Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

T he dream appears like any other, except for everything's different. It feels like Emrys, like he's right there in front of me and all around me at the same time. It's because he is. We're standing on a boat, a creaky, wide, wooden boat, in what looks like a foggy lake. The fog's slowly moving around like small waves, but the boat doesn't move. Emrys is on the other side of the boat, just standing there, and he looks so real it breaks me. He's wearing a white shirt tucked into tight black trousers. His hands are resting in his pockets, and when he smiles at me, warmness flows through my body. I smile back at him. I want this not to be a dream, but to be real. When I wake up, Emrys is still going to be trapped in his body with Ares ruling.

"It's really me. You need to go into the darkness and I'll be there." He walks across the boat. The darkness? How could he be down there? The boat doesn't move; it doesn't tip or rock in the water like a normal boat would do when someone moves. There's nothing around us, just more fog. Endless, endless fog. Why this place? His hands sink into my hair, and his touch feels right. Just so right. He pulls me to him; his lips are on mine within a second, a mixture of a soft pressure but a little more than that and everything Emrys. Just everything. I moan as he pushes us down, only to turn us so he is sitting on the bench and I spread my legs around him, my white dress pooling at my thighs. I never wear dresses like this. "How are you here? Is this real?"

"I'm always real to you," he promises, running his teeth across my bottom lip. "We don't have much time," he whispers, kissing down my neck. "I just, I need you to remember this. Remember me here. It's not just a dream and you need to remember."

He keeps kissing me like it's our last kiss, like he needs every moment, and I breathe in his scent, how he smells so normal. I miss him so much. How is this possible? "What are you talking about?"

Emrys's hands drift slowly down my body before pushing up the white dress that I'm wearing. His hand slides my underwear to the side, and I gasp as he slips his finger into my folds, finding my clit and stroking it as I moan. "You need to remember this, and I won't let you forget." The pleasure is intense, and I moan again, which he captures with his mouth. He rips the underwear off, undoing his trousers and pulling me to him. I slowly sink onto his cock, inch by inch, my cheeks flushing. He grabs my ass, pulling me up and down on him, and I'm so close. "You need to remember." He groans against my lips. "Fuck, don't forget me. This."

"Never," I cry out as I orgasm and he crashes with me, just as the dream fades.

I wake up panting as I stare up at the ceiling and look around. "Emrys?"

Nothing answers me, and I sink my head back on the pillow. Of course he isn't here. My door is knocked twice, and I groan, sliding out of the bed with the dream replaying over and over in my mind. It was him; I know it, but how? He is trapped in his body with Ares in control. So how did he pull me into a dream like that? It felt like more than a dream though, like a memory instead, but one I've never lived. I should have told him I loved him. I should have told him over and over that I loved him. Why didn't I say that?

How could he ever think I'd forget him? Never. Ever. Gods, Emrys.

"Just a moment," I tell whoever was knocking. I quickly run to the bathroom and get changed for the day before opening the door and finding my uncle outside. "Phobos?" I blurt out. "What are you doing here?"

"Surprise. Your castle is fucking nosy and gave me a towel this morning before I even got out of the shower. Do you think it watches?" The castle corridor goes cold and the floorboards creak under his feet as I shake my head at him before hugging him. He doesn't hug me back. He never does. He's not a hugger. But I think he appreciates the sentiment anyway. "I'm here to help you win a war and kill people. The second part I find fun—and my mate usually tells me no."

"Where is your mate?" I ask. I'm glad he is here, and we definitely could do with the god of nightmares on our side in a war. "Is she in the castle somewhere?" I ask as we begin heading down the corridor.

"No." He frowns. "I love her. I'm not bringing her to a world at war. Would you really bring any of your mates here if you had any other choice?"

"Touché." I sigh, resting my head on his shoulder. "Where is my grandmother, anyway?"

"Disgustingly in love with an old god," he replies. "It sickens me."

