Chapter 26

Chapter 26
|| VANESSA'S POV ||
I barely registered the gasps and murmurings around the grand hall as the messenger stumbled in, breathless, eyes wild with urgency. My heart was already pounding before he could even speak, some inexplicable, instinctual fear gripping me as I read the look in his eyes. Something had happened.

“Cedric…” he gasped, doubling over to catch his breath. “He’s been attacked… on the road… a cursed dragon!”

I froze, my blood running cold. The words hung in the air, each one feeling like a sharp blow to my chest. Cursed dragon. Attacked. Cedric. My mind reeled as I tried to piece together the unthinkable. Cedric had faced many threats, but a cursed dragon? The very thought made my stomach twist. For the first time in ages, I felt raw, unbridled fear claw its way up my spine.

As the initial shock wore off, the whispers grew louder. Everyone seemed to be looking at Tiara, expecting her to leap into action, but she just stood there, arms crossed, her expression cold and unreadable. My stomach churned with frustration at her inaction, my hands trembling with the need to do something, anything.

“He’ll be fine,” Tiara said, dismissively waving her hand as though this were a minor inconvenience. “Cedric can handle himself.”

“Handle himself?” I burst out, unable to hold back. “Against a cursed dragon?”

Tiara shot me a glare, her lips curling. “Yes, Vanessa.He’s survived worse.”

A surge of anger fueled my resolve. I couldn’t stand here and let them wait idly while Cedric’s life was in danger. “I can’t sit around and do nothing,” I muttered under my breath, turning to leave the hall.

“El—Lady Vanessa, please,” a voice called after me. It was one of the guards, his face stricken with concern. “It’s dangerous. You shouldn’t leave the castle.”

“Stand aside,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady. “I won’t stay here while Cedric’s out there, fighting for his life.”

Tiara scoffed, crossing her arms. “And what are you planning to do? Fly after him? Fight off a cursed dragon yourself?”

“Yes,” I replied, meeting her gaze without flinching. “If that’s what it takes.”

A hushed silence fell over the hall as I strode past them, a determined fire flaring in my chest. They didn’t understand—they couldn’t. This wasn’t just about loyalty to a leader, or even to a friend. This was about something deeper, something I couldn’t ignore, something that called to me louder than my own heartbeat.

I made my way to the stables, where the warrior dragons were housed, my every step fueled by the urgency thrumming through my veins. As I approached, I caught sight of Thorne, the stable master, who was already saddling up a dragon, his face set with grim determination.

“Thorne,” I said, my voice steady despite the fear churning within me. “I need a dragon.”

He looked at me, his brow furrowed. “Are you certain, Lady Vanessa? The skies are dangerous tonight, especially with a cursed dragon on the loose. The warriors are preparing to go, but—”

“I’m certain,” I cut him off, my resolve unshakable. “I’m going after Cedric.”

For a moment, he hesitated, searching my face as if to see if I truly meant it. Then he nodded, respect glimmering in his eyes. “Very well. I’ll prepare Ragna. She’s our strongest.”

Ragna. A powerful, fierce dragon with scales as dark as midnight. I reached out to run my hand along her side, feeling the warmth and strength of her body beneath my touch. She looked at me with her sharp, intelligent eyes, as if sensing the urgency that pulsed through me.

“We’re going to find him, Ragna,” I murmured, and she gave a low rumble in response, as if she understood.

As I climbed onto her back, a voice called out from behind me. “Lady Vanessa, please reconsider!”

I turned to see one of the guards, his face twisted with concern. “The warriors will go soon. You don’t need to put yourself at risk.”

But there was no room for hesitation, no room for doubt. “I’ll ride ahead,” I told him. “The warriors can follow, but Cedric doesn’t have time to wait.”

