“Except…you have slaughtered innocents, Remnant Ezra Solaire Dark, thousands of them. You furthered the extinction of your own people. You wished once to end your own life…how is that cherishing the life the goddess granted you?”
I stared in anger. “I do not deny what I have done. Let me amend my statement. I take no pleasure in murdering others. Life is precious…no matter what form they come in. From the smallest of flowers, to the gnomes that battle, and the chickadees that soar, all the way to the dragons that bellow…even queens that go mad. We all are needed in this world.” I swallowed down the emotional pain rising within me. “But what this world never needed was me. I would forfeit my life easily if it meant I could undo the wrongs I have made.”
The dragon continued to study me before he spoke with a sad tone.“It is a shame you place no value upon your own life while you hold others in such high regard.”
“When you are a monster you do not have the right tohold such value.”
“Have you ever considered the fact that the world needs monsters then…to protect the lives that do matter?”Shen cooed at me, wrapping his body closer around my person.
I stiffened with alarm. When had the dragon started coiling around me? “Speak plainly, dragon. Speak your purpose.”
Shen’s eye beamed at me, the cerulean blue swirling inside his vertical slits.“Cousin, I find that I am in need of a monster that places the life of another above her own. Your debt to me for saving your life from those water fae pests will be fulfilled should you agree.”
I glared into the dragons' fierce single eye, stating slow and clear. “No.”
Chapter 24
Shenhissed,histongueflicking out and grazing my exposed cheek but my glare never wavered. "So brave but so foolish. Bartering with a dragon never ends well for the barterer, cousin, and I can see that clever gleam in your eyes. Speak your terms at your own risk.”
I raised my chin. “Give me and my companion safe passage to The West Isles and I will complete your task.”
Shen’s great head lifted away from me, admiration and knowing twinkling in his eyes. “I will give only you and one other safe passage from here and it is not your shifter. He must stay. His fate is one that even I will not intervene on.”
I stilled. “What do you mean?”
Shen hummed. “He is goddess blessed. I cannot intervene in his fate.”
My hands fisted at my side. “Then I cannot help you. Kill me or show me the way outof here.”
A fierce flood of bubbles blew from flared nostrils. “You will do neither, we are out of time and the child nears.”
Riella’s sweet little voice whispered in my thoughts…I know a dragon.Feigning shock, I reared back. “A child in Faerie? I do hope you haven’t conjured up such a blasphemous mirage to fool me into helping you!”
The dragon’s deep chuckle stirred my free floating hair, the emerald hair piece that had held it down lost forever…just like Bay.
“I would not be surprised if the goddess gifted you mirage powers, Remnant Dark. You may drop your contrived performance, such an act does not work on me. The ocean knows many things and is quite the gossiper. Do you honestly believe it would not tell me that you have met the faeling?”
I crossed my arms over my chest, thumbing at the remaining green paint. “What of her mother? She nearly killed me. I cannot fight against the enhanced power she wields and protect the faeling at the same time.” I narrowed my eyes at the winning grin forming on his beastly head as I spoke. “I have not agreed to help you, dragon.”
Shen lowered his great head so that it was just inches from me.“You cannot fight your nature, cousin, no fae would leave a child alone to fend for herself with monsters worse than the one they already keep. And that pest—that parasite, is no mother to the girl just as I am not her father. The blood witch’s influence grows and she will come for the child. It is no longer safe for her here.”
I glared. “You know more than what you have told me. Arm me with knowledge if I am to be her guardian.”
He scoffed and flicked his tongue out at me again and I batted it away with a growl. My action only made him chuckle with amusement.“Cousin, you have been fighting with what you do not know since the day of your birth. Will you protect her or not, General Remnant Ezra Solaire Dark? The Last Shadow Fae. Slayer of the Faerie Queen. Murderer of Morta. Monster That Values Life. Keeper of the Golden One. Cousin of the Greatest Legendary Water Dragon That Has Ever Lived?”
I hissed through my teeth. “Any other title you’d like to bestow upon me?”
“None that I would repeat in front of my little seaflower. Come forth child! I know you are there.”
I practically collapsed at the sound of his true voice as it boomed inside the cavern no longer inside my head.
“Dragon…do we need to have a talk about proper etiquette?” I tapped a webbed finger to my temple, cutting him with a knowing glare.
“Etiquette? When it was you who cracked my wall? I think not, cousin. Do not feign vulnerability with me.”Then his great head turned.“Come. It is safe here, I promise you, my treasure.”
Muddy pink hair swirled around a tiny black scaled body as she peeked through the white illusionary walls. Multi-faceted eyes twinkled with delight, darting from me to the dragon before rushing forward to embrace him.
The size of her was the equivalent of one single scale on his serpentine form and I had to shove away my instinct to pull her away from the fearsome creature. Cautiously, I moved forward.