My shoulders drop a little when I see my mates, and the tension drifts away as we get to the dining room. Phobos doesn't come in with me, choosing to stay outside instead. Grayson is sitting at the dinner table with toast and bacon on his plate, Lysander is sipping on a coffee, and there is another coffee laid out in the empty seat between, along with a plate full of my favourite breakfast choices. Arden is sitting on the other side, leaning back in his seat, and he looks over his shoulder when I come in. "I didn't want to wake you. She can wait."

"I'd rather not eat and just get going now," I admit, but Grayson pulls out the seat next to him and challenges me with one look to try to walk out without eating something. I sigh and sit down, sipping on the perfect temperature coffee until it wakes me up. "I think Emrys spoke to me in my dreams last night. I don't understand how it happened, but it did. He warned me that I need to go into the darkness below and he will be there. His soul will."

Lysander and Arden share a look. "We just spoke about how you scented like Emrys in your sleep. It was strange."

"He is still fighting, and he won't stop." It brings me a new feeling of strength, knowing I wasn't just imagining him there, kissing me, telling me he will never give up on us. On a future for us. Reluctantly, I eat some of the food, which tastes like ash in my mouth with how nervous I am. "I'm done. Can we go now?"

Arden nods, rising to his feet. He looks like a handsome dude ready to go to a party, not a battle. He has not bothered to wear his leather protective clothing or any armour. Instead, he has a nice crisp red silk shirt on, tucked into tight black trousers that fit his muscular body perfectly. I, on the other hand, decided fire proof leathers from my neck to my boots were a better plan. The black fabric sticks to me and makes me feel like I'm boiling underneath it, but I prefer that over being burnt. I tug at the collar as I stand up, brushing my other hand over Grayson's shoulder to say goodbye. We both know he doesn't do goodbyes, and I hate them, too. Lysander wraps his hand around my hip, turning me towards him. "If it helps, you look absolutely sensational in that."

"It really does not," I mutter, but I can't help but smile. "What are your plans for the day?"

"Fixing my court," Lysander offers. I wince, wondering how he plans to fix anything there. "And paying a visit to my mother with letters from Kian, as he plans to stay here with Artemis until their wedding."

I'm still getting used to the idea Arty is going to be my sister-in-law. Everything is messy between us, and I don't know how I could ever fully trust her again. I know that's what she wants, and I have forgiven her as best I can for what she did…but she took lives. She also saved lives. She saved Emrys at the risk of her own life. Sometimes I look at her and still see my friend who betrayed me, and other times, I see a sister. When she becomes my sister-in-law, that will be forever. I know time will heal. I just hope we have that time. I lean down and kiss him softly. "Don't kill them all."

"No promises, spirit witch," he grumbles like I've just ruined his fun.

Arden takes my hand, and I only look once over my shoulder at my mates before going right through a portal to the Air Court with Arden. We both brace ourselves because of what happened to Lysander, but we step out into the throne room, and it's empty. Silent. I can smell death in the air, and the court that used to sing with life is silent like a grave. "We're going to be fine," Arden reassures me.

"You have far more confidence in this than I do," I whisper, turning my gaze up to Arden's. The wind howls around us, blowing my braid across my back, and his eyes waver. The confidence that's coming out of his mouth doesn't match the feeling I get. He is scared for me. We both know this is terrifying, but we have survived so, so much. We will survive this. At least he's putting a brave face on, whereas I am not exactly doing that, and I need to. Aphrodite is like a dog searching for a bone when it comes to her enemies' weaknesses. I lift my head and look forward.

"Do you think if we just went downstairs, rescued your mother and Gray's sister, she'd notice?" Arden half jokes. "I'm good with locks, princess."

I grin at him. "If she leaves us here any longer, I might be tempted to try."

Arden links our hands, our fingers woven and locked tight. Whatever the test is, we will deal with it together one final time. If it's a fire element test, like Lysander battled with his element, then we'll be in the best of company.

