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“No one rules here,” Emrys answers. “It’s on one of the small islands, nearest to the Water Court lands. Which in your world, I believe, is Ireland, but it’s broken into dozens of small islands including this one. This is the biggest of all the islands off the land, and no one comes onto it until it’s time for the race. It doesn’t exist, or we cannot see it until then. There were people who lived here but no anymore.”
“It’s beautiful here. Even if I am trapped in this place, at least it would be a pretty place to die.”
“You may think this is beautiful, but the rest of our world is truly something else,” he explains. “Earth is a shadow compared to here, and I do not think you would die without a fight. We are all going to die in the end. Why not fight for a life worth living? Humans die so easily, but in our world, dragon queens do not.”
We barely know each other, and it’s easy enough to fall into another silence when I don’t agree with everything he has said. He keeps looking at me though, and I can’t read his gaze. “Is it your test next, or is it random and no one knows?”
“I believe water is next,” he says softly, keeping his soft green gaze on me. “And by the way, you look absolutely stunning tonight. Arden was not wrong in his dress choice. I believe silver would be a better colour for you, though.”
Silver must be the colour of his court, judging by his silver cloak. I shake my head. “Do you dragon kings ever stop flirting?”
“Why should we? And if it helps, I’ve only flirted with you.”
I mess with the fabric. “I don’t usually wear dresses. In fact, I hate this thing. It’s itchy and annoying.”
He laughs. “I would offer to help you out of it, but I’m pretty sure that would come off as an innuendo and not a very good one.”
I chuckle. He’s gorgeous and funny. Absolutely gorgeous. It’s hard not to notice when he’s this close. There isn’t a bit of his skin that isn’t flawless. He’s one of the most handsome men I’ve ever seen. The way his body fills out the suit only makes me curious about what he would look like without it on. I clear my throat and look away. “So, air. What exactly can you do with that power?”
He offers me his hand. “Would you like me to show you?”
I look at his hand for far too long. Awkwardly long. “Yes.”
I must be completely insane because this motherfucker kidnapped me and he’s making me compete to be one of their wives, and I’m pretty sure I’m crushing on him. I’ve lost it. But I still take his hand. I scream as suddenly my feet leave the ground, and we float into the air. He laughs as I hold onto his hand for dear life. I’m floating. Almost like I’m swimming through the air. He never lets go of my hand but lets me float alongside with him. “I’m flying.”
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Emrys tells me. “Let’s go above the castle. I won’t let you fall. I promise, Ellelin.”
Every inch of my mind screams no, tells me not to be stupid, but I don’t listen. I let Emrys pull me through the air, out of the balcony, and send us flying high up above the castle, leaving us floating in the stars. All I can see is mountains, rich forests, and fields. Sea surrounds the edges of the island, which is smaller than I thought, and there is nothing else but stars.
“I feel like Wendy from Peter Pan,” I laugh.
Emrys pulls me to him, our bodies flush, and he holds me close. Surprisingly, I like it. “So, if I pretend to be Peter Pan, do I get a kiss?”
I burst into laughter, and he laughs with me, both of us unable to stop for a long time. “That’s the worst pickup line I’ve ever heard.”
He laughs. “Can you tell I’m not good at this?”
I shake my head as he swirls us around in the air. “Tell me something real.”
He frowns for a moment. “This is why air is the best power to have in this world. The others, they’re trapped down there on land. Water, fire, earth. They need something that’s down there. Air, it’s everywhere. It’s freedom.” He takes a deep breath. “I never feel as free as I do when I’m up here. This is freedom.”
“Even in your dragon form?” I question.
“Even then. In our dragon form, we are still the same person, but it’s different. We’re more aggressive and out of control. Our baser instincts take over, and it means we are at the mercy of our dragon but they will listen to us. They have similar, if not the same, feelings as we do. If I decided not to hurt someone, my dragon would not hurt them.”
We don’t say another word, we just float in the stars for a while until I realise I feel so much better. So less trapped. “I’ll take you back down before an angry fire dragon comes looking.”
He takes my other hand, and we fly back down to the balcony. He takes my hand and lifts it to his mouth, brushing his lips against the back of my hand, never taking his eyes off mine. Maybe he isn’t that bad at this. When he doesn’t talk, that is. “Thank you. I needed—well, I wasn’t sure what, but I found it tonight.”
Where he touches my hand, it feels like it’s on fire before he lets go and walks away. He jumps onto the balcony rail, looking over his shoulder. “Meet me here next week, Ellelin.”
He doesn’t wait for my answer before he jumps off the balcony, mist surrounding him. I run to the railing, watching as a massive silver dragon bursts out of the mist, its long tail whipping past the castle as its thick wings spread out. It moves so quickly that it’s gone in seconds, into the sky, leaving me with my heart pounding.
Another door bangs open behind me on the wall, next to the bench. I guess that’s my cue to get back to the ballroom. I pick up the skirts of my dress and head through the door, expecting to come out into the ballroom, but I don’t. I step into a small, dark room with a jail cell on the other side and a single flame floating on the ceiling, flickering flame droplets onto the ground in front of me. I back away, but the door disappears, and I realise I’m not alone. Inside the jail cell is a young woman. She reminds me of someone, but I can’t quite picture it. She has long black hair that falls in waves to her stomach. She’s completely naked, except for vines that are wrapped around her legs and arms, holding her to the ground. She tilts her head to the side and looks at me with empty dark eyes.
“Hello. It’s been a long time since anyone came, and it’s you,” she breathes out, her voice cracking and it almost changes as she speaks. “Help me. Help me please!”
She keeps repeating her cries for help as I back away. She tries to move forward, but the vines tighten, refusing to let her move. “Ellelin Ilroth. Have you come to be my friend? I could use a friend, as they keep me trapped down here. You could save me. Please save me. They destroyed everything!”
