Page 76 of The Exiled Dragon

All I could do was hold her. My mother suffered the most. She lost her mate only to be wiped of her memories and give birth to a son she thought was the product of rape. Yet she still loved me. What if I was never born? Would she still be alive and Adam not have killed her off?

"If the gods wanted our race to lose the magic, then there was a reason! Everything happens for a reason, Creed, everything. That was why we weren't gaining more females! Too much magic, too much power, it's a bad thing." I brushed away her tears with the pad of my thumb.

"He is jealous of you, Creed. Adam will do everything he can to kill you, and you must not let that happen. You are stronger than him. That is the only reason he hasn't killed you yet, but he will find a way. Now that you have your mate, your strength has grown, but with that strength, you must use everything I have taught you." Mother's blood-shot eyes begged me. "The dark magic they are playing with is dangerous and will hurt those you love." My Dragon let out a roar in protest.

"Follow your heart," she whispered. "The Elders giving out their blood to keep Adam's selfish desires flowing are going to be disastrous." Her fingers tickled her lips. "If that news spreads to the south, the Witches and Warlocks down there will have Bergarian at their fingertips."

"I'll fix everything, Mother. I'll fight in your name, restore the balance. I’ll find my…" I paused. “Father. Explain what has happened before anyone is killed.”

"Thank you," she whispered. "It is a lot to ask, and I would not be disappointed if you change your mind. If you want to fly away with your mate, Creed, I'm all right with that too. You owe no one anything. You are just my innocent little Creed." Shaking my head, I pulled her closer. Mother didn't want this for me, but I knew I needed to protect Odessa and our friends. There were still good people and even more in the tribe that never accepted me.

"I need to protect who I love and seek revenge for separating a mated couple. Adam has ruined too many lives to go unpunished. I already know the Cerulean Moon Kingdom will have him executed." Mother sniffed, pushing back one of my braids.

"Let it be so,” she sniffed. “There is no other way, my fledgling. There is so much more I wish to tell you, but we are out of time." Mother patted my arm, pulling away from me.

"No, I won't let you go yet," I growled, holding her close.

"I will see you again, my sweet Dragon, here between your dreams and reality. I'll always be here." Mother's body faded, her hand brushing my cheek. Her face was still wet from her tears, her eyes dulling. "You need to go back to your mate; the next few days are crucial to stay near each other."

"No, not yet." I inhaled. "I just got you back."

"Be happy, Creed, for once. Make sweet memories with your mate as your bond strengthens. All will fall into place at the time the fates wish it so. You have until the next full moon before everything begins to unravel."

"Mother, wait, I love you, don't go!" My hand reached out as she stepped away from me.

"I love you, my little fledgling."

Chapter Forty-Six

Amora

MelinaandOsirusledme back to the castle, leaving my spirit brother back at the cave. I wrung my hands feverishly, the bond trying to pull me back to Adam. It wasn’t often I left the tribe, and when I did it was only for short bursts of time. I felt at home there despite almost all of it being fabricated.

“Amora?” Melina grabbed my hand. Her white hair glowed brightly in the light sources. She had become a wonderful friend in the short time we’d known each other. “Is there anything we can do for you? We have your quarters ready. Guards are standing by your room, and the entire nation is on high alert.” Sighing heavily, I squeezed her hand. Melina barely knew me, but our friendship bond was strong.

“This is perfect, thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you for everything,” I sniffed. The bond continued to tug at me, making me anxious Adam would search for me soon.

“I would like to discuss some things with you,” Osirus interrupted. “Just to make sure we are all on the same page.” Osirus’ face contorted into an unreadable expression. Faes could be like that, hiding authentic emotion. I was no different when I was a child, but spending most of my adult life with Dragons and becoming part animal had made me forget.

Osirus led me through the brightly colored hallways. The palace was made just for the light sources, so at whatever angle the bright lights hit, it would cast brightly colored stained-glass colors onto the floor and walls. The enormous chandeliers for parties and the brightly colored orgy-like paintings were plastered in each partition.

“I still can’t get used to those.” Melina pointed to the naked Faes dancing. “But they have been here forever, and I don’t want to be ‘that one queen,’ who is uncomfortable at looking at the Fae heritage art.” She snorted. Each species had its quirks, and the Faes certainly had their kinkiness about them.

I shivered, thinking about how I shared that part of me with Adam.

Walking through the golden double doors adorned with colored sea pearls, we entered the Tea Room. It was decorated with light pink couches, small crochet doilies, and pictures of flowers that grew by the sea. Several boxes of exotic teas, creamers, and sugars decorated the table. None of this caught my eye, like a certain someone standing in the corner.

Nicholas stood by a decorative table with his arms folded. He still hadn’t put on a vest or tunic, his leathers tightly wrapped around his thighs, and his sword hung loosely behind his back. His eyes softening, he walked towards me to take my hand and guide me to the couch. My Dragon automatically purred too loudly, but Nicholas paid no mind sitting beside me.

Leaning forward to break the awkwardness to make my tea, he grabbed my hand. “I’ll make it.” He smiled, patting my hand. Biting the inside of my cheek, I patiently waited as he made it. Peppermint tea with a splash of a cream and a sugar cube. He knew it by heart. Nicholas made it for me every day when Adam wasn’t around.

“So, these papers.” Osirus held up the evidence I had brought from the Dragon Shifter archives. “This proves that Adam has forcedly chosen you as a mate. This is a death sentence for him once I show the Cerulean Moon Kingdom. I understand you are under the influence of the bond, but I still must ask you.” Osirus stepped forward, kneeling in front of me. The King of the Faes, kneeling before me. I gasped, shaking my head.

“Amora, any friend of Melina’s, is a friend of mine.” He grabbed my hand, kissing the back of it. “Now, you understand what this means.” I nodded, no longer looking anyone in the eye.

“If he did this to me, lied to me for all these years, it isn’t genuine love,” I choked. “Then treating an innocent Dragon like Creed to a life of loneliness is despicable.” A warm tear tickled my lashes. Why was this so hard? My soul pulled one way, but my heart and mind were another. It was ripping me in two.

“Amora.” Nicholas pulled me to his chest. My Dragon vibrated, stronger than I ever felt her. My head curled up into his bare skin, holding me tightly. His dark strands of hair hid my face while I sobbed silently.

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