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“You wish to escape what you have done. How selfish,” Nayana sneered.

“Not at all,” Valerie quickly answered. “If there was any other way to remove the corruption that will eventually take me, I would. Fire is the only way we know, and the pain I will receive will be enough of a punishment for my actions. I have never killed for the blood magic I used, but I still made the creatures I took from suffer.”

“You never killed them?” Aneirin frowned, twisting his head at her. “And you did this to save your sibling?”

“Please, do not pity me or think lightly on this. I am not asking for a trial; I am asking for assistance.”

“And yet it is a trial you are being given.” He twisted his head the other way. “You did not kill. We do not know what truly makes your kind turn. You may not turn at all.”

“Regardless, I have done unspeakable things.”

“If she wishes to be cleansed, then so be it,” Kelherian cut in. “Why should we care for the life of a Witch? We would never hesitate to take one of their lives in the wild.”

“No, I still wish to know who this Dragon is,” Eridile snapped. “Afterwards, we can put her to fire.”

“So, it is agreed. Fire is her fate,” Nayana said, while Aneirin nodded as well.

An overwhelming sense of calm rushed over Valerie, and she closed her eyes in relief.Finally.Finally, she would get what she wanted.

She bowed just her head. “Thank you. I appreciate this decision.”

“It is strange for a Witch to thank us for something like this,” Aneirin said with a crinkle of his snout. “You truly want fire?”

“Enough of this! Tell us who the male is!” Kelherian shouted, stamping his paw. “I will not wait any longer to know who will be put on trial next.”

“My apologies, but I will not reveal who it is. I do not wish for them to be punished when my death is imminent.”

There was a growl from him and the blue one. “You will tell us.”

“Or what? You will put me to fire?” Valerie gave a singular, mocking laugh. “You can torture me for information, but I will not allow you to harm someone I care for.”

The words slipped out by accident, and she cringed.Oops, I was intending to keep that secret from them.She was feeling too relaxed now that she knew she was going to get what she wanted.I just do not care anymore.

“Ah, what I mean to say is–”

“If that is how she truly feels, then she will not tell us,” Aneirin sighed. “Rurik knows; we can find out from him.”

“Fine,” Nayana growled. “We will ask Rurik once we are done here.”

All four of them stepped forward, and she turned her face up towards them with her eyes closed. She awaited the fire that would take her to her ancestors.

Her hair billowed forward when there was a rush of air from behind her, like the door had been flung open.

Instead of flames wrapping around her, something cooler and rougher enveloped her instead. The sounds of growling and quick huffs, like someone had exerted their body and was struggling to breathe, were loud.

She opened her eyes to find herself facing the back of a Dragon. Their tail was wrapped around her body protectively, the stumpy tip between her and the Elders.

The moment she saw dark blue scales shimmering in the firelight, she knew exactly who it was. Her mouth fell open with unhidden shock.

“Geryon, what are you doing?” Nayana shouted, before her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull in realisation. “It is you! You are the Dragon she has been with.”

“I know what she has requested, and I will not allow it,” Geryon snapped.

He lowered himself as he curled his body around her further, walking in a circle, much like how a snake would coil itself around prey, in order to put himself between her and the Elders. Then he covered her with his wing, shoving her into darkness and completely protecting her.

Why is he here?She thought he wouldn’t come. If she knew the rules, then so did he.How could he do something so stupid?

“That is not your choice to make. She has made her request, and we have accepted it. As for you, you will be punished for what you have been doing with her.” Nayana sounded furious. “She has seen your human face. Youknowletting her free is not permitted. She is to either be imprisoned in your lair or killed, and yet you decided to bed her.”