SERA'S POV
Silver fire explodes from my hands.
The three dragons fly backward, slamming into the walls. The entire room shakes. Cracks spread across the stone floor like lightning.
I stare at my glowing palms, shocked. That was... more than before. Much more.
The lead dragon pushes himself up, blood dripping from his mouth. "She's stronger than reported. Call for—"
I don't let him finish. I throw more fire. This time, it forms a wall between them and me. A barrier of pure silver flame.
"Stay back," I warn, my voice strange to my own ears. Deeper. Echoing with power.
"The council will hear about this," one dragon snarls. "You just attacked royal guards. That's treason."
"You attacked me first!" I shoot back. "In my own room. Without permission from your king."
"The council's authority supersedes—"
"ENOUGH!"
Dravyx's roar shakes the palace. He appears in the doorway, his eyes blazing pure silver. Behind him stand at least twenty more dragons in human form, all warriors by the look of them.
"Who," Dravyx says in a voice of pure danger, "gave you permission to enter her chambers?"
The three dragons pale. "Elder Scorvath said—"
"Scorvath." Dravyx moves forward slowly, like a predator stalking prey. "Scorvath does not command my guards. I do. Scorvath does not enter my guest's rooms. No one does without my explicit permission."
"The council demands her presence, Your Majesty," the lead dragon says, trying to sound brave. "We were just—"
"Breaking into her room. Threatening her. Attacking her." Dravyx stops right in front of them. "That's what you were doing."
I let the silver fire wall drop. It fades slowly, sparks floating in the air.
Dravyx glances at me. Something flickers in his eyes—surprise, pride, maybe even fear. "Are you hurt?"
"No. They didn't touch me."
"Because you burned them first." He sounds almost amused. Then his expression hardens as he turns back to the three dragons. "You're stripped of your positions. Get out. If I see you near her again, you die."
They flee.
Dravyx turns to his warriors. "Double the guards on her door. No one enters without me or Lyria present. Not even other council members. Understood?"
They all nod and move into position.
Then Dravyx looks at me. "We need to go. Now."
"To the council meeting?"
"Yes. They've made their move. Now we make ours." He offers his hand. "Stay close to me. No matter what happens in that throne room, stay right beside me."
I take his hand. His skin is hot, like touching fire that doesn't burn. The moment our hands connect, I feel it—that pull again. Stronger now. Like our hearts are beating in sync.
He feels it too. I see it in the way his eyes widen slightly.
"The bond," he murmurs. "It's accelerating."
"Is that bad?"
"I don't know." He doesn't let go of my hand. "But we're about to find out."
We walk through the palace together. Dragons stop and stare. Some bow. Others whisper. A few look angry.
The throne room doors are massive—three stories tall and carved with fighting dragons. Guards pull them open.
Inside, silver fire lights everything. And sitting in a semicircle are seven ancient dragons in human form. The council.
Elder Scorvath sits in the center, his burned hand bandaged. He smiles when he sees me.
"Ah. The human finally arrives." His voice echoes through the room. "We've been waiting."
Dravyx keeps hold of my hand as we approach. "You called an emergency session. Here we are."
"Yes. We need to discuss the... situation." Scorvath gestures to me. "This girl."
"Her name is Sera Ashwood," Dravyx says coldly.
"This girl," Scorvath repeats deliberately, "has dragon-blessed blood. Which you failed to report to the council before bringing her here."
"I reported that I was bringing a potential mate. Her bloodline is my business."
"Everything about potential queens is council business." An elderly female dragon speaks up. "Especially ones with forbidden bloodlines."
"Forbidden?" I look at Dravyx. "What does she mean?"
"They mean," another council member says, "that dragon-blessed humans were hunted to extinction four hundred years ago. For good reason."
My stomach drops. "Why?"
"Because they were too powerful. Too dangerous." Scorvath leans forward. "When bonded with dragons, they became weapons that could destroy kingdoms. So our ancestors made a choice—eliminate the bloodline. Make sure no dragon could ever bond with a human again."
"You killed them?" I breathe. "You murdered an entire bloodline?"
"We protected ourselves," Scorvath says smoothly. "And now one appears in our kingdom, bonding with our king, and we're supposed to just... allow it?"
"Yes," Dravyx says flatly. "You are."
"We are not." Scorvath stands. "King Dravyx, as head of this council, I hereby order you to reject this human. Publicly. Before the bond becomes complete."
The room goes silent.
Dravyx's hand tightens around mine. "No."
"This is not a request. This is an order from—"
"I don't care." Dravyx's voice drops to a growl. "I won't reject her. She's my mate. I can feel it. The bond is real."
"The bond is dangerous!" Scorvath slams his hand on his seat. "If you complete this bond, you'll become too powerful. You'll overthrow the council. Change our laws. Open our borders to humans again."
"Yes," Dravyx says calmly. "I will."
Gasps echo through the room.
"You admit it?" The elderly female dragon looks shocked. "You'd betray your own kind for a human?"
"I'd save my kind from you." Dravyx lets go of my hand and steps forward. "For two hundred years, you've kept me weak. Kept me cursed. Because a weak king is an obedient king. But if Sera is truly my mate, that ends. The curse breaks. I become whole again."
"Exactly our point," Scorvath says. "We cannot allow—"
"You have no choice." Dravyx's eyes start glowing brighter. "The bond has already begun. In two more nights, it'll be complete. You can't stop it. You can only accept it."
"Can't we?" Scorvath smiles cruelly. He looks at me. "Tell me, girl. What happens if your precious king dies before the bond completes? Where does that leave you?"
