by Angel Black
But how does it affect humans? No one’s done it in centuries, if not a millenia.
He would always be with her, in this way, no matter how long he was away from her. But if she died, the way humans do at the age of eighty or so, he would be devastated. Dragons mated for life, and when one’s lover passed, the sense of loss was ineffable. The death of a mate caused unending despair due to the bond of the mating. When one’s mate died, one died with them.
Only one known dragon was able to live on past the death of their mate.
You would regret not mating her for the rest of your life.
He changed one finger into the talon of a dragon and with the gentlest of touches, he lightly grazed her skin. Alexandra stirred, but she didn’t wake. Falon cut his own skin and, with hands that shook, he exchanged their blood. This was a sacred ritual in the dragon realm.
The legends he had read said she would have the invulnerability he did, the longevity of life, a body that was quick to heal. She would be safe. She might even be alive by the time he returned to the human world. She might still be there. That is, if the legends of humans and dragons mating were to be believed.
The longing tore at Falon’s heart and he felt his eyes prickle. He was mated with her now, mated for life. The bond acted as a channel between them: two hearts one beat. They were Twin Flames, he was sure. He would always be able to sense her now. Every feeling she felt would reverberate through his soul, and his would be hers. It was the mating ritual that dragons had used for centuries and Falon couldn’t think of a more worthy mate.
He couldn’t think of a more worthy woman, not in this realm or the dragon realm. She was everything to him and Falon wasn’t sure how he would cope without her.
But he had to. Just for a while. Just until he could convince the dragons to change, convince them to see his side. He knew that dragons were stubborn, proud and not likely to change their minds… but they were also intelligent and prided themselves on being higher beings.
So surely… surely, he would be able to convince them. Falon stroked the hair from Alexandra’s brow and kissed her skin gently. She was so warm and she smelt so sweet, so perfect. He swallowed back the pain that stung at his heart.
“I’ll be back for you, Alexandra…” He whispered, feeling his heart swell and ache all at the same time, “I love you. I’ll be back for you, I swear.”
It took everything inside of Falon to pull himself away, to let go of the feel of her, the touch of her hand and the way she smelt, the way her eyes sparkled, the way she made him feel.
She had so much power over him, so much power over his heart and she didn’t even know it. Alexandra.
Falon turned, finally pulling himself away. He had to get back to the portal before anyone found him here.
Before anyone found Alexandra. Because he would protect her and keep her safe. He would protect her, even if it killed him.
Chapter 15: The Screams of the Nobility
Falon felt his heart sink as he approached the portal. It looked almost invisible from this side of the realm, but Falon knew it was there. He found himself where the adventure had started: inside the changing room at the old man’s shop. Once he stepped through it, he would lose contact with Alexandra. He would lose contact with her and he wouldn’t be able to see her again, not unless he could convince the dragons of his point.
Taking a deep breath, Falon steeled himself for the worst, for what he was leaving behind and for what he was about to face. He stepped into the portal, feeling it ripple around him. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the dragon realm, exactly where he had left it.
Falon didn’t get a chance to grieve. He looked up and was greeted by Elemanias’s furious face. He felt a jolt. He hadn’t expected her to be here, with her lone Valkyrie, Tara, and Elemanias’s house guards. He swallowed, the sinking feeling grow within him. There was no way that this would be good. The fact that her Valkyrie, Tara, was here with her glistening green eyes and shocking red hair, meant the worst.
Valkyries were the equivalent to Sigmas in everything but duties. Both were trained from birth in martial combat, diplomacy, political manipulations, and Gunna training.
While the Sigmas were designed for offense—that is, they were designed to destroy entire kingdoms and realms of rival factions; a Valkyrie was domestic. The Valkyrie’s job was to defeat an entire army from sacking her walls. While the male Sigmas were trained to conquer enemies, the female Valkyries were trained to defend loved ones.
Shit.
Elemanias’s face was pinched and Falon could tell that she was doing everything that she could to hold back her anger at him, at least, in front of the guards. She cleared her throat and spoke calmly, through gritted teeth, “I would like a moment with him. Stand guard.” Her voice was cold and the guards did as she requested, while Tara leered at Valonis with both lust and rage, turning and forming a perimeter around them both, leaving Falon alone with Elemanias.
“How dare you?!” Elemanias hissed, the anger quickly breaking through onto her features. “How dare you put me through that humiliation?” She was all but spitting fire at him.
“Elemanias, I didn’t want to involve you in this.”
Elemanias shook her head, anger burning in her eyes. “Yes, you did.” She took a deep breath. “But no matter.” She looked at Falon for a long moment. “I’ll stand by you.” Her words surprised Falon. He hadn’t expected that, not in his wildest dreams. Elemanias continued, “I’ll tell everyone that I sent you on a quest… a quest to prove your devotion.” Elemanias’s eyes narrowed and Falon could see a wild look in her eyes, something like sheer desperation.
“I will not be the only one left without a mate!” She hissed, and the panic surfaced once again, the desperation that she had kept just below the surface. “Do you hear me, Falon? I won’t have it!”
