Chapter Four

CHAPTER

FOUR

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T HE SUN SETS AS I brEAK THROUGH THE MIST OF THE Seren Mountains, painting the sky in orange and pink hues. After Finnian finished his breakfast, I fake hobbled to my room and technically read a chapter from one of my books, so I didn't completely lie to him. I didn't absorb a single word, but the effort was there.

My horse continues at a steady pace as we make our way down the steep cliffside. I left early enough to arrive before Commander Veles but accelerate once we make it to somewhat flat ground, and ride through the dense forest without a single bloody encounter. It's still muddy from last night's storm, and the lake is so blue that it casts a glow throughout the clearing. Some people swear it's the work of the gods.

I unsheathe the sword from my belt and dismount, straightening my black leathers and cloak while I lead my horse behind a moss-covered boulder close to a cave opening. If there's an ambush we'll hide there, and symbols of the God of Water are chiseled above the entrance, which means no beasts will be lurking in the shadowy depths.

I peek around the rock and listen for signs of movement, but the commander is nowhere in sight. Darkness bathes the forest, and a crescent moon is framed by clouds. Something sends ripples through the water, but I don't have the chance to step forward before I'm yanked back. Quick hands pin my wrists behind me as I kick my assailant in the shin.

"Relax, little shadow. It's me."

"Oh, lovely." Anger bubbles in my veins. "That makes being tied up in a dark forest all the more enjoyable."

"You held a knife to my neck before running away." He finishes off the knot and spins me to face him. "Consider this a precautionary measure."

My breath catches in my throat when I tilt my chin to take in his features. I wonder if the continent believes him to be a demon because his alluring beauty is otherworldly. He's a harsh kind of handsome, something akin to jagged snow-covered mountain peaks, or an unruly ocean crashing against dark sand beaches.

The hood of his cloak is pulled down, and tousled chocolate waves spill onto his forehead and kiss the tops of his ears. I scan the scar on his angular cheek that stands out against his deep-olive-toned skin, but not before meeting the piercing emerald gaze that gleams through the night and dances across my features.

"You didn't seem to mind," I bite out.

"I never said I did." He steps to the side to wrap the rest of the rope around a tree, securing me in place like a rabid animal.

Sweat gathers on the back of my neck and I take in long, drawn-out breaths to keep calm. I strain against the rough ropes, but like any skilled soldier, he knows how to secure a prisoner.

"Did you bring what I asked?"

He saunters into my vision, stopping a few feet before me, and holds up a long clear vial filled with shimmering black liquid. "It's an elixir to generate crop growth on infertile soil."

"How did you know I would want that?" Because I do want it, but it's unnerving how well he guessed.

"If you live anywhere around here"—he waves a hand through the air, gesturing around the general landscape—"you won't be able to grow much."

He takes a steady step forward, followed by another. Our eyes remain locked together with every inch he covers. My nails dig into my palms for a sense of crescent-shaped clarity as his domineering presence fully enters my space, standing toe-to-toe with me. The corner of his lips turns upward after I narrow my eyes at him, morphing the shape of his scar as he tucks the vial into my thigh holster.

"Satisfactory?" he asks, tucking his thumbs into his pockets and putting some much-needed space between us. I purse my lips and rake my eyes over his muscular frame covered in the same assassin-like attire from last night, but somehow he looks even more threatening while cloaked in moonlight as opposed to shadow.

"Decent," I say, flashing my eyes to his again. "What do you want with the Atarah heir, Commander Veles ?"

He quirks a brow. "Done your research, Princess Elowen ?"

"How do you know who I am?"

"Call it a hunch."

"I applaud you for exercising your mind enough to come to that conclusion. I'm sure it was very hard for you."

He snickers. "You definitely have the prissy royal attitude mastered."

"You tied me to a tree!"

"Because I don't want you running away or pulling a knife on me midconversation, princess. "

"Don't give me a reason to, demon. " I pull against the ropes again. "Don't act innocent; you pinned me to a wall."

He shrugs his broad shoulders as if to say Fair point before moving on. "Have you ever thought about getting your dragons back?" His drastic subject change stampedes into me, and I would have stumbled if I hadn't been bound in place.

Every day.

I've thought about finding my way back to them every single day.

Guilt eats at my soul with every hour that goes by, knowing they're still locked in the castle. Whenever I wake up with a sore throat, all I remember is the night I escaped Imirath. I tried to throw myself off Ailliard's horse while we rode away from the castle, screaming and crying until I couldn't utter another noise. I've attempted piecing plans together over the years, but nothing is good enough. If I die, nobody will rescue the dragons.

My bond has lain dormant in my chest, and I feel nothing. Emptiness. An endless pit that was once filled with light and love. All I have are memories of their vibrant scales and tiny bodies perched on my shoulders while we walked freely through the castle. But that was before they snapped their fangs at my father when he raised his hand to me when I was four years old. They were hatchlings, but a dragon's loyalty isn't swayed by rank or title. Once Sorin bit off Garrick's pinkie, life changed in an instant.

"You can't bargain with madness."

"I agree." Cayden brushes a thumb over his bottom lip before clasping his hands behind his back. "Why negotiate for something I can take?"

"A heist?" I tentatively ask. "You wish to free my dragons?"

"Correct."

"What's the catch?" I force my head down from the clouds but can't derail the hope swirling in my chest. Hope is a dangerous emotion. It renders us immune to logic.

