Page 34 of Ava's Love of the Dragons
Though it was dark, she marched briskly through the forest, feeling no fear, plagued by no doubts. She knew what had to be done. She knew why she had returned. And she knew what task fate had intended for her.
She was ready.
She had wandered further from the arena than she'd thought, but the trek had done her good. Each step solidified what she had realized. Each step helped her understand deep inside that the reasons why her parents had left her were complex, that there had been circumstances she didn't yet understand, and that it had made her who she was now: the Chosen One.
The one who could bring the longed-for peace.
As she left the forest and reached the cliffs, she paused for a moment, gazing at the expanse that spread out beneath the starry sky, the boundlessness of this magical world. How beautiful it must have looked when countless dragons flew through the sky—when they spread their strong wings and cast shadows together with the fluffy clouds drifting across the sky.
Those times should return.
Effortlessly, she descended the narrow path until she reached the large gate. It had only been a week since they had knocked on it, yet so much had changed since then. She had changed.
She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and pushed open the gate, when suddenly a figure emerged from the shadows.
She knew who it was before she saw him. Felt it.
Kilian.
He was wearing his riding leather, swords, and daggers, as if he were going to war. He walked towards her, never taking his eyes off her, but this time he didn't reach out his hand, instead stopping two steps in front of her.
Ava stiffened, while her heartbeat took on a life of its own. She hadn't been thinking of him anymore. Why was he still here? Shouldn't he have long since returned to his duty as a dragon leader?
"What are you doing here?" Her voice sounded firm, but her stomach clenched. She would probably never be able to talk normally to this man.
"I've been waiting for you. Master Clark told me you needed time, which I gave you. Now I want to talk to you." His gaze turned fiery as it fell on her lips, but he tore his focus away and looked into her eyes. It was unmistakable how serious he was.
However, there was nothing to talk about.
"Have you already proposed to the princess?"
He fixed her with a penetrating gaze. "Why did you come back?"
She let out a snort. He apparently didn't know yet what had transpired at the border. "I have a task."
"Rob told me you —"
"He lied!" Anger overcame her before she could consider whether it was wise or not. "He ran off while I was with myaunt. He even told the border guards that I was planning an assassination attempt on the king, which is why they tried to get rid of me. When I still managed to make it to the cave, Rob was already waiting for me. He wanted to finish what the soldiers had failed to do!"
Kilian's eyes widened. "What?"
She took a deep breath. This wasn't getting them anywhere. But it was important for Kilian to know the truth. Not only so he could properly assess his "friend," but also so he wouldn't tell him where she was.
"I hope he doesn't know I'm here, because my training with Master Clark has only just begun. The fight wouldn't be quite fair yet." She tried to grin, which failed miserably, in large part because of Kilian's shocked expression.
He stepped towards her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Did he hurt you?"
Yes, he had, but that didn't matter. She avoided his gaze.
"Did he hurt you?"
She shook her head. "I'm fine." Thanks to Lilly. Come to think of it, the little one had earned herself a cake, considering how often she had saved her life.
Kilian stroked her arms, moved up to her shoulders, and cupped her face as if he wanted to convince himself. In doing so, he was dangerously close to her. His body heat radiated into her, set her on fire, and pulled her to him as if the dragon fighter were a damned magnet. Their heads drew closer, their mouths moved towards each other, their lips parted, but they mustn't. Ava felt the heartbeat of her little dragon as if it were her own. His life was at stake just as much as that of all the other dragons.
"We can't." With these words, she freed herself from his grip and stepped back. She felt cold. Ice cold, which was why she rubbed her forearms to give herself support, because she wasn't going to recklessly throw herself into Kilian's arms.
The dragon fighter looked at her, virtually frozen, until he blinked and tore himself away from her gaze. He ran his hand over his face before almost imperceptibly inclining his head, as if indicating a bow. "I assure you that you have nothing to fear from Rob." With these words, he retreated into the shadows.
