Chapter 41 THE CURSED KING
As Auren had decided, we are ready to leave before the crack of dawn. He says we'll go incognito so as to not attract too much attention to ourselves. Nerisa has promised to look after Lyra in my absence, and I know Draven is also going to watch over her.
I wrap the shawl tighter around my hair, before stepping out of the room.
I meet Imogen and Amelyn in the courtyard…kissing!
“Urgh!" I say with disgust. “Get a fucking room?"
They pull apart laughing. I shake my head and fold my arms. We are currently at the stables, so I guess we'll go with the wyverns.
“I still not understand why you ride on these," I gesture towards the wyverns. “You can fly can't you?"
“Of course we can," Amelyn affirms.
“Most at times we prefer the wyverns because we can easily handle any threats when we are in our human form.” Imogen explains, heading towards the stables. “But Auren usually prefers flying.”
Yh, I can recall perfectly. The night I was taken, everyone else rode on wyverns, everyone except him. A gush of wind blows and the cold bites harder into my skin. I knew I should have taken my cloak.
Before I can make the decision to turn around and head to my chambers and fetch one, I'm enveloped by a sense of warmth and thick fabric. The scent of leather and pine hits me as someone wraps a thick woolen coat around me.
Auren!
I don't turn around, just grip the cloak tighter, my heart soaring in silent gratitude.
“We have to get moving," he says, coming into my line of vision. “We don't wanna be caught crossing Werling territory by night.”
“Werling?"
" Yep,” he confirms. “They live at the border, just after Drakorath before you get into the Elf Kingdom. Survivors from the Great war that got their magic corrupted. They were placed in an enchantment between Drakorath and Tir'Narel where they can't stray and harm anyone.”
" So unless you are found at the border before nightfall, you are safe from them. And if you ever encounter any of them during the day, avoid glancing at or talking to them,” Imogen adds.
I stare at him confused. " How will I know who's a Werling?”
A smirk forms on Auren's lips. " Trust me, baby. You will know when you see one.”
Great! Another strange creature, another danger to watch out for.
He moves towards the stables door and for some reason, I can't get my eyes off him. I still hate him, but beneath that hate, something stirs. Something I learnt to accept before, something Lyra's accident killed.
I shake my head to get rid of any unwanted thoughts. Those feelings better stay dead.
The stable doors open and a wyvern gently walks out, if that's even the right way to describe it. The damn thing is merely strolling but the whole ground trembles at each step. It walks towards Auren and stops before him. He takes hold of its head, sliding a hand around its neck and plants a kiss on its nose, or where I think it's the nose.
He whispers something in its ear and the creature lets out a soft growl. He turns to me, eyes burning into mine.
“This is Lyle, my wyvern. I've had her since I was nine and I can trust my life to her." He takes a step forward. “You'll ride her during the trip."
“What?"
He shrugs, turns around and starts moving towards the creature again. “You can still choose not to. I mean some people would rather walk."
Fucking bastard!
I stare at him, wishing I could just stab him to death. But if I do we won't ever save Lyra. With a dramatic sigh, I walk up to the creature and fuck, it's like six feet taller than me.
How I'm I supposed to get on that?.
As if reading my mind, the creature stoops low and spreads its wings.
“Get on, Little Flame. We don't have much time." Auren says. I'm tempted to turn around and stare at him, but I don't give in. I climb on the wyvern's wings and slowl make my way to its back.
That alone is an uphill task and I'm lucky I don't fall off midway. Once on the creature's back, I plant my hands firmly on it's skin.
Auren transforms into his dragon, and trust me it's a sight to behold. Huge, black with glittering scales and a long tail that coills beautifully around its body.
He's…beautiful.
This is where I'm grateful for the fact that I took my blocking lessons serious. No more random interruptions of my thoughts.
With a flap of his wings, Auren rises in the air and the wyverns follow.
“Hold on tight, Princess,” a soft female voice brushes my mind. I don't need to ask questions. I've seen a lot of strange things to know that it's the wyvern in my head.
I tighten my grip, and she follows swiftly after Auren. Imogen and Amelyn are right behind us.
We are so high up in the clouds that I don't see anything below, except for clouds and mist. I grip my cloak tighter as the air grows colder.
“Auren's changed," the voice comes again, this time more amused. “He never lets anyone ride me. I've never noticed any woman in his life."
“How about all the brides he took from the human world? What did he do with them?" I ask, keeping the conversation telepathic.
Lyle scoffs or at least I think that's what the sound means. Her presence in my mind is soft, calm and concerned. I can feel her emotions bleeding into mine and making me concerned about Auren.
“Auren never loved those women." She banks right to avoid a flock of birds and I tighten my grip even more. “They were only a means to an end. None of them made it past the dragon ritual. For a while I was afraid the curse will never be broken.”
"Curse?” I repeat, making sure I heard correctly. Auren is…cursed?
“Yes, he is cursed." Lyle makes a sound that I classify under sighing. “See, Auren's Mom hated him the moment he was born."
“Why?"
“Auren was meant to be a twin." She stops, as if contemplating if to tell me the whole story. “The queen Isolde was so happy to hear that she'll be giving birth to a boy and a girl. She was so ecstatic that you couldn't help but share in her joy."
“So…what happened to Auren's twin sister?"
Lyle sighed and this time I could sense the concern behind it. “Queen Isolde had trouble giving birth. The healers said she could have only one of the children alive. Auren made his way out first, killing his sister in the process."
“Jesus! He was merely a child then!" I say my heart breaking anew for…Auren.
" Queen Isolde didn't see it that way. She said that Auren had killed his sister. She never recovered from the loss of her daughter, and on her death bed she cursed Auren.”
"What?” I shake my head trying to make sense of all the things I am hearing. The rate at which I keep hearing shocking things is alarming. I might get a heart attack at this rate.
“Yes, Princess ," Lyle says. " Drowning in pain of loosing her daughter, she cursed Auren. The very magic which is his essence, the very flame that is the source of his power will slowly consume him until he looses it and runs insane.”
Jesus! What kind of a mother does that to her fucking son. " How is the curse broken?”
"I don't know much about the rituals needed to break the curse, but I know one thing, “ she pauses for a minute. "Only the sacrifice of a human female can break the curse.”
"And by sacrifice…"
“Her life."