“Elemanias…” Falon swallowed, feeling the weight of reality, the consequences of his actions weigh down on his shoulders like lead.
Elemanias shook her head. “Look, Falon… we’re running out of possible mates. We have to be mated or there will be no one left,” she murmured, her voice softening, “My father is powerful. Falon, you know what type of power he holds in the kingdoms…”
The Platinum Spider they call him. Yes, I know your father’s power. All too well, if the rumors are true.
Falon could see where she was going with this. It was a good option. If he married her, his punishment would not be as severe, would not be as extreme. He would have a chance at a normal life in the dragon realm. But if he did that…
Elemanias continued, “With my backing and my father’s help, you will not be punished so severely. You’ll be able to go back to normal. Everything would go back to normal and we’ll be united and everything will be okay… please, Falon, listen to reason.”
She was imploring him, and Falon felt a twist in his heart. He stared into her face and thought of Alexandra, thought of the way her smile lit up the room. He could feel her emotions weaving through him, even at this distance. He could feel her safe and alive, and that mattered most.
Elemanias was beautiful, but even now, he could see the cruelty pulling at her mouth, could see her concern for status over love, could see, very clearly, that they were not meant to be together.
“Elemanias…” He started, his voice turning gentle, “Elemanias… I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t mean you any ill will.” His voice was soft, a murmur that ghosted across the air. He realized that he meant his words. He didn’t want to hurt Elemanias. That wasn’t the point. It never had been.
“But Elemanias… you do not care for me.” He smiled, a sad smile. “You never have and you have never wished to be united with me.” He shook his head slowly. “Surely, you deserve a mate who you care for?”
He looked at her for a long, lingering moment. “And me. I do not know you Elemanias, but love? I do not love you, just as you do not love me. We are not a match and we are not meant to be mated.”
Elemanias’s eyes darkened, and he could see the anger bubbling beneath. But he meant it, he meant every word. He loved Alexandra. He loved her deeply and, even if he could not be with her, he could no longer force himself to go through with a marriage to Elemanias which meant nothing at all.
“Why should either of us live a lie? Why should we go through with a marriage based on expectation and manipulation? Even if we never find another mate, is that not better than living a lie? Being united with someone who you simply do not care for?”
Elemanias’s expression twisted and Falon saw the ugliness beneath, the hate that had blossomed in her features. “Fine.”
“Guards!” She turned to the guards gathered around them, her expression dark and full of hate and anger. “Take him to my father! Now!”
She turned, her eyes fixing on Falon, burning with anger and hate. “My father will see to you first. Then Aedan can decide what he wants to do… with whatever is left of you.”
Elemanias turned with a sweep of her robes, her eyes alight with savage hate. The guards closed in on him, with the Valkyrie taking the lead. She grabbed him gently by the shoulder, leading him forward as she walked beside him. “We are going to have fun together.” She promised. “I love hearing the screams of nobles. Especially Dukes,” she said.
Falon felt his heart ache, but he stood by his claims. This was the right decision. Even as the guards grabbed him and dragged him off, Falon knew that he had made the right choice. He wouldn’t live a lie.
He owed it to Alexandra. He owed it to himself.
From now on, he would be true to himself, no matter what the cost.
Chapter 16: Abandonment Amid the Nadir
Alexandra woke to the sound of a voice. She could hear the dull thud of knocking and a male voice coming through the door. She bolted upright, confused and clutching the sheet to herself. For a moment, Alexandra wasn’t sure what had happened, confused in the harsh morning sun light that impregnated the room. Is it morning, though?
She looked beside her and was surprised to see that Connor wasn’t there. She felt a jolt inside of her, as if the floor had been pulled from beneath her feet. The knocking came again and a voice rang out, “Excuse me, I’ve been asked to tell you to leave. Mr. Abraxis has checked out already and we need to get the room ready for the next guests.”
Alexandra felt a jolt move down her spine, a shiver of panic and confusion. Gathering herself, she replied, “Thank you. I won’t be long.”
“We’ll have housekeeping up in about an hour.”
Alexandra wasn’t sure what had happened. She looked around and was surprised to see that nothing had really changed, except Falon had left and she had been left behind with no explanation. Alexandra felt dread and embarrassment shiver through her.
She found only a note on the night stand that was on her side: “Twin Flame. If you think you feel my essence, then know that it is true.”
It was not a goodbye note, and it made no sense, except that it did. She knew Connor was alive somehow, and she could sense that something was wrong. It was like she could feel his thoughts, feel his heart’s beating. And he seemed like he was in trouble.
This is like the dreams all over again. She worried for her sanity.
Panic followed soon after. She wasn’t sure how long she had slept in. A quick check of her phone let her know that she was running late. Alexandra leapt up out of bed and sped to the bathroom. Leaping in the shower, she quickly washed off, not bothering to wash her hair. She dried off and got dressed quickly, glad for the professional style of clothing that she tended towards.
