Talegar sighed and leaned back. The release of tension that came with him leaving her personal space made her knees weak. “That is comforting to hear,” he said, but the way he said it suggested he felt otherwise.
She could see the calculating look and sense the way his mind worked. She didn’t trust him.
“But it is one thing to claim you can do something and quite another to actually do it. If you will, please perform a demonstration for us?”
“What… what do you mean?”
“Try to enter my mind. Hear my thoughts, if you can.”
She looked to Arius for support. He nudged her gently and whispered, “Do as he says.”
“If you insist.” She closed her eyes and breathed.
Chapter Twenty-Two
She sensed the intimidating presence of the four dragons surrounding her; she got the impression of Desamor’s aura being as dark as Aliah’s was light, but she ignored them for the time being. The familiarity of Arius’ thoughts pulled her towards him but she ripped herself away and turned her attention to the beast in front of her. His aura was grey, with dark ribbons ripping parts of the light into shreds. Breathing evenly, she eased herself into his thoughts and felt him throw a thick stone wall up to shield his mind. But she was like the wind, and finding the cracks in the stone, slipped through easily. She discerned his surprise at her ability to break through his mental defences so quickly.
He was centuries old with a mind so vast she thought she might get lost in its depths. He was a master strategist with many schemes that would alter depending on the outcomes of others. His plans looked like spools of thread that ran through his mind, crisscrossing through each other, joining together in some places and splitting off in others.
She already felt sick about being inside his consciousness, so she chose not to study the threads, instead whispering, Talegar, I am here, as requested. Can you hear me?
A low growl echoed around her, reverberating from the far reaches of his mind. Yes. I did not expect you to succeed. But since you are here, and seeing as you are on trial, I need to understand the depth of your power. I need you to go a level deeper.
I don’t want to do that.
Do as I command, or I will not hesitate to order your execution.
She gulped in fear and did as he bid.
Talegar’s ancient mind was so complex that it quickly became clear it was not as simple to delve into the next layer as it was with Arius. Sera examined her surroundings more closely. She drifted along on the currents of his mind, like a leaf on a river, making her way towards a bright light in the centre of his consciousness. Images floated to the surface of his thoughts, flowing past too quickly for her to fully grasp their meaning. There was a baby dragon, copper in colour, snuggled up beside Talegar. A battlefield covered in pools of blood of humans and mythics alike. A stunning warrior dragon, whose scales sparkled like diamonds, fell from the air, a bloody hole in her chest. Other moments flashed past, too fast to make any sense. One last image sprung forth of a beautiful sapphire dragon diving into a perfectly round lake before Sera fell into the next level of the dragon’s mind.
Breathing quickly, she peered around her. Sera could see her unconscious form on the ground in front of the dragons, with Arius standing over her body defensively. She could feel the wind murmur over Talegar’s spines and the sun at their back beginning to warm his golden scales. She sensed his magic stirring within him in response to her presence, but he held it at bay. Aliah inspected her father closely and gasped.
“Father, your eyes have changed colour. They’re almost blue.” Aliah’s voice was alive with curiosity, but Desamor began pacing uneasily at the revelation.
“She has joined minds with me.” Talegar pushed out the words and shuddered, the foreign feeling of her presence distressing him.
“Is she attacking you?” demanded Desamor. “I knew we couldn’t trust her!”
“No. Her presence in my mind… it makes me ill at ease. But she is not attacking me.”
“How do we know that it is you speaking to us? Could she not have overtaken your mind?” raged the black dragon.
“That’s enough, Desamor. You will be quiet.”
This time the compulsion was aimed at his middle child. Sera felt the familiar way Talegar pulled his magic from the well within him but she couldn’t access the ethereal wisps of power. The black dragon’s head dropped to the ground in submission.
