Chapter 1

The day I died started like any other.

Present

Hadeon had left for a work trip to Crepusculum about a week prior. It was a daunting trip with over a thousand kilometres between here and there. He would be halfway by now if the weather was good. Cyra had come from those parts, as Ignis resided within the volcano that looked out over Crepusculum. Hadeon would be away for a full two months before coming home. Before he saw his daughter again. I was alone, yet not lonely. Elliana kept me company throughout the days. Laughter filled the halls often enough that mother had decided it was finally time to come visit again. Father had dropped by only two days prior. He always seemed to hover for longer than necessary. Both of them loved my daughter with no limitations, but they tend to become suffocating every once in a while. Dragons had those habits with their hatchlings, it seemed. Especially if those hatchlings were their grandbabies.

Staff fluttered in and out of the kitchen as I headed towards the back door. They all bowed their heads in greeting. I smiled back and hurried out the door, the scent of freshly baked bread following me out. Elliana would be awake soon, consuming my time from there on out. We had to prepare for her grandmother. Anything out of place and the old crone would throw a fit and insist I move back to the Tenebris clan. Such a demanding Queen and Matriarch. I knew it was because of who I shared this house with. Not because of the house itself. Or how I ran it. The house was gifted to me when Hadeon had proposed. Back then, mother never knew of my tangling with a human. Father had to convince her not to kill the poor man. Cyra had laughed when I did finally tell my mother. She says it was one of the funniest moments she had ever witnessed. Mother's face had turned to stone, but we could all see the fire in her veins. Her eyes. No one wanted to cross her path again for the next month. One would think after being alive for thousands of years you would have a bit more open-mindedness towards others. This wasn't the case. Tenebris Mountain trembled for the next month every time my mother woke up. Queen Atarah, adept at even making the earth afraid of her. Bastian had often spotted mother's shadows trail her, as if she was in mourning. I scoffed when he had told me. Hatchlings had to leave the nest some time or another.

Rushing outside, basket in my arms, I stopped before the clothing line. From here, you could see Stygian in all its horrific glory. Hadeon had chosen the best place to put our house. With practice and the keen eyes only a dragon had, you could see one spire jutting from the mountain. It was the only sign that I wasn't completely alone. That my childhood home was still within my reach. Comforting when my husband left on his little business trips. Shooing away the hair from my face, I pinned the clothes to the line meticulously. Growing up, I rarely had the time to do mundane tasks. Cleaning for myself and cooking was always off the table. Atarah had me on a strict regimen of learning our customs, diplomatic relations and rankings. Throw in physical training from my father and all my time had suddenly vanished. Never mind that living close to forever was my lot in life. You were only a hatchling once.

Rubbing my hands down on my apron, I picked up the basket again, but a single tendril of smoke a few kilometres from the house made me stop. It was still across the river, far enough away from me not to worry. But further away from Stygian, in the blank space where no humans dwelled. Squinting, I tried making out who was there, but the canopy of leaves blocked my view. Travelers rarely ever went into that area, either. Chalking it up to some fool who had gotten lost, I turned and walked back towards the house.

Gardeners were busy trimming the bushes beside the door, bathing me in green cut offs. I smiled at the two men and heaved my basket through the doorway. They stilled for a second, waiting for me to pass and not be entirely covered with fallen leaves. The bread had been taken from the oven, but the scent still lingered. Coated my nose in delicious flavour. Mother would be arriving after midday, giving all of us plenty of time to prepare. Rolls were made, along with various jams. Raw scones still dotted the worktable, among chocolate muffin batter. Atarah loved chocolate almost as much as she loved Elliana. I had long since given up on the idea that I was still the favourite child. According to my parents, it was a grandparent's greatest pride to watch their grandchildren grow up. Sometimes I wanted to kick both of them to the curd. When it came to Elliana, they were overbearing control freaks. Even Hadeon wasn't as insane as those two were when Elliana was involved.

Matron Elizabeth stood away from the oven, hands clutching at a pan. Fresh quiche with baby spinach and feta cheese, one of my favourites. I smiled at the elderly woman. Her hair was a tangled mess of grey and black. Lines from years of smiling wrinkling the sides of her mouth. Skin had already turned leathery, years of being exposed to the unforgiving sun of Constantia. She smiled back warmly and motioned me to come closer. Setting down the basket beside the door, I wiped my hands on the apron I wore every day. A gift from my father, brought to me all the way from the Ventus, air dragons known for their delightful fabrics. The finest silk humans made couldn't even come close to their standard of material making.

