After a meal of bread and cheese that felt more like a chore than sustenance, Seranni and I trudged through the tower, inspecting the extent of the storm’s damage. Snow seeped into the crevices where the stone had been torn apart. The east-facing wall was nearly gone, exposing parts of the tower to the town’s view.
If anyone in Vilusia looked closely, they’d see lights flickering through the open gaps in the stone. We’d have to keep the candles low at night and hope the snow masked the tower’s vulnerability.
Rubble, stones, and mortar covered what was left of my room, and we spent most of the morning and afternoon salvaging what we could of my belongings.
“It’s worse than I thought,” Seranni murmured, her breath misting in the frigid air. Her boots crunched on the scattered rubble as she bent to inspect a fallen beam. She brushed her gloved hand over it, her brows furrowed.
“It is,” I agreed grimly, hefting a piece of broken mortar and tossing it into a growing pile. The sharp edge cut into my palm, but I barely noticed. My thoughts were already racing. “We’ll need to move some stones to reinforce the foundation before the rest of the structure collapses.”
Seranni nodded but said nothing, her gaze fixed on the jagged remains of what had once been my room.
By the time the sun began to set, we had salvaged what little we could. Books with soaked pages were laid out to dry by the fire; clothing that hadn’t been torn or soaked was folded neatly in the corner. The rest—pieces of the bedframe, shards of shattered glass—lay in a pile outside, destined to be buried in snow.
Luckily, Seranni’s room was untouched by the storm damage. All her supplies and her belongings, all the things she had smuggled into the tower at great cost were dry and safe.
After supper, when I had stoked the fire in Seranni’s room, I moved some of the furniture around to see where I could sleep for the night.
I’d taken the desk from her corner and pushed it closer to the wall, hoping to carve out enough space for a makeshift sleeping area.
It would be getting dark soon, and I had to find some place else to spend the night. Other than Seranni’s bed.
I couldn’t spend another night with Seranni in my arms, her long legs wrapped around me…
“Kael!”
I looked up to see a steaming cup thrust in my direction. Startled, I grabbed it and took a sip, enjoying the fragrant tea.
“You were miles away,” Seranni said, shaking her head. She looked back at me uncertainly. I hadn’t even heard her come in.
I gripped the steaming mug of tea in my hands, trying to ignore the way my heart raced as Seranni’s shy smile sent a familiar flutter through my chest, one I'd been battling for weeks now. I had to get out of this room before I did something I’d regret.
“Thank you,” I murmured, forcing myself to meet her gaze. “I think I’ll take this and go for a walk.” I said abruptly. The words tasted bitter in my mouth, but I couldn’t stay. Not when the air between us felt like it might catch fire at any moment. “You know, clear my head a bit.”
Seranni’s brow furrowed in concern. “In this snow?” Her eyes widened. “Is everything alright, Kael? You seem a bit...on edge.”
If only you knew the truth,I thought, my jaw tightening. “I'm fine, really. Just need some air.”
Before she could protest, I rose from the table, the wooden chair scraping against the floor. I couldn’t bear to see the hurt in her eyes as I made my hasty retreat. With a mumbled excuse, I strode towards the door, my long cloak swishing behind me.
The moment I stepped outside, the crisp, winter air hit my face, and I felt an instant wave of relief. Snowflakes drifted lazily from the sky, dusting the forest in an ethereal glow. The trees loomed tall and silent, their bare branches creaking in the wind. The snow crunched beneath my boots as I trudged through the woods, my breath billowing in white puffs.
My thoughts turned to Seranni. To the way her eyes had softened when she handed me that cup of tea, to the way her voice quavered with concern.
She deserved better than this. Better than me.
I needed to put some distance between us—for her own safety.
My dragon constantly struggled against my restraint, desperate to stake his claim on Seranni.
Why can’t you just leave her alone?I asked myself, almost wishing I could talk to my dragon nature.She’s too good for a dragon, abeast.
Something about her called to me—both my human and beastly sides. Her unwavering kindness, her fierce intellect, her radiant beauty, all of it attracted me. When I was with her, I felt...whole. Like I had finally found the missing piece to a puzzle I’d been trying to solve my entire life.
Mate, my dragon whispered, and I stopped, thunderstruck.
Was this true? Did my dragon truly think Seranni was his mate?
My thoughts whirled as I examined my heart.
