Page 6 of Vathia
Last year I was injured and near death because of a whipping, and this year for my twenty-seventh we have: The Choosing, Bracken changing my choosing task to join a faction, having a royal dragon choose me and out me to the realm, being kidnapped by… by… My eyes roam over him again and I can’t remember the point I was trying to make. I shake my head. Now I’m on my way to Vathia.
“Wait, did you say Vathia?” I exclaim. “Why in all of Damorleia are we in Vathia?”
Before anyone can answer me, we land, and it takes me a moment to realize what I’m looking at. The mountains in the distance are lit with the hue of the fading sun, but that’s not what has my mouth gaping wide. It’s the field of white flowers, dusted in a layer of snow. Long green stems with three pointed petals reaching towards the ground: the same flowers from my dreamscape. In fact…this is the exact field from my dream.
“Are you coming down or are you just going to stay sitting up there gaping like a fish?” the male yells from below Vasari.
I glance at the white dragon who’s taken up his usual position from the dream, laying on the ground watching us with his yellow serpentine eyes.
Nero perches on my shoulder and slumps against my head. “My talons are tired—I’ve never had to hang on to something for so long before. These dragons are too fast, I tell you. Please do not subject me to that again.”
“I’ll make you a pouch or something. I’m sure we can figure it out,” I tell him before huffing out a sigh and slowly clambering down from Vasari. When my boots hit the ground, I tumble slightly, my own legs unsteady from the flight.
Firm hands grasp my upper arms, keeping me upright, and when I glance up, lavender eyes stare back in coolamusement. “You’ll get used to that. Now, are you going to explain to me why you didn’t heed my warning about leaving Phixmery? Forcing my hand to come there and get you myself? You do realize we are in a war, correct?” he asks with the lift of a pale brow.
Roughly, I step back, pulling myself out of his hold. “Excuse me? I’ve never met you in my life. Who in the void are you anyway?” I seethe, although lacking the heat I wanted.
He shakes his head looking slightly disappointed, muttering something under his breath. “Maeven, you do know me. Your mother’s handmaiden was supposed to explain this when you came of age—”
I stab my finger in his direction, baring my teeth at him as I hiss, “Donotsay that name. That’s not who I am anymore. My name is Ravina and you still didn’t answer my question.”
“Do you want me to—”
“Not now Nero,” I snap out loud. “I’m sorry, I got this,” I amend before turning my attention back to the male.
He rests his forearm on the pommel of his sword and smirks. “Fine,Ravina,as I stated before, you do know me. In fact we used to play in this field as mere fledglings when your parents would visit Vathia.”
I cross my arms and stare blankly at him, but his smile only grows.
“I’m Aemon Zorn, as in Lord Zorn’s son. The Lord of Vathia.”
With instincts I’ve honed from a year at Phixmery, I lash out at him, striking him in the only area I can easily access—his crotch. “Your parents killed—”
He grasps his family jewels and through clenched teeth grunts, “No, we didn’t order your parents dead. Gretchen should have explained this to you.”
I shake my head, angry tears welling in my eyes. “She died when I was eleven. How do I know you’re telling me the truth?” I bellow, my voice echoing around the clearing.
“He is, Lost One,” Vasari rumbles, her head snaking around to look at me. “I sense only the truth from him. My mother spoke of the closeness between your parents…” She trails off like she wants to say more, but once again keeps silent.
“Then why don’t I remember anything he’s talking about? I only recognize this place because of my dreams…” Something clicks and I whip my head back towards him. “It wasyouin my dreams, wasn’t it? You were your dragon!” Betrayal begins to take root in the pit of my stomach. “Why didn’t you tell me anything? If what you’re saying is true then why leave me in the fucking village? Is this just some sick game you’re playing?”
He bends at the hips to get into my face. “Because I was keeping you safe until the time was right! You left to join the enemy’s army,” he says bitterly. “And I only found that out because you told me. You could have died, and then Damorleia would have really been lost. I would have been—” He shakes his head and storms off leaving me staring after him.
I grip my necklace hard as doubts about my past seed in my mind. What didn’t Gretchen tell me? Why would my mother tell me to never come back? Anger builds at the unfairness of it all. Why was I left in the dark?
CHAPTER FOUR
SHE KNOWS EVEN LESS THAN I thought. Fates, this is a mess—I don’t even know how to go about explaining everything to her. I just need to get her back to Kraryn. We should be able to reach there by dinner tomorrow, considering we need to fly at a slightly slower pace today thanks to the ones tagging along and the fact she was riding her newly bonded dragon without a saddle. Tomorrow I’m not waiting. We will fly full speed; it will most likely take them a couple days to reach my home, but at least once they get here we can regroup, come up with a plan, and I can inform them of places they can stop along the way. I’m just hoping my mother will know what to do. I wasn’t expecting my Little Dream’s memories not to be intact.
I leave Mae- I mean, Ravina with her bonds and begin prepping an area to camp for the night. Moving towards a tree in the clearing, I use the shadows to transport a portion of the snow away from around the boulder that sits there, clearing it down to the grass beneath, which has browned with the chilly temperatures.
Evisdor sighs and gets up, knowing what I’m about to ask. With well-practiced aim, he sends a small burst of shadowflame,hitting the stone and setting it ablaze. I wasn’t prepared to stop anywhere so I didn’t bring any of the necessary equipment. Plus, I haven’t camped out here in ages. This was our spot—we would come here as fledglings with our fathers. It was something they did in their youth, wanting to pass down the tradition. I haven’t been back since, other than the dreamscape we share together.
I lean against the tree, watching the purple flames dance along the stone, before raising my gaze and watching her. She’s breathtaking, even as she stands there with her nose scrunched up, obviously communicating with her bonds.
“My mate says the small female is confused about her youth, but in time she will understand. Be patient,” Evisdor rumbles as he settles nearby.
“I just wish I knew why she doesn’t have memories from before the war. My mother never said anything about that. Just that she was supposed to be kept hidden until the threat of war was gone and she could take her rightful place on the throne.” I sigh, scrubbing my hand along my jaw.