"You stay in Vareveth after the heist is complete and use the dragons against Imirath in the upcoming war."

Shivers rack up and down my body, but I force myself to keep my tone even. The worst part about anxiety is trying to conceal it. "That's it? That's all you want?"

My decision was made the second I told Cayden to meet me here last night, even if I didn't realize it. I deserve more out of this life than hiding away. I love Aestilian, and I always will. But love shouldn't cripple you; it should flourish with you.

"You'll have to sign a formal alliance treaty, but yes," he confirms with a definitive nod.

"What about King Eagor and Queen Valia? I need to know where they stand." As the rulers of Vareveth, surely they have a say in this.

"They won't be informed about the heist if that's what you're asking."

"How is that possible?"

He pauses, weighing his words. "Vareveth has different military laws from most kingdoms. This is a militaristically motivated operation; therefore, I don't have to clear it with either of them."

"Okay," I say slowly, trying to wrap my head around everything. "What will they think I'm in Vareveth for?"

"Eagor thinks it may sway other kingdoms in our favor if you're with us. As of right now, they have remained neutral. You're next in line to the Imirath throne. Aligning with Vareveth would look good for us and bad for Garrick." I've gathered that Cayden isn't the type of person that people cross; he crosses them. He's talking about his own king and queen as if they're nothing more than pawns in his game.

"Untie me," I demand, needing time to collect my thoughts. I can't keep living for everyone else, and nothing will stand in the way of reuniting with my dragons. It shouldn't be seen as selfish to know what you deserve and to take it for yourself.

No more hiding.

No more being a ghost.

"You'll be coming on the heist with me?" I run my fingers over the irritated skin.

"Attached already?"

"You'll make an excellent shield." I summon the anger I felt when he first tied me up and slam my fist into his cheek. "Don't tie me up again, prick."

He slowly turns his head toward me and looks . . . shocked? Intrigued? I think it's both. "Yes, princess, I will be coming with you on the heist."

"There's still more we need to discuss." I pause, fidgeting with the bottom of my braid.

I can't tell my uncle, Ailliard, who got me out of Imirath, that I'm going back for my dragons considering they burned his sister—Queen Isira. I've brought up liberating them, but it's always ended in a screaming match. My father hired a mage when I was ten to physically break the bond, but the spell rebounded and drove the dragons into a frenzy. There were many casualties that day, my mother being one of them, and the flames only increased as a soldier dragged me out of the room by my shackles.

My mother wasn't cruel like my father, but every year on my birthday she sat silently on her throne while an interrogator hit me with a cane until I was unconscious, demanding I tell him how to break my connection.

"I have people to take care of. I need more of the elixir you gave me and a steady supply of food going back to Aestilian. I won't leave my people to starve."

"Aestilian?"

"It's my kingdom." I leave it at that. He doesn't need any more information other than the need for food and the name. "That has to be taken care of before the heist."

"Plan on dying in Imirath?"

"If I do, I promise to drag you down with me."

He fights back a smirk. "I'll take care of the elixir, and you have my word that Eagor will supply enough food for your people."

"Then you have a deal, Veles." It takes everything in me not to run around the forest like a drunkard at the prospect of seeing my dragons again, but I tip my head down until I can rein in my smile. If I don't leave Imirath with dragons, I won't be leaving at all. I've waited fifteen years for this, and I don't think I'll survive another year without them. "There is somewhere I need to be."

"Where?"

I narrow my eyes. "We may be allies but we certainly aren't friends. I don't owe you an explanation."

"You're no use to me dead," he states while untying my horse and handing me the reins. "We'll discuss further details while we ride. I want you in Vareveth within a week, and we'll be working together for months if not years to come, so we may as well start tonight."

"Forgive me, but if I had parents, I'm sure they would warn me against traipsing around forests with a stranger," I argue.

He pulls his sword free and lays it flat across his palms. "Elowen Atarah, queen of Aestilian and princess of Imirath. I, Cayden Veles, Commander of Vareveth, vow to protect you from harm from this day until my last." He briefly glances down at my parted lips. "Your enemies are my enemies. My sword is yours."

My throat tightens as I soak in his words. I can't trust him, I don't like him, but I can work with him. He needs me to accomplish his goals just as much as I need him to accomplish mine. It's a codependent, vengeance-based alliance, but it's still an alliance.

I'll have a steady food supply for Aestilian.

I'll have a chance to get my dragons.

I'll have a chance to stand against Imirath.

It's everything I couldn't stop myself from dreaming of.

I reach down and pull my dragon daggers free. "Cayden Veles, Commander of Vareveth. I, Elowen Atarah, queen of Aestilian and princess of Imirath, vow to fight beside you in the upcoming war as a true ally. My knives and dragon fire are yours," I say before tucking the twin blades back into their sheaths without removing my gaze from his.

Our breath mingles in the space between us, but the only sounds to be heard are the rushing current of the Fintan, owls hooting in the distance, and the rustling of leaves being carried by the wind.

"A book is easier than dragons." I've been tracking the fire cult's movement for the past few weeks and don't want to waste the opportunity of being outside Aestilian with no escort. Witnessing Cayden's skills in stealth will also be valuable knowledge considering the stakes of this mission are much lower than entering Imirath. "Consider this practice, demon."