Chapter 27 MAGIC LESSONS
Haven stood in the gardens staring at the flowers, but she was burning up with rage internally.
After the strange woman had kissed Auren, he simply pushed her away, and introduced her as Zimora, his lieutenant. Then he asked her to get some rest before leaving to discuss ‘’important matters.’
She shouldn't care who kissed him or who he chooses to spend his damn time with. But alas, she did.
“Hi!" A voice said behind her. She turned around to see a petite woman, walking towards her. She had a slight resemblance to the bitch Zimora. Dark hair, blue eyes, only she had a small figure, while Zimora was a bigger woman in statue
“Hello."
“I'm Kaya, Zimora's sister," the girl introduced. “You must be the Queen. I've heard a lot about you."
“What could you possibly hear about me?"
“Well," Kaya began, moving forward and taking her hands in hers. “Not everyone gets to tame the ancient dragon. No one has for over five centuries."
" Oh!” Was all she could say.
Kaya sighed. " I know Zimora must have done something crazy upon seeing the king.”
" Crazy is one way to put it.”
" Well…” Kaya paused, searching for a suitable way to say what she had in mind. " You see, Zimora and I grew up with the king. He was like our guardian while growing up and for some reason, Zimora has been hung up on him for a very, very long time.”
Haven shook her head. She had no idea the strange feeling that pulled at the base of her stomach. She shouldn't care what he does with who, or who loves him and who doesn't.
But she couldn't stop caring. She couldn't stop the anger that had built when the bitch kissed him right in front of her.
Just as she was about to reply to Kaya's statement, a loud clap interrupted. She raised her head to see Zimora approaching her. Unlike Kaya, she was tall and had fuller curves.
“The king's bride," Zimora said, her voice dripping with mockery. “I wonder what Auren sees in your species that he keeps marrying one of you, when a lot of highborn dragon females like me would kill for an opportunity to be his wife.
" Well, clearly something he doesn't see in you if he keeps coming back for a human bride all the time.” Haven shot back. She wasn't just going to stand there and watch some spoiled dragon brat who couldn't respect basic manners, talk down on her.
" Yeah right.” Zimora rolled her eyes and folded her arms. " I wonder why you're still alive. I heard you passed the dragon ritual. I would love to know what trick you used to deceive the people. There's no way an ordinary mortal like you would tame the ancient dragon.”
Haven scoffed. Though every instinct in her wanted to scratch that stupid smile off Zimora's face, she just smiled. " If I could trick the crowd and intercept the results of the ritual then it's your people's fault being so easy to deceive.” She turned around and started walking away, but stopped midway and turned back to face Zimora. “And one more thing, I am your queen, and you will address me as such."
\~~~
Haven arrived at the gazebo where she was told Auren was waiting for her. She spotted him inside, facing away from her.
The air inside the gazebo was thick with heat — not from the sun, but from him.
Auren turned as soon as she entered, the corner of his mouth curving in that infuriating smirk that made her want to throw something, or kiss him. She couldn't decide which.
“I never knew you were the jealous type, Little Flame,” he drawled, voice low and lazy, like he was tasting the words.
Haven folded her arms, refusing to let him see the way her pulse jumped. “I’m not jealous.”
Auren tilted his head slightly, his silver eyes gleaming. “No?”
“No,” she said again, more firmly this time. “I just don’t like people who think they can get away with disrespecting me.”
He chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down her spine. “Ah. So it’s not me you’re angry at, but Zimora.”
Haven clenched her jaw. “Shouldn’t I be?”
“You could have had the guards imprison her for disrespect,” he murmured, stepping closer. “Yet you didn’t. A generous queen, aren't you? ”
“I wasn’t trying to show generosity,” she bit out. “I just didn’t want to cause a scene.”
Auren stopped right in front of her, his scent of smoke and stormclouds wrapping around her. “And here I was thinking you didn’t care who kissed me.”
Haven’s lips parted, but she couldn’t find the words. He was too close. Too calm. The teasing in his eyes burned with something deeper, something that looked like hunger.
“I don’t care,” she whispered finally.
“Liar.”
He said it so quietly it felt like a caress.
Her chest tightened. “You’re insufferable.”
He grinned — a slow, wicked curve of lips that made her want to slap him just to stop looking so damn sure of himself. “And you’re a terrible liar, Little Flame.”
She turned away, pretending to look at the fountain outside, hoping it would drown out the pounding in her chest. “Why did you call me here, Auren?”
His voice shifted, the teasing melted into something heavier. “Because it's time we begin your first lesson. You need to learn how to control your thoughts. Can't have other people concentrating too hard and finding out what's going on in that beautiful mind of yours, can we? Right now anyone could read you. ”
“Read me?” she echoed, turning back. She thought only Auren could do that.
He nodded. “Your mind isn’t guarded. Dragons, highborn ones, especially, can feel emotion, intent, even stray thoughts if they focus hard enough. You’ve been leaking power every time you feel too much. You can’t afford that.”
He stepped behind her, his breath brushing her ear. “Close your eyes.”
She hesitated. “Why?”
“Because you’ll need to listen to me,” he said softly. “And because you need to concentrate and not get distracted.”
She obeyed, closing her eyes slowly.
“Now,” he murmured, “focus on your heartbeat.”
She did. She could hear the steady rhythm of her heart beating against her chest. Thump. Thump.
“Feel the air between us. The space where your energy flows.”
She felt it, warm, humming, alive.
“Now imagine a wall,” he said. “Not stone, or steel. A wall of flame –– your flame — that rises from the base of your mind and closes around your thoughts. Nothing gets in, nothing gets out unless you allow it.”
Haven swallowed. The air around her shimmered faintly, and she could feel the heat responding to her will. Her magic obeyed her like it recognized her as its master.
“Good,” Auren whispered. “Now… hold it.”
She exhaled slowly, her body trembling from the effort.
He circled around to face her again, eyes burning brighter than the flames she’d just conjured. “Open your eyes.”
When she did, the world seemed sharper. Quieter.
“I can’t hear you anymore,” he said with a hint of satisfaction. “You did it.”
A small smile broke through. Finally some peace. “Good riddance."
Auren’s smirk returned. “I loved being in your head though. Every thought, every curse you muttered about me, every time you wondered what it would feel like if I…”
She slapped his arm before he could finish. “Don’t you dare.”
He laughed, low and dark. “You can now stop people from reading you , but now you have to learn the other side.”
“The other side?”
“How to listen,” he said, stepping close again, his hand lifting to brush against her temple. “To hear the surface of another’s mind without losing yourself in it.”
She hesitated, her breath catching when his fingers grazed her skin. His touch was surprisingly gentle,warm, steady, grounding.
“Focus,” he whispered. “Let your power stretch outward. Find me.”
She did. Slowly. Her senses expanded, brushing against his mind like ripples over water.
She gasped. It was… vast. Dark. Beautiful. Filled with a storm she couldn’t name.
For a moment she caught something — a flicker of longing, sharp and unguarded. Then he pulled back, breaking the connection.
Her eyes flew open, breath ragged. “What was that?”
His gaze locked with hers. “A mistake,” he said, voice rougher than before. “You saw more than I meant you to.”
Haven frowned. “What did I see?”
Auren’s expression softened just slightly. “Exactly how I feel about you.”
And then, as
if the moment had never happened, he stepped back and said,
“Again, Little Flame. Let’s see if you can read me without losing focus this time.”