Page 2 of Dark Bonds

My roar reverberates through the air, a desperate plea to the shadows that lurk in every corner of this realm.

Come, I call silently.Come and bear witness. Come and lend your strength.

Using the elevation, I tuck my wings in and dive toward the cave, slicing through the air and plunging into the darkness. The transition from air to land is seamless, my form shifting just as my feet touch the cavern floor. The cave air is cool and damp, heavy with the scent of earth and ancient stone.

I cradle Frankie tighter against me, her shallow breaths and weak pulse a fragile lifeline I cling to. A small spring sits ahead, its waters shimmering with a faint, ethereal light that casts dancing shadows on the cave walls. The rough, uneven surface of the cavern is adorned with strange, glowing symbols that seem to pulse in time with the spring’s magic.

Without a moment to spare, I move to the edge and gently lower Frankie into the healing pool. The water glows softly around her, and I watch, holding my breath, as the magic begins its work, knitting her wounds and mending her broken body.

I stay by the water’s edge, my eyes never leaving her. The cavern is silent except for the sound of the water lapping gently at the shore and the distant echo of my own thundering heartbeat. As the minutes stretch into an eternity, I allow myself to feel a glimmer of hope.

She will survive this.

She must.

We all need her to.

The healing waters pulsate with an otherworldly light as tendrils of magic weave around Frankie’s motionless form. Her skin, once pale and lifeless, gradually regains its warmth, and the black swirls of her tattoos seem to dance in the shimmering water, pulsing with a life of their own.

My fingers dig into the rocky edge of the spring, the sharp pain grounding me in this moment of uncertainty. I’ve seen many things in my long life, but nothing has ever filled me with such a potent mixture of fear and hope as this fragile human woman fighting for her life.

“Come on, Frankie,” I growl, my voice raw with emotion. “Fight. You’re stronger than this. You have to be.”

As if in response to my desperate plea, her eyelids flutter. My breath catches in my throat, and I lean closer, hardly daring to believe what I’m seeing. Her eyes open slowly, revealing those familiar owlish orbs that have haunted my dreams for so long.

“Dorian?” Her voice is barely a whisper, but it cuts through the silence of the cave like a blade, sharp with hope and fear.

Relief floods through me so intense, it’s almost painful. “I’ve got you,” I say, reaching out to brush a wet strand of hair from her face. Her skin is cool and damp under my fingers, but it’s warming by the second. “You’re safe now, little owl.”

She tries to sit up, but I gently push her back down. “Rest,” I command softly. “The healing isn’t complete yet.”

Frankie nods weakly, her eyelids already drooping closed again, but this time, I’m not afraid. I know she’ll wake up again.

She’s chosen to stay, fight, and live.

“By scale and sky, Frankie,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotion, “I’ll keep you safe.”

As I watch over her, I make a silent vow. I will protect her no matter the cost. I will unravel the mysteries that surround her,and I will keep her safe from those who wish her harm. In saving her, she has somehow saved a part of me as well.

The night wears on, and I remain vigilant by the spring’s edge. The others will come soon, drawn by my call, but for now, in this moment suspended between danger and safety, it’s just Frankie and me, and for the first time in centuries, I feel something long dormant stirring within my chest—hope, and perhaps something even more dangerous, like love.

The cave around us seems to vibrate with possibility, the air thick with magic and promise. As Frankie sleeps, healing in the mystical waters, I allow myself to dream of a future I never thought possible—a future with her.

“Stay in the light, little owl,” I murmur once more, a prayer and a promise intertwined. “By scale and sky, I’ll be here when you wake.”

May the shadows have mercy on anyone who tries to take you from me.

Chapter 1

Frankie

Seven Years Ago…

Weight crushes my lungs.

Breathing?Impossible.

Existing?Probable.

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