Page 8

Zahraxis

T he last rays of the setting sun filter through unfamiliar trees, casting strange shadows across this new world. I breathe deep, tasting salt air and pine, so alien compared to the lush river valleys of home. No sweet lotus blooms here, no rich soil carried on the wind from the flooding Nile. Even the moisture in the air feels wrong—heavy and cool, rather than the sultry warmth I knew in my kingdom. Ahead, Finn strides with the easy confidence of one who belongs in this time. Beside me, Rachel's presence anchors me, her aura a steady flame that keeps the feral edge of my nature at bay.

The weight of stares from the evening meal still prickles against my empathic senses, curiosity, envy, and desire all mixing together from the gathered students. Such open fraternization between races would have been unthinkable in my time. Yet here they all dwell together, sharing meals and mates as if the ancient boundaries between the higher races never existed.

My skin ripples with scales I cannot fully control, the borrowed power from our earlier coupling already beginning to fade. Rachel's nearness helps, but the chaos of this new world threatens to overwhelm me. Strange buildings line the narrow path, filled with humans whose auras pulse with mixed bloodlines. Behind us, shouts and laughter echo from some manner of game with a ball and net being played in the dying light.

"I never imagined humans could so openly bond with our kind," I say, the modern tongue still clumsy on my lips. "And not just dragons... but other races too. Even nymphs." The word tastes bitter. "It's like a mosaic of connections."

Rachel's aura brightens with pride as she explains, "It's about what's in your blood here, not who you are. The Bloodline means humans like me carry the legacy of your world in our veins."

Finn glances over his shoulder, his crimson aura steady in the twilight. "The Council ended those old laws, Zahraxis. They don't persecute dragons who share a human mate anymore."

I rub my chin, considering this. The very concept challenges everything I was taught, yet I cannot deny the rightness I feel my growing bond with them both. "You let nymphs in your midst without care, even tolerating their mating your friends. These are such drastic, sometimes troubling changes... I need to see more to believe it."

"There were laws preventing you from sharing? Your possessiveness makes so much more sense now." Rachel nudges me playfully, her aura sparking with mischief.

"I'm not being possessive. We are fated, Rachel." The words come out harsher than intended, but as I watch Finn's confident movements ahead of us, something shifts in my understanding. I crossed the barrier first, drawn by Rachel's presence like a lodestone to true north. Yet Finn followed, something that should have been impossible, unless...

Was it Rachel who allowed his passage? Or perhaps our combined fates? The island's magic would have barred him otherwise, just as it bars all who aren't called by their destined mates.

Finn stops and faces us, his expression serious, but kind. "If what you've seen so far isn't enough, you're just going to have to trust me," he says, his aura glowing with certainty. "The queen herself will confirm it once and for all when we see her."

I study them both, feeling the threads of fate that bind us. Everything I knew, everything I believed, unravels and reweaves before my eyes into something new, something I never imagined possible.

We reach the cottage door, a warm light spilling from a window onto a porch furnished with strange wooden chairs. Finn steps aside with a gesture I don't understand. "It's your island. I will let you lead tonight," he says softly to Rachel.

Ancient instinct drives me forward to secure our shelter. I grasp the door's latch, only to be brought up short by Finn's sharp words.

"Have you never heard of the concept of 'ladies first,' you dick?"

I pause at the threshold, confusion warring with irritation. "Ladies... first?" The foreign phrase sits awkward on my tongue as I glance between Rachel and the doorway. Scales ripple across my skin, born of discomfort rather than weakness this time. "This is... a custom?"

"An important one," Finn says, his tone dry. "Along with please, thank you, and not treating your mate like property."

Pride demands I challenge this, but something in Rachel's aura stops me. I step back, gesturing for her to enter first. The movement feels stiff, unnatural, yet when I catch her approving smile, something warm unfurls in my chest.

She reaches for my hand, squeezing gently. "You'll get used to it."

I grunt, unable to form a proper response, but follow her inside. Still, I position myself between her and Finn—some habits cannot be so easily broken.

The strange room holds more unfamiliar furnishings: soft-looking seats and a stone hearth. So different from the polished marble halls and gilt-edged furnishings of my palace, where every surface spoke of power and permanence. Even more jarring after centuries in bare cells of cold steel and concrete. Yet there's a comfort in these simple trappings that speaks of home rather than dominion. For a moment, I feel myself slipping, the strangeness threatening to overwhelm my tenuous control. Rachel's aura pulses with concern, and I struggle to find words to explain.

"In my time, protection was... not a matter of custom. It was an imperative. Empress Belah—may her reign be eternal—she taught that the strong must shield the weak. It is honor."

The words come slowly, pulled from deep within as I try to bridge the vast gulf between my world and this one. I meet Rachel's gaze, willing her to understand.

Finn leans against the doorframe, arms crossed but aura surprisingly gentle. "Honor is timeless, Zahraxis," he says. "But how we exercise it... that changes with time. Where I come from, we practiced courtly behavior to show respect, not just protection."

"Courtly behavior?" The concept seems foreign, yet something about it resonates.

Finn steps forward, his movements deliberate. "Yes. It's about more than just guarding someone's safety; it's about showing them they're valued, that their comfort and happiness matter to you."

He demonstrates with a deep bow before Rachel, taking her hand to press his lips to her knuckles. Though his eyes hold mischief, the gesture carries genuine respect.

I watch them, feeling the warmth of their combined auras wash over me. "And you believe this 'courtly behavior' does not undermine strength?"

"On the contrary," Finn replies with a soft laugh as he straightens. "It takes a stronger man to put others before himself."

His words strike something deep within me, challenging centuries of belief. I feel Rachel's hope and Finn's patience flowing through our shared connection.

"Then... I will strive to adapt," I say, humbled by the realization that true strength may take forms I never considered.

Rachel steps closer, placing her hand on my arm. "And we'll help you."

Her touch sends fire through my veins, my control slipping as scales ripple beneath my skin. The bones of my face shift, my vision sharpening as my pupils narrow to slits. When I look down at her, the sight of her parted lips makes my ancient blood burn.

"Perhaps," I manage, my voice thick with need, "there are other ways I might demonstrate my... esteem for you."

Finn moves closer, his heat radiating against my awareness. His voice drops low as he adds, "And maybe there are ways we can both show you just how much we respect you."

Rachel's hands find both our chests as she looks up at us. "I think I'd like that."

I wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her flush against me. This possessive gesture feels different now—less about ownership and more about reverence.

Finn slides to her side, his hand settling on her hip below mine. "Let us worship you tonight."

"I think we have a more immediate concern." Rachel's hands cradle my face, her thumbs stroking my cheeks. Even through my slipping control, I feel her determination to help steady me.

"What do you propose we do?" Finn asks, his voice rough with promise.

"Make me come. Just for him." Her eyes lock with mine, fierce and knowing. "Honor goes both ways, doesn't it?"

Then she rises to claim my mouth with hers, and I surrender to this new way of being.