Chapter Twenty-Two
The Dragon King didn't stop fucking me until the sky started to lighten. I should have felt exhausted and sore, but his possession had the opposite effect. As he finally fell onto his side, fast asleep, I stretched my broken wing and found it whole. Binding myself to him had healed me. How?
I looked over at Raven's handsome face, calm at last, and remembered the vicious expressions that had come over him during the night. Every time I tried to roll away, he jerked me back to him and growled at me. I thought mating was supposed to bring out the protective qualities in a Dragon, but, just as I'd feared, taking me made Raven less concerned about my wellbeing. He only cared about coming. Over and over again. And every time he came, he coated me in that tingling substance that I knew was meant to subjugate me.
I was supposed to endure days of this? Was that how long it took for his “essence” to enslave me?
With a soft, wounded cry, I rolled out of bed and fell onto my hands and knees. The Dragon King had been in control the entire time. All I'd done was lie there and accept him, praying for it to end. He spoke a few times, expressing his joy in myclaiming, but mostly, it had been grunting and growling. Animal sounds. Yes, he'd become a beast.
And I wasn't about to be his prey again.
“No more,” I whispered as I stood up and gathered my clothes. “Not ever again.” I glanced back at the sleeping king. “Not even for you, my love. You shouldn't have made me strong if this was what you wanted.” I pulled on my clothes and my boots and then walked out of the room.
That's it. I took nothing more with me. Maybe I would have if I'd been thinking more clearly. But all I could think was that I had to get away from Raven before he woke. He'd never let me leave now, and I couldn't stay. I'd rather live without him in misery than be his slave. Loving him only made it worse.
The hotel was quiet around me. I crept downstairs and heard the soft murmur of voices coming from a room behind the counter to the right. I kept going, every step making me stronger. I wasn't a victim. I wouldn't allow this to happen to me again. I had a choice now.
My chin lifted, and I pushed open the front door to breathe in the crisp morning air. The little city of Two Rivers was still asleep. No witnesses to my flight. Good. I took another deep breath, set my gaze upon the brightening sky, and spread my wings.
Air magic spun through me, helping me off my feet even as my wings came down. I rose, and as I did, so did my heart. It had been so long since I'd flown. The last time had been the night Katai freed me. But that was a short flight. I'd gone back to kill Bara, and he had broken my wing. Even after death, he kept me grounded.
No longer!
If I hadn't been fleeing the Dragon King, I would have sung. I would have lifted my voice in celebration of the sky and the wind. But I kept silent and focused on orienting myself. South. I would head south, back toward Ahanu. But I wasn't returning to the crown city. I was headed to the Hanhepi Forest. It was time to go home.
I had to keep my focus locked, or I'd falter. Even after the night I'd endured, I still loved Raven. It was foolish and weak, so I couldn't give in to it. I looked ahead and thought only of my family. They'd welcome me back. They'd love me enough that I would forget the Dragon King.
I hoped.
Then something knocked into me. Gasping, I floundered. But I didn't fall. It was a person. A man. An Okon. I cried out when Nahel lifted his face and grinned at me. With one arm locked around me, he righted our flight. I flailed and fought, my wings flapping to unbalance us.
“Don't fret, my pretty bird. I will take good care of you.” And then he punched me in the face.
Rather contradictory. But I didn't have the chance to point that out. I immediately went unconscious.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Groaning, I came to. In blinking flashes of sight, I noted my environment—tents, trees, fire, men. The Okon men sitting around a central fire were those with the bright veins and scars. They stared at me covetously, their cold eyes roaming my body. I took stock, sensing that nothing was broken. Even my nose had healed from Nahel's punch. But something was wrong. There was a lethargy in my bones that I recognized.
“No!” I screamed and surged to my feet.
“Sit down, Eliel,” Nahel stepped past the circle of seated men.
I sat down. My horrified stare went to my wrist. A white silk ribbon was knotted there. Nahel sat beside me, his left wing stretching to curl around me. He handed me a bowl of honeyed porridge. On his wrist was a white ribbon with a spot of my blood staining it.
I began to cry.
“Shh, don't cry.” Nahel set the bowl in my lap and stroked my back between my wings.
His command over me was so great that my tears dried up instantly from his casual words. I shuddered and gasped, denied even that small freedom.
“Please don't do this to me.” I met his gaze and found his green eyes fever-bright. “I'll do whatever you want. Just remove the ribbon. Please.”
“Whatever I want?” His grin turned lascivious. “You will come to my bed willingly? Enthusiastically?”
“Yes,” I whispered, even as fear sliced through me. It was all right. I had endured years of Bara's abuse. If Nahel removed the ribbon, it wouldn't be nearly as bad. “I'll obey you willingly. Please.” I held out my wrist.
“I will consider your request after I question you. I need you to answer me honestly.” He nudged my hand. “Eat. You'll need your strength.”
