"N-no," Naomi moaned through the cloud of sleep she was nestled in. Sweat beaded on her brow; eyes moving rapidly under the cover of her eyelids as her breathing sped up. "S-stop... I'm sorry... Please," She murmured, hands fisted as if fighting an invisible enemy. The next instant, however, Naomi jolted from the bed, chest heaving. In a panic, she looked to her right and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Daegal was there, asleep. His breath was even, coming out in small puffs while the moon illuminated his long lashes, straight nose, high cheekbones, and full, sensuous lips. Slowly, she traced the sharp angles of his jaw with a featherlight touch and let out a small smile when she felt him lean into her touch even in his slumber. But suddenly, Naomi's stomach churned as nausea overwhelmed her senses, ripping her moment of admiration away. She scrambled out of bed with a hand over her mouth and hurried to the empty wash basin on the table a few inches away from th
Naomi didn't say anything for a while and only nuzzled closer to Daegal's warm body as if she wanted to enter his skin. Daegal, however, welcomed the contact. He quickly found out that he needed the closeness even more than Naomi did. Daegal almost thought she had fallen asleep until she spoke. "I can't make sense of it... I mean, I have been trying but it's all so..." "Vague?" Daegal suggested. "Exactly." Naomi nodded in agreement. "I haven't dreamt in quite a while so this took me by surprise. I can't decipher the elements I saw. I can't...see a connection," She explained. Daegal hummed. "If you can, please tell me anything you can remember. I might be able to help you connect the dots," he said. Naomi tucked a strand of her behind her ear and started drawing circles on Daegal's bare chest. "There was death... Everywhere. It hung over me like a cloud. Also, it was hot, unbearably so. I don't know where I was but bodies were piled up around me." She paused for a second then c
“Absolutely not, Daegal.” Naomi crossed her arms under her breasts. “It is just a trial. I will be there and nothing bad will happen. There is no reason for you to be scared, love.” Scoffing, Naomi shook her head and planted her feet into the stable grounds. “I’m not going anymore. I thought I was ready but now I realize I was being impulsive. It’s a literal dragon! I can’t stop thinking about how Dreygor tried to eat me on more than one occasion.” Turning his head away from Naomi, Daegal snickered into his palms. Then he cleared his throat and faced her again. “I am right here with you, just as I promised. Hey, look at me, love.” He tipped up her chin with his thumb and index finger. “I am certain that the last dragon is meant for you. You are strong, resilient, and perhaps the kindest person I know. You have so much love inside of you and those are the qualities you need to bond with her.” Naomi bit her lips, brows knitted in thought. “I don’t know…” Daegal kissed her forehead
His encouragement spurred Naomi and she took off the glove on her right hand and held it up to the dragon. Then she decided on a name in the heat of the moment. “Aelyna!” Naomi took more steps to the dragon who watched her with shrewd eyes. The she-dragon’s breath puffed out from her nostrils like steam. “Disce,” she said, repeating what she had heard Daegal say to Dreygor the first time she came to the arena. Aelyna bared her long, sharp teeth at Naomi and leaned her head forward, interest piqued by the human without dragon’s blood in her veins trying to stake a claim. Naomi cleared her throat and to every supernatural being out there, she prayed that Nerina’s singing voice wasn’t horrible. She closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and began to belt a slow song that her father always sang to her whenever she was nervous or terrified about something. The song always calmed her down and Naomi hoped that it would have the same effect on Aelyna. When she whispered the last verse of the
“Is it done? The bonding?” Naomi asked Daegal as she stroked the side of Aelyna’s thick, rough-scaled neck after they both alighted from their respective mounts. Before Daegal answered though, a voice—both ancient and young— rang out in Naomi’s head, clear as day. “If it was not complete, do you not think I would have thrown you off my back the moment we took flight?” Naomi lurched back, frightened. “Did you hear that?” she questioned Daegal just as he came up beside her before she could fall. “Hear what?” Naomi swallowed. Then she straightened and looked at her dragon. It was almost as if Aelyna was smirking at her. “There’s someone in my head.” When Daegal raised an eyebrow in confusion, Naomi grabbed his arm and made him face her squarely. “I think Aelyna is in my head.” Daegal’s eyes widened a fraction. “Aelyna? How?” “I don’t know,” she sighed. “You are more than you think you are, Naomi. It is a shame that you do not know the measure of your abilities. Now this is going t
A continuous, annoying tap on Naomi’s left shoulder grudgingly roused her from sleep. “What, what, what? Can’t someone get five minutes to rest in this place?” she complained while rubbing her eyes and yawning simultaneously.“Look who said she was going to help with preparations?” Daegal teased, stifling a chuckle.The next instant, Naomi sat up straight, eyes wide and alert. “The ball! Shit.” When she turned her head and took a look outside, a shocked gasp escaped her mouth. “How is it already dark? It was just after noon some minutes ago!”Daegal leaned against the post at the foot of the bed, his arms folded and eyes alive with laughter as he watched the love of his life scramble out of the sheets. “Easy, love. Everything is ready. No need to rush yourself.” He gestured to his body. “As you can see, I am not even dressed. We have about an hour and a half.”However, Naomi wasn’t sated by the revelation. Pushing her hair out of her face, she let out a groan. “I’m sorry. I know I sai
Naomi chose not to answer the obvious taunt and glanced down at Nezetta’s outfit—a gown, tight at the bust and waist but with a flowing skirt made with the richest material in the darkest shade of black.“You look different,” she commented.“What can I say? Black is my color.” Nezetta raised her eyebrows and smiled teasingly.The music reached a crescendo so Nezetta spun Naomi and then dipped her. Upon being upright again, Naomi said, “Doom’s mistress? Really?”“Ah.” Nezetta chuckled. “You have heard of my sterling reputation. Wonderful.”Naomi sighed and interlaced the fingers they had held out. “Look, There’s something you have to know. I wasn’t myself… I haven’t been myself for a while. Daegal told me that you left after you supposedly had a conversation with me but it wasn’t me, Nezetta. It was Nerina.”Nezetta at least had the decency to look shocked. “Wh-what?” she sputtered.“Yes. I was under…” Naomi trailed off when she met Daegal’s eyes while he danced with one of the female
Ten days had passed since the New Year’s celebration which was not without drama. Though expected, the extent to which it occurred wasn’t properly thought out by either Daegal or Naomi.Yes, Nezetta was volatile and had deep-seated issues yet neither her former lover nor her brother foresaw the bitterness that radiated from her that day.Naomi and Daegal knew she would make an entrance but never anticipated that she would try to kill someone she claimed to love all because of jealousy and resentment.Ever since then, the days have been quiet, or at least as quiet as the castle could be. There was no news or more sightings of Nezetta as far as Naomi knew. Lately, though, she didn’t know so much.For some weird reason, Naomi was never aware of the proceedings during the war council and even normal council meetings that Daegal usually told her about.However, she chose not to think too much of it these past days and instead went for regulated flights around the castle on Aelyna, further