Wings of Fire

by G. Bailey

  “Yeah, you could say that,” Dagan finally replies.

  “Right, well, shouldn’t this be Isola’s decision? If she isn’t interested in anyone else, you have nothing to worry about. Though, I will warn you of something Kor,” I say, stepping away from them both.

  “What?” Korbin snaps.

  “Isola is stubborn and smart, and I doubt you telling her what to do will go over well,” I say, and he shakes his head, looking up at the ceiling. He knows I’m right, this has to be her decision.

  “She can’t date us all,” Korbin finally points out what we have all been skirting around.

  “Why not?” I’m the only one brave enough to point that out. They just stare, in complete shock as I walk out the room. Sharing or not, I can’t stay away from Isola Dragice, and I won’t even try.

  Chapter 15

  Isola

  I don’t need to open my eyes, I can sense him here as soon as I feel the smoke blowing around my body. I can feel him near me, I can smell his smoky scent as it surrounds me. Like it’s trying to slowly choke me to death with its seductive smell. My dragon is practically purring in my mind, wanting to be closer to the man I hate.

  “Issy,” he says, and I finally look. Thorne is stood close to me, about a footstep away, with his hands held behind his back. His cloak moves in the breeze, swaying around the guard uniform he is wearing. The leather is stretched tightly across his chest, and when I look up, I see his blue eyes gazing at me with a look I don't understand. He isn’t smiling, or frowning, just stood like a statue. Like a predator waiting for its prey to run or face him. I hate that he looks good, so attractive to me, and I pull my eyes away from him.

  “Thorne, you don’t get to call me that. It’s Princess Isola to you,” I reply coldly.

  “I will never call you that, you will always be Issy to me,” he says, stepping closer. I keep very still as he reaches a hand out to touch my hair. He tucks a stray piece behind my ear, and my heart pounds against my chest as I stare into his blue eyes. I actually wouldn’t even describe them as blue, more silver than anything else. They are like silver pools, mixed with blue dots and darkness around the corners. They bounce off his blonde hair, which only serves to remind me of who he is.

  “I hate you,” is all I can think to say, and then I move away, clearing my throat. Telling him I hate him has become a defence mechanism, because I can’t say anything else. I can’t feel anything else.

  “I deserve for you to hate me, I don’t expect anything less,” he says, his words hallow as I hear the pain in them.

  “Why? Why are the guys here with me? It doesn’t make any sense the more I think about it,” I ask, trying to ignore any pain I can hear in his words. Ignore that it mirrors my own pain, and forget that I can see his own loneliness reflected in his eyes and words.

  “I sent them to you and kept them alive for you,” he tells me, and I want to call him out on lying, but I can’t. I know he is telling me the truth, I see it in his eyes. I’ve seen him lie to me enough to pick up on it now. Plus, I don’t think the guys could have escaped without help, and Melody would have told me if it were her.

  “But why?” I demand, and he looks away.

  “Let me tell you something, and I promise if you still want the answer…I will tell you,” he asks and I shrug.

  “It’s not like I can escape you here, so go on,” I say, waving a hand at the circle of smoke we are inside. He frowns, but doesn’t call me out on it.

  “My mother was a happy woman once. She had a good life, and was mated to a fire dragon guard. One day after she found out she was pregnant; my father was killed protecting your mother and father from an attack. My mother kept the pregnancy a secret, knowing I would be in danger if anyone knew who I really was. She left me with my adoptive parents to keep me safe. She was one of the selected, and one of the last ice dragons. It was too dangerous to have me close to her, and keep me hidden at the same time. She was happy with her life, seeing me in secret when she could. She was happy with her close childhood friends bringing me up, and it likely would have stayed like that forever…but then your mother was killed,” he pauses and shakes his head as snow starts falling from his hands.

  “We all know what happened after that,” I say.

  “Yes, your father’s side of the story,” he says bitterly and I just nod, almost wanting to hear the side he has been told. I want to know what makes him so sure about following his mother's orders while they sit on the throne I'm meant to be on. I have a feeling Thorne isn’t in control at all, just being used by his mother for what she wants.