Aphrodite appears like she's gliding through the air, like she's taken over the element itself as well as the court. It makes me grit my teeth, especially because Emrys is holding her hand as they walk down together. He looks pale, sickly almost, in dark clothes that don't suit him. His cheeks are hollowed in like he's not been eating, and his skin is borderline grey. The sight of him makes me literally feel sick to my stomach. It's been days, just days, and he already looks like this. What the hell are they doing to him?

"Is my friend's body not sitting comfortably with you?" Arden growls before Aphrodite can say a word. "You probably should know taking over a king who desperately wants to get back to his mate was a stupid fucking idea. You look like you're close to death, god of war. Weak."

Ares stumbles forward, and his wife has to hold him up for a second. I stare at Emrys like he was really in front of me. I speak right to him. "We're going to save you. Keep fighting."

"Shut up, the pair of you," Aphrodite snaps at me, her cheeks burning red. A pissed goddess is a dangerous one and also one who makes mistakes. "All souls fade in the end."

I shake my head at her, knowing that Emrys won't. I tell myself to remember the dream I had this morning, which felt so real. It was real, at least that's what I'm going to tell myself. I didn't imagine it. Emrys was there in my mind, somehow fighting through, telling me he's never going to give up on me. Like I'd never give up on him. I believe we are destined for a long life together.

She waves her hand, and an archway appears right on the edge of the rock. The archway, made of shining red rocks, glitters in the sunlight. On the other side is a pit of darkness, and I can't see through it. "I'm bored with conversations when you are pushing on my nerves. Go through and face your test."

Arden looks at the goddess one more time. "You will burn in dragon fire for eternity for touching our world." There is power in the words of a fire king, making a threat on the very element that bows to him. The world warms for a second and Aphrodite blanches, taking a step back. The king of fire looks down at me, and I feel captivated by his stare. "Whatever happens in there, don't leave my side. We fight as one."

"My fire mate," I whisper. Our fingers link together tightly as we step through the arch and into the darkness. It's warm, ridiculously warm. I frown as I see it's a room that looks like a classroom, with desks and rows of bookcases, science-like ornaments everywhere. There is a thick layer of dust and cobwebs on everything here, and I just know no one has been here in a long time. All I can smell is fire though, and smoke. So much smoke. "This reminds me of the first test I took for the crown." I walk over to the nearest window, looking down. Except outside, it isn't the spirit castle. It's just pits of lava inside a massive volcano.

Arden's pale when I look at him. He turns from me, slamming his fists on the stone wall where the arch just was. "You bitch. You fucking bitch."

I run over, touching his shoulder and sliding between him and the wall so he has to look at me. "Arden…what is this place?"

His voice is hoarse. "The home of my only surviving family. My great-grandfather. His name was Marcelli." I don't understand why that's a problem, why Arden looks spooked. "My father showed me this place once before, along with the family secret, because he thought every ruling royal needed to see what happens when you stretch your magic too far. When you become the fire and touch a deeper part of our fire magic than is advised." I still don't understand. "This place is a volcano, deep in the north part of my realm where some people from my court live, but it's mostly deserted. It's a grave."

"Why? What happened?"

"It was a school for teenagers to learn with the king, to experiment with our fire element in uncontrolled manners. The strongest of my court was sent here. It was meant to be a place of hope." He looks down. "Underneath it is a monster and death. They all died except for him."

I don't want to look at the creaky floorboards. "What kind of monster?"

"Marcelli. He is transformed into his dragon form by the death and magic, a spell so strong no one could break it and survive. He is one with the flame at the very core of this court. He couldn't shift back due to the magic of this place, and he eats or burns anybody that comes here except for me and the descendants of the teenagers who died here." He grits his teeth. "Aphrodite wanted you to come today because she knew you are neither of those things. My great-grandfather is going to attack you, and I'll have to kill the only blood family I have left alive. If ‘alive' even means anything to him at this point."