Alexandra did a quick scout of the apartment, grabbed her bag and her things and hurried out of the door, calling a cab as she left. When she stepped outside of the hotel room, Alexandra was relieved to find that the cab was already waiting for her. She got in, rattled off her work address and then called Rex.
She felt anxiety claw at her. He was already angry at her and now she was about to be late on her first day back? She knew he would be furious, but she was determined not to make this mistake again.
On top of that, she kept having a nagging feeling that Falon was heartbroken and alone. A vague sense that something was wrong with him.
* * *
“Alexandra,” Rex barked.
“I know, I’m-”
“You’re late.” Rex did not sound like a happy employer.
“Yes, I know, I’m sorry.” Alexandra hurried. “I’ll be there very soon. It won’t happen again, Sir.”
Rex sighed. “Look, Alexandra… showing up to work on time is important. Do you understand?”
Alexandra nodded even though he could not see her. “Yes, I’m sorry.”
“And you are sure that everything is okay? You are still the girl I hired, are you not?”
“Yes, everything is fine, Sir. I’ll be in the office and back to work as soon as possible.”
“Good.” He didn’t even bother talking to her after that, just clicking the phone off.
Alexandra could feel the lingering worry gnawing at her. Why had Connor just left like that this morning? He was usually so thoughtful and attentive. She knew he was worried about work, but this still felt out of character. Why did she feel like she was carrying the weight of two people’s emotions? The sensation was disorientating.
Alexandra took a deep breath as the cab pulled up. She was sure that all of this was just a big misunderstanding. He’d probably told her something as she was falling asleep, or maybe he’d left a message that hadn’t been passed through.
Connor was not cruel or thoughtless, and so this was not something he would have done on purpose. But then again, he was two different people. He was warm, caring, winsome, and polite in the street. But he was an animal in the sheets, something that barely resembled a human, a force that was almost past the point of consent and concern. She cared about him, cared about him deeply and she didn’t want things to get confusing or messy. She wanted this mess sorted out and to know that he was alright. After all, hadn’t he said last night that he wanted to see her again?
Alexandra paid the cab driver and made her way into the office. The rest of the day seemed to pass like a blur, with Alexandra finding it harder and harder to keep her eye on the prize. She felt refreshed and the work no longer swam before her eyes.
Still, she was preoccupied by thoughts of Connor. She wished that she could text him, just send a simple message that could clear this all up. She didn’t want to bother him if he was busy, she just wanted clarification, some sign that he hadn’t just walked out.
Every time the phone rang, Alexandra hoped that it was Connor. She kept her iPhone close just in case he phoned and let her know what was going on. She knew that he had her number, so she could only hope that he would get in contact and straighten all of this out.
In a moment of desperation, she even tried asking Leschae, the head of records, if the company had Connor’s number on file somewhere. Much to her dismay, they didn’t seem to have any records of Connor, whatsoever. Alexandra assumed that this was because he was so high profile, but that did not make it any less devastating to Alexandra, who wanted to get in contact with him desperately.
By the end of the day, Alexandra was feeling very on edge. She’d had no news, a terribly confusing start to the day and Rex refused to get off her back, pressing and prodding and belittling her at every opportunity. Her nerves were frayed and she decided to do the only thing she could think of. Plus, she would literally feel like someone else’s emotions were raging inside of her. She got the distinct sensation that Connor was being tortured somehow.
I’m insane. I’m losing my mind. I need to go to a psychologist.
She went back to the hotel. Walking up to the front desk, her heart racing, Alexandra casually asked about Connor, and if he had returned to the hotel. When they returned her question with a sharp negative, Alexandra began to lose hope.
“Did he leave any messages? For Alexandra?”
In that moment, Alexandra realized what they all thought. That she was some silly girl who had been jilted by a rich play boy. But Alexandra knew that that wasn’t the case. Connor had been so genuine, so real. He wouldn’t do that kind of thing to her, or to anyone else.
It had to be a misunderstanding. Her heart sank. It just had to be.
What now?
Chapter 17: My Childhood Spent in Your Arms
Falon felt the grit of the cell wall burn its way into his skin, as if it was on fire. He was cold. He could feel the draft flutter against his skin and pierce his heart and yet the stones at his back hurt like fire. It was the first time in his life he had ever felt the sensations of temperature and exposure. Dragons were usually immune to such things.
Unless they’d been poisoned with silver.
The worst part of torture was that he was beginning to crave the Valkyrie’s presence. As much pain as she brought to him, flaying him alive with her expert knife work, she brought living contact. Locked up in the silence of the cells for hours, days even, was another type of torture in itself. The smell of roses always accompanied her, and at least that was pleasant. Sometimes she even brought water…
Snap out of it. That’s part of her game. She’s using torture and pain to make you fall for her. To make you want to please her.
It wasn’t Connor’s mind that was holding out, more so, it was the fact that he could still feel Alexandra. That was what had kept him sane, allowed him to hold out. He could feel her longing for him, but she was ok. Stressed out, but ok, and not being tortured. He would have been able to tell by her feelings if she had been captured and murdered by a Sigma.