The Last of the Firedrakes...Or so We Thought

Chapter 27: Noctis

I jerk awake, the sheets sticking to my sweat-coated body. I roll out of bed, hating the feel of my wet, hot body in between the sheets.

I shake off the memories lurking in my head from my dreams. Since I'm so suddenly awake - and uncomfortable - I search for the bathroom. Common sense leads me to the only other door in the room, the one that isn't the exit.

Like everything else in this place - what even is this place? - the bathroom is black. I quickly shed my night gown and hiss as I sink into the magically filled bathtub. I wash with the black maple soap bar waiting on the side of the tub.

I left them behind. The people I care about, my friends, are stuck as prisoners while I relax in luxury. We went in as a team, we should have left as one.

What could have gone so wrong at the palace? How did they know our steps before we made them? We spent hours perfecting our plan, going over blue prints, and coming up with a solution for any possible situation.

The thought hits me like a sack of bricks.

We were betrayed.

The water is suddenly cold.

. . .

I try to lay in my bed all day but an annoying tug keeps pulling on my heart. After three hours of attempting to ignore that annoying tug, I roll out of bed throwing on leggings and a large sweater. I don't bother to touch my hair or fix my face or even look in the mirror before trudging out the door.

Staring at my feet the whole way down the hall, my assassin instincts are screaming at me to mark every exit, hall, window, and room I see. But I can't will the strength in my neck to look up.

"We don't have that kind of time, Noctis-" A sharp feminine voice cuts off when I enter the room.

I slump into the closest chair at the dining table.

Noctis rises and studies my hunched form. "Danica dear, did you sleep well?"

I don't bother to answer when he says "hmph" and starts piling food onto my plate.

"Eat," Noctis growls.

Finally, I lift my eyes to meet his. Something glows there in his eyes, I can see it clear as day.

I'm not afraid of him. But I do pick up my fork and slowly take a bite of pork.

I curl in on myself and hurl everything in my stomach onto the dark floor.

"Minor details," he snaps his fingers and the mess on the floor disappears.

"How about something lighter?" The female voice says and sets porridge in front of me.

I don't look up to finally match the voice to a face. I don't care. I really don't care.

I don't care. I've built a wall of rotten stone and moss around my heart. A wall as thick as my fist. Blocking out all the pain I have felt since losing my friends and all the pain that I experienced prior to that. My entire life I have suffered, and I am tired of it. I am tired of feeling.

I left them. I didn't lose them, I left them. I left them to die or maybe worse. Tortured.

This is why I knew I couldn't get emotionally involved with others. Love is a weapon to be used against you.

I jump from my chair and stumble towards the balcony.

"And where are you going?" Noctis catches up to me.

"I have to get them back," I state, my voice unsteady.

"Danica stop," He grabs my wrist when I don't halt. "You're injured. You need food and rest."

I turn towards him, my eyes glued to the floor. He was right. I was injured. Not beaten, not bloody, not bruised, but injured all the same. Injured on the inside. In my heart. This was not something I could fix with my Fae magic.

His calloused finger gently nudges my chin, tilting my head up. My eyes meet his and I'm momentarily stunned by his sinfully handsome face.

He grins, "We will get them back I promise."

I jerk away from his touch. "Your promises mean nothing to me."

I won't look at his face. Looking at his face means giving in. I can't give in. My friends depend on it.

"We are going to get them back," he repeats. "But it's going to take time. We need a plan, backup -"

"I don't need backup," I grumble. Last time I had backup, I left them all behind and now we're going to save them.

He scoffs, "Oh yes you do. But don't worry, I know the best people for the job."

He studies me before moving back to the table and sitting. "You'll meet them tomorrow, for now, you and I are going on a trip."

I scowl. "I don't want to go on a trip."

I follow him to the table and take my seat.

"Well that's a shame because we're going anyways" he winks.

"Fine." I snarl. "But where are we going?"

My only reply is a wide smile.

<3

I know it's super short but linking this to the new book is a bit more difficult than expected.

Xoxo,

DD