Chapter 78 FAE LESSONS

Chapter 78 FAE LESSONS


HAVEN

“You should stop worrying! It's not good for your health and that of the baby's. Auren is strong and he can handle Eurolys’s army."

I sigh and turn back to my mother who hasn't moved from where she was blooming the flowers. She's been at it since morning, and it's past noon.

I walk to her and stop right beside where she's sitting. I take a sit beside her and place my head on her lap. " I can't help but worry, Mom. It's been almost a week since we separated at the falls and I don't think everything is okay.”

Mom stops her blooming and gently caresses my scalp with her fingers. I feel my racing heart calming, but I can't get rid of the sinking feeling in my stomach.

One week!

One fucking week since my mate and I separated and everyday, I move out to the gardens of Vaeleria’s royal palace and stare out into the horizon, hoping to see a glimpse of his dragon form or him on Lyle, flying towards me.

I tried reaching out to him through our mate bond but nothing. It's like he completely blocked me out and refused to contact me. I'm going mad with anxiety and worry and he's out there just living!

If not that I could still feel the mate bond, I would have suspected that something really bad happened to him.

He's really busy, little one. The battle with the undead is really messy and he can't afford to be thinking about you while fighting, Lyle tells me.

Why are you in my head again? I ask the same question I did three days ago when she first reached out to me.

She scoffs. Your thoughts are bleeding into my senses and disturbing my fucking sleep. I have only a few hours to recover before another wave of dead things hit the palace.

Is it that bad? I ask, inhaling the sweet scent of the flowers around me. Mom has resumed her blooming and now I can feel the warmth of her magic despite the cold chill of the afternoon air.

During the three days we've been talking, I know a lot of what has been happening in the capital even though I'm miles away. She filled me in on how Eurolys’s army massacred half the entire city during their first attack. She told me how they're been attacking non-stop ever since, how they kept coming like they were being produced in a factory, and how my husband led everyone to maintain a stand against them.

I wish I was there! It's stupid, considering I am pregnant, but it's torture being in the comfort of my mother's embrace and knowing my husband is fighting death almost every second.

Auren is pretty strong, you know,” Mom says, her voice soft and comforting. " He's fought bigger and more dangerous wars than a bunch of things stitched together from the remains of dead creatures.”

I nod softly, head rubbing against the fabric of her dress. " Did you ever fight together? You and Auren I mean?”

I ask more from the need to keep the conversation going than to actually know. I need to keep my mind occupied so I don't think about Auren and literally go crazy.

“I fought with your husband a few times. As the supreme ruler of the continent, he led all the battles that had to do with the realm.”

" Like the witch genocide?” The words slip out of my lips before I can stop them. It's something I've been dying to know about and I know mother is liable to tell you more than Auren.

“Yes that," Mom agrees. “The witches were going out of hand and needed to be taken out. Auren personally planned and led the genocide himself. The same thing with the battle that had Eurolys sealed in Euron.”

That is meant to calm me, but it doesn't. It just makes me more nervous than ever.

Stupid pregnancy hormones.

Mom continues to run her fingers through my hair for a while before she speaks again. “Come. Sit up. It is time you learned how to use the fae powers properly. You cannot keep relying only on the dragon fire you inherited from your bond. The child inside you carries both. You need to understand how to balance them.”

I sit up slowly and face her. The garden around us feels alive with quiet magic. Flowers continue to bloom under her influence, their petals glowing with soft inner light.

“Close your eyes,” she instructs. “Feel the storm inside you. Not the fire, you already have full mastery of that. The part that feels like wind and water and growing things.”

I do as she says.

At first I only feel the familiar warmth of dragon fire, but as I breathe deeper, something else stirs beneath it. It feels lighter, cooler, like silver threads weaving through golden flames. It moves differently, more fluid, more alive.

“That is your fae magic,” Mom says softly. “It is not just power for fighting. It is life, growth, healing, protection.”

She places her palms over mine. A gentle current passes from her into me. I feel the fae magic respond, rising to the surface. When I open my eyes, soft rose-gold light dances between my fingers.

“Good,” she murmurs. “Now try to make something grow.”

I focus on a small patch of bare earth beside us. I imagine roots, stems, petals. The fae storm answers slowly at first, then with more confidence. Tiny green shoots push through the soil, unfurling into delicate white flowers with silver veins.

A surprised laugh escapes me. “I did it.”

“You did,” Mom says, pride clear in her voice. “Your power is stronger now because you carry life. But you must be careful. Using too much at once can drain you and affect the baby.”

We spend the next hour practicing. She teaches me how to weave shields of light and air, how to coax plants to grow faster for healing herbs, and how to calm storms of emotion so they do not overwhelm me. Every lesson feels intimate, like she is passing down pieces of herself I never got to have in childhood.

When we finally take a break, I rest my hand on my slightly rounded belly. The baby gives a small flutter, as if responding to the magic.

Mom notices and smiles. “He or she likes the fae power. I can feel it. The child already carries both heritages strongly.”

I bite my lip, a mix of joy and worry swirling inside me. “I didn't think Auren would be happy when he found out. We never talked about children. Everything happened so fast… the bonding, the curse, the war…”

“He will be overjoyed, when it comes” Mom says without hesitation. “That man looks at you like you hung the stars. A child will only make his devotion fiercer. But it will also make him more protective. You will have to remind him that you are still you, even while carrying his heir.”

