The Dragon Bond: Heirs of Lyra

Chapter 81

"Where are we going?" Asked Elysia as Shade took her hand and started running through the maze.

"Somewhere warm," was his reply. Her arms were bare and chilled, her hands cold. Despite the frigid night, she would have gladly stayed out there for hours if it meant she could remain with Shade. He was stirring up emotions she never expected to attain.

When they entered the castle and ascended the steps, Shade peered around the doorway. Meanwhile, Elysia slipped her heels off, carrying them both in one hand by the straps, to ensure her steps were as soundless as possible. Shade was mask-less and Elysia could not be seen with a man at this hour. They needed to be quiet and slip upstairs unnoticed.

When the hall was empty, he took off again, dragging her along. It was fun, running the halls at this hour.

At the sight of a guard, Shade slid to the side, grabbing her by the waist and turning her until they were both squished together behind a pillar. They stared into each other's eyes as they waited for the guard to walk past. Both were breathing heavy, struggling to keep as quiet as possible.

Shade turned his head slightly, checking once more, then they took off again. They made it down the entire length of the hallway unnoticed, and hurried up the stairs.

Once safely to her room, they hurried inside and shut the door. The room was mostly dark. The full moon shared its light through the windows and the fire added what it could. Elysia watched Shade shyly. He approached her gently, tucking a loose hair behind her ears. "I should let you rest."

She lowered her head, hiding the disappointment on her face. He was saying goodnight? "Can't you stay?"

His expression was pained. "One of us needs to be realistic, Princess."

She frowned. Back to being called Princess, it seemed. He was stepping back when she wanted to move forward. He was referring to her arranged marriage, of course. They would all expect her choice by the morning; she knew that, and yet...She wanted one more night. One more moment of selfishness. A chance to claim what her heart truly wanted. Her entire life she had never felt this way, never thought she could. Was she truly to ignore such powerful emotions?

"I still have one more night," she whispered, unable to look at him just yet. She moved to the wall, her hand on the small rope that signaled for her lady's maids to help her retire for the night. "I'm going to change out of this dress and into something comfortable. You can choose to walk out that door and spend the night in the hall. Or you can stay here, hide while I change, and live one night selfishly."

She could see the conflicted emotion in his eyes. She knew what she wanted. She only hoped Shade's desires were the same as hers.

Unable to watch, she closed her eyes as she pulled the rope. When she opened her eyes, Shade was gone. After a moment, the sound of footsteps approaching the room could be heard. One of her lady's maids entered quietly, stifling a yawn.

Elysia grabbed a nightgown and entered the bathroom, her lady's maid following behind. Once out of the dress and into her sleepwear, she thanked her lady. Too nervous to discover if Shade had left or stayed, Elysia remained in the bathroom for a moment longer.

She took the pins out of her hair and brushed the curls out carefully until her hair was soft and smooth. She splashed her face with water, hoping to calm her nerves, and pat her face dry with a towel. Then she finally left the bathroom, returning to her bedroom.

It was dark. The curtains were drawn closed. Her lady had graciously added more logs to the fire, warming the room and providing a dim lighting.

Timidly, she looked around her room, wondering if her guardian still lurked in the shadows or if he had chosen to leave. Unable to find him, she moved to the double doors that led to the hall. While part of her needed to know if he was out there, the other part wouldn't be able to tolerate the shame if he was and found her looking.