Page 8 of Court of Dragons and Ashes

“We—”

I slam my hand into his chest this time, stopping him, my hot tears falling down my cheeks. “I made my choice, back in the desert, back in the courts, that I am from this world, and I am not choosing a normal human life. I couldn’t just go and live on Earth, pretending I am not in love with the kings of another world.” I slam my other hand into his chest. “Do you know how worried I was when I woke up without you four? How fucking scared I was for you? I’ve had to process everything that happened to me while coming back here, fighting for you, and fixing your mistakes. I’ve had to make a deal with Aphrodite for the lives of my entire court and all my magic. Just because you guys wouldn’t speak to me, wouldn’t include me, and chose to be the heroes that no one asked for!”

I smack my hands over and over on his chest, unable to see through my tears.

“Ellelin—”

“NO!” I shout. “How dare you do that to me? I needed you after… I needed you.” I pause, actually looking at him. Lysander looks devastated. “I needed you. Even when I hate you sometimes, I needed you.” He pulls me to his chest even as I fight him, until I’m a shaking mess in his arms, clinging to hisshirt as he holds me tightly against the storms as we rock in the sea.

When there is nothing but the sound of a storm, he kisses me softly on top of my head. “I’m sorry.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard him say those words before. I didn’t know he was capable of them. “You don’t hate me anymore, and I never hated you. But I fucked up everything, over and over, and saying sorry is the only way I know how to begin to fix it all. I wanted to do that since the night I found you injured. Something broke in me that night, and I wish I could go back and tell myself to admit it. In my soul, I suspected that you’re my mate, but I had no proof. I didn’t know we were mind speaking like destined mates, but I was curious how it was possible. I felt your fear when you were drowning, and for a moment, I thought of how water could take you from me, and I hated it. I hated water, my power, my court, for daring to take air from your lungs. Even before that, even when I convinced myself that I felt nothing for you, I was obsessed with keeping you safe. I wouldn’t have touched your grandmother, and revenge went on the back burner in my mind.” I lift my head up. “When Arden told me of the deal he made to get us out, the deal with Aphrodite, I agreed with it before even thinking. Emrys came up with the plan to get you back to Earth, like you asked for from the moment we kidnapped you.”

“Things changed.”

He looks up, rain dripping down his face. When he looks down at me, I feel like the world stops. “I wanted you to have a normal life, away from us all, if it was on Earth or not. But fuck, did I want a life with you more. I would fight for a life with you, for a moment with you, just anything you are willing to give me. You’re my enemy, my spirit witch, and I’m in fucking love with you.”

“Lysander—”

“I don’t expect you to say it back, not even for a second, because I fucked up in every inch of our relationship. I can’t speak for the others, but I shouldn’t have lied to you about all of this. We should be in there together, and if you would give me a chance, I will drown this world to fix it for you.”

“Drowning seems pretty easy at the moment,” I manage to say. I can’t say what he wants me to, not right now, not with how angry I still am at him. We have too much to discuss, Arden for starters, and how he thinks my father killed his.

“You’re safe with me, even if we are in a storm in the middle of one of the most fucking dangerous seas in Ayiolyn. I would use my power toward just a few seconds of peace with you any moment, any time, in any world.” My heart races. Lysander never speaks to me like this, and I’m starting to think he is more dangerous when he is being seductive than he is when he is being cruel.

“You’ve changed, my enemy.”

He grins at me, holding me closer. His hand sinks into my hair, pulling us closer. “I’m done pushing you away. I am done pretending like you aren’t everything to me. We’re gonna fight our way out of this. We’ll win this test and show the gods they have nothing on dragons. Dragons rule.”

He moves us so close I can taste him on my every breath. “I’m no dragon.”

Lysander’s lips tilt but his eyes are filled with determination. “I saw you on the shadow dragon. Every bit of a spirit princess of the fifth court dragons. You are a dragon, my spirit witch.” He leans into me, and my breath halts. “I’m going to kiss you and never let you go. You need to push me away if you’re not ready?—”

I kiss him. I kiss my enemy like he isn’t my enemy at all and, instead, he is my entire world. His lips press harshly against mine in return, an echo of a groan vibrating up his throat that I feel in my blood. Lysander brutally kisses me, a desperate rushto take as much of me as he can with just his mouth. Just for a moment, the world blurs, and he makes me feel like I’m alive. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to kiss him after everything, but it feels easy. Natural to kiss my destined mate, someone born for me as much as I was born for him. Our past, our arguments and fights, are a memory for a few seconds as I sink into his hard body, rain still pouring on us, reminding me that we’re still in danger. I can taste him on my lips as I break away from him. He reaches for me again, but I place my hand on his chest. “What did you mean when you talked about the most dangerous sea in Ayiolyn?”

