24. DAMIAN

Chapter twenty-four

DAMIAN

A s we soared through the air, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

I hated every moment. Touching the dragon only reminded me of Sebastia and what they did to her–what they took from me. However, the thought of taking the Scaleborne didn't make me feel any better. I knew they would kill her, and I felt guilty knowing this. I was sending her to her death sentence by taking her to Tybalt.

Despite the circumstances, I found myself curious and drawn to the liveliness of the Scaleborne.

The dragon was also not as bad as I thought.

She quickly turned, yanking to the left side, dipping down low.

Gliding in and out of the black trees, each of the branches sticking out barely missed us as we soared past. As we swooped through the tall branches, looming high above the forest, we watched the Forbidden Forest beneath us crackle and move, shifting. The trees slowly moving themselves, changing locations, branches reaching out to grab us, to take us back in.

I wished it wasn't the only way toward Evler.

The Scaleborne and the dragon soared upward, banking sharply to the left. I clung to her with all my strength, the rush of wind threatening to pry me loose. Shutting my eyes tightly, I repeated to myself, "This is just a dream," the words barely audible over the rushing air. Despite the darkness behind my eyelids, I sensed her watchful gaze upon me.

Blinking my eyes open, her smile lit up her face as she urged the dragon to ascend even higher into the sky. The rush of wind grew stronger, filling my cheeks and making it difficult to draw in a steady breath.

"AHHHH!!!" someone screamed.

As she glanced back at me again, I realized with a start that it was my own voice. My mouth hung open in shock before I hastily shut it, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over me.

We surged upward, soaring high into the open sky. With a swift descent, gravity seized hold, pulling us toward the Earth. Just as it seemed we would plummet, the Scaleborne deftly propelled us upward once more, defying gravity's relentless pull.

By the end, I found my lips curving in a subtle tug at the corners.

For a second I caught myself smiling, completely forgetting that I was going to have to send Aurelia to her death sentence. For a second, I forgot she was a Scaleborne–that her kind took away Sebastia. For a second I thought of her as Aurelia, as her name, and not as the Scaleborne. I thought of how she had saved my life.

She shifted, turning to look at me behind her. There was a light that I was too scared to diminish in those golden eyes of hers.

Just for a second.

Thinking of Aurelia made me think of the sorcerer Tybalt. What were his plans with Aurelia? Why did he want Scalebornes?

She was different, and there was something about her. There was life in her that I craved. It was as if she understood me, and didn't judge me. She was stupid for trusting so easily, but it was refreshing.

Her smile lit a spark inside of me that made me want to cower. I didn't want to feel anything. I couldn't feel anything when I had to send her to her death.

We neared the edge of the mountain as it descended back into the Forbidden Forest, hiding us from being seen by anyone else. The dragon, flapping its wings, stooped downward, landing us in a clear patch between the blackened trees, further along in our journey, closer to the edge of the forest that led toward Evler.

Its wings slowly flapped downward, my heart sinking into my stomach as we descended to the ground. The dragon's talons stirred up dirt, while its wings shook perspiration from the sky.

Sliding off the dragon, Aurelia asked, "How was it? Did you hate it as much as you thought?"

I forced myself to look away, struggling to suppress the smile that threatened to curve my lips. "I thought so!" she shouted, excited to prove me wrong.

Following Aurelia's movements, I also slid off the dragon. My feet collided against the dirt floor. I followed after her, watching her perfect pink hair swish from side to side.

She really liked to make me work to always catch up to her, didn't she?

Making my way, following behind her footsteps, the dragon striding by her side, I heard the same small beats of wings I had heard earlier. The ones of a smaller bird. Pausing in my tracks, I glanced across the sky, peering through the trees, trying to find the bird.

The black raven came to view, its small wings flapping slightly in my direction. A piece of parchment gleamed in the sun as it was wrapped around a string along its neck. The bird perched on a branch near me. Its beady eyes stared at me as it cocked its head to one side. I quickly plucked the parchment from the string, the black bird cawed and flew away, not giving me a chance to write a response.

Tybalt didn't need a response.

The parchment resisted as I delicately unfurled it from its scroll, the texture rough against my fingertips. As I read the words etched across its surface, a heavy weight settled in the pit of my stomach, dragging my heart down with it.

"I changed my mind. I want the Scaleborne that you are with to be killed in three days. Don't forget the body."