Page 31 of The Dragon King's Awakening

"Tomorrow," she says."The war council meets at dawn.For now, rest.You'll need your strength."Her gaze lingers on me."All of you."

As she turns to leave, Zahraxis' voice stops her."Queen Racha."His formal tone carries a new note of respect."There is one matter I would discuss before we face the Titans."

She turns, one eyebrow raised in question.

"Nikhil," Zahraxis says, the name like gravel in his mouth."I am told he fights with us now."

A shadow crosses Racha's face."Yes.He arrives tomorrow to join the council."

Tension ripples through Zahraxis' body, transmitting through our bond like electricity.Finn steps closer, his hand finding Zahraxis' shoulder.

"Brother," he says quietly."Remember what we discussed."

"I remember," Zahraxis replies, his voice tight."But I must see for myself.I must know."

Racha studies him for a long moment."Vengeance is a luxury we cannot afford, not with the Titans at our door."Her tone softens."But understanding...that I can offer you."

She glances between the three of us, her expression unreadable."Be ready to put this behind you.We need you all focused for the battle to come."

As she walks away, I lean back against Zahraxis, feeling the steady beat of his heart against my spine.Through our bond, I sense the conflict within him—ancient rage warring with newfound peace, the desire for vengeance battling against the pull of our connection.

"We'll face it together," I say, reaching for Finn's hand to complete our circle."Whatever comes."

Zahraxis presses his lips to the top of my head, his breath warm against my hair."Together," he agrees, both a promise and a prayer.As Finn's hand tightens around mine, I let the moment wash over me.I never asked to be claimed by dragons.I just stopped pretending I wasn’t already theirs.

The jade chamber grows quiet as the last of the participants depart, leaving the three of us alone in the soft, pulsing glow of the living stone.

Chapter16

Zahraxis

Dawn breaks over the city, painting the sky in hues of gold and crimson that mirror the marks upon our chests.I stand at the window of our assigned quarters, watching as the first light touches the steel and glass towers of this strange new world.Behind me, Rachel and Finn still sleep, their bodies entwined on the massive bed, their breathing synchronized in slumber.

Three thousand years.That is how long I waited in darkness, how long I dreamed of revenge against the one who condemned me to that living death.And now, today, I will face him.

The thought sends a ripple of golden scales across my skin before I master myself once more.The power that flooded back into me during yesterday's ritual sits comfortably beneath my human form, no longer straining against my control but flowing with it.I feel whole again, my magic restored, my strength returned.Yet something has changed; the bond we forged has altered me in ways I am only beginning to understand.

I feel Rachel stirring through our connection, her consciousness brushing against mine like a gentle caress.She rises silently, padding across the room to join me at the window.Her hand slips into mine, warm and small yet somehow anchoring.

"You're worried about meeting him," she says, not a question but a statement of fact.Through our bond, she feels my turmoil as clearly as if it were her own.

"Not worried," I correct her."Uncertain.For three millennia, my hatred for Nikhil was the flame that kept me alive in darkness.Now I am told he was but a puppet, his will not his own."I look down at her, this remarkable human who has somehow become essential to my existence in mere days."What does one do when the object of one's vengeance is revealed to be another victim?"

She considers this, her expression thoughtful in the growing light."You listen," she says finally."You see him with new eyes.And then you decide."

Finn joins us, his crimson robe hanging open to reveal the mark on his chest—my mark, intertwined with Rachel's violet signature."She's right," he says, resting one hand on my shoulder."Nikhil has his own demons to face.But he's fought for redemption these past years.He helped destroy the true enemy."

I feel their concern flowing through our bond, their desire to ease my burden.As an empath, I have always sensed the emotions of others—a constant background noise of feelings not my own.But this is different.Their emotions flow directly into me, clear and undiluted, not like the distant echoes I typically perceive from those around me.It is as though the walls between us have dissolved, our spirits touching without barriers.Strange, but not unwelcome.

"I will listen," I concede, turning back to the window."But three thousand years of hatred does not vanish overnight, even with the truth revealed."

Rachel squeezes my hand."No one expects it to.Just be open to what you see today."

A knock at the door interrupts our moment.Finn moves to answer it, returning with a court messenger, who bows deeply upon seeing me.

"The queen requests your presence in the war chamber," the messenger says."The council gathers now."

I nod, dismissing him with a gesture that feels both familiar and foreign—the casual authority I once wielded as naturally as breathing, now a half-remembered habit from another life.As the door closes, I turn to my mates.

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