Page 82 of Claimed By the Dragon King

“I showed him what he needed to guide his path, just as I showed you,”she replies cryptically.

“But why can I not speak of it? Why must I keep it secret?” A tear slides down my cheek, but I quickly brush it away. “I love Aurdyn, and my silence is hurting him because he does not know why I cannot—” My voice breaks. Swallowing against the lump in my throat, I draw in a shaking breath. “If I told him what I saw, maybe we could avoid it entirely? And both of us could live.”

Her expression softens into something akin to pity.“Each of the sanishon in the prophecy of the Great Uniters will be called upon to make a great sacrifice.”She reaches out and gently lifts a long tendril of my hair, allowing it to slip through her fingers.“I thought it was a kindness, allowing you to see the sacrifice you will make, not so that you could push away your fated one, but so that you could hold him close and draw upon the strength of your union when the time comes for you to make that choice.”She pauses.“If he knew what was to come, he would do everything in his power to keep it from unfolding, and in doing so, he could unravel the very fate of your world.”

“But how can I give myself to him, and take him as my mate knowing that I will die? How would that be fair to him?”

“All mortal creatures die,”she replies impassively.“It is the way of things. I am not mortal, but I understand how upsetting death is to your kind. The last king,”she says, and I realize she is speaking of Aurdyn’s father,“came to me after the death of his mate. He lamented about all the things he would have said to her, had he known what was coming.”

I blink several times. “Are you saying you wanted to give me this knowledge so that I could face my fate with no regrets?”

She dips her chin in a subtle nod.“Of the two of you, I knew you were the one who would accept your fate, whereas Aurdyn would rage against it.”A faint smile tilts her lips.“It is his… arrogant nature, as you call it.”

Despite my sadness, a short puff of laughter escapes me. She’s right. That is who he is. My wonderful, arrogant Dragon.

“May I ask one more thing?”

She tilts her head to the side in a motion for me to continue.

“Will my death be painful?”

“I do not know,”she says, and I’m completely taken aback.

“How can you not—”

“The thread of fate that is woven through each mortal life is part of a complicated tapestry of every life that it touches and is touched by in return. I am not the weaver. I am merely one of the few allowed to view the pattern on the loom.”She touches my face, brushing away a stray tear.“Return to your Dragon, and live a life with no regret.”

I blink and I’m still standing by the tree, with my hand on the trunk. Tears sting my eyes and flow down my cheeks as I pull away, staring down at the snow.

I’ve wasted so much time pushing Aurdyn away. I’ve hurt him and I hate myself for it. Curling my hands into fists at my side, I draw in a shaking breath. I don’t want to waste another precious moment with him, for I do not know how many I have left.

CHAPTER47

AURDYN

Anger wars with my frustration as I soar above the castle in my Dragon form. The deep stretch of my wings as I ride the current, catching the wind in the large sails is a welcome distraction.

There is something about this form that calls to me. It is always ready just beneath the surface. Like a dark and primal thing awaiting to be freed. I dip my wing to the left and make a slow arc over the sleeping city below.

A few guards circle the outskirts, scanning the area for any sign of danger. They are one of many patrols that I have ordered to guard our city and our borders. If the Mages try to invade, we will not be caught unprepared.

Clenching my jaw, I think back on my conversation with Freyja. I should not have left as I did. A maelstrom of emotions churns deep within. She is hiding something from me, but I do not know what.

In this form, I am able to read some of her thoughts. Perhaps if I were close enough, I could—

I force myself to stop this line of thinking. She has expressed her discomfort at my ability to do this. Before, it was an accident. Because we are different species, I did not believe the bond would manifest in this way between us as it does for other Dragons that are fated to each other. So, to do this now, deliberately, would be a violation of her mind. And that is something I will not do.

I will not force her to share her secrets, whatever they may be. When I asked for her reasons for rejecting me, she said she could not speak of it. This suggests that she would, if she were able, but for some reason, she is not.

My thoughts return to the vision of our son, given to me by the heart tree. That is the only thing I am unable to speak of. When I saw our future, I have never felt so much joy. But what if she saw something different?

The High Priest said the visions we received are a guide from the heart tree to direct our path.

Anger burns through my veins as all of the pieces begin to fall into place. How could I have been such a fool? The answers I seek lie with the heart tree. I am sure of it.

I flap my wings furiously as I make my way to the temple. It is late, but I care not. I will wait no more for my answers.

When I get closer to the temple, I shift into my two-legged form. I do not want to risk waking the priests and priestesses by landing in my larger Dragon form. Quietly, I descend through the trees, just outside the temple.

---