Chapter 71 71
He offered to take me to my brother himself, or the Dreadwing Generals wouldn't allow me in. Orrifin wasn't in the realm currently, so no one would command them to allow me if he didn't follow me himself.
As we reached, they all got to their knees upon seeing him. “Dragon Sovereign, what could have brought you here?” one of them asked, and he shrugged while staring at me.
I took a deep gulp and said to them, “I want to see my brother…”
The man who asked the question raised his eyes towards his Sovereign, and he gave a single nod. He then stood up and gestured to me, “This way…or…” he turned to Sovereign, who shook his head, and I understood that he wanted to know if Sovereign was going to flit with me in there.
I went in with the man until he showed me the cell where my brother was staying all alone. He seemed to be healed of his bruises, but the weakness was still there. “River!” I mentioned and squatted beside him. “How are you doing? It took me time to earn Sovereign's favor so I could see you here.”
His throat bobbled, and he tapped on the floor so I could sit. “I failed! They are something else.”
“I knew you would, but I didn't want to tell you so you don't hate me,” I said and shifted closer to him, taking his hand. “I’ve witnessed what they are and understand why they are the strongest creatures on earth so far. You have great power, but…” I paused and swallowed deeply, holding back my tears. “Don't do that again, and let's manage to stay here. You know how many times they want me executed, and Sovereign stops them? If you stop acting rashly, we could join them as one soon.”
But he shook his head firmly, "That's not impossible! Our lives are in danger, especially yours.” I was stunned to hear him say that, but before I could ask further, he adjusted and said to me, “I heard that you murdered someone. How did it happen?”
“Dragon Sovereign did, not me.”
He refused to believe me, “What happened?”
I understood his concern, so I told him every truth that I knew, and his gaze narrowed. “What happened to me then? I thought it was my powers, and if they came to light, it would put our lives at risk, because I only crave to kill, and that would trigger them all.”
He heaved and ran his tongue across his upper lip, “Our parents told me nothing about you, except that you are powerless and staying in the realm would risk your life. I believed them, because I did see that you had no power either. Another thing I recalled them warning me was that we must avoid the dragons and be in enmity with them, even if the whole realm changes their minds tomorrow, but they never said the reason.”
“Do you believe that our clan is traitorous?” I asked him, and he shook his head. “I knew that can't be true. How can we, the new generations, still be traitors? There's something we don't know.”
His gaze shifted to my neck, and he rubbed his finger on a particular place, then whispered to me, "What's this mark here? Who marked you?”
“Mark?” I asked, flustered as I tried rubbing my fingers on the place he was talking about. I felt something like a scar there, and it was just like a bite. “I don't understand who bit me, and I didn't know.”
He shook his head, “This isn't an ordinary bite. It's a dragon mark on their soulmate.”
My heart skipped, and I glanced around to be sure no one was listening or watching. I held his hand and asked him, “Is it noticeable?”
“Vina!” he pulled me closer to him, my heart thudding so fast in my chest. “I warned you not to, didn't I?"
River's expressions darkened. What was it about his attitude when I was a grown-up that could make my choice?
“I told you not to let him claim you. He isn't supposed to, and now….
“I'm sorry, River!” I broke into soft sobs, my breath hitching. “I couldn't bear it any longer, so I gave in.”
His brows furrowed.
“I love him dearly. He's my soulmate, and I felt the bond ignite between us.” I licked my lips and added. “He wants this, but I keep saying that I do not, when I really want it. I don't like how it happened, and there's nothing I can do about it.”
He hissed and pulled away from me, and I didn't even try to hold him back. He had every right to be mad at me for allowing someone who was killing the fae and was torturing us to claim me and even mark me. But I seriously didn't understand when he marked me, and I didn't know.
After several minutes, River said nothing to me, so I decided to leave him alone. He was staring at a particular spot, barely blinking. I saw the disappointment and regret he wore, as if he had failed on his promises.
“If he allows me, I'll be right back again with something for you,” I said, not expecting any response, and I marched out of his cell.
When I took one last glance at him, I saw the glittering blue tears that rolled down his cheeks, and I knew I had hurt him so much for doing this.
But it wasn't in my power, and the matebond wasn't created by us mortals.
When I climbed up from the underground prison, Dragon Sovereign was still waiting. And the moment he saw me, he drew me closer and placed his palm on the side of my neck where the mark was.
“I'm going to clear the memories of everyone here as of when we came, because no one needs to know that I marked you,” he said in a whisper, and I saw no regret in what he had just done. I didn't hate it either, but my brother was in pain because of this.
When he removed his palm from my neck, he smiled widely, “I sealed it up, so no one will see it from now on. You're mine, Davina, and I mean it.”
As stupid as I was, I returned his smile, and it was as though I didn't even care about my brother anymore.
“But can I always see it?” I asked him, and he nodded. “Beautiful!”
He chuckled and held my hand, and we teleported out.
___
Third Person POV
Once River knew his sister had finally left totally, he stood up and faced the wall, his heart clenched in bitterness. Why would she do that to the whole Clan? He warned her several times, and this was one reason he wanted them to leave already, because he understood what it meant to be slaves to someone.
Now that his sister was marked, what would he do? The soulbond can be broken only when the two people have the power, or her sister has no choice.
But her powers…
Their parents didn't want her to achieve it until the end of the world, because they told him it was their way to protect his sister. So many times when he wanted to know what her powers were about, no one gave him a reasonable response.
Since things happened this way, he thought to himself, “I will have her recover her powers and break that bond. Dragons do not mate with Faes, and vice versa, so I mustn't show a reason why my species are after my clan years back. She must not mate with a dragon!”
Yet, he doesn't even know how he would start it. Leaving the dragon realm was now almost impossible, and no matter how long they stayed in it, Davina didn't need to be mated to any of them.