  “My mother was demanded to marry an old man, a king twice her age. She was forced to sleep with him and she had no choice in any of it. I bet your father never told you that, huh?” he growls.

  “She got to be queen, and from what I remember she liked her power, but I didn’t know she was forced. For that I’m sorry, but you are punishing me for something I had no control over,” I say, struggling to feel sorry for the person who started the fire rebellion, and ordered her son to kill my father. Who most likely ordered her sister to kill my intended mate.

  “Don’t be sorry, you have no idea! No idea what is going on or what works are in play,” he turns away from me, running his hands through his hair.

  “No, but I know you’re a murderer! I know you killed my father!” I spit out, losing all sympathy for him when I picture my father dead on his throne.

  “I didn’t,” he says so quietly, but it shocks me to my core, just the same as if he’d shouted the words. I stumble back, all the hate I feel for him, all the times I’ve pictured killing him for what he has done flashing across my mind. He still betrayed me, but he didn’t kill my father… how did that not happen?

  “What?” I ask.

  “I was meant to kill him, but when I looked into his eyes, I saw you. I saw the girl I sat telling stories to about my bad past, and how she made me laugh in the darkness. The brave girl who lost so much, but it didn’t let it corrupt her. I saw the innocence and the beauty of his daughter. The daughter I couldn’t get out of my head, and I couldn’t do it,” he admits, and I step back in shock.

  “Who did?” I ask, seeing the truth in his eyes as he looks up at me.

  “My mother, and I didn’t stop her. You should hate me for that,” he tells me. So Tatarina is the one that should be on the throne, she is the one that killed the last king. It makes no sense for her to put Thorne on the throne, unless it was because of his blood. Yet, that wouldn’t make anyone respect him.

  “Why do you want me to hate you?” I ask him, and he doesn’t answer me. He only stares, a hopeless stare which says more than I want to know.

  “Why do you listen to her? You know she is evil, right? You can choose to be good, to be different Thorne,” I beg him. His eyes glaze over, the silver almost glowing, and it reminds me so much of Jace that it hurts. But Thorne is different, darker, and more messed up than anyone I know. It makes me want to fix him, help him, because I have a feeling he isn’t all bad. I can feel it inside of me, and it’s not something I can ignore anymore. I feel a connection to him, like I do Elias, Korbin, and Dagan. Yet, I have no idea what it means and it makes no sense. Being connected to any of them means death.

  “You’re asking me to choose you over my family,” he whispers.

  “I’m asking you to choose the side for good, to choose someone that could care,” I say, my voice catching.

  “Could care? Issy don’t lie to a liar. You care more than you can even admit to yourself,” he chuckles darkly, and everything becomes hazy.

  “How are you connected to me?” I ask, feeling myself falling backwards into the smoke, and I can’t see him anymore. I just feel him near me.

  “Fate,” is the last word I hear him whisper before darkness takes over.

  I blink my eyes open, hearing my phone ringing, and am momentarily blinded by the light blasting through a gap in my curtains. It’s in my eyes. I pick the phone up, seeing Hallie�
�s name flashing on the bright screen and answer it.

  “How was the date?” she asks straight away, sounding like an excited bunny. How is she so happy this damn early?

  “Erm…” I say, blushing when I think back to the date, and everything comes flashing back. I can’t believe what happened last night, but I wouldn't change it.

  “You totally slept with hottie number two, didn’t you?” Hallie asks, laughing.

  “Why is Korbin number two?” I ask, curious and not answering her. She knows, I don’t need to confirm it.

  “Height. Elias is the tallest, then Korbin, and Dagan is the shortest, which isn’t saying much as they are all built like towers you just want to climb,” she says, making me laugh.

  “You have that right,” I say, groaning as I fall back on my bed and look up at the ceiling. Things were a little awkward between me and Korbin when he drove us home last night, and walked me to my room. He kissed me, making me want to invite him into my room, but Jules came out and checked on us.

