Page 24 of The Last Storm
* * *
Thank the Goddess, the inn had two rooms available so we didn’t have to share close quarters. Ara was the personification of complicated and any breath I could take away from her was a welcomed one.
Sitting in the decrepit leather chair across from the fireplace, I watched the flames dance. Mesmerized by the music of crackling logs, my thoughts returned to General Evander. He would know she was missing by now, potentially would have already searched the local town, and he would soon be turning to Ravaryn.
My gut twisted at the thought.
He would look to the burned tower first, finding the remnants of our camp a few miles north, but he wouldn’t find any Fae. Not for at least a few hours in any direction. After I left the encampment, my men had hastily cleared the remaining Fae from the area, but the fear still gripped me. Fear that my people would get caught in the crossfire. Fear that he would somehow catch up to us, or my men, before we could reach my castle.
Taking a deep breath, my hand dropped to my bouncing knee. From here, Draig Hearth was only a few hours’ ride. We should reach it by midday tomorrow if we leave early enough.
Once there, I would be able to breathe again. The castle was an impenetrable fortress, specifically designed for draigs over a millennium ago. It sat atop a steep hill at the very northern tip of the continent with a cliff at its back that dropped off into an angry ocean and only one road in, constantly policed with guards and archers. This design made it easy for draigs to come and go as they pleased while still rendering it nearly impossible to attack. Once there, she would be lost to him unless I deemed otherwise.
As the flames reduced to embers and a crisp settled in the air, I rose with a sigh, sauntering to the bed and bracing myself for another sleepless night.
Creak.
My head swiveled to the door, listening. Another creak sounded outside my door and anger boiled in my chest.
Striding to the door, I yanked it open and reached my hand into the darkness, snatching Ara’s neck as she attempted to sneak past my door.
Squeezing just enough to lessen her air supply, I led her into my room and quietly closed the door behind us. Her eyes were wide and furious as I backed her into the wall.
“I’m still not sure if you’re brave or just plain foolish,” I ground out, inches from her face, my hand still locked around her throat.
She made no attempt to remove it as she glared at me through her lashes. Feeling her pulse beneath my palm, my grip tightened and her lips twitched with restraint, unwilling to beg for mercy. I smirked, admiring her will, and my gaze dropped to her lips, still red and full even as they turned down with rage.
After a moment, I relented, lessening my grip. She gasped for air as I led her to the bed. When she realized, she pulled away and my grip tightened again as I faced her.
“Don’t worry. I would never stoop so low,” I said and she scowled, her pulse thundering beneath my fingers. “Now sit.”
Releasing her with a shove, she stumbled backward and sat on the bed, quickly glancing at the door.
“Go ahead, try again,” I said with a laugh, sliding my belt off. Quickly snatching one arm, I wrapped the belt around her wrist, securing her to the bedpost.
“Do not—”
“Too late.”
She tugged her forearm, grimacing when it didn’t budge.
“If you’re not going to stay willingly, then you’ll stay like a prisoner.”
“I can’t stand you,” she seethed between clenched teeth as I strolled to the chair, pulling the extra blanket from the back.
“Good, then the feeling is mutual.” Walking around the bed, I laid on the floor between the bed and door, flattening and stretching out my wings beneath me. Folding my hands behind my head and crossing my feet, I sighed loudly as she tugged on the post and it rattled but held.
“Go to sleep, Ara. We have another long day tomorrow.”
She yanked her arm a few more times, to no avail. “Ugh!” She resigned from her efforts, throwing herself down on the bed without another word.
Staring at the ceiling, I listened, waiting for her breaths to even out, and drifted off to sleep after her, dreaming of spring storms.
* * *
The sounds of her muffled cries and thrashing pulled me from my sleep before the sun had even risen. Panic sank its ugly claws in and I jerked up in a daze.
I rushed to her bedside, sure she was being attacked, to find her still asleep, slick with sweat and struggling against whatever had taken hold of her dreams.