"We probably have not long before he's going to come up here and start attacking us?" I question.

"If I shift, I won't be able to shift back within the volcano, and the magic might latch onto me and force me to stay in my dragon form. I—" Arden pauses. "My father was warned by his father never to shift here. I never asked more and didn't have time to before he was dead."

"Lucky your mate can make a shadow dragon, then, huh?" I question. "We can just fly the fuck away from here." I know it won't be that simple, but still, it's worth a shot. "We can ride it together. I've never done it, but I think it will be fine. Just pushing my limits, and that's a good thing."

"Will your dragon be able to attack a fully grown male dragon as big as what my great-granddad's dragon will be like?" Arden rightfully asks, his eyes wide. "I won't risk you. Anyone touches you and they die, that means family too. You're my entire world, the beginning and end. I'll shift first and risk it all to save you."

My heart leaps. Family is everything to Arden, especially because he has none left. I understand why he doesn't count his great-grandfather as being alive when he is in this state and the fact he would kill him to save me… I take his hand and lean into his body. "I love you and it won't come to that."

I'll make sure of it.

Arden cups my cheek and I melt for him, almost forgetting the seriousness of the situation we are in. "I don't know how much is left of his mind, but it won't be a lot. All I know is he's ancient, stubborn, and was even before his final shift, from what my father told me. He is all dragon and a hunter. We—" The floor underneath us starts to shake, and Arden cuts himself off. The books, clutter on the desks, and glass vials lining the sides slam onto the floor one by one. "Princess, don't you dare leave my side."

The walls themselves start cracking, but I look away from the danger and to my fire mate for a second. "Don't shift."

He smirks at me, even with pain shining in his eyes. "If there is a choice between saving your life and becoming a dragon here trapped forever…I'm shifting."

"Arden"—I shake my head before I lean up on my tiptoes, and I kiss him, just softly brushing my lips on his—"we leave here together, or not at all."

"Princess, I love you too. I have done since you got mad at me for burning your ex." He steps back. "Still don't regret that. I would have killed him anyway for touching you."

Shaking my head, I put the memories of that day behind me, even knowing he is telling me the truth. If Arden hadn't killed him, I would put money on Lysander or Grayson doing it. Emrys, he might have just made him disappear. "You're possessive."

"Proudly." Arden grins. "Show me what a good spirit princess you are. Call the shadows."

I grin at him, knowing that we're in this together and nothing can stop us. It doesn't take long for me to pull shadows, like they have been waiting for me, begging me to embrace them. I pull them and whisper around me, spreading them out across the room until giant wings are pushing against the boundaries of the brick, cracking them. Arden comes with me to climb onto the back, which feels solid, yet it's nothing but spinning shadows constantly moving to make a dragon body. Its shadow tail tears through the back wall of the room, sending bricks and roof flying everywhere. It roars like it's alive, like it's not just my magic and it's a real being I've pulled from the shadows.

Thank any gods that still listen for my shadows, because the floor suddenly gives in. Nothing but balls of flames shoot out of the floorboards until the room is red with flames, and smoke is hovering around us like a fog. A scream echoes out of my throat. I can't help it and Arden grips me tightly down onto the dragon from behind, right as my dragon jumps up and uses shadows to propel us up in the air, crashing through the roof. Bricks, sharp rock, and who knows what else fall on my body as we burst out of the top of the room. Lava shoots high up into the air, narrowly missing us as my dragon swerves to the right and rises higher, giving me a good look at the tower we just escaped from. It reminds me of Rapunzel's tower, but the top is now caved in and it's sinking into the lava. Arden holds his hand out, and the pools of lava instantly drop away under his command.

