Page 33 of Eluvonia
Slipping into the shadows, I search for an opening. My eyes catch a male Fae near a burning tent. I rush toward him, my steps quick with desperation. “Help! I’ve been taken prisoner!” I grab his arm, my voice trembling with false fear. “Please, help me!”
His eyes narrow, suspicion creeping into his gaze. “Prisoner?” he repeats, his brow furrowing as he sizes me up. “What’s your name?”
“Aeris,” I whisper, my heart pounding in my throat.
The name triggers something in him. His face twists into a grimace, the disgust clear. “Traitorous whore,” he spits, jerking his arm away from my grasp.
I stumble back, confusion flooding me. “What? What are you talking about?”
“We know you’re bonded to the Dragons now. You’re a whore. You betrayed your whole clan, had them all killed so you could have your Dragon dick.” he sneers, his voice dripping with venom. His hand tightens on his sword, fury radiating from every inch of him.
Before he can strike, Kaida appears, his blade flashing as he deflects the Fae’s attack with a sharp clang.
Kaida’s glare is icy as he steps between us. “Why are you attacking her?” he demands, his voice low and deadly. “She’s Fae. One of your own?”
“She’s no Fae,” the male spits, his voice filled with hate. “She’s your whore, Dragon.”
Kaida’s eyes flick to me, and for a moment, I meet his gaze, uncertain. But I don’t know what to say. My stomach twists.
Kaida sighs, clearly irritated. His eyes flick to me again. Without another word, he sidesteps the Fae, cutting him downin one smooth, practiced motion.
As the Fae crumples to the ground, Kaida turns to me, brow furrowed. “How did he know about the bond? How are you spreading this information?” His shadows lash out behind him, snatching another Fae who was running toward us and flinging him into the flames.
“I’m not spreading anything!” I snap, my voice a harsh whisper as I peek around the edge of the tent, tracking the Fae overhead. My frustration curdles into something sharper. “He called me a traitor when I asked him to rescue me. Said I betrayed my kind… for…” My face heats, and I quickly look away. “You know.”
Kaida glances at me, and I catch that infuriating half-smile tugging at his lips. “You’re really going to blush every time someone says ‘dick’?” he scoffs, shaking his head in exasperation. “You’re no better than a youngling. We’re getting out of here.”
The chaos around us is a living thing—screams pierce the air, flames consume tents and supplies, and the acrid stench of burning wood and flesh makes it hard to breathe. My legs ache as I follow Kaida, weaving through the pandemonium. We dart behind a half-collapsed tent, the canvas singed and smoldering, just as a group of armed Fae storms past. My heart thunders in my chest, but Kaida envelops us in shadow, the feel of them cool against my heated skin.
A deafening roar cuts through the din, and I instinctively duck, my heart slamming against my chest. My mind barely registers the sound before my body reacts—duck.
In the distance, a Dragon rises from the battlefield, its massive wings blotting out the flames below. A stream of fire erupts from its jaws, engulfing a cluster of Fae warriors.The screams that follow send a shiver down my spine. I shake my head, forcing my eyes away from the carnage. I can’t—I won’t—watch as my kind are slaughtered. My blood stirs in disgust, but I focus on Kaida’s broad back as he pulls me forward.
We skirt a burning wagon, smoke curling into the night sky like dark tendrils. A guard stumbles toward us, blood streaming down his face. Kaida stops him with a firm hand on his shoulder. “The eastern flank is collapsing. Reinforce it. Now!”
The guard nods weakly and stumbles off into the chaos. Kaida watches him go, his jaw tight. “They’re dropping like flies,” he mutters under his breath.
The weight of his words presses down on me, and for a moment, I wonder if I should feel relief. They are the enemy. But as the battle rages around us, my stomach tightens, and I can’t help but wonder if I’ll be next—if I’ll be forced to kill my own kind or fall victim to a world that has no place for me.
Near the cliff’s edge, Kaida suddenly halts. My eyes follow his line of sight, landing on a tall woman in golden armor, her movements precise and deadly as she fends off two Fae at once.
“Shura!” Kaida calls, his blade flashing as he dispatches a Fae in his path with a single, fluid motion.
The woman—Shura, apparently—spares him a glare mid-swing. “I had it under control, Kaida.”
He smirks, though there’s a flicker of something softer in his eyes. “Of course you did.”
Before I can process their exchange, more Fae emerge from the smoke, their blades flashing in the firelight. My pulse spikes, but Shura and Kaida react instantly—moving like aforce of nature, precise and lethal.
They weave through the chaos, their attacks seamless, as if they’ve been training together for years.
Shura twists, her blade carving through an enemy’s chest just as Kaida ducks beneath another’s swing, driving his dagger upward into the Fae’s ribs. They fight as though reading each other’s minds—one fluid, deadly rhythm.
When the last enemy falls, Shura straightens, wiping blood from her blade. She turns to me, her expression unreadable.
“So you’re the Fae.”
I fold my arms, lifting a brow. “It’s Aeris, thanks.”
