Page 26 of Eluvonia
I press my lips into a thin line, avoiding his gaze. “Fine. Yes, I’m afraid of heights.” The admission feels like acid on my tongue.
His smirk widens into a full-on grin, sharp and wicked. “Oh, this is going to be fun,” he drawls, taking a deliberate step closer. I stiffen, retreating a step.
“What do you mean by ‘fun’?”
He leans in, his breath warm against my cheek. “I just got an assignment,” he murmurs, his voice silky with menace. “We’re flying out in ten minutes.”
“F-fly?” My voice comes out as a squeak, and my stomach drops.
His grin stretches wider, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Fly,” he whispers, then pulls back and strides off, leaving me rooted in place, heart hammering.
Chapter 10
AERIS
Minutes later, I find myself outside the fortress, standing in a lush clearing. Vibrant grass and wildflowers spread out beneath a pale sky, but the sight does little to calm my nerves. Arms crossed, I glare at Kaida as he approaches, his shadowy form rippling around him.
“Are you going to keep glaring at me, or are you ready to go?” he asks, his tone sharp with impatience.
I straighten my posture, still hesitant. “Go where?”
His lips curve into a smirk, but there’s something unsettling in the way his shadows seem to echo the expression, dark tendrils flicking out and curling around his fingers. “You’ll see.”
I huff and cross my arms around my chest, “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Kaida’s smirk sharpens. “You’re either riding me, or I’ll burn you alive. Your choice.” The words hang in the air like athreat, heat rising to my cheeks as the shadows around him seem to pulse with his growing irritation.
From behind me, a loud, boisterous laugh erupts. I turn, startled, to see a tall man sauntering over. He’s muscular, his golden skin glowing under the sunlight, as if kissed by it. His golden hair hangs down past his neck in tousled waves, and his bright yellow eyes twinkle with amusement. His smile is wide, almost mischievous, as he claps Kaida on the back, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
“Kai, are you that bad in bed that you have to threaten her to ‘ride’ you?”
The man’s voice is casual, almost mocking, but it’s clear he’s familiar with Kaida. I can’t help but blink in surprise as Kaida freezes, his expression caught between annoyance and embarrassment. The man’s words seem to catch Kaida off guard, and I see the faintest blush creep up his neck.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Kaida mutters, clearly flustered.
The man doubles over, wiping tears from his eyes as he laughs harder. “Oh, gods, this is too good.”
Kaida growls, the deep, guttural sound reverberating through the air, sending a shiver down my spine. His body seems to ripple, muscles shifting unnaturally. The air around him grows heavy, charged with an otherworldly energy that makes my skin prickle. The shadows that swirl at his feet surge, moving like a living thing.
“Uh, you might want to step back,” the man says with a grin, his tone relaxed as he casually grabs my arm and tugs me a few steps away. His wide smile doesn’t falter, even as Kaida’s transformation begins.
He seems completely unfazed by Kaida’s sudden shift in mood, which only adds to my confusion. The man’s presenceis somehow reassuring, but still, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being pulled into something dangerous.
“Declan,” he says, offering a lazy grin in my direction. “Name’s Declan. And don’t worry, I’m not as insane as Kaida—at least not all the time.”
I hesitate before offering a small nod. “Aeris.”
He gives a small, acknowledging nod before his attention flicks back to Kaida, whose body starts to twist and expand. The transformation is shocking in its intensity—bones cracking and elongating, scales erupting from his skin, gleaming dark and iridescent like obsidian shards. His clothes shred, falling away to reveal the massive Dragon beneath. Wings unfurl with a thunderous sound, casting a shadow over the clearing.
I instinctively shield my face from the gust of air that follows the powerful movement of the Dragon’s wings. I’ve heard stories of Dragon transformations before, but never did I imagine something so… monstrous.
Kaida lowers his head, his sapphire eyes burning like molten fire as they fixate on Declan, who still hasn’t stopped grinning. The Dragon’s lips curl back, revealing rows of dagger-like teeth as a low, menacing growl rumbles from his throat. The shadows around him ripple like they are part of his movements, perfectly in sync with his every motion.
“Wow, you’ve really got him worked up,” Declan chuckles, releasing my arm as if this is all perfectly normal. He glances up at Kaida’s towering form, utterly unfazed. “Careful, Kai. You might pop a vein.”
Kaida snaps his tail to the side, the impact sending a small tremor through the ground. Declan finally steps back, throwing up his hands in mock surrender, his grin widening.
“Alright, alright, calm down, big guy. No need to eat me… yet.”