I can’t affect your speech, Talegar. Or touch your magic. I can only absorb the senses you experience from the outside world. I can see this scene in front of us, hear what they are saying, feel the warmth of the sun on our scales, smell the fresh dirt under our talons, taste the fear from Desamor. I swear to you, I am not a threat.
You intrigue me, human.
It’s Seraphina.
Talegar snarled, I am your superior and hold your future in my talons. I will call you what I wish.
Sera shivered as her fear of Talegar mingled with his hatred towards her, their emotions blending with the barriers lowered between their minds.
I need to know if you can control a dragon’s mind.
I told you, I can’t do that.
Can’t or won’t? he growled. I command you to attempt to go a level deeper into my subconscious. Try to control me.
No.
He snarled at her defiance and, leaping forward, smashed his son out of the way and grabbed her limp body. He called on his talent, using it to freeze Arius in place. The aggression rolling off his intellect directed towards her was powerful. Sera felt the spark of his magic entwining with his animosity.
You will do as I say. Or I will end your life with one slice.
Through his eyes, she watched as he raised a claw to threaten her exposed neck. Her consciousness began quivering uncontrollably.
What are you doing? he demanded.
It seems Arius’ theory was right. If my physical body feels threatened, I can’t maintain the connection.
With that, she was catapulted violently from his thoughts, threads of lights and images darting past her in a blur. She had a moment of peace as she realised she had made it safely back to her body, but before she could open her eyes, a shadowy curtain overtook her thoughts and she passed out.
Chapter Twenty-Three
She was conscious. She knew that much. But she couldn’t muster the will to open her eyes. She held onto the comforting warmth that surrounded her body, desperately trying to find her way back to gain control of her senses. A fiery line of heat traced along her jaw.
Arius…
She struggled violently against the darkness still claiming her body. Taking in a rattling breath, her eyes flew open to find anxious whirlpools of green in a human face. Arius met her gaze and cried out in relief.
Pressing his face into her shoulder he murmured, “Thank the Gods. I was afraid I had lost you.” He kept his head buried in her neck, lips brushing her skin.
At that point, Sera became aware that she was lying in his lap and his arms encircled her body. Heat radiated off his body in pulses. She blushed as her body automatically reacted to his closeness and the touch of his skin against hers.
Arius continued, oblivious to her reaction, “I thought… I thought that you had been overpowered by my father’s compulsion and would never regain your senses. You’ve been unconscious for an entire day. I would never forgive myself if he had taken your spirit away when it was I who called him here.”
Grief tore at his features. A part of her heart broke at his anguish and she hesitantly reached her hand up to smooth the furrows in his brow.
“Hush. It’s okay. I’m fine. Just hungry.” She chuckled weakly.
“Here. Eat these.” He shoved some skyberries at her.
She chewed quickly, the energy returning to her limbs.
He turned his cheek and pressed his face into her palm. He kissed each finger delicately before wrapping her arm around his neck and picking her up.
“I have to show
you something.” Each step rubbed his arms against her, leaving a part of her wishing the thin layer of clothing that separated them didn’t exist. He walked to the back of the cave, behind the boulder towards the mysterious exit. Striding down a short tunnel, he turned a corner that opened up into a second, smaller cavern. This one, however, was made for man. Brackets holding flame-filled torches lined the walls, a simple kitchen took up one corner, and a four-poster bed took up another. She gasped and glowered at him accusingly.
Arius laughed. “Yes, yes, I should have shared this with you sooner. In my defence, I deemed you to be my prisoner for the first few days. I know things… changed between us, and I should have shown you then. But I didn’t trust myself not to lose my heart. Trouble is, I’ve been dishonest with myself.” He gazed deeply into her eyes before uttering, “I already have.”
Her heart stuttered. “What? What do you mean?”
He gently placed her down and tucked her hair back from her face. “I love you, Seraphina.”
“But… you’re a dragon. You can’t love… a human.” She changed the word from ‘me’ at the last second.