We turn around and come face to face with a dragon that is nearly the image of Arden's, but it's a giant in comparison. This monster dragon, with chipped, burnt black scales and a red line of spikes down its back, was once a Fire Court king. Now there's nothing much left to him except his dragon form. His eyes are glazed darkness, not red like Arden's. Arden once told me all the kings in his family have those red eyes, and this must be what happened to him under the spell. He lost himself to the fire, and his eyes are proof. He is terrifying, sending a cold chill down my spine. Instinctively, shadows rise in every direction of the volcano, swirling up in the air to meet my call. I take a deep breath of the smoky air as Arden links his hand through mine on my dragon. "I'm going to need a bigger dragon."

I feel the tingling of the power down my spine as I pull the rising shadows to me, to my dragon, and it grows under us, spreading out its now massive wings. More and more shadows come to my dragon. It's almost mimicking the size of Marcelli, but I make sure to wrap darkness around us, protecting Arden. Protecting my mate.

Marcelli roars at us, spitting fire before diving straight off the cliff edge of the volcano and straight our way. My dragon spirals to the side, its claws ripping across Marcelli's giant wing. Marcelli roars louder, shaking the volcano around us, creating massive cracks right in the edges, just before he crashes into the side of the volcano, rock spitting into the lava that pools around him. The lava and fire don't hurt this dragon; he simply shakes it off with a growl. Arden isn't watching Marcelli though, his eyes are down. "There's a fucking village down there!"

I look down, my heart racing, and I see he's right, there's a village at the bottom of the volcano just below where Marcelli has crashed. His big body is holding the fire back, but the moment he flies, that lava is going to pour down to destroy the village. Without saying a word to Arden, knowing he will agree, I turn my shadow dragon straight towards the village to warn them. The force of swooping down on a dragon this big feels like the pressure and wind is ripping apart my skin, and I grit my teeth all the way down. When we are close to the village, Arden's shout finally reaches my ears. "I can hold the lava back for at least ten minutes!"

"I'll distract Marcelli and get him as far away from the volcano as I can. I'll give you all the time you can get, but Arden, who knows how she spelled this place? She could have added to your grandfather's spell. She could have made it so that if you shift anywhere near here, you get trapped in your dragon form. I don't want that, so do not shift and come after me."

The wind roars around us as Arden leans in and kisses me softly before jumping right off the side of my dragon before I can even grab him. Arden flies down, landing smoothly on a tiled roof and rising to his feet. His hands glow like red burning stars, and he faces them towards the volcano. The red light spreads down his body, making every inch of him glow until he looks like a fire god. The lava actually stops in its tracks, a wall of fire spreading around the volcano, and it's impressive.

As much as it scares me how much power Arden is using, I shouldn't have taken my eyes off Marcelli, because the big old bastard is right on my heels when I glance back, and I push my dragon to fly away as fast as possible. We dive over the town, leaving a wave of glittering darkness in our wake. I spin back to the volcano, narrowly missing Marcelli's claw and the blast of fire he sends in my direction. When I spin around, my eyes widen at Marcelli, who has somehow turned faster than I did, and he is about to crash right into me.

Into the village right behind me and Arden.

Desperately, I pull all my shadows to make a wall, but he's too fast, cutting through them with fire, and I'm about to scream when a familiar beautiful black dragon dives into his side, sending them both rolling in the opposite direction. "ARDEN!"

My scream is lost to the wind, and I'm stuck, unable to do anything but watch as the dragons fight with fire, claws and teeth. I focus on the village, knowing I can't let those innocents die and Arden needs me to save them. The lava is slower than I'd expect it to be, but it's still coming down the volcano, and they won't get far enough on foot.

There's people already screaming, running out of the houses as I land on a fountain, crushing it with my shadow dragon. Sweat pours down my face, and I feel breathless from using so much power, but I start making a box of shadows big enough for at least a hundred people and add something for my dragon to hold on to at the top. Everything is spinning around me when I'm done, but I see the crowd. I see the scared children, the cowering adults, and a sea of redheads who don't know where to turn. "Everyone get on the dragon. I'm Ellelin, Princess of the Spirit Court and King Arden's mate. Trust me or trust him. Just get in and I'll save you."

