“Yes.” I nodded, my chest tightening as fresh pain reflected in Willow’s eyes. “Every terrifying moment, every bruise, every debilitatingly painful episode I experienced as a child was real, and it was all happening to him too. I felt Azazel’s suffering in real time, everything the Warlock King did to him, even while being a world away.”
“Azazel is nothing more than another victim of Raithian’s malice, isn’t he?” she whispered, “As we all have been.”
Her gaze slowly fell, as though she was seeing the four-headed Dragon in a new light. Something I knew was extremely hard for her, considering Azazel killed half our people the day I was born, including her family.
When her eyes settled on me again, a well of unshed tears shone in them.
“Raithian not only stole him from the Harbinger; he forced Azazel to do all those terrible things to us with his evil magic?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“Yes, he did,” Evie replied, nonetheless, feeling her best friend’s pain.
“All this time, I thought,” Willow paused, processing the horror as her tears began to fall. “I thought the beast was bad too, that he’d done those things willingly, but if Raithian tortures him that means—” A sob swallowed her words, and she shook her head. “The Warlock forced Azazel to kill the Soulris he had once fought to protect… He never wanted to kill my family.”
Covering her mouth, she gave in to the sorrow, but Kingston’s arms immediately embraced her, cradling her into his chest. I was glad he could finally be there for her.
“I’m sorry, Willow,” I offered her the only thing I could.
The pain clogged my throat too, because I had lived many of the tortures Azazel was put through before my dad found a way to protect me from it. Now I knew exactly how horrible it had been for him all these years; the attacks had eventually stopped for me, but they never did for Azazel.
Leaving her mate’s arms, Willow glanced at me, a new horrifying realization dawning on her. “The Warlock forced your soulmate to kill your father too,” Willow sobbed and hugged me. “I am so sorry, Braxton.”
Her whisper burned through me, drawing tears of my own because even with everything I’d uncovered today, nothing was as sickening or as terrifying as that. Azazel followed my father once; he’d fought alongside him to protect me, and Raithian used his evil magic to make him kill my dad. Out of all the torments Azazel endured, that had to be the worst one.
Holding Willow tightly, I closed my eyes and caressed her back, sending my healing power into her. The soothing waves calmed her sobs, but I knew this was the kind of pain I’d never been able to cure. Taking a settling breath, I allowed the anger awakening in me to fuel my fight, to become part of my driving force because I would destroy Raithian, no matter the fucking cost.
Placing a kiss on my cheek, Willow finally pulled away. “Thank you,” she whispered, knowing what I did for her. “I love you, annoying little brother.”
Her endearment warmed my heart and made me smile. “I love you too.”
I couldn’t really describe it, but as I looked at her, something in her eyes said that even though knowing the truth had reawakened the sorrow and loss inside her, it had also helped her start to let go.
“I must admit that Azazel choosing you as his soulmate, even before you were born, is…” Asher paused, searching for the right word.
“Unimaginable, shocking, strange. Scary?” Evanna proposed, making me chuckle.
“Fitting,” Imogen added, and we all glanced at her. “Dragons only choose equals as soulmates, darling. Nothing less.”
“That would mean…” Asher’s statement faltered when he glanced at me, bewildered.
“The combination of your Devenish magic and your Dragon might make Braxton as powerful as the four-headed Dragon,” Kingston finished for him.
That reality fell on all of us like a bucket of ice-cold water, and the ring in my hand glowed brightly in recognition, igniting my eyes.
“I need to find a way to master my magic,” I sighed, knowing well that the other part of me was already fully controlled. Dragon abilities came far more naturally to me than magic, so I didn’t need to worry about those.
Pulling my ring off, I cut the connection and walked to the dresser, placing it inside once more.
“What are you planning to do?” Kingston’s words were troubled as he regarded me, probably knowing what I was going to say.
“I’m going to reclaim Azazel,” I announced. “Tomorrow, at first light, we’ll go hunting for him.”
22
Frantic shrieks suddenly filled the air, and I whirled around to see Aeramen burst through the window and into the room.
Evie, Willow, Asher, and Kingston were forced to stagger back to give him room. He landed in the center of the space.
“Aeramen!” I rushed towards him, realizing two very important things. He’d already learned to fly, and on all fours, he was now as big as I was. A pang of sadness hit me because I had missed all of that with him. “What happened?”
He reared back, standing on his hind legs and reaching the vaulted ceiling. The fluttering of his wings caused a ruckus in the room. “Draco and Vyper are awake!” he urged into my mind. “Luna needs your help, hurry!”
“Holy shit,” I gasped. “I have to go.”
“Go where? What is it?” Evie asked, startled.
“Vyper and Draco are awake. Luna sent for me,” I replied, watching Aeramen turn and offer me his back. Without thinking twice, I carefully climbed onto him, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his torso.
“Braxton, be careful!” Evie’s hand gripped my arm, holding me back. “They might not be the same you knew.”
Confusion furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?”
“The transformation into adulthood is the strongest from the three cycles they experience. All-consuming. It not only changes them physically but emotionally and mentally as well, preparing them to become the mighty creatures they need to be,” she confessed, a certain ache capturing her eyes.
“What are you saying?”
A heartbroken sigh left her. “Vyper and Draco might not remember who you are.”
Before I could respond appropriately—probably with, what the fuck?—Aeramen lunged forwards, jumping out the window and spreading his shimmery bronze wings. The others rushed out of the room too, heading for the stairs.
We tumbled in the air a bit while my bronze baby adjusted to my weight on him. Understandable, since it was clearly the first time that he carried someone on his back. I expected him to take me to the honeycombs, but he rounded the left side of the castle instead, heading for the large warrior training field.
Wild screeches and beastly growls echoed in the mountain, and a crowd of our people gathering around a frightening scene came into view. Two Dragons restlessly stomped and reared back against the limestone wall behind them, cornered by Luna. Her large purple wings spread wide on either side of her, creating a massive barrier between them and the curious multitude.
They didn’t seem so happy about being restrained by their mother.
Surprisingly, the spectators weren’t at all fazed by the precarious situation unfolding before them, instead they seemed intrigued, even excited. All they needed were buckets of popcorn for the show, which led me to believe they were used to this by now. It wasn’t the first time they saw a Dragon exit hibernation into an adult.