"A new batch of these, fresh from the oven. I thought that maybe you would want to taste one before we stored them for later?" Elizabeth had been working for us since Hadeon had bought me this estate. She was there when I had figured out I was pregnant. Through all my cravings, cramps and explosive vomiting, Elizabeth had helped me run this place. Kept it clean and organized when I was too busy with Elliana in the few weeks after her birth. Less than a mother but more than a friend. I smiled warm at her and plucked a quiche from the hot tray.

"They look amazing. Hopefully my mother will appreciate them as much as I do." I admitted and blew on the treat, hoping it would cool down. Bracing myself, I bit into the pastry and nearly moaned. It was far beyond what I had thought it would be. Somehow Elizabeth had improved the recipe. I moaned approvingly and wiped stray crumbs from my lips.

"I am glad you liked it. I threw in some cashews and nutmeg, with just a hint of lemon. I am still baffled by how much better the spices are you bring home than the ones I find at the market." Elizabeth told me, her smile catching on my own lips. Our spices were better because I got them all the way from Terra. Regular shipments came in weekly, thanks to my mother pulling a few strings. Atarah said that even though I chose to live like a peasant, doesn't mean that I had to. All the luxuries our clans had to offer, I still had. Hadeon was more than happy to support my family in their endeavours, even when he and my mother barely ever saw eye to eye. I was still a princess, although I chose to live a simple life.

"Now that will forever remain my little secret." I giggled and stepped around the worktable, away from Elizabeth. I still had a few things to cover before Elliana woke up and time was ticking by. "Please tell the girls to polish the silverware again. Make up the guest bedroom within the east wing and bring in logs for the fireplace in the living room." I instructed the woman and headed out the door.

"She is going to enjoy this visit so much!" Elizabeth chirped from the kitchen. I smiled, beside myself. Elizabeth and my mother adored each other, for some other reason. Maybe it was because Elizabeth was someone my mother could never be. Carefree and well-worn with age. After thousands of years being alive, my mother barely looked fifty. That was part of our curse. Burdens only dragons and Fae could bare. Watch the world turn and change whilst we stayed the same.

Untying the apron from around my waist, I let the garment fall onto a chair. The kitchen was just off of the main entrance into the house. The kitchen, dining area, small home library and three guest rooms made up the east side of the manor, whilst the west side was more of our residential area. I had chosen every piece of furniture and decoration within our home, all a present from Hadeon. Business had been taking off the last few years since he had gone from a mere guard to the owner of his own security enterprise. Sheer luck and some hard work had opened up so many doors for him but took him away from us on so many other occasions. Elliana often asked for her father, breaking my heart even more. I knew he was working this hard for us. Built a life to ensure our comfort for many years to come. One day, he will die, and we will not and I will mourn the fact that we hadn't spent every last second together. He had refused on multiple occasions any help from my parents. Hadeon had made it clear that he, and only he, wanted to provide for us. I wish he knew how little possessions meant to me in the long run.

For some odd reason, I could never bring myself to think of what might come. The looming death over my head. Elliana would most certainly take after me, the same way half-breed Fae took after their Fae parent. Aging would stop for her in due time and her father would carry on to death's doorstep. When you lived forever, you forgot how precious small moments were. But I hadn't. Hadeon being mortal made me realize that time wasn't tangible. That it carried on, even when some of us didn't. For so many years I had let his mortality slip past me and then I saw him every time he returned from one of his many trips. A little greyer with a little more wrinkles marring his face. One day, I wouldn't see them at all.

My apron wasn't down long before Isabella stormed through the front doors. Her face ashen and worried. She was fairly new to the manor, only coming in when Elliana was a year old. A lovely girl with a vibrant personality. I had found her on the streets of Stygian, begging for any scraps of food. Elliana had loved her and I couldn't deny her anything in life. Hadeon hadn't exactly approved of her appointment, but I had told him she needed it. As a dragon, I had much to offer and she barely had anything. Somehow, he had gone silent on the matter afterwards.

"Madam! Madam!" Her shrill voice muted my other senses. She was never one to use such dramatics when coming to me.

"Yes, Isabella?" I asked and grabbed her outstretched hands once she reached me. Sweat clung to her palms and red dotted her face. Never a good sign. "What might be the problem?"

"Lady, there are men at the gate asking for you. They say the king sent them. But they didn't look like soldiers. I told them that they were to get the guards from Stygian to escort them inside, as you are a citizen, by jurisdiction, of Stygian. They wouldn't listen." She explained, gripping my hands in hers even tighter.

I had been preparing myself for this day my entire life long, yet I never thought it would come so soon.