Why were they stopping me?
May the Gods be With You
DAEGAL
Iloved Xander like a brother—I couldn’t let him die here because he lost control of his dragon. He thrashed, struggling against the bonds, but we held them firm.
“I’m going to talk to him,” Aileana said.
My eyes widened. “He might—”
“He won’t hurt me.” Confidence filled her voice as she looked between me and her mate. “I’m certain of it.”
She might have been confident in herself, but I’d seen what happened to dragon shifters that lost control. I was older than the Dragon Massacre, and once, I had witnessed a dragon shifter lose control in the middle of a city square simply because they saw the gleam of a gold coin nearby. It would have been a bloodbath if the holder of the coin hadn’t given it up to the dragon willingly.
I couldn’t let that happen here today. Xander would never forgive himself if he hurt his mate. Nor would he forgive me if I failed to keep her safe—even from him.
We were at an impasse.
The dragon shifter kicked and pulled until the rope grew taut. Kysha grunted next to me, adjusting her grip. On her other side, Maiela groaned as we dug our feet into the ground.
“Someone needs to do something,” my twin said through gritted teeth. “We can’t hold him forever. One of us is going to give—either us or him. How long can we hold a dragon back, Daegal?”
Damn it. Maiela was right.
I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing in deeply before meeting Aileana’s gaze. “If he shifts—”
“He won’t,” she said resolutely.
“If he does, you need to get away as quickly as you can.” I couldn’t believe I wasn’t stopping her, but what else could I do? “He’ll die if he hurts you.”
The pain would rip him apart from the inside out.
Her aura thrummed. “Okay.” Aileana dipped her head. “If he shifts, I’ll move back.”
Xander snarled, and the ropes were so tight, I feared they’d snap at any moment.
“Alright.” I tightened my grip on the rope, wrapping it twice around my fists. “Go.”
Aileana didn’t waste any time. She ran over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. She bent, murmuring quietly as though she was speaking to an injured animal. The dragon shifter fought against the bonds, but whatever she was saying seemed to be working. His struggles slowed, until finally, he stilled.
She kept talking.
Minutes slipped by. The lava crackled and hissed, and I prayed to any gods who were listening to release Xander from the thrall of the treasure.
Even so, we did not drop the rope. I wouldn’t risk it. Ryllae was beside me, feeding more magic into Xander’s bindings.
Eventually, Aileana looked over her shoulder. “It’s okay, you can let him go.”
Ryllae’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
The Earth Elf nodded. “He has the dragon under control.”
I studied them both. Both their auras were shone brightly, and there were no more traces of scales on Xander’s skin. “She’s right,” I said. “It’s safe.”
Exhaling, everyone released the rope. Ryllae murmured under her breath, and the cord disintegrated, disappearing into thin air. For his part, Xander was immobile on the stone. His back rose and fell, and his muscles rippled as he remained prone.
“Elyx?” Aileana whispered.