Chapter 21 021
DAVINA ELM.
I had lost hope of survival until I was wrapped by a dragon and taken out of the flame. Without being told, I already knew who would take the kind of risk for me because of a deal. I didn't anticipate his presence, since the dragon prisoners around had me hear that no dragon would survive in the flame, so no one would take such a risk.
When the dragon dropped me to the floor, I blacked out.
For so long, I slept, and when I woke up, the sky was so dark, and I couldn't believe myself when I found myself in a cage. My muscles were weak, I felt the burns on my body, but what mattered most was why I was in the cage instead of being in an infirmary to be treated.
I glanced around, too, and there were several people around, all murmuring curses at me, glaring and pointing their fingers at me. I heard when they called me a bad omen, so what could they do with me now?
The thought of it alone drained the whole blood out of my body. I trembled in fear, sitting in the cage like a criminal who was being banished from her people.
Just the glare of the dragons at me could send me to my early grave if it were easy, especially from the dragons with black eyes. I didn't know that there were so many dragons until now, but after staring at the faces before me, I couldn't pick out anyone that I had seen.
Perrin didn't seem to be around, or I would have seen her. The male dragons that bullied me had been burnt in the flame too, so every other person around was a total stranger to me.
Soon, the door of the cage opened, and the guards before me ordered that I climb down, which I did instantly. The crowd roared in terror at me while I was being taken away by the guards into the throne room, where I had been once.
They forced me to kneel, and sitting some feet before me was the Dragon Sovereign, while his subordinates were all seated at the sides. They seemed to have surrounded me to discuss what they would do with me, and since I was their bad omen, I feared that my penalty would be death.
It just seemed as though I was destined to die, because all their efforts to take my life had been in vain, yet I kept implicating myself each time.
The room was silent for quite some time after I showed up, before the Dragon Sovereign stood from his throne and began walking towards me. My heart rose and fell with force constantly. I hoped he wasn't coming to me to tell me how he couldn't continue with the deal any longer.
I wasn't even thinking about my brother or Ofelia any longer, just for my safety, so I could meet them.
When he reached me, he squatted and raised my jaw so I could see his gaze. He muttered in such a tone only I could hear, “Why do you keep doing weird things and putting me in a tight position?”
I avoided his gaze because I had no answer to that question. How would I know why the fire turned silver? I was a weak fae, so I knew nothing that had to do with magic and supernatural powers.
“You're not supposed to live past tonight, so what am I going to do with you? How long will you keep making me regret bringing you here?” he whispered in question, and I had nothing to say.
Maybe I could just accept my fate and meet my demise if that would make them happy. I only hope that my death will bring freedom to my brother and my human friend.
Since I didn't respond to him, he let go of my jaw and cleared his throat, then said to his subordinates, “She is my bait, so I have every reason not to execute her,” he declared, and the room broke into heavy murmurs.
They didn't expect it, nor did I. He just frightened me now, with how he couldn't save me, but he just did that. How much was I going to owe this man? He's saved me from when we met up till now, and I was certain that he was stockpiling my debts for me.
One of the elders said to him, “But she doesn't deserve to live, Sovereign. You had just risked your life to save her. Aside from being your bait, what is it about her that would make you seek death for a weak fae? She's a rival and now a disaster to us, yet you want her to still live.”
The others agreed with the man, and Dragon Sovereign had turned his back on us.
“Your Sovereignity, we can attack the faes without using her as bait, so why is she so useful to you?” another man asked.
This time, Dragon Sovereign turned to them. His expression was emotionless, and I wondered how I hadn't seen that part of him until now. “There are a lot that I must find out through her, that's why she's my bait. Until then, she must live. This is my declaration!!”
He flung his cloak and, in the blink of an eye, transformed into his dragon form and rose high until it flew out of the room.
I only stared with my lips wide open, and I didn't realise a man was standing before me. When I felt his presence and shuddered, he cleared his throat and clamped his hands backwards. “Before you're taken back to the cell, could we have a few words?” the man asked, and my heart dropped.
He was the High Flame Lord, and I was scared as to what he wanted to talk about. They didn't like my presence, so I feared he would risk his position just to get rid of me. But since I had no guts to decline speaking with him, I still trailed behind him out of the throne room.
“Female, mind telling what's between you and the Dragon Sovereign? How did he find you? What is between the two of you? Dragon Sovereign can't be acting out of his real self since you appeared. He is cold and distant, savage and merciless, smells of blood and danger. But everything about you, he looks away from and saves you each time you are in danger….”
The man paused, glanced around and continued.
“Did you know that the danger you put him through was one no ordinary dragon could survive? And you who survived despite being weak, what are you up to? Are you hiding your powers and deceiving us?”
I lowered my face. I hadn't thought so deeply like him, but now that he mentioned it, it was indeed mysterious, and the Dragon Sovereign was really acting out of what he was in the past.
“What spell did you use on him?” The man came again, and this time I raised my head.
If I knew what a spell looked like, maybe I would have used it on all of them.
Since they didn't know how I met their Sovereign, it means that no one knows except us, so there was no need to explain to the elders.
I bowed to him and stepped back a bit, “My lord, I honestly have nothing to say as I'm also confused about the whole matter. If you permit me, I would prefer going back to my cell to think my life through.”
He hissed and cursed under his breath, “Foolish…” then began walking away from me.
I still stood there when the two guards whose job was taking me around showed up before me and gestured that we begin leaving, but I shook my head.