Chapter 165 Chapter 165

Chapter 165 Chapter 165
Aquila's magic burned through every fibre of my being, then it sank into me like ice, searing through a vein in my body that was already blazing with dragon-fire, and I gasped, my back arching clean off the earth as Aquila’s will met the dragon’s in a clash of ancient power. 

"Focus on my magic, Asher. That's the only way it will work." I heard Aquila's voice overlap with the voice in my head that roared in fury, fighting back, thrashing, refusing to be chained—but Aquila did not yield. He poured everything he had into the spell, every drop of strength, every scrap of will, forcing the corruption back, forcing the fire to recede, pushing the dragon down, down, down into the dark where it belonged. Because tonight was not the night we died. Because allowing the Dragon to take control while the corruption was spreading fast meant succumbing to our fates.

"That's it. Just like that," Aquila encouraged between each breath of magic he whispered, and against all odds… it finally worked.

The burning sensation in my chest slowly dimmed. The bones stopped shifting. The roaring in my head faded into a low, restless rumble, and then—there was absolute silence.

A silence so loud it made my ears ring.

I collapsed forward, gasping for air, and sweat poured off me in cold sheets. Aquila did not let go. He kept his hands pressed firm to my chest, breathing hard, with his own eyes slowly bleeding back from black to their familiar green hue, exhaustion etched deep into every line of his face though the veins took their time to fade. He looked drained, pale, as though he had just fought a battle that spanned decades.

Slowly, the pain ebbed to a dull, throbbing ache, and I took deep, heavy breathes like it had almost been my last. And with the last whisp of magic, I regained all of my sanity, though the dragon still remained—watching, waiting, furious—but he was exhausted as well. 

"I'm sorry, old friend, but not tonight." He whispered more to myself. Hoping that he could understand why he couldn't take a mate now.

Aquila slumped back on his heels, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of a shaking hand. He let out a long, ragged breath and stared at me, wide-eyed and disbelieving.

“Well, I'll be damned…” He shook his head slowly. “I didn't think I could actually pull that off." He paused, then frowned, thoughtful. “That was a call that was way too close for comfort, Asher.” 

"I know. I know."

Aquila looked me over, realization dawning sharp and clear. “It was being that close to her, wasn’t it? Crystal." 

I didn't say anything, but I didn't need to. 

"I'm right, aren't I?" He frowned.

"I held back as best as I could," I admitted shamefully, and Aquila let out a deep breath as he ran a hand through the strands of his red hair, tugging at it, frustrated. 

"You need to tell her, Asher. Not later...but now." He said firmly, but I shook my head.

"No, it's dangerous."

"D-dangerous!?" He exclaimed, dumbfounded. "What's dangerous is Crystal still --shit," The words hung between us, heavy and true. And then Aquila’s eyes went wide. He snapped his fingers, dread flashing across his face.

My head snapped up, every scrap of exhaustion vanishing in a single, terrifying heartbeat.

“As if Crystal just what, Aquila?"

“The damn girl ran after you, Asher,” Aquila said it fast, urgent. “I don't know what happened between you two, but she's the reason I'm out here, because she was running after you into the woods.”

My eyes widened until they burned.

“What?”

“And that's not all. Nayara said there could be hunters out here. Crystal might be in danger." 

Danger. The words echoed in my head as I stared at him, my mind reeling. 

Crystal was one of the smartest women I knew; why would she have followed me into the dark? Alone? What on earth was she thinking? Did she have no idea how dangerous these woods were? How dangerous I had been only minutes ago?

“We have to find her.” I pushed myself up, ignoring the way my legs shook, and the way the world kept swaying around me. “Now.”

“Whoa—hold on.” Aquila was on his feet in an instant, catching my arm before I could take a single step. But I was stubborn. “We have to get you back to the library first. You’re barely standing.”

“I’m fine.” I lied as I tried to pull away from him, but my legs were against me, and they soon gave out the second I shifted my weight. I stumbled, swaying violently, and Aquila caught me firmly by the shoulders, steadying me before I could fall over for the second time tonight.

Annoyance crossed over his features as his grip on my arm increased.

“I'm not asking, Asher. I'm telling. You're absolutely not fine.” Aquila’s tone left no room for argument. “Don’t look at me like that. I know we usually have our back-and-forths; I know you’re stubborn enough to argue with death itself—but right now is not the time. You are weak, you are drained, and if that thing inside you wakes up again before we’re even back to the library… I won’t have the strength to hold it back a second time.”

He tightened his grip, his voice softening just enough to cut through my panic.

“And Crystal might be lost out there. That is exactly why we need to do this with at least some level of common sense. Let me take you back to Nayara. She will watch over you, and keep the dragon contained while I gather Seth and we head straight back out to search for Crystal without losing another person. The both of us will cover more ground than you staggering around half-dead, being a liability."

" Liability?"

"I don't mean to offend, but in this condition, you're of no use to anyone out there." His lips pressed into a thin line. I couldn't tell if he was trying to insult him, but then again, he was right. 

I hated when he was right like this.

If what Aquila said about the hunters was true. Two things needed to happen. 

One, he needed extra muscles, and two, he needed to move fast.

"We will find her. But you have to trust me on this.” Aquila added.

I stared at him, chest heaving, every instinct screaming to run into the dark right now. But he was right. I could feel the dragon stirring again, faint but restless, waiting for me to push too hard. If I lost control again… I would be the very thing she would be needing protection from, and I didn't want that.

Reluctantly, painfully, I nodded.

“Fine.” The word grated out of me. “But if anything happens to her—”

“She's a smart girl. And Seth and I will definitely track her down." Aquila steadied me, shifting my arm across his shoulders and wrapping his own firm around my waist to bear my weight.

“Now come on. Lean on me. And try not to collapse before we reach the library.”