I laugh softly. “He is already impossible. I can only imagine how he will behave when I start showing more.”

We sit in comfortable silence for a while, surrounded by the blooming garden. The sweet scent of flowers fills the air, and for a moment the constant worry about Auren and the battles back home fades just a little.

Mom places her hand gently over mine on my belly. “This child will be special, Haven. Born of dragon fire and fae storm, conceived in a time of great darkness but carrying hope. You must protect yourself and the baby above all else right now. The battles Auren fights are important, but so is this life growing inside you.”

“I know,” I whisper. “But it is hard. Every day I wake up and the first thing I do is reach for the bond, hoping to feel him clearly. Instead I get silence. Lyle says the fighting is brutal. They are barely holding the palace.”

“They will hold,” Mom assures me. “Your husband is the Dragon King for a reason. He has survived worse. And you… you are doing the hardest part right now. You are keeping his child safe while the world tries to burn.”

I lean my head on her shoulder again, letting her warmth comfort me. “Tell me more about the baby. What should I expect? Will the pregnancy be different because of the mixed blood?”

Mom hums thoughtfully. “It will be faster in some ways, slower in others. You may feel the child’s magic sooner than a normal pregnancy. The baby might already be reaching for both fire and storm. You will need to eat more, rest more, and practice the fae exercises daily to keep your strength up. And when the time comes to give birth…” She pauses, her voice growing softer. “It will not be easy. But you are strong enough. I will be with you, even if only in spirit.”

We continue talking as the afternoon light shifts. She tells me stories of her own pregnancy, the joy and fear she felt, the way she sang old fae lullabies to me before I was even born. I ask questions about names, about how dragon and fae children grow, about what traits the baby might inherit.

For the first time in days, the heavy knot of anxiety in my chest loosens just a fraction. The baby flutters again, stronger this time, as if agreeing with the peaceful moment.

Mom smiles down at me. “See? Even the little one wants you to stop worrying so much.”

I place both hands over my belly and close my eyes, sending a wave of love through the bond toward the tiny life inside me.

“I am trying, little one,” I whisper. “Your father is fighting so we can have a safe world to bring you into. I just… I miss him.”

As the sun begins to dip lower, I feel a faint, warm pulse through the mate bond. Not words, not images, just a brush of exhaustion, determination, and deep, unwavering love.

Auren.

He is still there. Still fighting.

And somehow, that small touch is enough to keep me steady for one more day.

Mom seems to sense the shift in me. She gently lifts my chin so I am looking at her. “You feel him, do you not?”

I nod. “Just a little. He is tired. Hurt, maybe. But he is still there.”

“That is good,” she says. “The bond is holding. Even across this distance, your hearts still reach for each other. That kind of love is rare, Haven. It will help both of you endure what is coming.”

She stands and offers me her hand. “Come. Let us walk a little. Movement is good for you and the child. I want to show you how to draw on the fae storm for healing. You may need it when the baby grows bigger and your body becomes heavier.”

We walk slowly through the gardens of the old royal palace. The paths are lined with flowers that bloom brighter as we pass, responding to Mom’s presence. She points out different plants and explains their properties, how some can soothe pain, others can strengthen blood, and a few can even calm a restless child in the womb.

I listen carefully, committing everything to memory. Part of me still feels guilty for being here in safety while Auren fights for our survival, but another part, the part that is already fiercely protective of the life inside me, knows this is where I need to be right now.

As we walk, Mom continues teaching. She has me practice small healing weaves on bruised leaves and wilted petals. At first my attempts are clumsy, the fae magic slipping through my fingers like water. But with her guidance and patience, I begin to get the feel of it. The rose-gold light becomes steadier, more controlled.

“You are doing well,” she praises after I successfully restore a cluster of damaged flowers to full bloom. “The child is helping you learn faster. I can feel the baby’s magic mingling with yours. It is already curious about the world.”

I smile down at my belly. “Curious like its father, then. Auren is never satisfied until he understands everything.”

Mom laughs softly. “And stubborn like you. This little one is going to keep both of you on your toes.”

We find a stone bench overlooking a small fountain and sit again. The sound of flowing water is soothing. For a while we simply sit in silence, enjoying the peace of Vaeleria’s restored gardens.

Then Mom speaks, her voice thoughtful. “Have you thought about names yet?”

I shake my head. “Not really. Everything has been so chaotic. I keep thinking about what kind of world this child will be born into. Will there even be a safe Drakotath left when the time comes?”

“There will be,” Mom says firmly. “Because you and Auren are fighting for it in different ways. You are protecting the future by carrying this life. He is protecting the present by holding the line. Together, you are giving this child a chance.”

I rub small circles over my belly, feeling another flutter. “I want the baby to have something from both sides. Maybe a name that honors both dragon and fae heritage. Something strong but gentle.”

Mom’s eyes sparkle with warmth. “You are special, my child. I don't yet know how, but I can feel it."

Before I can respond, the flapping of wings interrupt and my eyes instantly drift to the sky. There, among the clouds is the huge black dragon form of my husband I'd recognize anywhere.

He shifts mid air and lands on his feet. I don't think twice before running into his arms and wrapping my legs around his waist. He grabs the back of my neck and kisses me hard and desperate.

" I thought I lost you,” I whisper. He chuckles and kisses me again.

" In your fucking dreams, little flame.”