“There’s no way.” I slide my fingers into my hair, gripping it by the roots. “There’s just no way. You’re trying to tell me thatI’m not human? That this isn’t my real face? That I havemagicinside me?” My voice rises with growing hysteria.
“Yes. Exactly.”
“Oh my god,” I groan, knocking my head against the wall. “Can this nightmare just be over already?”
“I know this is a lot. I never intended to deceive you.” The words are a quiet murmur against his full lips. He sounds truly regretful. I crack an eye to peer at him.
“We’ll circle back to the lying and deceiving part.” Blowing out a long breath, I stare up at the dark ceiling. “What do they want with me? Are they going to kill me?”
“No.” Surprise flashes in Zadyn’s eyes. “King Derek needs you. For the dragon. He’s been searching for centuries?—”
“Centuries?” I repeat, making sure I heard him correctly.
“The fae are immortal,” he says, shrugging his shoulder. “Most of us have lived far longer than you can even comprehend.”
I jerk forward, coming nearly nose-to-nose with him.
“Oh, I think Icomprehendthat just fine. What Ican’tseem to comprehend is how and why I am now stuck in a mirror world where my own father locks me in a dungeon because he wants to use me and myblack bloodto what? Slay a dragon?” I spit.
“Not to slay, never to slay.” He shakes his head, his eyes reverent.
“To ride.”
I stare at him in utter disbelief.
He presses on, rushing his words as if I’ll stop him at any moment.
“This world hasn’t seen a Dragon Rider for thousands of years. The Blackbloods were theonlyones powerful enough to wield dragon magic without being torn apart. There is only one left in our world, and you alone are capable of bonding her. All five kingdoms have been hunting for you for ages.”
“A literal witch hunt.” I swallow hard in utter disbelief. “For me? Why?”
“Many reasons, the main one being that a dragon is an invaluable war weapon.”
I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose.
“This is a mistake. I’m not a Dragon Rider, and I can’t be a witch. It isn’t me. You’ve got the wrong girl.”
“I don’t, and whether you want to admit it or not, neither do they. I know who you are. I’ve been there all your life, and I’ll be there every moment from now until your last breath. My life is tied to yours.”
I shake my head and fall silent, trying to process all this information. I hear what he’s saying, but it’s not making any sense. A magical world with fae? With witches? Dragons? It’s impossible.
After a few moments of fighting back tears of confusion and frustration, I force myself to look back at Zadyn.
“How can I trust you? How can I believe you when all of this”—I gesture around me—“is straight out of a fantasy book?”
His gaze falls to my bloody fists. Gently pulling me forward, he places his hands over mine. Warmth spreads through my palms and up my arms as I glance from our joined hands to his long, lowered lashes. When he pulls back, my shackled hands are as good as new. I stare up at him, awestruck.
“All stories are rooted in truth. No matter how outlandish. You were always meant to be here.”
“I just had a knife jammed in my leg! I’m trapped in a dungeon with you, waiting to see if I’ll live or die! Not feeling very welcome here at the moment!”
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he says matter-of-factly. “Besides, they would never truly harm you. You’re too valuable to them. They’re likely only keeping you here untilthey can confirm your identity. All you have to do is prove you are who you are.”
“Well, that’s not gonna be very easy since I don’t have magic, and I just learned I was a witch two seconds ago!”
“Slow down.” He reaches out, placing a gentle hand on my knee. “Take a breath. You’re trying to process everything. I know it’s a lot. You’re taking it better than I expected, actually.”
I glare at him, and he slowly retracts his hand.
