safe with you here beside me, right?”
He had Jaega on that point. “I have no desire to make you uncomfortable.”
Fersen rubbed the back of his hand, unable to meet Jaega’s gaze. “Last night was the first time in months I haven’t had night terrors about what happened to me. I think it’s because I felt so safe in your arms. So…”
The last of Jaega’s resolve left him. His dragon urged his body into action before his mind could protest. “If that is the case, then I will join you.” Jaega stretched out on the large bed roll, then summoned a blanket to cover them both. It took effort not to curl up behind Fersen, the same heavenly way he had woken up in the morning.
“Thank you for humoring me,” Fersen said. “I know I’m being unreasonable.”
“I am happy to do whatever makes you feel safest.”
“Then…would you…would you hold me like you did this morning?” Fersen hesitantly asked. “If it’s too uncomfortable for you, or?—”
Jaega didn’t give Fersen the chance to finish his protests. He rolled onto his side, curling his body behind Fersen as he held him close. “Is this better?” Jaega asked, his voice dropping lower, thanks to his dragon struggling to rise to the surface. It was roaring at Jaega to claim Fersen as their fated mate, but the army general fought off his dragon’s desires. They were offering sanctuaryonly.
Fersen pulled Jaega’s arm tighter around him. “Yeah,” he said in a small voice.
Why did it feel so right to hold Fersen? Like the younger man’s body had been made to perfectly fit against his?
Because he is our fated mate, Jaega’s dragon insisted in the depths of his mind.It is meant to be. He was made for us.
When will you quit being such a coward and claim him as ours?
It was a question Jaega didn’t have an answer for yet.
Chapter10
Fersen
Once Fersen had a general idea of where they were, he told Jaega where to land. He needed to be on the ground to get his bearings on where they were in the large Morven forest. Since it was such a nice day out and the tree cover was so thick, they walked the rest of the way to Fersen’s house, because there wasn’t enough room for a dragon to land.
The closer they got to Fersen’s home, the more excited he became. There were nights he feared he’d never see his beloved home again. Olina had left him her house inside a massive, hollowed-out Elysian tree. It was cozy but comfortable. It was such a relief for his ordeal to almost be over, even if it meant the end of his time with Jaega. But thinking about that was too sad, so Fersen pushed it from his mind.
When they emerged into the clearing where his home was, Fersen gasped in horror as he stopped dead in his tracks. King Decius’s men who had kidnapped him had burned the once magnificent Elysian tree. The verdant leaves were gone, and the tree bark was blackened and splintering. Everything had been destroyed.