  “Any plans for today?” she asks, and I hear the sound of beeping in the background.

  “Nope, I don’t know what the guys do on Sundays, but I want to eat junk food. Oh, and catch up on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here and then read, and read, and read,” I say, knowing I need to clear my head of everything I learnt from the dream last night. I need to clear my head in general, and remember who I am, who the guys I’m falling for are. This isn’t a fairy tale where the curse is broken in the end, and we all have a happy ending…No, this is a nightmare, and they will pay the price. Everything is so seriously messed up. I was meant to make the guys remember, not fall for any of them. Yet I’ve slept with Korbin, and I damn well know how I feel for him, it sure isn’t nothing. I can’t keep my thoughts off the others, and the man I was thought I hated, now I’m just confused about. These kind of thoughts are why I need a reading day to escape.

  “Oh my god, it’s the finale tomorrow. You totally need to catch up so we can discuss who will win! Have a good day, hun,” she says, and I hear someone shouting for her in the background.

  “Later,” I say, and put the phone down. I pick up my dressing gown, put it on, and go to the bathroom. I brush my teeth, and run my fingers through my hair, just leaving it down and sliding my slippers on as I leave my room.

  “Hey,” I say when I run half away down the stairs and see Elias walking up. I pause when he gets closer, leaning sideways on the bannister.

  “What did you do to your hands?” I ask, seeing the blood.

  “Nothing,” he mutters the word quietly, but the tone makes it clear he isn’t telling me. He must have been working out, as he is dripping with sweat, his hair pushed roughly out of his eyes. He only has shorts on, so I can see all the tattoos that cover his chest. I want to reach out and touch him, to trace the red dragon design. I want to ask him what the symbols on his heart mean.

  “Do you like tattoos?” he asks me, following my eyes to where I’m looking. I don’t breathe as he leans into me, pressing me against the side of the stairs. I don’t hold back, moving my hands onto his chest over his heart, and tracing the symbols like my body wants me too.

  “What are these?” I ask him, looking up when he stays silent. He is just staring at me, his blue eyes blazing with something.

  “Kiss me and I’ll tell you,” he promises, a devilish smirk on his lips.

  “Eli,” I breathe out. I can't believe myself when I inch closer, moving my face just below his. Every part of me wants to kiss him, but I feel like that’s cheating on Korbin. That I’m betraying him somehow, even though we never spoke about being serious. Even though he is likely going to hate me when he remembers who I am.

  “Your choice,” he whispers, his warm breath blowing across my lips. I close my eyes once more, just breathing in his smoky scent.

  “I…can’t. Korbin and I–” I start to say, but he presses a finger on my lips, stopping me. I open my eyes, seeing his watching me seriously. He moves his finger, sliding it slowly down my chin and to my neck as he speaks. Every space where our skin connects, sends shivers through me. It’s like every touch of his skin is branded against my own.

  “I don't mind sharing so you being with Korbin isn't going to prevent me from wanting you," he tells me. He pulls away, walking up the stairs while I try to get some of oxygen back into my body. Once Elias is out of view, my dragon perks up, pressing herself into my mind, and making it nearly impossible to move.

  “We need to fly, it’s been too long,” she whines.

  “I know, I’m sorry. I’ve just been distracted,” I explain to her. It’s not like I don’t want to fly, I could use the time to myself.

  “Now, I need to fly,” she demands this time, even going far enough to push into my mind a little, and ice slides across my palms. I shake my hands, seeing the ice drip onto the floor and hope no one sees it before it melts.

  “Fine.” I shut her away, groaning that my day of catching up on TV is gone. Instead, it looks like I’m taking a hike through the woods, and then a flight around the cold mountains.

  “Good morning, Isola.” Jules says, walking down the stairs. I turn to face her with a smile.

  “I’m about to go to the shops, do you want to come? I’ve never seen boys eat as much as our guests do,” she chuckles and walks past me to put her coat on.

  “No thanks, I have a day of books, and drooling over the hot guys in them, planned,” I lie and she laughs, pulling her keys out her bag.

