Page 57 of The Shadow Fae Rhapsody
Whatever. It was worth a shot…
He moves closer and crouches in front of me. “You truly are amusing… and you did find a new water source for us.”
My pulse picks up at the sudden proximity.
“Fae are nothing but fair,” he says, whisking a coin between his fingers. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we let fate decide?”
I raise a brow at the suggestion.
He waves the coin in front of me. “Heads, you live, tails, you die. Does that sound fair to you?”
No.
The fae doesn’t even let me choose which sides before tossing the coin to the air.
A dark chuckle leaves him as he reads my fate on the coin. “Looks like death it is, white rabbit.”
He draws the curved blade once again. The weapon is dark from the hilt to the tip like it’s dipped in shadow.
Coral snarls at the threat, even though she’s too weak to do anything. The spikes on her neck make a strange rattling sound to terrify her enemy. Landon raises a hand to calm her down.
“Don’t fret, little one. I’m not going to hurt you. Just her,” he promises the wyvern.
I glare at him over his approach, raising my chin in defiance.
Coral growls harder and her body starts glowing. Light flares from her scales, shining brighter than the sun in the sky. I shield my eyes from the luminous glare.
A memory plays in my head, but it’s not my memory, because I’m staring at myself back at the field as I say,
You’re mine.
Yes, you’re mine.
A wonderful feeling envelops me, making me feel safe, loved, and accepted. Goosebumps erupt on my skin from the warm sensation.
The iridescence fades and my eyes flutter open.
“Fool,” the fae curses under his breath, his gaze fixed on Coral.
“What happened?” I ask, shaking my head to get rid of the white light still staining my peripheral vision.
“The flightless wyvern has bonded herself to you,” the fay says with a heavy breath. “She has chosen you as her Thugra, her rider. Not that she can fly.”
I turn to her immediately. My heart swells with so much joy I’m afraid it may burst. “Oh Coral…”
The wyvern whines shyly, nuzzling her head softly to mine. Her eyes are radiant like the stars in the sky.
Landon scoffs with clear revulsion. “But this means that if you die, she dies.”
Whatever happiness I felt earlier dims and my heart stumbles. I plant my head to Coral’s rubbery scales and kiss her cheek. Why would she do that? That is so sad—no.
She chose me,I remind myself.
This little wyvern chose me.
The fae shakes his head in dismay. “Survived that drowning only to perish in my hand. I’ll make this quick. At least for her sake.”
My mind races as I force myself to think of a way out of this.