With a gentle nudge of my heels, Ragna spread her wings, and we lifted off, the wind rushing past us as we soared into the night sky. My heart pounded in time with her wingbeats, the urgency pushing me forward, faster, higher. The castle grounds fell away beneath us as we ascended, and soon the only sound was the steady beat of Ragna’s wings and the faint, eerie howling of the cursed wind.

As we flew, my mind raced, images of Cedric flashing before me. The thought of him out there, alone, facing a cursed dragon… it was unbearable. I clenched my fists, holding onto the reins tighter, as if my determination alone could keep him safe.

“Hang on, Cedric,” I whispered into the wind. “I’m coming.”

The landscape below blurred as we raced through the night, the shadows deepening as we drew closer to the mountains. I could see faint flashes of light in the distance, a glow that seemed to pulse with a dark, sinister energy. My heart seized with fear, but I forced myself to stay calm, to stay focused. Cedric needed me. I couldn’t let fear paralyze me now.

As we neared the source of the cursed energy, Ragna let out a low growl, her muscles tensing beneath me. I scanned the ground below, my eyes searching frantically until I spotted a lone figure—Cedric, standing firm, sword in hand, facing off against the massive, twisted form of the cursed dragon.

“Cedric!” I called out, my voice carried by the wind as Ragna circled above. He glanced up, his face etched with shock and something else—relief? Perhaps even a hint of gratitude.

“Vanessa?” he shouted, his voice filled with disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“Saving you,” I replied, guiding Ragna to land a short distance away. I dismounted, my heart pounding as I approached him, keeping one eye on the cursed dragon that loomed before us, its scales glistening with an unnatural, dark sheen.

“You shouldn’t have come,” Cedric said, his voice rough, though I could see the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “It’s too dangerous.”

I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze head-on. “And leaving you to face this alone was supposed to be less dangerous?”

He opened his mouth to protest, but a roar from the dragon cut him off. We turned to face it, our expressions hardening as we stood side by side, ready for whatever came next.

The cursed dragon’s eyes glowed with an unnatural red light, its mouth twisted into a snarl as it lunged toward us. I gripped my dagger, feeling the weight of it in my hand, and without a second thought, I sprang forward, ready to fight.

“Vanessa, no!” Cedric shouted, reaching for me, but it was too late. I’d already moved, my body reacting on instinct as I slashed at the dragon’s leg, my blade glinting in the eerie light. The dragon reared back, letting out a furious roar, and I scrambled to dodge its massive tail as it whipped around.

Cedric was by my side in an instant, his sword flashing as he struck the beast, his movements precise and deadly. We moved together, each of us anticipating the other’s actions, as if we were bound by some unspoken connection. For the first time, I felt truly in sync with him, our movements a seamless dance of survival and defiance.

“Why did you come?” he asked, his voice strained as he dodged another attack.

“Because I couldn’t sit back and do nothing,” I replied, breathless but determined. “You may be strong, but even you can’t face a cursed dragon alone.”

A flicker of emotion passed over his face, but he quickly masked it, his focus returning to the battle. We fought together, our every movement precise, determined, and as the minutes dragged on, I felt a strange sense of calm settle over me. This was where I was meant to be—by his side, fighting for the people who mattered.

Finally, with one last, powerful blow, Cedric struck the dragon down, its body collapsing in a heap before us. We stood there, panting, our faces smeared with sweat and grime, but victorious.

As the dust settled, he turned to me, his expression a mixture of awe and gratitude. “Thank you, Vanessa,” he said quietly, his voice laced with a sincerity that took me off guard. “I didn’t… I didn’t expect you to come.”

I met his gaze, feeling a warmth blossom in my chest despite the exhaustion weighing me down. “I couldn’t stay away,” I replied, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Not when you needed me.”

For a moment, he simply looked at me, his eyes softening, and I thought I saw something there—a flicker of understanding, perhaps even something deeper. But before I could dwell on it, he nodded, his gaze shifting back to the fallen d
ragon.

“We should head back,” he said, his tone returning to its usual, guarded edge.