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“Her family disowned her because she hurt her ankle. Dragons are prideful in their power and don’t like to be seen as weak, so they cut anyone out of their division if they are perceived as such.” I rubbed her nose, and she nuzzled into me with her wings. “I’m surprised they didn’t kill you, little one.” I decided that would be my nickname for her and that she would now join us. “She’s coming with us,” I said to Damian, already deciding.

He cursed under his breath. “Absolutely not! They’re killers!”

“And we’re not? We’ve been killing them for centuries,” I spat.

“And they haven’t been killing us for centuries as well? I don’t trust dragons. She cannot come.” He folded his arms, mud still caked on his face and in his hair.

The heat in my body started to rise. I could feel the flames in my hands emerging from the skin when I brushed it away.

Feeling defensive, I let it slide. “You’ll change your mind after this.” Within a moment's time, I swung my body on Belle’s back, told her to grab Damian with her unhurt foot, and we were on our way, sailing through the air.

Chapter twenty-three

AURELIA

“What do you think you’re doing?!” he said, cursing me under his breath. He then started screaming as he dangled from Belle’s claws. I didn’t blame him–especially if he was afraid of heights. However, I giggled, laughing at how he was reacting and thinking that he deserved it.

As Damian continued to roar, I couldn’t help but laugh. He seemed like such a brooding dark man, but there was something about him that I understood–something that I longed to further understand. As much as he didn’t show it, I knew that there was a heart beating beneath his chest. There was more to it that he refused to claim. There was something soft about him that I could see where others may not be able to. Even if it was naïve of me, I found myself starting to trust him. He had a void that he was yearning to fill, and I could acknowledge that he was just hurt.

Maybe he wasn’t as cruel as I originally had thought.

It felt so freeing up in the air. I blocked out Damian’s screeching and enjoyed being up in the clouds. It was amazing. I could see everything. With the black trees, I could even see my castle far off in the distance as well as the Sardan Kingdom in the opposite direction. They were both hard to see, but they were there. The mountains peaked around us, their cliffs calling our names. Water dripped down the textured slopes, forming small pools and waterfalls crashing to the ground.

I had never really rode on a dragon before, and had dreamed of this opportunity. I couldn’t believe that it was finally a reality.

We neared the edge of the mountain, and we were so close that I could feel the rocks along the sides. I could feel each jagged piece sticking out from the mountain, along with the green sticky moss that clung to its sides.

“This is fun! I rarely get to fly with friends!”Belle said in my head.

“This is,”I replied.

“Why does he keep screaming?”

I laughed.“Maybe we should let him down. Let’s stop near this waterfall and have him hop on your back with me. Will carrying us both be too heavy?”

“Nope! I’m strong!”She sounded strong-willed and tenacious, making me fall in love with her. It reminded me of when I was young, asking my grandmother if I could keep the stray cats and other creatures that would come in from the Forbidden Forest, but she always told me no.

We approached the mountain and there was a flat ledge formed on the outside of it. The peak was cloaked in somber shades of gray, and sizable rocks scattered the mountain. The rush of the vibrant blue waterfall cascaded nearby, the melodic splashes a magical song. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

Belle perched on the ledge, gently laying Damian down. I hopped off, my legs slightly wobbly.

I whistled mine and Cora’s tune loudly and held my arms up high in the air.

“That was amazing! Oh, my scales! Belle, that was amazing!” I went near her nose and nuzzled in close. Her pink skin was speckled with gold that glittered in the sun’s light.

I looked over at Damian, just to find him panting with his knees and hands on the ground, like a dog. “Are you okay?” I asked half-heartedly, reaching to his side.

“You could’ve killed me!”

“Belle said you can join me on her back going down!”

He glared daggers at me. I could feel the swift wind bristle through my hair, with small water droplets hitting my skin from the waterfall. It roared near me, plummeting far down.

I could see every blackened tree in the Forbidden Forest and the life radiating from it. Trees and bushes would rumple in certain areas, making shivers go down my spine in curiosity about which creatures were hidden underneath.

Nerves riddled my veins as I had never been with a dragon before. Belle was a part of my kind, and I was hers.

The adrenaline continued to course through me. I wanted to ride again, feeling connected to Belle. I felt the need to protect her. It was like I’d known her forever.