“I haven’t been back here in years. My father used to bring us here as a test for royals when I was a kid,” he answers, so casually that he barely registers the look of horror on my face.

A tic in his jaw twitches as my words wash over him like smoke. “How old were you?” How could his father bring him here, to this horrid place?

“Young,” he sharply answers, and he looks away, letting me go. He isn’t going to talk to me about it, not right now at least. I push the knowledge to the back of my mind.

“What’s wrong with these seas?” I ask.

“It’s full of monsters that are kept away from the islands, and the sea is known to destroy ships and life. Giant sea creatures dwell in the depths that make dragons look like toys for a child. This is the only part of the sea that doesn’t abide by my rule. It’s too wild, too unkept, and no king has ever been able to claim these seas or the monsters within. I believe my great-grandfather tried once, but he was eaten.” My eyes widen. That must have been one crazy bastard. “But to survive the seas means you are a true king. I used to be left out here for weeks, and I know there are little islands around. They appear and disappear on the tides. We need to make our way to one of them…” He keeps talking, making his plan, but I’m stuck on the fact his father left him out here for weeks as a young child.Lysander finally looks at me, and his eyes narrow. “I don’t want your pity.”

I try to hide my emotions, knowing we need to work together. “Right. How are we going to get to an island? Can you shift? I haven’t got my powers, or I would call my shadows.”

He smirks at me. “My dragon is blocked by that bitch goddess, but I’m the fucking king of the Water Court. Ruler of the seas, the oceans, the rivers, and you are mine. I will get us out of here.”

Pure possessiveness flashes in the depths of his eyes. I’m still angry at him. I think I’ll be angry for years to come for what they have done, but I don’t correct his claim. I’m his, we both know it. He is mine too. We might die together at any moment, and I’d rather not die completely hating him. Plus, it wasn’t just him that made that choice. I’m furious at all of them. “Stay on the turtle.” Lysander touches the island. “Thank you for saving me, friend.”

“It’s a turtle?!” I shout as he makes a gap in the water shield around us. Lysander doesn’t answer me as he suddenly jumps off the turtle, diving into the sea, leaving me behind. The turtle moves up, revealing more of the shell, and its purple head pops above the water. It looks right at me, and a sound like a whale cry sings from its throat. It’s a beautiful noise. I touch its back. “Thank you for helping us.”

The song continues, even as the turtle looks away from me. Waiting and waiting, I watch the sea through the gap, the violent waves and flashes of pure lightning that highlight nothing but the dark rain clouds. It’s been too long. I stand up, ready to dive into the sea for him if he doesn’t appear soon. I step back as something crashes out of the ocean, flashes of gold flooding my vision. A giant creature lands on the water outside the gap, and it looks like a water snake had a baby with an eel made of gold. Small whiskers that buzz with electricity fill the water at itssides, and sitting on its back between its humps is Lysander. He wipes his hair from his face, his other hand holding into a leash made of seaweed. He offers me his hand. “Come on, witch.”

I raise an eyebrow and he laughs as a wave of water swiftly lifts me up in the air and throws me at him. Lysander catches me too easily and slides me in front of him. “You’re insane!”

“And you are beautiful.”

I’m stunned for a second at his compliment, but my eyes widen as the whiskers of the creature lift, spreading out and revealing webbing between them. All of that looks like wings. Lysander wraps his arm tight around my body as the golden creature dives in the water, pulling us both down with it, and I clutch Lysander’s arm tightly. It crashes out of the sea again, right up into the air, and starts flying straight up into the sky. It dives through the storm cloud, right into pure, warm sunlight. I look back at Lysander, the burnt orange and sunflower yellow rays of the sun making his hair look like the beginning of a fire. “The sea is not your enemy, Elle. You were born to be the queen of it.”

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