“I am also a man. Trust me when I say I have wrestled with the shame of sullying my family’s name with our pairing—”
Her insecurities reared up and she lashed out at the insinuation she wasn’t good enough, snapping, “I’m sorry if I don’t meet your standards. It’s not like I can just grow wings and a tail.” She had intended for the words to be clever and biting but they sounded hollow when spoken aloud.
He gave her a placating smile. “I meant no offence. The reality is, a human and dragon together, even one that can shift, well, it’s considered aberrant by my kind. And I assume the humans wouldn’t exactly be thrilled by it?”
Keeping her gaze cast down, she nodded. “I would be called perverted and most likely locked up in the IRC.”
“And yet…” He cupped her face in his hands and leaned his forehead against hers. “I will renounce my nature if that’s what it takes. You are everything I have ever wanted, and never knew I needed. I don’t care what the others say. I need you. I love you. Please, tell me I am not alone in this?”
Overwhelmed, Sera broke away and tried to brush past him. Arius grabbed her arm and spun her to face him. “Admit it,” he growled, “You love me.”
“That’s ludicrous!” she exclaimed, not meeting his penetrating stare, and struggled to extract herself from his grip.
“Then why won’t you look at me?” he challenged her with a raised eyebrow.
She defiantly raised her eyes to prove to him that he had no claim on her, but as soon as they locked eyes, she couldn’t summon the strength to pull away. He grasped her waist with his left hand and drew her closer while his right hand wound itself in her hair. He tilted her jaw up, his face so close, his lips hovering in front of hers. He stopped in this position, waiting for her to close the last few centimetres between them. She gazed into his eyes and saw a question lurking in their green depths. Would she give herself to him? Arius was leaving the final choice up to her. She could disentangle herself now and walk away from this affair, or she could give everything to him. If she gave in, it wouldn’t just be her body; she knew her heart would belong to him too. There would be consequences if anyone ever found out, she knew that. They teetered on the brink of the forbidden abyss. He waited, as still as if he were carved from stone. Sera hesitated, her mind a jumble of thoughts about what was the right thing to do by society, and what was the right thing to do by her heart. A sigh escaped as she released what little control she had left and touched her lips to his. As they finally connected, a feeling like fire raced across her skin, taking hold of any remnants of uncertainty in her mind and burning them away. She groaned as he crushed his body against hers, his kiss searing her lips, claiming her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Her heart hammered inside her chest and her emotions threatened to consume her. Trembling, she ran her hands over his body, feeling the tense muscles ripple under her fingertips. A tremor shook his body and she tore herself away to appraise him.
“You’re shaking?” she asked him, perplexed.
Breathing heavily, a half-smile quirked his lips up. “This is new for me too.”
“You mean, you’ve never…?” She blushed, unable to finish the sentence.
“No. Not in my human form. It’s a… a foreign feeling. It’s a deeper, more spiritual connection in dragon form. This is… very physically intense.” He smiled at her and softly brushed his lips against her cheek.
A craving bloomed inside her, and all she wanted was to be touched by him, all over her body, for the rest of her life. The carnal desires were suddenly overtaken by another feeling. A strange and powerful surge of electricity swept through her body, making her ache. Her skin was too tight, and she was feverish. She felt as if her very soul had ignited. The same pain was echoed on his face.
“What is this?” she whispered, her blood on fire.
Grimacing, he rasped, “I think… I think you’re my Soulbound. We have to complete the sacred rite. Now.”
A small part of her brain yelled that before they committed to doing anything she needed to know what a Soulbound was, and why her insides were burning. But the increasing agony of her boiling body shut out all logic and demanded a release from this pain in whatever form it took.
“How?” she gritted out between her teeth.
“Let me show you.”
Arius held his hand up and allowed his nail to elongate into a dragon talon. Taking his claw, he drew a line diagonally across his chest, over his heart. Blood welled up and dripped down his muscles. He took her trembling hand and cut a line along the palm, then placed it over his wound. She gasped. His blood sought a way into her body, and as it entered her bloodstream the crackling heat that had threatened to burn away her senses cooled. Amazed, she looked at him. His face was still tormented.
