27. AURELIA

Chapter twenty-seven

AURELIA

I stayed back in the trees to not be seen. I wished that I had the courage to go up to the village and help others. I grew up not showing my face and hiding in the shadows. That was what I did best.

I watched as Damian went from house to house, seeing if anyone needed help. He carried a lady out of a building that was combusting in smoke and flames.

Belle must've been able to feel my guilt for not helping him, and she came up near me and placed her nose on my shoulder. We made sure to stay in the shadows to not be seen.

We waited for a few moments, watching from a distance. Everyone would frantically run in different directions into the forest, getting themselves and their families away from the fire. They were too distracted to pay us any notice, even if they could see us.

Buildings crumbled and fell, the fire overtaking everything.

Emotion welled up within me, threatening to spill over as tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I felt a heavy weight settle in my chest, a mixture of sadness and fear coursing through me.

Damian's steps echoed softly as he approached us. The smoke and flames still screamed into the sky, billowing upward. We paused, staring at the destruction that had been caused today.

"I could see why you wouldn't like dragons," I said, attempting to empathize with him. "I have never seen such mayhem. This is horrible." I couldn't muster out any more words. I was disappointed in Scalekind. I didn't realize that it was this bad.

Damian sat next to me on the tree stump in silence. We watched the flickering flames from the houses, reaching into the sky in an endless flurry of smoke and despair.

"She's different, you know?" I nudged my head toward Belle. She was different. She was kind. She wouldn't ever do this. I could feel her desires and her character.

"Don't you understand? It doesn't matter. They all cause the same destruction. You all cause the same destruction!" My heart dropped at the way he placed the blame for the damage on the houses on me. He considered me one of them. I did too, but not like that. I could feel pain in my chest, deepening to where I couldn't breathe.

"They are creatures of chaos and destruction, their sole purpose is to take your heart out and tear it to shreds with their sharp fangs and flames from their nostrils," he continued. His voice was deep and almost uncontrolled, his words tumbling out of his mouth rapidly. "They all cause the same destruction. You all cause the same destruction!" The painful emphasis he placed on 'you' sent a wave of anguish through my heart, reaching a level where despair and sadness seeped into my very blood. I pondered over what circumstances could lead an assassin to be so profoundly affected by dragons.

"I understand that you're hurting, Damian. I can see it in your eyes and how you react. I can see that you have gone through something hard, and I understand that. I understand that this was a dragon's fault, but scales, don't you dare blame this on me and bring in saying that I am a Scaleborne in a situation that I had no control over. Don't you dare categorize me with this pain and torture. How dare you also blame Belle when this was not her doing!" My voice erupted in a furious shout, punctuated by the ragged rhythm of my panting breaths. Anger surged within me, suffocating my lungs and fueling the fiery heat coursing through my veins.

"I don't think you understand, Aurelia," he blamed, accusing me again.

"Tell me. What don't I understand?" I spat, demanding answers.

He walked closer, and we were almost nose to nose. I felt the need to cower and to hold my head low, but I held it high and strong, staring at him in his dark, gorgeous eyes. Scales, even though I hated him right now, I still wanted his touch. I still wanted to see the dimple on his cheek. I still wanted him around.

"You don't understand what it's like to love someone and have them die right in front of you. You don't understand what it's like to start caring for someone you have to hurt." I stood in awe. What did he mean watch someone you love die in front of you? I knew that his pain was deep, but he was right. I didn't fully understand. I had no idea what he was talking about, who he lost, or who he was hurting for. There was a world of mysteries behind Damian that I was determined to unravel.

I could see the emotion in his body. His chest was heaving, his mouth was pinched to a snare. His body shook from the deep emotions and trauma that he was keeping inside. I couldn't imagine what he was going through, but I wanted to be right there with him through every step.

"Then help me understand, Damian," I said, stepping even closer than I was before. We were already almost nose to nose, but now our bodies were touching. I grabbed his hands that were laid down by his sides, and he winced from the touch, his hands still raw and pink from the fire. He wasn't reciprocating the gesture, but wasn't pulling away, either.

He longingly looked at our feet, let go of my hand, and stepped back. "I can't do this anymore." He turned around, heading in the opposite direction we were going.

My mouth opened to say something, but I didn't have the words on my tongue to say anything in response.

I looked at Belle, and we watched him as he left, wondering if I could've said anything different.