I'm surprised when they actually run towards my terrible box. That looks like hell itself. Even the children fight their parents in fear, but they don't run away. Only when it's silent and no one else comes closer, only when the sound of lava cracking stone gets closer, do I force my dragon up into the air, feeling like I'm touching the edges of my magic, like it's all too much. I need more power for this. My shoulders drop, and my dragon groans as I nearly fall forward. I shake my head and grit my teeth, pushing the last dregs of my power into getting my shadow dragon to pick up the box and fly it high into the sky.

People scream and cry, but I block out the terrible sound of their fear and keep my dragon going. I keep going, keep pushing, tasting blood in my mouth. Feeling blood pouring from my nose and ears. When I see water, with a dock and two ships, I finally let my dragon slowly drop the box and let the magic go, shadows disappearing around all the people I've saved. I slump on my dragon as they cheer, as they shout for me and Arden, but I don't hear anything other than my desperate need to see my mate.

"Arden…" I turn my shadow dragon back, straight towards Arden. I can see Arden's dragon and his grandfather's fighting, the two of them lashing out against each other, but pride fills me as I realise Arden is fast, quick, and he's a king. Fire bends to him, swirling round in great arcs around the dragons, smothering Marcelli as it pushes him down to the floor. Arden's gorgeous dragon lets out a mighty roar as he lands on top of Marcelli, pushing him down on the ground, lava pooling. He watches me until I'm close, and I land on his back, finally letting my shadow dragon disappear and the power too. I wipe my blood away as I look at Marcelli and feel his chest moving up and down. This grandfather dragon is so big. One of his teeth is probably the size of me, and he isn't dead.

"Shift back!" I shout at Arden. The dragon shakes his head. My heart races at the stubborn red glowing eyes. "Shift back!"

He does. I've never been so happy to see the mist around his dragon and, when it fades, to see Arden. My smile fades when Aphrodite steps out of a portal next to Arden, who comes straight to my side and wraps his arm around my waist, holding me up. I need him too, I realise. I've pushed my magic too far. Aphrodite looks down, disgust marking her pretty face until it makes her look as ugly as her heart is. "Kill him and you win. Both of you never thought to ask what the actual terms of the test were."

Arden feels like he goes cold at my side. "I'm not killing my grandfather."

She smiles. "So, you lose? Honestly, there is nothing left of him in here, anyway. Kill him or you lose."

I close my eyes. We only have to win three out of the four, and we just lost this one. "He's not killing him, and neither am I. You win, you fucking bitch."

"Elle," Arden whispers to me.

I look into Arden's red eyes. "He's your grandfather. You should have told me about him before now, and we'll figure out a way to break the spell, because you need family. We can lose one." His eyes are filled with love and pride.

Aphrodite is smug, and it grates on my last nerves. "Fine, go back then."

A portal opens right under our feet. I scream as I fall straight through the air. Not with Arden, just on my own. I'm right above the spirit castle, far above it, and my magic is weak. "Terrin!" I scream in my mind for him. "Terrin, I can't call my shadows."

I try to pull my shadows, try several times, but they just crash underneath me with how weak they are. I scream as I keep falling. Just as the castle comes into view, Terrin sweeps out of the clouds, catching me mid-air. I knock my chin on his face, tasting more blood in my mouth, and my teeth sting from the impact. My entire body hurts, in fact. I groan as I hold on to him.

"What the fuck are you doing up in the sky? Are you okay?"

"Yes, just fancied learning to fly," I joke, and he growls loudly. I sigh, resting my head on his back. "Aphrodite opened a portal unexpectedly. We lost the test."

"I'm sorry," Terrin answers. "And fucking hell, when can we kill her?"

"Soon," I vow.

"I think it's about time I tell you everything," Terrin softly whispers into my mind as I spot Arden's dragon flying with Grayson around the castle, both of them heading our way. "And please don't hate me."