“Sorry,” he ground out, before yanking her shirt out of the way and raking his talon over her heart.
She hissed at the sting as blood trickled over her breasts. His hand shook as he tore a jagged line across his own palm and pressed it to her heart. He moaned as her blood seeped into his veins. The distress melted away, leaving his features clear and relaxed. Their souls sang as they bled into each other, their life force combining. The bleeding slowed until the lacerations grew warm and sealed, both beings healed and whole. Panting, they stayed melded together, hands to hearts, for a long time.
Eventually, she reluctantly broke their connection. “So, tell me. What exactly is a Soulbound?”
He muttered to himself, “How to explain it so you can understand…” He glanced at her upturned face and softly kissed her nose. “It is a sacred rite as old as the Four Gods themselves. I suppose the easiest way for you to understand, is that it’s similar to the human’s concept of true love. Our souls are bound to one another for life. It is a rare enough event among my kind. I’ve never heard of a dragon and a human soulbinding before,” he pondered, his gaze distant.
She rubbed the dried blood off her body and noticed a faint golden scar where he had cut her. Studying the lines, she commented, “Before we… became Soulbound, it felt like my blood was on fire. Did you feel the same thing?”
“Yes. That is the final confirmation of the Gods’ will.”
“Are you serious?” She raised an eyebrow.
“The Four Gods are as real as you and me, Seraphina. I will teach you more of their history one day.”
“Okay. Let’s just assume for the moment that I am accepting the Gods’ existence as real and that they actually care about us mere mortals. Are you telling me, that no matter what I did in my life, I was going to end up bound to you because that was the will of the Gods?” Disturbed, she combed her fingers through her hair in agitation.
“No. No single being’s destiny is written in stone. The future is always fluid. A series of choices made by you is what led you to me. A series of choices made by me is
what led me to you.” He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. Doubt and fear clouded his expression.
Sera caressed his face. “I’m pretty sure what I’m about to say is coming from me and not the Gods, Arius. I love you. I think a part of me loved you from the very first time I saw you.”
He buried his face into her neck, strands of her auburn hair mingling into his chocolate. “You said the words.” His shoulders raised as he took a steadying breath. “You said you loved me.”
He raised his head to gaze at her, his eyes shining. Sera leant forward and tenderly kissed him. He moaned and drew away to stroke her cheek softly with his thumb, his eyes following the motion. Arius tilted his head and kissed her jawline, slowly moving down her neck, tracing a line of fire along her collarbone.
He leant his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. She inhaled his heady scent while her heart beat loudly in her ears. Suddenly, she was looking at herself through his eyes. Seeing her tangled locks woven through his fingers, feeling her pulse beat wildly against his lips, tasting the perspiration on her skin. Her eyes were closed in ecstasy from his tender ministrations. Releasing her internal tension, she easily returned to her own body, opened her eyes and pulled away.
“I need some time to come to terms with everything that’s happened.” She smiled ruefully, her wanton desires battling against her reasoning.
His bright emerald eyes dimmed, but he nodded as he broke his contact with her. “I can respect that.”
They sat down on the bed, careful not to touch one another for fear of sparking the agonising attraction again. Picking at a loose thread on her ripped shirt, she asked, “What happens if a dragon’s Soulbound dies?”
“The binding is broken. It almost destroys the dragon that is left behind. It crushes their soul and turns them into a shadow of their former self. I’ve heard of some who would seek out an early death. They used to find a Hunter who would kill them, but now that the humans believe we’re extinct, they have to find more creative ways to die. There is the occasional dragon who survives the breaking of the bond and utilises their talents to serve the dragon society. Like my father.”
A Dragon's Mind: A New Adult Fantasy Dragon Series (The MINATH Chronicles Book 1) Page 11