  “Wait, I left a bag in the boot when I went shopping with Dagan, can I just go and get it?” I ask her, holding out my hand for her keys.

  “Sure, I could use checking the fridge once more before I leave. You never know, I could have left something off my list,” she says, sliding the keys into my hand. I slide my boots on, pulling my dressing gown tighter around myself as I walk out the house and to the car. I pop the boot open, picking up the daggers and putting them inside a spare plastic bag Jules always leaves inside the car. Thank god for the ban on free plastic bags in England, that’s all I can say. I walk back into the house to find Jules is waiting in the hallway, looking through her bag. I slip my boots off, and hand her the keys.

  “Okay hunny, see you later tonight,” she says, eyeing my plastic bag for a second, before she walks out the door. I watch through the small glass window until her car pulls away and drives off before getting ready. I pull my dressing gown off, leaving my pyjamas on as I will just have to take them off anyway. No magic clothes here. I pull my wellies, thick coat and hat on before stepping outside, still holding the plastic bag. I look up, seeing the dark clouds and smelling the rain in the air. It’s actually a good thing, the rain will hide my dragon well when we fly up. I shut the door, and start walking towards the woods, keeping an eye out around me to make sure no one is following. Once it’s just me and the trees, I look down at my tree mark on my hand. I miss Bee, even though we didn’t get that much time together. It just feels like it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen her. It's almost like I can feel our band growing weaker by the day.

  “Do you miss Bee? Can you sense her?” I ask my dragon, wondering what the bond to Bee is like for her.

  “Bee is bonded to you like I am, but she is not bonded to me. She is your human side, not your dragon side Isola,” she explains to me.

  “I understand, that’s why I miss her as much as I do,” I say.

  “Like you miss me,” she replies sadly.

  “I will never lose you,” I reply, feeling a wave of warmth and love come from her. I smile, walking quicker through the woods. About an hour later, I get to the clearing I used to shift in with Jace.

  “Jace,” my dragon whispers.

  “I miss him too, so much more now that I’m here and surrounded with our memories. Do you think he would hate me for moving on?” I ask her, being that she is the only person that remembers him. Even if she is an animal that relies on instincts for everything, she still loved and bonded with him in the sam
e ways I did. She still felt heartbreak, she felt the same fear of being alone like I did.

  “No, it was never your fate to be with just one,” she replies, sounding so sure of herself.

  “How do you know anything about fate, dragon?” I ask her, and she just laughs.

  “Seers and dragons came from the same land. Fate brought us all into existence. It’s not what I know, it’s what I feel.” She says gentle almost. I open the plastic, pulling out one of the daggers. I flip it over, looking closely at the fire dragon on it. I know I won’t get any answers from the dagger, but I still commit the crest on the dagger to memory. Someone came after me, and I want to know who. I pick the other dagger up, holding them both at my sides and look over at the tree about fifty foot away from me. I spin around, throwing both the daggers at the same time and they slam into the tree, buried to the halt.

  “Now shift,” she tells me. Our conversation makes me wonder what else my dragons knows, but decides not to tell me. I pull my coat off, followed by my boots, and finally my pyjamas. I walk away from the tree I leave them near, and take a deep breath, smelling for any humans nearby and finding none. I open my arms, calling my dragon, and white mist appears in front of me slowly, swallowing me inside of it. She takes over with a roar that shakes all the trees near us, and then she stretches her wings out, ice falling off them onto the grass. She looks up at the skies, her sense of freedom improving even my bad mood. She then lifts herself off the ground, and shoots into the sky.

  Chapter 16

  Isola

  My dragon lands in the clearing many hours later with a huff, her annoyance at the dark skies and knowledge that she needs to let me back flooding her thoughts. The rain pours down on us, soaking my dragon and I know it will be worse when I’m in human form.

  “Again…soon?” she asks me as she lets me shift back, my human form kneeling on the cold ground, naked and freezing everything off as my wet, cold hair drips down my body. I look up at the skies, just as the rain stops slowly.