Ice floods my veins. "You wouldn't."
"Wouldn't I?" Scorvath spreads his hands. "Tragic accident. The king dies in his sleep. The curse claims him at last. And you, poor thing, you survive because of your blessed blood. But the bond breaks. Incomplete. Forever."
"You're threatening to kill your own king?" I can't believe what I'm hearing.
"I'm explaining consequences." Scorvath's smile widens. "So here's your choice, human. You can reject him now. Walk away. Live a long, safe life. Or you can stay, complete the bond, and watch him die before the third night ends. Because I promise you—we will not let this bond complete."
Dravyx moves so fast I barely see it. One moment he's beside me. The next, he has Scorvath by the throat, lifting him off the ground.
"Touch her, threaten her, or come near her again," Dravyx says softly, "and I'll show you what a weak king can still do."
"You... can't... kill me..." Scorvath chokes out. "Council law... protects..."
"I don't have to kill you." Dravyx's eyes glow so bright I have to look away. "I just have to hurt you. Badly. And make sure you never forget what happens when you threaten my mate."
He throws Scorvath across the room. The ancient dragon crashes into the wall and doesn't get up.
The other council members are on their feet, ready to transform, ready to fight.
"Stop!" I shout. Silver fire explodes from me without thinking. It fills the room, making everyone freeze. "Just stop!"
Everyone stares at me. My fire is everywhere, swirling around us like a storm.
"I don't know how to control this yet," I admit, my voice shaking. "But I know it responds to my emotions. And right now, I'm really, really angry."
Slowly, I pull the fire back. It drains into me, into my skin, leaving only wisps in the air.
Silence.
Then the elderly female dragon speaks quietly. "Impossible. She just manifested a full storm. Without training. Without bonding completion."
"She's stronger than any blessed human in recorded history," another council member whispers. "If she completes the bond..."
"If we complete the bond," Dravyx says, returning to my side, "you'll have a king and queen who can actually protect this kingdom. Instead of hiding in these mountains, afraid of the human world."
"Or," Scorvath pulls himself up, blood on his face, "you'll have rulers who'll destroy everything our ancestors built. Everything we've protected." He looks at the other council members. "Vote now. Do we allow this bond? Or do we end it?"
One by one, the council members raise their hands.
Four vote yes.
Three vote no.
Scorvath's face twists with rage. "This isn't over."
"Yes, it is." Dravyx takes my hand again. "The council has voted. The bond proceeds. We have two nights. After that, Sera becomes Queen, and all of you will bow to her."
We turn to leave.
"One more thing," Scorvath calls out.
We stop.
"The bond requires three nights together. Three nights where you share space, share emotions, share power." His smile returns. "But it also requires consummation. Physical bonding. And it must happen before dawn on the third night, or the curse activates anyway. She'll burn. And you'll remain cursed. Forever."
My face goes hot. "What?"
"He's right," Dravyx says quietly. "The bond isn't just emotional. It's physical. All true mate bonds require—" He stops. "We can discuss this later."
"Oh, I think the human should know now." Scorvath's voice drips with malice. "Because if you fail, if you can't complete the physical bond in time, we get what we want anyway. You stay weak. She survives but leaves. And we remain in power."
He's setting us up to fail.
Making it public. Putting pressure on us. Hoping we'll be too uncomfortable, too rushed, too stressed to actually complete the bond naturally.
"Come on," Dravyx murmurs to me. "Let's go."
We leave the throne room. The doors close behind us.
In the hallway, Dravyx stops and turns to me. "I'm sorry. I should have warned you about the physical requirement. I thought we'd have time to—"
"It's fine." My face is still burning. "We'll figure it out."
"Sera." He touches my face gently. "I won't force anything. Even if it means staying cursed. Even if it means—"
"Two nights," I interrupt. "We have two nights to get to know each other. To see if this is real. And if it is..." I take a breath. "Then we'll do what needs to be done."
He searches my face. "You're sure?"
"I'm sure that I'm tired of being controlled. By my family. By the council. By everyone." I meet his eyes. "For once, I want to make my own choice. And I choose you."
Something fierce and bright blazes in his expression.
"Then let's—"
An explosion rocks the palace.
We're thrown to the ground. Stone crumbles. Silver fire flickers and dies.
Dravyx pulls me up. "What was—"
"ATTACK!" Someone screams down the hallway. "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"
Dragons in armor run past us. Through a window, I see the sky.
It's filled with dragons.
But not Dravyx's dragons.
Enemy dragons.
"Who—" I start.
"Dragon-slayers." Dravyx's face goes pale. "They're riding enemy dragons. Somehow, they got past our defenses." He looks at me. "This is a coordinated attack. Timed perfectly with the council meeting."
Understanding hits me. "Scorvath. He called them."
"He'd rather see his own kingdom burn than let me complete the bond." Dravyx grabs my hand. "We need to get you somewhere safe. Now."
"No." I pull back. "I can fight. You saw what I did in the throne room."
"You can't control it yet—"
"Then teach me!" I shout over the sound of more explosions. "Right now. Teach me how to fight. Because they're not just coming for you. They're coming for me too."
He stares at me. Then he nods once.
"All right." He closes his eyes briefly. When he opens them, they're glowing pure silver. "Give me your hands."
I do.
Power floods through me. His power. Mixing with mine. The bond flaring to life.
"Feel it?" he asks. "The fire inside you?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now—"
A dragon crashes through the roof above us.
A massive red dragon with a rider in black armor.
The rider points a sword at me.
"The blessed human!" he shouts. "Kill her! Kill her now!"